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Review: Roar by Cora Carmack (Stormheart #1)

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Roar by Cora Carmack // VBC ReviewRoar (Stormheart #1)
Cora Carmack
Published: June 13, 2017 (Tor Teen)
Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon
Review source: purchased

Reviewed by: Beth

Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars

Aurora is a princess in a land where royalty is expected to be able to control the violent storms that erupt. Except that she cannot–and has never been able to. In a bid to protect that secret, her mother makes an arranged marriage to a prince from another territory. But before the wedding can take place, Aurora learns that she may have another option—one she has never been told about. So when the chance comes, Aurora escapes and becomes…Roar. And what she learns may be the only thing that helps protect her people from the darkness that is coming.

Roar is seemingly based somewhat on Storm Hunters—those crazy people who chase tornadoes—but with so much depth. The land is a brutal one, where storms can pop up at any time, and they are violent and even somewhat sentient. The only way to control them is to weaken and disperse them, or to take their heart and…kill them. The land itself is not necessarily anything different, but the way the storms crop up make it a whole different thing.

The characters in the book are compelling, beginning with Aurora. She’s not a wimpy princess–she can fight, she is strong-willed, and she has a strong sense of self. However, she’s also young, and missing the only thing that can help her rule, which leaves her vulnerable. Carmack did an excellent job working all of that into a character and making it believable. Everyone else is written just as well—the prince is an enigma, though we don’t get as much of him as I believe will come in future books. The storm chasers are each a personality unto themselves, and I expect they will become even bigger fixtures in future novels.

There is definitely a strong romantic thread to the story as well. And as a reader who isn’t always fond of the romantic entanglements that characters can find themselves in, I found this one both sweet and steamy. It wasn’t overbearing, nor was it unrealistic in its writing.

Honestly, I was sort of looking for a flaw in this book. Sometimes when I hear praise for a book that is extensive, I end up just finding myself less than enthralled. That was not the case here—I started and finished the book in the same day, and found myself wrapped up and truly enjoying the world-building that Carmack did. The second book will definitely be on my TBR pile, and in the meantime, I find myself intrigued by where the series will end up. Roar started out just as the title promised—with a roar that shows no sign of abating.

Sexual Content: None

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