Herald of the Storm (Steelhaven: Book One) Paperback – 1 Aug. 2013

I read fantasy as a bit of light relief. Herald of the Storm is just that. I don't think it's going to win any awards and some of the characters seem a bit close to those of Richard Morgan or Daniel Abraham, but at the end of the day, it's a well-written bit of violent fantasy, and there's nothing wrong with that.I read the whole thing in a day and a bit so it must have flowed quite well and by the end, I even felt a twinge of sympathy for some of the characters, so Mr Ford must be doing something right. I look forward to the next installment.

I absolutely loved this book and I highly recommend it.Firstly, I should say that the synopsis does not do the story justice; you'd think this was solely another war/ battle based fantasy novel after reading it and whilst the threat of war pervades and hangs over the cast, this is actually a multi point of view character based novel.It has magic, politics, world building, fights and mystery; everything you'd want from a fantasy novel. But what elevates this above the standard stuff are the characters. The book's structure dedicates alternating chapters to a multitude of lead characters. Initially, I was sceptical because I didn't feel there would be enough page time to give each one sufficient depth and growth: I was wrong, virtually every one is a fully fleshed, flawed and interesting creation.The fact that you miss each one when the chapter ends, yet look forward to reading about the next one says a lot about the skill of the author. I loved how the actions of one indirectly affected another later and as the book progresses their paths begin to cross and it's a pleasure seeing them interact and influence each other.The level of care and attention given to the characters and plot by the author makes this a joy to read. It's fast paced, deep and complex yet at the same time easy to read. As expected, plots are left hanging for book two but I can't wait to see what the author does next within this world.Another masterstroke was to set the entire novel within one city. It means the city itself becomes a part of the story and it was well described and varied.There were times when the author genuinely shocked me, events and decisions taken by the characters were unpredictable and it made it all the more exciting.I'd recommend this to fans of Michael J Sullivan's fantastic books.Brilliant stuff. 10/10

I picked up Herald of the Storm because I share the same name as the author - small world, eh?Regardless, I was instantly dragged into the world, finding each main character to be expertly woven. River, in particular, is a favourite of mine. I found his "water remarks", for lack of a better term, to be the highlight of the story.In my opinion, though, the sheer number of main characters being introduced was ambitious. Especially at the start, with the first six or seven chapters focusing on a different character, it felt a little too diluted for my liking, especially in such a short book.Having said that, I would still recommend the book to any fan of Fantasy writers such as George R.R. Martin. I'll be sure to pick up the next two in the series when the times comes.

I am very picky about my fantasy authors with my favourite author being steven erikson, however, I have to say Richard Ford as done an excellent job, I have just completed book 1 and 2 and book 2 is even better than the first. An engaging, gritty, plot laden tale in my favourite genre and I have no hesitation in recommending this book. Nice to find an tale in this genre for adults. Looking forward to the next installment.

The novel begins with the introduction of a cast of characters who each get a couple of chapters to set them into the story. The author doesn't have much sense of dramatic structure, no big rise and fall of events. Throughout the book there's just a steady pace as events gradually build, and it's all quite standard stuff.The cast list is basically a collection of archetypes from Dungeons and Dragons and fantasy novels (Spoilers): the red head princess; the older warrior who's given up fighting but takes up the sword once again; the young thief; the young assassin; the struggling young wizard who is most likely destined for greatness; the charming criminal with a good heart beneath it all. The plot is also quite predictable at times and the way the separate stories interlink is a bit deus ex machina.The writing style is reasonable, although there are too many F words thrown in and every now and then there's some horrible scene which breaks the usual feel of the novel - it's like the author is trying to make it needlessly gritty like a Joe Abercrombie or George R. R. Martin book. I find it refreshing when writers avoid this current trend of unnecessary grotesqueness at every turn.So, Herald of the Storm is an okay book. It's readable, much better than the load of sadistic fantasy novels out there; a fairly standard example of the genre, where heroes can still be heroic.

As the 1st book in the series it weaves the tales of multiple characters in a style similar to Game of Thrones, I look forward to seeing if it stands up to that benchmark in the future

There has been a proliferation of supposed dark fantasy recently that when you scratch the surface offer nothing more than another glorified YA novel. If you like that kind of thing, then fine but don't advertise it as something grittier or more adult in nature.I'm pleased to say that Herald of the Storm is exactly as advertised. Hard hitting, dark in tone and content with no emotion spared. The many character POV's are varied and offer realistic progression within their story archs, that even while this is very obviously the first in a series, were self contained within the novel.The action is plentiful and at times shocking with many scenes believable due to the levels of depravity or desperation that people find themselves in.Overall, a very enjoyable first trip to Steelhaven and will be looking out for the follow up in the future.

Good start to a new series. Enjoyable read. Could be better but its good enough I'll purchase the 2nd book and see where the story goes

I love debut fantasy. It's make or break. This one pleased me. I look forward to much more. Just don't make me wait four years...

aber teilweise könnten die Charaktäre ein wenig origineller sein, trotzdem eine gute und spannende Lektüre, ich werde den nächsten Band in jedem Fall kaufen.

Perfect

While I wasn't really into the characters, nobody really stood out, the plot was very good. There's a wide range of plot lines, from the king all the way down to street urchins. The pace of the writing is excellent, just the right amount of detail while keeping the story going. I'm hoping that the next book builds on the characters while also building on the storyline. A very solid start.