Book Review: Stormsong
Despite my long wait to track down a copy of Witchmark, I was able to get a copy of Stormsong fairly quick. So how does it stack up against its predecessor?
After the revelations of Witchmark, Aeland is in a real mess. The Amaranthines are making their displeasure known, and the Laneeri are pressing for concessions and peace with their backing. Into all of this steps Grace, who takes up her father’s position as Chancellor and must find a way to navigate between a stubborn Aelander queen, a prince who is far too interested in her, the righteous anger of the Amaranthines, and a brewing storm that threatens to bury Aeland with the power of its greatest mages locked away.
As you may have gathered, the Kingston Cycle is a series that shifts its main POV character from book to book. We had Miles in Witchmark; here, we have his sister Grace. There are pros and cons to this. With such a close third-person POV, it’s nice to get into the head of another character now and then. At the same time, it means we are put at a distance from Miles and Tristan here. Don’t get me wrong — they’re around and involved. But the focus is really on Grace.
And this is Grace’s book to shit or get off the pot, so to speak. It took a while for her to come around in Witchmark, and she’s still struggling here. She has a lot of power and everything to lose, so it is difficult for her to make the right choices, moreso than it ever was for Miles. But gradually, as the book wears on, she follows her heart more and more. She’s never going to be as sympathetic as Miles, unfortunately; there was something so soft and delicate about Miles, something precious that made you want to protect him. But she’s still a strong character in her own right.
Which is, perhaps, why I didn’t end up liking this book as much as Witchmark.
The other piece of that equation is that the “holy shit” moment isn’t really there in Stormsong’s climax. The big secrets here, like a ton of Aeland’s nobility being witches, are only big reveals to some of the characters. We’ve known since the last book. (Compare that to, say, the revelation of aether at the end of Witchmark). The biggest “surprise” involves the identity of the person who killed the Laneeri princess, and even that’s not too difficult to work out. And it’s really more of a B plot anyway - the bigger plot is how Grace deals with Queen Constantina and gets her laws passed.
That A plot deals a lot with the fallout of the previous book. The series is still very concerned with power and who wields it. How do you ask someone who’s lived in fear of their live because of you to help you save the lives of others? How do you hold someone in power accountable? Can you even? Or do they always get away with it? It’s a lot to digest in a fairly short book.
And lest I be remiss in my reviewerly duties, there’s a nice slow burn f/f romance here as a C plot for you, between perhaps the unlikeliest of lovers: a politician and a journalist. Sparks fly, etc.
Stormsong is plotted and paced well, with characters who are engaging enough, so I can’t complain too much. You can do an awful lot worse than Stormsong. It’s just not quite at Witchmark’s level for me. Soulstar review soon to come!
Grade: 4.25/5 stars
Memorable Quote:
“I would do anything for Aeland, wouldn’t I? I had already agreed to aid Severin, hadn’t I? But my stomach wrenched itself into knots at the thought. Treason. I countenanced treason. I was no traitor. I had given my vow as a Royal Knight to — to serve Aeland always, to guard its people from danger, hunger, and darkness —
Solace, no. I couldn’t step that far. Not unless I was desperate.”
