Publication date: Aug. 19, 2014; Jun 2, 2015
Publisher: Thomas Nelson / HarperCollins
Category: Young Adult - Fantasy
Source: Received finished copies from publisher (Thanks!)
Summary: As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, 17-year-old Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male & always killed at birth — meaning, she shouldn’t even exist. Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her 15th sell. But when her hood is removed & her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor & given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed. Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, & rumors of an evil more sinister than she’s being prepared to fight. Not to mention the handsome trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons. But what if she doesn’t want to be the weapon they’ve all been waiting for? (greads.com)
Long story short
This series is about seventeen-year-old Nym, from the Fallen kingdom, who bears two distinct marks: those of a slave and the long white hair of an Elemental. Except Elementals are usually killed at birth and they are never, ever female. After being sold from owner to owner, she’s bought by a court advisor who takes her in after seeing her storm-summoning abilities unleashed at an auction. But the advisor is not a benevolent one. She’s wants to use Nym as a weapon so Faelen can win the war that’s been raging among the different kingdoms. In returns, Nym will be trained to finally control her abilities. The other option? Death. She chooses to stay and train and as a result gets thrown in a world of politics and meets people — good and bad. It comes down to who or what Nym wants to be. A weapon or someone free to make her own choices.
Reasons to Read (aka The Good)
1. Elemental MythologyI’ve only read two other elemental series before but both had a contemporary setting. This was my first time reading elemental fantasy and let me just say, I am a big, big fan of this pairing. The abilities were just on a much grander scale and affected the fate of this war. It was also interesting to learn about the different abilities and how each kingdom had different names and treatment for Uathils (Elementals). There was a lot of detail and world-building that went into the mythology which I very much appreciated.
2. Nym
Nym’s journey to control and accept her powers is one of my favorite parts of the book. From the moment we meet her, she sees herself as someone who only brings death and destruction to others so you can only imagine what her self-esteem is like. So whenever she made any bit of progress, you just felt the joy of that success along with her. The way she evolves throughout both books is startling but necessary and very much deserved.
3. Colin and Eogan
Colin is a fellow Uathil from a different kingdom and is being trained with Nym by Eogan. Oh Eogan, the mysterious, brooding trainer. (Can you tell I loved him?) I mean really I loved both characters. There was such an obvious opportunity for a love triangle but the author doesn’t go that route. Nym needed someone who could be just a friend and of course, there had to be a romance. Both are very well-done here!
4. Twists!
I have to say, the author definitely surprised me more than once and I love when I don’t see things coming. Obviously I can’t elaborate but be prepared for a couple jaw dropping moments.
5. What’s next?
Both Storm Siren and Siren’s Fury ended on notes that had me clamoring to know what’s next. I’m glad I was able to read these back to back but I can’t wait to see how everything plays out in The Siren’s Song, which comes out March 2016 (!!). I will say though that if you do plan to read Storm Siren soon, make sure you have Siren’s Fury as well. Just.. trust me.
(Super minor) Reservations
I’m enjoying the series a lot overall but at the moment, I do prefer the first book because the pacing was faster and for other personal reasons (too spoilery to say!). But the second book does expand the world and the characters which was important for the plot.
Do I recommend?
I do! I hadn’t heard of this series before so I’m glad the publisher put it on my radar. I would definitely recommend checking it out.
I've been looking for some fantasy series to read once I'm finished Throne of Glass so thank you for sharing these Rachel! I have to say, the story sounds quite complicated from an outsider's perspective but I can see how you could easily become absorbed into the story. I will definitely be adding these to my to-read pile :)
ReplyDeleteI STILL need to read this series! Guilty of having it (thanks to the publisher!), but not having read it yet :( Your review makes me want to check it out for myself though! Cannot wait to read these books and hopefully, get drawn into the story as much as you did.
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