The world building in Hurricane Wars had me absolutely hooked from the start. It is so rife with unique magic and a compelling land that I could not get enough of the history of.
The different types of power that the people can have are so cool in the form that they take and the rifts with which they can further power themselves, that which Talasyn sets off to find for her Lightweaving power which could be the only thing to save the people on her side of the war. I loved every minute of learning more about Lightweaving, Shadowweaving and all the other kinds of power that popped up because they were so different, and so interesting.
There was also a fascinating interplay between technology and the lack thereof, such as with the coracle wasps, flying single person ships they use in war, but fighting with crossbows and wearing gauntlets. There is also the intense action of war, while at the same time the inner turmoil and discoveries of self and identity that make books like this so incredible and impossible to put down. The characters are impossible not to become invested in. As an enthusiast for enemies to lovers I was completely smitten with Alaric from the get go, and the more time spent getting to know his character only intensified this. The characters reveal depths to themselves the further into the book you get and watching Talasyn and Alaric get to know each other more and more, and have their defenses ease up bit by bit was everything.
I will say for those looking for a book that focuses most on the way itself, the politics, the battles, etc., the book does stray away from this a bit. It definitely grows to focus more on the romance aspect of the story than the overall plot it opens with, so while I still very much enjoyed the book, this is just a heads up for those who might not prefer a romance intensive storyline.
I really loved the start to this series and cannot wait to delve further into the world created, and to gain more knowledge of everything involved in it going forward. I’m very excited to see more from this author.
