The Last Stormlord

Like most High-Fantasy books, the Last Stormlord starts a little slow as its sets up the story, the world and characters. After that, however, when you get to know the various players and the story's various conflicts come into full focus, I found it very enjoyable.

The prose is good, though a little long-winded at time. The characters are diverse, strong and compelling in their own ways, especially the foremost antagonist. One of the best parts, is the world itself, which is beautiful and deeply imagined. Glenda Larke creates a rich, distinctive society filled with odds, ends and creatures. For instance, they don't ride horses they ride large insects call Pedes, which she then touches on the carrying for. This might make it sound like show more the book would be bogged down with backstory and information, it is not. All of this information and creativity is simply a part of the characters' various daily lives and so it never slows the story, only enriches it.

One thing to consider, though, is that this is a larger book and it does move slower than many readers would like. And by "slower" I mean it doesn't rush from scene to scene and event to event, it takes its time to tell a good story. show less

Its been so long since I've read a straight fantasy that I've almost forgotten what its like. Don't get me wrong I love my urban fantasies, my romance fantasies...but I miss my straight ones. Glenda Larke is a favorite of mine from her 'Isles of Glory' books (of which I still haven't read book 3...), I'd even put her on par with my enjoyment of the Mistborn books or Tredana books honestly.

Stormlord starts out rather bleakly. Terelle has a dark future ahead of her as a handmaiden in Madame Opal's snuggery. As a handmaiden she's basically little better then a Geisha--she is company for men, sings, dances, plays musical instruments--but with the added duty of being a pleasing companion in bed as well. Mind you she's only 12 years old, her show more father sold her into this life and her older half-sister Vivie keeps telling her to suck it up and go with the flow.

From there we head to where Nealrith, son of Granlon (a cloudmaster, ie: very important guy), is visiting the water cisterns with Kaneth, his friend. Things are bad, the water levels being no where near where they should be. The solutions presented by Kaneth are both impossible and morally black, but the options are few. Is it better to be rid of a great many to save a few or should they all perish the same, slow, death?

There is a number of different intrigues going on--politically, personally and wide spread. Its not just that the water shortage problem is just now occurring, the problem is that its happening when there hasn't been enough Stormlords. In the last decades only a handful or so of potentials have been born and through disease, death and inability none of them are suitable for the position.

As one should expect from Larke's writing the narrative is lush with details. The layers of society are pretty simple to understand, but the world itself is more complex. From the religion (there is the Sunlord and the Raingiver--both practical given the world and concerns) to the social hierarchy (the more water sensitive you are, the better off you will be) Larke weaves an intricate net of survival.

I found myself liking Kaneth and Ryka despite some of my earlier misgivings. Kaneth is something of a playboy, until recently not prone to overthinking matters or worrying over the future. Current situations being what they are he's beginning to take a more active stance. Is it too late however? Ryka is a bookish woman with a slightly bitter attitude towards men (and Kaneth in general) and marriage. She is however someone you want beside you, she is intelligent, quick-witted and thinks on her feet. She's fiery as well, but that can sometimes be to her detriment.

I am, of course, impatient to read the next volume. With the North American release not until March 2010 (cry with me) and the subsequent volumes not being released until March and September 2010 in Australia, it feels like a loooong wait.

I will say this, I like the Australian cover much more then the US one. I think it fits better. The US/Orbit cover looks kind of like Gail Z. Martin's Necromancer cover and I don't think green is the best color to have. show less

Eminent scientists the world over have been predicting for some time now that the next international conflicts are likely to be about water. Australia is already facing severe social turmoil over the need to review water allocations on our main river system, the Murray Darling. It is clear that the resource has been over-allocated and that, to ensure survival of important biodiversity and ecological communities, we need to to redirect water from productive agriculture to the environment. But how to do that equitably and without enormous social disruption is a question we have yet to come to a community view on.

Glenda Larke’s book ‘The Last Stormlord’, water is life and the wells are running dry. It could well be a depiction of show more what happens in the future if we get it wrong now.

Shale is the lowest of the low-an outcast from a poor village in the heart of the desert. In the desert water is life, and currency, and Shale has none. But he has a secret. It’s the one thing that keeps him alive and may save all the cities of the Quartern in the days to come - if it doesn’t get him killed first. Terelle is a slave fleeing a life as a courtesan. She finds shelter in the home of an elderly painter but, as she learns the strange and powerful secrets of his art, she fears she may have traded a life of servitude for something far more perilous. The Cloudmaster brings the rain from the distant seas to his people. But he is dying in his tower and there is no one to take his place. Without a Cloudmaster, the cities of the Quartern will wither and die. Their civilization is at the brink of disaster. If Shale and Terelle can find a way to save themselves, they may just save them all.

Although the book is set in a very different world, Glenda Larke is Australian, and her descriptions of the land sof the Quartern resonated with me. The red dust, the blazing sun, the looming drought, and the tightening of water restrictions—these are all part of the Australian experience right here and right now. Larke has created an engrossing fantasy setting embedded with issues and concerns that are very much part of our world. Water, and control of water is power indeed.

I acquired this as a freeby in uncorrected proof form from my favourite fantasy bookshop, Galaxy Books in Canberra. I initially found it slow going but, about a third of the way in, something clicked and I couldn’t put it down. This is the first book I have read by Larke – and it certainly won’t be the last. show less

Review by Crisetta MacLeod

I am in awe of the sheer virtuosity with which Larke has created her world. Water, or rather the scarcity of water, is the basis of government, economy, social hierarchy and even religion. The Stormlord ability, which can pull water from the sea, and send it where needed, is a hereditary gift. There is a conspiracy to kill off those with degrees of this ability, to return to human warfare and the vagaries of climate.

The main protagonist, Shale, lives in an impoverished slum, but has latent water power, and this leads to his kidnapping, and attempts to murder him, as the last living Stormlord’s powers weaken and there is no-one to replace him. The love interest comes from Shale’s relationship with Terelle, show more who has the ability to alter the future by her paintings, but the powers-that-be need Shale to breed with someone with water talent. Warlike Reduners seek to overpower the other settlements, when growing water shortages lead to the threat of anarchy. One of their weapons is a dreadful insect called a zigger, which attacks by entering orifices and eating the victim from the inside.

What a tale! Can’t wait for the next instalment. This is a GREAT book. I was so sad when I finished it; luckily it's going to be a trilogy. AND, she's Australian. show less

Compelling tale of a world with limited water. Some folks have the ability to manipulate water and to create storms to bring water to arid regions, the only way life can even exist for much of the territory. But there is only one Stormlord left and he is dying.

The search is on to find a new stormlord and cloudmaster. Complicating things, is that there is one man who hopes to use this crisis to grasp control over their world. And one barbarian who wants to return to the old ways.

Likeable characters who are well drawn. The world is believable and the fantasy elements do not overshadow the human ones.

Wheee! What a great read and a great tale. This story has everything I love about epic fantasy. A unique and well defined magic system. Characters I could both love and hate. A well written and fully realized world I could literally lose myself in. Fantasy just doesn’t get any better then this.
Full Review Here

You know it's a good book when your brain space after reading it is still filled with the images of the world inside the book and the faces of the characters you come to love and hate.

This is a great fantasy yarn with some typical fantasy elements, an interesting premise, great characters & world building. I breezed through this book and usually that indicates how good the story telling is for me. Some really great characters & relationships in this too.

Jumped straight to Book #2 after this one...

Addendum: The main form of transport in this book is what sounds like giant centipedes... and honestly that is just all kinds of nasty for me! Giant centipedes. SHUDDER. But after reading this, yeah(!), giant pedes! Why not! Any book that can show more make me say yes(!) to giant pedes is... wow. Haha. Although I would probably still go batsh!t crazy on encountering a real centipede. =_= show less