Assessment:
Lieutenant Erynn Yager is a remarkably gifted young pilot-in-training, the adopted daughter of a commanding general, and the genetic offspring of two races forbidden to procreate—the result is that she possesses great powers that connect her to the world of Arranon, a connection that others require in order to take over the system. The author of this book has created an intricate world with societies, cultures, flora, and fauna that leap directly off the page. Although some of the science-fiction plot points boarder on genre cliche and there are occasional bursts of overwritten prose, the book has a strong narrative and exciting action sequences. The story jumps around between secondary characters a bit too often to fully develop them, but Erynn is a strong female character who can hold her own.
Date Submitted: September 21, 2016
5.0 out of 5 starsThis unusual book is a fantastic read
By Blaine Coleman on March 21, 2014Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This mixture of science fiction and magic, of a sort, is the classic tale of good versus evil, light versus dark, and a reluctant hero pushed by circumstances to accept that only she can be the salvation of her home planet and its nearby twin world. Uncertain at first that anything can be done to free her world, Erynn learns that her planet is alive and that she actually has a deep enough connection that the wildlife of the planet are willing to assist her in driving out the invaders, before they strip it of resources and move on, leaving two dying worlds in their wake. In order to save her planet and its neighboring world, as well as her friends and the man she has fallen in love with, Erynn accepts what she’s been told, that it is her destiny and no one else can do it. Without giving away whether or not she succeeds, I can say that the story, though fully satisfying, leaves open room for a sequel, which to reading when and it’s released. The author has a keen ability to develop complex characters and relationships, and very good world building!
4.0 out of 5 starsThoroughly enjoyed this novel!
ByRenee Spicuzzaon August 31, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
R. E. Sheahan’s, “Storm of Arranon,” is an awesome, action packed novel. There is a lot of information that you get hit with throughout the novel, but having such a wide variety of characters that have so many different backgrounds makes it harder for you to see what is coming next because the characters are more unpredictable. We get to see Erynn’s personality and powers grow as she tries to escape her status as prey with her “guardian” Jaer. Of course, no story would be complete without a romantic interest (Jaer), but I think it was well done and wasn’t unnecessarily placed in the story.
I don’t really know how to describe this book because there are so many different elements within the plot, but it has many science fiction elements along with a tinge of fantasy styling. I enjoyed this combination because it was well written and Sheahan connected different plot points so everything connected seamlessly.
4.0 out of 5 starsStorm of Arranon
ByKindle Customeron April 24, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition
Storm of Arranon is an interesting fantasy set in the future, The author has created an interesting, complex social structure within the society she has created. I found this to be one of the best things about the novel. So many times when reading novels set in the future the social structure is not given enough attention in favor of battles, space flight or conflict. As readers we need to be able to immerse ourselves in the world we are given in order for us to suspend our disbelief. This time we have been given a world we can understand and identify with.
Our hero, Eyrnn, is a young woman with a dream and a goal. She wants to fly interceptors. To be the best of the best. She is also following her father's footsteps, always difficult for anyone to do. But for Erin this is even a more difficult task as she did not inherit his natural abilities.
Eyrnn also keeps a secret, a secret that could end her budding career. She has been given the gift of prophesy. But as with all seers interpretation is everything. Not all prophecy is clear and she must work to understand her gift and to keep the command structure from becoming aware that she is not like everyone else. Since her gift can surface at any time she must learn to control it so it does not interfere with her ability to fly.
I don't want to give any spoilers here.
The story is packed with action, flight, rescue's, romance and a classic good vs evil plot that keeps the reader turning the pages. It is an easy read but still has enough complexity to stimulate the imagination. The characters are people who are easy to like and understand. The dialogue moves the plot and protagonists well and we are able to relate to the situations they find themselves in.
I like this novel especially for young readers. It deals with difficult and complex coming of age situations but never bogs down in action or direction. The youthful characters grow in maturity and ability throughout the story without the narration becoming preachy. All said it is an exciting story with good resolution.
I am looking forward to the next in the series.
Karen Bryant Doering,
Parent's Little Black Book
4.0 out of 5 starsOur review
ByForever YA Fictionon November 14, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition
Here’s one of those books that prove you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover. We are not saying we didn’t like the cover. It’s just we thought it was a bit busy and were afraid the story would also be too complicated. But we were wrong.R.E. Sheahan does a wonderful job bringing you into two different worlds you will fall in love with. It’s set in the future with the good vs. evil story line. This book has just the enough description that helps you imagine it and doesn’t overpower the story. We loved the relationship between Erynn and Jaer. It a very cute buddy-romance. The pace of the story is perfect with the right amount of action to keep it flowing. All the characters are very well developed and you can see Erynn and Jaeg’s growth by the end of the book. Erynn is a wonderful character that many young readers will be able to connect with. We really love her connection to the animals. There were times we felt a little lost, but not so much to not know what was going on. This book is an easy, delightful read that is great for young readers.
4.0 out of 5 starsWell written and exciting!
ByOpenBookSociety dot comon October 7, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Sammy
Storm of Arranon is well written, exciting, fast-paced, action filled, and a gentle love story with intriguing characters. A great story, told at a perfect pace for young adults.
The characters had interesting powers, Eyrnn was clearly an empath but the author wrote about it in a way that described it in pictures and she never needed to tell us she was an empath. Her connection to animals didn't happen overnight so seemed a natural addition to her powers. As for her coming into her own with managing the weather to help get out of a bad situation, that also, had a nice build up.
Eyrnn and Jaer had just the right amount of self doubt about themselves, while continuing with their missions and getting to know each other.
The world building is amazing, filled with details of the planet, animals and the special connection between the planet and the characters.
Jaer and Sean are both strong, yet gentle and I can't wait to find out more about there lives and training. They both seem to be able to calm down and help keep people focused in a non-invasive way.
I highly recommend this book and am looking forward to the next book in this series.
This review and more at openbooksociety dot com
5.0 out of 5 starsAmazing Sci-Fi Debut From R.E. Sheahan
ByBrian Beamon July 25, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
For those who don't like to read long reviews, I can sum this up by saying Storm of Arranon is an incredible read, well worth your time.
That said, Storm of Arranon follows Erynn, a military student on the planet of Korin and the daughter of one of Korin's most famous generals. Her entire life, she has been forced to hide a major secret about her past as well as her mysterious powers that she herself does not even understand. When treachery rears its head in the political powers on Korin, she suddenly finds herself swept into a war in which Korin, and its sister planet of Arranon, are threatened by annihilation. Revelations about Erynn's life comes to light and she soon learns that she has a mysterious connection to Arranon. She finds she may be the key to saving both planets, finding love along the way.
When reading this, I found it hard to believe that it was R.E. Sheahan's debut novel in that her writing style screams of seasoned pro. The balance between detail, story, and characterization is impeccably executed. Nearly all of the characters are deep and complex and grow throughout the story. Though the main villain in the novel does not really share the same level of characterization as the other key players(I'm leaving out the name in case of spoilers), you gain an understanding of him based on the overall story of his people.
When reading Storm of Arranon, the world was brought vividly to life in my mind by the author's wonderfully realized sense of the world(s) they have created. You can tell that an extreme amount of care went into developing Arranon and Korin, whether from the description of species native to the planets, the unique environments, or from the inhabited towns/cities. R.E.Sheahan has invested a level of world building that in no way feels forced or unnatural.
Storm of Arranon is a wonderful sci-fi adventure full of fun, action, and even a little romance. I could see this book making a wonderful movie! Though I hated to see the book end, I was happy to see it left open for further volumes in the series while still wrapping up in a satisfying way. I look forward to the continuation of Erynn's story.
5.0 out of 5 starsThis book was a real surpise...it had some amazing scenes, subplots and enough action to keep me reading.
ByAmazon Customeron January 11, 2014
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
This author has an amazing talent for creating new worlds and species. Very awesome and believable. The main character really evolved and matured in this book and I enjoyed her process. I really liked the way I could picture the whole scene as the characters were moving through them. The flow of the story was great. It has depth, but with no let down or dragging parts...very well written.
