Picking up from where the 1st past of the book leaves off,’ A Raging Storm’ progresses out of the initial stages of setting up the plot. Leaving behind the plots and side plots of the first book, ‘A Raging Storm’ transitions to the real meat of a story filled with betrayal, rogue operatives and broken friendships. This second part of three in total, ‘A Raging Storm’ see’s the unlikely duo of Derrick Storm and FBI Agent April Showers pairing up again to uncover the mystery killer behind the assassination cliffhanger from the first book ‘A Brewing Storm’.

As mentioned before, Richard Castle is a fictional man on a TV Drama played by Nathan Fillion, who writes about a fictional man named Derrick Storm. There is a smattering of Castle TV show references within, including more mention of Clara Strike and other Richard Castle type personality inserts. Fans of the Castle series will recognize Derrick Storm/Richard Castle’s vocal quips in his smart-alecky replies to people in this book.

Also in the Richard Castle fashion of creating names they aren’t the most original though they are certainly memorable. With names like Derrick Storm and April Showers, these are characters and others sound great rolling off the tongue and onto the page.

An international man of mystery he is not, Derrick Storm is still a man haunted by his past. In everything he does, he is shaped by his past. Longing to go home but unable to since the C.I.A have pulled him onto this case, he knows he is both pawn and insurance policy for the success of the mission. If he fails, the U.S government forgets his cover name, Steven Mason, ever existed.

If he succeeds, he gets to go home back to his quiet life in Montana. More than ever his trust to paranoia ratio is skewed in favor of a deep paranoia and rightly so. Storm’s personality unfolds more in this short fiction, maintaining that classic Richard Castle type wit while also adding in authentic details for literature within this genre.

The other main character is of course the lovely April Showers whom Storm finds attractive but treats in a mostly condescending manner. Smarter than she may appear, she’s not all looks as she sets about outsmarting friend and foe alike. She isn’t at all taken by Storm’s charming persona and knows how to handle herself. The first book had Storm working behind her back but as ‘A Raging Storm’ progresses, the two must work together to solve the case and save each other’s lives. This part of the character progression between the two is expected and feels mostly natural with both characters getting along despite Shower’s animosity for Storm’s recklessness.

Weather pun’s aside, the only bad part of this section of the short fiction series is that the set up for the latter half of the book takes too long. The back story for the real motive behind the kidnapping and murder of a Senators son and the subsequent assassination of that U.S Senator is explained well.

Yet fans hoping for a quick thrill ride at the start of the book will be mistaken as the informational part takes too long. It is true that Storm’s character is an exacting and untrusting paranoid man so it makes sense that his character feels the need to figure everything out himself without outside influence but the reader may feel this takes up too many valuable pages of writing.

On the other hand, without that information, the entire latter half of ‘A Raging Storm’ makes no sense at all. The Russian back story involving the Gold found in several photos is absolutely necessary but boring information that isn’t very engaging at all during that part of the book. Once bodies are in motion again, the thriller aspect thankfully picks up once more. This is one section that steps outside the normal rollercoaster high and low moment of a story arc and just falls flat, leaving readers with an itch to school ahead past all the talking. It is a good build up but lacks any real tension or emphasis on time.

However, there are still important facts and figures listed inside, such as the motive for the assassinations as well as the fact that there are as yet to be revealed outside operatives who are conveniently just as ‘dead’ as Derrick Storm. This motivation, to the tune of Sixty Billion dollars, is enough to reshape the political landscape of the world and it is this fear that drives the story forward.

There is a heavy russian rivalry between long time brothers in arms Ivan Petrov and Georgi Lebedev waging war against President Barkovsky of Russia with the possibility of a third faction emerging. Throughout all of this, the C.I.A has its fingers all over this political plot, set on aiding Petrov so that Petrov can use his influence and new found wealth as a Russian oligarch to politically push Barkovsky out of office.

Stuck in the middle of this rising catastrophe are our intrepid hero and heroine. Caught in a web of the thriller variety, Derrick Storm and April Showers make a good showing in ‘A Raging Storm’ but the characters fall a little flat. The next and last arc of the story should hopefully help to fully resolve any issues during the dramatic cliffhanger for the second book. While not as dramatic as the assassination of a U.S Senator from book one, the second book still ends in a suitable climax of the story. Fans will have to wait just a little longer for this Derrick Storm short fiction to resolve itself in ‘A Bloody Storm’ due out this August.

Rating: 4/5 for good writing that reflects the tie-in authors personality well but can do with some improvements in pace and character design.

Image Courtesy of   Richard Castle

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As media tie-in’s go, ‘A Brewing Storm’, is a huge success for Richard Castle and ABC’s show Castle. This e-book novella is the first of three, set to be published by Hyperion. In so many ways, this work accurately mirrors the fictional life of Richard Castle, a character created by a team for the TV show ‘Castle’. 

Derrick Storm is the principal character created by Castle, portrayed by Nathan Fillion, who’s character is a mystery thriller writer.  It is a tricky job to write a fictional short, about Derrick Storm, from the perspective of a fictional mystery author. Castle, in actuality a team of writers from ABC, writes about people who aren’t real but draws on “real life experiences” created within the TV show. 

Derrick Storm is an earlier character of Richard Castle’s creation, most likely based on himself. Similarly the character of Nikki Heat is based on the ‘Castle’ character of Detective Beckett, the current muse and partner of Richard Castle. In the program Stana Katic plays Detective Beckett. Derrick Storm is therefore not only the precursor to Nikki Heat but also a gauge for Richard Castle’s writing skills. It will be interesting to find out if ABC, and its writers, change the writing style at all in the next short stories that are due to come out soon.

This book gives readers a brief flash into the mind of Richard Castle. Shorter than a full length novel, this action thriller is a quick and addictive read as Derrick Storm follows his instincts and goes back into deep cover operations after four years of hiding. Found and brought to the U.S. Capitol against his wishes and better judgement, Storm is embroiled in a scheme against senators, money men, greedy loved ones, and the nagging feeling that all is not what it seems.

How this showcases Castle’s train of thought requires a deeper look beneath the surface. The character of Clara Strike will be a huge hit with fans that saw the episode where her CIA character appeared. Clara Strike is based on ‘Castle’ character Sophia Turner, an ex-flame of Castle’s that he reunites with briefly on a case in the TV show.

This impacts the telling of the story in a unique way, since readers who have seen this specific episode, are drawn further into the story making it seem more real for them. In ‘A Brewing Storm’, Clara isn’t a featured character and yet her presence is like a ghost during the start of the story. Her character peppers the beginning of the story with a flashback of a different Derrick Storm. That Derrick Storm, the one who had loved fast and hard, loved deeply and foolishly, is no longer the guy readers find themselves reading about in ‘A Brewing Storm’.

Instead, this Derrick Storm, a true reflection of the maturation of the character, is not cocky and arrogant. This Derrick Storm, after four years of peace and solitude, wants to go back to his quiet life and not be found again. Castle’s character, as designed by ABC, shines through as he superimposes his thoughts over those of Storms’s, showing a detailed mind and a keen instinct that helps him solve crimes and stay alive.

Furthermore, ‘A Brewing Storm’ shows Castle before he created Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook.  This is a fictional short that should not disappoint fans that are clamoring for some Castle action after the ending of the most recent season of the television show. Those fans that have been wondering how Derrick Storm is on paper, but haven’t read into the comic book, have another chance to really learn about the man behind Derrick Storm.

In the end, though this book is intended to be a precursor for the Nikki Heat series, it is very much influenced by the events of season four of Castle. This Derrick Storm is, perhaps a little too mature and jaded for an earlier fun and fancy free Storm persona but still fits in with the current storyline and characterization. Storm is still creative, still illusive, and still every bit as resourceful as Castle is in life, brilliantly making connections that others miss or dismiss.

The next E-book, due out in July, promises to continue the exciting cliffhanger where ‘A Brewing Storm’ leaves off. Fans are no doubt upset, as they impatiently wait for the story to continue but rest assured that the next installment, and the following third part, show excellent promise.

Score: 4/5 Great Work- A Must Read for Fans. 

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