Storm (The Paper Gods, #3)

by Amanda Sun

Katie finally uncovers the terrible secret about her boyfriend Tomohiro--that he is descended from ancient Japanese gods and heir to a tragedy that occurred long ago, a tragedy that is about to repeat.

• ISBN10: 0373211740
• ISBN13: 9780373211746
• Publish Date: 30 June 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Harlequin Teen
• Edition: Original ed.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[jeannamichel]

The Paper Gods series is back with this riveting conclusion. No one can out run their past. Tomohiro and Katie are no different. Despite their desire to be normal, Tomohiro’s drawings are still coming alive, in deadly ways. Jun believes the only way to control the world is to put his plan of world domination into motion. He starts by murdering those he believes have wronged him and gathering followers to start a war. When Tomohiro is put to the test, he begins to slowly succumb to the darkness his fate predicts. Each Kami are plagued with nightmares which tell them how to break the cycle, how to end the suffering and save the world. In the end, they come face to face with true evil—the storm they have been anticipating. The nightmares have prepared them for the battle but not for an outcome. Save the world, or die trying.

I’m not one to complete series. Sure, I talk about finishing series but it always difficult to get into that mindset, “Yes, I am finishing this series today.” Finishing a series is like seeing a friend off at the train station. I have a problem about goodbyes. The Paper Gods series is over—I can never get the same reaction as I did the first reading around; my thoughts will always be different. It’s quite sad really.

Despite my qualms about goodbyes and as far as goodbyes go, Storm was a sweet goodbye. It wasn’t too dramatic and there wasn’t a cliffhanger. It was nice and sweet.

From the very beginning, I loved this series as a whole. Ink killed me, it was the perfect combination of setting to drag you in and plot which held you still. Rain wasn’t as amazing but still a good path for the series to take. Storm was just the icing on the cake. Here is the complete package.

Throughout the first two books, I found myself disliking Tomohiro. Ever since that scene with the love motel, I was definitely turned off by Katie’s boyfriend. I explain a little more about my dislike in my previous reviews. Jun was my guy: the strong, coffee lover who totally cared about Katie and tried not to get her too involved. In Storm, my team switched and here’s why. Jun took a huge back seat in this book. He was barely mentioned and if he was mentioned, he was brought up in fear, disgust, or caution. Total turn-off. Storm was Tomohiro’s story. It was the book where I started warming up to him—liking him much more. Throughout the whole series, Sun created gorgeous characters with intense depth, power, and form.

Sun is a fantastic author. Her genius lies in description, whether she delves deeper into war upon a battlefield or she depicts a perfect picnic in Japan. Readers will be forced to read on to experience as if it was happening right beside them.

As much as I hope for another book in the series, Storm concludes The Paper Gods series. It was a good ending to a great series. Readers will love the final battle between the past and present. Amanda Sun has truly created a work of art.

[Chelsea]

Initial Thoughts

I knew nothing going into this book. I was expecting something along the lines of Inkheart if anyone has read that. I’m so glad that I was wrong and that it turned out to be an incredible series that I couldn’t put down.

My New BFF

I really liked Katie in this series. I liked how she wasn’t just in a new city in the same country like we tend to see, but she’s in a new city in a whole different country! I loved learning all about the Japanese culture with her. We got to see so many little things that I wasn’t expecting. It’s like I had moved with her and was learning it all at the same time. Katie made it all seem so easy though. I’m jealous of her ability to adapt so quickly.

My Crush

Tomohiro is an easy character to fall in love with. At first he seems like the bad boy which is what gets you at the start. Then once Katie starts being around him more you see how sweet and selfless he is. Can you imagine being a teenager and going through all those emotions and then having crazy, out of control powers at the same time? I admire him for keeping his control for so long. I didn’t like how he just accepted his fate though. Maybe he was just tired of fighting but he always just figured he’d die in the end. I’m glad Katie was there to tell him otherwise.

Writing Style

My favourite part about this book was learning about the culture. I don’t think I’ve read any other books set in Japan so it was really refreshing to read something not set in the U.S. You get tired of being in the same place for so long. I also really loved all the characters. There was almost a love triangle, which I got nervous about, but you could tell that Katie and Tomo were going to stay together. All the other characters were really interesting though.

Closing Thoughts

This will forever be a favourite series I think. I’m a sucker for any book that relates to any of the Gods. I’m glad that I got to learn about the Japanese Gods this time because I’m getting a little tired of the Greek ones. I’m really happy with how this series turned out and I’ll probably recommend it to just about everyone.