Title: Storm Fall: Book Three of the Stormsong Trilogy
Author: Stephen Reger
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN: 979-8329286526
Pages: 526
Genre: Historical Fiction
Reviewed by: Aaron Washington
Pacific Book Review
In Storm Fall: Book Three of the Stormsong Trilogy, we travel back to the year 1620 and get engulfed in the jumble of the Holy Roman Empire and by extension Europe during the Middle Ages. Austrian Catholics are fighting with Bohemian Protestants. This war would break up the Holy Roman Empire as both sides maintained they were aggrieved. In Storm Fall: Book Three of the Stormsong Trilogy, we travel back to the year 1620 and get engulfed in the jumble of the Holy Roman Empire and by extension Europe during the Middle Ages. Austrian Catholics are fighting with Bohemian Protestants. This war would break up the Holy Roman Empire as both sides maintained they were aggrieved. Amidst the war, something else is happening. Enter the Stormsong sisters and the magical powers they wield. The Stormsong sisters are half-sisters who are on conflicting sides of the war.
The Stormsong family is an established family, with connections, social capital, and even material property. Every Stormsong kin is distinguishable, but these particular half-sisters are what make the tales entertaining. As the war and pressure intensify, the sisters find themselves in an unending cycle of trials and tribulations. The Stormsong half-sisters discover the unexpected history about their father and his influence on how everything turned out. As the war progressed, the sisters also had their battles. It gets interesting when the reader gets to live through the mysteries and dark powers which the sisters possess, not forgetting their interesting heritage and their role in the war.
Stephen Reger’s book is a great read because of how fast the events move. Readers are filled with multiple exciting encounters which happen simultaneously. The book starts like a fairy tale before the reader is consumed in a world of family disharmony, social issues, religion, political differences, black power, magic, war, and culture. You have to hand it to Stephen Reger for his attention to detail. I enjoyed reading this book, mostly because of how the author painted ancient societies. The feeling you get after reading the stories is almost lucid. The reader lives through the events, and even virtually experiences the absurdities and wild moments. Other than appreciating the ancient Holy Roman Empire, I also loved the stories on Eurocentric cultures like the Germans, Spaniards, and the French.
The characters in Storm Fall: Book Three of the Stormsong Trilogy are distinctly crafted. Patriarchs of families and societies have these bold traits, are audacious and firm. Black sheep in lineages appear wild, but remain likable throughout the narration. The women in the book were my favorite. The reader almost falls in love with all women, whether they are on the right side of history or otherwise. I also enjoyed reading about the defiant women, as they had a charm which was not perceptible in most people. Some of my favorite characters in the book include Charles Bonaventure de Longueval, Archduke von Stormsong, Vanessa ben Mordecai, Emperor Ferdinand, Zahara, Jacob, and Franz.
Storm Fall: Book Three of the Stormsong Trilogy has everything you would want to find in a historical fantasy novel, and more. The humor is out of this world, the author’s phrases are catchy, the diction is elite, and the style of writing is entertaining. I like how Stephen Reger can include various themes in the story, without mixing up the accounts. The plot keeps getting better especially when you get acquainted with the major personas. This book has a mesmerizing description, and the attention to detail when naming characters and locations is excellent.