What do you think?
Rate this book
The Storm Singers
Tefia is a world ruled by magic; where nations jockey for power and the gods who once spoke to their disciples have been mysteriously silenced. It is a world of exquisite beauty and of horrific loss, of indulgent delights and deadly turns. A world where sky ships sail over lush vineyards and soldiers of fortune comb the ravaged plague-lands that scar the landscape. It is a world where demons walk among men and the lowborn seek solace from their days in a church that is equally as sinful. Oren and Jerod are swords for hire seeking coin and merriment where they can. When a job goes wrong, they find themselves swept into a conspiracy involving the renowned archmage Telamon Tulthar and the mythic order known as the Storm Singers. The two quickly find themselves playing a much larger game with stakes beyond their worst fears. Their journey will take them across the face of the world and beyond, enlisting the aid of those they encounter along the way. Tefia is a a world steeped in ancient mysteries. It is a world of grandeur and simplicity. It is a world where arch mages bargain with demon princes to achieve their aims, and where a band of companions can avert disaster for all, if they can but hold to each other while walking in the shadow of the Storm Singers.
Audiobook
Published February 28, 2023
6 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
Michael Boccardi
1 book17 followersMichael Boccardi is a walking contradiction in that he adores people, but relishes solitude. He is pulled in many creative directions but currently spends much of his time writing sword and sorcery, which he hopes you enjoy as much as he does.
While he often occupies the fictional world of Tefia, he resides in New York with his wife and their feline-full-time-job Monty.
He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music and when he's not writing, he is either composing music, or enjoying good wine with good friends.
He very much hopes that you enjoy his creations.
While he often occupies the fictional world of Tefia, he resides in New York with his wife and their feline-full-time-job Monty.
He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music and when he's not writing, he is either composing music, or enjoying good wine with good friends.
He very much hopes that you enjoy his creations.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
May 26, 2023
Oren and Jerod have left behind their old careers to be adventurers, seeking money and thirsty for ale and women wherever they go. When a simple job turns out to be much more complicated, they find themselves involved in a conspiracy involving mythic heroes and mages from the past. Realizing they’re in over their heads, they do their best to avoid dying and to enlist allies to help them avert a worldwide disaster.
There was some decent worldbuilding present in this work. The exploration of magic and some of the more high-fantasy themes and ideas that were introduced were interesting and should have made this read quite good. Also, make sure to check out that stunning cover!
Unfortunately, the characters were not well written. They weren’t well developed or relatable and were shallow. It felt like the characters were each given one trait that became their whole personality/character. Similarly, the author provided just a tiny bit of background information on each character before just continuing on with the story; it was never enough to make them feel like real people or to make them interesting or engaging. This was unfortunate because there were MANY main characters (five plus) and the POV shifted constantly between them.
This book also would have been a good deal shorter if the author trimmed out all the repetitive sexual comments that added nothing to the work. There were constant bawdy comments and “humor” throughout any dialogue that was painfully juvenile and didn’t add to the characters or the story. The dialogue that wasn’t full of sexual comments was actually decently written and helped make the characters feel a little more alive. On a related note, this work fell quite short of quality female characters. There were a couple females scattered throughout the work, but the author described them in the most absurd ways (e.g., shapely, smoky eyes, gently doing everything, comments about their lips, etc.) and, no surprise, they lacked meaningful roles or personalities.
I think this work suffered from being too ambitious. There were so many concepts and characters introduced as well as an expansive and sweeping setting that there was no real chance to become immersed or engaged with any of it. I’ve read plenty of well-written male-centric fantasy works that I’ve enjoyed, but this isn’t one of them. I don’t really recommend this read and won’t be continuing the series. My thanks to NetGalley and Books Forward for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
There was some decent worldbuilding present in this work. The exploration of magic and some of the more high-fantasy themes and ideas that were introduced were interesting and should have made this read quite good. Also, make sure to check out that stunning cover!
Unfortunately, the characters were not well written. They weren’t well developed or relatable and were shallow. It felt like the characters were each given one trait that became their whole personality/character. Similarly, the author provided just a tiny bit of background information on each character before just continuing on with the story; it was never enough to make them feel like real people or to make them interesting or engaging. This was unfortunate because there were MANY main characters (five plus) and the POV shifted constantly between them.
This book also would have been a good deal shorter if the author trimmed out all the repetitive sexual comments that added nothing to the work. There were constant bawdy comments and “humor” throughout any dialogue that was painfully juvenile and didn’t add to the characters or the story. The dialogue that wasn’t full of sexual comments was actually decently written and helped make the characters feel a little more alive. On a related note, this work fell quite short of quality female characters. There were a couple females scattered throughout the work, but the author described them in the most absurd ways (e.g., shapely, smoky eyes, gently doing everything, comments about their lips, etc.) and, no surprise, they lacked meaningful roles or personalities.
I think this work suffered from being too ambitious. There were so many concepts and characters introduced as well as an expansive and sweeping setting that there was no real chance to become immersed or engaged with any of it. I’ve read plenty of well-written male-centric fantasy works that I’ve enjoyed, but this isn’t one of them. I don’t really recommend this read and won’t be continuing the series. My thanks to NetGalley and Books Forward for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
May 24, 2023
"It isn't the Dawn that's beautiful, tis that you have lived to see it"
- Michael Boccardi (The Storm Singers)
About the book:
The Storm Singers is book 1 in The Archivum Tefica series, acting as an introduction to the vast world of Tefia. A complex engagement between Gods, Demons, Men and those Mages, has already wreaked havoc on this beautiful world and yet there might just be hope! Following our 2 protagonists: Oren and Jerod, and a weird group they stumbled upon will prove to be of great value to change the fates of this world.
My thoughts:
The world buildup in the books comes with a map is actually very helpful (else I would be lost 😅). I enjoyed that the character buildup was not just limited to the protagonists but towards the supporting roles too. Leander is my favourite. I have also been a fan of writing style, which for one is quite complex yet top-notch. Do have to give up a 👍 for the vocab used in the book, you certainly don't come by such words every day.
Though I do have an understanding of the world after finishing this one up, I do feel there are many more layers yet to come and hit us in the upcoming books of this series. That being said, I feel this book would be perfect for rereading too, as each time you read, you are to discover new angles to the events of the story and their implications further down the lane.
So happy to have found another world that I really want to unravel and engulf myself into. I couldn't have been more lucky with this book!
Special Mention: The narrator who did the Demon's part in the audiobook was amazing. His voice gives you goosebumps!
Thankyou @booksforwardpr @thestormsingers and @netgalley for the ARC Book
Genre: #fantasy #magic
Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️
- Michael Boccardi (The Storm Singers)
About the book:
The Storm Singers is book 1 in The Archivum Tefica series, acting as an introduction to the vast world of Tefia. A complex engagement between Gods, Demons, Men and those Mages, has already wreaked havoc on this beautiful world and yet there might just be hope! Following our 2 protagonists: Oren and Jerod, and a weird group they stumbled upon will prove to be of great value to change the fates of this world.
My thoughts:
The world buildup in the books comes with a map is actually very helpful (else I would be lost 😅). I enjoyed that the character buildup was not just limited to the protagonists but towards the supporting roles too. Leander is my favourite. I have also been a fan of writing style, which for one is quite complex yet top-notch. Do have to give up a 👍 for the vocab used in the book, you certainly don't come by such words every day.
Though I do have an understanding of the world after finishing this one up, I do feel there are many more layers yet to come and hit us in the upcoming books of this series. That being said, I feel this book would be perfect for rereading too, as each time you read, you are to discover new angles to the events of the story and their implications further down the lane.
So happy to have found another world that I really want to unravel and engulf myself into. I couldn't have been more lucky with this book!
Special Mention: The narrator who did the Demon's part in the audiobook was amazing. His voice gives you goosebumps!
Thankyou @booksforwardpr @thestormsingers and @netgalley for the ARC Book
Genre: #fantasy #magic
Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️
March 3, 2023
Smashing début
For a début novel, it was phenomenal! A whole, brand new world, an array of great characters, and a plot that leaves the reader glued to the pages from start to the jaw dropping finish.
The only thing left to say is: I can’t wait for what comes next.
As for the book itself (the physical one, that is), I cannot praise its artwork enough, and how complete everything is, making the immersion into the story even more gripping and fantastic. I can also highly recommend listening to the terrific audiobook in duplex with the reading of the book, and listening to the book’s soundtrack.
After all, the whole of Boccardi’s work is a full and complete immersion experience into a fabulous new world.
For a début novel, it was phenomenal! A whole, brand new world, an array of great characters, and a plot that leaves the reader glued to the pages from start to the jaw dropping finish.
The only thing left to say is: I can’t wait for what comes next.
As for the book itself (the physical one, that is), I cannot praise its artwork enough, and how complete everything is, making the immersion into the story even more gripping and fantastic. I can also highly recommend listening to the terrific audiobook in duplex with the reading of the book, and listening to the book’s soundtrack.
After all, the whole of Boccardi’s work is a full and complete immersion experience into a fabulous new world.
February 28, 2023
the storm singers was absolutely fantastic incredible intriguing and had me hooked and addictive right from page one to the very end
I was completely caught up in this story and this world
the characters were absolutely fantastic I fell in love so much
I was completely caught up in this story and this world
the characters were absolutely fantastic I fell in love so much
February 20, 2023
I really enjoyed this story. I was hooked from the beginning and didn't want to put it down. I can't wait to get to the next book.
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
June 1, 2023
“It isn’t the Dawn that’s beautiful, Tis that you have loved to see it.”
The Storm Singers by Michael Boccardi is an immersive, complex, unique fantasy story. With world building that paints an easy picture in the mind, and characters who will have you going through the spectrum of emotions, this first book in the series will really hook you.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrators were so good! Easy to listen to, captivating voices, and well done.
I can’t wait for the next installment!!
The Storm Singers by Michael Boccardi is an immersive, complex, unique fantasy story. With world building that paints an easy picture in the mind, and characters who will have you going through the spectrum of emotions, this first book in the series will really hook you.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrators were so good! Easy to listen to, captivating voices, and well done.
I can’t wait for the next installment!!
June 2, 2023
Captivating from start to finish! The Storm Singers transported me to the lands of Tefia and I didn't want to leave. Intricate world-building, a great cast of characters, and an interesting magic system kept me turning pages.
The audiobook is phenomenal though I would recommend having the physical or ebook as well so you can reference the world map...which is also stunning! I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series!
The audiobook is phenomenal though I would recommend having the physical or ebook as well so you can reference the world map...which is also stunning! I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series!
May 28, 2023
Set on a fictional land of Tefia this book follows Oren and Jerod who sailed through life by committing thievery and fraud and engaging in material pleasures. One day their fates become twisted when they rob the wrong set of travellers. What they took possession leads them on an epic quest upon which they encounter allies and enemies. How they fight against this unknown evil got me so intrigued and gripped like an ear-worm. Like any good novel the author surprised me with not one but two storylines with equally important characters travelling side by side like sister ships toward same destination. The author had taken his time to write unique plots which led each persona’s individuality shine through. The narrator with his amazing code-switching abilities & audio editing technology gave life to all the characters.
Not only the book was rich with temperament but the author has also constructed unique gifts to each of them which adds a thrilling new dimension to the book. And how they all came together in the end coherently got the better of my imagination! Hypnotizing!
Not only the book was rich with temperament but the author has also constructed unique gifts to each of them which adds a thrilling new dimension to the book. And how they all came together in the end coherently got the better of my imagination! Hypnotizing!
May 21, 2023
The world is superb. The adventure epic and characters well thought out.
October 25, 2023
I love the journey of the team and aspect of the found family so it's a 4⭐s read for me.
Oren and Jerod have been companions for years and they are always up for seeking coin, adventure, and pleasure. And this time when the adventure went wrong they found themselves in the middle of a conspiracy between an archmage who cunningly deceives humans into worshipping his wishes and to do his dirty work. During this journey Oren & Jerod cross paths with a mythic order known as the Storm Singers who hold the best chance against these dangers. His friend as well & Oren's mentor joined the team against this evil and they faced many difficulties that they did not see coming.
The story touched on a different magical concept of Storm Singer that I have never come across. But it was difficult for me to grasp the whole idea of the concept yet the story was competing enough to read through the story. I liked the found family and how each of them worried for each other even if they did not know some of them better. The female character who was the companion of Storm Singer was so adorable with Oren's mentor. Obviously, the story had a feeling of an epic fantasy though I have no idea if this is one.
If nothing else if I had a chance to buy a copy of this book in my country physically it would be an automatic cover buy. The colours & the artwork is incredible. I am not mad about continuing through the series, but I'm up for it.
Oren and Jerod have been companions for years and they are always up for seeking coin, adventure, and pleasure. And this time when the adventure went wrong they found themselves in the middle of a conspiracy between an archmage who cunningly deceives humans into worshipping his wishes and to do his dirty work. During this journey Oren & Jerod cross paths with a mythic order known as the Storm Singers who hold the best chance against these dangers. His friend as well & Oren's mentor joined the team against this evil and they faced many difficulties that they did not see coming.
The story touched on a different magical concept of Storm Singer that I have never come across. But it was difficult for me to grasp the whole idea of the concept yet the story was competing enough to read through the story. I liked the found family and how each of them worried for each other even if they did not know some of them better. The female character who was the companion of Storm Singer was so adorable with Oren's mentor. Obviously, the story had a feeling of an epic fantasy though I have no idea if this is one.
If nothing else if I had a chance to buy a copy of this book in my country physically it would be an automatic cover buy. The colours & the artwork is incredible. I am not mad about continuing through the series, but I'm up for it.
March 2, 2023
The Storm Singers is Book 1 in The Archivum Tefica series. I really enjoyed this book, though it took a bit longer for me to read. I didn't want to miss anything. I love fantasy and this book drew me in from the beginning. I felt like I was right there with the characters. The world building with its imagery is fantastic. There's action, adventure, suspense, mystery, magic and fabulous characters. I also enjoyed the beautiful artwork. It really added to the story. If you enjoy fantasy stories, I definitely recommend this book. You won't be disappointed.
January 3, 2026
Absolutely brilliant first book by the amazing Michael Ferraiuolo/Boccardi.
The world building, characters and storyline - perfect!
The world building, characters and storyline - perfect!
March 21, 2024
It took me forever to read this book but it was worth it. The book was beautifully written. I loved the book!! It has some snarky characters and the action was brilliant. The pencil illustrations were beautiful. The cover itself is to die for. Brilliant blue and there is a.story to why the cover is blue. ? You all have to read the book to find out. I promise you won't be disappointed
I received a free copy of the book and is voluntarily writing a review
#BooksForwardFriends
I received a free copy of the book and is voluntarily writing a review
#BooksForwardFriends
December 18, 2023
2.5 stars
I struggled with being interested in the story, especially with the characters.
RTC
I struggled with being interested in the story, especially with the characters.
RTC
March 1, 2023
3.25 Stars
The Storm Singers is the debut novel from author Michael Boccardi. This fantasy story has captivating world-building, vivid imagery, and an intriguing plot. The book is a ‘clean’ story; no real romance to speak of and little/no swearing. It has taken me a while to write this review because I am torn about a few things with the book.
I’ll start with the cons: The POVs jump from character to character constantly; sometimes in the middle of one paragraph. It made me dizzy keeping up with whose thought was whose at times. Also, I felt the characters were underdeveloped. I didn’t get attached to any of the five, possibly nine, main characters. The author gives just enough personal history to introduce the characters and then goes on with the tale. That really took me out of the story at times and caused me to put the book down occasionally.
The pros: I really enjoyed the premise of the book. The main story arc was well thought out and it was a good fantasy novel. There was plenty of magic and the evil archmage with a master plan has an interesting twist at the end. There are multiple forms of magic used, and each of our characters, save one, has their own way (one doesn’t regain his until the final battle). The denouement was exhilarating and was well worth the read. There is a definite conclusion to this story arc, but it is set up nicely for the sequel.
Overall, I did enjoy the book. It’s probably not something I would reread, but I’m glad I requested it, and I’ll definitely continue with the story. If you enjoy a good, clean fantasy, pick this one up.
Happy reading!
* I received an ARC of this book from the author and I am leaving my honest review. *
The Storm Singers is the debut novel from author Michael Boccardi. This fantasy story has captivating world-building, vivid imagery, and an intriguing plot. The book is a ‘clean’ story; no real romance to speak of and little/no swearing. It has taken me a while to write this review because I am torn about a few things with the book.
I’ll start with the cons: The POVs jump from character to character constantly; sometimes in the middle of one paragraph. It made me dizzy keeping up with whose thought was whose at times. Also, I felt the characters were underdeveloped. I didn’t get attached to any of the five, possibly nine, main characters. The author gives just enough personal history to introduce the characters and then goes on with the tale. That really took me out of the story at times and caused me to put the book down occasionally.
The pros: I really enjoyed the premise of the book. The main story arc was well thought out and it was a good fantasy novel. There was plenty of magic and the evil archmage with a master plan has an interesting twist at the end. There are multiple forms of magic used, and each of our characters, save one, has their own way (one doesn’t regain his until the final battle). The denouement was exhilarating and was well worth the read. There is a definite conclusion to this story arc, but it is set up nicely for the sequel.
Overall, I did enjoy the book. It’s probably not something I would reread, but I’m glad I requested it, and I’ll definitely continue with the story. If you enjoy a good, clean fantasy, pick this one up.
Happy reading!
* I received an ARC of this book from the author and I am leaving my honest review. *
May 16, 2023
I enjoyed this, the magic system was interesting, the plot and story were well thought out, and the narration was 💜💜💜💜💜. I had a bit of a hard time keeping up with who’s POV we we’re getting at times but that could just be me. I’m looking forward to the next book!
July 2, 2023
For me, The Storm Singers is a mixed bag of a debut adult epic fantasy novel. While it has interesting and unique world building and has good character baselines, I struggled to keep my attention through the many POVs and wasn’t as engaged to the adventure as I hoped.
The good: The world building was well thought out and probably the best part of the book, with the idea of the gods having abandoned humankind, as well as the many places explored and seeing the effects of the gods leaving. I enjoyed hearing more about this world and how things have changed. Some other fun aspects was the religious structure and how the magic worked. The action scenes were pretty interesting and not too hard to follow along, and were probably my favorite parts of the whole story, besides some of the chats with the gods in the chapters. The narrator for the audiobook, Michael Ferraiuolo, kept me engaged on a story that I might have not finished if I was reading on text. His smooth cadence and distinct voices were enjoyable, especially with the sound effect on the godlike characters.
The not so good: Despite the characters having an established history and setup, it doesn’t seem to go much past that as they tread off on their adventure, making them rather flat in terms of goals and motivations. Plus, there were quite a lot of POVs to follow, and my mind struggled to figure out who was who after a while and I basically got lost. I couldn’t get engaged in the character journeys or the overall quest, as we kept jumping around and didn’t get enough time to have an overall objective for each. Also, the prose, while not too hard to follow along, didn’t feel as vibrant as it could have been.
I’m hesitant to recommend this to teen readers due to the frequent sexual innuendo and some graphic violence, but it’s not super gory or super spicy either. I suspect some of my struggles was that a more medieval fantasy-like epic adult fantasy setting and usually not the first thing I would pick up, and didn’t have too much of a unique calling card. However, if you’re a fan of this type of adventure with detailed world building, you should give this one a look.
*I received a review copy of the audiobook from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.*
The good: The world building was well thought out and probably the best part of the book, with the idea of the gods having abandoned humankind, as well as the many places explored and seeing the effects of the gods leaving. I enjoyed hearing more about this world and how things have changed. Some other fun aspects was the religious structure and how the magic worked. The action scenes were pretty interesting and not too hard to follow along, and were probably my favorite parts of the whole story, besides some of the chats with the gods in the chapters. The narrator for the audiobook, Michael Ferraiuolo, kept me engaged on a story that I might have not finished if I was reading on text. His smooth cadence and distinct voices were enjoyable, especially with the sound effect on the godlike characters.
The not so good: Despite the characters having an established history and setup, it doesn’t seem to go much past that as they tread off on their adventure, making them rather flat in terms of goals and motivations. Plus, there were quite a lot of POVs to follow, and my mind struggled to figure out who was who after a while and I basically got lost. I couldn’t get engaged in the character journeys or the overall quest, as we kept jumping around and didn’t get enough time to have an overall objective for each. Also, the prose, while not too hard to follow along, didn’t feel as vibrant as it could have been.
I’m hesitant to recommend this to teen readers due to the frequent sexual innuendo and some graphic violence, but it’s not super gory or super spicy either. I suspect some of my struggles was that a more medieval fantasy-like epic adult fantasy setting and usually not the first thing I would pick up, and didn’t have too much of a unique calling card. However, if you’re a fan of this type of adventure with detailed world building, you should give this one a look.
*I received a review copy of the audiobook from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.*
January 30, 2024
I purchased the color edition of this book and was immediately drawn into the world by the gorgeous map. I'll note that I referenced the map many times during my reading! I also picked up the audiobook as I like to switch between reading and listening.
My thoughts on the audiobook...
Michael Ferraiuolo's narration adds a truly dynamic layer to the book's world. He captures the essence of each character, breathing life into the narrative. His ability to change character voices and accents and modulate tone and pace heightens the tension during intense moments and soothes during introspective scenes. An absolutely fantastic narrator.
My thoughts on the story...
In short, I loved it. It's not the most straight forward tale and the writing style took a moment to get into, but once you're in, you're hooked. The characters were familiar to the genre but given fun turns that I enjoyed. The women were strong, the men were kind (but bawdy...also familiar to the genre) the action was great, and the world was a character of it's own. The villains were interesting in their motivations and it all just felt like a world full of mysteries that I wanted to spend time in. I particularly enjoyed the magic system!
My thoughts on the audiobook...
Michael Ferraiuolo's narration adds a truly dynamic layer to the book's world. He captures the essence of each character, breathing life into the narrative. His ability to change character voices and accents and modulate tone and pace heightens the tension during intense moments and soothes during introspective scenes. An absolutely fantastic narrator.
My thoughts on the story...
In short, I loved it. It's not the most straight forward tale and the writing style took a moment to get into, but once you're in, you're hooked. The characters were familiar to the genre but given fun turns that I enjoyed. The women were strong, the men were kind (but bawdy...also familiar to the genre) the action was great, and the world was a character of it's own. The villains were interesting in their motivations and it all just felt like a world full of mysteries that I wanted to spend time in. I particularly enjoyed the magic system!
June 4, 2023
3.25✨
The Storm Singers is an adventure fantasy about a group of traveller’s that band together to deliver a world-altering map while warding off magical attacks. There were so many things I loved about this story. The characters were witty and so much fun; the world-building was top-notch; the humor was some of my favorite I’ve read in fantasy. The narrator did such a great job of conveying the humor and intricacies of each character distinctly and convincingly.
Most of my struggles with this book was that it was an audiobook. The story has an ensemble cast, and while, the protagonists were so vivid for me, I found myself mixing up the antagonists every time it came to one of their POV’s. I was also very confused at the beginning because each chapter had time stamps (except for, I think the ones in the Umbral Plane). The time jumps paired with so many characters made the plot difficult to follow, and I had to register to several chapters. For me, this story was all about the characters, and the plot was very much secondary.
That being said, most of the issues I had, I think would’ve been solved had I read it with the ebook companion. I would recommend this book to adventure fantasy readers who love adventure fantasy, an ensemble cast, humor, and character-rich stories.
The Storm Singers is an adventure fantasy about a group of traveller’s that band together to deliver a world-altering map while warding off magical attacks. There were so many things I loved about this story. The characters were witty and so much fun; the world-building was top-notch; the humor was some of my favorite I’ve read in fantasy. The narrator did such a great job of conveying the humor and intricacies of each character distinctly and convincingly.
Most of my struggles with this book was that it was an audiobook. The story has an ensemble cast, and while, the protagonists were so vivid for me, I found myself mixing up the antagonists every time it came to one of their POV’s. I was also very confused at the beginning because each chapter had time stamps (except for, I think the ones in the Umbral Plane). The time jumps paired with so many characters made the plot difficult to follow, and I had to register to several chapters. For me, this story was all about the characters, and the plot was very much secondary.
That being said, most of the issues I had, I think would’ve been solved had I read it with the ebook companion. I would recommend this book to adventure fantasy readers who love adventure fantasy, an ensemble cast, humor, and character-rich stories.
June 2, 2023
Thank you NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. This was good, and the characters were interesting. I did find it hard to follow though, which is an issue I seem to have with most fantasy books when I listen to them.
May 31, 2023
DNF at 20%. I cannot stand how pretentious the narrator sounds.
May 31, 2023
I listened to this as an arc. I really enjoyed it. I did struggle with side transitions between settings. I feel that with a physical read would have eased it. It was the perfect adventure with a coziness I didn’t expect. I wouldn’t classify it as a must read but I definitely enjoyed it .
June 1, 2023
The Storm Singers... man, this book captivated me from the onset. As it is a debut book I wasn't sure what to expect and I was not let down. This is a complex and intricate world that is filled with lore and conflict yet doesn't lack in love and good humor.
Content Warnings for the book:
Blood, Gore, Violence, Demons, Gods/Religion, Harm to Animals, Injury/Injury Details, Death
Oren, Jerod, and the band of folx that they pick up along the way find themselves caught up in a conflict between Gods and Demons. Leading us on a journey across the world of Tefia. During this journey we get to see the world through the eyes of both them and those who are working against them.
Note: This book is written with third person narration, so we get to see the thoughts and internal insights of all of the characters at one point or another. For the most part, chapters focus in on one character and maybe have a quick check-in with another. However, there are times when, mid-chapter, we switch to following the perspective of someone else in the scene. If you are not used to multi-perspective books or books written in the third-person, this could be confusing at first.
Because this book is a quest fantasy, it would be easy to get lost if you do not handle travel well in books. I will say, as an audiobook reader, not having a map meant that I was relying on my ability to remember where things were. Personally, I gave up about 2 towns in and just... accepted... that they were traveling and just gave them a random straight line that these places existed in. I would highly suggest that audio readers look up a map for this book so that they can better track where places are as the characters travel.
Oren and Jerod (and the band of folx they find along the way) make up the classic D&D party dynamic. This leant itself well into amazing group dynamics for problem solving and creative solutions. I absolutely loved that everyone had a moment to shine within the confines of their quest.
In contrast to how much I loved the characters and people that we met in the story, I am unsure if this book would have passed the Bechdel test until about 60% of the way through. It took us a while to get more than one female character who was not one-dimensional and I am not wholly convinced that the ones we do get really create and provide the gender diversity that is needed in fantasy books.
Notes on the narration:
I read this book with my ears and loved the experience. It opens beautifully and that drew me in instantly.
The narrator did an amazing job creating a diverse cast of voices and I only ever lost who was talking if my mind wandered and I missed a character perspective shift. This would mean that I was confusing who was thinking until they spoke out loud.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I was upset when I had to stop listening and excited when I had time to pick it back up again.
I am excited to reread it and to wait impatiently for the next one.
***I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest opinion and thoughts about the book.***
Content Warnings for the book:
Blood, Gore, Violence, Demons, Gods/Religion, Harm to Animals, Injury/Injury Details, Death
Oren, Jerod, and the band of folx that they pick up along the way find themselves caught up in a conflict between Gods and Demons. Leading us on a journey across the world of Tefia. During this journey we get to see the world through the eyes of both them and those who are working against them.
Note: This book is written with third person narration, so we get to see the thoughts and internal insights of all of the characters at one point or another. For the most part, chapters focus in on one character and maybe have a quick check-in with another. However, there are times when, mid-chapter, we switch to following the perspective of someone else in the scene. If you are not used to multi-perspective books or books written in the third-person, this could be confusing at first.
Because this book is a quest fantasy, it would be easy to get lost if you do not handle travel well in books. I will say, as an audiobook reader, not having a map meant that I was relying on my ability to remember where things were. Personally, I gave up about 2 towns in and just... accepted... that they were traveling and just gave them a random straight line that these places existed in. I would highly suggest that audio readers look up a map for this book so that they can better track where places are as the characters travel.
Oren and Jerod (and the band of folx they find along the way) make up the classic D&D party dynamic. This leant itself well into amazing group dynamics for problem solving and creative solutions. I absolutely loved that everyone had a moment to shine within the confines of their quest.
In contrast to how much I loved the characters and people that we met in the story, I am unsure if this book would have passed the Bechdel test until about 60% of the way through. It took us a while to get more than one female character who was not one-dimensional and I am not wholly convinced that the ones we do get really create and provide the gender diversity that is needed in fantasy books.
Notes on the narration:
I read this book with my ears and loved the experience. It opens beautifully and that drew me in instantly.
The narrator did an amazing job creating a diverse cast of voices and I only ever lost who was talking if my mind wandered and I missed a character perspective shift. This would mean that I was confusing who was thinking until they spoke out loud.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I was upset when I had to stop listening and excited when I had time to pick it back up again.
I am excited to reread it and to wait impatiently for the next one.
***I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest opinion and thoughts about the book.***
May 21, 2023
While at times it felt like an RPG storyline, the main story arc was well thought out, and it has the feel of an epic fantasy novel. There is a little bit of everything in this book. There's action, adventure, suspense, mystery, Gods, Demons, magic, and good characters. There was plenty of magic in both the people and the world itself. I liked that it wasn’t just one magic but several different kinds brought together. Tefia is truly a melting pot of a world.
Jerod and Oren have been fast friends for many years and seem to get in and out of scrapes regularly. Think Robin Hood and Little John. Under the guise of rescuing a man from someone’s evil plan to rob him, they inadvertently end up with a dangerous map and determine to return it. Along the way, they add to their crew of friends, and I really liked the way the group worked together. Leander was awesome (probably my favorite.) I love the idea of him being a spunky, knowledgeable, adventure-loving older person.
Aegan and Merida were great additions. Merida is such a badass. Mihr was pretty awesome too.
I was listening to the audiobook, but at times it was confusing about whose point of view we were hearing from. I’m not sure if it was the audiobook, the way it was written, or what.
Michael Ferraiuolo did a decent job with the narration. However, when he was speaking as the Demons, at times, I wasn’t sure WHAT was said, and so I rewound, and STILL, it wasn’t clear. That was frustrating.
All said I would like to continue the next book in the series.
Many thanks to author Michael Boccardi, Books Forward Audiobooks, and NetGalley for the free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!
Jerod and Oren have been fast friends for many years and seem to get in and out of scrapes regularly. Think Robin Hood and Little John. Under the guise of rescuing a man from someone’s evil plan to rob him, they inadvertently end up with a dangerous map and determine to return it. Along the way, they add to their crew of friends, and I really liked the way the group worked together. Leander was awesome (probably my favorite.) I love the idea of him being a spunky, knowledgeable, adventure-loving older person.
Aegan and Merida were great additions. Merida is such a badass. Mihr was pretty awesome too.
I was listening to the audiobook, but at times it was confusing about whose point of view we were hearing from. I’m not sure if it was the audiobook, the way it was written, or what.
Michael Ferraiuolo did a decent job with the narration. However, when he was speaking as the Demons, at times, I wasn’t sure WHAT was said, and so I rewound, and STILL, it wasn’t clear. That was frustrating.
All said I would like to continue the next book in the series.
Many thanks to author Michael Boccardi, Books Forward Audiobooks, and NetGalley for the free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!
June 29, 2023
There has clearly been a lot of love poured in creating the world in which The Storm Singers, and it shows. It has a rich and complex worldbuilding, piquing the reader’s curiosity to know more about this unknown world, and the action scenes are very dynamic and well choreographed.
Unfortunately, there are also the aspects in which The Storm Singers are lacking: prose and the character cast. Putting it plainly, there is nothing overtly wrong with the prose, but there isn’t anything especially right either. It is serviceable, yes; but also very dry and in dire need of some polish. As for the character cast: all of them are flat one-note characters with barely (if any) development. There’s also not much of a background to them, making it hard to care for them when they go through hardships. I should also point out that the characterization is especially bad when it comes to female characters, to the point that they read as an afterthought, none of them having a relevant role to play in this story.
The audiobook of The Storm Singers is narrated by Michael Ferraiuolo, who did a terrific job. His narration flows nicely and every character has a very distinct voice and accent, making it easy to keep track of who is speaking during dialogues.
Overall, The Storm Singers is an ambitious debut project with some interesting world building and really good action scenes but that falls short when it comes to its character cast.
Thank you to NetGalley and to Books Forward Audiobooks for providing a review copy of the audiobook.
Unfortunately, there are also the aspects in which The Storm Singers are lacking: prose and the character cast. Putting it plainly, there is nothing overtly wrong with the prose, but there isn’t anything especially right either. It is serviceable, yes; but also very dry and in dire need of some polish. As for the character cast: all of them are flat one-note characters with barely (if any) development. There’s also not much of a background to them, making it hard to care for them when they go through hardships. I should also point out that the characterization is especially bad when it comes to female characters, to the point that they read as an afterthought, none of them having a relevant role to play in this story.
The audiobook of The Storm Singers is narrated by Michael Ferraiuolo, who did a terrific job. His narration flows nicely and every character has a very distinct voice and accent, making it easy to keep track of who is speaking during dialogues.
Overall, The Storm Singers is an ambitious debut project with some interesting world building and really good action scenes but that falls short when it comes to its character cast.
Thank you to NetGalley and to Books Forward Audiobooks for providing a review copy of the audiobook.
February 28, 2023
This book is by a new author so I didn't know what to expect. It starts off a bit slow to be honest and I really wasn't sure whether I'd like it. I'm a fan of the fantasy genre, so was interested in seeing his take on world building. And this is the first book in the series, so definitely world building.
The world is made up of priests and mages and common folk. The priests have more of a direct contact with their gods than you necessarily see in other books, but they have been cut off from this contact in what is known as the Silence.
So, a mage and a priest walk into a bar .... no, hang on, that's not quite right!! LOL. The mage and priest are in a bar and overhear another patron trying to sell some poor unsuspecting sod a map supposedly once owned and created by the great mage Telamon Tulthar. The priest and mage (Jerod and Oren) decide to teach the seller a lesson in honesty and waylay him to grab the map from him.
Suddenly, they are in the middle of something they didn't expect. They want to get the map back to Telamon himself but things seem to conspire against them.
As with all world-building, we are introduced to other characters and scenarios to grow the story and characters, and understand the underlying premise of the world.
All in all, I thought this was a very decent start to the series and it's intriguing enough to want to continue on in the series to find out how it develops.
The world is made up of priests and mages and common folk. The priests have more of a direct contact with their gods than you necessarily see in other books, but they have been cut off from this contact in what is known as the Silence.
So, a mage and a priest walk into a bar .... no, hang on, that's not quite right!! LOL. The mage and priest are in a bar and overhear another patron trying to sell some poor unsuspecting sod a map supposedly once owned and created by the great mage Telamon Tulthar. The priest and mage (Jerod and Oren) decide to teach the seller a lesson in honesty and waylay him to grab the map from him.
Suddenly, they are in the middle of something they didn't expect. They want to get the map back to Telamon himself but things seem to conspire against them.
As with all world-building, we are introduced to other characters and scenarios to grow the story and characters, and understand the underlying premise of the world.
All in all, I thought this was a very decent start to the series and it's intriguing enough to want to continue on in the series to find out how it develops.
May 30, 2023
I'm sadly only giving this one 3.5 stars because it has some perfect elements and I love the fact that it's pretty self-contained, but I never felt any big hurry to see where the story would take me. It's an okay story with likable characters, but it's also the kind of story you enjoy while reading and then forget about almost as soon as you're done with it. Nothing particularly bad with that, but it's also not something that I feel like shouting from the rooftops about.
The characters are interesting and very typical of the fantasy genre, complete with a warrior priest with much more depth than the book's first part would lead you to believe. But again, it's all very middle of the road, with nothing particularly original or outstanding with them. I enjoyed reading their story without ever getting pulled into it.
The narration by Michael Ferraiuolo does a big job of carrying the story with him doing his best to give each character's voice their own personality and bring life to the chapters. I would have maybe liked a bit more difference in each character to avoid having to figure out who was talking at times, but it's a solid narration nonetheless.
Overall, I enjoyed the reading/listening of the story but I'm sad to say it's nothing particularly engaging.
Happy thanks to NetGalley and Books Forward Audiobooks for the interesting listen!
The characters are interesting and very typical of the fantasy genre, complete with a warrior priest with much more depth than the book's first part would lead you to believe. But again, it's all very middle of the road, with nothing particularly original or outstanding with them. I enjoyed reading their story without ever getting pulled into it.
The narration by Michael Ferraiuolo does a big job of carrying the story with him doing his best to give each character's voice their own personality and bring life to the chapters. I would have maybe liked a bit more difference in each character to avoid having to figure out who was talking at times, but it's a solid narration nonetheless.
Overall, I enjoyed the reading/listening of the story but I'm sad to say it's nothing particularly engaging.
Happy thanks to NetGalley and Books Forward Audiobooks for the interesting listen!
June 1, 2023
The story starts with Oren and Jerod. These two characters left behind their old careers to be adventurers. They thought that the life of adventurers would be fun and only fun. They were wrong😉
The cover is fantastic and the artwork superb! And the world building was very good as well.
However the characters were not well written and were not as relatable to the readers as some other books that I have read. The characters had like one thing that they were and that was it. That is a big no for a reader. I think the author should have developed them more so the reader could know more about who they are as characters overall and their background.
Also the POV shifted between the 5 main characters. 5 is way to many for a reader to keep track I felt and did not like the shifts as they were confusing.
There were some funny parts to the book but a lot of sexual comments were made by the characters overall, like TOO many.
And the female characters were written badly overall is my opinion. I could not relate to any of them and they were all described in bad ways, like he mentioned their legs or lips, or some other body part sometimes. I don’t mind that this book was written in a male centric world, in fact a lot of my favorite books and video games are, but I just feel that overall this book could have been a bit better.
The cover is fantastic and the artwork superb! And the world building was very good as well.
However the characters were not well written and were not as relatable to the readers as some other books that I have read. The characters had like one thing that they were and that was it. That is a big no for a reader. I think the author should have developed them more so the reader could know more about who they are as characters overall and their background.
Also the POV shifted between the 5 main characters. 5 is way to many for a reader to keep track I felt and did not like the shifts as they were confusing.
There were some funny parts to the book but a lot of sexual comments were made by the characters overall, like TOO many.
And the female characters were written badly overall is my opinion. I could not relate to any of them and they were all described in bad ways, like he mentioned their legs or lips, or some other body part sometimes. I don’t mind that this book was written in a male centric world, in fact a lot of my favorite books and video games are, but I just feel that overall this book could have been a bit better.
May 31, 2023
I felt like the build up of this book was on the slower end but it definitely was filled with great world building and nice, vivid imagery. My favourite aspect was the magic - I loved the different types of magic and it was fun to see the diversity of abilities amongst the characters. I enjoy multiple POVs but felt like the switches between characters was sometimes erratic and a bit hard to follow. I also found myself wishing that the characters were more developed. I didn't really form any strong connections with them and sometimes felt like the minimum was given for the reader to be able to distinguish them. I think the narrator did a good job - each character had a slightly different voice and I felt like the narration added personality and life to the characters. Given the number of POVs though, I think it would've been nice to have a couple narrators at least - I did sometimes get confused because the differences in some voices were slight. I think personally, I would've enjoyed this one more if I had read it via ebook or physical copy but I am still glad I requested it.
I rate this one a 3.5 stars out of 5
Thanks to Books Forward Audiobooks and Netgalley for the copy for review. All opinions are my own.
I rate this one a 3.5 stars out of 5
Thanks to Books Forward Audiobooks and Netgalley for the copy for review. All opinions are my own.
February 28, 2023
A brilliant debut novel
Michael has created not just an intricate new world but worlds in his impressive debut novel.
The Storm Singers is an immersive experience, not just with the written word and audiobook but also with accompanying original music and artwork. The illustrations throughout the book were a very nice touch and the music phenomenal. You can find the soundtrack on spotify.
The beginning sets up each character like on a chessboard waiting to be played. I loved the camaraderie among the fellowship cast as they set out on their quest. And the explosive nature of when friend and foe converge.
For me this fantasy story felt like it also almost at times verged on science fiction, which for me just ticked another box of interest. I thought the plot was well paced and kept me engaged from start to finish. The intrigue, adventure, action - with a smattering of humour - kept me up reading well into the night. While it had a satisfying end, it raised more questions. I'm very interested to see where the story of Tefia will take us next. You can find out more here www.thestormsingers.com
Michael has created not just an intricate new world but worlds in his impressive debut novel.
The Storm Singers is an immersive experience, not just with the written word and audiobook but also with accompanying original music and artwork. The illustrations throughout the book were a very nice touch and the music phenomenal. You can find the soundtrack on spotify.
The beginning sets up each character like on a chessboard waiting to be played. I loved the camaraderie among the fellowship cast as they set out on their quest. And the explosive nature of when friend and foe converge.
For me this fantasy story felt like it also almost at times verged on science fiction, which for me just ticked another box of interest. I thought the plot was well paced and kept me engaged from start to finish. The intrigue, adventure, action - with a smattering of humour - kept me up reading well into the night. While it had a satisfying end, it raised more questions. I'm very interested to see where the story of Tefia will take us next. You can find out more here www.thestormsingers.com
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews