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The Oncoming Storm #1
A Storm of Silver and Ash
What would you sacrifice to save your friend? Your soul? Your humanity? Your life?
The Oncoming Storm is a name whispered in awe throughout the Underworld. She’s known as a master thief and a lethal knife-wielder – some even say she has the skills of an assassin. All of it is true. She’s also a sarcastic smartmouth with the social graces of a bull.
You will find her running across rooftops, sneaking in the shadows, and breaking into houses. That is, if she’s not busy getting ambushed and blackmailed into a seemingly impossible mission. Grudgingly caught in a dangerous power struggle, the Oncoming Storm must leave behind the world she knows and maneuver through scheming assassins, calculating elves, and desperate royals.
Before her adventure is over, she will have loved, saved, killed, and double-crossed those around her. The only question is, who? The clock is ticking, and before time runs out, the Oncoming Storm must decide who to trust and who to betray…
The Oncoming Storm is a name whispered in awe throughout the Underworld. She’s known as a master thief and a lethal knife-wielder – some even say she has the skills of an assassin. All of it is true. She’s also a sarcastic smartmouth with the social graces of a bull.
You will find her running across rooftops, sneaking in the shadows, and breaking into houses. That is, if she’s not busy getting ambushed and blackmailed into a seemingly impossible mission. Grudgingly caught in a dangerous power struggle, the Oncoming Storm must leave behind the world she knows and maneuver through scheming assassins, calculating elves, and desperate royals.
Before her adventure is over, she will have loved, saved, killed, and double-crossed those around her. The only question is, who? The clock is ticking, and before time runs out, the Oncoming Storm must decide who to trust and who to betray…
332 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 7, 2019
690 people are currently reading
7233 people want to read
About the author
Marion Blackwood
29 books2,005 followersMarion Blackwood is the author of The Oncoming Storm series, the Court of Elves series, the Ruthless Villains series, the Ruthless Enemy trilogy, and the Flame and Thorns series. She has a Master's Degree in English and History Education, and she worked as a high school teacher before becoming a full-time author. When she's not busy writing fantasy books or traveling the world, she reads, binges shows, and loses at video games. Marion has previously lived in the US and China, but now she once again calls the beautiful country of Sweden home. To find out more, visit: www.marionblackwood.com
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March 4, 2026
Everybody seems to disappear on me / Can't trust no one as far, as I can see / If I could be that fly that's on the wall / Listening to my friends talk about it all (If I Had No Loot – Tony! Toni! Toné!).
Hey, isn’t it crazy how much reading you can get done when you sit down and do some reading? I guess that much is obvious, but this prospect did seem revelatory to me a moment ago when I basically shotgunned the entire last half of the book in one go, and now my stomach is sick. "While he's having a smoke and she's taking a drag. Now they're goin' to bed and my stomach is sick," you know how it is (word association is my specialty). Truthfully, I think I just wanted this book to be over and done with once and for all because for the longest time it felt like there was a force field around my Kindle that suddenly repelled me and the pile of comic books over there on my desk started to look a lot more enticing. Seriously, if you check my reading log, there's like five or six separate comic books that I finished in between starting and finishing this book! I mean, as much as I love reading comics, it's usually indicative of a larger issue of the "reading slump" variety whenever I start binging them in excess. Well, welcome to said larger issue: A Storm of Silver and Ash! A book so powerful that it sent me spiraling into a different medium of reading for several days. Or you know, maybe I just didn’t like it because it wasn't very good. And look, as fun as writing negative reviews can be (I spent the weekend reading reviews for The Weeknd’s vanity project that he calls a movie, Hurry Up Tomorrow), at the end of the day, I truly do hate hating the books I read. As healing as a good rant can be, it doesn't change the fact that I still wasted all this time reading a mid-book just because I was holding on to the idea that things would “get good” eventually. Suffice to say, this book never did, at any time… get good, and now I'm sitting here feeling disillusioned. Okay, that's a tad dramatic, but just know that every step of the way was a fight for my life. Hm, that's even more dramatic. Normally I try to do the whole “compliment sandwich” thing so I can at least attempt to be nice or maybe even find a few kind things to say about the work here and there, but this time around I’m afraid I'm coming up empty. So yeah, but let’s break it down, and I know I'm already off to a bad start, so from here on out I’ll at least try to organize my thoughts in a way that isn't just a jumbled mess. Hurray for organization! First of all, the only reason why I wanted to read A Storm of Silver and Ash in the first place was because I’ve been playing this game called Oblivion: Remastered and there’s major quest-line where you get to become a master thief and the story is surprisingly in-depth and fun, so I figured I should out and read every book that follows a similar plot line.
Damn, it's just my luck that the first book on this journey turned out to be such a dud, huh? Hey, “thieves” and “fantasy” go together like peanut butter and jelly, so it's not my fault that this book whiffed a softball toss! I know what you're thinking, "come on dude, it's probably not that bad, what could could have gone so wrong?" Well, convenient straw-man that helps me make my argument stronger, it turns out... plenty could go wrong, because the first sign of something being way off was how poorly thought out world-building strewn throughout the entire narrative was from the jump. Come on, the book’s version of a thieves guild is officially named… The Thieves Guild! Yikes, am I right? If that doesn't already prove that there wasn't a lot of thought put into the world, then I don't know what will. Yeah, I know it seems like a small thing, but these things add up and it immediately signaled to my brain that this wasn't the kind of book that I should take too seriously. Even more worrying was the fact that our guild would often come to blows with members of a rival guild of assassins aptly called… The Assassin’s Guild. Oh damn, so I guess the writing is lazy, lazy! And not to nitpick, but it's dumb that these guilds are named so bluntly considering you’d think it’d be in their best interest to keep a low profile. Their literal job is to operate within the shadows outside the law and they still named themselves like a walking advertisement for the city guards to come arrest their asses!? It’s just wild that two organizations that steal and kill people for a living exist full well within the king’s knowledge. I mean, even in The Elder Scrolls games, the Thieves Guild is seen largely as a myth and they called the assassin’s guild goes under a different name, The Dark Brotherhood. Which again, is mostly seen as a myth. I don’t think I’m being facetious in spelling out that fantasy stories usually have an in-universe justification for these things existing and operating the way they do... because that’s how you write a believable fantasy world. Apparently this book didn’t get the memo. If A Storm of Silver and Ash just went that extra step further, just put in one more thought into the world that these character inhabit, then I wouldn't have had to put all this whining in a review for it! Unfortunately, it’s readily apparent that much of how this book’s world holds up is solely dependent on the idea that we’re going into it already well aware of classic fantasy tropes. It shows, it really shows, because he narrative displayed such an egregious level of casual disinterest towards its own story that it added to my own growing dislike. Where’s the imagination, the wonder!?!? I’d like to know! No really, tell me where and I’ll go read that book instead. It reminds me of how frustrating it can be to criticize Marvel movies because whenever you get a little serious with it, fans will always fall back on the defense that they're "simple comic book movies bro, it's not that deep brah!" and I'm always like, maybe I want it to be that deep, bruh!
That defense only ever holds up if you don't give a shit, and I'm sorry, but I'd like to give a shit about the books I read! Speaking of not caring at all, I also didn’t like how everyone was named something like “Rain” or “Storm” or “Storm-Rain,” because following a main character named Storm made me feel like I somehow ended up picking up a Warrior Cats book by accident. It's hard to take seriously. Sure, Star Wars can get away with having characters named Chewbacca or Yoda or Jar Jar Binks, but let's not forget that the main character is still given a normal ass name like Luke! To be fair though, it seems like even the Star Wars people have lost the plot in that regard, because they've got a movie coming out titled The Manalorian and Grogu for some reason, and saying it out loud literally sounds like Leonardo Dicaprio when he was on quaaludes in The Wolf of Wall Street! Sorry, but not even sexy ass Pedro Pascal is going to get me to watch that movie, especially if it's by "grown-man-playing-with-toys" director, Dave Filoni! Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, poorly thought out names! It’s just that other than being mind numbingly dull, the Warrior Cats naming conventions also pounces a little too close to faux “Native American” styling where people sit around in a circle and talk about their “Spirit Animals” and spread the oratory wisdom of the “Ancient Natives” or whatever. Of course, simply going off of the fairly common fantasy badass names like “Rogue” or “Rain-fall” and making a whole thing of it isn’t really a criticism that holds up in court. Like, do I really think this book is being intentionally offensive? Nah... not with the names at least, but there were some aspects of the narrative later on that lends credence to the naming conventions being indicative of a recurring issue. It’s important for you to know that once the narrative shifted over to the Land of the Elves, I then started noticing little things. I'm already hyper-vigilant whenever fantasy races come into play within any narrative, so when a book I've already been dreading reading every time I picked it up wants to bring elves into the mix as a major plot point, I can't help but think to myself, "Alright, where is this going?" I guess this is kind of a spoiler, but I think A Storm of Silver and Ash tries for a poignant statement around colonization with the reveal that the elves in this fantasy world were actually on the continent the whole time, with the humans being the one spreading throughout their lands (sound familiar?), but because this information is given off-handedly in simple dialogue, it doesn’t give the moment any kind of narrative weight that would have otherwise given the book a much needed emotional core. This could have been the moment where Storm finally learns to give a shit about something other than herself, but nope, she just keeps on keeping on with the smart ass remarks and a blasé attitude.
“The thrill of the unknown was calling. I was so ready for another adventure.”
Again, this is just my interpretation, but equating the elves to real life Native Americans is already a bit iffy, but to do so in such a half-hazard way also had the unintended consequences of putting the way their race’s actions were written directly under a microscope and made me analyze their role in the story under a more critical eye than I otherwise normally would have given its genre. For example, when you use elves as a short-hand to make social commentary around oppression and displacement, but then turn around and also have them constantly spouting out generalized statements about their culture like, “All elves can use a bow and we all hunt for our food and live off the land and have a strong connection to nature," then I’m going to start seeing the book as not only bad in the sense that it’s generic and boring, but also in the that it’s in desperate need of both a deeper understanding of historical context and some cultural sensitivity training! Because damn, this shit had me raising my eyebrows at every turn of the page like I was permanently frozen on a poster for a DreamWorks animated movie. And look, I’m sure it's starting to sound like reaching here, but it's nice to get a good stretch every now and then. Moving past all that serious business, I just think that in the most general sense, A Storm of Silver and Ash didn’t really know what it wanted to be. An amoral thief making it big in the big city? A well-meaning thief with a strong moral code who's unwilling to take a life? If both these descriptions sound diametrically opposed... it's because THEY ARE! Yet they both could easily fit A Storm of Silver and Ash. It's kind of sad because try as I might, I was never able to connect with the first major section of the book because I couldn't get a handle on what the book was saying or where things were going. It felt aimless, directionless, and weirdly episodic in a way that gave the story a hectic, yet haltingly slow-moving pace. There’s a reason why stories involving thieves usually center around “The Big One.” You know, where the main character gets a simple job that turns into something not-so-simple and assembles the thief avengers so they can go on one last heist, or steal one last diamond, or break into one last impenetrable palace! SOMETHING, give me something!
But nothing in the first forty or fifty pages even implied that there was a plot, let alone that it was leading to something interesting. Which leads us to the Second Part™, where we then suddenly find ourselves in the Land of Elves, and I think you already know what my thoughts on this book’s depiction of elves are, but it gets worse anyway, as we're treated to Storm learning how to deal with classic pseudo high school type bullying similar to a Cruel Prince or Shadow and Bone. And I'm sorry, but is she not a master thief who could skewer dudes with her knives in a heart-beat? Why are we being forced to sit through a designated “YA” trope fest that only helps to take me way out of a story that I was barely interested in in the first place! I’m just saying, for a book where the world-building juggled between being half-baked and almost nonexistent, what little background information we did get was just a worse version of Six of Crows, only severely lacking in both style and heart in that regard. Badass Storm, who is constantly stated to be good at this thieving business, instead stumbles her way through one mess up to the next for the entire book. I mean, If you’d like to read a book about the worst thief in the business (don't worry about forgetting that fact, it's constantly highlighted by our main character's incompetence), then this is totally for you! You know how in Blade Runner, Harrison Ford's character constantly talks about how he’s the best when it comes to hunting down the replicants? Yeah well, if you actually watch the movie, you’ll notice that he spends most of the movie getting his ass handed to him, and while a lot of people chalk this up to inconsistent writing, I personally think that Rick Deckard only had a good reputation as a blade runner because up until then, he was only ordered to go after people who couldn’t fight back. Once the marginalized groups started rising up and fighting back, he couldn't get a grip on how to handle it. My interpretation of the movie’s main message is that it's all about forcing Rick Deckard to consider his own actions for once and realize that the people he's been so efficiently brutalizing for so long are actually people, not unfeeling robots. Yeah well, I don’t think a “crisis of faith,” learning moment type thing is the main takeaway for this book, because I really do think it just wants us to think that Storm is a super cool badass, even if her actions really only proved her to be Shein Inej.
Which is fine, I guess, but then we didn't even get any cool scenes where Storm proves she's anything other than a violent brute! Can you imagine how boring The Hunger Games would be if Katniss was just an unfeeling automaton moving from one scene to the next for the entire novel? Mowing down enemies like The Terminator and winning every challenge without ever showing emotion or interest? Wait, that's exactly what A Storm of Silver and Ash is! I guess my point is that this books world-building isn't interesting enough for me to dig deeper and the characterizations aren't flexible enough where I can even positively reinterpret character motivations in a more flattering light. This compliment sandwich is looking pretty busted, I can't lie! Really though, this story was worse off without a humanizing factor that would have otherwise made Storm feel like a real character that belongs in her fantasy world and not just a vehicle for Marvel-esque quips and one-liners. Tom Holland ass dialogue covering each page, going “Erm…. What’s going on guys! Oof what's even happening!” all over the place. I had the same issue with Daughter of the Pirate King, because similarly to Storm from this book, the main character is never allowed any vulnerabilities that would have made her feel involved in her own journey, you know, like how a story should be written. Sorry, but cool characters don’t make for interesting characters, and the main character not giving a shit about anything that’s happening in the story might be badass, but it’s also boo~ooring ! If they don't care, then why should I? Okay, I'm done talking about this book, it wasn't good and I didn't like it, the end! Would you believe me if I told you that the plan was to make this review pretty short? I actually thought I wouldn't have enough to say, and yet when I started going off about the stuff that annoyed me I kept thinking of more and more things that stuck with me! Pile on, pile on! And now, here I am with this monstrosity of a review. Sorry, I'm always on some "and one more thing" type shit with these kinds of things and the truth is that I really was trying to keep it brief this time around. Here's the long and short of it though: with the racially coded fantasy cultures, inconsistent characterization for the main character, and even the poorly thought out fantasy world that felt drab and lifeless, I can give at least three reasons for why this book didn’t work for me, but the real reason that I keep coming back to is just that A Storm of Silver and Ash… wasn’t even fun to hate. It’s about as generic and lifeless as its name implies. So yeah, it sucks that this sucks, but I guess you just have to keep it moving. It’s cool, it’s shway.
Talking 'bout them times when I was by myself / I would always be looking for somebody else / But, as time went on, I had a talk with my mind / Friends like you and you I gotta leave behind.
Hey, isn’t it crazy how much reading you can get done when you sit down and do some reading? I guess that much is obvious, but this prospect did seem revelatory to me a moment ago when I basically shotgunned the entire last half of the book in one go, and now my stomach is sick. "While he's having a smoke and she's taking a drag. Now they're goin' to bed and my stomach is sick," you know how it is (word association is my specialty). Truthfully, I think I just wanted this book to be over and done with once and for all because for the longest time it felt like there was a force field around my Kindle that suddenly repelled me and the pile of comic books over there on my desk started to look a lot more enticing. Seriously, if you check my reading log, there's like five or six separate comic books that I finished in between starting and finishing this book! I mean, as much as I love reading comics, it's usually indicative of a larger issue of the "reading slump" variety whenever I start binging them in excess. Well, welcome to said larger issue: A Storm of Silver and Ash! A book so powerful that it sent me spiraling into a different medium of reading for several days. Or you know, maybe I just didn’t like it because it wasn't very good. And look, as fun as writing negative reviews can be (I spent the weekend reading reviews for The Weeknd’s vanity project that he calls a movie, Hurry Up Tomorrow), at the end of the day, I truly do hate hating the books I read. As healing as a good rant can be, it doesn't change the fact that I still wasted all this time reading a mid-book just because I was holding on to the idea that things would “get good” eventually. Suffice to say, this book never did, at any time… get good, and now I'm sitting here feeling disillusioned. Okay, that's a tad dramatic, but just know that every step of the way was a fight for my life. Hm, that's even more dramatic. Normally I try to do the whole “compliment sandwich” thing so I can at least attempt to be nice or maybe even find a few kind things to say about the work here and there, but this time around I’m afraid I'm coming up empty. So yeah, but let’s break it down, and I know I'm already off to a bad start, so from here on out I’ll at least try to organize my thoughts in a way that isn't just a jumbled mess. Hurray for organization! First of all, the only reason why I wanted to read A Storm of Silver and Ash in the first place was because I’ve been playing this game called Oblivion: Remastered and there’s major quest-line where you get to become a master thief and the story is surprisingly in-depth and fun, so I figured I should out and read every book that follows a similar plot line.
Damn, it's just my luck that the first book on this journey turned out to be such a dud, huh? Hey, “thieves” and “fantasy” go together like peanut butter and jelly, so it's not my fault that this book whiffed a softball toss! I know what you're thinking, "come on dude, it's probably not that bad, what could could have gone so wrong?" Well, convenient straw-man that helps me make my argument stronger, it turns out... plenty could go wrong, because the first sign of something being way off was how poorly thought out world-building strewn throughout the entire narrative was from the jump. Come on, the book’s version of a thieves guild is officially named… The Thieves Guild! Yikes, am I right? If that doesn't already prove that there wasn't a lot of thought put into the world, then I don't know what will. Yeah, I know it seems like a small thing, but these things add up and it immediately signaled to my brain that this wasn't the kind of book that I should take too seriously. Even more worrying was the fact that our guild would often come to blows with members of a rival guild of assassins aptly called… The Assassin’s Guild. Oh damn, so I guess the writing is lazy, lazy! And not to nitpick, but it's dumb that these guilds are named so bluntly considering you’d think it’d be in their best interest to keep a low profile. Their literal job is to operate within the shadows outside the law and they still named themselves like a walking advertisement for the city guards to come arrest their asses!? It’s just wild that two organizations that steal and kill people for a living exist full well within the king’s knowledge. I mean, even in The Elder Scrolls games, the Thieves Guild is seen largely as a myth and they called the assassin’s guild goes under a different name, The Dark Brotherhood. Which again, is mostly seen as a myth. I don’t think I’m being facetious in spelling out that fantasy stories usually have an in-universe justification for these things existing and operating the way they do... because that’s how you write a believable fantasy world. Apparently this book didn’t get the memo. If A Storm of Silver and Ash just went that extra step further, just put in one more thought into the world that these character inhabit, then I wouldn't have had to put all this whining in a review for it! Unfortunately, it’s readily apparent that much of how this book’s world holds up is solely dependent on the idea that we’re going into it already well aware of classic fantasy tropes. It shows, it really shows, because he narrative displayed such an egregious level of casual disinterest towards its own story that it added to my own growing dislike. Where’s the imagination, the wonder!?!? I’d like to know! No really, tell me where and I’ll go read that book instead. It reminds me of how frustrating it can be to criticize Marvel movies because whenever you get a little serious with it, fans will always fall back on the defense that they're "simple comic book movies bro, it's not that deep brah!" and I'm always like, maybe I want it to be that deep, bruh!
That defense only ever holds up if you don't give a shit, and I'm sorry, but I'd like to give a shit about the books I read! Speaking of not caring at all, I also didn’t like how everyone was named something like “Rain” or “Storm” or “Storm-Rain,” because following a main character named Storm made me feel like I somehow ended up picking up a Warrior Cats book by accident. It's hard to take seriously. Sure, Star Wars can get away with having characters named Chewbacca or Yoda or Jar Jar Binks, but let's not forget that the main character is still given a normal ass name like Luke! To be fair though, it seems like even the Star Wars people have lost the plot in that regard, because they've got a movie coming out titled The Manalorian and Grogu for some reason, and saying it out loud literally sounds like Leonardo Dicaprio when he was on quaaludes in The Wolf of Wall Street! Sorry, but not even sexy ass Pedro Pascal is going to get me to watch that movie, especially if it's by "grown-man-playing-with-toys" director, Dave Filoni! Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, poorly thought out names! It’s just that other than being mind numbingly dull, the Warrior Cats naming conventions also pounces a little too close to faux “Native American” styling where people sit around in a circle and talk about their “Spirit Animals” and spread the oratory wisdom of the “Ancient Natives” or whatever. Of course, simply going off of the fairly common fantasy badass names like “Rogue” or “Rain-fall” and making a whole thing of it isn’t really a criticism that holds up in court. Like, do I really think this book is being intentionally offensive? Nah... not with the names at least, but there were some aspects of the narrative later on that lends credence to the naming conventions being indicative of a recurring issue. It’s important for you to know that once the narrative shifted over to the Land of the Elves, I then started noticing little things. I'm already hyper-vigilant whenever fantasy races come into play within any narrative, so when a book I've already been dreading reading every time I picked it up wants to bring elves into the mix as a major plot point, I can't help but think to myself, "Alright, where is this going?" I guess this is kind of a spoiler, but I think A Storm of Silver and Ash tries for a poignant statement around colonization with the reveal that the elves in this fantasy world were actually on the continent the whole time, with the humans being the one spreading throughout their lands (sound familiar?), but because this information is given off-handedly in simple dialogue, it doesn’t give the moment any kind of narrative weight that would have otherwise given the book a much needed emotional core. This could have been the moment where Storm finally learns to give a shit about something other than herself, but nope, she just keeps on keeping on with the smart ass remarks and a blasé attitude.
“The thrill of the unknown was calling. I was so ready for another adventure.”
Again, this is just my interpretation, but equating the elves to real life Native Americans is already a bit iffy, but to do so in such a half-hazard way also had the unintended consequences of putting the way their race’s actions were written directly under a microscope and made me analyze their role in the story under a more critical eye than I otherwise normally would have given its genre. For example, when you use elves as a short-hand to make social commentary around oppression and displacement, but then turn around and also have them constantly spouting out generalized statements about their culture like, “All elves can use a bow and we all hunt for our food and live off the land and have a strong connection to nature," then I’m going to start seeing the book as not only bad in the sense that it’s generic and boring, but also in the that it’s in desperate need of both a deeper understanding of historical context and some cultural sensitivity training! Because damn, this shit had me raising my eyebrows at every turn of the page like I was permanently frozen on a poster for a DreamWorks animated movie. And look, I’m sure it's starting to sound like reaching here, but it's nice to get a good stretch every now and then. Moving past all that serious business, I just think that in the most general sense, A Storm of Silver and Ash didn’t really know what it wanted to be. An amoral thief making it big in the big city? A well-meaning thief with a strong moral code who's unwilling to take a life? If both these descriptions sound diametrically opposed... it's because THEY ARE! Yet they both could easily fit A Storm of Silver and Ash. It's kind of sad because try as I might, I was never able to connect with the first major section of the book because I couldn't get a handle on what the book was saying or where things were going. It felt aimless, directionless, and weirdly episodic in a way that gave the story a hectic, yet haltingly slow-moving pace. There’s a reason why stories involving thieves usually center around “The Big One.” You know, where the main character gets a simple job that turns into something not-so-simple and assembles the thief avengers so they can go on one last heist, or steal one last diamond, or break into one last impenetrable palace! SOMETHING, give me something!
But nothing in the first forty or fifty pages even implied that there was a plot, let alone that it was leading to something interesting. Which leads us to the Second Part™, where we then suddenly find ourselves in the Land of Elves, and I think you already know what my thoughts on this book’s depiction of elves are, but it gets worse anyway, as we're treated to Storm learning how to deal with classic pseudo high school type bullying similar to a Cruel Prince or Shadow and Bone. And I'm sorry, but is she not a master thief who could skewer dudes with her knives in a heart-beat? Why are we being forced to sit through a designated “YA” trope fest that only helps to take me way out of a story that I was barely interested in in the first place! I’m just saying, for a book where the world-building juggled between being half-baked and almost nonexistent, what little background information we did get was just a worse version of Six of Crows, only severely lacking in both style and heart in that regard. Badass Storm, who is constantly stated to be good at this thieving business, instead stumbles her way through one mess up to the next for the entire book. I mean, If you’d like to read a book about the worst thief in the business (don't worry about forgetting that fact, it's constantly highlighted by our main character's incompetence), then this is totally for you! You know how in Blade Runner, Harrison Ford's character constantly talks about how he’s the best when it comes to hunting down the replicants? Yeah well, if you actually watch the movie, you’ll notice that he spends most of the movie getting his ass handed to him, and while a lot of people chalk this up to inconsistent writing, I personally think that Rick Deckard only had a good reputation as a blade runner because up until then, he was only ordered to go after people who couldn’t fight back. Once the marginalized groups started rising up and fighting back, he couldn't get a grip on how to handle it. My interpretation of the movie’s main message is that it's all about forcing Rick Deckard to consider his own actions for once and realize that the people he's been so efficiently brutalizing for so long are actually people, not unfeeling robots. Yeah well, I don’t think a “crisis of faith,” learning moment type thing is the main takeaway for this book, because I really do think it just wants us to think that Storm is a super cool badass, even if her actions really only proved her to be Shein Inej.
Which is fine, I guess, but then we didn't even get any cool scenes where Storm proves she's anything other than a violent brute! Can you imagine how boring The Hunger Games would be if Katniss was just an unfeeling automaton moving from one scene to the next for the entire novel? Mowing down enemies like The Terminator and winning every challenge without ever showing emotion or interest? Wait, that's exactly what A Storm of Silver and Ash is! I guess my point is that this books world-building isn't interesting enough for me to dig deeper and the characterizations aren't flexible enough where I can even positively reinterpret character motivations in a more flattering light. This compliment sandwich is looking pretty busted, I can't lie! Really though, this story was worse off without a humanizing factor that would have otherwise made Storm feel like a real character that belongs in her fantasy world and not just a vehicle for Marvel-esque quips and one-liners. Tom Holland ass dialogue covering each page, going “Erm…. What’s going on guys! Oof what's even happening!” all over the place. I had the same issue with Daughter of the Pirate King, because similarly to Storm from this book, the main character is never allowed any vulnerabilities that would have made her feel involved in her own journey, you know, like how a story should be written. Sorry, but cool characters don’t make for interesting characters, and the main character not giving a shit about anything that’s happening in the story might be badass, but it’s also boo~ooring ! If they don't care, then why should I? Okay, I'm done talking about this book, it wasn't good and I didn't like it, the end! Would you believe me if I told you that the plan was to make this review pretty short? I actually thought I wouldn't have enough to say, and yet when I started going off about the stuff that annoyed me I kept thinking of more and more things that stuck with me! Pile on, pile on! And now, here I am with this monstrosity of a review. Sorry, I'm always on some "and one more thing" type shit with these kinds of things and the truth is that I really was trying to keep it brief this time around. Here's the long and short of it though: with the racially coded fantasy cultures, inconsistent characterization for the main character, and even the poorly thought out fantasy world that felt drab and lifeless, I can give at least three reasons for why this book didn’t work for me, but the real reason that I keep coming back to is just that A Storm of Silver and Ash… wasn’t even fun to hate. It’s about as generic and lifeless as its name implies. So yeah, it sucks that this sucks, but I guess you just have to keep it moving. It’s cool, it’s shway.
Talking 'bout them times when I was by myself / I would always be looking for somebody else / But, as time went on, I had a talk with my mind / Friends like you and you I gotta leave behind.
September 14, 2020
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Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
I was very excited when the author contacted me to review her book. She told me it was perfect for fans of Nevernight and Throne of Glass, both of which I enjoyed very much! Maybe I had higher expectations upon hearing that but overall the book was good.
The writing is good, the world-building is okay too! These elements did not blow my mind but they were not bad at all! My problem was with the MC because we are supposed to believe she is the best (which is the case in most assassin’s books) but I actually thought she was all talk and zero actions! I could not develop the care that I was supposed to with the main character which affected my enjoyment of the book and which explains my current rating!
The book was action-packed which is awesome! I kind of expected the direction the things were going from the foreshadowing that we had but the book had a very good ending that made up for some of the things I enjoyed less! The book works as a standalone and I thought it was a standalone but apparently it is a series now and book 2 is coming out soon!
You can get more books from Book Depository
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
I was very excited when the author contacted me to review her book. She told me it was perfect for fans of Nevernight and Throne of Glass, both of which I enjoyed very much! Maybe I had higher expectations upon hearing that but overall the book was good.
The writing is good, the world-building is okay too! These elements did not blow my mind but they were not bad at all! My problem was with the MC because we are supposed to believe she is the best (which is the case in most assassin’s books) but I actually thought she was all talk and zero actions! I could not develop the care that I was supposed to with the main character which affected my enjoyment of the book and which explains my current rating!
The book was action-packed which is awesome! I kind of expected the direction the things were going from the foreshadowing that we had but the book had a very good ending that made up for some of the things I enjoyed less! The book works as a standalone and I thought it was a standalone but apparently it is a series now and book 2 is coming out soon!
You can get more books from Book Depository
February 9, 2021
I’m obsessed. I have to admit the first half of the book started to drag for me BUT, then when the elves can in, I was hooked. I am so fascinated with the elves. Especially Elaran. I love him. I’m hoping to see Storm and Shade’s relationship progress more in the next book! 5 stars for this one!
March 15, 2022
A Storm of Silver and Ash follows Storm a master thief lethal with knives, and the would be skills of an assassin. Shortly into the book she becomes entangled with a mix of higher powered people and has to scheme and first and foremost survive some deadly situations in order to save her friend. Hers is a beautiful story about survival and friendship.
The world Blackwood created is a mix of medieval fantasy, but also with some more modern takes concerning the weapons (guns etc). In addition, the underworld situation gave me similar vibes to that of the worlds in Mistborn and Six of Crows. I do feel as though their could've been more information on the past events leading to the current situation as it would've added more depth to the world building. However I absolutely loved how well the city is described, I found myself really intrigued by the setting and wanting to know more quite early on.
Storm as a main character was an excellent choice. She has the snark, banter and excitement that is needed to keep your attention but also the depth behind her character was well developed and packed a heart-wrenching punch. I often found myself getting emotional and on several occasions actually laughed out loud because of the things she said. There were different levels to her that actually explained the way she acted and the decisions she decided to make. Which I've felt is lacking in some of the books I've been reading recently. Her actions weren't solely for shock factor, they actually made sense which made the plot even better. Also the fact that the development is slow and the reveals are well paced throughout was excellent. As a whole Storm felt realistic and she was easy to get attached to. If you like like Celaena from Throne of Glass I think you'll love her.
The first half of the book was well developed and paced but I found myself wondering what the point was, however the second half really surprised me and went in a direction I wasn't expecting. The second part of the book was like a realisation that a lot of little details in the beginning were actually hints towards things and I am surprised I didn't pick up on where the plot was going. It was very well weaved within the writing and really paid off in the end. Blackwood created something similar to a lot of other fantasy books but also added her own take and twists that made it rather unique.
My favourite parts were those between Storm and the elves. I found myself quite taken by the elven society and as soon as they were introduced I really did fall in love with the story. I'm a sucker for an interesting group of people coming together in order to fight and protect each other.
There are only a couple of things can think of that I didn't like so much; mainly that it was just so short, I do think that things could've slowed down slightly. I wanted more little moments between certain characters. But I think that's just because I wanted more.
Overall I really loved this and can't wait to read more things by Marion Blackwood in the future. This was a fantastic read and I definitely would recommend checking it out!
Rating: 4.5 Stars
*Thank you so much to the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review!
The world Blackwood created is a mix of medieval fantasy, but also with some more modern takes concerning the weapons (guns etc). In addition, the underworld situation gave me similar vibes to that of the worlds in Mistborn and Six of Crows. I do feel as though their could've been more information on the past events leading to the current situation as it would've added more depth to the world building. However I absolutely loved how well the city is described, I found myself really intrigued by the setting and wanting to know more quite early on.
Storm as a main character was an excellent choice. She has the snark, banter and excitement that is needed to keep your attention but also the depth behind her character was well developed and packed a heart-wrenching punch. I often found myself getting emotional and on several occasions actually laughed out loud because of the things she said. There were different levels to her that actually explained the way she acted and the decisions she decided to make. Which I've felt is lacking in some of the books I've been reading recently. Her actions weren't solely for shock factor, they actually made sense which made the plot even better. Also the fact that the development is slow and the reveals are well paced throughout was excellent. As a whole Storm felt realistic and she was easy to get attached to. If you like like Celaena from Throne of Glass I think you'll love her.
The first half of the book was well developed and paced but I found myself wondering what the point was, however the second half really surprised me and went in a direction I wasn't expecting. The second part of the book was like a realisation that a lot of little details in the beginning were actually hints towards things and I am surprised I didn't pick up on where the plot was going. It was very well weaved within the writing and really paid off in the end. Blackwood created something similar to a lot of other fantasy books but also added her own take and twists that made it rather unique.
My favourite parts were those between Storm and the elves. I found myself quite taken by the elven society and as soon as they were introduced I really did fall in love with the story. I'm a sucker for an interesting group of people coming together in order to fight and protect each other.
There are only a couple of things can think of that I didn't like so much; mainly that it was just so short, I do think that things could've slowed down slightly. I wanted more little moments between certain characters. But I think that's just because I wanted more.
Overall I really loved this and can't wait to read more things by Marion Blackwood in the future. This was a fantastic read and I definitely would recommend checking it out!
Rating: 4.5 Stars
*Thank you so much to the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review!
October 13, 2019
A Storm of Silver and Ash is a mixture of Monty Python mixed with LOTR and some serious Assassin Creed Influences. That is what I can say about this novel. It’s a mix of all the things that you would love in a classic fantasy novel, only it has a more modernistic feeling to it. I got some Red Seas influence when it was about city-states. I also felt this was a medieval kind of Peaky Blinders urban fantasy novel by itself.
The storm is a complex character that I disagreed with her on many decisions, but Marion showed that she wasn’t a character to be messed with. That said, I loved how she showed that Storm was susceptible to weakness. Doesn’t matter if you’re a member of a guild, there is always power. What is it anything more than that?
This novel had elves, but these elves are remarkably different. They’re more enlightened, tougher. However, I would have wanted to see more shades of the elfs. There is a reason this war between humans and elfs started.
I loved Storm’s unique insight. I loved how she was cheerful and expressive. A little nitpick I would give was some physical descriptions repeated often, but that can be improved upon in the second sequel. Storm’s character jumps at you from the first page. You get to know her from top to bottom. If this was a Netflix series, this novel would have a lot more adventures to tell. I do feel this novel could have been longer. In a usual fantasy set up, it could have expanded this bigger, but that’s a small point. I’m glad the author GOT straight to the events. No long breaks, none of that. We went from one point to the other. Every location mattered! This is impressive, and I did not feel for a moment we were in a big fantasy novel and going to every single location and not knowing where to go. It’s a very hard skill to perfect in writing because you’re not only writing a 100,000-word novel, you got to have everything correct. A novel like this took many years to make, and I appreciate the hard work and effort that went into this novel. It’s quite got a great ending, despite the grimdark influence of the world. Very optimistic.
I will rate this 5/5. This was a great novel.
The storm is a complex character that I disagreed with her on many decisions, but Marion showed that she wasn’t a character to be messed with. That said, I loved how she showed that Storm was susceptible to weakness. Doesn’t matter if you’re a member of a guild, there is always power. What is it anything more than that?
This novel had elves, but these elves are remarkably different. They’re more enlightened, tougher. However, I would have wanted to see more shades of the elfs. There is a reason this war between humans and elfs started.
I loved Storm’s unique insight. I loved how she was cheerful and expressive. A little nitpick I would give was some physical descriptions repeated often, but that can be improved upon in the second sequel. Storm’s character jumps at you from the first page. You get to know her from top to bottom. If this was a Netflix series, this novel would have a lot more adventures to tell. I do feel this novel could have been longer. In a usual fantasy set up, it could have expanded this bigger, but that’s a small point. I’m glad the author GOT straight to the events. No long breaks, none of that. We went from one point to the other. Every location mattered! This is impressive, and I did not feel for a moment we were in a big fantasy novel and going to every single location and not knowing where to go. It’s a very hard skill to perfect in writing because you’re not only writing a 100,000-word novel, you got to have everything correct. A novel like this took many years to make, and I appreciate the hard work and effort that went into this novel. It’s quite got a great ending, despite the grimdark influence of the world. Very optimistic.
I will rate this 5/5. This was a great novel.
December 6, 2020
A Storm of Silver and Ash is the first novel I have read that is written by Marion Blackwood.
I think this novel falls squarely in the fantasy genre, possibly sword and sorcery.
A Storm of Silver and Ash is the first in The Oncoming Storm series.
What drew my attention to this novel is it is about thieves, assassins, political intrigue, guilds, and elves. The main character is a thief, and she is part of a thieves’ guild. A character who is an assassin and leader of the assassins’ guild is featured in a minor role as well.
It appeared the book did not have any typos, misspellings, or grammatical errors.
Ms. Blackwood created two interesting cities: the city where the main character operates and elven city which is featured in the second part of the story. Her descriptions of the different parts of the cities, the buildings, and other aspects of world building is interesting.
As to the characters, I thought they were flat, uninteresting, and annoying. I thought the main character, especially, was annoying and uninteresting. In the first part of the novel, it was somewhat interested reading her internal monologues. When I continued to get further in the story, I thought the monologues to be less interesting and took me out of the story. Another reviewer mentioned the main character is a Mary Sue, and I agree with that assessment. She is perfect, and she does not have any setbacks.
The story bogs down in the middle part of the novel when the main character is traveling through the forest to the city of elves. She is tasked to commit a dark deed while a friend is held by the villain to ensure she does what needs to be done to ensure her friend is released as opposed to be killed if she failed.
I think there would possibly a greater sense of urgency after her friend is held captive that she would need to commit the dark deed. She, instead, is getting to know the elves who are hosting her, getting exposed to the way the elves lived in the city, and exploring the city. A significant problem I had with this part of the story is I could not tell the elven characters from one another, and I did not think they were engaging.
When I came to the part of the story where the main character mentioned she had been in the elven city for two weeks, I stopped reading and put the novel aside for a couple of weeks. I suddenly lost interest because if the main character did not feel the sense of urgency to commit the dark deed in the elf city, and then return to her own city and free her friend, then I lost interest.
After reading three other novels, I decided to resume reading the story because I thought there may still be a payoff at the end. I still believed there were potentially stakes and consequences because this story features thieves and assassins.
Unfortunately, I was wrong. What I thought were somewhat solid consequences at the end of the story lasted a few pages to read the consequences were undone and the way they were undone left me frustrated and annoyed.
Another issue I had with novel is the tone. Even though I was reading a story about thieves, assassins, and political intrigue, I though the characters’ dialogue to be more suited for a story about teenagers or new adults and a bit melodramatic. I just found the tone to be inconsistent with what I would have preferred in a novel about thieves and assassins.
I rate A Storm of Silver and Ash 2 stars.
I think this novel falls squarely in the fantasy genre, possibly sword and sorcery.
A Storm of Silver and Ash is the first in The Oncoming Storm series.
What drew my attention to this novel is it is about thieves, assassins, political intrigue, guilds, and elves. The main character is a thief, and she is part of a thieves’ guild. A character who is an assassin and leader of the assassins’ guild is featured in a minor role as well.
It appeared the book did not have any typos, misspellings, or grammatical errors.
Ms. Blackwood created two interesting cities: the city where the main character operates and elven city which is featured in the second part of the story. Her descriptions of the different parts of the cities, the buildings, and other aspects of world building is interesting.
As to the characters, I thought they were flat, uninteresting, and annoying. I thought the main character, especially, was annoying and uninteresting. In the first part of the novel, it was somewhat interested reading her internal monologues. When I continued to get further in the story, I thought the monologues to be less interesting and took me out of the story. Another reviewer mentioned the main character is a Mary Sue, and I agree with that assessment. She is perfect, and she does not have any setbacks.
The story bogs down in the middle part of the novel when the main character is traveling through the forest to the city of elves. She is tasked to commit a dark deed while a friend is held by the villain to ensure she does what needs to be done to ensure her friend is released as opposed to be killed if she failed.
I think there would possibly a greater sense of urgency after her friend is held captive that she would need to commit the dark deed. She, instead, is getting to know the elves who are hosting her, getting exposed to the way the elves lived in the city, and exploring the city. A significant problem I had with this part of the story is I could not tell the elven characters from one another, and I did not think they were engaging.
When I came to the part of the story where the main character mentioned she had been in the elven city for two weeks, I stopped reading and put the novel aside for a couple of weeks. I suddenly lost interest because if the main character did not feel the sense of urgency to commit the dark deed in the elf city, and then return to her own city and free her friend, then I lost interest.
After reading three other novels, I decided to resume reading the story because I thought there may still be a payoff at the end. I still believed there were potentially stakes and consequences because this story features thieves and assassins.
Unfortunately, I was wrong. What I thought were somewhat solid consequences at the end of the story lasted a few pages to read the consequences were undone and the way they were undone left me frustrated and annoyed.
Another issue I had with novel is the tone. Even though I was reading a story about thieves, assassins, and political intrigue, I though the characters’ dialogue to be more suited for a story about teenagers or new adults and a bit melodramatic. I just found the tone to be inconsistent with what I would have preferred in a novel about thieves and assassins.
I rate A Storm of Silver and Ash 2 stars.
April 2, 2023
It’s been a long time since I not only read a book that I could not put down but that had me cheating sleep to finish it. It’s a lovely feeling and one I was so grateful to have again.
I was smiling, grinning, gasping and laughing throughout this entire book. I trembled and kicked my legs. I felt like a little kid experiencing fantasy for the first time.
The world is masterfully crafted without the usual info dumps that can make things tedious. We get to explore the world with the characters which is always an exciting journey and one that makes it feel more organic.
The characters are wonderful. I truly enjoyed every single one of them. The main character is so richly fleshed out with understandable background, motives and personality. The relationships are firmly established and remain consistent throughout the book. Even characters not introduced until the last third of this story feel complete.
If I had any complaints, it would be that the finale felt a bit rushed. Not horribly so as I still very much enjoyed it but I think taking a bit more time during the climax could have improved it.
The author has a brilliant voice and it carries through each word in this book. If you like fantasy, well crafted characters and strong plot, definitely check out this novel. It’s a world I look forward to getting lost in with each reread.
I was smiling, grinning, gasping and laughing throughout this entire book. I trembled and kicked my legs. I felt like a little kid experiencing fantasy for the first time.
The world is masterfully crafted without the usual info dumps that can make things tedious. We get to explore the world with the characters which is always an exciting journey and one that makes it feel more organic.
The characters are wonderful. I truly enjoyed every single one of them. The main character is so richly fleshed out with understandable background, motives and personality. The relationships are firmly established and remain consistent throughout the book. Even characters not introduced until the last third of this story feel complete.
If I had any complaints, it would be that the finale felt a bit rushed. Not horribly so as I still very much enjoyed it but I think taking a bit more time during the climax could have improved it.
The author has a brilliant voice and it carries through each word in this book. If you like fantasy, well crafted characters and strong plot, definitely check out this novel. It’s a world I look forward to getting lost in with each reread.
November 18, 2019
I absolutely devoured this book. I think it was fantastic and it's a long while since I've binge-read something in just a few days, while still having a hectic work schedule. Once the story got going (very soon), I just couldn't put it down. I read in the evening, morning, and even at work on my lunch break.
Storm is an interesting character; witty, snarky, gutsy... but also hiding a heart-breaking past. She's excellent at what she does, but she's also not all-perfect, so that's great.
Next to Storm, the book also has other awesome characters, and there's a few I really loved. The book has great dialogue, it's very funny in places, and for anyone who loves fantasy and adventure, I'm sure they'd love this.
I didn't want this read to be over! Mark of a great book, that one. This book stands as a good standalone novel but also invites sequels. I certainly woudn't mind seeing Storm and her friends again. I'd love to know more about the elves and the world outside.
Also! Storm's breaking the fourth wall. Never read that before; that's kind of curious, but I didn't mind. Also, total Assassin's Creed and even Skyrim feels when I read this, and that's with the highest compliments.
I loved every moment spent reading this book and did not have a single boring one. An excellent read!
Storm is an interesting character; witty, snarky, gutsy... but also hiding a heart-breaking past. She's excellent at what she does, but she's also not all-perfect, so that's great.
Next to Storm, the book also has other awesome characters, and there's a few I really loved. The book has great dialogue, it's very funny in places, and for anyone who loves fantasy and adventure, I'm sure they'd love this.
I didn't want this read to be over! Mark of a great book, that one. This book stands as a good standalone novel but also invites sequels. I certainly woudn't mind seeing Storm and her friends again. I'd love to know more about the elves and the world outside.
Also! Storm's breaking the fourth wall. Never read that before; that's kind of curious, but I didn't mind. Also, total Assassin's Creed and even Skyrim feels when I read this, and that's with the highest compliments.
I loved every moment spent reading this book and did not have a single boring one. An excellent read!
October 11, 2019
This is a beautifully written fantasy novel with complex characters who are not the Mary Sue types. In addition to the author's vivid descriptions, I also enjoyed the dialogue, which seemed natural instead of forced. I look forward to reading more from this author.
June 12, 2020
This is the kind of fantasy novel I really enjoy. We are plunged into action right from the start with the world building and background on the society revealed gradually through plot rather than big info dumps and sidebars. And our heroine, Storm, was my kind of character. No wilting flower here, she's a spiky, sarcastic, and knife-throwing spitfire who's not going to sit back and take anything from anyone. Through the course of the book, she is forced into situations where she has to accept help, and it's rewarding to see her struggle to trust new allies and friends while maintaining her fierce sense of self. The first part of the book introduces Storm's life as part of the Thieves' Guild, the strained politics of a city overseen by a monarch who appears to be going mad, and tensions between Storm's Guild and the more powerful Assassins' Guild. But the book really gathers steam when Storm is sent on a mission deep into the heart of the mysterious forest where Elves are said to dwell. Her interactions with the Elves and the contrasts between their society and her own bring added depth to the story. It all leads up to a satisfying conclusion that wraps up the immediate crisis while setting the stage for further adventures for our feisty heroine. All in all, a very enjoyable read for fans of fantasy with action, humor, and heart.
August 26, 2021
A Storm of Silver and Ash follows a young thief as she gets caught up in an assassination plot. Written in first person, Storm's voice and personality pops off the page, and I really enjoyed the world building of the underworld guilds and the lore of the elves. I did think Storm's light/young tone seemed a bit at odds with her image as an intimidating master thief and killer, but I'm not a huge fan of this style of first person that breaks the fourth wall, so this could just be me! Although there's no romance in this story, I can see the outlines of the relationships that could be developed in the future sequels. Overall, a solid fantasy recommended for fans of voicey YA fantasy!
July 15, 2020
Loved the plot and the characters! Super original mixing assassins with elves, I was hooked from the beginning. I really couldn’t get into the writing style but I guess that’s personal preference.
October 5, 2019
When the fate of a kingdom falls on the shoulders of a sassy thief, who will she choose to save? The Oncoming Storm, or Storm, is one of the best thieves in her guild until she’s blindsided not once, but twice by someone she doesn’t suspect. Her adversary is cunning and far more connected then Storm realizes, and before long she’s blackmailed into a dangerous mission.
Holyyyyyy cowwwww! I fell in love with this book immediately! Anyone who’s read Throne of Glass or Six of Crows will connect with Storm and the plot of this book right away. Celaena is one of my all-time favorite book characters, and I think she and Storm would become best friends in a heartbeat. From the sassy female MC, to the plotting and intrigue, to the heart pounding action scenes, I was totally hooked.
Right off the bat we’re introduced to Storm, a young woman with many skills - and mysteries. I think what I loved most about Storm is how much we watch her grow throughout the novel. She starts out as a sharp-tongued thief who wants nothing more than to do her job and spend time with her best friend, Liam. But when her plans get upended, we learn that there’s a deep ferocity to Storm and that there’s nothing she won’t do to protect those she loves.
Written in first person, it’s so easy to get inside Storm’s head and experience the world as she does. You support her allegiance to Liam, distrust for the assassin’a guild, and hatred toward the king. And you even get to experience her run in with journeyberries! Again, I always love sassy, strong, and dedicated characters, and Storm fit those criteria perfectly.
The world Blackwood weaves is a familiar one - the poor being forced to do what they can to survive while the rich are viewed as the bad guys. But... not everything is as it seems there are several blackmailing and side-swapping moments in A Storm of Silver and Ash which were so exciting because I didn’t see them coming. And at times when I was expecting one outcome, the story surprised me with a new twist. I didn’t get the full connection to the title until the very end, and although I should’ve seen it coming a bit sooner, all the pieces come together perfectly.
Marion Blackwood has written a debut fantasy that is both familiar and unexpected, and the characters will stay with readers long after the story ends.
Holyyyyyy cowwwww! I fell in love with this book immediately! Anyone who’s read Throne of Glass or Six of Crows will connect with Storm and the plot of this book right away. Celaena is one of my all-time favorite book characters, and I think she and Storm would become best friends in a heartbeat. From the sassy female MC, to the plotting and intrigue, to the heart pounding action scenes, I was totally hooked.
Right off the bat we’re introduced to Storm, a young woman with many skills - and mysteries. I think what I loved most about Storm is how much we watch her grow throughout the novel. She starts out as a sharp-tongued thief who wants nothing more than to do her job and spend time with her best friend, Liam. But when her plans get upended, we learn that there’s a deep ferocity to Storm and that there’s nothing she won’t do to protect those she loves.
Written in first person, it’s so easy to get inside Storm’s head and experience the world as she does. You support her allegiance to Liam, distrust for the assassin’a guild, and hatred toward the king. And you even get to experience her run in with journeyberries! Again, I always love sassy, strong, and dedicated characters, and Storm fit those criteria perfectly.
The world Blackwood weaves is a familiar one - the poor being forced to do what they can to survive while the rich are viewed as the bad guys. But... not everything is as it seems there are several blackmailing and side-swapping moments in A Storm of Silver and Ash which were so exciting because I didn’t see them coming. And at times when I was expecting one outcome, the story surprised me with a new twist. I didn’t get the full connection to the title until the very end, and although I should’ve seen it coming a bit sooner, all the pieces come together perfectly.
Marion Blackwood has written a debut fantasy that is both familiar and unexpected, and the characters will stay with readers long after the story ends.
October 10, 2019
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
If you like the snark from Mia in Nevernight by Jay Kristoff, or Cealena from Throne of Glass (Sarah J Maas), you’ll love Oncoming Storm. Her wit and sass is spot on making her one of my favorite female protagonists ever.
The adventure reminds me of something Leigh Bardugo would create without it being a copy of any adventure I’ve ever read.
On top of her great character writing and humor, Blackwood has some of the most beautiful descriptions. I cannot wait to reread this book to annotate it!!
For fans of Throne of Glass and Six of Crows this book will be a hit.
If you like the snark from Mia in Nevernight by Jay Kristoff, or Cealena from Throne of Glass (Sarah J Maas), you’ll love Oncoming Storm. Her wit and sass is spot on making her one of my favorite female protagonists ever.
The adventure reminds me of something Leigh Bardugo would create without it being a copy of any adventure I’ve ever read.
On top of her great character writing and humor, Blackwood has some of the most beautiful descriptions. I cannot wait to reread this book to annotate it!!
For fans of Throne of Glass and Six of Crows this book will be a hit.
November 4, 2019
The action starts on the first page and carries on throughout this well written masterpiece. The story is written in the 1st person with the Main Character Oncoming Storm telling the story. Some of the character names are fantastic and hilarious such as Bones and Cat. This book has everything: action, romance, loyalty and betrayal. This is the best book I have read this year by a long shot and that list includes well established books from well-known authors. Absolute fantastic read would recommend to anyone.
March 23, 2022
I'm allergic to contradictions in literary characters. I read about 30% of the book in which Storm was labelled the best thief and displaying superior (albeit sometimes unnecessarily violent) fighting skills while simultaneously making THE most stupid and irrational decisions that no one with brain cells would make. You can not be both. Perhaps I'm too old for this book.
October 17, 2019
Thieves, assassins, secrets, and a struggle for power are the cornerstones of Marion Blackwood’s A Storm of Silver and Ash.
Storm, aka The Oncoming Storm, is well-known for her skills as a thief, as well as her skills with knives. But when she’s blackmailed and dragged into the middle of the king’s plot to kill the Elvin queen, Storm must decide who she can trust, and if the price of betrayal is worth the cost.
The story concept is great. Can the protagonist save themselves, their friends, & their world; and if so at what cost? Storm is a good protagonist, although at times a bit harsh and somewhat unlikeable. She seems to not care for anyone other than herself with few exceptions. Her sarcastic attitude fits what we know of her background. But the breaking of the fourth wall was off-putting and pulled me out of the story.
The second act is where the story really takes off. Storm is pulled into a world of intrigue and betrayal. She is forced to murder in order to save her only friend. She’s thrust into the unknown world of the Elves. She must risk the security of everything she’s known. She has to hope she’s made the right choice. I enjoyed the faster pace and the difficult scenarios Storm faces.
The characters, Keutenan, the City of Ash, and the guilds were setup well. Although, more in-depth world building could have really brought them to life.
The ending was too nice and neatly wrapped out. Storm and all of her compatriots survive and live happily ever after. It seemed there was no cost to Storm regardless of her betrayal, killing, and double-crossing.
Overall, I enjoyed A Storm of Silver and Ash. I think with more in-depth world building and character development this tale would be great.
Storm, aka The Oncoming Storm, is well-known for her skills as a thief, as well as her skills with knives. But when she’s blackmailed and dragged into the middle of the king’s plot to kill the Elvin queen, Storm must decide who she can trust, and if the price of betrayal is worth the cost.
The story concept is great. Can the protagonist save themselves, their friends, & their world; and if so at what cost? Storm is a good protagonist, although at times a bit harsh and somewhat unlikeable. She seems to not care for anyone other than herself with few exceptions. Her sarcastic attitude fits what we know of her background. But the breaking of the fourth wall was off-putting and pulled me out of the story.
The second act is where the story really takes off. Storm is pulled into a world of intrigue and betrayal. She is forced to murder in order to save her only friend. She’s thrust into the unknown world of the Elves. She must risk the security of everything she’s known. She has to hope she’s made the right choice. I enjoyed the faster pace and the difficult scenarios Storm faces.
The characters, Keutenan, the City of Ash, and the guilds were setup well. Although, more in-depth world building could have really brought them to life.
The ending was too nice and neatly wrapped out. Storm and all of her compatriots survive and live happily ever after. It seemed there was no cost to Storm regardless of her betrayal, killing, and double-crossing.
Overall, I enjoyed A Storm of Silver and Ash. I think with more in-depth world building and character development this tale would be great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2020
The preview for this book was better written than the actual book. The poor sentence structure throughout and the excessive use of adjectives where they weren’t needed really made this difficult to read. Thankfully it was short.
October 15, 2020
NOPE!
Storm is a puke. I stopped reading when she walked past a woman being harrassed by two men, leaving her to probably get raped or killed.
Storm is a puke. I stopped reading when she walked past a woman being harrassed by two men, leaving her to probably get raped or killed.
March 21, 2021
She reminds me of Celaena Sardothien... not enough romance but the plot was entertaining.
July 6, 2020
3.5 STARS
A Review of Marion Blackwoods 'A Storm of Silver and Ash'
A storm of Silver and Ash is a promising debut, was a fun read and I found myself wanting to keep reading.
The synopsis of this book really grabbed me, as did the cover. I was sold at a thief with the social graces of a bull, and us getting to see more of Storm utilising her surroundings. It gave the opportunity for incredible world building scenes and stunning descriptions.
Blackwood created a great world, I love a good dingy underworld where it is almost a place unto it's self. It had a hierarchy, a cast system of the criminals who associate with a guild and the less than savory folk who can't be apart of it for reasons such as they are too dark or can't deal with authority etc.
The underworld hierarchy, while being pretty simple, is a great addition to the world Blackwood created. I enjoyed the concept of the different guilds and their rankings. The idea of a beggars guild, it kind of reminded me of the homeless unit of hitmen from the John Wick films. I would have quite liked to see more of them, as an information source maybe. I thought the world was nicely done but could have been used much more in the actual story.
Blackwood also created what I found to be a totally a refreshing take on elves, while the elves were not wholly different to those we see in the world of fantasy, it was their culture and social practices I enjoyed.
I unfortunately found the characters to be a little off-putting at times, what was one of the main drives to me reading this book quickly became a little disruptive to the story at times. In terms of the character as a person, she was a cool character fun and sarcastic it was the execution of her that threw me off. Now, this is definitely nit picky on my part but it to often pulled me from the story and here is why.
More at the start than anything else, but still, there was a lot of ’telling’, yanno the whole show me don't tell me thing. There was a lot of emphasis on how bad ass she was, and how no one liked to mess with her, but this was told through her own thoughts on this, I thought this could have been shown a wee bit better.
I also noted a few things I would say we're inconsistent. For example, Storm may enter a place renowned for being cutthroat, orderless, outside of the guilds and known for being a pretty rough place especially for a women (which she herself tells you). Yet she cleared a table with a glare alone. Or her not knowing a type of material which is so picky, I know, and sounds weird to say but if you are a thief I would expect one to have an eye for details, to know when something is a fake or cheaply made etc yet she didn’t.
The breaking of the 4th wall in this book was also not my favourite.
“So... how’s the stakeout going, Storm?” Liam asked. Storm. What an odd name, right? I promise, it gets even odder. Storm is actually short for the Oncoming Storm. What kind of parents would name their child something like that? Well, certainly not mine, I’ll tell you”
Despite my above complaints I did find myself wanting to keep reading, and I enjoyed this book as a whole.
A Review of Marion Blackwoods 'A Storm of Silver and Ash'
A storm of Silver and Ash is a promising debut, was a fun read and I found myself wanting to keep reading.
The synopsis of this book really grabbed me, as did the cover. I was sold at a thief with the social graces of a bull, and us getting to see more of Storm utilising her surroundings. It gave the opportunity for incredible world building scenes and stunning descriptions.
Blackwood created a great world, I love a good dingy underworld where it is almost a place unto it's self. It had a hierarchy, a cast system of the criminals who associate with a guild and the less than savory folk who can't be apart of it for reasons such as they are too dark or can't deal with authority etc.
The underworld hierarchy, while being pretty simple, is a great addition to the world Blackwood created. I enjoyed the concept of the different guilds and their rankings. The idea of a beggars guild, it kind of reminded me of the homeless unit of hitmen from the John Wick films. I would have quite liked to see more of them, as an information source maybe. I thought the world was nicely done but could have been used much more in the actual story.
Blackwood also created what I found to be a totally a refreshing take on elves, while the elves were not wholly different to those we see in the world of fantasy, it was their culture and social practices I enjoyed.
I unfortunately found the characters to be a little off-putting at times, what was one of the main drives to me reading this book quickly became a little disruptive to the story at times. In terms of the character as a person, she was a cool character fun and sarcastic it was the execution of her that threw me off. Now, this is definitely nit picky on my part but it to often pulled me from the story and here is why.
More at the start than anything else, but still, there was a lot of ’telling’, yanno the whole show me don't tell me thing. There was a lot of emphasis on how bad ass she was, and how no one liked to mess with her, but this was told through her own thoughts on this, I thought this could have been shown a wee bit better.
I also noted a few things I would say we're inconsistent. For example, Storm may enter a place renowned for being cutthroat, orderless, outside of the guilds and known for being a pretty rough place especially for a women (which she herself tells you). Yet she cleared a table with a glare alone. Or her not knowing a type of material which is so picky, I know, and sounds weird to say but if you are a thief I would expect one to have an eye for details, to know when something is a fake or cheaply made etc yet she didn’t.
The breaking of the 4th wall in this book was also not my favourite.
“So... how’s the stakeout going, Storm?” Liam asked. Storm. What an odd name, right? I promise, it gets even odder. Storm is actually short for the Oncoming Storm. What kind of parents would name their child something like that? Well, certainly not mine, I’ll tell you”
Despite my above complaints I did find myself wanting to keep reading, and I enjoyed this book as a whole.
March 17, 2023
3,5*
Overall I enjoyed A Storm of Silver and Ash by Marion Blackwood, but it's definitely not without its flaws.
My personal biggest pro? Like absolutely need more of? It's a young female lead, with a male best friend, and there is ZERO romance. I'd like to give 5 stars for that, as there's just way too few female lead books that don't have the whining and pining.
It's quite dark and bloody at times, so definitely aimed at an adult audience, but the characters often behave quite like teens. The sheer stupidity was at times annoying, however there's a good deal of humour in it, and the chuckling made up for most of it. Even though old and supposedly wise elves who behave like teens, just like the young female lead, felt a bit anachronistic.
There's some big twists - I might just have read too much fantasy, but non of them were surprising to me in the least. The pace was fast and there was enough action to keep me hooked anyway. If you're looking for a very fresh and unpredictable plot, this might not be for you.
If you're looking for an easy high fantasy romp, this might be ideal!
Overall I enjoyed A Storm of Silver and Ash by Marion Blackwood, but it's definitely not without its flaws.
My personal biggest pro? Like absolutely need more of? It's a young female lead, with a male best friend, and there is ZERO romance. I'd like to give 5 stars for that, as there's just way too few female lead books that don't have the whining and pining.
It's quite dark and bloody at times, so definitely aimed at an adult audience, but the characters often behave quite like teens. The sheer stupidity was at times annoying, however there's a good deal of humour in it, and the chuckling made up for most of it. Even though old and supposedly wise elves who behave like teens, just like the young female lead, felt a bit anachronistic.
There's some big twists - I might just have read too much fantasy, but non of them were surprising to me in the least. The pace was fast and there was enough action to keep me hooked anyway. If you're looking for a very fresh and unpredictable plot, this might not be for you.
If you're looking for an easy high fantasy romp, this might be ideal!
January 22, 2022
great opener
I *almost* didn’t read this series because of the bad reviews saying the main character was dumb and got herself into terrible situations. I’m glad I listened to my instincts and read it anyway. And YES it’s so annoying that she’s such a cocky, arrogant thief with absolutely no experience in anything beyond petty crime that she makes terrible decisions. However, it’s really interesting seeing her analytical process to get herself out of these situations. The author did a great job setting up the main character as flawed and naive while also being incredibly hardened. As the series progressed, she stopped falling into stupid situations and instead planned elaborate schemes that were eloquent and foolproof. Excellent character growth! It’s rare that a series holds my interest past book 3-4 but I read all the way to the end and wished for more. I didn’t really start to get invested until book 3 actually, until then I was just along for the ride.
I *almost* didn’t read this series because of the bad reviews saying the main character was dumb and got herself into terrible situations. I’m glad I listened to my instincts and read it anyway. And YES it’s so annoying that she’s such a cocky, arrogant thief with absolutely no experience in anything beyond petty crime that she makes terrible decisions. However, it’s really interesting seeing her analytical process to get herself out of these situations. The author did a great job setting up the main character as flawed and naive while also being incredibly hardened. As the series progressed, she stopped falling into stupid situations and instead planned elaborate schemes that were eloquent and foolproof. Excellent character growth! It’s rare that a series holds my interest past book 3-4 but I read all the way to the end and wished for more. I didn’t really start to get invested until book 3 actually, until then I was just along for the ride.
October 8, 2020
Wow, this book... It had me going in all directions, but i just love our main character so freaking much!! I loved her talking to herself, cause honestly, who doesn’t? 😂
I also loved learning more about her and the world she lives in! Im so ready for the next one!!
I also loved learning more about her and the world she lives in! Im so ready for the next one!!
October 15, 2020
She's stubborn, a thief, a murder, obnoxious, selfish , arrogant.
Knives are her best friend.
She's the Oncoming Storm
Storm is a master thief with a penchant for throwing knives at people, no really this chick loves her knives and actually can and is not afraid to use them.
This is the first book in a multi book series.
Romance free so far, Awesome characters.
The anti-hero everyone needs
On to the next book!
Knives are her best friend.
She's the Oncoming Storm
Storm is a master thief with a penchant for throwing knives at people, no really this chick loves her knives and actually can and is not afraid to use them.
This is the first book in a multi book series.
Romance free so far, Awesome characters.
The anti-hero everyone needs
On to the next book!
November 8, 2020
Action-packed and with a brash and not-always-likeable protagonist, A Storm of Silver and Ash kept me entertained. The late-medieval world was nicely constructed, feeling both familiar and a little bit fantastic, the way I like imagined worlds to be.
December 28, 2024
Marion Blackwood always knows how to make me interested in her books. The oncoming storm series so far is so much fun to read! I love Storm and think she’s a wonderful character. I also liked how this book ended with a bit of a cliffhanger but not too much of a cliffhanger for the next book. I am excited to finish this series before the year ends!
January 8, 2021
The Storm has come!!!
Not bad for a beginning . This series is told by the main character. She is The Oncoming Storm. She is a kick ass knife throwing smart mouth. Who has gone through hell an back an opens her heart to the elves she is sent to spy on an kill there Queen. To save her only friend Liam from there mad King. She lives for adventure an this is her story.
Not bad for a beginning . This series is told by the main character. She is The Oncoming Storm. She is a kick ass knife throwing smart mouth. Who has gone through hell an back an opens her heart to the elves she is sent to spy on an kill there Queen. To save her only friend Liam from there mad King. She lives for adventure an this is her story.
May 21, 2021
4 stars★★★★
The Oncoming Storm ☾
⚔︎ A Storm of Silver and Ash ★★★★
⚔︎ A Storm of Shadows and Pearls ★★★
⚔︎ A Storm of Smoke and Flame★★★★
⚔︎ A Storm of Glass and Stars ★★★★
⚔︎ A Storm of Mist and Thunder ★★★
⚔︎ A Storm of Blood and Swords ★★★★★
⚔︎ A Storm of Light and Darkness ★★★★★
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November 24, 2019
I received an ARC copy of this book.
First of all, I think this is a strong debut. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and especially liked the relationship between Storm and Liam. I felt that hints to Storm’s past were well-placed and intriguing, making me want to learn more about this character and why she was how she was. The King was petulant and cruel and behaved a bit like a teenager, a character you really hoped would get his comeuppance. The world was well built, with a great sense of setting woven through the story.
I did feel that the sarcasm and snarky comments from characters at times were a bit too much and became annoying. A few times some of the characters used the same physical expressions/movements such as tilting their heads to the right or clicking their tongues and I found this a bit distracting and odd. Sometimes it felt as though things were over explained when they didn’t need to be. There were also some typos in the writing which I feel should have been picked up from one last proof read.
Overall, however, this was a fairly fun read. Throughout I felt the undercurrent of Storm’s true power simmering beneath the surface and was waiting for it to explode out of her.
First of all, I think this is a strong debut. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and especially liked the relationship between Storm and Liam. I felt that hints to Storm’s past were well-placed and intriguing, making me want to learn more about this character and why she was how she was. The King was petulant and cruel and behaved a bit like a teenager, a character you really hoped would get his comeuppance. The world was well built, with a great sense of setting woven through the story.
I did feel that the sarcasm and snarky comments from characters at times were a bit too much and became annoying. A few times some of the characters used the same physical expressions/movements such as tilting their heads to the right or clicking their tongues and I found this a bit distracting and odd. Sometimes it felt as though things were over explained when they didn’t need to be. There were also some typos in the writing which I feel should have been picked up from one last proof read.
Overall, however, this was a fairly fun read. Throughout I felt the undercurrent of Storm’s true power simmering beneath the surface and was waiting for it to explode out of her.
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