A Curse of Storms and Scorn by S.W. Clarke🗡️ Review

 So this book was a JOURNEY. I mean, I spent half the book questioning my understanding of the world and the lore, and the other half diving headfirst into all of it.

The writing in this story is heavily detailed. I don’t necessarily say that as a negative, however, at times it can feel monotonous. Other times, the heavy detail really works. Also, when I say this, I don’t mean heavily detailed in terms of world-building. I mean heavily detailed as in repeatedly explaining how something tastes, feels, or looks.

Personally, I felt like the author used description to thoroughly explain how different Sylvanwild was from Eury’s home, which is great for pushing a reader to relate to the main character’s struggle. But when you get to a certain point in the story, it’s like, “Okay, we get it.”

Again, this is only my personal opinion. I’m well aware that some readers enjoy heavy detail like that, and that’s completely fine and absolutely valid. The only reason I’m mentioning it is because at times it felt overly repetitive.

With that said, for this review I’m going to lean heavily into the details, which means 🚨 SPOILERS 🚨. So if you don’t want spoilers, click my Linktree at the top of the homepage and check out my Goodreads or StoryGraph profiles. I never post spoilers in those reviews.

Alright, let’s get into it.

The character development in this book is really strong and in-depth. We see Eury go from a weak, small night guard to someone learning how to navigate a political game in a foreign kingdom. She begins to realize her own power. She comes from a society that didn’t believe in putting women in positions of power and enters one that recognizes women for their strengths in high-ranking roles.

I loved how Sylvanwild is described as a place that simply exists naturally. The arches and flora sound beautiful. The buildings being described as something created by nature itself was one of my favorite aspects of how Sylvanwild was portrayed. It’s the complete opposite of where Eury came from. The level of detail, creativity in the imagery, and even the descriptions of scent were impressive.

“Never underestimate the power of a woman in this kingdom.”

The power of WOMEN. YES. Even if the women are “bad,” it’s still the power of women! Girl power. We love a matriarchal society.

I also loved the verbiage used throughout the story. It feels very intentional. Instead of saying “25 years old,” the author describes Dorian as being “five and twenty,” noting that he had only lived “five seasons longer” than the main character. The deliberate use of this older style of speech makes the reading experience feel more immersive.

I will say I did have to look up the color carmine once or twice. It’s a shade of red, by the way. 😆

Now here’s the flip side of that coin.

I wanted so badly to complain about the heavy details (minus the repetitive ones). But here’s the thing: the details and the plot are so thoroughly laid out that when I found myself questioning things halfway through the book because there were still pieces I didn’t understand, and it actually seemed intentional.

And honestly? That’s brilliant.

As a reader, it felt like the author structured it that way so when the plot twists happen, they occur in real time alongside the main character’s realizations. Instead of figuring everything out ahead of time, you’re discovering things as Eury discovers them. That’s not just good storytelling, it’s immersive. It’s the kind of experience few authors can truly pull off.

The tension in this story was immaculate. And I’m not just talking about romantic tension. I mean the overall tension throughout the book.

-Not knowing when the trials would start.

-Not knowing when Dorian and Eury would finally start making out.

-Those little touches and stomach-flutter moments.

-The emotional damage of Eury believing and ultimately learning that Dorian and the fae were responsible for not just her mother’s death, but for the death of other changelings.

-Eury being accepted by some members of the fae court while constantly wondering who might turn on her and when.

I mean… just chef’s kiss. THIS is good storytelling. This is how you properly build tension.

I don’t know if you’re supposed to like Thalassa, but I do. She’s such a spicy old lady fae. 😆 It honestly feels like she just wanted the tea, and I absolutely cackled at her reactions to the gossip and to Eury telling her story. Now I kind of want to go have soup and tea with this old lady in her death-maze hovel. 😆😆

WHEN EURY LOOKED UP AT DORIAN AND HE SAW HER AND NOT CARYS 😭😭

My whole heart.

This final trial is killing me. Eury is feeling sympathetic toward the fae, yet she doesn’t seem to have even an ounce of understanding toward Dorian. Like… okay, she wanted to kill him in the beginning! She hated him in the beginning! He’s changed, girl!!!

Sorry. I understand why she’s mad at him but dang. Come on. It’s Dorian. 😭

Best. Quote. Ever.

“Male rage is anger. Female rage is power.”

New favorite book quote of all time.

Overall, this book was amazing. Yes, the details can be overwhelming, but it’s worth slowing down and really absorbing the story. I truly feel like it’s well written. The journey feels intentional.

You start questioning things, wondering why this matters, trying to figure everything out and then you realize you’re not supposed to know until the story is ready to reveal it.

I’m hooked.

It’s definitely heavy on the world-building, but when it all comes together, it’s worth it.

⭐️ Rating: 4.5/5 stars

A beautifully crafted, detail rich story full of tension, powerful women, and an immersive world that slowly reveals its secrets. It may take patience, but the payoff is absolutely worth the journey.

I was selected as an ARC reader for A Promise of Ice and Spite which is releasing April 28th so be on the lookout for that review coming up. 

Up next is, A Storm in Every Heart by Kate King. Kate is the very first author I ever did an ARC read for, (thanks Kate!), back when she was about to release A Thorn in Every Heart. Even though I wasn't an ARC reader for A Storm in Every Heart I did purchase it because I enjoyed the book I did ARC read. This one is a Little Mermaid retelling and I am super excited for this one! 

Until the next last page 🤎