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The Storm Who Rides #2
The Queen of the Road: A Post-Apocalyptic Superhero Novel
A storm of steel wrapped in a shell of human flesh, the Queen of Smiles has finally become a ruler in more than just name. But before she can get down to the business of empire building, there are words that must be said to a person she once a boy who became a man, then a monster, and then something else entirely.
Her quest will take her back through the Badlands, down past the ruins of Old Texas and into the heart of Fallen Mexico, and not even she knows what she'll do when she finds her target.
Because this isn't just another job. This one is personal.
Her quest will take her back through the Badlands, down past the ruins of Old Texas and into the heart of Fallen Mexico, and not even she knows what she'll do when she finds her target.
Because this isn't just another job. This one is personal.
- GenresScience Fiction
423 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2025
25 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Chris Tullbane
21 books212 followersChris began as a gleam in someone’s eye, but birth and childhood were quick to follow. He’s been fortunate enough to live in Spain, Germany, and all over the United States of America, and is busy planning a tour of the distilleries of Scotland.
He currently lives in Nevada with his angelic wife and ever-expanding whisky collection and occasionally ventures outside to peer upwards, mutter to himself about ‘day stars’, and then scurry back into the house.
Chris is the author of two series; The Murder of Crows and The Travails of John Smith. He frequently shares new content on his author website at https://christullbane.com.
He currently lives in Nevada with his angelic wife and ever-expanding whisky collection and occasionally ventures outside to peer upwards, mutter to himself about ‘day stars’, and then scurry back into the house.
Chris is the author of two series; The Murder of Crows and The Travails of John Smith. He frequently shares new content on his author website at https://christullbane.com.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 3, 2025
After the events of The Queen of Smiles, Queenie and Two-Feathers are headed back through the Midwest to return to her empire, but first she needs to speak to a man turned monster. Her journey will take her through Kansas City; she and Two-Feathers will visit his clan, and problems will arise in Dallas. The story that unfolds held me captive as once again Reba Buhr gave us the voice of the Queen of Smiles.
The Queen of Smiles is clad in leather and wears a motorcycle helmet with a smiley-face. Inside a storm rages, and when forced to protect the innocent and what is hers, she lets loose that steel storm. After defeating the Crimson Queen, she is now ruler but prefers the open roads, which is why she and Two-Feathers are on a diplomatic mission of sorts overseeing her territories and negotiating treaties with others.
Since I first met Queenie, I have loved how complex she is, how she balances her scales of justice and her own internal struggles with her creator, herself and the place she holds in this messed up world. I loved seeing her in action in Kansas City as she dealt with warring factions over territory within the city walls. Both the battle and negotiations were intense, as was the stop in Wichita.
We visit Two-Feather’s clan for two reasons: one, to negotiate a treaty, and the second one Queenie isn’t sure she is ready to do. We learn Two-Feather’s story, and battle creatures as Queenie struggles internally with her own feelings. Tullbane impressed me with the supernatural battle scenes, his wry humor and how wrapped up he had me in their story.
This story is far from over, but it ended in the perfect place with just enough hook but satisfying concerning certain threads. While I am excited that Tullbane is working on a new Many Travails of John Smith novel, I cannot wait for the next audiobook in the Storm Who Rides series! This series is available in KindleUnlimited, but I highly recommend that you grab the audiobooks narrated by Reba Buhr. She captures all the emotions and intense moments perfectly. She is the voice of Queenie and owns it brilliantly. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
The Queen of Smiles is clad in leather and wears a motorcycle helmet with a smiley-face. Inside a storm rages, and when forced to protect the innocent and what is hers, she lets loose that steel storm. After defeating the Crimson Queen, she is now ruler but prefers the open roads, which is why she and Two-Feathers are on a diplomatic mission of sorts overseeing her territories and negotiating treaties with others.
Since I first met Queenie, I have loved how complex she is, how she balances her scales of justice and her own internal struggles with her creator, herself and the place she holds in this messed up world. I loved seeing her in action in Kansas City as she dealt with warring factions over territory within the city walls. Both the battle and negotiations were intense, as was the stop in Wichita.
We visit Two-Feather’s clan for two reasons: one, to negotiate a treaty, and the second one Queenie isn’t sure she is ready to do. We learn Two-Feather’s story, and battle creatures as Queenie struggles internally with her own feelings. Tullbane impressed me with the supernatural battle scenes, his wry humor and how wrapped up he had me in their story.
This story is far from over, but it ended in the perfect place with just enough hook but satisfying concerning certain threads. While I am excited that Tullbane is working on a new Many Travails of John Smith novel, I cannot wait for the next audiobook in the Storm Who Rides series! This series is available in KindleUnlimited, but I highly recommend that you grab the audiobooks narrated by Reba Buhr. She captures all the emotions and intense moments perfectly. She is the voice of Queenie and owns it brilliantly. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
April 10, 2025
I’d been created from chaos and born to the road… and I had places yet to go.
Well, that was just plain amazing! I should stop here - that says it all really - but I did promise author Chris Tullbane that I'd have a little more to say after being granted an early look at his latest upcoming book "The Queen of the Road". Yes, once again we find ourselves in the post-Break world we first got to know roughly 5 years ago (I know this because of the Kickstarter Tullbane has running for a special 5th Anniversary Edition!) in the now immortal "See These Bones". This was of course the first in the trilogy (plus a couple of novellas, too, he added promotionally) of "The Murder of Crows" series where we met a young man named Damian - who would eventually rise to become one of the most powerful beings on the planet - as well as his chaperone, the Queen of Smiles!
Existence is not experience. Longevity is not life.
Now somewhere along the way, the Queen of Smiles - also obviously called the Queen of the Road or The Storm Who Rides, as well as to many just plain Bad News, as in "If You Eff Around You Will Find Out" (note All Caps) - became essentially my favorite character. No, that doesn't come with any qualifier other than this tall, leather-clad Angel of Mercy (meh) is just incredible in every way. Of course, my prejudices weren't hurt once Tullbane finished his initial focus on Damian and his classmates (and murdering father and others, too) in that that he focused on expanding the adventures of the Big Q… who naturally we last saw overthrowing the evil Crimson Queen and assuming her throne as Empress of New Memphis. Well, this brings up another thing about our dear heroine (female hero, not the other stuff): she does NOT like to sit still for very long, which real queening requires. And as such, she and her trusted "nomad" (I wouldn't risk calling him a sidekick) Two-Feathers start this story off on the road to deal with a bunch of diplomatic BS as well as some personal issues. Just how many issues wound up being personal is a big part of this story by the way…
It felt like we were all there was in the world. Just a queen, her nomad, and the road.
But this inhuman being - conjured if you will when Dr. Nowhere dreamed this nigh apocalyptic world into existence many many years ago - is such an awesome creation. If you don't already know her, imagine a combination of Marvel's Ghost Rider mixed with Wolverine and a good dose of the Scarlet Witch and you may come close. Trust me on this, I've been reading the whole Marvel set of adventures for roughly the past (dammit, where did I put the calculator?) 55 years and this is truly one of my all-time favorite characters, even if we haven't (yet) found a way to make her an Avenger. Yes, yes, truth be told, she's no Ben Grimm aka The Thing but they both are torn between their responsibilities to the world around them - and naturally the ones they love most - as well as their search for their own humanity and purpose. It's extremely moving as well as equally well-handled … and yes, I'm referring to both beings.
There’s no avoiding pain. Not in this life or any other.
Looking at our story then, as Tullbane admits, it becomes very clear very early that this is very much a bridge novel. Very very verily, he added! It's also very apparent that this is intended as the middle book in a trilogy (also because Tullbane puts that in his epilogue). And, as we've seen before, this story features a long trip through what used to be the Midwest of the United States which is now filled with all types of humans trying to survive the new reality, which includes all manner of monsters and worse. There are obviously still a few isolated mega-cities to deal with as well - including one very bloody stop off in Kansas City and another extremely brief-yet-rife-with-foreboding stop in Wichita.
Empires depend on stupid people. They’re the lifeblood of society.
We also have of course a long stop to talk and negotiate with the Two-Feathers' ever-growing clan, noting that those we call Native Americans have taken the opportunity to make a deserved comeback of sorts. This is all mixed in with a LOT of Her Majesty re-evaluating her place in the world, even if she remains somewhat oblivious to just how human she truly is. And I say this after just witnessing her leaving behind essentially a lake of blood in what remains of Dallas, too. Not to say that the stay with the clan is all fun and games, but damn, Dallas got ugly quick!
My shell is the shape that hides the storm, and the true face I show the world.
I know it seems like I'm just running on here, but damn this was just so AAAAAHHH! for me. In terms of convincing you to hand over your own hard-earned tariff-free moolah (ha!), all I can add is that if you like road-trip books, oh man oh man, you're gonna love this one! If you like big-time battle scenes with realistic results, look no further! And if you want a story that examines what it means to be human, what your own mortality - or lack thereof - means in the grand scheme of things, or really even what it is that makes someone happy from day-to-day, this is just an outstanding view of all of those! Exhilarating, exceptionally well-written, tense, scary AF in parts, and sometimes just plain amazing!
There was no time for thought or second-guessing. There was only time for carnage.
Now of course there's nothing to do but wait for the next chapter. Hm, maybe I should learn to ride a motorcycle in the interim with a big ol' smiley face on the helmet? Then I can power things up and head out to wreak havoc on the surrounding country-side, yeah? Or, you know, mind the speed limits and just visit all the vineyards around here, that'd be okay, too. Dammit, this is not going to be a quick wait, is it? Le sigh…
IMPORTANT At the time of this review, the author was still tweaking (not twerking!) his final draft so some of the quotes may be different in the future. The names, as always, have been changed to protect the innocent... but as there is no one that qualifies here, it doesn't matter anyway...
Well, that was just plain amazing! I should stop here - that says it all really - but I did promise author Chris Tullbane that I'd have a little more to say after being granted an early look at his latest upcoming book "The Queen of the Road". Yes, once again we find ourselves in the post-Break world we first got to know roughly 5 years ago (I know this because of the Kickstarter Tullbane has running for a special 5th Anniversary Edition!) in the now immortal "See These Bones". This was of course the first in the trilogy (plus a couple of novellas, too, he added promotionally) of "The Murder of Crows" series where we met a young man named Damian - who would eventually rise to become one of the most powerful beings on the planet - as well as his chaperone, the Queen of Smiles!
Existence is not experience. Longevity is not life.
Now somewhere along the way, the Queen of Smiles - also obviously called the Queen of the Road or The Storm Who Rides, as well as to many just plain Bad News, as in "If You Eff Around You Will Find Out" (note All Caps) - became essentially my favorite character. No, that doesn't come with any qualifier other than this tall, leather-clad Angel of Mercy (meh) is just incredible in every way. Of course, my prejudices weren't hurt once Tullbane finished his initial focus on Damian and his classmates (and murdering father and others, too) in that that he focused on expanding the adventures of the Big Q… who naturally we last saw overthrowing the evil Crimson Queen and assuming her throne as Empress of New Memphis. Well, this brings up another thing about our dear heroine (female hero, not the other stuff): she does NOT like to sit still for very long, which real queening requires. And as such, she and her trusted "nomad" (I wouldn't risk calling him a sidekick) Two-Feathers start this story off on the road to deal with a bunch of diplomatic BS as well as some personal issues. Just how many issues wound up being personal is a big part of this story by the way…
It felt like we were all there was in the world. Just a queen, her nomad, and the road.
But this inhuman being - conjured if you will when Dr. Nowhere dreamed this nigh apocalyptic world into existence many many years ago - is such an awesome creation. If you don't already know her, imagine a combination of Marvel's Ghost Rider mixed with Wolverine and a good dose of the Scarlet Witch and you may come close. Trust me on this, I've been reading the whole Marvel set of adventures for roughly the past (dammit, where did I put the calculator?) 55 years and this is truly one of my all-time favorite characters, even if we haven't (yet) found a way to make her an Avenger. Yes, yes, truth be told, she's no Ben Grimm aka The Thing but they both are torn between their responsibilities to the world around them - and naturally the ones they love most - as well as their search for their own humanity and purpose. It's extremely moving as well as equally well-handled … and yes, I'm referring to both beings.
There’s no avoiding pain. Not in this life or any other.
Looking at our story then, as Tullbane admits, it becomes very clear very early that this is very much a bridge novel. Very very verily, he added! It's also very apparent that this is intended as the middle book in a trilogy (also because Tullbane puts that in his epilogue). And, as we've seen before, this story features a long trip through what used to be the Midwest of the United States which is now filled with all types of humans trying to survive the new reality, which includes all manner of monsters and worse. There are obviously still a few isolated mega-cities to deal with as well - including one very bloody stop off in Kansas City and another extremely brief-yet-rife-with-foreboding stop in Wichita.
Empires depend on stupid people. They’re the lifeblood of society.
We also have of course a long stop to talk and negotiate with the Two-Feathers' ever-growing clan, noting that those we call Native Americans have taken the opportunity to make a deserved comeback of sorts. This is all mixed in with a LOT of Her Majesty re-evaluating her place in the world, even if she remains somewhat oblivious to just how human she truly is. And I say this after just witnessing her leaving behind essentially a lake of blood in what remains of Dallas, too. Not to say that the stay with the clan is all fun and games, but damn, Dallas got ugly quick!
My shell is the shape that hides the storm, and the true face I show the world.
I know it seems like I'm just running on here, but damn this was just so AAAAAHHH! for me. In terms of convincing you to hand over your own hard-earned tariff-free moolah (ha!), all I can add is that if you like road-trip books, oh man oh man, you're gonna love this one! If you like big-time battle scenes with realistic results, look no further! And if you want a story that examines what it means to be human, what your own mortality - or lack thereof - means in the grand scheme of things, or really even what it is that makes someone happy from day-to-day, this is just an outstanding view of all of those! Exhilarating, exceptionally well-written, tense, scary AF in parts, and sometimes just plain amazing!
There was no time for thought or second-guessing. There was only time for carnage.
Now of course there's nothing to do but wait for the next chapter. Hm, maybe I should learn to ride a motorcycle in the interim with a big ol' smiley face on the helmet? Then I can power things up and head out to wreak havoc on the surrounding country-side, yeah? Or, you know, mind the speed limits and just visit all the vineyards around here, that'd be okay, too. Dammit, this is not going to be a quick wait, is it? Le sigh…
IMPORTANT At the time of this review, the author was still tweaking (not twerking!) his final draft so some of the quotes may be different in the future. The names, as always, have been changed to protect the innocent... but as there is no one that qualifies here, it doesn't matter anyway...
May 30, 2025
I'm a HUGE fan of Tullbane's terrific Murder of Crows series and the spinoff Queen of Smiles books. Queen of the Road features the mysterious (even to herself) motorcycle-riding nightmare roaring through the post-apocalyptic American landscape to survey the empire she wrested from her tyrannical predecessor. The Queen of the Road is filled with memorable images of a world changed by a dream into something resembling the Old West dominated by people with enhanced powers. The most memorable feature of this world might be leatherclad smiley-faced Queenie herself, who rips through the wastelands and the ramshackle cities like a force of nature, her reputation proceeding her wherever she goes.
As Her Majesty (Queen Queenie?) attempts to consolidate her newly won empire, she wrestles with the question of her own identity: what kind of monster is she? Turns out, she has a lot of humanity in her, and much of it is brought to the surface by her traveling companion, the mute enhanced nomad known as Two-Feathers. Yes, Tullbane has introduced some romantasy into Her Majesty's story, and it gives Queenie someone to think about outside herself.
Like Queen of Smiles, The Queen of the Road combines an intriguing and ultra-original character with one of the most memorable settings imaginable in a thriller filled with action. I'm eagerly looking forward to Act III somewhere down the road (not far, I hope).
As Her Majesty (Queen Queenie?) attempts to consolidate her newly won empire, she wrestles with the question of her own identity: what kind of monster is she? Turns out, she has a lot of humanity in her, and much of it is brought to the surface by her traveling companion, the mute enhanced nomad known as Two-Feathers. Yes, Tullbane has introduced some romantasy into Her Majesty's story, and it gives Queenie someone to think about outside herself.
Like Queen of Smiles, The Queen of the Road combines an intriguing and ultra-original character with one of the most memorable settings imaginable in a thriller filled with action. I'm eagerly looking forward to Act III somewhere down the road (not far, I hope).
May 7, 2025
THE OLD QUEEN IS DEAD LONG LIVE THE QUEEN
tullbane ups the ante, and the violence, in a riveting display of steel, just as powerful and as befitting as our own queen of smiles namesake storm. If you were looking for more world building this is him at his best. I will say if you’re looking to get a better picture of the world at large and even Damian’s state check out his free short story 3 ghosts on his website. Can’t wait to see where the queen goes next!
tullbane ups the ante, and the violence, in a riveting display of steel, just as powerful and as befitting as our own queen of smiles namesake storm. If you were looking for more world building this is him at his best. I will say if you’re looking to get a better picture of the world at large and even Damian’s state check out his free short story 3 ghosts on his website. Can’t wait to see where the queen goes next!
May 15, 2025
I love the Murder of Crows Trilogy, my one complaint is there needs to be more of it. Well here's more. I really enjoyed this continuation of the story. It is fun getting to know the Queen of Smiles better. Ended in the perfect spot. Can't wait for the next one!
Seriously- read these novels, you won't be disappointed!!!!!
Seriously- read these novels, you won't be disappointed!!!!!
May 22, 2025
I really like the Queen of Smiles as a character. While this book is, as the author puts it in the afterward, mostly a bridge between the first and third books in the trilogy, it still has a lot of character and relationship development for the Queen, as well as a good amount of action and displays of what a post-apocalypse super setting would look like.
May 11, 2025
Another great installment
The worst part about reading this book is finishing and realising the wait for the next one. The story of the post break world continues and tantalises answers to some of its long held mysteries.
The worst part about reading this book is finishing and realising the wait for the next one. The story of the post break world continues and tantalises answers to some of its long held mysteries.
May 1, 2025
The queen who rocks
Another great novel left on an ending that is criminal, can't wait to see what's in store for us next.
Another great novel left on an ending that is criminal, can't wait to see what's in store for us next.
May 3, 2025
Very good book
This is a fine fantasy adventure novel. It is well written and edited. I especially like the dumb horse. I anxiously await the sequel.
This is a fine fantasy adventure novel. It is well written and edited. I especially like the dumb horse. I anxiously await the sequel.
May 6, 2025
unfortunately not much unexpected happened in this book. in the beginning it started of as a great read but especially towards the end it felt generic.
August 17, 2025
Good for her.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews