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The Harbinger #1
Storm and Fury
The stunning beginning to the New York Times bestselling Harbinger series.
Meet Trinity Marrow, a girl with an explosive secret whose hiding place has just been discovered…
Eighteen-year-old Trinity Marrow may be going blind, but she can see and communicate with ghosts and spirits. Her gift is the reason she’s been in hiding for years in a compound guarded by Wardens—shape-shifters who protect humankind from demons. If the demons discover the truth about Trinity, they’ll devour her to enhance their powers.
When Wardens from another clan arrive with reports that something is killing both demons and Wardens, Trinity’s world implodes. Not the least because one of the outsiders is the most annoying and fascinating person she’s ever met. Zayne has secrets of his own—but working together becomes imperative once demons breach the compound and Trinity’s secret comes to light. To save her family and maybe the world, she’ll have to trust Zayne. But all bets are off as a supernatural war is unleashed…
Meet Trinity Marrow, a girl with an explosive secret whose hiding place has just been discovered…
Eighteen-year-old Trinity Marrow may be going blind, but she can see and communicate with ghosts and spirits. Her gift is the reason she’s been in hiding for years in a compound guarded by Wardens—shape-shifters who protect humankind from demons. If the demons discover the truth about Trinity, they’ll devour her to enhance their powers.
When Wardens from another clan arrive with reports that something is killing both demons and Wardens, Trinity’s world implodes. Not the least because one of the outsiders is the most annoying and fascinating person she’s ever met. Zayne has secrets of his own—but working together becomes imperative once demons breach the compound and Trinity’s secret comes to light. To save her family and maybe the world, she’ll have to trust Zayne. But all bets are off as a supernatural war is unleashed…
512 pages, Hardcover
First published June 11, 2019
5,866 people are currently reading
144k people want to read
About the author
Jennifer L. Armentrout
179 books149k followersHey Guys! Please note: I don't send out ARCs for review. If you're interested in reviewing a book of mine before release date, please contact the appropriate publisher. I also do NOT check my Goodreads email.
To email me, please use the below addy.
jenniferlarmentrout@live.com
# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Charles Town, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. In early 2015, Jennifer was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a group of rare genetic disorders that involve a breakdown and death of cells in the retina, eventually resulting in loss of vision, among other complications. Due to this diagnosis, educating people on the varying degrees of blindness has become of passion of hers, right alongside writing, which she plans to do as long as she can.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Tor, HarperCollins Avon and William Morrow, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her Wicked Series has been optioned by PassionFlix. Jennifer has won numerous awards, including the 2013 Reviewers Choice Award for Wait for You, the 2015 Editor’s Pick for Fall With Me, and the 2014/2015 Moerser-Jugendbuch- Jury award for Obsidian. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA. Her adult romantic suspense novel TILL DEATH was a Amazon Editor’s Pick and iBook Book of the Month. Her young adult contemporary THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER is a 2017 RITA Award Winner in Young Adult Fiction. She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
She is the owner of ApollyCon and The Origin Event, the successful annual events that features over hundred bestselling authors in Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult Fiction, panels, parties, and more.
To email me, please use the below addy.
jenniferlarmentrout@live.com
# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Charles Town, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. In early 2015, Jennifer was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a group of rare genetic disorders that involve a breakdown and death of cells in the retina, eventually resulting in loss of vision, among other complications. Due to this diagnosis, educating people on the varying degrees of blindness has become of passion of hers, right alongside writing, which she plans to do as long as she can.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Tor, HarperCollins Avon and William Morrow, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her Wicked Series has been optioned by PassionFlix. Jennifer has won numerous awards, including the 2013 Reviewers Choice Award for Wait for You, the 2015 Editor’s Pick for Fall With Me, and the 2014/2015 Moerser-Jugendbuch- Jury award for Obsidian. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA. Her adult romantic suspense novel TILL DEATH was a Amazon Editor’s Pick and iBook Book of the Month. Her young adult contemporary THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER is a 2017 RITA Award Winner in Young Adult Fiction. She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
She is the owner of ApollyCon and The Origin Event, the successful annual events that features over hundred bestselling authors in Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult Fiction, panels, parties, and more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,120 reviews
December 27, 2020
UPDATE: $2.99 Kindle US today 12/27/20
OMG!!
I love this book soooo much!! I already have the hardback preordered!
Trinity is something very special and she’s living with the gargoyles so they can keep her safe and hidden. Misha is bonded to her as her guardian/protector.
Some bad things start happening and another clan comes for a visit to ask for help. There is something out there killing the Wardens/Gargoyles and demons.
Zayne is with the group that comes to visit and try to figure things out. Zayne, swoon! Anyhoo!
As we know always happens, the person you’re hiding gets found out and is in trouble. But no one knows what kind of hell Trinity is going to bring down on everyone when they capture Misha.
I’m not going into spoilers, I just want to say this book was freaking awesome with some bad ass characters. And even though Trinity is the ultimate, she has a disability so kudos for that being incorporated into the book.
Trinity also has a funny sidekick type friend named Peanut that if you don’t love, there is something wrong with you!!
I can’t freaking wait for the next book!!
**Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for giving me a digital copy to review with my own opinion.**
Happy Reading!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
MY BLOG
OMG!!
I love this book soooo much!! I already have the hardback preordered!
Trinity is something very special and she’s living with the gargoyles so they can keep her safe and hidden. Misha is bonded to her as her guardian/protector.
Some bad things start happening and another clan comes for a visit to ask for help. There is something out there killing the Wardens/Gargoyles and demons.
Zayne is with the group that comes to visit and try to figure things out. Zayne, swoon! Anyhoo!
As we know always happens, the person you’re hiding gets found out and is in trouble. But no one knows what kind of hell Trinity is going to bring down on everyone when they capture Misha.
I’m not going into spoilers, I just want to say this book was freaking awesome with some bad ass characters. And even though Trinity is the ultimate, she has a disability so kudos for that being incorporated into the book.
Trinity also has a funny sidekick type friend named Peanut that if you don’t love, there is something wrong with you!!
I can’t freaking wait for the next book!!
**Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for giving me a digital copy to review with my own opinion.**
Happy Reading!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
MY BLOG
January 13, 2025
**4.5-stars**
Demons and Gargoyles and Chosen Ones...
18-year-old, Trinity Marrow, has a special gift; she can commune with spirits.
This is far from her only gift however, there is a lot that makes Trinity a special girl.
Due to her unique nature, she has been hidden away from the world, residing at an isolated compound with Wardens protecting her. What are the Wardens, you may ask?
They are a group of gargoyle shape-shifters protecting mankind from demons.
Trinity spends her days wandering around the compound and training with her Warden protector, Misha.
She also spends a lot of time with her chatty, ghost sidekick, Peanut, who happens to be stuck in the 1980s. His cultural references gave me life!
When a group of Wardens from another clan arrive with news of vicious attacks occuring outside the compound, attacks killing demons and Wardens alike, Trinity finally has something interesting to focus on.
Whilst spying on an official meeting, Trin gets caught by a member of the outside clan, Zayne, the most beautiful gargoyle to ever live.
When events occur that force Trinity and Zayne to leave the compound together, we all know where it's going.
It's Jennifer L. Armentrout, y'all!
I really enjoyed this one and am totally kicking myself for putting it off for so long. It started a little slow for me, but as soon as Trinity met Zayne, I was hooked.
There is a ton of action in here, some great fight scenes, humor, shocking revelations and a little bit of steam!
This story still has so much room to grow. It left off in a superb spot for a sequel. I don't know how many books are planned to be part of The Harbinger series, but you better believe, I want a front row seat for all of them!!!
Highly recommend for people looking to start a new YA Fantasy series with a touch of romance.
Thank you so much, Harlequin TEEN, for providing me with a copy of this beauty to read and review! I appreciate it.
Demons and Gargoyles and Chosen Ones...
18-year-old, Trinity Marrow, has a special gift; she can commune with spirits.
This is far from her only gift however, there is a lot that makes Trinity a special girl.
Due to her unique nature, she has been hidden away from the world, residing at an isolated compound with Wardens protecting her. What are the Wardens, you may ask?
They are a group of gargoyle shape-shifters protecting mankind from demons.
Trinity spends her days wandering around the compound and training with her Warden protector, Misha.
She also spends a lot of time with her chatty, ghost sidekick, Peanut, who happens to be stuck in the 1980s. His cultural references gave me life!
When a group of Wardens from another clan arrive with news of vicious attacks occuring outside the compound, attacks killing demons and Wardens alike, Trinity finally has something interesting to focus on.
Whilst spying on an official meeting, Trin gets caught by a member of the outside clan, Zayne, the most beautiful gargoyle to ever live.
When events occur that force Trinity and Zayne to leave the compound together, we all know where it's going.
It's Jennifer L. Armentrout, y'all!
I really enjoyed this one and am totally kicking myself for putting it off for so long. It started a little slow for me, but as soon as Trinity met Zayne, I was hooked.
There is a ton of action in here, some great fight scenes, humor, shocking revelations and a little bit of steam!
This story still has so much room to grow. It left off in a superb spot for a sequel. I don't know how many books are planned to be part of The Harbinger series, but you better believe, I want a front row seat for all of them!!!
Highly recommend for people looking to start a new YA Fantasy series with a touch of romance.
Thank you so much, Harlequin TEEN, for providing me with a copy of this beauty to read and review! I appreciate it.
April 7, 2021
thank goodness for JLA, is all im saying, because her stories give me life.
and this is the second time where im pretty sure ive enjoyed the spin-off book more than the original series, so i dont think its an isolated incident. it could be because the spin-offs have been released nearly a decade after the original series, so JLA has really come into her writing, or i just happen to prefer the minor characters, who knows? but im not complaining!
i will say, i wasnt really a fan of zayne before, but man. he has grown on my so much. i really, really liked him in this. i could empathise with his grief and struggles. i knew what was going to happen between him and trinity, i could see it coming a mile away, but it still got me really excited to see how the story will play out and what will happen next!
↠ 4 stars
and this is the second time where im pretty sure ive enjoyed the spin-off book more than the original series, so i dont think its an isolated incident. it could be because the spin-offs have been released nearly a decade after the original series, so JLA has really come into her writing, or i just happen to prefer the minor characters, who knows? but im not complaining!
i will say, i wasnt really a fan of zayne before, but man. he has grown on my so much. i really, really liked him in this. i could empathise with his grief and struggles. i knew what was going to happen between him and trinity, i could see it coming a mile away, but it still got me really excited to see how the story will play out and what will happen next!
↠ 4 stars
April 22, 2020
I've always wondered how it was that Jennifer L. Armentrout wrote so many books. I have yet another ARC of hers waiting to be read this year. The woman seriously publishes like three books per year, meanwhile, I've had the same novel idea in my head for four years now and I still haven't finished writing it!
But oh well, let's get to the review!!
As always, I have no idea how I felt about this book. I think that's a trend for me at this point. Did I love it? Was it ok and nothing more? Was it predictable and a bit cliche?
Maybe.
All I know is that I was extremely entertained throughout all 500+ pages of it.
Jeniffer L. Armentrout has an amazing talent for writing wonderfully addicting books. She makes such fun and likable characters that I just can't help but want to read more about. And here she's done it again with Storm and Fury.
I loved Trinity. She was such a fun and badass character. I also loved Zayne. He's too cute! He didn't have a bad boy complex as we see most boys in this genre of fiction have. He was a decent human being (or Warden, technically) from the start. He was charming and funny and I loved his banter with Trinity.
No one will ever top Katy and Daemon from Armentrout's Lux series, but I am totally here for this ship!
That said, the book was very romance focused. A little too much at times where there were clearly other, more important issues to worry about and sometimes I wanted to roll my eyes at it all. At the same time, I was nothing if not totally there for it, cheering them on.
And still, I had many other problems with this book.
My first issue is that this book is 500+ pages long! There was literally no need for that. The plot didn't actually get going until almost halfway through the book. This is conflicting because I spent the first half of the novel wondering when the heck the main plot was going to kick in. And yet, I was flying through it, only noticing I was halfway through after taking a step back and looking at the percentage on my Kindle. I barely felt the 500 pages go by. I read most of this one sitting!
My other issue is that this book is a bit cliche. Having read some of Jennifer's books, I pretty much knew what was coming. I feel like there is a formula to her works. A formula I love, mind you, but a formula I could see coming. I called every single thing that happened in this book, down to the big reveal at the end, by like chapter nine.
All of that said, I really liked this book. I liked it and I need the sequel in my hands right now because I can't wait a whole year to know what comes next and to see where Trinity and Zayne's relationship is going. Although, if I'm honest, I could probably predict that too.
I've seen some people comparing it to Cassandra Clare's works, and maybe that's a good comparison. But hey, Cassandra's works are famous for a reason. They are just so gosh darn entertaining!
Overall, I really liked this book. It was fun an entertaining and I want the sequel to come out already. If you like Cassandra Clare books and other urban fantasy/ supernatural romance types of novels, then I totally recommend this one. If you don't like them, then maybe this ain't for you cause you're not gonna get anything different.
I also really appreciated the fact that the main character has a disability. Trinity has retinitis pigmentosa, an incurable, progressive genetic disorder that impacts your eyesight, leading you to possible blindness. It's a disease that Jeniffer herself suffers from. I think it was definitely interesting to see the world from the eyes of a character who can barely literally see the world. And to have it be written by someone who also suffers from it makes it all the more special and impactful.
Also, this is a spinoff from Jennifer's new adult series, The Dark Elements. I haven't read that series yet, but now I definitely want to. Have any of you read it? Do you think I should? I think it would definitely add some needed background info to this world but I'm unsure. I'm don't exactly love new adult romance. Also, my TBR is already wild enough without adding this to it.
***I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***
Follow Me Here Too: My Blog || Twitter || Bloglovin' || Instagram || Tumblr || Pinterest
But oh well, let's get to the review!!
As always, I have no idea how I felt about this book. I think that's a trend for me at this point. Did I love it? Was it ok and nothing more? Was it predictable and a bit cliche?
Maybe.
All I know is that I was extremely entertained throughout all 500+ pages of it.
Jeniffer L. Armentrout has an amazing talent for writing wonderfully addicting books. She makes such fun and likable characters that I just can't help but want to read more about. And here she's done it again with Storm and Fury.
I loved Trinity. She was such a fun and badass character. I also loved Zayne. He's too cute! He didn't have a bad boy complex as we see most boys in this genre of fiction have. He was a decent human being (or Warden, technically) from the start. He was charming and funny and I loved his banter with Trinity.
No one will ever top Katy and Daemon from Armentrout's Lux series, but I am totally here for this ship!
That said, the book was very romance focused. A little too much at times where there were clearly other, more important issues to worry about and sometimes I wanted to roll my eyes at it all. At the same time, I was nothing if not totally there for it, cheering them on.
And still, I had many other problems with this book.
My first issue is that this book is 500+ pages long! There was literally no need for that. The plot didn't actually get going until almost halfway through the book. This is conflicting because I spent the first half of the novel wondering when the heck the main plot was going to kick in. And yet, I was flying through it, only noticing I was halfway through after taking a step back and looking at the percentage on my Kindle. I barely felt the 500 pages go by. I read most of this one sitting!
My other issue is that this book is a bit cliche. Having read some of Jennifer's books, I pretty much knew what was coming. I feel like there is a formula to her works. A formula I love, mind you, but a formula I could see coming. I called every single thing that happened in this book, down to the big reveal at the end, by like chapter nine.
All of that said, I really liked this book. I liked it and I need the sequel in my hands right now because I can't wait a whole year to know what comes next and to see where Trinity and Zayne's relationship is going.
I've seen some people comparing it to Cassandra Clare's works, and maybe that's a good comparison. But hey, Cassandra's works are famous for a reason. They are just so gosh darn entertaining!
Overall, I really liked this book. It was fun an entertaining and I want the sequel to come out already. If you like Cassandra Clare books and other urban fantasy/ supernatural romance types of novels, then I totally recommend this one. If you don't like them, then maybe this ain't for you cause you're not gonna get anything different.
I also really appreciated the fact that the main character has a disability. Trinity has retinitis pigmentosa, an incurable, progressive genetic disorder that impacts your eyesight, leading you to possible blindness. It's a disease that Jeniffer herself suffers from. I think it was definitely interesting to see the world from the eyes of a character who can barely literally see the world. And to have it be written by someone who also suffers from it makes it all the more special and impactful.
Also, this is a spinoff from Jennifer's new adult series, The Dark Elements. I haven't read that series yet, but now I definitely want to. Have any of you read it? Do you think I should? I think it would definitely add some needed background info to this world but I'm unsure. I'm don't exactly love new adult romance. Also, my TBR is already wild enough without adding this to it.
***I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***
Follow Me Here Too: My Blog || Twitter || Bloglovin' || Instagram || Tumblr || Pinterest
January 28, 2020
Outstanding,Epic and simply fabulous read!!! What a captivating story with truly awesome characters!! I loved trinity!! She was bold,impulsive,smart and a strong heroine who is living with a eye disease called RP that is taking more and more of her vision and will eventually leave her blind,but you wouldn't know it!!! She lives everyday fully with so much passion and doesn't let it define her. This little chic has the soul of a fighter and when it comes to those she loves and cares about she's a lioness!! And Zayne Mr. Brooding Hot Gargoyle Man- Boy as ghostly peanut describes him is a hot sexy dream!!! I Friggin love gargoyles and this one sounds so yummie ,I love everything about him!!! And bad boy Prince of hell Roth is a snarky loveable demon who I can't get enough of and Cayman also a demon and roth's right-hand man is a riot too! And a shout out to one of roth's familiar's bambi the snake !!! I don't like snakes,but she was pretty damn cool !! Jennifer is one hell of a storyteller and I book marked so many friggin pages and did so much talking to myself as if I was part of the story!! Thats how good it was!! I knew trinity's dad was a bad ass whoever he was,but when it was revealed I about shit myself!!! A friggin archangel broke the rules and mated with a human woman!!!! I will tell you what angels are always depicted as sweet and kind,but trinity's father sure as hell wasnt!!! I can see why zayne told roth to leave before he showed up,he is a massive prick!! Can't wait to read more of zayne and trinity's story,I got a feeling the best is yet to come!! What girl could resist this good looking gargoyle warden,I know I couldnt!! And I all most forgot about baby izzy!!! What a sweet little gargoyle child with her little wings and hugs!!! I love this pudding eating little girl she's so precious!!
Until next time Luv's💞💋
Until next time Luv's💞💋
December 12, 2019
“I’m guessing the sky is full of stars?”
“It is, but the only ones that matter are the ones you see.”
This was SO GOOD. It’s either been too long since I’ve read a JLA book or she’s seriously improved as an author. Idk which it is. Maybe it’s both.
I'd like to mention that the MC, Trinity, like JLA herself, has a degenerative eye condition that will most likely result in blindness, and I really liked seeing how she compensated for it. She didn't whinge and complain about the hand she was given, but took it in stride and found a way to exist without depending upon her eyesight. I love seeing disabilities portrayed like this. It's not seen as a flaw or weakness, and nor do they magically get better, but instead, they learn how to live with it. Representation like this is SO IMPORTANT.
This is a spinoff of the Dark Elements series, which I haven’t read yet, so I don’t know how it compares. But it definitely stood on its own. There's also enough world-building that you don't feel like you're missing out on anything.
The book gave me major The Mortal Instruments vibes. It has angels and demons and gargoyles and ghosts. I loved it all (especially Peanut the ghost), but the twist broke my heart. I just love Trinity and Zayne SO MUCH. <3 The Dark Artifices-esque solution basically made me want to SCREAM IN FRUSTRATION though! WHYYY?!?!
I need book two NOW.
“It is, but the only ones that matter are the ones you see.”
This was SO GOOD. It’s either been too long since I’ve read a JLA book or she’s seriously improved as an author. Idk which it is. Maybe it’s both.
I'd like to mention that the MC, Trinity, like JLA herself, has a degenerative eye condition that will most likely result in blindness, and I really liked seeing how she compensated for it. She didn't whinge and complain about the hand she was given, but took it in stride and found a way to exist without depending upon her eyesight. I love seeing disabilities portrayed like this. It's not seen as a flaw or weakness, and nor do they magically get better, but instead, they learn how to live with it. Representation like this is SO IMPORTANT.
This is a spinoff of the Dark Elements series, which I haven’t read yet, so I don’t know how it compares. But it definitely stood on its own. There's also enough world-building that you don't feel like you're missing out on anything.
The book gave me major The Mortal Instruments vibes. It has angels and demons and gargoyles and ghosts. I loved it all (especially Peanut the ghost), but the twist broke my heart. I just love Trinity and Zayne SO MUCH. <3 The Dark Artifices-esque solution basically made me want to SCREAM IN FRUSTRATION though! WHYYY?!?!
I need book two NOW.
June 9, 2019
5/5 Stars
"You want to be wanted, and there's nothing wrong with that, Trin. Not at all."
Storm and Fury is the first installment in The Dark Elements spin-off series. The story follows eighteen-year-old Trinity Marrow who has the ability to communicate with ghost and spirits. Her unique gift is a secret so dangerous that she's been in hiding for years in an isolated compound guarded by Wardens, who are gargoyle shapeshifters that protect humankind from demons. If demons or other Wardens were to discover the truth about Trinity, they'll stop to nothing to devour her, flesh and bone, to enhance their powers. Trinity dreams for some freedom outside the compound but didn't seem possible until she collides into Zayne, who is the most annoying and fascinating person she's ever met. But Zayne has secrets of his own that will upend her world yet again.
⤷ I love love love Jennifer L. Armentrout's fantasy books! The world building and her characters are always so well-written and perfect! I was a big fan of The Dark Elements series and was super excited when I came across this book last year! AND a MASSIVE THANK YOU to whoever created the is cover, it's so beautiful!
⤷ I really enjoyed Trinity as a character! Complete badass, strong, and unique! She also suffers from a degenerative disease that will lead to blindness. Which made her character more admirable as it didn't limit her strength and courage!
⤷ The thing I really liked about Zayne's character is that he isn't the typical YA male. That he's honest, loyal and gentlemanly. Also isn't a complete jerk towards the female protagonist and uses his unfortunate past as an excuse, but like damn, this boy deserves some loving!
⤷ I LIVED for the banter and flirting between Trinity and Zayne! They were so entertaining! Even though it was somewhat of an instant connection between the two, there was still a lot of development!
⤷ Peanut was one of my favorites within the book! He was one of Trinity's closest friends who also happens to be a ghost. I loved how this character brought humour into every scene he was in, no matter how serious it was!
⤷ LOVED the character cameos from the other books! Hope we get more of them in the future books!
⤷ Can't wait for the next book! Especially how it ended between Trinity and Zayne which will lead to one of my favorite tropes!!!!
"Isn't that evil's greatest achievement?"
"It often hides itself in innocence."
This book was awesome! Could not put down! I would recommend reading The Dark Elements series first before this one as it would make a bit more sense! This has been a fun, action-filled and heartbreaking, yet heartwarming read!
Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Australia, for sending me an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review! :)
"You want to be wanted, and there's nothing wrong with that, Trin. Not at all."
Storm and Fury is the first installment in The Dark Elements spin-off series. The story follows eighteen-year-old Trinity Marrow who has the ability to communicate with ghost and spirits. Her unique gift is a secret so dangerous that she's been in hiding for years in an isolated compound guarded by Wardens, who are gargoyle shapeshifters that protect humankind from demons. If demons or other Wardens were to discover the truth about Trinity, they'll stop to nothing to devour her, flesh and bone, to enhance their powers. Trinity dreams for some freedom outside the compound but didn't seem possible until she collides into Zayne, who is the most annoying and fascinating person she's ever met. But Zayne has secrets of his own that will upend her world yet again.
⤷ I love love love Jennifer L. Armentrout's fantasy books! The world building and her characters are always so well-written and perfect! I was a big fan of The Dark Elements series and was super excited when I came across this book last year! AND a MASSIVE THANK YOU to whoever created the is cover, it's so beautiful!
⤷ I really enjoyed Trinity as a character! Complete badass, strong, and unique! She also suffers from a degenerative disease that will lead to blindness. Which made her character more admirable as it didn't limit her strength and courage!
⤷ The thing I really liked about Zayne's character is that he isn't the typical YA male. That he's honest, loyal and gentlemanly. Also isn't a complete jerk towards the female protagonist and uses his unfortunate past as an excuse, but like damn, this boy deserves some loving!
⤷ I LIVED for the banter and flirting between Trinity and Zayne! They were so entertaining! Even though it was somewhat of an instant connection between the two, there was still a lot of development!
⤷ Peanut was one of my favorites within the book! He was one of Trinity's closest friends who also happens to be a ghost. I loved how this character brought humour into every scene he was in, no matter how serious it was!
⤷ LOVED the character cameos from the other books! Hope we get more of them in the future books!
⤷ Can't wait for the next book! Especially how it ended between Trinity and Zayne which will lead to one of my favorite tropes!!!!
"Isn't that evil's greatest achievement?"
"It often hides itself in innocence."
This book was awesome! Could not put down! I would recommend reading The Dark Elements series first before this one as it would make a bit more sense! This has been a fun, action-filled and heartbreaking, yet heartwarming read!
Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Australia, for sending me an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review! :)
November 4, 2022
Angels and Demons — and Gargoyles?
The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Romance: 💋💋💋💋💋
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📙📕📗📙📙
World building: 🌎🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 👨🏻👱🏻♀️🧔🏻👱🏼♂️👩🏼🦰
The heroine: Trinity - she is a human that lives in a community of wardens (Gargoyle shifters who protect humanity from demons). That is unusual in itself since most humans don’t know that wardens and demons exist, much less live with them. However, they are protecting Trinity because of who she is and what she can do. One of the things she can do is see and talk to ghosts.
The Hero(es): Zayne - he is a warden from a clan in Washington, D.C. and is the son of the leader of the clan who recently died. He has a lot of secrets but is fascinated by Trinity from the first time he sees her.
The Story: Trinity is losing her sight and someday soon might be completely blind, but she is a badass female who trained with her bonded warden Misha since she was young. She is better than most wardens at throwing knives despite her failing vision.
This book was fantastic and the narration was great. The world building was exceptional. I loved all of the supporting characters. There was Misha who grew up with Trinity and is bonded to her as her guardian, Peanut who is a ghost that Trinity met when she was very young and follows her, Layla the half demon half warden that grew up with Zayne, Roth the demon that is a crown prince of Hell and more.
I especially loved peanut who died in the mid 1980’s and comes in with the funniest lines of the book which are made even funnier by the fact that Trinity is the only one that can see or hear him. He is definitely stuck in the 80’s and is great comic relief. I am moving on to Rage and Ruin right away!
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Romance: 💋💋💋💋💋
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📙📕📗📙📙
World building: 🌎🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 👨🏻👱🏻♀️🧔🏻👱🏼♂️👩🏼🦰
The heroine: Trinity - she is a human that lives in a community of wardens (Gargoyle shifters who protect humanity from demons). That is unusual in itself since most humans don’t know that wardens and demons exist, much less live with them. However, they are protecting Trinity because of who she is and what she can do. One of the things she can do is see and talk to ghosts.
The Hero(es): Zayne - he is a warden from a clan in Washington, D.C. and is the son of the leader of the clan who recently died. He has a lot of secrets but is fascinated by Trinity from the first time he sees her.
The Story: Trinity is losing her sight and someday soon might be completely blind, but she is a badass female who trained with her bonded warden Misha since she was young. She is better than most wardens at throwing knives despite her failing vision.
This book was fantastic and the narration was great. The world building was exceptional. I loved all of the supporting characters. There was Misha who grew up with Trinity and is bonded to her as her guardian, Peanut who is a ghost that Trinity met when she was very young and follows her, Layla the half demon half warden that grew up with Zayne, Roth the demon that is a crown prince of Hell and more.
I especially loved peanut who died in the mid 1980’s and comes in with the funniest lines of the book which are made even funnier by the fact that Trinity is the only one that can see or hear him. He is definitely stuck in the 80’s and is great comic relief. I am moving on to Rage and Ruin right away!
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January 24, 2020
Aaannd the award goes to... Storm & Fury! For making me hate, or better, not care a single bit about Zayne, one of my favorite characters from the Dark Elements series, and for downgrading Jennifer from my favorite authors list.
Did this even need to be 500 pages long? It could have been easily only 300 pages and it would have been way more entertaining and fast-paced. It’s not like those 200 pages were needed to develop the relationship between Zayne and Trinity, as soon as they set eyes on each other... boom! It’s insta-love, baby.
Seriously, this was so boring, nothing happens except for very short bursts that are over before you can realize that something’s finally moving.
Zayne was the most disappointing for me, though. I was so excited to see him finally get something good after the treatment he received in the last book of the previous trilogy, but he has no personality at all now? And he turned into the usual brooding hot-and-cold type? He comes out of his room in just a towel and then expects Trinity not to stare. That was completely ridiculous. He was the total opposite of how he was in the trilogy. Which makes me say: can you stop writing spin-offs with the same characters, Jennifer? I swear, NONE of them work. I prefer reading something about new characters instead of continuously getting angry after noticing that I can recognize characters only because they have the same name as before. The only character I still like is Roth, and that’s saying a lot. He was the best of the bunch, he had a personality and he made me laugh sometimes, at least. Peanut wasn’t bad as well, though he’s the usual stereotypical sidekick you can find in every JLA book. I liked that he met someone outside of the group that can see ghosts, and I’m sure that she’s going to have some interesting part in this story in the next books. Too bad I won’t be there to witness it. *sarcasm mode on*
Trinity was the blandest main character ever, I don’t even understand how I went from loving her when I was reading this book’s snippets on Instagram to not caring about her in the least once I read from her perspective. Her only purpose is to find the love of her life, so as soon as she meets Zayne she throws herself at him and calls it “love”. There was a point where she says that she never cries, she hasn’t even cried when her mom died, but she is about to cry because Zayne loves someone else? I thought you cared about your mom more than a guy you just met one or two weeks ago??
She was cringey and immature in her monologues, but I admit Zayne joins her in that when they banter. Their cheesy dialogue gave me second-hand embarrassment. But that’s not all, Trinity is also so nosy it’s hard to stand. The moment she realizes something’s not right between Layla and Zayne, she immediately throws herself into the argument when she doesn’t even know the story behind it. Mind your own business, you idiot.
If the majority of the book is slow and boring, the ending is so fast you don’t even enjoy having finally gotten to the point you were waiting 470 pages for.
I’m probably more cynical and critical now than when I read and loved other JLA books, but honestly it’s like her newer stories are more and more watered down versions of her old stuff and I’m sick of reading books that have no dedication behind them.
******
I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS. I CAN’T.
THE SNIPPETS ARE AMAZING AND I ALREADY LOVE THE NEW MAIN CHARACTER. ALSO FINALLY ZAYNE CAN GET HIS HAPPY ENDING AND I AM SO READY FOR THAT!
Fingers crossed for the cover. Please please please don’t be corny.
Did this even need to be 500 pages long? It could have been easily only 300 pages and it would have been way more entertaining and fast-paced. It’s not like those 200 pages were needed to develop the relationship between Zayne and Trinity, as soon as they set eyes on each other... boom! It’s insta-love, baby.
Seriously, this was so boring, nothing happens except for very short bursts that are over before you can realize that something’s finally moving.
Zayne was the most disappointing for me, though. I was so excited to see him finally get something good after the treatment he received in the last book of the previous trilogy, but he has no personality at all now? And he turned into the usual brooding hot-and-cold type? He comes out of his room in just a towel and then expects Trinity not to stare. That was completely ridiculous. He was the total opposite of how he was in the trilogy. Which makes me say: can you stop writing spin-offs with the same characters, Jennifer? I swear, NONE of them work. I prefer reading something about new characters instead of continuously getting angry after noticing that I can recognize characters only because they have the same name as before. The only character I still like is Roth, and that’s saying a lot. He was the best of the bunch, he had a personality and he made me laugh sometimes, at least. Peanut wasn’t bad as well, though he’s the usual stereotypical sidekick you can find in every JLA book. I liked that he met someone outside of the group that can see ghosts, and I’m sure that she’s going to have some interesting part in this story in the next books. Too bad I won’t be there to witness it. *sarcasm mode on*
Trinity was the blandest main character ever, I don’t even understand how I went from loving her when I was reading this book’s snippets on Instagram to not caring about her in the least once I read from her perspective. Her only purpose is to find the love of her life, so as soon as she meets Zayne she throws herself at him and calls it “love”. There was a point where she says that she never cries, she hasn’t even cried when her mom died, but she is about to cry because Zayne loves someone else? I thought you cared about your mom more than a guy you just met one or two weeks ago??
She was cringey and immature in her monologues, but I admit Zayne joins her in that when they banter. Their cheesy dialogue gave me second-hand embarrassment. But that’s not all, Trinity is also so nosy it’s hard to stand. The moment she realizes something’s not right between Layla and Zayne, she immediately throws herself into the argument when she doesn’t even know the story behind it. Mind your own business, you idiot.
If the majority of the book is slow and boring, the ending is so fast you don’t even enjoy having finally gotten to the point you were waiting 470 pages for.
I’m probably more cynical and critical now than when I read and loved other JLA books, but honestly it’s like her newer stories are more and more watered down versions of her old stuff and I’m sick of reading books that have no dedication behind them.
******
I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS. I CAN’T.
THE SNIPPETS ARE AMAZING AND I ALREADY LOVE THE NEW MAIN CHARACTER. ALSO FINALLY ZAYNE CAN GET HIS HAPPY ENDING AND I AM SO READY FOR THAT!
Fingers crossed for the cover. Please please please don’t be corny.
November 5, 2020
“I’m guessing the sky is full of stars?” “It is, but the only ones that matter are the ones you see.”
You guys this book , this book is actually so goodd In my opinion it just has everything a book needs to make it good. First of all it has a great worldbuilding and a cool magic system , it has a very fast paced plot but not to fast that the story loses its depht because their is also a lot of depht in this story and in its charracters and the fast pacing of the plot did not overshadow that [as i sometimes feel like does happen with fast paced books ] however not the case her. The plot is also very puzzle ish and there are a lot of deatails that we dont figure out right away wich makes you want to keep reading because you just need to know things , it has great charracters that really have their own personality but also deal with stuff and struggle , an amazing romance full of tension but also full of banter wich i love [ best combination ] and there was a lot of sass in this book wich i also loved. I just did not have a thing that i did not enjoy or felt missing etc.
where is the story about
The story is about Trinity a 18 year old girl who is able to comminucate with spirits and ghost. Ghost are dead people who havent moved on to the other side , this is where she helps them with and spirits are people who are dead and passed on too the light but come back to earth to watch over their loved once or bring a message. trinity lives in a warden comminuty where she came with her mother who is now dead because of reasons we dont know yet [ AND WANT TO FOGURE OUT ] wardens are protectors of the human world against the demons. So yes there are also deoms from hell who come to earth wich we dont want and it is the job of wardens to keep them calm. Trinity lives in this comunity but we dont know why , she is special because of her abilitys but she has another ability that we dont know that needs to be protected at all costst and where no one can know of [ AND AGAIN PUZZLE VIBES WE WANT TO KNOW ] and then one day demon attacks start happening and it goes baaaaaaad. + she meets a very sexy mysterious full of sarcasm warden of DC who is visiting the comminuty and they get well involved '' wink''
Charracter talk
Trinity
Trinity is the main charracter in this book and i really enjoyed her charracter. At first you see a girl that has a lot of sass and sarcasm and doesnt back down from anything , who is passionate and who is straight forward with her opinions but not in a bad way but then we also discover that she suffers from a phsyical eye illness wich she struggels with wich makes her vision go away , but the thing is that doctors dont know when she will be totally blind so there is a lot of unknown there. Seeing her deal with this makes her charracter real and gives the depht i always love in charracters. She kept going and made the best of it even tho she suffered sometimes , she had her bad moments and panic and sadness about it but she kept going because like she says '' i will not know when it will be gone and i cant do anything about it so i just have t keep going '' definitly have a lot of respect for her charracter and i loveee her sass and straight forwardness + she is very brave. She also struggels with feeling alone in the community she lives in and being scared of the future and being alone in her future because she can never be loved because of the thing she is , people tell her.
Also she can see ghost and spiritis and we have this amazing funny as hell sidekick Peanut who is a ghost that doesnt want to move on and satys with trinity as her side kick. and aaah he is so funny lmao.
Zayne
Ugh Zayne , i swoon over him. Zayne is a warden from Dc and visits the community Trinity lives in and he is very mysterious , we are slowly getting hints about his past and his backstory and we just want to keep knowing more, Zayne is kind , mysterious , funny as hell aaaah such a sassy filled ith sarcasm charracter and he sees the world and the duty of wardens differently , he has resistance against killign all demons because some are good in his opinion and troughout the book we see those good demons who are also funny aswell and so loveable. And aah i just love this guy somuch , + the way he supports Trinity melts my heart. What a caring soul this person is. Protect him at all costst please.
I also loved all the side charracters and the way they struggle and are funny aswell. I loved them all and none of them feel flat , they are all so well worked out.
Romancee I love the romance somuch , it is attraction at first sight but definitly not insta love [ yay ] it grows really slow but really strong and full of tension and banter and i love it somuch , iwas craving their scenes. + steamy scenes are also involved wich i always love in books , guilty pleasure sorry not sorry and they where so well done. I just really loved the romance and that both Trinity and Zayne struggle with things and how they are their for eachother especially the midnight talks till they fell asleep because Zaytne knew Trinity was scared to fall asleep alone it melts my heart. Their relationship is truly so beautiful and beautifully build up at a great pacing.
Other random things i loved
- The scenes about the stars
- Zayne and Trinity slowly starting to open up to eachother
- Peanut being a pervert so zayne lmao hahaha
- the father figures that Thiery and Mattew are to Trinity <3 the hug that Mattew gave Trinity at the end warmed my heart
- The demon king that is a friend of Zayne who is so funny i cant lol
- the rep of a phsyical disease and how that also impacts you mentally
so overall this book is just really amazing , it has it all and i loved every second of it and just wanted to keep reading, Sequel here i comeeeee :)))
You guys this book , this book is actually so goodd In my opinion it just has everything a book needs to make it good. First of all it has a great worldbuilding and a cool magic system , it has a very fast paced plot but not to fast that the story loses its depht because their is also a lot of depht in this story and in its charracters and the fast pacing of the plot did not overshadow that [as i sometimes feel like does happen with fast paced books ] however not the case her. The plot is also very puzzle ish and there are a lot of deatails that we dont figure out right away wich makes you want to keep reading because you just need to know things , it has great charracters that really have their own personality but also deal with stuff and struggle , an amazing romance full of tension but also full of banter wich i love [ best combination ] and there was a lot of sass in this book wich i also loved. I just did not have a thing that i did not enjoy or felt missing etc.
where is the story about
The story is about Trinity a 18 year old girl who is able to comminucate with spirits and ghost. Ghost are dead people who havent moved on to the other side , this is where she helps them with and spirits are people who are dead and passed on too the light but come back to earth to watch over their loved once or bring a message. trinity lives in a warden comminuty where she came with her mother who is now dead because of reasons we dont know yet [ AND WANT TO FOGURE OUT ] wardens are protectors of the human world against the demons. So yes there are also deoms from hell who come to earth wich we dont want and it is the job of wardens to keep them calm. Trinity lives in this comunity but we dont know why , she is special because of her abilitys but she has another ability that we dont know that needs to be protected at all costst and where no one can know of [ AND AGAIN PUZZLE VIBES WE WANT TO KNOW ] and then one day demon attacks start happening and it goes baaaaaaad. + she meets a very sexy mysterious full of sarcasm warden of DC who is visiting the comminuty and they get well involved '' wink''
Charracter talk
Trinity
Trinity is the main charracter in this book and i really enjoyed her charracter. At first you see a girl that has a lot of sass and sarcasm and doesnt back down from anything , who is passionate and who is straight forward with her opinions but not in a bad way but then we also discover that she suffers from a phsyical eye illness wich she struggels with wich makes her vision go away , but the thing is that doctors dont know when she will be totally blind so there is a lot of unknown there. Seeing her deal with this makes her charracter real and gives the depht i always love in charracters. She kept going and made the best of it even tho she suffered sometimes , she had her bad moments and panic and sadness about it but she kept going because like she says '' i will not know when it will be gone and i cant do anything about it so i just have t keep going '' definitly have a lot of respect for her charracter and i loveee her sass and straight forwardness + she is very brave. She also struggels with feeling alone in the community she lives in and being scared of the future and being alone in her future because she can never be loved because of the thing she is , people tell her.
Also she can see ghost and spiritis and we have this amazing funny as hell sidekick Peanut who is a ghost that doesnt want to move on and satys with trinity as her side kick. and aaah he is so funny lmao.
Zayne
Ugh Zayne , i swoon over him. Zayne is a warden from Dc and visits the community Trinity lives in and he is very mysterious , we are slowly getting hints about his past and his backstory and we just want to keep knowing more, Zayne is kind , mysterious , funny as hell aaaah such a sassy filled ith sarcasm charracter and he sees the world and the duty of wardens differently , he has resistance against killign all demons because some are good in his opinion and troughout the book we see those good demons who are also funny aswell and so loveable. And aah i just love this guy somuch , + the way he supports Trinity melts my heart. What a caring soul this person is. Protect him at all costst please.
I also loved all the side charracters and the way they struggle and are funny aswell. I loved them all and none of them feel flat , they are all so well worked out.
Romancee I love the romance somuch , it is attraction at first sight but definitly not insta love [ yay ] it grows really slow but really strong and full of tension and banter and i love it somuch , iwas craving their scenes. + steamy scenes are also involved wich i always love in books , guilty pleasure sorry not sorry and they where so well done. I just really loved the romance and that both Trinity and Zayne struggle with things and how they are their for eachother especially the midnight talks till they fell asleep because Zaytne knew Trinity was scared to fall asleep alone it melts my heart. Their relationship is truly so beautiful and beautifully build up at a great pacing.
Other random things i loved
- The scenes about the stars
- Zayne and Trinity slowly starting to open up to eachother
- Peanut being a pervert so zayne lmao hahaha
- the father figures that Thiery and Mattew are to Trinity <3 the hug that Mattew gave Trinity at the end warmed my heart
- The demon king that is a friend of Zayne who is so funny i cant lol
- the rep of a phsyical disease and how that also impacts you mentally
so overall this book is just really amazing , it has it all and i loved every second of it and just wanted to keep reading, Sequel here i comeeeee :)))
March 29, 2024
I loved this book. I am probably late to the party on this one, and it's been sitting on my TBR forever, but I'm so glad I finally read this (and finished it in 1 day!). I went in with low expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ate it up. To level-set, let me be clear, while I adored this book and read it in 1 day, this book definitely has some flaws. It IS a bit similar to many of Jennifer L Armentrout's other books. The characters are basically the same as the MCs from the FBAA and ASITE series: a sassy heroine who asks too many questions and has a borderline annoying fixation on bacon, paired with a mysterious bad boy who finds her intriguing and loves bantering with her. If you don't like JLA's writing style in From Blood and Ash and A Shadow in the Ember, then I doubt you will like this. That said, while I recognized a few of the usual JLA aspects in the book that made me roll my eyes, I thought this was a fantastic story and really couldn't put this down.
Plot Overview
This story was pretty unique for a romantasy. While it has some common fantasy tropes (chosen one, found family, bonds, major betrayal, etc.), I actually think the premise was quite different from anything that I've read.
Trinity has grown up in a community of gargoyles known as "Wardens" in West Virginia, USA, and they live their lives fighting against demons who escape Hell and find themselves on Earth. Most of these Wardens think Trinity is a human who is slowly losing her vision and going blind. However, a few Wardens know the truth that Trinity is As a baby, Trinity was bonded to a Warden baby, Misha, so he could be her lifelong Protector. Trinity and Misha have grown up together and are inseparable, and they treat each other like siblings.
One day, a few Wardens from another gargoyle clan arrive to their community to request backup in Washington D.C. where there is a new mysterious villain killing both gargoyles AND demons. Upon arrival, Trinity is immediately drawn to one of the new arrival Wardens, Zayne. That's where the story really gets good...
Thoughts
I loved Zayne. The tension and banter between Zayne and Trinity was fantastic. This is definitely a lower spice book, but the 1 spicy-ish scene was still hot (I never thought I'd think a dry humping scene was hot, but here I am).
I have to admit, I didn't realize that this was a spin-off series to another JLA series before I started reading. However, it didn't really bother me that I hadn't read the other series first. There were some intersecting characters, but I didn't really feel like I had missed anything, and I wasn't annoyed the few times the characters did reference things that had clearly happened in the other series (it wasn't really noticeable or particularly frequent). I thought this was a spin-off series that was done really well in that sense--it was a true spin-off that you could still successfully read as a standalone series.
My favorite character was Peanut who had me literally laughing out loud throughout the book. Despite going partially blind, Trinity has powers to see ghosts and spirits. About 10 years prior to the start of this story, Trinity met a ghost named Peanut, a 17-year-old who died at a Whitesnake concert in the 1980s, and Peanut was so excited that Trinity could see him that he never left her. Peanut is absolutely ridiculous and his quips and random hobbies were so funny. His fixation on checking out Zayne was so good. I loved that while he is insane, he also looks out for Trinity and is attached to Trinity when she needs it. I also loved the scenes when everyone would be talking about something serious, and Peanut would be making little side comments in Trinity's ear (no one else can see him or hear his ridiculous comments). Peanut was a really strong side character and much needed comedic relief throughout a somewhat emotional story.
The ending was really great. I have to say, I did predict some of the big twist at the end, but there were definitely elements of the last few chapters that really surprised me. Even though I predicted part of it, I still liked the twists! It was done well. Also, the emotional breakdown at the end had me tearing up. I can't wait to read book 2!
I would highly recommend this book! It may not be the very best book I've ever read, but I really thoroughly enjoyed it and had a good time while reading it. I think others would too! Great characters, great story, great ending. I can see myself re-reading this series several times.
________________________
I LOVED this book. Full RTC!
Plot Overview
This story was pretty unique for a romantasy. While it has some common fantasy tropes (chosen one, found family, bonds, major betrayal, etc.), I actually think the premise was quite different from anything that I've read.
Trinity has grown up in a community of gargoyles known as "Wardens" in West Virginia, USA, and they live their lives fighting against demons who escape Hell and find themselves on Earth. Most of these Wardens think Trinity is a human who is slowly losing her vision and going blind. However, a few Wardens know the truth that Trinity is As a baby, Trinity was bonded to a Warden baby, Misha, so he could be her lifelong Protector. Trinity and Misha have grown up together and are inseparable, and they treat each other like siblings.
One day, a few Wardens from another gargoyle clan arrive to their community to request backup in Washington D.C. where there is a new mysterious villain killing both gargoyles AND demons. Upon arrival, Trinity is immediately drawn to one of the new arrival Wardens, Zayne. That's where the story really gets good...
Thoughts
I loved Zayne. The tension and banter between Zayne and Trinity was fantastic. This is definitely a lower spice book, but the 1 spicy-ish scene was still hot (I never thought I'd think a dry humping scene was hot, but here I am).
I have to admit, I didn't realize that this was a spin-off series to another JLA series before I started reading. However, it didn't really bother me that I hadn't read the other series first. There were some intersecting characters, but I didn't really feel like I had missed anything, and I wasn't annoyed the few times the characters did reference things that had clearly happened in the other series (it wasn't really noticeable or particularly frequent). I thought this was a spin-off series that was done really well in that sense--it was a true spin-off that you could still successfully read as a standalone series.
My favorite character was Peanut who had me literally laughing out loud throughout the book. Despite going partially blind, Trinity has powers to see ghosts and spirits. About 10 years prior to the start of this story, Trinity met a ghost named Peanut, a 17-year-old who died at a Whitesnake concert in the 1980s, and Peanut was so excited that Trinity could see him that he never left her. Peanut is absolutely ridiculous and his quips and random hobbies were so funny. His fixation on checking out Zayne was so good. I loved that while he is insane, he also looks out for Trinity and is attached to Trinity when she needs it. I also loved the scenes when everyone would be talking about something serious, and Peanut would be making little side comments in Trinity's ear (no one else can see him or hear his ridiculous comments). Peanut was a really strong side character and much needed comedic relief throughout a somewhat emotional story.
The ending was really great. I have to say, I did predict some of the big twist at the end, but there were definitely elements of the last few chapters that really surprised me. Even though I predicted part of it, I still liked the twists! It was done well. Also, the emotional breakdown at the end had me tearing up. I can't wait to read book 2!
I would highly recommend this book! It may not be the very best book I've ever read, but I really thoroughly enjoyed it and had a good time while reading it. I think others would too! Great characters, great story, great ending. I can see myself re-reading this series several times.
________________________
I LOVED this book. Full RTC!
Shelved as 'dnf'
July 3, 2019Life's too short for books that bore you to tears.
And that's that on that.
And that's that on that.
July 4, 2019
I need to get one thing off my chest before delving into this review. Some readers don't mind picking up a spinoff if there's little to no character overlap (though, honestly, how can you really know beyond the fact that the leads are different?) but I am not that kind of reader. I like context. I thrive off it. I like references that harken back to previous events, I love cameos, etc, particularly when it's a world that relies on context or worldbuilding; so sometimes I can roll with it if it's, say, a contemporary but for a fantasy or PNR-style universe? Less ability to roll. So when I started STORM AND FURY only to realize this was a spinoff of one of the author's previous series..? I was annoyed. This isn't the first time this has happened to me, because, for some reason, some publishers don't like mentioning these kinds of details in blurbs when books go up for request. I find this does a real disservice to reviewers. Or, specifically, me. Because that said, I saw many reviews mentioning that you didn't need to have read those other books to enjoy this one. But as I didn't actually enjoy this book.. I guess I'm just all-around an outlier.
Anyway, rant over.
Or different rant begins?
This book is very.. stereotypical early 2000s YA. I don't really know how else to describe it. But it was such a shocking regression for me, as I do read a lot of really great, superbly written, and characterized, YA that I actually almost DNF'd. Instead I set it down around the 15% mark and took a break to read other things -- something I almost never do. I did bring myself back to it though (obviously) just incase it was a mood thing. It wasn't. But I finished anyway. Grudgingly.
STORM AND FURY has a typical fantasy plot, unfolding in a fairly typical way -- -- special ish snowflake girl meets special ish snowflake boy and sorta hate-dislike banter ensues along with unprecedented connection, in addition to girl generally just not conforming with restrictions placed on her for her safety and always getting into trouble but.. also just being totally unphased and letting everything roll off her back with some snappy reply? ugh -- with fairly typical dialogue, secrets, and surprises. Also lots of pauses for inconveniently timed attraction due to proximity and high stakes moments. It made it all feel very young (even juvenile), very over done, heavily sprinkled with cheese, and as a result I just didn't enjoy it. Sure the specifics of the plot or the world or the whatever might not have been cookie cutter but everything else made it feel that way.
Now, I want to pause to say : all these typical elements can be enjoyed. And I have, in fact, loved books that basically read exactly like this (rather) cutting summary. But the writing, or the characters, have helped me to overlook it.. or love it. As we all know, writing truly makes a difference. And, in the case of STORM AND FURY, we just didn't have that.
I foresee a few comparisons to Cassandra Clare's books, particularly her most recent trilogy, as there's a particular element to both the dynamic and the relationship that mirrors something we've seen in that series. It's not unique to Clare but combined with everything else it just feels like a sticking point for future books and future angst. And considering I was already annoyed at the direction of the romance.. welp.
There was an attempt made for some representation as the lead protagonist is losing her sight, in a specific way the author herself is (read the note at the end), but I was often confused by the consistency and convenience of it being fine and then not. I suppose some of it is factual and maybe the rest is made appropriate for the fantasy and excitement of the moment. I shouldn't be critical of this as it's #ownvoices in that sense and I am neither expert nor do I share this experience. Something that confused me a bit, though, was that it took until almost 75% for us to be told how she felt about her condition. Up until that point it had always seemed to be couched in context of how it affected her ability to fight which, sure, that's her priority vs mine, but it was nice to get some dialogue about it all. Even if she was fairly laisser-faire about everything. She just rolled with the eventuality of being blind. Which, again, okay. I can appreciate some of that. Out of one's control and all. But also. You're eighteen and you're just going to be blasé about losing a main sense? If I had a degenerative condition, I'd be pretty angry or sad or.. something. Frustrated. Not just focused on practicing more knife throws. Or at least not ONLY focused on practicing knife throws. And certainly not throwing myself off rooftops during the dark of night to prove points.
Would I have enjoyed this more had I read the companion series? I guess we'll never know. But if you need a new drinking game, take a shot for every time the word 'Hell' is used. It'll make for a short game but by the time you're buzzing.. I'm not sure you'll mind.
Because this is a series and not a collection of interconnecteds, with different leads, I seriously doubt I will read on.
1.5 stars
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
Anyway, rant over.
Or different rant begins?
This book is very.. stereotypical early 2000s YA. I don't really know how else to describe it. But it was such a shocking regression for me, as I do read a lot of really great, superbly written, and characterized, YA that I actually almost DNF'd. Instead I set it down around the 15% mark and took a break to read other things -- something I almost never do. I did bring myself back to it though (obviously) just incase it was a mood thing. It wasn't. But I finished anyway. Grudgingly.
STORM AND FURY has a typical fantasy plot, unfolding in a fairly typical way -- -- special ish snowflake girl meets special ish snowflake boy and sorta hate-dislike banter ensues along with unprecedented connection, in addition to girl generally just not conforming with restrictions placed on her for her safety and always getting into trouble but.. also just being totally unphased and letting everything roll off her back with some snappy reply? ugh -- with fairly typical dialogue, secrets, and surprises. Also lots of pauses for inconveniently timed attraction due to proximity and high stakes moments. It made it all feel very young (even juvenile), very over done, heavily sprinkled with cheese, and as a result I just didn't enjoy it. Sure the specifics of the plot or the world or the whatever might not have been cookie cutter but everything else made it feel that way.
Now, I want to pause to say : all these typical elements can be enjoyed. And I have, in fact, loved books that basically read exactly like this (rather) cutting summary. But the writing, or the characters, have helped me to overlook it.. or love it. As we all know, writing truly makes a difference. And, in the case of STORM AND FURY, we just didn't have that.
I foresee a few comparisons to Cassandra Clare's books, particularly her most recent trilogy, as there's a particular element to both the dynamic and the relationship that mirrors something we've seen in that series. It's not unique to Clare but combined with everything else it just feels like a sticking point for future books and future angst. And considering I was already annoyed at the direction of the romance.. welp.
There was an attempt made for some representation as the lead protagonist is losing her sight, in a specific way the author herself is (read the note at the end), but I was often confused by the consistency and convenience of it being fine and then not. I suppose some of it is factual and maybe the rest is made appropriate for the fantasy and excitement of the moment. I shouldn't be critical of this as it's #ownvoices in that sense and I am neither expert nor do I share this experience. Something that confused me a bit, though, was that it took until almost 75% for us to be told how she felt about her condition. Up until that point it had always seemed to be couched in context of how it affected her ability to fight which, sure, that's her priority vs mine, but it was nice to get some dialogue about it all. Even if she was fairly laisser-faire about everything. She just rolled with the eventuality of being blind. Which, again, okay. I can appreciate some of that. Out of one's control and all. But also. You're eighteen and you're just going to be blasé about losing a main sense? If I had a degenerative condition, I'd be pretty angry or sad or.. something. Frustrated. Not just focused on practicing more knife throws. Or at least not ONLY focused on practicing knife throws. And certainly not throwing myself off rooftops during the dark of night to prove points.
Would I have enjoyed this more had I read the companion series? I guess we'll never know. But if you need a new drinking game, take a shot for every time the word 'Hell' is used. It'll make for a short game but by the time you're buzzing.. I'm not sure you'll mind.
Because this is a series and not a collection of interconnecteds, with different leads, I seriously doubt I will read on.
1.5 stars
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
June 19, 2019
🅛🅞🅥🅔 🅜🅔 🅢🅞🅜🅔 🅙🅔🅝🅝🅘🅕🅔🅡 🅛 🅐🅡🅜🅔🅝🅣🅡🅞🅤🅣
WOW! It has been a while since I’ve read a JLA book and it was so amazing to revisit her books and this world. This is the first book in this series a spinoff from the Dark Elements series. I read and loved that series, but I don’t believe you need to read it to enjoy this book. This book was packed full of action, romance, Snark, and steam. Trinity the female protagonist was smart, sassy, strong, and savvy. The male protagonist Zane was well HOT... OK well he might’ve had some other things going for him as well but best of all he was not a stereotypical bad boy. Now if you read the previous series you’re probably wondering is this THE Zane? The answer is yes, yes it is! And I sure am hoping this time he gets the girl. There are so many characters from the previous stories that make appearances and that was a lot of fun. A special shout out goes to Bambi the snake familiar. We also spend quite a bit of time with Layla and Roth as well. What I think JLA did so brilliantly with these characters is she introduced them just enough to remind readers of the previous series as to who they were and for those who did not read the previous series to truly understand.
Gargoyles, angels, demons, and witches. Stellar characters, exceptional world building, and steamy romance. What more could you want from a young adult fantasy? I think what I like
WOW! It has been a while since I’ve read a JLA book and it was so amazing to revisit her books and this world. This is the first book in this series a spinoff from the Dark Elements series. I read and loved that series, but I don’t believe you need to read it to enjoy this book. This book was packed full of action, romance, Snark, and steam. Trinity the female protagonist was smart, sassy, strong, and savvy. The male protagonist Zane was well HOT... OK well he might’ve had some other things going for him as well but best of all he was not a stereotypical bad boy. Now if you read the previous series you’re probably wondering is this THE Zane? The answer is yes, yes it is! And I sure am hoping this time he gets the girl. There are so many characters from the previous stories that make appearances and that was a lot of fun. A special shout out goes to Bambi the snake familiar. We also spend quite a bit of time with Layla and Roth as well. What I think JLA did so brilliantly with these characters is she introduced them just enough to remind readers of the previous series as to who they were and for those who did not read the previous series to truly understand.
Gargoyles, angels, demons, and witches. Stellar characters, exceptional world building, and steamy romance. What more could you want from a young adult fantasy? I think what I like
June 4, 2019
Although I am not a fan of insta-love and teen romance, this story/world was extremely well written!
Even though this was the start of a spin off series I have not read, I was truly invested in the characters and their lives. The conclusion was action packed and one of the most surprising I've read in the YA fantasy genre. Due to a few isolated erotic scenes, I recommend for YA readers, 14+.
*Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Even though this was the start of a spin off series I have not read, I was truly invested in the characters and their lives. The conclusion was action packed and one of the most surprising I've read in the YA fantasy genre. Due to a few isolated erotic scenes, I recommend for YA readers, 14+.
*Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
January 12, 2022
Off to book #2 because I need more!! 😍
June 27, 2021
4.35 ⭐️
4.25 and 4.5 didn’t feel right, so here we are at 4.35.
I thoroughly enjoyed it! Storm and Fury’s the first YA fantasy novel I picked up and kept at lately, and I’m just so happy to be back in the world of angels and demons and gargoyles.
The book read pretty fast, though it is pretty lengthy. The hardcover stands at 504 pages, but I only found a few of the chapters average. Overall, the book read great! I don’t know if it’s my specific copy or if this is throughout the latest round of published copies, but I found quite a bit of grammatical errors in mine, which contributed to the lower rating, though really not by much.
Some parts of the dialogue fell flat to me, which I don’t remember if I felt the same way with the Dark Elements series because I ended up giving two out of the three books 5 stars.
Storm and Fury is still really great! Immersive and has quite a bit of romance sparked throughout, even though it was somewhat slow burn. There’s a lot of build up and tons of banter which DUHHHH, cue the grinning.
ALSOOOO?! This is YA. 14+ is the age I saw on Google, BUT there was a surprising bit of very low-level spice. Not even really worth a spice rating, but for a YA book, I was kind of shook to see it in here. Suggestive, but not detailed. Not outright written and more fade-to-black, but still surprised to have read that part, small as it was.
I LOVEEEEE Trinity and Zayne. I don’t know yet if I love them more than Layla and Roth, but definitely rooting for them.
LAYLA AND ROTH ALSO MAKE AN APPEARANCE HERE!! AND BAMBIIIIIII. The familiars, cmonnnn 😍
4.25 and 4.5 didn’t feel right, so here we are at 4.35.
I thoroughly enjoyed it! Storm and Fury’s the first YA fantasy novel I picked up and kept at lately, and I’m just so happy to be back in the world of angels and demons and gargoyles.
The book read pretty fast, though it is pretty lengthy. The hardcover stands at 504 pages, but I only found a few of the chapters average. Overall, the book read great! I don’t know if it’s my specific copy or if this is throughout the latest round of published copies, but I found quite a bit of grammatical errors in mine, which contributed to the lower rating, though really not by much.
Some parts of the dialogue fell flat to me, which I don’t remember if I felt the same way with the Dark Elements series because I ended up giving two out of the three books 5 stars.
Storm and Fury is still really great! Immersive and has quite a bit of romance sparked throughout, even though it was somewhat slow burn. There’s a lot of build up and tons of banter which DUHHHH, cue the grinning.
ALSOOOO?! This is YA. 14+ is the age I saw on Google, BUT there was a surprising bit of very low-level spice. Not even really worth a spice rating, but for a YA book, I was kind of shook to see it in here. Suggestive, but not detailed. Not outright written and more fade-to-black, but still surprised to have read that part, small as it was.
I LOVEEEEE Trinity and Zayne. I don’t know yet if I love them more than Layla and Roth, but definitely rooting for them.
LAYLA AND ROTH ALSO MAKE AN APPEARANCE HERE!! AND BAMBIIIIIII. The familiars, cmonnnn 😍
June 6, 2021
Second Reread (June 5 2021): WOW! Almost exactly one year later I finished my second full reread of this book. I was supposed to have had this read by June 1 2021 because the third book released then. I may have completely forgotten about it...oops. I'm pretty sure this is the only book that I've ever read cover to cover 3 whole times. So that's a new and exciting record for me! It was just as amazing as all the other times I read it. I still cackled at the Ross mention though!
__________________
First Reread (June 1 2020): I still adore this book! I reread this in preparation for the second book getting released on June 9th. Still an amazing story, with fantastic characters and very good world-building. Note: The second time around with the audio book I swear that about 3 or 4 hours to the end of the narration the narrator calls Roth "Ross". I cackled so hard at that!
__________________
Originally posted at:
This book made me realize something that I probably should have figured out while I was reading the Dark Elements series. My problem with those novels was always one character (Layla) and not the overall story because I ended up loving this novel. Even though it was more on the slow end of the spectrum it made for a fascinating journey!
The new heroine Trinity has a much better head on her shoulders. Maybe it's because she's 18 and more "mature". All I can tell you is that I gravitated towards her as a character. She fights for what she believes is the right choice, doesn't attract drama like the plague and *bonus* knows how to talk things out like an adult without whining or throwing a fit.
Zayn was very toned down from what I remember him being in the Dark Elements trilogy. Though that's probably my fault because I just couldn't take the drama Layla was causing and skipped the third book altogether. From what I pieced together from the information provided in this story I have a very vague idea of what happened to him and it makes that third book sound amazing, if only it weren't for Layla... Anyway, Zayn was very responsible and has matured quite well. He has a temper but is still respectful enough to let things go and converse about it later on.
Roth was a fantastic part of this book! Without Layla being present and the drama she brings with her, I really enjoy his personality! The more I think about it the more I realize that I disliked Layla not the story or the universe the author built in the Dark Elements series.
The twist at the end was like a knife twisting in my heart! Trinity and Zayn just found each other and now this happens. I want to know more about their protector bond and how they're going to deal with the consequences of having it and their possible blossoming relationship (maybe I'm being too hopeful!). Here's to a year-long wait!
The Audio Book:
I didn't dislike the narration but I think a different narrator should have been chosen. Lauren Fortgang has a decent range of male and female voices but she can only go so far. Roth's voice, in particular, was unfortunate and it felt like I was hearing her destroy her voice for an end product that was dubious at best.
__________________
First Reread (June 1 2020): I still adore this book! I reread this in preparation for the second book getting released on June 9th. Still an amazing story, with fantastic characters and very good world-building. Note: The second time around with the audio book I swear that about 3 or 4 hours to the end of the narration the narrator calls Roth "Ross". I cackled so hard at that!
__________________
Originally posted at:
This book made me realize something that I probably should have figured out while I was reading the Dark Elements series. My problem with those novels was always one character (Layla) and not the overall story because I ended up loving this novel. Even though it was more on the slow end of the spectrum it made for a fascinating journey!
The new heroine Trinity has a much better head on her shoulders. Maybe it's because she's 18 and more "mature". All I can tell you is that I gravitated towards her as a character. She fights for what she believes is the right choice, doesn't attract drama like the plague and *bonus* knows how to talk things out like an adult without whining or throwing a fit.
Zayn was very toned down from what I remember him being in the Dark Elements trilogy. Though that's probably my fault because I just couldn't take the drama Layla was causing and skipped the third book altogether. From what I pieced together from the information provided in this story I have a very vague idea of what happened to him and it makes that third book sound amazing, if only it weren't for Layla... Anyway, Zayn was very responsible and has matured quite well. He has a temper but is still respectful enough to let things go and converse about it later on.
Roth was a fantastic part of this book! Without Layla being present and the drama she brings with her, I really enjoy his personality! The more I think about it the more I realize that I disliked Layla not the story or the universe the author built in the Dark Elements series.
The twist at the end was like a knife twisting in my heart! Trinity and Zayn just found each other and now this happens. I want to know more about their protector bond and how they're going to deal with the consequences of having it and their possible blossoming relationship (maybe I'm being too hopeful!). Here's to a year-long wait!
The Audio Book:
I didn't dislike the narration but I think a different narrator should have been chosen. Lauren Fortgang has a decent range of male and female voices but she can only go so far. Roth's voice, in particular, was unfortunate and it felt like I was hearing her destroy her voice for an end product that was dubious at best.
February 17, 2020
He terminado esta historia y la he amado por completo. Pensaba que sería complicado porque amé la trilogía de Los elementos oscuros y creí que sería difícil de superar, además, fui Team Roth en esa trilogía y no pensé que Zayne pudiera gustarme tantísimo, pero me equivocaba y ahora hasta me gusta más.
Lo primero que quiero decir es que para mí es TOTALMENTE necesario leer primero la trilogía original, ya que en las primeras 100 páginas te destripan la mayor parte del final de la trilogía y los personajes principales saldrán bastante y serán importantes en esta historia, por lo tanto... ahí lo dejo.
Esta es la historia de Trinity. Ella es una chica muy especial (ya descubriréis por qué 😜) y vive en un complejo de Guardianes. Ya sabéis, esas criaturas que se convierten en gárgolas y se dedican a matar demonios. Algo está ocurriendo en DC y parte de otro clan de Guardianes llegan al complejo (los que ya conocéis de la primera trilogía). Allí es donde coinciden Trinity y Zayne por primera vez y desde el primer momento conectan, aunque muchas veces no para bien, ya que se sacan un poco de quicio jajaja y bueno, en cierto momento ocurre algo que les hará trabajar juntos y hasta aquí quiero contar.
No quiero contaros más porque a mí siempre me gusta saber lo menos posible sobre estas historias de romance sobrenatural. Amo este mundo que ha creado Jennifer, lleno de demonios, ángeles, brujos y mil seres más. Creo que en esta historia se ha superado y me ha sorprendido. Me enganchó desde el minuto 1 y he conectado muy rápido con Trinity, su protagonista. Amé su sentido del humor, su forma de ser y en sí, a ella entera. Y bueno, ya conocíamos a Zayne de la anterior trilogía, y pensé que después de Roth, Zayne no podría gustarme a ese nivel, pero me equivocaba, porque me ha gustado aún más. Es un ser de luz que se merece lo mejor. Y he adorado la relación y conexión que tienen Trin y Zayne. Cada vez que estaban juntos fangirleaba hasta niveles extremos. Sin duda, vais a amar a los personajes de esta novela, y no solo a ellos, también a los secundarios 😍
Otra cosa que suelo amar de las historias de Jennifer son las escenas de acción. ¿Cómo puede describirlas tan bien? Es que se me pone el corazón a mil por hora porque llego a meterme muchísimo en esas escenas. Si es que Jennifer escribe de maravilla y además crea un argumento en el que se reinventa, no cae en sus anteriores novelas y que te mantiene con intriga en cada capítulo.
Todavía sigo en shock por el final. Ese giro no me lo vi venir 😭 y cuando lo piensas, tenía todo el sentido del mundo.
Si os gustan los libros de romance sobrenatural, TENÉIS QUE LEER ESTA MARAVILLA DE LIBRO. Vais a amar cada momento de este par y disfrutarlo muchísimo
Lo primero que quiero decir es que para mí es TOTALMENTE necesario leer primero la trilogía original, ya que en las primeras 100 páginas te destripan la mayor parte del final de la trilogía y los personajes principales saldrán bastante y serán importantes en esta historia, por lo tanto... ahí lo dejo.
Esta es la historia de Trinity. Ella es una chica muy especial (ya descubriréis por qué 😜) y vive en un complejo de Guardianes. Ya sabéis, esas criaturas que se convierten en gárgolas y se dedican a matar demonios. Algo está ocurriendo en DC y parte de otro clan de Guardianes llegan al complejo (los que ya conocéis de la primera trilogía). Allí es donde coinciden Trinity y Zayne por primera vez y desde el primer momento conectan, aunque muchas veces no para bien, ya que se sacan un poco de quicio jajaja y bueno, en cierto momento ocurre algo que les hará trabajar juntos y hasta aquí quiero contar.
No quiero contaros más porque a mí siempre me gusta saber lo menos posible sobre estas historias de romance sobrenatural. Amo este mundo que ha creado Jennifer, lleno de demonios, ángeles, brujos y mil seres más. Creo que en esta historia se ha superado y me ha sorprendido. Me enganchó desde el minuto 1 y he conectado muy rápido con Trinity, su protagonista. Amé su sentido del humor, su forma de ser y en sí, a ella entera. Y bueno, ya conocíamos a Zayne de la anterior trilogía, y pensé que después de Roth, Zayne no podría gustarme a ese nivel, pero me equivocaba, porque me ha gustado aún más. Es un ser de luz que se merece lo mejor. Y he adorado la relación y conexión que tienen Trin y Zayne. Cada vez que estaban juntos fangirleaba hasta niveles extremos. Sin duda, vais a amar a los personajes de esta novela, y no solo a ellos, también a los secundarios 😍
Otra cosa que suelo amar de las historias de Jennifer son las escenas de acción. ¿Cómo puede describirlas tan bien? Es que se me pone el corazón a mil por hora porque llego a meterme muchísimo en esas escenas. Si es que Jennifer escribe de maravilla y además crea un argumento en el que se reinventa, no cae en sus anteriores novelas y que te mantiene con intriga en cada capítulo.
Todavía sigo en shock por el final. Ese giro no me lo vi venir 😭 y cuando lo piensas, tenía todo el sentido del mundo.
Si os gustan los libros de romance sobrenatural, TENÉIS QUE LEER ESTA MARAVILLA DE LIBRO. Vais a amar cada momento de este par y disfrutarlo muchísimo
April 29, 2019
Demons, Angels, Ghosts, Witches and Gargoyles oh my.
I loved it ! Was it really over 500 pages ? It felt short, I was left wanting more. Sure I missed sleep and maybe a couple social functions so I could stay home and read. Don't judge it was so good. Action packed, heartwarming, heartbreaking, sexy, and interesting. The world created was unique, an slowly unraveled, no info dumping :D. It's basically about Wardens (Gargoyles), and others who protect our world from demons. When the demons get testy and force action by stealing a warden and killing many humans. Two characters step up and search for answers..
Let's talk about Zayne the hot, sexy, kind, gentlemanly, protective, honest, loyal, gargoyle, yes I said gargoyle. This is the perfect man, and he can double as a house ornament. Seriously, this character was swoon worthy plus.
Trinity a child of mixed race who is raised in a gargoyle compound and has some special skills. Her skills make her a target for some very bad things and must remain hidden. She is smart, physically strong, but suffers from a degenerative disease. This only makes her be more. She wasn't all sparkles and sunshine which I loved, she had real qualities. Trinity suffered from some bouts of immaturity, which is expected for an 18 year old.
There are several wonderful supportive characters you'll meet but wait till you get to know Peanut, Peanut rocks !
I never read the series this spun off from. Sad right ? While reading it I never felt like I didn't know what was going on or like I was missing something. I own them and will be reading them very soon. I want more of this world. Where is book 2, Ms Armentrout, hurry.
Thank you to the publishers for an early review copy so I can offer my honest review
I loved it ! Was it really over 500 pages ? It felt short, I was left wanting more. Sure I missed sleep and maybe a couple social functions so I could stay home and read. Don't judge it was so good. Action packed, heartwarming, heartbreaking, sexy, and interesting. The world created was unique, an slowly unraveled, no info dumping :D. It's basically about Wardens (Gargoyles), and others who protect our world from demons. When the demons get testy and force action by stealing a warden and killing many humans. Two characters step up and search for answers..
Let's talk about Zayne the hot, sexy, kind, gentlemanly, protective, honest, loyal, gargoyle, yes I said gargoyle. This is the perfect man, and he can double as a house ornament. Seriously, this character was swoon worthy plus.
Trinity a child of mixed race who is raised in a gargoyle compound and has some special skills. Her skills make her a target for some very bad things and must remain hidden. She is smart, physically strong, but suffers from a degenerative disease. This only makes her be more. She wasn't all sparkles and sunshine which I loved, she had real qualities. Trinity suffered from some bouts of immaturity, which is expected for an 18 year old.
There are several wonderful supportive characters you'll meet but wait till you get to know Peanut, Peanut rocks !
I never read the series this spun off from. Sad right ? While reading it I never felt like I didn't know what was going on or like I was missing something. I own them and will be reading them very soon. I want more of this world. Where is book 2, Ms Armentrout, hurry.
Thank you to the publishers for an early review copy so I can offer my honest review
November 16, 2023
“𝘪’𝘮 𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴?”
“𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘦.”
✰ this was 𝘎𝘖𝘖𝘋, really interesting story with demon's, warden's, angel's and ghosts (speaking of ghosts, I'd really love to have my own peanut ghost buddy rn😭), this book had me questioning everything at first i was pretty confused but also hooked i couldn't stop reading, i wanted to understand what she is and what's actually happening that i skept sleep to keep reading this
✰ what i really love about this author, is that she always writes her female character's in such a way that makes you feel so incredibly connected to them, like you can truly feel their pain and loses, almost always there's so much hurt and strength in her characters, and what can i say? I'm a sucker for that shit, and 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯 was one of those badass female characters I'm talking about, the "losing her vision" thing and how she was dealing with it was honestly impressive for me because i cannot even imagine not being able to see i'd probably panic every 5 minutes😭
“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮𝘴, 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦.”
“𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘦?”
“𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰𝘸,” 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥. “𝘐𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘐’𝘮 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰𝘸.”
✰ I'm trying my best not to spoil, but i really need to know what will happen between these two now that they're bonded and all😭, i loved how the plot turned out to be, i didn't expect that at all i too felt so betrayed and angry that i wanted to actually cry
“𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥, 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘺 𝘐 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘸 𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘢”
✰ this particular scene broke my heart a little.
overall i really enjoyed reading this but i still have so many questions so book two it is!!🫶🏽
Quotes 🩵:
“𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬...𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”
“𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦, 𝘐’𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵.”
“𝘈𝘯𝘥, 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯 ‘𝘶𝘴.’ 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”
“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘶𝘴. 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘪𝘵, 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵.”
𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴.
𝘗𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 : i took it upon myself to read all of Jennifer's books 🥰🤌🏽
“𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘦.”
✰ this was 𝘎𝘖𝘖𝘋, really interesting story with demon's, warden's, angel's and ghosts (speaking of ghosts, I'd really love to have my own peanut ghost buddy rn😭), this book had me questioning everything at first i was pretty confused but also hooked i couldn't stop reading, i wanted to understand what she is and what's actually happening that i skept sleep to keep reading this
✰ what i really love about this author, is that she always writes her female character's in such a way that makes you feel so incredibly connected to them, like you can truly feel their pain and loses, almost always there's so much hurt and strength in her characters, and what can i say? I'm a sucker for that shit, and 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯 was one of those badass female characters I'm talking about, the "losing her vision" thing and how she was dealing with it was honestly impressive for me because i cannot even imagine not being able to see i'd probably panic every 5 minutes😭
“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮𝘴, 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦.”
“𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘦?”
“𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰𝘸,” 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥. “𝘐𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘐’𝘮 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰𝘸.”
✰ I'm trying my best not to spoil, but i really need to know what will happen between these two now that they're bonded and all😭, i loved how the plot turned out to be, i didn't expect that at all i too felt so betrayed and angry that i wanted to actually cry
“𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥, 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘺 𝘐 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘸 𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘢”
✰ this particular scene broke my heart a little.
overall i really enjoyed reading this but i still have so many questions so book two it is!!🫶🏽
Quotes 🩵:
“𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬...𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”
“𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦, 𝘐’𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵.”
“𝘈𝘯𝘥, 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯 ‘𝘶𝘴.’ 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”
“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘶𝘴. 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘪𝘵, 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵.”
𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴.
𝘗𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 : i took it upon myself to read all of Jennifer's books 🥰🤌🏽
April 8, 2019
“Do you want to see the stars?” Zayne asked, and I nodded emphatically, knowing what he meant, and when he took my hand, I folded my fingers over his like I had the day I’d left the community. I felt him begin to shift, his skin hardening under mine. “Then hold on tight, Trin. I’m going to get us as close as we can go.”
Storm and Fury, or judging by how this book destroyed me, Storm and all the FEELS.
Listen, I was anticipating this book like one awaits the rain after a hot and dry Summer. And I am not talking about being excited since Armentrout dropped the news. I am talking about the fact that, a part of me, hidden in the depths of my heart, has been waiting for Zayne’s story since I put down Every Last Breath (book 3 in The Dark Elements series). I’m not going to lie, I am that person that falls for the good guy. And in The Dark Elements series, Zayne is exactly that. And my heart felt for him throughout the whole series. So I was elated when I learnt that Zayne - honorable and knightly Zayne - was getting his spin off.
Little did I know, I’d get to know a new side of Zayne. And damn, little did I freaking know, I’d absolutely adore that.
Like every Armentrout, Storm and Fury is filled with action, emotion, the best banter and thrilling twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my sit. This book has all the heart, the most vicious kick and the best sass. I tell you, Armentrout doesn’t seem to know how not to write a unputdownable book.
Going back to the universe of Wardens and Demons was like welcoming the first day of Spring, and no, I am not being extra dramatic. It did feel like that, OKAY?
Storm and Fury is Trinity and Zayne’s story. I must admit, it did start slightly slower than what I am used to for an Armentrout, but oh gosh, as soon as action kicked in, I was up to speed and ready to forget about my responsibilities so I could just keep reading. I was 100% invested in the story and particularly: in the two main characters.
It’s clear since the beginning that there is a special connection between Trinity and Zayne. Something they don’t quite understand themselves and that promises to be a huge revelation at some point in their journey together. The dynamic between these two was one of my favourite things of Storm and Fury. As I said, the Zayne we get to know in The Dark Elements is still there, but there’s definitely more to him. Beneath all that stoney and righteous exterior, there’s sass, humour and snark. And the one responsible for bringing that out is Trinity. The banter was unbelievably entertaining! They had this “I don’t like you but I really really like you” thing going on that I absolutely lived for. However, despite their seemingly instant connection, both Zayne and Trinity open to each other very slowly, they don’t instantly have each other’s blind trust. Zayne comes with a huge and heavy suitcase of baggage (holy baby gargoyles did my heart hurt when that came into play) and Trinity’s character has more than one secret and hardship to beat. As a matter of fact, Trinity’s character eye disability was one of the things that made me truly admire her character. The way she overcomes and accepts her limitations are admirable and shows a strength beyond her paranormal abilities. The fact that Armentrout herself shares this with her character makes it all the most special.
Phew. I don’t even know what else I can say besides the fact that I absolutely loved this book! I swooned, HARD, and it was everything I expected. I honestly don’t know how I’m going to be able to wait until book #2 is published… SPECIALLY AFTER HOW THINGS ARE LEFT BETWEEN ZAYNE AND TRINITY.
And specially knowing that book #2 will be filled with one of my FAVOURITE TROPES.
AND I AM HERE FOR IT.
**I received a proof copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The quote in this review may change after publication.
Storm and Fury, or judging by how this book destroyed me, Storm and all the FEELS.
Listen, I was anticipating this book like one awaits the rain after a hot and dry Summer. And I am not talking about being excited since Armentrout dropped the news. I am talking about the fact that, a part of me, hidden in the depths of my heart, has been waiting for Zayne’s story since I put down Every Last Breath (book 3 in The Dark Elements series). I’m not going to lie, I am that person that falls for the good guy. And in The Dark Elements series, Zayne is exactly that. And my heart felt for him throughout the whole series. So I was elated when I learnt that Zayne - honorable and knightly Zayne - was getting his spin off.
Little did I know, I’d get to know a new side of Zayne. And damn, little did I freaking know, I’d absolutely adore that.
Like every Armentrout, Storm and Fury is filled with action, emotion, the best banter and thrilling twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my sit. This book has all the heart, the most vicious kick and the best sass. I tell you, Armentrout doesn’t seem to know how not to write a unputdownable book.
Going back to the universe of Wardens and Demons was like welcoming the first day of Spring, and no, I am not being extra dramatic. It did feel like that, OKAY?
Storm and Fury is Trinity and Zayne’s story. I must admit, it did start slightly slower than what I am used to for an Armentrout, but oh gosh, as soon as action kicked in, I was up to speed and ready to forget about my responsibilities so I could just keep reading. I was 100% invested in the story and particularly: in the two main characters.
It’s clear since the beginning that there is a special connection between Trinity and Zayne. Something they don’t quite understand themselves and that promises to be a huge revelation at some point in their journey together. The dynamic between these two was one of my favourite things of Storm and Fury. As I said, the Zayne we get to know in The Dark Elements is still there, but there’s definitely more to him. Beneath all that stoney and righteous exterior, there’s sass, humour and snark. And the one responsible for bringing that out is Trinity. The banter was unbelievably entertaining! They had this “I don’t like you but I really really like you” thing going on that I absolutely lived for. However, despite their seemingly instant connection, both Zayne and Trinity open to each other very slowly, they don’t instantly have each other’s blind trust. Zayne comes with a huge and heavy suitcase of baggage (holy baby gargoyles did my heart hurt when that came into play) and Trinity’s character has more than one secret and hardship to beat. As a matter of fact, Trinity’s character eye disability was one of the things that made me truly admire her character. The way she overcomes and accepts her limitations are admirable and shows a strength beyond her paranormal abilities. The fact that Armentrout herself shares this with her character makes it all the most special.
Phew. I don’t even know what else I can say besides the fact that I absolutely loved this book! I swooned, HARD, and it was everything I expected. I honestly don’t know how I’m going to be able to wait until book #2 is published… SPECIALLY AFTER HOW THINGS ARE LEFT BETWEEN ZAYNE AND TRINITY.
And specially knowing that book #2 will be filled with one of my FAVOURITE TROPES.
AND I AM HERE FOR IT.
**I received a proof copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The quote in this review may change after publication.
June 18, 2019
3.5 stars
Well ladies and gents, this was a book I ran to the bookstore on my lunch break on release day to purchase. Basically, one of my most anticipated books of 2019. And while I enjoyed it, it did not live up to my expectations.
Zayne was the character I was rooting for in The Dark Elements series, and when he not only lost the girl but became a completely different character, I was very mad at JLA for that because I felt he deserved more. Flash forward to now.... and I didn't really get the "more Zayne" I was hoping for. I like the concept of these books, but the execution fell very flat for me.
I wish JLA had been more to the point with this book, because it felt like 400 pages of exposition and explanations, and 100 pages of actual plot. I am hoping because this is the set up of a new series (even if it is a spin off) the next book will be less describy and more happeningy.
My favorite part about the book was Trinity, she was an excellent female lead. I loved that JLA wrote parts of her life experiences into this character and I think it made Trinity all the more developed and genuine for it. Loved seeing some characters again, and I can honestly say I want to know where this series is going to go and will be reading the next book for sure. I'm not sure I'll be running to the bookstore on my lunch break on release day like I did for this book.
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Well ladies and gents, this was a book I ran to the bookstore on my lunch break on release day to purchase. Basically, one of my most anticipated books of 2019. And while I enjoyed it, it did not live up to my expectations.
Zayne was the character I was rooting for in The Dark Elements series, and when he not only lost the girl but became a completely different character, I was very mad at JLA for that because I felt he deserved more. Flash forward to now.... and I didn't really get the "more Zayne" I was hoping for. I like the concept of these books, but the execution fell very flat for me.
I wish JLA had been more to the point with this book, because it felt like 400 pages of exposition and explanations, and 100 pages of actual plot. I am hoping because this is the set up of a new series (even if it is a spin off) the next book will be less describy and more happeningy.
My favorite part about the book was Trinity, she was an excellent female lead. I loved that JLA wrote parts of her life experiences into this character and I think it made Trinity all the more developed and genuine for it. Loved seeing some characters again, and I can honestly say I want to know where this series is going to go and will be reading the next book for sure. I'm not sure I'll be running to the bookstore on my lunch break on release day like I did for this book.
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May 27, 2019
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.
People who love Cassandra Clare's novels will probably enjoy this book. I'm just looking for something different.
DNF- 20%
I'm sure this will be an unpopular opinion, but Storm and Fury just wasn't for me. I was super excited for this book. The summary made it sound so awesome. However, I got 20% in and the entire time I was getting The Mortal Instruments and The Dark Artifices vibe: warriors that exist in secret communities that fight lower level and higher level demons, warriors that are bonded in pairs and cannot fall in love otherwise there are serious consequences, angels that the warriors worship... I did not like The Mortal Instruments, but I thought The Dark Artifices was actually good. Despite being iffy or flat out not liking some of the books that take place in the Shadowhunter universe, I always appreciated the world that was created as it was very unique and very well thought-out. Storm and Fury just seemed like a similar but less intriguing world.
To be fair, I did not get past 20%, so I don't know if the writing or storyline gets any better. I kept thinking, "Oh, this sounds familiar...maybe it's just a few similarities." Then, every 5% I got through just brought up another very familiar characteristic. There's nothing wrong with different novels being inspired by worlds that have been created and share super similar characteristics. It's just not a world I am that into.
Furthermore, the dialogue and characters personalities were bland. They didn't make me feel anything or care what they were thinking or going to do next. The action scenes were pretty bland too. It was hard to visualize and left too much to the imagination.
Ultimately, I think giving this book a try is worth it. Which is saying something, considering I DNFed it at 20%. The big picture of it has so much potential. I just feel that it didn't actually deliver anything in time to keep me from completely losing interest.
People who love Cassandra Clare's novels will probably enjoy this book. I'm just looking for something different.
DNF- 20%
I'm sure this will be an unpopular opinion, but Storm and Fury just wasn't for me. I was super excited for this book. The summary made it sound so awesome. However, I got 20% in and the entire time I was getting The Mortal Instruments and The Dark Artifices vibe: warriors that exist in secret communities that fight lower level and higher level demons, warriors that are bonded in pairs and cannot fall in love otherwise there are serious consequences, angels that the warriors worship... I did not like The Mortal Instruments, but I thought The Dark Artifices was actually good. Despite being iffy or flat out not liking some of the books that take place in the Shadowhunter universe, I always appreciated the world that was created as it was very unique and very well thought-out. Storm and Fury just seemed like a similar but less intriguing world.
To be fair, I did not get past 20%, so I don't know if the writing or storyline gets any better. I kept thinking, "Oh, this sounds familiar...maybe it's just a few similarities." Then, every 5% I got through just brought up another very familiar characteristic. There's nothing wrong with different novels being inspired by worlds that have been created and share super similar characteristics. It's just not a world I am that into.
Furthermore, the dialogue and characters personalities were bland. They didn't make me feel anything or care what they were thinking or going to do next. The action scenes were pretty bland too. It was hard to visualize and left too much to the imagination.
Ultimately, I think giving this book a try is worth it. Which is saying something, considering I DNFed it at 20%. The big picture of it has so much potential. I just feel that it didn't actually deliver anything in time to keep me from completely losing interest.
March 23, 2023
Star Rating:—>4.7 Stars
[ So just FYI; If I were rich, and um... Oprah... I’d probably give a nice hardcover copy of this to everyone- you get a copy, and you get a copy, and you get a copy! And YOU get a copy! Hand it out on the streets, do giveaways, you know... whatevs :-P ] !!!!
MMMK:
So, firstly, let’s talk about the FMC:
Trinity : Trinity is treated as extremely “special,” in that she’s an extremely powerful (half) supernatural being... and the last of her kind. So, it kinda comes with the whole “special” territory that she needs a whole Compound full of Wardens to guard & protect her from evil/ MEGA EVIL and keep her very existence a secret because she’s, well, (as much as I hate to say it because, you know, tropes and all) & don’t cringe (!) ... a “Chosen One.” She is the last hope when the world goes dark. Because of this, she has been trained to fight her whole life, & with supernatural strength, can completely kick ass, & (more than) hold her own. She can even best Wardens! She can also see & talk to ghosts & spirits, & helps them “move on.”
One Catch: she’s almost completely blind! [ she has the same disability as the author(!), and oh boy did I love that disability rep here, esp because it is so so special, bc of JLA. It was a little hard to read, but both Trin & JLA ARE SO STRONG ] 💙
That pretty much makes it super hard to fight, and she generally has to rely on her “spidey-sense” to do so (which psh she does so gracefully—inexperienced grace, but grace nonetheless), & well, just live. She’s got it down pat, but it doesn’t make it easy to be the “chosen one” !
Trinity’s closest friends (B.Z. AKA Before Zayne 😂)[most important to the story IMO, without any spoilers for any of you going in blind (without reading The Dark Elements Series), like I did!]:
Peanut : Peanut is a quite fun, fabulous, & fantastic (if I do say so myself), nosy as hell, sarcastic-in-a-good-way ghost. He mainly lives in (or shall I say, haunts 😉) Trinity’s bedroom, but follows her around quite frequently & has a habit of spying on her 👻, ESPECIALLY when she least wants him to!
Misha : Misha isTrinity’s BEST friend, she has known him as long as she can remember; they grew up together, side by side. He is the only person she’s let herself grow close to, and she trusts him implicitly; in fact he’s probably the only person that she truly trusts. He is a Warden, and is her Guardian, meaning he is sworn & bound to protect her, & this connection is sealed with a soul bond that makes them “one,” irrevocably, unless either of them dies. They can “feel” each other through the bond as well- sense feelings, if the other is in danger, etc.
Trinity lives with the secret of her true nature, with only a select few knowing the truth. She’s cheeky, sarcastic, & I totally love her! Oh and completely itching to fight, as more and more demons seem to be attacking the compound each night. Everyone but a select few, including some of the elders, think that she is human and so she’s forced to keep up the ruse and play it safe.
That is, until another group of Wardens from another compound (one of the larger ones, in DC) come to visit, & Trinity meets...
Zayne , a supa-fine Warden who she immediately feels an... odd undeniable pull to.
Then... everything changes;
Her secret comes to light, and if any demons found her... they would devour her completely. She is the only of her kind left in the world, and the only power (possibly) strong enough to defeat them. She & Zayne start off very unsure & nervous, but get a bit more comfortable with each other... although she still had no idea if she can truly trust him. She has no choice, through, as she has to relocate to the area where his compound is. So together, she & Zayne must fight an ultimate evil to get something extremely (well, beyond) dear to Trinity, back. She will finally encounter the demons she’s been longing to fight, to pull her weight, as it’s her calling... but she gets wayyy more than she bargained for.
Thus starts the true adventure ! Don’t worry though, the book is action packed from the very start!
REACTIONS:
TWIST(S), MUCH?!? The reason that I deducted .3 stars was actually because I didn’t really care when the first big one occurred.
It was like, ‘oh, okay, meh... whatever; wasn’t expecting that, but okay...’
Which I actually feel guilty about this reaction (kind of), I just didn’t give a sh*t abt the character it revolves around. They just SUUUUCKED from their first appearance *grumbles*😅
Am I alone in this?
The other twist, however, I kind of predicted & I truly love it and sort of hate it at the same time; But I don’t care bc JLA will work it out! AHHHH! !
Moving on...
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS, UGH! I hung on to every word. I loved the world & the characters SOMUCH... I loved it ALL. I miss Storm & Fury already. 😭😭😭
I’m sure all of you who read The Dark Elements series have enjoyed/will enjoy returning to this (incredibly detailed) fun, dangerous, high stakes world & (probably, mostly) the characters within it!
[ SIDE NOTE: How in the world have I not picked up a JLA novel until now?!?
(If you haven’t read this, do yourself a favor, and DO IT! You may discover not only a new book to love & series to look forward to, but a new author you love as well!)
*fills amazon cart w JLA books & wonders if needs food, or books, more?*
I mean I have water, obviously... and technically I can live without food until next payday, pshhh. 😂 ]
(Also// Another Note: I may not have read the first trilogy of which this one is a spin of off, but atp I actually don’t want to. It would probably just make me angry all throughout after reading this. I don’t want to go back to have to read through something expressing certain feelings that I know some of the main characters have/ have had in the past. What can I say, I’m territorial lol 🤷🏼♀️)
BUT
How am I supposed to wait for the next book in the series?!? Why must Jennifer L. Armentrout leave me wanting more SO BADLY?!? I mean there could have been a freakin temple kiss or SOMETHING more than what we were left with! I mean, especially given the sort of... vagueness... left between a certain two characters (going for absolutely no spoilers here so sorry I’m being so cryptic haha) bc of the, ahem, conflict of interests that have arisen.
That said :
Beyond surprisingly, I was actually mostly satisfied at the end of this book! It is rare to close that damn back cover of a book in a series, let alone the first one, and feel that sigh of contentment escape me, so, woo!
The author did a great job of giving:
* just enough closure *
&
*!just enough mystery about what is to come*
,that I CAN NOT WAIT for the next book in the series to be released (but wtf it’s not even listed yet 😢) [i dieee for thissss].
BUT (!),
Again, so literally don’t understand how I am also left feeling pretty fulfilled; how can there be so many cliffhangers & yet JLA managed to write everything in such a masterful way that I feel just plain in love with this book & SATISFIED… when. there. are. CLIFFHANGERS???
So JLA... we good. Haha. Cliffhangers made up for with SORCERY!
No. Way. could I have endured a HUGE cliffhanger; I think the ending was handled with perfection & grace & just... an exceptional amount of skill
This ^^^;
PLUS the wonderfully executed cast of characters, here;
PLUS A nice slow burn,
(yet very new adult feeling? Maybe?)
Romance...
Or the start of a budding one at least :-). I loved the flirting; I can’t wait gyhwdurxtudiugoyfi
I’m a sucker for some good ol’ sharp, witty, flirting. C’mon! You with me here?!
Can’t wait for #2 !
[ So just FYI; If I were rich, and um... Oprah... I’d probably give a nice hardcover copy of this to everyone- you get a copy, and you get a copy, and you get a copy! And YOU get a copy! Hand it out on the streets, do giveaways, you know... whatevs :-P ] !!!!
MMMK:
So, firstly, let’s talk about the FMC:
Trinity : Trinity is treated as extremely “special,” in that she’s an extremely powerful (half) supernatural being... and the last of her kind. So, it kinda comes with the whole “special” territory that she needs a whole Compound full of Wardens to guard & protect her from evil/ MEGA EVIL and keep her very existence a secret because she’s, well, (as much as I hate to say it because, you know, tropes and all) & don’t cringe (!) ... a “Chosen One.” She is the last hope when the world goes dark. Because of this, she has been trained to fight her whole life, & with supernatural strength, can completely kick ass, & (more than) hold her own. She can even best Wardens! She can also see & talk to ghosts & spirits, & helps them “move on.”
One Catch: she’s almost completely blind! [ she has the same disability as the author(!), and oh boy did I love that disability rep here, esp because it is so so special, bc of JLA. It was a little hard to read, but both Trin & JLA ARE SO STRONG ] 💙
That pretty much makes it super hard to fight, and she generally has to rely on her “spidey-sense” to do so (which psh she does so gracefully—inexperienced grace, but grace nonetheless), & well, just live. She’s got it down pat, but it doesn’t make it easy to be the “chosen one” !
Trinity’s closest friends (B.Z. AKA Before Zayne 😂)[most important to the story IMO, without any spoilers for any of you going in blind (without reading The Dark Elements Series), like I did!]:
Peanut : Peanut is a quite fun, fabulous, & fantastic (if I do say so myself), nosy as hell, sarcastic-in-a-good-way ghost. He mainly lives in (or shall I say, haunts 😉) Trinity’s bedroom, but follows her around quite frequently & has a habit of spying on her 👻, ESPECIALLY when she least wants him to!
Misha : Misha isTrinity’s BEST friend, she has known him as long as she can remember; they grew up together, side by side. He is the only person she’s let herself grow close to, and she trusts him implicitly; in fact he’s probably the only person that she truly trusts. He is a Warden, and is her Guardian, meaning he is sworn & bound to protect her, & this connection is sealed with a soul bond that makes them “one,” irrevocably, unless either of them dies. They can “feel” each other through the bond as well- sense feelings, if the other is in danger, etc.
Trinity lives with the secret of her true nature, with only a select few knowing the truth. She’s cheeky, sarcastic, & I totally love her! Oh and completely itching to fight, as more and more demons seem to be attacking the compound each night. Everyone but a select few, including some of the elders, think that she is human and so she’s forced to keep up the ruse and play it safe.
That is, until another group of Wardens from another compound (one of the larger ones, in DC) come to visit, & Trinity meets...
Zayne , a supa-fine Warden who she immediately feels an... odd undeniable pull to.
Then... everything changes;
Her secret comes to light, and if any demons found her... they would devour her completely. She is the only of her kind left in the world, and the only power (possibly) strong enough to defeat them. She & Zayne start off very unsure & nervous, but get a bit more comfortable with each other... although she still had no idea if she can truly trust him. She has no choice, through, as she has to relocate to the area where his compound is. So together, she & Zayne must fight an ultimate evil to get something extremely (well, beyond) dear to Trinity, back. She will finally encounter the demons she’s been longing to fight, to pull her weight, as it’s her calling... but she gets wayyy more than she bargained for.
Thus starts the true adventure ! Don’t worry though, the book is action packed from the very start!
REACTIONS:
TWIST(S), MUCH?!? The reason that I deducted .3 stars was actually because I didn’t really care when the first big one occurred.
It was like, ‘oh, okay, meh... whatever; wasn’t expecting that, but okay...’
Which I actually feel guilty about this reaction (kind of), I just didn’t give a sh*t abt the character it revolves around. They just SUUUUCKED from their first appearance *grumbles*😅
Am I alone in this?
The other twist, however, I kind of predicted & I truly love it and sort of hate it at the same time; But I don’t care bc JLA will work it out! AHHHH! !
Moving on...
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS, UGH! I hung on to every word. I loved the world & the characters SOMUCH... I loved it ALL. I miss Storm & Fury already. 😭😭😭
I’m sure all of you who read The Dark Elements series have enjoyed/will enjoy returning to this (incredibly detailed) fun, dangerous, high stakes world & (probably, mostly) the characters within it!
[ SIDE NOTE: How in the world have I not picked up a JLA novel until now?!?
(If you haven’t read this, do yourself a favor, and DO IT! You may discover not only a new book to love & series to look forward to, but a new author you love as well!)
*fills amazon cart w JLA books & wonders if needs food, or books, more?*
I mean I have water, obviously... and technically I can live without food until next payday, pshhh. 😂 ]
(Also// Another Note: I may not have read the first trilogy of which this one is a spin of off, but atp I actually don’t want to. It would probably just make me angry all throughout after reading this. I don’t want to go back to have to read through something expressing certain feelings that I know some of the main characters have/ have had in the past. What can I say, I’m territorial lol 🤷🏼♀️)
BUT
How am I supposed to wait for the next book in the series?!? Why must Jennifer L. Armentrout leave me wanting more SO BADLY?!? I mean there could have been a freakin temple kiss or SOMETHING more than what we were left with! I mean, especially given the sort of... vagueness... left between a certain two characters (going for absolutely no spoilers here so sorry I’m being so cryptic haha) bc of the, ahem, conflict of interests that have arisen.
That said :
Beyond surprisingly, I was actually mostly satisfied at the end of this book! It is rare to close that damn back cover of a book in a series, let alone the first one, and feel that sigh of contentment escape me, so, woo!
The author did a great job of giving:
* just enough closure *
&
*!just enough mystery about what is to come*
,that I CAN NOT WAIT for the next book in the series to be released (but wtf it’s not even listed yet 😢) [i dieee for thissss].
BUT (!),
Again, so literally don’t understand how I am also left feeling pretty fulfilled; how can there be so many cliffhangers & yet JLA managed to write everything in such a masterful way that I feel just plain in love with this book & SATISFIED… when. there. are. CLIFFHANGERS???
So JLA... we good. Haha. Cliffhangers made up for with SORCERY!
No. Way. could I have endured a HUGE cliffhanger; I think the ending was handled with perfection & grace & just... an exceptional amount of skill
This ^^^;
PLUS the wonderfully executed cast of characters, here;
PLUS A nice slow burn,
(yet very new adult feeling? Maybe?)
Romance...
Or the start of a budding one at least :-). I loved the flirting; I can’t wait gyhwdurxtudiugoyfi
I’m a sucker for some good ol’ sharp, witty, flirting. C’mon! You with me here?!
Can’t wait for #2 !
August 17, 2021
5/5 ★★★★★
“I’m guessing the sky is full of stars?”
“It is, but the only ones that matter are the ones you see.”
My only regret is not having read the books of this author before because, so far, the seven books I have already read by her have been a big YES and none have failed me. JLA can never go wrong, that's for sure.
Storm and Fury was a pleasant surprise for me and I already consider it one of my all-time favorites. It had absolutely everything I needed to read right now and I always enjoyed it. 5 well deserved stars.
This spin-off expands the world that we already knew in The Dark Elements trilogy much more, giving interesting new twists to the plot and some very well-constructed characters. The writing style improved a lot, and if Jennifer's books were already addictive, she won't give you a break with this one. It's the kind of story where you can lose yourself and you live everything with the characters, which I loved.
I can't say much more about the things I liked without spoiling important things, but if you're a fantasy reader fan don't miss out these books. This trilogy can be read perfectly without reading The Dark Elements, but for greater enjoyment it's better to read all the books (which are just as entertaining).
━━━━━•❃°•°•°•°❃•━━━━━
Spoilers ahead:
I feel like I will end up speechless trying to explain everything I loved of this book, but I will try to sum up the best points of the book.
1. A wonderful protagonist: I didn't expect to love Trinity as much as I ended up doing, but now I think she's one of the best main characters I've ever read. She's super strong, brave, and worthy of admiration. She deals every day with the expectations placed on her (being the last of her kind), the death of her mother, and the limitations of her human side (compensating her weaknesses with more training and twice the effort). As if that wasn't enough, Trinity also must deal with her poor vision and all the difficulties it causes her.
I also loved that Trinity always kept going, seeking to be independent, saving herself and standing on her own. She never gives up and always finds reasons to laugh. She was just amazing and I'm dying to keep watching her evolve.
P.S. I think by now I can confirm that JLA not only is obsessed with having mixed race protagonists, but she's also obsessed with lamas 😂
P.S.2. JLA suffers from the same eye disease as Trinity, so this made the MC more special and real to me. Through her, you can see that the author is telling a part of her own story (like seeing the stars at night) and creating awareness on the subject at the same time. I loved how Jennifer captured everything, she has my respect.
2. Zayne's still a cinnamon roll: Yes, I have said it before, and I repeat it now. Zayne IS a cinnamon roll. His actions did nothing but melt my heart (like when he stayed with Trinity until she fell asleep. That was BEYOND sweet 😍) and I'm definitely going to be mad if he doesn't get his happy ending. Do you hear me, Jennifer?
I loved that he was always aware of Trinity and her needs, seeking to help her in any way he could. Besides, he knows how to cook! How amazing is that?
Despite being as sweet and amazing as ever, Zayne is having a hard time. He lives alone, excludes himself from his own clan, and keeps saying he's okay even if he isn't. You can tell he's still dealing with his losses and new lifestyle, but I loved how he seemed to come back to himself when he was with Trin.
“How could Layla not have chosen Zayne?
He was loyal and kind. He was smart and funny. He was strong and protective. He was the good guy with a very wicked side, if last night was any indication.
Zayne wasn’t perfect, but damn, he was close.”
3. The almost-but-no-relationship between Trinity and Zayne: Here I might be truly speechless because I don't even know how to explain it. I LOVE THEM.
“The second you kissed me in the training rooms, I knew you were going to be trouble.”
“Is that why you ran from me?”
“I’m not running from you now,” he said. “It seems I’m running after you now.”
They have a lot of chemistry and are real with each other. All their moments together are heart melting and now with the Protector bond between them (which allows them to feel each other's emotions and makes them stronger) everything will be more intense. I really have no words. I just adore them together and marked a thousand quotes from them.
“I’ll find you. Wherever you go, I will find you.”
“You want to see the stars?” Zayne asked, and I nodded emphatically, knowing what he meant, and when he took my hand, I folded my fingers over his like I had the day I’d left the community. I felt him begin to shift, his skin hardening under mine. “Then hold on tight, Trin. I’m going to get us as close as we can go.”
I mean, he gave her the stars 😍 How could I not die for them?
P.S. What did Michael whisper into Zayne's ear after bonding him to Trinity? I feel like it will be important and I'm dying of curiosity.
4. Roth being Roth: I think this doesn't need to be explained. I loved that both Cayman and Roth returned, but our beloved Crown Prince of Hell just hits different.
“He is the Crown Prince, but he isn’t...all that bad.”
Roth sucked in a breath as he placed his hand over his heart. “Stony, did you just compliment me?”
Zayne ignored him. “He’s not a bad guy,” he repeated.
“Another compliment? Oh, wow, I’m going to blush,” Roth said.”
He made me laugh a lot and I loved the interactions between him and Zayne... Obviously 🤣
5. Special mention to Peanut: The cherry on the cake. The best ghost and roommate in the world.
“So, he started getting dressed, and I was like hold me closer, tiny dancer, this is not the America I was promised, but it is the afterlife I’m here for.”
6. Let's say goodbye to Layla: I didn't like her reappearance at all. I was never a mega fan of hers (which is why I was even more surprised to love Trinity), but here she was beyond heavy on Zayne.
Evidence: “Layla looked...uncertain and like she wanted to...remove my hand from Zayne’s arm.”
And so, there are several examples. I didn't like that she wasn't giving Zayne his space and that she was meddling in his life when he clearly doesn't want her there. It almost gives me the impression that she doesn't want Zayne to continue with his life even though she already chose Roth, which is annoying. Why is she even there?
7. Roth came back for Zayne: I NEEDED to mention this because I found it beautiful and loved it.
“Fear exploded in my gut. Not for me. Not for Zayne. But for the demon prince who was so very much unlike a demon, who loved Layla and cared enough for Zayne that he came back.”
Roth came back after getting Layla to safety to help Zayne! Maybe he did it for her and not for him, but still 🥳 Here we love the Crown Prince of Hell.
8. Was that Abbot?: I'm 99.9% sure the spirit Trinity saw at the party was Abbot, but he didn't show up again. When is Zayne going to find out about that? He had already said that he felt his father close sometimes, so it's very possible and I want him to know 😭
9. Misha's betrayal: I feel as blind as Trinity because, although I suspected that Zayne would end up being her Protector, I didn't expect Misha's betrayal at all. I thought he was a good boy! I feel cheated 🤣
Anyway, I loved this book and I consider it a thousand times better than the main trilogy. The characters were amazing, the plot was super interesting, the world building was very well crafted, and the writing style was excellent. I didn't get bored at any time, it was just as addictive as Jennifer's other books.
━━━━━•❃°•°•°•°❃•━━━━━
My reviews of The Dark Elements trilogy:
My review of White Hot Kiss ★★★★☆
My review of Stone Cold Touch ★★★★☆
My review of Every Last Breath ★★★☆☆
“I’m guessing the sky is full of stars?”
“It is, but the only ones that matter are the ones you see.”
My only regret is not having read the books of this author before because, so far, the seven books I have already read by her have been a big YES and none have failed me. JLA can never go wrong, that's for sure.
Storm and Fury was a pleasant surprise for me and I already consider it one of my all-time favorites. It had absolutely everything I needed to read right now and I always enjoyed it. 5 well deserved stars.
This spin-off expands the world that we already knew in The Dark Elements trilogy much more, giving interesting new twists to the plot and some very well-constructed characters. The writing style improved a lot, and if Jennifer's books were already addictive, she won't give you a break with this one. It's the kind of story where you can lose yourself and you live everything with the characters, which I loved.
I can't say much more about the things I liked without spoiling important things, but if you're a fantasy reader fan don't miss out these books. This trilogy can be read perfectly without reading The Dark Elements, but for greater enjoyment it's better to read all the books (which are just as entertaining).
━━━━━•❃°•°•°•°❃•━━━━━
Spoilers ahead:
I feel like I will end up speechless trying to explain everything I loved of this book, but I will try to sum up the best points of the book.
1. A wonderful protagonist: I didn't expect to love Trinity as much as I ended up doing, but now I think she's one of the best main characters I've ever read. She's super strong, brave, and worthy of admiration. She deals every day with the expectations placed on her (being the last of her kind), the death of her mother, and the limitations of her human side (compensating her weaknesses with more training and twice the effort). As if that wasn't enough, Trinity also must deal with her poor vision and all the difficulties it causes her.
I also loved that Trinity always kept going, seeking to be independent, saving herself and standing on her own. She never gives up and always finds reasons to laugh. She was just amazing and I'm dying to keep watching her evolve.
P.S. I think by now I can confirm that JLA not only is obsessed with having mixed race protagonists, but she's also obsessed with lamas 😂
P.S.2. JLA suffers from the same eye disease as Trinity, so this made the MC more special and real to me. Through her, you can see that the author is telling a part of her own story (like seeing the stars at night) and creating awareness on the subject at the same time. I loved how Jennifer captured everything, she has my respect.
2. Zayne's still a cinnamon roll: Yes, I have said it before, and I repeat it now. Zayne IS a cinnamon roll. His actions did nothing but melt my heart (like when he stayed with Trinity until she fell asleep. That was BEYOND sweet 😍) and I'm definitely going to be mad if he doesn't get his happy ending. Do you hear me, Jennifer?
I loved that he was always aware of Trinity and her needs, seeking to help her in any way he could. Besides, he knows how to cook! How amazing is that?
Despite being as sweet and amazing as ever, Zayne is having a hard time. He lives alone, excludes himself from his own clan, and keeps saying he's okay even if he isn't. You can tell he's still dealing with his losses and new lifestyle, but I loved how he seemed to come back to himself when he was with Trin.
“How could Layla not have chosen Zayne?
He was loyal and kind. He was smart and funny. He was strong and protective. He was the good guy with a very wicked side, if last night was any indication.
Zayne wasn’t perfect, but damn, he was close.”
3. The almost-but-no-relationship between Trinity and Zayne: Here I might be truly speechless because I don't even know how to explain it. I LOVE THEM.
“The second you kissed me in the training rooms, I knew you were going to be trouble.”
“Is that why you ran from me?”
“I’m not running from you now,” he said. “It seems I’m running after you now.”
They have a lot of chemistry and are real with each other. All their moments together are heart melting and now with the Protector bond between them (which allows them to feel each other's emotions and makes them stronger) everything will be more intense. I really have no words. I just adore them together and marked a thousand quotes from them.
“I’ll find you. Wherever you go, I will find you.”
“You want to see the stars?” Zayne asked, and I nodded emphatically, knowing what he meant, and when he took my hand, I folded my fingers over his like I had the day I’d left the community. I felt him begin to shift, his skin hardening under mine. “Then hold on tight, Trin. I’m going to get us as close as we can go.”
I mean, he gave her the stars 😍 How could I not die for them?
P.S. What did Michael whisper into Zayne's ear after bonding him to Trinity? I feel like it will be important and I'm dying of curiosity.
4. Roth being Roth: I think this doesn't need to be explained. I loved that both Cayman and Roth returned, but our beloved Crown Prince of Hell just hits different.
“He is the Crown Prince, but he isn’t...all that bad.”
Roth sucked in a breath as he placed his hand over his heart. “Stony, did you just compliment me?”
Zayne ignored him. “He’s not a bad guy,” he repeated.
“Another compliment? Oh, wow, I’m going to blush,” Roth said.”
He made me laugh a lot and I loved the interactions between him and Zayne... Obviously 🤣
5. Special mention to Peanut: The cherry on the cake. The best ghost and roommate in the world.
“So, he started getting dressed, and I was like hold me closer, tiny dancer, this is not the America I was promised, but it is the afterlife I’m here for.”
6. Let's say goodbye to Layla: I didn't like her reappearance at all. I was never a mega fan of hers (which is why I was even more surprised to love Trinity), but here she was beyond heavy on Zayne.
Evidence: “Layla looked...uncertain and like she wanted to...remove my hand from Zayne’s arm.”
And so, there are several examples. I didn't like that she wasn't giving Zayne his space and that she was meddling in his life when he clearly doesn't want her there. It almost gives me the impression that she doesn't want Zayne to continue with his life even though she already chose Roth, which is annoying. Why is she even there?
7. Roth came back for Zayne: I NEEDED to mention this because I found it beautiful and loved it.
“Fear exploded in my gut. Not for me. Not for Zayne. But for the demon prince who was so very much unlike a demon, who loved Layla and cared enough for Zayne that he came back.”
Roth came back after getting Layla to safety to help Zayne! Maybe he did it for her and not for him, but still 🥳 Here we love the Crown Prince of Hell.
8. Was that Abbot?: I'm 99.9% sure the spirit Trinity saw at the party was Abbot, but he didn't show up again. When is Zayne going to find out about that? He had already said that he felt his father close sometimes, so it's very possible and I want him to know 😭
9. Misha's betrayal: I feel as blind as Trinity because, although I suspected that Zayne would end up being her Protector, I didn't expect Misha's betrayal at all. I thought he was a good boy! I feel cheated 🤣
Anyway, I loved this book and I consider it a thousand times better than the main trilogy. The characters were amazing, the plot was super interesting, the world building was very well crafted, and the writing style was excellent. I didn't get bored at any time, it was just as addictive as Jennifer's other books.
━━━━━•❃°•°•°•°❃•━━━━━
My reviews of The Dark Elements trilogy:
My review of White Hot Kiss ★★★★☆
My review of Stone Cold Touch ★★★★☆
My review of Every Last Breath ★★★☆☆
January 24, 2022
“We got this, Trin. We only have to stop the end of the world with little to no direction.”
“No big deal.”
I'm apologizing in advance for the JLA spam I'm going to put you guys through for the next days, but I'm obsessed with finding out if JLA is my kind of author or if From Blood and Ash was an isolated, lucky case.
So far, we've got a super positive review (From Blood and Ash), a very disappointed one (A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire and its terrible, interminable dialogues and character underdevelopment), and a pretty indifferent yet tending to thumbs up one.
I'm gonna try The Darkest Star next and see where this goes from there.
Now, about this book that I didn't hate but didn't adore either...
I've got a bad case of mixed feelings about Storm and Fury so I'll try to make it quick and simple.
I found it a bit predictable, tropey and unbelievably similar both in setting and plot-wise to all the urban fantasy books I used to devour in 2005. It kinda reminded me of Cassandra Clare's City of Bones.
Tolerated the first 70%, absolutely looooooved the remaining pages. Saw the twists coming from a thousand miles, but the action scenes were super cool and made up for the lack of surprise.
I also was able to understand what was going on perfectly even though I didn't read the original series. It was something I was a bit worried about, but it all worked out in the end and that definitely works in JLA's favor.
What doesn't, is the fact that all her mc and respective love interests are a bit too similar to one another and think/talk the same way.
Cute romance, passable MC (a big woo-hoo for the positive disability rep. Loved it how normal Trinity was about her eye problem and how, despite it, she gave her best in every occasion), a slightly more likeable love interest (would loooove to have a Zayne pov in the next book). Frustrating love triangle-ish, but not as frustrating as it'd be if all three parts were involved (I kinda appreciated the you/me/happily taken ex formula because it gave me the right amount of angst but it also gave me enough hope to keep rooting for the main couple).
Good writing although I believe JLA should reevaluate her choices when it comes to her banter and dialogues. Six freaking pages of back and forth one-liners is probably a bit too much.
ACTUAL RATINGS 3,5/5
#PenguinOnATBRMission: book #21
◾this hashtag is something I self-indulgently created for fun when I decided to thin out my immense tbr list as a new years resolution starting from books I added on GR back in 2017/2018/2019, and since I can't seem to do anything quietly and I'm well known for being an overachiever, I had to go and turn it into an official thing. Feel free to check out the shelf with the same name if you don't mind keeping up with this insanely over-hyped adventure I got myself into. Take it as a chance to rediscover some books from a few years ago that might have accidentally flown under your radar, or to simply share with another fellow reader your very own reading experience. Happy reading and stay penguin-y!◾
To Be Continued...🐧
June 11, 2019
***May contain spoilers for The Dark Elements trilogy.***
***Actual Rating: 5/5 Rewriting Stars***
Awww, my HEART! *trying very hard to calm down right now*
To begin with, The Harbinger series is the spin-off series of The Dark Elements trilogy, published almost five years ago, and Storm and Fury is its first instalment. Before we dive right into the this book, let me present you with a recap of The Dark Elements:
★ White Hot Kiss: There are three main characters: Layla (half-Warden, half-Demon), Roth (the Crown Prince of Hell, a.k.a. the most powerful Demon), and Zayne (a Warden who gave up the chance to become the clan leader in his hometown, Washington, D.C.)
★Stone Cold Touch: There is a love triangle: due to Layla’s demon heritage, she can’t kiss anything with a soul (for example, Wardens), or else she will feed on it and take that person’s life. Layla is torn between her childhood bestie, Zayne, and the new handsome guy, Roth. If memory serves, she accidentally takes a part of Zayne’s soul when kissing him, almost getting her killed by Zayne’s clan.
★Every Last Breath: In the finale, Layla chooses Roth because even though she loves Zayne a lot and truly cares about him, she loves Roth more. As a result, Layla and Roth live happily ever after whereas Zayne’s broken-hearted and isolated from others.
Without doubts, Storm and Fury picks up shortly after what happens at the end of Every Last Breath, and this time, enter Trinity, a super badass 18-year-old Trueborn (some may call her a Nephilim, who’s a half-human, half-angel). Since Trinity is also the last of her kind, she’s quite a precious gem in the story.
We didn’t get lots of insight into Zayne’s world or his mind from the Dark Elements trilogy but thankfully, this spin-off series will revolve around his and Trinity’s history. Just like most of Jennifer’s books, Storm and Fury also contains tons of epic fighting scenes and indestructible battlefields. As intriguing as all of these may sound, I personally am more fond of the character development (especially that of Trinity) in this book.
The first thing that catches my eye about Trinity is her flaws. To my astonishment, among the most perfect world buildings in the genre of paranormal, it isn’t easy to find a flawed protagonist. Hence, Trinity’s presence surprises me most since she has an eye disease which will deteriorate her eye sight with the passing of time called retinitis pigmentosa . Not-too-interestingly, it is also what Jennifer has to endure every day in her real life.
Jennifer manages to give us readers more ideas about what it’s like for her to experience the failing eye sight through Trinity’s eyes, which is by far the most creative, thought-provoking way I’ve ever seen. The unique writing technique also requires a great amount of scientific/medical research, totally elevating the entire book to an unreachable territory.
That being said, I truly appreciate the depth and profound concepts expressed in this book. Not only does Trinity serve as a formidable enemy in the Warden/Gargoyle’s world, she is also a respectable heroine whom many people look up to. She makes me realize even something trivial could mean the world to someone else.
Before I wrap up my review, I’d like to share one of the most swoon-worthy moments between Zayne and Trinity, when they barely survive by the end of the book. I’ve always considered Zayne to be a sweetheart but never would I ever picture him to be as sweet as he seems…
All in all, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Storm and Fury, as well as the Dark Elements trilogy by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I think everyone should know one thing or two about retinitis pigmentosa since it’s no longer a rare disease. Besides, what’s not to love when Trinity’s exact problem actually brings her much closer to Zayne throughout the book? Trust me, the story only gets better and better with its promising cliffhanger so you wouldn’t want to miss it!
***Massive thanks to Inkyard Press/Harlequin Teen for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.***
----------------------------------
[Update: Feb. 8th, 2019]
This book is absolutely fantastic not only because it's the first installment of the spin-off series for The Dark Elements, where Roth (the Crown Prince of Hell) ended up with Layla (half Warden, half Demon), leaving Zayne the Warden heartbroken, but also because Zayne FINALLY met someone badass and lovely. <3
HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE DARK ELEMENTS & THIS BOOK!!!
Full review coming closer to publication date.
~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~
[UPDATE: Feb. 3rd, 2019]
Okay, so it's confirmed that The Harbinger series is originated from White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements trilogy) so the Zayne here is exactly thatpoor one in the said trilogy. To be real honest, I'm happy Z finally gets to have his own stories!
[Initial Excitement: Jan. 25th, 2019]
OMG AM I SEEING THIS RIGHT!?!?!? The Queen of Fantasy World is having another book coming this June? Just right around my birthday?! 😍😱😍😱 Besides, is this Zayne the one from The Dark Elements series?? I’m really curious!!!!!!!!!!! BUT I HONESTLY AM MORE SCARED THAN EXCITED TO READ THIS FOR FEAR THAT IT WILL DISAPPOINT ME SINCE FANTASY IS NO LONGER MY THING...
***Actual Rating: 5/5 Rewriting Stars***
”I’m guessing the sky is full of stars?”
“It is, but the only ones that matter are the ones you see.”
Awww, my HEART! *trying very hard to calm down right now*
To begin with, The Harbinger series is the spin-off series of The Dark Elements trilogy, published almost five years ago, and Storm and Fury is its first instalment. Before we dive right into the this book, let me present you with a recap of The Dark Elements:
★ White Hot Kiss: There are three main characters: Layla (half-Warden, half-Demon), Roth (the Crown Prince of Hell, a.k.a. the most powerful Demon), and Zayne (a Warden who gave up the chance to become the clan leader in his hometown, Washington, D.C.)
★Stone Cold Touch: There is a love triangle: due to Layla’s demon heritage, she can’t kiss anything with a soul (for example, Wardens), or else she will feed on it and take that person’s life. Layla is torn between her childhood bestie, Zayne, and the new handsome guy, Roth. If memory serves, she accidentally takes a part of Zayne’s soul when kissing him, almost getting her killed by Zayne’s clan.
★Every Last Breath: In the finale, Layla chooses Roth because even though she loves Zayne a lot and truly cares about him, she loves Roth more. As a result, Layla and Roth live happily ever after whereas Zayne’s broken-hearted and isolated from others.
Without doubts, Storm and Fury picks up shortly after what happens at the end of Every Last Breath, and this time, enter Trinity, a super badass 18-year-old Trueborn (some may call her a Nephilim, who’s a half-human, half-angel). Since Trinity is also the last of her kind, she’s quite a precious gem in the story.
We didn’t get lots of insight into Zayne’s world or his mind from the Dark Elements trilogy but thankfully, this spin-off series will revolve around his and Trinity’s history. Just like most of Jennifer’s books, Storm and Fury also contains tons of epic fighting scenes and indestructible battlefields. As intriguing as all of these may sound, I personally am more fond of the character development (especially that of Trinity) in this book.
The first thing that catches my eye about Trinity is her flaws. To my astonishment, among the most perfect world buildings in the genre of paranormal, it isn’t easy to find a flawed protagonist. Hence, Trinity’s presence surprises me most since she has an eye disease which will deteriorate her eye sight with the passing of time called retinitis pigmentosa . Not-too-interestingly, it is also what Jennifer has to endure every day in her real life.
Jennifer manages to give us readers more ideas about what it’s like for her to experience the failing eye sight through Trinity’s eyes, which is by far the most creative, thought-provoking way I’ve ever seen. The unique writing technique also requires a great amount of scientific/medical research, totally elevating the entire book to an unreachable territory.
”At my last appointment, about a year ago, my eye doctor asked if I could still see the stars at night. It was weird when he asked, because I had to think about it and I realized I couldn’t answer the question,” I admitted. “I hadn’t looked up at the stars in, like, forever, and it sort of hit me, you know? That one day I would look up and I wouldn’t see a star, and that would be it. I’d never be able to see something so…beautiful and simple again. Up until that moment, I’d taken that for granted. So, every night, I look up to see if I can see the stars.”
That being said, I truly appreciate the depth and profound concepts expressed in this book. Not only does Trinity serve as a formidable enemy in the Warden/Gargoyle’s world, she is also a respectable heroine whom many people look up to. She makes me realize even something trivial could mean the world to someone else.
Before I wrap up my review, I’d like to share one of the most swoon-worthy moments between Zayne and Trinity, when they barely survive by the end of the book. I’ve always considered Zayne to be a sweetheart but never would I ever picture him to be as sweet as he seems…
”You want to see the stars?” Zayne asked, and I nodded emphatically, knowing what he meant, and when he took my hand, I folded my fingers over his like I had the day I’d left the community. I felt him begin to shift, his skin hardening under mine. “Then hold on tight, Trin. I’m going to get us as close as we can go.”
All in all, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Storm and Fury, as well as the Dark Elements trilogy by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I think everyone should know one thing or two about retinitis pigmentosa since it’s no longer a rare disease. Besides, what’s not to love when Trinity’s exact problem actually brings her much closer to Zayne throughout the book? Trust me, the story only gets better and better with its promising cliffhanger so you wouldn’t want to miss it!
***Massive thanks to Inkyard Press/Harlequin Teen for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.***
----------------------------------
[Update: Feb. 8th, 2019]
This book is absolutely fantastic not only because it's the first installment of the spin-off series for The Dark Elements, where Roth (the Crown Prince of Hell) ended up with Layla (half Warden, half Demon), leaving Zayne the Warden heartbroken, but also because Zayne FINALLY met someone badass and lovely. <3
HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE DARK ELEMENTS & THIS BOOK!!!
Full review coming closer to publication date.
~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~
[UPDATE: Feb. 3rd, 2019]
Okay, so it's confirmed that The Harbinger series is originated from White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements trilogy) so the Zayne here is exactly that
[Initial Excitement: Jan. 25th, 2019]
OMG AM I SEEING THIS RIGHT!?!?!? The Queen of Fantasy World is having another book coming this June? Just right around my birthday?! 😍😱😍😱 Besides, is this Zayne the one from The Dark Elements series?? I’m really curious!!!!!!!!!!! BUT I HONESTLY AM MORE SCARED THAN EXCITED TO READ THIS FOR FEAR THAT IT WILL DISAPPOINT ME SINCE FANTASY IS NO LONGER MY THING...
May 6, 2023
seriously, jennifer l armentrout is a paranormal fantasy romance queen!! she can do no wrong bcs holy baby gargoyles i’m addicted to this new series!!
on the surface, storm and fury feels like a rip off from cassandra clare’s shadowhunters series. we have the wardens (gargoyle shape shifters), who just like shadowhunters, are assigned to protect the humans from demons. they also have an institute of sort, a headquarter where the wardens train and operate. however, despite having similar world building, the characters, the plot, the writing, and the romance couldn’t have been more different.
this book is a spin off to the dark elements series. i’d read the series a very long time ago that at this point when i’m starting this book, i have no recollection of what the series is about. there are characters from previous series appearing in this book, namely zayne, roth, and layla. it annoyed me that i couldn’t remember them. on the other hand, it was refreshing and it rejuvenated me that i could get to know them again with new set of eyes.
i really liked trinity. her rebellious streak only made her all the more badass and super fun character. her bond with misha is what i hope for in a sibling relationship. her friendship with ghost (i forget the name) albeit weird, was super entertaining too. i also really liked zayne. he was always the good boy type, charming and adorable, but he’s not without his “emotional baggage” too. his and trinity’s banter was the highlight of my day. they were all strong and deadly when they were fighting monsters together. but when the two were left alone, their connection was palpable. it gave my heart a twinge and made my stomach flip. in addition, i don’t really understand about trinity’s eye disability, retinitis pigmentosa, but i loved that we have that representation in this book.
on another note, despite my undeniable and growing addiction with this series, the plot in this book was relatively slow. it didn’t pick up until halfway through the book. i’m not really complaining bcs i really did enjoy it thoroughly. but i think if it had been a little bit fast paced, then it could have covered a lot more things or at least it wouldn’t have had to be 500+ long. i think the ending was a ittle rushed and felt forced, but it was also quite cliffhanger-y. the lack of progress in the plot was made up by the writing. it was enganging. and if you are no stranger to jla books, then you know that she's a master at capturing your attention. overall, i really liked this book and devoured it in one sitting. i can hardly wait for the sequel!!
on the surface, storm and fury feels like a rip off from cassandra clare’s shadowhunters series. we have the wardens (gargoyle shape shifters), who just like shadowhunters, are assigned to protect the humans from demons. they also have an institute of sort, a headquarter where the wardens train and operate. however, despite having similar world building, the characters, the plot, the writing, and the romance couldn’t have been more different.
this book is a spin off to the dark elements series. i’d read the series a very long time ago that at this point when i’m starting this book, i have no recollection of what the series is about. there are characters from previous series appearing in this book, namely zayne, roth, and layla. it annoyed me that i couldn’t remember them. on the other hand, it was refreshing and it rejuvenated me that i could get to know them again with new set of eyes.
i really liked trinity. her rebellious streak only made her all the more badass and super fun character. her bond with misha is what i hope for in a sibling relationship. her friendship with ghost (i forget the name) albeit weird, was super entertaining too. i also really liked zayne. he was always the good boy type, charming and adorable, but he’s not without his “emotional baggage” too. his and trinity’s banter was the highlight of my day. they were all strong and deadly when they were fighting monsters together. but when the two were left alone, their connection was palpable. it gave my heart a twinge and made my stomach flip. in addition, i don’t really understand about trinity’s eye disability, retinitis pigmentosa, but i loved that we have that representation in this book.
on another note, despite my undeniable and growing addiction with this series, the plot in this book was relatively slow. it didn’t pick up until halfway through the book. i’m not really complaining bcs i really did enjoy it thoroughly. but i think if it had been a little bit fast paced, then it could have covered a lot more things or at least it wouldn’t have had to be 500+ long. i think the ending was a ittle rushed and felt forced, but it was also quite cliffhanger-y. the lack of progress in the plot was made up by the writing. it was enganging. and if you are no stranger to jla books, then you know that she's a master at capturing your attention. overall, i really liked this book and devoured it in one sitting. i can hardly wait for the sequel!!
June 15, 2019
I didn't enjoy Storm and Fury. The plot is off. The language used in the novel is so teen oriented and annoying. The elements of romance in the novel is also cheesy.
Storm and Fury was a total let down.
Storm and Fury was a total let down.
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