It’s been a long time since I’ve written a book review on my blog. Part of the reason for that is because I’ve been binging on older books that have had a lot of digital ink spilled over them. For example, I recently went on a months-long binge of pretty much everything Brandon Sanderson has ever written. Plus I post short reviews over on Goodreads when I finish each new book.
But I thought I’d break my silence because I just finished reading a great book, namely Storm Siren
This is the story of Nymia, a young woman who has spent most of her life as a slave. Only Nym isn’t just any young woman. She’s an Elemental, a person with a deep connection to the forces of nature. Specifically, Nym has a tendency to kill people with the weather when she gets upset.
One day, when she’s on a slave auction block, she’s purchased by a noblewoman named Adora. Adora wants Nymia to learn to control her Elemental powers. Adora partners her with a young man named Colin who can shake the ground beneath their feet. Both of them will be learning from a mysterious man named Eoghan, who both repels and intrigues her at the same time.
Nym soon finds herself thrust into the middle of a war she’s not sure should be fought or won. Can she survive court intrigues, international politics, and her own training, to find peace for her people? Or will she wind up losing everything she holds dear?
This was a wild ride. Nym is a fiery character and very compelling as she struggles with who she is and the expectations that those around her place on her shoulders. While it’s obvious that she’s been hurt and broken (badly, in some cases), she’s still strong when it counts.
More than that, Mary Weber has constructed a vivid and compelling world that is refreshingly free of fantasy tropes. It even has a dash of steampunk goodness in it.
And without dropping any spoilers, the ending just knocked me for a loop. I had seen some warning about it online from some friends who apparently got sneak peeks, but I wasn’t ready. At all. I mean, the ending to this book is the kind that makes a reader impatient for the sequel to come out.
So better keep writing, Mary Weber. We’re waiting.