As a fan of Cora Carmack's New Adult books, I knew I would either love or hate this book. Not all authors can pull off Contemporary romance so well, and still do well writing Fantasy. But this book didn't get the praise and buzz that it deserved. The magic system (storm magic!!) is original, giving this series an edge in a Fantasy world that is so overstuffed with magic and creatures. The book is addicting, and will keep readers going until the very end. A worthwhile read, and definitely a worthwhile purchase.

I was looking for my next Sarah J Maas fix and came across this novel. I was intrigued and decided to read it - and really enjoyed it. There is excellent world-building, sympathetic characters and kick-ass females saving the world - what more could anyone ask for!

Reviewed on Instagram and good reads. Good reads link is attached https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29939048

I've always been a fan of Cora Carmack's novels, so I was super excited to see her venturing into another genre. I was surprised in the best way possible! I loved the world she crafted and the powers that she gave to the characters. I mean, talk about unique and stepping out of the box! It definitely hooked me right from the start and I can't wait to read Rage!

I really enjoyed this book and found it very interesting with this take on this romance. I enjoyed the description of the romance interests and the different point of views . Overall I enjoyed this book and loved the cover. I can't to read other books by this author.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect going into ROAR. I'm a fan of Cora Carmack's NA contemporary books, but I was excited to see how her writing translated into YA fantasy. I have to say, I wasn't disappointed.

First things first, Roar was much slower than Cora's previous works. It hooked me with a fast-paced opening, but then things seemed to even out and the plot progressed in a steady, if slow, fashion. There was a ton of world-building and what I took as series set-up happening, so I don't really fault the book for it's somewhat meandering pace, because a good fantasy needs those things. In fact, thinking back on most of my favorite fantasy series', both YA and adult, the first book is usually the slowest. That said, I do hope the pace picks up drastically in the sequel. Now that I'm drawn in and invested, no more set-up. I want action.

Cora has always written heroines that I fall in love with. Rora is no exception. I loved seeing her character's story unfold, watching her grow and react. The supporting cast was also a lot of fun, but I did feel as though most of the characters aside from Rora and the two love interests were pretty one dimensional. I would love to see more side character growth and backstory in future books.

The magic system in Roar was fantastic. The concept of storm magic, of storms having any amount of sentience, was unique for me and I thought Cora did a wonderful job with it. While I normally like my fantasy magic systems to have quite a bit more structure, I was ok with not fully understanding everything about this one yet. I feel like it was fleshed out just enough to make me happy as a reader, but also left a little room for mystery and imagination, which made it fun.

Overall, I really enjoyed ROAR. I am hoping for a bit more from the sequel, definitely a pace change. This book was a lot of fun though, and the story really grabbed me and pulled me in. Its uniqueness will make it hard to forget. I can't wait to see what the rest of the series brings!

This unfortunately, was a did not finish book. I did try, however I couldn't get past Aurora. I found her annoying, falling into the realm of "useless". She was there to be pretty and flirt with guys. I didn't see any development or growth or facing her issues and becoming a strong female lead. If there was more plot perhaps I would have tried harder to finish, but I really didn't get into it at all at by the half way mark.

Cora Caramack is one of my favorite new authors now because of Roar! It was one of my absolute favorite reads of 2017 and finished it in less than 2 days. I am anxiously awaiting the release of Rage!

I have so many amazing things to say about this book and Cora herself.

She is by far one of my favorite authors. And always puts out a diverse group of stories for us.
From romantic meet cute type stories. To steamy sports romances. Paranormal romances. And now diving into the world of fantasy.
And she does every one of them spectacularly.

Especially this last one.

Roar has such a complex and beautifully done world building side. And you can't help but be awestruck by it.
She uses such good descriptions and visuals that it's like walking into the pages of this beautiful and crazy place.

And the character building is even better.
Aurora and the whole cast of characters were so well written.
They had every aspect you could want in one. The struggles and heroism that you want to love and root for. The ones you can sympathize with and really make you feel for the characters.
And of course the underlining romance going on between some of them.
No one was what they seemed. And it made for such an exciting read.
There were so many twists and turns. And I found myself unable to put it down. Losing sleep, and any daylight hours I wasnt driving or at work, lost within the pages.

But more specifically, I want to touch on a few of the characters.

Aurora (Roar) herself was such a fun character to read. The way she grew and changed through the story was probably my favorite part. She found her voice and strength. And she found it from the most unlikely place and people. And I love that kind of growth in a character. Plus she was so dang bada** haha. Like while she was sort of this shy and meek thing at times. The girl could seriously kick butt when she wanted to. And I loved that about her. I think that's why when she finally kinda came into her own, it was so spectacular. Because she had all the pieces there. She just fianlly learned how to put them together and use them.

And then there is Locke.... *swoon*
I really loved this boys character. Not because hes the hunky broody type either haha.
He has such an air of mystery around him. But yet has this odd mix of sweet and a little prickly. That meant you never quite knew what he was going to do, or the direction he would make in a given sistuation. And I really liked that.
He also, much like Rora, is a very strong and fierce character. Sticking up for the ones he cares about. and protecting them at all costs.
And his relationship with Rora I think was my favorite part of the 2 of them. Just how he took her under his wing, and really wanted to help her learn and be able to take care of herself. He wanted to make her self reliant and strong, while still showing her ill t was ok to need hell sometimes. And how to work as a unit with others, taking her from her isolation. And I loved that about him.

And then lastly, there is Cassius.
Hes kinda this character you sont think you will like very much. His reasoning for even being in the story from the steat is suspicious. But the more you see of him. The more you start to sympathize. And hope he really is the good guy he says he is.
He starts to become much more multidimensional then he seems. And I like the stark difference from Locke. He added just that much more to the already complex story line. And I liked that we dont know what side he will chose or what his intimate end game will be.

So if you really are looking for an amazing high fantasy world to get lost in. ROAR is definitely the book for you.

I give ROAR
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5 STARS⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Aurora is ready to be queen. She has everything she needs to rule and keep her kingdom going. Well....everything except true love and magic. Without any magic, she can't really protect the kingdom like her mother can. They still aren't sure why she doesn't have any magic, but Aurora can get magic another way. Another tough part about not having any magic....is having to marry someone because they do have magic. Normally, she would be able to get married when she was ready and found her true love, just as all before her have done. But since her situation is different, she must marry someone she does not know.



Unfortunately, Aurora doesn't hit the jackpot. The one she is meant to marry, doesn't really care for her. Instead he plays with her mind and emotions. He and his family just want to take the throne and rule her kingdom. Aurora wasn't sure what she should do when she found out...but she follows her betrothed to a market....everything changes. She meets a group of people who have magic. They learned it, stole it, and can control it.



That night Aurora decided on what needed to be done. She will go back the next night and join them. Run off with them on their journey and learn how to get magic of her own. With her own magic she can take over her kingdom and do it on her own. At least that is the hope.....but it won't be easy. She will need the help of her friend Nova to get out of her home and make it seem like she's been kidnapped....



Aurora arrives and convinces the group to take her with them. Train her, let her be one of them. And soon they agree...now she is being trained by Locke. She didn't really know what to expect once they set off. She at least has Honey, her horse with her. Honey means a lot to Aurora and having her there will make her feel less alone. But then she didn't expect to like Locke...even fall in love with him. Find out she can call storms, even control it and somehow have it burn underneath her skin....



As far as the story goes, I loved it. I loved the idea of stormlings, the character development, the details, pace, etc. A series I can't wait to finish!

Aurora has no magic of her own, a secret that she and her mother the Queen have kept secret from everyone. But now, Aurora has no choice but to marry a prince from a powerful family to use his power to keep the kingdom safe from the volatile storms that attack. After meeting her betrothed Cassius, she has hope that her future may work out- that is until she over hears him discuss his betrayal of her and his quest for power. Desolate, and pretty much out of options, Aurora sneaks out of the palace to the rumored illegal magic markets where she learns that nothing she thought she knew is correct.

The cover is so gorgeous, and I am a cover snob, I would have purchased a copy regardless of knowing what the book was about but the plot is so magical and fantastical, and gawd the tension between Locke and Roar was so intense I was swept up in it. I don't know why I put off reading this for so long, but it now stole my love and it won't let go.

The story is narrated from 5 points of view: Aurora aka Roar, the sheltered magicless princess who knows nothing about her people or the storms but is willing to do whatever she can to better her people; Cassius the harsh and deadly prince with pockets overfilling with ulterior motives yet maybe not as bad as Roar thought; Novaya the servant girl that use to be Aurora's closest friend and has damning secrets of her own but is brutally loyal; (dreamy) Locke who is the fierce Storm Hunter that wants to save everyone; and the mysterious Storm Lord who's ultimate goal appears to be the destruction of everything. So, yes please to all of them and their delicious secrets, lies and manipulations! What a great character dynamic and I love all the voices (at times it felt like book had a similar feeling to the Throne of Glass first book, with the court intrigue, lies, a practically unknown magical world that is being kept secret ).

Love triangle alert folks!
Why does Aurora need to pick one of the very attractive men in her life- yes, I know that I have been reading a LOT of reverse harem books recently, but I really really feel that she needs to keep all her men. I mean how can she pick one? I have no idea who I like best so how can she? We have one guy, her intended Cassius, who is an attractive barbaric charmer who Roar first was drawn to but then heard he was using her, flirting with her maid/friend and taking part in something shady. Cassius was not really given a chance I feel, and sure, he was lying, but the real question was to who (and pot/kettle issue here since Roar is a big fat liar)? Then we have option number 2- Locke, the unwilling knight in tarnished armor with a heart of gold under his grumpy very good looking exterior. He was the large, intimidating (attractive) teddy bear that opened Roar's eyes to possibilities and gave her hope for the first time in her life. (Am I wrong to hope that there might be another love interest in the future, a slightly evil, mysterious love connection??? I heart Locke hard, but it never hurts to give a girl options. Just saying.).

There were certainly some HOT encounters that reminded me that Cora's background is in romance, and woo was it steamy and intense. Yes this is a YA geared book, but the characters are 18+ and Roar was suppose to be married already- and I have read way more detailed sexual encounters in a certain other YA author's books who will not be named here but you all know who I mean. Anyway. Cora is great at building relationships and creating the tension that makes you pant and really want more (for the character, I swear!). This is the perfect fantasy transition for those who enjoy some romance in their books. I read a few reviews that said some of the book was too focused on romance, and for me, that is just not possible. I ate up the romance just as I did the amazing fantasy world and storm battle.

I am super unhappy to have to wait so long for the next book because I thought this was fantastic, but Cora's health is way more important than my lack of patience. I had the chance to meet Cora this year at Apollycon and she was fantastic, bursting with personality and making each and everyone of her fans feel important, I would read whatever she wants to write next. I really, really found this book to be fantastic- but the ending caused more questions than it answered! Relationships will most certainly be destroyed, truths will have to be revealed, and maybe the Storm Lord and Roar can meet (yes please!). To say the next book in the series is one of my most anticipated future reads is putting it mildly. Side note, any way you want to read this book is perfect- I own the ebook, audio and hardcover and kept switching the format depending on what I was doing and I was pleased as punch with the outcome.

Come see me at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

I stayed up until 6:00 a.m. to finish this book because it hooked me from the very beginning. There was no way I could put this down once I started.

I have read all of Cora's books in the past, and am a huge fan of her New Adult novels. She's an amazing storyteller and it able to build these deep, well thought out characters that you can relate to and root for, no matter the circumstance.

I'm amazed by Cora's talent with words. Roar is so beautifully written, Cora easily paints the picture of this vast, foreign land filled with deadly storms and amazing magic. She allows the reader to place themselves in Aurora's world. I can picture myself there as she first meets her fiance, when she enters into The Eye, when she meets her first storm head on. Cora has the ability to weave this gorgeous tale through twists and turns, love and loss, betrayal and deception, and it's such a wonderful story. She has such a unique way of telling showing what's going to be coming, but you don't really figure it out until it happens. Once I reread it, I found some little hints she left between those crafty words of hers.

I know Cora can write a great romance, and she doesn't not disappoint here, but she doesn't make it the main focal point of this book. And that's important. Roar is a strong, determined, tenacious young woman who takes her future into her own hands and makes it happen for herself, the romance is a nice side story that just makes it overall a great book.

If you're a fan of a bad-ass strong female lead and lots and lots of amazing world building and magic and storms and adventure and fighting and love and all the things that make books great - you'll want to read this one!

DNF!

I really wanted to like this one but I felt like it started off with a BANG, then fell flat somewhere half way in. I got bored, put it down and have no desire to pick it back up.

As a wise woman recently told me...."you can't like them all"!

But I know plenty of people that have loved this book! Maybe I am the exception, so please read it for yourself and let me know if you loved it and if I am just in a major book slump?

I've been trying to get my hands on more fantasy reads because lately, I have been loving them!

The premise of Road immediately hooked me. I'm a sucker for royalty stories. And then with the magical storms and a princess-on-the-run... this story was sure to be amazing!

The fantasy aspect was so brilliantly done. Just the entire idea of magical storms and what the history of them was--Ms. Carmack not only wrote a beautiful story but it was an original one, too!

Plus, with the love story aspect--I honestly can't wait to see what happens with Roar and her handsome storm hunter. What's he going to do when he finds out who she is?

Brilliantly done, Ms. Carmack.

Being someone who very rarely reads paranormal, a story has to really intrigue me to make me want to read it. When I heard Cora was writing a YA paranormal, I knew I would read it since she is one of my must buy authors. When I found out the premise of the story and she released a teaser, I was very much looking forward to it. I was not disappointed. Cora has created a unique and intriguing world full of twists and turns that will grip you until the very last page and leave you wanting more. Whether you're a Cora fan, a paranormal fan, a YA fan or not, you're going to want to add ROAR to your must reads!

What if storms had hearts that could be removed to end the storm? What if stealing those hearts gave you power? All royal family members are supposed to have that ability but Aurora can't seem to find hers. There's got to be a way to learn how to learn storm magic before she marries the deceptive prince from another kingdom and her secret is revealed.

A unique and exciting fantasy debut, in a land where storms have souls and only royalty can control them. Aurora should be a powerful magician, but she has never been able to protect her city from a storm. On the eve of her marriage to a powerful and conniving prince, Aurora runs away and finds herself among a group of rogue storm hunters. With them, she will discover how powerful she really is.

Rate: 3 out of 5 stars
Recommend: Maybe?
Review:

So I was highly anticipating this book, so much so that I preordered it before I was approved by Netgalley for an ebook copy, but I have to say, I'm disappointed.

Let me clarify, this book didn't necessarily do anything WRONG, it was just very predictable and there wasn't any real suspense or action. Yeah, there was some action when they ran into a storm, but it wasn't heart-pounding, anxious kind of action, it was more like "oh, okay, this is interesting."

The love interest was predictable to the point that I knew who she was going to end up with before Loche was even introduced and that love felt...forced? I mean, it didn't build into affection and then love, it started out as dislike/hate (omg, so original, right?) and then all of a sudden they were kissing and I was trying to figure out why. It was insta-love, literally, since Loche admits to being captivated by her and wanting to protect her and stuff the moment we're given the first chapter in his POV. I was rolling my eyes and bored, which was annoying.

I found Aurora/Rora/Roar annoying because she was soo...perfect? Even though she isn't technically a Stormling, she is still this breath-taking, wonderful princess who gets two guys to fall for her immediately and she's so good at her training and omg, she's also this special snowflake. I found myself sighing multiple times because I wanted something original and unexpected, not "she's perfect and things will turn out okay for her because she is perfect and look, these two guys both want her because she is so perfect." I wanted something to happen, something real and exciting and unexpected, and instead I was given predictable and boring.

The parts I found most interesting were when I was got to read Cassius and Nova's POV, because what I learned from them kept me interested and I wanted to hurry though Roar's and Locke's chapters so I could get to their's. I also really enjoyed the POV from the Stormlord, because I am trash for a good villain.

I did find the little plot twist interesting, though a bit expected and I did like that this book constantly changed POV, though I could have done with less from Roar and Locke.

While I didn't love this book, I also didn't hate it and couldn't really find anything WRONG with it, so I will be reading the sequel when it is released.