Thursday 7 June 2012

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Review: Storm Born by Richelle Mead

Storm Born by Richelle MeadStorm Born by Richelle Mead - Just typical. No love life to speak of for months, then all at once, every horny creature in the Otherworld wants to get in your pants...

Eugenie Markham is a powerful shaman who does a brisk trade banishing spirits and fey who cross into the mortal world. Mercenary, yes, but a girl's got to eat. Her most recent case, however, is enough to ruin her appetite. Hired to find a teenager who has been taken to the Otherworld, Eugenie comes face to face with a startling prophecy - one that uncovers dark secrets about her past and claims that Eugenie's first-born will threaten the future of the world as she knows it.

Now Eugenie is a hot target for every ambitious demon and Otherworldy ne'er-do-well, and the ones who don't want to knock her up want her dead. Eugenie handles a Glock as smoothly as she wields a wand, but she needs some formidable allies for a job like this. She finds them in Dorian, a seductive fairy king with a taste for bondage, and Kiyo, a gorgeous shape-shifter who redefines animal attraction. but with enemies growing bolder and time running out, Eugenie realizes that the greatest danger is yet to come, and it lies in the dark powers that are stirring to life within her....
From Amazon UK

Being such a huge fan of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy and Bloodlines YA series, I was eager to try out her adult series too, thinking, as everything else she writes is amazing, her adult novels must be too. I wasn't wrong!

Storm Born is full of the kind of action one would expect from an adult urban fantasy. Being such a kick-ass shaman that banishes spirits, elementals, and other Otherworldly creatures, Eugenie's schedule is always full. But around the same time she gets a job to try and resue a teenager who was abducted into the Otherworld, the "people" of the Otherworld start seeking her out personally, attempting to rape her, and her already maxed out schedule is pushed to the limits, not only trying to save others, but also herself. There is never a moment when the excitment ebbs, especially once she learns about her past and the prophecy!

I haven't read a book about fairies/fae/gentry in quite a while, so it was nice to revisit the folklore, though it wasn't what I was expecting Storm Born to be based about; yes there is a fairy king, but there's also a shape shifter, I thought there was going to be all manner of paranormal creatures. However, most of the paranormal creatures in this book are gentry in one form or another, or creatures that come from the Otherworld - the gentry's world. I love how novels like this tackle some other fictional world, and add that high fantasy feel to an urban fantasy novel. The beautiful, medieval feel of the Otherworld contrasts so well with the world we know.

Eugenie has two love interests in this novel; Kiyo, a kitsune (fox shape shifter), and Dorian, King of the Oak Land in the Otherworld. There is instant animal attraction between Eugenie and Kiyo, but there is something about him I just don't like. Considering how little time they spend together out of bed, I just didn't believe that their feelings went beyond love. He was just far too possessive and protective for my tastes, and he lied and hid things too. I just don't trust him or like him. Dorian, however, is awesome! He is so funny and flirty, and just completely charming! Ok, so he has his own agenda, but the time he spends with Eugenie, to me it was obvious his feelings are genuine. I found it surprising yet clever how Mead used Eugenie's sex life in Storm Born. It wasn't just Eugenie and whoever she happened to be with at the time was horny, but it was also a way of Eugenie exploring herself further, and finding out who she is. She has so much control over her life, but does she always want to be in control? Yes or no? Not just in bed, but in all areas of her life. And those questions continue being asked throughout the story.

There were are a number of shocking twists in this book that I didn't see coming! And what a cliffhanger! I am so looking forward to the second book in the series, Thorn Queen! An awesome novel, I am am eager to read more!



Published: 14th August 2008
Publisher: Bantam Books
Buy from Amazon US
Richelle Mead's Website

8 comments:

  1. Richelle Mead is awesome and these books of hers remind me of Rachel Vincent so that got me reading your review. I really like the sound of it, so I've added it to my TBR!

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    1. Awesome stuff! I'm a huge fan of Rachel Vincent too! The stories/plots aren't similar, but there's the same amount of excitement! I hope you enjoy it if/when you read it! :)

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  2. I don't love Richelle Mead's adult novels as much as VA. I read STORM BORN and also SUCCUBUS BLUES and haven't gone any further with either series. The writing is awesome, but the characters and interpersonal dynamics just didn't do it for me.

    I agree with you about Kiyo and Dorian, though.

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    1. Aw, that's a shame! But I can understand that, you can't love every book. I did like Eugenie, though! And Dorian. And Tim. And even Wil. There were things that made me smile! :)
      Yesss, I don't like Kiyo! Lol.

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  3. Great review! I'm glad you enjoyed this. I liked Richelle's Succubus series but I have a feeling this one's better and I can't wait! ;)

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    1. Thanks, Lisa! Ohh, I really want to read her Succubus series, it looks so good!
      I really enjoyed Storm Born! I'd highly recommend it! :)

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  4. I've been contemplating for a while whether to give Richelle's adult books a read. Obviously I freaking LOVELOVELOVE the VA/Bloodlines series, but I don't often read a ton of adult UF/Paranormal (something I hope to change). So hearing that it's GREAT from a respected blogger whose opinion I value in yet another of her super amazing reviews? METHINKS IS SHOULD TRY THIS!

    I think you've also sold me on Dorian too :D I'm loving the sound of the world Richelle has crafted and I know she loves her twists/cliffhangers, so I can only imagine what she offered here!!

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    1. Brodie, you flatterer! :P

      But seriously, I LOVED this book! Is it the best adult urban fantasy I've ever read? Probably not, but it's up there with some of the greats! I really enjoyed it, and I think you might too, as you already love her writing. I guess we'll see!

      And the twists! I was not expecting them! So cool! Looking forward to reading more of this series! :)

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