Roar (Stormheart, #1)

by Cora Carmack

Challenge a tempest.
Survive it.
And you become its master.

Aurora Pavan comes from one of the oldest Stormling families in existence. Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world's deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora's been groomed to be the perfect queen. She's intelligent and brave and honorable. But she's yet to show any trace of the magic she'll need to protect her people.

To keep her secret and save her crown, Aurora's mother arranges for her to marry a dark and brooding Stormling prince from another kingdom. At first, the prince seems like the perfect solution to all her problems. He'll guarantee her spot as the next queen and be the champion her people need to remain safe. But the more secrets Aurora uncovers about him, the more a future with him frightens her. When she dons a disguise and sneaks out of the palace one night to spy on him, she stumbles upon a black market dealing in the very thing she lacks—storm magic. And the people selling it? They're not Stormlings. They're storm hunters.

Legend says that her ancestors first gained their magic by facing a storm and stealing part of its essence. And when a handsome young storm hunter reveals he was born without magic, but possesses it now, Aurora realizes there's a third option for her future besides ruin or marriage.

She may not have magic now, but she can steal it if she's brave enough.

• ISBN10: 0765386313
• ISBN13: 9780765386311
• Publish Date: 13 June 2017
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 17 March 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Tor Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[liz089]

First of all, many thanks to FairyLoot for getting me this one in the June subscription box. Would I have picked it up otherwise? Probably. But now I have a pretty hardcover and I read it right away.

So yeah, I went into this one prepared to be disappointed. A lot of new YA fantasy series have been.. well, not really up to standards and I was afraid this would be another one of those. In a way it was one of those.. But it did bring some interesting new ideas into the mix and overall I liked this book..

Want to read more about my review of Roar ? Check out my blog Freyja Eats Books

[Ashley]

Perfection. 3

[lizarodz]

4.5 Stars

I am probably the only reader in the planet who had never read a book by Cora Carmack. So, when I read the blurb for Roar and saw its cover I was sold. As you know, I adore fantasy and Roar has the makings of an epic story.

I fell in love with Aurora / Roar’s world. It’s hostile and very dangerous, but fascinating. Their world is plagued with constant storms of all types – hurricanes, fog, tornadoes, light storms – and they require the protection of powerful people that know how to steal the heart of the storm in order to dissipate them. What an original concept, so intriguing.

Princess Aurora comes from a very strong linage of Stormlings, but she has no powers. To avoid losing her kingdom, she agrees to a loveless marriage with the second son of the kingdom of Locke. However, Aurora is dreading the marriage and then she discovers that magic can be gained and not only inherited. She grabs the opportunity to do just that and carve her own destiny. Roar is brave, scared, loyal, naive, lonely, stubborn, and powerful.

Locke is one of the leaders of the band of hunters that shelters Roar. He is handsome, powerful, cautious, protective and one of the best book boyfriend ever. Seriously. I loved his patience, how careful he was with Roar, they bickering and fighting was priceless. Their relationship is slow to grow and develop, but beautiful to read about.

Of course, I cannot tell you what happens in the story, but let me just say that it’s surprising to say the least.

Cormack’s writing is enthralling and compelling. The pace was a bit slow at the beginning since there was a lot of world building to develop, but it picked up later, after all there’s a lot of action, plotting and of course storms in the story. I also appreciate that the ending was not a cliffhanger, but a gentle reminder of what’s yet to come.

Overall, Roar was a great beginning for what I hope is an epic fantasy series. With a strong heroine, a to-die-for book boyfriend, an awesome host of secondary characters, and amazing world building (not to mention the gorgeous cover) Roar is an enthralling YA fantasy that left me craving for more.

[whisperingchapters]

What a great fantasy read!!!