The Storm Witch by Violette Malan

[snugglekitty]

Title: The Storm Witch
Author: Violette Malan
Series: Dhulyn and Parno, #3
Genre: Classic fantasy.
Keywords: Mercenary Guild, weather magic, vision, king, Crayx, pipes.
Setting: Principally the Long Ocean, a mysterious sea in a distant land. The weapons are medieval.
Reason for Reading: I enjoyed the previous two books and wanted to see if Malan could move beyond their limitations. The answer? She could.
Finished In: Days.
Pages: 312
Copyright Date: 2009
Cover: The lead characters spar on the deck of a ship, Mercenary Guild tattoos visible. Dhulyn wears her famous grin, Parno's eyes are intent.
First line: "Parno Lionsmane pulled the hood of his cloak down over his forehead and hunched his shoulders against the rain."
Best part: The author moved past the basic plot formula she used in the past two books and did something original.
Worst part: We still haven't gotten the story of how Dhulyn and Parno found each other.
Imaginary Theme Song: "Sunglasses at Night." Although sunglasses are anachronistic for this book, the song has an edgy quality that matches the characters' mindsets for much of the book.
Grade: B+. I originally gave it a B- but it really renewed my interest in the series.
Recommended for: Any fans of fantasy with mercenaries in it would probably enjoy these books. And this would not be a bad place to start the series.
Related Reads: The Sleeping God by the same author. Saber and Shadow by SM Stirling and Shirley Meier. The Stealing Magic series by Tanya Huff.