DNF - I was intrigued by the premise but I couldn't get into it. It's too long winded, and difficult to read if you aren't in the right headspace for it. It's also quite graphic which is a bit off-putting. I do think it was well written but sadly it didn't hold my interest long enough for me to properly get into it!

Received book from Little Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for honest read and review,this is my review only.
The blurb sounded really good for this book, and as first in a series so far of 4 ,I thought it would be good to jump in at the beginning.
I am afraid I could not get into it,a bit too longwinded and drawn out and I could not seem to relate in any way to any of the POV's.
The settings seemed very well written and all in all it will appeal to many of you, but sadly for me a DNF.

This arc was provided by Orbit in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for your consideration.

DNF at 80%

TW: rape, gang rape, suicide, gore, violence, parent neglect, sexual harassment and assault, war, death of a loved one, beheading

Please be careful if these are themes that can trigger you. I can say the rape scene was quite graphic and upsetting as I didn't expect it.
There could be more triggers but since I didn't finish, I can't provide a complete list.

We Ride the Storm is a book I wish I could enjoy.

My main issue is with the writing itself. I didn't connect with any of the characters or care about how the story will unfold. I can't even finish the last 20%. I really didn't like it.

And it makes me sad since I see everyone enjoying it.

This book was unfortunately a disappointment for me.

I know that this is the second series set in this world but it is marketed as you don't need to read the other series first. I would disagree with this as I sent most of the book feeling like I had missed something and events were being referenced from the previous series with no explanation.

I did however like the world and the writing style so I will be going back to read the previous series and if I enjoy them, I will retry this series.

Ok so the second half of this book really raised my rating up for this one. It was in dangerous 3 star territory but the last half had me so gripped that I bumped it up to 4 stars.
I don’t know whether its because I haven’t read the other series companion to this one but when I started I felt like I was missing something. It says you can read this on its own , however I think that it would have been more enjoyable if I had read the first series set in this world. Although the world building was semi there, it felt like I should already know places and people which was my biggest complaint for a story that is supposed to be fine to read by itself. However I did really like the three perspectives we follow in this. I would say Cassandra was the most interesting to read about though. That’s most likely because I love a good morally grey character.
So all in all I enjoyed this one and definitely enough to continue onto book two which I already own. I’m intrigued to see where the story goes!

'We Ride the Storm' is an epic fantasy book set in an Asian-inspired world, with savage tribes, in-bred empires and age-old family rivalries.
We see the story unfold through the eyes of three characters: a princess of the Kisian empire (who is the step-daughter of the empire, so a princess in name only); an intriguing assassin and a tribal warrior forced into nomadic life. The plot revolves around a building conflict between the empire and its subjects and neighbours, largely driven by the accidental actions of the aforementioned assassin.
The princess is a well-formed character who quickly moves from plotting with her brother to take their family's rightful place at the head of the empire to siding with the crippled cruel emperor, seeking her own place. Her story is straight out of a Disney film, refused her chance to use her martial skills and forced to marry into power as her only contribution to the family's strength.
The nomadic warrior should have been intriguing, given his initial scene where he is cutting the heads off his fallen comrades and enemies, driven by a religious zeal that a person's head must be removed and properly laid to rest to release their soul. However, he quickly became flat and irritating, his zealous nature making him whiny. His story is the most exciting, though, as his tribe is forced into serving the empire (I think) and put aside their traditionally passive nature in order to secure new lands for themselves.
The final PoV character, the assassin, is by far the most original - she has an extra voice in her head (the background still a mystery), a presence who can inhabit corpses, allowing for some interesting escapes and plans. Her role is slightly comedic, dashing from one job to another across the country, often conflicting jobs, in order to try and release herself from the voice in her head.
The story involves a great amount of plotting and double-crossing, some excellent action scenes and a complex, weaving plot. The only downside for me was remembering who was who, who the empire was, their enemies etc, as different names were sometimes given and I found it hard to remember. Also, some major plot points were initially exposed in fairly throw-away style and later passages made no sense without picking up on them (specifically the voice in the assassin's head, but also aspects of the possession and other events which were easy to miss).
A great read and with a sequel already out, a series I will stick with.

I received a free copy from the publishers and netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kisia and Chiltae are poised on the brink of war. In Kisia, Princess Miko dreams of wresting control of the throne from her father, and to rule alongside her brother Prince Tanaka. On the border of Chiltae, Rah wants to keeping moving forward, his herd of Second Swords have been outcast from their home but they are not in agreement. And the assassin and whore Cassandra from Chiltae has been sent on a mission that will hopefully produce a cure for the voices in her head...

We Ride the Storm is dense, political, action-packed fantasy built in a rich and intriguing world. It feels a little like ancient Rome meets Asian-inspired fantasy, and that's a lot of fun together. I understand that this isn't Madson's first series in this setting, and it really shows, as there's a great deal of depth to the world, the culture and the customs in this place. And for me, that's always the hallmark of good fantasy.

Even better, is one of my favourite things - three very different narrators, each with different motivations and characters, who are slowly spiralling around each other until their paths cross without realising it. That for me makes a good narrative.

There are a few stilted moments in the story, however, which is why I think I ended up reading this book slowly to start with, dropping it and then picking it up again later. First, it's quite a slow burn - that can be really good, but it can also be a bit of a drag. And there were times when I felt as though I was wading through this book. However, when the action or the intrigue gets going, it certainly goes!

The other thing was something odd that I noticed at the start of each chapter. The first two paragraphs or so at the start of every chapter were written in a very passive or stilted way, which meant that if you weren't concentrating hard, it made it challenging to switch to the next point of view chapter. But once you were past that first part, then everything cracked on normally again.

In any case, it meant that this was a fantastic fantasy novel that I really enjoyed reading, but one that I occasionally had to work hard at.

I'm also really looking forward to the next book in the series, as things definitely didn't end well for any of the main characters, so I'm excited to see what could happen next ...

Jesus Christ on a bike! We Ride the Storm was a novel that was pure adrenaline.

Storm

Noun

a tumultuous reaction; an uproar or controversy.

There is no disillusion hidden behind the pretext of name. This book is a storm, and it aims to rile you up, as quickly as possible. This story aims to shake up the fantasy genre and it does that and more. Its an underrated gem that gleams, and the reader can’t help but fall deep for the magnificent prose and authentic worldbuilding. The author doesn’t beat around the bush and she is happy to cut your throat in the first chapter and not even be sorry about it!

We Ride the Storm is Madson’s first book in the Reborn Empire. The story promises everything that you would expect from an epic fantasy story and has quite literally set the bar far too high for my next read. The characterisation is really were Madson really comes into her own. Their motives and behaviours are crucial to the developing storyline and it was just pin sharp. The reader is given insight into cultures and customs and some of the descriptions are eye wateringly real. Bravo Ms Madson!

We Ride the Storm blew my freaking mind! This is not a book in the regular sense. No, this is like drinking a much-needed rum and coke. It’s smooth, it’s refreshing, and it goes down far too well! I don’t think I have ever wanted to keep reading a book and never wanting it to end so much. The pages and chapters just blended into one. I’m sure I’ve ended up with more than one paper cut from turning those damn pages way too fast! Each chapter gave us a climax and I was just so enthralled and completely in the world Madson had spun that I became, simply lost.

Ever read a book that just emitted a gazillion emotions from your already pumped body? This is what you get from reading this story. We had three different POV’s and I ended up rooting for all three, for different reasons. Each one had a story to tell, each one was fighting for survival and each one needed to whether the storm – see what I did there?

The action, the fear and everything else in between had me picking up my jaw and swearing under my breath, I don’t know how many times. Miko, Cassandra and Rah, three characters that were all forced into difficult situation and three characters that bleed into your soul. Each has a different culture, but their voice is loud and clear. They are imperative to the story moving along at the timely pace we are used to, and they are crucial to the absolute perfection this book has reached. The human condition is the at the centre of this story and it was nailed with laser sharp precision. Got to put my money where my mouth is and say that Rah was a firm favourite!

Within 500 pages Devin Madson spins a tale of political intrigue, familial loyalties, and very much strong female characters. The actions of one person puts into force a domino effect. The plot is so intricately weaved that you’d be forgiven for thinking that you were trapped within a maze. Don’t expect any respite, you a thrown into the fray and its completely up to you on whether you sink or swim. Be prepared for characters to test constraints and boundaries so don’t be surprised when their toxicity leaves a trail.

We Ride the Storm was AWESOME!

I honestly knew very little about it going in, but in no time at all I was totally sucked into the world and the three characters from whose perspective the story is told. The use of first person was a bold one and won't be to everyone's taste, but here it is used really effectively.

At first the three characters seem to have absolutely nothing in common, but before long you find yourself swept up in the action in all three perspectives and when they finally begin to collide.... whew!

I think this fully deserves a full five stars, and find myself already desperate for the next instalment. Devin Madson has a real talent and I'll definitely be checking out the author's other books!

La publicación de We Ride the Storm ha seguido el camino de Senlin Ascends o The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, primero se autopublicó y luego una editorial vio su potencial y decidió lanzarlo bajo su sello. Esto ya da una idea de que el libro debe tener algo especial para conseguir destacar entre los muchos volúmenes que los propios autores publican a lo largo del año.


Es una novela que está muy bien escrita, con una prosa que se adapta a cada uno de los tres puntos de vista que utiliza la autora. Se sale de los lugares comunes de la fantasía épica ya que el escenario no es el tan manido reino pseudomedieval europeo, algo que se agradece, si no un imperio de inspiración asiática.

Los tres puntos de vista son tan diferentes entre sí como atractivos. Por un lado tenemos a la princesa Miko, que junto con su hermano son herederos al trono del imperio de Kisia, aunque esta línea sucesoria no está perfectamente clara. Su posición es algo endeble y son víctimas frecuentes de intentos de asesinato. Su madre es la principal conspiradora para que ellos hereden el trono, pero las intrigas palaciegas están a la orden del día y no son los únicos implicados.

También tenemos al capitán Rah de los Levanti, un pueblo nómada con sólidas creencias religiosas que se encuentra bajo el yugo de los Chiltaens y están obligados a luchar sus guerras. Este personaje es especialmente atractivo por el conflicto mental constante que le supone tener que defender el bienestar de su «manada» y cumplir con sus obligaciones religiosas, siendo una de las más importantes cortar la cabeza de los muertos para liberar sus almas. Y casi al principio de la novela este hecho se relata con tanto detalle anatómicamente hablando que casi deja de resultar truculento y pasar a ser un estudio antropológico.

La última y quizá la más interesante es Cassandra Marius, una prostituta-asesina (el pluriempleo también ha llegado a la fantasía épica) que oye voces en su cabeza. Quizá sea víctima de una enfermedad mental o quizá la explicación para esto sea aún más oscura.

Los tres personajes irán narrando su historia y acercando sus caminos, aderezados con algunos giros de guion que pueden resultar más o menos sorprendentes. Hay momentos que pueden resultar más aburridos para el desarrollo de la novela, aunque en general Devin Madson ha conseguido mantener el ritmo. Quizá estos pequeños altibajos sean debidos a mi preferencia personal por las historias de uno u otro de los protagonistas. También es cierto que en algunas ocasiones el destino parece inevitable y ninguna de las acciones que llevan a cabo los implicados sirve para cambiar ni un ápice el final.

En definitiva, una novela interesante con algunos toques novedosos que puede interesar a los lectores de fantasía épica y que deja bastantes tramas abiertas para la siguiente entrega.

We Ride the Storm has actually be re-released by a publisher last week and I’ve already got a copy. The book follows three POVs who have very different backgrounds and backstories.

I’m personally most interested in Miko who’s a Kisian princess prisoner in her own castle. There’s also Cassandra, a Chiltae assassin who keeps hearing voices of the dead, and Captain Rah who is being forced to fight a war. All of these characters seem to have their own story arc they need to go on, so I’m interested to see how they meet up.

First impressions:
So the first part of We Ride the Storm is very focused on building up the three POV characters and also world building. First we meet Miko who is a princess in a land where the emperor must choose an heir. In theory, her brother should be the heir because of blood but there’s a lot of political tension and behind the scenes whisperings which lead to multiple assassination attempts. I loved the depth Miko had as a character, she’s learned how to behave in public and how she can act around her family is different. She’s extremely clever, often portraying her skills like archery as lesser to make her look like less of a threat, plus her thinking around a possible arranged marriage is written really well.

The POV then goes to Captain Rah who is part of the Levanti who travel in herds of people. There’s some backstory that’s still missing, but I assume we’ll see more later on in the book. They’re mostly warriors and they’re looking for Gideon who is the 1st Sword of Torin, which is an important warrior title. His chapters give us a lot of information on Rah as a character, but also a lot of questions about his people and culture.

We then have Cassandra who is an assassin with a voice in her head (who’s quite judgemental). She’s offered a job by a confident stranger and in return she’ll be given the location of The Witch Doctor who can remove the voice. We know the least about Cassandra at this point, but I assume she’ll be crossing paths with Miko more than Rah at first.

The book seems very character focused at first so I’m still not totally sure on the plot. But I like how these chapters have set up different factions, some mysteries and really makes you want to find out more. I’ll definitely continue reading and add it to my TBR for July.


[Will update when completed review - Was part of SPFBO Reads series]

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I am excited to be on the blog tour for this! Honestly from the blurb it sounded so up my street. Political intrigue and assassins are always a winner with me.

I did end up struggling to connect with it, a little, but this is definitely more due to my current mental health and struggling with reading overall! It's a shame as I was enjoying it when I did pick it up! Silly brains.

I found the concept of this fantastic - and the starting line is a killer:
"They tried to kill me four times before I could walk."

This is just so good at setting the scene for Miko's sections! I found her by far the most engaging and I loved her sections. Her hope and heartbreak really spoke to me through the book, and I also liked that she sometimes felt wrong footed in her actions when realising that there was more going on than she knew.

I also found Rah pretty engaging, though his origin story wasn't expanded on enough for it to be a quick connection. But the story of his capture, and having to fight for a cause he doesn't believe in, was very compelling.

Cassandra was my least favourite of the three. Certainly for over half the book I didn't really understand her motivations and while I ended up liking her interactions I never fully understood why she was doing what she was, and we don't know enough about what is going on with her. The voice in her head really didn't help either! We do get clarity as it goes on, but it just made her sections much harder to read for me.

Overall, the politics were fantastic, and I especially liked some of the cultures we see - Rah's horse masters for example. Definitely worth a read! 3.5 stars.

This epic follows the separate lives of 3 main characters, Princess Miko, bastard daughter of the Emperor, exiled Captain Rah e’Torin, an excessively patriotic fighter and the hilarious Cassandra – cranky prostitute come assassin with a voice in her head and an ability to hear the dead. Slowly their lives will converge.

War is ready to destroy the Kisian Empire. There are layered plots of divided opinions and loyalties, political endeavours and ambitions, lies, treachery and desire for power. The whole gambit really. It is brutal as death comes often. There is detailed descriptions to include the skill and challenge of decapitation, so not for those that struggle with gore.

The chapters are broken down into a narrative by each of the main characters, told in the 1st person. Each has a close relationship with another key character that intensifies the story and allows it to play out in a very captivating way.

Miko has to quickly mature, despite her youth and some naivety. Her mother wishes to betray the emperor, but the unexpected death of her golden son puts such plans into disarray. Miko has to decide where she will pledge her loyalties.

Originally self-published, this series is enjoying a second exposure via Orbit. There is some fascinating mystique, evocative world building, decent character building with engaging inner character thoughts and motivations. Too detailed to describe; a bit of a tomb, but the story carries you at a very decent pace with shifts in the plot to keep you entertained right through to the end. My only tiny quibble was the swearing, which although quite minimal, did not fit with an ancient Asian mystical world, and so stood out for the wrong reason. However this is of little consequence. The book ends at an interesting juncture. Each of the main characters plans have completely unravelled leaving a decent point to end on, ready for the next instalment. There is plenty more to learn about the characters, so you know they are going to develop more. Great battle scenes. A book to definitely recommend.

This was such a great book ! The story is well written, it's action packed, the characters are great. The world building was amazing. My only complaint is that the sequel isn't out yet !

As Emperor Kin Ts'ai weakens, with no apparent heir, war is brewing and lives are changing.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The narrative is split between three characters.
Princess Miko Ts'ai is sharp, intelligent, and honourable. She has been told countless times she should have been born a boy. But, because she is a girl, and because her real father was an Otako (it's the worst kept secret in the empire that Miko and her twin are the children of the previous emperor).
Miko is seen as an expendable pawn by everyone at court - including her own mother.
When Empress Hana's plans to put Miko's brother on the throne fail; Miko surprises herself by protecting Emperor Kin Ts'ai, because she knows that only he can hold the armies together and protect against the growing threats.

Rah is the leader of his herd - a group of horsemen and women who live a peaceful nomadic lifestyle. Life in his homeland of Levanti has gotten increasingly strained, as city folk forget their roots, and exile the tribes.
Leading his people into Kisia, Rah's plans to find a new home are disrupted when they are rounded up and forced into service for the Chiltaen army. Little better than slaves, Rah finds other Levanti herds, trying to make the most of their new life thanks to the herdmaster Gideon.
Rah finds it difficult to give up the old ways, and struggles to be obedient when he is ordered to kill innocent people.

Cassandra is... weird.
She's a Chiltaen prostitute-turned-assassin. She also has a demon sharing her mind and body, who can occasionally take full control, but mainly just sits back and silently judges Cassandra for all her choices.
Oddly, it's Cassandra who enjoys killing, and the demon acts as her missing conscience.
Cassandra is hired to kill a Chiltaen lord who is travelling to Kisia for an arranged marriage; because certain people in Chiltae want a war, and they're not going to wait for a real excuse.
Cassandra quickly gets caught up in the war, with both sides wanting to use her skills to their advantage.

We Ride the Storm is an epic, Asian-inspired fantasy.
I understand that this is the author's second series in this world, but this is the first book I've read. I've got to say that it works perfectly well at establishing the world, and I didn't feel like I'd missed out on anything.
(That said, I would also like to read the previous series.)

This book is full of adventure and battles; the plot twists and turns, keeping you guessing throughout.
As well as the action and political drama, it is very character-driven, which I like my fantasy to be.
I think Miko was definitely my favourite. This princess has always been wise to her position. She has tagged along while her twin brother trains in archery, riding and battle tactics; and she has not wasted her opportunity to learn.
Whereas her brother is quick and passionate; Miko is cool and logical. She knows that she is at a natural disadvantage having been born a woman; and that if she is going to get what she wants, she needs to move amongst the world of men, and earn their respect.

Rah was an interesting character - you'd expect him this head-collecting warrior to be cast as a barbarian, but he's a much gentler soul.
The Levanti live as one with nature. They want peace, but Rah will fight to defend himself and his herd. And the chopping off heads - for them it's how they honour their dead, and allow their spirits to leave their bodies.
Rah spends a lot of his time trying to work out how their new life will go; and at what price he will bend or break his morals.
As a slave, Rah goes where the Chiltaen army demands. He might have rebellious thoughts, but for the most part he keeps his head down.
I thought that Rah's narrative really helped build the bigger picture of the ongoing war; but I didn't feel as engaged with Rah's personal story.

Cassandra was a pretty awesome character. I liked that she didn't care about killing and that she has a not-quite-love/hate relationship with her demon.
She constantly wants her gone, but then misses her when she isn't there.
That said, I found it hardest to get into her narrative, it could sometimes be hard to follow what was being thought and said and done, with both Cassandra and her demon being present.
I thought our ruthless assassin's convictions were a bit wobbly; and I lost sight of her overall aims throughout her storyline, as she allows other people to use her and dangle shiny new prizes in front of her.

Overall, this was a very strong start to a series, and I look forward to what happens next.

DNF at 30%

This one tragically just wasn't for me! Although I love the author and liked certain aspects of this book, I really struggled with some of the darker elements. Maybe it's just the time and place (we are in a pandemic, after all!) but I didn't quite click with this one. I'd love to give it another go at a different time.

CW: brief on-page rape, lots of gore

An epic fantasy according to my heart: gripping, full of great characters and actions, with a great world building.
I was hooked since the first pages and read it as fast as I could.
I can't wait to read the next installment in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

A solid combination of impending war, decapitations and fantasy-democracy with an intriguing core cast




We Ride the Storm is one of several recent Orbit publications with a self-published past: a couple of years ago, it was runner-up in the annual Self Published Fantasy Blog Off, and now its out from Orbit books in swanky dead tree form with at least one sequel on the way very soon. Chonky epic fantasy is not a super-common stomping ground for me, but this one came with enough intriguing recommendations from people whose opinions I trust to make it one that I wanted to experience for myself.

At the core of We Ride the Storm is the fragile political balance between two rival powers on the same continent. There's the Kisian Empire, in the south of the continent, ruled by an empire whose current Ts'ai dynasty has only held power for a generation and is consolidating power against the former ruling bloodline, and neighbouring Chiltae, in the north, which seems to have a similar flavour of patriarchy but with more religious overtones. Thanks to various political machinations in both places, the two countries are now on the verge of going to war, and the tenuous last-ditch attempts to broker peace are being set up to fail by those in power with an interest in seeing the conflict happen. Mixed in to this primary conflict are the Levanti, a culture of nomads whose home lies across the ocean from Chiltae. Due (apparently) to the interference of missionaries in their culture, an increasing number of warbands made up of younger Levanti have found themselves exiled by their own people, crossing to Chiltae and getting pressed into military service. In short, it's all a big fun time, and the only way to get to the bottom of it all is apparently through copious decapitations. And, oh boy, does this book deliver on that front.

We see the conflict unfold through three interlinking story. Closest to the political centre of it all is Princess Miko, twin sister of the heir to the Kisian Empire who has managed to educate and keep herself near the centre of power despite being a woman and therefore held in lower esteem in her patriarchal society. What makes Miko's situation even more difficult is that she and her brother Tanaka are not actually the biological children of the Emperor, but of the disgraced last member of the former ruling line. This bloodline comes with its perks - notably, some spectacular archery accuracy skills - but it also puts Miko and Tanaka in a challenging and fundamentally insecure position within the court, which each deals with in different ways and with rather different outcomes. Competent, clear-eyed and smart about her situation without losing a fundamental level of compassion, Miko was a very easy character for me to appreciate, and I also enjoyed how Madson portrayed her alliances in the court, showing individuals acting out of decency and loyalty even as the betrayals on other fronts started to mount up.

While Miko acts as the main conduit for the happenings in Kisia, we see Chiltaen politics more indirectly through the other two characters. There's Rah E'Toren, a recently exiled Levanti trying to hold his band of warriors together and seek out his brother Gideon, all while upholding his own sense of honour. As one of the Levanti's core beliefs is that dead bodies need to be decapitated in order to set their souls free, and to do otherwise means carrying the weight of that sin on one's soul and jeapordising one's position in the cycle of reincarnation, Rah's ways of upholding his honour can get quite messy and "barbaric" in the eyes of the Chiltaen, but Madson portrays Rah with sensitivity and sympathy throughout, averting any particularly unpleasant tropes with a character who could become problematic in other hands. That said, Rah and the Levanti are unlikely to work for anyone fundamentally frustrated with the "fantasy horse people" trope: while there are elements which are clear subversions of this being a warlike "barbaric" culture (including a fully realised democratic process for challenging leadership), the fundamental relationship between the Chiltaen and the Levanti still plays into those tropes to some extent, and the fact that we only see the young, warlike Levanti means that there's a lot that feels missing from their depiction, even if it is a deliberate absence.

Finally, there's Cassandra Marius, an assassin and sex worker who appears to have another consciousness living in her head, one which starts to show her some of its more worrying abilities as her involvement in the politics of the two nations increases. Although she's an intriguing character, Cassanrda's sections feel notably less driven and central than Miko or Rah, and I found myself significantly less engaged by her story than that of the other two, particularly as we don't get much explanation for her unique powers, or those of the characters she interacts most with - including Dom Leo Villus, son of Chiltae's leader, who forms one of the running strands through all three of the stories. Nevertheless, Cassandra's ends up in a pretty intriguing spot by the end, and there's certainly potential in her character even if I didn't think she was particularly well-served by the focus of this particular novel.

I will come clean at this point and admit: I hoped We Ride the Storm would demand less of my attention than it ended up doing. This is not the book's problem at all, but the shortcomings of a reader attempting to read during a global pandemic and a time of immense social upheaval. With difficult political decisions being made on all sides and a terrible political situation being driven by a very calculating and ruthless set of political elites, a lot of heads do roll - usually in a literal sense - across all of We Ride the Storm's journeys, and coupled with the fact that very few of the characters overlap between points of view, this means there's a significant rotating cast to keep track of, especially in Rah's story and to a lesser but prominent extent in Miko's. Coupled with a juicy, ever-shifting political background, this is a book that requires attention, but it certainly delivers an entertaining ride in return.

This certainly isn't a standalone book; despite the best efforts of the characters and some interesting changes in fortune for Rah and Miko in particular, the world at the end of We Ride the Storm looks even messier than the state it was in to begin with, and there's a lot of fuel for the rest of the (presumably) trilogy to cover. Despite a shakier reading experience than the book itself deserved, I enjoyed my time with this world and characters, in all their decapitative glory, and am intrigued to find out where it all goes next. I'll be clearing my schedule when I get hold of We Lie With Death, and giving the gang all the attention they richly deserve.

We Ride the Storm is set after the events in The Vengeance Trilogy. It’s not necessary to read those books before plunging into The Reborn Empire series, but it helps to understand what’s happening at the beginning of the story. And might give a better sense of the world, since we are pretty much thrown in the middle of things. Although eventually things will clear up.

As I’ve had the chance to read both the self-published and traditionally published versions, I can see how much got changed in the process. I’m happy to report that the few extra scenes and tightened plot here and there definitely did good for We Ride the Storm. I might not have caught all the changes – 2 years is a long time – but what I did catch were all great additions.

We follow the story through 3 characters’ POVs, all of them written in first person, which, if we are being honest a really bad-ass thing to do. But also hard to portray three very different character’s voice and personality. Devin Madson definitely excelled at it.

Rah – Levanti warrior, captain of the Second Swords of Torin. He and his Swords are exiled from their homeland for a cycle and find themselves in the middle of an ages long conflict between two empires: Kisia and Chiltae. He also manages to get himself into a conflict with another captain, Gideon, because of their different views. Their relationship is a layered one. At one hand, Rah sees him as his friend, brother even, someone he always looked up to. But on the other, their time apart brought on changes in both of them that makes a gap between them. Rah stubbornly tries to keep the old customs, helds honor above else and is loyal to a fault. He holds to his believes throughout the book. He is that character who you can’t help but look up to, because whatever the circumstances he always tries to do what he believes is right. Even if that has unforseeable consequences. Through his eyes we get to learn about the Levanti culture which is about as shocking to us as to the Chiltaens. Especially since the opening scene of Rah’s POV gets us right to this point. Let’s just say, I’m happy I wasn’t born to be a Levanti. Although I like their oath:

“We are the Swords that hunt so your hands may be clean. We are the Swords that kill so your soul may be light. We are the Swords that die so you may live.”

Miko – living in the Imperial Court, far from the outside world, under the influence of her mother Empress Hanna, who tries to use her children to get the upper hand against the Emperor, Kin Ts’ai. Miko and her twin brother Tanaka have their own plans to one day get the Crimson Throne and rule over Kisia, but things go awry pretty fast. Miko finds herself choosing between two opposite fractions only to decide to put her self-interest above everything else. Miko is a strong female character, although young, naive and inexperienced when it comes to full scale politics. But she is also clever and can find her own fate, not letting anyone to stand in her way. The first time around I found it hard to connect with her and she was my least favourite of the three. For the second time, I definitely warmed up to her. She needs to grow up fast and has to make some hard decisions despite her young age. I admired her resolve and the way she was able to put the Empire’s interest above her own.

Cassandra – “Whoresassin” as Leo puts it. She is quite troubled and against her better judgement she agrees to take a job which promises to get rid of her problem permanently. Out of the three, she is the most interesting, and most complex character, but she gets less space than the other two, which is a shame. Her interactions with Leo were the funniest and the most emotional of all. Also this plotline held most of the surprises which left me with my mouth hanging open. I’m really looking forward to see where her path leads. She was the only character I really got to care about, even though I liked the other two as well. But there is just something in Cass. Maybe the hardships she’s gone through, her struggle to get control over herself and learning about how to make compromises and care about others too. That her problems aren’t really just hers. Also, the name Cassandra reminds me of the Greek mythology. She was the daughter of King Priam and was cursed so no one ever believed her prophecies, amongst them the destruction of Troy. Anyway, one of my favorite part of her and Leo’s conversation:

“Now let’s keep moving before the sight of this damn place makes me piss myself.”
“As you wish, Your Whoreness.” He had taken a few steps but turned to look back over his shoulder. “Or should it be Your Assassinness? Whoresassin!”

Through the 3 POVs we not only get glimpses into three lives, but we witness a brewing war too. Nevertheless the main focus is on the characters’ lives and motives. There are a few battle scenes which are usually short and brutal. And far more head falls in this book than you’d expect. Maybe because of the switching between the POVs, the sense of time is a bit off. Things seem to happen too fast, especially toward the end.

Without the background knowledge of the previous trilogy it’s a bit harder to grasp the world in its entirety. Especially the feud between Kisia and Chiltae which is the main driver of the story. Sure, we get explanations here and there, but since we see everything through the characters’ eyes, our knowledge is limited to theirs. We only get the information necessary to follow the events. Which is fine, but sometimes it can get frustrating. Interestingly, this did not bother me during the reread, as I was so engrossed in the story that I hardly had any complaints.

The same goes for the cultural backgrounds of the Empires. We learn the most about Levanti customs and faith, but there are many other things left untold, which would add to the worldbuilding and shine a different light on characters maybe. Let’s take the Hieromonk for example: we learn practically nothing of the religion despite him being the head of the church. Or about his motives, except the obvious, but I’m sure we’ll do so in later books.

Devin Madson seems to have an undying love for beheadings and anything to do with a weapon having a pointy end, and though there are some indeed bloody scenes, it still manages not to cross that fine line where it ends up being utterly disturbing and/or pointless. Every kill has its purpose, and every battle scene is a dance. Every chapter has its own arc, and every ending is cathartic, which just makes you turn to the next page and it makes damn hard to put it down. If you’ll find yourself saying just one more chapter, don’t be surprised if you end up staying up far too late. Madson’s style of prose also helps things, when you get descriptions like this:

“Koi’s gatehouse stood over the road like a furious matron towering above a naughty child. Its boltholes glared down at us, and the imperial flag fluttered like the matron’s bloodstained apron. And between her legs the only way in or out.”

It’s freaking genius, if you ask me. And her subtle humor makes this read even more enjoyable.

We Ride the Storm is a strong, incredible even, first book, which builds up the conflict and leaves plenty of questions to be answered in later books. It’s a bloody, character driven, headless… err, endless fun. Devin Madson‘s voice is one worth listening to in the cacophony of the Fantasy genre, and I personally can’t wait to see how far she will get with the Reborn Empire series. Hopefully not too many heads will fall in her wake.

Where to start with this book? 50 pages in and I had the tingle of excitement that this book is the start of something Epic (with capital E). It has a sepia toned feel with a palpable sense of a world with a deep history and barely hinted at magic just under the surface. The characters are wonderful and wildly different, the princess secluded in a castle having the feeling her life is passing her by and wants to take control of her destiny. The gentle barbarians exiled in a strange land and at the gate of an empire they don't understand, and don't particularly want to be. I never thought I'd read about beheadings being handled so sensitively and found myself genuinely angry whenever they were interrupted.
The battle scenes were well imagined and brutal, there is plenty of political intrigue and machinations with a stand out moment of 'fuck yes!'. The pacing is great and the pages fly by and I can't wait for the next installment.