Stormlord's Exile

I've reviewed Glenda Larke's latest novel, Stormlord's Exile, Book Three of the Watergivers trilogy (released other than in Australia as the Stormlord trilogy) over at The Specusphere. I'm guessing when the Aurealis Awards finalists list comes out that it's going to figure among them.

Mythic Resonance

Mythic Resonance is a new anthology from The Specusphere, a free speculative fiction webzine. Edited by Stephen Thompson, Mythic Resonance has an impressive list of writers including Alan Baxter, Sue Bursztynski, Donna Maree Hanson and my fellow Egoboo WA writer, Satima Flavell. It's available from The Specusphere website here.

Apart from its anthology, The Specusphere has much more to offer writers. Its pages include advice for writers, reviews and editing services. You will even find my name occasionally among the reviewers. The wealth of information is invaluable, making it one of those sites that are useful for writers and readers alike.

Stormlord's Exile

I don't usually talk about books I've read here - I do occasional reviews at The Specusphere for that - but I'm making an exception for Stormlord's Exile by Glenda Larke. This is not meant as proper review - I will do that elsewhere - just a brief idea of what I felt about the book because I rate it as part of one of the best fantasy trilogies I've read recently.

This is the final book in The Watergivers trilogy and I've been hanging out for it ever since I finished the previous book Stormlord Rising. I was gripped by the world building, the originality of the concept - a society in which water is the basis of currency and can be a weapon - and the believable characters in the previous books and this book introduced us to other lands, equally vivid and realistic, as it told a fascinating story of culture clashes and relationships bringing the trilogy to an unexpected but satisfying conclusion.

I picked the book up from the bookshop around midday on Friday and started reading it. I was so absorbed in the story that I carried it around with me, grabbing a paragraph here and there, even while I was preparing and eating dinner. I finally put it down to go to sleep around 2:00 AM and finished it about mid morning on Saturday and its characters and settings are still buzzing in my head.

It's a rare book that grabs me like this but the same thing happened with the previous books in the trilogy. If you like fantasy - not the fairy and dragon kind but the sort that is grounded in reality so you feel you could walk with these characters in their world - I recommend this trilogy. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.