The Storm: A Novel of the Sons of Destiny

Rydan has dreaded his prophecy. How could he ever give up his reign as the prophecy foretells? Worse yet, he fears that Rora of the Shifterai isn't for him at all! Rora sees beneath Rydan's prickly exterior to the man inside. Does Rora have the solution to Rydan's problem? And what about Rora's own secret? Things are about to heat up in Nightfall! Rydan's story is the one I've been waiting for and Jean Johnson did not disappoint! As noted in the beginning of both THE STORM and the previous book, THE CAT, the events in the two books occur concurrently but from different perspectives. Don't think this means the reader will have to sort through all the same events in mindless boredom, however. No, Ms. Johnson makes all the events seem new and fresh as told from an entirely different perspective. In fact, the story is richer and fuller for the added depth of seeing the story occur from varying viewpoints. And oh, the ending! What an ending! THE STORM is the sixth book in a series but can be read as a stand alone. However, nuances of the characters and the beauty of seeing Rydan's character in particular throughout the earlier books practically demands that one read the series in order. THE STORM is more than worth the wait! Rydan is the sort of hero you can't help but love. On the surface, he seems almost brusque but one can see glimpses of another side. Rora is the perfect bride for Rydan. Her calm and soothing personality provides a balm to Rydan's wounded soul and in turn helps them both find happiness. THE STORM is both a fantastic fantasy story and a beautiful love story. Highly recommended! COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

This book came on time and in great condition. Well worth the wait. Thank you!

THE STORM: A Novel of the Sons of Destiny JEAN JOHNSON Paranormal Romance Rating: 4.5 Enchantments Arora of the Shifterai is an anomaly. Although completely lacking the shapeshifting talents of her people, she possesses immense power. Since childhood, she has struggled for control, but her powers were alien to her people, who did not inherently possess magic. The mages who could have taught her control ended up coveting her powers instead, forcing Arora to flee her homeland with her shapeshifting sister, Amara, as her protector. When shipwrecked, Arora desperately channels her powers, asking to be guided to a place where both she and her sister could find safety. Rydan of Nightfall is horrified to find the subject of his heated dream was, in fact, a very real woman. Awakening from a drugged sleep haunted by erotic images, he is deeply embarrassed and shamed to discover that he had almost violated Arora - the woman he mistakenly thought was destined for his older brother. THE STORM is a powerful entry in the multi-volume saga of the Sons of Destiny series. This tale explores the romance of Rydan, the sixth of eight brothers exiled to Nightfall Island because of a prophecy. Rydan is a powerful mage, who shuns daylight and interaction with others because strong emotions cause him psychic pain. He finds a lonely peace serving as Guardian of a fountain, a source of immense magic power and legacy of a fallen empire. Channeling this power into the very stones of the island, Rydan sculpts an underground labyrinth of incredible beauty as his refuge and spends much of his time in isolation. Arora's lifelong habit of hiding her power enables her to slip into Rydan's subterranean domain undetected, and when she stumbles across the sleeping Rydan, she is instantly drawn to him. His heated embrace leaves her wanting more. Dragged into the daylight and brusquely introduced to his family, Arora panics, then sees first-hand the damage that emotion inflicts on Rydan. Intrigued by him, she instinctively understands that her ability to see emotions will be the key to freeing Rydan from his emotional exile and unlocking her own magical potential. THE STORM is a must-read for fans of the Sons of Destiny Series! Fantastically entertaining, wildly imaginative, and thoroughly engrossing - I read it at one sitting. One of the strongest volumes in the series, it is a face-paced thrill ride that successfully incorporates all the main characters from the previous novels. Arora is an engaging heroine and Rydan proves to be a deserving and unflawed leading man. Their developing romance deals with the challenge of overcoming genuine problems rather than self-imposed barriers. The author again brings elements of humor to the developing family dynamics, and ably captures the essence of the love and exasperation found in any caring family. The story stands on its own merits more successfully than some of the prior novels, but is more enjoyable if rea

I really enjoyed this book. The world building here places it a step above above your standard romantic fantasy novel. I happen to love stories that show you the same thing from two different points of view and that's what The Storm and The Cat do. And I really loved the way we learned so much about Morganen - I'm much more excited about his book now. But mostly this was Rydan and Rora's story and it lived up to my expectations (which were pretty high). Ms Johnson did a very good job of explaining Rydan's behavior in a believable and sympathetic manner. Sometimes it does take an outsider to be able to see a problem clearly and that is what Rora is able to do. For those people who don't like Kelly, (she is a bit of a Hillary Clinton figure and I like her very much) she makes only a small, relatively restrained appearance in this story. The book is not perfect and I did have a few quibbles but overall I thought it was a terrific addition to this excellent series.

Rydan, the Guardian of the Nightfall Fountain, is a loner. He hates crowds, which to him is more than one other person near his space. Thus he is unhappy when the twins Arora and Amara are shipwrecked on Nightfall Island even as he is attracted to the former while his brother Trevan desires the latter (see THE CAT). He rejects the concept that Rora is his destined mate. However she sees inside his soul and knows why he runs from emotions; feelings are painful to her beloved. She plans to heal him, but first must deal with the trouble that followed her and her sister to Nightfall Island. Although readers know much of the events having read them in THE CAT, Jean Johnson keeps the tale fresh as the perspective of the other twins are different from those of Trevan and Amara. The story line maintains the fast pace, but new revelations occur as Rydan keeping with his overall loner persona meets his fate as one of the Sons of Destiny in the aptly titled THE STORM. Ms. Johnson keeps her romantic fantasy saga at the top bar of excellence. Harriet Klausner