“He had this domineering way about him that totally ketchuped my tater tots – it was like he knew what I wanted more than I did.” – Tempest's Fury by Nicole Peeler
Although I have yet to purchase a pair of red Converse sneakers or swim naked in the Atlantic Ocean, I’ve been an ardent supporter of Nicole Peeler’s Jane True saga ever since she released the first installment – which was her debut novel – Tempest Rising back in 2009. At the risk of sounding like a raving überfan (I do not have any Jane True tattoos on my body and I do not know Nicole Peeler’s home address), every single aspect of this paranormal fantasy series is pitch-perfect: from the endearing heroine and her misfit crew of friends to the offbeat humor to the singularly unique and instantly identifiable cover design work by the incomparable Lauren Panepinto.
I have posted a lot of positive (and certainly well-deserved) reviews for paranormal fantasy releases over the last few decades but there is something particularly special about this Jane True series (Tempest Rising, Tracking the Tempest, Tempest's Legacy, Eye of the Tempest, and the recently released Tempest's Fury). I’ve written detailed blogs about Peeler’s mastery at developing – and evolving – central characters, her quirky sense of humor, her utilization of obscure mythological creatures, etc. but ultimately I think the fundamental reason why this series has such a cult following – and still continues to attract new fans after five novels, which is extraordinary in and of itself – is because these novels are emotionally and intellectually satisfying.
This series is uproariously entertaining but there is real substance there as well.
Take Peeler’s latest release, Tempest’s Fury. Jane, her love interest Anyan (he’s a barghest), and Blondie (she’s an Original) travel to England to fulfill her role as Champion. Once on the Great Island, she realizes that an unspeakable evil believed to be vanquished – evil dragon creatures known as the Red and the White – are “rising” once again and a supernatural battle with apocalyptic implications is looming. “It’s said that whoever holds the Great Island holds the power of our kind….”
Jane and her double-headed battleaxe are suddenly thrust into a role that is very much comparable to King Arthur and Excalibur and other fictional champions like Moorcock’s Elric of Melniboné, Dorian Hawkmoon, etc. But with so much at stake – so much pressure, so much expectation – all Jane wants is some alone time with Anyan…
In this novel, Peeler explores the sometimes overwhelming responsibilities of being a hero and its unforeseen consequences: “So your having the power of the champion means that people are going to want to use you… people will want either to take your power, or to make you work for them, or to knock you out of the game.” She also examines the toll it takes on those closest to champions, the unexpected dangers involved with being emotionally connected to heroes…
But, honestly, when I think about this series, the first thing that comes to mind is the profusion of priceless, laugh-out-loud one-liners. This series has more memorable one-liners than any other paranormal fantasy series I know. Here is a small sampling of some of my favorites over the years:
• “I’m pretty sure I’d just had a nerdgasm.” (Tempest’s Fury)
• “’Ohmigod,’ I said, groaning and burying my face in Anyan’s biceps, ‘the only thing bigger than my hips are my eyes. It’s like a manga character came to life and discovered fried chicken.” (Tempest’s Fury)
• “If I pee my pants I am going to be so pissed.” (Tempest’s Legacy)
• "Amazing sex, beautiful clothes, and a grilled cheese whenever I ask – I could get used to this life." (Tempest Rising)
• “It was when he was so casually clever, however, that I wanted to pickle his gherkin.” – (Tempest’s Fury)
• “That hair-pulling thing he did really peeled my bananas.” (Eye of the Tempest)
• “You usurped my lentils.” (Tracking the Tempest)
• “That’s not a police baton!” (Eye of the Tempest)
• "She has seaweed pubes." (Tempest Rising)
• “My cake-and-sex fantasies were foiled, however, for neither lurked in my kitchen.” (Tracking the Tempest)
• “I’ve never wanted to marry a sandwich… but this is like sex and flour.” (Tempest’s Fury)
• "Distract me, I thought, fiercely blinking back my tears. Reinvent me. Get me out of my own head; rescue me from my life... For a second, I pictured myself as Mina and Ryu as Gary Oldman's Dracula. The young hot one, mind you, with the long hair, rather than the old guy with the weird boob wig." (Tempest Rising)
• “And what the hell was I going to sleep in? I had flannel pajamas, a couple of T-shirt nighties, and some hoochtastic sexiness.” (Tempest’s Legacy)
The latest Jane True novel is Nicole Peeler at her very best. Of the five installments thus far, Tempest's Fury had the deepest storyline and easily had the most spit-your-coffee-out-all-over-the-book-while-reading sequences. The humor was spot-on – as was Jane’s emotionally intense evolution from libidinous Rockabill, Maine, bookseller to legendary champion of good.
And let’s not even mention this novel’s jaw-dropper of an ending…. Wow.
The bottom line is this: Peeler’s Jane True saga is as close to perfect as a paranormal fantasy saga gets. Mark my words – when all is said and done, Jane True will go down as one of the most universally beloved heroines to ever grace the pages of a paranormal fantasy, right up there with Rachel Morgan and Sookie Stackhouse.
Paul Goat Allen has been a full-time book reviewer specializing in genre fiction for the last two decades and has written thousands of reviews for companies like Publishers Weekly, The Chicago Tribune, Kirkus Reviews, and BarnesandNoble.com. He is a member of the National Book Critics Circle.
You can follow him on Twitter at @paulgoatallen and get all the latest Barnes & Noble book news from @BNBuzz.
