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The Last Stormlord (Stormlord Trilogy)
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Review
'Glenda Larke is one of my favorite fantasy writers. I love her novels!' Kate Elliott 'Glenda Larke is magical. If you don't read her, you're missing out on a treat' Karen Miller
Product Description
Shale knows of no other world than the desert. He knows that his life - and the lives of his family - depend on one thing and one thing only: water. Water is life for all the citizens of the Quartern and it is the Stormlord who brings the rains to the desert. But the magic is disappearing. The Stormlord's heirs lack the talent to bring the water from the distant seas and young students with a certain promise tend to die, mysteriously, out in the wastes. Shale may be the saviour of every life in the Quartern. He can do what no mere Rainlord can, and may be the newest, and the last, Stormlord - if he can learn to control the waters of life and, of course, if he lives that long. Shale's entire civilization stands at the brink of disaster. Water is life and the wells are going dry ...
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
33 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
When you have finished reading 'The Last Stormlord' you'll be very familiar with these deadly insects which are a favourite weapon of assassination in the harsh and unforgiving desert environment of The Quartern.
In the Quartern all life depends on the powers of the Stormlords and Rainlords to make the rain fall - as they have done for as long as anyone can remember. Most people don't realise though that the one ailing Stormlord and his handful of Rainlords who are all that is left of their kind, can not anymore ensure enough water for all. The race against time to find a new Stormlord begins. But even if they find one... have they left it too late? Sacrifices will have to be made...
Terelle lives in one of the Snuggeries in the Scarpen Quarter and worries, as the day draws nearer where she'll be expected to become a handmaiden in the upstairs rooms instead of waiting on tables downstairs. But where else can she go? She was born 'waterless' and without her own water entitlement how could she possibly survive?
Shale is growing up in the Gibber Quarter where life is harsh and, if you are the lowest of the low, even harsher. He has secrets, but he does not know what to do about them. When he senses the rush is about to descend on his village, he knows that he must act, but what can he do? They would not believe him, would they?
From reading a few pages, I had expected 'The Last Stormlord' to be a well written, 'nice' fantasy story. Well written indeed, but definitely a book on the dark side of fantasy. By the end of it, I found myself feeling quite wretched, so vivid is the description of what humans will do to survive. The conflict for those in authority between doing right and doing what is necessary is not always bloody but gave me goose bumps. At the same time I am now eager to find out if a few more will redeem themselves in the next book.
The total dependency on water permeates everything and creates a very unusual background for the various plot lines. I felt myself quite forcefully reminded that without water humanity really does not amount to very much. I think it is the most unusual, and in many ways extreme, world building I have come across in a long time.
Readers who like their fantasy on the dark side will love this book. I deducted one star because when all is said and done, I do tend to hide when the scary music starts and regret that the author didn't use her undeniable skills to make the book a little bit less gruesome in places for me.
Update: having read its synopsis, I now have the second book on pre-order - not something I do very often.
In the Quartern all life depends on the powers of the Stormlords and Rainlords to make the rain fall - as they have done for as long as anyone can remember. Most people don't realise though that the one ailing Stormlord and his handful of Rainlords who are all that is left of their kind, can not anymore ensure enough water for all. The race against time to find a new Stormlord begins. But even if they find one... have they left it too late? Sacrifices will have to be made...
Terelle lives in one of the Snuggeries in the Scarpen Quarter and worries, as the day draws nearer where she'll be expected to become a handmaiden in the upstairs rooms instead of waiting on tables downstairs. But where else can she go? She was born 'waterless' and without her own water entitlement how could she possibly survive?
Shale is growing up in the Gibber Quarter where life is harsh and, if you are the lowest of the low, even harsher. He has secrets, but he does not know what to do about them. When he senses the rush is about to descend on his village, he knows that he must act, but what can he do? They would not believe him, would they?
From reading a few pages, I had expected 'The Last Stormlord' to be a well written, 'nice' fantasy story. Well written indeed, but definitely a book on the dark side of fantasy. By the end of it, I found myself feeling quite wretched, so vivid is the description of what humans will do to survive. The conflict for those in authority between doing right and doing what is necessary is not always bloody but gave me goose bumps. At the same time I am now eager to find out if a few more will redeem themselves in the next book.
The total dependency on water permeates everything and creates a very unusual background for the various plot lines. I felt myself quite forcefully reminded that without water humanity really does not amount to very much. I think it is the most unusual, and in many ways extreme, world building I have come across in a long time.
Readers who like their fantasy on the dark side will love this book. I deducted one star because when all is said and done, I do tend to hide when the scary music starts and regret that the author didn't use her undeniable skills to make the book a little bit less gruesome in places for me.
Update: having read its synopsis, I now have the second book on pre-order - not something I do very often.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In an arid desert wasteland devoid of regular rainfall, the Stormlords manipulate the clouds so that rain falls when and where it is wanted. Except there is only one Stormlord left and the rainfall is failing, so people are going short of water. The poor in the desert cities are suffering. The outlanders living in the desert cities are suffering. The desert tribes also suffer from water shortfall and they grow restless, eager to throw off the shackles of their masters and return to a nomadic life and a time of random rainfall. I suppose the allegories inherent in all the foregoing are obvious, but for me the pleasure of the read is in the develpopment of the charaxcters and the suspense as the writer hides certain characters and their actions and motivations from view , until a denouement in the plot calls for revelation, so in a way it's written a bit like a film or tv script, where clever camera angles may hide a character's face, or cut away at the crucial moment. Is the character dead or not? Where have they ended up? How long in time has passed and what has changed?By the end of this book some characters have developed, some have revealed themselves, some have died, some remain an enigma and the plot is ready to move on. I liked this book and look forward to the next instalment.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A fantasy novel. It runs for six hundred and five pages and is divided into two parts of roughly equal length.
In common with many:
It's the first in a trilogy - although you'd only know that in advance by the list of other books by the writer page at the front referring to it as such, as there is no indication on the title pages - and it involves young people discovering they have hidden destinies.
But where this does depart from the norm is in the setting and the key feature of the world where it takes place. A world where water is in very short supply. It's strictly rationed and society - desert tribes and cities built on levels - works around that fact. All this is considered to a strong degree and makes the world an interesting creation.
Water can be summoned forth though by those who have a certain affinity for it. They range from rainlords to higher ranks right up to the all powerful stormlord. But new rainlords have been thin on the ground lately, and it would seem someone is killing them off. The current Stormlord is nearing the end of their life and there is thus no heir to take over.
There are two main characters. Terelle, a young girl destined to become a courtesan when she becomes the right age and who is desperate to get away from that life. And Shale, a young boy living in the desert, poorly educated and spoken. But with an uncanny knack when it comes to water.
The story follows the two through several years of their lives as they grow and change and find out many things about themselves on the way.
Throughout there's a theme of destiny. Having it written for you and having no choice in the matter, or alternatively trying to find your own.
Although these two are the focus, the first part jumping back and forth between them, there are a fair few decent supporting characters as well. Including one rather well characterised potential villain who has very believable motivations for what he does. Shades of gray, rather than black or white, as they say.
The world is harsh and brutal and there are occasional scenes of this nature. But not too many and nothing desperately gratuitous.
And although it does take a bit more than the first one hundred pages to get going it does become a good page turner after that. Because you can never be sure where the story is going to go. There are some excellent plot developments throughout.
Being the beginning of a trilogy it thus ends with everything very much up in the air. And you'll be wanting to get the second part Stormlord Rising: Stormlord Trilogy, Book 2 as soon as you can. I know I will.
In common with many:
It's the first in a trilogy - although you'd only know that in advance by the list of other books by the writer page at the front referring to it as such, as there is no indication on the title pages - and it involves young people discovering they have hidden destinies.
But where this does depart from the norm is in the setting and the key feature of the world where it takes place. A world where water is in very short supply. It's strictly rationed and society - desert tribes and cities built on levels - works around that fact. All this is considered to a strong degree and makes the world an interesting creation.
Water can be summoned forth though by those who have a certain affinity for it. They range from rainlords to higher ranks right up to the all powerful stormlord. But new rainlords have been thin on the ground lately, and it would seem someone is killing them off. The current Stormlord is nearing the end of their life and there is thus no heir to take over.
There are two main characters. Terelle, a young girl destined to become a courtesan when she becomes the right age and who is desperate to get away from that life. And Shale, a young boy living in the desert, poorly educated and spoken. But with an uncanny knack when it comes to water.
The story follows the two through several years of their lives as they grow and change and find out many things about themselves on the way.
Throughout there's a theme of destiny. Having it written for you and having no choice in the matter, or alternatively trying to find your own.
Although these two are the focus, the first part jumping back and forth between them, there are a fair few decent supporting characters as well. Including one rather well characterised potential villain who has very believable motivations for what he does. Shades of gray, rather than black or white, as they say.
The world is harsh and brutal and there are occasional scenes of this nature. But not too many and nothing desperately gratuitous.
And although it does take a bit more than the first one hundred pages to get going it does become a good page turner after that. Because you can never be sure where the story is going to go. There are some excellent plot developments throughout.
Being the beginning of a trilogy it thus ends with everything very much up in the air. And you'll be wanting to get the second part Stormlord Rising: Stormlord Trilogy, Book 2 as soon as you can. I know I will.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Pedestrian administrators
I found the book rather dull. The plot generally revolves around local politics and the romantic aspirations/entanglements of the main characters set against the background of an... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Alan Young
Excellent
Both Glenda Larke's trilogies are amazing. Much more enticing than other main stream writers. Can't wait for her next trilogy to come out.
Published 3 months ago by sophia
So Good !!
The books of Glenda Larke have been on my radar (and in my 'To Read') pile for a long time, and now that I finally got around to them all I can say is WOW!. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Book Addict
Excellent Read (Fantasy Must)
I love these books they are part of my Fantasy must reads. It all comes down to water at the end of the day, without water .... Read more
Published 7 months ago by ChrisM
First part of a clever, if dark, fantasy trilogy
This is the first volume of a three-part fantasy story set in a world where water is the most precious and scarce resource, and the population are entirely dependent on a small... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Marshall Lord
A fascinating world, a great story
This is one of those books that bobbed up somewhere while I was idly trawling through Goodreads and discussion groups, so I have no idea who recommended it. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mrs. Pauline M. Ross
last stormlord
I liked the Karen Miller series and as she recommended this I decided to give it a shot. Not dissappointed. I liked the characters Shale (Jasper Bloodstone) Terelle, Ryka. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Keith
Awesome writing
This is an excellent book and whilst reading it the time just flys by.
The abstract setting of the Quartern is relatively easy to get to grips with and the scene setting... Read more
The abstract setting of the Quartern is relatively easy to get to grips with and the scene setting... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Lujar
Great Characters!
This book sounds and looks exciting. It's cover emblazoned with lightning and the silhouette of what appears to be a magic-wielder standing at the forefront. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Adam Bourke
The Last Stormlord
Have not read this author before but was looking for a book for light reading, one I could pick up and put down. Read more
Published 18 months ago by light sci
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