lcgerstmann's review against another edition
4.0
The first chapter of this book was so stupid, I actually stopped reading it with no intention of finishing. Then I reminded myself of how much I enjoyed the Vampire Academy series and how much I wanted to read a book by this author that wasn't YA. I'm very happy I decided to hang in there because I loved the second chapter through until the end. There were 3 things I loved about the VA series that were also found in this book: 1. the author creates very strong female heroines 2. the author creates fast moving, action-packed plots 3. (this is the best one) the author creates the best love triangles! I believe that every love triangle has a clear "best match" or HEA that most of us root for because the chemistry between those two is so obvious and strong (except for the people that like to root for the underdog which is usually less about better chemistry and more about liking to root for the underdog). This author creates two men, so different from each other but both so plausible and likable. In VA, I loved Adrian and Dimitri and in this book, although Kiyo is the obvious HEA, I think I like Dorian better (he would not appreciate me considering him an underdog...lol). I can't wait to read book #2, even if the first chapter is stupid.
sassacass's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.0
I read this many years ago and decided to reread it after all that time, and it's alright. It wasn't as good as I remembered, and I found myself bored at times. Maybe it's the age showing, maybe I just like different things now, but alright overall. I won't be continuing with the series.
shelfaddiction's review against another edition
4.0
I’m going to keep this sweet and simple. I picked this up because I really liked her Vampire Academy series. I understood that series was for young adults and this one is for adults, but still it kind of took me by surprise. It had a more explicit sex than I was prepared for. Don’t get me wrong, the scenes were hot, but still, be prepared. LOL
The book is well written, like all of Ms.Meads books, but surprisingly it actually took me a little longer than I liked to get into this book. I’d been reading so many vampire books lately, that this one was a little different and I had to adjust. Our protagonist is Eugenia. A shaman, half human, half gentry, turned new and reluctant gentry queen … she hates her real father and what he represents. She hates all things Gentry, or so she thinks. She likes powerful men, both in the form of Kitsunes (foxes who turn into human form) and Gentry Kings.
Overall, the story was very good but I was kind of put off by how slutty the heroin is. LOL, I mean, I guess she knows what she likes. She apparently likes to be dominated…in more ways than one. The book was entertaining and a little weird at times. The events that follow Eugenia after finding out about who/what her father is/was a little disconcerting. To top that off, more secrets come out as the story goes along, and most were just a little over the top. Then again, this is fantasy, so what isn’t over the top? This book does have a lot of sex and hot scenes, so if you’re not into near erotica, stay away from this book. If you also like, magic, fairies, spirits, otherworlds, underworlds…then this is the book for you! If not, move on.
This book has gotten my attention. Enough to read the next book and find out what happens to Queen Eugenia, her kingdom, her servant and her men. :-)
The book is well written, like all of Ms.Meads books, but surprisingly it actually took me a little longer than I liked to get into this book. I’d been reading so many vampire books lately, that this one was a little different and I had to adjust. Our protagonist is Eugenia. A shaman, half human, half gentry, turned new and reluctant gentry queen … she hates her real father and what he represents. She hates all things Gentry, or so she thinks. She likes powerful men, both in the form of Kitsunes (foxes who turn into human form) and Gentry Kings.
Overall, the story was very good but I was kind of put off by how slutty the heroin is. LOL, I mean, I guess she knows what she likes. She apparently likes to be dominated…in more ways than one. The book was entertaining and a little weird at times. The events that follow Eugenia after finding out about who/what her father is/was a little disconcerting. To top that off, more secrets come out as the story goes along, and most were just a little over the top. Then again, this is fantasy, so what isn’t over the top? This book does have a lot of sex and hot scenes, so if you’re not into near erotica, stay away from this book. If you also like, magic, fairies, spirits, otherworlds, underworlds…then this is the book for you! If not, move on.
This book has gotten my attention. Enough to read the next book and find out what happens to Queen Eugenia, her kingdom, her servant and her men. :-)
octagonal's review against another edition
3.0
I liked it? But I also skimmed quite a bit. The battles were either the best or super boring. I'm not sure how that happens, but it did.
Side note: Kiyo is so boring, I can't even take it.
Side note: Kiyo is so boring, I can't even take it.
paradoxically's review against another edition
2.0
Ugh, it may be just the bad string of books I've been reading, but this one wasn't much better. The book was rather shallow. The main character, Eugenie, is a shaman who banishes or kills various creatures from the Otherworld. Thus, it isn't surprising that she hates them (though I do admit that I was rather annoyed at the blanket 'oh, they're all horrible creatures' attitude she had in the beginning. At least that's understandable). But then, in the course of a single night during her stay in the Otherworld, she goes from hate!!! to 'well... maybe... they aren't so... bad... I guess...'. And then proceeds to leap from that to 'oh hey, they aren't all bad, maybe they can help me'. Sure it's character development, but it's sloppily done character development. I almost rather she stayed stagnant and stuck to her guns (even if I wanted to smack her).
There were a few things that made me boggle in how simplistic everything was turning out. Eugenie gets help in Otherworld matters by several spirits. One of these spirits hates her guts because she enslaved him (granted, he's an evil sort of spirit). However, for all of his hatred and the way he spews such things in a rather dry, I will kill you and rend your guts from your body when I am free, sort of way, his actions and the advice he gives runs counter to what he says. He keeps giving her his help even beyond the advice she tells him to give her (even though there's a running gag where her spirits don't tell her important information unless she asks them about it directly). In one instance he helps to orchestrate Eugenie getting help from Dorian, who is king in one of the Otherworld courts.
Which brings me around to another annoyance, in that Dorian's entire court is full of sycophants. You'd think that they'd rub two brain cells together (at least one of them), figure out that such fawning behavior bores him immensely, and go about not exactly counter to him, but showing a bit of backbone. They're supposed to be political schemers, right? What kind of political schemers can't even figure out when it's a good idea to throw a game and when it's a terrible idea to throw a game.
It's fairly irritating how easily Eugenie gets help and advice with her powers, even if most of the Otherworld looks upon her in fear (as apparently she's known as some sort of mass murderer to them). What's in it for them? I won't believe that a queen is nice to her, seeks her out, simply because she can.
I pretty much skimmed the last half. Maybe things got better. I doubt it. It felt like there was little anything of real substance.
There were a few things that made me boggle in how simplistic everything was turning out. Eugenie gets help in Otherworld matters by several spirits. One of these spirits hates her guts because she enslaved him (granted, he's an evil sort of spirit). However, for all of his hatred and the way he spews such things in a rather dry, I will kill you and rend your guts from your body when I am free, sort of way, his actions and the advice he gives runs counter to what he says. He keeps giving her his help even beyond the advice she tells him to give her (even though there's a running gag where her spirits don't tell her important information unless she asks them about it directly). In one instance he helps to orchestrate Eugenie getting help from Dorian, who is king in one of the Otherworld courts.
Which brings me around to another annoyance, in that Dorian's entire court is full of sycophants. You'd think that they'd rub two brain cells together (at least one of them), figure out that such fawning behavior bores him immensely, and go about not exactly counter to him, but showing a bit of backbone. They're supposed to be political schemers, right? What kind of political schemers can't even figure out when it's a good idea to throw a game and when it's a terrible idea to throw a game.
It's fairly irritating how easily Eugenie gets help and advice with her powers, even if most of the Otherworld looks upon her in fear (as apparently she's known as some sort of mass murderer to them). What's in it for them? I won't believe that a queen is nice to her, seeks her out, simply because she can.
I pretty much skimmed the last half. Maybe things got better. I doubt it. It felt like there was little anything of real substance.
laurenjodi's review against another edition
3.0
Storm Born
3.5 Stars
Eugenie Markham is a Shaman with a reputation for ridding unsuspecting humans of nasties from the Otherworld. After taking on a new case, Eugenie learns that she is the object of a dark prophecy foretelling the birth of a child who will bring about the end of the world as we know it. Soon every ambitious fae is set on “having” Eugenie and she will need all the help she can get to fight them off.
To be honest, I’m on the fence about this book. The Otherworld politics and creatures are well developed, the action scenes are exciting and the characters are reminiscent of Karen Marie Moning's Fever series. Eugenie is not nearly as irritating as Mac and her humor is snarky without being grating. Dorian is more likable and less smarmy than V’lane but he is lacking a true Alpha male personality, and Kiyo while gorgeous in his own right is definitely NOT Barrons. Moreover, his big secret undermines his potential as hero material.
The plot is, unfortunately, quite predictable and the love triangle seems forced. While Eugene and the two men in her life have definite chemistry, there is no foundation for any emotional connection between the characters, and it is, therefore, difficult for the reader to care one way or the other which man Eugene ultimately chooses to be with.
In terms of the narration, Jennifer Van Dyck’s voice is too mature for the 26 year old Eugenie and her version of Dorian makes him sound like a pretentious prick, which I’m almost certain is not the vibe Mead was going for.
All in all, Storm Born has some entertaining themes and I’m interested enough in the world and the characters to continue with the series.
3.5 Stars
Eugenie Markham is a Shaman with a reputation for ridding unsuspecting humans of nasties from the Otherworld. After taking on a new case, Eugenie learns that she is the object of a dark prophecy foretelling the birth of a child who will bring about the end of the world as we know it. Soon every ambitious fae is set on “having” Eugenie and she will need all the help she can get to fight them off.
To be honest, I’m on the fence about this book. The Otherworld politics and creatures are well developed, the action scenes are exciting and the characters are reminiscent of Karen Marie Moning's Fever series. Eugenie is not nearly as irritating as Mac and her humor is snarky without being grating. Dorian is more likable and less smarmy than V’lane but he is lacking a true Alpha male personality, and Kiyo while gorgeous in his own right is definitely NOT Barrons. Moreover, his big secret undermines his potential as hero material.
The plot is, unfortunately, quite predictable and the love triangle seems forced. While Eugene and the two men in her life have definite chemistry, there is no foundation for any emotional connection between the characters, and it is, therefore, difficult for the reader to care one way or the other which man Eugene ultimately chooses to be with.
In terms of the narration, Jennifer Van Dyck’s voice is too mature for the 26 year old Eugenie and her version of Dorian makes him sound like a pretentious prick, which I’m almost certain is not the vibe Mead was going for.
All in all, Storm Born has some entertaining themes and I’m interested enough in the world and the characters to continue with the series.
lynseyisreading's review against another edition
4.0
There are big changes afoot for Odile Dark Swan, a.k.a Eugenie Markram, in this book, and it's a lot to take in all at once, but she seems to be coping okay so far. I like the world, or rather, worlds that Richelle Mead has created here and I can't wait to see how the prophecy unfolds.
I'm not quite sure what I think of the two men in her life at this point. I kind of like them both, but also there's a bit of trepidation, I'm not sure how much I trust either of them yet. It's probably too soon to say. There was a surprising number of sex scenes in this book. Quite often a first-in-a-series urban fantasy book doesn't have any so it was quite steamy for a UF.
I'm not quite sure what I think of the two men in her life at this point. I kind of like them both, but also there's a bit of trepidation, I'm not sure how much I trust either of them yet. It's probably too soon to say. There was a surprising number of sex scenes in this book. Quite often a first-in-a-series urban fantasy book doesn't have any so it was quite steamy for a UF.
shan198025's review against another edition
So I looked through the reviews for the rest of the series and decided I didn't want to read these.
nannasa16's review against another edition
4.0
http://katnissbraid.blogspot.it/2012/09/storm-born-dark-swan-1-review.html
devo scrivere una recensione a caldo, subito subitissimo mi sa.
comunque in generale posso dire che mi sia piaciuto, è totalmente diverso da qualsiasi cosa che abbia mai letto della Mead ma non in senso negativo, giusto diverso.
Eugenie non mi piace, no, come personaggio protagonista non è il massimo direi.
Facciamo che scrivo na' recensione come si deve tra un po'.
devo scrivere una recensione a caldo, subito subitissimo mi sa.
comunque in generale posso dire che mi sia piaciuto, è totalmente diverso da qualsiasi cosa che abbia mai letto della Mead ma non in senso negativo, giusto diverso.
Eugenie non mi piace, no, come personaggio protagonista non è il massimo direi.
Facciamo che scrivo na' recensione come si deve tra un po'.
erinarkin20's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. This was a great introduction to this series and the characters. I will definitely continue reading.
Eugenie is the main character and she happens to be a shaman. She is the one that people call when they have paranormal issues. She grew up in a house where dealing with gentry (fairies), ghosts and all other things paranormal was...normal.
The underlying story is that someone (Wil) comes to Eugenie asking her to go to the Otherworld to save his sister Jasmine who he believes was kidnapped and taken by King Aeson. This triggers a series of happenings that relate to who Eugenie is and her parentage. At the same time, those things she is being called on to banish or take care of happen to keep calling her by her real name..which has her concerned.
There is a lot of action in this book - Eugenie spends a lot of time traveling from one world to the next and in between is involved in a lot of fights. Partially due to the work she does but also because she happens to be a part of a prophecy that states her child will have a critical role in the future of the Otherworld.
Now...I have to briefly mention Kiyo and Dorian. I actually really like them both but there is just something about Dorian that makes him stand out for me. He has a personality, interest in the things around him and come on, he's a king. :) Dorian is the one who spends the time with Eugenie to get her to focus on her magic and get her to the point where she would make a difference in a fight with someone else who has strong magic.
Through the course of the story a number of things are revealed.
I enjoyed this one and look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Eugenie is the main character and she happens to be a shaman. She is the one that people call when they have paranormal issues. She grew up in a house where dealing with gentry (fairies), ghosts and all other things paranormal was...normal.
The underlying story is that someone (Wil) comes to Eugenie asking her to go to the Otherworld to save his sister Jasmine who he believes was kidnapped and taken by King Aeson. This triggers a series of happenings that relate to who Eugenie is and her parentage. At the same time, those things she is being called on to banish or take care of happen to keep calling her by her real name..which has her concerned.
There is a lot of action in this book - Eugenie spends a lot of time traveling from one world to the next and in between is involved in a lot of fights. Partially due to the work she does but also because she happens to be a part of a prophecy that states her child will have a critical role in the future of the Otherworld.
Now...I have to briefly mention Kiyo and Dorian. I actually really like them both but there is just something about Dorian that makes him stand out for me. He has a personality, interest in the things around him and come on, he's a king. :) Dorian is the one who spends the time with Eugenie to get her to focus on her magic and get her to the point where she would make a difference in a fight with someone else who has strong magic.
Through the course of the story a number of things are revealed.
Spoiler
From Eugenie being the daughter of The Storm King to Jasmine actually being her half sister. All of these pieces head into the showdown between Aeson and Eugenie. I won't go into the detail but ultimately Eugenie becomes The Thorn Queen and has to figure out what to do with her kingdom.I enjoyed this one and look forward to reading the next book in the series.