The Stormlord Trilogy Book Review.

Title/Author: The Stormlord Trilogy: The Last Stormlord, Stormlord Rising and Stormlord's Exile by Glenda Larke
Publisher/Year: Orbit Books. 2009, 2010 and 2011.
How I Got This: The library
Why I Read It: It looked interesting and I enjoy fantasy novels
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Ever get one of those moments when you read a book and finish it and then just want to tell everyone about it?

A few weeks ago I started reading a trilogy of books called The Stormlord Trilogy(Goodreads lists them as the Watergivers trilogy) by Glenda Larke. The books are The Last Stormlord, Stormlord Rising and Stormlord's Exile. They are about 600 pages each and tell the story of a parched land(The Quartern) where those who have water have power. Some are born with the ability to manipulate water and they, at their strongest are- The stormlords, rainlords and reeves. They each have their roles to play in society in order to ensure the lands of the Quartern recieve enough rain to fill their cisterns and to make sure nobody wastes that water.

The first book starts with the land in grave peril. There is only one stormlord left in the land with the ability to bring rain to the Quartern and he is old and ill. The rainlords are sent on a hunt to try find more people with water powers. It does not however remain as simple as that with not all the rainlords being content to do what they are told. What follows are power struggles as the different peoples in the land fight for what they believe and to have power over the sole stormlord in the Quartern once the previous one has passed away.

Cities are burned, enemies made and destroyed as easily as friends are made.

Into this all comes mysterious new power giving a rainlord the ability to shift sands after a near death experience as well as a man with a mysterious painting talent and a girl who he claims is his great granddaughter and both with the ability to change the future.

But the most important character of all is the waterless (born without the right to free water), outcast, son of a man who may turn out to be either the saviour or the death of the Quartern. Born with water powers his story intersects in the lives of every character in the books. Imprisoned by a rogue rainlord after his town and family are destroyed and/or imprisoned he is educated and taught to use his water powers but not expected to think much for himself. He rebels against what is expected and forges his own path that changes everything.

My favourite thing about these books is although different chapters will focus on different characters you are never left to read about the same characters for long enough to get bored and really just want to see what is happening to another character (something that I occasionally have felt whilst reading The Wheel of Time series).

My second favourite thing about these books is the pace. The first book is over 600 pages long and the other two are just on and under 600 pages but they don't drag. They are fun to read- I read the second and third books in the last four days without getting bored.

And last but not least- as a trilogy that is complete, you aren't left waiting months or years to read the next book that might be written. You aren't left with an annoying cliffhanger ending that makes you want to cry because the next book is nowhere in sight. Anticipation is great and all but with fantasy books that run to 600 pages the wait can just turn a person off if it all drags on too long!

If you are looking for a great fantasy read then I would strongly recommend these books. I would not hesitate to reread them in the future myself.