The Stormcaller: Time and effort required, but strikes a primal chord

The Stormcaller by Tom Lloyd

The Land is a world where Gods rule supreme. The time of the prophecies has come and old rebellions against the gods have resurfaced, including conflicts with nature itself. The tribes of man, and other species, must scramble and conspire to be on the winning side. Into this dark time, a white-eye (a god-created superhuman) named Isak has ascended and he may be mankind’s last hope or final doom.

For a relatively small page-count, there are way too many characters to keep up with. I realize that many were only introduced to play a bigger role in the following books but I’m afraid I’ll probably forget them by then. At times, the endless parade reminded me of being on a conference call with people I’ve never meant in person — some of the names never even register while some others, if I ever do meet them, turn out to be nothing like the image I had in my head. Also, this is definitely a story that you have to devote some real time and effort to. It took me twice as long to read as most good books of the same size, and I still felt like I was missing something. I’m well read, especially in fantasy, so if I don’t get it, I tend to think more fault lies with the author’s writing than my reading.

All that being said, after a few chapters, The Stormcaller did start to grow on me. There is something about this world simply called The Land that struck a primal chord. It’s intriguing to be caught up in this war of gods and man, with an apocalypse looming near, and the key-players are the most alienated of their kind. When Mr. Lloyd’s writing is at its best, there’s a real edgy dark charge to it that makes me look forward to what his work will become with more experience.

Note on the physical book: The cover illustration of the British version better captures the story than the US cover does. While the US cover is skillfully done, at first glance it looks more like a YA book. And the small print on the inside must have also been intended for younger eyes than mine.