A Surprising Discovery
I sat down with The Stillness Within the Storm expecting something pleasant and possibly predictable. What I actually found was a gripping, emotional, and thought provoking novel that breaks open centuries of myth and rebuilds them into something fierce and deeply human. I did not just read this book. I felt it.
When I first cracked open The Stillness Within the Storm, I was sitting in the hospital while my sister was in surgery. I planned to read a few chapters to distract myself while I waited. Instead, I was immediately sucked into the world Siapin created. The waiting room disappeared. Real life faded. I was gone, and I did not want to come back.
A New Kind of Arthurian World
The story unfolds in a near future Europe torn apart by a fanatical group called the Sectatore. They worship what they believe is Morgana although time reveals a far darker truth. Their war has shattered society. Technology falters. Cars behave sporadically. Clothing made from synthetic materials deteriorates at an alarming rate. Women are stripped of value outside of their ability to produce children. Hope is a rarity.
In the middle of this bleak setting we meet Jen Banprionse. She believes she is worthless. She believes she is stupid. She believes she does not matter. These beliefs were branded onto her by a lifetime of abuse. Her escape brings her to England as a medic in the war. This choice sets her on a path that threads the present and the past together.
Paralleling Jen’s journey are passages from a series of Arthurian novels written by a man named Malcolm Elison. He is in fact Merlin. His writings serve as a bridge between the myth we think we know and the truth Nadya Siapin wants us to see.
Why This Book Stands Out
It Reclaims the Legend
Most Arthurian stories follow the same familiar patterns. There is a great king. There is a magical woman who becomes a problem. There is betrayal. There is a downfall. Women tend to take the blame for everything that goes wrong.
The Stillness Within the Storm refuses to participate in that old story. The character everyone assumes is Morgana is not Morgana at all. The real villain is Morana, a figure from Slavic mythology who symbolizes death, winter, and the erosion of identity. Her mission is not to tempt or destroy Arthur. Her mission is to erase Jen across lifetimes by crushing her sense of self.
By removing the traditional villainy placed on Morgana, Siapin restores a woman’s agency that earlier storytellers stole. The shift is subtle at first, but it ripples across every choice Jen makes.
When I realized who Jen really was I had to put the book down for a moment. My entire understanding of Arthurian myth tilted sideways. It felt like someone finally stood up for a woman who has been blamed for centuries and said her voice matters. I had theories. I thought I knew. I was wrong. The reveal hit like a punch to the heart. I was gobsmacked.
The Women Are Not Symbols
One of the most refreshing aspects of The Stillness Within the Storm is the treatment of legendary female figures. Instead of using them as temptations, distractions, or cautionary tales, Siapin lets them exist as complex individuals with intention and presence.
This becomes especially clear with Nimue. In many Arthurian traditions she barely rises above mythic background noise. She appears, performs a task, and fades. Here she stands as something very different. She carries knowledge without ego. She observes without judgment. She represents a kind of power that is steady rather than explosive.
Nimue validates Jen’s identity not by assigning her destiny, but by acknowledging that Jen already carries her worth. Her role underlines the book’s central message: women are not accessories in someone else’s greatness. Their stories are not footnotes. They are the architecture.
Trauma Is Not Romanticized
Jen is not a chosen one who embraces destiny with a dramatic pose and instant confidence. She is terrified. She doubts herself at every turn. She carries scars that are not visible, but they shape her entire worldview.
Her journey is not about discovering she is special. Her journey is about realizing she was never broken in the first place. Her found family helps her learn this truth. They stand beside her, support her, and refuse to let her shrink away from her own power. The message is clear. Survival is not the same as healing. Healing requires believing your existence has value.
The World Feels Both Familiar and Strange
The future in The Stillness Within the Storm looks nothing like a glittering fantasy realm. Everything feels unstable. Life is rough. Magic does not glitter. It aches. This contrast makes each victory feel more meaningful. The struggle is real and the triumphs land with emotional weight.
A Moment That Stays With You
There is a late scene where Jen comes face to face with Nimue. In most Arthurian tales she barely exists beyond whispers, a magical footnote overshadowed by Merlin or Morgana. Here she is something else entirely. She is calm. She is watchful. She carries the weight of truths others tried to bury. Nimue does not tempt. She does not scold. She stands as a reminder that power can be quiet and that not all magic needs an audience.
In that moment, Siapin reframes the myth again. Women in The Stillness Within the Storm are not catalysts for disaster. They are keepers of memory. They are protectors of what matters. Nimue does not take over Jen’s story. She acknowledges it. She validates it. She recognizes Jen not as a mistake or a pawn, but as someone who was never supposed to be erased.
It feels like legend finally showing respect.
Should You Read It
Yes. Especially if
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You are tired of stories where women are punished for existing
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You enjoy narratives that rebuild legends instead of recycling them
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You love character growth that feels raw and earned
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You want a book that tackles identity, agency, and destiny without drowning you in lofty fantasy terms
Whether you adore Arthurian myth or barely tolerate it, this novel gives you a reason to care.
The Final Word
Five stars without hesitation
The Stillness Within the Storm is not just another retelling. It is a correction. It is a reclamation. It is the story of a woman who learns that she does not belong to anyone else’s legend. She is the legend.
When Jen rescues Arthur, the world shifts. It is not the king who saves the queen. It is the woman who saves herself and then saves the man history pretended mattered more.
Where To Find It
You can pick up your copy of The Stillness Within the Storm on Amazon
Want More From This Author
If you want to explore Nadya Siapin’s universe further, check out my overview of her earlier novels from the Oregonian Irregulars series
