Daughters of the Storm is both old school and new school
The ideas behind Daughters of the Storm aren’t particularly new to the world of fantasy, but Kim Wilkins’ execution turns it into an enjoyable read.
A quest to save a dying father. Forbidden love. Magic, somewhat unknown but always lurking. Conflict between the old ways and the new. A stepmother hated by some of her stepchildren. Those ideas have been done, to put it mildly, long before Daughters of the Storm, sent to this reviewer by Del Rey. However, that doesn’t mean that this fantasy can’t turn itself into a nice read.
The cover shows the five sisters of Almissia: Bluebell, Rose, Ash, Willow and Ivy. Wilkins ensures they all stand out, switching between them with ease and making sure that the five all have distinctive storylines and evolutions of their own. Bluebell, the eldest sister, probably gets the most time by virtue of showing up first. She also casts a long shadow over the other four. However, they all influence each other or change another’s story, but sometimes they’re on their own. Either way, they provoke their own reactions in a reader — from an occasional snort of disgust to a surprised gasp to even a triumphant fist pump.
But because they’re often in close quarters, Wilkins has the opportunity to examine each of the characters from the perspective of the others. That might not seem like much, but it does make each of the princesses more three-dimensional and complex. The character work, more than even the magical parts of the novel, really carries it.
Wilkins also applies the same look to the closest thing this book has to an antagonist: Wylm, the sisters’ stepbrother. While the inside of the dust jacket describes him as “treacherous,” he’s more than that — especially because he doesn’t always do ludicrously antagonistic things in his own sections.
What of the plot and pacing themselves, then? It does take a bit for things to truly settle in place. Since there are five sisters, they all have their own entry into the story once they get the summons about their father. That takes up quite a bit of space, pagewise. However, when they set off on the actual quest, things pick up and become far more interesting.
Worldbuilding wise, there’s one minor complaint. A reader could have some trouble sussing out the world’s layout. Though this isn’t Wilkins’ fault, the final print copy I received didn’t have a map in it. It would have helped considerably. She does finally explain it all, though, and afterward, it’s much clearer.
Wilkins is drawing influence from the Norse, as the official product description notes, but lacks a real pantheon, instead narrowing it down to two main gods. However, they’re both a bit less remote than other gods. (Ultimately, I ended up with a slightly more Anglo-Saxon feeling and even thought of Beowulf multiple times, so perhaps it’s merely close enough.)
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However, the book itself still has some strong work, enough to make the second novel look appealing.
What do you make of Daughters of the Storm?