Storm's Heart (Elder Races, #2)

by Thea Harrison

During the rule of her murderous Dark Fae uncle, Thistle 'Tricks' Periwinkle found sanctuary among the wyr in New York. Her ethereal beauty and sparkling personality won the hearts of the public, but after her uncle's death, there are those who don't want to see her ascend to the throne.

Able to wield thunder and lightning, wyr sentinel Tiago Black Eagle has ruled the skies for centuries. His massive build and thunderous power make him one of the wyr's best weapons. And he's sent to protect Tricks when she's almost assassinated in Chicago.

Soon, both Tiago and Tricks will fall prey to the stormy hunger that engulfs them - a passion that will shake the very foundation of all the worlds.

• ISBN10: 110151745X
• ISBN13: 9781101517451
• Publish Date: 1 August 2011
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Berkley Books
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[Melanie]

I really enjoyed this book. Some parts were a little slow, but the hero and heroine are great. Tiago is very alpha and possessive. Niniane is smart and resourceful. It shows that you don't have to be the most powerful creature to rule them. You need to be smart, resourceful, charming and have a "way with people". You must also have good allies and friends. Niniane has all of these things. I know that some people don't like a heroine who cannot take care of herself (which Niniane is able to do to a point), but it also shows that there is more to ruling than being the strongest person in the room. I really liked having this in a book. It is something a little different.

I wish we had gotten to see more of the dark fae court. I hope we will see more of it in the future. We did get to meet Charling who will be Rune's mate in the next book. I really like her and can't wait to see more of vampire society. I also hope to see more of Dragos and Pia. I missed them.

[EBookObsessed]

When Drago Cuelebre, leader of the Wyr kind, killed Urien Lorelle, the king of the Dark Fae, who was holding Drago’s mate, Pia, hostage, he started a chain of events that would bring his public relations guru, Tricks Periwinkle, into the limelight. Trick’s real name is Niniane Lorelle. She is the sole surviving royal heir, and she had been in hiding with the Wyr since her Uncle Urien slaughtered her family 200 years ago.

Now that Urien is dead, Niniane is meeting with the Dark Fae delegation in Chicago to discuss taking over as the rightful Queen of the Dark Fae and returning to the Other land to the Dark Fae castle. Urien had forbidden the Dark Fae from traveling to our world and was stealing the beautiful works of the Dark Fae artisans and selling them here and keeping the profits for himself. Many are hoping that the return of the true heir might again shine a prosperous light on the Dark Fae. But there are a few who had already hoped to claim the crown for themselves if ever Urien was killed, and they are not happy to find Niniane still alive and standing on their doorstep.

When assignation attempts are made against Niniane, forcing her into hiding, Diago’s most fierce sentinel, Tiago Black Eagle, insists on going to Chicago to find her and protect her on her travel to the Dark Fae realm. Even those who support Niniane, do not like the idea of a Wyr sentinel acting as guard to their future Queen. It appears too much like a Wyr takeover of the Dark Fae kingdom. But Tiago is not going to let anyone have another try at murdering Niniane, so like it or not, he is going to accompany her and protect her.

While both Niniane and Tiago know that his protection of her is causing enough of an uproar, they soon find that their insane attraction to each other cannot be denied.

THOUGHTS:
Like Drago in Dragon Bound, Tiago is almost as old as the earth. He has lived centuries and in certain cultures he has been worshiped as a God. But unlike Drago, Tiago seems to be a little more flexible. Not that he’s not an alpha male, but he isn’t completely a “do as I say, now!” type of guy. I LOVE this big strong guy who understands that his tiny fae is a real girly-girl and he appreciates and loves that about her and he buys her fru-fru things that he knows she will like.

I am loving this series and can’t wait to hear more. This is part of my catch up to a series by audiobook project. I have already downloaded the next audiobook, Serpent’s Kiss, which features the sentinel Rune, a Griffin who is a little more modern day than our two prior heroes, and the Vampire Queen, who we meet in this story. I am looking forward to it.


See more at http://ebookobsessed.com

[mitabird]

3.5 stars

I wavered between a 3.5 and 4 stars for this book. I settled with the 3.5 stars for a few reasons: Niniane was a little too perfect, there was not enough action and this wasn't the most original of stories. Niniane always seemed to say and do the right things, even though she was portrayed as uncertain at times. I guess I could chalk this up to the diplomacy she dealt with being the PR person for Culebre enterprises, but it rang a little false to me. There were too many dull moments in between what little action there was. I thought Tiago was a good mate for Niniane, though he was the typical male who was very protective of his mate. They complemented each other well and seemed to understand what was needed, when it was needed. It wasn't a big surprise who was behind the assassination attempts either. Overall, this was an OK read, but did not live up to the greatness of book one.

[Amanda]

Original review: http://onabookbender.com/2011/10/05/review-storms-heart-by-thea-harrison/

Thea Harrison writes these amazingly fantastical stories that never fail to leave me half-breathless. I stayed up late to read because I simply could not tear myself away from the book. I managed to disengage myself so that I could sleep, and unfortunately, lost some of the momentum from the day before; the story didn’t quite carry on in the second half of the book as it did in the first. It is likely that for this reason alone, I did not rate Storm’s Heart the same as Dragon Bound.

While the second book in the Elder Races series is categorically different from the first, it still holds the same kind of breathtaking love story. That Thea Harrison can create the same kind of magical love story while also drafting unique characters with strong personalities and backgrounds speaks to her writing ability and makes her one of those “automatic buy” authors. The quality of Thea Harrison’s writing stands out with rich description and detail.

By reading Dragon Bound, we know that there was some tension between Tricks and Tiago. This tension was carried over into Storm’s Heart making it obvious there was more to their relationship than even they knew. Tiago is single-minded when it comes to what he wants and doesn’t let anything stand in his way, and it is this quality that I admire most. I don’t believe in possession for possession’s sake, but rather that the desire to possess speaks of a unyielding bond that cannot be denied. Tricks is a fascinating blend of strength and uncertainty, and I hope that she continues to play a role in future books.

Storm’s Heart reads like a storm; it is a frighteningly beautiful story that is tinged with violence and the hint of something that defies civilization with its ancientness. And quite frankly, any book that brings out my creativity and has me putting together words like the previous sentence means that it has resonated deeply.