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Sons of Destiny #6
The Storm
Sixth book in the must-read series from a national bestselling ?fresh new voice in fantasy romance.?( Robin D. Owens)
Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day?they fulfill the Curse of Eight Prophecy. Though no longer trapped in exile, their growing family faces new problems. Now Rydan, the tormented sixth-born son, must find a way to trust his Destined bride, Rora, a woman who possesses her own secret power?one that could bring them together or annihilate their world forever.
Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day?they fulfill the Curse of Eight Prophecy. Though no longer trapped in exile, their growing family faces new problems. Now Rydan, the tormented sixth-born son, must find a way to trust his Destined bride, Rora, a woman who possesses her own secret power?one that could bring them together or annihilate their world forever.
352 pages, Trade Paperback
First published August 17, 2008
36 people are currently reading
791 people want to read
About the author
Jean Johnson
51 books820 followersBerkley/Jove Authors Bio
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
(1)romance author, science fiction author
Jean Johnson currently lives in the Pacific Northwest, has played in the SCA for 25 years, sings a lot, and argues with her cat about territorial rights to her office chair. She loves hearing from her readers, and has a distinct sense of humor. Right now she's living in a home with zone heating & decent plumbing, but hopes to some day put turrets and ramparts on it so that it looks like a castle.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
(1)romance author, science fiction author
Jean Johnson currently lives in the Pacific Northwest, has played in the SCA for 25 years, sings a lot, and argues with her cat about territorial rights to her office chair. She loves hearing from her readers, and has a distinct sense of humor. Right now she's living in a home with zone heating & decent plumbing, but hopes to some day put turrets and ramparts on it so that it looks like a castle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
August 30, 2008
Oh goody, goody. In "The Storm" by Jean Johnson, Ryder gets his woman! This is book five from the 'Sons of Destiny' series. The series follows eight brothers, four sets of twins who are under a curse and were banished to an island. Each book tells the story of one of the brothers, all mages, finding love in accordance with the prophecy and the curse.
Rydan is the antisocial one. He's always known that he felt better when he was apart from other people, he just didn't know why. He's also the Guardian of a magic Fountain and if he's interpreting the prophecy correctly, then to get his woman he will have to give up Guardianship of his fountain...something he has absolutely no intention of doing.
Rora's magic is unusual in that she doesn't 'perform' magic, she 'carries' magic. The end result is that she and her sister were forced to flee from their homeland, chased by mages trying to steal or use Rora's power. She can also 'see' emotions as colors, and she's astonished to realize that Rydan's problem is he cannot shield himself from his own and others' emotions. With Rora's help, he is getting better and she is more attracted every day. But will he be willing to sacrifice what he treasures most to have Rora?
Another fascinating book in this series. Before I read it, I was sure I wasn't going to like Ryder as he was so cold and uncommunicative. But knowing why? Well, that changed everything. Johnson's handling of the physical and emotional issues around Ryden and Rora's relationship was really touching. And there's plenty of heat here too. If you enjoy your romances in series form, you really need to check this one out. It has a very historical feel to it, even though at least two of the 'brides' are from 'our' world. Magic, hot sex, shapeshifters, and ordinary humans. Good storyline, excellent plotting and beautiful writing.
Rydan is the antisocial one. He's always known that he felt better when he was apart from other people, he just didn't know why. He's also the Guardian of a magic Fountain and if he's interpreting the prophecy correctly, then to get his woman he will have to give up Guardianship of his fountain...something he has absolutely no intention of doing.
Rora's magic is unusual in that she doesn't 'perform' magic, she 'carries' magic. The end result is that she and her sister were forced to flee from their homeland, chased by mages trying to steal or use Rora's power. She can also 'see' emotions as colors, and she's astonished to realize that Rydan's problem is he cannot shield himself from his own and others' emotions. With Rora's help, he is getting better and she is more attracted every day. But will he be willing to sacrifice what he treasures most to have Rora?
Another fascinating book in this series. Before I read it, I was sure I wasn't going to like Ryder as he was so cold and uncommunicative. But knowing why? Well, that changed everything. Johnson's handling of the physical and emotional issues around Ryden and Rora's relationship was really touching. And there's plenty of heat here too. If you enjoy your romances in series form, you really need to check this one out. It has a very historical feel to it, even though at least two of the 'brides' are from 'our' world. Magic, hot sex, shapeshifters, and ordinary humans. Good storyline, excellent plotting and beautiful writing.
February 23, 2017
Plot: 3.5/5
Characterisation: 4/5
Prose: 3.5/5
How much I enjoyed it: 4/5
Characterisation: 4/5
Prose: 3.5/5
How much I enjoyed it: 4/5
May 27, 2012
By this time in reading this series, I almost gave up. The series was becoming too trite. The characters were repetitive and the fact that Kelly was still always a major character, while her husband wasn't, was beyond annoying. Thank goodness I stuck with it. This one book makes it all worth it. This is the story of Rydan, the sixth brother. Since he sleeps all day and rules the night, Kelly is fortunately rarely a part of his story. That is only one of the reasons why Rydan and Rora's is the best in the series.
You may notice that the summary above of this book mirrors the previous book in the series, The Cat. That is because this book happens simultaneous to that one and much is made of the fact (more so in this book) that the two are mirror images of each other. While in The Cat, Trevan (the lighthearted one) has to work to earn the trust of Amara (the cranky one), in The Storm, Rora (the lighthearted one) has to work to gain the love and trust of Rydan (the cranky one). The two twin brothers are destined to marry two twin sisters. While Amara and Trevan share shape shifting abilities, Rydan and Rora share magic.
For the full review, please go to http://thewindowseat13.blogspot.com/2...
You may notice that the summary above of this book mirrors the previous book in the series, The Cat. That is because this book happens simultaneous to that one and much is made of the fact (more so in this book) that the two are mirror images of each other. While in The Cat, Trevan (the lighthearted one) has to work to earn the trust of Amara (the cranky one), in The Storm, Rora (the lighthearted one) has to work to gain the love and trust of Rydan (the cranky one). The two twin brothers are destined to marry two twin sisters. While Amara and Trevan share shape shifting abilities, Rydan and Rora share magic.
For the full review, please go to http://thewindowseat13.blogspot.com/2...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2011
I love the fantasy worlds that Jean Johnson creates. I originally read all of this series, Sons of Destiny 8 books, in the spring of 2010. We were driving to New York at the time and had to stop at several bookstores. This is the third time I've read this particular one, however I've never re-read it's companion volume, The Cat.
Rydan, the sixth born of the Sons of Destiny, carefully guards the Nightfall Fountain, a source of magic, and leads a nocturnal life. He is not looking forward to meeting his destined bride or falling in love. Rora and her twin sister, Mara, are ship-wrecked on Nightfall Isle while running from greedy mages. Rora is a sheltered yet confident, problem solver. After Rora wanders into Rydan's underground complex and basically into his bed she decides to fix Rydan.
Rydan, the sixth born of the Sons of Destiny, carefully guards the Nightfall Fountain, a source of magic, and leads a nocturnal life. He is not looking forward to meeting his destined bride or falling in love. Rora and her twin sister, Mara, are ship-wrecked on Nightfall Isle while running from greedy mages. Rora is a sheltered yet confident, problem solver. After Rora wanders into Rydan's underground complex and basically into his bed she decides to fix Rydan.
November 18, 2009
Good book, the best so far in the series I think. I like Rydan, the more reserved, mysterious brother. This is his and Rora's story. And holy smokes, a heroine over whom I have no complaints! Go figure. Once again, Kelly still lives throughout the book and since I live for the hope that she'll get "offed" one day, this is a disappointment.
Rydan doesn't just lay down and accept his destiny - nor does he fight it in whole. I liked that. I felt that in this book, he chose his destiny, rather than it just happening to him. I had rather hoped that his big secret problem keeping him secluded would have been something more profound but, eh, I could live with what it was. Otherwise a good read.
Rydan doesn't just lay down and accept his destiny - nor does he fight it in whole. I liked that. I felt that in this book, he chose his destiny, rather than it just happening to him. I had rather hoped that his big secret problem keeping him secluded would have been something more profound but, eh, I could live with what it was. Otherwise a good read.
December 30, 2008
The best in the series so far! A good mix of romance, fantasy and the rest of the characters (and very little Kelly).
July 21, 2020
The sixth book in the series. Unfortunately, I have yet to find books one through four. Book five was intriguing. Book six was just plain fun. It runs concurrently with book five because Rydan and Arora are twins of Trevan and Amara. Like his brothers, Rydan is cursed or prophesied to fall fast and hard for woman that will bring about the fulfillment of a centuries old prophecy. Depending on how the two learn to relate, they can either be doomed or saved from doom. Typical of prophecy - it dances on a knife's edge as to whether it is good or bad. The plot runs nicely from book five to book six. Written in the 1970's it is still fun and the plot is decent. The characters are definitely a blast. Arora is learning to assert herself and not allow others to coddle her - because up until now, her only real ability has been to hide and protect herself from the mages hunting her while allowing her twin to act as protector. Under Trevan's tutelage she learns to harness her abilities and protect herself. Trevan wanted nothing to do with people because being near them physically hurts him. The two are a curious pair that works rather well, each learning from the other because their abilities complement and complete each other. Rather worth the read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2013
Something is wrong with Rydan, the sixth born brother, and one of the strongest mages in the whole of Katan. Ever since puberty hit him, he feels pain when amongst other people, making him shun them, and start living in the night, when most other people are asleep. His brothers have accepted his strange ways a long time ago, but Saber, the oldest, demands that he joins them for breakfast and supper each day, to be at least a bit social and they know that he is alright. Rydan does not know what is causing his troubles, he calls it his beast. And now he is used to roaming the night, being the Lord Protector of Nightfall, protecting the island and its inhabitants while his brothers sleep.
He has found the secret tunnels beneath the surface, and has become the Guardian to the Fountain, which was not easy. He stumbled upon it accidentally, and had to learn a lot before he was fit to be the next Guardian. So much magic cannot be abused by an evil mage. And he had to control his emotions and feelings to be able to wield its power for the benefit of the island. He was not happy when Dominor found out about it, and invaded his sanctuary. The only place where he did not feel his brothers, and was free of pain.
And now this tiny female has invaded his realm while he was sleeping. Still half asleep and drugged by Morganen, thinking he is still dreaming of his Bride, Rydan pulls her into his bed and starts kissing and touching her. After the initial shock, Rora decides she rather likes it, and as she is no longer on the Shifting Plains, she does not need to heed their customs any more.
But when Rydan comes to his senses, he feels sick to his soul, thinking he has violated his brothers’ bride! And he will make Morganen pay for that! But how did this woman invade his sanctuary, withouth setting of his many wards? Even Morganen would have trouble evading them as she effortlessly did. Of course Rora doesn’t know what to tell him; at least he has not yet discovered her secret, drugged as he was when touching her. But her Sight does tell her what is bothering Rydan, and she is determined to help him.
Rydan is an empath, and his own feelings and those of others are literally attacking him. How come that no one of his brothers ever figured that out? Sure there must be a way to shield himself from emotions, without becoming emotionless himself? After all, a mage can shield from magic and all kinds of other stuff as well.
Determined to get to know Rydan better, and to help him, Rora decides to get used to Rydan’s schedule, so they have time to talk, and learn about each other. And Rydan soon finds out that it is no use to tell her to stay away from him, she does as she pleases. And after thinking about what she is telling him, what she Sees, he knows she has to be right. And when he finds out the secret she is hiding, he wants to keep her safe from harm.
When Rora decides to trust the mages of Nightfall Island, and to tell them about her secret, she asks for help. Do they know how to get this power out of her? She wants to lead a normal life, and not be pursued for the rest of it. Dominor and Serena go back to Natallia, to do some research in the extensive library of Koral Tai, and so Serene can do some checking up on the spell she and Dominor performed in the Fountain there. When it turns out, the Magic of the Fountain makes her pregnancy a lot easier to bear, they decide to stay there until her child is born, and their job there is done.
But then an outside force is trying to steal the Fountain from under Rydan’s powers, and he has no other choice but to give control of it over to Dominor, while he and his other brothers fight the stranger. Rora proves invaluable, as he can use her powers to fight unseen, and beat the other mage. And when they save Guardian Sheren’s Fountain and her city from destruction, they sure are due some compensation. Which Morganen knows will be perfect for his own twin brother, Koranen …
I like Rydan, and he is my favourite brother of all 8. No, he is not a vampire, even though he roams and rules the night. He has the power of the storms, and lightning, and he is grumpy and anti-social. But I still like him. He dresses in black, just to annoy his brother Dominor, who does the laundry. And of course because it looks good on him. He really does not want a Bride of himself, he is used to being celibate as he hated being used by women before their exile. And he has no intention of giving up the one thing he rules: his Fountain. Of course, there is no stopping Destiny.
Rora is determined to live her life as well as she can, she is tired of running and hiding who she is. She knows she can trust these Nightfallers, and she asks them for help. They are all powerful mages, they don’t need her power. And she is very happy to finally find out what is inside of her, and now she even has the hope that it will perhaps be possible to get it out of her without killing her first. She knows she can help Rydan, and she really admires him and everything he has accomplished in those catacombs. The beautiful sculptures he has made, without knowing what he is creating himself. But Rora recognizes some of the scenes.
Their courting however, is delayed when “Madam Mist”, the voice of his Fountain, warns them about it. And when they later find out the reason why, they are glad they waited a while. Apparently, you can’t be a Guardian of two Fountains, and the thought that another man would be controlling Rora instead of him, is horror to Rydan.
I loved the action in this book, how the brothers all fight together to defeat the evil mage. How they finally learn how to interact with Rydan safely, and how they all become closer that way. And when Rydan falls for his Rora, he falls hard!
Another great episode in the continuing story of the Sons of Destiny. Only two more to go …
The Sixth Son shall draw the line:
Shun the day and rule the night
Your reign’s end shall come at light
When Dawn steals into your hall
Bride of Storm shall be your fall
9 stars.
Full review on my blog, www.boeklogboek.blogspot.com
He has found the secret tunnels beneath the surface, and has become the Guardian to the Fountain, which was not easy. He stumbled upon it accidentally, and had to learn a lot before he was fit to be the next Guardian. So much magic cannot be abused by an evil mage. And he had to control his emotions and feelings to be able to wield its power for the benefit of the island. He was not happy when Dominor found out about it, and invaded his sanctuary. The only place where he did not feel his brothers, and was free of pain.
And now this tiny female has invaded his realm while he was sleeping. Still half asleep and drugged by Morganen, thinking he is still dreaming of his Bride, Rydan pulls her into his bed and starts kissing and touching her. After the initial shock, Rora decides she rather likes it, and as she is no longer on the Shifting Plains, she does not need to heed their customs any more.
But when Rydan comes to his senses, he feels sick to his soul, thinking he has violated his brothers’ bride! And he will make Morganen pay for that! But how did this woman invade his sanctuary, withouth setting of his many wards? Even Morganen would have trouble evading them as she effortlessly did. Of course Rora doesn’t know what to tell him; at least he has not yet discovered her secret, drugged as he was when touching her. But her Sight does tell her what is bothering Rydan, and she is determined to help him.
Rydan is an empath, and his own feelings and those of others are literally attacking him. How come that no one of his brothers ever figured that out? Sure there must be a way to shield himself from emotions, without becoming emotionless himself? After all, a mage can shield from magic and all kinds of other stuff as well.
Determined to get to know Rydan better, and to help him, Rora decides to get used to Rydan’s schedule, so they have time to talk, and learn about each other. And Rydan soon finds out that it is no use to tell her to stay away from him, she does as she pleases. And after thinking about what she is telling him, what she Sees, he knows she has to be right. And when he finds out the secret she is hiding, he wants to keep her safe from harm.
When Rora decides to trust the mages of Nightfall Island, and to tell them about her secret, she asks for help. Do they know how to get this power out of her? She wants to lead a normal life, and not be pursued for the rest of it. Dominor and Serena go back to Natallia, to do some research in the extensive library of Koral Tai, and so Serene can do some checking up on the spell she and Dominor performed in the Fountain there. When it turns out, the Magic of the Fountain makes her pregnancy a lot easier to bear, they decide to stay there until her child is born, and their job there is done.
But then an outside force is trying to steal the Fountain from under Rydan’s powers, and he has no other choice but to give control of it over to Dominor, while he and his other brothers fight the stranger. Rora proves invaluable, as he can use her powers to fight unseen, and beat the other mage. And when they save Guardian Sheren’s Fountain and her city from destruction, they sure are due some compensation. Which Morganen knows will be perfect for his own twin brother, Koranen …
I like Rydan, and he is my favourite brother of all 8. No, he is not a vampire, even though he roams and rules the night. He has the power of the storms, and lightning, and he is grumpy and anti-social. But I still like him. He dresses in black, just to annoy his brother Dominor, who does the laundry. And of course because it looks good on him. He really does not want a Bride of himself, he is used to being celibate as he hated being used by women before their exile. And he has no intention of giving up the one thing he rules: his Fountain. Of course, there is no stopping Destiny.
Rora is determined to live her life as well as she can, she is tired of running and hiding who she is. She knows she can trust these Nightfallers, and she asks them for help. They are all powerful mages, they don’t need her power. And she is very happy to finally find out what is inside of her, and now she even has the hope that it will perhaps be possible to get it out of her without killing her first. She knows she can help Rydan, and she really admires him and everything he has accomplished in those catacombs. The beautiful sculptures he has made, without knowing what he is creating himself. But Rora recognizes some of the scenes.
Their courting however, is delayed when “Madam Mist”, the voice of his Fountain, warns them about it. And when they later find out the reason why, they are glad they waited a while. Apparently, you can’t be a Guardian of two Fountains, and the thought that another man would be controlling Rora instead of him, is horror to Rydan.
I loved the action in this book, how the brothers all fight together to defeat the evil mage. How they finally learn how to interact with Rydan safely, and how they all become closer that way. And when Rydan falls for his Rora, he falls hard!
Another great episode in the continuing story of the Sons of Destiny. Only two more to go …
The Sixth Son shall draw the line:
Shun the day and rule the night
Your reign’s end shall come at light
When Dawn steals into your hall
Bride of Storm shall be your fall
9 stars.
© 2013 Reviews by Aurian
Full review on my blog, www.boeklogboek.blogspot.com
September 29, 2017
Might have gotten five stars if I read this a year after last one because the first quarter of the book was the same as last one only told from the other sisters perspective. Since I read them back to back immediately, it lost a star. Very enjoyable storyline here. Liked it better than the last one.
May 14, 2020
It's been a while since I read a true cheesy romance novel and this definitely hit the spot. The writing isn't very sophisticated but there is a lot of humor, which I appreciate, and overall the story was entertaining. I might actually go back and read the other ones in the series!
March 7, 2024
Once I started the series, I had been looking forward to hearing Rydan's story and was not disappointed. So far, best book in the series. Got to the point, and kept mt attention the whole way through.
September 27, 2018
Not as good as previous books. It seemed very slow moving throughout most of the book and then rushed at the end.
June 27, 2020
Love it
June 28, 2021
Rydan has always been my favourite brother but I wish his book would have had more. The others all had hot steamy scenes but rydans was so rushed. It made me feel so sad.
April 2, 2011
"The Sixth Son shall draw the line:
Shun the day and rule the night
Your reign’s end shall come at light
When Dawn steals into your hall
Bride of Storm shall be your fall"
Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day – they fulfill the Curse of the Eight Prophecies. Though no longer trapped in exile, their growing family faces new problems. Now the sixthborn son must find a way to trust his Destined Bride…
Out of the eight brothers, Rydan is the only one who does not embrace his destiny. He is determined to fight his prophecy with might and main. So when he is asleep in his most shielded haven of refuge and awakes with a start, he is shocked to find himself on top of a real woman, Rora. He kicks her out of his refuge and brings her to his twin, convinced that she is his destined woman. Only then he discovers that not one but two women have arrived at Nightfall and that Rora is his bride to be. Bent on not fulfilling his prophecy he retreats to his refuge but she keeps seeking him out and so much the worse, he can’t get her out of his head. But fulfillment of his prophecy means he loses everything he worked so hard for and he can’t let that happen…
Together with her sister, Rora has fled her homeland to protect her secret. She has unusual strong powers and other mages will do anything to control it. Her powers have guided her and her sister Mara to Nightfall. When she meets Rydan under very passionate circumstances, their attraction is immediate. Her powers show her what the others cannot see, namely Rydan’s secret. She sees what torments the handsome mage and why he lives as a recluse, away from his family. If only she can persuade him to trust her and let her help him before his secret destroys him. Ironically it turns out that he is also the only one who can help her with her secret…
Right from the start of this series the two brothers who caught my eye immediately were Rydan and Morganen. Rydan’s story is part 6 in the series and it was a long wait before I could read his story and ease my curiosity. So the second the book fell on my doormat I plunged into the story, eager to discover if Jean Johnson could come up to my high expectations. The answer? Yes she did and in my opinion she has surpassed herself with The Storm!
With this story all the pieces of the puzzle regarding Rydan fall into place. Rydan is the most complicated and tormented brother of the eight, he cannot be in the company of his family for long for his inner beast will not tolerate it, causing him unbearable pain. Therefore he lives like a recluse, shuns the daylight and is very lonely. He does not give his trust easily for he has learnt the hard way that most people cannot be trusted. But underneath all this pain there is a real, honorable and gentle man who needs someone to love him and help him domesticate his beast.
Rora carries a Font of her own inside her, this is very rare and it gives her immense powers. Therefore she can See aura’s and Feel emotions. She is tired of getting away from mages who covet her powers, she wants to start over and live a normal life and unlike her sister she does not want to hide behind the walls of her homeland’s customs. She is kind and gentle and she takes things as they are, she does not dwell on the past.
Romance reigns supreme, for the greater part of this story takes place in Rydan’s haven of refuge, the romance between Rydan and Rora is touching, innocent, sensual and well-developed. I adored them as a couple, their love scenes were spine tingling. Rora is just perfect for Rydan. I like the way the plot always takes unexpected turns, this time the emphasis is on the magical fountains. As always Jean Johnson’s world building is detailed, Rydan’s underground refuge is sketched to perfection and the magic fountains come to life thanks to a very vivid description.
But most of all I love the interactions between all the brothers and their wives, the bickering between the brothers, always trying to outdo one another, the collision of characters and the matchmaking schemes of Morganen.
Rora to Rydan and vice versa:
“Now, what is your favorite color? Black?” “Green, actually.” “I wear black to annoy Dominor. It is a very difficult color to clean without having it fade, or stain anything else that may be washed at the same time with it…and I look intimidating in it.”
“I like it when you laugh. You Look like a flower in a bloom, with all those happy colors streaming out of you. And your voice… I like how deep it is.” “Very few men like being compared to a flower, woman,” he groused.
The Storm is absolutely my favorite part in this series so far. It is the perfect mix of a touching romance, a mysterious hero, plenty of banter and a magical and dazzling world. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I am counting the days till Koranen’s story hit the shelves so I can get my regular fix of delicious twins!
Shun the day and rule the night
Your reign’s end shall come at light
When Dawn steals into your hall
Bride of Storm shall be your fall"
Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day – they fulfill the Curse of the Eight Prophecies. Though no longer trapped in exile, their growing family faces new problems. Now the sixthborn son must find a way to trust his Destined Bride…
Out of the eight brothers, Rydan is the only one who does not embrace his destiny. He is determined to fight his prophecy with might and main. So when he is asleep in his most shielded haven of refuge and awakes with a start, he is shocked to find himself on top of a real woman, Rora. He kicks her out of his refuge and brings her to his twin, convinced that she is his destined woman. Only then he discovers that not one but two women have arrived at Nightfall and that Rora is his bride to be. Bent on not fulfilling his prophecy he retreats to his refuge but she keeps seeking him out and so much the worse, he can’t get her out of his head. But fulfillment of his prophecy means he loses everything he worked so hard for and he can’t let that happen…
Together with her sister, Rora has fled her homeland to protect her secret. She has unusual strong powers and other mages will do anything to control it. Her powers have guided her and her sister Mara to Nightfall. When she meets Rydan under very passionate circumstances, their attraction is immediate. Her powers show her what the others cannot see, namely Rydan’s secret. She sees what torments the handsome mage and why he lives as a recluse, away from his family. If only she can persuade him to trust her and let her help him before his secret destroys him. Ironically it turns out that he is also the only one who can help her with her secret…
Right from the start of this series the two brothers who caught my eye immediately were Rydan and Morganen. Rydan’s story is part 6 in the series and it was a long wait before I could read his story and ease my curiosity. So the second the book fell on my doormat I plunged into the story, eager to discover if Jean Johnson could come up to my high expectations. The answer? Yes she did and in my opinion she has surpassed herself with The Storm!
With this story all the pieces of the puzzle regarding Rydan fall into place. Rydan is the most complicated and tormented brother of the eight, he cannot be in the company of his family for long for his inner beast will not tolerate it, causing him unbearable pain. Therefore he lives like a recluse, shuns the daylight and is very lonely. He does not give his trust easily for he has learnt the hard way that most people cannot be trusted. But underneath all this pain there is a real, honorable and gentle man who needs someone to love him and help him domesticate his beast.
Rora carries a Font of her own inside her, this is very rare and it gives her immense powers. Therefore she can See aura’s and Feel emotions. She is tired of getting away from mages who covet her powers, she wants to start over and live a normal life and unlike her sister she does not want to hide behind the walls of her homeland’s customs. She is kind and gentle and she takes things as they are, she does not dwell on the past.
Romance reigns supreme, for the greater part of this story takes place in Rydan’s haven of refuge, the romance between Rydan and Rora is touching, innocent, sensual and well-developed. I adored them as a couple, their love scenes were spine tingling. Rora is just perfect for Rydan. I like the way the plot always takes unexpected turns, this time the emphasis is on the magical fountains. As always Jean Johnson’s world building is detailed, Rydan’s underground refuge is sketched to perfection and the magic fountains come to life thanks to a very vivid description.
But most of all I love the interactions between all the brothers and their wives, the bickering between the brothers, always trying to outdo one another, the collision of characters and the matchmaking schemes of Morganen.
Rora to Rydan and vice versa:
“Now, what is your favorite color? Black?” “Green, actually.” “I wear black to annoy Dominor. It is a very difficult color to clean without having it fade, or stain anything else that may be washed at the same time with it…and I look intimidating in it.”
“I like it when you laugh. You Look like a flower in a bloom, with all those happy colors streaming out of you. And your voice… I like how deep it is.” “Very few men like being compared to a flower, woman,” he groused.
The Storm is absolutely my favorite part in this series so far. It is the perfect mix of a touching romance, a mysterious hero, plenty of banter and a magical and dazzling world. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I am counting the days till Koranen’s story hit the shelves so I can get my regular fix of delicious twins!
November 9, 2013
Setting: Nightfall – the palace; dining room; underground passages; underground Fountain;
Theme: destiny; falling in love; lonliness; selfprotection; new ways to look at problems;
Characters:
‘Rora’ Arora Fen Ziel: Amara’s twin; she is a human magic fountain; when the few mages she came in contact with in Sifterai realize it, they covet her – wanting to possess her and her power, willing to kill to enslave her; goes on run with sister; they end up in Nightfall – Arora magic ‘feeling’ they will be safe there; left in a cave when first got to island, and went out exploring, getting through Rydan’s wards, and kissed by him when he thought she a part of his dream; no one in Shifteri could adequately understand and/or help her with her magic, so most she can do is selftaught by trial and error; makes self ‘ invisible’ as keeps magic confined; uses ‘other sight’ to look at people – seeing their auras, and reading their emotions and intentions; She uses this to ‘see’ Rydan, to see how others emotions hit him like physical blow;
Rydan: accepts Arora into his sphere, talking with her, respecting her; he is keeper of magic fountain/portal, so understands her power better than rest; the prophecy indicates he will have to give up what he rules – the fountain – when claiming his bride… and he can’t envision doing this – because it is integral to who he is, and because he doesn’t have anyone to pass it on to and has the responsibility to keep the fountain safe as well as the benefits to the island; somehow his sensitivity makes him sensitive to other’s emotions; he was happy to be exiled to the island, because limited human contact was less painful; especially with additional women on the island, he has taken to being a night person – continuing the development of a tunnels underground – filled with his magical carvings of the walls and statues; he is very solitary; and doesn’t know how to minimize the emotional impact of others except to absent himself;
Morganen: ‘sees’ the sisters coming; helps that they slip under the wards; feels guilty when thinking that Rydan violated Arora (though Arora not upset by it); we learn his magic takes – and is the basis for evil magicians and can move into the realm of dark magic that takes the life force of people; and he is after one accidental touch of Arora, where her power leapt into him, he knows he must not touch her again;
Amara and Trevan: their story is concurrent with this one, we don’t get more details about them;
A piece in her plan;
Dominor and his bride ______: she is the arimancer, once the fountain keeper in her lands – and still has access to it as she studies ways too heal the lands; she is pregnant;
_____: magician who steals power, and wants Arora’s power; unclear as to whether taking over the fountains was because she located Arora, or just a strategy that she thought would ultimately lead to them;
Summary:
Rora and Rydan – Ror has not reservations in believing that her magic brought her to this island, where she was safe – both from personally being taken advantage of, and from external enemies; and she knows she is tied to Rydan from their first unexpected kiss; she can ‘see’ the pain the other’s emotions cause him, and strives to help him reason it out, and to protect himself; They spend a night talking – with her trying different ‘buttons’ to push to see what emotions cause what… and he learns to put up a calm shield – similar to the one he had to develop to approach the fountain; and he takes her with him as he makes his rounds; one of his ‘tasks’ is to magically clean a marble so that it can be infused to become a truth stone – a product they can then sell… and they work together to where he sets the touch, and funnel her magic into the spell…. And the cleansing of the marble is 100 times after than – and they work on other projects the same way; but when their kisses start to move into greater passion, the lady of his fountain warns him not yet – be patient;
They confide in Dominor and his bride about her powers – that she is living fountain – and they want to go back to her land’s library because she remembers some reference… they go through his fountain to her land… and while they are gone, Nightfall fountain comes under attack – from a third fountain keeper – an elderly keeper who has not found her replacement yet… and Rora and Rydan realize quickly that someone else is posing as her, and trying to ‘grab’ their fountain…. And they work together – calling the brothers and wives, calling Dominor and wife… and protect their fountain while sending shards of glass to attack her side… and Ryadan gives transfers his fountain to Dominor’s wife… and joins with Rora… and they ‘marry’ in the Shifteri way of crossing over fire, and have married sex to be joined in magic… ahhh
Theme: destiny; falling in love; lonliness; selfprotection; new ways to look at problems;
Characters:
‘Rora’ Arora Fen Ziel: Amara’s twin; she is a human magic fountain; when the few mages she came in contact with in Sifterai realize it, they covet her – wanting to possess her and her power, willing to kill to enslave her; goes on run with sister; they end up in Nightfall – Arora magic ‘feeling’ they will be safe there; left in a cave when first got to island, and went out exploring, getting through Rydan’s wards, and kissed by him when he thought she a part of his dream; no one in Shifteri could adequately understand and/or help her with her magic, so most she can do is selftaught by trial and error; makes self ‘ invisible’ as keeps magic confined; uses ‘other sight’ to look at people – seeing their auras, and reading their emotions and intentions; She uses this to ‘see’ Rydan, to see how others emotions hit him like physical blow;
Rydan: accepts Arora into his sphere, talking with her, respecting her; he is keeper of magic fountain/portal, so understands her power better than rest; the prophecy indicates he will have to give up what he rules – the fountain – when claiming his bride… and he can’t envision doing this – because it is integral to who he is, and because he doesn’t have anyone to pass it on to and has the responsibility to keep the fountain safe as well as the benefits to the island; somehow his sensitivity makes him sensitive to other’s emotions; he was happy to be exiled to the island, because limited human contact was less painful; especially with additional women on the island, he has taken to being a night person – continuing the development of a tunnels underground – filled with his magical carvings of the walls and statues; he is very solitary; and doesn’t know how to minimize the emotional impact of others except to absent himself;
Morganen: ‘sees’ the sisters coming; helps that they slip under the wards; feels guilty when thinking that Rydan violated Arora (though Arora not upset by it); we learn his magic takes – and is the basis for evil magicians and can move into the realm of dark magic that takes the life force of people; and he is after one accidental touch of Arora, where her power leapt into him, he knows he must not touch her again;
Amara and Trevan: their story is concurrent with this one, we don’t get more details about them;
A piece in her plan;
Dominor and his bride ______: she is the arimancer, once the fountain keeper in her lands – and still has access to it as she studies ways too heal the lands; she is pregnant;
_____: magician who steals power, and wants Arora’s power; unclear as to whether taking over the fountains was because she located Arora, or just a strategy that she thought would ultimately lead to them;
Summary:
Rora and Rydan – Ror has not reservations in believing that her magic brought her to this island, where she was safe – both from personally being taken advantage of, and from external enemies; and she knows she is tied to Rydan from their first unexpected kiss; she can ‘see’ the pain the other’s emotions cause him, and strives to help him reason it out, and to protect himself; They spend a night talking – with her trying different ‘buttons’ to push to see what emotions cause what… and he learns to put up a calm shield – similar to the one he had to develop to approach the fountain; and he takes her with him as he makes his rounds; one of his ‘tasks’ is to magically clean a marble so that it can be infused to become a truth stone – a product they can then sell… and they work together to where he sets the touch, and funnel her magic into the spell…. And the cleansing of the marble is 100 times after than – and they work on other projects the same way; but when their kisses start to move into greater passion, the lady of his fountain warns him not yet – be patient;
They confide in Dominor and his bride about her powers – that she is living fountain – and they want to go back to her land’s library because she remembers some reference… they go through his fountain to her land… and while they are gone, Nightfall fountain comes under attack – from a third fountain keeper – an elderly keeper who has not found her replacement yet… and Rora and Rydan realize quickly that someone else is posing as her, and trying to ‘grab’ their fountain…. And they work together – calling the brothers and wives, calling Dominor and wife… and protect their fountain while sending shards of glass to attack her side… and Ryadan gives transfers his fountain to Dominor’s wife… and joins with Rora… and they ‘marry’ in the Shifteri way of crossing over fire, and have married sex to be joined in magic… ahhh
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2010
4.5 stars!
Rydan is the brother who has been keeping to himself ever since they arrived on Nightfall. He secludes himself from the rest for reasons only he knows and they are finally explained in his book. The self-imposed isolation is not of his free will. He has to because he can't be around others too long without their emotions causing him excruciating pain. That is why he lives at night and sleeps during the day. That way he's least likely to come into contact with others.
After Rora and Amara end up on Nightfall Rora discovers Rydan's "lair”, where he isolates himself from the others and sets events into action that will determine her and Rydan's future. They both have their secrets to keep and their reasons for not trusting each other with said secrets and while Rydan fights his Destiny, Rora embraces it with both hands, just as she does everything else in life.
Little by little Rora starts to grow on Rydan and together they have to overcome many obstacles before they can both enjoy the pleasures of their entwined Destinies.
Rora is Amara's twin sister. She is the reason Amara had to leave her life behind, for Rora is a living Fountain and mages covet her powers. Though she looks plain and uncomplicated on the outside Rora is anything but that. She is a sweet and open woman and pleasant to be around. She's the absolute opposite of dark, reclusive and brooding Rydan and still they are more alike than you would think. They both have this link with other people’s feelings even if Rydan's is a bit more negative than Rora's.
Rora "sees emotions displayed in colors and Rydan feels emotions through what he calls "the beast". Rora literally sees Rydan suffering and stands up for him against the others. She protects him and enjoys being the one protecting and helping instead of being the one needing protection.
Rydan tries to push Rora away, knowing she could be his downfall if she is his Prophesied Bride, but he can't resist her for long.
I loved the roles the secondary characters had in this book. Serina and Dominor were prominently present which was logical considering the Fountain storyline. But Morganen also provided some intriguing contributions to both current and future storylines. I enjoyed the interactions between the brothers, their wives and how they are all making an effort to fulfill their destinies and help those who aren't paired up yet. There is teasing and bantering but you can feel the harmony between all the people on Nightfall.
Rydan and Rora's story takes place in roughly the same time as Trevan and Amara's and that's the only similarity both stories have. As different as both twins are physically and emotionally, so were their stories.
With THE STORM I found the romance and sensuality I missed in THE CAT. And next to the romance there was still this fantastic magical world building Jean Johnson has displayed in the other books. I got to know more about the Fountains/Fonts, their origin and how they work.
Rydan's character turned out very different from the image I had of him reading the previous books. And this was in a very positive way. Normally reality doesn't meet the expectations but with Rydan reality rose high above my expectations. Yes he was dark and brooding and isolated himself, but he had good reason to and he had some really endearing moments that melted my heart.
If you like emotional stories, as I do, THE STORM meets your needs. It's an emotional read in many ways, from beginning to end. It has a main couple that approaches emotions in their own way and only when they combine their efforts, will they find solutions for their problems, relief for their suffering and love.
Next to this fabulous love story Jean Johnson still takes everyday things, like stone carving and house building, and wraps them in a magical veil using her phenomenal writing talent.
In the fantasy genre she has become one of my favourites. With THE STORM she has truly consolidated that position, giving me a well-balanced combination of plot and romance and a nice mix of emotion and action. I enjoyed this book immensely and am waiting with eager anticipation for the last set of twins in this series.
Rydan is the brother who has been keeping to himself ever since they arrived on Nightfall. He secludes himself from the rest for reasons only he knows and they are finally explained in his book. The self-imposed isolation is not of his free will. He has to because he can't be around others too long without their emotions causing him excruciating pain. That is why he lives at night and sleeps during the day. That way he's least likely to come into contact with others.
After Rora and Amara end up on Nightfall Rora discovers Rydan's "lair”, where he isolates himself from the others and sets events into action that will determine her and Rydan's future. They both have their secrets to keep and their reasons for not trusting each other with said secrets and while Rydan fights his Destiny, Rora embraces it with both hands, just as she does everything else in life.
Little by little Rora starts to grow on Rydan and together they have to overcome many obstacles before they can both enjoy the pleasures of their entwined Destinies.
Rora is Amara's twin sister. She is the reason Amara had to leave her life behind, for Rora is a living Fountain and mages covet her powers. Though she looks plain and uncomplicated on the outside Rora is anything but that. She is a sweet and open woman and pleasant to be around. She's the absolute opposite of dark, reclusive and brooding Rydan and still they are more alike than you would think. They both have this link with other people’s feelings even if Rydan's is a bit more negative than Rora's.
Rora "sees emotions displayed in colors and Rydan feels emotions through what he calls "the beast". Rora literally sees Rydan suffering and stands up for him against the others. She protects him and enjoys being the one protecting and helping instead of being the one needing protection.
Rydan tries to push Rora away, knowing she could be his downfall if she is his Prophesied Bride, but he can't resist her for long.
I loved the roles the secondary characters had in this book. Serina and Dominor were prominently present which was logical considering the Fountain storyline. But Morganen also provided some intriguing contributions to both current and future storylines. I enjoyed the interactions between the brothers, their wives and how they are all making an effort to fulfill their destinies and help those who aren't paired up yet. There is teasing and bantering but you can feel the harmony between all the people on Nightfall.
Rydan and Rora's story takes place in roughly the same time as Trevan and Amara's and that's the only similarity both stories have. As different as both twins are physically and emotionally, so were their stories.
With THE STORM I found the romance and sensuality I missed in THE CAT. And next to the romance there was still this fantastic magical world building Jean Johnson has displayed in the other books. I got to know more about the Fountains/Fonts, their origin and how they work.
Rydan's character turned out very different from the image I had of him reading the previous books. And this was in a very positive way. Normally reality doesn't meet the expectations but with Rydan reality rose high above my expectations. Yes he was dark and brooding and isolated himself, but he had good reason to and he had some really endearing moments that melted my heart.
If you like emotional stories, as I do, THE STORM meets your needs. It's an emotional read in many ways, from beginning to end. It has a main couple that approaches emotions in their own way and only when they combine their efforts, will they find solutions for their problems, relief for their suffering and love.
Next to this fabulous love story Jean Johnson still takes everyday things, like stone carving and house building, and wraps them in a magical veil using her phenomenal writing talent.
In the fantasy genre she has become one of my favourites. With THE STORM she has truly consolidated that position, giving me a well-balanced combination of plot and romance and a nice mix of emotion and action. I enjoyed this book immensely and am waiting with eager anticipation for the last set of twins in this series.
August 9, 2021
Hunted unmercilessly for his powers, the hero and twin sister as homeless and wandering. Knowing that her sister is a little bitter about her sacrifice for the heroine's safety, the heroine seeks a place where they can finally be safe. She uses her special Sight which allows her to see every which way but the future to find a glimpse of the best destination. There, on a deserted island, the heroine stumbles upon the sleeping hero in his cave. There, the hero seduces the heroine in a drugged state thinking it all to be a dream. Only to awaken and discover that the phantom woman is real and is in fact his destined wife. The hero feels emotions. And most time it's a psychical pain to around his family so she lives in self imposed exile. He rarely leaves the cave he guards and spend his time carving beautiful scenery into the walls. At first he's convinced he raped the heroine so he's tortured over that. Then he tortured over the fact that he doesn't deserve a wife. In fact the poor man is tortured over something or another from start to finish. He was brooding, anti social and so set into his ways it took a whole lot to draw him out of his personal prison. The heroine is kind and instantly Sees into the true behind his gruff demeanor. I thought thus started out good enough but boy did it fizzle out quickly. First of all, I can't tell if this was a period drama or set in modern times. Either it was a modern romance set in a strange pre-electronic world or the characters lacked access to anything modern OR it was a horribly written lazy historical romance. The characters lived in a very basic historical way, farming the food and showering with pump water but they spoke with modern phrasing and the heroine wore dresses and came from a tribe of some sort. This book made me cross eyed with the amount of trivia and facts about the world they live in. It was too much. They would drone on and on about every little detail regarding magic that I just wanted to shout 'somebody fight someone or something!' There was ZERO conflict outside the hero's whinny self-destructive attitude. It was just them...on and island...talking about magic...
June 20, 2013
Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day—they fulfill the Curse of Eight Prophecy. Though no longer trapped in exile, their growing family faces new problems. Now Rydan, the tormented sixth-born son, must find a way to trust his Destined bride, Rora, a woman who possesses her own secret power—one that could bring them together or annihilate their world forever.
Rydan lives for the night. Seldom seen during the day, his brothers usually leave Rydan alone. He craves the silence. What his brothers do not know is the emotional affliction he carries. When someone feels emotions, Rydan feels them too. Sometimes they pound at him and his "beast" roars in anguish.
When he violates his destined bride, Rora, he feels disgusted and shamed. But being near her silences his beast, and he craves the presence of another, one that doesn't stir up his beast. Rora enjoys being with Rydan. Before long, the two are inseparable. But Rydan is the Guardian of the Fountain, and Rora possesses her own mystical magics. Can they trust one another completely to save their world without destroying it?
This sixth in the series was highly anticipated. A wonderful thing about this series is that even though its a certain characters story, the others still play a role. You don't see them fading into the woodwork. As the Island of Nightfall gets ready to name their deity, we are left with anticipation for the next story of the seventh brother. I love this series!
Rydan lives for the night. Seldom seen during the day, his brothers usually leave Rydan alone. He craves the silence. What his brothers do not know is the emotional affliction he carries. When someone feels emotions, Rydan feels them too. Sometimes they pound at him and his "beast" roars in anguish.
When he violates his destined bride, Rora, he feels disgusted and shamed. But being near her silences his beast, and he craves the presence of another, one that doesn't stir up his beast. Rora enjoys being with Rydan. Before long, the two are inseparable. But Rydan is the Guardian of the Fountain, and Rora possesses her own mystical magics. Can they trust one another completely to save their world without destroying it?
This sixth in the series was highly anticipated. A wonderful thing about this series is that even though its a certain characters story, the others still play a role. You don't see them fading into the woodwork. As the Island of Nightfall gets ready to name their deity, we are left with anticipation for the next story of the seventh brother. I love this series!
October 11, 2013
The story of Rydan the sixth son of Destiny. This story brings together the rest of the books for me. Rydan was just a little strange to me, I thought he was OCD or slightly Autistic, because he didn't want to be touched. Well the truth finally comes outs about him now. Amara's twin sister Rora makes her way into Rydan's lair through his wards while he is sleeping. She see's he is dreaming and he pulls her down into the bed with him. Rora gets her first kiss and then some. When Rydan wakes he freaks out and wonders who she is and how she go past his wards. She is concerned for him because she thinks he has been drugged and tells him so. And then he remembers the drink his youngest brother shared with him. Now he has some explaining to do. After taking Rora back to the castle and having a talk with Morganen about drugging him.
Morganen admits it and it is all about him fearing his destiny!
The Sixth Son Shall Draw the line:
Shun the day and rule the night
Your reign's end shall come at light
When Dawn steals into your hall
Bride of Storm shall be your fall
Rora persuades Rydan to let her help him. She tells him that she can see his emotions and that with her help she can help him learn to control his.
Between the two of them and their secrets they make an awesome couple.
Great story
Morganen admits it and it is all about him fearing his destiny!
The Sixth Son Shall Draw the line:
Shun the day and rule the night
Your reign's end shall come at light
When Dawn steals into your hall
Bride of Storm shall be your fall
Rora persuades Rydan to let her help him. She tells him that she can see his emotions and that with her help she can help him learn to control his.
Between the two of them and their secrets they make an awesome couple.
Great story
June 26, 2020
Parallel timeline story with the previous book ‘The Cat’. I have to admit I did scan some of the passages that were straight from the previous book.
I love finally seeing how Rydan lives in his mysterious underground. It’s beautiful, but definitely needs more people. The whole guardian system is interesting and I love its reorganization. And Madam Mist is a nicely mysterious touch.
But the relationship between Rydan & Rora was just too bland due to their both being very reticent people. They didn’t really court each other, but were more assimilated into each other’s lives. Though I loved how she understood, stood up for and didn’t give up on him.
Footnote: 1) Found an inconsistency between the two parallel timeline POV books (‘The Cat’ & ‘The Storm’). In ‘The Cat’ Rora already asleep when Trevan goes to her room to talk about Shifterai courtships. In ‘The Storm’ she’s just getting to her room.
Fave scenes: riding the mining cart, Rora taking Rydan his dinner, the vein of marble and breaking the mirror.
***Couldn’t get this series out of my head so I’m reading it again. I love that we get an explanation of what he’s been doing down and the how the fountain works.
More fave scenes: Mara looking at all Rydan’s carvings and Rydan sparring with his brothers.
I love finally seeing how Rydan lives in his mysterious underground. It’s beautiful, but definitely needs more people. The whole guardian system is interesting and I love its reorganization. And Madam Mist is a nicely mysterious touch.
But the relationship between Rydan & Rora was just too bland due to their both being very reticent people. They didn’t really court each other, but were more assimilated into each other’s lives. Though I loved how she understood, stood up for and didn’t give up on him.
Footnote: 1) Found an inconsistency between the two parallel timeline POV books (‘The Cat’ & ‘The Storm’). In ‘The Cat’ Rora already asleep when Trevan goes to her room to talk about Shifterai courtships. In ‘The Storm’ she’s just getting to her room.
Fave scenes: riding the mining cart, Rora taking Rydan his dinner, the vein of marble and breaking the mirror.
***Couldn’t get this series out of my head so I’m reading it again. I love that we get an explanation of what he’s been doing down and the how the fountain works.
More fave scenes: Mara looking at all Rydan’s carvings and Rydan sparring with his brothers.
January 23, 2012
This is a series I started reading years ago then kinda lost track of. When I saw this book it reminded me how much I had enjoyed reading the others in the series and decided to pick up where I had left off. Now that I have once again been in nightfall I am definitely going to finish this series. This story takes place at the same time as The Cat but from a different prospective.
( Rydans Twin's) I Liked this book very much. Rydan is an interesting character, he tends to be a loner keeping away from family, yet he cares very much for his brothers. When Rora comes to Nightfall she alone is able to see what torments Rydan, and she is determined to help him.
Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day they fulfill the Curse of Eight Prophecy. Though no longer trapped in exile, their growing family faces new problems. Now Rydan, the tormented sixth-born son, must find a way to trust his Destined bride, Rora, a woman who possesses her own secret power one that could bring them together or annihilate their world forever.
( Rydans Twin's) I Liked this book very much. Rydan is an interesting character, he tends to be a loner keeping away from family, yet he cares very much for his brothers. When Rora comes to Nightfall she alone is able to see what torments Rydan, and she is determined to help him.
Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day they fulfill the Curse of Eight Prophecy. Though no longer trapped in exile, their growing family faces new problems. Now Rydan, the tormented sixth-born son, must find a way to trust his Destined bride, Rora, a woman who possesses her own secret power one that could bring them together or annihilate their world forever.
August 23, 2014
Book 6 Continues the Drama and Romance
Book 6 Continues the Drama and Romance
These books should be read in order as each one builds on the next. Rydan, the reclusive brother, does not wish to meet his destined bride. Very interestingly, this book follows sister Arora, who is attracted to Rydan, and it partially covers some of the events from The Cat (book 5) from her viewpoint instead of her sister Amara. This was a great idea, and worked very well by expanding and revealing more information about the brothers and Nightfall. I especially liked that the author continues to intertwine all the stories of everyone in each book, even though the focus is on a particular brother and his destined spouse. This melding is very skillfully done and more in keeping with reality, even though this is a fantasy series. Very few authors can handle a group ensemble like this. Kudos to Jean Johnson.
Book 6 Continues the Drama and Romance
These books should be read in order as each one builds on the next. Rydan, the reclusive brother, does not wish to meet his destined bride. Very interestingly, this book follows sister Arora, who is attracted to Rydan, and it partially covers some of the events from The Cat (book 5) from her viewpoint instead of her sister Amara. This was a great idea, and worked very well by expanding and revealing more information about the brothers and Nightfall. I especially liked that the author continues to intertwine all the stories of everyone in each book, even though the focus is on a particular brother and his destined spouse. This melding is very skillfully done and more in keeping with reality, even though this is a fantasy series. Very few authors can handle a group ensemble like this. Kudos to Jean Johnson.
April 16, 2009
I was curious about this series and since this is the only book in it my library stocked I picked it up.
The writing was quite good and the characters were interesting, though the twins got confusing. Rydan's hesitance to ' abandon his fountain' in order to claim his destined mate Rora was ridiculous since he finds out sooner rather than later that SHE IS A FOUNTAIN so he wouldn't be losing anything now will he? It makes sense that his mate is a fountain seeing as he needs the constant contact to the power in order to feel ' whole'.
I may pick up ' The Cat' which is apparently the same story but told from Mara's (Rora's twin sister) point of view and her romance with Trevan (Rydan's twin).
The writing was quite good and the characters were interesting, though the twins got confusing. Rydan's hesitance to ' abandon his fountain' in order to claim his destined mate Rora was ridiculous since he finds out sooner rather than later that SHE IS A FOUNTAIN so he wouldn't be losing anything now will he? It makes sense that his mate is a fountain seeing as he needs the constant contact to the power in order to feel ' whole'.
I may pick up ' The Cat' which is apparently the same story but told from Mara's (Rora's twin sister) point of view and her romance with Trevan (Rydan's twin).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2009
It was interesting to see the hinted at segments from the previous book as this one takes place simultaneously. Also this one had different interpretations of the same scenes. It does continue further past the end of the last book, thus advancing the plot some. Like book five, there isn't nearly as much graphic sex as the earlier ones, for which I commend the author as it allows for more actual plot.
October 20, 2008
I actually thought this was the best of her books, but then again, I read The Cat and The Storm on the same day. It made this book flow very well, and enhanced the interest for me, because I knew both books were simultaneous.
I found the heroine's visual capabilities to be very interesting, and very original in some respects. I found the hero's "innocence" of his condition a little disturbing, but otherwise thought the story was awesome.
I found the heroine's visual capabilities to be very interesting, and very original in some respects. I found the hero's "innocence" of his condition a little disturbing, but otherwise thought the story was awesome.
December 29, 2008
Arora is now my favorite heroine in the series and Rydan my favorite brother. What a great explanation for why Rydan is so prickly - again the back story is more important than the current love story. I also loved the way Morg's character is being developed and the twist that brings Flame's love to the island.
The writing is still pedantic and more in the juvenile vein but the development of the independent nation is quite interesting.
The writing is still pedantic and more in the juvenile vein but the development of the independent nation is quite interesting.
June 20, 2010
NOW we're talking! Finally the story line is heating up a bit and I'm not talking about the ho hum sex scenes. To be fair I knew it was coming (no pun intended) because Rydan, the character for this book, has been so mysterious throughout. It's the only reason why I continued this series. Parts of his story were very touching and showed real psychological understanding on the authors behalf.
Well done, can't wait for the other 2 now.
Well done, can't wait for the other 2 now.
December 30, 2011
Best book since The Master. It runs co-currently with The Cat so Johnson throttled back on the info dumps. For me, Rora was a much more relate-able heroine and Ryden was a perfect complement for her. The series arc was also advanced and this book was a little more action-y than The Cat. So far, I would recommend The Sword, The Master, The Song, and The Storm out of the six books in this series. Moving on now to re-read The Flame!
July 26, 2015
The first 1/3 of the book involved me mainly just skimming through. I get the last book was Amaras version of what happened prior to meeting everyone on the island but still. You'd think considering she was with Arora, who is now telling her story, that the author could have changed things around some. Having to read conversations, minor unimportant ones that were in the last book, hence repeated, was so boring. But I did end up liking things once they progressed between Arora and Rydan.
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