Sunday 9 October 2011

Review: The Last Stormlord - Glenda Larke

Series: Watergivers #1
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 674
Published: 2009
Publisher: Orbit
Source: Library


Shale is the lowest of the low-an outcast from a poor village in the heart of the desert. In the desert water is life, and currency, and Shale has none. But he has a secret. It's the one thing that keeps him alive and may save all the cities of the Quartern in the days to come. If it doesn't get him killed first. Terelle is a slave fleeing a life as a courtesan. She finds shelter in the home of an elderly painter but as she learns the strange and powerful secrets of his art she fears she may have traded a life of servitude for something far more perilous. The Stormlord is dying in his tower and there is no one, by accident or design, to take his place. He brings the rain from the distant seas to his people. Without a Stormlord, the cities of the Quartern will wither and die.
Their civilization is at the brink of disaster. If Shale and Terelle can find a way to save themselves, they may just save them all. Water is life and the wells are running dry...

My thoughts:
We all know fantasy books are long so that should not scare anyone looking for a good book, and good it was. I was swept away by a strange new world where water was precious and I did not want to stop reading.

The book takes places in a land where men and women use magic to make it rain, but they are fewer and not as good as before. The rains do not fall as often as they did before and the country is not united either. There are the cityfolk, fair and stuck in cities. Nomadic tribes crossing the dunes and Gibbers trying to survive in small villages. The rich have the most water, the poor the least, and the waterless have nothing at all. It may not be a fair world but it is a world that is dying of thirst and decisions has to be made.

Shale is born in a little village, a shitty place really. At the end of the country where they think the Rainlords are gods. Not his fault that they are uneducated and that they kill people who can find water. But I like him and as he grows up I like him more. He has this drive and anger, I have to like him.

Terelle is sold by her father and works at a brothel. When she becomes a woman she will work as whore and  it is something she does not want. For that I like her too, she does her best to try to get away and she does get away and starts working for a painter. And here her story starts to get even more interesting, I can't say anything but yes interesting. 

There are also other people, other Rainlords like Kaneth and Ryka, Russet the painter, Taquar, and well I could tell you more but I do not want to spoil things. Some people in this book are just evil and I want to kick their asses and let them rot in the sun and die of thirst. Then there are those making difficult decisions, those trying to save lives, those trying to get power and those that are just plain stupid. Every good book has a good cast of side characters and here you will find them. The ones who hate and the ones you start to care for.

I started to read this book and I quickly liked it. It's not a nice book either, people are not always happy or get their way. No, people die, it's cruel, and it is life. And it makes me believe in this world and it makes me crave more. And yes there is a sort of cliffhanger at the end, but one that I can live with. Sure I need to know what happens and I will read book 2, but it was also an ending that did not make me crawl up the walls in desperation. But it was still an ending that leaves this world worse off than ever. Book 2 here I come.

Conclusion:
Of course you should read it. With that I recommend it.

Rating:
Great

Cover:
Ok


30 comments:

  1. Got this book in my TBR shelf... but I was waiting for all the books in the trilogy to come out because I wanted to read them all in one go... reading your review, it seems like waiting is a good decision :)

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  2. I've actually been circling this series at the book store for ages but wasn't sure if it was my kind of thing. After reading your review, I think it is! That and I fancy some fantasy reading material for the last couple of months of this year. Thanks! :)

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  3. I've seen this one at the library but wasn't sure if it was my find of book. Great review. I'll pick it up!

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  4. Of course I want it! Seems a very captivating story and a book full of good characters! A great review!

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  5. Hopefully the third book will be out soon?

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  6. Cherry
    I know, why do I do this to myself?! But then I had the library buy it and I wanted to know if it was good before I asked if they could get book 2


    Mel
    I think you should get it :) And a girl always needs a healthy diet of lots of fantasy books to choose from


    Linda
    Yay, I hope you enjoy it when you do!

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  7. Ana
    I love fantasy, awww, nothing makes me happier. There is war, destruction, evil gods, warlords, everything. And for the most part no romance, and if there is romance it is like 2 pages. Lovely :)
    yes I know, I never make sense


    Chris
    I think...they are all out?


    Carrie
    I sure do!

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  8. I've seen this at bookstore and it sounds very good. Now I need to think again if I really should buy it.

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  9. Elysium
    I liked it, so, I am sure you'd like it too I hope :D

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  10. Ooh, interesting concept! Water scarcity is becoming quite real in our world, so it's great to see it coming into fantasy literature, too. Though a 700-ish page book that is only the FIRST in a series sounds quite daunting to me!

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  11. Aarti
    If it makes you feel better, my book was only 603 pages long and then there was this excerpt at the end ;)

    But yes I did like the water issue and it was getting bad there

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  12. Sounds interesting, but I'm not sure this type of thing is for me. LOL Great review, though.

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  13. never heard of this one before, but it sounds amazing!
    I haven't read fantasy in a while, so maybe I'll check this ous soon!

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  14. I honestly can't tell you when I last read a fantasy book of this magnitude...it's been years and it was a George RR Martin book. I need to restart that series I think!!

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  15. See, the bad thing about reading reviews, is that you end up wanting to get a million more books to add to the TBR pile *_* this is awesome... I want.

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  16. I've had this book on my To Read list for a while but I kind of forgot about it. It does sound really good, so thanks for reminding me. Have you read Dune? The lack of water theme reminds of me of it.

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  17. Yvonne
    Fantasy is not always for everyone :)


    Brizmus
    Then you really need some fantasy, stat! ;)
    You can't go too long without it


    Staci
    And I do not find it long at all, fantasy books are alwys long and they should be *g*


    Hilda
    Tell me about it! Reviewers are evil..lol, and I could not manage witout them


    Simcha
    I LOVE Dune :D And yes teh water thing was the same, though not as extreme. People was just very carefyl with water but they couold even bathe..in the beginning and only some

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  18. Sounds like a good start to an interesting series. I admire how much you read, over 600 pages is long for me. Plus then to read the second in the series....good for you!

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  19. My fantasy list is growing lately, and this one goes on the maybe list :). Like it, but it is not calling my name.

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  20. I've been looking for a good fantasy series, and I may just decide to go with this one. Thanks for the review.

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  21. Naida
    I am used to it :) Since I always loved fantasy, well I just got used to it

    Aurian
    Hihi, I am glad to hear that and lots more coming in November


    Ryan
    I'd sure recommend it :D

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  22. Hm... I don't mind long as long as it is good! I really haven't seen much about this series so I think I will check it out. Sounds good!

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  23. I loved reading this one! I have books 2 & 3 here to read... needing more time to get to them as I do LOVE this one and love the setting in this fantasy read. :) Now I need to get to the next 2 books. *Sigh* Needing more time!

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  24. This sounds like a depressing world - but it's encouraging when a book doesn't make you crawl up the wall in desperation -lol!

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  25. These are the kind of books where I need all of the books out before I start the first one.

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  26. I'm putting this on my TBR list. I like how it isn't all roses and sunshine. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good light book where everything is happy but the stories where it's hard and you can tell not everyone is going to be happy at all points in the story are what really keep people hooked in the story wanting to know how things get resolved and how different things are going to turn out. Great review!

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  27. Melissa
    Yay, I am glad you think so,. who cares about long if it is good.


    Melissa World
    I have heard something big is coming up, something bad, something sad..something at least, I can't wait


    Steph
    I know, those are the worst. This I can live with *coughs* for a while!


    Alexis
    I know, arghhhhh, I hope the library listens.


    Deanna
    YAY! Good choice :)

    True, yes I like happy peeps too, but life is not alwys happy and if everyone was happy in fantasy books, ugh, no thanks! That is not life if the world is plaugued by dragons, evil gods, or whatever the author throws at them

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  28. THis sounds very similar to the KUSHIEL'S LEGACY series, but I'm intrigued so I'll look this one up. I haven't been reading that much fantasy in the past few years and I miss it.

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  29. Jennifer
    Hm, but witout the sex and whatever is going on in that series ;)

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