Roar is a great new fantasy from Cora Carmack. Combining two of my favorite things, elemental magic and a knife wielding lead who can stand her own.Title: Roar
Author: Cora Carmack
Published: June 13, 2017 by Tor
In a land ruled and shaped by violent magical storms, power lies with those who control them.
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 might not have magic now, but she can steal it if she’s brave enough.
Challenge a tempest. Survive it. And you become its master.
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In many ways I loved Aurora aka Rora aka Roar. She is fierce. Even though she seems to be lacking in typical Stormling magic, she doesn’t let herself become crippled by it. She has learned how to fight and become an expert in knives. The things I struggled with her though was the childish way she handles Cassius and her kingdom. She should have confronted Cassius instead of running off and not even thinking twice about the possible peril she left her kingdom in. How often did she think of Nova and worry about her? It also bothered me that she seemed to fall for the first cute guys that look her way. It was just a weird pet peeve for me about her. I do really like her though and I think she is going to be amazing in the next book. I can’t wait to see what she can do, she definitely grows as she journeys to find her own answers. The thing about her is that even when she is at her lowest, she’s not helpless.
I love Nova! It’s hard to go on much about her without giving things away. She is definitely someone that I hope to see play an even stronger role as the story continues.
Cassius really intrigues me. We get to see his point of view at times and so you know what he’s actually thinking. There is so much more to him than what his family is and I think that brought about some of my frustration with Aurora.
I also love Locke. He is very good hearted and kind. He has seen tragedy and has a need to protect people. He immediately takes to Roar thinking she is someone in distress. Again there are things about his relationship that bother me. The way that he gives her trust and he doesn’t receive it back would be one of them. Although the way he treats her and the way he cares for her is amazing.
Jinx is another great character and strong female. I’m was always happy to hear her banter along with the rest of the Storm crew.
I love the magic system!! I find the different types of storms and the way they act fascinating. It’s not too much information. We get to learn right along with Roar which makes things less confusing. There is so much to it and it’s pretty cool. There is also a little bit a religion that goes with it as well that was interesting.
I was really excited for Roar and I’m so glad it lived up to my expectations. I can’t wait for the next book.
EXCERPT
“No need to burn people from the inside out, Etel. This one is with me.”
A large, masculine form pressed into Rora’s side, and a heavy arm draped over her shoulders. The old woman straightened. She scowled and spit on the ground, and when she spoke, her tone was higher, less raspy, “Ye could have told me that, Locke, before I wasted me time.”
Rora froze. Cassius. He’d found her. She had been so distracted by the woman and her wares that she hadn’t thought to keep watch. He pulled her forward, and her feet dragged like lead. She couldn’t take a deep enough breath, and her eyes began to cloud with tears.
What have I done? How will I explain this? What will he do to me?
“Come on, girl. I’m doing you a favor getting you away from that fraud. You could at least play along.”
Rora lurched to a stop, and jerked her head upward. That wasn’t Cassius. Her hood began to slip backward. She tried to catch it, but her movements lagged behind her mind, and her injured arm had grown stiff and numb. Cool air hit her uncovered cheeks, her nose, then her forehead. Even with the scarf hiding her hair, she might be recognized. And she had a feeling this was a very bad place for a princess to be.
The hood’s descent halted; it wasn’t her fingers that had caught the fabric but his. He was so tall that Rora had to crane her head back to see him. His hair was a dark, wavy brown and hung long enough to brush against his shoulders.
“Keep that hood up. This is no place for little girls.”
“I’m not a little girl!” She clamped her mouth shut, immediately wishing she could take the declaration back. Not only because it sounded exactly like what a little girl would say but also because she had not tempered her volume. At all. And thought it wasn’t Cassius who caught her, he was here somewhere. She bit her lip in worry, and the stranger’s eyes tracked down to her mouth briefly before darting around her face.
He still held on to her hood, keeping it back enough that he could see her eyes. “So you’re not a little girl. Still doesn’t mean this is any place for you.”
She could not argue with that.
“She called you Locke.”
His eyes narrowed. “Yes. And?”
“As in…Prince Locke?”
He laughed so hard that he released her hood. She rushed to grab it and pull it down to cover her face. She had no doubt people were staring now. He sucked in a breath, and then as if he couldn’t help himself, burst into laughter all over again.
Still chuckling, he said, “I’m about as much a prince, as you are a princess.”
a Rafflecopter giveawayCora Carmack is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of New Adult Romance and YA fantasy. Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages around the world. Cora splits her time between Austin, TXand New York City, and on any given day you might find her typing away at her computer, flying to various cities around the world, or just watching Netflix with her kitty Katniss. But she can always be found on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and her website www.coracarmack.com.
Represented by the fabulous Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary.
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