Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: storm

  • The Storm Swimmer

    The Storm Swimmer

    Clare Weze has written an adventure/fantasy in The Storm Swimmer for mid-grade readers set in seaside town that could be almost anywhere, but is set in the coastal town of Devon, England.  

    Ginika lives in a camper van with her parents. However, this new arrangement is not working and so they have decided to send her to her grandparents in Devon.  The young girl is very upset and desperate not to be parted from her parents. She will also miss her school friends and performing in the school play. Many arguments ensue, but her parents insist.

    Gradually we learn that Ginika is very afraid of water after an accident. Her grandparents run a boarding house and are kept very busy. However, they show great concern for the girl and care for her, while allowing her freedom to roam the local beach. It is here she comes across Peri, the boy from the sea. They develop a friendship and begin to communicate in a basic way.

    In the excitement of finding such an unusual friend, Ginika begins to show Peri what life on land is like. The lights at night, the noises from cars and trucks, and the awareness that there is little peace to be had begins to change Peri. Ginika recognises he is unwell and knows that she will have to act quickly, and bravely to help him.

    Many skilfully woven themes and ideas have been carefully introduced into this story full of has interesting characters, a fantasy element and adventure.

    The Storm Swimmer is a well told story that looks at the issues of change, homelessness, family and acceptance in a well-balanced style.

  • The Storm Keepers’ Battle

    The Storm Keepers’ Battle

    Storm Keeper Trilogy 3

    The long awaited final book in the Storm Keeper series from Catherine Doyle has arrived and with it a massive finale that is guaranteed to keep you in a state of serious concern, as to the final outcome of the battle raging over Arranmore between the forces of Morrigan and Fionn as they push the very limits of power, magic and sorcery to win the game!

    Fionn is still struggling to understand the power he has and how best to use it while Morrigan seems to be going from strength to strength, as she gathers her army of dead souls to wage a further and final battle to get what she wants, Arranmore.

    As the storm begins to build, and the final two candles begin to burn, can Fionn managed to unite the people who once lived on Arranmore to defeat Morrigan, or will past hatreds still stand in the way is to be discovered. Light over darkness, bravery over bullying is the underlying message placed within the text.

    Bravery is required as the children band together to add their strengths to the battle Fionn has to win and once again dig far deeper than he ever thought. In doing he has to draw on his limited knowledge to understand what it is that will help drive the storm clouds away as the waters slowly recede from the Island of Arramore.

    Who will win the day is a closely guarded secret and it is not until the later part of the story, that there is any idea of whether good or evil will win the day, as the scales of time and knowledge are far from evenly balanced.

    One small point is that as the last book, the second in the series The Lost Tide Warriors was more than twelve months ago, picking up the threads of the linking information was slightly challenging. As The Storm Keepers Battle is not a stand-a-lone work, making the threads easy to follow could have been better.

    The Storm Keepers Battle is a cataclysmic ending to an excellent series. Fans of the Storm Keepers will not be disappointed.

  • Other Weather

    Other Weather

    Billed as ambient classic Other Weather from Jeff Grienke is subtly different to his previous recordings in that piano is the predominant instrument , with others joining in as Grienke so chooses, creating as he feels and hears the sound ranges within the changing element of weather.

     Long fascinated with the elements that create weather, his more recent music reflects his expanding fascination which has been structured, thanks to clever the use of electronic blending, to seek out and form an enchanting album of sound with subliminal appeal.

    Beautifully subjective of the sky when it is so full of rain that  it appears to falling to the earth, Falling Sky is gentle, peaceful and evocative, whereas  Rising Cumulus brings about the heavy emotions of storms brewing, emotions rising, majesty forming before it crashes into a major symphony of light and sound, both stark in contrast, both elemental.

    With the title Clouds like Flying Saucers, how could this not evoke the image of time spent simply observing the clouds as they float past, driven by an unseen wind to pass onto destinations unknown. So many images created to dissolve, to move into another form, shapeshifting before one’s eyes. Such magical moments have been captured with a gentle melody offering time out from the mundane.

    Somewhat whimsical in nature the complete work comes with a lovely built in subtlety which, for those who do take time to take time, to watch the many aspect of the weather unfold, will totally understand. Weather forms the most beauteous of artworks momentarily created on a never ending basis to enchant and renew, as does the intangible nature of music.

    Magical and soothing melodies abound throughout Other Weather that capture the quieter moments, such as a riotous sunset or gloriously gentle sunrise, the freshness after the rain, the immense feeling of storm clouds forming, creating within their very element an innate feeling of awe, of wonder, the overwhelming beauty of Snow Across a Windswept Plain, the eerie majesty perfectly captured.

    In summation Other Weather is not at all what may be expected; it is delicate, introspective, reflective using a wide range of harmonies to build a delicate individual landscape to be enjoyed.

  • The Storm Keeper’s Island

    The Storm Keeper’s Island

    Set on the Island of Arranmore this beautifully crafted tale of magic and mystery is wonderfully captivating as it pits the forces of good and evil against one another a time old tradition, couched in parts in the mists of time.

    When Fionn and his sister Tara get sent to visit their grandfather on the remote island of Arranmore for the long days of summer, Fionn wonders why. He does not know their grandfather but he is well aware that he, like his father before him, come from a long line of lifeboat men. As they draw closer to the Island, Fionn begins to feels something deep, something mysterious calling to him, but what is it; what could it be.

    His grandfather is an eccentric old man who has lived on the island all of his life, a Storm Keeper, a position that is magical and mysterious, something that changes with the generations; the Keeper is appointed to ensure the magic of the Island remains pure.Candles are placed in every space in his Grandfathers cottage, special candles that are crafted for a very special reason, one that allows magic to happen, to guide the way and to protect; Candles his grandfather makes, steeped in magic. As the time to appoint the new Storm Keeper draws closer, Fionn realises it is his destiny that he is walking towards; a destiny racing towards the Island as a dark and dangerous storm, a storm similar to the one that took his father 12 years before.

    But hidden deep within the island there is a dark and menacing presence, banished to the rocks and underground after the last tussle between good and evil on the Island.  Morrigan has patiently waited for the right person to unlock her prison and let her, once again, challenge all the forces of good on Arranmore. Can Fionn conquer his fears, learn what it is to be a Storm Keeper, rescue his sister Tara from the clutches of evil and live up to the bravery of his father and Grandfather to keep the Island safe?

    In this her first novel for middle readers, Catherine Doyle has created a journey into magic, good, evil and beautiful fantasy, all done with a zany sense of humour and knowing that the key elements to weaving a great story are, magic, magic, magic and a wonderful command of the language.

    There is definitely another book required for this magical, entertaining and absorbing tale of Fionn, the newest and youngest Storm Keeper of all history on Arranmore!

  • Ridgeview Station

    Ridgeview Station

    Peter and Kelsey Dalton bought Ridgeview Stations some five years ago, in spite of their friends thinking they had run mad, leaving the fertile lands of the coast for the dry, unforgiving nature of the outback. Lucky for then they had had good rains over the time and this year, were looking forward to a good muster, some money in the bank and bit over to be able to replace some much needed equipment.

    Deciding they need a bit of extra help, they approach a neighbouring grazier who has a hand looking for a new position. Alexi comes with a glowing recommendation, duly arriving at Ridgeview Station, except that Alexi is not at all what is expected much to the amusement of her former boss, Graham, who had carefully left out the simple fact that Alexi was a female!

    Aunty Bethany, the go-to local indigenous woman also sends out Murray, who has worked at the property before and with their own hand Ash, make a up a reliable team.

    As the days approach the beginning of the muster, everyone concerned with the event is confident it is s going to go as quickly and as smoothly as possible. The antics of the two young men around Alexi provided amusement to Peter and Kelsey as well as their parents, who are an integral component of the station and station life, even though Jack is getting a little slower than he is prepared to admit.

    A week into the muster a massive storm is brewing with the horizon slowly disappearing under a black cloud of fury, interspersed with hugely formidable bolts of lightning. It is with fear and trepidation they all sit and watch, from the veranda of the homestead, the storm slowly approaching, praying that it will move on without leaving any damage in its wake.

    From this point on their luck seems to have run out with what appears to be a small fire out in one of the paddocks, which soon gets out of control despite their best efforts. Help is called in which duly arrives in the form of Bull and his huge ‘dozer, Chook in the service ute and Goose driving the third vehicle  loaded with spares, a small fire unit, air compressor and just about anything else that may be needed in the days to come.

    Based on more than 16 years living and running a sheep station, Michael Trant, in this his first novel brings the dust, grit, passion and determination of the outback people to life on the pages. You can feel the choking atmosphere of the fires, the distress caused after the death of beloved working dogs, the fear, compassion and understanding that is a part of everyday life for those who live far from the trappings of civilisation.

    You can relate to the frustration of dealing with bureaucracy, and anyone who has lived in the outback can definitely relate to the characters who populate the ‘bush’, adding their courage and audacity to creating the spirit that is the Australian outback!