Review: Dark Tempest - Annette Marie
Series: Red Winter Trilogy #2
My rating: {★★★★★}
YA Fantasy
Published January 6th 2017 by Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.
Source: Xpresso Book Tours
Emi has dedicated her life to becoming the perfect vessel for the goddess Amaterasu, but the insidious betrayal of another deity has changed everything. Now Amaterasu has charged Emi with an urgent mission: to find and free the earthly gods before mankind is brought to its knees beneath divine tyranny.
At her side is Shiro, the mysterious fox spirit. When she first saved his life, she could never have imagined that behind his cunning and confidence, he was lost—his power bound by a devastating curse and his memories obscured. His veiled history is somehow tied to the missing gods, but he can't remember how or why.
As their search leads them into the murky depths of the spirit realm, the shadows of Shiro's past begin to emerge. With each brief awakening of his true self, she loses a little more of him. The fate of the heavens and earth rest in her mortal hands, and she must find the missing gods before time runs out for her world—and for Shiro.
I loved EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK. This book absolutely consumed me and I could not put it down until I was completely finished at OMG o'clock in the morning. Seriously. It is EXTREMELY ADDICTIVE and absolutely not being able to put down a book? That hasn't happened to me in a very long time. I just HAD to read it all in one sitting.
As with the first book, this book is an absolute piece of art and contains ten more incredible illustrations.
Emi, our kamigakari (the mortal host for a Kami (god/goddess)) was a constant source of fierceness and resilience - even when surrounded by creatures of mystical strength and magic she managed to hold her own. I absolutely love watching her character growth throughout this series.
"... You did what none of us could do.”The romance... Ahhhh, #swoon.... I just LOVE the way the romance has been done in this book/series. Firstly it's a forbidden romance, secondly the dynamic between these two characters is just... Perfect. The flirting, the banter - it's all there and absolutely heightens the atmosphere without overwhelming the plot in any way. Need I say more?
“Only because the poison didn’t affect me the same way—”
“Does that matter? We couldn’t do it. You did. We saw what you looked like when you got out. How many times did you fall in order to batter your knees like that? But you kept going.”
“That makes me stubborn, not strong,” she mumbled.
“Strength comes in many forms..."
As he leaned down, his hands tilted her face up, forcing her eyes to meet his. “You can’t die now, Emi. I need you with me.”The world building is, again, completely magnificent. It's complex, extensive, well researched and extraordinarily well written. The plot takes us even deeper into the world that Annette Marie built in the first book and expands upon it and compounds it, showing us not only the human world but the spiritual world as well, including the politics and mythological creatures that go along with it.
I need you. His words sank through her, bringing new warmth to her icy limbs. I need you with me.
Dark Tempest has everything that Red Winter has and more... MORE slow burn, swoon worthy romance, MORE incredible Japanese Culture and mythology, MORE exhilarating action sequences, MORE investment in these amazing and unique characters, and of course - higher stakes. You need this series in your life.
She had given up everything for duty, even her life. But this … this she couldn’t sacrifice, not even to save the world. With his arms around her, his mouth on hers, his warmth and strength surrounding her, she knew she wasn’t strong enough to walk away from him.
No matter the consequences.
←Red Winter (Red Winter #1) - Immortal Fire (Red Winter #3)→
