Review - Tempest’s Fury (Jane True, Book 5) by Nicole Peeler (4.5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 368 pages
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: June 26, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0316128117
Stand Alone or Series: 5th book in the Jane True series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

This is the fifth book in the Jane True series by Peeler. The sixth (and final) book in this series, Tempest Reborn, is scheduled for a May 2013 release. This was an excellent read, I really enjoyed it a lot. The story is getting more and more epic, and Jane is really growing into her new powers.

Jane and crew are forced to travel to London to face off with an ancient evil known as the Red and White. Jane will have to learn how to navigate the politics of European supernaturals as well as earn the trust of the local supernatural rebel group. Jane will also have to learn to wield her magical ax and her substantial magical power. If she can’t get everyone to work together and control her own power then London and the world at large will be at risk. Poor Jane, all she wanted was to do some sightseeing, spend time with Anyan, and eat some really stinky cheese....

This was a great in installment in this series. Jane is finally growing into her power and she has been working hard to do this. It was great to see a heroine actually spending time training to use her power; I hate it when heroines just..bam!...suddenly understand how to use a power...especially when they are not super strong to begin with. Jane is nervous and reluctant about stepping up as a hero, but when push comes to shove she finds her metal. It was so fun to watch her grow as a character in this book.

There is a lot of humor throughout, as with previous novels in this series. I continue to enjoy Jane’s internal arguments between her Virtue and Libido; they are just so quirky and so Jane. You have to adore Jane as a character; she quirky and funny and likable and dependable.

The other characters are great too. Anyan is in this book a lot and we learn a ton more about his very long history. Blondie is in the book quite a bit more too and we learn more about her background as well.

There are a bevy of new characters that join the story: some are from the European Supernatural leadership, some are European supernatural rebels. They are all decent characters and well done.

I loved the mythos and history of the Red and White. The whole mythos is well thought out and interesting. The Red and White makes for an absolutely awesome enemy. The Red tends to take the form of a Dragon...so yes we do see Jane fighting a dragon in this novel which is so, so cool! There are some truly awesome battle scenes in this book and major landmarks in London take some serious damage.

So what about Jane and Anyan? There are some very touching and sensual scenes featuring these two in the book. They start to get intimate and get interrupted a lot...to the point where I was frustrated for them. The scenes are well done and very sweet. I love that Jane is a one man woman.

The story ends with an absolutely huge event that I immediately wanted to read more about. It was a great ending, a huge cliffhanger, and just absolutely awesome.

Overall I really enjoyed this installment of the series, it was my favorite one yet. There are some awesome battle scenes, a wonderful mythos, humor, and great characters that are fun to read about. Jane has come so far from being the book store employee in Rockabill. I can’t wait to see what the sixth and final book brings to the series! Highly recommended for fans of humorous urban fantasy.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge

Review - Eye of the Tempest (Jane True, Book 4) by Nicole Peeler (4.5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 352 pages

Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: August 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0316128087
Stand Alone or Series: 4th book in the Jane True series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

This is the fourth book in the Jane True series by Peeler.  This book was less romance and more urban fantasy than the previous books.  I really enjoyed it and am intrigued by some of the turns the story takes.

Jane is trying to catch her breath from all of the events that happened in the last book.  Then strange things start happening in the town of Rockabill.  Random people (normal and supernaturals alike) start spouting strange warnings without realizing it and some of the baddies we've all grown to hate show up searching for...something.  Jane, Anyan, and crew have to figure out what everyone is searching for and how to get to it before the baddies do.  They have some additional help in the mysterious character Blondie, who is one of the Originals.

I really enjoyed this book.  You get a bit of Jane and Anyan time in the first third of the book, I love Anyan and enjoyed the steamy scenes between him and Jane.  I also enjoyed Jane's quirks, her funniness, and the constant arguments between her libido and her virtue.  Additionally I enjoyed watching Jane grow into her substantial power.  After all of the training in the last book, she has learned how to wield her magic much more efficiently and she is continuing to train and learn her limits.

The story takes on a bit of a quest feel as Jane and crew struggle to find the locks that unlock the huge thing beneath Rockabill.  There is searching and stumbling through dark caves, and I am going to be honest the adventure fantasy fan in me loved some of these scenes.  Then there is Jane taking on a whole new aspect, that of a champion and a fighter.  Yes being a fighter is totally against Jane's nature, but that's what makes it so interesting.  I am sure in the next book Jane will make all the training to learn to fight absolutely hilarious and we will get to see Jane take on yet more responsibilities and grow into a force to be reckoned with.

Blondie wasn't my favorite character, she was okay and did add a sense of mystery to the story.  Based on the end of this book it looks like she will be playing a major role in future books.  I am kind of hoping the thing going on between her and Jane stays just a passing thing and doesn't get any more...well deep.  I really am pulling for Jane and Anyan to work things out and don't want Blondie getting in the way.

The book ends well and does an excellent job of completing the main story in this book.  It does start up the story arc for the next novel too, and I am dying to know what happens next.  With Jane positioned to take on a world of evil I am eager to see what happens!

Overall an excellent addition to this series.  It was more urban fantasy than paranormal romance (although there are some excellent steamy scenes between Anyan and Jane).  This book really ups the stakes for Jane and her friends.  They are forced to solve a mystery of epic proportions and are drawn into events bigger than ever.  I loved watching Jane master her power and loved watching her be forced to take on new roles that test her as a character.  I am curious to see how all of this changes her.  Like all of the previous books this one was well written, fun to read, and hilarious at times.  Now I can't wait to get my hands on the next book, Tempest's Fury, too bad it doesn't come out until summer of 2012!

On a side note I am totally not digging these new ugly covers with the big red bands on the top and bottom.  What happened to the pretty and unique covers the other books in the series had!?

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:

- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 100+ Reading Challenge

Review - Tempest's Legacy (Jane True, Book 3) by Nicole Peeler (5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy 

Size: 368 pages
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: January 3, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0316056601
Stand Alone or Series: Book 3 in Jane True series, 6 books planned
Source: ARC from Netgalley.com
Rating: 5/5 stars

This is the third book in the Jane True series by Nicole Peeler; right now Peeler has six books contracted in this series.  I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley.com.  This book was an absolutely fantastic addition to the series, I loved it a lot.  It is funny, broadens the story a lot, Jane really grows as a character and there is more Anyan.  I do have a warning for readers who are into this series coming from the paranormal romance angle; this book is definitely more of an urban fantasy.  In the previous books there were a lot (a lot, a lot) of hot scenes between Jane and Ryu, in this book the romance is mostly absent.  So if you are reading it for the hot scenes beware that is not really what this book is about.

This book starts off with Jane training with Nell about how to throw those mage balls she has so much trouble with.  Then Anyan arrives with some horrible news, Jane's mother has been killed.  Now Jane didn't really know her mom, but she was really hoping to know her someday so this pretty much destroys Jane.  Now Jane wants to be in on the lab investigations more than anything, mostly to revenge her mother's death.  Jane joins Anyan, Ryu and team in investigating these horrible labs where supernatural women are being experimented on and killed.  The investigation will take Jane into the Borderlands and back.  Jane will learn a lot about her past and be confronted with a lot of horrible things she has to deal with.

This was a really great book, but it was by far the darkest book in the series and was more of an investigative urban fantasy than anything else.  To be honest I enjoyed this book more than any of the previous books, but then I am a huge urban fantasy fan and the lack of romance didn't bother me.  Jane has to go through some horrible things and she is confronted with murder and torture at every turn; so there are definitely some heart wrenching parts to this book.  That being said it isn't all death and torture; Jane remains her realistic, goofy self and had me laughing out loud a number of times.  This is still a fun book to read, it just isn't as light and fluffy as previous books...it deals with some heavy, painful stuff.

I absolutely loved that Jane is getting her power under control and that she has to train to do it.  I hate it when heroines get supernatural powers and instantly just know what to do!  I love that Jane is having to work hard and practice in order to figure out how to get her powers to work the way she wants too.  I also loved that we spend more time with Anyan.  Ryu always bothered me a bit because he was just too smooth, Anyan feels so much more real to me.  Anyan and Jane have good chemistry, but their relationship remains....frustrating.

I also love that we got to go into the Borderlands in this book.  It introduces us to a wonderful new set of characters and a wonderful alternate lifestyle for the supernaturals.  We also are introduced to an ancient and powerful supernatural race that wasn't in the earlier books.

The book ends well wrapping up the main storyline in this book.  There are a number of surprising plot twists towards the end that will surprise the reader and these twists open up some major story-lines for the next book.  Even though it doesn't end on a cliffhanger, I was dying to know what happens next to Jane and crew.

Overall this was an absolutely wonderful addition to the series.  It really takes the series to a whole new level.  This book wasn't as fluffy and funny as the previous books, the fun was still there but it was tempered with desperate situations and dark happenings.  I loved this book, definitely check out this series if you are a fan of urban fantasy with humor laced throughout.  It features a normal girl with extraordinary magic, that you can't help but love.  Now I am on pins and needles waiting for the fourth book, Eye of the Tempest, to come out!

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:

- 100+ Reading Challenge

- E-book Reading Challenge

- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge

Review - Tracking the Tempest (Jane True, Book 2) by Nicole Peeler (4.5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 368 pages
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0316056571
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in Jane True series
Source: Bought
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

This is the second book in the Jane True series with 6 books currently on contract.  The third book, Tempest's Legacy, comes out in Jan 2011.  I really enjoyed this book, even more than the first one, Tempest Rising.

This book picks up a few months after the first one leaves off.  Jane is with Nell getting lessons on how to use her supernatural powers as a selkie.  Then Ryu whisks Jane back to his home town of Boston for a romantic Valentine's Day weekend.  Unfortunately things don't go as planned.  People are ending up dead in a very crispy way and it is likely that a fire genie halfling with a serious grudge is responsible.  Instead of being romanced by Ryu Jane is drawn into supernatural politics, running for her life, and hunting down a viscous murderer.  The only good thing about it all is she is getting a lot of on the run training in her new powers.

This was a wonderful book.  Like the first book Jane is funny and down to earth, she is a bit of a dork at points which only serves to make her more likable.  There are some sizzling scenes between her and Ryu and more feeling begins to develop between them (although I am still having trouble taking Ryu completely seriously).  Jane is starting to take charge of her life; she is working on her training and starting to stand up for herself.

We meet a lot of new interesting characters and get to learn a lot more about some of the ones introduced in the first book.  My favorite is the Barghest Anyan, who we saw some of in the first book.  He gets involved in this book in a big way.  You also learn a lot more about how the Court operates and how they are governed.  A new part of the supernatural community called the Borderlands is introduced; I am eager to hear more about the Borderlands in future books.

The pace of this book is faster than the second and there is a lot more action.  I like how Jane knows her limits and tries to help in anyway she can, but stays out of the way in areas she doesn't excel in.  I also enjoyed how Jane acts like an intelligent woman and doesn't just let herself get swept off her feet by Ryu but seriously looks at her relationship with him.  I enjoyed some of the decisions she made towards the end of the book and think that this book really helped Jane grow as a character.

Overall a really great installment in this series.  I am now officially hooked on Jane True.  This book takes the series from a fun light read, to a fun read with some serious mojo going on.  There is better world-building, better action, better plot, and great characterization in this book.  I can't wait to read the next book, Tempest's Legacy.

 

Review - Tempest Rising (Jane True, Book 1) by Nicole Peeler (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Size: 368 pages
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: November 1, 2009
ISBN-13: 978-0316056588
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in Jane True series
Source: Borrowed from Friend
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the first book in the Jane True series.  There are at least 6 books contracted for this series with the third book, Tempest's Legacy, out in January of 2011.  This was a very good start to this new series.  It is a fun read with a great plot and interesting characters.

Jane lives in a small coastal town in Maine.  For the most part her life is fairly normal except that she loves to go swimming in the ocean, at night, in the cold.  When some bizarre murders take place in her town of Rockabill a super hot man, err vampire, named Ryu gets in contact with her as a paranormal investigator.  Ryu tells her that her mother was a selkie, so Jane is half selkie.  Sparks between Jane and Ryu fly, but when they find Jane's name is next on the list of murder victims, Jane is drawn into the dangerous world of the supernatural faster than she ever wanted to be.

This was a fun read and a good story.  I enjoyed Jane's down-to-earth attitude and her sharp sense of humor.  Jane is just your every day woman drawn into crazy circumstances and she tries to make the best of things.  She does know her limits though, and backs off if things get too hot for her to handle.  Ryu and Jane have a fun relationship, but it never seems totally serious.  It seems like him and Jane are together for the fun of it, and that is fine.

There are a lot of interesting characters in this book and you never know what new surprising creature awaits around the corner.  It was fun to read about selkies, I don't think I have read a book featuring selkies before so that was very creative.  The author treats supernaturals as just a bunch of separate races, so it ends up being an interesting and refreshing take on vampires as well.

The book was easy to read, well written, and paced well.  The end is tied up nicely but leaves some threads hanging for the next book.  This book tends more towards paranormal romance than urban fantasy, although there is a lot of mystery and investigation here.

Overall a fun read, kind of a fluffy read, but well done overall.  If you are a fan of Molly Harper, the Aisling Grey series, or even the Sookie Stackhouse books you should enjoy this book.  It is interesting, light and fun.  The characters are never in too much danger and they all have pretty fun attitudes.  A great read and I look forward to reading the second book, Tracking the Tempest.