Tower and Town, September 2024 (view the full edition)Ben Kane - StormcrowBen Kane's Stormcrow is pacey, action-packed and accessible. Norsemen, Shamans, longboats, Odin's ravens, murder and intrigue - all wrapped up in a coming-of-age narrative. The descriptions are vivid, the characters grow and deepen as the plot surges ahead at a fine rate of knots. Driven by revenge, Finn Stormcrow enters the world of the Viking raiders, chasing a stolen sword and seeking retribution for the violent murder of his father. He joins the crew of a longship plundering the Irish coast, forms strong bonds with his shipmates and becomes the focal point of political and romantic entanglements. Stormcrow is definitely more in the Conn Iggulden/Ken Follett camp than the Patrick O'Brian style of historical fiction - its hooks are set early and it is immediately immersive. The book really did keep me engaged - I read it over a couple of days. The threads left untied at the end of the book definitely point towards this being an overture rather than a stand-alone novel - bring on the sequels, Ben! Thrill to the tale of Finn Stormcrow in St Mary's Church Hall at 1pm on Saturday 28 September. 
Credit Simon Holliday 
Ian Watson |