#BookReview: Stormbringers (Order of Darkness #2) by @PhilippaGBooks with @adivineeternity

About the Book: The second book in a YA quartet filled with intrigue, mystery, and romance, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory.

The year is 1453, and the end of the world is closer than ever.

As Luca and Isolde continue their journey, their attraction grows with each passing day. Even as they try to remain focused on the mysteries they’ve been ordered to investigate, the tension between them builds.

Their budding, illicit relationship is put on hold when a boy, Johann, and his army of children arrive in town. Johann claims to have divine orders to lead the children across Europe to the Holy Land, and the townspeople readily accept his claims. Luca wants to believe, but his training tells him to question everything...but when Johann’s prophecy begins to come true, Luca wonders if they have finally stumbled upon a real miracle.

Yet even the greatest miracles have the potential for darkness…and the chaos that follows Johann is unlike anything anyone could have imagined.

The second in Philippa Gregory’s four-book series delves further into a forbidden romance and an epic quest as secrets about The Order of Darkness are finally revealed...

Reviewed By: Caity G.

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Recommended Age: Teens and Adults

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

How I Acquired this book: Bought it

Overall rating: ★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

About the Author: Philippa Gregory was an established historian and writer when she discovered her interest in the Tudor period and wrote the novel The Other Boleyn Girl, which was made into a TV drama and a major film. Published in 2009, the bestselling The White Queen, the story of Elizabeth Woodville, ushered in a new series involving The Cousins’ War (now known as The War of the Roses) and a new era for the acclaimed author.

Gregory lives with her family on a small farm in Yorkshire, where she keeps horses, hens and ducks. Visitors to her site, www.PhilippaGregory.com become addicted to the updates of historical research, as well as the progress of her ducklings.

Her other great interest is the charity she founded nearly twenty years ago; Gardens for The Gambia. She has raised funds and paid for 140 wells in the primary schools of the dry, poverty stricken African country. Thousands of school children have learned market gardening, and drunk the fresh water in the school gardens around the wells.

A former student of Sussex University, and a PhD and Alumna of the Year 2009 of Edinburgh University, her love for history and her commitment to historical accuracy are the hallmarks of her writing. She also reviews for US and UK newspapers, and is a regular broadcaster on television, radio, and webcasts from her website. 

Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: IT'S A FREAKING- wait, spoiler-free reviews are what I do

Check out author's other books? Still a yes
Recommend this book? It's an improvement over the first

Notes and Opinions: Brother Peter is still an annoying twit and Ishraq is much more awesome than in the first book. In fact, this is the book which will help you understand why it is I love her so much.

I love that she played on the legends of the Children's Crusades, deciding to use those as an element of the plot in this story. What I don't love is what she did to said children. You'll understand when you read it. She also gave me a scare with my other favorite character, Freize, which was DEEPLY unappreciated. 

While not everything in this series is accurate, it's because she has opted to mix in tidbits of actual history with a tiny hint of a magical feeling and plenty of fictionalized elements playing off of legends and stories currently believed to be more fiction than fact. I like that she's taken these liberties, though, because it's made the books engaging enough for me.

Go Into This One Knowing: Just ignore the ravenous nay-sayers who clearly would be better off avoiding historical fiction altogether.

 

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Posted in: 4 Stars, Review, Simon Pulse, Young Adult