Storm Rising (Mage Storms, No 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

Mercedes Lackey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1996

In Storm Rising, mysterious mage-storms are wreaking havoc on Valdemar, Karse, and all the kingdoms of the West, plaguing these lands not only with disastrous earthquakes, monsoons, and ice storms, but also with venomous magical constructs - terrifying creatures out of nightmare. Both Valdemar's Heralds and Karse's Sunpriests struggle to marshal their combined magical resources to protect their realms from these devastating, spell-fueled onslaughts. But as the situation becomes bleaker and bleaker, the still fragile alliance between these long-hostile lands begins to fray. And unless Valdemar and Karse can locate and destroy the creator of the storms, they may see their entire world demolished in a final magical holocaust.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lackey's latest continues the old-fashioned, simple-is-as-simple-does tradition that has made her numerous series set in and around the kingdom of Valdemar so accessible to so many readers. Her bloated prose is balanced by two-dimensional caricatures such as those of Karal, the diplomat who "knows he is too young," An'desha ("Do I want to be?alone?") and Firesong, who is prone to neurotic ramblings. Expectedly, Firesong's ills are not of his own making; he and the good characters here are uniformly good, lacking any shades of gray to give them depth. Even Grand Duke Tremane, who ordered murders in this novel's prequel, Storm Warning, has a heart of gold. Above all, this volume suffers from lack of a proper villain. Perhaps the windup to this promised trilogy will be more engaging; meanwhile, this middle volume fits Karal's description of a council meeting: "very little accomplished and nothing really settled."
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

As the violent mage storms ravage the land of Valdemar and its neighbors, warring factions struggle to overcome personal and political prejudices to combat a greater enemy. Lackey (The White Gryphon, LJ 3/15/95) continues to expand upon her world's rich history and cultures while probing the sometimes petty, sometimes noble motivations that impel her characters toward their destinies. Fans of the series will demand this title.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: DAW (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0886777127
• ISBN-13: 978-0886777128
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #141,872 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #22 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( L ) > Lackey, Mercedes

More About the Author

Mercedes Lackey is the acclaimed author of over fifty novels and many works of short fiction. In her "spare" time she is also a professional lyricist and a licensed wild bird rehabilitator. Mercedes lives in Oklahoma with her husband and frequent collaborator, artist Larry Dixon, and their flock of parrots.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Firecats rule! :), January 12, 2003

By 

Leanna "moondance34" (South Deerfield, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Storm Rising (Mage Storms, No 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Karal, Sun Priest of Karse, has now become the Karsite envoy to Valdemar. He and the other representatives of the Alliance countries must figure out a way to keep their homes safe from the worsening Mage Storms. But Karal's youth and apparent inexperience make other older council members discredit him, and Karal's forgiving nature makes irrational council members dislike him. As Karal struggles to represent his homeland, it begins to take a toll on his health. Only his friends An'desha, Natoli, and the Firecat Altra keep him from becoming ill. However, as the Storms worsen, the temporary protections against them begin to wear away. Will Karal, with the help of Altra, An'desha, the Tayldras Adept Firesong, and the Companion Florian, be able to prevent the Storms from destroying his home forever?

"Storm Rising" is the second book in Mercedes Lackey's Mage Storms Trilogy. I really enjoyed it, though not quite as much as "Storm Warning."

It was slower paced than its predecessor and focused much more on the development of the characters. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing; I enjoy character development and tend to take my time reading books like that instead of rushing through them. Karal's relationships with his nonhuman friends Altra and Florian were filled out nicely, and I continue to enjoy the senses of humor that Lackey endows upon her characters. Firesong's spiral down into obsession and semi-depression was disturbingly real. Tremane came along marvelously. I liked him in "Warning," but the caring way in which he begins to rule Hardorn shows him to be an even more decent human being than I expected.

The climax is quite similar in basic structure to that in "Warning," but that is mostly due to Mage Storm problem that the Alliance is facing. However, it was different enough for me to appreciate what happened. My only complaint is that it came so close to the end of the book that there was no real denouement.

Bottom Line: A solid continuation of the trilogy that really lets you get to know the characters.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars All right, but not up to usual standards, July 2, 2001

By 

Alicia LeCroy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Storm Rising (Mage Storms, No 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

From age 13, I've followed the Heralds of Valdemar series, reading and rereading them over and over. Though Storm Rising is by no means the worst Misty book I've read, from about here on the quality of the books she puts out begins slipping. I was enchanted by the Arrows series, even more so by the Winds series, but the Storms series seem to be missing something. Maybe it's the lack of development between the characters. In its defense, Storm Rising is, alas, the last book to have the wonderful handdone drawings by Larry Dixon. Very uncool. From here on out, they're all computer generated. The artwork in the beginnings of the chapters are one of my favorite things about Misty's books, and I was sorely disappointed when they disappeared. Again, I know I'm giving the impression of a book not worth reading, but please don't take it that way! It really is worth reading, I'm just pointing out the fact that it's not quite as good as her previous books. Perhaps if she spent more time on her characters and less time trying to push out just one more book before the year ends the quality of her work will go back up.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVED it, January 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Storm Rising (Mage Storms, No 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

I am a devoted follower of the Valdemar series -- it's my one literary indulgence, being a classics major. It does get a little long on detail, but I am really enjoying being so INVOLVED in the world that is so fascinating. I think it is an extreme mark of her talent that she has created such an amazing world. Some people may wish for more action and less involvment with polotics and such, but I have no complaints.