lolasreviews's review
4.0
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review
I read the first book in this series quite some time ago and really enjoyed it and I can't believe I waited so far to continue this series. Storm Fall pulled me right back into this world and I didn't stop reading. There's a lot going on, the war continues, Aris joins the military again, the integration movement to have women, a dangerous mission, trying to find Elom, Aris and Milek their relationship. It was great, lots of action, lots of plot lines, lots of point of views. I really like Tracy Banghart her writing style and the pace was done well.
Normally I avoid books that have anything to do with the military, but in this book I actually find that aspect interesting. Yes there is a lot of fighting and death and it's hard to read about that at times, but the book is so well written and interesting that I enjoy it. There's also a twist about a certain village and how things turn out to be different than expected that I liked. There are shades of grey. Then the ending changes things again, it sets things up for the last book, but does disrupt the happy vibe the ending had going on, but it does fits the story and makes me even more curious about the next book and I wonder how things will be resolved.
One of the things I like most about this book is the great cast of characters, There are so many awesome characters and they all have their own personality and motivations. There are characters who aren't what they seem at first and I liked that. There are multiple point of views and it's really well done. the author handled the multiple points very well, switching at the right moments and I enjoyed seeing the different perspective. I especially liked the addition of Dysis her pov, she's so tough on the outside, but we see her vulnerable side as well.
I think I like Aris even more in this book, especially how she puts her own needs aside to help others. She really believes in what they are fighting for, but is also open enough to form her own judgements. She also deals with the events of last book and I think it's good to see the continuity and how those events impacted her. And we see a reappearance of a characters that I hadn't expected and was pleasantly surprised with how the character turned. And there are some fun scenes that shed light on Milek his relationship with his mom. It was interesting to see how she had changed based on what happened in the previous books.
There is some romance, but it's really a subplot, nevertheless I really liked it. The romance is so well done and I liked how things developed. Aris and Milek are so sweet together and I liked seeing them figure out their relationship. I like how Milek accepts and loves Aris for who she is. I wonder how things will continues in the next book.
Just like the previous book there isn't too much focus on the world building, but this book does have a world map, which was really handy. The story and characters are so well developed that the less attention to world building doesn't bother me. there's enough to get a feel, but the focus isn't on it.
To conclude: I really enjoyed this book, the story is fas paced and action packed, with lots of things going on, I really like the writing style and this book kept my attention and I didn't want to put it down. The characters are all great and I enjoyed spending time with them all. The multiple point of view works great for this book. There is a bit of romance which I liked. There isn't much world building, but that's okay. All in all this is a great sequel and I can't wait to see how this series will ends.
I read the first book in this series quite some time ago and really enjoyed it and I can't believe I waited so far to continue this series. Storm Fall pulled me right back into this world and I didn't stop reading. There's a lot going on, the war continues, Aris joins the military again, the integration movement to have women, a dangerous mission, trying to find Elom, Aris and Milek their relationship. It was great, lots of action, lots of plot lines, lots of point of views. I really like Tracy Banghart her writing style and the pace was done well.
Normally I avoid books that have anything to do with the military, but in this book I actually find that aspect interesting. Yes there is a lot of fighting and death and it's hard to read about that at times, but the book is so well written and interesting that I enjoy it. There's also a twist about a certain village and how things turn out to be different than expected that I liked. There are shades of grey. Then the ending changes things again, it sets things up for the last book, but does disrupt the happy vibe the ending had going on, but it does fits the story and makes me even more curious about the next book and I wonder how things will be resolved.
One of the things I like most about this book is the great cast of characters, There are so many awesome characters and they all have their own personality and motivations. There are characters who aren't what they seem at first and I liked that. There are multiple point of views and it's really well done. the author handled the multiple points very well, switching at the right moments and I enjoyed seeing the different perspective. I especially liked the addition of Dysis her pov, she's so tough on the outside, but we see her vulnerable side as well.
I think I like Aris even more in this book, especially how she puts her own needs aside to help others. She really believes in what they are fighting for, but is also open enough to form her own judgements. She also deals with the events of last book and I think it's good to see the continuity and how those events impacted her. And we see a reappearance of a characters that I hadn't expected and was pleasantly surprised with how the character turned. And there are some fun scenes that shed light on Milek his relationship with his mom. It was interesting to see how she had changed based on what happened in the previous books.
There is some romance, but it's really a subplot, nevertheless I really liked it. The romance is so well done and I liked how things developed. Aris and Milek are so sweet together and I liked seeing them figure out their relationship. I like how Milek accepts and loves Aris for who she is. I wonder how things will continues in the next book.
Just like the previous book there isn't too much focus on the world building, but this book does have a world map, which was really handy. The story and characters are so well developed that the less attention to world building doesn't bother me. there's enough to get a feel, but the focus isn't on it.
To conclude: I really enjoyed this book, the story is fas paced and action packed, with lots of things going on, I really like the writing style and this book kept my attention and I didn't want to put it down. The characters are all great and I enjoyed spending time with them all. The multiple point of view works great for this book. There is a bit of romance which I liked. There isn't much world building, but that's okay. All in all this is a great sequel and I can't wait to see how this series will ends.
chllybrd's review
4.0
I am really glad that I didn't have to wait very long after I read REBEL WING to get my hands on STORM FALL. There isn't a giant cliff hanger or anything, but things weren't left where I wanted them to be and I NEEDED to know what happened next. I now do and it was great to be able to read about it while events from book one were still somewhat fresh in my head.
STORM FALL starts a few months after the ending of REBEL WING. Aris no longer feels at home in her town and shes struggling with her fears of flying again and what she should do with the life she finds herself now leading. A couple things happen and she decides she does want to be in the Atalantan military again, so she heads back in. She knew there would be struggles but things are even harder than she thought they would be. I think she was able to handle things pretty well considering and I enjoyed watching her navigate her new role as herself. The relationship between Milek and her is slow but strong. They do try to fight their feelings, but as we know love doesn't just turn off. I enjoyed watching them realize that. We actually get to see a lot of Calix. It was nice seeing Aris come to the conclusions she did and watch them navigate their new realities. There was a lot of action and plenty of iffy moments throughout STORM FALL.
I'm not even going to pretend, I can't WAIT to see how everything ends in book 3. I have enjoyed getting to know Aris throughout her journey and struggles. I think her and Milek fit together perfectly and really hope the author doesn't do anything crazy to them. I really enjoy the world and the changing politics involved in it. I'm very excited to see where the author will leave everything.
* This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
STORM FALL starts a few months after the ending of REBEL WING. Aris no longer feels at home in her town and shes struggling with her fears of flying again and what she should do with the life she finds herself now leading. A couple things happen and she decides she does want to be in the Atalantan military again, so she heads back in. She knew there would be struggles but things are even harder than she thought they would be. I think she was able to handle things pretty well considering and I enjoyed watching her navigate her new role as herself. The relationship between Milek and her is slow but strong. They do try to fight their feelings, but as we know love doesn't just turn off. I enjoyed watching them realize that. We actually get to see a lot of Calix. It was nice seeing Aris come to the conclusions she did and watch them navigate their new realities. There was a lot of action and plenty of iffy moments throughout STORM FALL.
I'm not even going to pretend, I can't WAIT to see how everything ends in book 3. I have enjoyed getting to know Aris throughout her journey and struggles. I think her and Milek fit together perfectly and really hope the author doesn't do anything crazy to them. I really enjoy the world and the changing politics involved in it. I'm very excited to see where the author will leave everything.
* This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
momwithareadingproblem's review
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
bookanonjeff's review
5.0
Solid Progression. This is NOT a standalone book, it is in fact written in trilogy form. So do NOT read this book without reading REBEL WING first. That said, if you've read REBEL WING, this story is a solid progression from that one. By the end of this book, some plot lines from REBEL WING are resolved, others are enhanced, and some new ones are introduced. It seems clear that we should get one hell of a conclusion in the next book, and I for one am looking forward to reading it.
tracythewriter's review
5.0
I love writing these characters and this series so much. Excited to see what y'all think about STORM FALL...and hard at work on book 3 in the series, coming out in 2015!
kerrikins's review
4.0
GUYS.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
THIS BOOK COMES OUT IN A MONTH.
ONE MONTH!! I am so excited. as;lkdjfas
~*~*~
Oh, I'm sad that nobody who I follow or have friended has read this one, as far as I can tell...
I quite enjoyed this second installment in the series! To be honest, I think I will need to reread it at some point, in part because of the mood that I was in when I went into it.
I didn't feel that this was quite as strong as the first book in this series, but I still really enjoyed it nonetheless. I love the world that Tracy Banghart has created, and the strength of her characters, especially the women. Issues of sexism, love, friendship, treachery and war are all taken on as they were in the first book and I love that. So many books don't really overtly challenge tropes, and while there's nothing wrong with that and those books are still quite powerful, I love it when books pretty much spell out what's going on.
Aris remains as strong and nuanced as she was in the first book, but what I especially loved about this sequel was the depth that was brought to the secondary characters. Some books tend to be quite insular and focus on just a couple of characters, here the author has really taken the time to get to know her own secondary characters and breathes new life into them and it's fascinating to read. For me it really added to my enjoyment.
I guess my one quibble with this volume was the romance... It felt a little bit too fast, too soon. It feels WEIRD saying that, because I ship the pairing! I have no problem with the pairing at all. But it just felt as though everything moved too fast and in some ways, I wondered why there wasn't more conflict or even consequences... But maybe that's in the third one. But like I said, I know it's a weird complaint :P
I also wish that the plot had been just a teensy bit tighter in this one. I didn't feel as though there was a whole lot that happened, to be honest, though that may be due to the stronger character focus I mentioned above. I guess I just wish that there'd been a tiny bit more action to move things along.
I really am looking forward to the conclusion to this series, though, and the good news is that it's coming out sometime this year!! :D
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
THIS BOOK COMES OUT IN A MONTH.
ONE MONTH!! I am so excited. as;lkdjfas
~*~*~
Oh, I'm sad that nobody who I follow or have friended has read this one, as far as I can tell...
I quite enjoyed this second installment in the series! To be honest, I think I will need to reread it at some point, in part because of the mood that I was in when I went into it.
I didn't feel that this was quite as strong as the first book in this series, but I still really enjoyed it nonetheless. I love the world that Tracy Banghart has created, and the strength of her characters, especially the women. Issues of sexism, love, friendship, treachery and war are all taken on as they were in the first book and I love that. So many books don't really overtly challenge tropes, and while there's nothing wrong with that and those books are still quite powerful, I love it when books pretty much spell out what's going on.
Aris remains as strong and nuanced as she was in the first book, but what I especially loved about this sequel was the depth that was brought to the secondary characters. Some books tend to be quite insular and focus on just a couple of characters, here the author has really taken the time to get to know her own secondary characters and breathes new life into them and it's fascinating to read. For me it really added to my enjoyment.
I guess my one quibble with this volume was the romance... It felt a little bit too fast, too soon. It feels WEIRD saying that, because I ship the pairing! I have no problem with the pairing at all. But it just felt as though everything moved too fast and in some ways, I wondered why there wasn't more conflict or even consequences... But maybe that's in the third one. But like I said, I know it's a weird complaint :P
I also wish that the plot had been just a teensy bit tighter in this one. I didn't feel as though there was a whole lot that happened, to be honest, though that may be due to the stronger character focus I mentioned above. I guess I just wish that there'd been a tiny bit more action to move things along.
I really am looking forward to the conclusion to this series, though, and the good news is that it's coming out sometime this year!! :D
reveriesociety's review
5.0
I don't get why there isn't more hype about this series o.o
The book picks up two months after Ari saves Ward Vadim, and now, the women that had been serving in the army in disguise, can now do so freely.
You can imagine that not everyone is happy about that.
I loved that.
Men’s status as the only ones who can fight has been set aside. Say hi to a great cast of strong women who have, and will continue to show their worth.
Storm Fall weaves the stories of Ari, Dysis, and Galena into one book that is packed with just enough romance to make me happy, action to have me smiling like crazy, and surprises that I’ll just mentally fangirl about.
That’s the awesome thing about this novel. The ‘Wow’ effect doesn’t come just from one aspect. It’s the whole that makes it very complete and satisfying.
I usually don’t feel confortable reading books written in the Present tense, but I enjoyed this one because it was done skillfully. I barely noticed I was even reading, and that’s definitely a bonus.
Again, I have to praise this idea because lately, the trend in YA books have been that it’s so awfully romantic that the hero saves the heroine, and then at the end, the heroine is so all-powerful and emotionally strong she no longer needs saving.
In this series, even in the beginning, Aris has always been trying to save everyone, even though her personality then, needed a lot of work. War toughened her up. As someone who is writing a character that goes through more or less the same process, I was awed by this. Aris really doesn’t need her love interest. But she’s in love, so why not?
ARIS CAN LIVE A HEALTHY AND HAPPY LIFE WITHOUT LOVE INTEREST, but she chooses not to, and they both enjoy their moments together.
Neither of them are so dependent of one another that they’d kill themselves if they don’t have each other, which is what authors that write romance novels for teens should promote.
People die. Things happen, and everyone thinks all is okay.
But, the truth is nothing but.
Hee hee.
See you in the third book!
Find this review, and others at A Writer's Tales
The book picks up two months after Ari saves Ward Vadim, and now, the women that had been serving in the army in disguise, can now do so freely.
You can imagine that not everyone is happy about that.
I loved that.
Men’s status as the only ones who can fight has been set aside. Say hi to a great cast of strong women who have, and will continue to show their worth.
Storm Fall weaves the stories of Ari, Dysis, and Galena into one book that is packed with just enough romance to make me happy, action to have me smiling like crazy, and surprises that I’ll just mentally fangirl about.
That’s the awesome thing about this novel. The ‘Wow’ effect doesn’t come just from one aspect. It’s the whole that makes it very complete and satisfying.
I usually don’t feel confortable reading books written in the Present tense, but I enjoyed this one because it was done skillfully. I barely noticed I was even reading, and that’s definitely a bonus.
Again, I have to praise this idea because lately, the trend in YA books have been that it’s so awfully romantic that the hero saves the heroine, and then at the end, the heroine is so all-powerful and emotionally strong she no longer needs saving.
In this series, even in the beginning, Aris has always been trying to save everyone, even though her personality then, needed a lot of work. War toughened her up. As someone who is writing a character that goes through more or less the same process, I was awed by this. Aris really doesn’t need her love interest. But she’s in love, so why not?
ARIS CAN LIVE A HEALTHY AND HAPPY LIFE WITHOUT LOVE INTEREST, but she chooses not to, and they both enjoy their moments together.
Neither of them are so dependent of one another that they’d kill themselves if they don’t have each other, which is what authors that write romance novels for teens should promote.
People die. Things happen, and everyone thinks all is okay.
But, the truth is nothing but.
Hee hee.
See you in the third book!
Find this review, and others at A Writer's Tales
hannahsophialin's review
3.0
I must've had really bad timing on my part – by the time I scheduled my review for Shattered Veil in August, Alloy Entertainment had swept up the book and changed it to Rebel Wing.
It was honestly not a bad thing if you ask me – Rebel Wing definitely fits with the storyline more than Shattered Veil does. Coming from the late person who decided not to read the newer version of Shattered Veil, those who choose to do the same when reading Storm Fall will definitely have no need to backtrack as Banghart doesn't stray far from the storyline.
In other words, there are a few spoilers from the original... and footnotes. I never thought I would actually use them.
Storm Fall starts approximately a year after the events of Shattered Veil(1), after the Ward of Ruslana (Galena Vadim) is rescued by Aris Haan and her companions (consisting of males and of course, a few females disguised as men) from the horrendous hands of Elom(2). After some return to normalcy, Aris Haan is offered to return to her former stationpoint as not only a woman, but also a promotion to lieutenant.
The second book in the Diatous Wars series isn't my favorite though (I think I may have mentioned I was excited to see what happens in my review for Shattered Veil, but I'm not sure). I love how Aris changes from a girl who went with a "perfect" life behind the front lines to a girl who could stand for herself and go for the adventurous life of a flyer that she so desired. I love how Dysis sticks up for Aris even though she has her own worries and conflicts. But for a few various reasons, Shattered Veil's(3) sequel seemed to have lost a bit of the spark compared to its predecessor. In fact, I personally think the first book is better than this latest installment.
The dominion of Atalanta are briefly touched on, as well as Safara. Atalanta and the other cities that have been touched on books 1, 2 or both seem to be bustling while Safara seems to be resemble the likeliness of a mashup between a forest and Africa. It's almost hard to tell.
There are also multiple views – Galena, Pyralis, Dysis, and Aris – with no particular pattern throughout the book. That, however, did not bother me as much the number of romantic relationships that the author seems to be implying throughout Storm Fall: Galena and Pyralis, Dysis and Daakon, Aris and Milek.
The plot, while not entirely focused on romance, is beginning to seem focused on romance. With the grim events throughout the book, the happiness of the characters (admit it. Disney movies were the epitome of childhood) is almost welcome. But hope may be lost if the next book focuses too much on romantic relationships. I seriously can't keep up with all of those, even if it's less than the amount of information I stuff in my head every week.
Though the next book in the series probably won't be very appealing, I may consider it with the way Banghart ended Storm Fall with an unexpected cliffhanger.
Footnotes!
1. The last scene/chapter in Shattered Veil is very similar to the very beginning of Storm Fall. It was not mentioned in Shattered Veil if the same scene occurred after a year, and it is a possibility this particular scene is removed in Rebel Wing or touched on very briefly at the end.
2. Back in the original version, Elom is called Ilom.
3. Because Shattered Veil most likely changed and the newer version was not read prior to Storm Fall, any references to the first book will be used with the old title.
---------------
Advanced copy provided by the publisher for review
Original Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Original Review on Bookwyrming Thoughts
It was honestly not a bad thing if you ask me – Rebel Wing definitely fits with the storyline more than Shattered Veil does. Coming from the late person who decided not to read the newer version of Shattered Veil, those who choose to do the same when reading Storm Fall will definitely have no need to backtrack as Banghart doesn't stray far from the storyline.
In other words, there are a few spoilers from the original... and footnotes. I never thought I would actually use them.
Storm Fall starts approximately a year after the events of Shattered Veil(1), after the Ward of Ruslana (Galena Vadim) is rescued by Aris Haan and her companions (consisting of males and of course, a few females disguised as men) from the horrendous hands of Elom(2). After some return to normalcy, Aris Haan is offered to return to her former stationpoint as not only a woman, but also a promotion to lieutenant.
The second book in the Diatous Wars series isn't my favorite though (I think I may have mentioned I was excited to see what happens in my review for Shattered Veil, but I'm not sure). I love how Aris changes from a girl who went with a "perfect" life behind the front lines to a girl who could stand for herself and go for the adventurous life of a flyer that she so desired. I love how Dysis sticks up for Aris even though she has her own worries and conflicts. But for a few various reasons, Shattered Veil's(3) sequel seemed to have lost a bit of the spark compared to its predecessor. In fact, I personally think the first book is better than this latest installment.
The dominion of Atalanta are briefly touched on, as well as Safara. Atalanta and the other cities that have been touched on books 1, 2 or both seem to be bustling while Safara seems to be resemble the likeliness of a mashup between a forest and Africa. It's almost hard to tell.
There are also multiple views – Galena, Pyralis, Dysis, and Aris – with no particular pattern throughout the book. That, however, did not bother me as much the number of romantic relationships that the author seems to be implying throughout Storm Fall: Galena and Pyralis, Dysis and Daakon, Aris and Milek.
The plot, while not entirely focused on romance, is beginning to seem focused on romance. With the grim events throughout the book, the happiness of the characters (admit it. Disney movies were the epitome of childhood) is almost welcome.
Spoiler
If the characters aren't drunk, have a one-night stand in the midst of grief and then one of them gets fantastically killed.Though the next book in the series probably won't be very appealing, I may consider it with the way Banghart ended Storm Fall with an unexpected cliffhanger.
We did what we did. None of us get to choose how our story ends. But they do end, always.
Footnotes!
1. The last scene/chapter in Shattered Veil is very similar to the very beginning of Storm Fall. It was not mentioned in Shattered Veil if the same scene occurred after a year, and it is a possibility this particular scene is removed in Rebel Wing or touched on very briefly at the end.
2. Back in the original version, Elom is called Ilom.
3. Because Shattered Veil most likely changed and the newer version was not read prior to Storm Fall, any references to the first book will be used with the old title.
---------------
Advanced copy provided by the publisher for review
Original Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Original Review on Bookwyrming Thoughts
rathernovel's review
4.0
WHOOOOOO! What a read! This series is just getting better and better! I haven't shipped a romance so hard like that in a loooong time!
4.5 stars and review to come!
4.5 stars and review to come!