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Liked It “This was a fun book. After it being recommended to me from a friend, I bought it without too high of expectations, and loved it! Can't wait for the next one.” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“This was a fun book. After it being recommended to me from a friend, I bought it without too high of expectations, and loved it! Can't wait for the next one. ”
Vicki W wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I really wanted to love this book, the premise was very original and it seemed that it had the potential for a great cast of characters. I was enthralled with it for about 1/3 of the book until it took a right hand turn and became less about the development of Jane True and the other characters and the plot and more about the opportunities Jane and Ryu had to have sex. The plot picks back up in the final 1/3 of the book along with the development of the other supernatural characters but the middle 1/3 was a let down for me. I know it's a a "paranormal romance" but for me it lacked constancy. That being said I will probably give the second book a look since the idea of the book is enthralling.”
Hali S wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Very very very good book esp since it's her first, I would suggest it to anyone as a must read.”
Jose Lugo wrote this review Tuesday, December 1 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Jane True is my new hero! Rather than being the typical urban fantasy heroine who is gorgeous, smart, strong, sassy, and kicks butt, Jane is a believable woman who actually screams when confronted by scary vampires and monsters! How refreshing is that? Most characters in this genre would claim to be scared, but still make a smartass remark to show how tough they are. While Jane still takes things better than I probably would, she is a breath of fresh air and I loved, loved, loved this book!
Alexia561 wrote this review Friday, November 20 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Let me back up for a moment. In the interest of full disclosure, I have been waiting for this book for months! I follow Nicole Peeler on Twitter and her blog and was impatiently waiting for this book to finally come out. I can't believe how good it is, especially for a first novel! You know how sometimes you're reading along at a fast pace then BAM! you get hit in the face with a typo or inconsistency or something else that stops you dead in your tracks? Well, nothing like that in this book. Either Nicole is incredibly talented, she's conning us and this isn't really her first book, she has an amazing editor, or some combination of all of the above. This book was amazing!
Now back to the story: Jane grew up in a small town, complete with a "history". Crazy mom disappeared. Big scandal when her boyfriend died. Always been a little weird. All in all, Jane has not had an easy life. Things start to make a little more sense after she meets Ryu, a sexy investigator who is more than he seems. Loved the interaction between Jane, Ryu, and the various people he introduces her to.
Was originally going to give this book a 4/5 rating as while I enjoyed it, I didn't stay up all night to finish reading it. Then I realized that I've been talking about this book non-stop ever since I finished it, and recommending it to everyone I know. Figured that must be worth a 5/5 rating, as I really, really loved this book! Great writing, interesting characters, a plot that made sense, and a great beginning to a new series! Great job Ms. Peeler!”
“Jane True always thought she was a normal, slightly strange, human. Then one night in her cove she learns that she is actually only half human. While she has a normal human father her mother, who left when Jane was six, was actually a selkie. Now she is being introduced into the world of supernaturals and she is not finding it any more welcoming then the human one she grew up in.
ButtonsRam wrote this review Thursday, November 19 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Tempest Rising is a really good start to what should be an interesting series. I liked the character of Jane True, she had a realness to her that I enjoyed. I was not as fond of her "tour guide" into the supernatural, Ryu. I'm actually hoping that in the next book she moves past him and maybe looks in the direction of Anyun. I'm also looking forward to her finding some greater footing in the supernatural and becoming comfortable in her power. Everyone kept talking about how she was strong but I never got to see that.
The back story about Jason was especially powerful in this book. I've read a lot or books and there always is a back story and sometimes it's tragic like Janes. However, in this book I really felt that back story. It was painful to hear about Jason and how he was lost. Her feelings about him and his death didn't feel hallow, the felt real and while sad to read about, they gave her character real depth. ”
“Procurement
Jessica K wrote this review Tuesday, October 27 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
I first saw this cover on Orbit’s blog and I’ve been hooked ever since. I started to follow Nicole’s blog and expressed just how much I loved the cover and the premise. Nicole graciously sent me an ARC this summer. Thank you Nicole.
My Grade
Plot: 4
Setting: 5
Writing: 3
Originality: 4
Characters: 4
Passion: 5
Overall: 25/30 = 83% B
Cover/Title Bonus: 10!
Summary (Nicole’s Website)
In the tiny village of Rockabill, Maine, Jane True—26-year-old bookstore clerk and secret night swimmer—has no idea that her absent mother’s legacy is entry into a world populated by the origins of human myths and legends. It is a world where nothing can be taken for granted: vampires are not quite what we think; dogs sometimes surprise us; and whatever you do, never—ever—rub the genie’s lamp. For Jane, everything kicks off when she comes across a murder victim during her nightly clandestine swim in the freezing winter ocean. This grisly discovery leads to the revelation of why she has such freakish abilities in the water: her mother was a Selkie and Jane is only half human. With this knowledge, Jane soon finds herself mingling with supernatural creatures alternately terrifying, beautiful, and deadly—all adjectives that quite handily describe her new friend Ryu. When Ryu is sent to Rockabill to investigate the murder, he and Jane fall hard for each other even as they plummet into a world of intrigue threatening to engulf both supernatural and human societies. For someone is killing half-humans like Jane. The question is, are the murders the work of one rogue individual or part of a greater plot to purge the world of Halflings?
Plot
I know a lot of comparisons will be made between Jane True and the Sookie Stackhouse series. Why? Well, they are both urban fantasy featuring paranormal entities, a twenties something female lead, a small Town atmosphere, and a compelling mystery.
We are introduced to Jane early and quickly figure out she's not "normal". We are quickly introduced to more minor and major characters right around the time a body is found. The investigation gets complex sending Jane and Ryu to other nearby cities and a major Compound meeting with the Queen and King.
Setting
One of the most awesome things about this book is the small town, Rockabill, that Jane is from. Her small town is well known because of a whirlpool known as the Old Sow. It happens to be Jane's secret hide-a-way that she retreats to and swims.
There's a trip to the vampire Compound and the building they stayed in was depicted very well.
Nicole did a good job at setting the scene but......
Writing
While I enjoyed the plot and characters immensely there is one huge issue I had with this book. There were way too many references to modern times. Way too many. With the paranormal/urban fantasy genre I want to feel as if I'm in another realm if not completely at least somewhat. I couldn't grasp that in full because of all the references that were slammed toward me. Each time I read a reference, because they are numerous, I had to stop and shake my head. Why do that? Don't reference something I already know about, which makes me stop, disconnect from the story to connect with what was referenced get the detail from that and then return to the story at hand. DO NOT DO THAT! Make your own details, don't "steal" them from elsewhere and don't disconnect your readers from the story.
They were sooo abundant that I can merely flip around a few pages and find one. Here are some examples with page number references. I'm referencing the ARC edition.
1. Martha Stewart - page 1
2. Melanie Griffith - page 16
3. L.L. Bean - page 25
4. Matrix - page 49
5. My Little Pony - page 56
6. Sesame Street - page 57
7. Sex and the City - page 70
8. Regulators/Warren G - page 80
9. Cheshire Cat - page 101
10. Buffy - page 102
11. Star Wars - page 111
12. Star Trek - page 118
13. Little Shop of Horrors - page 130
14. Rhett and Scarlett - page 134
15. Prozac - page 159
16. Lysol - page 172
17. Selma Hayek - page 178
18. From Dusk Till Dawn - page 178
19. Big Mac - page 205
20. Wu-Tang Clan - page 210
21. M.C. Hammer - page 211
22. Berlin Wall - page 212
23. Walt Disney - page 216
24. Tolkein - page 216
25. M.C. Escher - page 216
26. Sarah Jessica Parker - page 217
27. IHOP - page 223
28. Addams Family - page 223
29. Johnny and Baby, Dirty Dancing - page 224
30. Bobbi Brown - page 226
31. David Bowie - page 234
32. Buddha - page 235, 302
33. Highlander - page 236, 258
34. Jeffrey Dahmer - page 237
35. Mr. Rogers - page 237
36. Jimi Hendrix - page 240
37. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - page 243
38. The Golden Compass - page 243
39. Peter Jackson/Lord of the Rings - page 243
40. Blade - page 243
41. Hugh Hefner - page 243
42. Energizer bunny - page 254
43. Fantasia - page 263
44. Harry Potter - page 263
45. Nyquil - page 283
46. Pretty Woman - page 291
47. Julia Roberts - page 292
48. Las Vegas show girl - page 297
49. Ramones - page 304
50. Neo/The Matrix - page 315
51. WWE wrestlers - page 315
So, yeah, I just flipped through the entire book and those are the ones that popped out. It helps that most of them are italicized. They are plentiful and were majorly distracting for me. I think it shows Nicole's personality that she decided to use these proper names, things, and places instead of using her own descriptions. I honestly don't think that's a terrible thing but I think it would have been better in moderation, like half of what was used. This might just be me.
Originality
I liked all the different paranormal entities that Nicole encompassed in this first book. It was a nice touch to have not just one but about 10 different entities introduced along the way. It leaves room for all kinds of future endeavors for Jane.
The fact that Jane is a selkie is super cool. I haven't read any books that focused on selkies before. They are briefly mentioned in Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson series and that's all I know of.
The small town life again, which can be common, was also original as each different store of the town had a pig referenced name to incorporate the Old Sow. I thought that was pretty neat.
Characters
Jane is the main character. She's in her twenties but looks a lot younger than she is because of the selkie in her. That's why the girl on the cover looks so young. She doesn't age like normal humans. She's neat person. She has a lot to learn and I'm excited to see how she continues to grow.
Jane meets Ryu, a vampire, at the book store she works at. He's the investigator of the murder that happened. They quickly become attracted to each other.
Jane's Dad is a minor character in this book but he's a major character in Jane's life. I loved having him incorporated. You could really feel the love that was between them.
Tracy is the owner of Read It and Weep where Jane works. Her girlfriend is Grizelda and she's a blast of a character!
There were plenty of minor characters. Anyan was my favorite and I hope to see more of him in Tracking the Tempest.
Passion
The love blossoming between Ryu and Jane was pretty intense at points. It all progressed rather quickly but naturally. He was a gentleman and she didn't play hard to get so it was all very sweet.
Overall
A good read. I'd recommend this to the Sookie Stackhouse fans as well as general urban fantasy readers. It's an Adult book so not really recommended for the younger crowd.
Cover/Title Bonus
The cover is the shit. LOVE this cover. Not only did it peak me interest but it perfectly depicts what this book is about. Everything on the cover means something. The art work is awesome.
Series
Tempest Rising
Tracking the Tempest
Other Reviews
Rambles.net
What do you think? I love this cover! :)”
“Jane True doesn't fit in in Rockabill, Maine. Little does she know there is a very good reason for this! Jane is half selkie, unable to transform but taking energy from the ocean. The discovery of a murdered man in her small town leads to Jane's learning about her true heritage and her discovery of many other "others" living amongst us.
BeckyL wrote this review Tuesday, October 20 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Fun, fun, fun! Reminds me a bit of Georgia Evans's series. ”
“I really enjoyed this debut book from Nicole Peeler. It has a different spin on the paranormal word with her being half Selkie. Throw in a bunch of different and some new to me paranormals and you are in for good time! Jane and Ryu are another facet of the book that I love. They make an unexpected couple that I will be rooting for in future books! Of course you know how much I love vampires so how could I not root for them! ”
Froggy wrote this review Tuesday, October 20 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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