Sarabande's sophomore effort, Corridor of Storms, is a huge step above his first novel, Beyond the Sea of Ice. After reading the first, I wasn't sure I wanted to continue, but the second installment is solid, interesting, and I am now invested in the series and the characters.
I was fascinated to learn about the Corridor of Storms, where it lay, and that it actually existed in part as the land bridge that brought people to the American continent. It must have been magnificent and terrifying to behold.
As per usual with these stories, there is a man in power who wants nothing more than to stay in power, and will stop at nothing until he sees his goals through. People mean little to him unless they can help him achieve his aspirations. Consequently, there is much violence and death in this novel, including animals, children, and adults. This is not uncommon for an indigenous historical fiction story, but this feels more violent than most in the genre.
At first, I thought the "child" was supposed to be a neanderthal, I wonder if it was meant more as a yeti/sasquatch type creature. The author speculates in the notes that there were many tales of such creatures existing, but no solid proof. As neanderthals most likely disappeared via survival of the fittest and interbreeding with homo sapiens, I'd like to think that's what the Wanawut in this novel were- in order to keep it rooted in reality.
I really enjoyed the evolution of Karana as a character, and following Torka and Lonit through the Corridor of Storms and back again. I also like how this author seamlessly blends the story with the people's way of life; their beliefs, their practices, what they ate and how they lived and hunted. Some stories can focus too much on these parts and lose the reader in the mire of historical facts.
Overall, this was a well told narrative, and I'm excited to see what the next installment brings.