Storm and Fury is a young adult fantasy novel which
integrates supernatural beings into a high paced text. It is not the first novel of Armentrout's that I have read, I have previously read some of her YA contemporaries and also quite enjoyed them too. It is quite lengthy for
the first novel in a series but it engages the reader throughout, as the plot
evolves over time. It encompasses so much within its pages and plot including, but not limited to, strong friendships, deceit and betrayal, adventure, complex yet lovable characters and of course demons who stir up trouble.
The blurb:
Eighteen year old Trinity Marrow may be going blind,
but she can see and communicate with ghosts and spirits. Her unique gift is
part of a secret so dangerous that she’s been in hiding for years in an
isolated compound fiercely guarded by Wardens- gargoyle shape-shifters who
protect humankind from demons. If the demons discover the truth about Trinity,
they’ll devour her, flesh and bone, to enhance their own powers.
When Wardens from another clan arrive with disturbing
reports that something out there is killing both demons and Wardens, Trinity’s
safe world implodes. Not the least because one of the outsiders is the most
annoying and fascinating person she’s ever met. Zayne has secrets of his own
that will upend her world yet again- but working together becomes imperative once
demons breach the compound and Trinity’s secret comes to light. To save her
family and maybe the world, she’ll have to put her trust in Zayne. But all bets
are off as a supernatural war is unleashed…
The things I enjoyed…
- I really enjoyed the world building. The
author was able to successfully use two current states within the US (Virginia
and Washington D.C.) to establish her story. While she could have created her
own world, I think by putting it into the context of the United States, it made
it feel more authentic. Her descriptions of the settings made you feel like you
were there.
- The characters. I loved Trinity and her
determination and courage. Despite having a degenerative disease which was
impacting her vision, she still aimed to do her absolute best at everything
which was thrown at her. I also really enjoyed seeing the relationship between
Trinity and Zayne develop. While at first Trinity was hesitant about the
mysterious Zayne and his outsider clan, she eventually opened up to him and
their relationship blossomed. I also really liked Peanut the ghost. He was such
a fun addition to the cast of characters and was extremely enjoyable to read
about. His antics and mischief brought happiness to Trinity when she was
struggling most.
- The different demons within the book made for a rollercoaster ride. You never knew when the demons were going to appear and this kept me engaged throughout the course of the book. I did get some vibes similar to that of V.E. Schwab’s Monsters of Verity series which is one of my favourite series’ of all time so I thought it was great that another author has delved into the world of demons and monsters and written them so well.
- The inclusion of the Wardens and their
gargoyle form was also a fascinating element of this book. I haven’t read a
book before that includes gargoyles and thought it was a wonderful inclusion to
the book. The shape shifting in their forms was very interesting too and I
thoroughly enjoyed reading about it.
Things I thought could have been adjusted...
- Storm and Fury is quite a lengthy book. While I thought it was written very well and the plot kept me engaged throughout, I did feel like the book dragged in some places. I do think it lacked in some action during the middle of the book and that the action near the conclusion seemed to happen very quickly. As it was a book over 500 pages, I would have thought the action that has been building up over the whole book would have been a little longer. Overall though, most of the book was well paced and kept me interested in what was going to happen next.
- I did find Trinity’s secret a bit
predictable (but this may just be due to me reading too many books and working
plot twists out too early!) I feel like the extent of her powers was sort of
washed over too, I would have liked to have known more about them. This may be
in the author’s previous series which I have not read, so I won’t hold that
against her and she may have already explained it.
Overall, I did thoroughly enjoy Storm and Fury. It had
elements which made it stand out from any other fantasy book I have read before
and which kept the reader interested and engaged throughout the plot. I would
highly recommend it to older YA fantasy lovers who like books with a complex
plot and who love the fight of good against evil.
I rated this book 3.5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐🟀
Thank you to the publishers, Harlequin Books, for
providing me with a copy for review.
Storm and Fury is out now and can be purchased from
bookstores in Australia.
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