Dark Tempest

Red Winter Trilogy #2

by Annette Marie, Brittany Jackson (Illustrator)

Emi has dedicated her life to becoming the perfect vessel for the goddess Amaterasu, but the insidious betrayal of another deity has changed everything. Now Amaterasu has charged Emi with an urgent mission: to find and free the earthly gods before mankind is brought to its knees beneath divine tyranny.

At her side is Shiro, the mysterious fox spirit. When she first saved his life, she could never have imagined that behind his cunning and confidence, he was lost—his power bound by a devastating curse and his memories obscured. His veiled history is somehow tied to the missing gods, but he can't remember how or why.

As their search leads them into the murky depths of the spirit realm, the shadows of Shiro's past begin to emerge. With each brief awakening of his true self, she loses a little more of him. The fate of the heavens and earth rest in her mortal hands, and she must find the missing gods before time runs out for her world—and for Shiro.

DARK TEMPEST includes 10 full-page illustrations by award-winning artist Brittany Jackson.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Mythology, Magic, Urban Fantasy, Audiobook

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 6, 2017

About the author

Annette Marie is the best-selling author of over thirty books, including the expansive urban fantasy series The Guild Codex, epic urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, and romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter.

A 2015 Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist in Fantasy and an Amazon Charts Bestseller, Annette has sold over 2 million books. Her books have been translated into French, German, Polish, Ukrainian, and Russian, with readers coming back again and again for her addictive blend of fast-paced adventure, tantalizing forbidden romance, and unforgettable characters.

Annette lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it’s not quite that bad) with her husband and their furry minions of darkness. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in her garden or an art project while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

To find out more about Annette and her books, visit www.annettemarie.ca

Reviews

[s · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS ISN'T A FUCKING REVIEW, LEAVE ME BE WITH MY SCREAMING THOUGHTS

Do you love pain?

Don't you just love the sweet smell of suffering?

Don't you love the salty taste of human tears??

DON'T YOU JUST LOVE EVERYTHING BAD AND PAINFUL????

Well dial 1-800-READ-THE-FUCKING-RED-WINTER-TRILOGY today for the best way to suffer and die!!!

I'm 150% sure that shooting a bullet through my heart, or fucking executing me on the guillotine would be less painful than this fucking !!!! BOOK !!!!! Like, I know for a fact if you search up the meaning of pain on Google, Dark Tempest would be the definition. I BET YOU $$$$.

If I thought the previous book was pain, this book is 100000000 times worse and I loved every moment of it.

Ok seriously, I'm so angry I'm not a kunitsukami or a powerful Tengu like Yumei because what the fuck!!!!! I want to fight eight headed dragons with some fiery, shapeshifting power, and ancient powerful swords that are meant to kill EVIL DRAGONS!!!

WHY THIS BOOK IS AWESOME:
●The romance oh my god. Why can't this happen to me??? Hello universe, deliver a Shiro to my doorstep asap, please and thank you.

They're romance is so developed and real. Oh my god. I'm trying not to type gibberish, I'm just??? akldfndjgfbfucvklfuckasbdjsaffuck Their romance is forbidden and Emi knows it's going to end tragically, but ??????????? shkcbSVAGJKFAGBLDFVBDTRGO my god FUCK OFF AND READ IT FOR THE ROMANCE. IT'S SO FUCKING HOT AND EMOTIONAL AND PAINFUL AND FILLED WITH EMOTION AND HONESTLY, FUCK OFF OH MY GOD LET ME LIVE PLS. Every fucking scene with Emi and Shiro makes me cry??? oh my fucking god, BYE I CAN NO LONGER FUNCTION.

●This book is filled with twists and turns, such cool and badass action, a ROMANCE I WISH HAPPENED TO ME, A++++++ world building, with the most flawed, loveable characters ever.

●Yumei?? Is a hardcore bitch from the outside, but his insides are like a stuffed teddy bear. Don't let his "fuck off before I end you" attitude fool you. He's the most emotional character and I love him. He's a big softie. Love my son.

●and bitch, the art is gorgeous. :*

also a small con, the first 30% is SLOW, but you gotta have some patience if you want the shit to go down okay??

Book song for Shiro and Emi's romance is definitely Wildfire. Please listen to it and I'm totally not shamelessly promoting my newest favorite song by queen Demi. Okay seriously though, this song is perfect AND SO IRONIC LMAO BECAUSE SHIRO IS A FLAME FIRE DUDE AND THE SONG IS TALKING ABOUT A FIERY LOVE AND IT FUCKING MAKES SENSE???? PLUS EMI IS FIGHTING WHETHER OR NOT TO FUCK SHIRO (which she totally should imo) AND IT'S FUCKING THIS SONG

//

MAJOR SPOILER from the first book IN THIS PARAGRAPH so if you haven't read that one (which you should, I mean cmon dude) DON'T read on because you'll be spoiled??? I'll let you know when the spoiler ends. But if you want to read my review of the first book, you can click on the sentence you're reading right now.

What this amazing book is about:
After finding out about that bitch ass goddess's betrayal to fuck shit up on earth, Emi has to stop her, but she can't do that on her own. So, she joins up with Shiro and Yumei and they go on cool ass rescue missions and cut some bitches along the way and honestly??? why can't that happen to me, the universe is so unfair.

Seriously, is there any way I can become a yokai because fuck, they're some powerful, badass bitches with cool ass magic powers and get all the fun action.

●I'm honestly 150% willing to sell all my siblings just to have a moment with Shiro??? This guy is honestly so sweet, playful, flirty and going through emotional shit, that I just want to wrap this precious little cinnamon roll in a blanket and feed him chewy chocolate chip cookies all day. He's lost his memories and is someone he realized he doesn't want to be. Someone who is brutal, cunning, dangerous and completely different from the person who Emi fell in love with!! And what seriously made me cry is that??? he's just scared he'll forget Emi if regains his memories. He fuckign held her tightly to him and WAS SO SCARED OF LOSING HER??? oh my fucking god!!!

Can someone just fucking shoot me?? It would be less painful than watching my precious Shiro suffer.

I'M

S C R E A M I N G

●Emi is fucking queen. I'm so in love with her character, god she's such a flawed, but strong character. Literally fucking goals. She's been through so much, questioning everything, sacrificing her life to become a human vessel and leaving everything and everyone she loves. She's so fucking strong??? She helped powerful yokai fight an eight headed dragon, helped save lost gods (I FORGOT WHAT THEY ARE CALLED FUCK), and is trying to stop an evil goddess from destroying her world. She never backs down without a fight. Yes, sometimes she's weak and helpless but whatever the situation is, she always survives!!!!

She want from a naive, gullible person to someone stronger, kind, loving and so so brave.

//

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SPOILERS END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

//

So like, pls read this underrated trilogy it deserves all the love and hype!!!

----
inhales

WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK

WHAT
THE
FUCK

FUCK

STOP

FUCK YOU ANNETTE MARIE YOU FUCKING DEVIL AKDJSKDNSKSBSKDB IM SCREAMING BYE, NO REVIEW, SEE YOU ALL AT MY FUNERAL bYE HAVE A NICE DAY EVERYONE

[Lia Carstairs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm seriously living for the Emi, Shiro, and Yumei moments.

I love them so much, I cant.


I'm actually about to cry because there's only one more book left in this series. I don't want to part with them. It's too soon. *sobs*

“She had given up everything for duty, even her life. But this... this she couldn't sacrifice, not even to save the world.

With his arms around her, his mouth on hers, his warmth and strength surrounding her, she knew she wasn't strong enough to walk away from him.”

Please erase my emotions. Like could I just sue Annette? For making me fall so hard for Emi & Shiro?? For doing this and destroying me all in one scene??? Oh wait, make that many scenes.

Who gave her the right to do this to me?! I didn't ask for this pain. or maybe i did, since im rereading BUT ANYWAYS

“I don’t know how I’ll feel about anything when my memories return.” His arms tightened around her. “But I know I fear losing you more than anything that might befall me.”

One of my favourite parts about this series is the Emi's character development. Dark Tempest picks up right after the events in Red Winter and Emi continues her journey to find the missing kamis, working alongside the sarcastic and flirty kitsune, Shiro, and the broody (but secretly a total softie) raven yokai, Yumei.

After some shocking revelations, Emi knows what must be done in order to save the world and the way she faces everything is just amazing. Like facing giant creepy spiders?? Dragons??? ahahaha I could never face them, better yet fight them head on. I don't know how this girl does it. And the artwork -- ohmygod perfection.


Then there's my sweet, and charming Shiro.🥺 Knowing how much he's had to suffer and is still suffering--it breaks my soul.

Can I just murder everyone who's ever laid a finger on my kitsune? Of course, minus Emi -- oh wait, actually I'd be willing to murder Emi if it meant I could have Shiro for myself. Although, there's the issue of making sure that Shiro doesn't know I murdered her, so I'd probably have to hire some assassin and then they could take the fall. Wait, but what if it was somehow traced back to me? Hmm I'll hire someone to hire someone else to hire an assassin to get Emi out of the picture. Oh yes ✨genius✨

(I mean, just look at him *swooon* katsuo's so pissed omg)

“What about death is to be feared? The burdens of life can be so great that it would be a comfort to know that someday it will end...that someday, we will have earned final rest.”

Finally, there's my soft boy (or wait, it's yokai), Yumei. ah, whereas we barely knew/saw anything about him in Red Winter, here there's much more Yumei content AND THE FRIENDSHIP. OMG Emi and Yumei bonding and growing closer as friends (of course, Yumei would never admit that) -- my heart *sobs* I love him so much and my memory may be terrible, but I so remember there being a certain beautiful scene in the next book and I can't wait ohmygod. I'm ready to cry again✌

But as much as I love Yumei, I wanted to murder him so many times throughout the book. The angst between Shiro and Emi omgg and then finally when they actually start making out, YUMEI GETS IN THE WAY INTERRUPTING THEM SDFSFDSF *rage* You chose the WRONG moments to pop in on them Yumei, smh. Still love my grumpy Tengu tho <3

Also, Emi describing Yumei as an irritated teenager was e v e r y t h i n g. If Yumei ever heard that ahaha omg I'd love to see that reaction.


I will literally never stop complaining about how underrated this series is. PEOPLE PLEASE, give this series a chance.🥺 The first book is slow in the beginning but I swear the series keeps getting better and better and then the last book destroys you.


And I mean, who doesn't love that?🙃

══〖✰〗══

Buddy re-read part 2 with my demon fam crisis krizzie, salty sofia, your hissingness, and lucid lucy <33

══〖✰〗══

First Read [March 2020] -> (5⭐):

This will forever be one of the coolest illustrations I've ever seen:

[Lucie V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

✅ Magic
✅ Asian inspired / Rich world-building
✅ Japanese mythology
✅ Romance that is sweet, but doomed
✅ Characters / Character development
✅ Plot
✅ Pace and action
✅ Gorgeous illustrations
✅ Shocking revelation about our favorite kitsune

_______________________

Second read/listen: I feel I've said everything that needed to be said in my original review, so I will only reiterate that this series should be more popular, and deserves to be read by more urban fantasy and Japanese mythology lovers.

_______________________

This series absolutely deserves to be more popular.

Dark Tempest picks up right when Red Winter ends. Emi has a crucial task to fulfill, given to her by Amaterasu, and she embarks on a quest with Shiro and Yumei to find the missing Kinutsukamis.

“You are more than a body, Emi. You are more than a vessel for someone else’s will and power.”
“But I’m the kamigakari.” She shifted her weight, resisting the urge to look away. “It’s my duty—”
“To die? To put my life ahead of your own?” His jaw flexed. “Amaterasu may be willing to let you die for her, but I’m not. Don’t you dare choose my survival over yours again.”

This book has a good balance of sweet romance that takes just enough room in the story and action scenes that keep you at the edge of your seat. I couldn't put it down until I reached the end. Once again, even though this book is an urban fantasy set in our modern world, I felt like I was reading a fantasy story because the world-building is focused on the mythology and the magic of the Yokai and the Kami. I like that we see more of their special affinities and powers in this book, the new characters are also a great addition and I hope they will be present in the third book. I also hope to see more interactions with Yumei, I really like him, and I want him to become more important in the next book. 🤞 I read his prequel and it was not enough to sate my thirst for more Yumei content.

I love the dynamics the author managed to create between this group of very different beings. They have a tentative friendship, based on their common goal, but that is slowly building into something deeper and truer, but there is no pointless drama between them, and no hint of a love triangle, thankfully (I admit that I was scared for a while that this is where the romance was heading).

There are also new dangerous Yokais introduced in this sequel. Yumei, Emi, and Shiro have to fight against deadly giant spiders, and dragons, as well as Kamis and even other Yokais. Emi is not sure who to trust outside of Yumei and Shiro, but alone, they will never be able to complete her mission before Amaterasu descends on the Winter solstice, and Emi ceases to be.

She had given up everything for duty, even her life. But this... this she couldn't sacrifice, not even to save the world.
With his arms around her, his mouth on hers, his warmth and strength surrounding her, she knew she wasn't strong enough to walk away from him.

Emi finally learns how to believe in her worth and fight back. She can’t seem to catch a break between fighting evil Yokais and Kamis, trying to find and release the Kunitsukamis, and figuring out who Shiro is and how to help him remove the curse on him. She experiences a lot of emotions and goes through a lot in this book, forcing her to grow and change. Even though everything since the beginning of Red Winter only happened over a few weeks, Emi became more confident, bolder, and also more at peace with what is expected of her and the tragic outcome of the solstice ceremony that is quickly approaching.

“Go then,” Yumei said. “We cannot wait any more time.
“Go? Now?”
“No, of course not.” Shiro stretched his arms over his head, arching his back. “Let’s wait until December for the added challenge.”

I just love Shiro.
I like his mischievous and cunning side as much as his fierce protective side. I also obviously have a weakness for intense, sarcastic, and gorgeous male characters so I will not even try to pretend that I am not swooning over him.

Why was he standing so close? Why wasn't he letting her step away?
"You...You can move now."
His head tilted to one side as he smiled - that sly, mischievous smirk that had once driven her crazy and now inexplicably warmed her.
"Do you want me to move?" he asked, a purr sliding through his deep voice.

Shiro’s relationship with Emi is becoming more serious and the sexual tension between them keeps on building. There is more chemistry between them too and a few steamy moments. I love how the author managed to build tension between them and have some intense and hot scenes, without ever having them do anything more than kiss.


Just because I need to share one of my favorite Emi/Shiro moments:

“Shiro.” She wasn’t sure what she’d intended to say, but his name came out in a pleading whisper and even she could hear the longing in it.
That was all the answer he needed.
His mouth closed over hers and he pushed into her, crushing her against the wall. Every lean, hard plane of his body pressed into her as he kissed her with fierce, undeniable hunger. Heat plunged through her, lighting her on fire.

As in the first book, the illustrations from Brittany Jackson are just gorgeous and magical. I love them so much, I wished there were more of them in the book.


0.5 Prince of Shadows ⭐⭐⭐⭐
1. Red Winter ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5


Follow me on Instagram 🙂

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I again want to remind people to NOT listen to the audiobook, otherwise you will miss out on things like this:


Why don't all fantasy books have illustrations like this?! Note to publishers: this reader wants to see more of them!

I liked this book even more than the previous one - one of those second book miracles. The previous book was about Emi coming to terms with her destined future. This book is quite a bit different - the stakes are higher, there is a lot more action, a lot more romance, and the Japanese culture/mythology was a lot easier to wrap my American brain to wrap around (I admit I did a lot of flipping to the glossary while reading the previous book). I will say that the very beginning it a little bit slow, but once Emi sets out on her journey, it's pretty non-stop.

In short, I haven't read the final book yet but as of right now I really recommend this series. It's so refreshingly different than a lot of the other YA fantasy books out there. And I say that as a person who lately has been feeling like YA is no longer for me, but then exceptions like this pop up.

[Nancy •͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩ͯ {Comment restriction} · Rating 4 out of 5]

──⟡⋆˙✩ 4.25 stars ✩ ⋆˙⟡──

⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡ “𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕕𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕙 𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕓𝕖 𝕗𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕕? 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕓𝕦𝕣𝕕𝕖𝕟𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕝𝕚𝕗𝕖 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕓𝕖 𝕤𝕠 𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕥 𝕨𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕓𝕖 𝕒 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕚𝕥 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕖𝕟𝕕.” ⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

Wow. Book two in this dazzling world of kami, yokai, kitsune (and so much more) based on Japanese mythology. This one was very plot-dense. So many things happened, and I was eagerly flipping the pages to see what would come next. Emi’s world expanded so much more—we met new creatures, fought vicious foes, made unexpected allies.

And that plot twist? WHAT WAS THAT PLOT TWIST?! It had me bashing my head (on my pillow) for a good five minutes.

I mean, I kinda suspected it. Sort of. But it still hit! Okay?! See, I watch a lot of fantasy c-dramas, and since those are also packed with gods and goddesses, I joked to myself, “Wouldn’t it be funny if THAT happened? Hahaha, not that it actually would though…”

AND THEN IT HAPPENED.

I’m sorry for being vague, but I don’t want to risk spoiling you in case you pick this up. PLEASE read the series. It’s such an underrated gem—I’m genuinely surprised it isn’t more popular.

ೃ⁀➷ Emi did not disappoint me in this one. My precious darling has grown so much from the girl she used to be. I’m genuinely proud of her. She carries so much responsibility on her fragile human shoulders, the weight of it all must be crushing. And yet, no matter how many times she stumbles, she always gets back up. She might not be as physically strong as the kami and yokai around her, but she’s resilient—and they all respect her for it. As they should. Sharpens knives.

Emi in her girlboss era: “𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙠𝙖𝙢𝙞 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙨𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙀𝙢𝙞 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝘼𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙪’𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙, 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙙.”

ೃ⁀➷ As for Shiro… well, he’s as insolent as ever.

𝙃𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙖 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩. “𝙎𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚, 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙠𝙤?”

Not that we mind, of course. Who would Shiro be if he wasn’t flirting with Emi like his very existence depended on it?

“𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪…”
“𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙚?”
“𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜—𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙞𝙢.”

And let me tell you, unserious shameless flirting isn’t the only thing Shiro did this time. He really stepped up his game. He’s protective now—like, very protective.

And I’ll admit… for all my squealing over him in book one, the sensible half of my brain was skeptical. Like sure, the boy knows how to flirt—but did he actually care? Or was he just messing around because he could? Because he’s a yokai who thought it would be funny to seduce a naive, sheltered maiden? He gave major player energy.

He ain’t a player at all. He’s never been interested in anyone—ever—before Emi. But I will say, in book one, there was no real emotion behind his flirting.

In this book, though? Oh, you KNOW he cares. Watching him flip out every time Emi even might be hurt was so much fun. One time she fell into freezing water, and he panicked so hard he scooped her up, carried her to a fire, bundled her in clothes, and wrapped his arms around her to warm her again.

“𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧?” 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮.
Shiro: “𝙄𝙛 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩, 𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙.”

Also, his foxfire? He can use it to raze forests and burn everything to ash—but it’s completely harmless to Emi. It passes over her skin as a comforting warmth while destroying everything else in its path. Isn’t that the CUTEST thing ever?!

“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙢?”
𝘼 𝙬𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙎𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙤’𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨. “𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙣.”

SIR. SHUT UP BEFORE I JAIL YOU.



We learned so much more about him in this book. While he came across as a confident, conniving fox in book one, here we see his vulnerable, lost side. Here's an illustration from the book:



𝙃𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙, 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙖𝙣.

(*ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)ꕤ*.ﾟ・Ꮖᥒ Ꮯꪮᥒᥴᥣᥙ᥉เꪮᥒ・

I was awfully attracted to Shiro in book one. Now… I’m awfully in love with him, I’m afraid. That review? That was my hormones talking. This one? It’s straight from the depths of my heart.

“𝕴 𝖒𝖎𝖘𝖘𝖊𝖉 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖙𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖒𝖊.”
“𝖄𝖔𝖚’𝖗𝖊 𝖓𝖔𝖙 𝖘𝖚𝖕𝖕𝖔𝖘𝖊𝖉 𝖙𝖔 𝖑𝖎𝖐𝖊 𝖎𝖙. 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖆 𝖎𝖘 𝖙𝖔 𝖆𝖓𝖓𝖔𝖞 𝖞𝖔𝖚.”
“𝕴 𝖐𝖓𝖊𝖜 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖜𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖆𝖓𝖓𝖔𝖞𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖒𝖊 𝖔𝖓 𝖕𝖚𝖗𝖕𝖔𝖘𝖊 𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖊. 𝖂𝖍𝖞 𝖉𝖔 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖉𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙?”
“𝕭𝖊𝖈𝖆𝖚𝖘𝖊 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖓 𝖞𝖔𝖚’𝖗𝖊 𝖆𝖓𝖓𝖔𝖞𝖊𝖉, 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖊𝖞𝖊𝖘 𝖋𝖑𝖆𝖘𝖍 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖈𝖍𝖊𝖊𝖐𝖘 𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖓 𝖕𝖎𝖓𝖐 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖕𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖆𝖙 𝖒𝖊.” 𝕳𝖊 𝖇𝖗𝖚𝖘𝖍𝖊𝖉 𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖙𝖍𝖚𝖒𝖇 𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖇𝖔𝖙𝖙𝖔𝖒 𝖑𝖎𝖕. “𝕵𝖚𝖘𝖙 𝖑𝖎𝖐𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙.”

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

₊𖥔 Connect with me on Instagram ׄ໑୧ ׅ𖥔ׄ

[krista ☽✧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What about death is to be feared? The burdens of life can be so great that it would be a comfort to know that someday it will end...that someday, we will have earned final rest.”

first read - June 2017.
re read - March 2021 with salty sofia , Demonic lia , lucid lucy and erin hisssssssss

This revieuw doesnt contain large spoilers for the first book and the series as a whole.

Dark Tempest is the sequel of Red winter and thereby the second book in the Red winter triology. A Japanese mytology urban fantasy series with slowburn romance enmies too lovers. This book picks up right where Red winter left off with lots of action. Plot wise this sequel is much better then Red Winter , Red winter started slow and was more a introduction too the series and the charracters this book is plot wise more fast paced with lots of twistst and turns and mystery and amazingly written action scenes [ Anette Marie is queen of writing action scenes , period. ] It follows Emi , Yumei and Shiro who need too complete the task of investigationing the missing Kami cases and they have the job too find the kami's. I personally love the plot a lot in this. It kept me entertained and it definitly doesnt suffer from the middle book syndrome in my opinion.

Charracters Emi started out quite naive in the first book because of her not having any life experience because of her role as Kamigakari but she really has a great charracter development. She wants too do what she needs too do and is very brave and smart. we love too see good charracter development. Shiro again is great , i just have a thing for the sarcastic charming broken male love intrest sorry not sorry. also the twistst surrounding his charracter AAAhhhhHH * screams intoo the void * and ofcourse we have Yumei who is grumpy as usually and i loved his growing friendship with Emi and the dynamic the 3 of these charracter have together. We also had some intresting new charracters here who i liked. ALSO I LIVE FOR THE BANTER BETWEEN THESE 3.



Relationships , charracter dynamics - I love the relationship between Shiro and Emi , they really xare for eachother and their banter gives me energy too life. Also they are so slowburn and then they get this steamy scene and then freaking YUMEI interupts them aaaah i throwed my book against the wall. I just love their chemistry a lot and '' little miko '' is iconic. I also love the dymanic the 3 charracters have together and their banter. I also love the Kami charracters they are very intresting.

Overall this book had everything i liked in it. fast paced intresting plot , slowburn romance , great charracter dynamics and an amazing worldbuilding. Definitly a very good sequel that doesnt have the middle book syndrome. I really reccomend this if you liked red winter and also if you found red winter meh as this really improves a lot plot wise and main charracter wise.

also ps ; the art in these books is beautiful i cant.

a little list of important terms in the book
- Amatsukami - the 4 gods aka kami who live in the spirit / heaven realm and take care of the balance of the world with the other gods that live on earth.
- Kuntisukami The 4 kami who live on earth and are mentioned being the bad ones out of the gods , they also take care of the ballance of the earth
- Yokai the under creatures of the kuntisukami who live on earth , spirutal beings
- Ki - energy of life force , everyone has ki in them. this is the force of power the kami can use but is also human their life energy.
- Kamigakari - the human host for the amatsukami so they can be present on earth too take care of the balance of earth......

[Tweebs ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I don’t know how I’ll feel about anything when my memories return.” His arms tightened around her. “But I know I fear losing you more than anything that might befall me.”

Shoot me. Just shoot me. End my agony.

If you asked me to describe Hell then I'd say picking quotes from this book.

I loved everything




My brains hurts and you may entirely lay the blame on Annette Marie . She has done it again. She has finally found the key to destroying my sanity. She ripped it into tiny little pieces by her magnificent plot, A+++++ characters, marvelous world building, and "why can't this happen to me?" romance.

jdskfjdskfjdsklfjdsklfjdsklsjdhjsfhdfhdjfdjfhdjfhdsjfjdskfjdksfjkdjkdsfjskdf 

Translation: 

I feel like a Tasmanian devil came into my life, messed everything up and left.

Like this



Yes, I'm that tree. I'm sooooo that Tree. #relatable

How does one simply review this book?? Well, I'm facing the same dilemma I had with Red Winter. I don't know what to write BUT I'm going to force myself into forming words to create a somewhat accurate review. Before I begin, I just need to address a MINOR issue. Do you guys enjoy sleeping? Because I feel like this series is being slept on. This series is so under-rated. Trust me, you will not regret picking this up. This series is so satisfying to the soul and I advise you to go into this series with zero expectations. Makes the experience worthwhile and much better.

Alright.

Let's hope I do this book some justice. I'm warning you that this review would seem like someone dropped a vase made out of glass and tried to put it back together.

In other words:

This is going to be to a hot mess.

Dark Tempest, picks up right after the ending of Red Winter. The only problem I had with Red Winter, is that its a bit slow in the beginning but as I progressed through the story; that problem disappeared. The thing about, Dark Tempest is that it followed its predecessors footsteps BUT ITS OKAY BECAUSE AFTER A FEW CHAPTERS, THE PROBLEM GETS CLEARED UP. I assure you, I understand why the pacing was slow because it was just filling you with essential info to understand everything and I despise info dump but trust me, y'all would be sooooooo appreciative because :

○ You would be so lost because the author throws Japanese terminology everywhere like confetti and makes you constantly think, "okay what is that??"
○ Just bare with it because once you understand then
○ everything
○ gets
○ good
○ Really really good.

Truthfully, I wanted to write this review for the characters because I'm absolutely in awe of them. My love for them increased immensely within this book. Why? Because of the character development.

○ Emi - She's pretty much the same in Red Winter but I felt like she grew a loooooooot and is finally beginning to spread her wings. I found myself liking her way way WAY better in this book. She is fearless, selfless, understanding, loyal, kick ass, and caring. She came a long way. *wipes tears*



(This is an Illustration of Emi from the book!!!!)

It was amazing to see how her character was able to adapt and flourish despite her circumstances. I just loved how she wasn't phased by anything and told everyone, "Screw you, humans aren't weak.", She proves them wrong. She crushes everyone's expectations of human beings. She stepped out of her comfort zone and stuck up for herself. She doesn't allow her weaknesses to be a barrier. I can go on forever about why I adore her so much.

○ Shiro - *swoons* This dude is such a flirt and I'm not one to complain. Please carry on, my dear Shiro *bats eyelashes*  I absolutely loved him because he never failed to crack me up. He can make a joke in the most serious situation. Seriously, I dare you to resist his charms because it's hard. Very hard.I loved how we get to find out more about his unknown past. I feel like there was more of a connection I had with him than I did in Red Winter. You can feel that he's lost, afraid, and exposed. He's trying to find himself. Even though, I claimed Shiro as one of my book husbands, sadly, I'm not the only one who wants him. *cough* Emi *cough*  Well, it's okay. I can take a step back because I already ship them so hard.  You honestly can't help but adore them. I love the fact that they have each other's backs and is able to tackle their own barriers together.

It's been confirmed. They are my OTP  *sigh*


(This is an Illustration of Shiro and Emi in the book!!!)


○ Yumei - He is mysterious and I'm so intrigued by him. I want to know more about him. I look forward to his parts especially the interactions between him and Shiro. I just love how he is sarcastic, rude, and straightforward. Also, his insults are the real deal.


(This is an Illustration of Yumei in the book!!!)


Alright.

If you read my review of Red Winter then you'd know that this book also contains illustrations. I swear, this idea of having illustrations is fabulous. Now, I wouldn't post them all for you. I need some leverage okay. There is a loooooot more within the book and y'all need to read it to see it :-p

Anyway

This book will make you go through a roller coaster of endless feels. Although, a lot of things happen within this book but I won't go into it because I don't want to spoil anything. All I can give you is : You will put this book down several times to just breathe. The action scenes will keep you on edge like I found myself forever gripping my couch.

Hope y'all get the chance to read this. You won't be let down. I promise.

You can find this review and my other reviews at Booksprens

[majo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread 2020: Shiro remains the superior boyfriend.

----
This book made me realize that all I want in life now is to fall in love with a yokai fox boy.

[Lucy Tonks (the invisible life of a reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"What about death is to be feared? The burdens of life can be so great that it would be a confort to know that someday it will end... that someday, we will have earned the final rest."


I absolutely loved this book. This was so much better than thee first book. Oh my god I'm in love with this series. (Krizzie and Lia must be so proud of me haha)
This might actually be on my favourites books of the year list, depending on how much I enjoy the last book in the series.
**there might be some mild spoilers for the first book in this review.**


"You are responsable for your own choices, Emi. You can't carry the burden for us all."


Now in this book we follow Emi and Shiro as they deal with everything that they've gone through in the first book and try to fulfill the mission that they were given


This book picks up a couple of days or if not right after the end of the first one and from page one the action starts. I loved the plot of this one so much more than the first's one. It was jsut so much better thought out and intrigued. I was just here for all of it.


"Strength comes in many forms."


The characters are one of the highlights of this series. If you don't like them you most likely won't like this seires as a whole either.

Emi

She goes through a lot of growth through the first book adn this one. And the development that she goes through is just amazing. I cannot believe she is the same book that I've read about in the beginning of Red Winter. She goes from this girl that her whole life has lived a very sheltered life to someone who faces danger along every step she takes and knows how
to handle it.

"You are more than a body, Emi. You are more than a vessel for someon else's will and power

Shiro

It was interesting learning more about him in this book. I'm still salty I didn't see that plot twist coming. It was so obvious and at the same time not. But I should have seen that coming! Moving on, Shiro's interactions with Emi were everything. I love both of them so much. I cannot handle this. and now I resent Krizzie and Lia for introducing me to these characters and making me love them

Yumei

For some reason I actually like his character, even though he is just this moody over one thousand year old yokai. Why do I like him though? That will remain a mystery even for me. also him being compared with a teenager was hilarious

"A yokai sitting like and irritated teenager was a strange sight all on its own, but knowing Yumei was at least a thousand years old made it even more disconcerning."


I really like the romance in this book. The slow burn is killing me though..
And omg I wanted to strangle Yumei at a certain point in the book *screams*

There was this art from the book that I kept seeing everywhere when I googled stuff about this series, but now knowing what it's actually about my heart is slowly breaking every time I see it.




Can we talk about how beautiful that art is? That's another of one the big highlights of this series. You get such stunning art through out it!


The last big highlight of the book is the mythology. I'm a big mythology geek. I've been obssessed with greek mythology since I read Percy Jackson, and I've always loved exploring other ones. Japenese mythology has never been something I've read about and I just had such a great time learning more about it this book.


This is a really underrated series that more people need to read! It's a hidden gem, honestly! Go read it!


"Some knowledge runs deeper than memory."


____________________________________________________

I must read the third book as soon as possible. After the way this ended, I need answers!
RTC.

Buddy read with Krizzie, Demon Lia, Salty Sofia and Her Hissingness Erin

[Literally Lesia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ця історія мені подобалася б ще більше, якби я фанатіла від цих всіх хвостатих лисподібних хлопців 😁🦊 а так — дуже якісне казкове фентезі. Думаю, дочитувати зараз чи вже потім колись, бо залишилася, з одного боку, заключна частина, а з іншого боку — мене тягне на щось таке, що залучить більше емоційно.

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 5 out of 5]

This won't be a long review, partially because better reviewers than me have already said everything there is to say, and partially because I think no review can truly do justice to the wonder that is this series.

All I want to say is that Annette Marie has some incredible talent hiding inside her. I finished 300,000 words of this series in three days and I still wanted more, more, more. The action was described spectacularly, the characters have me by the heart, and the premise is brilliant. It isn't perfect, but the good stuff outweighs the bad stuff so much that I truly feel no reservations about my 5-star rating.

Check my tags if you want a bit more information about what this book holds, because I'm out.

[Blog] - [Bookstagram]

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 / 5 Fangs

Honestly, how does Annette Marie do it? She continues to write fascinating and addictive novels that never disappoint.

The first 30% of this book was on the slower side, and I had a hard time fully getting back into this story. I was worried that this book wasn't going to be as enjoyable as the first book. Thankfully, after the 30% mark, the book's pace really picked up. After that, I couldn't stop reading the book. There was a ton of action that took my breath away and kept me on the edge of my seat. That mixed with the Japenese mythology, romance, humor, and plot development lead to one spectacular book.

The main character, Emi, was still as selfless and thoughtful as she was in book one. I loved how strongly Emi cared for those around her and how she always put the safety of others first. Since she was surrounded by a lot of strong mythical creatures, she was typically viewed as the "weak human". It was awesome to see her stand her ground, save people, and show the others that she was valuable too.

There were times where I would have liked her to kick a little more booty, but I understood she wasn't extremely powerful. It was actually kind of nice to have a YA character who wasn't a badass fighter 24/7. Since she wasn't as powerful as the other characters, it made her more relatable and it made her moments of triumph feel even more badass. I cannot wait to see how she grows in book three.



Shiro was just as swoon-worthy as ever in this book. His snarky remarks always put a smile on my face! I was glad that he was still extremely sassy in this book, but it was nice to see his more vulnerable side too. Shiro went through a lot in this book and I really enjoyed learning more about him and his past. Shiro has a lot more to him that meets the eye and I loved seeing those sides of him. He was an over-protective alpha male at times, but I couldn't help falling more in love with him in this book. I am trash for him and I don't even care.



Also, Shiro is a BADASS. His fight scenes were freaking awesome. GIVE ME MORE SHIRO.

The romance in this book KILLED me. Every little interaction between Emi and Shiro had made my heart flutter. Watching their feelings grow for each other put a smile on my face. THEY ARE SO ADORABLE TOGETHER! Their banter was wonderful in this book and their chemistry felt electric. One thing I really love about Emi and Shiro is that they make each other stronger. They always support each other and they want what is best for each other. I ship Shiro and Emi SO FREAKING HARD.

Annette is great at creating a romance that never takes over the plot and adds just the right amount of deliciousness to the story. I LOVE IT.

Overall, I thought this book was a great addition to this series. Fans of this series will not be disappointed with this installment! If you are in looking for a unique YA Fantasy series, then I would recommend checking out this series.

I NEED BOOK THREE.



4.5 / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *

MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
Facebook
Twitter

[mith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. God this series has me weak beyond words.
---
hiya lovelies. you can read this review on blog by clicking HERE! also, get on these books!
---
I love this book. I love this series. The characters, the plot, the action, the romance, and the mythology--it's all amazing. Dark Tempest is an amazing sequel to Red Winter.

Following the events of Red Winter, Emi, Shiro, and Yumei are at a loss. Emi has less than five weeks to complete her task of finding the other kunitsukami--the four leaders of the yokai. Not to mention, Shiro still has his onenju beads on, still blocking his memories and magic, both of which are needed for their journey. Still, Emi is determined to complete what's set out for her, even with all the danger surrounding her.

Annette Marie has done it again. She's mixed rich Japanese mythology with her signature of action and romance and I loved every single page of it. She kept me on the egde of my seat, breathless, and always wanting more. It was amazing and I wouldn't mind right back into the world she's created.

I really like Emi as a main character! She knows what she has to do, even though the task is dangerous. Even when she doubts herself and her abilities, she doesn't let herself stick to the sidelines; she'll throw herself into the fray to help her friends. She's both selfless and strong and so caring of the people she loves. Her sense of duty is remarkable! As strange as this may seem, it was nice to see her questioning her skills at times because she knows she's just a human. She accepts her vulnerability and doesn't let it stop her either. Watching her overcome that insecurity by proving her worth was amazing development and I loved it! Emi is just wonderful!

The plot, as always, is full of action! Things are constantly in motion, and it's a thrilling ride through and through. Annette Marie writes breath taking action scenes and it always kept me on the edge of my seat, needing to know how everything ends out. Her romance is the same! And speaking of, it is my absolute favourite! I love Ash and Piper but gooooosh, I die over Shiro and Emi EVERY SINGLE TIME. They are SO cute. The scenes with them are either adorable or super swoony.

Shiro is going through a lot! And I felt for him throughout the novel. He's struggling to remember his memories, himself, and because he doesn't have all of his magic, he feels he isn't as useful as he could be and seeing him like that breaks my heart! Despite his naturally flirty manner and constant smirk--which, by all means, I love--he's vulnerable and scared sometimes and that sound? Yes, it's my heart breaking. I am so glad he has Emi, and Emi him, because they are each other's strengths and have each other's backs. I love the way they work together! (I LOVE THEM.)

Guys! This book is wild. I'm not even kidding because oh my gosh. SO many things happen; SO many revelations, and I'm breathless all over thinking about it! With Marie's amazing characterization and her action, you will not be able to put this book down.

I'm so excited for Immortal Fire. I need it now! I can't wait to see what direction Marie takes the story and what becomes of Shiro and Emi and Yumei (whom I also dearly adore!) Dark Tempest is the perfect sequel and it deserves all 5 stars!

e-ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review!
---
i need this book by yesterday

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much magic. So much adventure. Lush and immersive fantasy world. Shiro and Emi were once again amazing. As well as Yumei. I don't think anyone not expected a certain revelation to happen, so that wasn't exactly surprising, but everything was still so very well done. I'm interested to find out how it all ends!

P.S. I'm very torn on the rating of this series - the first two books. If we could just have half stars, this way I'm torn between high 4 or 5 stars. Right now I'm leaving it off at 4.75.

For some reason this orchestral music felt perfect to me for this series and I listened to it multiple times while reading. As well as this track.

[Hiba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dark Tempest was certainly dark, in some ways brutal, action packed and very fast paced book. I flew through it in just two days and while reading it I was thinking of giving it four stars for sure but now that I've finished it, I think there are somethings that were not really great and that left me feeling kind of angry with this book.

L I K E S

● World Building The book is set in modern day Japan and the japanese mythology on the spot. We get to know more about this universe, the yokais and kamis and all the gods and goddesses. Everything in this world was very well defined and the histories and relationships between gods and goddesses were all very complex.

● Characters I liked all the characters in this book. Emi developed as a strong willed person. She's determined to fulfill her duty no matter what the cost is and doesn't care of her physical weaknesses against powerful monters. Shiro is still the same quircky, cunning and sarcastic yokai from the first book but as his curse weakens, he's remembering glimpse of his history and we see as his former personality mix with the ancient powers hidden underneath. And then we have Yumei, the princes of shadows, the warlord. He's this eternally pissed off, extremely broody person who's really responsible and serious about everything.

● STUNNING ILLUSTRATIONS.

●So much action. From the beggining till the end, Emi and Shiro are facing one hurdle then other. We got some spider woman, then we had creepy fungus and creepy pines, theen we had two dragons. Yessss. Action was constant and very well written and it did not allow me to put this book down.

D I S L I K E S

● Even though japanese mythology was great and well developed, we had no sense of the real, modern day world. One reason why I love urban fantasy is because of mash up of old mythologies with the modern world. But here there was no sense of modern wolrd. They kept on travelling in forests, there were no local humans, only yokai and kamis and humans in shrines. Seriously does nobody uses gadgets? Where are the buildings, where are the humans. It seemed like emi and everyone else was going to save the superficial world with superficial people tbh.

●No female friendships. Throughout the book, Emi met many new people, some men and some women. Of them, only Amatesaru and Uzume were only women who Emi trusted. And they were billions of years old. Other then these, emi distrusted every woman she came across. She wanted them to be away. All the mikos in shrines were supposedly below her, therefore she never talked to them. I hate it when protagonists are so distrustful of other girls. Female friendship is my jam, and when the girl is distrustful toward other girls on first glance, it immediately become a no-no for me.

● Romance was too cheesy. I liked Shiro and I liked Emi. I liked how romance was forbidden and slow burn. But the thing is, Emi and Shiro are too touchy touchy. Shiro always have a reason to wrap his arms around Emi from behind and burying his nose in her hair and Emi is always flunging herself at Shiro and hugging him tightly to convey her love and blah blah. The thing is, I don't like my couples touching each other all the time aand them constantly reminding me that they are touching each other. Go away with your romance, Shiro and Emi, gimme more fighting and action.

●Some of the charwcters just dissapeared from middle and then appeared in the end. For example Katsuo ornIshada or Nanakato. They were present in the beginning and when Emi went with the Yokai, she didn't even bother remembering them. I hate when authors neglect some characters for development of others, and that exactly what Annette Marie did here.

_________________

And that's about it. Overall, this book wasn't really memorable. I enjoyed reading it eventhough I had som problems but I don't think I'll be ever rereading this.

[nuin giliath · Rating 5 out of 5]

3rd reading: Like its predecessor, I noticed that this also started off a bit slow. However, it definitely made up for its initial lull with plenty of excitement later.

The relationships between the three leads really shone here as they bonded and learned to work as a team. I also loved the quieter moments they spent together in between their battles. It was just beautiful. 💖

Red Winter may have introduced readers to the concept of kami/yokai living amongst humans in our world, but Dark Tempest offers further exploration into the yokai's world. One of my favorite locations in this book was the yokai inn with its blend of traditional Japanese cultural practices and supernatural elements. (Think Yubaba's bathhouse from Spirited Away.)

In addition to the action and world building, there was also a greater focus on the romance with its forbidden nature increasing the tension just enough to keep you wanting more. It's so well done.

Even knowing what was coming and no longer being surprised by certain twists, I still find this to be such an enjoyable read and highly recommend it. 😁

---------------------------------
2nd reading: I'm still super impressed with this series. But just in case anyone thinks I'm oblivious to its flaws (which are minor details in my opinion), I'm not. I choose to ignore them because of how well developed the overall work is. I honestly cannot recall the last time I got so much pleasure out of reading.

I admit that I enjoyed the character of Susano more during the second reading than I did the first. Before I thought he was too easily angered and generally bad-tempered. However, I found him to be much more sympathetic this time around. (Also, I want to note something about boundaries. Shiro has NONE. And that's really ok with me. 😉)

----------------------------------
I am so conflicted right now. Since starting this series, I have *needed* to be immersed with these characters in this world every hour of every day, but I just realized that I have only ONE book remaining before it's all over. 😭

Dark Tempest picked up right where the previous book left off. Even though I adored the first novel, I did have a hard time getting invested in this second installment at first. But once I made it to the 15% mark, I was completely hooked. And what an emotional roller coaster this turned out to be! I have never had as many verbal outbursts (mostly "oh no!") as I did while reading this. [For any fellow arachnophobes, there is a fairly lengthy section around the 40% mark that made me squirm/scream, so proceed with caution.]

There were plenty of intense action sequences and captivating emotional moments. Not to mention the consistency within the world building and realistic character development. I also loved having a few new characters (including some different yokai) sprinkled throughout. I am quite impressed with Annette Marie's ability to keep the reader engaged and invested in both the individual characters and the overarching conflict.

I realize this review is pretty tame for the amount of feelings I had/have over this book, but I just can't put into words (or even cohesive thought) how much these two books have impacted me.

(Also still appreciating the glossary in the back. Although I'm pleased to admit that I referred to it less often this time. 😁)

[Lonna | FLYLēF · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY FIRST READ of this year has set an incredibly high bar! Annette Marie, Amazon’s best-selling YA fantasy author, has risen the stakes with Dark Tempest, the sequel to the Red Winter Trilogy. I was left breathless by its high-octane action, mesmeric and sweeping Japanese culture, and exquisitely slow-burn romance.

The richly descriptive prose is a sensual feast of word-building that expands beyond the first book to include new kamis and yokais inhabiting in frightening and fantastical realms, and performing strange and beautiful magic. The vivid details are occasionally paired with aesthetically gorgeous illustrations to create an anime-like reading experience, which I absolutely loved because it gave me a glimpse of how the author envisioned scenes.

From the first tensions of an attraction that blooms lovingly into a deep affection, the slow burn romance between Shiro and Emi was exquisitely nuanced. Inasmuch as I was entertained by Shiro's teasing smile and shameless flirting, I was more deeply touched by his vulnerability and devotion that was carefully hidden behind that nonchalant surface to keep Emi from looking at him too closely. The romance was sweet and swoony; tender and lacerating.

For fans of endless, unputdownable action, Dark Tempest will not disappoint. Emi and Shiro, along with the striking and mysterious Yumei, encountered one epic battle after another. With each battle becoming more electrifying and high-stakes, leading up to an explosive conclusion aptly described as dark tempest.

Although the action is highly entertaining, it is the well-drawn characters that is so integral to the storyline. Emi has more selflessness than sense sometimes. But, I really enjoyed seeing her transform from a demure kamigakari to a heroine who possesses strength through struggles. Ms. Marie never let me forget that Emi is human, but with a bit of luck, persistence, and cleverness, Emi fought her own battles admirable. Yet, it is Shiro who I think underwent the most transformation. Shiro’s mysterious past finally catches up to him, and the memories that was once hidden from him will surface to reveal a cunning and world-shattering plot that has been centuries in the making.

With each installment of the Red Winter Trilogy, I seem to be more and more enchanted by this series. Dark Tempest permeates with magic—of the ethereal and elemental, and in a spellbinding and delightful way. I can’t wait to find out what happens next for Shiro and Emi in Immortal Fire (Red Winter Trilogy 3).

{Thank you Annette Marie and Dark Owl Fantasy for kindly giving me this book free of charge, which does not influence my review.}

[Khadidja · Rating 4 out of 5]

JDNDKAL1KBZBEKDKDID I AM DIYING FOR SHIRO AND EMI!!

[Aneta Bak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Tempest was addicting, beautiful and has the most unique characters. I honestly can't begin to tell you how amazed I am with this book.

Amaterasu has given Emi a mission. Find and free the kunitsukami so they can destroy Izanami before she destroys Earth. Emi, Shiro and Yumei are ready to get started on their mission, but without any leads they don't know where to begin. Emi ends up going back to the shrine to talk to her elders to tell them about her mission and see if they know anything. When Emi realizes that her elders have taken the mission upon themselves and plan to keep Emi locked away, Emi plans an escape with Shiro and Yumei, with a lead on where to find their first kunitsukami.

Everything I originally had a problem with in the first book, was magically fixed. Making this probably one of the best fantasy books I will read this year.

I did NOT like Emi at all in the beginning of the first book. Yet in this book, I have completely changed my mind about her, her character development was crazy and I honestly admire and respect her now. Emi went from being a fragile, weak human girl who is very proper, follows the rules and is afraid to do basically everything, to a strong female character that is not afraid to travel and fight with the big guys, and even though she's still human, she knows how to channel her powers and use that to her advantage to help the yokai when they need her help the most. Emi's character development has seriously left me speechless, I've read countless books and I've never seen character development like this before. Annette did such an amazing job with Emi.

Shiro!! My favourite character in this series. I was so happy picking this book up, because I really missed Shiro and his sassiness. What I loved about this book especially, was finding out bits and pieces of Shiro's past and how he was before the oneju beads were on him. I feel like it made his and Emi's relationship even stronger and it was so wonderful to read about.

The action in this book was to die for. The first book had a really long period of boringness in the beginning, but definitely not this book. There was action from the beginning of the book, and when you got about half way in, there was so much action that I could not put the book down. It truly was captivating and addicting.

Overall, I'm simply amazed how well this book turned out. If you haven't read the first book yet, I highly recommend starting this series, and if you've already read the first one, then I promise you that you will love this one even more.

Happy Reading,
Aneta

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

No words ATM, RTC

*picks up Immortal Fire 🔥 🔥🔥*

[Анастасія ꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

В цій частині Юмей вже більше адекватно ставиться до Емі, з'являється новий персонаж теж якийсь бог чи що воно, я вже забула.... Але в принципі цікаво і швидко читається.

[ೀ riaaa (school !)⊹ ᰔ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

summary: after shiro and emi were required to fulfill a task together, they set off in the direction of the gods and goddesses with yumei, the prince of shadows. in the process emi and shiro find new allies, make new enemies and discover secrets about the deities' realms, about themselves and about their own feelings towards each other that they can't seem to push down. emi's time on earth is rapidly running out.
this romantasy is 100% YA, the 2nd book in the red winter trilogy (suitable for fans of mythology and romance like ouabh). 💫


ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ˏˋ°•*⁀➷


this review will be a hot ass mess, guys i dont even know where to start. i finished this book almost a month ago but girl i needed time to recollect my thoughts. i can no longer put off this review because the 3rd book just arrived to me today and i have a feeling it'll be the one to make me cry 😫😫💔💔


꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ just like in the first book, the writing was immaculate. i'll wholeheartedly read marie's grocery list bc everything her pen touches it just beautiful. the lexicon she uses always paints the perfect and sharpest picture for the scene at hand, which further convinces me that 3rd person writing is the best ever idc. it was prose-y and beautiful when it had to be, but it didn't take away from the action scenes at all. it made way for vivid imagination. paired with the wonderful worldbuilding... UGH 😭.
in the first book, the setting was all snowy alps and starlight and winter nights. this book was like that, except there were new scenes, that came with the different plot, that felt straight out of a fairytale. marie created beautiful landscapes that often contrasted what was actually happening in said scenes, which i think is such a smart move in storytelling, when the setting and the emotions don't exactly coincide. it was bittersweet and touching and stunning.

Three pristine white petals rested on her palm, decorated with crystalline water droplets that shimmered under the light of the newly risen moon.


꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ the plot changed since the first book, and so had the beliefs of the main characters. we discover so much more about this intricate world and its heavenly rulers, and every single page was so addictive to me. never mind how long it took me to read this i'm just a slow reader. and i will admit that things became more complex, such as the task of remembering everybody's names what with the 4-page glossary 😭 but with how wonderful this series is i don't mind at all.
one of my favourite parts, of course, was the japanese mythology that was explored throughout!!! mythological creatures showed up very often and i was having the time of my life searching all of them and some information related to them. the huge, terrifying spiders, important figures and deities, the little wood spirits that looked like cherubs 💓 it was so nice because i had already seen some of these creatures before this book and reading about them in real time felt different somehow. i'm so grateful for how invested in japanese mythology this series has me lolll i was conjuring up theories in my head like my life depended on it 😝

one think that i believe could have used some improvement was the pacing; not that it was bad, but a couple scenes in the middle and a major one at the end were quite action packed and they went on for a number of pages. i don't know how to feel abt long action scenes, sometimes it's overwhelming to keep up with everything and instead of keeping me very engaged like an action scene should it made me want to pause a lot. if you're used to heavy action however u can def look past this.


꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ emi's character development deserves a separate review of its own in my opinion, as a human girl in a world full of monsters and saints more powerful than her she managed to best everyone and everything. she had to visit places that brought back memories, bite back the sharp sting of her own feelings and move ahead with little time to slow down because of how demanding everything was. she put people above her and sacrificed her well-being even if she knew it would bite her in the ass. she delt with all of this while the heavy load that was her imminent death was still looming in the back of her mind. i am not ready to see what'll happen in the 3rd book about her inevitable death, im terrified tbh.
she fought so hard physically and even emotionally, and she still kept her heart intact !!! she's a spectacular female lead, she doesn't assume superiority but fights like there's no tomorrow. emi still possesses the kind/respectful nature that she had in the first book, she still went ahead until it nearly killed her, but she became more confident in her own abilities. she even earned the approval of YUMEI, the raven prince that likes literally nobody not even shiro was in his good graces tbf (yumei only tolerated shiro, according to him). THIS is how you write a female lead !!!!!!!!!! UGH i want to hug emi SO BAD she deserves happiness for how brave she is, everything she's done for the future of humanity.

The physical pain was nothing compared to her internal suffering. Anguish and terror over Shiro's fate roiled endlessly and she couldn't bear to look at him, to see his pale face and slack features. The monster dragging him away with its fangs buried in his shoulder--it kept replaying in her head, over and over until she wanted to scream.

Bands of terror constricted her lungs, squeezing tighter and tighter. As she approached the small hall, she focused on the incredible experiences she'd had these past weeks. Meeting Shiro. Meeting Yumei. Seeing so much of the magic and mystery of the yokai.



꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ shiro's character evolved as well, but in quite a different way. he's still the cunning kitsune that we know and love, but something else was hiding behind his eyes. my draw DROPPED when it was revealed like i wouldnt have guessed it ever 😭 and yet it makes so much sense.
shiro is powerful, he can be vengeful and violent. it was sad to see what he was reduced to and the weight he'd had to carry upon his shoulders. some scenes made me question how he felt about emi but he cared about her so much, which is why he was often angry at her. he was just scared. i cannot WAIT to see what the 3rd book holds for shiro bc i know he's going to become so much more powerful.
i typically despise the modern term, 'book boyfriend', but shiro literally embodies it... he's so underrated and so HOTTTT PLZ. his every interaction with emi had my heart on fire and my breath ceased, whether it was harmless banter or them kissing. besides that he's so beautiful????
this'll sound a bit silly but i feel like shiro is the perfect mix of jacks (once upon a broken heart) and chat noir (miraculous ladybug) like i can't think of any other way to describe him. he's so unserious when he DEF should be serious, but then in other scenes he's standing on business !!!

"I just missed you teasing me."
He scowled. "You're not supposed to like that. The idea is to annoy you."
She returned his scowl. "I knew you were annoying me on purpose all this time. Why do you do that?"
His grin returned. "Because when you're annoyed, your eyes flash and your cheeks turn pink and you pout at me." He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. "Just like that."

the fact that these two are star-crossed lovers isn't sitting right with me. annette marie we're gonna have to change that NOWWWWWW 😬



꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ yumei's character in the first half had me wondering if he cared about ANY of them ☠️☠️ in the first book he only protected them because he needed them. but then at the end there's a really cute scene with all of them which just reminds me of how GODLY the found family trope is 😫 he's a raven god, too powerful to busy himself with shiro's nonsense or emi's human weaknesses. but it turns out that's not actually true. he made sacrifices for them and brought them so far. even though his superiority complex is bigger than himself in his raven form im really glad that his weaknesses were occasionally showed as well, he got hurt and he had to be saved too. yumei wasn't invincible!
i love how he finally started believing in emi once she proved herself, and i cherished their scenes alone a lot. i hope he finds someone in book 3 cuzzzzzzzzzz his charisma goes crazy too (and he is ALSO beautiful)

"Today, we claim victory." His ever-unreadable expression softened fractionally. "Well fought, Emi."
Her breath caught. He had actually called her by name. She managed an exhausted smile as she reached up to take his hand.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

"thank youuu, annette marie, for delivering a spectacular book and destroying our mental health in the process," we all say in unison 🙂‍↕️ i need somebody to shackle me so i can keep from picking up book 3 and finish the books im currently reading PLEASE


ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

theyre so star-crossed FCKK 😭😭😫😫😫😫💔💔💔 RTC.



pre read STARTING THIS FOR GOOD RN I ALR READ A FEW PAGES SO EXCITED

[erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

*This review contains small mentions to the end of Red Winter but is otherwise spoiler-free*
*Buddy read with Crisis Krizzie, DEMON Lia, Lucid Lucy, and Salty Sofia*

Question 1: How did you find the characters?
A) Love (1 star)
B) Like (0.75 stars)
C) Okay (0.50 stars)
D) Dislike (0.25 stars)
E) Hate (0 stars)

Explain your answer:
While I loved the characters, I didn't really feel an attachment to any of them. If they ended up dying, I'd probably mourn them in my mind for a minute and then get over it. So, choice C) Okay for the characters

Emi: Emi is the kamigarki of Amaterasu, the Amatsukami of the wind. The holy human vessel for Amaterasu when she descends from the heavens to the earth. We see a lot of character development in Emi throughout the book. Originally, in Red Winter, she was a weak, clueless girl who knew nothing of the world. Now, she goes running into danger without hesitation. She shoots arrows, braves labyrinths, and battles dragons.
Shiro (kitty dude): Shiro is the mysterious yokai kitsune who has no memories of who he was before. Shiro... I have no particular love for him, but I don't outright hate him either. He's just... there.
Yumei (raven dude): AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA OMG YUMEI. He wins another character-of-the year award for worst-timing-ever. Yumei, who I refer to as "raven dude" is THE Tengu. He's the prince of shadows. He's the raven who controls crows. (so logical, yes?)
---------------------------

Question 2: How did you find the plot?
A) Love (1 star)
B) Like (0.75 stars)
C) Okay (0.50 stars)
D) Dislike (0.25 stars)
E) Hate (0 stars)

Explain your answer:
The plot picks up after the end of Red Winter. Emi, Shiro, and Yumei have been given the task to find the missing Kunitsukami by Amaterasu. They must find the Kunitsukami before the solstice, when the Amatsukami Izanami plans to do something terrible.

The plot was definitely better than the plot of Red Winter. The characters actually had a purpose rather than just running around fighting people. But, I still didn't love it.
---------------------------

Question 3: How did you find the setting/worldbuilding?
A) Love (1 star)
B) Like (0.75 stars)
C) Okay (0.50 stars)
D) Dislike (0.25 stars)
E) Hate (0 stars)

Explain your answer:
Once again, I liked the setting. I kinda wish we got a map at the beginning of the book that marked where the shrines were. That would've been really cool. The worldbuilding, based on Japanese mythology, is elaborated upon more in this book. I got a deeper understanding of the kamis, yokais, kunitsukamis, and amatsukamis. It cleared up a lot of things. I'm still slightly confused about one thing though. What, exactly is a ofuda? (if I even spelled that right)
---------------------------

Question 4: How did you find the writing/POV/pacing?
A) Love (1 star)
B) Like (0.75 stars)
C) Okay (0.50 stars)
D) Dislike (0.25 stars)
E) Hate (0 stars)

Explain your answer:
The writing, told from the third person POV of Emi, was ok. Not really the type of writing that I love, but I liked it. The pacing, on the other hand, was wonderful. It never really gets boring, and there's lots of action. The last 25% of the book was especially awesome. AND.... WE GET MORE BEAUTIFUL ART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

---------------------------

Question 5: How did you find the conflict/resolution?
A) Love (1 star)
B) Like (0.75 stars)
C) Okay (0.5 stars)
D) Dislike (0.25 stars)
E) Hate (0 stars)

Explain your answer:
THAT ENDING WAS EPIC. LIKE EVEN BETTER THAN RED WINTER. AND I THOUGHT THE ENDING OF RED WINTER WAS EPIC. The book is definitely worth reading even just for the ending. I promise, there is absolutely no way that you'll hate it. (hint: it has something to do with a dragon)(and dragons are epic) ANNETTE MARIE IS LIKE THE GOD OF WRITING EPIC ENDINGS.
---------------------------

Total: (3.75/5)
Deductions & Bonuses:
+0.50 because the ending was truly epic
Final Total: (4.25/5)

Other notes:
Nothing, really.

Other Reviews:
Red Winter: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Immortal Fire: RTC

[AℳY♔Queen of Fat cats♔Ain't no lie Baby Byebyebye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love♥

GUUUYYYYSSSSSS
This series is a #MustRead

[Joshita ❤ · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY GOD, MY HEART WON'T RECOVER! IT WON'T!

[Vanessa Gayle ⚔️ Fangirl Faction · Rating 5 out of 5]

05/14/2024: Reread. (Audiobook!)
12/28/2022: Reread. (Audiobook!)
08/09/2020: Reread!
These characters make me so happy. I love the internal journey that the main characters travel in this story. Emi is such a strong character. The change in her is so obvious when you think about how she was at the start of the first book. I love her strength, honor, and loyalty. Shiro also goes through a transformation internally. He is a very different person at the start of the series. I really love the friendship that Emi forms with Shiro and Yumei as well as the other kunitsukami. I adore the way that mythology was fused with fantasy to form this story. It's so impressive and clever.
09/12/2018: Read again for the second time!
I am so glad that I decided to read this series again! These characters are just what I needed right now. There is a certain comfort in rereading books that you love.

Reading this again only solidifies my awe of Annette Marie's genius. I praise her for her creativity and how she crafts her stories using it. I love the cultural and mythological elements of this story and how they are woven with fantasy to create something truly unique. Annette Marie is just as skilled with character creation as she is with world building. These characters are very distinct and the reader falls in love with them easily. Each character's personality is represented flawlessly and fluidly. You really feel like you know these characters and that you are a part of their world. The plot of the story is very clever and extremely addictive. I lost more than my fair share of sleep reading this series and I am not the least bit sorry for the lack of sleep. I've said this before in my reviews of Annette Marie's books, but she is a truly special author with so much to give the book community. I will forever be her fan and always eagerly awaiting her next book with open arms.
----------------
This book was such an adventure! This is definitely a must-read series! Annette Marie has been on my insta-read list since I read her Stone & Steel series. (Which is phenomenal, btw.) Annette Marie is an independent author, but you really wouldn't know it. Her novels are so polished that you would swear up and down that you are reading something from a major publisher. That's one of the things that I love about Annette Marie's books. Her attention to details. Her passion is all over her books.

Okay, so the adventure. There is a lot of it! I love how active and fast paced the book is. If there is something that Annette Marie can do exceptionally well, it is fight scenes. For real. They get me so pumped up and excited. They are so descriptive and concise. In some fight scenes it is easy to get lost along the way, but Annette Marie has got it down to a science. The plot is really imaginative and it has so many evolving elements. There were a lot of surprises in the story that I didn't see coming. I loved the mythology and the Japanese culture. I just plain loved this story.

The romance in the book is pretty perfect. It is slow moving, but in a good way. It's just the right amount of romance. It isn't too much too soon, but it's also not lacking. And the other relationships in the book are so well written. I love the friendship between Emi and Yumei. It has come so far from her first meeting with him.

The characters are so well written. There is so much growth, especially for Emi and Shiro. I love seeing how much Emi's character has transformed since the first book. She was just a kamigakari in the first book, following orders and doing what was expected of her. She didn't really have an identity of her own. It's awesome to see her gaining some self existence.

This book also included some illustrations throughout the book that were a delight! They were so gorgeous and really brought so much to the story. I loved the visuals so much.

I cannot recommend this book and this series enough! It is such a wild ride, with incredibly complex characters and a wholly original fantasy world. Annette Marie is definitely one of my favorite authors, and if you read any of her books you will say the same. If you are a fan of fantasy, you need Annette Marie books in your life!


More reviews on my blog: The Alchemy of Ink

[Rizza✧˖° · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so enamoured with this series right now!

The second installment of the series started where the first book left off. And I was glad with that because of the smooth transition and avoid some confusion which may have happened if the author deigned to do it differently.

Again, this book made me delve in the magical realm of Japanese mythology. I am so captivated with all that is happening in this book that I almost didn't put it down. And if I didn't have to work and do my essential activities of daily living then I'm sure I would have finished this book sooner.

After the world building of the first book. This book had the chance to build and progress its plot. And the plot thickened due to twists and turns that this book have. I mean, I wouldn't have guessed it. Major spoiler here so do not read if you don't want to find out. Shiro is Inari! How didn't I see that! He was looking for himself all along!

The characters have gone through a lot. Especially our heroine, Emi. Her character development is undeniable after reading through the book. She is now bolder, braver, and fiercer. She had progressed from an innocent and sheltered kamigakari to someone who will not stand and do nothing. She is now her own force to be reckoned with.

And Shiro! My beloved Shiro! or should I call him Inari now? He now has only one Onenju binding him now. And because of that he is now more powerful and is one step away to becoming who he really is.

The romance between Shiro and Emi takes my breath away! I am going to be a wreck if something bad happens to them in the next book. Knowing the Shiro is Inari and there is a chance that he won't ever remember and care about Emi if he gets his memory back. And the fact that Emi is less than a month away from her certain death, knowing that she is the kamigakari of Amaterasu. And Emi just threw caution in the wind and damn all the consequences, because this may be only the time that they will feel something like this because of future events. And I just loved it!

I only have one book to go before I finish this series and I don't know what to dread more: knowing what will happen or actually finishing the series.

So Book 3, here I come!

[rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

help! i’ve fallen (in love) and i can’t get up!

this was just... really really good.

i don’t have too much to say, just that emi’s (hey autocorrect? no i am not in fact trying to to say emu’s) character development/ growth was so satisfying to watch, and i’m really eager to see what comes next for her. she’s come a long way, but has farther still to go!! the same goes for her and shiro’s relationship- i’m scared.

and also, ummm... no spoilers but how did i not see that coming???!!! that was a plot twist that i should have seen coming a mile away, but somehow it just never occurred to me that that was even a possibility. i’m shooketh.

ok ok ok! first book of the year complete, and it was an excellent start!!

[✶Rachelle✶ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Shiro basically this whole book:






Now go read

[Yeg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm just gonna go and cuddle in a corner with how much i love this trio. shiro, Yumei and Emi.



~4.5 stars~

She had given up everything for duty, even her life. But this … this she couldn’t sacrifice, not even to save the world. With his arms around her, his mouth on hers, his warmth and strength surrounding her, she knew she wasn’t strong enough to walk away from him.
No matter the consequences.

Nervous energy fitted through me as I read Dark Tempest and I found myself laughing because I was so excited with how it kept playing out. Pieces of the puzzle were falling into place, yet they kept coming up against impossible feats.

Reading this series is like watching anime. This book absolutely consumed me and I could not put it down until I was completely finished at OMG o'clock at night. Seriously. It is EXTREMELY ADDICTIVE and absolutely not being able to put down a book? That hasn't happened to me in a very long time. I just HAD to read it all in one sitting.

━━━━ღ◆ღ━━━━

“Say the words, Emi,” he breathed. “Tell me you don’t want me.”
Eyes wide, she trembled, unable to speak, unable to think. He was telling her what to say, but she couldn’t say it. She didn’t want to.
“Shiro.” She wasn’t sure what she’d intended to say, but his name came out in a pleading whisper and even she could hear the longing in it.
That was all the answer he needed.

The romance... Ahhhh, #swoon.... I just LOVE the way the romance has been done in this book/series.



Firstly it's a forbidden romance, secondly the dynamic between these two characters is just... Perfect. The flirting, the banter - it's all there and absolutely heightens the atmosphere without overwhelming the plot in any way. Need I say more?

One of my favorite parts about this series is the Emi's character development. working alongside the sarcastic and flirty kitsune, Shiro, and the broody (but secretly a total softie) raven yokai, Yumei. That’s my favorite kind of heroine: no warrior born but more than making up with her courage and her wits.



━━━━ღ◆ღ━━━━

Finally, there's my soft boy (The one and only prince of shadows 😎😉), Yumei. ah, whereas we barely knew/saw anything about him in Red Winter, here there's much more Yumei content AND THE FRIENDSHIP. OMG Emi and Yumei bonding and growing closer as friends (of course, Yumei would never admit that)

The angst between Shiro and Emi omgg and then finally when they actually start making out, YUMEI GETS IN THE WAY INTERRUPTING THEM SDFSFDSF *rage* 🙃🙃🔥💀

The world building is, again, completely magnificent. It's complex, extensive, well researched and extraordinarily well written. With snowy, winter vibes and magical places that set the scene, I absolutely loved this second book! it's just so fits with winter (and kind of christmass time) and i'm so happy to get to read this series at this time.



This will forever be one of the coolest illustrations I've ever seen 🥴🥴

━━━━ღ◆ღ━━━━

MORE slow burn, swoon worthy romance, MORE incredible Japanese Culture and mythology, MORE exhilarating action sequences, MORE investment in these amazing and unique characters, and of course - higher stakes. You need this series in your life.

On to the third one now! 🔥 🔥

PS : I was shocked to discover that I guessed right for Shiro! I never guess correctly LOL. and a bonus gorgeous art from ma love shiro 🙈


credit