Sometime ago, Humble Bundle had a fantastic bundle for sale. For a measly $25 you basically got all the core rule books for the Warmachine tabletop game. In addition, you also got most, if not all of the fiction set in the Warmachine universe. I knew absolutely nothing about Warmachine, but when I saw that Larry Correia had written three of the books as well as contributed a few short stories to the universe, I was sold. You simply can’t go wrong with Larry Correia.
There is no question of what kind of book this is
Warmachine uses the Iron Kingdoms setting, a quasi-steampunk setting where various fantasy kingdoms have acquired the tech to build giant military robots, aka “warjacks”. And of course these kingdoms don’t like each other and duke it out with lightning swords, spellcasters, giant robots and semi-magical firearms.
This is the setting that Larry Correia’s Into the Storm takes place in. You don’t really need to have any background knowledge of the Iron Kingdoms setting in order to enjoy this book. The author has done a fantastic job of easing the newbie reader into the Iron Kingdoms. In addition, the book features a glossary that is very helpful.
The story begins just before the Kingom of Cynar’s invasion of its enemy, the Protectorate of Menoth. We have Madigan, a washed up Cynarian Officer, who is given the humiliating task of putting together a platoon of criminals an officers fit for service. Once invasion begins, things don’t go as planned and crap happens. Suffice it to say that the story itself is pure fun in the vein of a summer blockbuster. Larry Correia is the master of action-packed novels, and Into the Storm has him at the top of his game. Lightning swords fry soldiers from the inside out, alchemical concoctions explode and vicious warjacks pummel everything into fine paste. If you like your action loud, bloody and well-written, then you’ll find plenty of it here.
Correia has also created some awesome and diverse characters, giving the reader plenty of people to root for in the midst of the slaughter. Madigan is everyone’s lovable rogue who will stop at nothing to achieve victory. Cleasby is the bumbling academic who would rather be out admiring historical monuments instead of crushing heads. Acosta is the so-good-he’s-scary swordsman that just does whatever he wants. There are plenty more where they came from and each character is lovingly crafted, with their own ambitions and motivations. Correia really has a gift of creating characters you just can’t help but care for. He makes it look so easy.
As I’ve mentioned plenty of times before, Correia is the master of pacing, slowing things things down just enough to catch your breath before kicking it back into high gear. The plot is constantly moving forward and even includes a couple of minor twists to keep things fresh.
Despite my high praise, I do have a quibble. There are moments in the novel where things are sped up and months pass by with a page of summary. I can understand why the author chose to do it, but it was still very jarring to be taken out of the lives of Madigan and the rest like that. Again, a minor quibble that doesn’t takeaway from all the positives I’ve mentioned.
Ultimately, Into the Storm, is an overwhelmingly fun novel that anyone interested in fantasy and steampunk can get into. You don’t need to be into the tabletop game to really enjoy the book.
4.5 out of 5 Stars
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