Nicole Peeler

This is the fifth book in the Jane True series by Peeler. The sixth (and final) book in this series, Tempest Reborn, is scheduled for a May 2013 release. This was an excellent read, I really enjoyed it a lot. The story is getting more and more epic, and Jane is really growing into her new powers.

Jane and crew are forced to travel to London to face off with an ancient evil known as the Red and White. Jane will have to learn how to navigate the politics of European supernaturals as well as show more earn the trust of the local supernatural rebel group. Jane will also have to learn to wield her magical ax and her substantial magical power. If she can’t get everyone to work together and control her own power then London and the world at large will be at risk. Poor Jane, all she wanted was to do some sightseeing, spend time with Anyan, and eat some really stinky cheese....

This was a great in installment in this series. Jane is finally growing into her power and she has been working hard to do this. It was great to see a heroine actually spending time training to use her power; I hate it when heroines just..bam!...suddenly understand how to use a power...especially when they are not super strong to begin with. Jane is nervous and reluctant about stepping up as a hero, but when push comes to shove she finds her metal. It was so fun to watch her grow as a character in this book.

There is a lot of humor throughout, as with previous novels in this series. I continue to enjoy Jane’s internal arguments between her Virtue and Libido; they are just so quirky and so Jane. You have to adore Jane as a character; she quirky and funny and likable and dependable.

The other characters are great too. Anyan is in this book a lot and we learn a ton more about his very long history. Blondie is in the book quite a bit more too and we learn more about her background as well.

There are a bevy of new characters that join the story: some are from the European Supernatural leadership, some are European supernatural rebels. They are all decent characters and well done.

I loved the mythos and history of the Red and White. The whole mythos is well thought out and interesting. The Red and White makes for an absolutely awesome enemy. The Red tends to take the form of a Dragon...so yes we do see Jane fighting a dragon in this novel which is so, so cool! There are some truly awesome battle scenes in this book and major landmarks in London take some serious damage.

So what about Jane and Anyan? There are some very touching and sensual scenes featuring these two in the book. They start to get intimate and get interrupted a lot...to the point where I was frustrated for them. The scenes are well done and very sweet. I love that Jane is a one man woman.

The story ends with an absolutely huge event that I immediately wanted to read more about. It was a great ending, a huge cliffhanger, and just absolutely awesome.

Overall I really enjoyed this installment of the series, it was my favorite one yet. There are some awesome battle scenes, a wonderful mythos, humor, and great characters that are fun to read about. Jane has come so far from being the book store employee in Rockabill. I can’t wait to see what the sixth and final book brings to the series! Highly recommended for fans of humorous urban fantasy. show less

Jane True is practically an outcast in her small town of Rockabill, Maine. She finds solace in swimming in the ocean, dangerously close to the whirlpool known as The Old Sow. When she finds a body in the water, her world changes beyond all recognition.

I have gone back and forth, alternating between clicking 3 stars and 4 stars countless times. Hurry up with the half stars already, GoodReads! You're killing me here! (Said as nicely as possible)

The big draw for me was the cover. I love it! It show more does make the book like it might be YA though, and it is not YA. Sex. Lots of sex. Need I say more?

This was a lot of fun, and I really liked Jane, her problems and her world. There's such a wealth of supernatural beings to choose from out there, it's nice to see an author taking advantage of that rather than dwelling on the vamps and weres.

I don't know if I just had to get used to Peeler's style or if the beginning really was an info dump, but I was a little disappointed when I first started. I've been looking forward to reading this for a while, and I did not expect to be less-than-thrilled at the beginning.

Jane's Libido killed me. It was practically a character, hence the capitalization I gave it. It's pretty clear what part of Jane is thinking, "This guy's super-hot!" without being told that it's her Libido. Or her Lady Bits. Or whatever. There should be a supernatural rock band called "Jane's Libido" worked somewhere into the series! Hee hee! I obviously think I'm funny. ;-)

Jane is pretty funny. I laughed out loud pretty consistently throughout the book. Her descriptions of some of the "supes" she meets are hilarious, and I could appreciate her self-deprecating sense of humor. When she meets Trill the kelpie, my husband finally gave up and asked me what I was laughing at. Mostly he tries to ignore me when I go into gales of laughter for no obvious reason. (Now you're wondering how often that happens, aren't you?)

Mostly though, I just had fun reading this and checking out this world. Ryu is just hawt and I really, really, really want to find out more about Anyan. I knew what was going on there pretty early on, but I still want to know more. I'm definitely going to continue on with the series. I do recommend this. Just be prepared for Jane's Libido. show less

When I finished reading this book, the one word that went through my mind was wow. The protagonist of this story is Jane True and she is half human and half selkie. Jane is unaware of her true parentage but knows that for some reason she feels driven to swim regardless of the weather and does not feel cold at all. She lives in Rockabill, a small town in Maine. Jane is decidedly haunted because her mother left when she was only six years old and her first love drowned in an accident that she show more believes is her own fault. Jane learns the true side of her nature when the little town of Rockabill is turned upside down by several supernatural murders.

Peelers world is so incredibly large and includes just about every single mystical creature that you can think of. Each one of these creatures however, is slightly altered from the original mythos surrounding them. Vampires for instance still need blood to survive, but they can function during the day, and genies do have something for you to rub, but it most certainly is not their lamp. Throughout Tempest Rising we learn than just about every creature that humans have ever written about is alive.

Though Jane has trepidations about the world that she is introduced to, she embraces it with vigor, in large part due to her burgeoning relationship with Ryu. Though the romance between them is a significant factor in the story, it is not the reason for the story. One of the things I love about this relationship is that Jane does not feel shame over her sexuality and engages freely. I also love the fact that Peeler made sure that Ryu and Jane engaged in safe sex. Ryu promises Jane that he cannot get her pregnant and that he does not carry disease but despite his reassurances, Jane demands that Ryu wear a condom much to his consternation each time. The explicit discussion of safe sex is something that is decidedly absent from this genre and the fact that Peeler chose to include it really spoke volumes to me. Jane always took time to think about her safety, despite her lust and this is a message that young women everywhere needs to hear.

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Move over, Mercy Thompson, Kate Daniels, Sookie Stackhouse, and the other strong, wonderful woman characters that populate today's urban fantasy landscape. I love you all dearly, and hold my breath for your new books, but it is time to scootch over a bit, as Jane True has come to town! I just found Jane while perusing my local bookstore, and I couldn't be happier.

Jane is a very complex character. If you really haven't had any "life experience" (read here, if you don't understand loss, show more mourning, or the pain of living where everyone knows you, and holds your family's history against you) then you probably won't understand Jane. But if you do, her strength of character can absolutely rock your world, like it did mine.

Jane is a reluctant hero, and yet her ability to roll with the punches and become more than she had ever thought she could be is a HUGE encouragement to women who have been drug through the tunnel and come out on the other side stronger than ever.

The characters are well developed, the storyline keeps you guessing, and it is great fun watching how Jane grows and learns her own strengths - strengths she never dreamed she could possess. And she has a tremendous sense of humour, and a potty mouth to match. I have been spending my mornings, before work, sitting outside in the sun, reading Jane's exploits while laughing laughing like a loon at her hysterical dialog (her mental libido cracks have me rolling on the floor). She is strong, strong-willed, and one of the most likable of all the tough female urban fantasy characters that I adore.

I can hardly wait for #4!! show less