The Hurricane Wars

The Hurricane Wars is the first entry in the eponymous series, and it sets the stage for the coming action of A Monsoon Rising and the forthcoming third novel. The titular Hurricane Wars are the central conflict in the text, a battle between the Night Empire and the rest of the Continent unified under the flag of the Sardovian Allfold. Talasyn, the protagonist, is emblematic of the Sardovian cause, as the last surviving Lightweaver after the Night Empire razed Sunstead and murdered all other Lightweavers in the Cataclysm almost 20 years prior. The Night Empire seeks to control the entirety of the Continent, and the flailing Sardovian troops are the only thing standing in the way.

The Hurricane Wars “end” early in the novel, before Talasyn and the other Sardovians seek asylum in Nenavar. However, though the Night Empire views the conflict as over and the Sardovians as defeated, Talasyn does not. When Talasyn discovers her true identity as the Nenavarene Lachis’ka—or heir to the throne—she sees a way to use her newfound political power against the Night Empire. She convinces her grandmother Queen Urduja to hide the Sardovians while they regroup and rebuild. In A Monsoon Rising, Talasyn’s espionage from inside the Night Empire will continue, providing new opportunities for conflict to arise with Alaric.

Talasyn’s relationship with Alaric, especially as it develops throughout the novel, is an important piece of the series. Guanzon crafts an enemies-to-lovers style relationship, a typical trope in romantasy novels, by positioning Alaric and Talasyn on different sides of the conflict and giving them antagonistic personalities. They argue and fight constantly, but beneath their conflicts and squabbles, they are attracted to each other and find commonalities in their difficult and painful upbringings. In addition, their combined powers are the only way to stop the Night of the World-Eater, so their connection is necessary to save both Nenavar and Kesath.

The Hurricane Wars ends with Gaheris in possession of a sariman bird capable of muffling Talasyn and Alaric’s magical powers—known as aethermancy. Gaheris seeks to rob Talasyn of her Lightweave powers, illustrating The Destructive Nature of Imperialism. Gaheris has already subjugated the entire Continent, yet he still seeks to wipe out any semblance of power that Talasyn or Nenavar possesses. His hunger for colonial violence cannot be sated with only the Continent, and this hunger will drive the continuation of the conflict in the coming novels.