Stormcaster by Cinda Williams Chima

Summary:
A pirate on the run.
Vagabond seafarer Evan Strangward can move wind, waves, and weather, but his magical abilities can’t protect him forever from the brutal Empress Celestine. As Celestine’s relentless bloodsworn armies grow, Evan travels to the Fells to warn the queendom that an invasion is imminent. If he can’t convince the Gray Wolf queen to take a stand, he knows that the Seven Realms will fall and his last sanctuary will be destroyed. Among the dead will be the one person Evan can’t stand to lose.
A warrior princess.
Meanwhile, the queen’s formidable daughter, Princess Alyssa ana’Raisa, is already a prisoner aboard the empress’s ship, sailing east. Lyss may be the last hope of bringing down the empress from within her own tightly controlled stronghold.
The storm of war.
Intricately interwoven storylines converge in this gripping novel as the warring Seven Realms struggle to unite against a horrific tyrant.
Review:
Oh my god the way this book ended. I almost don’t even know how to write this review right now with that freaking ending. The fourth book, Deathcaster, isn’t scheduled to be published until March of next year and I might just die waiting.
Okay, you guys obviously know that I love this series and this author from previous reviews that I’ve written. Sadly I think Stormcaster is going to be my least favorite out of the Shattered Realms series unless the fourth book is terrible and I hate the ending, but I don’t predict that happening. There is really only one reason why it was my least favorite and it’s not even a very good one. These books are written in the perspective of multiple characters that we spent the first two books meeting and getting the history for most of them. This third book follows Evan Strangward, our next mage marked character, while we learn his history and how it intertwines with a few characters that we’ve met in the previous two books. The book was almost hard to read because there was so much going on. At this point, we’ve met six or more characters that are all playing their own crucial part to the story. So we need to check in with each of them and see where they’re at and what they’re doing toward their part in the story. While some of them are together and that combines the story, we still hear from all of the characters and see their point of view. It was honestly just a little too much for me. I’m one that usually loves the multi-perspective stories and I did love this story, but it was a little much. I wanted more from each character. I wanted to see more and know more about what they were doing next. This is really my only complaint though.
I absolutely adored all of the characters, new and old. I’m not going to say too much about each of them or I would go on for days. I loved finally catching up with Ash and seeing where he was. Getting to see him reunite with his mother literally made me cry and it was amazing. I especially loved Evan, our newest main character. We met him in previous books but we really got to know him and where he came from in this story. I without a doubt adore and fully support his relationship with Destin. I really enjoyed getting to know Destin better as well. Seeing this other side of his character was really interesting and I enjoyed seeing this other side of him. I still love Hal but I’m upset that he doesn’t make an effort to go after Lyss. I get that he has his family to worry about and is trying to do the right thing and help everyone instead of just Lyss but I still wanted him to go after her. Lyss is still the absolute best. She’s still a kickass girl who takes nothing from anyone. Even kidnapped she’s still sassy and fierce and I’m obsessed with her. I really enjoyed her and Jenna meeting. I think they are an interesting combination and their story could be really fun together. Jenna is so smart and so determined even though she is inexperienced and this is where I think Lyss will fit the gap beautifully. They can become such a fabulous team and I’m excited to see where they go together in the next book. I wonder though if the other characters in the story will get to see what a personality Cas has like we do. I think if they do it will be portrayed very interestingly.
There were so many unlikely alliances in Stormcaster. Many that I never saw coming. All of them were slightly hilarious and added so much fun to the story, especially with all the different points of view. We really got to see what each character thought of one another and it made for some great comedy. Along with this comedy, there were quite a few little (some not so little) bits of irony. I’m not going to say anything specific, just that it was really well written and I loved that these little things were added to the story. This was just another thing that made the writing that much better. I think this book, like the last, was very well written with all of the characters’ stories intersecting and meeting at different points in their lives and then again in the present. All of the characters working toward the same goal all over the world without knowing that their friends and not always allies are out there doing the same thing.
I was glad to finally get some answers in this book. There is one giant event or secret or something that these books have been leading up to. The magemarked, what’s up with the mark on their neck and their abilities? Where do they come from? Why does no one know where they come from or their purpose? We finally get a few (very minimal) answers. Just enough answers to leave us wanting more and wondering what the rest of the story is. I’m glad to finally have some answers but honestly, everything in this book just made me want the fourth book to be here already so I can know how this story ends. I’m sick of waiting. I want to rescue Lyss and make sure this stupid evil empress leaves the rest of the world alone. I believe the final book is going to be where we get the back story on Empress Celeste. Let me tell you, I’m SUPER excited to learn about her past from the little bits and pieces we learned about her in Stormcaster.
Anyway, I’m going to stop now or I’ll just keep going and going. Overall, the writing was (as usual) amazing and incredible and hilarious (especially their swearing, so creative and funny). It’s another book by Cinda Williams Chima that I enjoyed getting lost in the wonderful world that she’s created with characters that are unforgettable and so so lovable. This series is great for all those readers out there that love excellently built worlds and fantasy and a touch of magic all tied together with characters that will make you laugh and cry, sometimes at the same damn time.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

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