Discover new selections
This edition of this title is not available for purchase in your country. Choose an available edition from the options above
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Rayne Hall
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Storm Dancer: Dark Epic Fantasy Novel Kindle Edition

by Rayne Hall (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 out of 5 stars 150 ratings
At twenty-five, warrior Dahoud has a conscience heavier than a bricklayer's tray and more curses on his head than a camel has fleas. He fights to protect his people - but how can he shield them from the evil inside him?

The only woman who can save him is the courageous weather-dance magician Merida - if he does not destroy her first.

Enter a world of magicians and rebels, bellydancers, warriors, diplomats and demons. Journey into a besieged fortress, a palace harem, a nomad camp, a flaming inferno. Immerse yourself in duels, battles and daring escapes.

Storm Dancer is a big book, providing many hours of reading pleasure and excitement. A short trailer video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI5oxeOziQM. Caution: contains violence. Not recommended for readers under 16.
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    494 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    September 11, 2011
  4. File size
    2.7 MB
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
Next slide of product details

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rayne Hall is the author of over sixty books in several genres, mostly fantasy and horror, published under several pen names in several languages.
She lives on the south coast of England and writes with a black cat snuggling between her arms.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B005MJFV58
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rayne Hall (September 11, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 11, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.7 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 494 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 150 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Rayne Hall

Rayne Hall

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Rayne Hall MA is the author of over 100 books, mostly Dark Fantasy and Gothic Horror, e.g. The Bride’s Curse: Bulgarian Gothic Ghost and Horror Stories. She is also the acclaimed editor of Gothic, Fantasy and Horror anthologies (e.g. Among the Headstones: Creepy Tales from the Graveyard) and author of the bestselling Writer’s Craft series for advanced-level writers, including and the bestselling Writer’s Craft series e.g. Writing Gothic Fiction Writing Scary Scenes, Writing Vivid Settings, Writing Vivid Dialogue, Writing Vivid Characters, Writing Deep Point of View.

Born and raised in Germany, Rayne Hall has lived in China, Mongolia, Nepal and Britain. Now she resides in a village in Bulgaria, where men perform the annual demon dance, ghosts and sirens beckon, and abandoned decaying houses hold memories of a glorious past.

Her lucky black rescue cat Sulu often accompanies her when she explores spooky derelict buildings. He delights in walking across shattered roof tiles, scratching charred timbers and sniffing at long-abandoned hearths. He even senses the presence of ghosts… but that’s another story.

Rayne has worked as an investigative journalist, development aid worker, museum guide, apple picker, tarot reader, adult education teacher, belly dancer, magazine editor, publishing manager and more, and now writes full time.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
150 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find this fantasy novel engaging, with a compelling story full of twists and turns, and complex characters that are not two-dimensional heroes and villains. The book features a fast-paced action sequence, necessary violence, and a marvelous landscape, with one customer noting how the writing engages the senses. The dark tone receives mixed reactions from customers.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

72 customers mention "Suspenseful story"52 positive20 negative

Customers enjoy the suspenseful story of the book, with its interesting puzzle-like plot progression and thought-provoking elements.

"...She is head-strong and superior, but also well-meaning and curious, when she arrives in the Queendom, and couldn't dream that the gift of rain to..." Read more

"...But there's more. It's the `more' that makes this book thought-provoking and sometimes uncomfortable. It's a story about redefining ethics...." Read more

"...So, in conclusion: Pros: Well written and edited. Lots of action. Compelling and interesting. Cons: Unlikable characters...." Read more

"...There was significant social commentary, about race, cultural appropriation, gender, wealth, class, family, nationalism, and rape culture...." Read more

40 customers mention "Character development"35 positive5 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, noting that the characters are complex and colorful, with one review highlighting how they are not two-dimensional heroes and villains.

"...Storm Dancer is a fast-paced, character-driven journey on the dark side of what it means to be a good person (by your own standards) with at least..." Read more

"Storm Dancer is a dark fantasy full of despotic rulers, political jockeying, and poetic language. But there's more...." Read more

"...fantasy set against a richly developed locale and a society populated by well-drawn characters, each with their own strong personalities and..." Read more

"...The author continuously knocked them down yet the characters remained determined, making me wonder how they would get through the trials, deceptions..." Read more

37 customers mention "Readability"33 positive4 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as thoroughly enjoyable and fun to read, with one customer noting how effectively it engages the senses.

"...She is head-strong and superior, but also well-meaning and curious, when she arrives in the Queendom, and couldn't dream that the gift of rain to..." Read more

"...So why did I read it through to the end? It was a compelling book, and sometimes it was really gruesome, which made it a different sort of read...." Read more

"...It's not a happy read. It just happens to be a great read. Phillip T. Stephens is the author of Cigerets, Guns & Beer and Raising Hell." Read more

"...Overall, this was a phenomenal read. I was actually really sad when I got to the end and saw there was no sequel...." Read more

34 customers mention "Writing quality"27 positive7 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, with one customer highlighting the well-done dialogue and another noting how the author keeps readers engaged.

"...She is head-strong and superior, but also well-meaning and curious, when she arrives in the Queendom, and couldn't dream that the gift of rain to..." Read more

"...a dark fantasy full of despotic rulers, political jockeying, and poetic language. But there's more...." Read more

"...When it comes to scene setting, the writing is so deft that you're immersed in a scene without being aware of the craftsmanship that put you there...." Read more

"...So, in conclusion: Pros: Well written and edited. Lots of action. Compelling and interesting. Cons: Unlikable characters...." Read more

20 customers mention "Visual quality"20 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the visual elements of the book, describing it as vibrant and lush, with one customer noting how the descriptive language creates a wonderfully vivid world.

"...The descriptive language is colorful and in the style of the Persian poets...." Read more

"...a good deal to like in this book: exquisite writing, a huge and marvelous landscape filled with believable cultures, and a lot of action...." Read more

"In Storm Dancer, Rayne Hall has created a rich and vibrant world that rings with intensity...." Read more

"Storm Dancer is a lush, complex tale of the internal growth of two very different characters: Dahoud, a former siege commander who once reveled in..." Read more

12 customers mention "Pacing"12 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the pacing of the book, noting its fast-paced action and quick start, with one customer mentioning it kept them riveted from page one.

"...Storm Dancer is a fast-paced, character-driven journey on the dark side of what it means to be a good person (by your own standards) with at least..." Read more

"...Suffice it to say that I found the novel gripping enough to hold my interest through two broken Kindles and my own series of adventures this fall..." Read more

"...hear lizards scurry, smell the sweat of dungeons, and feel the grit of windblown sand...." Read more

"...Every character no matter how small was made real and palpable...." Read more

12 customers mention "Violence level"12 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the necessary violence in the book, with one review highlighting its multiple levels of treachery and revenge, while another notes its political intrigue and dangerous situations.

"...There's action, there's scheming, there's a nation of people, fighting to remain independent in the face of constant war and the threat of..." Read more

"...Politics is wonderfully Byzantine...." Read more

"...empires, two planets, generations of history and multiple levels of treachery and revenge. The level of detail is rich and compelling...." Read more

"...a depth and richness to the rollicking adventure, sword play, animal attacks, battles and sieges, lifting the book above the usual tepid..." Read more

12 customers mention "Dark tone"6 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the dark tone of the book.

"Storm Dancer is an epic fantasy filled with dark, grisly passages and complex characters who must make difficult decisions...." Read more

"...The character desires and rampant sexism are certainly horrifying and dark...." Read more

"...There's even romantic tension, albeit tinged with a darker side, to capture those looking for the next brooding hero and outspoken, strong heroine...." Read more

"...(in places this is a very dark book, but it is life-affirming overall)...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Donna Johnson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fire + Water = Combustion (Who knew?)
    Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    Sit back, and grip the armchair: Welcome to the Queendom! (But make sure you've got a strong stomach as well as strong arms and bring a bottle of fresh water 'cause we ain't in ye olde Europe anymore!) Meet a cast of complex characters who will inspire, disgust, thrill, horrify, and teach you a thing or two in the process, all in a Persian-like desert world of drought, rebellion, shifting alliances, and war. Get to know mystics, healers, seers, magicians, royals, politicians, warriors, nomads, servants, and rebels who refuse to take it anymore. But be forewarned: these aren't elves and orcs but real people with genuine struggles and motivations.

    Storm Dancer is a fast-paced, character-driven journey on the dark side of what it means to be a good person (by your own standards) with at least one fabulous fatal flaw. How can we integrate our dark selves, which we need to survive, and transform ourselves into the heroes/heroines we were meant to be?

    Former siege commander, Dahoud of the Desert, once known as the Black Besieger, is a decent man beset with a cruel djinn... but this is not a clever beast from an ancient cave or a foreign world. This djinn eats inside him, a hunger he cannot sate. Nor escape. Like all real people, he fights the hardest battle against himself. He is a skilled warrior who yearns for battle and hungers for raping a strong woman who will give him the fight of his life. On the other hand, he knows his need is wrong and must defeat his djinn. He faked his own death and has removed himself from the victories that feed it. He wants to be a respected satrap living happily with the lordsdaughter he loves. But is he willing to risk feeding the djinn again to have both his wife and a lordship? When the sadistic Queen's consort, Kirral, dangling the carrot of what Dahoud most wants, sends the former besieger to vanquish rebellious and drought-stricken Koskara, it's time to find out if Dahoud can make amends for his past and win the people over rather than return to his old life and destroy them. The question is: who can he trust when the people he hopes to save don't want him to save them?

    While Dahoud is born of the fiery desert, Merida comes from the water, ready to "baptize" all into right living by her shining presence. Riverian by birth, she is the product of a refined northern culture of repressive virtues and individual value points-- a world where she has never completely measured up. She is head-strong and superior, but also well-meaning and curious, when she arrives in the Queendom, and couldn't dream that the gift of rain to save their drought-stricken world might be unwelcome. She has been assigned to bring rain with her magical dance, and this she does-- despite breaking a few serious rules. When Kirral decides to keep his successful rain dancer in his harem and break all ties with Riverland, Merida not only has to compromise but also let go of all she has valued in order to survive. She even escapes Kirral's harem only to be tracked down by Dahoud himself, little improving her situation. The question is: can she set all her virtues and preconceptions aside to see a greater world beyond herself that is worth saving?

    With the luscious stage set for insurmountable obstacles of both body and spirit and an epic conflict for this pair of fire and water, Dahoud and Merida must face both intrigue and betrayal before they inevitably collide. Their paths crisscross through personal struggle, political ambitions, animal attacks, battles and sieges, and tragic devastation until they are able to entwine for a greater goal: to save Koskara. Black and white may bleed into a beleaguered gray, but Merida and Dahoud's battered souls will mature and attempt to conquer their own fatal flaws with both courage and love. If you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for?
    4 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Debra Dunbar
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great dark fantasy with a thought provoking theme
    Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Storm Dancer is a dark fantasy full of despotic rulers, political jockeying, and poetic language. But there's more. It's the `more' that makes this book thought-provoking and sometimes uncomfortable. It's a story about redefining ethics. It's a story that explores the very personal question of when the needs of the many outweigh the needs, or even rights, of the individual.

    Dahoud is a man with a demon. He's an ethnic Samili, discounted and despised. He's also the child of a prostitute, abandoned in youth by not only his mother, but by every woman he's ever met. His desperate childhood fueled an ambition that allowed him to rise to the level of a General, but there was a price. He's had to give himself over to the djinn inside him, and this djinn has bought his success on the bloody ground of terrible deeds. Terrible deeds that Dahoud has actually enjoyed. In Storm Dancer, Dahoud tries to starve out his djinn, to weaken the darkness inside him. He vows to protect and defend women, to trust them and give them kindness instead of pain and humiliation. He strives to lead a nation by using diplomacy and cunning rather than the might of his sword. But right and wrong are never black and white, and he discovers there are times when the fury of violence is inescapable. He discovers there are some women not deserving of trust or kindness.

    Merida is a diplomat with a humanitarian mission. She will work her magic to bring rain to a backward and barbaric people, and perhaps lead them by example to embrace her enlightened path. Her condescension crumbles when she finds herself kidnapped by a sadistic tyrant and tossed into his harem. Merida finds she must bend and break the rules that are the very foundation of her morals to survive. And then she must break them further to ensure the survival of others. A seer advises her to lose her scruples, but Merida's journey is more about choosing her scruples. The choice her family makes in the beginning of the book to put the needs of the group above the needs of the individual is the very choice Merida makes for herself in the end. Because there are some things worthy of sacrifice.

    Don't be put off by all this heavy stuff though. You can still enjoy Storm Dancer and not delve into the intricacy of philosophy. The descriptive language is colorful and in the style of the Persian poets. There's action, there's scheming, there's a nation of people, fighting to remain independent in the face of constant war and the threat of starvation. There is some romance, but it's more about trust and partnership than fireworks and roses. There is violence, and sometimes that violence might not be in keeping with what some readers expect in terms of moral values from a hero. It wasn't excessive or overly graphic, and I felt it was necessary in terms of the overall plot and theme.
    9 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars This is Dark, Dark, Dark Fantasy
    Reviewed in Australia on March 31, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I shouldn't like Dahoud, but I do. He's got history, a dark, dark, dark side, and I loved the story generally, except that I didn't see enough of the Djinn. That's the only reason it's 4* and not 5*
    This is not a fantasy romance, this is a man bedevilled by his actions, and yet ...

    I'd recommend this story to readers who like to see the torture of a soul as he reaches toward redemption. Even if it kills him. Well-paced, well-written, and hard to put down.
    Report
  • Kirsty
    5.0 out of 5 stars Epic and Dark, and really, really captivating!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 9, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This was a really great read, full of deep characters that beautifully came to life. The villains were so good (for want of a better word), and the tension was fantastic. It was rich in detail, yet flowed without being bogged down in unnecessary extras.
    The story was compelling and unpredictable, a definite recommend.
    Report
  • Leetah Begallie
    4.0 out of 5 stars Worth a Read, Just Not a Reread!
    Reviewed in Canada on January 21, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Storm Dancer is an addicting story about a man named Dahoud who has a personal demon (literally) that he must overcome and a woman named Merida who is completely out of her element and must learn to cope. Although the story was addicting, I found many typos and some of the transitions were awkward. There were times in the story that I was confused and/or shocked to find a character in an unexpected place. This made it feel a bit jumpy and hastily put together at times.

    If rape is a trigger for you, or just a topic you do not want to read about, this book is not for you. Rape is brought up many times throughout the book and seems to always be an underlying topic of the story. Although, I do think that the topic is used well and is not just used for shock value.

    Although the story is quite addicting, I do not think that I will reread it. Not only because of the typos and awkward transitions, but also because there does not seem to be any extra depth that would make the story rereadable. (I find rereadability to be very important in a novel. Especially a fantasy novel.)

    I do recommend this novel but, as I said before, rape is a major topic. It is worth a read, just maybe not a reread!
    Report
  • J. J. Ainsley
    4.0 out of 5 stars Overall, an enjoyable story
    Reviewed in Canada on September 7, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed the long journey the author brought the reader on, into a different world, the development of characters/people that needed to grew into themselves. It was well done, and an enjoyable and engaging story, with messages layered in from our own societal problems.

    The main issue I had with this story was that the dialogue slipped in and out of a more formal feel to slang that was more like slang here, and did not feel natural to the story. I found it distracting, detracting from the rest of the story which was reasonably well done.
    Report
  • chettsgenie
    4.0 out of 5 stars Brutal Dark Fantasy
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 6, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    'Storm Dancer' is the dark fantasy tale of Dahoud, a man trying to reform himself while under the influence of a malevolent Djinn.

    The world Hall has created is pretty brutal and there is a lot of rape and torture going on. Usually dark content doesn't bother me but I found it completely impossible to sympathise with Dahoud in any way because of the horrifying things he had done, regardless of how widespread this sort of behaviour was in the book and regardless of his back story. This was my only real problem and it wasn't enough to make me put the book down.

    This was very well written and believable so I think it will be thoroughly enjoyed by fans of dark epic fantasy novels. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going it altered course and went someplace entirely unexpected! The shocks were well set up and the pacing was perfect. I very much liked Merida and her fiery spirit and I was rooting for her to find a way to get home the whole time. She was strong and determined and was definitely my favourite character.

    Overall this is a book well worth reading, as in spite of not liking one of the two main characters the story still kept me hooked right to the end. Recommended reading for dark fantasy fans!
    Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report