Posted by: samhiggins



Written by Stephen Hong Sohn
Edited by Sam Higgins

So, I eventually got back on the train to finish reviewing this series, and I continue with Natasha Ngan’s Girls of Storm and Shadow (Jimmy Patterson, 2019), which I was really happy with. It doesn’t suffer from some of the similar “middle syndrome” trilogy issues, for which I was really happy about. Let’s move to the very pithy marketing description:

“Lei, the naive country girl who became a royal courtesan, is now known as the Moonchosen, the commoner who managed to do what no one else could. But slaying the cruel monarch wasn't the culmination of her destiny — it was just the beginning. Now Lei, with a massive bounty on her head, must travel the kingdom with her warrior love Wren to gain support from the far-flung rebel clans. Meanwhile, a plot to eliminate the rebel uprising is taking shape, fueled by dark magic and vengeance. Will Lei succeed in her quest to overthrow the monarchy, or will she succumb to the sinister magic that seeks to destroy her bond with Wren, and their very lives?”

I’m not really sure why these descriptions are SO short, but hey, I guess they won’t keep things under wraps because it is, after all, a trilogy. Yet, I am providing my spoiler warnings here, so look away unless you don’t mind getting to know more of the plot elements. What the description doesn’t tell you is that our Demon King from book 1 somehow survived, and he is using his fleet of magic-wielding shamans to heal him. He hasn’t gotten away completely unscathed, as he has lost one eye. At the same time, Lei and Wren are now actively planning how they can take over the kingdom. Of course, they at first think that they only have to corral support from the remaining clans and rival groups jockeying for power, but things obviously are complicated when they realize that the king is alive. The best thing about this installment is that Ngan really muddies the waters about who is actually the villain. We’re obviously against the Demon King, but little do we realize that Wren and her father, Ketai Hanno, have some questionable ethics in terms of what they will do to ensure that the reign of the king is ended for good. Ketai Hanno’s basic ethos about warfare and conflict is that the ends justify the means, which also includes the potential sacrifice of their allies in case that is needed.

The second-best thing about this installment is the new introduction of these “allies.” There are two leopard demons, Nitta and Bo, who provide the much-needed comic relief, along with Merrin, a bird-demon. Finally, there is also the advisor to the Hanno clan named Shifu Caen. At one point, when the group is in a major jam, Hiro sacrifices himself in order to fuel Wren’s magical abilities as a Xia warrior. Ketai Hanno wouldn’t bat an eyelash about Hiro doing this because Wren, given her magical abilities, is so important to the cause, but Lei, being the moral compass of the novel, obviously has a problem with people dying for any reason. Bo will also die in a major sea-based battle, which will be the final straw for Merrin, who decides to leave the group after these multiple deaths. The group is ultimately splintered by the conclusion, with Nitta, Lei, and Merrin separated from Wren and the others in the heat of the battle. As is typical in the second installment in a young adult trilogy, the conclusion is pretty dark, and this aspect is very true for this series. Ngan also introduces a bunch of second-person perspectives, which I found less interesting, but it was also crucial for the plot. For instance, we have to know what is going on back in the Demon King’s area, so we get some third-person perspectives of characters out that way. The combination of complicating the villain and these new allies made this second installment a really entertaining read.

Buy the Book Here

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