Eye of the Storm

by Katelyn Buxton

Josiah thought that he had seen the last of his hypocritical family members. The abandoned wilds of Linfort suit him just fine, and learning to work with his hands has brought him more satisfaction than executing a new sword-fighting move ever did. But when a herald is chased into Linfort by a pack of wolves, Josiah is disturbed from his peaceful monotony and once again set on an adventure that will change his life. Will he be able to cross the Eastern Sea in time to find the cure for his brother’s illness, or will Aralan lose its only heir?

Kindle Edition

Published December 14, 2019

About the author

Hello and welcome!

If you’ve chanced across this page, odds are you’re wanting to know a little more about this "Katelyn" person you found on the Internet. Well, the truth is, I’m just like any other author. I spend my days dreaming about stories and falling hopelessly, head-over-heels in love with my characters. I'm the author of the Warriors of Aralan series, as well as a sci-fi standalone called Tè Nan Lezar, and a couple of nineteenth-century-inspired serializations titled What Is and Could Be and To Live and To Breathe.

When not pursuing a literary career, I can be found with my nose buried inside a book I didn’t write, baking cookies, taking photos, learning French, watching movies, and spending time with my friends and family. My passion is to always give God the glory through my writing in hopes that these stories will touch some lives.

Reviews

[Daniel Dydek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received an ARC edition of this story for review, and...my goodness. This is what I've been waiting for since "Branwen's Quest": Katelyn's writing has definitely reached a new high with this installment -- not a peak, as I'm fully confident she will continue to grow in her abilities, but this story soars and has fully earned a 5-star rating from me. The narrative and events in Chapter One are the best writing I've found anywhere. Anyone looking for a solid, clean Christian story with terrific characters, beautiful landscapes, and an engaging and delightful yet thought-provoking and emotional plot need look no further. Josiah's continuing journey through the scars of his upbringing, and the excitement of a brand-new adventure pulled me through this story in leaps and bounds. New places, new fantastical creatures, and new characters are introduced perfectly alongside familiar places and old traveling companions. The first part of the book really felt like coming home, getting reacquainted and caught up with everything that's gone on since last I was there; then after friendships are rekindled, getting to set out together again into new perils. I love, in this series, that each story is so uniquely it's own, and we're not just rehashing the same plots over and over. Tremendously well done.

A final thought for you all: while the first couple books of this series were a little difficult for me to really get into, and I stand by the issues I raised in my reviews, I also must recommend reading Warriors of Aralan from the beginning. True, you only *need* to read "Journey to Freedom" to understand this one, as the key names, places, and plot-points in "Eye of the Storm" are most directly related to it; but you will find so much more depth in even little things like Linfort and the Tournament of Warriors if you have read from the beginning. However, if that kind of commitment is going to keep you from reading anything at all in this wonderful series, then you certainly cannot go wrong by only picking up these latest two installments. You will not be sorry you did.

Katelyn Buxton has made a life-long fan out of this reader, and I truly hope we get to see more of Aralan in the future. I'm fully convinced that whatever Katelyn sets her mind and pen to will be yet another delightful read, and I can't wait to be there when it's published.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4!

Having read Buxton's previous works "Branwen's Quest" and "Journey to Freedom," I was very excited to delve into her latest work, "Eye of the Storm." And that excitement ended up being well justified! Eye of the Storm was a very fun follow up to Journey to Freedom, and was quite likely Buxton's objectively best novel yet (out of the ones I have read, of course)!

The two aspects of Eye of the Storm that, in my opinion, elevate it over the other Warriors of Aralan books are the worldbuilding and the prose.
In this installment, Josiah and the gang travel to a completely foreign land, and due to this, there is much emphasis and much care given to thoroughly fleshing out this new country. Unique customs, a different language, new creatures (including dragons!!), and even distinct plants are created to bring (insert country name) to life!
And as for the prose, this book is an immense improvement over Journey to Freedom in that area as well! Which isn't so much a weakness on Journey to Freedom's part as it is a strength for Eye of the Storm! There were a few rough patches in Journey to Freedom's prose, but overall it still flowed fairly well. Eye of the Storm, however, was nothing but smooth!

Now, of course, the parts which elevate this book over the others isn't all the good I have to say about it! Indeed, there are many other things to like.
For one, Josiah has a really good arc! Since the last installment, he has grown up a lot, but much of his anger and bitterness still remains. Readers of Journey to Freedom likely already have a guess as to where his arc is heading, but just in case, that's all I shall say on the matter lest I accidentally slip up and let things out that I shouldn't *zips lips*

Another thing I really liked was how Buxton tackled themes of grief and bitterness so fully. Rather than just mention it a few times, brush it off, and move on to the quest, she dedicated a lot of time to dealing with it. So props to Buxton for that!

There are more things that I liked about it, of course, but unfortunately it would be very difficult for me to mention those without at least alluding to some major spoilers.

Of course, there were some things that I didn't like about Eye of the Storm too.


First and foremost, I thought the supporting cast could have been a little bit stronger. We get some new faces and some old, some dynamics are shuffled around a little, and I felt like the new dynamics forced some characters (mainly Elias and Emory) into roles they aren't best suited for, diminishing them a little bit.

Secondly, while I really liked Josiah's arc, there were some things about it that I'm still rather unsure about. It's practically impossible for me to expound on this without giving up major spoilers, so I'll have to leave it at that.

And, lastly, I wish there were more of a connection between the quest and the main conflict of the story. There were a few times where it felt like there were two stories being told at the same time. However, I'm convinced this is entirely a subjective critique, and so i doubt it would bother anyone else.

Those few critiques aside, this was a very good follow up to Journey to Freedom! Buxton is a very gifted writer, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with in book 9 (that ending though 😮)!

[K.L. + Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded to 5!

We continue on Josiah's, Emma's, and Dassa's journey and this quest is one of my favorites. Not only because the quests has personal stakes for Josiah, but because of all the intricacies involved. He has to sail on a ship, which he's never done, go to a country that not only has different customs than Aralan but also speaks a different language, but also has to fight an internal battle that has been raging inside him his whole life, even if he doesn't realize it.

I will admit that whenever going into a Christian fiction novel (be Fantasy, Sci-Fi, or another sub-genre), I am always wary about the book being too "preachy" in its message. Buxton, however, does a very good job of making the Christian message come through in a natural way. Even in situations where Emory and Elias are talking about their faith to Josiah in a way that may be considered preachy, the situation was one where faith would naturally be brought up. And, they were drawing from their own experiences to cope with said situation to try and help Josiah, and their experience is one of faith. So I could understand that.

The world has expanded even further than it did in the last book. We now travel to a country with different customs, a different language, and different creatures that need to be dealt with (including an old fantasy favorite :) ). Buxton took more care with her descriptions this time around while making sure it didn't sound like an unnecessary info-dump, and I loved being able to picture the new places that she had us explore.

Josiah is really fleshed out in this novel. His struggle with hatred and bitterness, his desire to help people in need, and trying to make sense of the world really stuck out to me. He also tries to reconcile his teachings to keep his emotions in check while realizing that life away from the palace has shown him what truely mattered in life. I liked seeing more of Isaac in this one, and seeing his and Josiah's relationship. I do wish Emory and Elias had been developed a bit more besides their comic relief, but they gave reasons for trying to keep a cheery outlook despite their circumstances. While it was nice to see some differences between the twins, I felt like there could have been a few more moments like that to really drive the two characters home. Nevertheless, I was glad they were there. Emma has become less rough around the edges, but still isn't afraid to be honest with Josiah and still as practical as ever. Dassa is the same as ever, and while part of me wishes Dassa was developed a bit more, Dassa is still a shining light of child-like faith, and I am glad that is still her dominate trait.

"Eye of the Storm" is a very strong book with engaging characters and a powerful message. An excellent addition to the series. Can't wait for book 9!

[Squire Whitney: Hufflepuff Book Reviwer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the most unique Warriors of Aralan book yet in regards to tone, Eye of the Storm makes for an engrossing blend of darkly gritty and yet somehow nonetheless magical. In this installment, Buxton takes the same cast of characters that we have already come to love in Journey to Freedom, plunging them headfirst into their deepest and most somber trials yet. Nothing transpires as planned, and the characters are forced to wrestle with their deepest insecurities and fears. Yet, despite all this, Eye of the Storm maintains more of a sense of magical wonder than any prior installment of the series. These two very different tones might sound challenging to blend, yet Buxton accomplishes it expertly.

The world-building has also reached a new high-point. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the World-building has become progressively more and more impressive in each Warriors of Aralan book that I have read. In Brawnwen’s Quest, we are introduced to a charming medieval fantasy land. In Beyond the Mountain, Buxton’s sketches of the land become even more vivid and captivating. In Fires in the Night and Finding Hope, Buxton slows down the pace, allowing our characters to spend most of their time in Linfort, merely going about their lives—which gives us readers a clearer peek into the everyday happenings of the village. In Journey to Freedom, the characters travel to a whole new country with vastly different customs from Aralan. Now, in book eight, the characters travel farther than ever before—crossing oceans on a boat, visiting an even more faraway nation that speaks a different tongue, and even encountering a few fantastical creatures in the process. (And, yes, there be dragons.)

The writing has also skyrocketed in this installment. While it has not bothered me nearly as much on the reread as it did in my original reading, I have not been the hugest fan of Buxton’s writing style. I have not found the prose to flow particularly well—and I have often been disappointed to find clichés utilized immediately alongside otherwise highly formal writing. While Buxton’s writing had improved somewhat by Journey to Freedom, I still found it to have much room for improvement. Here, however, the prose on the whole flows quite well. I am a stickler for punctuation—so I would have loved for Buxton’s punctuation to have been a bit more consistent and grammatically correct—but, besides this minor qualm, the writing is fantastic! I agree with another reviewer that the writing in the first chapter shines as particularly impressive.

I do have a handful of issues with Eye of the Storm, though. For one, I am quite disappointed with Emory’s and Elias’s development. Toward the beginning of the novel, we discover that they have spent five years, merely wandering around Aralan and searching for Josiah, Emma, and Dassa. No matter how concerned they were for their friends, I find it almost impossible to buy that they would have devoted five years of their lives to this purpose. Then, later in the story, they maintain their roles as comic relief even as very somber things occur around them, presumably refusing all the while to take anything seriously. To Buxton’s credit, she does flesh out their inner-motivations for doing this—but I personally do not care for the way that it is handled. I also found a few instances in the story where it seems to be implied that mourning when something tragic occurs in your life is always against God’s will. Granted, Buxton might not have intended for this message to come across, but I would have loved for the text to have been tweaked slightly in these instances, because I very much disagree with such a view.

Any issues that I have with Eye of the Storm, though, including the ones that I have mentioned, are overwhelmingly subjective. Objectively, it is one of Buxton’s most mature works yet. Count on the ending to get you hyped (as well as anxious) for book nine!

I do agree with another reviewer that it is best to read Warriors of Aralan from the beginning. Sure, you can understand the series just fine if you start with Journey to Freedom—but, by doing so, one will miss out on things like why Linfort is so significant to the narrative or the importance of Brawnwen's and Quintin's cottage or the frequent references to the characters' family trees. The worldbuilding simply feels so much richer when you know its history! And, personally, I love the first three books.

Now, just for fun, here are my rankings of the six Warriors of Aralan books that I have read thus far:

7-Finding Hope (Book 4): There are certainly a lot of fantastic things about Allister’s first book, but I did not entirely connect much with the new cast of characters or care for the manner in which Christianity gets introduced into the series.
6-Warriors of Aralan anthology: While I was not crazy about Son of Mercy, the other two short stories proved a lot of fun to read, and they provide for a great deal of excellent worldbuilding.
5-Beyond the Mountain (Book 2): It feels like a bit too much like a rehashing of Brawnwen’s Quest, and a rehashing that is weaker in some regards. But it is still so much fun to follow the Four on another quest and watch their arcs continue to unfold!
4-Eye of the Storm (Book 8): This is when we are getting into the really good ones! My subjective issues hold this book from ranking even higher, but I still really like it and think that objectively it makes for one of the best works in the series.
3-Brawnwen’s Quest (Book 1): A charming, classic, albeit familiar quest narrative where less really does feel like more. This installment probably has my personal favorite characterization!
2-Journey to Freedom (Book 7): Buxton’s most mature work, hands down. I love the simple but effective and thought-provoking story-line! Josiah’s character is established brilliantly.
1-Fires in the Night (Book 3): Perhaps objectively this one does not quite measure up to Josiah’s books, but I still love the heck out of it—and I am not even entirely sure why, haha.

[Erin Dydek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josiah’s story continues where it left off in Journey to Freedom. Time has passed as his life has taken up roots as a farmer in Linfort, but he cannot remain hidden forever. Faced with the opportunity to cross paths with his royal family once again, Josiah finds himself torn between the chance to make a name for himself in the Tournament of Warriors and facing the wrath of the family that disinherited him after his decision to help Calima in their war against Eclon.

News about the health of his younger brother will drive him to new territory. Is the dangerous trek to find a cure for Prince Isaac’s illness worth the risk?

The conflict in Josiah’s heart rears its ugly head once again in Eye of the Storm. In Journey to Freedom, we got to see a glimpse of the inner turmoil of Josiah’s life and his determination to be better than his hypocritical parents. The longer Josiah lives in pride and refuses to surrender his heart to Christ, the colder his heart becomes. He has finally reached a point where he is dangerously close to becoming just like his parents. Again, I loved how Buxton’s writing goes into the depths of the struggle in the human heart. The road to surrender is not always easy, and Josiah has more than a few reasons to harden his heart.

This book takes a voyage to a new land, but the journey for Josiah goes much deeper. He is tested in his thoughts and motives and challenged to learn about humility and healing. The exotic destination is foreign to him, but so is the concept of willing submission to an all-powerful God. In the face of not understanding God’s plans and purposes, Josiah is confused and tormented. He must come to terms with the outcomes of the journey and learn to trust when things in life don’t make sense. It is a heart-wrenching struggle to witness and full of emotion. The message woven into the story is not cliché as in some Christian fiction, but powerful because it tackles real issues and doesn’t shy away from looking into the motives of the human heart.

There were major events that I cannot mention without spoilers, but I can say that I was pleased with the outcome of this story. The plot was well-developed and kept my interest throughout the book. This portion of Josiah’s story was tied up well, and events were developed to allow the series to continue. I was left eager to read the next installment and cannot wait to see where this story goes next! For these reasons, I gladly give Eye of the Storm a full 5 out of 5.


I received an ARC copy from the author. My opinions are my own.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of Katelyn's years of writing have come together to create this book, without a doubt her best work yet! Her Magnum Opus; her masterpiece! (At least until she writes the next book and blows all of our socks off again.)

Katelyn has proved once again that she is not afraid to tackle harder topics, and her characters continue to grow in-depth and thought. But don't worry, the classic adventure that Katelyn never fails to infuse into her books is strong and wild in this book, and reaches even new levels! But best of all, was the description of the new places the characters explore in this book.

Perfect for Mid-grade readers, (or anyone who loves a wonderfully simple and fun read,) I greatly enjoyed this book, and can't wait to see what Katelyn comes up with next!

[Julia Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm just going to say right off the top, that I need the next book in this series. I absolutely loved this book. From the very beginning I was hooked. (Very good opening chapter, by the way. Not only did it keep my attention, but it scared me into wakefulness and kept me going into the night.)

Things that I loved:

1. Again, the settings. The settings of Aralan, and especially Beridia were vivid and well thought out. There were a lot of small details which made me appreciate the difficulties of traveling in such climes. I'd read this book over if for nothing else but the settings.

2. The characters. Huzzah for familiar characters! I think I squealed when I recognized Josiah the first time he was introduced in this book ( he's my favorite. Sh! Don't tell the others.), and then there was other familiar characters too, like Emma and Dassa plus new character like Stephen. (I really wish we could've read more of Stephen. He was hilarious!)

3. Dialogue. I'm pretty sure there are huge chunks of my e-book that are highlighted. I have no regrets. There were some pretty memorable lines.

Things that I disliked:

... 0... Nothing. I liked everything.

Nota Bene: A couple of nights ago, my little brothers came to my room to say goodnight while I was reading a very riveting chapter. I was so tense that when they asked me what I was reading, I gave the shortest answer I could (because I just wanted to read!). I told them it was a book that had dragons (which wasn't a lie). The older of the two brothers gave me a thumbs up.
So, yeah. This is the kind of book that takes your breath away, makes you cry (in a good way, I promise), and gets a thumbs up from my brothers.