Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Wrath of the Storm

Wrath of the Storm. Jennifer A. Nielsen. 2017. Scholastic. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: If I was lucky, I still had another hour to live. Of course, if luck had ever played a role in my life, I wouldn't have been here in the first place.

Premise/plot: Wrath of the Storm is the third book in the Mark of the Thief trilogy by Jennifer A. Nielsen. I'd recommend reading the books in order, and, since I love, love, love, love, love Nielsen's books, I'd definitely recommend you read them sooner rather than later! The series is middle grade fantasy set in ancient Rome. Nicolas Calva may have started out his life a slave, a nobody, but he's not a nobody now. He's got all sorts of attention. And he hates it. Mainly because everyone he loves is in constant danger.

In this one, the big question is WILL NIC MAKE A JUPITER STONE? Is it his DESTINY as everyone says it is? Will he survive the making of it? Will he ever be free to be with Aurelia? How can he best protect his grandfather, his mother, his sister, his best friend, and the love of his life? Will making the Jupiter stone or attempting to make the Jupiter stone lead to their best chance at happiness? And what about the voice in his head? Should he listen to it?!

My thoughts: I really have enjoyed this series. Nic and Aurelia are an interesting pair. At times I wanted to yell at both of them. I think they infuriate one another now and then. They definitely fight--a lot. But they're a great match too. They really love one another, and they want what is best for each other. For Nic, that means he wants her to be SAFE even if that means she leaves the Roman empire. For Aurelia, that means she wants him ALIVE, and if staying in Rome fighting by his side gives him any help at all, she'll do it no matter what he says.

The series is action driven and character driven. Essentially it's an intense way to spend your time. But the characters are memorable for the most part!

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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