Stormrider

by David Gemmel Book 4 in the Rigante series.

First published 2002

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4.6(3,100)

The uprising inspired by Ravenheart has weakened Varlish control, but the struggle has divided families and drawn armies towards the northern clans. Stormrider, the Moidart's son, carries the burden of his father's cruelty while becoming central to the war that will decide the fate of the Rigante.

Human conflict is matched by a supernatural threat gathering behind it. Warriors who should be enemies must decide what they are willing to defend together, and the final confrontation tests whether freedom can survive hatred, revenge and the temptation to replace one form of domination with another.

The Varlish conflict has reached the point where revenge can no longer substitute for a political settlement. Stormrider inherits the consequences of his father’s rule while other clan leaders must decide whether rebellion means restoring old customs or creating something new. The novel places its final battles inside a question of succession: who can govern once the symbols that united resistance are gone.