Storm Born

First with Vampire Academy, then with Succubus Blues, and now with Storm Born, Richelle Mead has stolen my heart through her wonderful prose, lively characters, and intriguing ideas. In some ways Storm Born reminds me of Jim Butcher's Storm Front (odd coincidence there). Eugenie Markham is a shaman-for-hire (kind of like Harry Dresden being a wizard-for-hire), taking on the odd job of banishing spirits and gentry who disturb the human realm. But aside from some similar traits between the main characters, that's where the similarities end. Things get sticky when a human named Wil hires her to rescue his teenage sister, who was kidnapped by gentry intent on using her body. Of course, being compassionate, Eugenie takes the job even knowing that crossing into the Otherworld to complete this task makes facing death that much more real. Unlike her previous novels, Mead isn't shy about jumping headlong into the sex scenes. But like her previous novels they are tasteful, passionate, and written without silly euphemisms. And, like her previous novels, the concept of sex plays a larger role than just pleasure. The creatures of the Otherworld, knowing Eugenie's heritage even before she does, are intent on using her to sire a powerful heir. Storm Born is full of fun characters, intense action, and passion that sizzles in the form of a love triangle. Eugenie is in love with Kiyo, a kitsune, but also dangerously taken by Dorian, a gentry king. Normally love triangles make this reader iffy, but Mead is one of the few who does it so well. Both Dorian and Kiyo are possessive of Eugenie, but Eugenie doesn't simply capitulate to either man's wants or desires. In fact, Eugenie herself is my favorite aspect of the story. She's strong, witty, and highly resourceful. She may not have all the answers, and at times he has to do things that mentally scar her, but damned if she'll just give in when she can find a way around a problem. At the same time she's wonderfully flawed and makes mistakes--and the people around her aren't afraid to point it out. She's so brilliantly fleshed out and realistic--even in first person, a format I tend to loathe, Mead has created a character I want to root for and see win. And I may be one of the only ones, but the twist involving Jasmine did honestly surprise me. It's another wonderful thing about Mead's writing--there are so many layers to her story that you know will be revealed sooner or later (maybe not in this novel, but over the course of the eventual series), that in trying to keep track of them all she manages to sneak in quite a few foreshadowing hints that still end up surprising you as a reader. In short, this is one of the best dark fantasy novels to come out this year, and to date this may just be Mead's best writing to boot. I will be eagerly anticipating the sequel, as I am wont to do with Mead's writing.

I have to agree with Patricia Briggs' cover quote: "Storm Born is my kind of book -- great characters, dark worlds, and just the right touch of humor. A great read." Richelle really does create characters that you swear could walk off the page. Eugenie Markham is a standout butt kicker -but better drawn than all the dime a dozen female demon killers out there these days. While it fits what everyone is calling urban fantasy - I found this book to be much more than that catagory conjures up for me. Dark Fantasy, Romance and Mystery to name a few. This is a very well constructed story - complexities and surprises abound. I actually passed this book up twice before I decided that I would pick it up. I read it in two days. I would have missed out on one heck of a story.

I downloaded this Kindle book after reading Succubus Blues. I am horrible at doing reviews however I wanted to say that I think Richelle Mead shows great promise in delivering many original and witty stories. This is a wonderful first book in what could be a very powerful series. The main character shows growth and depth. The book moves along quickly and has a thrilling ending. Some parts are predictable however there were a few that caught me by surprise!

Eugenie Markham is a Tuscon native shaman who makes her money banishing unwanted ghosts and fey to the world of the dead, or at least back to the Otherworld they came from. When she's asked to meet with a man, Wil, who says his sister, Jasmine, was taken by one of the gentry (fae) she's hesitant to take the job. Not only is this not the sort of job she does, but it's darned dangerous. To rescue Jasmine she will have to cross over into Otherworld not in her own spirit form--that of the dark swan known as Odile--but as her flesh and blood self. Before heading off to save the day she has a night out and hooks up with a handsome veterinarian named Kiyo and the two are attacked by one of the gentry elementals and the fight that ensues reveals she is more than what she said she was and so is Kiyo. Persuaded by thoughts of the teenaged Jasmine being forced to be a gentry's plaything she accepts the job and with the back-up of her spirit servants, Volusian, Nandi and Finn, she sets off to get the girl back from Aeson, the Alder King. While in Otherworld she meets Dorian, the Oak King, who she becomes friends with but when the fight with Aeson fails she has to return home. With continued attacks from gentry she eventually finds out that not only have her parents been keeping MAJOR secrets from her but that there is a gentry prophecy about the child she might one day have. No wonder every gentry around is trying to rape her or at least win her favor! Dodging would-be rapists, learning how to control new-found powers and sorting out the possible relationships with both Kiyo and Dorian, Eugenie never has a dull moment. Neither did this book! A fan of Mead's YA series (Vampire Academy) and the urban fantasy genre in general I was thrilled to see this book hit the shelves and it wasn't at all disappointing. Filled with action, interesting characters, sexual tension and plenty of well-timed humor it had everything I look for in an urban fantasy novel. Fans of Rachel Morgan or the Sisters of the Moon series will not want to miss this one. With the elements of magic and a heroine in the vein of Rachel and a world building filled with kitsune, fae and elementals this series looks to be a crowd pleaser. Be on the lookout for Thorn Queen, the next book in the series due out in the summer of 2009!

I'd take the easy way out and say that Storm Born is Zen Moses meets the Chronicles of Narnia, but I won't for three reasons. First, the whole "x meets y" thing has become clichéd. Second, some of you are probably unfortunate enough not to know about Zen Moses. Third, it wouldn't be nice to steal the heroine's own reference to the Chronicles of Narnia. Eugenie Markham, Odile, the Dark Swan. With so many identities, you'd think the protagonist of Richelle Mead's latest novel was confused enough, but things only get worse as she finds family members, dead and alive, that she never knew she had, learns her true identity and, maybe, her destiny. Odile is a shaman. Not a peyote smoking (well, maybe once or twice) buckskin clad Native, but a real warrior with the power to bind and banish spirits and other denizens of the Otherworld including the gentry, the shining ones, fairies. And she's damn good at it, with a lot of fairy blood on her hands. She's a magical gun for hire, defending this world against invaders from elsewhere...for a price. "Have athame, will travel." Things get dicy when the djinn possessing a running shoe knows her real name and others follow. Then, her latest gig, rescuing the 15-year old sister of a conspiracy theory blogger who's been kidnapped by a fairy king leads her to the answer of just how they know her real identity. It also leads her to a new question: "Does she know who she really is?" Eugenie is a real hero, defending this world against the denizens of the Otherworld, but no stranger to spilling blood. In the course of the story she confronts her prejudice against the gentry, her aversion to fairy magic, even her attitude towards two men. Her attitudes evolve and she gains power. She sacrifices greatly for love and honor. The Dark Swan becomes a bit darker in the process. This book is an engaging read with interesting takes on the fey, the afterlife and magic. There are amusing characters as well as serious ones, but overall the tone is more serious than Mead's Georgina Kincaid series. There may be a moral sentiment or two tucked in there, too, but it doesn't suffer for action. It's a real page turner you won't want to put down.