Customer Reviews

The Stormcaller: Book One of the Twilight Reign

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Land is a world where Gods rule supreme. The time of the prophecies has come and old rebellions against the gods have resurfaced, including conflicts with nature itself. The tribes of man, and other species, must scramble and conspire to be on the winning side. Into this dark time, a white-eye (a god-created superhuman) named Isak has ascended and he may be mankind's last hope or final doom.

For a relatively small page-count, there are way too many characters to keep up with. I realize that many were only introduced to play a bigger role in the following books but I'm afraid I'll probably forget them by then. At times, the endless parade reminded me of being on a conference call with people I've never meant in person -- some of the names never even register while some others, if I ever do meet them, turn out to be nothing like the image I had in my head. Also, this is definitely a story that you have to devote some real time and effort to (the kind of time most of us with careers, spouses, and kids really don't have to spare). It took me twice as long to read as most good books of the same size, and I still felt like I was missing something. I'm well read, especially in fantasy, so if I don't get it, I tend to think more fault lies with the author's writing than my reading.

All that being said, after a few chapters, The Stormcaller did start to grow on me. There is something about this world simply called The Land that struck a primal cord. It's intriguing to be caught up in this war of gods and man, with an apocalypse looming near, and the key-players are the most alienated of their kind. When Mr. Lloyd's writing is at its best, there's a real edgy dark charge to it that makes me look forward to what his work will become with more experience.

Note on the physical book: The cover illustration of the British version better captures the story than the US cover does. While the US cover is skillfully done, at first glance it looks more like a YA book. And the small print on the inside must have also been intended for younger eyes than mine.

In The Stormcaller, a book set amidst a traditional medieval background of nobles and prophets, sorcerors and heroes, the reader quickly meets a series of powerful characters having portentous dreams and visions. As is often the case with this particular convention, these visions are confusing and grim with their foreshadowing, though thankfully not too long.

At the center of the story and these visions we have Isak, the son of a poor oxcart drover, who also happens to be a white-eye. In Lloyd's world, white-eyes are gods-touched people with enhanced strength, speed, longevity, and magical ability. They're sort of a cross between Olympian heroes (think Perseus, Jason, etc.) and comic book mutants (they develop their abilities in earnest after puberty, have to learn to control them, etc.). They also have terrible tempers. These white-eyes tend to become soldiers or powerful leaders, but are usually feared and held at arms' length to the rest of human society. Some become avatar-like representatives of the world's pantheon of gods. Isak, we quickly learn, is one of these.

Isak's plan is to join the Farlan Army as soon as he is of age, but before he can do that a stranger appears with cryptic messages and offers of gifts. Instead, Isak finds himself on the run, accused of witchery and other foul deeds. But Lord Bahl, the ruler of Farlan, a white-eye and chosen of Nartis (God of Storms) learns that his heir, or Krann, has arrived, His abilities quickly point to Isak. At the same time, gifts arrive for Isak - a powerful sword and suit of mystic armor not seen in the land for centuries. So Isaak quickly goes from the lower classes to heir to the throne, while learning to control his powers and abilities. He befriends a young lady of the palace, Tila, who begin teaches him the palace politics. Lord Bahl remains aloof but patient as he trains and presents Isak to the other nobles, then sends him out at the head of the army to deal with an elvish uprising. There are more portentous dreams and visions.

You could almost dismiss The Stormcaller as overly familiar, high fantasy of the type we see again and again. But Tom Lloyd is obviously cognizant of these conventions and has taken pains to avoid too many of the old pitfalls. One strength is the overall complexity, which includes numerous sidebar chapters with powerful characters elsewhere in the world. These characters deal with what appears to be a gathering of forces, human and otherworldly, that will no doubt lead to grand battles to come later in the series. And while these jumps away from Isak and the core narrative can be jarring, they're well executed, always contain vital bits of history and world building, and are never too long or inflated. It's a style you'll see in other epics from the likes of George R. R. Martin or Steven Erikson.

Another strength is how the author sets the white-eyes apart from society while also explaining their part there. Isak and his peers are essentially super heroes with swords. They are feared, respected, envied, but never wholly accepted. It's reminiscent of some of the better comic book hero themes. And Lloyd handles these powerful characters with more skill and care than some other recent examples (Brent Weeks' Night Angel series comes to mind). Think of it as storytelling from the perspective of someone like Gandalf (when he was younger) rather than the hobbits. Isak is often confused and unsure about his new abilities and has to deal with the consequences of his powers as well.

Most importantly (for this reviewer anyway), the book has good characterization. As Isak begins to gather his allies and confidants, especially in the second half of the book when he undertakes his diplomatic mission to the Three Cities, the character interactions become better and better. Maybe because Lloyd is finding his stride, maybe because, much of the backstory and world-building can take a backseat to the main thrust of the plot. Whatever the reason, it's this element of the writing that will have me looking for other books in the series sometime soon. There are a lot of writers attempting to do high fantasy; the number who can do it with effective characterization often seems much lower.

Oh, and I strongly approve of how Lloyd ends up dealing with the topics of prophecy/destiny in this book (a hideously over-used crutch of the genre, IMHO). I look forward to picking up his next book in the Twilight Reign series, The Twilight Herald. (More reviews at Beemsville - just google it)

Isak is a white-eye, one of the gods touched individuals who are marked out by the white eyes, large stature and uncontrollable rage. But the white-eyes are hated and feared by the normal humans, and Isak is hated even by his own father. The gods have a plan for Isak, and they are moving him into position to be of great use to them, but Isak has no desire to be anyone's pawn even the gods! He has been given much, and Isak will need all of it if he is to fulfill his potential and transcend his destiny. Indeed, he will need all of it if he is merely to survive!

This is a very good book. I liked the interesting world that author Tom Lloyd has created, with elves that are nothing like those presented in the Lord of the Rings. Also, I must say that I really liked the white-eyes - they are a very interesting race. I found the action to be quite interesting, and I think that the author did a great job of developing the characters, including the character of Tila who I enjoyed more than I would have thought possible.

This is an exciting and suspenseful fantasy book, full of great action and adventure and magic. I highly recommend it!

[By the way, if you liked the white-eyes in this book, then check out Lawrence Watt-Evans' excellent Lords of Dus series, you will like the Overmen as well.]

This is a great book and Lloyd though young he his has managed to write a great book with one of the most fascinating protagonists I've read in a long time. This book has just about everything a Fantasy lover could ever want, an amazing cast of interesting characters, some really great magic that promises to develop well in Lloyd's later books and is truly action packed with some great battle scenes as well as some assassination and politics thrown into the mix as well. Seriously, what more could you ask for?

The great main protagonist is a boy named Isak, Isak is no ordinary boy though, he is a White Eye, one of gods chosen to rule the world of men. Isak doesn't start of as a ruler though he is a wagon brat who rides from place to place selling his wares. That is until he steps foot in the city of Tirah were the Duke, Lord Bahl who is also a White Eye recognizes that Isak is to be he successor and rule over the Farlin people. This is were Isak's story begins and were he will face constant danger from friends and foe alike, Isak must be careful also for he is not the only one in danger the friends and people who are around will face danger too, but not just from their enemies but from Isak himself, for the temper of the White Eyes is deadly to behold.

A really fantastic book. My Husband bought all 3 and begged me to read them. All I saw were doorstops! Finally I sat down and started in. Wow, this is an exciting series. Isak is a nobody, with not a lot to look forward to, when life changes in a BIG way! The evolution of the charactors is believeable, the gods and goddesses were well portrayed. The fight scenes and battle are amazing, you really get an idea of how Isak feels. All 3 of the books are good. I am a fan of Ambecrombie and Weeks, if you like those or the Mistborne series, then you are going to enjoy this book. I highly recommend all 3 of the Twilight Reign books. These are worth reading and worth owning. I will be re-reading this one soon.

I had been intrigued enough about Stormcaller by reading the blurb, I put it on pre-order. I got it yesterday and finished quickly. The world is interesting with significant depth, the characters make you curious to know more, the story is epic while retaining a personal touch. I haven't enjoyed the start of a new series so much since the Sword of Truth. Also Pyr did a very nice job with the book and the cover, and it looks the the cover art for the upcoming book Twilight Herald will be similarly great.

Never have heard of this author before. Came across this book at Barnes and Nobles but got it via Amazon Market Place because it was much cheaper.

What a wonderful surprise, what a story. From a nobody to become an heir to a ruler, the story is just captivating, the pace is fast moving. It really deserves a 4 1/2 star.

I was completely surprised by this book. Recommended by the guys over at [...], it sat on my bed stand for over a month before I finally got into it, and then I couldn't put it down.

Lloyd writes unlike so many other sci-fi or fantasy writers. Instead of massive info dumps filling us in on the background of the world they've created, Lloyd just hitches us to the characters like a reality cam and takes the reader along for the ride. We start to see the world, its mythology, lore, politics, and personalities first hand, in a patchwork fashion. Only occasionally does a character fill in blanks, and when it happens, it is never full or thorough, but smacks of the reality that this is how people talk, giving some information, never in encyclopedic manner, but just enough to make conversation work.

Piled into this is a colorful network of loosely connected characters, countries, creatures, and gods. Instead of the stereotypical swords and sorcery, Lloyd turns types on their head, makes his own types, and recreates old ones. All through-out, however, is the classic hero motif and the accompanying companions and wise old mentor.

It's a fun ride, and while I don't know that it will find itself in the upper echelons of fantasy fiction, it isn't due to any failure on the part of the writer. I think Lloyd is definitely showing himself to be a creative and talented pen with a future in front of him.

The first few chapters set the scene and history for the rest of the series, describing a vibrant and chaotic past in which nations rose to challenge the Gods under the rule of a single king.
Starting a few hundred years after this Age of Chaos, Isak child of a caravan, raised by a mercenary after being shunned by his father for being born a white-eyes, a natural hero among men, stronger, faster and greater charisma then a normal man but also temperamental and unpredictable.

Isak is adopted by Lord Bahl, head of the Cult of Nartis and leader of the Farlan people. His adoption throws a teenager filled with anger, confusion and an iron-will into a life which requires a fragile balance of delicacy and force.

A brilliant story filled with rage, back-alley politics, loyalty and divinely initiated mystery. Isak must battle nations, assassins, demons, grotesquely deformed elves on the field of war, while struggling against bureaucrats, politicians and fanatic priests who disapprove of Lord Bahl's heir.

An amazing read and worth the few dollars spent. Any age, but should be able to handle some confusing wrangling, debating and negotiating.

Pretty slow ... Not very original... and after reading the first I have no real urge to get the next book.... I would give it 2.5 stars if I could....