Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Review - ROAR (Stormheart #1) by Cora Carmack


Publisher: TOR TEEN
Published: June 13, 2017
Genre: YA Fantasy
Source: Print ARC
Rating: 4.5 Stars


Blurb:
In a land ruled and shaped by violent magical storms, power lies with those who control them.

Aurora Pavan comes from one of the oldest Stormling families in existence. Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world’s deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora’s been groomed to be the perfect queen. She’s intelligent and brave and honorable. But she’s yet to show any trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people.

To keep her secret and save her crown, Aurora’s mother arranges for her to marry a dark and brooding Stormling prince from another kingdom. At first, the prince seems like the perfect solution to all her problems. He’ll guarantee her spot as the next queen and be the champion her people need to remain safe. But the more secrets Aurora uncovers about him, the more a future with him frightens her. When she dons a disguise and sneaks out of the palace one night to spy on him, she stumbles upon a black market dealing in the very thing she lacks—storm magic. And the people selling it? They’re not Stormlings. They’re storm hunters.

Legend says that her ancestors first gained their magic by facing a storm and stealing part of its essence. And when a handsome young storm hunter reveals he was born without magic, but possesses it now, Aurora realizes there’s a third option for her future besides ruin or marriage. 

She might not have magic now, but she can steal it if she’s brave enough. 

Challenge a tempest. Survive it. And you become its master.

Review:

Cora Carmack thrills in this new Young Adult Fantasy novel. It's no secret that Carmack is an amazing storyteller; from her swoony boys, to the headstrong yet relatable heroines. I know that after reading a book by her, that I'll be transported to into another world. And that's always welcome in my book. 

If you couldn't tell before, I loved this. I liked the world building, the characters were all on point, and I look forward to being able to continue in a new series. Unfortunately, I didn't much care for the romance. Gasp! I know right, but I felt like Aurora was able to hold her own without any type of boy in the storyline. Yes, romance is nice to have but Roar is much more than that! It's all about a heroine we can relate to. Rora is strong, beautiful, vulnerable, and I liked her spunk. I think she's one of my favorite characters Carmack has ever written. 

As I was saying earlier about the world building. I thought it was very well thought out and interesting. I loved the whole concept of storm magic. And once secrets start coming out, well it's only the beginning a wonderful ride. Now as I also mentioned before about the guys. While I didn't much care for them on a romantic level, I did very much like them as characters. The two boys in question are Prince Cassius and Locke. I liked them both for different reasons and even though one can be considered bad; I loved him all the more for it. 

Overall, I think this is the start to something wonderful. Fans of fantasy, strong female leads, and romance will devour this book like there is no tomorrow. And then begging for the author to hurry up and write the next book! I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm going to be like that! This is a huge GO and no doubt on top of my list of what to read next. 

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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About Cora Carmack:
Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. She is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Losing It series. 

***Please note: I am rarely on goodreads, so if you're trying to get a hold of me, the best places to find me are Twitter, Facebook, my blog, Instagram, and via email (coracarmack(at)gmail(dot)com). 
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