Overview

Return to the sprawling fantasy saga that Kirkus Reviews called 'an electric work of epic fantasy', where three powerful and morally gray women will either save their world or bring it closer to destruction. Power destroys power. Separated from everyone and everything she knows, Rae Toma is once again lost to the Shatter. This time, however, the Compass has been claimed and there is no hope of escape. Now the bearer of Eriysha's Compass, Nur Del Sue returns to her islands where old enemies await. Caught between the goddess's task and her desire for revenge, the Stormwitch soon realises that she will need to place her trust in the very people who betrayed her. Upon reaching the shores of Okaro, Alana Zaya finds a tangle of politics and deception left behind by her mother. Facing opposition from all sides and denied by her homeland, the Queen of Darkness is pushed to the breaking point. Can these three women avert disaster yet again, or is their and the universe's luck running out?

Full Product Details

9781958607466

Table of Contents

Reviews

The Storm Gathers is a delight, an exhilarating tale of elemental witches, magic schools, rebellions and power games. The world is big, fresh and full of energy, and the characters fizz with secrets and undiscovered feelings. Sparky dialogue, lashings of humour and a propulsive plot will leave readers desperate for more by the story's end. An intriguing start to what promises to be a stellar series.--David Wragg, author of the Articles of Faith series Fast-paced, thrilling, and full of stormy seas, pirates, and witches. The Storm Gathers feels modern and fresh while harking back to the best fantasy traditions, with a world that is expansive and wholly original. Holladay is definitely an author to watch.--Genoveva Dimova, author of Foul Days There is one thing I like more than fast-paced fantasy, and that is fast-paced fantasy with pirates. I inhaled this book. I was transported in three different directions and was engrossed in every point of view. Somehow, The Storm Gathers managed to feel fresh and wholly unique, whilst still paying homage to my favourite fantasy elements of old. Maelan Holladay builds worlds you want to be lost in. The Storm Gathers is a warm embrace for all readers of fantasy.--Stacey McEwan, author of The Glacian Trilogy THE STORM GATHERS Three ambitious women struggle for control in a world descending into chaos in Holladay's debut fantasy novel. For the past five years, Alana Zaya has served unhappily as the queen of the jungle nation of Jaarin, where her sharp personality has won her the nickname ""the Queen of Darkness."" She's just received word that her mother, the queen of her homeland, Okaro, has just died. Alana is doubly pleased: she didn't have much love for her mother, Emira (who recently tried to have Alana assassinated), and now she can return to her wind-swept island homeland and take its throne for herself. That is, if she can survive the trip across the wide Western sea. Elsewhere on the continent, Rae Toma is helping to lead a rebellion against Argos Vedros, the king of Siora, while serving as one of his royal guards. When an agent of the king manages to uncover her identity, Rae is forced to flee the country with an old friend, straight into a deadly collection of islands known as the Shatter. Witch-in-training Nur Del Sue grew up in the Shatter. Her father was a foreigner who washed up on an island--and vanished just as suddenly, with no explanation. Marked as an outsider by her people, Nur is desperate to prove herself. Fate has put these three women on a collision course, but will they help each other achieve their ambitions? Will bad things happen if they do? Holladay's kinetic prose brings her characters to dramatic life, as here when Alana relishes a storm at sea: ""Lightning splintered across the sky, and the rain fell harder, churning the ocean beneath them. Waves licked up the side of the ship like flames, spilling over the deck. She laughed. The sound came out of her with an explosion of joy. Yes. This was where she belonged."" Many of the elements of the setting and story will be familiar to fantasy fans; even so, Holladay's worldbuilding is rich and subtle, and her protagonists are memorably bold. Readers will look forward to a sequel. An electric work of epic fantasy.-- ""Kirkus Reviews""

Author Information

Maelan Holladay was born and raised in the bay area. She likes crocodiles and fantasy books with complex worlds. She is currently pursuing a bachelor's in animal biology.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available