Shannon C.’s review of The Storm (Sons of Destiny, Book 6) by Jean Johnson
Fantasy romance released by Berkley 1 Sep 08
I’ll be sad to see the last of the Sons of Destiny. I feel like I’ve spent the last year getting to know all of them, and there are only two more books to go. I really do hope Ms. Johnson has other stuff in store for us, because I for one will definitely be on board when she brings it out. That being said, this sixth entry in the series isn’t my favorite, largely for personal, highly subjective reasons. Which isn’t to say I didn’t like it, because I did, quite a bit. Read on for my thoughts.
Rydan is the sixth-born brother in the Sons of Destiny, eight brothers who were exiled to the island of Nightfall in accordance with a prophecy, and who have, with the help of the mates that they end up meeting, begun to form an insipid kingdom. Rydan shuns the day, preferring the nighttime. He has many secrets, and he prefers his solitude, finding his family’s imposition largely annoying. Of course, all of that is about to be disrupted with the arrival of Rora, a woman with secrets of her own, and power that could potentially start a war brewing.
I know that fangirls have been awaiting Rydan’s book for a long time. This is probably where the breakdown between me and most fangirls occurs, because the brooding loner type doesn’t appeal to me at all. I didn’t really understand why Rydan couldn’t explain what his deal was, which I figured out about four books ago, to the rest of his family, who are all genuinely nice people and would have undoubtedly done something to help him. The fact that this wasn’t addressed in a way that worked for me kept Rydan well into petulant adolescent territory most of the time. Rydan, you see, is an empath, a fact that is not spoilery at all since it is revealed fairly early on. He even describes his empathy as feeling as if he’s got an inner beast, which was one of those tropes that was jarring in its completely unnecessary application.
As for Rora, I liked her. She’s not one of Johnson’s best heroines — Serena is still my favorite — but she’s definitely a far cry from the bland and uninteresting heroines I’ve encountered from other authors. I love that she was pretty methodical about finding a way to be with Rydan and to help him. She is fairly powerful in her own right, but she does know her strengths and weaknesses, and was quite useful. The tension between Rora and Rydan was also well-played, and I felt their chemistry, although the one complete sex scene they got at the end went on a tad too long.
The secondary characters are also done well. It’s always nice to revisit the past happy couples in this series, and I was relieved to note that Kelly, the heroine in the first book, didn’t steal the show in every scene she was in. Further, I liked seeing that Morganen, the youngest brother and the matchmaker in the series, is capable of making missteps. It will make his own book much more interesting to read.
I think this is one of the most unique fantasy romance series out there. I love Ms. Johnson’s voice. I love the grand scope of her series, and as I said above, I will be sad when the end of the series comes. I eagerly await the next book, The Flame, which features a virgin hero — always a favorite of mine — and after that, Morganen’s story!
Grade: B
Read other reviews of books in this series by clicking on the Sons of Destiny series tag.
Summary:
Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day-they fulfill the Curse of Eight Prophecy. Though no longer trapped in exile, their growing family faces new problems. The sixthborn son must find a way to trust his Destined bride…First, his most heavily guarded refuge is breached. And now, the worst of all crimes against Rydan of Nightfall: Rora, a pesky, privacy-invading foreigner, likes him and won’t leave him alone! Rydan knows he’s as appealing as a rosebush stripped of its blooms, so why does she persist? Any normal maiden should be seeking less thorny company than his.
But Rora isn’t normal. She alone sees the secret of what torments Rydan. And only she can persuade him to put it right before it destroys him. But Rora has her own secret as well-one of such vast power that other mages have killed in order to possess it. It once drove Rora and her sisters into exile, and, in the wrong hands, its power could annihilate their world. In the right hands, it could change her and Rydan’s fate forever.
Other books in the series:
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
I love this series as well. I also hope she gives us something new after this series is done. I am a total Rydan fangirl, but I was a tad disappointed in his book. It just felt off to me, but I still liked it. I am going to be sad after The Mage.
I have The Storm now but was holding off reading until I get the previous book, The Cat, even though I’ve been interested in Rydan, will have to see if I’m disappointed or not when I get to it. I figured out what he was earlier on, too, but have felt that perhaps he didn’t want his sibling to know because they all had so much to deal with personally being so isolated and didn”t want them holding back on their inner thoughts as they might if they know he felt his own pain and theirs as well. Will have to see if I still feel that way after I read his story. Now I think Morganen’s book is going to be an interesting and fun one, we’ll see.