a review by Nalini Haynes
Blood Storm by Rhiannon Hart is a YA paranormal romance starring Zeraphina, a princess whose older sister married the crown prince of another country, and Rodden, a commoner who rose to a position of power very young. Both Zeraphina and Rodden have been infected with the blood of Lharmellians, the precursor to turning them into Harmings (human vampires). As Zeraphina and Rodden struggle with side effects and struggle to remain human, retaining their will, they are intent on opposing Lharmellians and Harmings, whose politics may be more complex than they first appeared in Blood Song, the first in this trilogy.
In this, the second novel in the trilogy, Zeraphina and Rodden do a Cook’s tour of the countryside, learning more about each other and the Lharmellian conflict. Blood Storm has an episodic feel as if written for TV and the different locations are the ‘location of the week’. I particularly enjoyed the trip into the desert, which wasn’t just an excuse to feature belly dancing. 😉
Zeraphina is pursued by a prince of another country to be his bride. This courtship is my least favourite portion of the book as the prince is a bit of a caricature villain, missing only twirling black mustachios, but it’s a small portion of the story.
Revelations of Rodden’s past confirm that he’s not some mysterious prince in disguise, a somewhat time-worn trope. Rhiannon has more revelations planned for book three, which she discusses, at least in part, when she talked to me just before Blood Storm‘s launch in August.
Blood Song is an original, captivating YA paranormal romance. Blood Storm is not quite up to the same standard, but it’s still a solid second book for a new author. I look forward to reading the conclusion.
Fans may also enjoy my interview of Rhiannon from 2011.
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