Soul of the Storm by Katerina Martinez – A Book Review

Posted December 18, 2019 by Booksandblurbs in Reviews, Urban Fantasy / 0 Comments

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Soul of the Storm

(The Wardbreaker – Book 2)

by Katerina Martinez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Urban Fantasy/Fantasy
Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited

Down & Dirty

Fast paced and filled to the brim with action, this is a story that is starting to feel far more original and stand apart than it first appeared. Mystery, mayhem and demons abound – and it’s free on Kindle Unlimited.

What is it about?

(Blurb from GoodReads)

I have an exceptional talent, and it’s going to get me killed.

Let’s be honest, things haven’t exactly gone well from me ever since I stole from Becket, the red-eyed Demonologist. You could almost say that single act of dumbassery started this whole mess. But even though I’m a mage, I can’t exactly reverse the course of time, so here we are.

We’re hiding.

Why? Because a big-time crime-boss is out there, waiting for us to make a mistake that’ll let him clamp down on us like a hungry wolf on the leg of a wounded deer. Now, hiding sounds easy, right? You get to shack up somewhere with a fireplace, a couple of books, and a whole bunch of mage friends? Not quite. You see, we’ve kind of been forced to shack up with Becket, and he doesn’t keep a horde of cats as pets like a normal person; he keeps demons, and it’s creepy as hell.

But even if I could live with the demons, I can’t sit on my hands and do nothing. The scroll we retrieved from the Magister’s vault is fraying, and if I don’t enter the Tempest and find my Guardian soon, it’ll probably turn to dust and we can kiss any hopes of learning more about the drowned Queen’s treasures goodbye. I have to get my act together and do this, because I’m the only one who can. The problem is, the Tempest isn’t opening its doors for me, and I’m running out of time.

The weight of the world is on my shoulders, and I don’t know if I can do this, but I have to try.

Thoughts on Soul Of The Storm

While Book 1 (read my review here) felt somehow reminiscent of other tales, Book 2 veers to the left and takes the story in an entirely new direction from other, more familiar, offerings. Isabella, our mage stripper turned thief, is coming into her powers, though not completely willingly. Events are such that she has no choice, and when she loses a friend to the magical equivalent of a Mob Boss, those powers are the only thing that may save her – and them all.

It’s fast, jumping from one scene to the next with little downtime, as the characters themselves are facing a literal clock of time and decay. Between fending off murderous crows, avoiding the eyes of a powerful mage, dancing with demons and finding a way into Tempest… they also have to decipher the mystery of the scroll and discover the secrets buried over a thousand years ago. But no pressure.

This is a typical Book 2 in a trilogy, offering up answers while still laying out the mystic that will keep you coming back for Book 3. Characters grow, situations change and some secrets are revealed. It’s a fun ride, and worth the read.

*I received an ARC of this book and am happy to share my honest opinion*

Pros:

Full on action and quite a few revelations.
Alex is starting to come into his own and stand apart as a solid character.
The Drowned City and The Drowned Queen… we’ve only heard tid-bits so far, and I want to know more.
The Tempest.
Great cover art!

Cons:

Some parts are hard to follow.
I really like the characters, but I am not invested in them just yet.
The romantic dynamic seems to be with Alex, which rocks, but I kinda like Becket better. That’s just me though.

Perspective:

First Person, Third Person, Multiple POV (limited)

Ending Type

Cliffhanger

Rating

PG-13 to R

Romantic Dynamic

M/F

Character Age Range

24+

My Final Verdict on Soul of the Storm

Book 2 brings the series into its own, showcasing a new and different world with strange rules, harsh lessons and magic aplenty. It’s brutally fast, with a hint of romance and a whole lot of growth. Free on KU.

Published December 13th, 2019
183 Pages

If you enjoyed this review of Soul of the Storm, please consider checking out a few of my other articles.

Your Turn

What are you reading today? Have you read this book? Are you going to? What about other books by Katerina Martinez? Leave a comment, I would love to talk!