Review also found at http://the-bookaholic.blogspot.com 
 I hate having to write bad reviews. Really, I do. But I'm not going to be dishonest either when it comes to something I just didn't like. 
 And it wasn't the fact that it was just terrible-- The Gathering Storm was written beautifully, in an elegant style with such an intriguing premise and crafty characters. Not only that, I adore Russia: the literature, the history and the legends. 
 So, what was my problem? 
 It was just too much and all over the place. There were too many people to try and keep up with... it was slow and drawn out, and often I felt really disconnected. I got lost and twisted around so much that a few times, I even had to reread some parts-- and that just annoyed me beyond words. There seemed to be way too much telling for my liking and not enough "showing" if you can understand my meaning on this. I felt overwhelmed and disappointed, despite the beautiful style of writing and unique premise. This review is genuinely hard to write because The Gathering Storm just didn't impress me personally. Yet it doesn't fall into the category of "bad reads" either. 
 Of course, these are only my own opinions. Many others so far seem to be enjoying it quite well and I can certainly see the appeal. Unfortunately, I didn't find is as great as I had hoped. 
 <3 
 Pixie