Storm Glass
Told in two parallel narrative arcs, Storm Glass, the opening book in the Harbinger series, is a great introduction to the Author’s vision of a unique fantasy world.
…even the antagonists can be admired…
The world building is both fascinating and excellent. I really felt submerged in the place and time. Though this book does not attempt to explain everything about the history and magic system, it certainly provides a solid overview of the principles at work and leaves the reader keen to learn more in subsequent books.
I found the characters both believable and intriguing. They are all multi-faceted and even the antagonists can be admired in their own way. There is also plenty of action mixed together with twists and revelations.
Though the pacing is very good for such an ambitious book, it did drag a little bit on a few occasions. This was especially true in the first half. However, it was far better than some books I have read and the pay off is worth the effort to navigate to the end.
I found the skillful use of language kept the prose very evocative of the atmosphere of the book. However, I was most impressed by the way fore-shadowing was handled. Everything that happened felt plausible but nothing was spoilt through clumsy early disclosure. The author’s choice to use the PoV of two of the youngest characters enabled the reader to learn about things together with them.
A spellbinding 4 out of 5 stars for Jeff Wheeler. A special mention goes to the fact that, despite the age of the protagonists, I feel it is a great book for all ages, not just YA.
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