The stakes are higher in RAGE, with new characters (Zephyr is a great addition!), heightened romance, and a rebellion on the rise. Carmack has created a truly original magic system that rivals that of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn and Susan Dennard's Witchlands series.

I was a little concerned with how the love interest(s) had a conquering and overprotective hold on Aurora at times in ROAR, so it was a relief to see Aurora fight more of her own battles and make her own mistakes. I hope we continue to see Aurora maintain her independence and agency regardless of her love interests in the next book. Additionally, I found the ending a little anti-climactic, although I understand RAGE is gearing up for a larger conflict in the next book. When I read the final page, I was genuinely surprised the book was done. Not because it was a cliffhanger but because I expected additional scenes from other characters’ perspectives.

Overall, I'd recommend this series to those who are interested in unique and complex magic systems, romance, and epic adventures. Fans of The Witchlands, Frostblood, and Furyborn will appreciate this new addition to the Stormheart series.

Totally worth the wait! Roar is learning how to handle her special kind of magic while keeping a major secret from her new friends. Not everyone reacts well when she finally comes clean, which is one of the most realistic parts of the book. Carmack does a phenomenal job of showing the reader an inside view of Aurora coming to terms with who she really is and what that means for her life and the lives of those around her. And that final scene...just wow. I can't wait for the next book!!

I received this eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

Aurora/Rora/Roar went on a mission to get magic. What she discovered was far beyond what she imagined. Now that she has a better understanding of her world, Roar needs to go back home. Except when she gets there, she finds that everything has changed. The man she was supposed to marry has taken over her castle, her mother has not been seen since Roar left, and her people are being attacked by not only the new royal guards, but also from the Stormlord, who is out to get revenge on the Locke’s, and doesn’t care who he destroys in the process.

Waiting has never been a strong trait of Roar’s, but she is going to need a lot of patience if she wants to achieve everything she must to make sure her future is hers to rule…

This was a great sequel to Roar. I do admit that it was a bit slower than book #1, but it was a lot of character development and getting to know more about the current state of Pavan. The reader also gets a chance to see more characters – not only meeting new ones, but also getting their viewpoint of the situation at hand.

The Stormlord is a confused, complicated character, but I think I have him figured out. This novel didn’t come right out and say it, but I think I know who he is and why he’s so messed up.

Roar showed a lot of impatience and rash decisions throughout this book, but the good thing is that she learned from them, which will mean that she will be a great leader in the future.

My conflicting feels for Locke and Cassius still exist after reading this book. I can’t decide if I’m Team Locke or Team Cassius because both have their strengths and weaknesses. I have to say, unless something major happens in the next book, I’d be happy with Roar ending up with either of them, which is very rare for me as I also have a favorite.

I’m very glad I got a chance to read this eARC and I think a lot of readers are going to enjoy this next installment of Roar’s adventure!

I have been anxiously awaiting this sequel for years, amazingly, it surpassed my expectations. The characters continued to grow and be developed in a realistic manner as Roar and the crew return to Pavan to deal with the Locke infestation. While a few cliches slipped in, I still enjoyed the book and look forward to the next installment.

There's a big part of me that wants to temper this review, knowing that Carmack has had a hell of a last few years. However, I also have to judge the work as itself--the text. And if I had loved Rage this would have been easy to rectify. But it breaks my heart to say that I didn't. Far from it.

I read the first in the series, Rage, in a day. I was completely captivated and in love with Carmack's world building. The characters rang true, the magic made sense, and the adventure was placed perfectly.

But Roar...was anything but. I slogged through inconsistent pacing: the majority of the book was nothing. The adventure that I had hoped for stalled and struggled. The most tension was between the protagonist and puddle. The main characters fell flat.

I will say, two second characters really got time to shine and I appreciate their adorable burgeoning romance.

So. Ill hold out hope for the next book in the series, chalking this up to what I hope is a sophomore slump.

I received my free ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was pleasantly surprised with the second installment in this series. Though I enjoyed the first book, it lacked some character depth and the romantic relationship was contrived. All the characters were much more fleshed out in this series. Roar could stand on her own and the relationships between characters really grew. I am eagerly anticipating the 3rd book in this series.

An AMAZING second book in the series and a fantastic follow up of Roar. I had high expectations, since I loved the first book, and they were all met. I would highly recommend this series!

#Rage
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read the E-Arc copy of Rage.
If you haven't read the first in this series it is a must. Stormheart sets up the sweeping tale that you will read about in Rage. Cora Carmack has an action packed fantasy that revolves around a princess trying to do the right thing while fighting against a corrupt political system. The novel is full of magic, twists, secrets, and of course a rebellion that is trying to make a change in the world. Roar, the main character, is a strong female who doesn't want her people to keep being oppressed even though her "family" doesn't see the need to change.

A perfect follow up to her debut fantasy novel ROAR. This story hits the ground running and I could not be any happier.

I had been anticipating this sequel and as soon as I got my hands on it I raced through it. I loved how Aurora has developed and we really got a deeper look into many of the main characters view points. I am already excited about book #3!

(This Review will be posted two weeks before publication date on my blog)

Roar was published back in 2017 and I still remember the first time I read it. It was magical and so different from anything I'd ever read before. A world destroyed by storms and those with the power to control, fight against and even best storms. But what happens when you're expected to have the power to fight these storms but you don't and your kingdom is relying on you or their survival? That was Princess Aurora in Roar. Rora is such a strong female character who decides to take her future into her own hands by leaving her kingdom to find her strength. In Rage we finally get to see the repercussions of what her leaving were.

So I highly suggest re-reading Roar before diving into Rage. It had been about a year since I'd read it and I immediately was lost trying to remember who everyone was. We get the POVs of Aurora, Kiran, Novaya, Cassius and even the Stormlord. I definitely spaced on who Nova, Cassius and the Stormlord even were. It was also a struggle to recall what exact kind of powers Rora even had. There was really no summary of what happened last book and I feel like that could've been a bit helpful, but then again I was slacking on my preparation on reading Rage. Once I got the e-ARC I needed to start it ASAP.

Rage is such a strong female emphasis book. Besides Aurora there was Jinx and Nova who really came into her own this book and will be such an asset in the third book. We also were introduced to Zephyr who has powers of her own but it also just smart in using being a female to her advantage to gain information. While there are a lot of men in the books, a lot of them blur into the background or are more for muscle power. It's the girls that run the show. Even between the dynamic of Aurora and Kiran this holds true. He assists her in whatever she needs, whether she asks for it or not, but always in her interest and never undermining her no matter how he's feeling at different times in the book.

The pace of Rage was a bit slow compared to Roar and I did find myself wanting to race forward at times. It felt like a lot happened but looking back nothing really happened at all. I feel like this book fell into the slump that most second books in trilogies do. It didn't really have much action until the end aka the last 10% or so. While we learned a lot of what had happened since Aurora had left it felt more like a set-up for the final book.

Final Thoughts:
Aurora is a bad ass and that ending? *Swoon* Not a fan of love triangles but for once I'm praying for one. Who doesn't want a bad boy that's only good for you? Sign me up. There are also a few plot lines I'm interested to follow into the next book. I need answers now which is quite unfortunate since this book was about 2 years in the making. I pray for Carmacks' health and until then I'll be re-reading Roar.

I really loved Roar, and I wondered what the sequel will be like. This sequel turned was very satisfying. I thought the world-building was very explained and the characters more developed. The only thing I did not like about it was that it was slow at times. Still, Rage is very well-done, and I can’t wait for more. I recommend this for fans of Truthwitch!

As with Roar, I felt that the pacing was a bit off. It was a good story, but I found myself hesitant to pick it up for a reading session (whereas I normally can't wait ti get back to reading). The climax was a bit anticlimactic and the was less depth with regards to the characters and the plot.

As usual, Cora Cormack does NOT disappoint. I have missed Roar, Locke and Cassius for so long and was so happy to see them again right where they were left off. Learning more about storms, their purposes and the spirits was an incredible ride and still not enough for me! I want MORE ROAR!!! I would recommend this series for any fans of Graceling, the Grishaverse, and Avatar the Last Airbender. This complex world of magic, political intrigue and people just trying to survive is beautiful, raw and breathtaking.

★★★★★ 5 BRILLIANT STARS ★★★★★

Roar really comes in to her own in this book and I just loved it. This was worth waiting 2 years for! The writing flowed well with both the current story AND the back story of Cruze. I really loved Jinx & Nova and their development and all of the elemental mages made me super happy! LOVED IT!

An exciting second installment in this series! I’ve been eagerly awaiting this, and I was not disappointed. Many characters see interesting and realistic growth, but it’s particularly nice to see Roar coming into her own. I’m hoping to see her develop real leadership skills in Book 3, and I could certainly do with more Cassius! I was also delighted by the developments in Nova’s storyline. I will be happy to continue recommending this series!

Thoroughly enjoyable sequel to Roar, which I found even better paced and plotted than its predecessor. It felt as if Aurora had a bit more agency and this was full of twists and turns, making the whole experience fast paced and gripping. Highly recommend and am looking forward to the finale.