“And now the Angel was here, if the rumours that had followed their return to the workshop did truly confirm what she had seen at the wall. Had he come to punish her? She shivered as she imagined disapproval in the Angel’s ageless eyes- eyes that has been so dark she’s had difficulty making out the border between cornea and pupil.”
Angel of Storms is the second instalment in Trudi Cavanan’s series entitled ‘Millennium’s Rule’. As I have previously reviewed book one of the series I will not go into much detail about the author. Suffice to say that the second instalment was first publish as hardcover in 2015.
Like Theif’s Magic, this book also follows the story of the two characters Tyen and Rielle. However, five cycles have passed since the events following the previous book and we start with Rielle, who has followed the Angel’s instructions to begin a new life in Doum, creating as much magic as possible to replace what she had stolen. However, war torn Doum is soon visited by the Angel who has come to invite her to his world. Taken from her world and left with an ally of the Angel, she is soon abandoned and left for dead in a deserted world. A chance encounter with Travellers, a nomadic group of merchants that travel from world to world trading good, saves her life. While living and traveling with this group of merchants she becomes engaged to Baluka, the son of the leader of the group she is with, finds out about her magical abilities and learns about the return of the ‘ruler of worlds’. But her future remains uncertain and pressing questions must be answered. Is her Angel in fact Valhan ‘the ruler of worlds’? And what will he do once he discovers that she is alive and well?
On the other hand, Tyen has become a teacher of Mechanical Magic at the famous magic school Liftre. But the return of the ‘ruler of worlds’ has also meant the return of his laws. Schools cannot teach magic without his permission and Liftre is closed before Valhan (also known as the Raen) seeks to punish those who have disobeyed him in his absence. Tyen travels from one world to the other to warn those of Valhan’s return. However, traveling between world is outlawed by Valhan and when he is caught by the Raen for doing so, he is forced to make a pact. Tyen must become a spy and join the rebels in exchange for the Raen finding a solution for Vella, the woman that was turned into a book more than 1000 cycles ago. Will Tyen manage to avert the inevitable clash between the rebels and the Raen? Will the Raen keep to his promise and transform Vella back into a human being? Or are other events brewing, events that will change our perception of the ancient prophecy: Millennium’s Rule?
This instalment in the series ‘Millennium’s Rule’ is much better than the first and the two separate stories are better integrated with the main plot. We now better understand Rielle’s contribution to the story and are left intrigued by her interactions with the Raen. Moreover, the outcome of her actions has game changing consequences for the rebels. The twist at the end of the book is also well thought out and leaves the reader wanting to know more. However, there are also a few points that I would like to make in regard to how the book could have been even better. Trudi’s grammar and descriptions leave much to be desired at certain points in the book. Her descriptions are not always clear, and it is hard to imagine what is being described. Perhaps a better editor of her work is needed. Additionally, I would have liked to see Tyen do more with the ancient book Vella. He could have learnt important secrets from it that would have led to him having unique abilities or have set him on a path of discovery as he unearthed long forgotten ancient artefacts. But, all in all I think the book serves its purpose and I give it 4.5 out of 5.
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