There is so much to these series that it is hard to sit down and condense everything into a small blurb. There really isn't anything I don't like about these books, nor about "Storm Rising". So I might as well discuss what I am enjoying so much about them.
First, the premise/plot. To say that the idea these books are based on is an original is to put it lightly. In an era where there are millions of books and stories being sold, it is hard to find a book where you don't feel like you've read some sort of variation of it before. That is not the case with Storm Rising (or the books before it). The premise behind these books is down-right brilliant. Ronie Kendig has taken hints of prophecy or vaguely mentioned relics from the Bible and woven an entire modern-day saga from them. The various artifacts in these stories are all about to reek some serious global havoc, and it is up to the elite teams in these books to take down the threat. As basic as that sounds, the way it is played out is masterful and I couldn't flip the pages fast enough.
Second, characters. Storm Rising brings a vaguely familiar character to a front row seat. Leif...otherwise known as "Runt" from the "Tox Files" trilogy is now the head of an elite military crew tasked at taking out a new threat called the Book of Wars - a book prophesied to contain some rather terrifying information if it lands in the wrong hands. Leif is far from what he seems, and this book is starting to peal back some rather incredible layers to this marine, and left me wondering, "Who is he?" or maybe more accurately, "What is he?"
Leif is supported by an amazing cast - or should I say, 'crew'? The support characters are all well fleshed out and don't simply support the story - they add to it and each season it with their own distinct flavor and voice. Anyone of the characters in his crew could have their own novel.
After Leif, my favourite character is certainly Iskra. She is so complex and utterly kick-butt-awesome. I love her and I loved trying to figure out what she was going to do next. The chemistry between her and Leif was awesome.
Third....pace and writing. Honestly, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. There wasn't a dull moment in this book. The writing was fantastic, and I actually read a few paragraphs out loud just to enjoy the brilliance a little bit more.
There is more I could say, but I'm going to cut it short there. If it hasn't come across clearly yet, I'll spell it out....This is a fantastic book and you should buy it (and review it!)....and you should also buy the Tox Files by Ronie Kendig as well.
Thanks to Graf Martin Communications and to Baker Publishing House for a complimentary copy of this book.
Back Cover:
Does an Ancient Book of Prophecy Hold the Answers to Saving the World . . . Or Predict Its Destruction?
Mentioned in the pages of the Old Testament but lost to history, the Book of the Wars has resurfaced, and its pages hold secrets--and dangers--never before seen on earth.
Tasked with capturing the ancient text, former Navy SEAL Leif Metcalfe is once more given command of his own team. But their best efforts are ruined when a notorious Bulgarian operative known as Viorica snatches the volume right out from under them.
Iskra "Viorica" Todorova is determined to use the book to secure the thing that matters most--freedom. But a series of strange storms erupts around the globe, and the coming dangers foretold in the text threaten crops, lives, and entire nations. Though both are haunted by secrets of the past and neither trusts the other, Leif and Iskra must form an uneasy alliance to thwart impending disaster. However, the truth hidden in centuries-old words could unleash a storm of their own destruction.
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