"a non-stop, action-packed urban fantasy"
I knew I was in for a special treat with this book when I
read the opening line, "I'd seen weirder things than a
haunted shoe, but not many" and, as always, Ms. Mead didn't
disappoint me. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed reading
the first book from her new Dark Swan series. This urban
fantasy series follows our kick-ass, smart-mouth heroine,
Eugenie Markham, aka Odile Dark Swan. Eugenie is a very
powerful shaman. Raised by her mother and stepfather,
after her no-count dad disappeared before she was born,
Eugenie is a socialphobe who would much rather spend her
time kicking Otherworldly butt then hanging around real
human people. Thanks to her stepfather's influence,
Eugenie hates the Otherworld, especially the gentry,
aka -- the faerie. To her they are all evil, untrustworthy
and generally speaking, better off dead. When a case comes her way regarding a 14-year old teenager
whose been abducted by the gentry, Eugenie feels like she
has no choice but to go after the girl. The only problem
is that this will not be your ordinary rescue.
Eugenie will have to physically cross over into the
Otherworld which will likely take her straight into the
heart of the gentry -- a very dangerous place to be for one
who has more kills of Otherworld kind and is considered
the "boogieman" of their world. Once Eugenie crosses over, she comes to realize that
perhaps the gentry are not the evil incarnate beings that
she once feared. Understandably, this is no easy task for
her to come to terms with, after having been raised with
such a jaded view of them. There is so much going on in this book -- plots, subplots,
unknown identities. Who can Eugenie truly trust? Kiyo,
the broad-shouldered and sexy kitsane, with whom she finds
herself having a budding relationship? Dorian, the King of
the Oak Land, who has made a bargain with her to help her
learn the potential of the true power that lies untapped
within her? Maiwenn, the Willow Queen whom, on the surface
it appears, has the same goals as Eugnie? It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Richelle Mead's
books, whether they are her adult urban fantasy or her
young adult vampire series. After reading the blurb about
Storm Born I couldn't wait to read it. It looked to
be a fantastic read and Ms. Mead certainly did not
disappoint! If you are looking for a non-stop, action-
packed urban fantasy, I think you should definitely give
Storm Born a read.
Reviewed by Mippy Carlson
Posted September 4, 2008
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**A PNR Staff & Reviewer Top Pick** Just typical. No love life to speak of for months, then all at once, every creature in the Otherworld wants to get in your pants... Eugenie Markham is a powerful shaman who does a brisk trade banishing spirits and fey who cross into the mortal world. Mercenary, yes, but a girl's got to eat. Her most recent case, however, is enough to ruin her appetite. Hired to find a teenager who has been taken to the Otherworld, Eugenie comes face to face with a startling prophecy--one that uncovers dark secrets about her past and claims that Eugenie's first-born will threaten the future of the world as she knows it. Now Eugenie is a hot target for every ambitious demon and Otherworldy ne'er-do-well, and the ones who don't want to knock her up want her dead. Eugenie handles a Glock as smoothly as she wields a wand, but she needs some formidable allies for a job like this. She finds them in Dorian, a seductive fairy king with a taste for bondage, and Kiyo, a gorgeous shape-shifter who redefines animal attraction. But with enemies growing bolder and time running out, Eugenie realizes that the greatest danger is yet to come, and it lies in the dark powers that are stirring to life within her...
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