Stormbringers

May 15, 2013
The second volume of a projected quartet of historical/paranormal novels is as sloppy as the first, Changeling (2012). Five disparate characters travel through 1453 Italy together: Isolde, kept from her own lands by her brother; Ishraq, her companion, close as a sister; Luca, novice member of a secret papal order; Freize, Luca's amiable and intelligent manservant (and the only fully realized and attractive character); and Brother Peter, who seeks to keep them all in line. Brother Peter and Luca are seeking signs of the end of days, and the young women are headed toward Isolde's godfather for assistance. They happen upon a band of child crusaders certain the waters will part for them to walk to Jerusalem. In the one compelling moment of storytelling, a tsunami sweeps the children and much of a seaside town away. The townspeople behave like a cardboard mob, first praising those who survive, then accusing Isolde and Ishraq of bringing the great wave. Those two girls, inseparable as companions, suddenly have a vicious fight (over Luca). The story concludes, with little progress made, in a scene, between Luca and a lord of the secret order, that is probably meant to be creepily erotic but ends up only creepy. As before, Gregory mixes odd nomenclature and modern phrasing ("Saved our bacon at Vittorito," Frieze says of Muslim Ishraq) into the unfocused plot. Another miss, and we're only halfway through the series. (Historical fiction. 14-18)

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February 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-It is 1453, and Luca Vero is an inquirer, sent by the head of a mysterious order to investigate signs of the End of Days. In this sequel, Luca and his companions, his servant, Freize; the Lady Isolde and her servant, Ishraq; and the clerk and recorder Brother Peter, continue their journey across Europe. Although the pace is slow in the beginning, reflecting the pace of the travelers, the action explodes midway when a tsunami drowns hundreds of children on a pilgrimage lead by the prophet Johann. This cataclysmic event focuses the reader on the novel's philosophical motif: the clash of reason and belief, science and superstition. Each character embodies aspects of this debate, principally Ishraq, a half-Arabic scholar, representing science and reason, and Luca, who, despite his role of church inquirer, appears on the verge of questioning his beliefs and his mission. There is also the leader of the Order of Darkness, willing to use any means to root out and defeat the infidel Ottoman Empire, which his order believes is responsible for the End of Days. Gregory has crafted a novel full of depth and texture that stands on its own. Readers who have not read the first book will be inspired to do so after finishing this one and will eagerly await the next installment.-Nina Sachs, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2013
Grades 8-11 Book two of Gregory's four-volume Order of Darkness series continues young Luca's quest at the behest of a mysterious religious order to travel the realm seeking signs of the end of days. When a tsunami floods a coastal Italian village in 1453, overwhelming a children's crusade to Jerusalem, Luca ponders the scene grimly, thinking that it has swept up his dearest friend along with the scores of others. Might the disaster be a sign of the end? Punishment for sin? The great flood stalls his journey but not the action in this highly packed adventure. At one pivotal dramatic point, Isolde and Ishraq, two young women in Luca's retinue, stand accused as stormbringers, dark arts practitioners who brought on the flood deliberately. Gregory's lively characterizations pull the reader in. She skillfully weaves the threads of history through the suspenseful narrative, playing out the clash between Christendom and Islam in a small medieval town. The shiver of horror at the end will have fans wondering how far the quest might venture to the dark side.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2013
Luca (Changeling) investigates Johann, leader of the Children's Crusade, who claims to be a prophet but may be inadvertently doing Satan's work. The question of whether miracles actually exist is thought-provoking, and the medieval setting is intriguingly drawn. Attempts to create tension and drama never quite succeed, but readers who like their historical fiction with a supernatural twist will still enjoy this installment.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)