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Stormless #1
Stormless
The world you are about to enter is very different from the one you know .
Auris is a place of storms and chaos where seven violent Tempests rule the land, wreaking havoc across the continent. Only the Summoners, bearers of powers not unlike those of the divine Tempests themselves, have the strength to stand against the tyranny of the storms. Society depends upon the enigmatic Summoner-empowering Crystals for survival... Yet when a Summoner bearing powers that should not exist appears on Arvendon’s doorstep, the world begins spiraling into chaos.
Castien Varic, a common soldier, finds himself in the throes of a coming war. He embarks on a mission with the most legendary of Auris’s Summoners, hoping to discover the truth behind the resurfacing of the Ancient Summoner.
Faelyn Titansworn, heir to the largest of Auris’s empires and one of the most powerful Summoners in the world, finds himself lost in his father’s shadow. When a conspiracy threatens to destroy all that he knows and loves, Faelyn takes it upon himself to save not just his kingdom, but all of Auris.
Asteros Silverglade bears the powers of a god. Two years in the past, he, along with five others of his Sect, uncover the hidden secrets that the world has tried to erase. Yet they soon learn that the mysteries of the baffling event known as the Vanishing—the war that somehow caused over half of Auris’s Summoners to disappear without a trace—run far deeper than they could’ve ever imagined.
These three heroes walk the threads of fate, together weaving an epic tale of magic, war, love, and loss. Together these individuals will forever change Auris’s future. Empires will shatter, Tempests will be Unbound, but destiny will prevail as these heroes face their fated ends.
This is Stormless.
Auris is a place of storms and chaos where seven violent Tempests rule the land, wreaking havoc across the continent. Only the Summoners, bearers of powers not unlike those of the divine Tempests themselves, have the strength to stand against the tyranny of the storms. Society depends upon the enigmatic Summoner-empowering Crystals for survival... Yet when a Summoner bearing powers that should not exist appears on Arvendon’s doorstep, the world begins spiraling into chaos.
Castien Varic, a common soldier, finds himself in the throes of a coming war. He embarks on a mission with the most legendary of Auris’s Summoners, hoping to discover the truth behind the resurfacing of the Ancient Summoner.
Faelyn Titansworn, heir to the largest of Auris’s empires and one of the most powerful Summoners in the world, finds himself lost in his father’s shadow. When a conspiracy threatens to destroy all that he knows and loves, Faelyn takes it upon himself to save not just his kingdom, but all of Auris.
Asteros Silverglade bears the powers of a god. Two years in the past, he, along with five others of his Sect, uncover the hidden secrets that the world has tried to erase. Yet they soon learn that the mysteries of the baffling event known as the Vanishing—the war that somehow caused over half of Auris’s Summoners to disappear without a trace—run far deeper than they could’ve ever imagined.
These three heroes walk the threads of fate, together weaving an epic tale of magic, war, love, and loss. Together these individuals will forever change Auris’s future. Empires will shatter, Tempests will be Unbound, but destiny will prevail as these heroes face their fated ends.
This is Stormless.
- GenresFantasy
512 pages, Paperback
Published May 6, 2023
29 people are currently reading
2018 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
May 18, 2023
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
3.5 ✨
I will say that this book is very ambitious and I’m impressed. Especially taking into consideration that the author is 17. Wow!
The world is ravaged by different storms, which feed the magic system of the world. Which there is a lot of different magic systems which I had a hard time keeping track of.
Some of the characters were pretty fun, like Castien, who is a common soldier who doesn’t understand the powers he has. (Common trope but a good trope nonetheless)
Faelyn is heir to the throne and is constantly battling his father to protect the kingdom but the King has plans of his own.
I enjoyed where you follow the antagonist throughout the whole book and get to see how he became crazy.
I didn’t much care for the love story in this but it wasn’t terrible.
All in all it’s a decent book that I would assume later books will get much better given how the author will get older and even better at writing. I gave it three stars because I had a hard time following the magic system but that might just be a me issue more than the author.
3.5 ✨
I will say that this book is very ambitious and I’m impressed. Especially taking into consideration that the author is 17. Wow!
The world is ravaged by different storms, which feed the magic system of the world. Which there is a lot of different magic systems which I had a hard time keeping track of.
Some of the characters were pretty fun, like Castien, who is a common soldier who doesn’t understand the powers he has. (Common trope but a good trope nonetheless)
Faelyn is heir to the throne and is constantly battling his father to protect the kingdom but the King has plans of his own.
I enjoyed where you follow the antagonist throughout the whole book and get to see how he became crazy.
I didn’t much care for the love story in this but it wasn’t terrible.
All in all it’s a decent book that I would assume later books will get much better given how the author will get older and even better at writing. I gave it three stars because I had a hard time following the magic system but that might just be a me issue more than the author.
July 16, 2023
Action packed fantasy. The land of Auris is plagued by Tempests, severe weather phenomena that vary day by day. Though the citizens have to live in the few areas that are protected by wards, there is an upside to these devastating storms: they power the crystals that are used by the country's Summoners to fuel their magical gifts. Those without powers are deemed Stormless. Only seven sects of Summoning remain, after the mysterious Vanishing occurred ages prior, destroying several others. One long thought extinct branch of Summoning somehow reappears, kicking off the events of this story. The world of Auris seems to be in for another large upheaval, and things will never be the same again.
This fantasy novel is deep and immersive. A lot of worldbuilding went into this one. There's so much potential for future books in the series to delve further into the intriguing magic system, and the new/old sects. I really enjoyed the dual timeline; you see how things are playing out in current day and get an in depth view of how these events were kicked off. I loved the inclusion of Castien's battle with anxiety (relatable). I am slightly less interested in Faelyn's character, but I feel that it will be developed a lot more in the next installment. The Shadow-Swifts were also interesting to follow, though it's hard for me to fall in love with characters who are clearly on the "dark side". I'm definitely picking up the sequel when it comes out. Huge props to the author for coming up with this fantastical world at such a young age. A great start to a hopefully prolific career.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This fantasy novel is deep and immersive. A lot of worldbuilding went into this one. There's so much potential for future books in the series to delve further into the intriguing magic system, and the new/old sects. I really enjoyed the dual timeline; you see how things are playing out in current day and get an in depth view of how these events were kicked off. I loved the inclusion of Castien's battle with anxiety (relatable). I am slightly less interested in Faelyn's character, but I feel that it will be developed a lot more in the next installment. The Shadow-Swifts were also interesting to follow, though it's hard for me to fall in love with characters who are clearly on the "dark side". I'm definitely picking up the sequel when it comes out. Huge props to the author for coming up with this fantastical world at such a young age. A great start to a hopefully prolific career.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
May 25, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this debut YA fantasy. Wow, so this is a complex world. The story is told in two timelines, which makes for a cool perspective. It’s a world of magic and powers, right? But this Summoner shows up with dangerous powers that should not exist and threatens the king, he sends a group of his best, plus this common soldier who is immune to some of the kind powers, to track this dude. The story of how they got there is interspersed, showing discoveries two years prior and forward that are leading to all this crazy war. It’s a lot, but fantasy fans will love it. Recommended for grades 8+, and coming to my library soon!
May 27, 2023
Please excuse any typos it’s 2am but I just finished the book and wanted to write the review before I forgot everything I wanted to say!!
I received this as an ARC and it took me a minute to get through. This isn’t to say it was bad, it was just that, for me, it felt like it took forever for anything to actually happen. On my kindle the book topped out at 1110 pages, and I very clearly remember checking the page number to see how much was left thinking it couldn’t be anywhere near finished because so little had happened and being absolutely SHOCKED that it was at page 568. Over halfway through!! I didn’t care for the romance between the two shadow swift characters, it didn’t make much sense to me tbh, lots of talk about how they’d been forbidden to fall
In love, they were always in love, they only just realized they were in love, actually he didn’t love her /that/ much, he couldn’t live without her, he was going to run away with her, actually never mind she was second place to his goal. It was all just very confusing and didn’t feel like a sincere love line.
Apart from that, I’m a huge Brandon Sanderson fan and I think that it’s very very clear that the author drew a ton of influence from his books, in particular Stormlight Archives and the Mistborn books. This isn’t a bad thing, he’s one of the greats, but it was quiet distracting at first for me, maybe it wouldn’t be as noticeable to a non-Sanderson fan reader.
I had a few predictions for things (like Reluraun has been replaced by a skin whatever) that I didn’t get a resolution for in this book, but the unexpected romantic tension between Reluraun and Castien near the end was a wonderful, pleasant surprise but was a bit devastating if I’m proven right in the second book and Reluraun isn’t he who says he is. Regardless, I was so giddy to see them flirting and Castien’s attraction to him treated as normal and commonplace. I was thinking that Ilyana and Castien would end up being a thing (personally I was rooting for Ilyana and Luka to kiss) (lbr I wanted Lucian and Asteros to kiss) but I could see Castien and Ilyana being cute (and tragic) together. But tbh I’m hoping for more Reluraun (Not-Reluraun??) + Castien in the second book which should be also tragic because if he really is Reluraun and they start hooking up Faelyn is gonna feel the burn (hehe) of that betrayal forever.
Okay enough about the romantic stuff!!!
Worldbuilding wise I love it. Like I said, I could see inspiration being drawn from Sanderson, and parts of it like the Stormless being the lost sects I predicted fairly quickly, but I loved the depiction of Asteros’s slow descent into madness and the fact that the one sect was actually just a watered down version of a supposedly extinct sect.
I do think writing wise a lot of ‘stuff’ was just plopped down in the middle of everything with no explanation. No additional details, very little background or history, etc. I think the purpose of this was for the reader to rely on the glossary of terms, but I didn’t know the book even had one until the end because I don’t believe it was indicated at the beginning of the book? If it was, I completely missed it. I guess the intent was to prevent readers from spoiling themselves, but tbh I’ve always found glossaries at the beginning to be more useful, if only because I know they are there and can therefore utilize them as I read.
There were a few inconsistencies in details near the beginning (I had trouble figuring out how old Faelyn was supposed to be. The age gap between him and Reluraun was surprising. Based on the descriptions provided I thought there were way more shadow shifts that there actually were at first and then was very confused when it was later confirmed there were only six of them. I swear Lucian was described as blonde at some point but maybe I just made that up in my head. Little things like that.) but this problem mostly went away about 2/3rds of the way through the book, I’m guess because the author became more confident as his vision became more solid.
Honestly? It was a wonderful book. I will definitely be reading the second one. I saw another reviewer say that the author is only 17, and if that’s true and he reads this far I want to say that you’re so awesome!!!! This is an amazing thing you’ve written, despite parts of it not exactly being my cup of tea. I can’t wait to see how you tie up loose ends from this book in the next one and further advance the wonderfully complex plot you’ve laid out for us here. Congrats on publishing!!
I received this as an ARC and it took me a minute to get through. This isn’t to say it was bad, it was just that, for me, it felt like it took forever for anything to actually happen. On my kindle the book topped out at 1110 pages, and I very clearly remember checking the page number to see how much was left thinking it couldn’t be anywhere near finished because so little had happened and being absolutely SHOCKED that it was at page 568. Over halfway through!! I didn’t care for the romance between the two shadow swift characters, it didn’t make much sense to me tbh, lots of talk about how they’d been forbidden to fall
In love, they were always in love, they only just realized they were in love, actually he didn’t love her /that/ much, he couldn’t live without her, he was going to run away with her, actually never mind she was second place to his goal. It was all just very confusing and didn’t feel like a sincere love line.
Apart from that, I’m a huge Brandon Sanderson fan and I think that it’s very very clear that the author drew a ton of influence from his books, in particular Stormlight Archives and the Mistborn books. This isn’t a bad thing, he’s one of the greats, but it was quiet distracting at first for me, maybe it wouldn’t be as noticeable to a non-Sanderson fan reader.
I had a few predictions for things (like Reluraun has been replaced by a skin whatever) that I didn’t get a resolution for in this book, but the unexpected romantic tension between Reluraun and Castien near the end was a wonderful, pleasant surprise but was a bit devastating if I’m proven right in the second book and Reluraun isn’t he who says he is. Regardless, I was so giddy to see them flirting and Castien’s attraction to him treated as normal and commonplace. I was thinking that Ilyana and Castien would end up being a thing (personally I was rooting for Ilyana and Luka to kiss) (lbr I wanted Lucian and Asteros to kiss) but I could see Castien and Ilyana being cute (and tragic) together. But tbh I’m hoping for more Reluraun (Not-Reluraun??) + Castien in the second book which should be also tragic because if he really is Reluraun and they start hooking up Faelyn is gonna feel the burn (hehe) of that betrayal forever.
Okay enough about the romantic stuff!!!
Worldbuilding wise I love it. Like I said, I could see inspiration being drawn from Sanderson, and parts of it like the Stormless being the lost sects I predicted fairly quickly, but I loved the depiction of Asteros’s slow descent into madness and the fact that the one sect was actually just a watered down version of a supposedly extinct sect.
I do think writing wise a lot of ‘stuff’ was just plopped down in the middle of everything with no explanation. No additional details, very little background or history, etc. I think the purpose of this was for the reader to rely on the glossary of terms, but I didn’t know the book even had one until the end because I don’t believe it was indicated at the beginning of the book? If it was, I completely missed it. I guess the intent was to prevent readers from spoiling themselves, but tbh I’ve always found glossaries at the beginning to be more useful, if only because I know they are there and can therefore utilize them as I read.
There were a few inconsistencies in details near the beginning (I had trouble figuring out how old Faelyn was supposed to be. The age gap between him and Reluraun was surprising. Based on the descriptions provided I thought there were way more shadow shifts that there actually were at first and then was very confused when it was later confirmed there were only six of them. I swear Lucian was described as blonde at some point but maybe I just made that up in my head. Little things like that.) but this problem mostly went away about 2/3rds of the way through the book, I’m guess because the author became more confident as his vision became more solid.
Honestly? It was a wonderful book. I will definitely be reading the second one. I saw another reviewer say that the author is only 17, and if that’s true and he reads this far I want to say that you’re so awesome!!!! This is an amazing thing you’ve written, despite parts of it not exactly being my cup of tea. I can’t wait to see how you tie up loose ends from this book in the next one and further advance the wonderfully complex plot you’ve laid out for us here. Congrats on publishing!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2023
◦ I've received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ◦
⮞ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ⮜
The story follows 3 characters throughout the story: Castien Varic; Faelyn Titansworn; Asteros Silverglade and each has different motives throughout the book. Sadly, I couldn't connect with any of the characters, I felt they needed more fleshed out, their voices were blending through the dialog and they just felt too similar to each other, and also some thoughts from the characters just didn't make much sense to me, such as regarding the King's voice I couldn't understand what this exact phrase was supposed to add to the story because Castien didn't have much relation with the King, it was just there.
⮞ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝-𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 ⮜
The world-building however was definitely nicely thought out. It was pretty complex and had so many ups and downs and some things that were perhaps a bit horror for me but I definitely enjoyed the complexity of the world-building.
⮞ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝/𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 ⮜
While this book wasn't for me, I do have to attest that is not a bad, bad book, I just feel it needed a bit more work before being fully released. The author from what I've seen is still very young, so I applaud him for taking the plunge on releasing a book.
⮞ 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞/TW ⮜
The romance in the book is mostly fade to black, there can be triggered such as the loss of a loved one, anxiety/mental illnesses, fighting, killing, blood.
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⮞ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ⮜
The story follows 3 characters throughout the story: Castien Varic; Faelyn Titansworn; Asteros Silverglade and each has different motives throughout the book. Sadly, I couldn't connect with any of the characters, I felt they needed more fleshed out, their voices were blending through the dialog and they just felt too similar to each other, and also some thoughts from the characters just didn't make much sense to me, such as regarding the King's voice I couldn't understand what this exact phrase was supposed to add to the story because Castien didn't have much relation with the King, it was just there.
⮞ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝-𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 ⮜
The world-building however was definitely nicely thought out. It was pretty complex and had so many ups and downs and some things that were perhaps a bit horror for me but I definitely enjoyed the complexity of the world-building.
⮞ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝/𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 ⮜
While this book wasn't for me, I do have to attest that is not a bad, bad book, I just feel it needed a bit more work before being fully released. The author from what I've seen is still very young, so I applaud him for taking the plunge on releasing a book.
Now onto the things I've liked/disliked. I obviously had issues with the characters. They felt way too similar, couldn't connect with them and they were just lacking that additional uniqueness to them to make you more invested.
I did enjoy the details and the work put into the world-building. It was beautiful, thought out and it was definitely complex and a harsh environment and I liked the explanations offered about it.
Some of the descriptions just didn't translate the way the author wanted, I felt some were a bit unnecessary and could've been explained differently. For example and that was a pretty long line of thump that in my opinion could've been done differently to inform us of his heartbeat going too fast or trying to slow it down. In general I do think the book might've needed a bit more editing, perhaps a couple of beta readers too to help out with the flow of conversation, diversity between the characters so they all feel unique and not blending together.
I did enjoyed that the author has thought on a glossary at the end of the book where you get more information about the world, characters and their powers because it is a complex book with lots of characters and lots of powerful beings so that definitely helped having a better understanding.
Another thing that didn't sit very well with me was the fact that the sentences, they weren't flowing right. I felt they were reading a bit robotic for instance when reading they didn't really flow nicely and made it a bit harder to read.
I've enjoyed the fact that the book is talking about Castien's anxiety and makes it feel like it's okay. And there's actually another character that is helping Castien out which I found it really nice. I like different issues being portrayed in the book, talked out and perhaps helping out if possible.
Overall even tho I finished the book, this sadly wasn't for me as I've mentioned above. However, what wasn't for me, can be for someone else so don't toss it away.
⮞ 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞/TW ⮜
The romance in the book is mostly fade to black, there can be triggered such as the loss of a loved one, anxiety/mental illnesses, fighting, killing, blood.
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February 8, 2024
Real Rating: 3.5* of five
The Publisher Says: The world you are about to enter is very different from the one you know.
Auris is a place of storms and chaos where seven violent Tempests rule the land, wreaking havoc across the continent. Only the Summoners, bearers of powers not unlike those of the divine Tempests themselves, have the strength to stand against the tyranny of the storms. Society depends upon the enigmatic Summoner-empowering Crystals for survival... Yet when a Summoner bearing powers that should not exist appears on Arvendon’s doorstep, the world begins spiraling into chaos.
Castien Varic, a common soldier, finds himself in the throes of a coming war. He embarks on a mission with the most legendary of Auris’s Summoners, hoping to discover the truth behind the resurfacing of the Ancient Summoner.
Faelyn Titansworn, heir to the largest of Auris’s empires and one of the most powerful Summoners in the world, finds himself lost in his father’s shadow. When a conspiracy threatens to destroy all that he knows and loves, Faelyn takes it upon himself to save not just his kingdom, but all of Auris.
Asteros Silverglade bears the powers of a god. Two years in the past, he, along with five others of his Sect, uncover the hidden secrets that the world has tried to erase. Yet they soon learn that the mysteries of the baffling event known as the Vanishing—the war that somehow caused over half of Auris’s Summoners to disappear without a trace—run far deeper than they could’ve ever imagined.
These three heroes walk the threads of fate, together weaving an epic tale of magic, war, love, and loss. Together these individuals will forever change Auris’s future. Empires will shatter, Tempests will be Unbound, but destiny will prevail as these heroes face their fated ends.
This is Stormless.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: First novels usually have issues...this one has mostly fantasy-novel ones. Male characters predominate, and they are the ones we get to know. The female characters, therefore, are there to dress the stage up for the males...sadly all too typical in most genres, especially Chosen One fantasy narratives like this. The author, as a counterweight to this, understands pacing quite well. He uses the templates of fantasy that are well known and well developed. This is not a knock, since there really is little reason to mess with a generations-old template unless you have to. Many others do not bother to do so, and they have far less command of their material than Author Stitle does.
And now a word about our author: He is all of seventeen. For someone that age to have the fluency and the grasp of the mechanics of storytelling that he does is *remarkable*. If you need a good reason to read this particular fantasy novel, there it is. Will you come away from the read enlightened and changed by the power of the storytelling? No. Will you be entertained for the trip you take with these dudebros through Auris?
Fantasy fans surely will. I came to this read expecting to be annoyed and frustrated, but willing to try because someone seventeen does not lightly just write a novel. I was ready to applaud him for doing this difficult task, but criticize his output. Here I am, not his natural reader, saying you should give this book your time.
The Publisher Says: The world you are about to enter is very different from the one you know.
Auris is a place of storms and chaos where seven violent Tempests rule the land, wreaking havoc across the continent. Only the Summoners, bearers of powers not unlike those of the divine Tempests themselves, have the strength to stand against the tyranny of the storms. Society depends upon the enigmatic Summoner-empowering Crystals for survival... Yet when a Summoner bearing powers that should not exist appears on Arvendon’s doorstep, the world begins spiraling into chaos.
Castien Varic, a common soldier, finds himself in the throes of a coming war. He embarks on a mission with the most legendary of Auris’s Summoners, hoping to discover the truth behind the resurfacing of the Ancient Summoner.
Faelyn Titansworn, heir to the largest of Auris’s empires and one of the most powerful Summoners in the world, finds himself lost in his father’s shadow. When a conspiracy threatens to destroy all that he knows and loves, Faelyn takes it upon himself to save not just his kingdom, but all of Auris.
Asteros Silverglade bears the powers of a god. Two years in the past, he, along with five others of his Sect, uncover the hidden secrets that the world has tried to erase. Yet they soon learn that the mysteries of the baffling event known as the Vanishing—the war that somehow caused over half of Auris’s Summoners to disappear without a trace—run far deeper than they could’ve ever imagined.
These three heroes walk the threads of fate, together weaving an epic tale of magic, war, love, and loss. Together these individuals will forever change Auris’s future. Empires will shatter, Tempests will be Unbound, but destiny will prevail as these heroes face their fated ends.
This is Stormless.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: First novels usually have issues...this one has mostly fantasy-novel ones. Male characters predominate, and they are the ones we get to know. The female characters, therefore, are there to dress the stage up for the males...sadly all too typical in most genres, especially Chosen One fantasy narratives like this. The author, as a counterweight to this, understands pacing quite well. He uses the templates of fantasy that are well known and well developed. This is not a knock, since there really is little reason to mess with a generations-old template unless you have to. Many others do not bother to do so, and they have far less command of their material than Author Stitle does.
And now a word about our author: He is all of seventeen. For someone that age to have the fluency and the grasp of the mechanics of storytelling that he does is *remarkable*. If you need a good reason to read this particular fantasy novel, there it is. Will you come away from the read enlightened and changed by the power of the storytelling? No. Will you be entertained for the trip you take with these dudebros through Auris?
Fantasy fans surely will. I came to this read expecting to be annoyed and frustrated, but willing to try because someone seventeen does not lightly just write a novel. I was ready to applaud him for doing this difficult task, but criticize his output. Here I am, not his natural reader, saying you should give this book your time.
June 16, 2023
Batten down the hatches and prepare yourself for some heavy reading.
I purchased Stormless through ThriftBooks, which is surprising considering it's a brand new publication. When I got it, I could see that there was the tiniest nick on the spine of the dustjacket, so it looks like the printers are really keeping their level of quality high! Still in gorgeous shape though.
I entered this book with no foreknowledge of the author, his background, or even details of the book itself. The cover is what reeled me in, and I've often felt that nobody would waste their efforts and money to put a gorgeous cover on a book that didn't deserve it. I'm confident that this book deserves it.
Nick is just 17, and this is a self-published effort, but you'd never know that based on the publication quality. This is the same effort that a major publisher would put into the offerings of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, or Stephen King, or Rick Riordan. The layout and design of the book are flawless. No corners were cut on this, and if being an author doesn't work out for Nick, the fellow's got a great future helming a publishing company! It takes great coordination and organization to generate something of this high caliber. That alone should be kudos enough for this book, but we haven't even gotten to the content.
As I started off: this is HEAVY reading. And I must be honest to point out that some of it felt repetitive to me, and there was a great deal of grandiloquent expositionary text that seemed to eat up page after page. I'm ashamed to admit that my eyes glossed over more than once, and I had to go back and reread not just pages, but chapters, and I still feel like I missed details that I'd normally pick up. It's like someone shoved a bar of fine Belgian chocolate in front of me, and then another, and another, and another, and another and a crate of 'em and another crate and GOSH ain't they delicious but wow... too much. So, I had to set it down several times and revisit it, which--looking back--I think might have hurt my enjoyment of it. (For this reason, I plan to re-read it.) But it's WORTH re-reading, because Nick created a convoluted world with characters that are intriguing. The conversation might be a little stilted at times (stilted, not Stitled) but that's okay. And the exposition is okay. The grandiosity is okay. But you'll need to set aside some time to focus on this and only this, in order to get the benefit of it. I mean, admittedly I missed details that I really should have picked up on, but I think the second go-around will benefit me as a reader.
I'll tell y'all this: Nick Stitle is not just a good writer; he's a GREAT writer. He honestly is. And his instructors and family need to be rightfully proud of him. To come up with this amount of well-written text in a cohesive story is nothing short of astounding. And at only 17!
Prepare yourself to dive into this deep pool. Wear your floaties/give yourself time. This deserves it.
Good job, Nick!
I purchased Stormless through ThriftBooks, which is surprising considering it's a brand new publication. When I got it, I could see that there was the tiniest nick on the spine of the dustjacket, so it looks like the printers are really keeping their level of quality high! Still in gorgeous shape though.
I entered this book with no foreknowledge of the author, his background, or even details of the book itself. The cover is what reeled me in, and I've often felt that nobody would waste their efforts and money to put a gorgeous cover on a book that didn't deserve it. I'm confident that this book deserves it.
Nick is just 17, and this is a self-published effort, but you'd never know that based on the publication quality. This is the same effort that a major publisher would put into the offerings of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, or Stephen King, or Rick Riordan. The layout and design of the book are flawless. No corners were cut on this, and if being an author doesn't work out for Nick, the fellow's got a great future helming a publishing company! It takes great coordination and organization to generate something of this high caliber. That alone should be kudos enough for this book, but we haven't even gotten to the content.
As I started off: this is HEAVY reading. And I must be honest to point out that some of it felt repetitive to me, and there was a great deal of grandiloquent expositionary text that seemed to eat up page after page. I'm ashamed to admit that my eyes glossed over more than once, and I had to go back and reread not just pages, but chapters, and I still feel like I missed details that I'd normally pick up. It's like someone shoved a bar of fine Belgian chocolate in front of me, and then another, and another, and another, and another and a crate of 'em and another crate and GOSH ain't they delicious but wow... too much. So, I had to set it down several times and revisit it, which--looking back--I think might have hurt my enjoyment of it. (For this reason, I plan to re-read it.) But it's WORTH re-reading, because Nick created a convoluted world with characters that are intriguing. The conversation might be a little stilted at times (stilted, not Stitled) but that's okay. And the exposition is okay. The grandiosity is okay. But you'll need to set aside some time to focus on this and only this, in order to get the benefit of it. I mean, admittedly I missed details that I really should have picked up on, but I think the second go-around will benefit me as a reader.
I'll tell y'all this: Nick Stitle is not just a good writer; he's a GREAT writer. He honestly is. And his instructors and family need to be rightfully proud of him. To come up with this amount of well-written text in a cohesive story is nothing short of astounding. And at only 17!
Prepare yourself to dive into this deep pool. Wear your floaties/give yourself time. This deserves it.
Good job, Nick!
May 29, 2023
Nick Stitle did not invent the wheel, but he definitely made the car start rolling.
WARNING: I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO WRITE REVIEWS, THIS IS ALL OF MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK MASHED TOGETHER.
Characters is one of Stitle's biggest strengths in writing, both in my personal opinion after reading Stormless and his personal opinion. Reading from all three of the protagonists' points of view gave real insight into all of their flaws and strengths:
Asteros had a sense of conscience and an infinite love for Shalheira, but it was subsided by his Ambition to make sure his plans will succeed.
Faelyn is one of the greatest Summoners to ever live, but he has not reached hus ultimate potential yet, and his realtionship with his father is... eh... um... not the greatest.
also he is from a line of incest so samesies!!
Castien. Oh what can I not say about Castien.
He is a Stormless, as the title of the book suggests, a human without the powers of summoning, and he struggles with anxiety. I am very glad Stitle chose to explore this character's struggle with anxiety, because as a fantasy author it is very easy to run with the wilds of your imagination about magical abilities without giving characters human flaws, but as my examples show: he did not do that.
Even his side characters did not feel bland or lacking of personality, I adored Shalheira, I loved Surge's humor, Reluraun's flirtatious nature. All of the characters in this book were written with such deep thought behind them.
The worldbuilding? yeah this is the part about the wheel.
Stitle's worldbuilding isn't original, it can be easily linked back to the authors he claims to be his biggest inspirations, especially Brandon Sanderson, which is why I didn't come with high expectations of the worldbuilding to this book.
But boy, I was wrong.
Though I still stand by my opening statement, that it isn't original, Stitle still managed to surprise me multiple times throughout the book, with the immense amount of lore behind the world which the characters stood on.
I enjoyed as I discovered new information about The Vanishing with Asteros, as I stared at a painting of The Six (Gods of Auris) with Faelyn, and much more moments in the book.
The Plot of the book tied it all up and gave the book a big kick in the butt, as a good plot should.
While at times the book felt densely packed, with three different storylines from three different characters, it made perfect sense by the end of the book, and I much rather one dense book with three storylines in it than three diluted books that stretch to infinity.
Stitle did a great job of making an ending that tied loose ends together, while leaving us hungry for the sequel!
I would highly recommend this book to the fantasy readers who have been searching for an immersive reading experience, relatable characters with flaws and struggles and a plot that requires you to put the puzzle pieces together.
I am looking forward to see Stitle's future works, including the rest of the Stormless series.
WARNING: I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO WRITE REVIEWS, THIS IS ALL OF MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK MASHED TOGETHER.
Characters is one of Stitle's biggest strengths in writing, both in my personal opinion after reading Stormless and his personal opinion. Reading from all three of the protagonists' points of view gave real insight into all of their flaws and strengths:
Asteros had a sense of conscience and an infinite love for Shalheira, but it was subsided by his Ambition to make sure his plans will succeed.
Faelyn is one of the greatest Summoners to ever live, but he has not reached hus ultimate potential yet, and his realtionship with his father is... eh... um... not the greatest.
also he is from a line of incest so samesies!!
Castien. Oh what can I not say about Castien.
He is a Stormless, as the title of the book suggests, a human without the powers of summoning, and he struggles with anxiety. I am very glad Stitle chose to explore this character's struggle with anxiety, because as a fantasy author it is very easy to run with the wilds of your imagination about magical abilities without giving characters human flaws, but as my examples show: he did not do that.
Even his side characters did not feel bland or lacking of personality, I adored Shalheira, I loved Surge's humor, Reluraun's flirtatious nature. All of the characters in this book were written with such deep thought behind them.
The worldbuilding? yeah this is the part about the wheel.
Stitle's worldbuilding isn't original, it can be easily linked back to the authors he claims to be his biggest inspirations, especially Brandon Sanderson, which is why I didn't come with high expectations of the worldbuilding to this book.
But boy, I was wrong.
Though I still stand by my opening statement, that it isn't original, Stitle still managed to surprise me multiple times throughout the book, with the immense amount of lore behind the world which the characters stood on.
I enjoyed as I discovered new information about The Vanishing with Asteros, as I stared at a painting of The Six (Gods of Auris) with Faelyn, and much more moments in the book.
The Plot of the book tied it all up and gave the book a big kick in the butt, as a good plot should.
While at times the book felt densely packed, with three different storylines from three different characters, it made perfect sense by the end of the book, and I much rather one dense book with three storylines in it than three diluted books that stretch to infinity.
Stitle did a great job of making an ending that tied loose ends together, while leaving us hungry for the sequel!
I would highly recommend this book to the fantasy readers who have been searching for an immersive reading experience, relatable characters with flaws and struggles and a plot that requires you to put the puzzle pieces together.
I am looking forward to see Stitle's future works, including the rest of the Stormless series.
April 9, 2023
Actual Rating 3.5
The concept of having to live in a world continuously ravaged by cataclysmic storms, and not just one but a variety, is a fun, interesting, and ultimately cool idea. The idea that these storms power the magic system is again solid (albeit the author doesn't quite distinguish enough from the Stormlight Archive.) The book doesn't quite deliver on this concept to its full potential: instead of having to scrape out a living or adapt continuously to these devastating storms, the people are largely shielded from them, and the characters (and such the readers) don't really interact with the storms much, almost exclusively hiding away from them. The result is that the storms are never put on full display for the reader, we're never allowed to fully see and understand the apocalyptic power they exert, and so the story's strongest feature is regulated to a backdrop. I wanted seas of fire burning across the sky, I wanted lightning shattering mountains, I wanted rains like Noah's flood. The storms failed to deliver on this fantasy.
The magic system itself is a fairly standard elemental based magic system with fire, ice, lightning, etc, etc, and not enough is done with it (and not enough seen of the more unique systems —excluding the Shadow-Swifts— to compensate) to maintain interest or cool factor.
Our trio of main characters are solid, but Castien was the only one that truly grasped and held my interest, his plot being the most immediate with clear objectives and perils accompanied by internal struggles and feelings of insufficiency. The Prince's story was more political intrigue (something I typically enjoy) but the prince himself largely lacked agency, not so much for lack of trying but for lack of actually achieving anything except annoying his father. The Shadow-Swift narrative is more active, but restricted by the fact that I never really liked our POV characters ( one of which enjoys killing and violence and the other which is only mildly displeased by the first characters murderous tendencies.) They are supposed to be morally gray, but both lack the contrasts that make those characters either interesting or root-able and are hurt by their objectives being nebulous through most of the narrative, changeable when they become clearer, and that most of them feel either actively antagonist or uninterested in helping the world or one another. The result is a series of characters that's hard to invest in because you largely don't want them to succeed, which evolves into a sense that everything's going to end in tragedy.
The prose is solid and flows well, and there are several decent twists over the course of the narrative. (Astute readers will likely understand enough about the fundamentals of narrative structure to deduce these twists in advance, but they still make the narrative more interesting.)
The concept of having to live in a world continuously ravaged by cataclysmic storms, and not just one but a variety, is a fun, interesting, and ultimately cool idea. The idea that these storms power the magic system is again solid (albeit the author doesn't quite distinguish enough from the Stormlight Archive.) The book doesn't quite deliver on this concept to its full potential: instead of having to scrape out a living or adapt continuously to these devastating storms, the people are largely shielded from them, and the characters (and such the readers) don't really interact with the storms much, almost exclusively hiding away from them. The result is that the storms are never put on full display for the reader, we're never allowed to fully see and understand the apocalyptic power they exert, and so the story's strongest feature is regulated to a backdrop. I wanted seas of fire burning across the sky, I wanted lightning shattering mountains, I wanted rains like Noah's flood. The storms failed to deliver on this fantasy.
The magic system itself is a fairly standard elemental based magic system with fire, ice, lightning, etc, etc, and not enough is done with it (and not enough seen of the more unique systems —excluding the Shadow-Swifts— to compensate) to maintain interest or cool factor.
Our trio of main characters are solid, but Castien was the only one that truly grasped and held my interest, his plot being the most immediate with clear objectives and perils accompanied by internal struggles and feelings of insufficiency. The Prince's story was more political intrigue (something I typically enjoy) but the prince himself largely lacked agency, not so much for lack of trying but for lack of actually achieving anything except annoying his father. The Shadow-Swift narrative is more active, but restricted by the fact that I never really liked our POV characters ( one of which enjoys killing and violence and the other which is only mildly displeased by the first characters murderous tendencies.) They are supposed to be morally gray, but both lack the contrasts that make those characters either interesting or root-able and are hurt by their objectives being nebulous through most of the narrative, changeable when they become clearer, and that most of them feel either actively antagonist or uninterested in helping the world or one another. The result is a series of characters that's hard to invest in because you largely don't want them to succeed, which evolves into a sense that everything's going to end in tragedy.
The prose is solid and flows well, and there are several decent twists over the course of the narrative. (Astute readers will likely understand enough about the fundamentals of narrative structure to deduce these twists in advance, but they still make the narrative more interesting.)
July 23, 2023
This was an ambitious project for a debut novel. I applaud Stitle for his work, but there were some flaws that brought my rating of this book down :(
I was confused for about 60-70% of this novel due to the three storylines, worldbuilding, and the multitude of characters. One of the storylines was set 2 years in the past, which threw me off, and left me trying to connect it to the two present-day storylines. Even when I reached the end of the novel, I still was unsure about a lot of things — which may have been intentional — but I’d prefer not feeling so confused after finishing a book.
The three major characters that the story followed all felt way too similar and didn’t seem to change much over the course of the novel. They all felt flat to me; I didn’t connect with any one in particular, and I couldn’t find myself rooting for any of them because I didn’t really understand a lot of what was going on in the first place. The most I felt was for Asteros, and i wasn’t rooting for him at all; I actually strongly disliked him because of his treatment of Shalheira. The other two main leads didn’t grab me, either — I didn’t learn a lot about Faelyn as a person; his storyline focused more on the conspiracies and not his actual character, and I foresaw Castien’s arc from his third chapter. The main leads ended up losing me, and their respective supporting characters also didn’t succeed in investing me in the story.
The writing style also became flat over time, and the dialogue chunks had some grammatical errors and repetition that were hard to look over. For example, throughout the story the dialogue chunks would look something like this:
“Asteros smiled. ‘_____,’ Asteros said. ‘_____,’ Asteros continued. ‘____.’ Asteros laughed.” It felt very flat over time, with unnecessary tags in between that could’ve easily been cut in exchange for a more fluid piece of dialogue.
Overall, I admire Stitle for tackling this diverse novel and, for a debut work, he executed it well! I’m in no way trying to call this a bad book, as for a debut young author, this is very impressive. Im looking forward to the second book in the Stormless series and watching as Stitle improves and goes further in his writing journey :)
I was confused for about 60-70% of this novel due to the three storylines, worldbuilding, and the multitude of characters. One of the storylines was set 2 years in the past, which threw me off, and left me trying to connect it to the two present-day storylines. Even when I reached the end of the novel, I still was unsure about a lot of things — which may have been intentional — but I’d prefer not feeling so confused after finishing a book.
The three major characters that the story followed all felt way too similar and didn’t seem to change much over the course of the novel. They all felt flat to me; I didn’t connect with any one in particular, and I couldn’t find myself rooting for any of them because I didn’t really understand a lot of what was going on in the first place. The most I felt was for Asteros, and i wasn’t rooting for him at all; I actually strongly disliked him because of his treatment of Shalheira. The other two main leads didn’t grab me, either — I didn’t learn a lot about Faelyn as a person; his storyline focused more on the conspiracies and not his actual character, and I foresaw Castien’s arc from his third chapter. The main leads ended up losing me, and their respective supporting characters also didn’t succeed in investing me in the story.
The writing style also became flat over time, and the dialogue chunks had some grammatical errors and repetition that were hard to look over. For example, throughout the story the dialogue chunks would look something like this:
“Asteros smiled. ‘_____,’ Asteros said. ‘_____,’ Asteros continued. ‘____.’ Asteros laughed.” It felt very flat over time, with unnecessary tags in between that could’ve easily been cut in exchange for a more fluid piece of dialogue.
Overall, I admire Stitle for tackling this diverse novel and, for a debut work, he executed it well! I’m in no way trying to call this a bad book, as for a debut young author, this is very impressive. Im looking forward to the second book in the Stormless series and watching as Stitle improves and goes further in his writing journey :)
May 15, 2023
Stormless has a rich magic system, and the world-building is intriguing, with rules you begin to learn about as the adventures of the characters unfold. The physical land and political friction add interest and depth. There are four main perspectives in the EPIC fantasy Stormless. First, Castien, the stormless without any magic, gets thrown into an expedition because of his ability to withstand influence from Whispers (basically someone able to manipulate thoughts). Second, you have Lucien, a killer, power-hungry deranged shadow-swift in pursuit of more control, more everything, really. Third is another shadow-swift Asteros, who leads the shadow-swift clan and wants to rearrange the world for his purposes. Fourth, you have Faelyn, the young prince of Arvendon, who is very young at just 15 (his father described that he was six years from inheriting the throne at 21).
Their world seems to be on the cusp of change on a scale of great magnitude.
Stormless has a few weaknesses; Prince Faelyn’s perspective threw me out of the story a few times, and although intense felt the weakest because I questioned his actions and ability. For example, he was described as having stubble. What 15-year-old has stubble? Unfortunately, Stormless, like many epic fantasies, tends to lean toward intricate multiple storylines and requires merging them into one cohesive plot. The difficulty can be in investing a reader’s interest in all the perspectives; in fact, I personally like about three, maybe stretching to four. I stopped counting this book after five perspectives.
It's a strong start to a series with some room for improvement.
Their world seems to be on the cusp of change on a scale of great magnitude.
Stormless has a few weaknesses; Prince Faelyn’s perspective threw me out of the story a few times, and although intense felt the weakest because I questioned his actions and ability. For example, he was described as having stubble. What 15-year-old has stubble? Unfortunately, Stormless, like many epic fantasies, tends to lean toward intricate multiple storylines and requires merging them into one cohesive plot. The difficulty can be in investing a reader’s interest in all the perspectives; in fact, I personally like about three, maybe stretching to four. I stopped counting this book after five perspectives.
It's a strong start to a series with some room for improvement.
May 15, 2023
Stormless has a rich magic system, and the world-building is intriguing, with rules you begin to learn about as the adventures of the characters unfold. The physical land and political friction add interest and depth. There are four main perspectives in the EPIC fantasy Stormless. First, Castien, the stormless without any magic, gets thrown into an expedition because of his ability to withstand influence from Whispers (basically someone able to manipulate thoughts). Second, you have Lucien, a killer, power-hungry deranged shadow-swift in pursuit of more control, more everything, really. Third is another shadow-swift Asteros, who leads the shadow-swift clan and wants to rearrange the world for his purposes. Fourth, you have Faelyn, the young prince of Arvendon, who is very young at just 15 (his father described that he was six years from inheriting the throne at 21).
Their world seems to be on the cusp of change on a scale of great magnitude.
Stormless has a few weaknesses; Prince Faelyn’s perspective threw me out of the story a few times, and although intense felt the weakest because I questioned his actions and ability. For example, he was described as having stubble. What 15-year-old has stubble? Unfortunately, like many epic fantasies, Stormless tends to lean toward intricate multiple storylines and requires merging them into one cohesive plot. The difficulty can be in investing a reader’s interest in all the perspectives; in fact, I personally like about three, maybe stretching to four. I stopped counting this book after five perspectives.
It's a solid start to a series with some room for improvement.
Their world seems to be on the cusp of change on a scale of great magnitude.
Stormless has a few weaknesses; Prince Faelyn’s perspective threw me out of the story a few times, and although intense felt the weakest because I questioned his actions and ability. For example, he was described as having stubble. What 15-year-old has stubble? Unfortunately, like many epic fantasies, Stormless tends to lean toward intricate multiple storylines and requires merging them into one cohesive plot. The difficulty can be in investing a reader’s interest in all the perspectives; in fact, I personally like about three, maybe stretching to four. I stopped counting this book after five perspectives.
It's a solid start to a series with some room for improvement.
June 14, 2024
I enjoyed this book and immersing myself in its unique world. The descriptions in the book, especially of the palace, brought it to life. The Temptests described in Faelyn’s POV, with him looking out at them through grand windows were my favorite descriptions; it gave the cozy feeling of staying indoors during a thunderstorm gives. The author made the clothing feel real, which isn’t always apparent in fantasy novels.
With the multiple point of views, the book thread the story together. The author knew how much time to spend focusing on one storyline vs the others so that the collision wasn’t rushed.
The characters felt fleshed out, and there were subtle reasons to like or dislike each, but nothing was forced. Every character had understandable motives, or relatable traits so they were easy to connect with. Personally, Faelyn was my favorite character and Asteros’ arc was my favorite to read. Asteros developed naturally throughout the book and seeing events unfold and his feelings with them was very interesting. There are so many characters I could talk about but I’ll leave it at that.
I did find the writing style to catch my attention one moment and lose it the next, but there’s nothing wrong with that. I liked how he described scenery or how the writing reflected the confusion of a character. On the other hand, I found the battle scenes to be captivating one moment and choppy the next.
Stormless was a strong opening to the series, and gave a lot of headway for the next books to work with. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and looking forward to reading the rest.
With the multiple point of views, the book thread the story together. The author knew how much time to spend focusing on one storyline vs the others so that the collision wasn’t rushed.
The characters felt fleshed out, and there were subtle reasons to like or dislike each, but nothing was forced. Every character had understandable motives, or relatable traits so they were easy to connect with. Personally, Faelyn was my favorite character and Asteros’ arc was my favorite to read. Asteros developed naturally throughout the book and seeing events unfold and his feelings with them was very interesting. There are so many characters I could talk about but I’ll leave it at that.
I did find the writing style to catch my attention one moment and lose it the next, but there’s nothing wrong with that. I liked how he described scenery or how the writing reflected the confusion of a character. On the other hand, I found the battle scenes to be captivating one moment and choppy the next.
Stormless was a strong opening to the series, and gave a lot of headway for the next books to work with. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and looking forward to reading the rest.
April 12, 2023
Rarely do we get books with a male protagonist but with Stormless we get 3 MMC. We have a country ravaged by storms that aren't wanted but needed since they help with fueling the magic in the world. There is a TON of world building since all 3 MMC were different trades in the world and had their own story to tell but don't worry it converges to make a bigger picture. The transition from one plot point to another or one character to another was one smoothly but I LOVE different POV's to really understand a world/plot/inner monologue and choices made. My favorite was Castien and his adventure to unearth the ancient past to ensure the future isn't compromised. I also liked being in the Princes mind since we were submerged in politically angst and him trying to prove himself to the court. It took me awhile to get into Asteros' mind but he became a favorite with his vulnerability and just trying to figure out how his life took a turn so suddenly. There is romance in the book but it felt more like instalove. I mean I was rolling my eyes every time Asteros said how beautiful Shalheira is . All in all, this is a great start to a series and We also have random chapters with other characters or flashbacks to knit the story together. It does end on a sort of cliff hanger, so I'm excited to see where this series goes! My star rating is 3.5 stars!
May 16, 2023
This is an interesting novel, told in alternating pieces, one in the present of the novel and one in the past. The magic in the novel is a power inherent in people, manipulated via crystals, which are charged by various atmospheric phenomena, called Storms. There are seven forms of power - the seven sects - with another eight that were lost far in the past. The present society is based around the seven sects, which hold power, and the Stormless - those who do not belong to one of the sects, those without power. There is a power play building between those currently in power, and those who wish to find out what happened in the Vanquishing, when the missing sects vanished, and bring the Resurgence, which will resurrect the missing sects, and those who want to maintain the status quo and their own power.
This novel is part one of a series, and like many novels today, it is not a complete story in itself. This is the first installment in a serial - not a complete story with allowance for a sequel, but an incomplete novel that is to be completed in future volumes, something that is becoming more common. If you dislike incomplete novels, you will have issues with this one and should wait for the series, and thus the story, to be complete.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This novel is part one of a series, and like many novels today, it is not a complete story in itself. This is the first installment in a serial - not a complete story with allowance for a sequel, but an incomplete novel that is to be completed in future volumes, something that is becoming more common. If you dislike incomplete novels, you will have issues with this one and should wait for the series, and thus the story, to be complete.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 10, 2023
Thank you to Nick Stitle and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I don't read many high fantasy novels; I wouldn't say I dislike the genre, but it's hard for me to get into. Though when I read the synopsis of Stormless, I was so excited about reading it. I wanted to love it! It started out so STRONG and it was so GOOD.
It has an awesome plot line, but... honestly, I'm not sure when it started losing me.
Like many high fantasies, there were many characters, but all these characters felt the same to me. They seemed to have the same mannerisms and speech patterns, so the dialogue became a little stagnant for me. And while the world building and description was absolutely beautiful, (Especially when the Tempests were being described- the Wisps were goregous!!!) there was also too much description where it didn't necessarily need to be.
The story was also told from multiple POVs and the only one I particularly enjoyed was Castien's.
I'm sad to give Stormless a 2 star rating, I really did want to add it to my favourites list.
May 7, 2023
Stormless by Nick Stitle was given to me through Book Whisper and by Shaun Loftus. I have only read a few chapters in Nick Stitle’s YA fantasy world series and already immersed myself in Nick Stitle’s world. This masterpiece is told from 3 points of view. A world where a sect was thought to have been ridden of, but maybe not completely. If this sect is indeed still thriving, it could be leading to a breakage, unease, and causing people to dig deep within themselves to realize that they are perfect for the task at hand. The world building is very thought out, can picture the scenes in my mind as if I am watching a movie and I love the characters.
Thankyou Nick Stitle for creating characters that are truly relatable. Not too many characters that I have read about have anxiety, feel awkward in social situations, and which people can relate to. It is okay for people to have their own quirks, their own way of dealing with problems, may seem odd to the others that are around them, but truly make them who they are. So looking towards the rest of this series.
Thankyou Nick Stitle for creating characters that are truly relatable. Not too many characters that I have read about have anxiety, feel awkward in social situations, and which people can relate to. It is okay for people to have their own quirks, their own way of dealing with problems, may seem odd to the others that are around them, but truly make them who they are. So looking towards the rest of this series.
February 16, 2024
I wanted to love this book! As a goodreads giveaway winner, I continued reading farther past than when I’d normally shelve a book as DNF. The start of the book was so strong; I was excited to learn more about the world and the characters, hoping this would become my next favorite fantasy series. The author painted thrilling scenes that kept the reader wanting more, and excited to learn more about the world.
I enjoyed the plot and would have continued reading if the dialogue had been stronger. Do keep in mind that I am a very picky reader. There are many supremely popular series that sit forlornly on my DNF shelf (much to the chagrin of my friends and family). I truly want to enjoy books like Stormless and the mainstream reads, but they don’t always suit my picky tastes. I could see how Stormless would be another reader’s favorite new book, and I think the author has created an intriguing and exciting story. It did not personally fit my picky taste for I did not enjoy the dialogue, but I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to read and review this book!
I enjoyed the plot and would have continued reading if the dialogue had been stronger. Do keep in mind that I am a very picky reader. There are many supremely popular series that sit forlornly on my DNF shelf (much to the chagrin of my friends and family). I truly want to enjoy books like Stormless and the mainstream reads, but they don’t always suit my picky tastes. I could see how Stormless would be another reader’s favorite new book, and I think the author has created an intriguing and exciting story. It did not personally fit my picky taste for I did not enjoy the dialogue, but I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to read and review this book!
May 23, 2024
Stormless is a very interesting and unusual story, which takes place in Auris, and has a group of strong and very human characters.
The inhabitants of Auris are divided into two types: those who possess certain "powers", called Summoners and who belong to different sects or clans, depending on the type of power they can use and people who do not have any type of power, or Stormless. .
The universe of Stormless is very dynamic, with many moments of action so immersive that they sometimes remind those of some video games. The concept is very original. An extremely interesting and entertaining book, difficult to put down.
The only detail is that so far only two of the four books in the series have been published. Anyway, you have to have a little patience, the story is worth the wait. Nick Stitle is a young author with a very promising future.
I thank the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
The opinion I have expressed above is based solely on what I think and feel about this book.
The inhabitants of Auris are divided into two types: those who possess certain "powers", called Summoners and who belong to different sects or clans, depending on the type of power they can use and people who do not have any type of power, or Stormless. .
The universe of Stormless is very dynamic, with many moments of action so immersive that they sometimes remind those of some video games. The concept is very original. An extremely interesting and entertaining book, difficult to put down.
The only detail is that so far only two of the four books in the series have been published. Anyway, you have to have a little patience, the story is worth the wait. Nick Stitle is a young author with a very promising future.
I thank the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
The opinion I have expressed above is based solely on what I think and feel about this book.
May 23, 2023
Received as an ARC, I am leaving my honest review. Be prepared to be drawn into a world very different from ours.. The people, however, have some of our common traits. Being of powerful sects, the descendants are the key to finding and revealing their history and their purpose. Different plots are beautifully interwoven with suspense and mystery that builds as the chapters unfold all the plans of a quest to bring back the lost sects of certain powers. Deceit and desperation are the key to releasing the ruin gates revealing an eye opening history. Royalty and kingdoms are in the path of advancement and wars are brewing. The resurgence has been triggered, but who is behind the final pieces to make it happen, or shut it down when they realize it is a mistake. This epic quest and journey will grab your attention from the first page and keep it til the last, with the ending making you want more!
February 19, 2024
My nephew, who is a classmate of Nick's, allowed my HS aged daughter to borrow his copy to read over the winter holiday. When she finished it, she passed it on to me to read before sending it back. Honestly, I was a bit hesitant in reading it since it was a thick/long book in a fantasy genre with multiple timelines and a multitude of characters. Nick was definitely going to either sink or swim with what path he laid out for himself. As a 17 yr old he did a really decent job. The timeliness stayed separate and clear. The characters, while many, he did a fair job of developing them. Killed off a bunch (which annoyed my teen). The "love scenes/story" was a bit hokey but hey, from a 17yr old boy I would be worried if it was actually more. It was actually a bit refreshing in its pg-13 naivety. Does end on a cliffhanger that makes you really want to go and get book 2. Looking forward to watching Nick's writing progress as he matures.
August 30, 2025
Prose lacking dynamicism did this one in. The prose was just kind of dull and it was hard for me to hold my attention with it. Considering the author was 17 when this was written, though, gives me hope that this is something he will overcome.
The magic system was the main star of the series. The system and its effects on the world's geography was incredibly creative and compelling. Character work needed help, as this book leaned a bit too far in the plot side vs the character side. Enjoyed two of the three main POVs, but again, felt like they (and the supporting cast) needed some more depth.
History and lore play a huge part of this series, and i am all for it. Just felt like the characters were there just as a vessel towards that though.
The ending and overall lore did do enough to warrant my desire to read book two, I just am going to go in hope the author's writing skills leveled up for it.
The magic system was the main star of the series. The system and its effects on the world's geography was incredibly creative and compelling. Character work needed help, as this book leaned a bit too far in the plot side vs the character side. Enjoyed two of the three main POVs, but again, felt like they (and the supporting cast) needed some more depth.
History and lore play a huge part of this series, and i am all for it. Just felt like the characters were there just as a vessel towards that though.
The ending and overall lore did do enough to warrant my desire to read book two, I just am going to go in hope the author's writing skills leveled up for it.
April 17, 2023
This book grabbed my attention from the very first line and kept it until the very end.
From Castien (MMC 1) to Lucien (MMC 2), the story's pacing was immaculate. And the plot twists were enough to make me gasp. The concept of having the entire world's safety rely on one normal man is amazing. And the fact that the normal man is written in a way that he's relatable really ties it all together.
For readers of Brandon Sanderson, this book was easily up there. It is similar to the "Way of Kings" and is very fleshed out. Somehow the author was able to fully encompass panic, anger, and the feeling of being overwhelmed. I don't say this often, but I could not put this book down. I read all of it in just over a week.
So, in conclusion, I would recommend this book to anyone that asks me. And, I would try to tell them to go into it with an open mind.
From Castien (MMC 1) to Lucien (MMC 2), the story's pacing was immaculate. And the plot twists were enough to make me gasp. The concept of having the entire world's safety rely on one normal man is amazing. And the fact that the normal man is written in a way that he's relatable really ties it all together.
For readers of Brandon Sanderson, this book was easily up there. It is similar to the "Way of Kings" and is very fleshed out. Somehow the author was able to fully encompass panic, anger, and the feeling of being overwhelmed. I don't say this often, but I could not put this book down. I read all of it in just over a week.
So, in conclusion, I would recommend this book to anyone that asks me. And, I would try to tell them to go into it with an open mind.
April 19, 2023
This was a wonderful high fantasy.
I found myself wishing it moved faster at times and wanted more action but I did enjoy the plot, characters and the story. My favorite of the 3 male protagonists was by far Castien. His storyline to unearth the past to ensure the future isn’t destroyed was one I really became invested in.
The world building is amazing and even with my difficulty with book imagery I was able to see where the author was going.
Overall the author was able to write a story I enjoyed and couldn’t put down. The writing is poetic and theatrical in a way that helps paint a picture every fantasy novel should work to have.
Thank you to the publisher, author, and netgalley for this e-book arc.
My rating would be 4 stars and I will recommend to high fantasy lovers looking for a new spin on the basic road fantasy has taken as of late.
I found myself wishing it moved faster at times and wanted more action but I did enjoy the plot, characters and the story. My favorite of the 3 male protagonists was by far Castien. His storyline to unearth the past to ensure the future isn’t destroyed was one I really became invested in.
The world building is amazing and even with my difficulty with book imagery I was able to see where the author was going.
Overall the author was able to write a story I enjoyed and couldn’t put down. The writing is poetic and theatrical in a way that helps paint a picture every fantasy novel should work to have.
Thank you to the publisher, author, and netgalley for this e-book arc.
My rating would be 4 stars and I will recommend to high fantasy lovers looking for a new spin on the basic road fantasy has taken as of late.
May 4, 2023
Stormless by Nick Stitle is set in a fantasy world , from which we get to explore through three MMC POVs, all with their own struggles and guiding motivations for their actions. They come from their own distinct backgrounds, and as we journey through the novel with them, we get to explore more of the magic world around them, and how the Tempest and Stormless are connected. My favorite character POV was Castien, who we're introduced to as another grunt in the army, and as he makes his way through various entanglements, learns more about himself and the world around him. As with most books with multiple POVs, we do eventually get to see them all come together at the end, though I guess enough of it was hinted at for us to expect. Stormless ends on a cliffhanger that'll leave you wondering what comes next, and I guess we'll just have to wait and see in the next book!
May 10, 2023
Stormless by Nick Stitle is set in a fantasy world , from which we get to explore through three MMC POVs, all with their own struggles and guiding motivations for their actions. They come from their own distinct backgrounds, and as we journey through the novel with them, we get to explore more of the magic world around them, and how the Tempest and Stormless are connected. My favorite character POV was Castien, who we're introduced to as another grunt in the army, and as he makes his way through various entanglements, learns more about himself and the world around him. As with most books with multiple POVs, we do eventually get to see them all come together at the end, though I guess enough of it was hinted at for us to expect. Stormless ends on a cliffhanger that'll leave you wondering what comes next, and I guess we'll just have to wait and see in the next book!
May 15, 2023
Stormless is an impressive debut 17-year-old author, and I have not read many books by young authors, so I was happy to give this one a go. Nick has a firm grasp on the world that he has created, which is a land ravaged by cataclysmic storms that show up in various types of temptations, making the story stand out as a unique theme to explore.
We follow three main characters Castien Varic, a soldier; Faelyn Titansworn, a powerful summoner; and Asteros Silverglade, a member of a sect with god-like powers. Together we follow them as they face an epic quest like most classic fantasy books; all is not what it seems. We find out there are lost sects and secrets waiting to be uncovered about these characters that we encounter as we read the story. I am curious about what happens to these characters in the next book.
We follow three main characters Castien Varic, a soldier; Faelyn Titansworn, a powerful summoner; and Asteros Silverglade, a member of a sect with god-like powers. Together we follow them as they face an epic quest like most classic fantasy books; all is not what it seems. We find out there are lost sects and secrets waiting to be uncovered about these characters that we encounter as we read the story. I am curious about what happens to these characters in the next book.
January 26, 2024
Stormless is a great attempt at a debut novel. The storyline is strong and unique while the plot kept me on my toes. Stitle delivered a fantastic book, but the number of characters who all felt the same became a bit of a letdown. When timelines shifted I had to stop momentarily to remember who was who. Nobody really stood out and unfortunately, everybody felt the same.
Until about halfway I struggled to sometimes pick up the book purely because of this. Howerver, the world he has created is amazing, the plot unique and the writing simple and easy to digest.
I definitely recommend sticking it out until the end because we get answers that only give us more questions about what is going on :)
Great work, Nick!!
Until about halfway I struggled to sometimes pick up the book purely because of this. Howerver, the world he has created is amazing, the plot unique and the writing simple and easy to digest.
I definitely recommend sticking it out until the end because we get answers that only give us more questions about what is going on :)
Great work, Nick!!
May 20, 2024
The story was too disjointed but...
Not enough depth. Small snippets of character development and one likeable character. But the jumping away from each story line before it could develop left too much hanging too often for me to care about much of it. And it's unfortunate because the writing itself flowed well, the character interactions and dialog were very readable. The book likely should be twice as long with more backstory/depth for all the players.
My take for what it's worth. I enjoyed many of the pages individually but not the story as a whole.
Not enough depth. Small snippets of character development and one likeable character. But the jumping away from each story line before it could develop left too much hanging too often for me to care about much of it. And it's unfortunate because the writing itself flowed well, the character interactions and dialog were very readable. The book likely should be twice as long with more backstory/depth for all the players.
My take for what it's worth. I enjoyed many of the pages individually but not the story as a whole.
May 25, 2024
Absolutely FANTASTIC! An amazing piece of complex storytelling and incredible worldbuilding. Nick has woven a complex and multithreaded narrative that wouldn't let me put the book down! I loved all the characters, and with each chapter new information came to light that blew my mind over and over again. It was INCREDIBLE. Absolutely one of my favourite books by far. 5 stars. Ten stars. All of the above.
I am ordering the sequel immediately because I literally can't with this cliffhanger(currently taking a moment to grieve and process my feelings from this absolute MASTERPIECE)
I am ordering the sequel immediately because I literally can't with this cliffhanger(currently taking a moment to grieve and process my feelings from this absolute MASTERPIECE)
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