Storm Siren

by Mary Weber Narrated by Christine Stevens

Overview

In a world at war, a slave girl's lethal curse could become one kingdom's weapon of salvation. If the curse--and the girl--can be controlled.

"I raise my chin as the buyers stare. Yes. Look. You don't want me. Because, eventually, accidentally, I will destroy you."

In the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn't merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth--meaning, she shouldn't even exist.

Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war or be killed.

Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she's being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons.

But what if she doesn't want to be the weapon they've all been waiting for? Set in a beautifully eclectic world of suspicion, super abilities, and monsters, Storm Sirenis a story of power. And whoever controls that power will win.

"A riveting tale from start to finish. Between the simmering romance, the rich and inventive fantasy world, and one seriously jaw-dropping finale, readers will clamor for the next book--and I'll be at the front of the line!" --Marissa Meyer, New York Times bestselling author of the Lunar Chronicles

• The first in the low-spice, YA romantasy trilogy
• Series best read in order:
  • Book 1: Storm Siren
  • Book 2: Siren's Fury
  • Book 3: Siren's Song
• Full-length book

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

05/26/2014
Nym has been a slave for 14 different masters when a noblewoman named Adora buys her, although as an untrained storm siren in a kingdom that kills Elementals at birth, Nym is lucky to be alive. In her new home, Nym finds that Adora is one of the king’s advisors trying to stop Faelen from being invaded, and she plans to use Nym’s powers as a line of last defense against the armies of the body-snatching Draewulf. Meanwhile, Nym can’t stop thinking about Eogan, her trainer, whose touch brings a calm the likes of which she’s never experienced before. Nym’s struggles don’t exactly tread new ground, so fantasy readers will feel at home in Weber’s first novel. The romantic subplot falls a little flat, but a detailed backdrop and large cast bring vividness to the story. Nym’s friend and fellow magic-user Colin, for example, keeps the mood light with his good humor without being reduced to comic relief alone. The story takes a surprisingly dark turn as the narrative pieces fall into place for the next book in this planned trilogy. Ages 12–up. Agent: Andrea Heineke, Alive Communications. (Aug.)

School Library Journal - Audio

11/01/2014
Gr 8 Up—Nym, a slave and unlikely heroine, is plagued by guilt for the innocents killed by her superpower: dangerous weather spawned by her out-of-control anger. Along with flesh-eating horses and the shape-shifting wolf-wizard Draewulf, she considers herself one of the monsters that inhabit the war-torn world of Faelen. Together with Colin, who generates earthquakes, and handsome Eogan, who calms her storms, Nym redeems herself in a dramatic final battle. The story dabbles in exploring the nature of good vs. evil and fate vs. personal responsibility, but it will mainly appeal to romance readers. There are small glitches in the audio recording and a few sentences that are repeated, but the choice of voice actor Christine Stevens is inspired. Her even-toned narration softens the sometimes theatrical text. Stevens's style is particularly effective during the final minutes when a shocking surprise is revealed, leaving listeners howling for a sequel.—Toby Rajput, National Louis University, Skokie, IL

Kirkus Reviews

2014-06-10
A slave girl struggles to control her supernatural storm-bringing power in this series opener.Seventeen-year-old Nym causes lightning strikes that kill those who make her angry, but they also inadvertently kill innocents. Adora, a powerful noblewoman in the kingdom of Faelen, witnesses Nym’s power and buys her for use as a weapon in the ongoing war against Bron, which Faelen stands in imminent danger of losing. Even as Nym submits to her enslaved status, she remains defiant, especially when Adora orders her to work with a handsome trainer, Eogan, to learn to control herself. She and Colin, a boy who can cause earthquakes, work together. Nym also forms an attachment with Colin’s blind sister, Breck, working as a servant in Adora’s household. All of these characters come together in the final (for this installment) battle to save Faelen and one another. Weber builds a fascinating and believable fantasy world, inventing epithets (“Teeth of a pig, what the litches was that?”) and combining medieval and modern elements (a feudal system and antibiotics, for instance). Her characters’ paranormal powers work well, and she weaves in just enough mystery about each character that they all remain interesting. The story ends with a gutsy surprise that many readers will find unusual in this genre and that leaves them poised for the next volume.Inventive and entertaining. (Fantasy. 12-18)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171191931
Publisher:	Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
Publication date:	08/26/2014
Edition description:	Unabridged

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