Stormteller

by David Thorpe

This bewitching drama for young adults set in the very near future entwines Celtic myth and climate-changed destinies to answer the fundamental question: can we escape our apparent fate? If our lives are governed by forces outside our control, where can we find hope? When a storm surge destroys Tomos' luxury home and his parents die, and Bryn's eco-home is torched and his parents killed by starving marauders, these two rivals for the same girl, Eira are forced to rely upon each other for survival in the wild uplands of Wales. One of them will die, but not before they discover the astonishing bond that joins them together. And none of these three teenagers are aware that they are living out an ancient rivalry between fabulous beings - such as Ceridwen, the Welsh Goddess of Inspiration - who are seeking to rewrite the endings of their own stories.

244 pages, Paperback

First published October 11, 2014

About the author

David is a novelist, comics writer, environmental writer, journalist and consultant, and editor. He is the winner of the 2006 HarperCollins/Saga Magazine contest to find a major new children's writer with his novel Hybrids, published in 2007. In March 2008 it also won the Lewisham Schools Book Award.

"Essential reading for the cyberspace generation."

David runs his own media company, Cyberium (a marriage of delirium and cybernetics)! He lives in beautiful Wales but was born in Robin Hood country - Nottingham. He is married to musician and composer Helen Adam.

His career includes tv and film scriptwriting, interactive scriptwriting. And being the only person in the world (probably) to hold a degree in Dada and Surrealism!

David is the author of Doc Chaos, the comics, tv scripts and novella, and has written many comics and cartoon strips such as Captain Britain, Public Servants and Managing Hell.

He was also a co-founder and committee member of the London Screenwriters Workshop, and co-wrote The Fastest Forward for Comic Relief, a feature film starring Jerry Hall.

Reviews

[Lisa Devaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

What struck me most about this book is how transported I became into the natural world of the wilds of Wales. The author seems to have a deep understanding of the natural world and is able to fold this knowledge skilfully into the development of characters and plot. For me, this was great escapism as the writing was so beautifully illustrative that I could almost smell the forests and hear the bubbling, cold streams that snake through the woods of Wales. For this reason alone, I highly recommend this as an eye-opening book for any young reader, no matter where they live in the city or the country. I would love for all young people to experience the beauty, and hardship, of being in the outdoors, and this book offers a way-in to this world without having to hunt for your own food.

With this book, you’ll also be treated to a mystical read weaving Celtic legends into a futuristic theme of three young people caught in the headlights of devastating climate change. How they survive, after a tragic flood leaves them to fen for themselves, makes for a page turning tale with this interesting twist of putting ancient mythical storytelling style against a futuristic, environmentally ravaged rural Wales.

The author does not coddle his readers and is adept at presenting difficult circumstances of death and loss – I grieved for the planet but also for the characters that died. Without any spoilers here, you’ll find the wrap up to be an interesting read toward future justice systems and how the vulnerable characters manage through.

The romantic situation presented confronts some strong emotional considerations for any young reader, and opens a way to learn about love, loss, and consequence.

I also liked the format of this book – with punchy short chapters that kept the story moving along and easy to pick up or put down at anytime.

In my head, I did struggle a bit with how the character’s names might be pronounced, but this was in no way a deal breaker to the story. You’ll still enjoy reading about Ceridwen, Afagddu, Seithenhin, Gwion and Mererid, Afagddu, Bryn, Gwion and more!

Don’t miss this cli-fi young adult masterpiece!