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The Firemane Saga #2
Queen Of Storms
Dark and powerful forces threaten the world of Garn once more in this second novel in legendary New York Times bestselling author Raymond E. Feist’s epic fantasy series, the Firemane Saga.
Hatushaly and his young wife Hava have arrived in the prosperous trading town of Beran’s Hill to restore and reopen the fire-damaged Inn of the Three Stars. They are also preparing for the popular midsummer festival, where their friends Declan and Gwen will be wed.
But Hatu and Hava are not the ordinary loving couple they appear to be. They are assassins from the mysterious island of Coaltachin, home to the powerful and lethal Nocusara, the fearsome “Hidden Warriors.” Posing as innkeepers, they are awaiting instructions from their masters in the Kingdom of Night.
Hatu conceals an even more dangerous secret. He is the last remaining member of the legendary Firemanes, the ruling family of Ithrace. Known as the Kingdom of Flames, Ithrace was one of the five greatest realms of Tembria, ruled by Hatu’s father, Stervern Langene, until he and his people were betrayed. His heir, Hatu—then a baby—was hidden among the Nocusara, who raised him to become a deadly spy.
Hatu works hard to hide his true identity from all who would seek to use or to destroy him, as fate has other plans for the noble warrior. Unexpected calamity forces him to make choices he could not have dreamed awaited him.
A series of horrific events shatters the peace of Beran’s Hill, bringing death and devastation and unleashing monstrous forces. Once more, the Greater Realms of Tembria are threatened—and nothing will ever be the same again.
Hatushaly and his young wife Hava have arrived in the prosperous trading town of Beran’s Hill to restore and reopen the fire-damaged Inn of the Three Stars. They are also preparing for the popular midsummer festival, where their friends Declan and Gwen will be wed.
But Hatu and Hava are not the ordinary loving couple they appear to be. They are assassins from the mysterious island of Coaltachin, home to the powerful and lethal Nocusara, the fearsome “Hidden Warriors.” Posing as innkeepers, they are awaiting instructions from their masters in the Kingdom of Night.
Hatu conceals an even more dangerous secret. He is the last remaining member of the legendary Firemanes, the ruling family of Ithrace. Known as the Kingdom of Flames, Ithrace was one of the five greatest realms of Tembria, ruled by Hatu’s father, Stervern Langene, until he and his people were betrayed. His heir, Hatu—then a baby—was hidden among the Nocusara, who raised him to become a deadly spy.
Hatu works hard to hide his true identity from all who would seek to use or to destroy him, as fate has other plans for the noble warrior. Unexpected calamity forces him to make choices he could not have dreamed awaited him.
A series of horrific events shatters the peace of Beran’s Hill, bringing death and devastation and unleashing monstrous forces. Once more, the Greater Realms of Tembria are threatened—and nothing will ever be the same again.
471 pages, Hardcover
First published July 14, 2020
1059 people are currently reading
7028 people want to read
About the author
Raymond E. Feist
289 books9,534 followersRaymond E. Feist was born Raymond E. Gonzales III, but took his adoptive step-father's surname when his mother remarried Felix E. Feist. He graduated with a B.A. in Communication Arts with Honors in 1977 from the University of California at San Diego. During that year Feist had some ideas for a novel about a boy who would be a magician. He wrote the novel two years later, and it was published in 1982 by Doubleday. Feist currently lives in San Diego with his children, where he collects fine wine, DVDs, and books on a variety of topics of personal interest: wine, biographies, history, and, especially, the history of American Professional Football.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 395 reviews
March 14, 2020
Thanks to a very welcome ARC for this upcoming publication, I can now come forth and pretty fairly gush about how much I love the Firemane Saga. Mind you... this is book two, so that means you fans of Feist are comfortable with big stories that build up and complete naturally over a cycle.
The first book ended with Hatu and Hava finally resting comfortably in an out-of-the-way town with their new friend Declan and his soon-to-be bride, Gwen. Hatu and Hava, having trained all their lives as assassins, find themselves VERY comfortable with the idea of being married, as innkeepers.
Of course, that bucolic scene was never going to last. This is Feist. Tragedies come as easily as the brushfire of war. We spent the last novel enjoying small trials and tribulations, growth as characters, small skirmishes, much greater secrets, and plans within plans... but now, all plans have gone to hell. Indeed, the whole nation goes to hell.
Reading this so soon after the first novel, I felt very emotional about many of the things that happened. It affected me pretty hard. No spoilers. But... yeah. All the best-laid plans...
As for all you folks who like to know a little taste of the thing to come... prepare yourself for life on the sea. The Queen of Storms, indeed. Tons of action, tons of upsets, and be prepared for a novel as dark and desperate as the first was genuinely hopeful.
Feist is a master storyteller. I've read most of his books and he always pulls off a great tale. :) He's at the top of his game with these, too.
The first book ended with Hatu and Hava finally resting comfortably in an out-of-the-way town with their new friend Declan and his soon-to-be bride, Gwen. Hatu and Hava, having trained all their lives as assassins, find themselves VERY comfortable with the idea of being married, as innkeepers.
Of course, that bucolic scene was never going to last. This is Feist. Tragedies come as easily as the brushfire of war. We spent the last novel enjoying small trials and tribulations, growth as characters, small skirmishes, much greater secrets, and plans within plans... but now, all plans have gone to hell. Indeed, the whole nation goes to hell.
Reading this so soon after the first novel, I felt very emotional about many of the things that happened. It affected me pretty hard. No spoilers. But... yeah. All the best-laid plans...
As for all you folks who like to know a little taste of the thing to come... prepare yourself for life on the sea. The Queen of Storms, indeed. Tons of action, tons of upsets, and be prepared for a novel as dark and desperate as the first was genuinely hopeful.
Feist is a master storyteller. I've read most of his books and he always pulls off a great tale. :) He's at the top of his game with these, too.
November 3, 2022
QUEEN OF STORMS deserved my 5 stars! I forgot how much I enjoyed the first book KING OF ASHES of THE FIREMANE SAGA until my friends reminded me. So I asked my library to get me book two. And let me tell you, I'm glad that I did! I have never read over 400 pages so fast. If it hadn't been for interruptions I would have finished this sooner. It is unusual for me to read 50 pages in one day, and not just because I read slowly. To tell the truth, I enjoyed going back and reliving the moment as I reread some passages.
This book has something interesting every couple of pages. It reads like GAME OF THRONES without the raunchy sex. Lots of action, but also lots of death and destruction. They don't go into gory details, but I found myself thinking "Yea!" every time some bad guy got what he deserved. If it wasn't hunting season here I might have been motivated to run through the woods with my sword slaying bad guys.
I liked all the characters, or at least the good ones. You know what their world is like and it doesn't take a lot of imagination to see their world through their eyes.
Yes, I enjoyed it, but now I just have to look for Book Three, dang it!
This book has something interesting every couple of pages. It reads like GAME OF THRONES without the raunchy sex. Lots of action, but also lots of death and destruction. They don't go into gory details, but I found myself thinking "Yea!" every time some bad guy got what he deserved. If it wasn't hunting season here I might have been motivated to run through the woods with my sword slaying bad guys.
I liked all the characters, or at least the good ones. You know what their world is like and it doesn't take a lot of imagination to see their world through their eyes.
Yes, I enjoyed it, but now I just have to look for Book Three, dang it!
April 30, 2021
This picks up right after the first book. Hatu and Have are inn keepers at Beran's Hill and they become good friends with Declan and Gwen. Things are okay for a bit but then Hatu comes across some people who are trying to find the last Firemane baby and an attack happens. Hava goes to inform the Baron, Daylon but Hatu gets abducted by the Flame Guard. Declan gets injured and Gwen dies.
The plot thickens and everybody is planning something. Every things changes from there on as Beran's Hill along with couple other towns are burnt to the ground by the attackers but nobody knows the attackers. There is a lot of bloodshed and violence.
Hava is looking for Hatu with Molly and gets abducted by the attackers and ends up on a slave ship which she ends up taking over with the help of other abductees and turns out that ship has a lot of wealth stored on by the attackers. She becomes Captain of the ship and sails off to the border ports where she's hoping to get to the world of attackers as the attackers aren't even from this continent.
I liked Hava but not as much as I had wanted to as she kept on making stupid decisions in the beginning even though she's a trained secret spy and when she takes over the ship I felt things kept happening for her too easy with her mostly untrained group and those same attackers burnt down town after town and killed trained soldiers and militia with such ease so I just couldn't buy that whole chain of events I am sorry.
Hatu even though the saga is all about him was barely even in this book and when he was he was drugged and wasn't conscious. I wanted more of him but this book was more about Hava rather than him I felt and I wanted him more. Anyway, his magic is revealed finally even though at the end of the book and still a lot of the questions went unanswered which I believe should have been answered by now. I am obviously hoping for more Hatu in the next book.
Declan loses his wife and he feels empty and I felt sorry for him. He also has something magical about him which was revealed in the first book and nothing about that is further revealed and I was disappointed and again hoping it will be revealed in the next book. Other than that I really liked Declan.
Donte also makes a comeback and his part mostly made me laugh out loud and I liked what happened with him so far and again not much was revealed about what happened to him with the Sisters of deep and about the sisters' themselves and hoping it will be revealed in the next book. Gosh, a lot needs to be revealed in the next book and I think it's only a trilogy?
The Baron, Daylon loses his family as well except for his half brother and plans on taking revenge from the attackers and starts to build his Barony which Declan suspects to be as powerful as another kingdom when it'd be done. I didn't have any favourite characters in the first book but I have found my favourite to be Daylon from this book. I did like all the characters though.
A lot happens and a lot of revelations are still made and whilst I guessed some, others I didn't see coming. The pacing was a bit odd and there were some technical errors but other than that it is a great read not as good as the first but still pretty good.
4 stars
The plot thickens and everybody is planning something. Every things changes from there on as Beran's Hill along with couple other towns are burnt to the ground by the attackers but nobody knows the attackers. There is a lot of bloodshed and violence.
Hava is looking for Hatu with Molly and gets abducted by the attackers and ends up on a slave ship which she ends up taking over with the help of other abductees and turns out that ship has a lot of wealth stored on by the attackers. She becomes Captain of the ship and sails off to the border ports where she's hoping to get to the world of attackers as the attackers aren't even from this continent.
I liked Hava but not as much as I had wanted to as she kept on making stupid decisions in the beginning even though she's a trained secret spy and when she takes over the ship I felt things kept happening for her too easy with her mostly untrained group and those same attackers burnt down town after town and killed trained soldiers and militia with such ease so I just couldn't buy that whole chain of events I am sorry.
Hatu even though the saga is all about him was barely even in this book and when he was he was drugged and wasn't conscious. I wanted more of him but this book was more about Hava rather than him I felt and I wanted him more. Anyway, his magic is revealed finally even though at the end of the book and still a lot of the questions went unanswered which I believe should have been answered by now. I am obviously hoping for more Hatu in the next book.
Declan loses his wife and he feels empty and I felt sorry for him. He also has something magical about him which was revealed in the first book and nothing about that is further revealed and I was disappointed and again hoping it will be revealed in the next book. Other than that I really liked Declan.
Donte also makes a comeback and his part mostly made me laugh out loud and I liked what happened with him so far and again not much was revealed about what happened to him with the Sisters of deep and about the sisters' themselves and hoping it will be revealed in the next book. Gosh, a lot needs to be revealed in the next book and I think it's only a trilogy?
The Baron, Daylon loses his family as well except for his half brother and plans on taking revenge from the attackers and starts to build his Barony which Declan suspects to be as powerful as another kingdom when it'd be done. I didn't have any favourite characters in the first book but I have found my favourite to be Daylon from this book. I did like all the characters though.
A lot happens and a lot of revelations are still made and whilst I guessed some, others I didn't see coming. The pacing was a bit odd and there were some technical errors but other than that it is a great read not as good as the first but still pretty good.
4 stars
April 12, 2021
Queen of Storms picks up right after the first book. Hatu and Have are inn keepers at Beran's Hill and they become good friends with Declan and Gwen. Things are okay for a bit but then Hatu comes across some people who are trying to find the last Firemane baby and an attack happens. Hava goes to inform the Baron, Daylon but Hatu gets abducted by the Flame Guard. Declan gets injured and Gwen dies.
The plot thickens and everybody is planning something. Every things changes from there on as Beran's Hill along with couple other towns are burnt to the ground by the attackers but nobody knows the attackers. There is a lot of bloodshed and violence.
Hava is looking for Hatu with Molly and gets abducted by the attackers and ends up on a slave ship which she ends up taking over with the help of other abductees and turns out that ship has a lot of wealth stored on by the attackers. She becomes Captain of the ship and sails off to the border ports where she's hoping to get to the world of attackers as the attackers aren't even from this continent.
I liked Hava but not as much as I had wanted to as she kept on making stupid decisions in the beginning even though she's a trained secret spy and when she takes over the ship I felt things kept happening for her too easy with her mostly untrained group and those same attackers burnt down town after town and killed trained soldiers and militia with such ease so I just couldn't buy that whole chain of events I am sorry.
Hatu even though the saga is all about him was barely even in this book and when he was he was drugged and wasn't conscious. I wanted more of him but this book was more about Hava rather than him I felt and I wanted him more. Anyway, his magic is revealed finally even though at the end of the book and still a lot of the questions went unanswered which I believe should have been answered by now. I am obviously hoping for more Hatu in the next book.
Declan loses his wife and he feels empty and I felt sorry for him. He also has something magical about him which was revealed in the first book and nothing about that is further revealed and I was disappointed and again hoping it will be revealed in the next book. Other than that I really liked Declan.
Donte also makes a comeback and his part mostly made me laugh out loud and I liked what happened with him so far and again not much was revealed about what happened to him with the Sisters of deep and about the sisters' themselves and hoping it will be revealed in the next book. Gosh, a lot needs to be revealed in the next book and I think it's only a trilogy?
The Baron, Daylon loses his family as well except for his half brother and plans on taking revenge from the attackers and starts to build his Barony which Declan suspects to be as powerful as another kingdom when it'd be done. I didn't have any favourite characters in the first book but I have found my favourite to be Daylon from this book. I did like all the characters though.
A lot happens and a lot of revelations are still made and whilst I guessed some, others I didn't see coming. The pacing was a bit odd and there were some technical errors but other than that it is a great read not as good as the first but still pretty good.
4 stars
The plot thickens and everybody is planning something. Every things changes from there on as Beran's Hill along with couple other towns are burnt to the ground by the attackers but nobody knows the attackers. There is a lot of bloodshed and violence.
Hava is looking for Hatu with Molly and gets abducted by the attackers and ends up on a slave ship which she ends up taking over with the help of other abductees and turns out that ship has a lot of wealth stored on by the attackers. She becomes Captain of the ship and sails off to the border ports where she's hoping to get to the world of attackers as the attackers aren't even from this continent.
I liked Hava but not as much as I had wanted to as she kept on making stupid decisions in the beginning even though she's a trained secret spy and when she takes over the ship I felt things kept happening for her too easy with her mostly untrained group and those same attackers burnt down town after town and killed trained soldiers and militia with such ease so I just couldn't buy that whole chain of events I am sorry.
Hatu even though the saga is all about him was barely even in this book and when he was he was drugged and wasn't conscious. I wanted more of him but this book was more about Hava rather than him I felt and I wanted him more. Anyway, his magic is revealed finally even though at the end of the book and still a lot of the questions went unanswered which I believe should have been answered by now. I am obviously hoping for more Hatu in the next book.
Declan loses his wife and he feels empty and I felt sorry for him. He also has something magical about him which was revealed in the first book and nothing about that is further revealed and I was disappointed and again hoping it will be revealed in the next book. Other than that I really liked Declan.
Donte also makes a comeback and his part mostly made me laugh out loud and I liked what happened with him so far and again not much was revealed about what happened to him with the Sisters of deep and about the sisters' themselves and hoping it will be revealed in the next book. Gosh, a lot needs to be revealed in the next book and I think it's only a trilogy?
The Baron, Daylon loses his family as well except for his half brother and plans on taking revenge from the attackers and starts to build his Barony which Declan suspects to be as powerful as another kingdom when it'd be done. I didn't have any favourite characters in the first book but I have found my favourite to be Daylon from this book. I did like all the characters though.
A lot happens and a lot of revelations are still made and whilst I guessed some, others I didn't see coming. The pacing was a bit odd and there were some technical errors but other than that it is a great read not as good as the first but still pretty good.
4 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2025
3-stars.
I'm persevering with the trilogy but I'm seeing too many similarities with a lot of other modern works by other authors. I've enjoyed the majority of Feist's older books but the change in style of his writing in this series isn't as enthralling as his earlier works.
I shall read the 3rd book and then move on to other pastures.
I'm persevering with the trilogy but I'm seeing too many similarities with a lot of other modern works by other authors. I've enjoyed the majority of Feist's older books but the change in style of his writing in this series isn't as enthralling as his earlier works.
I shall read the 3rd book and then move on to other pastures.
August 5, 2022
Queen of Storms picks up right after the first book. Hatu and Have are inn keepers at Beran's Hill and they become good friends with Declan and Gwen. Things are okay for a bit but then Hatu comes across some people who are trying to find the last Firemane baby and an attack happens. Hava goes to inform the Baron, Daylon but Hatu gets abducted by the Flame Guard. Declan gets injured and Gwen dies.
The plot thickens and everybody is planning something. Every things changes from there on as Beran's Hill along with couple other towns are burnt to the ground by the attackers but nobody knows the attackers. There is a lot of bloodshed and violence.
Hava is looking for Hatu with Molly and gets abducted by the attackers and ends up on a slave ship which she ends up taking over with the help of other abductees and turns out that ship has a lot of wealth stored on by the attackers. She becomes Captain of the ship and sails off to the border ports where she's hoping to get to the world of attackers as the attackers aren't even from this continent.
I liked Hava but not as much as I had wanted to as she kept on making stupid decisions in the beginning even though she's a trained secret spy and when she takes over the ship I felt things kept happening for her too easy with her mostly untrained group and those same attackers burnt down town after town and killed trained soldiers and militia with such ease so I just couldn't buy that whole chain of events I am sorry.
Hatu even though the saga is all about him was barely even in this book and when he was he was drugged and wasn't conscious. I wanted more of him but this book was more about Hava rather than him I felt and I wanted him more. Anyway, his magic is revealed finally even though at the end of the book and still a lot of the questions went unanswered which I believe should have been answered by now. I am obviously hoping for more Hatu in the next book.
Declan loses his wife and he feels empty and I felt sorry for him. He also has something magical about him which was revealed in the first book and nothing about that is further revealed and I was disappointed and again hoping it will be revealed in the next book. Other than that I really liked Declan.
Donte also makes a comeback and his part mostly made me laugh out loud and I liked what happened with him so far and again not much was revealed about what happened to him with the Sisters of deep and about the sisters' themselves and hoping it will be revealed in the next book. Gosh, a lot needs to be revealed in the next book and I think it's only a trilogy?
The Baron, Daylon loses his family as well except for his half-brother and plans on taking revenge from the attackers and starts to build his Barony which Declan suspects to be as powerful as another kingdom when it'd be done. I didn't have any favourite characters in the first book but I have found my favourite to be Daylon from this book. I did like all the characters though.
A lot happens and a lot of revelations are still made and whilst I guessed some, others I didn't see coming. The pacing was a bit odd and there were some technical errors but other than that it is a great read not as good as the first but still pretty good.
4 stars
The plot thickens and everybody is planning something. Every things changes from there on as Beran's Hill along with couple other towns are burnt to the ground by the attackers but nobody knows the attackers. There is a lot of bloodshed and violence.
Hava is looking for Hatu with Molly and gets abducted by the attackers and ends up on a slave ship which she ends up taking over with the help of other abductees and turns out that ship has a lot of wealth stored on by the attackers. She becomes Captain of the ship and sails off to the border ports where she's hoping to get to the world of attackers as the attackers aren't even from this continent.
I liked Hava but not as much as I had wanted to as she kept on making stupid decisions in the beginning even though she's a trained secret spy and when she takes over the ship I felt things kept happening for her too easy with her mostly untrained group and those same attackers burnt down town after town and killed trained soldiers and militia with such ease so I just couldn't buy that whole chain of events I am sorry.
Hatu even though the saga is all about him was barely even in this book and when he was he was drugged and wasn't conscious. I wanted more of him but this book was more about Hava rather than him I felt and I wanted him more. Anyway, his magic is revealed finally even though at the end of the book and still a lot of the questions went unanswered which I believe should have been answered by now. I am obviously hoping for more Hatu in the next book.
Declan loses his wife and he feels empty and I felt sorry for him. He also has something magical about him which was revealed in the first book and nothing about that is further revealed and I was disappointed and again hoping it will be revealed in the next book. Other than that I really liked Declan.
Donte also makes a comeback and his part mostly made me laugh out loud and I liked what happened with him so far and again not much was revealed about what happened to him with the Sisters of deep and about the sisters' themselves and hoping it will be revealed in the next book. Gosh, a lot needs to be revealed in the next book and I think it's only a trilogy?
The Baron, Daylon loses his family as well except for his half-brother and plans on taking revenge from the attackers and starts to build his Barony which Declan suspects to be as powerful as another kingdom when it'd be done. I didn't have any favourite characters in the first book but I have found my favourite to be Daylon from this book. I did like all the characters though.
A lot happens and a lot of revelations are still made and whilst I guessed some, others I didn't see coming. The pacing was a bit odd and there were some technical errors but other than that it is a great read not as good as the first but still pretty good.
4 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2020
3.0 Stars!
Queen of storms is an enjoyable read and the pacing is excellent. Though I was a bit disappointed. The depth of the characters is an issue. Massive changes happen with no real lead up. The magic system has had zero explanation, but will have to play a role in the final book. I’m still hoping the final installment delivers, but not sure how Feist will be able to pull it off. The Firemane Saga feels like it needs a few more books still.
Queen of storms is an enjoyable read and the pacing is excellent. Though I was a bit disappointed. The depth of the characters is an issue. Massive changes happen with no real lead up. The magic system has had zero explanation, but will have to play a role in the final book. I’m still hoping the final installment delivers, but not sure how Feist will be able to pull it off. The Firemane Saga feels like it needs a few more books still.
July 18, 2020
4 stars
You can read all of my reviews at https://nerdgirllovesbooks.com/.
This is a fantastic second book in the Firemane Saga. There is everything you want and need in an epic fantasy book - non-stop action, betrayals, twists and turns, new alliances, intense fighting, horrific devastation, high-sea drama, and much, much more.
We begin in Beran's Hill. Hatu and Hava bought Gwen's father's inn and are rebuilding it. They become friends with Declan and Gwen and have settled into life in the quiet town. But, because this is an epic fantasy, it doesn't stay quiet for long. Different groups of mysterious strangers arrive and it's clear they are dangerous men up to no good. Hava and Hatu discover that two men are looking for Hatu and decide to send a message to their masters in the Kingdom of Night.
Before we know it trouble comes to Beran's Hill and many lives are upended. The characters are scattered and the remainder of the book finds several of them on separate paths. New characters are introduced as more of the plot comes into focus, but for every question answered, even more arise. I really like the new character of Molly Bowman. We were introduced to her in the last book, but she wasn't as prevalent as she is in this one. Molly adds a bit of wit and heart to the story, and becomes a good and trusted friend to Hava. Hava has never had a female friend, and it's nice to see their friendship develop.
I really enjoyed how twisty the plot is getting. You can't get too comfortable with what you think is going on because before you know it, the author throws another wrench in the works. The scale of the story is getting massive, but have no fear, it's still easy to follow along. In the grand scheme of things, the number of characters to keep track of is manageable. Each chapter alternates its focus on a different character so you know what is happening with multiple characters simultaneously. This is pretty cruel of the author because I couldn't put the book down without finding out what happened next and before I knew it, hours had passed.
This book does not suffer from "second book syndrome" where the story plods along and is basically filler. The action starts right out of the gate and doesn't let up until the exciting cliffhanger. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review.
You can read all of my reviews at https://nerdgirllovesbooks.com/.
This is a fantastic second book in the Firemane Saga. There is everything you want and need in an epic fantasy book - non-stop action, betrayals, twists and turns, new alliances, intense fighting, horrific devastation, high-sea drama, and much, much more.
We begin in Beran's Hill. Hatu and Hava bought Gwen's father's inn and are rebuilding it. They become friends with Declan and Gwen and have settled into life in the quiet town. But, because this is an epic fantasy, it doesn't stay quiet for long. Different groups of mysterious strangers arrive and it's clear they are dangerous men up to no good. Hava and Hatu discover that two men are looking for Hatu and decide to send a message to their masters in the Kingdom of Night.
Before we know it trouble comes to Beran's Hill and many lives are upended. The characters are scattered and the remainder of the book finds several of them on separate paths. New characters are introduced as more of the plot comes into focus, but for every question answered, even more arise. I really like the new character of Molly Bowman. We were introduced to her in the last book, but she wasn't as prevalent as she is in this one. Molly adds a bit of wit and heart to the story, and becomes a good and trusted friend to Hava. Hava has never had a female friend, and it's nice to see their friendship develop.
I really enjoyed how twisty the plot is getting. You can't get too comfortable with what you think is going on because before you know it, the author throws another wrench in the works. The scale of the story is getting massive, but have no fear, it's still easy to follow along. In the grand scheme of things, the number of characters to keep track of is manageable. Each chapter alternates its focus on a different character so you know what is happening with multiple characters simultaneously. This is pretty cruel of the author because I couldn't put the book down without finding out what happened next and before I knew it, hours had passed.
This book does not suffer from "second book syndrome" where the story plods along and is basically filler. The action starts right out of the gate and doesn't let up until the exciting cliffhanger. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review.
July 17, 2020
A qualifier: I've been reading Raymond E. Feist for roughly 30 years now. He's been one of my favorite authors for decades, and the following pains me to write. So, some of this will touch on the previous book in this series. Consider this a review of the series as much as this book.
There may be spoilers...
A vignette of observations:
* So, we have a blacksmith with a teamster/wagon driver friend who turns out to be the bastard son of a noble. This seems vaguely familiar. Declan isn't an anagram of Erik surprisingly.
* A strange people from a mysterious continent on the other side of the world raids the main characters' home, killing some people, burning some things, and taking hostages away. At least in this case a stern chase doesn't end up being a long chase. Nicky, has anyone seen Nicky?
* A redheaded character with mysterious power around which the story is written is a inn keeper in some backwater town with a side kick who is more than what they seem. Well, I'm glad Feist is a fan of Rothfuss too.
There's a few other things, but you get the idea. I don't think any of these things come anywhere close to plagiarism (including self-plagiarism). Perhaps the author meant them as a head nod, or even homage, but it comes across as recycling.
On to the technical issues:
Like other Feist books, this one suffers from some poor editing. Not as bad as early editions of a couple of the Midkemia novels, but Feist needs a new editor and proof reader. In this case there are closing quotations marks (but no opening marks) around things that are not dialogue and a couple nonsensical sentences, and all the other normal problems. There are also some bad examples of recapping/exposition in dialogue where a character will incorrectly tell what happened in the first book. It could be easy to write this off as an unreliable narrator, but the entire purpose of it is to remind the reader/ tie in to the first book, so if that was the goal, then it was poorly done. It is done like bad television. My female friends, even those who love the Riftwar novels, complain that Feist writes one dimensional women. I'm starting to agree. While he writes some strong female characters, they are still paper thin. In the case of this book, the only female character to get much POV treatment is okay, but then at the very end of the book acts completely out of character to perform a classic trope of women in poorly written television.
Finally, Feist has fallen in the habit of overusing/misusing some words and terms. Everyone in this book comments on things ruefully, even when it is clear that it doesn't exactly apply. There are others, but I'm afraid if I call them all out that is all you will see.
If you can get past those things, there's some really good story in there. Feist has phoned in some of this, but there's enough here to show he still remembers good story. It is also a new world and it is exciting to see what that new world looks like. That being said, I wish he would stop trying to write epic fantasy and just write a good solid story. Not every continent has to burn for a good story to occur. Feist writes interesting characters, and I believe he can have them complete interesting arcs without the entire world being at stake.
There may be spoilers...
A vignette of observations:
* So, we have a blacksmith with a teamster/wagon driver friend who turns out to be the bastard son of a noble. This seems vaguely familiar. Declan isn't an anagram of Erik surprisingly.
* A strange people from a mysterious continent on the other side of the world raids the main characters' home, killing some people, burning some things, and taking hostages away. At least in this case a stern chase doesn't end up being a long chase. Nicky, has anyone seen Nicky?
* A redheaded character with mysterious power around which the story is written is a inn keeper in some backwater town with a side kick who is more than what they seem. Well, I'm glad Feist is a fan of Rothfuss too.
There's a few other things, but you get the idea. I don't think any of these things come anywhere close to plagiarism (including self-plagiarism). Perhaps the author meant them as a head nod, or even homage, but it comes across as recycling.
On to the technical issues:
Like other Feist books, this one suffers from some poor editing. Not as bad as early editions of a couple of the Midkemia novels, but Feist needs a new editor and proof reader. In this case there are closing quotations marks (but no opening marks) around things that are not dialogue and a couple nonsensical sentences, and all the other normal problems. There are also some bad examples of recapping/exposition in dialogue where a character will incorrectly tell what happened in the first book. It could be easy to write this off as an unreliable narrator, but the entire purpose of it is to remind the reader/ tie in to the first book, so if that was the goal, then it was poorly done. It is done like bad television. My female friends, even those who love the Riftwar novels, complain that Feist writes one dimensional women. I'm starting to agree. While he writes some strong female characters, they are still paper thin. In the case of this book, the only female character to get much POV treatment is okay, but then at the very end of the book acts completely out of character to perform a classic trope of women in poorly written television.
Finally, Feist has fallen in the habit of overusing/misusing some words and terms. Everyone in this book comments on things ruefully, even when it is clear that it doesn't exactly apply. There are others, but I'm afraid if I call them all out that is all you will see.
If you can get past those things, there's some really good story in there. Feist has phoned in some of this, but there's enough here to show he still remembers good story. It is also a new world and it is exciting to see what that new world looks like. That being said, I wish he would stop trying to write epic fantasy and just write a good solid story. Not every continent has to burn for a good story to occur. Feist writes interesting characters, and I believe he can have them complete interesting arcs without the entire world being at stake.
April 9, 2020
The second novel in the “Firemane Trilogy” picks up with most of our four main point-of-view characters from book one, King of Ashes, in pretty comfortable places. Of course, the serenity can’t last, not with those that are behind the grand betrayal depicted in that first book still out there. A major horrific event occurs early on and separates the main characters, leading them to grow in their own right, but all driven to recover what they had and reconnect with each other. Hatu is still the last remaining member of the ruling family of Ithrace – the legendary Firemanes, that needs to remain in obscurity or risk assassination, but it is his wife, Hava that gets the bulk of the cool storylines this time out.
This novel is traditional epic fantasy. By that, I mean that unlike much of today’s “gritty” fantasy, the heroes face tough situations and decisions and make their way through them much like a true hero would. They may make mistakes, but their motivations are good. You will not find F-bombs in this book nor anti-heroes as main characters. There is some hefty tragedy in this second book, turning the main storylines on their head and destroying the characters’ best-laid plans.
Raymond Feist is, of course, well known for his lengthy Riftwar Cycle involving many inter-related trilogies, duologies, etc. and totaling nearly 30 books. He tells his stories through his characters and this book continues that tradition. The world building was well done in the first novel but is greatly enhanced this time around as the characters are thrust into new regions and must learn new skills and social dynamics in order to cope and progress toward their futures. The prose is very down-to-earth and easily readable (once again, not like so many of today’s gritty fantasy that tries to be “literary” at the expense of good old fashioned story-telling).
All in all, this is a solid second novel in “The Firemane Saga” and serves well to set up a great finish in the third book. However, this world is sufficiently complex and interesting to allow for another one or two…or five trilogies to come, much as Feist did in his lengthy Riftwar series.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, HarperCollins for a free Advanced Readers Copy. This book is due to be published on 14 July 2020
This novel is traditional epic fantasy. By that, I mean that unlike much of today’s “gritty” fantasy, the heroes face tough situations and decisions and make their way through them much like a true hero would. They may make mistakes, but their motivations are good. You will not find F-bombs in this book nor anti-heroes as main characters. There is some hefty tragedy in this second book, turning the main storylines on their head and destroying the characters’ best-laid plans.
Raymond Feist is, of course, well known for his lengthy Riftwar Cycle involving many inter-related trilogies, duologies, etc. and totaling nearly 30 books. He tells his stories through his characters and this book continues that tradition. The world building was well done in the first novel but is greatly enhanced this time around as the characters are thrust into new regions and must learn new skills and social dynamics in order to cope and progress toward their futures. The prose is very down-to-earth and easily readable (once again, not like so many of today’s gritty fantasy that tries to be “literary” at the expense of good old fashioned story-telling).
All in all, this is a solid second novel in “The Firemane Saga” and serves well to set up a great finish in the third book. However, this world is sufficiently complex and interesting to allow for another one or two…or five trilogies to come, much as Feist did in his lengthy Riftwar series.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, HarperCollins for a free Advanced Readers Copy. This book is due to be published on 14 July 2020
October 2, 2020
Book 1: 4*
Book 2: 4*
My only complaint about this one is that it seemed short and took a while to get going. I'm also worried about this only being a trilogy. In so many ways it seems like things are just starting. I've seen what I believe to be the ending since book one but the writing and characters are so good I really don't care.
Book 2: 4*
My only complaint about this one is that it seemed short and took a while to get going. I'm also worried about this only being a trilogy. In so many ways it seems like things are just starting. I've seen what I believe to be the ending since book one but the writing and characters are so good I really don't care.
March 26, 2025
As in book one, there is zero closure in book two. This is simply one book split into three parts for marketing purposes. It is a fun tale, but unless you want to pay for three books, which should cost less than the sum of one, read something else.
October 6, 2020
The tale continues apace. Well written, as always, great plot and characters. An effortless but entertaining read
November 6, 2025
I am so hooked. excellent fantasy content. No dragons yet, BUT we now have some spicy hot elemental magic (think firebending) and bad bitch piracy on the high seas!!!!!! Also invasion, pillaging and destruction throughout Garn as the plot thickens and I have no idea who's behind it!?!
July 26, 2020
I was really disappointed in this book. Derivative, repetitive and oddly paced. If anyone has ever read his previous series, The Serpentwar Saga, you may remember the plot of a young blacksmith who is the bastard son of a Baron, and later becomes a gifted warrior in a mercenary company. You also remember how he fought against an army of invaders who sailed to his home from a far away, exotic continent. Well I hope you liked it before, because it's come round again. Also, every single time a character sees,realizes,knows, or understands something in this book it is always "instantly" It's a small thing, but I happened to listen to the audiobook on this one and it really stands out when constantly being spoken. Plot wise there are a lot of strange choices. Somehow the character with the least combat experience and training becomes the best warrior. The character who has the least amount of training as a sailor (I think a week or two working as a deckhand in the previous book, I don't believe the exact amount of time was given, but it was specified as a short trip) becomes a pirate captain. And the central character of the series, the Firemane heir, Hatu spends a substantial portion of the book unconscious, and then wakes up and mopes for the rest of it. There are more complaints and grievances that I could share, but the more I think about it the more irritated I become. This could have been good, it's not.
June 28, 2024
It was okay for me.
September 20, 2021
This was a bit of an inconsistent book. There are moments of excellent action and some really slow bits. It is not clear where the drive of the story is going in the short to medium term although the long term picture is a little clearer. As this story progressed I became more engaged, although that waned a little in the last 50 pages as the action of the story wound down. While the story is very much left hanging, there wasn't a tension that has made me eager for the next book, although I will read it when it comes out.
July 24, 2022
He certainly knows how to end a book. I enjoyed it more than King of Ashes. Could/Should have had more Sisters Of the Deep updates… they appeared for like a paragraph. Book 3 is gonna be crazy.
August 31, 2020
Reading a novel from one of the authors that hooked me into fantasy always gives me good feels. We still continue on the journey with Hatu, Hava and co. The action isnt heavy like today's fantasy but Feists warm characterisation and fun world building has and old school charm like no other. This has a little more adventure than the first, especially the pirate type battles. Looking forward to the conclusion. My only critique would that it really hasnt developed a massive plot arc. Its been quite simple however I feel the strength of this novel is in the delicate and descriptive world building.
October 29, 2020
Okay read with the continuing of Hava and Hatu journey.
They are traveling more in this one. The enemies looking for the Firemane child is it a boy or a girl where is this child.
Hatu and Hava settle down in Berans Hill spying as they settle down.
Someone is looking for Hatu or is it Hava.
The Dante is missing or is he dead?
Just okay lots of fighting lots of shipping journey I enjoyed.
They are traveling more in this one. The enemies looking for the Firemane child is it a boy or a girl where is this child.
Hatu and Hava settle down in Berans Hill spying as they settle down.
Someone is looking for Hatu or is it Hava.
The Dante is missing or is he dead?
Just okay lots of fighting lots of shipping journey I enjoyed.
June 22, 2025
This was a solid return to Feist’s world – familiar yet fresh, with the sense that something much bigger is beginning to stir. Queen of Storms picks up where King of Ashes left off, with Hatu and his companions finding themselves in deeper waters as political intrigue and ancient forces start to collide.
The pacing is quick, and the world-building continues to be top-notch (typical Feist). I was engaged for the most part. The hints of larger mythology and looming conflict kept me turning the pages. It’s not Feist at his absolute peak, but it’s definitely strong enough to keep me keen for book three.
The pacing is quick, and the world-building continues to be top-notch (typical Feist). I was engaged for the most part. The hints of larger mythology and looming conflict kept me turning the pages. It’s not Feist at his absolute peak, but it’s definitely strong enough to keep me keen for book three.
April 25, 2021
This is a ripping yarn, and is entertainingly read. There are a lot of deaths, and some good, and not so good surprises. I look forward to the next book in this series.
January 11, 2021
I wish I could better explain why this book was good but also felt kind-of off.
I really liked the action - we start with the characters happy where they are, but Beran's Hill is attacked by
But it was an enjoyable read - 3/5 stars
I really liked the action - we start with the characters happy where they are, but Beran's Hill is attacked by
But it was an enjoyable read - 3/5 stars
December 9, 2024
As book two in The Firemane Saga, I had a good time with this one. I knew I would because I am very familiar with the author’s writing, but also because I really enjoyed book one. I knew the characters and the world and knew roughly where we were going, and I was fully on board with it all.
Probably the one thing that I wasn’t so fond of here was a particular character’s death. This is a fantasy world and there are wars going on, so it can be quite brutal at times, but this particular death just felt a bit too much like “fridging” to me. I can see why it was done in terms of it being the catalyst to action, but it’s a trope that I’m not a fan of, and it soured things slightly for me here.
Other than that, I liked the character progression that we got here, and I’m enjoying where everything’s going with the story.
Probably the one thing that I wasn’t so fond of here was a particular character’s death. This is a fantasy world and there are wars going on, so it can be quite brutal at times, but this particular death just felt a bit too much like “fridging” to me. I can see why it was done in terms of it being the catalyst to action, but it’s a trope that I’m not a fan of, and it soured things slightly for me here.
Other than that, I liked the character progression that we got here, and I’m enjoying where everything’s going with the story.
September 6, 2020
Really loving this series, unfortunately after binging the first 2 books I now have to wait for the next one to come out
Read
July 28, 2021Nah.
Did I read this because of an ongoing joke with a friend? Yes.
Will I read the next one? Definitely.
Is it good? Absolutely not.
Did I read this because of an ongoing joke with a friend? Yes.
Will I read the next one? Definitely.
Is it good? Absolutely not.
May 30, 2024
Интересно започна поредицата, но...
November 3, 2022
Our heroes make an effort to live quiet and normal lives but unfortunately big and mysterious plans get in the way and everything is destroyed in fire and violence. So begins a struggle to save whatever they can, figure out what's going on, and get revenge. Through all of this, the unique characters created by the author stand out more, which gives more depth to this book. The continuous action that results from all this highlights once again the ability of the author in this field who through these scenes offers moments of heroism, emotions, and also humor, as he is used to all these years. A very good sequel to this trilogy.
Οι ήρωες μας κάνουν μία προσπάθεια να ζήσουν ήσυχες και φυσιολογικές ζωές αλλά δυστυχώς μεγάλα και μυστηριώδη σχέδια μπαίνουν στη μέση και όλα καταστρέφονται στη φωτιά και τη βία. Έτσι ξεκινάει ένας αγώνας για να σώσουν οτιδήποτε μπορούν, να καταλάβουν τι συμβαίνει και να πάρουν εκδίκηση. Μέσα από όλα αυτά αναδεικνύονται περισσότερο οι ξεχωριστοί χαρακτήρες που δημιουργεί ο συγγραφέας, κάτι που δίνει μεγαλύτερο βάθος σε αυτό το βιβλίο. Η συνεχόμενη δράση που προκύπτει από όλα αυτά αναδεικνύει για ακόμα μία φορά την ικανότητα του συγγραφέας σε αυτόν τον τομέα ο οποίος μέσα από αυτές τις σκηνές προσφέρει στιγμές ηρωισμού, συγκινήσεις αλλά και χιούμορ, όπως συνηθίζει όλα αυτά τα χρόνια. Μία πολύ καλή συνέχεια σε αυτή την τριλογία.
Οι ήρωες μας κάνουν μία προσπάθεια να ζήσουν ήσυχες και φυσιολογικές ζωές αλλά δυστυχώς μεγάλα και μυστηριώδη σχέδια μπαίνουν στη μέση και όλα καταστρέφονται στη φωτιά και τη βία. Έτσι ξεκινάει ένας αγώνας για να σώσουν οτιδήποτε μπορούν, να καταλάβουν τι συμβαίνει και να πάρουν εκδίκηση. Μέσα από όλα αυτά αναδεικνύονται περισσότερο οι ξεχωριστοί χαρακτήρες που δημιουργεί ο συγγραφέας, κάτι που δίνει μεγαλύτερο βάθος σε αυτό το βιβλίο. Η συνεχόμενη δράση που προκύπτει από όλα αυτά αναδεικνύει για ακόμα μία φορά την ικανότητα του συγγραφέας σε αυτόν τον τομέα ο οποίος μέσα από αυτές τις σκηνές προσφέρει στιγμές ηρωισμού, συγκινήσεις αλλά και χιούμορ, όπως συνηθίζει όλα αυτά τα χρόνια. Μία πολύ καλή συνέχεια σε αυτή την τριλογία.
January 5, 2022
This second instalment of the Firemane Saga takes the story further, revealing some of the mysteries set up in the first book.
The world-building is excellent and the characters are well-developed. I still don't have a particular favourite but I'm gaining an odd fondness for the manipulative priestly characters.
More behind the scenes manipulators are brought into play, along with more secret societies. Betrayals and attacks happen all over the place and the main core of characters try to survive them and prepare for the coming war and invasion.
I did wonder at the title, but that question is answered near the end of the book.
Looking forward to the third instalment of this story.
The world-building is excellent and the characters are well-developed. I still don't have a particular favourite but I'm gaining an odd fondness for the manipulative priestly characters.
More behind the scenes manipulators are brought into play, along with more secret societies. Betrayals and attacks happen all over the place and the main core of characters try to survive them and prepare for the coming war and invasion.
I did wonder at the title, but that question is answered near the end of the book.
Looking forward to the third instalment of this story.
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