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Stormlands is a series of fantasy books written by an American author of mystery and thriller novels John Maddox Roberts. The author began the publication of Stormland series in 1990 when The Islander the series debut novel was published. The series lasted five books concluding in 1994 with Queens of Land and Sea.
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Order of Stormlands Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Islander | 1990 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | The Black Shields | 1991 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | The Poisoned Land | 1992 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | The Steel Kings | 1993 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Queens of Land and Sea | 1994 | Description / Buy |
BEST STORMLANDS BOOKS
These are two best books in Stormland series by John Maddox Roberts, The Islander (1990) and The Black Shields.
The Islander: John Roberts is one of those authors of the most popular authors of the 20th century also best known for his masterful works of mysteries involving the adventures of Decius Caecilius Metellus as he solves crime in the ancient Rome. The author is also famously known for his prolific works of alternate history such as Hannibal’s Children, King of the Wood and The Seven Hills. Additionally, Robert has got a couple of works of science fiction, and fantasy to his credit and among this are the five books of the Stormland series.
In the series debut, The Islander, the author introduces the readers to a fantastic setting- after some hundreds of years after the modern day civilization as we know it has been wiped out. The story mainly focuses on Hael, a brave young warrior from a Shasinn tribe. The Shasinn tribe are herdsmen, taking care and grazing theirs hears of horned Kagga (what many would refer to as mutant cattle) from one grazing land to another on their home, Gale.
Gale is one of the many islands that line with the west coast of an enormous continent and together these islands and the nearby coast are known as Stormlands. Even though never mentioned in the series, one can clearly deduce that the Stormlands is the West Coast of North America- it somewhat central California stretching up to the Washington state.
Hael is mainly satisfied with what his life has to offer, he will spend several years as a junior warrior, and as he gains “age,” he will be allowed to own his Kagga herds and marry. He is an orphan who is often viewed as a social outcast, and so this status often prevents him from becoming an assistant to the tribe’s Spirit-Speaker.
Gasam is Hael’s half-brother who holds illogical hatred for Hael and hence sets him up to be exiled. Left without a tribe to belong to, Hael resolves to go to the sea where he boards a ship heading to the mainland. It’s from this point Hael begins his adventures at deep waters in the ancient and licentious nation of Neva and in a caravan headed for the unexplored eastern plains. It is in the eastern plains where Hael finally discovers his true identity and destiny- to unite the dissimilar people in the plains into one nation that will ultimately change the world.
The first book in the series makes no assertions to being high literature; it’s a doughty gambol of an adventure book with a large than main life character, decadent kingdoms, fierce warrior tribes, beautiful princesses, and duplicitous courtiers. Robert has a talent for description as the Stormlands are brought to life wonderfully, from Hael’s native home all the way to the eastern plains where the young man finally discovers his destiny.
Equally skillfully described is flora and fauna of this fantasy world. Gone are the animals we know such as lions, bulls or horses and in their places are terror-cats, Kagga, longnecks, and some other terrifying creatures. The cultures are beautifully developed, with great care taken to represent natural, workable and logical societies. If you are looking for an action-packed fantasy novel where you can lose yourself in for a couple of days or weeks, this is the book for you.
The Black Shields: Long ago, as the legends say, the world was destroyed, and everything in it changed. Once there were animals called bear and bull, but now men ride on long-horned cabs and avoid the lethal long-neck.
Now there are new empires new nations for the hearts of humankind have changed little. In this post-apocalyptic world, Hael, a warrior exiled from his native home has finally found life among the herd’s tribe of the plains, but his past is soon catching up with him. The Shasinn have changed, and the old enemy is leading them to war.
OTHER BOOK SERIES YOU MAY LIKE
If you enjoyed Stormland series, you would love these two book series, “Greatcoats” series by Sebastien de Castell and “Mageborn” series by Michael G. Manning.
What Is The Next Book in The Stormlands Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Stormlands Series. The newest book is Queens of Land and Sea and was released on September, 1st 1994.