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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Michael R. Fletcher lives in the endless suburban sprawl north of Toronto. He dreams of trees and seeing the stars at night and being a ninja. He is an unrepentant whiskey-swilling reprobate of the tallest order and thinks grilled cheese sandwiches are a food group.

Publisher: Michael R. Fletcher (April 4, 2024) Length: 366 Formats: ebook, hardcover, paperback

The Storm Beneath The World is another brilliant book from Fletcher, who has firmly established himself as one of dark fantasy’s most original and talented authors. It’s also a top tier entertainment with insectile ashkaro getting high on their lethal powers.

It’s not as dark or “metal” as the cover suggests. In fact, it’s shockingly heartfelt in places. Still, it’s Fletch’s book, so it’s also bloody and grim. But let’s start at the beginning.

The Storm Beneath The World takes you on a wild ride to a gas planet inhabited by warring tribes of insectile creatures who live on floating islands. They can actually go to the border of their world and see the titular storm beneath.

While ashkaro are alien and their society differs from ours (it’s matriarchal and divided into casts), the author has made the characters instantly relatable. Now, some ashkaro can display superpowers ranging from the power of seduction to incinerating everything around with a thought. Cool. Such powers come with a cost - using them causes a rush of euphoria incomparable to anything else. The Corrupt who fall to the lure of using their powers get high on them and with time starve to death while perfecting the blissful skill.

Each of the story’s protagonist comes from a different cast and background. Witnessing how they discover their powers and how it turns their lives upside down is exciting. Watching them band together and form a bond is great. Watching them in action sequences is pure awesomeness.

Joh is watchful, insecure, and comfortable alone. Wex plunges into action with little thought. Shan is beautiful and considered dumb, and Ash’s fate is probably most heart-breaking. They met in secret schools in which Corrupt ashkaro are trained to become spies, assassins or insurgents. It turns out the biggest threat doesn’t come from other students, but from Mad Queen’s insane plans. Expect mayhem, adventure, friendship, betrayal, and loss.

The pacing never slows down and I love the way Fletcher incorporates the world in small pieces, important to the current circumstances of his characters. That’s the way I love it. What makes the book truly sing, though, is its awesome characterization and fascinating world.

As with any great fantasy — and The Storm Beneath The World is one — it grips you and keeps you glued to the pages. Wildly imaginative, and in turns playful and brutal, it's a must read for fans of dark fantasy.