STORMBREAK

Following Steel Tide (2019), a high-stakes trilogy conclusion on the high seas.

No longer after simple revenge against Lir or even the rescue of her brother, Donnally, Caledonia’s goal is huge: to completely change the world, liberating everyone from the Bullets (and the Bullets from Silt, the drug used to control them). She’s still outnumbered, though, and so must add to her unlikely coalition of allies as well as take advantage of shake-ups in the ranks of the Bullets while Lir consolidates his power. Caledonia struggles under the mantle of leadership, especially when plans go awry and when she’s forced to make brutal choices that have her fearing that to beat Lir, she must become too much like him. The conflict plays out in sabotage, espionage, naval battles large and small, and close-combat with fists and knives; action sequences are obstacle-packed and skillfully drawn. What makes the action land, though, is that the stakes stay real: Characters can (and do) die, and those that do (including those who died in earlier books) are missed and mourned. Romantic storylines of many different gender constellations anchor personal stakes for the characters while not slowing down the action. Refreshingly, female friendships are given equal weight to romance. Though Caledonia, Donnally, and Lir are White, the world is racially diverse (and Caledonia’s love interest and best friend both have brown skin).

A fast and ferocious finale sure to please fans.