What do You think about The Gathering Storm (2004)?
Although the Gathering Storm is the fifth in a seven volume series (Crown of Stars), it’s the last one I read. In fact, I didn’t even finish this book. I got to page 672 and I gave up. Still, I feel like this book should count for two reasons: 1) plenty of books manage to tell their stories in 672 pages or less and 2) I need to get something out of the torture that was reading this series.In the Gathering Storm, Liath and Sanglant finally reunite to prevent the upcoming Apocalypse together. But they’ve been separated for three years and a lot has happened in those three years. Because Sanglant is a whiny, self-involved, spoiled child with abandonment issues, he’s spent the last three years angry at Liath for leaving him. (Even though he actually saw her being spirited away by angelic beings and she told him she was trying to get back to him.) Any sympathy I may have had for Sanglant got pissed away in book four but I stuck around for the reunion in book five in hopes that somehow these characters would grow up and experience some form of redemption (I’ve read plenty of books where I’ve hated the main characters until the last moments). Sadly, the way Liath and Sanglant handled their differences made me realize I could no longer waste my precious time and energy with this series. Actually, it made me resent spending so much time and energy on these characters (which you can probably tell from my maximally bitchy tone in all my Crown of Stars reviews).Kate Elliott is a great writer but not every great writer writes books we love or even like. Lois McMaster Bujold’s Chalion series is one of my all-time favorite fantasy series but I couldn’t even get through book one of the Sharing Knife series. Sorry, Kate. Respect to your talent but I didn’t like this one.
—Mei-Lu
The series has really hit its stride, now, at least for me. Of course, a lot of that may be because Liath and Sanglant, my favorite power couple (*g*) are front and center. Throw in griffins and centaurs, and you have a rousing tale that is only getting better. And I love Alain’s connection with Stronghand. Their story is definitely getting more interesting. There have been deaths, some, unfortunately, of well-loved characters, but there are still many stories to be told before the end.Okay, there are a few places where the story drags, but nowhere near as much as in a couple of previous books. As the story nears its end (only two more books to go,) the characters’ fates are on the line.
—Gilda Felt
One of the great things about this book, about this series in fact, is that it's nearly impossible to put it down. You may have prior commitments or friends to hang out with or whatever, but you still can't help but wonder when Liath and Sanglant will finally reunite, or where Hanna and Rosvita and friends will end up when they travel through the crowns, or if Alain will ever find happiness in the present. Almost no one finds true happiness in this fifth volume of the Crown of Stars series as the world hurtles toward a cataclysm that will literally change everything. New alliances are formed, discoveries are made, and bonds are tested as things begin to unravel. And overall, it's an excellent read. Definitely recommend it, but read the first four books in the series first or you may get a bit confused.
—Kerri
