Storm and Fury

Great story! I love stories where women are strong and powerful even when they are afraid. They don’t need anyone to save them!

Several things happened when I started reading this book:1) It was so familiar that I was under the impression I had read it before.2) I couldn't remember I had read the previous series.3) I went to read my reviews of the previous book and I needed it with "I won't be reading the sequel"...yet here I am.I had read the previous books a long time ago so I barely remember what happened but I got it all down here. It was nice to step up to a new world yet a familiar one. Zayden made me fall in love with him and although I didn't love it. I really liked it.Would I read the next ones? Maybe not but it was a fun,light read.Also, loved the Supernatural references in this one too.

I wasn’t surprised to discover that this is a spinoff series. The world had that “feel” to it. However, it’s easily read without any knowledge of prior books.I like the philosophical questions raised regarding the nature of good and evil. There is a great deal of discussion material within this story. It would probably make an interesting discussion in a book club.The characters are complex and interesting. They have multifaceted emotions that confuse themselves and each other. Oftentimes, in romance novels, the most reliable element of the story is the feelings between the main characters. That isn’t happening here, which is part of the reason I wouldn’t call this a romance. It’s urban fantasy with a romantic subplot. That’s a bit more interesting, in a way, than the guaranteed HEA of a typical romance. The characters have to work harder. More like real life.My only complaint is that the book could have used a “white glove” review. There were errors that could only be caught by someone really reading the story, not just skimming through it. So, one more line edit by a pair of fresh eyes, please.

Back in 2016 when I was looking at self-publishing and small-press publishing in the YA genre, Jennifer L. Armentrout kept popping up everywhere-- and so I finally succumbed and read the first book in her Lux series. It was straight up, unabashed, slightly clunk and too-passive of a heroine, but did immediately push those guilty pleasure Twilight (restrained powerful hero, beautiful and everyone loves the heroine but she has a secret power) buttons.Time passed. I read a few more, but wasn't often in the mood for that particular guilty pleasure flavor. A sale on this first book in The Harbinger series finally got me to cave and try one of these later series books.Trinity lives in a Warden (shape-shifting gargoyles with a male-hierarchy who protect humans from demons) compound and is protected by her childhood Warden friend, Misha, who she definitely is not romantically interested in (anymore). She's human, and hiding something more than just the fact that she is slowly losing her eyesight and so bumps into things. (Kudos to Armentrout for find a fairly believable reason for the heroine who is bad-ss in so many other ways to be clumsy and adorable)One day, a Warden delegation from Washington DC comes to visit, and Trinity is instantly drawn to one of the strangers-- Zayne.Some of Armentrout's earlier clunkiness lives on in massive infodump at the beginning of the book. Also alot of people reaching out to smooth stray strands of hair behind other people's ears. Many of the side characters are there just to provide expository chitchit--- except for some fairly developed Zayne's friends in DC-- and since they were *so* developed, I checked Armentrout's other series and yes indeed, they were the alpha couples in her other series.I think you could still start with this series (see infodump above) but I might go back and read those other ones in order before continuing with this one.This is, again, straight up wish-fulfillment archetype New Adult paranormal romance, with a lower level of steam than adult but still fairly descriptive once things get a going.

Book: 1 of 3 in the Harbinger series (single POV)Adventure: 💥💥💥Spice: 🌶🌶Drama: 💔💔Synopsis: Trinity is a “human” who is slowly going blind, growing up in a Warden community. She and her protector Misha are living a secret waiting for the day they are called by her father to fight a battle that will save the world. Trinity fills her days with training and pining for more freedom. When a group of Wardens visit the community seeking aid to help them investigate the deaths of several wardens in the DC area, Trinity becomes captivated by one of the wardens, Zayne. As war unfolds, Trinity will team up with these new Wardens to help find the killer, and also to rescue someone very close to her, but can she trust Zayne and the many secrets he holds?Review: This was my 2nd re-read, and this book still holds up. I still devoured it. I still loved it. The pacing of this book is wonderful, and there are no dull periods that had me wishing for something to happen. Something is ALWAYS happening. Wheather it be an attack on the community, or witty banter between Trinity and Zayne.Trinity is a flawed character, but she’s flawed in a way that lends itself to the potential for engaging growth moments. She is young and has been sheltered for her whole life, so can one blame her that she’s more worried about Outback cheese fries than protecting her identity?Zayne...is a secretive, arrogant and hot as heck Warden who I could not help but love. I love his quick wit, and I love his patience and understanding. He only marches to his own drum, and I so respect that. His strength is what helps Trinity grow from a sheltered whiney girl to a fierce fighter.If you like books centering around angels fighting demons...if you like bonded protectors and witty banter...if you like action and suspense with a romance sprinkled in...I recommend this read for you. It’s personally one of my favorite series, and here I go to re-read book 2! Happy reading.Favorite quotes:"Maybe I’ll get myself a seeing-eye gargoyle.” Zayne chuckled. “I can be that for you.”“I’m not running from you now,” he said. “It seems I’m running after you now.”