Review: Stormwalker by Allyson James

Title: Stormwalker
Author: Allyson James
Series: Stormwalker #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: May 4, 2010
Edition: Paperback
Blurb:
Half-Navajo Janet Begay comes to Magellan to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the police chief's daughter. But the people of Magellan sense that Janet is not what she seems, and they're right.

Janet possesses extraordinary power which is tied to the storms that waft across the desert. The only person who can control her when she's caught in the storm's evocative power is Mick, a dark-haired, blue-eyed biker Janet can't seem to touch with her powers. He can weild fire and not get burned, and Janet's never sure where he goes when they're not together.

Together they investigate mysterious disappearances, which Janet fears are tied to her mother's people, the mythical gods from below the earth. They are helped along the way by Coyote and Crow, but these shapeshifting gods have their own agendas.


I've been a fan of this author since I read her dragon books when they went out a couple of years ago. When I heard she was going to release a book with the main character being able to manipulate storms, I immediately put the book on my pre-order list.

I liked Janet instanty. She's a strong, complicated character who is trying to face her fears once and for all. She feels like she doesn't belong anywhere, so she buys a hotel in Magellan and hires a handful of interesting people to restore it, all because she wants to have a place she can call home.

Her relationship with Mick, the book's love interest, is complicated and carries a lot of history. She hasn't seen him in 5 years and at the moment she needs him the most, he reappears in her life. That's bound to make suspicious a lot of people, including Janet (and that's one of the things I liked the most about her, how she doesn't lie to herself).
Mick is a very likeable character: he takes care of Janet, he's powerful and a bit cocky. But he's keeping a lot of secrets, and while a lot of people may think that being mysterious is sexy, in this case I just wanted to kick him in the ass so he would start talking.

There are other interesting characters like the sheriff Nash Jones. He's a jerk. More important than that, I loved that he was a jerk. I guess he must have redeemable characteristics somewhere, but I didn't see them. There's also Coyote, who thinks he's smarter than anyone else and it seems like all he can think about is sex.

One of my favourite scenes was the one when Janet goes back home and finally talks alone with her dad. The conversation they had almost put tears in my eyes. Loved Janet's grandmother, by the way. She reminded me of another grandmother I love, the one of the World of the Lupi series by Eileen Wilks.

I love the world Allyson created, especially since it has my favourite creature in it (can't tell you which one, although I really want to talk about it. It would be a big spoiler!). I read this book in one sitting and after reading it I couldn't stop thinking about it. It was one of the best books I've read this summer!


Memorable Lines:

“Should I consider myself under arrest?” I asked.

Nash slammed the door and put on his seat belt. “Being taken in for questioning.”

“My bike?”

“Deputies are impounding it. It’s evidence.”

“Damn you, Jones, I didn’t run into that truck.”

“Save it.” He put the SUV in gear and pulled out past the flipped pickup as the deputies lifted my Harley and tossed carelessly it into the back of their truck.


Next Book:
Firewalker - Stormwalker #2 - November 2nd 2010.


Rating: 1/2