If you love stories about sisters, magic, and family then Daughters of the Storm is for you. It reminded me of Julliet Marillier in all the best ways. There were family secrets, betrayal, and more afoot than we can even grasp.
Summary
They are the daughters of a king. Though they share the same royal blood, they could not be more different. Bluebell is a proud warrior, stronger than any man and with an ironclad heart to match. Rose’s heart is all too passionate: She is the queen of a neighboring kingdom, who is risking everything for a forbidden love. The twins: vain Ivy, who lives for admiration, and zealous Willow, who lives for the gods. And Ash, who is discovering a dangerous talent for magic that might be a gift–or a curse.
But when their father is stricken by a mysterious ailment, they must come together on a desperate journey to save him and prevent their treacherous stepbrother from seizing the throne. Their mission: find the powerful witch who can cure the king. But to succeed on their quest, they must overcome their differences, and hope that the secrets they hide from one another and the world are never brought to light. Because if this royal family breaks, it could destroy the kingdom
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this free book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
As soon as I was contacted by the publisher for this book, I became obsessed. If you know my reading tastes, you know that a book about sisters is almost always sure to get my attention. I love the dynamics of family, especially between sisters. Because of that, I’m not sure who is my favorite.
Wilkins does a fantastic job at differentiating each sister. I never lost clarity about each sister’s actions or thoughts. They were always in line with what I was expecting. I really applaud Wilkins on this, because with stories with multiple perspectives it can always be a challenge. But Wilkins excels at this. Every character here was complex and the ones you didn’t love, you could still understand and empathize with.
(Okay, I will even admit that I can kind of empathize with Wylm, the sister’s half brother, even though I was definitely not on his team).
I was also impressed with Wilkin’s plot manipulations. In the middle of the book, I thought the plot was going one way, and then by the end I don’t even know what will happen in the next book. (I need to read the next one yesterday please).
In many ways, Daughters of the Storm is a book about family – the ways it tears us apart and forces us to figure out who we really are (and where our loyalty lies). Wilkins strength seems to be portraying characters that we can love, root for, and embrace when they make mistakes. I am highly anticipating the next book so I can find out what happens to my Bluebell, Ash, Rose, Willow, and Ivy!
Make sure you check out Daughters of the Storm on Goodreads.
It sounds like an involving story of family and magic!
Yes! I want some more magic, so I am so excited for the sequel!
Great review! I love how you never spoil anything for me, and always make me want to read the books you enjoyed. I am so happy to read that you never had issues with which sister was which as I’ve read books where I have to reread previous passages to figure out who was speaking. Family stories are my favorites to read.
Thank you! And I was taken by storm *get it* (wait do people say this?!)
Yeah each sister had a distinct personality and I can’t wait to see how they unfold!
Thanks for the honest review Lili!
Thanks for visiting!