Blog Tour: Storm Dancer by Rayne Hall



Hi guys! I'm super excited to share my review for the Storm Dancer blog tour. This is my first ever blog tour, so I hope you guys like it!
 
Synopsis:

Demon-possessed siege commander, Dahoud, atones for his atrocities by hiding his identity and protecting women from war's violence - but can he shield the woman he loves from the evil inside him?

Principled weather magician, Merida, brings rain to a parched desert land. When her magical dance rouses more than storms, she needs to overcome her scruples to escape from danger.

Thrust together, Dahoud and Merida must fight for freedom and survival. But with hatred and betrayal burning in their hearts, how can they rebuild their fragile trust?

My review:

Date published: September 9 2011

My rating: 1.5/5

Storm Dancer was definitely not for me. While it definitely had some good points to it, I didn’t enjoy it at all.

Firstly, I’m going to start off by saying that this book definitely isn’t for sensitive people. The age recommendation is for ages 16 and up, but personally, I might actually raise that. I’m sixteen, and I consider myself to be pretty desensitised, but this book was definitely too much for me. The violence and animal sacrifices didn’t really bother me (even though horses are my favourite thing in the entire world), but the rape and constant ogling of women’s bodies did. Do not read this book if you are sensitive to rape.

The characters come off as unlikable and vain, but they definitely grow a lot throughout the book. Dahoud is a demon-possessed siege commander. Formerly known as the Black Besieger, he was a terrible war commander, killing and raping many. The demon makes him do all this, but he definitely tries to fight it until the end. Merida is the other main character, a magician from Riverland brought in to dance for rain. She has a lot of trouble adapting to local customs, and she comes off as stuck-up for most of the book. However, both these characters grow a lot, which I love to see. However, in my eyes, this personal growth didn’t really redeem the characters.

The world building could have definitely been done better. Being thrown into a different fantasy world can be confusing as it is so different to our own. Not explaining things properly shot everything to hell. It took me ages to realise that Dahoud was possessed by a demon, and even after finishing the book, I didn’t understand the regions, or the idea of satraps. A glossary or a map could have helped here.

The plot is pretty slow at times, and the story could have definitely been cut down a bit. Sometimes there’s a whole bunch of action, but sometimes there was nothing. The book could have been a lot shorter if some of the uneventful parts had been cut out, and more time could have been put into world building and character establishment.

The setting was so awesome and creative! Even though it took me ages to get used to, and I still don’t fully understand if after finishing it, I loved the magicians, the crones, and the councils. Gosh, I would pay good money to go there (as long as I have a bunch of weapons to defend myself, and I don’t get raped or something).

Definitely not a book for everyone, I can see many people enjoying this. The personal demons that the characters battle are intriguing, and the book is very unique. Read a sample of the book before buying it, though.
About the author:
Rayne Hall writes horror and fantasy fiction. Some of her stories are quirky; some are disturbing; most are dark.


She is the author of over forty books in different genres and under different pen names, published by twelve publishers in six countries, translated into several languages. Her short stories have been published in ezines, magazines and anthologies.
 
After living in Germany, Nepal, China and Mongolia, Rayne has settled on the south coast of England.
 
Buying links:
 
Amazon: viewBook.at/B005MJFV58
 
 
 
Social media links:
 
 
 
 
 
 

Comments

  1. Thanks for reviewing Storm Dancer, and for sharing your experience what reading the book was like for you. It will help other readers to decide whether it's their kind of book. :-)

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