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Stormsilver
Young is an unruly dragon god, found guilty of creating a human catastrophe and sentenced to a monitored punishment among humans.
Thirty years later, he’s an amnesiac ghoul-hunter in the heart of DC—living with a god of fate, a husband and wife from the 1300s who share a body, demon sisters, a grim reaper, and more in a large penthouse he calls Calamity Cave. Forced to fraternize with the charming, ghost-seeing human Arella after she steals his sword, constantly being spied on by those overseeing his mysterious punishment, and with strange coincidences popping up all around him, Young starts to wonder if there might be more to the story—and more to him—than meets the eye.
Stormsilver is a hilarious, contemporary fantasy romance book full of questions, answers, reflections on the nature of love and life, and the dark web that connects the various characters together in ways that they never imagined.
Heavily influenced and inspired by Eastern mythology, Raven McGory has a fresh new take on contemporary fantasy.
Edited Kelly N Egan
Original publication November 26, 2021
Genre Fantasy, drama, comedy, dramedy, romance, romcom, contemporary fantasy, dark humor
Diversity Yes
Queer Yes
Appropriate for children under 16: Probably not - discretion advised
Content Violence, sexual assault, abuse, illness, death
Thirty years later, he’s an amnesiac ghoul-hunter in the heart of DC—living with a god of fate, a husband and wife from the 1300s who share a body, demon sisters, a grim reaper, and more in a large penthouse he calls Calamity Cave. Forced to fraternize with the charming, ghost-seeing human Arella after she steals his sword, constantly being spied on by those overseeing his mysterious punishment, and with strange coincidences popping up all around him, Young starts to wonder if there might be more to the story—and more to him—than meets the eye.
Stormsilver is a hilarious, contemporary fantasy romance book full of questions, answers, reflections on the nature of love and life, and the dark web that connects the various characters together in ways that they never imagined.
Heavily influenced and inspired by Eastern mythology, Raven McGory has a fresh new take on contemporary fantasy.
Edited Kelly N Egan
Original publication November 26, 2021
Genre Fantasy, drama, comedy, dramedy, romance, romcom, contemporary fantasy, dark humor
Diversity Yes
Queer Yes
Appropriate for children under 16: Probably not - discretion advised
Content Violence, sexual assault, abuse, illness, death
- GenresFantasy
464 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 25, 2021
6 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
February 28, 2022
Although not my favorite genre, this is readable, and recommended.
The cover is excellent. The dialog is fast, excellent, and vivid. It speeds the story along. My only complaint is finding a few modernisms in the language that interrupts the world that the author built.
Overall, the level of detail, is great: it keeps this clear without slowing it down. The world building is good.
My favorite part is Arella's decision toward the end. It was not the ultimate decision of the book, but it was pivotal. When faced with four choices for Zeba at the end, as a reader you might not make the one you would normally. The choices aren't just moral or logical, but there are layers of reasons to consider.
My favorite line: Young's "His limited interactions with humans had rarely been pleasant." which applies to the problems in Europe now.
The ending could be taken as final, or not. Only the author knows.
The cover is excellent. The dialog is fast, excellent, and vivid. It speeds the story along. My only complaint is finding a few modernisms in the language that interrupts the world that the author built.
Overall, the level of detail, is great: it keeps this clear without slowing it down. The world building is good.
My favorite part is Arella's decision toward the end. It was not the ultimate decision of the book, but it was pivotal. When faced with four choices for Zeba at the end, as a reader you might not make the one you would normally. The choices aren't just moral or logical, but there are layers of reasons to consider.
My favorite line: Young's "His limited interactions with humans had rarely been pleasant." which applies to the problems in Europe now.
The ending could be taken as final, or not. Only the author knows.
August 20, 2022
Where to begin, my mind is all over the place with this book. Certains parts I really enjoyed and even loved. Other parts felt really dragged out with no progress in the story or in the characters whatsoever. Which resulted a little bit in forcing myself to read this book. Instead of being super excited to pick it up and continue reading.
Stormsilver starts with Young. A deity, water demon, who gets sentenced by the Gods. He is incredibly angry and doesn't agree with them. They show him a child and say: she will be the death of you. They erase his memory and he is put back on earth. To atone for what he did.
Some 30 years later he is still on earth. Still atoning for what he did. He has a sword called Stormsilver. It shrinks down into a coin, so it's easy to take with him. One day he bumps into Arella. Her bag flies onto the floor and her stuff and coins fall out. They pick everything up and go their separate ways. He soon finds out he lost his own coin, and is trying to track her down.
Arella lives in a wolf pack. Her older brother is a wolf. While Arella is human. She initially gives back the coin. But the weapon can only be given back with her full consent.
Eventually Young starts to train Arella.
I loved their bickering and how close they grow together while both denying it.
The book has several other characters. Arella is able to see ghosts. And Oslo and Luciana become friends with her. Both those characters have their own storyline as well.
Ransley, a six year old girl, is by far my favorite ghost.
Young lives with other creatures. And some of those have quite big storylines as well.
A part of me liked all those storylines. But I wasn't really invested fully into any of the storylines. I liked Young, Arella and Ransley the best. But even their story and character development lacked a little bit. I didn't feel what they felt, I didn't hope and longed together with them. It all felt a little flat.
I know a sequel is being written. And I truly hope the author will add more emotions. And a better flow throughout the book. So the reader is able to fully invest in the story and the characters.
Because the story overall is really exciting. I just wished it was more deepened out and more fast paced.
I did like the ending where we find out why Young is being punished. And it does make me want to read the sequel to find out what he is going to do about it.
But as a whole, 3 stars from me! Enjoyable but not as worked out as I hoped it to be.
Stormsilver starts with Young. A deity, water demon, who gets sentenced by the Gods. He is incredibly angry and doesn't agree with them. They show him a child and say: she will be the death of you. They erase his memory and he is put back on earth. To atone for what he did.
Some 30 years later he is still on earth. Still atoning for what he did. He has a sword called Stormsilver. It shrinks down into a coin, so it's easy to take with him. One day he bumps into Arella. Her bag flies onto the floor and her stuff and coins fall out. They pick everything up and go their separate ways. He soon finds out he lost his own coin, and is trying to track her down.
Arella lives in a wolf pack. Her older brother is a wolf. While Arella is human. She initially gives back the coin. But the weapon can only be given back with her full consent.
Eventually Young starts to train Arella.
I loved their bickering and how close they grow together while both denying it.
The book has several other characters. Arella is able to see ghosts. And Oslo and Luciana become friends with her. Both those characters have their own storyline as well.
Ransley, a six year old girl, is by far my favorite ghost.
Young lives with other creatures. And some of those have quite big storylines as well.
A part of me liked all those storylines. But I wasn't really invested fully into any of the storylines. I liked Young, Arella and Ransley the best. But even their story and character development lacked a little bit. I didn't feel what they felt, I didn't hope and longed together with them. It all felt a little flat.
I know a sequel is being written. And I truly hope the author will add more emotions. And a better flow throughout the book. So the reader is able to fully invest in the story and the characters.
Because the story overall is really exciting. I just wished it was more deepened out and more fast paced.
I did like the ending where we find out why Young is being punished. And it does make me want to read the sequel to find out what he is going to do about it.
But as a whole, 3 stars from me! Enjoyable but not as worked out as I hoped it to be.
December 21, 2022
Thank you to Raven McGory for a gifted digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
STORMSILVER is a surprising book-- surprising because it is thick with a cast of unforgettable characters and explodes with a tapestry of unforgettable themes. I adored "Sasha or Mei Ri" who are two souls, married to one another in life, and sharing a body in death. Arella is a spunky human woman who can somehow not only see the book's main character, a power dragon demon, but also manages to steal his powerful weapon, Stormsilver, while in the form of a strange coin. The dragon demon, Young, spends the book pursuing Arella-- at first, to get his coin back, then romantically, but it doesn't end there.
As this book is more character driven, and as the cast is quite large, it's a little hard at first to tease out the plot. The reader has to kind of relinquish to the waves of the various characters' development, and the of the smaller groups they comprise. It's tempting to read this book as a romance because of the power between Arella and Young, and because of the complexity of their shared character trajectories. I think, though, that this is a really good example of a hero's story.
The conclusions McGory wrote for the different character arcs were largely satisfying, and often surprising. For that matter, the ending of the primary plot line surprised me too, and I loved the denouement. The denouement, a section entitled Solangi provided just the right of information to bring the previous story into perspective.
Although this wasn't my normal genre, I enjoyed my adventure.
STORMSILVER
Raven McGory @ravenemcgory (IG)
Released 11/22/21
Available on Kindle/Amazon
Rating 👻👻👻👻 / 5 crying baby ghosts
Recommend? Yes, to spec fic fans
Finished December 2022
Read this if you like:
👩🎤 Supernatural
👻 Paranormal
🐲 Urban fantasy
❤️🔥 Enemies to lovers
🗡 Hero's quest
STORMSILVER is a surprising book-- surprising because it is thick with a cast of unforgettable characters and explodes with a tapestry of unforgettable themes. I adored "Sasha or Mei Ri" who are two souls, married to one another in life, and sharing a body in death. Arella is a spunky human woman who can somehow not only see the book's main character, a power dragon demon, but also manages to steal his powerful weapon, Stormsilver, while in the form of a strange coin. The dragon demon, Young, spends the book pursuing Arella-- at first, to get his coin back, then romantically, but it doesn't end there.
As this book is more character driven, and as the cast is quite large, it's a little hard at first to tease out the plot. The reader has to kind of relinquish to the waves of the various characters' development, and the of the smaller groups they comprise. It's tempting to read this book as a romance because of the power between Arella and Young, and because of the complexity of their shared character trajectories. I think, though, that this is a really good example of a hero's story.
The conclusions McGory wrote for the different character arcs were largely satisfying, and often surprising. For that matter, the ending of the primary plot line surprised me too, and I loved the denouement. The denouement, a section entitled Solangi provided just the right of information to bring the previous story into perspective.
Although this wasn't my normal genre, I enjoyed my adventure.
STORMSILVER
Raven McGory @ravenemcgory (IG)
Released 11/22/21
Available on Kindle/Amazon
Rating 👻👻👻👻 / 5 crying baby ghosts
Recommend? Yes, to spec fic fans
Finished December 2022
Read this if you like:
👩🎤 Supernatural
👻 Paranormal
🐲 Urban fantasy
❤️🔥 Enemies to lovers
🗡 Hero's quest
November 28, 2021
I am OBSESSED with STORMSILVER. I absolutely devoured this book. It’s an amazing mix of fantasy and contemporary drama. The characters have such a range of backgrounds so each one has such an interesting arc and journey. Young is hilarious. I love him. I wish I could pluck him out of the pages and hang out with him. Arella is such a strong female lead and I just want to BE her.
This book had me laughing out loud one minute and a few pages later had me near tears, and then back to laughing. There is such a fantastic range of emotion that is just so human.
I’d give it 10/10 if goodreads would let me leave that many stars.
This book had me laughing out loud one minute and a few pages later had me near tears, and then back to laughing. There is such a fantastic range of emotion that is just so human.
I’d give it 10/10 if goodreads would let me leave that many stars.
September 25, 2022
I received gift copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and boy was I pleasantly surprised!!! Why is no one talking about this book? This is criminally underrated!!
Firstly this has such an interesting storyline. Mutliple seemingly unrelated characters all have intemingled pasts and fates! It's so complex and so well written and I loved seeing it play out.
The characters!!!! OMG!!! When I say I love Young!!! He reminds me of Deadpool!! So witty and can never be serious. This character brings me life! And the banter with Arella is just *chefs kiss*
Theres also a lot of generally really good life lessons in this book about various situations. It was lighthearted and funny but also extremely deep at times.
Overall I enjoyed this book so much and I need the sequel asap!!!!
Firstly this has such an interesting storyline. Mutliple seemingly unrelated characters all have intemingled pasts and fates! It's so complex and so well written and I loved seeing it play out.
The characters!!!! OMG!!! When I say I love Young!!! He reminds me of Deadpool!! So witty and can never be serious. This character brings me life! And the banter with Arella is just *chefs kiss*
Theres also a lot of generally really good life lessons in this book about various situations. It was lighthearted and funny but also extremely deep at times.
Overall I enjoyed this book so much and I need the sequel asap!!!!
December 2, 2022
"You kissed my sister last night, and today you're asking me to be your girlfriend? The nerve."
"I'm still a bit scared."
Stormsilver was a mysterious and romantic, and I really really liked it!!
There were many things that I liked about this book butsome really stood out to me.
The diversty of the characters was really great. There were many characters with different sexualities and disabilities. And I think Raven McGory portraided them really well.
In addition to that, the book was never boring. There was always something exiting going on that made me want to read another chapter.
The characters were also really likable in my opinion and I really liked the chemistry between Young and Arella.<3 (They are just so cute.)
Huge THANK YOU to the author for sending me this book!
(I am really exited for the next one in the series.)
"I'm still a bit scared."
Stormsilver was a mysterious and romantic, and I really really liked it!!
There were many things that I liked about this book butsome really stood out to me.
The diversty of the characters was really great. There were many characters with different sexualities and disabilities. And I think Raven McGory portraided them really well.
In addition to that, the book was never boring. There was always something exiting going on that made me want to read another chapter.
The characters were also really likable in my opinion and I really liked the chemistry between Young and Arella.<3 (They are just so cute.)
Huge THANK YOU to the author for sending me this book!
(I am really exited for the next one in the series.)
December 26, 2022
I'd like to thank Raven for gifting me an ecopy to review.
Stormsilver was a very easy and interesting read. It definitely did not disappoint in any area. The humour is what i loved the most, especially the banter between the two main characters of the book.
I CAN'T wait for book 2!!
Stormsilver was a very easy and interesting read. It definitely did not disappoint in any area. The humour is what i loved the most, especially the banter between the two main characters of the book.
I CAN'T wait for book 2!!
December 6, 2021
This book will take you on a fantastical journey yet simultaneously feels like it could be happening down the street. Not only will you want to keep reading you will find ways that these magical beings/plot points are representative of you and modern life. It is a complex story with a lot of key characters to follow, but McGory does an effortless job of making it digestible and stimulating without making you want to close the book. I can't wait for the next book and to see where this series goes because what an absolutely stunning beginning!!!
March 24, 2023
It's nothing new that Washington D.C. is a place where very strange things sometimes happen. That the city is also inhabited by restless spirits, wolf clans, demons and deities, however, was new to me. The young author Raven McGory lives there and therefore knows better. In her debut novel "Stormsilver" she takes the readers into a fantasy world that exists right next to us in our time, but is invisible to most people.
Right at the beginning, one becomes a reading witness to a sentencing by which a capricious and cynical dragon demon named Young is given the punishment of losing a large part of his memory. What terrible deed he is said to have committed, the reader only learns at the end of the book. Until then, the story meanders skillfully back and forth between drama, love story and comedy, with only the many scenes reminiscent of TV sitcoms slowing down my reading pleasure somewhat.
The pivotal point is the emerging love affair between Young and the (still) human Arella, who comes into possession of his divine secret weapon "Stormsilver" through a collision with him. All attempts by the grumpy Young, who is averse to humans, to agree on a ritually appropriate return with the unruly and self-confident Arella initially lead to some witty arguments before both realize that they could actually form a dream team. This is particularly amusingly demonstrated in a scene where the two have to practically fight off a ghoul together in a restaurant, with Young trashing part of the establishment in the process.
McGory has gone to great lengths to spice up the fantasy portion of this story with a mix of mythologies (from Greece, Haiti and especially the Far East). Accordingly, there are rules, rituals and supernatural laws of nature that demons and spirits have to abide by. For example, it is not possible for a spirit to indulge its basically useless urge to eat unless it knows of a place where offerings are made to the dead on altars - a widespread ritual in East Asia.
Another of the author's strengths is her sparkling imagination, which is reflected, among other things, in the creation of the secondary characters. There is, for example, the freshly deceased Luciana, who is at a loss as a ghost and first attends a meeting of Ghosts Anonymous. Or the demon couple in Young's clan who take turns sharing their spouse's body. And then there's a demon who foolishly drove into a human and can't get out because the human has died in the meantime. And the fact that these guys occasionally meet for a cultivated drink in D.C.'s hippest bar, 'The Afterlife', is then no longer surprising.
Not so easy for the readers to manage is the large number of characters. Some characters could have been left out for the time being, because - at least in this volume, as it is the start of a book series - they don't play a major role in the plot. Moreover, the fact that these characters, as demons, deities and werewolves, only appear in human form most of the time, even when they are among themselves, is not really coherent in my opinion. However, McGory seems to have deliberately avoided a showcase of gruesome creatures here in order to focus more on the all-too-human traits of these superhumans.
The bitter pill for the reader comes in the final pages: The resolution of the previously unexplained crime seems somewhat constructed. And other central mysteries and unanswered questions are deliberately left unanswered - because it is only supposed to be part 1 of a book series. In that sense, the reader is left with a typical American cliffhanger.
However; I felt well entertained overall. The mix of humor and fantasy works - as I'm sure a Terry Pratchett would agree. McGory can hold a candle to the old master in some of the dialogues. So I am curious to see what happens next in D.C., where so many strange things happen ...
Right at the beginning, one becomes a reading witness to a sentencing by which a capricious and cynical dragon demon named Young is given the punishment of losing a large part of his memory. What terrible deed he is said to have committed, the reader only learns at the end of the book. Until then, the story meanders skillfully back and forth between drama, love story and comedy, with only the many scenes reminiscent of TV sitcoms slowing down my reading pleasure somewhat.
The pivotal point is the emerging love affair between Young and the (still) human Arella, who comes into possession of his divine secret weapon "Stormsilver" through a collision with him. All attempts by the grumpy Young, who is averse to humans, to agree on a ritually appropriate return with the unruly and self-confident Arella initially lead to some witty arguments before both realize that they could actually form a dream team. This is particularly amusingly demonstrated in a scene where the two have to practically fight off a ghoul together in a restaurant, with Young trashing part of the establishment in the process.
McGory has gone to great lengths to spice up the fantasy portion of this story with a mix of mythologies (from Greece, Haiti and especially the Far East). Accordingly, there are rules, rituals and supernatural laws of nature that demons and spirits have to abide by. For example, it is not possible for a spirit to indulge its basically useless urge to eat unless it knows of a place where offerings are made to the dead on altars - a widespread ritual in East Asia.
Another of the author's strengths is her sparkling imagination, which is reflected, among other things, in the creation of the secondary characters. There is, for example, the freshly deceased Luciana, who is at a loss as a ghost and first attends a meeting of Ghosts Anonymous. Or the demon couple in Young's clan who take turns sharing their spouse's body. And then there's a demon who foolishly drove into a human and can't get out because the human has died in the meantime. And the fact that these guys occasionally meet for a cultivated drink in D.C.'s hippest bar, 'The Afterlife', is then no longer surprising.
Not so easy for the readers to manage is the large number of characters. Some characters could have been left out for the time being, because - at least in this volume, as it is the start of a book series - they don't play a major role in the plot. Moreover, the fact that these characters, as demons, deities and werewolves, only appear in human form most of the time, even when they are among themselves, is not really coherent in my opinion. However, McGory seems to have deliberately avoided a showcase of gruesome creatures here in order to focus more on the all-too-human traits of these superhumans.
The bitter pill for the reader comes in the final pages: The resolution of the previously unexplained crime seems somewhat constructed. And other central mysteries and unanswered questions are deliberately left unanswered - because it is only supposed to be part 1 of a book series. In that sense, the reader is left with a typical American cliffhanger.
However; I felt well entertained overall. The mix of humor and fantasy works - as I'm sure a Terry Pratchett would agree. McGory can hold a candle to the old master in some of the dialogues. So I am curious to see what happens next in D.C., where so many strange things happen ...
August 30, 2022
OMY – Oh My Young this book was stupendous!!
Young is a dragon demon who lives in a tardis type house with a butterfly God of fate, sisters who are horse and zebra demons, a fox demon, a sprite who shares his body with his wife who was a human who died centuries ago from the pestilence and a Grim Reaper named Will who is also a real estate agent. Arella is a human who lives with her Wolf demon brother in the wolf pack manor. Add to this a couple of ghosts who Arella has the ability to see and you have the cast of characters that make up this entertaining fantasy story.
Arella and Young accidentally meet and she unknowingly takes possession of a significant item of his that he needs her to return. What ensues is a story full of surprises.
As part of a punishment, Young has had his memory wiped and has no recollection of the event for which he is being penalized or his life prior to the last 30 years.
Young is a phenomenal character. He is casual, good-looking, supremely confident and totally fictional boyfriend worthy. I can imagine him as a cross between Dream in The Sandman and Lucifer. The banter between Arella and Young certainly has that Lucifer, Detective Decker vibes as well and was thoroughly entertaining. This was a large part of the appeal of this book. Arella was no damsel in distress type and was equally appealing as a MC.
The world of Stormsilver is creative. It is a contemporary setting with Gods and demons roaming amongst humans. Each character has a normal everyday job. Chrys, the butterfly God of fate owns a bar called Afterlife and Zeba is a lawyer. This is a such a great contrast between the mundane and the supernatural/mythical, bringing the 'normality' to the characters which added to their appeal.
For those of you who love a great Urban fantasy with gods and demons with sass and charisma, you will love this as much as I did. All I can say is that I am looking forward to the next book in this series and can highly recommend this one to all.
Young is a dragon demon who lives in a tardis type house with a butterfly God of fate, sisters who are horse and zebra demons, a fox demon, a sprite who shares his body with his wife who was a human who died centuries ago from the pestilence and a Grim Reaper named Will who is also a real estate agent. Arella is a human who lives with her Wolf demon brother in the wolf pack manor. Add to this a couple of ghosts who Arella has the ability to see and you have the cast of characters that make up this entertaining fantasy story.
Arella and Young accidentally meet and she unknowingly takes possession of a significant item of his that he needs her to return. What ensues is a story full of surprises.
As part of a punishment, Young has had his memory wiped and has no recollection of the event for which he is being penalized or his life prior to the last 30 years.
Young is a phenomenal character. He is casual, good-looking, supremely confident and totally fictional boyfriend worthy. I can imagine him as a cross between Dream in The Sandman and Lucifer. The banter between Arella and Young certainly has that Lucifer, Detective Decker vibes as well and was thoroughly entertaining. This was a large part of the appeal of this book. Arella was no damsel in distress type and was equally appealing as a MC.
The world of Stormsilver is creative. It is a contemporary setting with Gods and demons roaming amongst humans. Each character has a normal everyday job. Chrys, the butterfly God of fate owns a bar called Afterlife and Zeba is a lawyer. This is a such a great contrast between the mundane and the supernatural/mythical, bringing the 'normality' to the characters which added to their appeal.
For those of you who love a great Urban fantasy with gods and demons with sass and charisma, you will love this as much as I did. All I can say is that I am looking forward to the next book in this series and can highly recommend this one to all.
August 31, 2022
Thank you so much to @ravenemcgory and her team for providing me with the e-book in exchange for an honest review! This was such an unexpected delight and I am now incredibly invested!
Synopsis: Young is a dragon God and he’s being punished for a crime he does not remember. With no memory of his past, and armed with his blade Stormsilver, he hunts ghosts and other creatures, while living with a cast of magical roommates including a God of Fate, a grim reaper, two horse demons, a fox demon, a husband and wife sharing a single body, and a grumpy yet adorable cat. Everything changes for Young when he accidentally bumps into Arella, a human girl living with a pack of demon wolves, and somehow, she becomes the owner of Stormsilver…
While the premise was quirky and fun, as was the banter (Seriously, the banter is to die for, I couldn’t stop giggling, cackling or making faces of agreement with Arella), I was pleasantly surprised by the emotions that this novel brought about. It touches on so many things from death, PTSD, s€xual assault, trauma….in a very moving and honest way. I do advise to read the TW, but Raven did a marvelous job at presenting serious issues without morbidly delving into them for the pleasure of it.
The story switches from character to character in a very fluid way, and each has such a distinct personality that when a new chapter switched POVs you immediately could tell it was someone else’s perspective and I LOVED it. You would come into a room with Young and leave it with Arella and so on…
It was legitimately so funny and emotional, and the writing was just…amazing. At first, I couldn’t tell where the plot was going but I felt so into the dynamics between the characters that I stopped wondering until it all came together. By the end of it I was grasping my kindle through the last 20%, and the last pages had me SHOOK. I did NOT see it coming.
I recommend this book 1000%, it’s funny, it’s snappy, it’s emotional, and the premise is delivered in a very original way.
Synopsis: Young is a dragon God and he’s being punished for a crime he does not remember. With no memory of his past, and armed with his blade Stormsilver, he hunts ghosts and other creatures, while living with a cast of magical roommates including a God of Fate, a grim reaper, two horse demons, a fox demon, a husband and wife sharing a single body, and a grumpy yet adorable cat. Everything changes for Young when he accidentally bumps into Arella, a human girl living with a pack of demon wolves, and somehow, she becomes the owner of Stormsilver…
While the premise was quirky and fun, as was the banter (Seriously, the banter is to die for, I couldn’t stop giggling, cackling or making faces of agreement with Arella), I was pleasantly surprised by the emotions that this novel brought about. It touches on so many things from death, PTSD, s€xual assault, trauma….in a very moving and honest way. I do advise to read the TW, but Raven did a marvelous job at presenting serious issues without morbidly delving into them for the pleasure of it.
The story switches from character to character in a very fluid way, and each has such a distinct personality that when a new chapter switched POVs you immediately could tell it was someone else’s perspective and I LOVED it. You would come into a room with Young and leave it with Arella and so on…
It was legitimately so funny and emotional, and the writing was just…amazing. At first, I couldn’t tell where the plot was going but I felt so into the dynamics between the characters that I stopped wondering until it all came together. By the end of it I was grasping my kindle through the last 20%, and the last pages had me SHOOK. I did NOT see it coming.
I recommend this book 1000%, it’s funny, it’s snappy, it’s emotional, and the premise is delivered in a very original way.
February 21, 2023
Thank you Raven McGory and Henry Roi for a gifted epub copy in exchange for an honest review!
First of all, I love the characters. They're all so unique and though there are quite a few of them who get a lot of screentime in the book, they all feel pretty fully fleshed out and can stand on their own. I loved all of their point of views and didn't have a desire to skip any of them because I was genuinely invested in all of their separate stories.The wolrdbuilding adds to this and I love how all of the main characters have a different role to fill while also maintaining their own stories independent of each other. Sasha and Mei Ri's characters were particularly interesting to me and I love how complex they were and how it felt realistic even in a fantasy setting (and Mei Ri's feelings were something I could relate to myself regarding gender issues and presentation, so I loved getting to read about that).
Additionally, I love the chemistry between Young and Arella. The banter between them is delicious. I kept getting sucked into the book to find out when their tension would finally snap. I also appreciate that Arella is in her 30s and not a teenager, as is standard for a lot of fantasy novels I've seen. Arella is also such a badass, but not in a way that makes her seem just overpowered because she's the main character. She's strong and intelligent and quick ok her feet, but she's also human and her flaws are also prevalent in the novel, which made me love her even more.
And the ENDING? I loved getting to the end and realizing how all the pieces were finally coming together. I hadn't expected the ending, but everything made sense looking back on the rest of the book and the build up to it. You can tell the plot was very well thought out.
Overall, I loved this book. I cannot wait for book 2 because I need to see more from all of these amazing characters and from Raven's wonderful writing!
First of all, I love the characters. They're all so unique and though there are quite a few of them who get a lot of screentime in the book, they all feel pretty fully fleshed out and can stand on their own. I loved all of their point of views and didn't have a desire to skip any of them because I was genuinely invested in all of their separate stories.The wolrdbuilding adds to this and I love how all of the main characters have a different role to fill while also maintaining their own stories independent of each other. Sasha and Mei Ri's characters were particularly interesting to me and I love how complex they were and how it felt realistic even in a fantasy setting (and Mei Ri's feelings were something I could relate to myself regarding gender issues and presentation, so I loved getting to read about that).
Additionally, I love the chemistry between Young and Arella. The banter between them is delicious. I kept getting sucked into the book to find out when their tension would finally snap. I also appreciate that Arella is in her 30s and not a teenager, as is standard for a lot of fantasy novels I've seen. Arella is also such a badass, but not in a way that makes her seem just overpowered because she's the main character. She's strong and intelligent and quick ok her feet, but she's also human and her flaws are also prevalent in the novel, which made me love her even more.
And the ENDING? I loved getting to the end and realizing how all the pieces were finally coming together. I hadn't expected the ending, but everything made sense looking back on the rest of the book and the build up to it. You can tell the plot was very well thought out.
Overall, I loved this book. I cannot wait for book 2 because I need to see more from all of these amazing characters and from Raven's wonderful writing!
October 12, 2022
This review was first published on Kurt's Frontier.
Synopsis:
The dragon god, Young, finds himself found guilty of destroying the island of Solangi and sentenced to a monitored punishment among humans without his memories. He has spent the past thirty years hunting ghouls in the center of Washing, DC. In a magical apartment he refers to as “Calamity Cave,” he lives with a husband and wife who share a body, demon sisters, a grim reaper, and a god of fate. An accidental bump on a sidewalk finds his sword, Stormsilver, in the hands of a woman who can see ghosts. She refuses to return it, and Young must keep her safe until such time as she willingly surrenders it.
Review:
Raven McGory has done an extensive amount of world-building. The characters are fun and quirky. Young is a dragon god living with an interesting group of supernatural entities with paranormal problems. Arella is a human woman who lives with a pack of werewolves and can see ghosts. When she ends up with Young’s sword, she uses it as leverage so that the dragon will protect her werewolf family from rival packs. Young is annoyed at first but finds himself coming to care for the young heroine.
And if this was where Raven McGory’s tale focused, the story could have been a page-turner. Other interesting subplots demanded equal time in the book. She included a ghost girl with issues, one demon sister who is terminally poisoned, a husband and wife sharing a body, and nothing that ties them together. The story tends to drag and may have been helped by either paring back the subplots or creating a dangerous antagonist who could tie all the problems together. It is still a good read, and it’s worth picking up for fans Urban Fantasy.
Synopsis:
The dragon god, Young, finds himself found guilty of destroying the island of Solangi and sentenced to a monitored punishment among humans without his memories. He has spent the past thirty years hunting ghouls in the center of Washing, DC. In a magical apartment he refers to as “Calamity Cave,” he lives with a husband and wife who share a body, demon sisters, a grim reaper, and a god of fate. An accidental bump on a sidewalk finds his sword, Stormsilver, in the hands of a woman who can see ghosts. She refuses to return it, and Young must keep her safe until such time as she willingly surrenders it.
Review:
Raven McGory has done an extensive amount of world-building. The characters are fun and quirky. Young is a dragon god living with an interesting group of supernatural entities with paranormal problems. Arella is a human woman who lives with a pack of werewolves and can see ghosts. When she ends up with Young’s sword, she uses it as leverage so that the dragon will protect her werewolf family from rival packs. Young is annoyed at first but finds himself coming to care for the young heroine.
And if this was where Raven McGory’s tale focused, the story could have been a page-turner. Other interesting subplots demanded equal time in the book. She included a ghost girl with issues, one demon sister who is terminally poisoned, a husband and wife sharing a body, and nothing that ties them together. The story tends to drag and may have been helped by either paring back the subplots or creating a dangerous antagonist who could tie all the problems together. It is still a good read, and it’s worth picking up for fans Urban Fantasy.
August 21, 2022
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⭐️
So I’m gonna start by saying that the book was a good read, for the first 100 pages I didn’t even notice how time flew.
I loved Young, he’s a mixture of grumpy and a golden retriever, he’s funny, charismatic, and protective MMC.
Arella is a sassy, sarcastic, strong, independent FMC. The banter between this too was hilarious I couldn't stop giggling.🤭
I liked the world-building, and I hope there will be more in the next book.
Everyone had different personalities with their own journey, but sometimes I got confused with the multiple POVs and some were random and relatively short. I found it a bit overwhelming that there was too much going on and I couldn’t quite focus on all of them. It was too much and should’ve been less at least in the first book, and also the description of characters wearing or whatever was too detailed and unnecessary and could’ve been shortened.
The main story is quite good and I’m really curious now because the ending for me was the most exciting, I already want to know what will happen next!👀👀👀
But overall I enjoyed it the book has potential and I’m really obsessed with dragons now so that might be a problem!😆🤭
So I’m gonna start by saying that the book was a good read, for the first 100 pages I didn’t even notice how time flew.
I loved Young, he’s a mixture of grumpy and a golden retriever, he’s funny, charismatic, and protective MMC.
Arella is a sassy, sarcastic, strong, independent FMC. The banter between this too was hilarious I couldn't stop giggling.🤭
I liked the world-building, and I hope there will be more in the next book.
Everyone had different personalities with their own journey, but sometimes I got confused with the multiple POVs and some were random and relatively short. I found it a bit overwhelming that there was too much going on and I couldn’t quite focus on all of them. It was too much and should’ve been less at least in the first book, and also the description of characters wearing or whatever was too detailed and unnecessary and could’ve been shortened.
The main story is quite good and I’m really curious now because the ending for me was the most exciting, I already want to know what will happen next!👀👀👀
But overall I enjoyed it the book has potential and I’m really obsessed with dragons now so that might be a problem!😆🤭
March 12, 2022
This book was full of hilarious banter but also serious moments of compassion and reflection on life, death, the afterlife and love.
I’ll try anything with a dragon in it, but this book is truly unique and entertaining. Just check out the cast of characters…
Young, a dragon whose memory only goes back thirty years, the beginning of a punishment for a transgression he doesn’t remember, fights evil supernatural beings with his sword Stormsilver.
Arella, human shoe designer, bumps into Young (literally) and accidentally steals Stormsilver since at the time it was magically turned into a coin. She lives with her half-brother Theo, a wolf demon, and the rest of his pack.
Luciana, a ghost, is trying to figure out who she really is and why she’s hanging around.
Young’s roommates:
-Chrys, bar owner & butterfly god
-Will, real estate agent & grim reaper
- Pona, partier & horse demon
- Zeba, lawyer & zebra demon
- Vonce, traveler & fox demon
-Sasha & Mei Ri are husband and wife sprites sharing the same body (Sasha’s)
I hope the author publishes book two someday. I liked these quirky characters.
Thanks to Raven McGory for the gifted ebook in exchange for a review.
I’ll try anything with a dragon in it, but this book is truly unique and entertaining. Just check out the cast of characters…
Young, a dragon whose memory only goes back thirty years, the beginning of a punishment for a transgression he doesn’t remember, fights evil supernatural beings with his sword Stormsilver.
Arella, human shoe designer, bumps into Young (literally) and accidentally steals Stormsilver since at the time it was magically turned into a coin. She lives with her half-brother Theo, a wolf demon, and the rest of his pack.
Luciana, a ghost, is trying to figure out who she really is and why she’s hanging around.
Young’s roommates:
-Chrys, bar owner & butterfly god
-Will, real estate agent & grim reaper
- Pona, partier & horse demon
- Zeba, lawyer & zebra demon
- Vonce, traveler & fox demon
-Sasha & Mei Ri are husband and wife sprites sharing the same body (Sasha’s)
I hope the author publishes book two someday. I liked these quirky characters.
Thanks to Raven McGory for the gifted ebook in exchange for a review.
July 29, 2022
Wow, the book Stormsilver is charming! The dark fantasy story is full of different unusual supernatural beings and contains its own world with interpretations of ghost life, and that is cool! I began to read and I couldn't interrupt reading until the end. It's because of the main characters and interesting details of the whole story.
Raven McGory creates her own amazing sphere of spirits, and I am totally submerged, living with her heroes and breathing their transparent phantom life. This fresh look into the supernatural world is quite extraordinary and fantastic!
Young and Arella are such peculiar creatures, within their special way to speak and to act. Generally, I found lots of joy in the descriptions and conversations of this book. Btw, the descriptions of all the characters are very accurate and vivid. I can also underline Raven McGory's splendid feeling of fantasy style.
To sum up, I like the book and can recommend it as an attractive reading.
Mila Dream, Extraterrestrial Queen
Raven McGory creates her own amazing sphere of spirits, and I am totally submerged, living with her heroes and breathing their transparent phantom life. This fresh look into the supernatural world is quite extraordinary and fantastic!
Young and Arella are such peculiar creatures, within their special way to speak and to act. Generally, I found lots of joy in the descriptions and conversations of this book. Btw, the descriptions of all the characters are very accurate and vivid. I can also underline Raven McGory's splendid feeling of fantasy style.
To sum up, I like the book and can recommend it as an attractive reading.
Mila Dream, Extraterrestrial Queen
April 14, 2023
A funny, imaginative and sweet urban fantasy, this has a slight feel of 'The Dresden Files' with a more diverse cast of characters. It's fun and fast paced, there's a lot of characters to take in but they are engaging enough that it doesn't take long to get a solid idea of each. It's light-hearted, although there are some darker themes which are handled well. The fantasy setting also allows for an orginal look at body and gender identity, and there are some other interesting and original concepts regarding gods, demons and the afterlife.
However the best endorsement I can give this book is that before I had even finished, I knew I would want more and would be eagerly awaiting the next one in the series.
However the best endorsement I can give this book is that before I had even finished, I knew I would want more and would be eagerly awaiting the next one in the series.
August 29, 2022
I definitely was not let down by this book. From romance to fantasy to plot twists to humor, this book has it all.
I loved the relationship between Arella and Young from the start, the villain falling in love is a favourite of mine. The book followed multiple characters all of which were unique yet linked together so well (I hope Rumi dies though). The dialogue between the characters were amazing, the wittiness and sarcasm that was always present made this book even more entertaining. As you go along you’ll realize that the story reflects a lot of modern day challenges that we face as well as brings awareness to what’s usually shunned in society. The inclusiveness was beautiful.
I loved the relationship between Arella and Young from the start, the villain falling in love is a favourite of mine. The book followed multiple characters all of which were unique yet linked together so well (I hope Rumi dies though). The dialogue between the characters were amazing, the wittiness and sarcasm that was always present made this book even more entertaining. As you go along you’ll realize that the story reflects a lot of modern day challenges that we face as well as brings awareness to what’s usually shunned in society. The inclusiveness was beautiful.
August 28, 2022
3.5*
I absolutely love the relationship that Arella and Young develop in the book. The witty and sarcastic remarks kept me wanting more from them. I enjoyed the glimpses into the lives of their friends but I will admit I had to do a short mental remembering of them since there were a good handful 🫣
I am questioning where Luciana and Oslo's characters will play a more major in the plot. I cannot wait until book 2!! Leaving me hanging with that ending 🥹
I absolutely love the relationship that Arella and Young develop in the book. The witty and sarcastic remarks kept me wanting more from them. I enjoyed the glimpses into the lives of their friends but I will admit I had to do a short mental remembering of them since there were a good handful 🫣
I am questioning where Luciana and Oslo's characters will play a more major in the plot. I cannot wait until book 2!! Leaving me hanging with that ending 🥹
April 8, 2023
This book was a fun read! I always lean towards fantasy books so this was right up my alley. I found a lot of the dialogue, & mostly Young himself, to be so witty & funny. Most of my favorite books have characters like Young - the smart-mouth villain who isn’t actually a villain. A lot of moments between each of the characters made me smile. I would definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for a fun, witty, lighthearted, fantasy read!
October 18, 2022
I loved this book.This book was a mix of fantasy and contemporary drama and I loved it so much.It did take me quite a while to read but I don't think it was the books fault it was mostly my fault anyways I loved the cover and diologs were fast and enjoyable.The only thing i didnt like was that the ending was a bit rushed in my opinion but I think you should give it a try<33
January 7, 2023
I'm going to start of by saying there better be a book 2. After that ending, I need to know what happens.
Arella and Young... What a pairing. Arella did come across as abit childish to me but eventually grew on me. I like how she gives Young a hard time. He needs it sometimes. Young is someone that you want to kill smack upside the head and sometimes you just wanna be best friends with him.
Thank you to Raven McGory for a copy of the book. I'm early awaiting the next one.
Arella and Young... What a pairing. Arella did come across as abit childish to me but eventually grew on me. I like how she gives Young a hard time. He needs it sometimes. Young is someone that you want to kill smack upside the head and sometimes you just wanna be best friends with him.
Thank you to Raven McGory for a copy of the book. I'm early awaiting the next one.
January 13, 2022
As a debut author, I'm SO grateful for the incredible show of support from all of my readers in the first month since publishing. I can't wait to interact with you further, and my sincere hope is that Stormsilver can take you away for a few hours and make you laugh, if nothing else!
August 20, 2022
I like this book. “Stormsilver” is an independently published debut novel and it is definitely worth reading. From a technical point of view, I can put the would-be purchaser’s mind at rest straight away, and state that just because this book does not bear the imprint of a major publisher, this does not mean that it has not been well edited or well written. This is a particularly impressive achievement, given that the text is quite long – being roughly one-hundred-and-fifteen-thousand words in length. Moreover, when the whole story emerges, it will become clear(er) if the tale should be taken as high or epic fantasy, as some sort of satirical comment upon that genre, or simply as a piece of well-crafted entertainment. And perhaps it is all three …
A few starting points. The characters, the descriptions and the conversations all ‘flow’ very nicely, as the author depicts a fantasy world that is close enough to everyday life to bear the imprint of magical realism, but which taps into a number of themes from human mythology. Of course, violent dark fiction and ‘adult language’ are not to everyone’s taste, but unless you are very, very squeamish, I would certainly add this debut novel to your reading list. What’s more – a sequel has been promised!
The central protagonists, known as Young (a dragon god) and Arella (a psychically-gifted human), are complimented by the recurring characters of Luciana/Lucy and Oslo plus an extremely wide-ranging cast of supporting personalities. In a fantasy world that touches the everyday life of modern America at numerous points, gods, demons and ghosts pile in on the reader very rapidly, although – as we shall see - their conversations are remarkably ‘human’: even if the situations they find themselves in are genuinely fantastic. There are a few lost souls amongst the phantasmagoria of beings that Raven McGory has created, but the reader must decide for themselves if they are genuinely loveable, or if they enlist our own darker emotions.
One obvious question is ‘who is Stormsilver?’
Well – it is not a ‘person’ – it is a weapon, and it gets stolen! And even when it is retrieved, a series of complicated events play out, and eventually bring both the audience, and the main characters, full circle. From which you, the reader, may reasonably deduce that there are elements of mystery and quest in this tale, as well as violent action. Unfortunately, the humour mentioned in the writer’s own publicity materials largely passed me by, but other reviewers have commented favourably on this aspect of the book. And I’m clearly not going to win a Pulitzer Prize for observing that humour is very much a question of personal taste!
Given that many of the characters in “Stormsilver” are in some sense immortal, time plays a surprisingly important role in the story. What is more, as well as playing their allotted parts in the drama of the novel as a whole, some of the supporting characters are used by the author to introduce themes that readers might consider surprisingly contemporary in nature.
For example, in Chapter 17, the characters of Vonce and Princess Rumi hold a discussion regarding what must be – to all intents and purposes – the subject of body dysmorphia.
*
“It’s quite an attractive body,” Vonce offered. “I very much like it, actually.”
“That’s just fantastic, except that I don’t care if you like it. I don’t like it,” she snipped. “It’s impossible to feel sexy inside of a body that isn’t yours if you hate it, and I don’t even want to not hate it, because it’s annoying and it has bits in places I don’t want to have bits. And if I don’t want them, and I certainly don’t enjoy touching them, I don’t think I can let you touch them, either. Sorry.”
*
To put it another way, by allowing her divinities to change into human form – a device that is at least as old as the Ancient Greeks – Raven McGory encourages them to display a wide range of characteristics and vulnerabilities. And perhaps the central device of the plot, the loss of a weapon and the anxieties which ensue, is itself a gateway into a whole set of debates about ‘masculinity’ and ‘the right to bear arms’.
By the way, as I move towards the close of this review, when do you reach the ‘END’ of “Stormsilver”, please don’t stop reading, because the ‘Acknowledgments’ section is much more of an ‘About the Author’ – and it is one of the best parts of the whole text!
Anything else?
One small reservation – some would call it nit-picking – regards what came across to me as the excessive use of proper names to identify speakers at certain points in the text. For example, on a few more occasions, Young could have been referred to as ‘the dragon god’, or perhaps even ‘the draconic one’? And similar devices might apply to other characters.
But I can live with this.
A score out of five?
Do I have to?
Yes, it’s the way of the world.
Okay. Four out of five.
Why? The clue was in the first sentence.
I like this book, but I don’t love it. On the other hand, if I read it again, it might grow on me. What do you think, dear reader?
Clive Mason-Hall
2022
A few starting points. The characters, the descriptions and the conversations all ‘flow’ very nicely, as the author depicts a fantasy world that is close enough to everyday life to bear the imprint of magical realism, but which taps into a number of themes from human mythology. Of course, violent dark fiction and ‘adult language’ are not to everyone’s taste, but unless you are very, very squeamish, I would certainly add this debut novel to your reading list. What’s more – a sequel has been promised!
The central protagonists, known as Young (a dragon god) and Arella (a psychically-gifted human), are complimented by the recurring characters of Luciana/Lucy and Oslo plus an extremely wide-ranging cast of supporting personalities. In a fantasy world that touches the everyday life of modern America at numerous points, gods, demons and ghosts pile in on the reader very rapidly, although – as we shall see - their conversations are remarkably ‘human’: even if the situations they find themselves in are genuinely fantastic. There are a few lost souls amongst the phantasmagoria of beings that Raven McGory has created, but the reader must decide for themselves if they are genuinely loveable, or if they enlist our own darker emotions.
One obvious question is ‘who is Stormsilver?’
Well – it is not a ‘person’ – it is a weapon, and it gets stolen! And even when it is retrieved, a series of complicated events play out, and eventually bring both the audience, and the main characters, full circle. From which you, the reader, may reasonably deduce that there are elements of mystery and quest in this tale, as well as violent action. Unfortunately, the humour mentioned in the writer’s own publicity materials largely passed me by, but other reviewers have commented favourably on this aspect of the book. And I’m clearly not going to win a Pulitzer Prize for observing that humour is very much a question of personal taste!
Given that many of the characters in “Stormsilver” are in some sense immortal, time plays a surprisingly important role in the story. What is more, as well as playing their allotted parts in the drama of the novel as a whole, some of the supporting characters are used by the author to introduce themes that readers might consider surprisingly contemporary in nature.
For example, in Chapter 17, the characters of Vonce and Princess Rumi hold a discussion regarding what must be – to all intents and purposes – the subject of body dysmorphia.
*
“It’s quite an attractive body,” Vonce offered. “I very much like it, actually.”
“That’s just fantastic, except that I don’t care if you like it. I don’t like it,” she snipped. “It’s impossible to feel sexy inside of a body that isn’t yours if you hate it, and I don’t even want to not hate it, because it’s annoying and it has bits in places I don’t want to have bits. And if I don’t want them, and I certainly don’t enjoy touching them, I don’t think I can let you touch them, either. Sorry.”
*
To put it another way, by allowing her divinities to change into human form – a device that is at least as old as the Ancient Greeks – Raven McGory encourages them to display a wide range of characteristics and vulnerabilities. And perhaps the central device of the plot, the loss of a weapon and the anxieties which ensue, is itself a gateway into a whole set of debates about ‘masculinity’ and ‘the right to bear arms’.
By the way, as I move towards the close of this review, when do you reach the ‘END’ of “Stormsilver”, please don’t stop reading, because the ‘Acknowledgments’ section is much more of an ‘About the Author’ – and it is one of the best parts of the whole text!
Anything else?
One small reservation – some would call it nit-picking – regards what came across to me as the excessive use of proper names to identify speakers at certain points in the text. For example, on a few more occasions, Young could have been referred to as ‘the dragon god’, or perhaps even ‘the draconic one’? And similar devices might apply to other characters.
But I can live with this.
A score out of five?
Do I have to?
Yes, it’s the way of the world.
Okay. Four out of five.
Why? The clue was in the first sentence.
I like this book, but I don’t love it. On the other hand, if I read it again, it might grow on me. What do you think, dear reader?
Clive Mason-Hall
2022
February 13, 2022
First of all, wow, the author has a brilliant imagination! The blurb immediately caught my interest and I knew it was a book I had to read, and I'm glad I did, what a ride! We follow Young an unruly dragon god, who at the very start of the book is being punished. The readers and Young himself get a small glimpse of his punishment, but then Young has his memory erased, leaving him with absolutely no idea of what's in store for him!
However, I do have to admit that it took me longer than I thought it would to actually get into the story itself. I enjoyed it from the very first page, but found the writing style quite hard to follow? And I read the first few chapters several times just to ensure I picked up all the information correctly before continuing. Something else that I struggled with was descriptions, especially when introducing characters. For Example when the 'Sophist' was introduced there was almost a whole kindle page describing him, in very lengthy and granted inventive ways, but each basically saying the same thing? This also happened with a few other characters, and the reason I say it wasn't needed is because the description of the main character Young, was actually quite short compared to some, yet before he'd even been described I pictured him perfectly in my head, and the description matched what I'd pictured! Which just goes to show that the Author is brilliant enough with her words that the lengthy descriptions were unnecessary.
Right the story! It evolved beautifully. Made me laugh out loud on several occasions and the character progression of Young, especially when it came to his relationship with Arella, I adored them! Couldn't get enough of it! I also found my favourite parts of the book were the dialogue-based bits - The conversations and emotions that came with them I could imagine perfectly, without needing much description at all. You also cannot fault the variety of characters in this book, very inclusive, each with their flaws and flairs, no matter if they were a ghost, god, wolf or demon! I again salute the author's imagination here! I won't go into too much detail with the characters, and allow future readers to fall in love with them themselves, but Will was my second favourite character after young, along with their relationship.
We have to talk about the ending! Oh, Young! I will say no more. Very excited to see what comes next in this series, and what else this Author has up her sleeve!
However, I do have to admit that it took me longer than I thought it would to actually get into the story itself. I enjoyed it from the very first page, but found the writing style quite hard to follow? And I read the first few chapters several times just to ensure I picked up all the information correctly before continuing. Something else that I struggled with was descriptions, especially when introducing characters. For Example when the 'Sophist' was introduced there was almost a whole kindle page describing him, in very lengthy and granted inventive ways, but each basically saying the same thing? This also happened with a few other characters, and the reason I say it wasn't needed is because the description of the main character Young, was actually quite short compared to some, yet before he'd even been described I pictured him perfectly in my head, and the description matched what I'd pictured! Which just goes to show that the Author is brilliant enough with her words that the lengthy descriptions were unnecessary.
Right the story! It evolved beautifully. Made me laugh out loud on several occasions and the character progression of Young, especially when it came to his relationship with Arella, I adored them! Couldn't get enough of it! I also found my favourite parts of the book were the dialogue-based bits - The conversations and emotions that came with them I could imagine perfectly, without needing much description at all. You also cannot fault the variety of characters in this book, very inclusive, each with their flaws and flairs, no matter if they were a ghost, god, wolf or demon! I again salute the author's imagination here! I won't go into too much detail with the characters, and allow future readers to fall in love with them themselves, but Will was my second favourite character after young, along with their relationship.
We have to talk about the ending! Oh, Young! I will say no more. Very excited to see what comes next in this series, and what else this Author has up her sleeve!
February 15, 2022
Always a sidekick ready to lighten the mood
Novels that open with dialogue tend to go one way or the other. Despite the warning of adult themes, the alliterative use of the ‘F’ word at the start of Chapter 0 tells the reader that it’s okay to chuckle because this is not only a fantasy about dragons and deities; this is a comedic fantasy. And that’s before it is spliced with (almost) modern-day life.
Raven McGory’s ‘Stormsilver’ would also slip quite nicely into a niche romance category. It is gushing with characters, creatures and creativity, which opens up an almost infinite number of spinoff scenarios, which McGory clearly had in mind at the finale of this debut book. Stormsilver is a sword, wielded by central character Young, whose amnesia, unfortunately, enables McGory to sidestep the weapon’s backstory. The other principal is Arella, whose frostiness toward Young develops into fondness and beyond. These two characters are fully-formed, and their interactions are borne of the author’s clear understanding of complex relationships.
Young and Arella thrive against a backdrop of typical fantasy offerings, but it is the large ensemble cast that adds magic to the book. McGory has a solid grip on each of these individuals, their part in moving the story forward and the complex interactions between them. Though this is well-managed, it can be somewhat bewildering. In places, it feels like a new character is addressing a gap in an existing player—perhaps a few less would make for a more straightforward read. Even so, this is a complex world imaginatively built on a clear set of principles. Watch out for the Mei Ri storyline: although some might find it upsetting, it does raise some interesting existential questions.
‘Stormsilver’ moves quickly, mainly with a playful voice (although there are places where the book takes on sinister overtones). It is also a long read, which could easily lend itself to being broken into shorter parts. Yet the dark, fantastical content is excellent, so readers who prefer to be engrossed and taken on an eventful journey will be pleased. Most importantly, there is always a sidekick ready to lighten the mood when things look bleak.
Novels that open with dialogue tend to go one way or the other. Despite the warning of adult themes, the alliterative use of the ‘F’ word at the start of Chapter 0 tells the reader that it’s okay to chuckle because this is not only a fantasy about dragons and deities; this is a comedic fantasy. And that’s before it is spliced with (almost) modern-day life.
Raven McGory’s ‘Stormsilver’ would also slip quite nicely into a niche romance category. It is gushing with characters, creatures and creativity, which opens up an almost infinite number of spinoff scenarios, which McGory clearly had in mind at the finale of this debut book. Stormsilver is a sword, wielded by central character Young, whose amnesia, unfortunately, enables McGory to sidestep the weapon’s backstory. The other principal is Arella, whose frostiness toward Young develops into fondness and beyond. These two characters are fully-formed, and their interactions are borne of the author’s clear understanding of complex relationships.
Young and Arella thrive against a backdrop of typical fantasy offerings, but it is the large ensemble cast that adds magic to the book. McGory has a solid grip on each of these individuals, their part in moving the story forward and the complex interactions between them. Though this is well-managed, it can be somewhat bewildering. In places, it feels like a new character is addressing a gap in an existing player—perhaps a few less would make for a more straightforward read. Even so, this is a complex world imaginatively built on a clear set of principles. Watch out for the Mei Ri storyline: although some might find it upsetting, it does raise some interesting existential questions.
‘Stormsilver’ moves quickly, mainly with a playful voice (although there are places where the book takes on sinister overtones). It is also a long read, which could easily lend itself to being broken into shorter parts. Yet the dark, fantastical content is excellent, so readers who prefer to be engrossed and taken on an eventful journey will be pleased. Most importantly, there is always a sidekick ready to lighten the mood when things look bleak.
September 12, 2022
Excellent Writing. Funny Dragon. Unusual Romance.
I loved the writing style of this book. Here's one of my favorite lines: "Thinking about [a bad event]...made him feel just a little bit like his insides didn't quite line up with his skin."
And the dialogue had me in stitches: (here's the main female trying to console an unfamiliar little girl who's lost) "I bet your parents told you not to talk to strangers, huh? And they're totally right. But we gotta find them so they can give you more good advice."
Young is one lovable character. The way he interacts with others is pretty hysterical. Take this part between him and a baby girl human: "His eyes flashed red at her, and still she emitted those quiet laugh bubbles. 'A scary dragon,' he re-iterated...'I could eat you.' She blew him a raspberry and he stepped back, affronted, wiping spit off his shirt."
And take this exchange: "Young's eyes narrowed. 'I can't catch bad guys if I don't have [his weapon]...'Newsflash,' Will said... 'you're one of the bad guys.' 'But I'm *your* bad guy. I catch the worse ones!'"
And here he is with his love interest: "'Hi. I'm looking for [name of girl].' 'Oh, dear. She's not in today...' He stared at her. 'She literally just opened the door.' 'Oopsie, not here!' she reiterated with a bright smile. His disappeared. 'Tell her her uncle died.' 'She doesn't have an uncle.' 'Tell her she's about to get an uncle, and he's going to die.'"
And "'I don't cry, because I'm big and manly.' He flexed. 'See? Biceps means no tears.'"
This next section hit me hard, partly because it echoes the truth of the Bible in Proverbs 14:10 and partly because I've felt this observation acutely in my own life: "'Can I tell you a nasty secret, Luz? Huh? None of us understand each other. Not a...one of us can really, really understand each other.'"
The romance between Young and a human girl is depicted in such a funny and original way, devoid of the inevitable cliches. For example, at one point, the main couple are arguing about how many nose hairs the girl has. I love that sort of zany banter! If you're like me and you're tired of the usual romance story, definitely read this one.
I loved the writing style of this book. Here's one of my favorite lines: "Thinking about [a bad event]...made him feel just a little bit like his insides didn't quite line up with his skin."
And the dialogue had me in stitches: (here's the main female trying to console an unfamiliar little girl who's lost) "I bet your parents told you not to talk to strangers, huh? And they're totally right. But we gotta find them so they can give you more good advice."
Young is one lovable character. The way he interacts with others is pretty hysterical. Take this part between him and a baby girl human: "His eyes flashed red at her, and still she emitted those quiet laugh bubbles. 'A scary dragon,' he re-iterated...'I could eat you.' She blew him a raspberry and he stepped back, affronted, wiping spit off his shirt."
And take this exchange: "Young's eyes narrowed. 'I can't catch bad guys if I don't have [his weapon]...'Newsflash,' Will said... 'you're one of the bad guys.' 'But I'm *your* bad guy. I catch the worse ones!'"
And here he is with his love interest: "'Hi. I'm looking for [name of girl].' 'Oh, dear. She's not in today...' He stared at her. 'She literally just opened the door.' 'Oopsie, not here!' she reiterated with a bright smile. His disappeared. 'Tell her her uncle died.' 'She doesn't have an uncle.' 'Tell her she's about to get an uncle, and he's going to die.'"
And "'I don't cry, because I'm big and manly.' He flexed. 'See? Biceps means no tears.'"
This next section hit me hard, partly because it echoes the truth of the Bible in Proverbs 14:10 and partly because I've felt this observation acutely in my own life: "'Can I tell you a nasty secret, Luz? Huh? None of us understand each other. Not a...one of us can really, really understand each other.'"
The romance between Young and a human girl is depicted in such a funny and original way, devoid of the inevitable cliches. For example, at one point, the main couple are arguing about how many nose hairs the girl has. I love that sort of zany banter! If you're like me and you're tired of the usual romance story, definitely read this one.
September 15, 2022
A jam-packed dark fantasy romance set in modern-day Washington, DC. Except instead of congressmen, lawyers, and lobbyists, the characters are gods, demons, grim reapers, and wolves (OK, I admit there might be a little overlap in those two categories). Young, a dragon god who’s been demoted to demon status, spends his days killing ghouls, musing about why his memory has been erased (he no longer knows he used to be a god), and generally trying to annoy everyone in his vicinity. He has a sword called Stormsilver that transforms into a coin that he keeps in his pocket. Then one day he runs into Arella, a young human woman, and she ends up with his sword. Will he trick her into returning it? Will they fall in love? Or will she keep the sword and become the ghoul-killer?
Likes: McGory has an amazing imagination: the sword-coin idea is fantastic, and there is a lot of intriguing world-building. Animal god characters, ghosts, and reapers, who each have their own jobs, rules to follow, and characteristics, abound; many of them are Young’s roommates in a magical condo, Calamity Cave. There are several strong female characters, some LGBTQIA rep, and a totally off-the-wall married couple who inhabit the same body (!). Arella’s backstory is compelling.
Dislikes: there is A LOT going on. I would have preferred for this book either to be shorter, shedding several of subplots, or to be a lot longer, in the style of overstuffed fantasy like A Song of Ice and Fire or The Wheel of Time. At the beginning, every character’s physical characteristics are described in minute detail, which I found tedious. My sense of humor runs towards dry whimsy, so I didn’t connect well with the humor. It reminded me a lot of movies like Deadpool and Venom, or the tv series The Boys, so if you like those, you will likely enjoy this a lot.
FYI: murder, attempted murder, suicidal ideation, sexual assault, demonic possession, loss of a child, loss of parents, terminal illness.
Thank you to the author, who provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Likes: McGory has an amazing imagination: the sword-coin idea is fantastic, and there is a lot of intriguing world-building. Animal god characters, ghosts, and reapers, who each have their own jobs, rules to follow, and characteristics, abound; many of them are Young’s roommates in a magical condo, Calamity Cave. There are several strong female characters, some LGBTQIA rep, and a totally off-the-wall married couple who inhabit the same body (!). Arella’s backstory is compelling.
Dislikes: there is A LOT going on. I would have preferred for this book either to be shorter, shedding several of subplots, or to be a lot longer, in the style of overstuffed fantasy like A Song of Ice and Fire or The Wheel of Time. At the beginning, every character’s physical characteristics are described in minute detail, which I found tedious. My sense of humor runs towards dry whimsy, so I didn’t connect well with the humor. It reminded me a lot of movies like Deadpool and Venom, or the tv series The Boys, so if you like those, you will likely enjoy this a lot.
FYI: murder, attempted murder, suicidal ideation, sexual assault, demonic possession, loss of a child, loss of parents, terminal illness.
Thank you to the author, who provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
September 30, 2022
Thank you to Raven McGory and her team for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
In the beginning, this book was very middle tier for me. But after about 100 pages, things got astronomically better. And even though the beginning was slightly hard to get into, the writing kept me interested enough that I kept going.
Things I loved: the diversity, the representation, the GENTLE PARENTING, how each character had a distinct voice and personality, the witty banter that was completely original (to me), the reveal at the ending (which floored me), the reasoning behind certain things (a dragon god born of lava going into the sea??? AMAZING), specifically how Young looks like he could kill you, but is a cinnamon roll. Main characters were NOT whiny (the secondary whiny character fit it’s fine). The humor and flirting never once felt like the author was trying too hard. I laughed out loud several times while reading. There were a lot of characters, but their backstories made me care about them instantly.
Things I did not like: The multiple POVs were good, but I feel like they should be better labeled or distinguished as sometimes I got confused. I still made it to the ending while mostly understanding everything. Some things weren’t explained all the way, so I have no idea what the point of them were; I'm assuming it will be in book 2?
The biggest book ick: The over describing of the characters wasn’t necessary. I don’t need to know how their eyelids look or how their eyes are set. Give me the missing smut in that amount of detail and this would easily be a perfect 5 stars.
Overall I really liked this book. It was a refreshing new take on fantasy for me, and I generally vibed with the writing style. Once I got through the beginning (and all the characters were done with their introductions), it was a highly enjoyable read. I will definitely be reading book 2 when it comes out.
In the beginning, this book was very middle tier for me. But after about 100 pages, things got astronomically better. And even though the beginning was slightly hard to get into, the writing kept me interested enough that I kept going.
Things I loved: the diversity, the representation, the GENTLE PARENTING, how each character had a distinct voice and personality, the witty banter that was completely original (to me), the reveal at the ending (which floored me), the reasoning behind certain things (a dragon god born of lava going into the sea??? AMAZING), specifically how Young looks like he could kill you, but is a cinnamon roll. Main characters were NOT whiny (the secondary whiny character fit it’s fine). The humor and flirting never once felt like the author was trying too hard. I laughed out loud several times while reading. There were a lot of characters, but their backstories made me care about them instantly.
Things I did not like: The multiple POVs were good, but I feel like they should be better labeled or distinguished as sometimes I got confused. I still made it to the ending while mostly understanding everything. Some things weren’t explained all the way, so I have no idea what the point of them were; I'm assuming it will be in book 2?
The biggest book ick: The over describing of the characters wasn’t necessary. I don’t need to know how their eyelids look or how their eyes are set. Give me the missing smut in that amount of detail and this would easily be a perfect 5 stars.
Overall I really liked this book. It was a refreshing new take on fantasy for me, and I generally vibed with the writing style. Once I got through the beginning (and all the characters were done with their introductions), it was a highly enjoyable read. I will definitely be reading book 2 when it comes out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2023
Thank you to Raven McGory and Henry Roi for the copy!
After reading this book, I can safely say it’s one of my favorite fantasy books I’ve read!
Stormsilver recounts the story of Young, a dragon demon who has his memory erased and is tasked to kill malevolent entities on earth as punishment for committing a crime he doesn’t remember. He lives with a lively group of other immortals: the god of fate, a grim reaper, a husband and wife who share the same body, and horse and zebra god sisters (just to name a few). When he bumps into human Arella in DC, he accidentally gives her ownership of his beloved sword, Stormsilver. Thus begins the trials and adventures of the unlikely duo as they interact with ghosts and werewolves, teach Arella how to use the magical sword, and most of all, bicker.
I really adored this book. McGory creates such a complicated world merging mortal with the immortal with an array of multi-faceted characters. McGory gives everyone in Calamity Cave and beyond their own time to shine, and you really grow to love these characters as you read on. Even with Luciana and Rumi being terrible, you can still empathize with them to a certain degree. Despite the otherworldly nature of this cast, their hardships align with the life lessons we learn as humans such as grief, love, and ignorance. This book was so much fun to read too. McGory captured the witty and dry banter that makes you adore the dialogue between the characters. Young and Arella have the best chemistry, and it’s great to see how their relationship blossoms as the story progresses. There was also great representation of queer and nonverbal characters.
The only issue I had was understanding how the supernatural and natural world worked with each other. Why do we need frog and butterfly gods? What’s the difference between a god and a demon? Thus could be where my lack of fantasy expertise could come into play, so I didn’t mind it really.
Overall, this book was incredible, and I’m so excited to continue this series!
After reading this book, I can safely say it’s one of my favorite fantasy books I’ve read!
Stormsilver recounts the story of Young, a dragon demon who has his memory erased and is tasked to kill malevolent entities on earth as punishment for committing a crime he doesn’t remember. He lives with a lively group of other immortals: the god of fate, a grim reaper, a husband and wife who share the same body, and horse and zebra god sisters (just to name a few). When he bumps into human Arella in DC, he accidentally gives her ownership of his beloved sword, Stormsilver. Thus begins the trials and adventures of the unlikely duo as they interact with ghosts and werewolves, teach Arella how to use the magical sword, and most of all, bicker.
I really adored this book. McGory creates such a complicated world merging mortal with the immortal with an array of multi-faceted characters. McGory gives everyone in Calamity Cave and beyond their own time to shine, and you really grow to love these characters as you read on. Even with Luciana and Rumi being terrible, you can still empathize with them to a certain degree. Despite the otherworldly nature of this cast, their hardships align with the life lessons we learn as humans such as grief, love, and ignorance. This book was so much fun to read too. McGory captured the witty and dry banter that makes you adore the dialogue between the characters. Young and Arella have the best chemistry, and it’s great to see how their relationship blossoms as the story progresses. There was also great representation of queer and nonverbal characters.
The only issue I had was understanding how the supernatural and natural world worked with each other. Why do we need frog and butterfly gods? What’s the difference between a god and a demon? Thus could be where my lack of fantasy expertise could come into play, so I didn’t mind it really.
Overall, this book was incredible, and I’m so excited to continue this series!
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