Roar by Cora Carmack Series: Stormheart, #1
Published by Tor Teen Publication Date: June 13th 2017
Pages: 352
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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.
Cocktails and Books received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect our opinion of the book or the content of our review.
It is hard to put into words my thoughts on Roar by Cora Carmack. It is a high fantasy book for sure and my favorite genre. Roar’s premise is ridiculously fresh and original. Who would think to use storms as the enemy of the people in this new world. Just like any fantasy book, a reader must pay extreme attention to details in the beginning as Cora brings her Stormling world into existence. Princess Aurora of Pavan is hestitant about her arranged marriage to Cassius, one of the princes of Locke but she knows she has no choice. Aurora and her mother have been hiding a powerful secret that she is unlike other Stormling rulers, she has absolutely no power. Aurora doesn’t trust Cassius and follows him one night and on this very night, her entire future changes. She realizes she may be able to not only save herself but her kingdom as well. Aurora becomes Roar and joins a group of Stormchasers. She is going to learn to harness magic on her own so that she doesn’t have to marry anyone to save her kingdom. Her trainer is Locke who isn’t quite sure what to do with her. She reminds him of his fallen sister but they argue like an old married couple. As you can imagine, the romance heats up between the two but it plays second fiddle to the storm chasing and Aurora figuring out how to use Stormhearts. She is a fantastic heroine. She fights for what she wants, she doesn’t quit and never stops asking questions. She isn’t afraid in a world where magic reigns supreme and she has absolutely none.
I couldn’t get enough of the secondary characters from Aurora’s best friend Nova, to the storm chasers that included Duke, Jinx, Bait, Ransom and Sly. They all have a part to play in this story and we are getting little clues here and there. They round out the story nicely and gives us so much more depth to the incredible world that Cora has built for us. It makes for an enjoyable read when you are invested in every single character of the book to include a villain like Cassius. I figure there is more to Cassius than what we have seen in Book 1 and he and Aurora will have another run in or two or three.
Roar’s plot is twisted and complex. As you unravel one mystery another comes along to keep your attention. This book flew by and I don’t want to give too much away. The ending is a cliffhanger but not the kind that makes you scream. This ending just makes you quietly close the book and really sit and think about what might happen next. I equate this to a SJM book where you literally for days and weeks afterward are plotting in your head what is in store for Aurora. If you enjoy YA fantasy, Roar will not disappoint.
