Book: Storm Born, #1 of TBA
Series: Dark Swan
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher and Publication Date: Zebra Mass Market, 08/01/08
Pages: 361
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Rating: 

 My Review in a Nutshell:

 Storm Born was good, not great. The special ‘Richelle Mead touch’ that infuses all of her books was absent, leaving much to be desired. Unless you are looking for lots of sex, the plot is basically based on it.

What’s It All About?

Eugenie: Anti-social hermit, spirit banisher, fairy fighter, puzzle enthusiast. When Fey come into the mortal world, Eugenie sends them packing. Her latest job requires her to cross over into the Otherworld and find a missing teenage girl. While there, she learns a prophecy about herself; her first-born child will destroy the human world. So of course Demons, Fey, and every Otherworldly creature wants to be the baby daddy (gross). But why and how would her first born be capable of such atrocities? What’s so special about Eugenie? With the help of a bondage loving Fey, and a shape-shifting vet, she plans to find out.

My Thoughts?

As I’ve written before, Richelle Mead sticks to a very structured plot line. She ALWAYS saves the climax for the last fifty pages, with not too much going on beforehand. Her creative building of worlds and entertaining characters are intriguing enough to wait for the final fifty. Unfortunately, Storm Born lacked in both departments, I wasn’t transported to a unique world, and it took a very, very, very long time to connect with Eugenie.

“It’s not about the destination, but the journey to get there”. Well, the journey wasn’t too fantastic; the destination was quite alright, though. The sex was good, to be blunt about it. The rest of the series does not drag as much as the first book. I obviously had to like Storm Born some-what since I continue reading. Loyal Richelle Mead fans will stick with it, but I would NEVER suggest this book to a first-time Mead reader.

My Favorite Quotes:

“Yeah? What’d you name all those cats?”
Death, Famine, Pestilence, War, and Mr. Whiskers.”
You named your cats after the riders of the apocal–wait. Mr. Whiskers?”
Well, there are only four horsemen.”

“Oh, God. I’m trapped in the fucking Chronicles of Narnia.”
“I’m sure that would be an amusing reference, if I understood it.”