Fantasia Reviews Eye of the Storm

Eye of the Storm

Published 8/10/2016

Ages 14+

“On a research mission in one of the most remote regions of the world, former Navy SEAL Eric Slade and Dr. Anna Fayne are caught in a mysterious storm. Catapulted through a rift in space-time, they are marooned on a lost world.

Struggling to survive and desperate to find a way home, they must confront the dangers of this savage land—a dark wizard and his army of undead—a warrior queen and her horde of fierce Neanderthals that stands against him—and a legendary treasure with the power to open the gateway between worlds, or to destroy them all: the Eye of the Storm.” – From Amazon

Story – Original

Eric Slade and Anna Fayne are dropped into a strange and unforgiving world, forced to survive as they search for a way home.
To say Mister Cavallo’s story is original may be an understatement. We try to compare it to other things we have seen before. Land of the Lost perhaps comes to mind as the closest, but that would be too juvenile a comparison to make. He has built a vibrant world, full of mystery and wonder, with things both familiar and foreign and created something that is fun to read. Because of this, the story takes some unexpected twists and turns, which left us impressed and yearning for more.

“The Ph.D. scrambled to the far side of the conference room in a moment. She lowered the illumination in the room and then proceeded to clamp a lock on the only door. That startled some of the remaining attendees, but they confined their protests to no more than a few whispers.”

Writing and Formatting – Good

Some of the prose felt a little awkward at times, but it did not distract too much from the story. The formatting of the book was perfect, and it was a pleasure to read. Mister Cavallo clearly took considerable effort to see this book edited and polished and it shows.

“Each day, when the Queen held court at first light, receiving visitors, emissaries and tribute, Slade held a scimitar at the ready. Knowing little of their speech, and few of their customs, he glared upon all who approached the Eagle Throne. Word soon spread of the dangerous outlander who stood beside the Queen, chilling audience-seekers with his fierce eyes, trusting no one. As the months passed however, he learned more and more of their ways, and their language.”

Literary Value – Average

It is a story. Sometimes we debate removing this metric, but every once in a while we get a book that amazes us. Unfortunately, there is little regarding literary value here. That is fine, though, as some of the best reads are just stories, no more, no less, and there is nothing wrong with that. We will add that it is a darn fun story to read.

“The ground was littered with stones smoothed by ages of erosion. What should have been underwater plants stood in the open air. There were no walls to the chamber. On every side, Slade could see that the river still flowed. Rushing currents moved past on every side, somehow diverted around the invisible bubble in which they stood.”

Overall –3.75, Recommended

If you are looking for something different to read, Eye of the Storm is for you. Eye of the Storm is a well-written romp through an imaginative world that has dragons, dinosaurs, troglodytes and even a dark wizard. As strange as that may sound to some, Mister Cavallo has brought it all together and delivered a story that exceeds expectations and is well worth the read.

Want to read Eye of the Storm? It is available on Amazon.