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Children of Corruption #1
The Storm Beneath the World
Cursed by the gods. The insectile ashkaro live on flying islands travelling the eternal River of Days while a hellish firestorm devours the world below. Collected into queendoms, the higher caste brights live in the luxurious windward rain-forest while the servile dulls scrape out a desperate existence in the leeward desert. Conflicts escalate between two neighbouring queendoms. Where Nysh embraces modern ideals of equality and independence, Yil honours the Fallen Goddess by enslaving their neighbours and maintaining traditional castes. In preparation for the imminent war, Nysh sends ashkaro youths with dangerous Talents to secret schools, training them as assassins and spies. Joh, a dull male with a Talent for suggestion, and Ahk, a bright female with a Talent for stealth, are torn from their families and thrown into the academy. The two naively believe that the biggest threat comes from the other students, not realizing the war has already begun. United in purpose, divided by caste, they can only save the island from the Mad Queen by working together.
363 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2024
40 people are currently reading
955 people want to read
About the author
Michael R. Fletcher
51 books1,326 followersMichael R. Fletcher is a science fiction and fantasy author, a grilled cheese aficionado, and a whiskey-swilling reprobate. He spends his days choreographing his forklift musical (titled "Get Forked"), and using caffeine as a substitute for sanity. Any suggestions that he is actually Dyrk Ashton in disguise are all lies.
Blog (kinda): http://michaelrfletcher.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelRFlet...
Twitter: @FletcherMR
Instagram: fletcher_michael_r
Blog (kinda): http://michaelrfletcher.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelRFlet...
Twitter: @FletcherMR
Instagram: fletcher_michael_r
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
April 17, 2024
4.5/5
The Storm Beneath The World is another brilliant book from Fletcher, who has firmly established himself as one of dark fantasy’s most original and talented authors. It’s also a top tier entertainment with insectile ashkaro getting high on their lethal powers.
It’s not as dark or “metal” as the cover suggests. In fact, it’s shockingly heartfelt in places. Still, it’s Fletch’s book, so it’s also bloody and grim. But let’s start at the beginning.
The Storm Beneath The World takes you on a wild ride to a gas planet inhabited by warring tribes of insectile creatures who live on floating islands. They can actually go to the border of their world and see the titular storm beneath.
While ashkaro are alien and their society differs from ours (it’s matriarchal, oppressive, and divided into casts), the author has made the characters instantly relatable. Now, some ashkaro can display superpowers ranging from the power of seduction to incinerating everything around with a thought. Cool. Such powers come with a cost - using them causes a rush of euphoria incomparable to anything else. The Corrupt who fall to the lure of using their powers get high on them and with time starve to death while perfecting the blissful skill.
Each of the story’s protagonist comes from a different cast and background. Witnessing how they discover their powers and how it turns their lives upside down is exciting. Watching them band together and form a bond is great. Watching them in action sequences is pure awesomeness.
Joh is watchful, insecure, and comfortable alone. Wex plunges into action with little thought. Shan is beautiful and considered dumb, and Ash’s fate is most heart-breaking. They met in secret schools in which Corrupt ashkaro are trained to become spies, assassins or insurgents. It turns out the biggest threat doesn’t come from other students, but from Mad Queen’s insane plans. Expect mayhem, adventure, friendship, betrayal, and loss.
The pacing never slows down and I love the way Fletcher incorporates the world in small pieces, important to the current circumstances of his characters. That’s the way I love it. The intrigue and surprises kept me at the edge of the seat.
As with any great fantasy — and The Storm Beneath The World is one — characters and their growth drive the plot. Wildly imaginative, and in turns playful and brutal, it's a must read for fans of dark fantasy.
The Storm Beneath The World is another brilliant book from Fletcher, who has firmly established himself as one of dark fantasy’s most original and talented authors. It’s also a top tier entertainment with insectile ashkaro getting high on their lethal powers.
It’s not as dark or “metal” as the cover suggests. In fact, it’s shockingly heartfelt in places. Still, it’s Fletch’s book, so it’s also bloody and grim. But let’s start at the beginning.
The Storm Beneath The World takes you on a wild ride to a gas planet inhabited by warring tribes of insectile creatures who live on floating islands. They can actually go to the border of their world and see the titular storm beneath.
While ashkaro are alien and their society differs from ours (it’s matriarchal, oppressive, and divided into casts), the author has made the characters instantly relatable. Now, some ashkaro can display superpowers ranging from the power of seduction to incinerating everything around with a thought. Cool. Such powers come with a cost - using them causes a rush of euphoria incomparable to anything else. The Corrupt who fall to the lure of using their powers get high on them and with time starve to death while perfecting the blissful skill.
Each of the story’s protagonist comes from a different cast and background. Witnessing how they discover their powers and how it turns their lives upside down is exciting. Watching them band together and form a bond is great. Watching them in action sequences is pure awesomeness.
Joh is watchful, insecure, and comfortable alone. Wex plunges into action with little thought. Shan is beautiful and considered dumb, and Ash’s fate is most heart-breaking. They met in secret schools in which Corrupt ashkaro are trained to become spies, assassins or insurgents. It turns out the biggest threat doesn’t come from other students, but from Mad Queen’s insane plans. Expect mayhem, adventure, friendship, betrayal, and loss.
The pacing never slows down and I love the way Fletcher incorporates the world in small pieces, important to the current circumstances of his characters. That’s the way I love it. The intrigue and surprises kept me at the edge of the seat.
As with any great fantasy — and The Storm Beneath The World is one — characters and their growth drive the plot. Wildly imaginative, and in turns playful and brutal, it's a must read for fans of dark fantasy.
January 11, 2025
This review was originally published on Before We Go Blog
The Storm Beneath the World is a wildly imaginative, morbidly captivating, and slightly unhinged gutpunch of a story that will have you buzzing with equal parts wonder and dread; this is fantasy like you have never read before.
Now, much as I would like to write an entire essay about all the exceptionally intriguing elements that make The Storm Beneath the World one of my favourite reads of this year, I honestly feel like I will never be able to do it justice with my words. This is the type of story that you simply have to experience for yourself to truly understand its utter brilliance; it’s a sensory full-body experience that will leave its mark on you, whether you like it or not.
To me, going blind into The Storm Beneath the World will be the most rewarding and exciting reading experience. All you truly need to know is that it’s got morally gray insect people living on warring creature-islands floating above a raging firestorm, corruptive deadly magical powers, intriguing authentic and alien flora and fauna, a matriarchal society with fascinating flipped gender dynamics, a brutally rigid divided class system, and not one, but TWO cutthroat assassin/spy schools. And honestly, that’s just scratching the surface!
In the hands of a lesser author, I think this extremely ambitious and unique story could very easily have been way too overwhelming to enjoy. Fortunately for all of us, it is Fletcher bringing this story to us, and he damn well nailed its execution. Right from the get-go, I felt completely transported into this wonderfully weird world, and then only continued to get increasingly entranced and awe-struck by its dark allure with each turn of the page.
Exploring the beautifully bizarre ashkaro society and culture in all its glory through the eyes of our four young and struggling protagonists was extremely compelling to me, and I latched onto these tragically disastrous chaos kids way quicker than was probably good for my emotional state. I mean, I am not going to sit here and pretend that I wasn’t afraid I wouldn’t be able to get invested in a story where the entire cast is made up of bug people, but holy smokes, was I wrong for assuming so.
The Storm Beneath the World might not feature any human characters, yet the painfully raw and realistic emotions of all these characters practically bleed off the page, simply demanding you to get sucked into their emotional turmoil right along with them. And because they all come from very different backgrounds and have such distinct personalities, they all offer such an excitingly different and refreshing perspective on their believed reality.
Moreover, their clashing worldviews and life experiences resulted in some of the most compelling character dynamics I have witnessed, including some unexpected alliances and unconventional friendships that really tugged on my heartstrings. And through all of their effortlessly funny interactions, Fletcher’s trademark dark and ironic sense of humour also really gets to shine. Especially Joh’s unfortunate lack of control with his suggestion powers and Shan’s incorrigible vanity, haughtiness, and brutal disillusionment were tragically amusing to me, which balanced out the overall darkness of the story so well.
But what I maybe loved most about reading from their perspectives, is that their general ignorance of the world’s history and lore creates such an alluring air of mystery and intrigue that simply keeps you turning the pages in your hunt for answers. This world is simply buzzing with ancient mysteries and dangerous intrigue, and I adored gobbling up all the little hints and teases right along with our characters.
Though while most of their reality remains an unexplainable and elusive mystery to them, we do get a deliciously in-depth look into the brutally insane magic system through their eyes, which I absolutely adored. I have always said that I am a sucker for magic that comes at a cost, and this might just be one of my absolute favourite executions of that trope.
With the lives of these characters recently having been completely upturned after being outcast as Corrupt due to the discovery of their taboo talents, we get such an emotionally engaging exploration of the horrifying repercussions of their addictive magical powers on both themselves and the people around them. Moreover, seeing them get pulled into the lure when using their powers was such a weirdly captivating and oddly mesmerising experience, which only made this story even more unputdownable than it already was.
In a way, The Storm Beneath the World was so utterly addictive to me that I’d almost think I had discovered my own talent (that being reading this book) and succumbed to the lure myself. I binged this book in two sittings, with the last 40% being devoured in one go, only to then stumble upon such a brutal cliffhanger that made me feel like I had personally been thrown off the edge of a floating island into the raging firestorm beneath the world; and you know what, I am truly revelling in the emotional damage of it all.
Well, would you look at that, I ended up writing an essay-length gush review anyway, who is surprised? The Storm Beneath the World is simply one of the most inventive, unforgettable, and dangerously addictive fantasy stories I have read in a long while. And while it is not as dark and disturbing as Fletcher’s earlier works, it still features some brutally shocking twists and turns, making it just delightfully messed up in all the best ways.
If you are looking for an exceptionally unique and twisted take on a coming-of-age fantasy tale full of flawed yet loveable insectoid protagonists, richly immersive yet intriguingly mysterious world building, tragically ironic dark humour, deadly political intrigue, and cutthroat assassin/spy magical school vibes, then you simply have to check out The Storm Beneath the World; it is nothing short of a masterpiece.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Storm Beneath the World is a wildly imaginative, morbidly captivating, and slightly unhinged gutpunch of a story that will have you buzzing with equal parts wonder and dread; this is fantasy like you have never read before.
Now, much as I would like to write an entire essay about all the exceptionally intriguing elements that make The Storm Beneath the World one of my favourite reads of this year, I honestly feel like I will never be able to do it justice with my words. This is the type of story that you simply have to experience for yourself to truly understand its utter brilliance; it’s a sensory full-body experience that will leave its mark on you, whether you like it or not.
To me, going blind into The Storm Beneath the World will be the most rewarding and exciting reading experience. All you truly need to know is that it’s got morally gray insect people living on warring creature-islands floating above a raging firestorm, corruptive deadly magical powers, intriguing authentic and alien flora and fauna, a matriarchal society with fascinating flipped gender dynamics, a brutally rigid divided class system, and not one, but TWO cutthroat assassin/spy schools. And honestly, that’s just scratching the surface!
In the hands of a lesser author, I think this extremely ambitious and unique story could very easily have been way too overwhelming to enjoy. Fortunately for all of us, it is Fletcher bringing this story to us, and he damn well nailed its execution. Right from the get-go, I felt completely transported into this wonderfully weird world, and then only continued to get increasingly entranced and awe-struck by its dark allure with each turn of the page.
Exploring the beautifully bizarre ashkaro society and culture in all its glory through the eyes of our four young and struggling protagonists was extremely compelling to me, and I latched onto these tragically disastrous chaos kids way quicker than was probably good for my emotional state. I mean, I am not going to sit here and pretend that I wasn’t afraid I wouldn’t be able to get invested in a story where the entire cast is made up of bug people, but holy smokes, was I wrong for assuming so.
The Storm Beneath the World might not feature any human characters, yet the painfully raw and realistic emotions of all these characters practically bleed off the page, simply demanding you to get sucked into their emotional turmoil right along with them. And because they all come from very different backgrounds and have such distinct personalities, they all offer such an excitingly different and refreshing perspective on their believed reality.
Moreover, their clashing worldviews and life experiences resulted in some of the most compelling character dynamics I have witnessed, including some unexpected alliances and unconventional friendships that really tugged on my heartstrings. And through all of their effortlessly funny interactions, Fletcher’s trademark dark and ironic sense of humour also really gets to shine. Especially Joh’s unfortunate lack of control with his suggestion powers and Shan’s incorrigible vanity, haughtiness, and brutal disillusionment were tragically amusing to me, which balanced out the overall darkness of the story so well.
But what I maybe loved most about reading from their perspectives, is that their general ignorance of the world’s history and lore creates such an alluring air of mystery and intrigue that simply keeps you turning the pages in your hunt for answers. This world is simply buzzing with ancient mysteries and dangerous intrigue, and I adored gobbling up all the little hints and teases right along with our characters.
Though while most of their reality remains an unexplainable and elusive mystery to them, we do get a deliciously in-depth look into the brutally insane magic system through their eyes, which I absolutely adored. I have always said that I am a sucker for magic that comes at a cost, and this might just be one of my absolute favourite executions of that trope.
With the lives of these characters recently having been completely upturned after being outcast as Corrupt due to the discovery of their taboo talents, we get such an emotionally engaging exploration of the horrifying repercussions of their addictive magical powers on both themselves and the people around them. Moreover, seeing them get pulled into the lure when using their powers was such a weirdly captivating and oddly mesmerising experience, which only made this story even more unputdownable than it already was.
In a way, The Storm Beneath the World was so utterly addictive to me that I’d almost think I had discovered my own talent (that being reading this book) and succumbed to the lure myself. I binged this book in two sittings, with the last 40% being devoured in one go, only to then stumble upon such a brutal cliffhanger that made me feel like I had personally been thrown off the edge of a floating island into the raging firestorm beneath the world; and you know what, I am truly revelling in the emotional damage of it all.
Well, would you look at that, I ended up writing an essay-length gush review anyway, who is surprised? The Storm Beneath the World is simply one of the most inventive, unforgettable, and dangerously addictive fantasy stories I have read in a long while. And while it is not as dark and disturbing as Fletcher’s earlier works, it still features some brutally shocking twists and turns, making it just delightfully messed up in all the best ways.
If you are looking for an exceptionally unique and twisted take on a coming-of-age fantasy tale full of flawed yet loveable insectoid protagonists, richly immersive yet intriguingly mysterious world building, tragically ironic dark humour, deadly political intrigue, and cutthroat assassin/spy magical school vibes, then you simply have to check out The Storm Beneath the World; it is nothing short of a masterpiece.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
March 2, 2024
The Storm Beneath the World by Michael T. Fletcher is something I come across rarely - it's utterly unique!
I never thought I could care about "bugs" , but Fletcher managed to write this world and its characters so utterly captivating, I was hooked within moments.
The world building is freaking fabulous, with whole societies of insect like people living on giant floating islands, and two of them getting closer to each other promising a war to come.
It is woven throughout all layers, from actual biology, to language, behaviours, setting, daily life and everything like transportation or such.
The whole social structure, as well as the biology behind it all, was just so well written, and managed to both feel familiar enough to easily get I to teh story, but alien enough to be a very much needed breath of fresh air! I so love non human main characters, who are actually different, and not just feel like humans, but with antennas or such.
This book might not have any humans, but the people are just as flawed, corrupt, naive or brave, and I was immediately invested in their fates and choices.
The way "insect society" works, this book has a natural matriarchy. So compared to our culture, all the sexist problems are turned on their head. This makes it a smooth and logical part of the book, which doesn't feel like a moral pointer finger, but still makes you take notice and rethink some things.
While this might be Fletcher's least dark book, it's still not a cosy read, and there is at least one pretty gory scene.
The end is quite a cliffhanger, and worked very well for me. I already can't wait for the sequel!
I never thought I could care about "bugs" , but Fletcher managed to write this world and its characters so utterly captivating, I was hooked within moments.
The world building is freaking fabulous, with whole societies of insect like people living on giant floating islands, and two of them getting closer to each other promising a war to come.
It is woven throughout all layers, from actual biology, to language, behaviours, setting, daily life and everything like transportation or such.
The whole social structure, as well as the biology behind it all, was just so well written, and managed to both feel familiar enough to easily get I to teh story, but alien enough to be a very much needed breath of fresh air! I so love non human main characters, who are actually different, and not just feel like humans, but with antennas or such.
This book might not have any humans, but the people are just as flawed, corrupt, naive or brave, and I was immediately invested in their fates and choices.
The way "insect society" works, this book has a natural matriarchy. So compared to our culture, all the sexist problems are turned on their head. This makes it a smooth and logical part of the book, which doesn't feel like a moral pointer finger, but still makes you take notice and rethink some things.
While this might be Fletcher's least dark book, it's still not a cosy read, and there is at least one pretty gory scene.
The end is quite a cliffhanger, and worked very well for me. I already can't wait for the sequel!
December 30, 2024
I thought this was well written and the concept was original.
It wasn't as dark as people might expect coming from an author who is apparently well known for writing rather grim works, which is why I chose to read it.
I was hoping for a standalone novel but this is the start of a series so I have knocked a star off for that. And I did find it difficult to get invested in the characters, not because they weren't well written but more because they weren't human so it wasn't easy to care for them.
There are a few examples of some nice artwork in my kindle version so people might like to check and see what the physical book is like.
Judging by the quality of the writing I would happily recommend people to check out this author's work and see what they think.
All the best for 2025.
It wasn't as dark as people might expect coming from an author who is apparently well known for writing rather grim works, which is why I chose to read it.
I was hoping for a standalone novel but this is the start of a series so I have knocked a star off for that. And I did find it difficult to get invested in the characters, not because they weren't well written but more because they weren't human so it wasn't easy to care for them.
There are a few examples of some nice artwork in my kindle version so people might like to check and see what the physical book is like.
Judging by the quality of the writing I would happily recommend people to check out this author's work and see what they think.
All the best for 2025.
May 20, 2024
There's always a price to pay for power in Fletcher's stories. In some worlds, tapping into them will drive you closer to insanity until you cross the threshold permanently. In The Storm Beneath the World, the giant insect race ashkaro all have inherent powers, but only a select few become Corrupt and learn how to use them. The problem is that they become so addicted to the high of their powers that the eventual lure of overusing them will drive them toward overdose and death. If that talent happens to be obsessive whittling until starvation, that's a bummer. If their talent happens to be they are extremely good at assassinating people... that could be a real drag if you happen to be on the wrong side of the forest that day.
I'm getting ahead of myself.
The Storm Beneath the World has a lot going on in it. On the surface, it's a frenetically-paced action thriller with hidden schools for killer children, alien races, living islands, monstrous beasts, and warring factions. Scrape beneath the carapace, and you'll face themes of haves vs. have-nots, gender roles, manipulation, found family, how far one will go for a supposed greater good, conditioned societal norms, religious hypocrisy, and a host of disturbing and fascinating moral quandaries that ask complex questions without any right answers.
I've read most of everything Fletcher has published, so I don't say this lightly when I say this may be his deepest, most fulfilling work yet.
I'm getting ahead of myself.
The Storm Beneath the World has a lot going on in it. On the surface, it's a frenetically-paced action thriller with hidden schools for killer children, alien races, living islands, monstrous beasts, and warring factions. Scrape beneath the carapace, and you'll face themes of haves vs. have-nots, gender roles, manipulation, found family, how far one will go for a supposed greater good, conditioned societal norms, religious hypocrisy, and a host of disturbing and fascinating moral quandaries that ask complex questions without any right answers.
I've read most of everything Fletcher has published, so I don't say this lightly when I say this may be his deepest, most fulfilling work yet.
May 27, 2024
My favorite character in this amazing book is compelled to question everything, and--wow--talk about something that is both a blessing and a curse! I don't know that I've ever run into a fictional character that I related to more.
The Storm Beneath the World might be Fletcher's best work yet, and that's saying a lot. An incredibly imaginative world combined with unforgettable characters, heart-wrenching drama, and intense action is always going to be a winning combination, but what I especially liked about this book (as well as Fletcher's work in general) is the philosophical speculation on what it means to be human, which seems like a strange thing to say about a story in which the characters are all sentient insects.
The plot is complex, and the characters engaging (even the pompous "arm candy" character, who has more depth than is immediately apparent), but what I enjoyed most were the insightful treatments of such issues as community vs. individualism, free will vs. compulsion (in all its various forms), and social stratification based on birth and appearance rather than merit. Fletcher's insects no longer live in hives, but the hive mentality remains strong (just as we intelligent primates no longer live in tribes, but we're still instinctively tribal). The difficult ethical choices the characters in this story must make are extremely relatable, as is the flawed and suspect guidance and preparation they receive from their authority figures (all the way up to the top). These ethical issues give this story more intellectual depth than you find in most fantasy books (including most that actively try to include it), and I'm there for it.
Very highly recommended!
Oh, and Soak Rhat Heez? Geddouddahere! (I love it.)
The Storm Beneath the World might be Fletcher's best work yet, and that's saying a lot. An incredibly imaginative world combined with unforgettable characters, heart-wrenching drama, and intense action is always going to be a winning combination, but what I especially liked about this book (as well as Fletcher's work in general) is the philosophical speculation on what it means to be human, which seems like a strange thing to say about a story in which the characters are all sentient insects.
The plot is complex, and the characters engaging (even the pompous "arm candy" character, who has more depth than is immediately apparent), but what I enjoyed most were the insightful treatments of such issues as community vs. individualism, free will vs. compulsion (in all its various forms), and social stratification based on birth and appearance rather than merit. Fletcher's insects no longer live in hives, but the hive mentality remains strong (just as we intelligent primates no longer live in tribes, but we're still instinctively tribal). The difficult ethical choices the characters in this story must make are extremely relatable, as is the flawed and suspect guidance and preparation they receive from their authority figures (all the way up to the top). These ethical issues give this story more intellectual depth than you find in most fantasy books (including most that actively try to include it), and I'm there for it.
Very highly recommended!
Oh, and Soak Rhat Heez? Geddouddahere! (I love it.)
April 7, 2024
Review originally on
Jamreads
The Storm Beneath The World is the first book in the grimdark duology Children of Corruption, written by Michael R. Fletcher. A really unique novel, which shines in many aspects, the kind of deranged madness that only Fletcher's mind can produce, wildly imaginative, and with an incredibly engaging plot, dark but also powerful.
The ashkaro, insectile creatures, live in flying islands travelling the River of Days; divided in queendoms, following a caste system that is based on the colours of the carapace, equaling the more colourful to the highest caste (which is reflected by your number of names), in a matriarchal immobile system, swapping the classic gender roles. In this context, war is inevitable between Nysh's queendom, which embraces until certain point the ideas of independence from the swarm, and Yil's, servants of the Old Goddess, which is expanding by conquest.
To prepare for the imminent war, young ashkaro that manifest dangerous Talents, who would be ostracised in other circumstances, are sent to secret schools to be trained as assassins as spy, separated by castes.
Our story follows several of those young ashkaro, from a wide range of castes; all of them manifests Talents, a really original magic system, which also includes an interesting way of balancing the power, with the user slowly walking towards its own madness by addiction to use it. With a short space of the novel, we are totally invested in said characters, sharing their struggles and their own set of problems (and let me tell you, Joh's point of view is simply a marvel, snarky, full of humour, but also presenting the problems of coming from the lowest class of ashkaro's society).
With the advancing of the plot, our characters continue growing in their own ways, not always in totally positive ways, creating a captivating but also horrifying experience, as they slowly reveal their secrets and get lured into using more of their powers; all until Queen Yil moves her pieces and attacks the schools, a situation that will allow our lower-class characters to shine, fighting back against.
Excellently paced, I devoured this novel; there's not a single dull moment, keeping you hooked and making you jump in the chair at many points, with many impactful scenes. As said, you can guess through Fletcher's worldbuilding a layer of social commentary, swapping the roles at many points in clever ways; and it is also worth to mention the details lifted from our own world's insects and invertebrate.
The Storm Beneath the World is simply a superb Grimdark novel, breaking and imaginative; you will absolutely love it if the genre is your thing. And with that ending, I can't wait until we have the second book in the Children of Corruption series.
The Storm Beneath The World is the first book in the grimdark duology Children of Corruption, written by Michael R. Fletcher. A really unique novel, which shines in many aspects, the kind of deranged madness that only Fletcher's mind can produce, wildly imaginative, and with an incredibly engaging plot, dark but also powerful.
The ashkaro, insectile creatures, live in flying islands travelling the River of Days; divided in queendoms, following a caste system that is based on the colours of the carapace, equaling the more colourful to the highest caste (which is reflected by your number of names), in a matriarchal immobile system, swapping the classic gender roles. In this context, war is inevitable between Nysh's queendom, which embraces until certain point the ideas of independence from the swarm, and Yil's, servants of the Old Goddess, which is expanding by conquest.
To prepare for the imminent war, young ashkaro that manifest dangerous Talents, who would be ostracised in other circumstances, are sent to secret schools to be trained as assassins as spy, separated by castes.
Our story follows several of those young ashkaro, from a wide range of castes; all of them manifests Talents, a really original magic system, which also includes an interesting way of balancing the power, with the user slowly walking towards its own madness by addiction to use it. With a short space of the novel, we are totally invested in said characters, sharing their struggles and their own set of problems (and let me tell you, Joh's point of view is simply a marvel, snarky, full of humour, but also presenting the problems of coming from the lowest class of ashkaro's society).
With the advancing of the plot, our characters continue growing in their own ways, not always in totally positive ways, creating a captivating but also horrifying experience, as they slowly reveal their secrets and get lured into using more of their powers; all until Queen Yil moves her pieces and attacks the schools, a situation that will allow our lower-class characters to shine, fighting back against.
Excellently paced, I devoured this novel; there's not a single dull moment, keeping you hooked and making you jump in the chair at many points, with many impactful scenes. As said, you can guess through Fletcher's worldbuilding a layer of social commentary, swapping the roles at many points in clever ways; and it is also worth to mention the details lifted from our own world's insects and invertebrate.
The Storm Beneath the World is simply a superb Grimdark novel, breaking and imaginative; you will absolutely love it if the genre is your thing. And with that ending, I can't wait until we have the second book in the Children of Corruption series.
February 21, 2024
You can see my YouTube Video for the book here. The Storm Beneath the World
This upcoming new release is a unique new series by Fletcher that has a world based on giant sentient insects. These insects live on giant floating islands on the back of millions year old floating creatures. The Ashkaro as they're known are matriarchal and live with a rigid caste system that is largely based on how bright ones carapice is.
Some Ashkaro have magical abilities called Talents that can be absolutely anything, from cooking, to woodworking, invisibility, or even shooting fire. These Talents are dangerous and inevitably lead to madness and then death. Using one's Talent feels almost orgasmic and the compulsion to use it is so strong that an Ashkaro will otherwise neglect themselves forgetting to clean themselves or even to eat. The dangerous talents like shooting fire are a risk to everyone in society.
When two of these giant floating islands begin to move closer together war becomes inevitable and one of the queendoms decides to use youths with dangerous Talents to help protect their Queendom. These kids must deal with the dangers of learning some control over their Talent all the while navigating the fear and prejudices of their Queendom.
This upcoming new release is a unique new series by Fletcher that has a world based on giant sentient insects. These insects live on giant floating islands on the back of millions year old floating creatures. The Ashkaro as they're known are matriarchal and live with a rigid caste system that is largely based on how bright ones carapice is.
Some Ashkaro have magical abilities called Talents that can be absolutely anything, from cooking, to woodworking, invisibility, or even shooting fire. These Talents are dangerous and inevitably lead to madness and then death. Using one's Talent feels almost orgasmic and the compulsion to use it is so strong that an Ashkaro will otherwise neglect themselves forgetting to clean themselves or even to eat. The dangerous talents like shooting fire are a risk to everyone in society.
When two of these giant floating islands begin to move closer together war becomes inevitable and one of the queendoms decides to use youths with dangerous Talents to help protect their Queendom. These kids must deal with the dangers of learning some control over their Talent all the while navigating the fear and prejudices of their Queendom.
March 20, 2024
Over many books and multiple series, Michael R. Fletcher has weaved his unique (grim)dark tales and built a stellar fantasy rep as a result. One of Fletcher’s defining traits is his mad genius approach to the central ideas in his books. For example, in the decade since the first book in his Manifest Delusions series was published, has there honestly been a better magic system than one where reality is defined by someone’s insane beliefs? That’s rhetorical, don’t send me better ideas. Original worldbuilding is also another strong motif of Fletcher’s.
Both these traits are on wild display in The Storm Beneath The World, the first in his new series, and a book that showcase the depths of Fletcher’s inspired and at times depraved skillset.
Here we have a society of people-sized insects who inhabit a giant island. The first worldbuilding trick here is that Fletcher has eschewed the standard hive society of insect worlds for a more individualised society but also clearly a caste system, the detail of which is glorious to behold. There’s the dulls – the dregs of society so named for the dull colours of their carapace (insect shell). The higher up in the society you go, the brighter coloured your carapace is – hence the brights. A naming system also reflects this hierarchy; dulls have one-word names and the highest of the brights have a frankly arrogant five names. Oh, and it’s a gender-flipped world: Fletcher has enormous fun imagining a society where men are the ones put upon and females are the ruling, intelligent, bloodthirsty ones.
This insectoid caste system is intricately woven so after a while it stops being bizarre that you’re in a world of essentially big praying mantises and you can start focusing on the detail. Not that you ever forget their insects; Fletcher has thought hard about their physiology and nowhere is this clearer than in the standard Fletcher violence; there’s something deeply and absorbingly grim about learning the biological truths about these insects’ bodies through the ultra-violent scenes of their various body parts being torn off and one particularly nauseous torture scene which won’t be forgotten quickly or, perhaps, ever.
As for his standard mad magic idea; here we have the idea of talents, and the corrupted. Everyone has a hidden talent (i.e. super power); but if you discover yours, then you become the corrupted and without strong training will ultimately give into the “lure”. In other words, if you’re good at lighting fires, then if you’re not careful the whole world will burn and you’ll have to be killed. It’s a gloriously dark take on super heroes – never has magic had such a dire cost – and also to my mind offers an interesting meta take on creativity. We know that mental health is often innately tied to creativity (how many tortured artists of history have proved this), so how far are we writers ever from succumbing to our own lures? (maybe file that under bizarre reader’s takes, whatever).
All this worldbuilding never overwhelms though, as Fletcher has given us four POVs of these so-called corrupted, all from various castes, whose class struggles and even greater “oh shit now I’m one of the insect X-men” struggles are immensely engaging. The plot focuses on them all being brought to the X-men academy, sorry, training schools, where they will be trained to fight for the Queen of the Island against the “Mad” Queen of the enemy island – or else fall to the temptations of their powers with the inevitable messy endings this will lead to.
What follows is peak Fletcher: bloody, grim, violent fights; close character study, and last but not least big meaty themes. Is these insects’ caste society of alleged individualism undermined by brutal class reality really better than the collective hive society of the “enemy” they are being trained to fight? Who is the real enemy here? Does any of it really matter, or do you just cling to your friends and let the rest burn? Fletcher is one of the best at mixing existentialist philosophy with people having objects violently shoved through various parts of their body, and he is on fire here.
Fletcher has also crafted a mysterious world beyond the borders of the single giant island – rumours of pirate islands, islands where insects have devolved back to hive, and entire new worlds and races hidden behind supposedly impassable wall of storms. This is one of my favourite things about fantasy; bizarre snippers of undiscovered lands, the HERE BE DRAGONS of the map, and Fletcher is great at this. Epigraphs are used to good effect here; often lazy in some books, here they are fascinating in the insight they offer into insect society but also the manifold mysteries Fletcher has laced within this world that we better get answers to… or else. (Else what? Shut up).
As we race to the climax of the novel, Fletcher raises the stakes for all four of our carapaced assassins and dives into some dark character territory as the horrific potential of their powers comes to the fore. He then ends on the kind of massive cliffhanger characteristic of a canny author who wants you to salivate for the second book.
In summary, the Mad Titan of dark fantasy has done it again… this is an inspired take on the dark side of super powers combined with stunning worldbuilding, grimly satisfying action and compelling character arcs. Fletcher’s complex insectoid society feels more stunningly real than most human fantasy ones. A joy.
Both these traits are on wild display in The Storm Beneath The World, the first in his new series, and a book that showcase the depths of Fletcher’s inspired and at times depraved skillset.
Here we have a society of people-sized insects who inhabit a giant island. The first worldbuilding trick here is that Fletcher has eschewed the standard hive society of insect worlds for a more individualised society but also clearly a caste system, the detail of which is glorious to behold. There’s the dulls – the dregs of society so named for the dull colours of their carapace (insect shell). The higher up in the society you go, the brighter coloured your carapace is – hence the brights. A naming system also reflects this hierarchy; dulls have one-word names and the highest of the brights have a frankly arrogant five names. Oh, and it’s a gender-flipped world: Fletcher has enormous fun imagining a society where men are the ones put upon and females are the ruling, intelligent, bloodthirsty ones.
This insectoid caste system is intricately woven so after a while it stops being bizarre that you’re in a world of essentially big praying mantises and you can start focusing on the detail. Not that you ever forget their insects; Fletcher has thought hard about their physiology and nowhere is this clearer than in the standard Fletcher violence; there’s something deeply and absorbingly grim about learning the biological truths about these insects’ bodies through the ultra-violent scenes of their various body parts being torn off and one particularly nauseous torture scene which won’t be forgotten quickly or, perhaps, ever.
As for his standard mad magic idea; here we have the idea of talents, and the corrupted. Everyone has a hidden talent (i.e. super power); but if you discover yours, then you become the corrupted and without strong training will ultimately give into the “lure”. In other words, if you’re good at lighting fires, then if you’re not careful the whole world will burn and you’ll have to be killed. It’s a gloriously dark take on super heroes – never has magic had such a dire cost – and also to my mind offers an interesting meta take on creativity. We know that mental health is often innately tied to creativity (how many tortured artists of history have proved this), so how far are we writers ever from succumbing to our own lures? (maybe file that under bizarre reader’s takes, whatever).
All this worldbuilding never overwhelms though, as Fletcher has given us four POVs of these so-called corrupted, all from various castes, whose class struggles and even greater “oh shit now I’m one of the insect X-men” struggles are immensely engaging. The plot focuses on them all being brought to the X-men academy, sorry, training schools, where they will be trained to fight for the Queen of the Island against the “Mad” Queen of the enemy island – or else fall to the temptations of their powers with the inevitable messy endings this will lead to.
What follows is peak Fletcher: bloody, grim, violent fights; close character study, and last but not least big meaty themes. Is these insects’ caste society of alleged individualism undermined by brutal class reality really better than the collective hive society of the “enemy” they are being trained to fight? Who is the real enemy here? Does any of it really matter, or do you just cling to your friends and let the rest burn? Fletcher is one of the best at mixing existentialist philosophy with people having objects violently shoved through various parts of their body, and he is on fire here.
Fletcher has also crafted a mysterious world beyond the borders of the single giant island – rumours of pirate islands, islands where insects have devolved back to hive, and entire new worlds and races hidden behind supposedly impassable wall of storms. This is one of my favourite things about fantasy; bizarre snippers of undiscovered lands, the HERE BE DRAGONS of the map, and Fletcher is great at this. Epigraphs are used to good effect here; often lazy in some books, here they are fascinating in the insight they offer into insect society but also the manifold mysteries Fletcher has laced within this world that we better get answers to… or else. (Else what? Shut up).
As we race to the climax of the novel, Fletcher raises the stakes for all four of our carapaced assassins and dives into some dark character territory as the horrific potential of their powers comes to the fore. He then ends on the kind of massive cliffhanger characteristic of a canny author who wants you to salivate for the second book.
In summary, the Mad Titan of dark fantasy has done it again… this is an inspired take on the dark side of super powers combined with stunning worldbuilding, grimly satisfying action and compelling character arcs. Fletcher’s complex insectoid society feels more stunningly real than most human fantasy ones. A joy.
January 6, 2024
Above a raging storm, rivalling queendoms rule over unquestioned caste systems. An insignificant dull ashkaro’s insecurity threatens all they hold dear.
Absolute love for this! So much heart, humour & endearing characters. An action filled delight.
Much thanks for the ARC. :)
Absolute love for this! So much heart, humour & endearing characters. An action filled delight.
Much thanks for the ARC. :)
January 31, 2025
🧨🎯 IT'S FREE❗❗❗❗❗ IT'S FREE ❗❗❗❗❗ HURRY before Fletcher realizes what he's done. Aug 28, 2024 🎯 🧨
It’s the big bad ass bug book! I love how Michael Fletcher writes about weird stuff and throws in some kind of drug induced character. His stories are always entertaining. What we don’t have is book 2. BOO! I hope he’s planning on writing it since I see this one originally came out 7 years ago.
It’s the big bad ass bug book! I love how Michael Fletcher writes about weird stuff and throws in some kind of drug induced character. His stories are always entertaining. What we don’t have is book 2. BOO! I hope he’s planning on writing it since I see this one originally came out 7 years ago.
December 29, 2024
Being a bug sucks -- the girls are so bossy! How dare they say that us boys need to smile more??
January 3, 2024
The ashkaro, insect like creatures, live in islands floating about "the storm beneath the world". It is a society ruled by the females, the male being the weaker sex. There's also a strong caste system where the more names you have, the more noble you are. Some of these ashkaro eventually discover their talent, special abilities, that apparently could be anything, from carving to mind reading. Those that develop a talent are considered Corrupt and banished from society.
That is in short, where Michael R. Fletcher's creative mind takes the reader to in The Storm Beneath the World, his upcoming book and series.
I started this journey kind of feeling my way around and wondering if the "X-insect" tale would work. Or asking myself, why insects? or why not simply use humans? But that was quickly forgotten, as the story and character develop.
Fletcher doesn't waste time with long descriptions which gives the book a nice rhythm. I couldn't help my jaw dropping several times along the story. I believe Fletcher managed to avoid some clichês of the genre and every now and then surprises the reader with the choices made by the characters and the conflicts he creates amongst them.
I ended up devouring the book, which is very unusual for me. Normally a patient reader, I couldn't stop turning pages to see how it would all end. Some parts do seem a bit rushed and one or two things happen kind of out of the blue. But I'm hoping the author will clarify them in the next books.
All in all, a very creative, entertaining, fast paced, good fantasy story, with interesting characters and worldbuilding. Looking forward for the next installment in the series.
That is in short, where Michael R. Fletcher's creative mind takes the reader to in The Storm Beneath the World, his upcoming book and series.
I started this journey kind of feeling my way around and wondering if the "X-insect" tale would work. Or asking myself, why insects? or why not simply use humans? But that was quickly forgotten, as the story and character develop.
Fletcher doesn't waste time with long descriptions which gives the book a nice rhythm. I couldn't help my jaw dropping several times along the story. I believe Fletcher managed to avoid some clichês of the genre and every now and then surprises the reader with the choices made by the characters and the conflicts he creates amongst them.
I ended up devouring the book, which is very unusual for me. Normally a patient reader, I couldn't stop turning pages to see how it would all end. Some parts do seem a bit rushed and one or two things happen kind of out of the blue. But I'm hoping the author will clarify them in the next books.
All in all, a very creative, entertaining, fast paced, good fantasy story, with interesting characters and worldbuilding. Looking forward for the next installment in the series.
April 7, 2024
A rich and unique dark fantasy with very creative world-building.
It’s absolutely stunning how Fletcher has created a world of evolved insectile creatures, crafted a culture to match so fittingly and somehow included so many relevant themes and character conflicts to keep you thoroughly invested!
The magic system is definitely a big attraction and leaves room for so much possibility. To witness that element play off of each character in their own unique circumstances gives so much depth to the story and I’m sure any reader will be able to find something to relate to here.
Although I am new to Fletcher’s work, I can say without a doubt that I am eagerly anticipating the sequel as well as all his other books!
It’s absolutely stunning how Fletcher has created a world of evolved insectile creatures, crafted a culture to match so fittingly and somehow included so many relevant themes and character conflicts to keep you thoroughly invested!
The magic system is definitely a big attraction and leaves room for so much possibility. To witness that element play off of each character in their own unique circumstances gives so much depth to the story and I’m sure any reader will be able to find something to relate to here.
Although I am new to Fletcher’s work, I can say without a doubt that I am eagerly anticipating the sequel as well as all his other books!
December 18, 2024
Fantastic throughout🤘 can't wait to read more, I haven't read many non human fantasy books before and thoroughly enjoyed this🫡 the acknowledgements were an honest glimpse into some of the struggles around publishing. Keep up the great writing✍️
March 27, 2024
Full review to come but I don't have sufficient words (yet) to express how much I enjoyed my first foray into Mr Fletchers work.
The Storm Beneath the World is engaging and horrifying in equal measure. There is some truly unique world building and cast of characters for you to get your mandibles stuck into and if you're anything like me it will leaving you wanting more.
The Storm Beneath the World is engaging and horrifying in equal measure. There is some truly unique world building and cast of characters for you to get your mandibles stuck into and if you're anything like me it will leaving you wanting more.
July 21, 2024
Why I picked this up: Fletch wrote this thing, so I was gonna end up reading it at some point. Although I prefer audiobooks, I smashed this one with my eyeballs BECAUSE IT HAS PICTURES.
Genre: Dark fantasy
Tone: Dark, not grim. Dare I say there’s a splash of colour? Feels that way.
Plot: Alien insect X-Men kids fight to exist, learn powers, and stop evil Sisterhood from destroying the world.
Pacing: Quick-Mid. Book moves, but we slow down enough to appreciate the character moments and musings without feeling unnecessary or circular.
Prose: 3rd person limited cycling between 4 POV characters. Lean, modern, easy-to-read prose that makes the world immersive by filtering through the lens of each character à la Fletch. No swears? I just checked; there’s no swears. 3 sh-ts and a f-ck if you include the acknowledgements. It could get a PG rating.
World: F-ck me, where do I begin? The story is the world, and the world is the story. It is EVERYTHING. Insect POV characters affect the prose: in-world idioms, non-human sense perception and body language makes this just WOW. A matriarchal post-hive caste-based social structure, a cursed magic system that’s like a class-A drug, alien fauna, wood & stone-based tech, and nations built on the backs of huge f-cking insects that float around a gas supergiant planet. As crazy as that all sounds A) it is, and B) it’s presented in a way that’s digestible.
Characters: Our 4 mains are young males and females from different castes. Each has their unique struggle, morality and perspective of the world based on their social standing. Rejected by society for having talents, they’re all looking for acceptance. You bet there’s a found family vibe in this one.
Conflict: A caste system, wild fauna, fighting the addiction of a cursed talent (magic,) moral quandaries of using magic, and an approaching war with another nation. There’s plenty of action and some alien insect gore that gives it a darker vibe, but as mentioned, it doesn’t feel grim.
Overall enjoyment: The Storm Beneath the World is AWESOME. Having such an alien setting, the illustrations help make brain go good. Story ends on a f-cking cliffhanger. If you live in Canada, go to Fletch’s house and throw whisky at him until he writes Children of Corruption #2.
Genre: Dark fantasy
Tone: Dark, not grim. Dare I say there’s a splash of colour? Feels that way.
Plot: Alien insect X-Men kids fight to exist, learn powers, and stop evil Sisterhood from destroying the world.
Pacing: Quick-Mid. Book moves, but we slow down enough to appreciate the character moments and musings without feeling unnecessary or circular.
Prose: 3rd person limited cycling between 4 POV characters. Lean, modern, easy-to-read prose that makes the world immersive by filtering through the lens of each character à la Fletch. No swears? I just checked; there’s no swears. 3 sh-ts and a f-ck if you include the acknowledgements. It could get a PG rating.
World: F-ck me, where do I begin? The story is the world, and the world is the story. It is EVERYTHING. Insect POV characters affect the prose: in-world idioms, non-human sense perception and body language makes this just WOW. A matriarchal post-hive caste-based social structure, a cursed magic system that’s like a class-A drug, alien fauna, wood & stone-based tech, and nations built on the backs of huge f-cking insects that float around a gas supergiant planet. As crazy as that all sounds A) it is, and B) it’s presented in a way that’s digestible.
Characters: Our 4 mains are young males and females from different castes. Each has their unique struggle, morality and perspective of the world based on their social standing. Rejected by society for having talents, they’re all looking for acceptance. You bet there’s a found family vibe in this one.
Conflict: A caste system, wild fauna, fighting the addiction of a cursed talent (magic,) moral quandaries of using magic, and an approaching war with another nation. There’s plenty of action and some alien insect gore that gives it a darker vibe, but as mentioned, it doesn’t feel grim.
Overall enjoyment: The Storm Beneath the World is AWESOME. Having such an alien setting, the illustrations help make brain go good. Story ends on a f-cking cliffhanger. If you live in Canada, go to Fletch’s house and throw whisky at him until he writes Children of Corruption #2.
April 9, 2024
Mike l'ha fatto di nuovo!!!!
La sua fantasia vulcanica 🌋 ha creato qualcosa di unico e originale!
Isole volanti lungo un fiume di tempo, Il Fiume dei Giorni, sopra una tempesta di fuoco infernale regno di un Dio, isole abitate da insetti antropomorfi, con quattro gambe, quattro ali, sei occhi, antenne di senso e quattro braccia, che danno vita a scenografiche combinazioni di armi.. nel romanzo non è presente nessun tipo di essere umano..
il Worldbuilding è eccezionale, dettagliato in poco tempo, senza inutili discariche di info dump.. ma anche se ci visualizziamo questo mondo in poco tempo, risulta sempre più stratificato man mano che le pagine vanno avanti: la religione coi vari dei i miti e le leggende, le altre creature e animali fantastici, i misteriosi avvistamenti oltre i muri-tempesta, la minaccia bellica con altre isole, i cibi, l evoluzione da società Alveare a una più avanzata e individuale, le usanze e il sistema di caste basato fondamentale su il Carapace, su brillantezza, colorazione e possenza.. Una società di stampo matriarcale con le femmine forti e intelligenti, i maschi meri trofei sessuali, deboli e codardi.. fino ad arrivare al sistema magico, apparentemente semplice, ma che rivela sfaccettature interessanti e uniche..
Rispetto agli altri romanzi di Fletcher, questo ha una struttura diversa, con una prima parte più introduttiva e un po' più lenta, ma sempre affascinante, un misto di Romanzo di Formazione e Dark Academy, con una seconda parte più epica e d'azione, con molti richiami a film libri e fumetti, per esempio X-Men, The Boys, ecc..
Un libro meno violento e cupo rispetto alla sua precedente produzione, ma che non manca di combattimenti e truculenze varie condite dalla solita ironia Fletcheriana.. e dalle tematiche a lui care: moralità contro scelte di vita, prevaricazione, autostima e redenzione..
La cosa che mi è piaciuta di più è che non sono semplicemente insetti che agiscono da esseri umani, e che quindi dopo un po' ti sembra di leggere un normale Fantasy.. ci sono continui riferimenti al mondo degli insetti, ed è davvero divertente vedere come sentono, vedono e comunicano in modo del tutto diverso da noi, e come anche scelte e decisioni sono influenzate da un modo di pensare legato al mondo animale e non umano.. il pov d Ahk per questo per me è il più riuscito, soprattutto da metà in poi.. bello e divertente anche il potere di Jon e le varie implicazioni morali e pratiche..
La cosa che mi è piaciuta un po' meno è un Deus ex verso il finale che riguarda Ahk, che spero venga chiarito, perché così mi è sembrato troppo conveniente e incoerente col resto.. Ma sono sicuro che altro verrà chiarito, anche perché il finale è davvero aperto e lascia in esterna attesa del seguente libro che dovrebbe arrivare tra qualche mese.. Non vedo l'ora!
La sua fantasia vulcanica 🌋 ha creato qualcosa di unico e originale!
Isole volanti lungo un fiume di tempo, Il Fiume dei Giorni, sopra una tempesta di fuoco infernale regno di un Dio, isole abitate da insetti antropomorfi, con quattro gambe, quattro ali, sei occhi, antenne di senso e quattro braccia, che danno vita a scenografiche combinazioni di armi.. nel romanzo non è presente nessun tipo di essere umano..
il Worldbuilding è eccezionale, dettagliato in poco tempo, senza inutili discariche di info dump.. ma anche se ci visualizziamo questo mondo in poco tempo, risulta sempre più stratificato man mano che le pagine vanno avanti: la religione coi vari dei i miti e le leggende, le altre creature e animali fantastici, i misteriosi avvistamenti oltre i muri-tempesta, la minaccia bellica con altre isole, i cibi, l evoluzione da società Alveare a una più avanzata e individuale, le usanze e il sistema di caste basato fondamentale su il Carapace, su brillantezza, colorazione e possenza.. Una società di stampo matriarcale con le femmine forti e intelligenti, i maschi meri trofei sessuali, deboli e codardi.. fino ad arrivare al sistema magico, apparentemente semplice, ma che rivela sfaccettature interessanti e uniche..
Rispetto agli altri romanzi di Fletcher, questo ha una struttura diversa, con una prima parte più introduttiva e un po' più lenta, ma sempre affascinante, un misto di Romanzo di Formazione e Dark Academy, con una seconda parte più epica e d'azione, con molti richiami a film libri e fumetti, per esempio X-Men, The Boys, ecc..
Un libro meno violento e cupo rispetto alla sua precedente produzione, ma che non manca di combattimenti e truculenze varie condite dalla solita ironia Fletcheriana.. e dalle tematiche a lui care: moralità contro scelte di vita, prevaricazione, autostima e redenzione..
La cosa che mi è piaciuta di più è che non sono semplicemente insetti che agiscono da esseri umani, e che quindi dopo un po' ti sembra di leggere un normale Fantasy.. ci sono continui riferimenti al mondo degli insetti, ed è davvero divertente vedere come sentono, vedono e comunicano in modo del tutto diverso da noi, e come anche scelte e decisioni sono influenzate da un modo di pensare legato al mondo animale e non umano.. il pov d Ahk per questo per me è il più riuscito, soprattutto da metà in poi.. bello e divertente anche il potere di Jon e le varie implicazioni morali e pratiche..
La cosa che mi è piaciuta un po' meno è un Deus ex verso il finale che riguarda Ahk, che spero venga chiarito, perché così mi è sembrato troppo conveniente e incoerente col resto.. Ma sono sicuro che altro verrà chiarito, anche perché il finale è davvero aperto e lascia in esterna attesa del seguente libro che dovrebbe arrivare tra qualche mese.. Non vedo l'ora!
May 15, 2024
Hogwarts for ginormous magical bug assassins!
Another completely new world delivered by Michael R Fletcher. Huge bugs on floating living islands where a few are "corrupted" and have talents. An amazing tale of a few of these young bugs discovering their talents and getting sent to special schools. And of course, since it is a Michael R. Fletcher novel, crazy stuff starts happening, vital organs and blood is involved.
Who would have thought I would ever be made to care about a bug? While also contemplating social hierarchies, class relations and racism through the many-faceted eyes of a bug. This coming-of-age novel about young magical bug assassins is amazing, and I look forward to the continuation of the series. I need more!
May 11, 2024
A real Storm of Talent
As I have read more than 10,000 books in my soon to become a much shorter life I can tell you this Mike Fletcher is a bubble of real pleasure in a storm of banality. Wonderful concepts born out by flawless execution. Real characters to care about and whose passing we are bound to mourn. I really enjoyed The Storm Beneath The World and desperately hope these lives continue to enthrall my comparatively tawdry existence.
As I have read more than 10,000 books in my soon to become a much shorter life I can tell you this Mike Fletcher is a bubble of real pleasure in a storm of banality. Wonderful concepts born out by flawless execution. Real characters to care about and whose passing we are bound to mourn. I really enjoyed The Storm Beneath The World and desperately hope these lives continue to enthrall my comparatively tawdry existence.
April 17, 2024
4.5 stars for making me give a shit about insects!
This was a excellent read - worldbuilding was A+ as were the characters.
Found friends & academy tropes are a firm favourite of mine so this delivered. The extra abilities our "corrupt" protagonists have to learn to control is a "magic system" that allows for so many possibilites - and gives us (and the protagonists) lots to consider.
I would highly recommend The Storm Beneath the World .....and really, really hope the story will continue.
This was a excellent read - worldbuilding was A+ as were the characters.
Found friends & academy tropes are a firm favourite of mine so this delivered. The extra abilities our "corrupt" protagonists have to learn to control is a "magic system" that allows for so many possibilites - and gives us (and the protagonists) lots to consider.
I would highly recommend The Storm Beneath the World .....and really, really hope the story will continue.
October 11, 2024
Such a cool world and society! Bug people living on the back of a colossal creature floating above a firestorm.
It took me until about 60% to get really into the plot. Really gripping!
Read this for the 2024 r/fantasy bingo bookclub hardmode prompt.
Will definitely read more from this author. I also appreciated the author’s note at the end about submitting books to publishers and the disappointment of rejection. I can imagine how much that would suck.
It took me until about 60% to get really into the plot. Really gripping!
Read this for the 2024 r/fantasy bingo bookclub hardmode prompt.
Will definitely read more from this author. I also appreciated the author’s note at the end about submitting books to publishers and the disappointment of rejection. I can imagine how much that would suck.
April 10, 2024
A word of advice, if you want the most freakiest dreams EVER, (with NO drugs involved at all) read H L Tinsley's The Hallows, then this book and then Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky - I read them all over 3 days and then when I finally slept - 10/10 for the result.
March 2, 2025
What a fascinating piece of art. Usually the bug people are the villians, not the main characters. We follow children who display supernatural Talents and are sent to a secret school to "learn to control it."
March 12, 2025
This book is "Children of Time" meets "X-Men". The inhabitants of this world are the Ashkaro, which are giant insects. They live on huge floating islands. The book tries to imagine what a society of insects would look like. They have evolved beyond the "days of hive", when they were mindless, but they still have a class hierarchy and a queen. The Ashkaro that have evolved from worker drones are called "dulls", and those that had been warriors are called "brights". Brights are the elites that run society, and dulls serve them. Technically this isn't a law; all Ashkaro are supposed to be equal, but that's not what happens in practice. So there's a minor element of class struggle in the story.
Among the Ashkaro there's a role-reversal in genders compared to humans: it is the females who are bigger, better fighters, and more aggressive. The role-reversal is laid on too thickly at times: yes, we get it, you're trying to reflect human society in reverse.
I have said that this book is similar to "Children of Time" by Adrian Tchaikovsky, which tells the story of a society of spiders. But that book had rather more out-there ideas about how a spider society would differ from our own. In "The Storm Beneath the World" the differences between the Ashkaro and humans are mostly superficial (such as the gender role reversal I've mentioned).
However, there's one big element in the story that certainly doesn't exist in humans: "Talents". Talents are superpowers that some Ashkaro possess: mind reading, fireballs, speed, etc. The main characters in the book are teenagers who were brought to a school where they can develop their talents (like in "X-Men").
Here's where Michael R. Fletcher has a great idea, which I haven't seen before: Talents are considered a curse, because Ashkaro that use their Talents become addicted to them, until eventually they die either because they stop taking care of themselves or because they become too dangerous and have to be killed. For this reason, Askharo with talents are called "Corrupted" and they're shunned by society. This makes the book feel different from the thousands of X-Men, Marvel, DC, and other superhero stories: because using powers is dangerous, they're a double-edged sword and their use is limited.
In the first half of the book we meet several teenagers with Talents, and they discover their talents and are brought to these schools. We begin to learn the wider context of the story: the island they're on, called "Nysh", is about to enter into war with another island that is run by the "Mad Queen Yil". This is why Nysh island is gathering Talented Ashkaro: to infiltrate the Yil and fight against them. Of course, the Yil are doing the same in Nysh!
One of the main characters, Joh, is a small male with the power of suggestion: when he tells people to do something, they do it (mostly). This power is terrifying, of course, which is why until now I've only ever seen it used by villains (such as the antagonist in Marvel's Jessica Jones series). It's very interesting that a hero gets this power: how will they use it? How do they justify basically enslaving people? Is it ethical to use this power on your friends? Joh struggles with these questions.
The book is very well written, the story is exciting, and I liked the characters: they feel real, they're not cliches.
I got this book for free in a promotion. Good call by the author: I loved this book, and I'll definitely buy its sequels. He had done the same in a previous series ("The Obsidian Path"), with the same results.
Among the Ashkaro there's a role-reversal in genders compared to humans: it is the females who are bigger, better fighters, and more aggressive. The role-reversal is laid on too thickly at times: yes, we get it, you're trying to reflect human society in reverse.
I have said that this book is similar to "Children of Time" by Adrian Tchaikovsky, which tells the story of a society of spiders. But that book had rather more out-there ideas about how a spider society would differ from our own. In "The Storm Beneath the World" the differences between the Ashkaro and humans are mostly superficial (such as the gender role reversal I've mentioned).
However, there's one big element in the story that certainly doesn't exist in humans: "Talents". Talents are superpowers that some Ashkaro possess: mind reading, fireballs, speed, etc. The main characters in the book are teenagers who were brought to a school where they can develop their talents (like in "X-Men").
Here's where Michael R. Fletcher has a great idea, which I haven't seen before: Talents are considered a curse, because Ashkaro that use their Talents become addicted to them, until eventually they die either because they stop taking care of themselves or because they become too dangerous and have to be killed. For this reason, Askharo with talents are called "Corrupted" and they're shunned by society. This makes the book feel different from the thousands of X-Men, Marvel, DC, and other superhero stories: because using powers is dangerous, they're a double-edged sword and their use is limited.
In the first half of the book we meet several teenagers with Talents, and they discover their talents and are brought to these schools. We begin to learn the wider context of the story: the island they're on, called "Nysh", is about to enter into war with another island that is run by the "Mad Queen Yil". This is why Nysh island is gathering Talented Ashkaro: to infiltrate the Yil and fight against them. Of course, the Yil are doing the same in Nysh!
One of the main characters, Joh, is a small male with the power of suggestion: when he tells people to do something, they do it (mostly). This power is terrifying, of course, which is why until now I've only ever seen it used by villains (such as the antagonist in Marvel's Jessica Jones series). It's very interesting that a hero gets this power: how will they use it? How do they justify basically enslaving people? Is it ethical to use this power on your friends? Joh struggles with these questions.
The book is very well written, the story is exciting, and I liked the characters: they feel real, they're not cliches.
I got this book for free in a promotion. Good call by the author: I loved this book, and I'll definitely buy its sequels. He had done the same in a previous series ("The Obsidian Path"), with the same results.
June 17, 2024
I really enjoyed it!
April 24, 2025
for me, it started off slow...I couldn't keep up with all the names of the insects (!)
but, I'm glad I persisted... superbly written and tackles some deep subject matters.
looking forward to the next one
but, I'm glad I persisted... superbly written and tackles some deep subject matters.
looking forward to the next one
April 17, 2024
Great book!
Compelling characters in a setting with some of the most unique and creative world-building I’ve seen. Looking forward to the next in the series!
Compelling characters in a setting with some of the most unique and creative world-building I’ve seen. Looking forward to the next in the series!
April 11, 2024
Yay, new Fletcher! The world of this book is wildly creative and quite a departure from his previous works. On the surface, it almost appears normal (the fact that every character is a huge insect notwithstanding) at first, but Fletcher is a master of subverted expectations. I don't want to spoil anything for people, but there's a moment where everything is leading towards a "training montage followed by time-skipping power level fantasy" scene, and I can't say anything else besides...it goes differently. Hard.
The characters are extremely engaging and complex. The world is vividly described. Sights, sounds, and even weather come alive on the page. I can't wait for more.
The characters are extremely engaging and complex. The world is vividly described. Sights, sounds, and even weather come alive on the page. I can't wait for more.
April 12, 2024
“Storm” whisks you off to a gas planet populated by floating islands and warring tribes of intelligent insects…wait…stay with me. If you can buy into stories of fae and elves, you can certainly get comfortable with Fletchers ashkaro. He has painted such relatable characters that you can’t help but pick favorites. This book is very well edited and produced. You will love the internal character drawings.
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