What do you think?
Rate this book
The Grenshall Manor Chronicles #2
Primal Storm
Jennifer Winter has a knack for finding trouble, but not even her superhuman abilities prepared her for death—and the rigors of recuperating from it. When her extreme rehabilitation thrusts her into the path of a criminal mastermind, she is dragged into a quest to discover her own mysterious past and the source of her extraordinary powers.
But she and her friends must stop an ancient conspiracy to control the supernatural realm that embraces her, before that world is utterly destroyed.
But she and her friends must stop an ancient conspiracy to control the supernatural realm that embraces her, before that world is utterly destroyed.
458 pages, Paperback
First published January 23, 2014
1 person is currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Russell A. Smith
5 books52 followersAuthor of the Grenshall Manor Chronicles, Russell A. Smith has enjoyed many an adventure both with pencil, paper and dice, and also in real life. Each has been a formative experience for him. A keen petrolhead, he has a long list of things he wants to drive, and the list grows longer every day.
Russell has enjoyed a number of exciting roles so far, from editing newsletters and magazines, to time travelling, and portraying soldiers from Tudor times to the early 20th Century.
These days Russell spends a lot of time on tour across the UK investigating various houses and even more drinking tea. As well as writing, he enjoys a semi-regular presence on the Brave New Words podcast.
Russell is currently a pen for hire in the London area, though will happily travel for further adventures wherever possible,
Russell has enjoyed a number of exciting roles so far, from editing newsletters and magazines, to time travelling, and portraying soldiers from Tudor times to the early 20th Century.
These days Russell spends a lot of time on tour across the UK investigating various houses and even more drinking tea. As well as writing, he enjoys a semi-regular presence on the Brave New Words podcast.
Russell is currently a pen for hire in the London area, though will happily travel for further adventures wherever possible,
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 27, 2014
Primal Storm (Book 2 of the Grenshall Manor Chronicles)
By R.A Smith
Published by Xychler Press
This sequel sees the aftermath to last year’s Oblivion Storm and our heroes Mary, Jennifer and Kara are adjusting to their new lives. Mary has taken full possession of Grenshall manor and has spent most of her time learning about her new found abilities over ghosts and nursing the almost fatally wounded Jennifer. Kara has been finding her skills as a paranormal expert becoming more in demand.
Then, Jennifer, feeling trapped by her status as an invalid and needing to stretch her legs, sneaks out to exercise and stumbles onto a very well organised robbery of the British museum run by a crack team of supernaturals. Her intervention in this and her resemblance to a figure in a work of art known as ‘The Face of War’ leads her into a conspiracy of secret societies, supernatural artefacts and a confrontation with her own past and true nature.
Unlike Oblivion Storm, which focussed on Mary and her connection to the realms of shadow, Primal Storm is almost entirely Jennifer’s show. As such it is a very different story that veers away from the spooky events occurring between an atmospheric Victorian London and the modern day and into an action orientated plot. Several scenes come across as more like an X Men movie than a paranormal horror as Jennifer Winter tears into her enemies Wolverine style. Likewise, the flashbacks are not to Victorian London but to Jennifer’s childhood where a history of abuse and accusations of murder lead her to becoming the woman she is and explain her connection to the mysterious and vibrant Primal realm. Meanwhile, Mary and Kara travel Europe on a mission to rescue Jennifer and encountering a variety of characters on the way including the very same supernaturals that Jennifer is involved with and someone with the very same abilities Mary has.
The loss of spooky atmosphere could have been a weakness here but it is more than made up for by the change of pace, including the dark and violent nature of Jennifer’s past. The flashback scenes are brutal and honest and reveal a woman who has risen from extreme adversity into her eventual greatness. However, one weakness that is apparent is Smith’s presentation of some characters. While all the female characters come across as strong, three dimensional creations his male characters seem to lack depth. Having said that, at least one of them showed a lot of promise and if he is to return for book 3 it can be hoped that there will be a chance to develop him some more. This would be a good thing as it is nice to see a character of colour represented in a non clichéd way.
Overall Primal Storm is an enjoyable read. It holds onto enough elements of Oblivion Storm to make it a familiar setting but then takes off into new directions that explore and expand on that setting a great deal. According to Smith himself, the plan for book three (as yet unnamed but I am guessing the word Storm will be in there somewhere) is to focus on Kara – the one non-supernatural member of our trio of heroes. I for one am intrigued to see how she develops in this final instalment. If her back story is anywhere as interesting as Jennifer’s we are in for one hell of a finale.
August 13, 2015
This is the second book in The Grenshall Manor Chronicles. I LOVED IT!
Jennifer Winter is a wonderful character. I liked her very much when I first met her in Oblivion Storm. However, she was a bit of an enigma and I wanted to get to know her better. This story offers me that chance. She is a very driven person, with her own demons from her past. Severely injured in a fight against a dangerous foe from book one, she is now on the road to recovery. However, that challenge is nothing compared to the one she's about to face.
This is a fantastic continuation of the Grenshall Manor Chronicles. The story follows on from the first book, but rather than continuing to follow Mary, this story follows Jennifer Winter. She has amazing abilities and strength, but even that may not be able to stop a criminal mastermind hell bent on locating certain items to enable him to control the supernatural realm and beyond. Told mostly through the eyes of Jennifer, although Mary and Kara have their view points too, this story takes the reader on exciting rollercoaster ride of action, adventure, danger and fantasy. I was quickly hooked and found myself sitting on the edge of my seat as the intensity and intrigue increased. This story is full of twists and turns. Just when you think you've got the story sussed, along comes another twist to throw a spanner in the works! I must admit, however, that this story just didn't seem to gel as well as the first book. Maybe because it was more of a personal journey for Jennifer as she discovers where her powers come from, rather than an all out battle against good and evil, although there was plenty of that. I enjoyed getting to know Jennifer better through her backstory, but felt that the "evil" characters introduced were not as well utilized as they could have been in the present. The Grey Lady is a dangerous assassin, but doesn't see much action until near the end. Manta is a megalomaniac, determined to rule over the supernatural world; I felt he didn't feature as prominently as I thought he should. However, there is one character I didn't expect to meet, considering I thought them dead. Their appearance was a complete surprise and sent a shiver down my spine! I'll leave it to you to find out whom I am talking about.
I loved the introduction of another character called Christobal Sergides. He too, like Mary, is a guardian of a dark portal, but in France. He is a charming but lonely man. What his role will be in the next book of the series has me intrigued. I reached the end of the book with mixed emotions - happy about the outcome, but sad that it had finished. Where book one dealt with death, this book focuses on life, specifically nature/earth power. I am intrigued about what book three will offer. I can't wait to find out!
R.A. Smith has written a fantastic, fast paced and action packed sequel to his debut paranormal/urban fantasy. I love his fast paced writing style and the flow was wonderful! I had never heard of R.A. Smith before, until a friend of mine mentioned him. But now that I have, I look forward to reading more books written by him in the future. He has found a fan in me!
Although this book is not aimed at the Young Adult age group as such, I think that this book would appeal to readers aged 16 upwards who love dark urban fantasy. I also highly recommend this book to adults who love horror, paranormal or dark urban fantasy genres. - Lynn Worton
Jennifer Winter is a wonderful character. I liked her very much when I first met her in Oblivion Storm. However, she was a bit of an enigma and I wanted to get to know her better. This story offers me that chance. She is a very driven person, with her own demons from her past. Severely injured in a fight against a dangerous foe from book one, she is now on the road to recovery. However, that challenge is nothing compared to the one she's about to face.
This is a fantastic continuation of the Grenshall Manor Chronicles. The story follows on from the first book, but rather than continuing to follow Mary, this story follows Jennifer Winter. She has amazing abilities and strength, but even that may not be able to stop a criminal mastermind hell bent on locating certain items to enable him to control the supernatural realm and beyond. Told mostly through the eyes of Jennifer, although Mary and Kara have their view points too, this story takes the reader on exciting rollercoaster ride of action, adventure, danger and fantasy. I was quickly hooked and found myself sitting on the edge of my seat as the intensity and intrigue increased. This story is full of twists and turns. Just when you think you've got the story sussed, along comes another twist to throw a spanner in the works! I must admit, however, that this story just didn't seem to gel as well as the first book. Maybe because it was more of a personal journey for Jennifer as she discovers where her powers come from, rather than an all out battle against good and evil, although there was plenty of that. I enjoyed getting to know Jennifer better through her backstory, but felt that the "evil" characters introduced were not as well utilized as they could have been in the present. The Grey Lady is a dangerous assassin, but doesn't see much action until near the end. Manta is a megalomaniac, determined to rule over the supernatural world; I felt he didn't feature as prominently as I thought he should. However, there is one character I didn't expect to meet, considering I thought them dead. Their appearance was a complete surprise and sent a shiver down my spine! I'll leave it to you to find out whom I am talking about.
I loved the introduction of another character called Christobal Sergides. He too, like Mary, is a guardian of a dark portal, but in France. He is a charming but lonely man. What his role will be in the next book of the series has me intrigued. I reached the end of the book with mixed emotions - happy about the outcome, but sad that it had finished. Where book one dealt with death, this book focuses on life, specifically nature/earth power. I am intrigued about what book three will offer. I can't wait to find out!
R.A. Smith has written a fantastic, fast paced and action packed sequel to his debut paranormal/urban fantasy. I love his fast paced writing style and the flow was wonderful! I had never heard of R.A. Smith before, until a friend of mine mentioned him. But now that I have, I look forward to reading more books written by him in the future. He has found a fan in me!
Although this book is not aimed at the Young Adult age group as such, I think that this book would appeal to readers aged 16 upwards who love dark urban fantasy. I also highly recommend this book to adults who love horror, paranormal or dark urban fantasy genres. - Lynn Worton
August 26, 2015
An interesting sequel and I'm pleased to see there's more to come.
One of the things I lamented last book was how little we learned about Jennifer - and now I see why. This is very much so Jen's book. It would have been nice to learn a little more about her beforehand - the beginning was slow for me because I simply didn't know much about Jen, but as I learned, my interest picked up and so did the plot. It was smooth sailing and happy hours curled up with book and tea then, just like the first one.
A great expansion on the first book, widening the scope and introducing us to more fantastical worlds. I still love our power trio of Mary, Kara and Jen and it was just great to see them again. We had some new mysteries to figure out, some new enemies to fight and there was some great call back to book one...
If I have a gripe it's that the action scenes are too long for me. This feels like a minor nitpick though - I often have to extend my own action scenes after being told they're too short, so it is likely personal preference, but there are a lot of them, so I feel I have to mention it. Action fans will love it though.
To make a long story short - I will be asking the author when the next one will be out at the earliest opportunity.
One of the things I lamented last book was how little we learned about Jennifer - and now I see why. This is very much so Jen's book. It would have been nice to learn a little more about her beforehand - the beginning was slow for me because I simply didn't know much about Jen, but as I learned, my interest picked up and so did the plot. It was smooth sailing and happy hours curled up with book and tea then, just like the first one.
A great expansion on the first book, widening the scope and introducing us to more fantastical worlds. I still love our power trio of Mary, Kara and Jen and it was just great to see them again. We had some new mysteries to figure out, some new enemies to fight and there was some great call back to book one...
If I have a gripe it's that the action scenes are too long for me. This feels like a minor nitpick though - I often have to extend my own action scenes after being told they're too short, so it is likely personal preference, but there are a lot of them, so I feel I have to mention it. Action fans will love it though.
To make a long story short - I will be asking the author when the next one will be out at the earliest opportunity.
March 3, 2014
I was looking forward to this book after reading the first volume in the series and am glad to say the wait was worth it.
As before there is well thought out, deep, and believable characterisation and action abound. It is all clearly well thought out, and while the plot does not hold as many surprises and convolution as the previous book, although there is still plenty, I expect some if this is simply because the exposition is not yet complete. The story as before (as I believe will the next instalment) focuses on the development of one protagonist, with the other major characters from the previous volume providing context and contrast. Not that the other characters do not continue to develop, in fact some major changes do occur, it is just the primary focus is elsewhere.
It is not perfect, I felt at times (but only very occasionally) it could have benefited from slower pace to let things sink in, and I thought the depth of a couple of characters wasn't expressed (but again there is more coming) but overall this is another great book, and I cannot wait for more to come.
As before there is well thought out, deep, and believable characterisation and action abound. It is all clearly well thought out, and while the plot does not hold as many surprises and convolution as the previous book, although there is still plenty, I expect some if this is simply because the exposition is not yet complete. The story as before (as I believe will the next instalment) focuses on the development of one protagonist, with the other major characters from the previous volume providing context and contrast. Not that the other characters do not continue to develop, in fact some major changes do occur, it is just the primary focus is elsewhere.
It is not perfect, I felt at times (but only very occasionally) it could have benefited from slower pace to let things sink in, and I thought the depth of a couple of characters wasn't expressed (but again there is more coming) but overall this is another great book, and I cannot wait for more to come.
Read
February 13, 2016As editor and publisher of this book, in order to maintain as objective a rating as possible, I decline to rate it, but I think it's a dang fine book. This urban fantasy will appeal to lovers of action, suspense, mystery, and the paranormal. Readers looking for strong 'real' women leads whose primary focus in life isn't getting a man will love this book.
September 21, 2023
Well this one hits the ground running and just does not stop. Fair warning though, it's part of an unfinished trilogy and ends on a bit of a cliffhanger so chances are some plot points may never be answered.
That said it's a very enjoyable, fast-paced adventure with really likeable characters. It's a bit action-heavy for my taste, but I will at least say that the action scenes didn't confuse me as much as such scenes often do.
There are some powerful moments of backstory nicely mixed into the narrative, contrasting with moments of the utterly fantastic. Even if I don't get the conclusion to the story, I'm still glad I read this one.
That said it's a very enjoyable, fast-paced adventure with really likeable characters. It's a bit action-heavy for my taste, but I will at least say that the action scenes didn't confuse me as much as such scenes often do.
There are some powerful moments of backstory nicely mixed into the narrative, contrasting with moments of the utterly fantastic. Even if I don't get the conclusion to the story, I'm still glad I read this one.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews