Alright people, you're about to get the very definition of a "mixed review". This book was ADORABLE, but boring. It had these great fantasy elements, but it was boring. It had an awesome, likeable heroine that I could relate to...but it was boring. See where I'm going with this?Tempest Rising is book one in the ongoing Jane True series, which centers around a half-human, half-selkie (named Jane, of course). This book is mostly about her finding out what she really is, and discovering the world of the supernatural. This world includes gnomes and vampires and all manner of shape-shifters (awesome, right?) Jane also has a tragic past to come to terms with, and a more recent local murder mystery to solve. Enter Ryu, the sexy investigator with fangs, who enjoys being Jane's tour guide through the supernatural world (and getting into her pants).
Positive Comments
I liked Jane. She's sort of your average twenty-something, except for this one unusual ability (swimming in a near-frozen water). She's loved and lost, and gone through periods of depression, and been institutionalized, and survived everything. She's defenseless in this book, but her strength of will makes me think that she won't be for long.
Loved the world building. I get so excited when I find books where demon dogs mingle with gnomes and kelpies.
I liked Ryu, and many of the other characters introduced...but God, I smell a love triangle coming, and I'm worried about that. While I felt that Jane was sexually attracted to Ryu, and that she enjoyed his attention in general, I didn't get that true love vibe from them. And that's fine. But yeah, if it turns into a love triangle I might have to kick a seal. (Commenters who have read further into the series should also know that I throw sharp objects at those who spoil things for me. You've been warned.)
Critical Comments
It's boring. Yeah, I know, I was surprised too. How jaded am I that I can be bored by a book that has selkies, sex, and murder? But seriously, just trust me on this, the plot drags after a certain point. The pacing sucks big time. There isn't much to the murder investigation, and we aren't even introduced to the murderer until 3/4 of the book is over. There's a lot of Jane and Ryu having sex, Jane trying on fancy clothing, Jane thinking about things, Jane's libido talking to her...
Yeah, I'm not a big fan of talking libidos or talking hormones. Am I alone here? Do other women have horny feelings that manifest in the form of voices in their head telling them to hump things? This is a minor pet peeve, but it's one of those little details that just gets under my skin. There are other ways to let your reader know that the character is feeling...amorous.
Recommendation
I was so charmed by so many things about this book, that it's hard not to recommend it, even though I found a good chunk of it hard to get through. I'm tempted to say that this book just has "first book" woes, and now that the world is all set up, the next books will be better. But I don't know yet. So what I will say, is that I liked it enough to order book 2, and we'll see how it goes from there. I offer a cautious positive recommendation to the patient urban fantasy reader. 3 stars.
I'm sorry to hear you were bored by it. I really love this series, but then the characters are what makes or breaks a book for me. As long as they are great I will enjoy the story. :)
ReplyDeleteI can't judge the whole series, so my optimistic assumption is that it gets better? I don't mind character driven stories, but I'll admit that the plot is what keeps me going in most cases. When the plot stalls, so does my interest.
DeleteAww I'm sorry to know you got so bored by it! At first I thought you were review Tempes Rising by Tracy Deebs, which has all of those elements, including a selkie (really uncanny right?) I'm not patient AT ALL so I probably won't be reading this but thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteTemptest Rising may just be a convenient generic nautical themed name LOL. The Tracy Deebs book is at my library, I know, and maybe I'll read that to some time. I always seem to have too many YAs in my TBR though, so it won't be anytime soon.
DeleteThanks for the honest review. Doesn't sound like it's really for me. Actually, the cover kind of turned me off and the libido thing would bug me too. Thanks for sharing it! :D
ReplyDeleteNow see, for me the cover was part of the charm! Tastes really do differ.
DeleteHmm sad to hear this one is boring, it certainly sounds like it shouldn't be boring and look at that cover! Books with illustrated covers should not be boring, I think that's a rule and Kevin Hearne recommended this book and his books are NOT boring. I will be cautious with thIS one when I pick it up and remember what you said about that thing called patience.
ReplyDeleteI find the Kevin Hearne recommendation interesting...no, his books are not boring, but Atticus does get his share of gratuitous sex scenes as well. I guess you write what you like ;)
DeleteAaannd a cats looking at me funny for laughing so hard over you kicking seals. What a shame this one's boring. You'd think with so many awesome aspects it would be a fantastic read. Sucks when that happens.
ReplyDeleteAll of the right ingredients, and it still tastes bad? Yeah, that sucks. The good news is it has like 3 or 4 sequels to redeem itself.
DeleteIt's hard to hold my tongue girl! Not that I want to 'spoil' anything, but well... okay. I won't say anything. But what I WILL say is that I think the books pick up with each book. I remember being bored in the first one but it seems like I'm much more invested in each one. I think that if you keep with it you'll find that you like each one a bit better too.
ReplyDeleteThank you for holding your spoilers. I hope that book two outdoes this one for me! I do want to like this series.
DeleteCrap, this book sounded so cool and the cover is soooo cute. But I can't stand slow pacing. :(
ReplyDelete