Book Review: Storm Born (Dark Swan #1) by Richelle Mead

Summary: 
Just typical. No love life to speak of for months, then all at once, every horny creature in the Otherworld wants to get in your pants...
Eugenie Markham is a powerful shaman who does a brisk trade banishing spirits and fey who cross into the mortal world. Mercenary, yes, but a girl's got to eat. Her most recent case, however, is enough to ruin her appetite. Hired to find a teenager who has been taken to the Otherworld, Eugenie comes face to face with a startling prophecy--one that uncovers dark secrets about her past and claims that Eugenie's first-born will threaten the future of the world as she knows it.

Now Eugenie is a hot target for every ambitious demon and Otherworldy ne'er-do-well, and the ones who don't want to knock her up want her dead. Eugenie handles a Glock as smoothly as she wields a wand, but she needs some formidable allies for a job like this. She finds them in Dorian, a seductive fairy king with a taste for bondage, and Kiyo, a gorgeous shape-shifter who redefines animal attraction. But with enemies growing bolder and time running out, Eugenie realizes that the greatest danger is yet to come, and it lies in the dark powers that are stirring to life within her...

Review:
I am a huge fan of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series and set out to read all of her books.  I like her Georgina Kincaid Succubus series, but I don't like it as much as Vampire Academy.  So, I wasn't sure what to expect of the Dark Swan series, especially after reading the summary, which didn't exactly grab me and make me feel like I had to start reading right away.  

Storm Born is told in the first person, and Eugenie is our narrator.  She is a shaman and banishes spirits, fey, and Otherworld creatures who cross into the human world to do harm.  This book is about faeries, but Eugenie refers to them as gentry, so it was easy for me to forget that I was actually reading a fey book.  Not that I have anything against faeries---I love faerie books---but there were times I totally forgot that the Otherworld's inhabitant were faeries.  

Like Vampire Academy, Storm Born is smart and sexy.  It is an adult novel so there are more adult scenes, but they are not overdone like the Succubus series.  Storm Born is a perfect mix of love and action.  There is a sizzling love triangle, which I love, as well as hidden powers and a secret heritage which add a lot of depth to the story. 

Storm Born reminded me a lot of the Rachel Morgan series by Kim Harrison, and I mean that in a good way.  I love the Rachel Morgan books!  I immediately bought Thorn Queen, book two in the Dark Swan series, after finishing Storm Born.  I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys paranormal stories---it was an excellent read!

Just One Gripe: 
My only complaint is that there are only two books out in this series so far.  I was trying to wait until more books were out before starting the series, but I just couldn't help myself.

The Best Thing About This Book: 
The perfect balance between love and action.

Appropriate for a younger audience: 
No

Score: 
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Setting/Imagery: 5/5
Originality: 4/5
Ending: 5/5
Total Score:  23/25




12 comments:

  1. Glad you also enjoyed it! I'm going to read the second one next month, and then the wait for the 3rd one :(

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  2. Excellent review! I've never heard of this, and I've never read the Vampire Academy books...is that a crime? haha

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  3. This sounds like one I need to check out. Thanks for the great review! I also haven't read Vampire Academy, like Melissa above. Sounds like I have some reading to do. :)
    Lisa ~ YA Literature Lover

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  4. Great review Kelli - I love this series but I'm not happy about the very long wait between books LOL. I prefer to discover a series when it has finished so I can read all of the books together :o) I've added your link to my review

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  5. YES IT IS A CRIME!...lol... Vampire Academy is a must!

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  6. I really enjoy this series as well and I thoroughly agree with your gripe! I read the first two and now it's been over a year and still no book 3:( I think it comes out Spring next year. Great review!

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  7. hmm not too sure about this one. I know it sounds a bit pathetic but I really don't like novels that are too explicit - I have a good enough imagination without the author going into too much detail.

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  8. Perfect balance between love and action? Awesome recommendation :)

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  9. Popular amongst the daughters of my friends, I will get around to reading this one day.

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  10. LOL! You know it must be a good book if your only complaint is that you want more!

    I'm gonna have to get my hands on this series! Thanks for the review!

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  11. Very excited to hear that you like this one too. Have yet to crack open the Vampire Academy book I've got... Too busy reading Suzanne Collins...
    FYI Team Peeta all the way....

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  12. I'm reading this right now. About half way through it. Not my favorite Mead book, but I'm likin' it so far. Dorian seems interesting...guess I have to wait and see. :-)

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