December 27, 2011

Book Review of "The Gathering Storm" by Robin Bridges

Title: The Gathering Storm (Katerina Trilogy #1)
Author: Robin Bridges
Classification: YA Fiction, Historical Fiction, Paranormal
Published: January 10th, 2012
Source: ARC from Delacorte Books for Young Readers


Overall Grade:
B+
Recommended to...
Fans of A Great and Terrible Beauty and lovers of smart, atmospheric paranormal romance! 


Add to Goodreads | Pre-order from Amazon

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Summary (from Goodreads):

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.

The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

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My Thoughts: 

The Gathering Storm is a lush, rich and unique young adult paranormal with a memorable heroine!

Amidst Russia's debutante society, we follow Katerina through boarding school, royal parties, and a chilling paranormal plot. Katerina's voice is very unique; she is plucky and astute, immediately equating the galas she attends to meat markets, where royal girls like her are the prize pigs. It is difficult not to like her! 

However, once Katerina becomes more involved in the world of necromancy, ghost demons, zombies, and even vampires, the plot almost loses itself in its own complexity. It was definitely difficult to follow the complicated plot along, especially when new players were continually being introduced. 

Thankfully, The Gathering Storm was carried along nicely by Katerina's character, as well as other notables like George Alexandrovich, Prince Danilo, and even the evil Montenegran princesses. There were periods of time during this book where the plot was fairly slow, yet I was compelled to read on by the rich writing and Katerina's unique world. 

Like all historical fiction, it will take some patience to get used to the world created, the names of every person mentioned, and the plot itself. However, in The Gathering Storm, the effort is definitely worth it! 

This is a richly atmospheric start by a talented author that will appeal to fans of Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty series!


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Overall Grade:
B+
Recommended to...
Fans of A Great and Terrible Beauty and lovers
of smart, atmospheric paranormal romance!

Add to Goodreads | Pre-order from Amazon



(Full Disclosure: Any books purchased from Amazon through the links on this page will result in a small commission to me.)  

4 comments:

  1. Oh, you definitely make me curious! I've seen this one around somewhat, but not too much actually and it's only the second review I read. But I admit I'm quite intrigued by now! I'll probably have to take a closer look! I'm also in the mood for some historical fiction, so maybe it'll publish perfectly for me to be able to get my hands on a copy. Great review!

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  2. Yeah, it was a bit of a complicated plot. I think the next one will be even better though. And I'm VERY eager for more romance! That just wasn't enough for me!

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  3. I usually don't do historical fiction, but this sounds interesting. Thanks for review.

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  4. Rebecca: This one is definitely an under-the-radar debut, but I think it will get more attention as the year goes on!

    Candace: I also want more romance in the next one!! What little there was in "The Gathering Storm" was AWESOME, so I can't imagine how amazing it will be if it was more central to the story!

    Brandileigh: Thanks for stopping by!

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