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Quest of Thunder

(The Stormbourne Chronicles #2)

Karissa Laurel (Goodreads Author)

4.76 · Rating details · 17 ratings · 12 reviews

Evelyn Stormbourne has overcome revolutionaries, pirates, devious relatives, and powerful Magicians to claim her birthright as Lady of Thunder, but before she can embrace her dominion over the skies, her powers falter, leaving her impotent and adrift. Under the protection of her stalwart companion, Gideon Faust, Evie hides in anonymity and searches for news of the Fantazik ...more

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Apr 26, 2018 Tamara rated it it was amazing

I love this series. Evie is up to her antics again. Blaming herself when Gideon is hurt protecting her, she swears to never let it happen again. She runs away and joins the circus which is heading in the direction she wants to go to find the help that was promised to help her with her thunder ability. Someone else decides to join the circus too, a princess trying to get away from her sister, an empress. They are told they will be part of the show, a must read to find out what parts they will pla ...more

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Jul 28, 2017 Mary Fan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, steampunk, fantasy

A princess on the run. A steampunk circus. A group of dark magicians who will stop at nothing. If you’re looking for an amazing fantasy adventure, boy, does Quest of Thunder (Book 2 of Karissa Laurel’s Stormbourne Chronicles) deliver! It’s a sequel that totally holds up to the original… in fact, it may be even better.

Evelyn Stormborne is the last in a long line of thunder-wielding royals, but her own powers are faltering. She’s still on the run after the events of Heir of Thunder (Book 1 in the A princess on the run. A steampunk circus. A group of dark magicians who will stop at nothing. If you’re looking for an amazing fantasy adventure, boy, does Quest of Thunder (Book 2 of Karissa Laurel’s Stormbourne Chronicles) deliver! It’s a sequel that totally holds up to the original… in fact, it may be even better.

Evelyn Stormborne is the last in a long line of thunder-wielding royals, but her own powers are faltering. She’s still on the run after the events of Heir of Thunder (Book 1 in the Stormbourne Chronicles), in which her father was overthrown and she was forced to flee a conspiracy of dark magic. She’s adjusting pretty well to common life, all things considered, but the bad guys aren’t done with her yet. They’re determine to enslave her and exploit her innate powers. Meanwhile, her country is in chaos. In Quest of Thunder, Evelyn hides in anonymity while searching for the Fantazikes—a group of nomads she allied with in the first book but lost touch with—in hopes that they can help her master her powers over the sky. But her identity doesn’t remain a secret for long; the young ruler of the kingdom she’s hiding in discovers who she is and invites her into her palace. Now, I don’t want to give too much away, but let’s just say that drama happens, and Evelyn is forced to run again… and this time she joins a traveling steampunk circus, working in exchange for passage to the last known location of the Fantazikes.

Quest of Thunder is an utter delight to read, full of magic, adventure, intrigue, and mayhem. Evelyn is a sympathetic protagonist who’s in way over her head… which makes her all the more fun to read about. And as with the last book, there’s a touch of romance. While Evelyn has great chemistry with her love interest, Gideon, she’s more concerned with surviving and figuring out how the heck she’s going to a) escape the bad guys and b) get her kingdom back. And have I mentioned the worldbuilding? A fantastical version of 19th century Europe full of airships, mechanical animals, and magic. While steampunk can walk the line between sci-fi and fantasy, the Stormbourne Chronicles fall squarely in the fantasy camp. I wish I could dive in and hang out with Evie and her friends. Everything about this book comes alive with immersive world-building and colorful characters.

I tore through the first book in this series and demanded an early copy of the second, which I promptly devoured as well. The third and final installment of the Stormbourne chronicles (Crown of Thunder) will be coming out in a year or so, and I can’t wait! ...more

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May 28, 2018 Linda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle

Quest of Thunder by Karissa Laurel

Evelyn Stormbourne, Lady of Thunder and the Crown Princess of Inselgrau has lost her connection to the skies. Evie is now on a quest with her companion and protector Gideon Faust. Their goal is to locate the Fantazikes, a clan she met in her first adventure, “Heir of Thunder.” They live and travel in airships powered by lightning. They once promised to help her master her divine abilities.

When tragedy strikes from an old nemesis Evie is forced to leave Gideon be Quest of Thunder by Karissa Laurel

Evelyn Stormbourne, Lady of Thunder and the Crown Princess of Inselgrau has lost her connection to the skies. Evie is now on a quest with her companion and protector Gideon Faust. Their goal is to locate the Fantazikes, a clan she met in her first adventure, “Heir of Thunder.” They live and travel in airships powered by lightning. They once promised to help her master her divine abilities.

When tragedy strikes from an old nemesis Evie is forced to leave Gideon behind and go on the run searching for a safe place. Where better to hide than a traveling circus? However, this isn’t just any ol’traveling circus. She is allowed to stay, but Evie has to earn her keep for passage by working in the kitchen wagon and cleaning up each morning. In the afternoon she mends and repairs costumes. The circus workers are colorful and unique folks who all speak different languages. Evie has to find a way to communicate with them and make friends, while keeping her own true identity hidden for everyone’s protection. There is more to this circus than meets the eye and Evie intends to learn its secrets.

This book is full of evil magicians’ and devastating battles, not only with magic, but with crossbows, swords, knives, and guns. Several twists in the plot makes it hard to set the book aside as tension grows. All is not as it seems and the world is smaller than Evie ever imagined. The steampunk elements are surprising and magically delicious. There is a romance blooming between Gideon and Evie that only takes up a small portion of the novel as Gideon patiently chisels away Evie’s walls. He has my heart already. And I hope to see more from the circus crew in the next book. Evie’s journey to reclaim Inselgrau is bound to be spectacular. I can’t wait to see how Ms. Laurel wraps this trilogy up.

FYI: “Quest of Thunder” is book 2 in the Stormbourne Chronicles by Karissa Laurel. I would recommend reading “Heir of Thunder,” Stormbourne Chronicles book 1 before reading this book. **Originally written for "BigAl’s Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy.** May 14, 2018
Format/Typo Issues: No significant proofing issues.
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Mar 16, 2018 Anne (The Reading Life) rated it it was amazing

I received a free copy for an honest review.

I am very, very happy to say that this book started strong, and is still going strong.

The first book of this series (Heir of Thunder) is actually one of the very first books I've ever received as an ARC. During that time, it was like, literally the only book I truly REALLY liked. It still is, even to this day after receiving a lot more ARCs. So imagine how thrilled I was after I received another email from Karissa Laurel, asking me to read and review ...more

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Jan 05, 2018 T. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-beta-prize

I received Quest of Thunder, book 2 of the Stormbourne Chronicles, as a free copy from the author. The gifting did not determine the review/rating, which reflects my honest opinion. Another excellent example of YA genre writing. Evie Stormbourne is a smart, earnest heroine supported by a cast of colorful secondary characters. As with book 1, the unique plot was fast-paced, and held my attention from the first page to the last. Evie matured in this next episode, which I enjoyed, as I believe a se ...more

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Dec 31, 2017 Chris Pavesic rated it it was amazing

Review (Spoilers Ahead)

Evie, heir to the Throne of Thunder, is still on the run from a group of dark magicians who want to rob her of her birthright. To complicate matters, she has lost control over her own magic. Without her magic at full strength, she cannot hope to protect herself and reclaim her kingdom. Evie describes her situation in the following manner:

“My powers are unreliable, my allies are few, and I have good reason to believe I’m being chased by a group of powerful and malevolent Ma Review (Spoilers Ahead)

Evie, heir to the Throne of Thunder, is still on the run from a group of dark magicians who want to rob her of her birthright. To complicate matters, she has lost control over her own magic. Without her magic at full strength, she cannot hope to protect herself and reclaim her kingdom. Evie describes her situation in the following manner:

“My powers are unreliable, my allies are few, and I have good reason to believe I’m being chased by a group of powerful and malevolent Magicians. It’s not safe for me to go home yet.”

Still, Evie is adjusting to life outside of the palace with the help of Gideon and his sister, Marlis. She doesn’t want to live in exile forever, though, and works to reestablish her magical abilities. But this practice inevitably draws attention to her whereabouts from both friendly and unfriendly forces.

Evie feels that reconnecting with the Fantazikes (her allies in Book One) is the best chance for her to regain control over her powers. Not willing to put her friends in danger any longer, she joins a traveling circus that just happens to be en route to the last known location of the Fantazikes.

And what a circus it is! This is a steampunk world after all, and the circus animals, wagons, and some of the acts reflect this:

“Light reflected from the beasts’ metallic surfaces, exposing skins of brass, iron, and copper. Subtle gear-works clicked and purred as the animals shifted, mimicking the movements of their live counterparts. Dull bladed feathers, like rows of butter knives, fluttered as birds flapped their wings. The unicorn’s horn glowed a warm gold as she pawed the ground. The elephant’s trunk curled upon itself with a tink-tink-tink of metal joints compressing. He flapped his great ears, raising a breeze that stirred loose hairs around my face.”

This is the type of detailed world building that I love to see in a steampunk novel. Laurel takes the exotic setting of a circus one step further by adding mechanical animals and transports. She also doesn’t over-describe the steampunk elements. It is very easy for a reader to picture the bird feathers that look like butter knives, for example. It reminds me of Stephen King’s advice in On Writing: Add just enough description so that a reader can share the writer’s vision. Be clear and succinct.

Will Evie find the Fantazikes? Will they help her regain her powers? Will she develop enough of her powers to re-take her kingdom? Is this the destiny she wants for herself, or will she choose another path?

I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. I highly recommend both Heir of Thunder and Quest of Thunder for anyone who loves steampunk, fantasy, and adventure.

fantasy, steampunk, high fantasy, series, new release, sword-and-sorcery,
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Jan 01, 2018 MiraJane rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Really good story. I had just hoped for more

Perhaps my expectations were a bit too high, since I have waited for the sequel to Heir of thunder excitedly for over a year, but I hoped for more. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed Quest of thunder. I liked it a lot. I just wished Karissa Laurel had taken it a bit further, for me to really love it as I did the first book.

I’m happy with the development of the romance between Gideon and Evie. It was worked on and more focused on than in the story bef Really good story. I had just hoped for more

Perhaps my expectations were a bit too high, since I have waited for the sequel to Heir of thunder excitedly for over a year, but I hoped for more. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed Quest of thunder. I liked it a lot. I just wished Karissa Laurel had taken it a bit further, for me to really love it as I did the first book.

I’m happy with the development of the romance between Gideon and Evie. It was worked on and more focused on than in the story before. I liked the drama and the battling need for them to keep the other safe while still throwing themselves in the danger. It kept things interesting. However, I wish the author had put more emotion behind their feelings and actions. They never really got mad at each other for going against each other’s wishes. They acted like they were always in agreement and stood behind the others plans and stand points. It’s all good, but not so realistic if they never have a conflict. Some disagreement and a few fits of anger would have been much more relatable and would also have added a bit more of an “ompf” to the drama and relationship.

What really made me love Heir of thunder was the adventure that took place. All the dangers they were running from, the twists and all the different scenery and cultures. This was not as apparent in this book as the first. Sure, they were traveling and meeting new people, but the story was locked to the circus for the major part of the book and there weren’t much new places we readers got to see. It was still interesting of course, with the circus life, the conflicts with the enemy and even a few twists and revelations here and there. I guess I’m just a bit disappointed that Laurel did not take the opportunity to test the waters a bit, take it further.

This review probably makes it sound like I did not enjoy this book at all. Quite the opposite. Overall I really liked it. I’m just sad that I could not enjoy it as much as Heir of thunder. Still, I’m hopeful for the next book in the series.

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Mar 26, 2018 Daniell Marsh rated it it was amazing

Really enjoyed this book. The story pulls you in and you want to keep reading to find out what happens with the main characters but also with the secondary characters. I did read the first book in this series which gave this one a lot of depth. I would think you can read this one without the other but as both were good I would recommend picking up both. There is a lot of adventures, magic, with some steampunk thrown in. I like how Evie even with her doubts is a strong female character that grows ...more

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Jan 15, 2018 Topsues rated it really liked it

Wow!! What an Imagination this author has. I love this series, it covers nearly every happy, sad, loyal, betrayal, good, bad situation that can fit into its pages. That’s without the rollercoaster of emotions and friendships made and lost. Then you have the original storyline that leaves you hoping that the main character gets what she really deserves (in a nice way ,) the plots get more original and unbelievable, yet believe you do. You don’t question the realism of scenes as you get so engross ...more

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Aug 30, 2019 The Mysterious Reader rated it it was amazing

Karissa Laurel was a new author for me when I came across her Stormbourne Chronicles. I’m really glad I tried out the first of these books and, now that I’ve ended up addictively reading through three, I can most happily confirm that this is one heck of a great series. Well plotted, well written and with really well- done world-building and character creation, this was lot of fun to read. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on a ...more

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Apr 16, 2018 Jean rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I love this series and I love these characters! I read sci-fi and fantasy but don’t actually care for having to read world building plots. This series is clever in that the spaces or world can be imagined as Europe based upon the languages. There is so much more, magic, steampunk and fantastical characters with grit and heart. I cannot wait for the next book! It’s promoted as young adult but it’s as young adult as Hunger Games. If you are looking for a comparison, not in story line but the feeli ...more

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May 20, 2018 Tricia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

QUEST OF THUNDER BY: KARISSA LAUREL
I was so excited to jump back into this epic fantasy world Laurel created, and this sequel did not disappoint. Where Heir of Thunder was a full-blown high adrenaline adventure, Quest of Thunder was a little less of an adrenaline rush, but full to the brim with the same magic and a heavy focus on character development. We got to see the main characters we know and love grow and flourish in many ways, and we met some new additions that I am absolutely over the ...more

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About Karissa Laurel

Karissa Laurel

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Karissa lives in North Carolina with her kid, her husband, the occasional in-law, and a very hairy husky. Some of her favorite things are coffee, chocolate, and super heroes. She can quote Princess Bride verbatim. She loves to read and has a sweet tooth for fantasy, sci-fi, and anything in between. In the summer, she loves to be on the water, on the boat or in her kayak. When it snows, you'll find ...more