I hadn't heard of Devin Madson before seeing this book. I'm annoyed by that. Devin Madson has a very strong grasp of world-building, character creation, and what a story needs to do to keep you reading. Having said that, do I really need to say how much I enjoyed this book? Of course I do! I enjoyed it so much that I'm annoyed again - book 2 isn't due for release until 2021! The story itself is surprisingly bloody, so if you're a bit squeamish you might want to keep a bucket handy, but there's nothing out of place. Just brilliant.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to review. This review is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

This book is getting a lot of deserved attention, and the previous, self-published version was popular enough to attract the attention of a big publisher - and it's easy to see why. Comparing the two versions brings an interesting perspective. While still being largely the same exciting, epic, gritty and often gruesome book, the new version enhances the characterisation and streamlines some of the threads, but makes some startling small changes to plot details. It eliminates some but not all of the niggles I had with the original, while adding a few more. But, niggles aside, this is a compelling, no-punches-pulled look at two (plus two) nations tipping over the brink into war, beset with realistic internal struggles. The three POV characters are well chosen to give a 3D view of the conflict, and the ending is climactic while setting up a lot for the continuing series. I don't think fans of the original need to read this version, because it ends in the same place - and I'm not sure it's necessarily "better" either - but it is subtly, and interestingly, different.

What a ride that was, eh?

The first thing that really gripped me about this book was the cover; it’s absolutely stunning, the folks at Orbit never fail to grip you right from the shelf. It’s a cover that begs to be read … then when you open the book, and read on, and cannot put it down, you realise that the cover is just the start of a masterpiece.

“A storm is coming and if I am going to survive it then I need to know what I’m up against.”

Madson truly has created a book of quotable phrases here, there’s many that I went back to read again and again, and a lot more than I’ve got saved on my kindle just to go over.

So, the plot here follows three individuals, a barbarian leader looking for somewhere to belong, an heir to a throne and an assassin with a mysterious voice in her head, that she seems to have befriended (go figure); all three of these POVs are wrapped up in a war for an empire involving two sides, but with as many secret, terrible, horrific and backstabbing factions as a GRRM novel. All of them vying for their own place in the empire, all of them as wretched and human as they come. Madson really has a skill for writing wonderfully human characters that make you feel.

The plot was truly exciting, my heart raced as huge battles unfolded … but also had time for a breather in the slower battles in court … it took a while to get to speed, but it sucked me in from the first pages, starting with an attempted assassination and setting me up for what unfolded within the rest of the novel.

“Has any captain ever done so poor a job at caring for his Swords?”

There’re no heroes here … no, just a bunch of humans trying to get by. Rah and his people struggle through exile and capture and even then there’s no hope of reprieve; their homelands reject them and everyone they meet is after a piece … and that is just the tip of the iceberg for the trials that these three characters face … just when you think there should be some reprieve, they’re thrust into something else. Something more sinister. But, still, because the characters are so well written, you do want to carry on following them in the hope that the reprieve is still to come. Each character has a unique voice, clear goals, and dreams, some a lot more morally dubious that some (which made it all the more fun). I also loved the way that all three characters don’t quite cross paths but they do acknowledge each other in some way.

Face-paced, full of death, beheadings, huge battles, and gruesome fates, this isn’t for the light-hearted, but it is a book full of culture. It’s wholesome and three dimensional and reads like a real-world history.

There was a vein a mystery that ran throughout and still carries on past the ending, which leans towards the godly that we’ve only just touched the surface on. The deities are still very much an unknown entity and I feel like they will come to play a lot more, though I cannot be certain. It may be that this is entirely different from the fantasy I usually read, where the movements of the peoples are pushed by the hands of the divine.

All said and done, this is a fantastic debut and I would urge everyone who loves fantastic world-building, realistic characters, intriguing and mysterious plotlines, and a culturally rich setting to go and get this right away!

Note: I previously reviewed the self-published version of this book some time ago. There have been substantial edits made for the recent Orbit release, and it is all for the better. I am reprinting my review below, but please note that many of the narrative issues I raised in my early review have been ironed out. We Ride teh Storm is without a doubt one of the easiest five-star starts to a series in memory.

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I was unaware of Devin Madson’s previous work until early reviews of We Ride the Storm started popping up on some trustworthy blogs from reviewers that I respect. There was a lot of hype built around this book’s release that piqued my interest, and I’m happy to report that the hype is well-founded. In short, Madson has crafted a complex and immersive story that catapults the reader through a gripping series of adventures and doesn’t let go until the final electrifying pages.

The book begins with a fair amount of complex exposition, yet the patient will be rewarded. There are three main POVs, and each chapter focuses on a different character. There’s quite a large cast of major players and historical events to absorb, but by around the sixth chapter, after visiting each character twice, the storylines begin to intersect. It is also around this point where the action ramps up, and the surprises and shocking moments start to land fast and heavy. During the middle section of the book, every chapter felt like a finale of sorts: main characters were killed, huge revelations were dropped, and major power moves shook up the foundation of the story. It’s rare that I compare any book series to George Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, yet the comparison kept itching at my brain. Both stories have densely-layered politics and detailed generational histories, and both books don’t think twice about eliminating characters you care about. The comparisons don’t end there, but I’ll let you discover more on your own.

One interesting aspect of the three POVs is that they are all first-person perspectives. I don’t recall encountering a book that shifts between three characters’ minds before, and Madson pulls this off rather well. As the audience becomes privy to the inner thoughts of these characters, we gain a more insightful understanding of their motivations and decisions, and this strengthens the depths of their characterizations. Rah is a leader of a pack of exiled swordsman nomads leading their coveted horses through uncharted territory, until they are roped into a war that they do not wish to fight, and cannot win. Cassandra is a prostitute and assassin who is cursed with a second voice in her head that fights for control of her body. Miko is a princess of Kisia, twin sister to the heir to the throne, but a series of lies about her family’s lineage threatens to upend the kingdom on the brink of invasion. Madson does a commendable job making each of these voices distinct, each with their own strengths and flaws, which helped each voice shine through the narrative in its own singular way.

I briefly spoke with Madson while reading this story and learned that she wrote this book without much planning ahead of time. This impressed me to no end, as I believe the intricate plotting is one of the greatest strengths of the novel. There is no meandering and hardly any build-up; we are transported from pivotal scene to pivotal scene, with each chapter moving the plot along at a startling pace. The amount of changes that occur from the beginning to the end of any given chapter is truly astounding. Even though this book is the start of a series, it felt like it had a trilogy’s worth of events packed into it. The intensity continues to ramp up over time, and I recall cursing out loud after ending several chapters in shock and disbelief. I wonder if this pace can be matched in future volumes, but I’ve learned not to underestimate this author.

The first few chapters were a bit tough to get through, as there were various cultures to discover, quite a few important characters to learn, and generations worth of world history and geography to absorb. It was also slightly vertiginous to constantly hop between characters’ heads; sometimes it took a page or two to recall whose head you were rummaging around in (especially Cass’ two-minded chapters). The only character notification the reader is given in advance is a small identifying glyph displayed at the beginning of each chapter, so starting a new chapter can be a bit confusing, but only for a page or two at most. Once the learning curve is bested, it’s a free and clear race to the finish line, with barely any time to catch your breath.

Narrative grievances aside, We Ride the Storm is a brilliant start to an electrifying high fantasy series. It is furiously paced and full of genuine surprises and rousing mysteries, and it is very easy for me to recommend. Just be aware that this story ends on several cliffhangers, so the wait until the next volume might be a difficult one. But don’t let that dissuade you – the buzz around this book is to be believed, so grab a copy and get lost in the Reborn Empire.

[First appeared on FantasyBookReview, July 2018]

‘We Ride The Storm’ is true epic fantasy – multiple POVs across multiple factions in a world on the brink of war. It’s a delight following all the separate pieces on the board and musing how they might come together. The plot twists and turns with plenty of action and intrigue; I was always curious to know what would happen next.

There are three POV characters – Miko, Cassandra, and Rah – and all of them are fantastic. Miko is the sister of Tanaka, the apparent heir to Emperor Kin and ruler of the Kisia. Better at politics and far less rash than her brother, she wishes that it were she who had been born a boy and might some day rule the Empire. I loved her – she was strong and witty but real, still regularly outplayed and at the whims of her emotions. I’d want her on my side in a fight.

Cassandra is the most intriguing character but the least well utilised. A sex worker and assassin from Chiltae, Cassandra seduces men then kills them for whoever pays her the most. But there’s more to her than there seems, and she’s driven by motives stronger than money. When Cassandra was introduced, I thought she would be my favourite – but her role in this is smaller than the other main characters, and – without giving any spoilers – there’s only so many times you can end a chapter by blacking out. Hopefully she plays a stronger role in future books.

Rah is the head of the Second Swords of Torin, a tribe of horsemen from the Levanti. He and his Swords are searching for Gideon, head of the First Swords of Torin, who disappeared on an excursion into Chiltae nearly two years ago. Rah is a delight – loyal to his Swords and his customs but playing at a game with bigger stakes than he understands. He’s the sort of friend everyone needs – supportive but will always challenge you if he thinks you’re doing wrong.

Overall, this is a solid addition to the epic fantasy genre. The biggest issue I had was with the ending – it’s a complete cliffhanger, to the extent that it doesn’t feel like the ending of a book. It would be more appropriate as the end of a ‘Part One’. Still, it means that I’ll need to pick up book two which is probably what the author intended…

I wasn't a big fan of the multiple POVs in 1st person. I dint know it was written this way, if I had I wouldn't have read it bc this is one of my biggest pet peeves. I'd much prefer multiple 3rd person POVs.

The story was very interesting and well-written, although the descriptions could get overwhelming at times bc I'm not the biggest fan of overly descriptive writing.

The end, however, was amazing... It just left us hanging...

A book I've been wanting to read for so long!! I've heard of it a lot and I wasn't disappointed by it. Fun and entertaining a very good read!