Daughters of the Storm
3.5
8
5
1
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780399177477 |
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| Publisher: | Random House Publishing Group |
| Publication date: | 03/06/2018 |
| Series: | Daughters of the Storm Series , #1 |
| Pages: | 448 |
| Sales rank: | 563,344 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.10(w) x 9.40(h) x 1.50(d) |
About the Author
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Daughters of the Storm
3.3 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
10 reviews.
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Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
I wanted to love this book, I really did. The publisher offered me an e-arc of this book because I adored the bear and the nightingale. And honestly it should have been an awesome read.
The story involves five daughters of a king. A king who happens to have fallen into a deep coma-like slumber. So all of the daughters are drawn to their father's side to say their goodbyes. But what if it is not illness but a magical spell that holds the king in slumber? The sisters must find out quickly before the kingdom's peace is torn apart.
I did enjoy the sisters for the most part. They are all named after plants -
- Bluebell - a warrior who is set to be the next king
- Rose - a mother whose unhappy marriage was the price for peace
- Ash - a student of magic who may possess magic she never asked for
- Ivy - a young girl who just wants admiration from everyone
- Willow - a zealot of a new religion who wants the world to convert
So I had two problems with this book. The first is that the plot was just plodding at parts. It took me forever to get into this book and I didn't really get engrossed in the story until after the 60% mark. It could have been trimmed. There was too much time where nothing interesting happened and the characters were waiting around.
Which leads to the second problem. While the characters were waiting around, all of them were confused, upset, and could be annoying. The sisters seemed to never use their intelligence and instead made extremely rash choices that were a) stupid, b) completely emotionally based, and c) the worst possible choice. I thought it was ridiculous that all of them couldn't seem to use logic and reasoning. I could sort-of accept it for Willow due to her particular set of problems but not for the others. Ultimately I didn't totally like any of the sisters and found it hard to wish for success for any of them.
The one really fun note for me was the bad guy, Wylm. He is a step-brother by marriage. While his bad-guy motivation was rather lame (having the throne for the sake of being important) I did like that the author had him make some choices that took me completely by surprise. While most of his actions are caused by his cowardice and need to stay alive, he did have others that led to excellent plot lines and he actually used his brain. He could be crafty even if his underlying reasons were illogical. I also enjoyed how his portion of the story resolved in the first book.
Ultimately I would consider this an okay read. I found Bluebell and Ash's sections to be very engaging at times. I did enjoy the magical system and would like to see that explored further. I am not adverse to reading the next book but I think I would wait for reviews from me crew before making the choice to continue the series.
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I was fully expecting to fall in love with Daughters of the Storm. However, this one just wasn’t the right fit for me. I wasn’t able to connect with the characters and found the plot to be a bit too slow-moving for my taste. The writing was excellent though and I appreciated Wilkin’s narrative choices. I thought that it was fascinating to have so many points of view, that choice really added another layer to the book. I also enjoyed seeing how the character’s opinions and perceptions of a situation were contrasted because it allowed readers to draw their own conclusions about events in the book.
The focus of the book was truly on the interpersonal dynamics between the characters, particularly the sisters. If it hadn’t been set in a fantasy world, I would classify this novel as literary fiction. As it was, I think that readers looking for a more typical fantasy novel may be disappointed. While I enjoyed the multiple perspectives, it also meant that the story moved rather slow, particularly at the beginning. I actually put the book down multiple times before convincing myself that it would get better and I should continue reading. Daughters of the Storm was not the book for me but I do think that it will appeal to some readers out there, particularly those who prefer books more focused on family dynamics.
*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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I thought this was a pretty decent book. The plot involves 5 sisters all who have varying degrees of power and when their father the king falls into a coma they must journey to find a cure. The story is well written and told from the different points of views from the sisters. While this isn't the greatest story ever told, it is still a good story.
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This is a book I can't fairly review right now. The old king is dying under suspicious circumstances and his five daughters are called home to witness: his warrior heir, the untrained magician, the queen married off for an alliance, the adherent of the new faith, and the young princess. Unfortunately, what I really wanted was for them to come together to save the kingdom, but the book had other ideas. They're all interesting and well-realized characters, and really, any of them could hold the kingdom together if the others would cooperate, but they're constantly set at odds with each other instead so that every step forward seems to cause two others to fall back. It's not a bad book by any stretch, just that I wanted so strongly for it to be about a family working together that I couldn't ever quite enjoy it -- I think if I went back and reread it knowing what I was getting instead, a tangle of strong personalities and things falling apart despite best intentions, that I'd like it more. It's also the first in a series, and each daughter is clearly starting out on their own destiny that might eventually draw them back in, but for now they all came together only for a moment before scattering to the winds again. I like all of them, and want them to be well in their own ways, so I might check this series out once more volumes are available and see if there's a happier ending in their future.
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This book started off so well. A bunch of princesses coming to their sick father's rescue. I have sisters, so this really resonated with me. The dynamic between the sisters was great. They fought, loved and kept secrets from each other.
To save their father, the sisters decide to take him to a sacred place, but crazy things happen on the road. This is where I get a little lost. The world building fell apart and suddenly I was lost in the woods, literally. The characters wandered through the woods. None descriptive woods. That's how the rest of the story went, and the story was great. All the sisters brought their own strengths to the journey and made it a fun place to be, if only I could picture where that was.
Still, a great read.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
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The king is on the brink of death and his five daughters are on a mission to save him by finding a mysterious and powerful witch, the only person who can reverse the magic that is stealing his life. They must first learn to trust in one another, forget old rivalries and embrace the magic that is family. Only then will they be ready to find the witch and understand that familial discord and history has been repeating itself.
They share the same blood, but they are as different as five strangers can be, can the warrior, the queen who risks all for forbidden love, the vain princess, the religious zealot or the budding magic user save their kingdom and the crown? Treachery abounds as their stepbrother eyes the precious crown he does not deserve.
Kim Wilkins’ DAUGHTERS OF THE STORM is a tale of desperation, mistrust, and acceptance of others in the name of family and the good of the kingdom. Five powerful women, each with their own secrets, weaknesses and insecurities will be exposed at their best and their worst. How will they deal with each other? Will they learn to respect each other in spite of their flaws?
Epic fantasies are meant to journeys of discovery and this one is no exception. Told through different POVs we witness the turmoil beneath the surface of the tenuous relationships between these sisters who must learn to stand together against both the known and unknown evil that threatens them.
Filled with detail, this is definitely not a quick read as the threads entangle us into the unfolding drama. The author does not ask us to like the characters, but to accept what makes them “tick” and wonder if they are up to the challenges that lay before them. I am an epic fantasy fan, I enjoy all of the threads that entwine each layer, but there were times I felt bogged down, but as the first book of a trilogy, the stage has been set, the characters and their dynamic relationships revealed and their journey has truly just begun. I'm thinking the action is yet to come!
I received a complimentary copy from Del Rey!
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You think your family get-togethers are bad?
Kim Wilkins' "Daughters of the Storm" tells the story of the five daughters of King Athelrick, King of the powerful Almissia. Almissia is one of several kingdoms in this magical setting of semi-warring kingdoms and conflicting religions. The five women gather to care for their father when he suddenly becomes ill. Just as worrisome, their step-mother acts guilty by calling her grown son to her side instead of Athelrick's daughters and Almissia's heir, Bluebell. Bluebell, the most kick-butt female ever, is determined to find the cause of her father's illness and kill the person responsible. She trusts her closest sisters, Rose and Ash, to help her but they are often stuck in their own thoughts. Rose is the unfaithful wife to the King of a neighboring kingdom, of which her marriage bought an uneasy peace. Ash is a healer but fighting her true magic. Bluebell allows her younger twin sisters to offer help but Ivy is a self-absorbed teenage brat and Willow (unbeknownst to her family) converted to a new faith and constantly hears voices of persecution & grandeur (although I'm unsure whether it is truly a result of her new faith or actual insanity). As these sisters gather and care for their father, their destinies emerge.
"Daughters of the Storm" is a very exciting, five star book. The sisters each have their own past and destiny to fulfill while simultaneously coping with each other and the fate of their father and kingdom. I like Bluebell's strength and Ash's intuition and desire to care for those around her, but I would honestly hate to be related to the other three whiny, manipulative brats. That being said, I do like the nickname the twins have for Bluebell, and I imagine she would as well. The political intrigue and storyline are truly amazing and intricately interwoven like a master! I can't wait until the next book comes out in 2019! Based on "Daughters of the Storm", I will certainly buy it if my library doesn't get a copy.
My opinion is solely my own, but I do want to thank Goodreads, Del Rey Books, and Kim Wilkins for an advanced copy of this awesome book.
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Daughters of the Storm by Kim Wilkins is the first book in her Blood and Gold series. A well-crafted epic-fantasy tale of five sisters, princesses, and their trials and tribulations during a daring rescue and battle against a betrayer from within.
Each daughter is so completely different from the other. Bluebell is the warrior princess that strikes fear into the hearts of all. Her skills in battle are legendary and her love for her family is only second to her loyalty to the crown. Ash is the sister with magic in her veins and visions in her nightmares. Her skills help Bluebell but the more she uses them the further away it pushes her from her family. Rose is the married princess with a beautiful daughter and a controlling husband, oh, and a broken heart thanks to a soldier back home. The twins Ivy and Willow are more opposite than you would ever expect twins to be. One with childish aspirations and another worshipping a religion other than what her royal family supports.
Each sister tries to help but ultimately they mostly end up working, partly unknowingly, against each other. This story is told in multiple POV's and is somewhat contained within this book as a full-story but the breath of a cliffhanger is there egging you on to see what happens next for Bluebell and her siblings. Enjoy!
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Disclaimer: I received this book free from Netgalley in return for an un-biased review.
Five daughters. Five very different women who have to come together in order to deal with their father’s grave illness and possible death. You guys know me by now. I loves me a book that focuses on women and their lives. Add in some fantasy elements and this is a slam dunk for me right? I’m not quite sure.
I have a certain amount of respect for Bluebell. She is a strong woman, with a sense of loyalty and duty which I can admire. Her sister Ash is also somewhat endearing. She is lost in her magic and afraid to admit to her power. However, I have trouble feeling anything for the other women in the story. They are by turns, lusty, selfish and deluded. The book left me feeling disappointed. There was a little too much sex, but not enough love. These girls haven’t much love for one another, for their father, for their children or for their lovers. It makes sympathizing with them difficult. I have to think though. Should I require these women to be lovable? Isn’t it enough that they are individual and unique? They don’t all have to act in ways I think are acceptable, I’d rather they should be themselves, and goodness knows sometimes we are all un-likeable. I can deal with that.
One issue I have with the book is that some of the plot resolutions come a trifle too easily. A character is in a perilous situation and a magical creature appears, saves her, throws some prophecy into the wind and rides away. It was a little too convenient. I think that the problem is the book suffers from middle book syndrome. But this is a first book you say?! Yes, that’s true. I just think that this is a story and character’s who are decidedly on the road to somewhere else. That can be frustrating for an observer. We like a beginning, middle and end, but those aren’t to be found here. This is going to be a lengthy journey. I think some of these abrupt resolutions will get a call back later and things that bother me right now will likely make more sense when I get to the end.
For now though, it is goodbye Yellow Brick Road. These girls are definitely going places, but it won’t be pretty and they won’t always be nice. While I do have trouble deciding how I feel about this first book right now, this is a story I can get behind. I’m just going to have to keep reading.
Song for this book: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John
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I am a huge Robin Hobb fan and when I saw that this book was compared to her works, my interest was caught. Then, after reading the blurb, I was even more interested in it. A book that had Norse mythology elements and has strong female characters. Sign me up. I am glad that I requested this book. The plotlines were engaging and kept me hooked on the book. It was also fast-paced. I was left breathless while reading most of the book.
Daughters of the Storm had a few plotlines that all were intertwined early in the book. The main storyline was the rush to find a cure for the daughters’ father who became ill. Bluebell and her sisters take a dangerous journey to find the aunt who used undermagic. That magic is the only way to save their father. It is the only way to find out who was behind their father becoming ill.
I would give Daughters of the Storm an Adult rating. There is violence, language, and sex. While the sex is not graphic, I do not think that it would be proper for anyone under the age of 20. The violence also factored into my rating. There are some graphic scenes of violence. This is a book that I will recommend to family and friends. I would give a warning about the sex and violence since I have friends and family that do not like that in books. I also plan on rereading this book!!
**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**
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