Storm of Lightning

Michael Vey #5

by Richard Paul Evans

Michael, Taylor, Ostin, and the rest of the Electroclan go on their most dangerous mission yet as the thrilling action continues in this electrifying fifth installment of the New York Times bestselling series!

The Electroclan is on the run. The resistance movement has been compromised. The safe house has been destroyed. The voice is in hiding, and they have no idea if their families are alive…or dead.

Meanwhile, the Elgen are on the move. They’ve launched a new assault on the small island nation of Tuvalu. If they are successful, it will be the first domino to fall as part of Hatch’s master plan to take over the rest of the world. But cracks are beginning to appear in the ranks of the Elgen elite, and while Hatch still rules with an iron fist, there are signs of dissent. If the Elgen are beginning to turn against each other, can the Electroclan find an opportunity to use this to their advantage? Or is it just a trap to destroy them once and for all?

The stakes have never been higher, and Michael and his friends are about to be tested in ways they never imagined.

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Adventure, Middle Grade, Audiobook

289 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 15, 2015

About the author

When Richard Paul Evans wrote the #1 best-seller, The Christmas Box, he never intended on becoming an internationally known author. His quiet story of parental love and the true meaning of Christmas made history when it became simultaneously the #1 hardcover and paperback book in the nation. Since then, more than eight million copies of The Christmas Box have been printed. He has since written eleven consecutive New York Times bestsellers. He is one the few authors in history to have hit both the fiction and non-fiction bestseller lists. He has won several awards for his books including the 1998 American Mothers Book Award, two first place Storytelling World Awards, and the 2005 Romantic Times Best Women Novel of the Year Award. His books have been translated into more than 22 languages and several have been international best sellers.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHY ALL THESE CLIFFHANGERS

[Colleen Houck]

Love the lightning scars! I always learn so much in these books. Ostin teaches me a lot =) Again the cover is outstanding! Just when I think Hatch can't get any creepier! *Shudder* The poor islanders! Can't wait to find out what happens next.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too much time with Hatch. I liked Jade Dragon despite literary flaws because it had plenty of time for Michael and Taylor, but this one didn't as much. It kind of felt like filler, like it just exists to change the dynamics and further Hatch's world take over so the climax of the series can be set up...not much more. And there's only a teaser in regard to the identity of the Voice at the end, though I have a guess. So I didn't enjoy this one as much as previous MV books. Or maybe I'm just suffering a book hangover from The Scarlet Pimpernel.

[Tina➹ lives in Fandoms · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Silver Stars
with Golden Sparks

not a professional review, not even semi. I just need to express my feelings or I would explode!

it happened again! my favourite character changed & to the one that I didn't even think I would like!

their conversations were mostly boring. the action parts were less than usual. the road trips, telling every little details instead of skipping, or not express the character's feeling (mostly I mean how they said something; I changed them in my mind, though. ha!) was annoying & made me slow read, but I'm not here to rant. I was actually more interested in non-Michael parts. (some of them), which It was likely to skip (I didn't) in the previous books.
damn! that TWIST! (actually I felt after book 2, the whole Plot was on low level exciting, not satisfying for me. Still feel the same about the main plot, but this twist, I needed that! hopefully the last two books would keep up the good work!)
& now I'm thinking maybe I was wrong about the cover... nah... I know I was right, but since my satisfying prediction about this wasn't true, I like to think it's about something else. :D
I might not jump into next book (though I would prepare it) but I put it on my 2021 queue reading list.
-
Plot: ★★★/5 (pace: ★★★/5 - excitement: ★★★(★)/5)
Characters: ★★★/5
World Weaving: ★★★(★)/5
Written style: ★★★(★)/5
general idea: ★★★★/5

[Ronak · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐

60 درصد اول کتاب بشدت کند و یکنواخت بود
اینجوری بود که هی میخوندی و هی اتفاق خاصی نمیوفتاد
اون موقع ها در نظر داشتم بهش 2 بدم(!!!!)
اما بعد از اون هرچی جلوتر رفت اوج گرفتنش رو کامل حس کردم
به قدری که انتظار هرچیزی رو میشه ازش داشت
شاید اگه بهم اسپویل نشده بود بنظرم پایانشم خیلی چیز عجیب و فوق العاده ای بود . این مهارت بالای نویسنده رو میرسونه که اینقدر بد تمومش کرد 😭😂
این جلد بیشتر از ساید مثبت کتاب یعنی الکتروکلن و ... به ساید خاکستری یعنی بچه های نورانی الجن اشاره شده بود. اگه می‌دیدمشون بغلشون می‌کردم و می‌گفتم مرسی که نا امیدم نکردین. مرسی که نشون دادین واقعاً کی هستین. شخصیت پردازی عالی بچه ها واسه کل کتاب کافیه اصن -حتی تارا که ازش خیلی خوشم نمیاد-
یه چیزی که برام جالب بود آگاهی بالا و مطالعه بالای هچ در زمینه قدرت بود و جالب تر اینکه چقدر راحت بعضی از حرفا و مطالعات خودشو زیر پا گذاشت!!!
من بشدت کتاب 48 قانون قدرت اثر رابرت گرین رو دوست دارم و بعضی اعمال و حرفای هچ من رو دقیقا یاد این کتاب و قوانینش مینداخت. با این وجود شخصی که بیشتر از هچ حتی به این قوانین آگاه بود کوئنتین بود که تنها ایرادی که می‌تونم بهش بگیرم این بود که احساساتش رو بر منطقش ترجیح داد و الان نمیدونم قراره چه بلایی سرش بیاد ( می‌دونم. ولی خب...هعی)

از طرفی اتفاقاتی که تو ‌ساید مثبت یا همون الکتروکلن میوفتادن ساده، مسخره و حتی تکراری بودن.
یسری دیالوگ ها اصلا باورم نمیشه چرا باید بارها و بارها بیان.
اوج هیجانش همونجا بود که مادر تی رو نجات دادن... بقیش در ابزار نگرانی های مسخره و دیالوگ های چرت مایلور قابل خلاصه هست-_-
البته ناگفته نماند که نیشل عزیزم باوجود اینکه کم هست اما از جلد چهارم دوست داشتنی ترین عضو الکتروکلن شده (بعدش تنر) و کلی ازش واسه جلد ششم انتظار دارم

ابتدای ریویوم هم گفتم چقدر پایانش ارزشمند بود و دلیلی شد که من 3 ستاره رو دیگه حداقل بدم! شنیدم جلد ششم بهترین و گل سرسبد مجموعه هست و کلی برای خوندنش هیجان زده هستم (تو رو خدا ناامیدم نکن تو رو خدا ناامیدم نکن تو رو خدا ناامیدم نکن)

[Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this series has gotten worse over the course of the five books to be honest. I loved the first couple, but then meh. The characters just bop around for 170 pages which is more than half the book before being assigned something to do. Even then, it wasn't anything that amazing. Some of the dialogue made me cringe with how awkward or cheesy and out of place it was. The writing itself isn't bad, however. It's actually quite good, and Hatch's kids were way more interesting in this book than they have been in the past. There were some plot details that I was just like, really? about, but I did enjoy the latter half of the book. And although I found this installment somewhat lacking, the promise for the next book seems to be pretty high.

[Erikka · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't the best Vey book. Lots of exposition and Hatch being a cartoon caricature of an evil villain, and way too much wasted space talking about their travel accommodations (what hotel they stayed at, where they were going in great detail, how long it took to drive, where they ate, what they ate, etc. Too much!). I think this book was just too much filler. It didn't really add anything to the plot so far that couldn't have been a few chapters appended to another book. Oh well. I still look forward to the next book, when it looks like we'll finally meet The Voice! Squeal! :)

[Kacie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok...I'm not entirely sure how much of that I actually comprehended. If you asked me to give a summary of Storm Of Lightning I'd probably say something about honeycombs and submarines. That's about all that I remember. fine, I may be exaggerating just a bit. But only a little XD. Oh but that cliffhanger though. Seriously, Evans??? You just had to do that, didn't you. But now I'm really excited for the next book so that's something!!

[Amy B · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was NOT a story. And it's only a book because it's pages of writing glued together.

Pages of writing - pages of them, with nothing happening. Traveling, eating, complaining, dealing with emotions, swimming, playing sports. The only time powers were ever used for something other than healing pain or warming food was when Michael lost his crap and started attacking semi-innocent juvies. "Storm of Lightning?" Really?

I was willing to be fairly nice to the previous book because I liked the first two in this series, but if that one was a filler book, this was really a filler book. Not one darn thing happened. While the Electroclan chillaxed, Hatch rambled on and on about every little detail about how he was going to take over Tuvalu, complete with every island renamed, new currency, new laws, where his manufacturing plants were gonna go - who cares how he's going to do it? The point is that he does it and that our favorite electric kids are supposed to do something about it, not EAT ORGANIC HONEY!!!

When you start to be more concerned about the previously/still kind of evil other electric children rather than our heroes, what the heck is going on? There are already too many kids, don't make us invest in the losers at the expense of the heroes. Quentin, Tara and Torstyn are SADISTIC. You can't expect me to switch over to liking them just like that.

Hatch's evilness got out of hand. Gratuitous descriptions of torture not appropriate for a teen series!!! Seriously dude, tell us he's bad don't go into such graphic details!! Blech!

So. Very disappointing, but not surprising. Evans had a great concept and I can only assume he's working with really intense deadlines, because he forgot to include the plot in this installment. :(

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great book! Can't wait for book 6. We meet one of the last 2 electric children! If you are expecting this to be filled with action and battles, then you will be disappointed by this book. Michael and the Elctroclan don't come face to face with Hatch and his youths at all. However the book sets up a massive battle to take place almost immediately when book 6 starts! :D

[Winter Sophia Rose]

Spellbinding, Captivating, Imaginative & Riveting! A Awesome Series! I Loved It!

[alix flora 🌙 · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are so damned good

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Vey Book 5 -- find Book 1 here: The Prisoner of Cell 25

This book mostly deals with the fallout from Book 4, particularly the bad news at the end. Michael and his friends are tired and stressed. Michael's electricity is still increasing, and he can't always control it. There's not as much nail-biting suspense in this one as in the previous books (mini "jailbreaks" instead of massive ones). The struggles are more internal. Meanwhile, Hatch's massive ego is laughingly out of control, which causes certain followers to question their loyalty. There are some good lessons to note here about how dictators control people with their consent. There's a lot of setup for the next books (seven planned total), which look very promising.

I tried to savor this book and not read it all at once, but close to the end that became impossible.

[Micah Grant · Rating 2 out of 5]

Compared to the rest of the books in the series, this was before average. It sets up the next book nicely, but seems to be only half a book on its own. Not much really happens, which makes me think he was stretching the story or just trying to meet his deadline. I hope the next one is back up to his standard.

[Julia]

Gah!! The cover!!! :D

[Lori Hadley · Rating 3 out of 5]

oh boy... what to say about this. I enjoy the different parts where we get to hear the developments of the Elgen and what is going on with their ships, Tuvalu takeover, and general Dr. Hatch evilness. I also enjoyed that the Electroclan had some respite from danger. HOWEVER, this book could have been a summary in a novel with more action. It was fine, it really was, and it was good that Taylor got to work on being with her parents again. But again, it was not a very exciting book, more like an inbetween buildup to hopefully more craziness to come.

[Charlene Pratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing virtual ride.

The continuing adventure (although adventure brings fun things to mind) of the covert war between the Elgen and the Electro Clan continues to thrill and excite. Cannot wait for the next part of the story. Thank you Mr. Evans for an amazing mental holiday.

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best in the series. Obviously this is a "filler book" in the series to get us to the next phase in the story. Not much adventure, nor character development, but I'm still looking forward to the next book.

[Ebani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great next installment in the series, but I was kind of underwhelmed. I think it's because the previous book was SO good. There was a scene where they stay in a 'haunted' hotel, which I thought was a nice variation in mood and conversation.

[Negar H.T. M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty disappointing compered to other books of this series, unlike its cover which sounds super cooler

[Aviv Newman]

Omg can't wait!

[Sadaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

کاش زودتر بفهمم "صدا" کیههه

[_ophelia_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this was ✨goOd✨

[trenton ameyzz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I swear if the “voice” is who I think it is I’m going to kill myself

[Patrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! They're eating.......again! And again! And again!!! Can no editor stop Mr. Evans???!!! He has no one in his reading groups anywhere who cares about plot??? Is he so rich that no one will tell him that NO ONE wants to know exactly which toppings the kids ordered from which pizza restaurant??

163 pages in and the only actual action was a minor tussle with a random street gang that had no suspense because Michael has super powers.

Finished: How is this a book? Seriously? Nothing happens. The cover is awesome and sort of relates to the random gang incident mentioned above...and then nothing happens.

It started out better than #4, but just ended up treading water even worse than Jade Dragon. They traveled somewhere at least 5 times following the EXACT same pattern: we learn how long they drove/flew and how long they slept, what thoughts Michael and Taylor shared as they cuddled, EVERY detail of every meal, and then Michael and Taylor walked around afterward wishing life were different.

The machinations of Hatch and the other electric kids were interesting as well as the plot about Taylor's parents, but they were still basically actionless. The ending twist leads to some fun speculation...but it would have been better at the beginning of the book and developed throughout.

The book drowns in details and has no plot. The bad guy, Hatch, is a caricature of a caricature. (He quotes Hitler and Stalin as models for his behavior just in case you missed that he's BAD .) Hatch's "lesson" to Quentin on leadership is a weird, Trump-like political rant about teaching people victimhood to control them. It's a couple pages long and really feels out of place. The resistance adults are all cheesy. ... Yet I still like the kids and the overall premise, so I will probably read the last two books.

This series may go down as the most disappointing waste of an awesome premise that I have ever read. =(

Maybe Evans would let different authors write an alternative book starting after the original book 2 or 3 that wraps everything up in one satisfying conclusion that never once mentions what the kids ate for breakfast.

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you've read this series in chronological order, then this book might be necessary, but not as enjoyable as its predecessors.

I'll start with the pros:
Michael Vey! We've seen the Electroclan sink the Ampere , destroy a power plant, free some of their most trusted allies, and rescue an autistic savant. Now they're back after a cliffhanger!

The plot, as usual for Mr. Evans, is amazing. This book not only discusses the psychology of the characters, but of society and how to destroy rebellion. What is surprising is how I can see these tactics used today! After four years of this series, I am still blown away with how clever the ideas and characters are.

As for the electric children, some of those readers might notice that not all seventeen have been mentioned. We are introduced to ANOTHER electric child!

Now the *sigh* cons:
When I first held up the book, my actual thoughts were: This book is so thin!

Yeah, this is a filler book. Instead of big heists against the Elgen and Dr. Hatch, the Electroclan doesn't do much. Where's the big mission to stop the Elgen? The use of skills and brains to get out of impossible situations? Yes, there is a small mission, but it isn't on the level with breaking into a power plant in an exciting country.

And I'm not going to be too specific, but I personally don't like when a character gets a physical change in response to an emotional change. I've seen this before and I don't like it. Even if it is cool, I don't like it when a book is so obvious with symbolism. I think I'll just have to get used to it.

And how does this book end? Another cliffhanger. Luckily, the next book will FINALLY reveal the identity of the voice! The catch: you just have to wait a year.



This is getting old. I want to know now!

If you are committed to finishing every book this series, get reading!

[Avery (ThePagemaster) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, tome, is kinda like the new Blair Witch movie I saw a couple of days ago: I liked it, but I could not help but get either bored or pissed off for the vast portion.

Let me go through the pros first, and there are some. First off, this book is the shortest installment, which makes for a very quick read; you could read this in one sitting, if you have enough free time (I love that confidence booster feeling you get when you read an entire book in one sitting). I really like Richard Paul Evans' writing in this series. It's still very entertaining, still has that mystery/adventure vibe. The characters are still fun to read--even Hatch, who is quickly becoming a Hitler/Trump hybrid.

HOWEVER, for the first third--to half--of this book felt like I was reading the first book all over again. It seemed very monotonous and lacked some creativity. Then, the story breaks into a sub-plot with Taylor's parents, which would be interesting, but I just found myself skimming through a few passages--like Manon's chapters in Heir of Fire.

All in all, as quick as this book read, this book seemed to act as a filler book. Its basically:

-Michael and gang hop state to state, hotel to hotel
-Hatch doing Hatch stuff, only mentioning Michael once
-Taylor's parents

The first 50 and the last 20-ish pages are the standout reads. It does end on a nice cliffhanger, but was slightly disappointed in this installment.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though, this is not as "action" packed...Vol. 5 certainly leading into "Vol.6" which I, believe, will be VERY action packed...I gave it a "5" for the continuance of this series...filling in what is to come...I LOVE the writing of Richard Paul Evans...His characters are WELL WRITTEN...EVIL is EVIL...and the good guys...have GREAT SPIRIT...! Just sorry, I have to wait....ANOTHER YEAR...and then...for the conclusion....yet...ANOTHER WHOLE YEAR...Now, that is the bummer of starting a SERIES...that have not been published, yet.......smile

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so much shorter then the others but it did not disappoint. At the beginning I wasn't loving it like I usually love these books but as the book started going deeper into the story I really enjoyed it. I feel like this book was a build up to the next book. Not much action, intense, almost being killed scenes as previous books but it's still worth the read! Not my favorite book in the series but 5 stars for sure!

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning: This book is not like the other books in the Michael Vey series.

Or at least that's my two cents.

While they were all action-packed and filled with plot twists, this was more reserved and focused on the characters.

And boy, do I love the characters.

If you don't think the Michael Vey series is for you, at least give it a shot, because the characters deserve to have their story be told.

Read it. You won't be disappointed.