Queen of Storms by Raymond E. Feist
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to a very welcome ARC for this upcoming publication, I can now come forth and pretty fairly gush about how much I love the Firemane Saga. Mind you... this is book two, so that means you fans of Feist are comfortable with big stories that build up and complete naturally over a cycle.

The first book ended with Hatu and Hava finally resting comfortably in an out-of-the-way town with their new friend Declan and his soon-to-be bride, Gwen. Hatu and Hava, having trained all their lives as assassins, find themselves VERY comfortable with the idea of being married, as innkeepers.

Of course, that bucolic scene was never going to last. This is Feist. Tragedies come as easily as the brushfire of war. We spent the last novel enjoying small trials and tribulations, growth as characters, small skirmishes, much greater secrets, and plans within plans... but now, all plans have gone to hell. Indeed, the whole nation goes to hell.

Reading this so soon after the first novel, I felt very emotional about many of the things that happened. It affected me pretty hard. No spoilers. But... yeah. All the best-laid plans...

As for all you folks who like to know a little taste of the thing to come... prepare yourself for life on the sea. The Queen of Storms, indeed. Tons of action, tons of upsets, and be prepared for a novel as dark and desperate as the first was genuinely hopeful.

Feist is a master storyteller. I've read most of his books and he always pulls off a great tale. :) He's at the top of his game with these, too.



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