Forged in the Storm

Anthology of Resuoh #1

by R.E. Houser

There is absolutely nothing unique about the Resuoh family. A father, a mother, and three children who love each other and try to live a normal life in rural Nebraska. When a well-meaning scientist attempts to thwart a scheme of world-changing proportions by an elusive employer, he inadvertently throws the Resuohs into an epic adventure that will change them all forever.

112 pages, Hardcover

First published December 29, 2018

About the author

If I've rated a book, its based on the following:

5 star - Loved it! Recommend to anybody
4 star - I enjoyed the book, but due to certain elements, I may not recommend to some.
3 star - I enjoyed aspects of the story, but won't recommend.
2 star - Finished the book, but did not like, wouldn't recommend.
1 star - Didn't finish, hated the book

Reviews

[Beth Tabler]

RE Houser wrote a charming story in Forged in the Storm. The Resouh (Russo? Not sure how to pronounce this name) family is cute and unremarkable. Completely ordinary white picket fence Nebraska family regular. I have a feeling that some of these characters were written from life, Houser seems very comfortable in them. The family consists of the parents, Rus and Nichole. The kids: James, Elijah, and Jade. All of various ages. Each of the chapters in this too short story is written from the perspective of whomever that section is talking about. This type of writing can be a challenging task, and for the most part, Houser does well with it. One of the fallbacks of doing this sort of narrative, and I think he runs into trouble with this, is that if you give so much "screen" time to so many characters, you end up with no lead. With no lead, the reader can feel unattached to the characters and thus cannot empathize with them. It can feel scattered.

The plot involves the Rusouh Family, a tech company creating far-reaching Earth Shaking technology, and portaling from place to place around the world. It is a little Star Trek, a little Leave it to Beaver and a little James Bond. Crazy mix but fun. I wish that Houser had fleshed out the story more instead of doing short novella like bursts. It is hard to keep a solid narrative going in this format when the book is novella length. Had it been one main character, I think it would have been a more cohesive plot. I ended up feeling unsatisfied because I wanted more of both character, dialog, and story. I needed each chapter to explain more and show more than it did.

I know it sounds like I am complaining about this, I am not. It is a cute idea and a fun story, it just needs some editing and reformating. The love the family feels or each other is infectious and sweet. They are thrown in some insane predicaments in short succession. The science fiction elements are fun, a little cloudy at this point, but still very enjoyable — all in all a decent read hence the 3.5 stars. I am curious as to where the story is going to go and if Houser is going to flesh out things a bit more. I will read the next installment and see where the story takes us.

[S.J. Lomas]

This is a completely unique YA sci-fi story. Although it started out a little slow for me, once the action really started, it was a speeding train all the way to the end. Characters are likable and the plot is definitely exciting! I liked that this book is exciting and action packed, but mild enough that young teens and middle schoolers can read it. (No graphic violence, and no swearing or sexual themes.)

I listened to the audiobook version of this story and was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the production. The narrator did a fantastic job! Although the story is told from multiple character points of view, the narrator differentiated their voices, both male and female, without being jarringly weird. His voice enhanced the narrative, in my opinion, and never took me out of the story.

This is a fun sci-fi, family, adventure.

[Nika Huffman]

Fun plot. Dynamic characters. Saving the world at it's finest.

[Adam Wing]

This was a really fun book to read. I like the characters and how they interacted, and there were one or two twists that hit a lot of my buttons! I look forward to picking up the next book in the series!

[Mary]

I really enjoy this author. He is a little different from what I usually read, but he has a really good style and feel for adventure, yet at the same time, his books are clean and love for family shines through it all. I really loved this book. I love the fact that the Resuoh family is so down to earth. They feel like they could be your neighbors. I really like each member of the family, but worry about how things are going to work out for them. I feel like this is going to be a really fun and exciting series.

[Bruce Knapp]

Looks to be a promising series.

The author does an excellent job writing from many perspectives. Baby James perspective was brilliant. Great job! The book has a good pace and enjoyable story.

[Jennifer Schell]

Wow

Went in not knowing what to expect, but I was not disappointed. This book kept and held my attention since page one. I enjoyed the characters and the way the author wrote each one with their own personality and voice. I absolutely love baby James, his chapters are hilarious. Wonderful Job, excited to read book 2.

[Meg]

Absolutely amazing, I couldn't put it down! Draws you into the lives and minds of a lovably relatable family and then sweeps you into their fantastical story with a charming combination of wit and mystery. Left me craving more, can't wait for book 2!

[J.T. McAndrew]

fantastic little story hopefully going to be big, sci-fi and a really good read, fast-paced and lot's of action, good characters and very well written, really enjoyed it and can't wait to read the rest.