Eye of the Tempest (Jane True book 4) by Nicole Peeler

 

I love it when an author allows her character to grow and change and evolve. And Nicole Peeler has Jane growing up in many, many, ways.

I also love what Ms. Peeler does with the metaphysics in Eye of the Tempest , the possibilities out there for someone who can do magic with water... very creative and somewhat mindblowing, at times.

That's not to say I enjoyed the entire book. I don't enjoy being teased, and there was way too much of that going on. Enough that I'll be taking at least one point away. There were also issues with pacing, though I'm not sure if that was enough for another whole point or not.

Here's the blurb:

Nothing says "home" like being attacked by humans with very large guns, as Jane and Anyan discover when they arrive in Rockabill. These are professionals, brought into kill, and they bring Anyan down before either Jane or the barghest can react. Seeing Anyan fall awakens a terrible power within Jane, and she nearly destroys herself taking out their attackers.

Jane wakes, weeks later, to discover that she's not the only thing that's been stirring. Something underneath Rockabill is coming to life: something ancient, something powerful, and something that just might destroy the world.

Jane and her friends must act, striking out on a quest that only Jane can finish. For whatever lurks beneath the Old Sow must be stopped...and Jane's just the halfling for the job.

There were a few other minor annoyances, but I won't talk about them too much as they would be spoilers. Mostly, it was a good book and I approve of the direction it appears things are going.

As for the writing elements:

• The plot was exceptionally well thought out and begins a whole passel of new arcs that will probably last through at least three or four more books.
• Pacing had issues - way too slow in some places and almost frenetic in others. Frenetic I can handle, but the slow periods were a problem.
• Prose and dialogue were mostly okay. Dialogue was great, and the snippiness was fantastic, but a few times the extravagant writing pulled me out of the story. Ms. Peeler is a great wordsmith, but at times it felt more like being a wordsmith than being a storyteller. I did enjoy the dozen or so laugh-out-loud moments, though.
• Character development continues to be stellar. We see a different side of Anyan, one I enjoyed seeing. We've seen him from a distance, it was nice to get to know him a bit better.
• World-building is amazing in the whole series, and book four continues that trend.

Book six in this series will be Tempest's Fury, and is apparently not going to be released until the summer of 2012. I don't want to wait that long for the next book.

• Book Rating: Eye of the Tempest: 9 of 10
• Series Rating: 9 of 10

1. Tempest Rising
2. Tracking the Tempest (July 1, 2010)
3. Tempest's Legacy (January 1, 2011)
4. Eye of the Tempest  (August 1, 2011)
5. Tempest's Fury