It’s time to end the war
A perfect ending to an incredible series. Fieran, Merrick, Adry, and Pip have all grown throughout the books into warriors, capable of carrying their family legacies in their own right. Even better, the Laesornysh family is not doomed to a glorious death when there are so many of them fighting for their kingdoms. This book is filled with heartfelt moments. There are many ways to storm to victory, and this finale really embodied its name.
The challenges the characters faced felt real. Grayce has proved throughout her books that she is not afraid to tackle difficult topics, including trauma from war, family betrayal, and human trafficking. Storm to Victory, too, deals with hard topics like the purpose of war, the value of lives, medical experimentation, proclivity towards erasing wartime atrocities from history, and prisoner of war camps. I appreciate how well she approaches the questions and discussions around the topics. Not making light of them or lessening their impact, but providing perspectives that encourage readers to reflect.
The characters continue to be a highlight for me. I’m a little sad we didn’t get to see King Weylind or King Averette in this book, but no matter. King Weylind has gotten plenty of page time in the earlier books in this series, and Prince Edmund more than provides the family chaos that makes these books so much fun to read! His extended life has made his hobby grow even more than the last time we met him. His propensity for spying and gleaning information even when tortured certainly adds a new dimension. Pip’s ingenuity with metal really gets to take the stage throughout her adventure with Edmund and his daughter, Jayna. Even Farrendel’s character developed with stronger convictions, an increased ability to face the past, and a determination to not repeat mistakes.
There are several new questions I have after reading this book, including what happened to Fieran’s younger siblings that Louise rescued them from, what was going on with Adry, Merrick, and Rothilion after Fieran leaves on his mission, and what Pretty Face’s journey looked like. I’d also love to see what happens with Jayna as she wraps up her work in Mongavaria. Regardless of whether I ever find out those answers, I am so happy we got the War of the Alliance books, and that it sounds like we’ll see more of the characters in the new upcoming Elven Legacy series in the future.
This book is clean in language and content. Highly recommend! I will be rereading this series many times over the next few years.