Storm Siren Trilogy #2
Mary Weber
Young Adult/Fantasy
352 pages
Thomas Nelson/HarperCollins
Available Now
Source: Wunderkind PR for review
THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Nym has saved Faelen only to discover that Draewulf stole everything she valued. Now he’s destroyed her Elemental storm-summoning ability as well.
When Nym sneaks off with a host of delegates to Bron, Lord Myles offers her the chance for a new kind of power and the whispered hope that it may do more than simply defeat the monster she loathes. But the secrets the Bron people have kept concealed, along with the horrors Draewulf has developed, may require more than simply harnessing a darker ability.
They may require who she is.
Set against the stark metallic backdrop of the Bron kingdom, Nym is faced with the chance to change the future.
Or was that Draewulf’s plan for her all along?
MY THOUGHTS
There's something oddly comforting about entering into a second installment when a terrible fate has already befallen a beloved character at the end of the previous one, knowing that what awaits us is not the typical middle book arc where everything built in the first book falls apart, but rather a journey to regain what was lost. There's always a certain amount of stress to be had for a reader with a sequel, watching and waiting for the moment when everything we hold dear crumbles before our eyes so that the third and final book of the trilogy can see joy restored. Ms. Weber takes a different tack with the Storm Siren series however, focusing on deepening the political (and supernatural) complexities of this world and building our heroine up as a way of showing personal growth rather than tearing her down.
Nym shows both how far she's come from the cursed slave girl of book one as well as how much further she has to go in this second book, her utter devotion to Eogan forcing her to make dangerous choices with far-reaching consequences. As is so often the case, good intentions are the stepping stones that merrily line the road to hell, and Nym's desperation to right the wrong in the final pages of Storm Siren forces her to become a darker version of herself. This sequel isn't all doom and gloom however, Ms. Weber's trademark humor present and accounted for in Nym's sharp wit and banter with pseudo-villain Myles, ensuring we have a smile on our faces even as our hearts hurt for all that Nym must go through before she can come out the other side.
Given the extenuating circumstances with Eogan, the romance between them is nearly nonexistent physically in this tale, but emotionally it's front and center, driving us to root for Nym as she does everything in her power to get him back. Thankfully no new romantic entanglements enter the picture to test Nym's loyalties while Eogan is effectively sidelined, just a young woman with grit, determination, and more than a few vulnerabilities fighting for all she holds dear. We're left with a clear understanding of Draewulf's endgame as we look forward to book three, and with Nym having learned a great deal about herself and the way she wants to wield the power she possesses, we can't help but start the countdown until she and her enemy come face to face once again.
Rating: 4/5
Find Mary:
This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a
review.
I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.
