Storm Rising: The Book of the Wars 1 | Book Review
Back Cover
Does an ancient book of prophecy hold the answers to saving the world... or predict its destruction?
Mentioned in the pages of the Old Testament but lost to history, the Book of the Wars has resurfaced, and its pages hold secrets -- and dangers -- never before seen on earth.
Tasked with capturing the ancient text, former Navy SEAL Leif Metcalfe is once more given command of his own team. But their best efforts are ruined when a notorious Bulgarian operative known as Viorica snatches the volume right out from under them.
Iskra "Viorica" Todorova is determined to use the book to secure the thing that matters most -- freedom. But a series of strange storms erupts around the globe, and the coming dangers foretold in the text threaten crops, lives, and entire nations. Though both are haunted by secrets of the past and neither trusts the other, Leif and Iskra must form an uneasy alliance to thwart impending disaster. However, the truth hidden in centuries-old words could unleash a storm of their own destruction.
My Thoughts
Electric. Visceral. Epic. Only three of the words that describe Ronie Kendig's newest release.
This book literally left me breathless. Besides the fact that the story line moves at the speed of light, and the danger and intrigue never lets up, the depth of the characters' psychological makeup was amazing.
Some authors tend to be driven by the plot of their story -- the adventures that happen to their characters. Others are character-driven, with books that mostly focus on the deep layers of the characters and not so much on creative plot-twists. It's usually pretty easy to distinguish between the two.
I have never before encountered an author so talented at melding both.
I'm very leery of creative license with prophetic and end-times fiction, especially when it pertains to Biblical references, but this book was worth venturing out of my comfort zone. I can't say that it's my favorite kind of book to read, but I can still appreciate the tough beauty of this well-spun story.
It's worth reading for no other reason than the human nature at play. Both Leif and Iskra have gripping backstories, and the tension of their relationship is incredible. They are enemies, inexplicably drawn to each other and yet bound by absolute necessity to oppose each other, the one because of principle and duty, the other for survival. At the end of the day, what will prevail?
"Her betrayal had a blast radius of a couple hundred miles. His trust had been too close to the origin point to survive."
The dialogue in this book was perfect and I also loved the camaraderie and humor between Leif's team.
My only caveats: The language was strong/crude at times, and my younger readers should be aware of sexual abuse that is described fairly graphically. This was my first Kendig novel, but I've heard people say that you should probably read The Tox Files first to get backstories, as a lot of integral characters from that series resurface here. I noticed some mentions of past stories, but it didn't keep me from understanding anything.
If you're looking for a keep-you-up-all-night read with supposedly prophesied, mysteriously fabricated storms... a former Navy SEAL with piercing blue eyes... and a deadly woman with only one fierce reason to survive... this is the book for you!
My review: 5 stars (because it's superb writing, all personal preferences aside)
*I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own, and I was not required to post a positive review.*