While I did enjoy reading this book, I think it’s something I would have loved when I was in my late teens and would definitely recommend it to fans of urban fantasy in that age bracket.

Diving head-first into this novel is the best way to consume the delectable masterpiece. It's elegant composure weaves together secrets and lies to create an effective and meaningful narrative that drags the reader into its grasp and holds tight. A deliberate composure of the best of Fantasy, Mystery and YA, Storm and Fury is has all the makings to be one of "THE BIG ONES".

Spoiler Free Section

I received this book through Netgalley in return for an honest review and I ended up giving it four stars. I actually enjoyed this book more than I expected to, I had heard that with Jennifer L. Armentrout’s books they were kind of insta-love-y and really for a teenage kind of age range and I do think that it is kind of true as I did find that it had some eye roll worthy insta-love but I really found it to be a guilty pleasure kind of read and I ended up enjoying it.

I really did not like the way that the book started as it was just so abrupt, we are just instantly into this kissing scene, we don’t get any introduction to the world or characters and that really bothered me and it was very confusing as I was listening to the audiobook and actually thought that it had missed a section or something.

The insta-love is very apparent and it has this like meant-to-be, destined kind of thing to it where they feel as if they have always known each other and should be together and that really just had me rolling my eyes as I honestly just need for there to be some kind of development or getting to know each other to really get on board with a relationship like that.

The fantasy elements of this book were what really kept me engaged with the book, in this book we have wardens who are basically gargoyles who protect the world from demons, then there are the demons themselves who are also very interesting, and then to top that off there is our main character Trinity who is something different, she can speak to spirits and take on demons and she was honestly the most interesting character.

I didn’t actually realise that this book was a spin-off from another series so I can definitely say that you can read this without reading the others since I did and there wasn’t anything that was unexplained or had some backstory that wasn’t given.

I would definitely recommend this book for people who love a good guilty pleasure paranormal romance because this book really gives you everything that you would want from that genre and more 😀

Spoiler Section

I knew that there was going to be something up with Mica as he really gets kidnapped and then we hear absolutely nothing from him for most of the book whereas realistically he should have been killed straight away, however I didn’t see the fact that he had been recruited by a demon because he hated not being the chosen one himself, which I found to be a little annoying but I guess that is something that you can become resentful of when you live your life for someone else.

Finding out the truth about Trinity was really the main mystery of the story and it was actually really interesting, she has quite a few abilities such as being able to talk to spirits, her grace (which is pretty awesome) and then there is her blood basically calling demons to come and eat her. Although she is a kind of annoying teenager I found her to be the most interesting character and I cannot wait to see where her story line will go.

Everyone seems to love Zayne but if I am being honest I found him to be such a boring character, he was all stoic and was this whole typical paranormal romance love interest who is a mystery that the girl has to figure out and I am kind of just over that. He does have a little bit of an interesting aspect as he has decided to go against the wardens and actually finds demons to not be all bad and works with them but that is really the only ‘different’ thing about him.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be reading the sequel some time very soon just to see what will happen next to these characters since we end on a very big cliffhanger.

Thank you for reading!

"I hadn't looked up at the stars in, like, forever, and it sort of hit me, you know? That one day I would look up and I wouldn't see a star, and that would be it. I'd never be able to see something so ... beautiful and simple again. Up until that moment, I'd taken that for granted. So, every night, I look up to see if I can see the stars."

If you'd have told me last year that I'd be saying that a shape-shifting gargoyle is a great LI, I would have asked for whatever you were on. Post-Storm and Fury, I'm 100% on this brand. Shape-shifting gargoyles is a first for me but I'm totally on board now.

Jennifer L. Armentrout is cementing herself as a trusty YA author to me (disclaimer note: much to my best friends' disgust I still haven't read the Lux series, but that will be taking place much sooner rather than later) and I can honestly say that if I'm reading one of her books, I know I'm going to have a good time.

Storm and Fury tells the story of Trinity, a secret hidden in a dangerous world, and the events that happen to her in her life. This is a very character driven story, so if you don't like Trinity, then you're not going to have an overly enjoyable time. Luckily for me, I was a massive fan of Trinity, so I had an incredible time. She is smart, strong and witty (though with her fair share of personality flaws - which are good because nobody is perfect) and I thought her expressions and mannerisms were very well written. I was taken along the journey with her and I understood her motivations for her actions. Zayne is a great 'typical' YA love interest, but that didn't remove any of the shine from it for me. I like a good amount of predictability when it comes to LI's, especially when it's in a book that is full of character drama.

The book is very long, though it didn't feel like I was slogging through a big book, I managed to get through it in a few hourly sittings and enjoyed it all the time I was reading it. The plot devices used throughout the book were really well done and the side characters that were introduced, especially Peanut and Roth, were very enjoyable to read. I'm curious to see where we are going to be taken in this world - there was enough shades of grey for all of the characters for me to be unsure as to where we might end up.

Thank you to Harlequin Australia, HQ (Fiction, Non Fiction, YA) & MIRA for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Storm and Fury is my first Jennifer L. Armentrout novel and I was not disappointed. I usually don't like to read about angels but this book changed my mind. The gargoyle aspect was pretty cool.
The main character is going blind which I thought was awesome seeing that representation. And then you find out the author wrote that into her character because she is suffering the same!
Lots of Supernatural references.
The angst in this book is delicious.

"I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review"

Eighteen-year-old Trinity Marrow may be going blind, but she can see and communicate with ghosts and spirits. Her unique gift is part of a secret so dangerous that she’s been in hiding for years in an isolated compound fiercely guarded by Wardens—gargoyle shape-shifters who protect humankind from demons. If the demons discover the truth about Trinity, they’ll devour her, flesh and bone, to enhance their own powers.
When Wardens from another clan arrive with disturbing reports that something out there is killing both demons and Wardens, Trinity’s safe world implodes. Not the least because one of the outsiders is the most annoying and fascinating person she’s ever met. Zayne has secrets of his own that will upend her world yet again—but working together becomes imperative once demons breach the compound and Trinity’s secret comes to light. To save her family and maybe the world, she’ll have to put her trust in Zayne. But all bets are off as a supernatural war is unleashed.

What can I say except I loved it like I have loved all of Jennifer L. Armentrout novels I have read. I really loved the story as a whole and I wish I had the next book in my hands already. This was easily a 5 star read and I am sad it is over... for now...

Trinity was such a nice character a little naive in some ways but I think it was to be expected for her age. As for Mike well I won't say much because of spoilers but I never liked him for some reason even at the beginning. Now onto Zayne..... I have a funny feeling by the end of the series I maybe a little bit in love with him.

I have never been disappointed with any of her books and I don't ever see myself ever not liking her books. I would tell everyone and anyone to read her books now and read them all.

Many thanks netgalley for the ARC, this review is my honest opinion.

I was really interested in receiving, primarily because I'd been seeing it around everywhere. But, this went cold me very quickly. And here's why:

1) It throws you into a world that's not fully explained but with a lot of implied knowledge. Generally this shouldn't be a problem because that's why a novel is fantasy/urban fantasy or whatnot, it's about learning a whole. But this whole book, is what I would (in my main field) call "high context" - it has too much implied knowledge and I originally struggled through the beginning realising that I probably shouldn't have read this without reading the first series.

2) The pacing is far too slow. I blame the implied knowledge here. I wanted so bad for this take off for me, but the pacing just trickled and it doesn't pick up until the very end.

3) There's an eye condition involved? I remember vaguely mention of this early on, but I completely forgot it by the end, so I was super surprised by the time I glanced over the author's notes. It's a shame, because I would have liked this dynamic played out more throughout the novel.

4) It's long. For the pacing and implied knowledge, this was extremely long. I can usually finish this in a few days, but it dragged far too long for me. To my own shame.

5) I am still not clear on what a "Warden" is!

6) The fact that this would be a great read for younger-young adults, teens and whatnot, I would point out there's a semi-no-sex-sex-scene which more aptly belongs to an older YA or an NA novel. Which makes no sense to me.

7) Trinity has the Clary Fray special snowflake problem, and the fact that she's always running into trouble to the point where it's ridiculous and no one is ever exactly with her when it happens. Surely she'd learn after the first time?

NOW, I'm not a completely downer. I do recognise some positives of this immensely long non-page turner. And these are:

1) The world is pretty interesting. I was intrigued by it to the point I was willingly to finish this in order to taste the world a bit more (granted, I'm not all sure on the details still).

2) The relationships involved, and those that develop are pretty interesting. Diversity is mostly represented. And I did eventually (despite the silly moments that appear) cheered for Zayne and Trinity. I just thought, this could have developed quicker (as much as I love my slow burn, there was nothing beautiful about the development of this slow burn) and with far less pointless dialogue. But well, the dialogue wasn't all that bad...

3) Peanut is the best. Enough said.

4) I felt excited seeing characters from the other series, even if I didn't know a thing about them!

5) I thought the intro of her father at the end was interesting! However, couldn't we have a bit more developed relationship?

6) I'm currently not an overall fan of Armentrout's writing. It's not beautifully metaphoric. It's plain and dialogue focussed. Which isn't bad. But I must have been craving something beautiful lately.

So, overall, 3/5 stars. Not bad, not good. Interesting enough that I might be convinced to read the sequel!

Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

2.5 out of 5 stars.

I was offered an ARC in exchange for an honest review of this novel. All opinions are my own. Some minor spoilers follow, so use caution.

Storm and Fury is a strange novel. It feels like something you would have been head over heels for if it had been in your hands ten years ago. It wasn't necessarily bad; In fact, I quite enjoyed a lot of it, but parts of it exhausted me so much that it took me a long time to bring myself to finish it. The plot itself was interesting enough and the world was intriguing, but some of the writing, the characterisation and some themes made me feel like I had stumbled into a time rip and ended up in the YA paranormal romance section of a high school library in 2009.

Our protagonist's internal voice, while insightful, also sometimes sounded exactly like a weird (albeit well-written) fanfic I would have read in middle school. For some reason, all descriptors including the word "super" were combined. Things weren't super tall, they were supertall. This kind of contributed to the pre-teen feel to her voice, even though the main character would be a legal adult in most countries.

Don't get me wrong though, not all the aspects of the novel feel outdated. The relationships were actually one of the best and more progressive parts, and even "unimportant" platonic, inconsequential relationships are better established than in most other novels of this genre. Every character seemed to have their own dynamic with every other character. It was extremely refreshing to see characters be emotionally aware of each other, and emotional unavailability is not only acknowledged, it causes real conflict and consequences. I found myself enjoying even some of the side characters just because they interacted so well and bounced off each other.

The thing that first drew me to this book was the fact that the main character was slowly going blind. Unfortunately, this wasn't as prominent as I thought it would be. She can't see well at night, and often it felt like the whole thing was forgotten about until there was an opportunity for it to be a hindrance in a crucial moment. There were sometimes whole chapters where she would intermittently do things that should have been difficult, but her failing eyesight is never mentioned. Trinity herself was an okay character though. She is very emotionally aware, not just the kind of person who doesn't know how to process her emotions. She always knows what's best for herself in the moment, even if that means talking to someone she doesn't want to talk to, or not talking to someone at all. Most importantly, she seems switched on to other people's feelings, which is important when we rely on her first-person insight to tell us how other characters are feeling.

The setting? Pretty dang interesting actually. No idea where "Storm and Fury" comes from though. No event where those things are relevant comes to mind, which leads me to believe it was chosen because it sounds cool and fits the current trend of George R.R. Martin style "X and Y" titles. The plot was... Odd. Half the supporting characters felt like inserts from somewhere else, where they had their own adventures, and as it turns out this is a spinoff -- something I wasn't aware of going in, but while it mostly didn't effect the book, I'll mention the fanfic feeling again. Some of the dynamics were hard to follow or keep track of, and it felt like everyone and their dog had something special about them that made them different from everyone else. I don't think there was a single character with a semi-prominent role that wasn't some kind of exception or anomaly within their demographic. A half demon, or someone who has an unusual eye colour, for instance. You'll learn what Trinity's is after some purposeful withholding at the start.

One of my least favourite things, which contributed to the fanfic feeling I sometimes got, was how smug the writing was at times with Trinity's specialness. She seemed to always get into conversations or situations where she could show off or flaunt that she was not like other... Everyone, really. In fact, one such situation almost caused me to DNF at a record-breaking 3%. At the very start of the book, apparently the only method the author could think of to let us know that Trinity was ~strong~ and ~special~ was, and I'm not joking, to have a guy try to sexually assault her. I felt dirty putting the book down so early after being offered an ARC and that's the ONLY reason I powered through this to the bulk of the book. It got better from there, but frankly, it's not hard to do better than that.

Despite this big setback, I did enjoy the read well enough in the end. Part of me is curious to go back and re-read for hints of the big twist that I didn't pick up on the first time. I would probably be interested in the sequel if I come across it, but I'm not exactly actively hanging out for it. Storm and Fury will keep you entertained for a good few hours.

Though it started promisingly, this book kind of fizzled out for me by the end. There was some great action and sexual tension, but no real payoff. It didn’t help also that about halfway through you figure out that there are other books set in this universe and this is a spinoff series. I liked the heroine, which always helps, but she was a bit of a Chosen One which is an annoying and tired old trope. I don’t understand why there was no actual sex, but now that I think about it this is probably a good thing in a YA novel. The ending was disappointing and I was left with the feeling I had read 400 of setup for the next book in the series.

I really liked how inclusive Storm and Fury was of differently abled persons and how it did not belittle their abilities despite. The main protagonist, Trinity, was born with the condition Retinitis Pigmentosa, a degenerative condition that slowly affects the vision eventuating in pinpoint vision or blindness, a condition told through the eyes of Armentrout herself who shares the condition with her MC.

Characters within the novel also run the gamut of sexual orientations and present in a variety of relationships. To start, there is Peanut and his obsession with Zayne (yes, it’s the same Zayne as Dark Elements), constantly skulking about and checking out the hunky Warden. Between Trinity and Misha, there is a relationship more like being siblings than lovers (although there WAS a kiss). Zayne and Trinity have another relationship again. Also, there is Matthew and Thierry who run the local base but also talk shop in bed – I really liked these guys despite their inability to notice anything Trin ever did until it was too late.

The story followed a path similar to many other Armentrout novels but with small differences in the details. Where other characters are aliens, these ones are Wardens (for those not in the know, Wardens are gargoyles come to life who can shift between people and human forms). Where there is an oblivious girl with amnesia, this one has a draw to another character kind of like soul mates but different. I’m not saying it was bad, but I feel a little like, once you have read one, you have kind of partially read them all. As is usual however, there are plenty of twists and turns and I will admit I did not guess a certain twist in the story until just before it eventuated. It is fast paced as are all things Armentrout.

I found myself liking the supporting cast more than Trinity herself because she seemed a little too strong-headed but still a princess for my liking. Favourite would probably have to go to Peanut because I mean a stalker ghost stuck in the 80’s who loves to ogle men who cant see him is guaranteed to get a giggle. Also, I liked that Roth is back, he is sexy and opinionated and just Demon Prince goals to be honest.

Basically, it was of the same calibre of writing as I would expect from Armentrout. It is not exceptional, but it does an above average job. The majority of characters were likable for the most part and it was mostly fast paced. I am just disappointed that we didn’t get to meet the Big Bad.

I received this book via NetGalley, with many thanks.

I picked this book to read for highly dubious reasons; a like a something an something title, the cover looked pretty and it's YA fantasy. I'm a simple girl at heart.

Despite being a little slow to get into it, this book was a very pleasant surprise! It is told in first person by Trinity, who I did take a while to warm up to. She is impulsive and a bit irritating. Her vision difficulties add an interesting dynamic and towards the end of the book you get a great sense of the challenges and adaptations someone with that type of impairment need to deal with to manage in the current society.

This is the first book in a series and the ending ramped up in such a way that I am hanging out for the next book - not what I was expecting when I started!

On a side note, the author used the term "undies" several times throughout the novel. I was so surprised reading that word I was convinced Jennifer Armentrout was Australian. I had to check her bio and no, she is American. So now, I'm left with my biggest question from this book; do American's use the work "undies" commonly? I need to know!

So, it needs to be said - I'm not a lover of the paranormal/fantasy/romance mash up and so my attitude coming into Storm and Fury was already dubious. However! I survived through the whole book, and only rolled my eyes several times (when the shirt-removing, breathless intimate fighting scenes, or declarations of unexpected love were a bit too much for me).

A little part of my reader self can even say that I like this one - the unraveling of a saga, the world building, demons, angels, mythical creatures, and teens with a quest. Loved the big twist at the end, I really didn't see that coming, and I reluctantly admit that Jennifer did a good job cutting down on the cheesy, to still provide all the essential ingredients for a gripping fantasy experience.

A recommend for our fantasy-loving, City of Bones fans, probably in Years 9+ and seniors.

Storm and Fury, the first book in Jennifer Armentrout's new Harbinger series, is AMAZING!!

I love reading books about gargoyles and paranormal and this book seriously ticked all my boxes.

I loved this book from the very first page. I love the fact that Trinity is different then everyone else and has the ability to see spirits and ghosts. She is so unique that she needs to be protected by Wardens, gargoyle-like shape shifters (so cool!).

The story line kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through and when she meets the visitors from a different Warden clan things start to really happen. So much action and mystery is packed into the pages of Storm and Fury and I can't wait to read the next book in the series to find out what happens next!!

I LOVED reading this! Have never read any of Jennifer Armentrout’s other work it after this I’ll need to. Was such a great and enjoyable read with a fantastic finish. Can’t wait for more!

Firstly I'd like to thank Jennifer L Armentrout and Netgalley for providing me with an E-ARC an exchange for an honest review. All following thoughts are completely my own.

Was this a fun book full of angsty romance? Yes. Was it full of humour and sass that we all know from Jennifer's writing? Yes. Was there promise for more in the coming sequels? Also yes. Was this as good as the original series this has spin-off from? Sadly for me, no. Now don't get me wrong, I really, really enjoyed this book and Trinity's story. But it just didn't quuuuiiiite live up to the original series that starts with White Hot Kiss. I think I just fell in love with it (And let's be honest, Roth) that my expectations might have been a little bit too high. And even though we have only had one book based on Zayne, I still think I would have to chose Roth if it came down to one or the other.

The story of Trinity was a really interesting one, and just like the original series, the main female characters are far from defenceless and this is refreshing in the YA realm. The only thing I found a little disappointing was the pacing and the fact that for the first three quarters of the book, the plot fell aside a little in exchange for the character development between Zayne and Trinity. It was nice, however, to see Trin crack open Zayne and his hard shell surrounding his damaged heart.

Roth's cameo appearance was such a teaser and even though I really enjoyed it, it just made me want to dice back into White Hot Kiss! Which I might have to do very shortly...

4 stars!

Here we follow Trinity, who is a Nephilim (half human, half angel), hiding among a community of Gargoyle warriors called Wardens. When we meet her, she is kinda bored with her life and wants to find out more about what's behind the walls of the community. One night demons storm the commune and kidnap her protector Misha, she must accept the help from Zayne, the vaguely familiar Warden from a different commune.

I really enjoyed this book and finished it quite quickly. After reading I found that this was actually a spin-off series from her other series called The Dark Elements series.
I haven't read The Dark Elements series, and I don't believe that you need to read them to understand what is happening in this book.

The main character Trinity, had quite an interesting fault, that Jennifer herself has called retinitis pigmentosa, which means that she is slowly going blind. I have never read a book where the main character is going blind slowly over time, and it is written quite well.
The rest of the book followed the normal forbidden romance that most young adult books have nowadays, but with a little twist.
The one thing that did annoy me was how vague the book was about what had happened with Zayne, Layla, and Roth, but after looking more into this book, I saw that there is a whole other series that follows them. I probably won't be reading the original series as I felt that there wouldn't be more I would want to know, knowing that Zayne is the main love interest in this series.

Overal I would read the rest of the series as its quite different to what I have been reading.

*

I have quite a few bones to pick with this book, unfortunately.
I read the synopsis and made the mistake of getting excited about the book before i opened it, a girl who can speak to dead people? A wicked title? Supernatural? I genuinely wanted to love this book.
In reality, there was 1 ghost that has barely any relevance, the story was written to feel like a relatively bad early 2000s teen supernatural MTV show (see: teen wolf), and I couldn’t make a connection with any of the characters aside from their roles in the ‘trope’ and their ~mysterious pasts~.
Trinity was cute i guess, but it’s 2019 and i’m getting tired of the special snowflake/damsel in distress getting saved by the foreign bad boy trope, and quickly.
Finishing this book unfortunately felt like homework that I just DIDN’T enjoy, no matter how hard i forced myself.
At this point, I’m mad at the book as a whole and I feel it’s appropriate to mention that the title has no relevance. None. Whatsoever.
I would like to thank Harlequin for sending me a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Trinity Marrow is the last of her kind. Her DNA, as well as her organs, are coveted by many in this new supernatural world created by author Jennifer L Armentrout. Storm and Fury tells the tale of a girl with an explosive secret who up until now has been kept hidden, safe behind the walls of her community of Gargoyles, called Wardens.

This book blew my mind with the amount of representation for minority groups such as the differently abled, Trinity has a degenerative eye disease called Retinitis pigmentosa which the author suffers with herself. As well as a strong focus on the LGBT community, say hello to Trinity's friend and sometimes roommate, Peanut the same-sex attracted, stuck in the 80's, pervy ghost. Oh, I didn't mention that part yet? Yes, our girl Trin can also, with her other abilities see ghosts and spirits.

It is also my first ever book for review from Netgalley, thank you so much. What first attracted me to this book you ask? Well as always with me I was hooked by the cover, but then after reading the blurb, intrigue set in. I had to find out why these Wardens from another clan arrived, what was killing both demons (that the wardens hunt and kill) and Wardens? Who is this mysterious Zayne and how is he connected to the story? All these little threads came together in this book and make for glorious reading.

Storm and Fury is a spin-off from Jennifer’s Dark Elements series but what I liked about it is that it can be read as part of that series, or as I did as a stand-alone. If you have read the Dark Elements series which includes White Hot Kiss, Stone Cold Touch and Every Last Breath, some of the characters who appear in Storm and Fury should be very familiar.

Even though this is the first book I’ve read by Armentrout, I will be reading more of this series as it is released. Absolutely loved it and highly recommend picking it up!

Rating
4.5 out of 5 stars


Here's the blurb from Amazon...
Eighteen-year-old Trinity Marrow may be going blind, but she can see and communicate with ghosts and spirits. Her unique gift is part of a secret so dangerous that she’s been in hiding for years in an isolated compound fiercely guarded by Wardens—gargoyle shape-shifters who protect humankind from demons. If the demons discover the truth about Trinity, they’ll devour her, flesh and bone, to enhance their own powers.

When Wardens from another clan arrive with disturbing reports that something out there is killing both demons and Wardens, Trinity’s safe world implodes. Not the least because one of the outsiders is the most annoying and fascinating person she’s ever met. Zayne has secrets of his own that will upend her world yet again—but working together becomes imperative once demons breach the compound and Trinity’s secret comes to light. To save her family and maybe the world, she’ll have to put her trust in Zayne. But all bets are off as a supernatural war is unleashed.

https://itsmejayse.wordpress.com/2019/06/27/book-review-storm-fury-by-jennifer-armentrout/

Review will also be on www.thenerddily.com as soon as possible.

*thank you to Netgalley, Jennifer L. Armentrout Harlequin Australia for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

3 stars.

Ohh no. This is not the review or star rating I had expected to be leaving, and I am rather surprised by that. The first half of this book was great! I loved it and it was so much fun to read. Heck, the first few pages had me hooked. Trinity was a bad ass, smart ass of a character. In other words, she was perfect! The whole part at the beginning with her and Clay seriously gave me high hopes for this. There were also a few laughs here and there and I also started to get to know Misha who I also really liked. Misha is her protector but Trinity thinks of him more like a brother. We also find out that there is a ghost that seems to follow Trinity around and has been for about the past 10 years. His name is Peanut and I thought he was a wonderful character! He was quite funny and I liked how he cared for Trinity. A bit further along another main character comes into the scene. Zayne. He is what I think a lot of girls and guys would class as the handsome mysterious kinda bad boy sorta guy. But he wasn't really someone I liked or disliked. I could take him or leave him.

Now. About the half way mark, things slow down. And I found that they really.......really.........slowed down. It, I am afraid to say, started to get boring. I just wanted more to happen but the romance side of this novel got taken up a step and for me, it became too much of the storyline. Now I know others would disagree probably and that's fine, but for me, it's a bit of the reason I lost interest. But that alone didn't do it. I just wanted more action and towards the end it did pick up but it was too late for me. Plus the outcome wasn't exactly what I had hoped for.

I was so excited to see that I had been given an ARC of this and that is why this review isn't so easy to write. I do hope that others really enjoy this and I can we that many many have already. I wish it nothing but success and I think it will get there. I may try this book again later when the rest of the series is out and see if I feel the same way still.

Jennifer L. Armentrout is an author who I've always heard people talk about but have yet to read... until Storm and Fury, and can I just say that I'll be starting on her back catalogue any day now. Storm and Fury is a young adult urban-fantasy spin-off from one of her earlier trilogies, but you do not need to have read that to read this book. (As I said, this is my first venture into Armentrout's work, so I stand by this.)

Trinnity Marrow is about to turn eighteen but has lived most of her life within the walls of a compound guarded by Gargoyle-shapeshifters, known as wardens. Despite steadily loosing her eyesight, Trinnity can see and community with ghosts and spirits, along with a few other secret abilities that are revealed throughout the story, and she's no damsel in distress. She wants to be out in the world and wants to be part of the fight against demons, but the Wardens are determined to keep her safe, until she meets Zayne, a Warden from a separate clan. They begin what's initially an antagonistic relationship that becomes something more when they're forced to work together to foil a demon plot that threatens the stability of the world.

As I've gotten older and read more books across genres, it's become easier to pick out the types of books that I know I'm going to automatically enjoy. Urban fantasy (and of it) is usually a pretty safe bet and Storm and Fury hit a lot of the right notes for me. A little over 500 pages long, I thought it would take me longer to read, but if I'd been able to sit down and marathon the book in one sitting, I can guarantee I would have done it (as it was I managed it in three sittings over the course of a day). Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down.

Trinnity is a smart, sassy young adult who knows she's been protected and rails against it, even as she begins to understand the reasoning behind it. She's eager to get out and do her bit, whilst also recognising that there's a reason the Wardens are trying to keep her out of it. Despite losing her eyesight, she never lets anyone pity her or stop her from doing exactly what she wants to do - she knows her capabilities and limits and pushes them as far as she can without being altogether too reckless. (Most of the time.) She's a young woman eager to experience the world and life and when she finally has an opportunity to do that, she begins to understand the implications of her life (and what she is) in the greater scheme and that was kind of cool.

Zayne was an interesting hero, even if he started out pretty stereotypically - he's aloof and a smart-ass but he's intrigued by the mystery that is Trinnity and eventually begins to thaw. (Now that I know that it's a spin-off series of Zayne's trilogy I can understand a lot of the motivations behind the character and am even more interested in reading his original story.) I loved how both Zayne and Trinnity eventually get to the point where they speak truthfully to one another - and yes, it takes them a while and a lot of miscommunication, but they get there and that's the most important thing.

Speaking of communication - when Trinnity finally reveals to Zayne that she's losing her eyesight (and it takes nearly the whole book, because she's used to compensating and taking care of herself) his reaction is just as awesome as her don't-need-no-pity attitude - it's just part of who the character is and I loved that no bigger deal was made of it. 

There was fun, snarky banter, fantastic tension, awesome action sequences and a whole lot of angels, demons and gargoyles and frankly, I couldn't ask for me. This is definitely a series I'll be continuing.