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The epic, thrilling conclusion to the Huntress trilogy. A stunning fantasy adventure, perfect for readers aged 9+ and fans of Philip Pullman, Piers Torday, Abi Elphinstone, Katherine Rundell, and Frances Hardinge.
Stag's army marches on, and up in the Sky fortress of Hackles, Mouse tries to keep hopeful as allies from different Tribes join forces to fight him. Mouse is forbidden to leave the mountain—but when their leader is kidnapped, she knows she must go in search of the last Opal, even if this means breaking her promise to Da . . . Mouse is soon heading for the lands of the bloodthirsty Fangtooths. And as rumors fly about the return of an ancient evil, Mouse knows that she and her crew will soon face their biggest battle—for their Tribes, for their lives – for their world as they know it. The storm is coming . . . Sky-soaring, beast-chattering, dream-dancing, draggle-riding, terrodyl-flying, world-saving adventure.
Stag's army marches on, and up in the Sky fortress of Hackles, Mouse tries to keep hopeful as allies from different Tribes join forces to fight him. Mouse is forbidden to leave the mountain—but when their leader is kidnapped, she knows she must go in search of the last Opal, even if this means breaking her promise to Da . . . Mouse is soon heading for the lands of the bloodthirsty Fangtooths. And as rumors fly about the return of an ancient evil, Mouse knows that she and her crew will soon face their biggest battle—for their Tribes, for their lives – for their world as they know it. The storm is coming . . . Sky-soaring, beast-chattering, dream-dancing, draggle-riding, terrodyl-flying, world-saving adventure.
336 pages, Paperback
First published May 31, 2018
12 people are currently reading
234 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Driver
11 books65 followersSarah Driver was born on the Sussex coast and started writing as a small child. She graduated with distinction from the Bath Spa MA in Writing for Young People in 2015, after winning the 2014 United Agents prize for ‘most promising writer’. She is also a nurse and midwife, having trained at the Florence Nightingale School at King's College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Dreamstalkers: The Night Train is releasing on February 1st 2024. It is the first in a new middle grade fantasy-adventure duology, telling the story of Bea Grimspuddle and Pip, an owl who smells like butter and candle smoke. In the world of Hirathorn, Bea lives in the remote wilds of a rugged moorland settlement called Thunderheart Tor. She longs to become a mage, riding off on adventures, with the power to use wild magic. Instead she is taught that all the magic of Hirathorn resides exclusively with the elites in the faraway city of Silvervein. Everything changes when the dreams disappear, strange shadows are glimpsed and nightmares come walking. Then the Night Train steams across the moors, and Bea is swept into an adventure in the world of the Dreamstalkers.
Other novels by Sarah Driver are The Huntress trilogy, which tells the story of Mouse, who grows up aboard a ship captained by her grandmother in a world of moonsprites, terrodyls and merwraiths. Once We Were Witches is a fantasy duology which follows Spel Wrythe and her sister Egg, who grow up in Mistress Mouldheels' School for Wicked Girls believing they are the daughters of criminals. Learning the truth will lead them on an adventure to a strange funeral parlour guarding even more secrets.
Photo credit: Lauren Psyk.
Dreamstalkers: The Night Train is releasing on February 1st 2024. It is the first in a new middle grade fantasy-adventure duology, telling the story of Bea Grimspuddle and Pip, an owl who smells like butter and candle smoke. In the world of Hirathorn, Bea lives in the remote wilds of a rugged moorland settlement called Thunderheart Tor. She longs to become a mage, riding off on adventures, with the power to use wild magic. Instead she is taught that all the magic of Hirathorn resides exclusively with the elites in the faraway city of Silvervein. Everything changes when the dreams disappear, strange shadows are glimpsed and nightmares come walking. Then the Night Train steams across the moors, and Bea is swept into an adventure in the world of the Dreamstalkers.
Other novels by Sarah Driver are The Huntress trilogy, which tells the story of Mouse, who grows up aboard a ship captained by her grandmother in a world of moonsprites, terrodyls and merwraiths. Once We Were Witches is a fantasy duology which follows Spel Wrythe and her sister Egg, who grow up in Mistress Mouldheels' School for Wicked Girls believing they are the daughters of criminals. Learning the truth will lead them on an adventure to a strange funeral parlour guarding even more secrets.
Photo credit: Lauren Psyk.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 10, 2018
Glad to have read this finale to the series, finishing it with tears in my eyes and warmth in my heart.
The characters and the bonds between them make this a real winner, although I did feel slightly frustrated with some of the 'twists' taken with the antagonists.
Overall, a great end to a fantastic, unique trilogy with lots of creative imagery and imaginative places and creatures and tonnes of adventure.
The characters and the bonds between them make this a real winner, although I did feel slightly frustrated with some of the 'twists' taken with the antagonists.
Overall, a great end to a fantastic, unique trilogy with lots of creative imagery and imaginative places and creatures and tonnes of adventure.
June 5, 2018
Brilliant ending to the trilogy. Wish I has something like this when I was growing up.
August 28, 2018
A fantastic end to this brilliant trilogy. Sarah Driver really does capture you in the world that she’s created and makes you feel for the characters .
February 28, 2018
I was privileged to read an early draft of this, and I got to say: You all are in for a treat. STORM takes everything I love about THE HUNTRESS trilogy and puts it on an even more epic, even more massive scale. I almost can't believe I'm saying this, but even in its early draft stage this may very well be my favorite book of the series.
June 3, 2018
Oh how I wish I could have given this book more stars. I adored the first two books in this series, and though I waited eagerly for its final installment, it just didn't quite match my expectations.
The story, the world building, and the characters continued to be excellent. I love Mouse and her crew. The magics of lightning, whale song, beast chatter, and spirits set my soul alight. Mouse's narrative is charming and heart-felt. The research into indigenous peoples and their history and culture was brilliant and expertly portrayed.
My main gripe was the pacing.
The book started a month after Sky left off. With no catch-up. Which, though I had to flick through the last few chapters of Sky to re-orientate myself, isn't a problem per se, set the pace for the rest of the book. It reads as though in a combination of editors, publishers, and author, there was a freak out that the book would be too long and they cut out a lot of bridging scenes. Important bridging scenes. The sort of bridging scenes which explain out of character behaviours (like Mouse randomly trusting this old guy she just happens to bump into) and sudden accepted story arcs with travel across the land seeming to take a fraction of what it did in the previous books.
The Hunteress is a seried aimed at 9-12s and if the massive saga of Harry Potter teaches us anything, is that that age group can handle big books. Maybe Storm would have benefited from being split into two? It's just such a shame; this series could have been so, so much more and I honestly believe that the author has the greatness in her. Yet that for whatever reason Storm didn't reach its potential. I will certainly be keeping an eye open for her future work.
The story, the world building, and the characters continued to be excellent. I love Mouse and her crew. The magics of lightning, whale song, beast chatter, and spirits set my soul alight. Mouse's narrative is charming and heart-felt. The research into indigenous peoples and their history and culture was brilliant and expertly portrayed.
My main gripe was the pacing.
The book started a month after Sky left off. With no catch-up. Which, though I had to flick through the last few chapters of Sky to re-orientate myself, isn't a problem per se, set the pace for the rest of the book. It reads as though in a combination of editors, publishers, and author, there was a freak out that the book would be too long and they cut out a lot of bridging scenes. Important bridging scenes. The sort of bridging scenes which explain out of character behaviours (like Mouse randomly trusting this old guy she just happens to bump into) and sudden accepted story arcs with travel across the land seeming to take a fraction of what it did in the previous books.
The Hunteress is a seried aimed at 9-12s and if the massive saga of Harry Potter teaches us anything, is that that age group can handle big books. Maybe Storm would have benefited from being split into two? It's just such a shame; this series could have been so, so much more and I honestly believe that the author has the greatness in her. Yet that for whatever reason Storm didn't reach its potential. I will certainly be keeping an eye open for her future work.
December 14, 2018
3.5 stars.
Mouse’s adventures are coming to an end as war and winter sweep over Trianukka, leaving darkness and death in their wake. If you’ve loved Mouse’s story so far, you’ll probably love this as once more our intrepid heroine rushes into danger, trying to save her friends, her ship and her world.
A lot happens. So much, in fact that I felt a bit sad because some stories don’t seem to go anywhere or reach a decent end. Which is understandable because there’s so much do and even more new places to explore — like the Moonlands of the Fangtooths, or the forest and city of Nightfall. All of these places were fascinating and I wouldn’t have minded learning more about any of them, even if the spiders might be a bit much for some.
I also wish Mouse didn’t have to do something unimaginably foolish to raise the stakes. Or have yet another bigger badder baddie introduced at the last moment because Stag isn’t quite bad enough on his own. It left things feeling a little jumbled, but that might also be because it’s been a while since I read the other books.
Overall, though, this is a fitting finale to this imaginative series. Mouse is brave and bold and grows up a lot during the trilogy, especially in this book, but she is far from perfect, makes plenty of mistakes and still has a lot to learn. A lot more is at stake too, and there’s a bit of heartbreak mixed in with the adventure. If you love this series, you’ll love this one too. If you’re new but love strange new worlds and feisty young girls determined to save them, then start with “Sea”. I’m glad I did, and I’ll be interest to see what this author comes up with next.
(Review copy provided by the publisher via Amazon Vine.)
Mouse’s adventures are coming to an end as war and winter sweep over Trianukka, leaving darkness and death in their wake. If you’ve loved Mouse’s story so far, you’ll probably love this as once more our intrepid heroine rushes into danger, trying to save her friends, her ship and her world.
A lot happens. So much, in fact that I felt a bit sad because some stories don’t seem to go anywhere or reach a decent end. Which is understandable because there’s so much do and even more new places to explore — like the Moonlands of the Fangtooths, or the forest and city of Nightfall. All of these places were fascinating and I wouldn’t have minded learning more about any of them, even if the spiders might be a bit much for some.
I also wish Mouse didn’t have to do something unimaginably foolish to raise the stakes. Or have yet another bigger badder baddie introduced at the last moment because Stag isn’t quite bad enough on his own. It left things feeling a little jumbled, but that might also be because it’s been a while since I read the other books.
Overall, though, this is a fitting finale to this imaginative series. Mouse is brave and bold and grows up a lot during the trilogy, especially in this book, but she is far from perfect, makes plenty of mistakes and still has a lot to learn. A lot more is at stake too, and there’s a bit of heartbreak mixed in with the adventure. If you love this series, you’ll love this one too. If you’re new but love strange new worlds and feisty young girls determined to save them, then start with “Sea”. I’m glad I did, and I’ll be interest to see what this author comes up with next.
(Review copy provided by the publisher via Amazon Vine.)
November 16, 2019
My home is with you. Wherever we rest our bones. It’s with you.
Let’s take the character development and throw it away. Mouse reverted back to her initial temperament of book one, Crow was absolutely useless, the side characters completely interchangeable, and I didn’t care if anyone lived or died.
On that note, kill your gays! Very few central characters were sacrificed (the hawk, the Moonsprite... the guy we were just introduced to...) but of course Egret had to go. Couldn’t sacrifice anyone else to shock Kestrel back into herself (like her mother, who had finished her arc) and couldn’t use any other plot device on this one. Just had to kill Egret.
Stag’s “redemption” was late, shallow, and useless. The explanation as to why he went full Bad Guy... lack of love doesn’t turn you into a monster. Take responsibility for you own actions, man.
The budding romance between Crow and Mouse was tolerable, but no more. The couples revealed in the Epilogue were surprising, which is not the way romantic arcs should be. There was no development, and they were lumped together by age range.
The battle that we’d been building towards for 900 pages was severely underwhelming. The way they made new allies wasn’t realistic and the battle happened out of page, which isn’t how these things are supposed to go.
The way Mouse got the slaves to be released from the Stone Queen is what made me give up. She helped the woman out for 2 badly described pages and the queen completely changes her mind on everything she believes in? Hard to believe.
Overall, superficial and too long.
Let’s take the character development and throw it away. Mouse reverted back to her initial temperament of book one, Crow was absolutely useless, the side characters completely interchangeable, and I didn’t care if anyone lived or died.
On that note, kill your gays! Very few central characters were sacrificed (the hawk, the Moonsprite... the guy we were just introduced to...) but of course Egret had to go. Couldn’t sacrifice anyone else to shock Kestrel back into herself (like her mother, who had finished her arc) and couldn’t use any other plot device on this one. Just had to kill Egret.
Stag’s “redemption” was late, shallow, and useless. The explanation as to why he went full Bad Guy... lack of love doesn’t turn you into a monster. Take responsibility for you own actions, man.
The budding romance between Crow and Mouse was tolerable, but no more. The couples revealed in the Epilogue were surprising, which is not the way romantic arcs should be. There was no development, and they were lumped together by age range.
The battle that we’d been building towards for 900 pages was severely underwhelming. The way they made new allies wasn’t realistic and the battle happened out of page, which isn’t how these things are supposed to go.
The way Mouse got the slaves to be released from the Stone Queen is what made me give up. She helped the woman out for 2 badly described pages and the queen completely changes her mind on everything she believes in? Hard to believe.
Overall, superficial and too long.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2025
Dernier tome de cette série jeunesse, j'ai dû faire face à deux problèmes. Le premier, le prendre en anglais, car il n'existait pas en français et le second, les tics de langage de Mouse par exemple qui en français se comprennent, mais en anglais, c'est plus compliqué, car je n'ai pas cette connaissance même si le sens se devine.
Comme dit précédemment, cela a beau être un livre jeunesse, il reste néanmoins assez dur sur certains points. J'ai toujours un peu de mal avec le sort de certaines des créatures de cet univers. Concernant les personnages, on retrouve notre groupe qui n'est pas sorti d'affaire et qui doit continuer son combat contre Stag afin de récupérer la dernière Opale et de mettre fin à toute la décrépitude qui corrompt son monde.
Pour ce dernier opus, on a une jolie surprise concernant un personnage, même si toutefois cela ne dure qu'un moment. Il y a des passages qui serrent le cœur évidemment. Et l'on a droit à un bon épilogue qui permet de savoir comment la vie a repris son cours à Trianukka.
En conclusion, trois tomes, c'est parfait pour cette série. Une bonne dose d'aventure parsemée de plus ou moins de difficulté. De l'originalité et des personnages convaincants.
https://la-bibliotheque-du-labyrinthe...
Comme dit précédemment, cela a beau être un livre jeunesse, il reste néanmoins assez dur sur certains points. J'ai toujours un peu de mal avec le sort de certaines des créatures de cet univers. Concernant les personnages, on retrouve notre groupe qui n'est pas sorti d'affaire et qui doit continuer son combat contre Stag afin de récupérer la dernière Opale et de mettre fin à toute la décrépitude qui corrompt son monde.
Pour ce dernier opus, on a une jolie surprise concernant un personnage, même si toutefois cela ne dure qu'un moment. Il y a des passages qui serrent le cœur évidemment. Et l'on a droit à un bon épilogue qui permet de savoir comment la vie a repris son cours à Trianukka.
En conclusion, trois tomes, c'est parfait pour cette série. Une bonne dose d'aventure parsemée de plus ou moins de difficulté. De l'originalité et des personnages convaincants.
https://la-bibliotheque-du-labyrinthe...
June 26, 2018
This was the third and last book in this trilogy, which is a fantasy adventure series. It was as exciting as the other two and moved at a fast pace, leading the reader to an exciting finish.
My only complaint is that if anyone picked this up without reading the first two books, they would be very confused, and I found it difficult to recall the last book as I read it some time ago, so i was a tad confused to begin with.
On the whole this is a great series to read and suitable for anyone.
My only complaint is that if anyone picked this up without reading the first two books, they would be very confused, and I found it difficult to recall the last book as I read it some time ago, so i was a tad confused to begin with.
On the whole this is a great series to read and suitable for anyone.
August 28, 2018
A book I tore through at the beginning because I simply had to know what would happen next, and then found myself deliberately reading slowly as the end drew near because I couldn't bear for it all to be over... I loved Storm just as much as I loved Sky and Sea, and as usual I'm left gobsmacked by Sarah Driver's worldbuilding, authorial voice and imagination.
I stayed up waaaay past my bedtime to finish this, which says it all. Brava, Sarah Driver. I can't wait to see where you go next!
I stayed up waaaay past my bedtime to finish this, which says it all. Brava, Sarah Driver. I can't wait to see where you go next!
July 12, 2019
A great end to a cracking good series. The world created brings you in and you never want to leave. You feel all the emotions of the struggles and battles. Heart thanks to Sarah Driver, it's a great set of books.
August 22, 2025
‘You with the fire in your eyes, fire in your cheeks and fire in your tongue.’
‘You would be in trouble if life’s sails were calm, but enough trouble has gripped us already’
‘Cos our song is more than fight and fire.it’s peace. It’s hope. It’s home
‘You would be in trouble if life’s sails were calm, but enough trouble has gripped us already’
‘Cos our song is more than fight and fire.it’s peace. It’s hope. It’s home
July 31, 2018
Brilliant end to the trilogy. I shed a tear or two at the end there!
June 19, 2019
A very nicely rounded out conclusion to the trilogy. Enjoyed that.
October 14, 2020
Well done to the author
Well that’s a wrap with the final book in the series. Definitely brought some inner emotion our of me. Definitely recommend to other people.
Well that’s a wrap with the final book in the series. Definitely brought some inner emotion our of me. Definitely recommend to other people.
May 4, 2023
Fabulous book, splendid ending to this excellent YA trilogy.
At times cruel and bitter but always entertaining.
I especially liked the Spidermaster with his spider buses and kennels.
At times cruel and bitter but always entertaining.
I especially liked the Spidermaster with his spider buses and kennels.
May 5, 2019
Read my other book reviews at booksibled.wordpress.com
I’m not going to lie, I put off writing this review. I really didn’t want to. I was kind of hoping I could just leave the title hanging in my draft section for the rest of time but guilt at seeing it there weeks after I dragged my partner into Waterstones on a rare trip out for us both so he could help me find it, won out.
I remember that experience well for two reasons. The first being the astonished look my partner gave me when I basically screeched in the middle of the children’s section after finally coming across it. The second was finding out that I had extra money left over on my Waterstones stamp card so they would put it on a gift card for me to use later. I didn’t know that was a thing…mainly because I rarely buy less than two books.
So, if I was so excited to read this book why have I avoided writing about it? Look, I’m just a little cut up right now because, this is the last one. What am I meant to do with myself now there’s no more Mouse adventures to be had? You can laugh all you want but book series like this don’t come along every day and nor do diverse and complex characters in worlds that feel so beautifully fleshed out.
The final book picks up not long after the last leaves off. This adds a heap of thrilling danger and urgency right off the bat and allows us to delve right back in with the characters while still getting across one of the worst aspects of dangerous adventures, the waiting. Mouse feels cut off now her father is back because he is determined to keep her and her brother safe. The more he tries to pull her back from the dangers of the oncoming war the more she realises that she will get nothing done in the sky kingdom so she does something amazing. She brings together the other kids, even the ones who don’t much like her, and she gets them all involved in her escape. With some convincing they help her and an unlikely ally fly away in search of the next opal, in a desperate attempt to stop the war before it can happen.
I love the way this book flipped some of the characters on their head, proving that you can never really understand and appreciate a person’s motivation and past unless you ask or see for yourself. Mouse’s eventual willingness to open her eyes to the pressures on both the young people and the adults around her and understand that good people can do bad things in the right circumstances show her growth as a character in the past two books and it was heart warming to watch.
This book is also a fair bit more violent than the last two. Mainly due to it being the final in the series with the eventual battles and the harsh conditions in the ice based communities that help Mouse to understand just how much of Stag’s power is based on threats, violence and lies. I struggled a little with a scene where a dog is killed in a ritual but I could see it’s necessity. How it showed that senseless violence is the last hope of desperate and frightened peoples and that Mouse was in real danger of harm. I was also desperately sorry to see one of my favourite characters go. Not only because she was one of two openly LGBT characters but also because I felt like she didn’t get as much time to shine as I would have liked.
I wish these books had miles of paper to fully explore every character. To give more time to what Stag was doing, to explain more about the goings on in the city, to give the final battle even more history so it maybe feels a little less like I blinked and the series was over.
But that’s the book lover’s dream isn’t it? That good books never end.
P.S. A fitting end to a brilliant series that I can’t wait to pass on to the young ones in my family. Wonderful characters, realistic peril and all beautifully written with heart and imagination. I’ll miss Mouse, and her crew.
I’m not going to lie, I put off writing this review. I really didn’t want to. I was kind of hoping I could just leave the title hanging in my draft section for the rest of time but guilt at seeing it there weeks after I dragged my partner into Waterstones on a rare trip out for us both so he could help me find it, won out.
I remember that experience well for two reasons. The first being the astonished look my partner gave me when I basically screeched in the middle of the children’s section after finally coming across it. The second was finding out that I had extra money left over on my Waterstones stamp card so they would put it on a gift card for me to use later. I didn’t know that was a thing…mainly because I rarely buy less than two books.
So, if I was so excited to read this book why have I avoided writing about it? Look, I’m just a little cut up right now because, this is the last one. What am I meant to do with myself now there’s no more Mouse adventures to be had? You can laugh all you want but book series like this don’t come along every day and nor do diverse and complex characters in worlds that feel so beautifully fleshed out.
The final book picks up not long after the last leaves off. This adds a heap of thrilling danger and urgency right off the bat and allows us to delve right back in with the characters while still getting across one of the worst aspects of dangerous adventures, the waiting. Mouse feels cut off now her father is back because he is determined to keep her and her brother safe. The more he tries to pull her back from the dangers of the oncoming war the more she realises that she will get nothing done in the sky kingdom so she does something amazing. She brings together the other kids, even the ones who don’t much like her, and she gets them all involved in her escape. With some convincing they help her and an unlikely ally fly away in search of the next opal, in a desperate attempt to stop the war before it can happen.
I love the way this book flipped some of the characters on their head, proving that you can never really understand and appreciate a person’s motivation and past unless you ask or see for yourself. Mouse’s eventual willingness to open her eyes to the pressures on both the young people and the adults around her and understand that good people can do bad things in the right circumstances show her growth as a character in the past two books and it was heart warming to watch.
This book is also a fair bit more violent than the last two. Mainly due to it being the final in the series with the eventual battles and the harsh conditions in the ice based communities that help Mouse to understand just how much of Stag’s power is based on threats, violence and lies. I struggled a little with a scene where a dog is killed in a ritual but I could see it’s necessity. How it showed that senseless violence is the last hope of desperate and frightened peoples and that Mouse was in real danger of harm. I was also desperately sorry to see one of my favourite characters go. Not only because she was one of two openly LGBT characters but also because I felt like she didn’t get as much time to shine as I would have liked.
I wish these books had miles of paper to fully explore every character. To give more time to what Stag was doing, to explain more about the goings on in the city, to give the final battle even more history so it maybe feels a little less like I blinked and the series was over.
But that’s the book lover’s dream isn’t it? That good books never end.
P.S. A fitting end to a brilliant series that I can’t wait to pass on to the young ones in my family. Wonderful characters, realistic peril and all beautifully written with heart and imagination. I’ll miss Mouse, and her crew.
November 19, 2024
Am I crying over a kids book? Yes. Was every second worth it? Yes. This book is fierce and true and so, so incredibly deep. It ripped my heart out. It made me proud to be human, and proud to be a big sister. I can barely see these words, I’m blubbing like a baby as I write them, because every page of this book is a thing of beauty.
May 30, 2020
I LOVE that SERIES ! I've started to read those books while I was in Northern Ireland and it was really entertaining. I love the characters, the thread of the story, the fact that we change a lot through the different books of location and characters. Now, I wish to read them again.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews