We Ride The Storm is a big, chunky epic fantasy told from three viewpoints. Rah e’Torin, the warrior. Cassandra Marius, prostitute/assassin. And Princess Miko Ts’ai, sister of the would-be heir to the Emperor’s throne.

It took me a little while to settle into the switching narratives, coming as they do from such utterly different viewpoints. Rah and his Swords, exiled from their home and forced to fight against their will had a gritty, brutal feel, whereas Princess Miko’s story was all court intrigue, double crossing and politics with a strong east Asian feel.

Then we have Cassandra and the mysterious voice inside her head, possibly my favourite of the three. I found myself turning the page wanting to read more about her and her quest to find the means to find silence.

All three of the protagonists, whilst very different, are all engaging and their stories just as strong.

The story is properly epic, wide-screen fantasy, with the three protagonists going along their own tracks for much of the book before inevitably converging in the final act. It’s fun trying to work out how and when their stories might overlap in this giant, war-torn tale.

There’s a lot (and I mean a lot) of blood shed in this book. There’s some great little bits of worldbuilding on show, with Rah’s horse-based culture and their tradition of removing the heads of the fallen to free their souls. There are a lot of heads removed from their bodies in this – and not all by Rah! It’s a brutal, no-holds-barred kind of world, and I’m looking forward to reading more in the next book.

Recommended.

We Ride the Storm is an East Asian inspired fantasy novel following three protagonists: Miko, an ambitious princess with no power, Rah, captain of the Second Swords and Cassandra, an assassin. Of the three, I found Cassandra's POV to be the most likeable while I sometimes found it to be a bit harder to connect to Rah. The stories of the three seem unconnected at first so I was tempted to just read to read each POV separately but I managed to restrain myself. Things became clearer as the novel continued and I began to enjoy it more and more. The way the novel ended was slightly frustrating since I now have to wait impatiently for the sequel to be released.

Actual Rating: 4.25 stars

We Ride the Storm has a very befitting title because it was really a storm going through this adventure of a novel. I have been interested in the book since the days it was self published and I am glad it got the recognition it deserves and got traditionally published by my favorite publishers with awesome new edits and an ass-kicking cover.

Madson can certainly write and I felt that she was was an author with experience. The prose is amazing with many quote worthy lines. There were many parts were I was just flying through the book and feeling all kinds of emotions.

The book has 3 main POVs which is something I like if it it is well done and it was well done here. Miko, Rah and Cassandra were all special in their own ways and I loved all 3 POVs, all of them had a peak and could make me care about them. Miko with challenging the current emperor and not wanting to b a slave of traditions. Rah and his soul-releasing rituals and weird clan and Cassandra with all the mysteries surrounding her and the witch doctor.

All 3 lines come together somehow and the plot starts to make more and more sense with each chapter. The book ends all POVs in a kind of cliffhangers which I liked and the next book is coming out soon so I don't mind the waiting and I am so excited already.

The world-building is good, I mean different empires with different traditions. I just noticed that the book did not have an extensive magical system or world-building but it was great at the same time, evidenced by the fact that I devoured it and not noticed that!!

Summary: A great book by a great author with the perfect mix of awesome pose, interesting characters and plot twists. I am definitely continuing this!!

4.5*


We Ride the Storm is an Asian inspired fantasy novel and the first book in Madson’s The Reborn Empire series.

The chapters move between three main characters: Princess Miko, Captain Rah e’Torin and an assassin named Cassandra Marius. I’ve read a couple of books recently which had a similar format and it impacted the reading experience in a negative way. Madson shows how to write several main characters like this in the right way.

Each of the three characters is developed wonderfully well. As the chapters progress the depth of each character builds, but not just their depth, but the world around them and the sub-characters important to each story arc.

Princess Miko goes in a direction I wouldn’t have expected at the start, but once truths are exposed and lines are drawn, you must pick a side. Captain Rah e’Torin lives by a code which is challenged. And Cassandra Marius is such an interesting character
As I progressed through this book, I increasingly got the sense that this would be a great epic series. The scope of the world Madson has built is wonderfully and the way she tales the tale is vivid and beautiful. The cultures are very interesting—you can see the inspiration from real-world cultures but Madson has added a sprinkle of uniqueness to them.

Each chapter was wonderfully paced, and I didn’t feel a word was wasted. There was no filler, each chapter, and the book overall, is very well structured.

I’d love to make this review more detailed, but time pressures are preventing that at the moment, so I’ll leave you with this:
We Ride the Storm is certainly a page turner which leaves you wanting more. Buy it!

Plenty of action and the pace was good, but I found there was too much going on. Obviously a world that the author has spent a lot of time, and skill, in creating, but I think he could have done with slowing things a little, as I found it confusing at times. But, that's probably just me - this would be great for those who love this type of fantasy.

When we talk an epic fantasy tale, we get a chance to go truly large in scale – the fate of the world or empires will hang on the decisions of a few people. Ways of life will alter. Changing the world is something everyone wants but the costs of change can be unexpected and painful– just look at our own world. It doesn’t mean change is always a bad thing just that it will never be comfortable. In Devin Madson’s sizzling debut novel We Ride The Storm a giant empire is about to be hit by a series of unexpected events that put three individuals in the heart of a looming giant conflict.

The tale is set in the Kisian Empire which has been relatively stable for a few decades under its military focused God-Emperor Kin. But recently on the borders with its fractious neighbour Chiltae there have been many attacks and the incursions are worsening. We first meet Miko Kin’s stepdaughter who is working to get her twin brother Tanaka finally acknowledged by Kin as heir (both twins are the children of Kin’s predecessor and rival). But this is a court where assassinations and betrayals are considered standard tools of court and anyone can lose their head. Then we meet Rah the exiled leader of a band of Levanti warriors who had refused to follow orders in their steppes like land. Lost and starving the group cross into the hands of the Chiltaen army and some former allies of Rah. But his people’s way of life; especially the removal of heads from the bodies of the dead to release the soul, is now viewed as primitive and they are seen as a tool rather than a partnership. Last but not least we meet sometimes courtesan and sometimes assassin Cassandra in Chiltae – addicted to a particular drug to soothe a strange force that talks to her in her head,, she is hired to bring home the head of her next target. All three are about to be plunged into a conflict of empires

I found this a hugely refreshing epic fantasy tale. We get three fascinating individual voices in the story narrating their own tales. Miko offers a story of courtroom intrigue and danger. Although only a young woman despite the nature of a sexist court she is hugely strategic in nature and keen to weigh up allies and enemies. She is learning very quickly about power and that failure can be fatal. Despite all this she comes across as someone keen to do the right thing or people and it’s a really interesting dynamic that builds up with her step-father Kin who perhaps is aware of her potential in ways Miko has never imagined. I loved the way Madson pulls the threads of the court and the conflicts of Chiltae in a very personal story and that made me really appreciate the high stakes. And at a certain point we move from court to full blown revolutions and battles (which is never a bad thing!).

Rah’s tale is much that of a soldier on the ground and interestingly while again battles are important there is something more interesting being done here looking at the idea of a soldier with honour. Although an exile from home Madson creates here a culture where Rah as the group’s leader is responsible for everyone and each decision, he makes has consequences for his troops. Once absorbed into the Chiltaen invasion force he finds an old Levanti friend Gideon and their story is about compromises and exceeding the limits. This part of the story is often the most violent and there are scenes of rape and brutal warfare but with Rah we have someone questioning those in charge and trying to do the best for his own squad. You get really concerned for how much longer this noble man can push against the ambitions and prejudices of others.

Cassandra’s tale is possibly the most mysterious. An assassin with a growing reputation for interesting deaths and yet she comes across as more of a person completely lost. A terrible past and a secret she is very reluctant to share about herself she is strangely compelling. Her story helps us explore the Chiltaen world and its own rulers and plans but it also introduces some magical and strange factors that hint a lot more is about to descend onto these warring factions than even they know. Cassandra is also strangely amoral and ends up being bounced between powerful people to be used as a tool, but she does have her own agenda and the mystery about her is absolutely intriguing!

What really impresses me in this is how well these tales complement and support each other. Madson can move through all three and pace them so each character has a very satisfactory arc of their own and we see the larger game they are all part of. For those who love action and battles we get scintillating fighting and tactics including some very impressive land battles that make you appreciate the strengths of the Lavanti and their horses (and there is clearly a link to a famous Mongolian horde in there too). While those who love character and court intrigues will find an equally impressive group of factions working with and against one another (and changing between the two). That Madson achieves this in both is a hallmark of a great approach to writing.

Finally, it is so refreshing to have a slightly different landscape to play with. The empire does feel Asian-inspired but with other cultures being mixed in and yet never feels as if it is playing to stereotypes Madson manages to create texture and history that we see how this Empire has got into the state it is in and aware of its older secrets. But I’m pleased to say while somethings get revealed there is still quite a bit to uncover in the future volumes.

This is a read you very quickly get caught up in and that pace drives you through as the characters have a great story for each one to ply out. By the end they are all in very different places to when we met them and there is a lot more, we want to know. A hugely impressive debut and I am very much looking forward to more adventures from Madson in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed are my own.
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Wow, this is what you call a fast-paced book to jumpstart a series!

Considering that my eARC was less than 400 pages, it seems impossible how so many events were fit into this novel.

Not to mention the sheer amount of detailed and believable character development packed in this.

It's been a long time since I've read a book that handles more than one POV, gives equal amount of 'screentime' to each character, manages to put all main characters at three opposing sides of the world's politics, and somehow does not slow down in pace or lack in world building by even a smidgen.

I am absolutely reeling from Madson's unique writing style that stitches together all the elements of a riveting story without bringing the slightest attention to the seams.

I also cannot help but love the characters. Every single one of them. I have yet to figure out how I feel like I've known each character (even the side ones) for 4 books instead of just the one.

This is definitely an insane start to an incredible story of politics, ambition and the age old struggle to maintain one's traditions and culture in the midst of a changing world. The story packs a series of rapidfire emotional punches that are bound to leave you feeling equal parts hurt, betrayed, incensed and afraid and, once again, I have no idea what kind of science Madson applied to do all this in so few pages.

(Rah might be one of my all time favourite fantasy characters.)

Madson is going on my authors-to-watch list and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the series. That little sneak peek at the end did nothing to sate my hunger for more of this.

Overall rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I really enjoyed this , it’s a great fantasy/action filled story. It’s got great complex world building and good diversity, the writing is really good too. My only criticism is I found myself a bit disinterested a few times and my mind wandered at some points, but it’s a only a couple of points in the book. I loved the complex and ‘real’ nature of the characters and that they aren’t perfect, they have real flaws and some that aren’t likeable at all, to me that’s great character development, which I love. Overall this a great first book to a new series, one that has to set everything up, so I look forward to future books in the series.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

The first book in, I presume, a trilogy. Nicely formed main characters - a princess, a warrior and an assassin - each with their own, yet interconnected, stories. While the characters are well formed, they are not always likeable or understandable - at points in the book I did find myself tutting or asking "why would you do that?! Silly princess/warrior/assassin!" The depictions of the enslavement of the warrior's people by a vaguely Romanesque society made for uncomfortable reading, but it did come across as authentic. The Japanese inspired Empire of the princess and all the political backstabbing and conniving was intriguing to read, albeit confusing at times with the number of names thown at you and trying to figure out their loyalties. Overall, a good strong start to a fantasy series which I can see building up to a huge world-changing final showdown where the various main characters end up as either best of allies or mortal enemies.

I don’t think anyone will be surprised to hear that I thought this is honestly an amazing book with a great start to a new series. This book has a lot of my buzz words, but the second I heard there was a princess tearing stuff down from the inside and an assassin who could hear the voices of the dead that was me on board.

Set in the Eastern inspired world of Kisia, straight away from the get go the world building was solid. I don’t think I struggled once to understand the various locations of the 3 main characters as we moved across this war torn land. From the varying customs that were stark comparisons between the Levanti and Kisians or the different lives led by Cassandra as both a sex worker and assassin Princess Miko having to pretend her archery skills were half what they were, the world is so clear it was hard to step away. To be fair, I read this in 2 sittings but I still had no problem stepping back into the world when needed.

World building aside, the characters are the true standouts here. We get the 3 varying points of view here that all transition very smoothly between each other and there are obviously going to be favourites. Cassandra was honestly my favourite. What’s not to love about a sex working assassin with a very murky past, has necromantic powers and has the voice of something in their head? Cassandra is a bit unlike the other characters where she doesn’t really care about the looming war and she’s just looking to be paid. Which is fair enough to be honest. She does have this interesting arc with the voice of the creature she talks with in her head and I’m really curious to see where that goes.

Princess Miko has such a great development form start to finish that has left me so satisfied, I’m afraid I won’t be able to get this into words. This novel by the way opens with one of the best lines I have read in a long time, and comes directly from Miko;

They tried to kill me four times before I could walk.

I honestly think I don’t see enough power hungry princesses in fantasy. Here Madson has managed to make Miko as a character so sympathetic and so totally believable that her goals are very hard not find yourself agreeing with at times. She is above all intelligent, growing up in her brothers shadow while also being that same shadow. She has had to watch every single move she ha made, every word spoken for fear that there will be no support for her should her brother be heir. She is also totally able to adapt and use whatever she is given to an advantage. Hard to forget as well is her relationship with her mother, the Empress, and how she uses that too to gain what she needs but learn that to rule an empire your parents might not be the best role models to look up to.

Hard to mention Miko without mentioning her mother. Empress Hana is seen by both Cassandra and Miko’s POV but both totally differently. I don’t mean like one sees “mother” and one sees Empress. They both see her as the Empress Hana of Kisia but one is a cold, shrewd tactician and the other is a Cersei type ruler who will have you dead before you can blink. That worked super well and for a character who spends very little time actually in the story I was highly impressed with her.

The characters and the world blend seamlessly with the constantly racing plot that had me totally absorbed the entire time. There was no room to breathe or stop (second sitting needed so that I could sleep) and wonder on a death or a big event since something else was always coming and it flows so well with a conclusion that is very satisfying. That being said, I need book 2 immediately and want to start reading it yesterday. Jokes aside, I do find it hard to find first books in fantasy series that are so well executed so for that alone, the book is highly enjoyable.

We Ride the Storm comes out the 25th of June.Thank you to Nazia and Orbit Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a review as well of NetGalley for making this accessible.

And if you like epic fantasy with an escalating plot, world building and shenanigans of the knife wielding kind, you boil my review down to 3 words-buy the book

This is the first in the Reborn Empire series, and hands up who gets excited when they see the number 1 on the spine of a book?

The cover is fabulous, given a very eastern feel to the novel and immediately telling you there are battles ahead, there are going to be warring faction and dissenting characters, so even before opening it you just know this is going to be a good read. And indeed it is, this is the first Devin Madson book that I have read (so far) and what my take away from it is that she can build incredibly complex worlds, families and feuds which somehow, cleverly  feels both modern and archaic, fresh and old all at once.

It is an introductory volume so there needs to be exposition to create the world of the Kisian Empire, however, instead of reams of pages delving into the backstory of the different societies which comprise this creation, you have 3 very unique, individual rolling narrators through whose eyes you glean this understanding.

Princess Miko, step daughter of the current Emperor, a pawn in a political game whose impending arranged marriage will benefit everyone. Everyone, that is, except Miko who uses her wile and intelligence to try and extricate herself from an unenviable position.

Horse warrior , Rah E'Torin, is the second narrator, as stymied by his code of honour and conduct as Miko, however,unlike her, he chose this life. I love the details in his sections, the beliefs of his people mean that when they draw their swords, they have to taste blood, so they only go into battle when absolutely sure of the outcome of their intentions. They believe that the soul is trapped inside the body when it dies and therefore sever the heads of their enemies, This is gone into in great detail not because it is gore for gore's sake,rather, it comes across as a sacred and necessary ritual. Rah and his fellow warriors are exiled from home, rather like the riders of Rohan, and his responsibilities towards the feeding and wellbeing of his tribe is put to the hardest of tests.

Assassin Cassandra, whose head is inhabited by the voice of another and who can sense and feel the voices of the dead, lurches from assignment ot assignment. Not afraid of using her feminine charms to immobilise and weaken her targets, then employing the element of surprise, Cassandra belongs everywhere and nowhere. Her loyalty is to herself and her need to earn enough money to buy 'Stiff', which sounds like an alcoholic substance and silences the 'She/Her' voice for a short time...her aim is to find a job which will permanently silence them all, and when one lands literally in her lap, she has no hesitation taking it on board. But this is no ordinary job, and before long she realises she is way out of her depth.

Cass was my favourite of the three but all are engaging, very disctinct narrators and I just simply enjoyed the journey they took me on.

How and under what circumstances lead them to cross paths is something I don't want to spoil, the plot is driven forward by having these 3 very distinct narratives which weave so well around each other, that you don't begin to consider skipping pages to get back to your favourite one.

Allegiances, deceipt, murderous plots...all of it against an epic fantasy background is exactly what we need right now. Escapism from reality has rarely been this good.

Roll on Book 2!!!

We Ride the Storm is an epic fantasy novel that from the description left me intrigued. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Little Brown Book Group UK for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:
Set in the Kisian empire, the story follows three separate journeys in a country that is on a knife edge of war. Princess Miko is dreaming of claiming the empire as her own, however at the moment she is a prisoner in her own castle with a lot of secrets that could tear her family apart.

Captain Torin is currently roaming the borders between lands with a band of exiles, waiting to find which side of the war he will be fighting for.

Assian Cassandra in the land of Chiltae is plagued with the constant stream of voices in her head and hopes that acceptiong a contract that could potentially give her the cure she has been searching for.

Review:
Overall I really enjoyed the plot and story overall. It was fast paced, reckless and left you feeling like you were in a hurricane of twists and turns.

The world building was fantastic, and as this is the start of an epic fantasy series I expected nothing less, and it was done masterfully.

The characters were mixed for me. I really enjoyed our three leads and seeing them develop throughout the story,However i'm personally not a fan of splitting chapters to different character viewpoints. The main reason being it occasionally distracts me from the story and I forget plot points for each individual character, which leads me to re-reading previous chapters to make sure i knew what was happening. Its not a major issue, it's just my personal preference however for this story the distraction was minimal.

Overall:
If you are looking for an epic fantasy filled with action, war and some serious character and world development this is definitely something to read!

I finished reading the book and I have a number of thoughts and questions. First thing to point out is this isn’t a debut. There is a whole trilogy set 17 years before this. After finishing this book - I think I would have preferred to have read that trilogy first to give me some context for the motivations of some of the characters and the history of the empire. That being said - I was able to read between the lines and would be going back to read those books.

Set in what reads like a historical Asian (Chinese/Japanese blend) environment, the story is told from the POV of 3 main characters - Miko, Cassandra and Rah - although I feel like they might as well have added a 4th for Leo as he’s a very central piece.

Miko - is a Princess navigating court intrigues and politics whilst facing multiple assassination attempts. She’s very smart and plays the game well. She also shows character growth which makes her compelling.

Cassandra- is a “whoresassin” (she sleeps with the people she kills) who has some major issues. I don’t fully understand what’s going on with her - she either hears voices, has a split personality disorder, or absorbed her twin at birth. There is definitely some supernatural element attached to her either as a result of trauma or that she was born with but it’s never fully explained or explored. Guess we’ll learn more in the next book.

Rah - is the soldier with a moral backbone. He has a very specific code of ethics and tradition which puts him at odds with basically everyone. He helps give us insight to the Levanti and is a foil for all the morally corrupt characters in the book.

Leo - not officially a POV character but a major one none the less. He’s like the chosen one who has magical powers And is treated like a messiah by his people. Don’t want to say more so as to not include spoilers but I have some many questions about him.

Overall the book is long and packed with a lot of intrigue, plots, sub plots, twists and counter twists - some you can see a mile off and some that are genuinely perplexing. It is very battle heavy but with enough scope for character development. A little annoyingly, the hook ends on a cliff hangar for all the characters and there are a lot of questions but before I go forward, i want to to read the original trilogy.

I’m giving this 3.5 stars because I would have preferred to read the other books first. Otherwise it would have been a 4 star. Deducted 1 star for the formulaic cliffhanger ending.

I read this for a blog tour.

This is an action packed fast paced novel, leaping between three first person narrators as the countries of Kisia and Chiltae go to war.

Without too much preamble or heavy back story, you're thrust straight into the heart of the story, as Chiltae's army captures Levanti soldiers and forces them into its ranks as it aims to conquer neighbouring Kisia.

I loved Cassandra, the whore turned assassin with a secret, annoying, passenger, who just wants to get paid, not dragged into politics. Snarky and grumpy, she's easily the funniest character.

Miko is the most complex character, convinced she's got to do the right thing for her family, her country, herself. Conflicted and never sure about her plans, she seems to just cross her fingers and hope it all works out.

I look forward to book two, We Lie With Death, as the ending to this gives absolutely no clues as to what might happen next.

4.5/5 stars!

I am a bit late with this hype, but Devin Madson was so underrated. So happy that she got a deal from Orbit books to republished We Ride the Storm and the sequel under its publishing house.

Madson managed to self-published her books starting with the Vengeance Trilogy, in which We Ride the Storm takes its setting and narrates a new story about Asian inspired medieval novels. Fantastic!

I read this in an instant without knowing its premise. What I loved about this new series, I didn't know that the story takes place to an old trilogy that I haven't heard or read yet, but reading this book was an exhilarating experience.

Reading the Vengeance trilogy is a must but it doesn't hold me back to enjoy and devour the story.

If you haven't read the Vengeance trilogy, don't be upset because We Ride the Storm are stormed with fantastic characters. Miko, Rah, and Cassandra holds and carried the whole story and it will never disappoint you.

The story revolves around 3 strong-willed women that I truly loved.

Princess Miko T'sai, heir to Emperor Kin, haunted by her ancestor's past and the imminent war that tries to destroy Kisia and takes hold of the Crimson throne.

Quote:
"Of course I do,” he said. “But wars win hearts, Miko, not… not plotting in the shadows."

Cassandra Marius, a spy/assassin for hire who took a job to kill a certain man that ignites an incoming war between the Kisian and Chiltaen

Quote:
"The people who hired you to want to be sure the peace comes to nothing, She persisted. They want war."


Rah e'Torin, exiled from home, tries to find a place for her cavalry. Through their travel, she met a cunning man who challenged her principle and decisions that will affect her cavalry and fellow Swords.

Quote:
"I am not against you, Brother,” I said, my fingers aching, so tightly did I grip them. “I have never been against you, but I cannot fight for what you are fighting for. I cannot abandon our ways. I want to go home."


These characters' narratives are so astounding. Less the past story through the first trilogy, these women brought life to a story of wills and principles. I love how they overthrow and trampled sexist men who think women can't lead and portrays them as a "household wife who bears an heir."

To tell honestly, I am quite off with the medieval stories but this book was so immersive, I devour it for 2 days. The magic and the whole political machinations were astounding and wanting to read more of this world.


Kudos to Ms. Madson, I currently reading The Blood of Whisperers and hoping to continuously love these stories.

Can't wait for their fates to be intertwined in the next sequel!


Thank you, Orbit, for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review

I’d come to believe that I didn’t like violent, bloody, war-based fantasy but, having not picked up one in a very long time and with such buzz around the SPFBO finalist of 2018, We Ride the Storm, being picked up by a publisher, I was so intrigued that I requested an ARC to review.

I was in two-minds reading this: on the one hand, it was so well-written and had an imagined Asian-inspired world rich with history, culture and traditions including native tribes and a m/m relationship, but on the other hand, the descriptive violence made me put the book aside and hesitate to return. I’ve included a content warning list below.

CW: grisly beheading, rape by soldiers, threatened rape, murdered children.

I’m glad I finished the book because I enjoyed it overall. The dialogue, action sequences and story were fantastic. It helped that the elements that I didn’t like were not perpetuated or endorsed by the main characters; they were war crimes by the side-we-don't-root-for and were actively, and loudly, protested against by the main character(s). There was also a pleasantly surprising strong representation of women.

We Ride the Storm is a masterful debut novel. Perfect for anyone who enjoys their fantasy with a slice of violence and a splattering of blood.

(Note: This is a review I wrote two years ago when I finished reading We Ride the Storm, the self-published version. Once you’ve read this full-of-praises review, let it sink into your head that the traditionally published edition of We Ride the Storm is even more refined and polished.)

A new gale of hope for self-published fantasy blows with all its might as Devin Madson summons a new triumphant tornado in We Ride the Storm.

Open up your thesaurus and look up the word “underrated.” Devin Madson’s name truly belongs there. I bloody loved this book, even more than all of Madson’s previous works which were great themselves. You can check my review history and you’ll see that for self-published/indie books that I’ve read and reviewed so far, I’ve given a full 5 stars rating (without rounding up on Goodreads) to literally only one book, The Mirror’s Truth by Michael R. Fletcher. We Ride the Storm is the second occurrence.

We Ride the Storm is the first book in Madson’s newest series, The Reborn Empire. It takes place more than a decade after the end of Madson’s previous trilogy, The Vengeance Trilogy. The story this time felt more epic in both scope and tone and it was infused with efficient storytelling and addictive pacing that never neglects crucial characterizations. The first chapter immediately introduced us to the Levanti culture and their method of equality in honoring the dead in the name of their god, Nassus. The method? Decapitation of the head in the most vivid and intricate descriptions of the act that I’ve ever read. Madson has become a grim goddess of infusing palpable tension into the scenes within each chapter. I’m serious, every page was fantastic to read and brilliantly paced. Almost every chapter was well-structured and given its own start, middle, and climax sequences, which made every sentence a constant propulsion to continue reading. Every single chapter has important scenes that function as a fuel that pumped adrenaline through my blood.

“Even the smallest cog is important in the workings of a clock.”

The magic system from Madson’s Vengeance Trilogy—Empathy—didn’t play a role here but my empathy towards the characters was real; I was trapped in a turbulence of feelings and I enjoyed every moment of it. The emotions imbued into these pages can truly be felt and the circumstances forced upon the characters truly made me care about their journey, which is the most dominant sign of a fantastic book for me. When the characters’ actions truly make me grit my teeth and drop my jaw several times, it’s a sign that I’m drowning in a maelstrom of marvelous pages and I don’t want any lifeguard to save me. Madson achieved this result by making sure that the characterizations were extremely well-written. I thought it would be hard to move on from the characters in the previous trilogy but I was proven wrong immediately. Starting from the first three chapters, I actually enjoyed reading the new set of characters’ POV even more than those before. Same as Madson’s previous trilogy, the story was told from three characters—Rah, Cassandra, and Miko—perspectives in first person storytelling narrative. Despite being told in first person narrative, all three of them have highly distinct inner voices and cultures. I thoroughly loved reading each characters’ perspectives; they all hold the same crucial and prominent weight in helping the book to reach its peak level of greatness. However, my favorite characters were definitely Rah e’Torin and Miko.

Rah e’Torin, the leader of the Second Swords of Torin, has an inspiring code of honor that tells a story of survival. After being exiled, Rah and his herd of Swords have been forced to act against their codes in order to survive in a foreign land. I absolutely love Rah’s POV; all of Madson’s characters have a grey moral compass but Rah is the only protagonist that has a truly good moral compass, despite the gruesome actions he had to do. He was like a light in the darkness of Madson’s world. Not that I mind the bleak and the grim tone, I adore them actually, but Rah (and Miko) did bring a new complexity and some positive aspects to the book that were not present in the Madson’s previous works, they give the readers someone truly worth rooting for in her series.

“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.”

I have no doubt the book will be well-received by a lot of readers. But for me personally, the book reached a new level of quality because I had already lived through the world-building and histories of the book because I have read all of Madson’s prior works already; the result was tremendously impactful in enhancing my experience reading this book, especially during Miko’s POV. Her POV was filled with massive bonuses and homage for anyone who has read Madson’s previous books. This doesn’t mean that you have to read them to understand but it would absolutely be beneficial in enriching your experience. Not only did a lot of familiar faces and names make an appearance, but for instance, there was also one character’s farewell scene in the book that simply won’t be as significant and poignant if the reader hasn’t read The Vengeance Trilogy. As for Miko herself as a character, she’s such an empowering female character. Unlike Hana from the previous series, I found Miko to be non-infuriating and a much more engaging character to read; I was truly invested in her struggles weaving through the court politics of Kisian Empire. In a place that’s heavily ruled by men, she simply won’t bow down and her gradual character development was truly spectacular, making her easily one of the best heroines I’ve ever come across in my fantasy reading.

“Lesson number four. Sometimes those who seek to help you are the worst enemies of all.”

Like a serrated blade that thrust its edges into my heart, threats and perpetual tensions were reflected not only in the battle scenes but also in the compelling dialogues. The last 100 pages of the book were a final gale of pulse-pounding rides and converging perspectives that solidified my reasoning to alternate my reading between traditionally published and self-published fantasy novels.

When you’ve read a lot of the popular, highly-acclaimed adult epic fantasy, you’ll probably notice that the majority of them are set in a Medieval European setting. I don’t have a problem with the setting but it’s always gratifying to find an incredible trilogy written by an author who is brave enough to stray from the popular setting. All of Madson’s books are powerfully Asian-inspired, taking a lot of inspiration from Feudal Japan. The setting and environment were utterly vivid and the prose made me feel like I was totally there inside the story.

Madson’s prose has always been great, but here? It was even more meticulous and immersive than before. It astounds me how she keeps on getting better with each new installment. This book is definitely Madson at the peak of her career so far and I expect to see her improve even more in future installments. With every sentence she crafted, she displayed her wonderful skill as an author. For example, the way she utilized the effectiveness of the word “silence” and the deafening of sounds to create “A calm before the storm” or “sunshine after the rain” situations were absolutely first-class. The pacing between lulls and tense moments was masterfully executed to create several memorable scenes. Plus, the philosophical lessons on what it means to be a leader were profoundly relatable.

“Do not make assumptions about things you know nothing about. An emperor serves his people. The day the people serve the emperor is the day the empire falls. Remember that, Miko, if nothing else. War profits no peasant.”

I finished binge reading ALL Madson’s published works (four novels and one novella) within nine days and I must say, it currently is hands down the best experience I’ve ever had with self-published books. Being inside her imagination was a bloody and delightful experience and I can’t believe I don’t have any more books written by her. Now that I own and have finished everything written by her so far, I plan to do the same with every single of her future works. Usually, when people asked me to recommend top-notch female fantasy authors, I always recommend Robin Hobb, Rebecca Kuang, N.K. Jemisin, and Rachel Aaron. But now, I will definitely be putting Devin Madson on that list. Together with The Poppy War by Rebecca Kuang, Madson’s books currently sit at the top of my recommendation list for anyone who’s looking for an impeccable Asian-inspired low-fantasy series. Also, none of Madson’s books received anything below a 4 stars rating from me, which I think speaks volumes for her work.

Seeing that this book is also an entrant in this year’s SPFBO (Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off) competition held by Mark Lawrence, it’s only fair that I enlighten you with a few personal statistics before I close this review. I’m not a judge for the competition this year but based on my assessment, this book has a strong chance of becoming the champion or at least ending up in the final round’s top three. I’ve read the majority of the past top books and champions of the competition, and in my opinion We Ride the Storm triumphed over every single book and top contender I’ve read within the history of SPFBO; this is in fact the first full 5 stars rating I’ve ever given to a book that’s been entered into the competition. Luck is definitely a heavy factor in SPFBO but regardless of the result, I’m genuinely confident that this is a book that will win the hearts of many fans of the genre, as it has definitely won mine.

Combined with the experience of reading her Vengeance Trilogy, We Ride the Storm has given me a whirlwind of emotional temerity to chant that Devin Madson deserves a crowning achievement not only for self-published fantasy but for the entire genre of character-driven grimdark fantasy. She has now become one of the very few indie authors whose careers I’m willing to follow. Bravo, Devin Madson, bravo. We Ride the Storm is a breathtakingly triumphant book. Not only is it one of the two best self-published fantasy I’ve ever read, it has become one of my favorite books of all time. This book is truly a serendipitous and glistening hidden gem oozing with brilliant cinematic set pieces and a gripping, evocative hurricane of emotions that constantly took my breath away. Buy it and read it as soon as possible. You can thank me later.

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

Name of Blog: Pot Lucky Books (https://potluckybooks.wordpress.com/)
Link to review: https://potluckybooks.wordpress.com/2020/06/18/long-live-the-empress/
Date published: 18/06/20

Warning: This Review Contains SPOILERS

Star Rating: ★★★

We Ride The Storm is a misleading title. There’s a storm in this book, certainly – a storm that breaks across half an empire, leaving death and destruction in its wake – but instead of riding it, this storm picks up our three main characters, tosses them in its grip, and ultimately smashes them into the ground like broken dolls.

This is no bad thing. Seeing them try to hold on and save themselves, even when everything is going up in flames around them, is the best part of this book.

We Ride The Storm introduces us to three point of view characters: Miko, Princess of Kisia, secretly a bastard child of the former Emperor and plotting to put her brother on the throne; Cassandra, a prostitute and an assassin, who has a second voice in her head and can hear the ‘singing’ of the dead; and Rah, head of an exiled band of warriors, looking to keep his people alive in a harsh and hostile new land. War is brewing between the Empire of Kisia to the south and Chiltae to the north, and the three of them end up getting caught in the growing tension as the story plays out.

I should say first that although Madson sets up intriguing characters and the threads of interesting plots from the beginning, for about the first fifty pages of this book I was resenting having to read it, and might have stopped if I hadn’t been reading for a review. Something in these early pages didn’t click with me, and though there was action and I could see what Madson was setting up, it felt like a slog. The first hundred pages or so of this book are in large part why it has a three star rating from me; the later sections are good enough that this boring beginning feels like it really lets down the rest of the novel.

I’m glad I didn’t give up, however, because the novel really began to ramp up the tension as it moved into the middle and final acts. Miko’s story was the best of the three, and her conversations and interactions with her adoptive father, Emperor Kin, were all absolutely gripping. The entire section where she turned on her mother to support him had me unable to stop reading; I was rooting for her to become Empress, and I loved it when the book went there. As for the others, Cassandra’s story had enough tension and mystery to be satisfying, though her personality is somewhat generic. She’s the classic snarky, cold-blooded killer with a dark past type, much like early Celaena Sardothien, though thankfully without that character’s overwhelming smugness. I thought it was an interesting and powerful choice that Madson didn’t make her into the ‘secretly has a heart of gold’ type; she clearly knew certain actions were wrong, like opening the gates of Koi for the Chiltaens, but she went ahead anyway because they served her purposes. The ‘voice’ in her head was also an intriguing character, though I felt Madson could’ve done a bit more with Cassandra’s power to hear the dead ‘sing’. Maybe this will be important later, but in this book that power feels a bit incidental to her storyline. Rah was for a long time my least favourite out of the three, and though I softened toward him, he still holds that position. I did really love his angsty, angry antagonism with Gideon, and the more antagonistic their relationship got, the more I loved it (and the more I shipped them. Yeah, I said it). His relationship with Dom Villius was interesting, too, and I liked his sections if only for getting more of an interesting character in Villius. Also, his POV introduced us to Dishiva, who I loved and who is going to be a POV character in the next book!

The plot was definitely a highlight of this book, at least once it got past the hundred-page mark. There are a lot of twists, but the story earns them; they’re all logical, and Madson isn’t afraid of making hard choices if they serve the plot. I thought it was a really bold move to have Tanaka killed, for one good example – I had hoped that wouldn’t be a fake out, the execution rescinded at the last moment, and it wasn’t. Characters in Madson’s world have to live with the consequences of their choices, good and bad.

Obviously, as I haven’t given this a five or even four star review, there are some things I felt could be improved. I’ve mentioned my issues with the start of the book, so I won’t go into that again. I did think the story could’ve done with a bit more worldbuilding to flesh out Chiltae and the structures of power there, as I feel like we get quite a lot of information about Kisia without getting much about Chiltae. Even though this is a sequel trilogy and more worldbuilding might have been done in the earlier series, there should really be enough here that new readers starting with this book are able to feel like they understand the world. The battles also could have used improvement; the fact that Miko and the Kisians are going to lose is telegraphed so strongly that all their battles and action scenes lose their tension, because you already know where the story is going. By comparison, the action scenes in Rah and Cassandra’s chapters were much more successful at keeping the reader in suspense, because you weren’t entirely certain what the outcome was going to be. There was a sense that the battle sequences in Miko’s chapters were rushed, especially the final siege of the capital city. That battle takes barely any time at all, and just ends up feeling unrealistic.

Though its flaws made me compelled to give it only three stars, I still think We Ride The Storm is a book worth reading. The twisty plot makes up for the book’s other shortcomings, and there are great characters here who hold the whole thing together. Overall, I think that if the other books in this series can live up to their potential, we may look back at We Ride The Storm as the slightly rocky beginning to a very interesting and entertaining fantasy trilogy.

I am torn about the rating, reading this was a frustrating experience that falls short of great storytelling. But on the other hand, its well written and brilliant world building. The problem is that the plot, and character motivation, relies on knowing a back story that Madson doesn't share. I believe the previous series (The Vengeance Trilogy) featured entirely different characters, but the three leading protagonists in this new series are motivated by the people and events of the previous one to such an extent that i really felt my lack of information. I couldnt completely understand what was happening, or care enough about the result, without having read the prequels
Really, it wasn't a 4* experience for me. BUT, i can tell it's a brilliant book. Now i need to work out whether i should read the previous 3 books, even though having read this one I now know both the outcome and what comes next

3.5/5

There are a lot of positives in We Ride the Storm but there were also some issues with it that stopped it from being excellent.

Let’s start with the positives. There’s a lot of politicking and betrayal which is something that I love in a book. I enjoyed seeing characters stab each other in the back in the name of gaining power. The world is also very interesting. It’s a dark novel with lots of violence and death which is always something I enjoy in books.

The characters are a mixed bag. There are three POV characters: Miko, a princess, Cassandra, an assassin and a whore and Rah, a warrior. Cassandra is the best of the three and I really enjoyed reading her chapters. She can hear a voice in her head that’s she is desperate to get rid of which leads her to accepting a job to assassinate someone which leads to a world of trouble. I liked her character a lot but she is also the one who suffers the most because her role diminishes a lot in the second half of the story. Rah is just meh. He’s one of those honourable characters and all he wants is to go home with his people but that just means he comes across as rather bland and forgettable.

The character who got on my nerves, though, was Miko. I just didn’t get her. Her character vacillates between naïve princess and ruthless wannabe Empress but nothing she does seems to justify either characterisation. She didn’t annoy me at the start, in fact I found her to be very sympathetic, but as the book progressed she began to irk me more and more. In the beginning of the book she doesn’t come across as ruthless and calculating so her actions in the second half of the book become jarring. She never comes across as someone who has been trained in navigating the political landscape or as a strong warrior so she just doesn’t come across as someone who is able to rule an empire. Madson tries to make her everything but she just ends up being nothing.

Of the minor characters, I really liked Leo. He was fascinating and his story intrigued me a lot.

The pacing of the novel was a little off. The first half reads very much like a huge fantasy epic. It slowly builds the story and the characters but the second half races through at a breakneck pace until it gets to the end which ends a little abruptly. The first half was interesting, the second half was a little more dull and although it moves quicker than the first half it doesn’t feel as deep or as interesting.

We Ride the Storm has a lot of potential but it falls short. Two thirds of the characters aren’t as interesting or as likeable as Madson wants them to be and the one who is the most interesting disappears from the story for far too long. The story is interesting but the pacing is off which means it ends in a very abrupt manner with what feels like a lack of build up. We Ride the Storm could be great but it just doesn’t quite live up to its potential.