Title: Dark Swan #1: Storm BornAuthor: Richelle Mead
Date of Publication: August 1, 2011
Formats Available: Mass Market Paperback, E-Book
Synopsis: Eugenie Markham is the most powerful shaman in Arizona, banishing all Otherworld creatures that come to earth to torment humans. When Eugenie is hired to go into the Otherworld to find a kidnapped teenager, Jasmine, she learns that there is more to her skill than sheer talent. According to an ancient prophecy Eugenie's first born child will threaten the world as she knows it, and every demon and Otherworld creature wants a piece of the action. With the help of shape shifting Kiyo and Dorian, a charismatic fairy king, Eugenie must learn to harness the magic within her and rescue Jasmine before both of them end up dead.
My Review:
I am a huge fan of Richelle Mead, so needless to say I was thrilled to start this book. While I did enjoy Storm Born, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. Full of action and adventure the plot was fantastic; hardly a dull moment as Eugenie banished demons, fought off unwanted suitors, and learned how to harness her magic. With an interesting love triangle to boot, Storm Born definitely held my interest.
The main reason I didn't enjoy this book to its full potential was Eugenie, while I didn't hate her character I didn't have a lot of respect for her. Despite her "don't mess with me" attitude whenever things got tough she meekly submitted to her enemies until either Kiyo or Dorian saved her. Eugenie does have redeeming qualities; her love for family and friends, and her sense of duty to protect her fellow humans were both admirable attributes.
I loved the plot; from creepy demons to charming fairies all vying for her attention while trying to attack her at the same time there was hardly a dull moment. The love triangle between Dorian and Kiyo was attention grabbing; both of them complete opposites yet seeming to care about Eugenie despite the hints of ulterior motives. Eugenie's spirit slave Volusian took the cake as my favorite character, giving her advice in between his detailed descriptions of how he was going to kill her.
All in all Storm Born was a good novel despite not quite living up to my expectations. Fans of paranormal romance looking for a book with heart pounding action and two delicious love interests would undoubtedly be interested in picking up this series! While not perfect it is an entertaining read and a great way to spend an afternoon.
4/5
I liked that Storm Born about as much as you did. The next book was about the same. It went downhill from there, though. After seeing the reviews for the last book of the series I saw it was real bad and didn't even bother to buy it. Just beware that Eugenie does not get any more likeable and that love triangle is a complete mess of epic proportions.
ReplyDeleteHer succubus series was great, though. She has real talent as an author and a knack for impressive world building. Just not sure what she was trying to do with the Dark Swan series as far as the characters and plot go because it wasn't up to her normal standards.