Kate Williams

Kate Williams’ The Storms of War is set during the Great War in England and France and the detailed descriptions of the various settings help you to envision what the war must have been like. While Williams paints a clear picture of the gruesome wartime at the Western Front in France, she doesn’t forget to also write about the state of her settings before and after the war. One of these places is Stoneythorpe Hall, the home of the de Witt family, and I really enjoyed reading about how it changed during the war.

In my opinion, this novel is the coming-of-age story of Celia de Witt, our main character. She is the youngest of the de Witt children and after the war breaks out she has to grow up very fast. Child-like, dreamy and naive Celia soon adapts to the harsh reality of the wartime and turns into a practical young woman. Only later in the book, she somehow seems to be out of character for a short while. I could write a lot about the other characters. They all seem to have their own story to tell which isn’t surprising, as this is the first book in a trilogy.

When I saw the cover of The Storms of War, I expected light historical/romantic fiction. What I didn’t expect is a novel that is filled with blood and causes so much pain. I was glad it turned out that way. The Storms of War is a well-researched book that I’d recommend to everyone who can stomach a hefty dose of war and its consequences on people’s lives.

Cathrine Sorgeiul lebt bei ihrem Onkel in London. Sie hat nur wenige Freunde, aber eine blühende Phantasie. Eines Tages hört sie von einem brutalen Mörder, der seinen Opfern die Brust aufreißt und ihnen Haare in den Mund stopft. Die Toten sehen aus wie gerupfte Vögel und die Presse nennt den unbekannten Täter "Herr der Krähen". Cathrine ist begeistert, weil sie glaubt, den Täter mit ihrer eigenen Willenskraft steuern zu können. Ein lebensgefährlicher Irrtum, wie sich bald herausstellt....