Roar

Stormheart #1

by Cora Carmack

In a land ruled and shaped by violent magical storms, power lies with those who control them.

Aurora Pavan comes from one of the oldest Stormling families in existence. Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world’s deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora’s been groomed to be the perfect queen. She’s intelligent and brave and honorable. But she’s yet to show any trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people.

To keep her secret and save her crown, Aurora’s mother arranges for her to marry a dark and brooding Stormling prince from another kingdom. At first, the prince seems like the perfect solution to all her problems. He’ll guarantee her spot as the next queen and be the champion her people need to remain safe. But the more secrets Aurora uncovers about him, the more a future with him frightens her. When she dons a disguise and sneaks out of the palace one night to spy on him, she stumbles upon a black market dealing in the very thing she lacks—storm magic. And the people selling it? They’re not Stormlings. They’re storm hunters.

Legend says that her ancestors first gained their magic by facing a storm and stealing part of its essence. And when a handsome young storm hunter reveals he was born without magic, but possesses it now, Aurora realizes there’s a third option for her future besides ruin or marriage.

She might not have magic now, but she can steal it if she’s brave enough.

Challenge a tempest. Survive it. And you become its master.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Magic, Young Adult Fantasy, High Fantasy, Fiction

380 pages, Hardcover

First published June 13, 2017

About the author

Cora Carmack is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of New Adult Romance and YA fantasy. Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages around the world. Cora lives in Austin, TX, and on any given day you might find her typing away at her computer, flying to various cities around the world, or just watching Netflix with her kitty Katniss and her dog Sherlock. But she can always be found on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and her website www.coracarmack.com.

***Please note: I am rarely on goodreads, so if you're trying to get a hold of me, the best places to find me are Twitter, Facebook, my blog, Instagram, and via email (coracarmack(at)gmail(dot)com).

Reviews

[Chelsea Humphrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

If it helps you decide whether or not to read this book, just know I read an e-galley of this back in February and I adored it SO much that I bought a finished hard copy for my collection of re-reads. It was THAT good! ❤️💛💚💙💜🖤💗

Full Review:
I guess I've put writing this review off long enough. I keep feeling like, if I don't write this, I don't have to let go of this story yet. When I first read the above description of said book, I immediately thought "Great, another cliche YA fantasy filled with tropes of white, timid girls saving the day, love triangles where all the boys are unrealistically pining after one extra spoiled lady, and a let down of a plot because my expectations of how awesome controlling storms would be simply can't measure up." Sound about right? However, I kept seeing this little book popping up all over my Goodreads feed, so when I was offered an early copy from the publisher, peer pressure got to me and I caved because I like having things earlier than I'm supposed to. Let me just tell you folks, if you are a fan of YA fantasy with a bit of romance, immediately click that pre-order button because you need some Stormlings in your life, I promise. As a fair warning, there may be some extremely mild spoilers below, so if you'd like to go in completely blind, I'd recommend stopping reading this and pre-ordering the book. If you want to get a little more feel of the book then follow along.

"You are lightning made flesh. Colder than falling snow. Unstoppable as the desert sands riding the wind. You are Stormling. Aurora Pavan. Believe it.
Believe it, and others will too."

Let's start with our main character. This is where I was most concerned before entering into the book; I can't tell you how many books I've read (and probably you as well) where the protagonist is a pale, white 18 year old female who is unsure of herself, even though the book tells us for PAGES how perfectly above average she is in looks and talent. This girl also falls at the feet of any guy to show her attention, and usually has saved her virginity for a mainstream view of an abnormally long time, only to give it up in one quick moment. This particular trope has gotten old, so you can see the concern when our main character is described as a pale, white 18 year old female. Thankfully, this story is different. I won't go into too much detail, but the first chapter leads us to believe the story is going in one direction and brings us a significant twist right away, showing that this book will indeed be different. I love how there is no love triangle in this book; the romance that is there is very engaging, but also very tame and somewhat ties into the reasoning behind portions of the action. The remaining characters are fairly diverse, at least racially, and the band of friends that we follow throughout the story remind me a bit of our gang in the Six of Crows duology, although I hate to make that comparison and raise expectations unintentionally. I feel this crew had their own strengths and weaknesses compared to Kaz's crew, but gave me that same close feeling that I had while reading those books.

"Soul of fire, soul of rage
No longer bound by flesh or cage,
Soul exalted, soul made new
Reserved for those devout and true."
-"The Way of Souls" (A Sacred Soul Hymn)

The plot was actually very complex, layered as an onion to where, once we had a portion figured out, it opened up others that were still a mystery. I did have to devote my full attention in the beginning for the world building, as this fantasy realm is very different than the others I've previously read. There is intricate detail of multiple lands that I found completely mesmerizing; I adored how realistic it was and didn't account for how caught up I'd become until I had to check back in to reality. There is so much action in the plot that makes it paced really well; I could hardly put this down and do all the other things I needed to during my days. The entire premise of certain lineages being able to control storms, and said storms having a "heart" really intrigued me and I found the story to be much better than my wildest expectations. This has a "half mythological/half modern fantasy" feel which caused a nice balance without either aspect feeling forced. I grew close to the characters and felt really sad to have turned the last page and have nowhere else to follow them (for the time being). And that cover? Absolutely stunning.

I'd highly recommend this to fans of any sect of YA fantasy; the romance was mild and age appropriate for all teens. This is the type of book that would even make a great cross-over into YA Sci-Fi as it toes the edge of some pieces that would fit nicely there. Such a well-written and exciting YA debut; I now have a complete book hangover that is almost as severe as when I finished ACOMAF last year. This one was so good I'm going to have to buy a finished copy for my special shelf at home in hopes of a re-read before the next book in the series is published.

Many thanks to the publisher for providing my copy via NetGalley; it was an absolute delight and privilege to provide an honest review.

Initial Thoughts:
Now that, my friends, is how you end the first book in a series. Not a giant, open-ended cliffhanger, something that leaves you angry for not having enough story to tide you over until the next book. This left me ready for the next book but with enough closure to let me sleep at night. This was EXCELLENT. Highly recommended for a different type of YA romantic fantasy. I loved the use of the elements and wielding storms as a form of power. Full review to come.

[Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies · Rating 2 out of 5]

Roar? More like...



I DNFed at 20% because my patience only lasts so long and that is it. By this point in the book, there has been 3 hot guys (2 of whom are brothers!), a useless princess who is sooooooooooo beautiful, and the majority of what I've read has been the accounts of an betrothal ceremony for an arranged marriage with lots of steamy glances and flirting and blushing than actual plot.

The paint had begun to wear away on her lips, revealing rosy skin underneath. Was the rest of her flushed beneath all that powder?

The premise is really interesting. Too bad there isn't more plot and fewer attractive people.

[Aentee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ll get the lone positive out of the way first. The world building in Roar was compelling, set in a world haunted by tempestuous storms where gifted humans employ magic to control them. Since the internet has no shortage of glowing reviews about the magic system in Roar, I’ll leave it at that. I have a lot more to say about the toxic romance in Roar as, it is an example of how dangerous it is for harmful tropes to reign unchecked and unchallenged. This post will contain spoilers for the romantic plot within Roar. This is the book that ruins itself, so I am just helping it along.

Note: The protagonist in this book goes by three different names – Aurora, Rora, and Roar – I will use the name Roar for the sake of clarity.

My main issue with Roar is the very problematic romanticisation of male sexual aggression and possessiveness. Unlike many YA novels where the narration primarily takes place from the heroine’s point of view, Roar is also written from Cassius and Locke’s perspective – and their thoughts on Roar were disturbing and frightening, especially because the text largely presented them as romantic.

Creepy Love Interest #1 – The Tortured Prince
Moments later Cassius Locke melted out of the shadows, looking more like a villain than a prince—dressed all in black with dark hair and eyes to match.

The first love interest is betrothed to Roar. Cassius Locke is your classic dark, sardonic hero, complete with chiselled cheekbones and a secret agenda. Within ten minutes of their first meeting, we have him throwing her over his shoulders – caveman style – because her gorgeous gown was restricting her movement and he simply did not have the patience. Isn’t that charming? This particularly gallant thought also crossed his mind during their first encounter:

…he had a feeling that conquering her would prove more exhilarating than any storm he had ever defeated.
Yes, Cassius, because women are objects meant to be conquered. Also, this is the first of several instances that Roar is compared to a storm under a male’s gaze within this text – and given the misogynistic history surrounding the naming and feminisation of destructive cyclones and hurricanes (http://nytlive.nytimes.com/womeninthe...), these comparisons constantly bothered me. The storms within this particular universe are described as devastating and mesmerising, people simply can’t help but be captivated and destroyed by their unknowable force. To her love interests, Roar is equally magnetic, they can’t help wanting her, it’s her own nature that makes them want to conquer and claim her.

Here’s a couple more examples of Cassius’s simply winning personality:

Her aggression had been a surprising but welcome new morsel of her personality. He had prodded at the fire in her, treated her like a woman he truly wanted, rather than a woman he had to have at any cost.

In this instance, Cassius perceives Roar’s anger as being a come-on rather than a warning that he has overstepped his boundaries (as mentioned above, this is a guy has no concept of what a personal bubble is). According to Cassius, when you’re interested in a woman, you have to ‘prod at her fire’ – because nothing is more romantic than pissing off your wife-to-be.

“You don’t deserve someone like me,” he said... “But you are mine all the same.”
Unfortunately, this is not the last time vile possessive sentiments will be voiced within the book. At least Roar is not impressed at this stage. However, the next time someone else says this, the text will treat it as romantic.

Mercifully, at this point in the novel, Roar does not entertain Cassius’s nonsense – she had the fortitude to think:

She had hoped that when all was said and done, she could finally belong to herself.

Ohhh Roar, I had such high hopes for you. Unfortunately, both our hopes largely go unfulfilled – at least in the romance department (to be honest, there’s not a great deal of plot in this book aside from the romance). Her second love interest is even more consumed with thoughts of possessing her.

Creepy Love Interest #2 – Protective Alpha Hunter

When Locke first appeared, I harboured some hope that the book’s romantic plotline will take a less toxic course. Perhaps Locke was the thoughtful, respectful foil to Cassius’s domineering personality. Alarm bells rang immediately when I saw his first POV perspective of the heroine:

He has been teasing earlier with his little girl comment, but now she did look young. And frightened. And it roused every protective instinct he had.
Right off the bat, we have the overprotective alpha-male trope rearing its ugly head, along with a healthy dose of toxic idealisation of masculinity. Males can’t help but want to protect their love interest, and in this case, the instinct comes with a need for control and possession. It’s a ‘romantic’ set up that we have unfortunately seen time and again, but this is one of the most rage-inducing version of the trope I’ve read in recent years.

To add another layer of creepiness to it all, Roar also reminds him of his dead sister:

But he remembered the feel of his sister, the timbre of her soul, the bravado with which she had lived. Roar had that same strange mix of vulnerability and strength.

In an entire book’s worth of Locke’s conflicting and very unsettling narration on Roar, this is a first. Locke simultaneously equates Roar to the little sister he had failed to protect, while also obsessively thinking of her through a more romantic lens. Here’s a couple of examples:

He had thought about her more today than he cared to admit, wondering what kind of home, if any, she had gone back to. But anything in this city would be safer for her than life in the wildlands.
At first it was kind of sweet, although perplexing as he’s only met Roar a couple of hours ago.
But now after three nights of restless sleep, broken by nightmares about a girl in danger who was somehow both his sister and Roar simultaneously, he had run out of excuses. It had been ages since he’d last had a nightmare. He knew having Roar here would throw him off balance, but it was even worse than he anticipated.

Then he began losing sleep over her and I started side-eyeing a little. Note that all of this obsessive behaviour is always framed as Roar’s fault, because of her nature – he cannot help but be infuriated, mesmerised, and obsessed with her. In Roar (as is sadly true in most romance), this is often painted as something that sets the heroine apart from other women, something that is romantic rather than unsettling.

And when he wasn’t consumed with thoughts of her, he was battered by an anxiety that had never plagued him before.

Obsession is not romance. Locke’s constant preoccupation with Roar eventually manifests in a more physical manner during their training sessions (for context, he’s teaching her how to manipulate and hunt storms). All of their training session sets feminism back by around two decades, but these passages are the ones that made me physically ill:

He should let her go. He knew her well enough now to know that manhandling her would only make her fight harder. But he was too distracted by the way her body fit against his own. Her soft hair tickled his neck. Even more startling, she had stopped fighting him completely. Her body sank against his, her back pressed against his chest and abdomen. He became acutely aware of where his arms wrapped around her shoulders and her midsection. She sucked in a breath, and the rise and fall of her chest moved through both of them.

Firstly, I do not think anyone of any gender would respond well to being manhandled. Secondly, his display of physical dominance followed by his sexual arousal truly makes me want to hurl. It is passages like these that are potentially triggering for survivors of sexual assault. I think it is absolutely vile that Locke even made it off the editing table. When I read paragraphs like this one, I feel like I am seeing through the eyes of an abuser – one that blames women for being distracting and inviting with their “soft hair” and curves. There is nothing remotely romantic about this predatory behaviour. This is abuse, and I cannot brush it off as a bad alpha-male trope – especially given how many reviewers view this as romantic.

Locke then follows up this assault with thinking:

He knew he should step away, but it was like he’d been mesmerized. He stood there, stock-still, his mind filled with nothing but her. If she were a storm, she could destroy him, and he would never lift a finger to protect himself.

Locke, you sack of waste, she is not a danger to you. Quite the opposite, you’re the clear aggressor in this situation. You do NOT get to blame her for mesmerising you, not when you clearly can’t control your own revolting impulses to dominate her. Society keeps making excuses for men like Locke, and seeing echoes of these excuses in fiction – especially ones that defend his action in the name of romance – make me see red.

As if this assault was not bad enough, within the same chapter, Locke then proceeds to start groping Roar. The passage is far too long for me to quote here, but it includes ‘he stilled and looked at her like hunters looked at prey’, and ‘the hand around her neck tightened’. Also, there is this very awful passage which reduces a woman’s body into an object to be conquered:

‘She was uncharted territory, and mountains formed where he touched her and a river of sensation flowed down her spine.’

The fact that this takes place from Roar’s perspective makes it all the more disheartening and disturbing. By the time Locke’s wandering hand started ‘grazing the upper curve of her bottom’, she begins to question ‘Why?’. Why was he putting his hands all over her without clear consent? The answer, dear reader, truly establishes what we already know – Locke is trash:

“When you’re distracted or feeling strong emotions, the natural barriers of your mind are weaker and more susceptible to being mesmerized by a storm’s magic. Which means something as simple as a thick fog could do much worse than make you forget where you are or what you were doing. It could keep you in the fog, even as it moves, dragging you along with it. Your mental barriers must be without weakness.”
He claims this particular assault was done in the name of training, to strengthen her mental barrier. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry or rage at this point. Of course, there are no consequences for Locke. It’s heartbreaking to see Roar turn the anger she feels towards herself instead – for not being able to see through his manipulation. She does this on a couple of occasions:

Locke’s voice was a fierce, angry growl, and she bowed up, ready to growl right back. She was getting tired of his moods—suffocatingly protective one second and a beast the next.

While Roar does occasionally acknowledge that Locke’s behaviour is tiresome, the text never probes further. His action is portrayed as a minor annoyance and a character quirk – rather than extremely harmful and toxic. Roar only pushes back enough for Locke to see her as a challenge to be conquered, and she never manages to get him to respect her personal boundaries. In one scene, she shares a horse with Locke and tries her best to avoid bodily contact—this is what our romantic hero proceeds to do:

After the tenth or so time she had tried and failed to keep from falling against him, he was out of patience. Wrapping the reins once around the pommel so he didn’t lose them, he reached both hands back to grip her thighs, well above her burns, and tugged her forward. She squeaked in response, her fingers tangling in the leather straps and holsters that crossed his abdomen. He would be lying if he didn’t admit that he got pleasure out of both her outraged cry and the feel of her surrounding him. “There,” he said, his voice low so that only she could hear. “We’re touching. I can feel you, all soft and warm against my back.” He heard her sharp intake of breath behind him, and he could swear her fingers tightened on the holster around his midsection. “You can feel me, and the world has not descended into flame again.” Though there was plenty of heat moving down his spine.

Because when a woman is clearly establishing boundaries, what you should do is force her into compromising position and tell yourself that she enjoys it? Roar rightly calls him ”such an ass!” after this particular exchange, and this is his smug response:

“Yes, but I’m an ass who gets what he wants.” He hadn’t meant those words to sound quite so possessive. He still thought it was a bad idea to get attached to her, but since the kiss, he was having trouble getting himself to care.

The book is aware that Locke is an overly-possessive alpha male – yet it is continually treated as something that’s attractive. This would be problematic no matter which audience the book was published for, but Roar is specifically marketed to the YA audience and this makes it all the more abhorrent. Teens are partially informed about the world around them by the media they consume. Having the primary love interest constantly pushing the heroine’s personal boundaries and dismissing her protests is harmful and irresponsible. By the way, that kiss he mentions in the paragraph above also unsurprisingly transpires without consent:

“Would you listen—”
“Can you just leave me alone?” His hand seized her elbow, and he spun her around forcefully. He growled, “No. I can’t.”
And then his mouth collided with hers. For a moment, Roar did not understand what was happening. She knew his lips were on hers, pushing hard enough to be punishment, and his fingers threaded through her hair, and an arm wrapped tight around her waist. But even knowing those things, she could not quite comprehend that Locke was kissing her. She froze, unsure whether she wanted to allow it or shove him away. She had been so angry, but now that blazing heat had melted into something different, like molten glass being shaped into something new. He tilted her head back, his hand gripping tighter in her hair, and when he opened his mouth against hers, she followed. He kissed his own fury into her, melting and reshaping her again and again with each strokes of his tongue over hers.

I nearly threw my Kindle across the room at this point in the book. Roar really knows how to get these romances burning, because haven’t we all dreamed of being shut up with a kiss – especially one that was akin to “punishment”? After all, isn’t that what we deserve for defying the alpha male’s unquestionable authority? Especially because we seem to enjoy the kiss so much? There are so many layers of wrong to this passage that I cannot unpack them all.

Roar does push back a little after this kiss, telling Locke he ‘cannot manipulate [her] into letting go of [her] anger’. Yet the book quickly diminishes this display of backbone by i) having Locke spout the age-old excuse ‘I was worried, and I overreacted.’, and ii) we have to end this particular assault with her thought on how the ‘kiss [was] so intense that she was still shaking’.

The book makes excuses for Locke time and again, and Roar is too distracted by her physical attraction to him to ever truly challenge him. While I wish I could say the book did this with the intention of subverting the trope, and I continued reading Roar with that hope in mind – I truly believe that the readers are meant to think of this as romantic. The PR campaign around this book is all about picking your book-crushes, not about confronting your abuser. Given the amount of reviews saying how ‘swoon-worthy’ or ‘steamy’ the romance is, I am truly disheartened. I am angry at how easy it is to dismiss these toxic tropes and for the world to make excuses for (or even overlook) abuse.

How do I know that the book has no intention of redeeming itself and will paint Locke as a romantic figure to the bitter end? Because this is the culmination of Locke and Roar’s relationship, and it’s definitely meant to be viewed in a positive light. In classic Locke manner, all romantic interactions are drenched with language that’s intended to dominate and control:

…suddenly he was thinking about kissing her again, tugging her down until their mouths crashed together. Would she yell at him or kiss him back?

Blog readers – if there’s ever a possibility that a woman might yell at you when you kiss her – DON’T DO IT. Actually, don’t kiss anyone without their consent. It’s frightening that the thoughts Locke has about Roar often forgo consent.

He had lost control over his own hand, and it trailed up and down her back now, tracing the delicate line of her spine again and again. And with each pass, he claimed a little more of her…

And of course, even when he has consent to touch her – he uses words that imply he has no choice in the matter. He can’t help but want to claim her like she’s some trophy to be had. Locke, I would have a tiny measure of respect for you if you would just own up to your own action and obsession instead of blaming your lust for Roar on male instinct.

Locke couldn’t stop the fierce protectiveness that rose in him, and before he knew what he was doing, he had caught her face in his hands, turning it toward him. “Who was he? The man from the market?”

Hey, book, I am getting really sick of this. Abandoning logic, reason, and consideration for the other party because you ‘love’ them so much is not romantic. There is always a choice, and pretending there is not is the classic tactic of an abuser. This kind of protectiveness is just a few steps away from actual violence, whether it’s towards perceived threats or the actual person you’re meant to be protecting. How many times have we seen domestic abuse in real life being explained away with these same excuses? ‘I couldn’t help myself.’ ‘I lost control.’ ‘She made me.’ Book, please make Locke take some goddamn responsibility for his atrocious behaviour.

“I’m the first to touch this mouth? To taste it?” Her nails dug into his shoulders, and her blue eyes flashed with heat. She nodded, her tongue darting out to soothe the skin he had tugged between his teeth. “That means it’s mine. My territory. And I’m prepared to protect it, every hour of the day if I must.”

What ever happened to ‘not wanting to sound possessive’, Locke? A woman’s body is not anyone’s property. For a book that began as a journey for Aurora’s independence, seeing her reduced in the eye of her lover to an object to be conquered is truly devastating. On a larger scale, seeing Roar marketed as a fantasy book with female empowerment, it’s distressing to see how wide it missed the mark when it came to romance.

Due to the character limit on GR I can't post my full review, you can read the rest on my blog: readatmidnight.com

[Brittney ~ Reverie and Ink · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars because this really was fun. There were A LOT of really cool elements and honestly the sequel is set up to be even better than the first, so I'm dreading an entire year of waiting!

I'll start with Aurora, or 'Roar'. I actually really liked her. She starts off as a weak heroine, and to be honest, she DOES grow but her character development is far from finished. I think some will get annoyed at her for it, but I appreciated it SO much. Not every heroine has to be 100% badass 100% of the time. But I have no doubt she will grow into her own.

At the beginning, she's a princess who is held in isolation inside her castle by her mother in order to prevent people from finding out she doesn't have storm magic, which is a hereditary thing in the royal family. So yeah, kinda a big deal that she doesn't have it. She's being forced to marry Cassius (more on this lovely chunk of words later) as quickly as possible so she can keep her kingdom before others find out. But as you can tell by the synopsis, Roar runs away, and I won't say much more than that. I love the direction the author took her in because book two should be GREAT as I said above. Anyway, she has a cute little temper but a good heart and wasn't overly spoiled by the whole palace life thing.

Now for Cassius, our resident dark and very questionable prince... YES. I am so here for him. He needed MUCH more screen time and I'm hoping he gets it in book two because asldkfja;lsdkjf. The beginning was SO STRONG when he first met Aurora. Like what even, can we please talk about chemistry? But then Roar overhears him and realizes he only plans to use her to get the crown. Whatever guys, I know that is *kinda true* but there's also a lot more about him that we don't understand. I have such high hopes for him. He's kinda like... a baby Darkling?? Yes? Anyone?? (Dearest Cora... please please more Cassius...and Cassius and Roar...)

I kina have a feeling the author was hinting at something between Cassius an Nova but nooooooo aldskfja;ldkfj I need Cassius and Roar.

I'm also super interested in Casimir an the rest of Cassius's family.

Once Roar runs away, she ends up with a new gang of storm hunters (which are super cool). Actually, let me stop there for a moment. The whole storm fighting and storm hearts thing was really neat and took this from being a typical fantasy book to a super unique magic system and storyline. As I mentioned above, there are definitely some cliches and cheesy parts that you find in most fantasies (especially in the romance egh) but the A+ world building kept me invested even during those times.

That bring me to Locke (resident head storm hunter broody guy). I liked him part of the time, but I didn't fall head over heels with him. I think it was because he was the sole focus for Roar, and by the end of the book, he kinda felt like a typical overprotective boyfriend who gets angry at anyone who even looks at his girl wrong. I mean, he and Roar did have some chemistry and I didn't mind him, and I did feel for him and his story, but Cassius is just so interesting and I liked his dynamic with Roar more.

I think Locke was what Roar needed at first, don't get me wrong. And I still dislike him. BUT, he says was questionable things at times. However, I've seen all the arguments about him being way problematic and stuff and I can't say that I agree with all that, but I'm just not sure which way Cora will take him in the future, so we shall see! If anything, he's a bit overly protective, but it just depends on how he acts on it later.

To summarize...

The Good:
-really cool world
-freaking cool magic system
-um the storms have personalities? SO COOL
-CASSIUS
-likeable yet weak heroine
-excellent villain development
-A+ set up for the sequel


Before I get into spoilers below, I'll just say definitely give this book a go if you're in for a unique fantasy/world and don't mind romance being the main focus (because it is) - but even if you aren't huge on that part of it, there's for sure hope for the sequel.


******SPOILERS BELOW******


OKAY OKAY AND WHAAAT CASSIUS IS THE FIRST BORN OGMARGHER YESS I AM HERE FOR THIS.
(Are you guys tired of me talking about Cassius? Sorry.)

All the while Locke and Roar and their gang are doing their thing, there's another villain being set up in the background so I'm super interested in that. Especially with the last paragraph of the book.

Anyway, is it too early to beg for an ARC of book two? Yes? Poo.

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[Hailey (Hailey in Bookland) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5*
This wasn't awful, the fantastical element was very unique, I mean c'mon storm magic. How cool! However you can definitely tell that this author usually writes heavy romances, which is fine, but I did not at all care for the language used in the relationships. It was very possessive and honestly my eyes were rolling 80% of the time. I think I would have enjoyed this more had the romance not been such a big part of the story, or had the romance not been so aggravating. I don't know what it is with me but I'm so critical of relationships in YA lately. I just feel like we can do better and there can be a cute romance without the possessive harmful language.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Update: $2.99 US kindle 10-22-17

This book was in my first Fairyloot box for June.



I thought the book was pretty good. I don't know if it was my mood once again but I didn't love it as much as everyone else. But, I will re-read it before the next book.

Oh, but all the stars goes to the book cover! And if you take off the dust jacket Roar is looking out across the city and it is so freaking awesome!


In the book she goes by: Aurora, Rora, and Roar. You just have to read the book.

Sometimes she was Aurora. Confident. Clever. Cultured.
Sometimes she was Rora. Afraid. Alone. Ashamed.
And more and more, she was Roar-bold, brash, and increasingly baffled by the situation in which she found herself. And sometimes she was none of them, lost and adrift somewhere in between, like the wildlands between Stormling cities.

Roar is supposed to have powers but she doesn't and she can't let her betrothed, Cassius know about it. She can't let anyone know about it.

But Roar has found a way to maybe learn some things. She meets up with Locke and his friends. I loved them all! Locke starts training Roar and we shall see where this will go. I'm not really sure what's going to be going on with that ending. Roar is playing a fine line.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS SOOOO HARD OMG!!!
BR with:
That guy
My Beloved Wife-poo
Find this review and others at A Thousand Lives of Frankie Lovely blog

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
**AN ASIDE**

This portion is about the romance in this book, and while I kept it spoiler free, if you are sensitive to any sort of mild spoiler information, emotional progression etc. you may want to avoid reading

Apparently there is a review going around that voices the opinion that the romance in this book is problematic and most likely triggering to victims of domestic violence and rape. I actually find this to be baffling only because I felt so strongly the complete opposite. While I respect the reviewers opinion and right to have it, I am concerned with how some people are responding to it’s suggestions as fact. Many even lowering their own ratings because of it! Why let other people speak for you I say? A book review is essentially a persuasive essay, including one point of view and only the evidence and facts necessary to support the writer's opinion (including my own).

I simply want to give voice to another reader's experience here to consider.

The bottom line is, we all read a book and process I based on our own personal context. So I wanted to share my experience with the romance in this book being both a domestic violence and rape survivor.

Most of you know (and the evidence still exists below) that I fangirled big time while reading this book. It became more to me than just a really kickass story though because I connected so emotionally to Roar and Locke and their relationship in general. Not only did it feel real (meaning flawed), but it felt natural in its progression, in it's growth, and most of all in it's beauty.

Locke is strong and supportive and he allows Roar to be her own person, he does not control her. (Let's face it .... Roar is not going to be controlled! She's so awesome yet flawed but totally kickass!) But he is not a doormat either. He fights her on things when he feels like he needs to. And Roar fights back. Because that is what people do.

One of the things I loved, was how much he respected her. There is a thin line between protecting those you love and controlling them. I felt like Carmack did an impeccable job not crossing that line at all. Sure, Locke makes some mistakes. Roar does too. But people make those. Without mistakes we have a world with flat unrealistic characters.

One of the worst relationships I have seen written lately in YA fantasy fiction is Rhys and Feyre in ACOWAR. Rhys watched Feyre do everything without an opinion of his own to such an extreme that he lost his identity completely. This is NOT healthy in a relationship, for one person to be so passive that they lose themselves in the other person is really damaging. Any relationship that does not have a give and a take, a push and a pull, is a controlling and unhealthy relationship weather passively or aggressively so.

A healthy relationship does not mean a relationship without issues. A relationship will never be perfect when it is between two humans who have their own opinions. Just as even the purest friendship will have it's moments of strife. There will be times when these two people do not think 100% the same way. This is normal. A healthy relationship is one where two people compromise, or admit their mistakes and grow as individuals and as a couple.

I want to be very clear here, this relationship did not strike me as being an abusive or problematic relationship at all. I also want to reiterate that I am a survivor of domestic abuse and also of rape. So, I happen to be someone who is extremely sensitive to controlling behavior in people around me. I cannot speak for everyone, but I absolutely never felt triggered in any way. Quite the opposite actually. I felt empowered and emotionally connected because of how beautifully I thought Carmack crafted and melded this relationship into something with a mutual respect!

There are some moments of strife, some moments of hurt feelings, some moments when people put hands where they shouldn't. But these are things that are not portrayed as positive moments, they are portrayed as mistakes more times than not. This book showed us a real relationship and this is one of the things I loved most.

Some people may not see the full depth of this story and that is ok. Some people may read this story and see things a different way and that is ok. Some people may see this story and connect to it positively like I did and that is ok. Some people may have any number of responses to and opinions about this book and that is ok too. This is what reading should be.

BUT ... I do encourage everyone to make an effort to form their own opinions after reading the book. Do not let the suggestions of others sway your own experience and conviction either. Going into it a book with a positive mindset and seeing how this story unfolds for you specifically is always your best option. I just hope someone who might have gotten something positive from this book like I did wasn't discouraged. This book hit me really emotionally hard in an empowering way. Again, everyone draws from their own context differently.

I just wanted to remind everyone that one person's opinion and experience with a book or a moment in a book does not and should not speak for everyone (including my own).

I STAND BY THIS STATEMENT FOR ME PERSONALLY:
This book is brilliant and beautiful with one of the most real and healthy romances I have read <3
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

**REVIEW**

ASDGOEPRGQNRKGJAEGA:REGOAEWHATISLIFE?!?!

What kind of wrapping paper do you think Cora Carmack prefers?

Gold and white stripes ... or funky cats?

because...

I AM GIFT WRAPPING MY SOUL AND SENDING IT TO HER AS PAYMENT for this beautiful boooooook OMG!!

I.
Am.
Wrecked.

I STAYED UP LITERALLY ALLL FUCKING NIGHT!!! Like I have not gone to sleep ... and it is 8:30am now ... so ... I will not be sleeping ... again ... and IT WAS WORTH IT <3

I see spots and I don't think they are real?! My eyes are rebelling.

BUT why do I have to wait for things?! I need book 2 now though ... the universe owes me AT LEAST THIS!!!!!

PREPARE THYSELF … because this review is going to be a lot of random fangirling, poorly flowing points and epic gushing because I really adored this book!!!

Also I am running on a crazy lack of sleep right now ... so the writing on this review is going to be awful ... oops

What I Liked

This is one of the coolest worlds I have ever read in a YA fantasy book! SO FREAKING COOL! I mean look at the map. Ok, yeah … lot of YA fantasy books provide maps in the front of their books but far too often the stories end up taking place in only one location and maybe mentioning a place or two on the map. This book uses a huge percentage of it’s really cool world! Many cities are really well developed in this book, doing more than just mentioning them a time or two, but actually developing bits of culture and/or history for them. But the absolute best part of this world is hands down THE STORMS! Omg these wrathful mega storms and the entire concept of this aspect is so incredibly brilliant and well done … I JUST CAN’T! OMG SO AWESOME!!! SO FREAKING AWESOME!!! I mean the imagery is the most incredible thing I have read in a very long time! Ripping the hearts from the storms ... wow ... just wow!

This ties heavily into the magic system which is also one of the coolest things I have read in YA fantasy. Let’s be honest … I have been let down by storm magic and elemental magic in books quite a bit in the past. THIS BOOK DELIVERS! Again, well written, easily understood, Intricate, and did I mention SO FREAKING COOL!?!

And we have Stormlings, and storm hunters and I am actually quite bitter that I was not able to become a storm hunter in life to be honest. I feel like the Universe has some making up to do on this account because I feel cheated! These character concepts are so cool! And the characters themselves are fangirl worthy for sure! (which is convenient … since I fangirled a shit ton). There is not a single character in this book that I felt fell flat. I fell in love with basically everyone! These characters are really well developed with backstory, differing opinions/beliefs and identifiable personalities.

This book has one of my new absolute favorite female MCs of all time! Roar is an epic strong but imperfect female role model of an MC! And she is pretty badass! She is all the things Celaena Sardothien wanted to be and wasn’t (sorry epic fans but it’s true). I mean … she can protect herself … and says things like this when boys touch her …

“Excuse me.” She shoved him backward, Heat rising into her cheeks. “Perhaps ask before you put your hands all over a person.”

FUCK YEAH! Get is girl!

I mean she doubts herself from time to time, she has obvious faults and insecurities, this makes her human and I love her all the more for it!

And villians! Oh we have some of the coolest villains in this book!!! And I love them too. Again … developed, well written, unique, and intricate! And oh so dark which is the best part <3

But not only were individual characters well developed in this book, but relationships between characters were as well! NOT TO MENTION ALL THE TENSION RIDDLED, AMAZING AS FUCK, WHY ARE MY EYES SWEATING SHIPPY GOODNESS OMG MY HEART!

Like … the romance is on point! I ship it so so so hard you have no idea! *Mild Spoiler*Cassius is so broody and every girl’s bad boy fantasy … and Locke is basically made from pure stardust from Heaven he is the most perfect character ever (yet still flawed and broken and real). Plus Locke says things like …

“If a man needs to hurt a woman to feel good about himself, he is not much of a man.”

PREACH SON!

The plot is so freaking good too! I know a lot of people are over certain tropes and this book has one or two (not going to tell you which ones because no spoilers!), but they are so well done … who even cares?! While this book certainly fits the mold of a YA fantasy … it is unique enough to be extremely refreshing and enjoyable!

I kept waiting for this book to become another "meh" cliché YA fantasy book and … it never did!

This book was more than just a pretty face. It was extremely well written for one! Despite the unique magic and world building elements, this book had all of ZERO info dumps ... and yet I do not feel lost or confused at all! This book also throws is a few really powerful messages throughout the story. I'm not going to give these away too much because I think letting them find you is so much stronger. There is a lot of powerful positive and empowering relationship moments in this book. Very supportive and beautiful. There are also a few tolerance messages throughout.

Speaking of diversity did I mention that we have several different skin shades represented here. But race is not really a huge discussion point.

But of course my favorite part of any book is HOW IT MAKES ME FEEL! I love a book that wrecks me and this book did that so good I loved it. There was so much tension, my heart felt like it was on a wire about to snap! I cried several times for multiple times for everything from sadness to happiness … I was an emotional mess. Still am. And I have a pretty serious book hangover right now.

In lieu of posting a what I did not like section … I am going to list the things I hope to see more of in the next book

+More Cassius
+More knife throwing
+More backstories
+More strife/tension between a certain ship
+More of the same awesomeness this book delivered on!
+Don’t kill my babies … ok but seriously if everyone lives I will *eye roll* so hard so it’s a tough call
+Answered questions

In Conclusion

This book was the light at the end of the 2017 shitty book releases tunnel for me! This book saved my life in all honesty … maybe that’s a bit dramatic … no it’s accurate.

A brilliantly conceptualized and written world and story! I LOVE IT OMG SO FREAKING MUCH!

**MUSIC SUGGESTIONS**

Sparks After the Sunset by Cosmic Gate & Sarah Lynn

And as always ... pretty much anything by Crywolf

[Wren (fablesandwren) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has THE COOLEST CONCEPT IN THE HISTORY OF ALL CONCEPTS IN THE KNOWN AND UNKNOWN WORLD. Like, holy crap Cora Carmack, how in the world did you just come up with this world? It is totally unique and beauty and I need more than one story in this world and I also need the next book to just appear in my hands.

So let me just gush more about the world here. THESE PEOPLE FIGHT STORMS. Like they literally will go out and fight a tornado. The only way to stop the tornado is to get the gem that is in the middle of the storm that is called the heart. Let me reiterate: THEY STILL THE HEARTS OF STORMS. I don’t know why this whole thing just blows my mind, but it legitimately makes me contemplate what my life is about. Like here I am waiting for Game of Thrones to happen and Aurora and her people are out there fighting fire that comes down from the sky.



Am I the only person who feels this is the coolest thing to happen to the book community since Rowling’s Wizarding World? Probably, and I’m okay with that.

So back to the actual story, Aurora is a princess. The royalty is who has the power to fight a storm, because not everyone has that liberty. It stays within a bloodline usually, but you also have to fight the storms to get their hearts. So if you have a tornado’s heart, it doesn’t mean you can fight a tidal wave as well as someone who has a tidal wave’s heart. The more hearts you have, the stronger you are as a stormfighter.

So when Princess Aurora shows no powers when she comes of age, her queen mother negotiates her marriage to a powerful family of another kingdom to keep this from becoming public knowledge. No one knows that she can’t actually do what she was born to do.

#Protagonist: I love the character growth with Aurora. Because in the beginning of the book, so is naïve and is kind of a quiet personality; she even feel for a game being played on her in the first few chapters. But, she finds something else that might save their reign, and without having to marry herself off for power instead of love. The whole journey of her finding herself was just so pure and enlightening.

Not to mention the people she meets. It was kind of like their own little version of the gang from Six of Crows (which I found a lot of other reviews also saw that comparison). You had the loud mouth girl, the light-on-her-feet girl, the goofy boy, the brooding boy and the strong-silent-type boy. I mean, there’s also like a wise-old-man in the group and then you have our girl Aurora, but I still kept thinking of Six of Crows, even though these books are vastly different.

#CoProtagonist: Locke is a strong character. Things get a little predicable, but I wasn’t made about that when it came to him. He is about to go ballistic in the beginning of book two though because of what he is about to find out. I am looking forward to hearing more about his past because I think there is more to him than just chasing storms with his gang.

#AntiHero: The betrothal, Cassius, needs more time in the lime-light. He is dark, handsome, broody and has his own agenda and I need to know more about him. I have a feeling that in the next book, he is going to be taken over the pages and I am not even mad about it. I wouldn’t be mad if Aurora ended up falling in love with him because I was after like chapter two so.



#Supporter: Nova, the only friend Aurora ever had, also needs more screen time. The crowns of the Stormling Kingdoms have tried to kill out the witches of the world... and have done a poor job of it because one has been under their nose this whole time. She’s about to break everyone’s world wide open and I am pumped.

I’m also not mad about the love triangle that is about to form, possibly a love square if the author allows it. Love triangles are usually overplayed these days, but I am living for the tension this is going to bring with these characters.



I absolutely loved this book and I plan on reading it again at least three times before the next one comes out.

---

This is quite possibly the best book I have ever read. Review is comin'

Oh and also, I'm dead. No funeral though because I'll probably just become [spoiler here and no I don't spoil things unless you ask me too but MY LAUUURD THIS BOOK].

[Katerina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really should stop buying books for their cover.

Although, to be fair, the premise sounded like my cup of tea, and it should have been. It was, mostly. But I feel like I'm slowly (and steadily) turning into a grumpy, bitter old lady who complains about anything and everything and cannot be satisfied, unless her 72 cats do something adorable.



Don't get me wrong, Roar was not a bad book. The concept of magical lands ruled by storms was brilliant, and the execution was skillful; after all, Cora Carmack is a romance author, and this was her first attempt at fantasy. The most astonishing thing is that she succeeded in the fantasy element, but failed in romance and character depth.

“Whether it be thunderstorm, hurricane, or some storm on which we have not yet laid eyes, one truth remains - challenge a tempest, survive it and you become its master.”

The lands of Caelira are tormented by all kinds of storms, which wreak havoc and destruction in their path. The only salvation for the people of Caelira are the Stormlings, gifted with the power to control the forces of nature and thus becoming something equivalent to Gods. Aurora is the heir of the Pavan throne, the one charged with the protection of her country from the tempests, but the problem is that she has not manifested any magic. The only way to keep her throne and save her people is to marry another Stormling and hide her inadequacy, until she meets a group of storm hunters who can harnest storms even though they were not born into magic. And reveal to Aurora another way to be of use, and to truly discover herself.

“With that done, she took a deep breath and said her final good-bye.
To Pavan. And to Aurora.
From this point on, she could only be Roar.”

While reading Roar it was obvious that Cora Carmack had poured her soul into this project. She elaborately crafted the kingdoms of Caelira, the wondrous and terrifying storms that ravaged cities and wastelands alike, and the strong aspect of adventure in her story made Roar a novel you couldn't put down. Even though at times the world-building could be confusing, and I'd appreciate more details to disperse the fog that clouded my brain, the occasional confusion did not deter me from keep reading, and losing myself in her rich world. Featuring a villain whose identity is yet to be revealed, but his cruelty and bloodlust are unprecedented, a ruthless prince fighting for a throne that is not his, and a bunch of badass storm-hunters, it was a highly addictive ride that had the potential for greatness.
If it weren't for Aurora.

She's your typical special snowflake, the embodiment of perfection, beauty, sweetness, strength, compassion, determination and-
You're rolling your eyes, aren't you? So am I. Everyone fell in love with her and turned all possesive caveman after one look, she stole the breath away from ambitious princes and seasoned hunters alike, making the latest category endanger their long-term partners, distracting them in fights for their life, because she's such an aetherial and pure being. Aurora wavered between self-pity and the fiery need to prove her value and acquire power, leading her to smart decisions like demanding to participate in stormfights without an ounce of magic and zero former experience, because she knows she can do it.



And let's not forget the dreadful combination of insta-lust and insta-love(s). In the span of twenty-four hours she trusted her fiance with her heart (something that has to do with her raging hormones, if you ask me), he broke her heart and then she met another dazzingly handsome young man that made her feel alive and burn etc etc. Now, as you can tell, there were two love interests. I wouldn't go as far as to label it a love triangle, because she had two to three scenes with the first one whereas she spent most of the book with the second, but their reactions to her were similar (and ridiculous); they see her - they want to conquer her - to protect her - to hell with the world.



The romance was overly sweet and sappy, it gave you diabetes. The interactions between the love birds were rather childish (I'm surprised there wasn't involved any ponytail pulling) and while there were descriptions of tension and angst, you could not feel them. I still root for the other guy (the 'bad' guy), at least he's not turned into a pile of goo (yet).

“You are lightning made flesh. Colder than falling snow. Unstoppable as the desert sands riding the wind. You are Stormling, Aurora Pavan. Believe it.”

I may have mixed feelings towards Roar, but I will definitely continue this series. If you're searching for your next guilty pleasure rejoice, you just found it!

You can find this review and more on BookNest!

[Cora Carmack]

I've been dreaming of writing YA fantasy for nearly a decade. My hope was to write an exciting, unique fantasy world with an equally compelling romance. This book really took hold of me, and demanded to be written. It began with the idea of magic storms, storm hunters, and a black market. It took shape through the lens of a princess with a dire secret. I fell in love with so many characters as I wrote this first book, and I can't wait for you to meet them all and see how all their journeys unfold as the story moves forward! <3

Check out excerpts from Roar below!

Chapter 1 - https://goo.gl/i0roa5
Cover reveal and excerpt - https://goo.gl/QbWDdb
Excerpt - https://goo.gl/9LYKIa
Excerpt - https://goo.gl/YPVoca

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

**4.5-stars**

This book to me:



Wow, okay. No one warned me how highly addictive this story was going to be.



I picked up Roar for The Page Turners Book Club hosted by Chelsea Palmer.

It was our July 2019 selection and when it was announced, I thought, why not? That's been sitting on my shelf for over two years. Time to give it a whirl.



I expected it to be just okay, predicting a 3-star read.

I'm not sure why I thought that. Maybe because I just have not heard a lot of people talking about it.



I was not expecting the super creative, compulsively-readable YA Fantasy that I got.

The magic system was creative and the characters were well written. I had so much fun with it.



This story follows, Aurora, who is a Princess of Pavan and descends from a Stormling family.

These Stormlings have powers that can help protect them from and conquer storms. Unfortunately for Aurora, her powers never manifested, a fact she has kept secret from the rest of world.



In order to keep the secret and save the crown, her mother arranges for her to marry a Stormling Prince from another kingdom. Upon meeting her betrothed, Aurora is underwhelmed.



She doesn't trust him and wants to figure out how to dissolve the marriage arrangement before it can happen.

When she learns from a loyal servant, that her Prince will be visiting a black market one night, Aurora decides to follow him. Once there she loses sight of him and ends up meeting a group of Storm Hunters.



Intrigued by their abilities, she decides to run away with them in the hopes of learning how to conjure her own magic.

With the right magic, she can fight to get her kingdom back under her control without some unwanted marriage.



The group of Storm Hunters is comprised of a number of great characters who I loved reading about.

When a ragtag group of individuals comes together and travels, trains and fights together, I just can't get enough of it. It's actually one of my favorite tropes and this set-up did not disappoint.



There was so much to love about this book and if the gifs are not enough of an indication for you, I did get strong Dany, transforming into Khaleesi vibes, from Rora.

There is so much left in this story to discover. We have so many unanswered leads. That Epilogue!!!



I cannot imagine having read this two years ago and then having to wait forever and a day for the release of the next book.

Rage. I am definitely preordering it because I need answers!



I am so happy that I finally picked this up. I was very impressed with the magic system, the world building, the characters, all of it.

The one thing that I wasn't super crazy about was the beginning of the romance. It was a bit too instalovey but it did end up growing on me.



If you have had this sitting on your shelves for two years as well, I highly recommend picking it up before the second book is released. This is so binge worthy.

Now all I want for my life is to become a storm hunter. Is that too much to ask?

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably one of my favourite books of 2017, I honestly enjoyed it that much!

ALL OF THE STARS! Every single one!

Just going to throw this out there Locke is 10000000000% a new favourite Character!

”And the skies know my girl is a fighter. Our world is brutal, but you are brave enough to face it. I know you are.”

This month I’ve decided only to read books from Book Subscriptions. Roar was in my first ever Fairyloot so I thought what better place to start than my first ever one? I cannot begin to explain how amazed I am with this book. I can honestly say this book surprised me with how much I enjoyed it! The storyline, the building of the atmosphere… the characters! I just loved everything!

The plot is just so in depth, there’s lots of different things going on and a few different POV’s from other characters. I really enjoyed this aspect, with this we saw different views and things weren’t so one sided. The more the story continued the more we saw into different snippets of stories that were so intriguing I want… no wait. I need more! With that epilogue I literally cannot wait for Rage!

If she were a storm, she could destroy him, and he would never lift a finger to protect himself.”

The story is about Aurora/Roar, when we first see her she is the Princess who everyone wants to know about. In this world people have the ability to fight storms and take Stormhearts. Due to her family being so high up, and seeing the power of the Queen her mother, everyone wants to know what her ability is and the pressure is really on! I loved her character, yes she did fit into certain tropes, however that doesn’t take away her as a character. We see her battle with herself, trust of others, all of her secrets! I enjoyed seeing her grow as a character and I literally can’t wait to see how she develops in book 2!

LOCKE! Oh my. I can’t. He can take my heart. I cannot explain how much I adore his character. He is just so understanding, he know how to push Roar to her full ability but no go overboard. His protectiveness towards her is just so compelling and not over-bearing or controlling. I liked the building of the relationship, the little arguments, how much he respected her… He says the most beautiful thing to her and I swear my heart shattered (of happiness!)

Now, I love Locke… but I am also ever so slightly intrigued by Cassius, like WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?! I want to know SO MUCH. So so sooooooo much! He’s like all darkness and has secrets that we still don’t know MORE MORE MORE PLEASE!

When it comes to Duke, Jinx, Ransom, Bait, Sly and Nova I’m just going to put this here, but I want more of the “side characters” like they all come across as so interesting and I just need them more present! They could be as well liked as some of my favourites, but they need to be much more present in the next book! The glimpses we get into these I liked, but more please!

What I liked?
- We had witches, mother fucking witches and not the normal kind!
- The back stories we got were SO good!
- Ransoms little chat to Roar about accepting what people said and why it had to be done in certain ways. Sometime no isn’t enough and to know WHY is so much better!
- All of the elements were SO intriguing!
- STORM HUNTERS! I mean how good does that sound?! Come on now…
- Everyone loves a bad Villain right? We no hardly anything about this Stormlord, not even a name and this is SO gripping!
- NOVA!
- How smart in Roar? I mean if she doesn’t want to do something, she’ll find a way to get out of it!

I honestly don’t think I disliked anything in this book (other than that I wanted more of the crew), so instead here is what I want from the Rage…

- ANSWERS! I need to know SOMETHING, ANYTHING?!
- Please give me more Cassius chapters/sections whatever you want to call them
- LOCKE
- Please me as enjoyable as Roar!

Overall I LOVED this… can you tell? Thank you for bringing Locke into my life, I’ll be just swooning over him for a while and while I’m at that I’ll be thinking about what’s going to happen in Rage. I am far too excited for this release already!
-------
Roar - 5 Stars
Rage - 4 Stars

[Warda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I AM IN LOVE!!!!!!!!!

LOCKE, BABY! 🤤🤤🤤

*DIES OF FEELS*

The best types of books are those that take you by surprise and this book definitely did. WHERE'S THE FAN ART AT?!

I am SO excited for what Cora Carmack has in store for this story. So much groundwork has been laid and I can't WAIT for it to be build upon. There's a lot of room for epicness to take place and that makes me so fuckin' giddy! I hope she delivers!

I'm sucker for the weak-protagonist-comes-into-his/her-own type trope. There's something about it, when done right, that just instills power and hope in me.

Review to come when I can think. Or not.

[♛ may · Rating 2 out of 5]

im 110% done with this book and myself. i dont even know what to say here bc well....i dont recall much of the contents of the book :) that's always great.

basically im like highkey done with everyone and theyre missing personalities. what a shame since the world and magic were fabulous.

bye cassius, see you never mr. possessive

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

buddy read with beyonce

i've read so many mixed reviews on this book so :') i'm ready for everything except disappointment

[Simona B · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

3.5 (the extra half a point is for the unputdownable-ness level)

“A soul is a curious thing.”

•My experience with Roar was all about ups and downs. Literally: before I started and throughout the first part of the novel, my excitement nearly threatened to overwhelm me, I was enjoying the story so much. Then insta-love certain things happened, and I started to lose interest; but after that it kind of got intriguing again, and I was hooked once more. In all honesty, the urge to go further and to avoid putting it down at all costs never deserted me, so I never did not enjoy it, but the book has got some noticeable flaws that at times are simply too much. So let’s go into the details now.

•Plot and world building, even though with certain reservations, are both very enthralling and well thought out. I admit that every so often, the latter gave me some trouble: a few things were not very clear and you had to be patient and hope they would be explained later, and I still am uncertain about a couple of them, like, for instance, does the act of getting the heart of a storm allow a non-Stormling to obtain magical abilities? Since that’s supposedly the way our storm hunters have their powers in the first place, I just assume it does, but it is never explicitly made clear, so mine’s just a guess.

•The plot is probably what surprised me the most. In the final chapters, a certain revelation is made (I’m talking about the destruction of Locke) and it’s so good, because the author had cleverly scattered many subtle hints throughout the whole story, enough to let you get the sense that something is wrong but not enough to let you figure out exactly what that is. Even though you have an idea of what may have happened, you still enjoy the plot-twist fully, precisely because it’s been so skillfully planned, and you feel like the whole story was a long but delicious build-up meant solely to lead you to that. Very satisfying.
The one problem I had with the plot is Aurora’s decision to leave with the hunters. She wanted to understand how to develop magic of her own and they had the answer, and I get it, but, to leave like that? It seemed like a pretty foolhardy decision to me. And I think that her mother, determined as she was, would have supported Aurora getting the help of the hunters if that could get her daughter even just a scrap of magic. Which means all the troubles Aurora caused by fleeing were just perfectly avoidable.

•So now the question is, what ruined it for me? And the answer is, the romance did.
The issues here are manifold. First, the book features two –two– instances of insta-love. Both cases are dramatically severe, thus I suggest you keep an eye on your blood glucose. Secondly, both love interests are over-controlling, domineering, insufferably overprotective imbeciles. They see her, they lose their wits; then they constantly have to fight the urge to lock her in a tower and throw the key away. What language do I have to use to convey this simple truth so that it can be well understood? Your man going all caveman is not romantic, it’s frustrating, and it should make a warning bell ring in your brains. And it’s all the more alarming when you realize that the protagonist is actually thinking things like this:

“And as long as she met Locke’s expectations, as long as she exceeded them, she had the chance to become exactly who she had always wanted to be.”

You see what this means? It means that the female lead is measuring herself and her worth against her love interest’s expectations. I do not approve and this romance for me is a big no.

•I forgot to point out that the interactions between our MC and the main love interest are pathetically childish. They fight like children, play games of back and forth like teenagers, and did I mention he’s terribly controlling? Just no and grow up already.

•Aurora/Rora/Roar, the main character, at one point during her journey with a group of storm hunters (I told you the world building was so cool) starts having strange outbursts of strong emotions like rage, fear and so forth. This is explained later in the story and I rather liked the explanation at that –it all comes full circle so perfectly and naturally, and I just love when that happens– but these eruptions of feeling are written in such a laughable way they only feel ridiculous, unwarranted, and generally WTF-ish. She is fine one moment and trying to scratch and punch the hell out of everybody the next. It only makes you want to laugh.

•I know this is a pet-peeve but is it just me, or Kiran Thorne is just the blandest name ever? He might as well have stayed Locke.

•How long is a bell, for goodness’ sake? It’s a unit of measurement for time that keeps being trotted out but that serves no one since I have no clue how long that is.

➽ To sum it up, Roar constitutes a really unique case for me, because I don’t remember the last time I got so hooked on a book without really liking the characters –or downright despising them, I should say. And it’s all the more astonishing because the writing isn’t even that spectacular, and sometimes it isn’t even really able to convey the right things in the right moments. So the reason why I found Roar to be so addictively unputdownable is still a mystery, but I did find it so. And I can’t wait for its sequel.

[Maria✦❋Steamy Reads Blog❋✦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

➦This is Cora Carmack's first YA fantasy novel and all I have to say is - job well done!!! I really loved it to bits! The premise is original and I was fascinated by it from the beginning.

➦Imagine the world where humans battle against the storms for survival. The Stormlings are people who have abilities to fight the storms with magic and are able to protect full cities.

"The believe that storms come from the souls of the dead who lived exemplary lives. They're birthed again as part of the elements."

➦The heroine of this book, Aurora, is a Stormling - a princess, who will one day need to protect her home. She has no magic to do so and people don't know. There is no other way but for her to marry another powerful Stormling.

"She was a princess without the power to keep her kingdom, a girl whose future had been decided for her.

➦Right before the wedding, however, Aurora stumbles upon a magic market and meets hunters. As in storm hunters. People who were not born with magic. Surely if others can learn to hunt the storms so can she? And may be this one particular handsome hunter can show her the ropes?

➦The rest of the book follows Aurora's journey of self discovery while on the road with the storm hunters. It's completely captivating and intriguing. Interesting things keep happening to her and they will leave you guessing until the very end! I'm still left with tons of questions and therefore cannot wait to read the second book in this series. This book's terrific world building, storm battles, action and breathtaking romance will satisfy and lover of fantasy!

"Feeling this was, the way I do about you, Roar, it's scarier than any storm I've ever faced."

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my did I love this book! It had such a unique plot with storms and storm hunters and I just loved every bit of it! Also loved the main character and the love interest as well!
I cannot wait to read the rest of the series!!

[Jiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buddy read with CAIT!

Roar was one of my 2017 anticipated releases. I admit the cover was what made me want to add this book. I mean, let's be real, how gorgeous is that cover?? Ignore the fact that it took me 21 days to read it; I was slumping on and off. Anyway, I really enjoyed this book!

I know Cora Carmack as a contemporary romance writer. I've previously read only one of her books years ago and I remember enjoying it, so I was quite excited to see if she could pull off a fantasy! And... good well done, Carmack! Roar is one of the most unique fantasy YA novels I've read so far. I admit it had cliche aspects and tropes here and there... but I don't really care. I still liked it nonetheless! The world building, despite still confusing to me, is very unique and I actually liked the idea. The book dragged, despite it being 380 pages only. Nothing much happened and I think that was one of the few problems I had with this book.

“You are lightning made flesh. Colder than falling snow. Unstoppable as the desert sands riding the wind. You are Stormling, Aurora Pavan. Believe it.”

The characters grew on me as the book progressed. Aurora/Rora/Roar slowly progressed from a timid MC to a strong one and I'm excited to see what more she'll do in the sequel. As for Locke, I didn't like him much at first. I thought he was pretty typical and average, but then he grew on me too and I ended up liking him a lot! I also really enjoyed the romance between him and Roar. Now Cassius is a character I want to know more and more about!

I'm really excited for the next book, I think this book centered more around building up the different aspects of the book that it missed focusing on events and it gave room for that to happen in the sequels.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buddy reading with Jia

I haven't finished a book in a day for a while. That definitely shows that I really enjoyed this unique yet cliche story!

Overall all I can say is that I liked it and I enjoyed it. Going into this book, all I knew was that the cover was gorgeous (it's going to look so beautiful on my shelves like it's seriously breathtaking) and that there was a lot of hype around it. I hadn't even read the blurb when I picked it up. To begin with I was really exciting to read about the kingdom/s because that's definitely my favourite setting in books but then it more so turned into the story of a runaway princess rather than anything else. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting but it was definitely still good!

The characters were likeable and the world and magic system was definitely very unique but I'm not too sure if I have a complete grasp on how it all works. The romance was definitely very cliche and had me rolling my eyes. It was cute and sweet but do they seriously have to be in love with each other after knowing each other for a few weeks? Spare me please.

The only main problem I had with this book was that it seems to have no climax. It kept building up but then nothing really happened. It was like it was building up to the climax and then all of a sudden the book stopped. I think I'll enjoy the sequel more than this one because this book ended with a very interesting set up for future books.

Roar left me wanting more in two ways. I wish there was more in this book so it didn't seem like such a sudden ending but I also just really want the next book to see what's going to happen next.

[Tweebs♥️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

the only thing this book managed to do is get that katy perry song, "Roar", stuck in my head.


*********************************************

pre- review

Buddy reading with my #1 fan 💙

It's about time.

This book better be goddamn beautiful and make me question why I started this so late.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Roar by Cora Carmack
Book One of the Stormheart series
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: June 13, 2017
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

In a land ruled and shaped by violent magical storms, power lies with those who control them.

Aurora Pavan comes from one of the oldest Stormling families in existence. Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world’s deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora’s been groomed to be the perfect queen. She’s intelligent and brave and honorable. But she’s yet to show any trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people.

To keep her secret and save her crown, Aurora’s mother arranges for her to marry a dark and brooding Stormling prince from another kingdom. At first, the prince seems like the perfect solution to all her problems. He’ll guarantee her spot as the next queen and be the champion her people need to remain safe. But the more secrets Aurora uncovers about him, the more a future with him frightens her. When she dons a disguise and sneaks out of the palace one night to spy on him, she stumbles upon a black market dealing in the very thing she lacks—storm magic. And the people selling it? They’re not Stormlings. They’re storm hunters.

Legend says that her ancestors first gained their magic by facing a storm and stealing part of its essence. And when a handsome young storm hunter reveals he was born without magic, but possesses it now, Aurora realizes there’s a third option for her future besides ruin or marriage.

She might not have magic now, but she can steal it if she’s brave enough.

Challenge a tempest. Survive it. And you become its master.

What I Liked:

I've read several of Cora Carmack's New Adult novels (her Losing It series, specifically), and I've had pretty good success with those books. When I saw that Cora would be publishing a YA novel - her YA debut - I was pretty thrilled! Especially after reading the synopsis, and then seeing the cover of this book. I had high expectations for Roar, and my expectations were met and exceeded.

Aurora Pavan is the heir to the throne of Pavan, daughter of many powerful royals... and a magic-less Stormling. She and her mother have hid this for years, isolating Aurora from everyone. But as she is now eighteen, and the Rage season is coming, they can't hide Aurora for much longer. The solution? Arrange a marriage with the second son of the King of Locke - Prince Cassius, the cold, hard young man with more Stormhearts than a second son should ever have. When she follows him one night, Aurora discovers a black market full of magic, in which people are buying and selling storm magic, thanks to storm hunters. Aurora may not have her own true Stormling magic, but she can learn and obtain this storm magic. This way, she can take control of her destiny.

Usually I don't love it when books have long synopses, like the one we see on Goodreads and on the back cover of this book, but I actually really appreciated that long synopsis. On the surface, this book isn't complicated: girls has to get married, girls finds a new option to be free, girl runs away, girl hides who she is to her new friends, girl learns about her power... and then the ending of the book, which I won't spoil. There is a lot more going on than meets the eye!

Aurora (or Rora - or Roar) is a complicated girl. Yes, she is a princess and therefore much more privileged than most of the common folk in her country who are poor and destitute and often denied citizenship (a fact that Aurora doesn't know). But Aurora is lonely and she is forced into this arranged marriage for her safety. She hates that she has no choice, but she also wants to live. Aurora has a temper and sometimes she gets too upset and too impulsive and is too reckless. But she has a good heart and she defends and protects herself well.

Prince Cassius is more complex than the cruel, hard villain that we expect him to be. I still don't like him and I'm still very convinced that he is a "villain" archetype, but we really get to understand what his motives are, and why he is so desperate and angry. He does terrible things to Rora (mostly manipulative), and I can't like him because of those actions. But I can appreciate how Carmack dug into his character and made him more than just a villain, in terms of character archetypes.

I should mention that there are five key POVs in this book: Rora's, Cassius's (occasionally), Nova's, Locke's, and Evil Dude (I won't say much about him). Nova is Rora's childhood friend and maid (yeah that's a little strange, I know), and Locke is... Locke. Incredible storm hunter, and Rora's love interest. Though he is so much more than a love interest.

You can probably already tell, but Locke is my favorite character of this book. He and Rora go toe-to-toe in nearly every scene of this book, which is so fun to watch. He is equally as stubborn as she is, and he is just as used to getting his way. A big difference is that he is a natural, commanding leader, and he is in charge and used to being in charge. He has great instincts and he is very clever. Rora should have trusted him more initially! He is very smart and intuitive, and also protective and a good man. He is strong-willed too, hence the clashes.

Seriously, Locke and Rora were so fun to watch. They butt heads on every page - which isn't surprising, because their personalities are like fire and ice. They're similar, and yet so different. Rora is fire, with her temper, and Locke is ice, with his cool facade and worldly experience. The romance was steamy and explosive! With all of the bickering and banter and constant arguments, you know the romance was going to be on fire. This romance was also hate-to-love (sort of), which is my favorite. Locke and Rora are so great together!

No love triangle! It might seem that way, because Rora is contracted to marry Cassius. But she loathes him (and for good reasons), and he doesn't really care about her either (she is a means to an end, for him). And then Rora falls for Locke (and vice versa) and it's legit. Of course, Locke is in the dark about who she is but... anyway, no love triangle in this book. I don't really get the sense that Carmack will work a love triangle in the next books, but who knows? I hope not.

The world-building of this story is amazing! I personally haven't read any YA fantasy like this - in terms of the storms and stormhearts and storm magic. Usually it's the elements (earth, fire, wind, water), and you can kind of see the elements play a factor, but in the storms. I can't wait to see more about the storms in the next book! And of course, I would like to see more of a high-stakes aspect that YA high fantasy often has - but we see the beginnings of this type of plot, with the introduction of the Evil Dude who is planning the destruction of kingdoms.

Most of this book deals with Rora running from Pavan and joining Locke's storm hunting team, in which she learns a lot about storm hunting and survival. No one knows who she is, not even Locke. But towards the end of the book, Rora knows she must make a choice. This book honestly didn't have a ton about the storms and magic and whatnot, or the political situation. BUT I think Carmack is setting up all of that for the next books. This book barely scratched the surface of Rora and Locke's story, and so I'm looking forward to seeing more about the storms, the Evil Dude, Locke's past, Rora's reveal, the political situation in Pavan, even Nova's situation. Suffice it to say, I need more!

What I Did Not Like:

Sometimes Rora and her temper got on my nerves, especially when she was a little mean to Locke and then didn't apologize for what she said - and yet he basically groveled and went above and beyond, whenever he messed up. I think an important part of being such a strong and independent female is that you should own up to your mistakes. A lot of YA and adult female authors like to have these strong female protagonists in their book and a male who caters to the female. BUT, I these female protagonists should own their mistakes, apologize, and not act so superior. Just like how the authors have the male acting.

Right?

Would I Recommend It:

If you like YA fantasy romance, this is a great start to the series! I might recommend waiting though, because I'm always wary of YA fantasy series these days. Love triangles seem to be reemerging in YA in general, and I personally am not a fan - though I don't think Carmack will be going that route, in this series. But again, who knows. THIS book was good. Hopefully the rest of the series is. The world-building of this book is very unique and so intriguing - honestly I would recommend this book based on the world-building alone!

Rating:

4 stars. A story as beautiful as its cover! I can't wait to read the next book! And also check out its cover. I hope the cover is just as stunning!




Pre-read squees:

Fantasy world, tough heroine, swoony romance, fierce storms - what's not to love? You want this book!

***ROAR GIVEAWAY***

Love the graphic below? ME TOO!



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[Nastassja · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual rating: 2.5 stars

I didn't have high expectations about this book, just wanted something light and entertaining to read, and for the most part the book delivered. It has a very intriguing concept I haven't met in other YA fantasy yet: controlling storms and capturing the magic in their hearts aka the eye of the storm. The amazing tempest catching quest was vivid, breath-taking, with enough detail to satisfy even the most demanding readers. The concept was definitely not my problem with this book.

Characters and romantic line is what killed the joy. I am a very fastidious reader when it comes to connection with characters in a book. If I don't 'feel' a character there's almost 100% possibility I wouldn't enjoy the book. Alas, that is what happened here. I am inclined to tribute such case to the fact that this book is heavily relays on romance and the heroine Aurora interacts with her romantic interests a lot. Now, I didn't care for romance, it was quite disturbing, to be honest, and consequently I didn't find it in myself to care for Rora too. But it's more 'it's not you, it's me' case, because objectively I saw character-development in Rora, she was a nice, quite reasonable (not when it comes to love, though) character, but I just didn't care enough to be bothered with her person.

First of all, I didn't like that everyone was perfect: beautiful, clever, masculine - love interests were especially a picture of male perfection I call 'abs alert' don't come closer or you might accidentally kill yourself stumbling over all that perfection. Secondary, we have two cases of insta-love. Rora instantly falls in love with interest #1, then in a short while she meets love interest #2 and falls instantly for him too. Granted, the only good thing about it is that the love-triangle in a way dissipated and Rora spent most of the book with love interest #2. But no one guarantees love-triangle wouldn't come back in book 2. Thirdly, both male charters don't have personalities; all they mostly do the whole book is showing off their muscularity and manhandling Rora a-la 'Me Tarzan, You Jane' style. The worst part, the girl likes it.

He leaned down to nip at her swollen bottom lip. “I’m the first to touch this mouth? To taste it?” Her nails dug into his shoulders, and her blue eyes flashed with heat. She nodded, her tongue darting out to sooth the skin he had tugged between his teeth. “That means it’s mine. My territory. And I’m prepared to protect it, every hour of the day if I must.”

It feels that author's previous works were in new adult genre: ownership of women' lips and other body parts is an everyday occurrence in there. I don't find it romantic, not in the least.

Intriguing concept + cringe-worthy romance = 50/50 killjoy.
I am almost sure I'll read book 2, because I am highly interested about the plot and where it'd go in the next installment, besides there were interesting hints about some events in the end of the book, and, at least, for that I want to pick up the book. As for the romance, I thing it actually might get worse, but definitely not better, so I don't have any misconceptions about it.
I'd say go and try the book, this is one of those cases when it was not my cup of tea but other people might find this story to their liking.

[Wendy Higgins]

Blown away.
Captivating and unique. The romance...the magic...I am in love with all of it. SO GOOD.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caelira is a land besieged by powerful storms and people's only hope of survival is to band together in towns protected by Stormlings, powerful magic wielders who are able to keep those storms at bay. As the princess of Pavan and heir to the throne it is Aurora's job to keep her hometown safe but even though she's from one of the most powerful Stormling families she has never been able to use magic against even the weakest storm. The queen has managed to keep Aurora's lack of magic a secret but in order to protect the future of their city she has arranged a marriage for her daughter to a powerful Stormling prince from a neighbouring kingdom. At first Aurora is resigned to the idea of marriage but the more she learns about her future husband the more she fears for her future. When she discovers that there may be a way to earn the magic she needs to protect herself and her city she knows she has to risk everything to follow her dream. If only she can be brave enough to face the storms she might be able to learn to control them.

As a fan of Cora Carmack's new adult romances and a lover of YA fantasy I added Roar to my wish list as soon as I heard about it. I was curious to see how she would do witting such a different type of story and I have to say I was really impressed. I'll admit I was a bit nervous when we were given not one but two serious cases of insta-lust in the early chapters but I was already hooked enough to look past that and I'm very glad I did. While Aurora does have a strong attraction to two very different guys thankfully the whole book doesn't revolve around a love triangle and there is much more going on than meets the eye.

When Aurora, or Roar as she comes to be know as, leaves everything she knows behind to go with the Storm Chasers she quickly starts to come into her own. In some ways she's led a very sheltered upbringing and is naive to the way people live outside her city but she's been trained from a young age to be a queen so she has a lot of knowledge and she's a very fast learner. She's also determined, she doesn't want to fail her queen or her people and she fights hard to be accepted by the Storm Chasers so that they'll teach her how to master the storms. No matter what challenges are thrown at her Roar never gives in and I really admired her spirit.

I also loved the Storm Chasers, they're a diverse group who have been together for a long time and work really well together. They're a well oiled team and some of them aren't too happy about adding a new member but they gradually come to respect Roar as they spend time together. I loved the banter between the whole group and the brotherly bond between Locke and Ransom. I'll tell you right now I'm totally on Team Locke and I'm going to be seriously unhappy if a love triangle forms in the sequel!

Although the attraction between Roar and Locke is pretty instant it takes time for them to open up to each other and become friends let alone anything more than that. There is lots of delicious flirting and they spend a lot of time at loggerheads but the chemistry is there right from the beginning no matter how hard they both try to deny it. Locke is that great kind of hero who is able to put is protective instincts to one side and help the heroine learn how to look after herself, he trusts Roar to hold her own and follow his lead in dangerous situations and allows her the freedom to make mistakes when her life isn't on the line. I think they make a fabulous couple and I'm definitely rooting for them even though I was disappointed that Roar wasn't more honest with him and the rest of the group a little earlier in their journey.

Obviously I love the characters but it was the world building that fascinated me most in this story. The idea of storms being practically alive and of being able to tame them by stealing their heart was totally unique to anything else I've read and the scenes where the Chasers are facing tornados or hurricane winds were incredibly well written. The plot is much more complex than you first think too, there are a lot of hints and I'll admit I guessed a few of the twists before they happened but there were plenty of surprises along the way and I'm definitely curious to see how things progress in the next book. Roar totally lives up to it's stunning cover and I can't wait to spend more time in this world.

Source Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Cover Love (before reading):

That cover!! It's soooo beautiful <3



Let's just take a closer look at that artwork:



I don't even have the words for how stunning that is! I need this book in hardback, in fact I need a giant poster just of this artwork to put up on my wall somewhere so I can spend all day staring at it.

[Christie«SHBBblogger» · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Roar
Series: Stormheart #1
Author: Cora Carmack
Release date: June 13, 2017
Cliffhanger: Yes
HEAHFN



My recent fantasy obsession led me straight to this gorgeous book, and I was so excited to have the opportunity to read it. I tried not to get my hopes too high. Expectations have a way of dooming you to be disappointed when you let them run away with you. But when I started to flip through the first pages of this story, almost immediately I knew that I had something special in my hands. This tale of scheming royalty, courageous hunters, and the contest for power and survival will not be easily forgotten.

I was swept away to the fascinating Pavan Kingdom, where Aurora's powerful Stormling family rules and protects from the terrifying deadly storms that plague them. Storms that hold magic, and have the power to infect the mind, sending its stunned captors to their doom.

Storms are the greatest predators in existence because they can destroy you with their savage strength or enthrall you with their terrible beauty. Like a poison flower with the stealth of a snake and the ferocity of a lion and the force of all the world’s armies combined.

A Stormling Kingdom is seen as the only hope for survival in this brutal land. Stormling magic is passed along the rulers' bloodlines, it dispels the storms with the aid of Stormhearts. These are the stones and gems that amplify their power, or give them affinities. The more Stormhearts that are collected through the generations, the stronger their power is that they wield.



Rora is next in line to inherit the crown, and at eighteen, her time in seclusion has come to an end. For years, she and her mother, Queen Aphra have kept an alarming secret that threatens to tear their safety apart at its seams. Rora holds no magic, and unless she marries immediately, there will be no one to take over her mother's storm duties when she is succeeded.

She may have been young and sheltered, but that didn't mean she was unintelligent. She spent her childhood studying, training, and preparing herself to be a strong and self-reliant woman. It took great courage to face her uncertain future for her family and her people. Because no one was to be trusted with her secret, her only friends were her books for many years. She yearned for a grand adventure her whole life, but her upcoming nuptials would soon kill that dream stone dead. At least, that's what she thought.

After accidentally stumbling upon a black market filled with possibilities she wasn't prepared for, she hatches a daring plan to shake off the chains of matrimony and take the power back that had been lost to her for so long.

Sometimes she was Aurora. Confident. Clever. Cultured. Sometimes she was Rora. Afraid. Alone. Ashamed. And more and more, she was Roar— bold, brash, and increasingly baffled by the situation in which she found herself. And sometimes she was none of them, lost and adrift somewhere in between, like the wildlands between Stormling cities.

Locke is a nineteen year-old hunter, and at first very much against her joining them. She's inexperienced and naive to the dangers that she'd be up against, and he doesn't want her death on his hands. Tragic events from his past have made him a very protective person, and he knows this girl has trouble written all over her. He just doesn't know the depths of the mysteries that she conceals.

With any good fantasy book, you need exceptional world building, and an original plot. This book had those in spades. This world BLEW ME AWAY with it's uniqueness and violent beauty. The varied storms that could level an entire population in a heartbeat could also provide incredible power. The storm hunters that Rora encountered and joined were a very detailed, well developed group of secondary characters. Each with fascinating backstories and engaging personalities. It was action packed, with more than one chilling adversary pitting themselves up against the princess and her new friends.

The desire between these two provided just the right amount of kindling for this YA romance. Not too heavy, but it was smoldering throughout with angst and passion that you could really feel.

With each soft sweep of her mouth over his, she dismantled the frame of his world and built a new one.



If you're looking for something different than anything you've read before, something that will keep you guessing, and completely addicted...look no further. This book had it all. In fact, my only complaint is that I now must wait in desperation for an undisclosed time until the next in the series. No news to speak of on when we can expect more. But you'd better believe I'll be first in line to take another exhilarating trip to the enchanting world of Caelira.

FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON:

[Khadidja · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most two akward things in life are :
1- Waving back at someone who seems to be waving at you, and then realise that they didn't even knowledge your existence.
2- 3 stars rating.

I don’t really know why I'm only giving Roar 3 stars but i feel like if i gave it more than that i won't do justice to the other books i really liked. Readers' life is so fishing hard

So i went reading this book with ultimate big expectations, i mean have you seen the cover? IT'S SO FREAKING GORGUES!! and the plot! Storms and heartstorms hot dudes and all so of course i would expect to give it a solide 5 stars....But then i opened the book, read it, and realised that it somehow failed me...

So here are things you should know about Roar :
● She's a princess and the only heir of Pavan.

●She came from a family of Stormlings -Those who have storm magic and can take them down by using Stormhearts-

●She was raised pretty much like Rapunzel, isolated, not allowed to have friends, doesn't really go out from the palace whenever she wishes. Why?
Because she has no storm magic, only her and her mother knows. So typically her mother tries to protect this secret at all costs, because her daughter is the heir and if people knew they will use it to their advantage blah blah blah

I loved the plot! But i was disappointed with the MC, she was naive and kind of stupid? I don't know but the back of my mind keep nudging me to get annoyed by her so i obeyed. Overall, there was character's development and i liked it.

Now now let's get to the most important thing in this book :
CASSIUS

Cassius Locke melted out of the shadows, looking more like a villain than a prince—dressed all in black with dark hair and eyes to match.

Hello, my new doom
*swoons* i basically fell in love with him when i first learned his name.
And just like always, i didn't get enough of him I.
WANTED. MORE. CASSIUS. Isn't that clear?
He gave me The Darkling's vibes and i freaking loved it because i love dark souls and everything in between.

BUT the author basically ditched him in the process of this book. And that was a very very bad decision.


Oh and there's another important dude, he's called Locke i just didn't want to talk about him because i wanted to finish this review with Cassius.

~~~~
Um, why did this take me forever to finish?
Because some stupid thing called life always get in my way and because This dudette is a slow busy reader.

THANKS ZARA FOR THE BR!

[Deborah Obida · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book really disappointed me, the synopsis was so promising even as it contained spoilers. I thought the book will deliver but no it did not. The book is so cliche filled that I considered dnfing it. The cliches is not the major problem I have with the book but the depiction, it was so badly portrayed, especially the romance, I cringe everytime they think about themselves.

The magic system is great and the only thing I love in the book, but sadly it was not original. It is too similar like the magic system of stormlight archive by Brandon Sanderson, the author even used terms like stormlight too.

World building and Writing
The world building is average, I was never confused when reading it. I love the history and myth of the world. The author depicted the culture and way of life so well. Too bad I can’t say the same for the writing. The author used too much figures of speech that almost took the meaning from what the book is trying to say. Some of those are...

Her stomach roiled like a tossing sea, but she continued forward. The eerie silence of the street at her back gave way to a dull roar that developed into voices as she neared the exit.

She stilled, and her breath caught in her throat as an ocean rolled over her eyes, blurring everything around her until all she could do was feel—

Characters
I could not muster enough feelings to like any of the characters in this book apart from my beloved Cassius, I don’t care whether the rest lives or dies.
Cassius my beloved, he is the anti hero but I still love him.
He is mysterious and has his own motives and all but he never meant for anyone to get hurt, what more could you ask for in an anti hero.

Aurora the princess that annoyed me from the beginning of the book to the ending. I thought she would become confident and stop self depreciating and doubting herself but that did not happen till like 85% into the book. Hopefully she will be better in the second book.

Locke’s POV contradict what he says. He never meant to be mean, rude and an asshole but ended up being them all. The fact that he snaps and scowl at Aurora all the time doesn’t help the character. Anyway he is a good hunter.

Plot
Everything you need to know is in the synopsis, the only thing not there is the villian, the reason why Cassius is mysterious and desperate and how Aurora will start doing magic, which is so cool.

[✶Rachelle✶ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

CnxjsksjdnxhslcnTHISWASFREAKINGAWESOMEajdbdhdjdlsndndbdks

One of the best elemental books I have read (this include the Percy Jackson books), and easily the best 2017 fantasy release thus far. The book has such a unique premise, and the story execution was on point. I absolutely loved all the characters too. Roar, our MC, is the best. She is completely relatable and I love her so much.

And Locke......❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

This book felt fresh and new. Even though there are some common tropes in here, it didn't feel predictable or overused. There is no info-dump, and the character growth is done organically and naturally. I don't think there is single thing I didn't love about this book. It was fantastic, and I have no clue how I'm supposed to wait a whole year for the next one....

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SOOOOO hyped for this!!

Buddy read <3
the wifey
Playstation is better

[ELLIAS (elliasreads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

To say that I was disappointed in this book is an understatement.

Let's start off with major hype that got me super pumped to read this:
'kick-ass heroine with a cool unique magic system and non-stop action.'

Did I get any of that?
Not really, no.

What I got:
'Insta-love'.
'Special snowflake'.
'Second act of the book drag-me-to-hell snoozefest.'
'Boring build up of characters, (dumbass) romance, and story.'

NNNNNGGHHH.

Literally, I'm pretty much going to hold off on all hyped books now because almost all of the hyped books I read aren't for me whatsoever, and end up being extremely irritating and disappointing reads.

I will say though, the first and last 10% of the book was really promising, engaging, and good enough for me to rate this meager book: 2.5 RAWR-ing STARS.

It had such great promise and premise. A really interesting build up. The ending literally made me want the next book. But that stupid middle of the book. Literally the countless times I rolled my eyes into the back of my head.

So so cheap. Honestly if you're into the blossoming cuddling romance, then by all means, this is the book for you. But this book was choked full of YA tropes that I was going to very well, DNF.

But I didn't.

And now here we are. Me, annoyed and slightly aggravated at having to 'want' and 'need' the sequel on what happens next. UGh.

I feel so cheated tho. Why you do this to me (wails).

And do not get me started on the manipulative-ass, alpha-ass, stupid dumbass, and controlling shit head Cassius. I hope in book 2 Roar will D E S T R O Y that SOB.
Destroy him I say. A complete idiot and coward of a character. BOOOO.

I'm so annoyed right now.
That bitch ass CasSIUS(ASS).

2.5 DUSTY STARS ahem.

[Jay Crownover]

IT WAS AMAZING!!
READ IT :)