About the Book
Not long ago Eila Walker's choices were limited: death by a bullet to the head, or at the hands of her beloved bodyguard, Raef. Now, five weeks after Raef triggered her power and she nearly leveled a historic mansion, Eila is dealing with the fall-out of her decisions. While she doesn't remember dying in the arms of the soul thief who loves her, she knows that Raef remembers everything about the night he nearly killed her.
Now on the mend and attempting to keep one step ahead of the FBI, Eila and her team of misfits are desperate for a bit of normal. Eila is trying to navigate high school, while her BFF Ana is cautiously hanging with past-boyfriend and soul thief, Kian. Shape-shifter, MJ, is trying not to piss off his mother, while Raef is coping with his fears that Eila will never be safe.
But just as "normal" seems within their grasp, a powerfully built newcomer arrives. Raef knows the scarred man as a Blacklist Dealer - a soul thief, who peddles the names of humans who deserve to die. Eila, however, knows him as the protective hunter from the woods, who she nicknames Thor. Before long, Raef and Eila realize they've met the same killer, and he has one hell of a story to tell the five friends . . . if Raef doesn't murder him first.
About the Author :
K.R. Conway is a sarcastic bugger who likes to torment Cape Cod's summertime tourists, taunting them about sneaky sharks and traffic-free backroads. She's been a professional journalist since 1999 when several newspaper editors lost their minds and hired her as a feature writer. She is best known, however, for her Urban Fantasy series, Undertow, which reads like a mash-up of Jaws and The Goonies. Awards, nominations, and features include Barnes and Noble's Seven Terrifying Summer Reads for Teens (2015), Teen Ink Magazine's Best Picks, Girl's Life Magazine Cool Winter Reads, newspapers, magazines, and radio. Nominations include Indie Recon Live (Best New YA, Best Opening Line, Best Book Boyfriend), YALSA, Cybil, Goodreads, IRDA, and others. The series has spawned fan fiction, fan art, jewelry, clothing, and even tattoos. Conway, who is a member of SCBWI, teaches fiction craft at writer conferences, high schools, and libraries. She lives on Cape Cod with her equally weird family and a strange assortment of critters. When not writing, Conway drives a forty-foot Loser Cruiser that smells like forgotten Pony sneakers from the 80s.
Review :
RAMPANT READERS:
Why I Picked It Up
I absolutely adored Undertow so of course I needed to get my hands on this one!
Plot
Stormfront was full of unexpected surprises, new characters, and a whole lot of action. Regarding plot, it was definitely more engaging than book one, which I wouldn't have thought possible. The pacing in this book was fast which kept me absolutely glued to the book. I put a lot of emotional stake into what happened to the characters. There wasn't a single dull moment in the entire book and I found myself wishing that I could read faster so I could know what happened next.
Leading Lady
Eila grew stronger in this novel. Of course Raef was as protective as ever, but she refused to let him smother her. She wanted to be able to defend herself which I find admirable. She was tough in the fights that she was in. She also learned more about her heritage in this novel than the previous one. I was nice to see some of Elizabeth's history and how that affected Eila. I can't wait to see how much more she comes into her powers. Other than that, she was still selfless as ever. And funny. And just great overall.
Leading Male
Raef, as I mentioned, was just as protective as always and that got him in trouble with Eila a few times. He had to learn to take a step back and let her be her own person. He chillaxed a bit more in this novel. He always put her first and I adore that about him.
Romance
The romance in this novel was just as flaming as in the first once Raef let go of his idea of not being with Eila until she could defend herself. I knew it wasn't going to last long. The chemistry between the two characters was just too undeniable. Raef and Eila seem to forge a deeper emotional connection in this novel with their fears for each other and Eila's want to protect herself. They get a lot of things out in the open, complete with a few arguments, but it really just made them closer. I loved them and I want more of them!
Other Characters
We see more of the other characters in this novel as well. For the most part, the quotes above speak for themselves. MJ was as quirky and supportive as always. There was more development and glimpses of Ana and Kian's past together and I liked the lead up that we have for Cruel Summer. I want more than anything to know what exactly happened between the two of them. We see more of Christian in this novel as he has taken up residence in the Cape to look after Eila. And finally, we are introduced to a new character from Elizabeth's past that I won't talk about for fear of spoilers.
World Building
As I mentioned, we get more of Elizabeth's past in this novel and we also pull in some unexpected characters. I really enjoyed piecing together the information that we discovered over the course of the novel. It all lead to an absolutely evil cliffhanger that left me gaping like a fish. Hopefully we'll get the next book soon!
Conclusion
Stormfront was even better than Undertow: it had double the action, double the unexpected twists, and double the history. An engaging book that I refused to put down, it is definitely one that I can recommend.
