Storm and Fury

Oh, wow. Friends, I went on a two week hiatus from reading. Between traveling, being in a wedding, and then sightseeing around Manhattan, I didn't touch a book for two straight weeks. So you can imagine how nervous I was to come back and pick up this tome of a book. 512 pages is not a light read, and I hoped so much that I would end up falling in love with Armentrout's story. Honestly, I shouldn't have worried. I've never read the series that this is a spin-off of. I've never met a Warden before this book, or been introduced to any of the characters. None of that mattered. This book was an instant hit, and 512 pages flew by like it was nothing. To say that I was pleased that this was my first read after a hiatus? Well, that's an show more understatement. Storm and Fury was an absolute delight to read.

First off, I have to give so much love to Trinity as our main character. Lady leads are hard for me sometimes, particularly in Fantasy books, because I expect so much from them in the growth department. Again, I really shouldn't have worried. Trinity is instantly likable, and relatable, because she's any of us at eighteen years old. She has crushes, worries about friendships, and puts herself in questionable situations. The fact that she just so happens to have special abilities that cause her to be protected at all costs? Well, that's the icing on the cake. Even in the midst of being squashed down by those who thought they were protecting her, Trinity was brilliant. She was bold, brave, and full of so much inner light. I especially liked how Armentrout gave Trinity retinitis pigmentosa, but didn't use it to define her. If anything, Trinity was more because of her RP, and it was fabulous.

That's not to say that the other characters in this book are ever outshone by Trinity. Misha and Zayne had their own distinct personalities and, even though I was meeting him them for the first time, even Roth and Layla were stunningly written. I do understand why a lot of reviewers said that they felt like they were missing some previous information, but that didn't deter me in the least. This book is written in a way that still gives the reader plenty of information about the characters who came from the first series. Roth was still full of swagger and sass, as I've been told he should have been. If I missed a little of who he was, all that did was give me an incentive to go back and read the first series. Not a problem, at all. This is a solid standalone.

Add in the facts that the plot moves at a manic pace, there's sweet and sexy scenes in here, and the fight scenes are to die for, and you have my heart. I didn't give this a full five star rating, only because there were some dialogue scenes that dragged on a little longer than I wanted, but overall this was a fantastic read. Zayne and Trinity have my attention! I'm not only planning on going back and reading the books this came from, but I'm definitely planning on reading the next one of these as well. So much fun! An excellent book to start my reading back up with after a long time away! show less

Gargoyles, angels, and demons – it sounds like something from a Saturday morning cartoon back in the 90s. Except it is Jennifer L. Armentrout’s latest novel, set in current times with all the amenities the Internet has to offer. Not having read any of her previous novels, I had no idea what to expect when diving into Storm and Fury. I did not realize it was the continuation of a previous series until I was midway through the story. While this knowledge may have added a little extra something to my reading experience, I don’t feel I lost anything by not having any previous exposure to Trinity’s world. I tore through this story of demons and gargoyles, swooning at all the right moments and hoping the story would never end. I show more enjoyed Ms. Armentrout’s breezy writing style as well as the story. I adored Trinity and her vulnerabilities as well as her refusal to remain a damsel in distress. Strong women with even an even stronger code of ethics get me every time, and Trinity is a welcome addition to that list of heroines I admire and thoroughly support. I look forward to seeing what else Ms. Armentrout has in store for Trinity and Zayne. show less

This book surprised me a little. When I first started, I wasn't sure I was going to like it. I mean the premise is amazing and I don't think I've read anything about gargoyles before, but it felt like a lot of other books I've read. Reader meets girl, girl is a secret bad ass, chaos ensues. Somewhere along the way though, this book becomes different, becomes something more.

One of the things I like about Trinity is that she is unapologetic about who she is. And she has flaws! Normal, human flaws that don't magically (or otherwise) go away. It was refreshing to see those pieces of her throughout the book, even with all the twists and turns that came her way.
There were a lot of good characters in the book, characters that you want to know show more more about, characters with history and personality. It was wonderful and in my opinion, part of what made the book so enjoyable.

The plot is fantastic, and I can't wait to find out more. There is so much I want to say, but I don't want to give anything at all away about this book. There is romance and heart ache, but it doesn't consume the entire book, and makes the characters more interesting. I don't know if this is a YA novel, in the beginning I thought so, but there are some more mature scenes and elements that make it more suitable for older readers. Outside of that, I think everyone should read this! show less

When I started this book, I was unaware that Storm and Fury is the first book in a spin-off series one of the author's previous trilogies. While in the end I didn't NEED to read the previous trilogy, it would have made for a slightly smoother flow to this one. Author Armentrout provides *just* enough explanation of characters and circumstances to make the story work.

So, going from the standpoint that I knew nothing about the world/characters of the book, I found Storm and Fury fun and a new take on the angels vs demons trope - as instead of angels, the protectors are, yes, gargoyles. It was surprising but an interesting take, as was her perspective on Angels (hint: they aren't sweet and light).

The dialogue held plenty of snappy, quick show more banter and was entertaining. There were some excellent action scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. Protagonist Layla is an 18-yo warrior keeping secrets of her own and ooh, does she have flaws. She is immature and impulsive, prone to not listen to instructions (which can create a lot of trouble. She also has a disability that involves her vision, which makes her warrior status impressive. (She compensates for her weaknesses very well and how she handles it definitely adds a layer of complexity.)

She feels an instant connection to Zayne which may put off some but the author pulls the pieces together later. Honestly, any bits that might have had my eyes rolling at the first instance was actually well sorted out by the end of the book.

Speaking of the end - this is the first of a new trilogy (no hint to when the next book is to be released) but the ending is satisfying yet has me looking forward to the next entry in The Harbinger series. show less

I don't think Storm and Fury is a great novel, but it was a really nice distraction. I enjoyed it. I learned that there is an earlier series that one can read, but I never felt that I was "missing" something, so Ms. Armentrout does a nice job making this novel exist on its own. I don't know if I'll listen to the other series or not.

Trinity lives in a warden compound, bonded to Misha. She's never been anywhere else because she must be protected. If It's discovered that she exists, demons will attack the compound. Misha protects Trinity as their bond lets each other know about the other. About a year ago, her mother was killed by a warden, who betrayed them all. Trinity grieves this loss, but she also feels confined. For the first time, show more visitors arrive. Visitors never come to the West Virginia compound. Trinity feels intrigued when she sees Zayne. There's a weird feeing she has around him, leading to a question of whether they'll be romantically involved.

This Washington group of wardens come wanting backup because there's a uptick in demon activity. What they don't expect is everything that happens in West Virginia. West Virginia had attacks and the visitors find Trinity, a human living in a warden compound, very odd. Eventually, they discover that she is special. She can see ghosts and spirits. She also has a grace and can transform, but she's not a warden. She isn't supposed to transform. It's too dangerous. Trinity feels guilt that she didn't save her mother. Trinity is well-trained in combat and can transform to be a weapon itself.

An attack occurs, which leads to Misha being kidnapped, so Trinity swears to rescue him. To rescue him, Trinity needs to return with Zayne to Washington, DC. It's here in DC that Trinity really gets to know Zayne. I will admit that I was wrong in identifying the traitor. Had I read the previous series, I would have known more about all of the characters. Needless to say, meeting Trinity's father would scare anyone. His appearance and hint at what's happening isn't helpful, but it leads nicely into a second book. I enjoyed being swept into this world. I don't think it's a great book, but I do think it's a lovely distraction. show less

This is the first book in Armentrout’s new Harbinger series. This is one of the best young adult PNR books I have read in some time. It's a long book but I whipped right through it without even noticing the length. I loved the world, the characters, the action and the story. This is pretty romance heavy but it's well balanced with awesome fight scenes and a unique world.

This story follows 18 year old Trinity who is being kept safe at a Warden compound. Trinity is struggling to be happy with her lot, since she knows the Wardens are just trying to protect her. However, when some Wardens from a different compound show up (including the entrancing Zayne), Trinity jumps at the chance to leave with them and explore somewhere new.

I was a bit show more bummed because I didn't realize this was a spin off series of Armentrout's Dark Elements series. While this book stands alone fine, you could tell by the huge info dump in the first few chapters that this world had been introduced somewhere else first. You also meet a lot of characters that were introduced in the Dark Elements series first. Sooo....I really wish I had known this was a spin-off series and had read The Dark Elements first. I plan on going back and reading that series just because I want to know the history behind these characters. Storm and Fury gives huge spoilers for The Dark Elements series though.

I really enjoyed everything about this book. There are tons of action scenes, a unique paranormal world, a fun heroine, witty dialogue, and a solid romance. It was a great blend of these elements and I fell into the story quickly and easily and could not put it down.

Overall I really enjoy this series and plan on continuing it. I would recommend to those who enjoy action packed urban fantasy with some romance. Just be aware this is a spin-off series of the Dark Elements series and has huge spoilers for that series if you haven’t read Dark Elements already. I also felt like I was missing a lot of background by not reading the Dark Elements series first. show less

Everyone knows I am a huge fan of JLA books, The Dark Elements is just amazing, so this is the spin off of that series, also if you haven't read them it's totally fine you can catch up afterwards. Storm and Fury was everything I always wanted and never thought I did. I liked Zayne a lot and now seeing his story is more than I could ever asked for. Trinity, well as a fan of JLA I also know about her eyesight and giving it to Trinity to raise up awareness for it and to explain how she sees and projecting part of her feeling into the character got to me. I can only give this book 5 stars but for me it will always be infinity, now everyday I look up at the sky and count stars.