This wasn't really something that I usually would enjoy, I'm sure some people would like it but it just wasn't for me

This novel was hard to get into and that made it seem to take forever to finish. The characters were fantastic though

My review will post on April 19th & the link won't work until then.


I wasn’t expecting The Black Tempest. Admittedly, I should have been A Year of Lightning snuck up on me too, yet I was still shocked when I was drawn into a story I couldn’t put down.

The action in The Black Tempest is non-stop. So much so that before I was even 40% in I ordered print editions of both books in the Time Shift Trilogy for my son. (The middle child doesn’t love eBooks ;( what’s wrong with that kid?) Between the action, that was sometimes too fast for my old brain, the solid friendships, and the age-old fight of good and evil this book is sure to please!

While A Year of Lightning was firmly in the middle-grade category, The Black Tempest is a solid YA read. The romantic relationships have moved to the next level, there is some searing smooching, and there’s some alcohol use by one of the teens that’s not necessarily appropriate for younger readers. Most in high-school will have seen/experienced more but for the MG, probably not. (Yes, I know I live in my own little bubble of conservativism.)

While you don’t need to read A Year of Lightning to enjoy The Black Tempest, you won’t want to miss the first book in this enthralling series! I actually can’t wait for the finale. Except, there are some events that are alluded to and I’m already dreading the heartbreak for this family that’s already overcome so much.

All in all, I recommend The Black Tempest to all, but especially to high-school boys and reluctant readers. Remember, I even BOUGHT copies with my own money AFTER reading it!

wasn't really my thing but was ok. it had a good premise, i just found it to move a bit slow.