Dear Reader:
Author Allyson James has created the perfect storm. She has brought together the separate elements of mystery, tension, magic, fantasy, humor, excitement, and romance in just the right way to create a book that is one of the best romance reads this year. You all know I love a good book and in Stormwalker I found a good book to love.
After reading Stormwalker one of my first thoughts was that Ms. James is the J.J. Abrams slash Stephen Sondheim slash Meryl Streep of romance fiction. No matter what time, place, or subgenre she sets her books in, this author seems to be able to write everything with a sense of truth and authenticity. Under the name Jennifer Ashley she’s written the books Pride Mates and The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie and I asked myself: “How can this be? How can one author have such a diverse and wide-ranging ability?” I honestly don’t have an answer for that. What I do have is a great admiration and profound appreciation for her talent; and I suggest that if you have not yet read any of her books you do so immediately. Whether you’re a fan of historical romance, paranormal romance, fantasy, or just love a good book, I’m sure you’ll find something that will appeal as well as an author you can rely on to take you away from the mundane and catapult you into the extraordinary. But I digress and should get back to the book at hand, Stormwalker.
The characters inhabiting the desert town of Magellan are mystical creatures such as Skinwalkers, Firewalkers, fallen Gods, and bi-sexual talking mirrors. Of course you also have your electricians, plumbers, law enforcers, and townsfolk as well. Add matricide (you know, when you not only want to kill your mother, but you actually do kill your mother) to the mix, and all hell literally breaks loose. Matricide is not an easy task and can become even more complicated when your mother resides in the ‘beneath world’ located right under the town of Magellan and embodies all that is truly evil.
The question of whether matricide is an easy thing to do is inconsequential because in fact, that is the task facing Janet Begay. Our heroine Janet employs a truly significant weapon to battle the Goddess of the ‘beneath’ world (a.k.a. her mother); she has the magical ability to control and use the power of a storm. The bigger the storm the better, and lightning is a particularly good vehicle with which to wield her magic because Janet is a Stormwalker. And before you go "Child, Please!” you should know that Ms. James has created characters and a world that are not only fantastical but have an inner dialogue and tone that will have you Googling the fictional town of Magellan to see where it is on the map. You get sucked into the mythology that quickly.
Since the town of Magellan is situated atop powerful vortexes (places that join the ‘beneath’ world with the world we inhabit) suffice it to say, BAD things happen. With Janet’s mother making continual bids to cross over, Janet’s only recourse is to join forces with a coyote, a crow, her ex-boyfriend Mick, and Sheriff Nash Jones to find a way to either kill her mother before she takes over or seal the vortex. From the first page to the last, the excitement never ends—it’s storytelling at its best.
So dear reader, if you’re looking for a paranormal romance with:
- A heroine who can control the power of a storm, ride a Harley, converse with Gods and mirrors, has the unbeatable and winning combination of wit, charm, sass, and courage;
- A hero who would die for the woman he loves, is an ‘alpha’ in every sense of the word but is willing to champion the heroine without controlling her;
- Secondary characters that should win Emmys as supporting players;
- An exciting and unusual world;
- And the promise of a continuing story line between the heroine Janet and the hero Mick in James' November 2010 release Firewalker...
Might I suggest Stormwalker by Allyson James?
Please stop by and join the Stormwalker conversations on both Melanie Murray's and Paul Goat Allen’s threads. There's some great conversations going on about this book!
I’m curious, have you read any books by Allyson James or Jennifer Ashley?
Marisa O’Neill is an avid reader and television producer.
