Storm Rising ~ Review

Storm Rising
The Book of Wars #1
By Ronie Kendig

Leif Metcalf is on a mission to recover an ancient text long thought to be lost. But the Book of the Wars has been located and Lief and his team are in a race against time and other interested parties to recover this book first. And in the opening prologue, we find him in pursuit of Viorica a Bulgarian operative who seemingly has beaten him to the prize.

But then the reader is taken back one month in time and the story takes up from there to get us back to the action of the prologue. After the intense opening, the characters and the plot are slowly revealed.  Around page 150 the action again picks up a stays fairly constant from there on until the end.

Now one needs to know that Leif Metcalfe is a former Nany Seal who had a mission go very wrong in his past and that he is missing 6-months worth of memories. And there are those for whom he works that seem very worried that he may recover what he lost.

Viorica is the name that Iskra Todorova is known by and she is a highly skilled operative who is under the direction of Hristoff Peychinovich. Iskra is seemingly loyal to Peychinovich but Leif is convinced after several confrontations with her that all is not as it seems - there is a look in her eyes that he knows all too well. But his team thinks otherwise and that she is somehow playing on his protective instinct.

But when someone steals the Book of Wars away can Lief and Iskra work together to make sure it stays out of the hands of someone who would use the knowledge of the future it contains for dangerous and deadly pursuits? Or will Iskra betray the trust between them to gain the freedom she so desires - the freedom to be who she wants to be?

With a powerful enemy always a step or two ahead of them saving the world may be impossible, on time will time if they can succeed and survive.

Overall this is a pretty good read - there is a bit of violence and abuse of every kind directed at certain characters which can make the reader uncomfortable due to its nature. And I will admit that there were parts of this book I just loved and others I wasn't too thrilled about (abuse, slavery, tweaking of Scripture). The writing was well-done, it kept my attention throughout, and I am anticipating book 2.

I have not read Ronie Kendig's Tox Files series but this book seems to make references to events that may have occurred in those books. But if this is the case I had no problem reading this book without this previous series. This book most definitely does leave the storyline open but the book in itself seems complete without leaving the main characters dangling from the figurative cliff, which is nice in my opinion. So one can easily wait for what's next without worrying that the next book will open with that cliff having fallen away while awaiting book 2. This book definitely provides a good dose of suspense with a pinch of romance and a sprinkling of the speculative that will appeal to many a reader.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations other than that I provide my honest opinion - all thoughts provided are my own.

About the Book:

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.