This is the third in the series. Teagan Frost is a wise cracking, foul mouthed protagonist. Her telekinetic ability has placed her in a precarious position: work for this clandestine government agency or else (aka be the governments next experimental specimen). Teagan and the China Shop crew have evolved over the past 3 books. There has been a lot of loss and unexpected moments. I am enjoying Teagan's snark and her ability to evolve.

This book took a while to get where it was going narratively speaking but the threads eventually meet up to weave the beginning of a very nice and interesting story for the next series installment. Good 'omg' moments and a fantastic ending.

Book three! Of The Frost Files! I’ve been dying to read this one since the moment I set down book two. This series quickly became one of my favorites, so I was super freaking excited to get an eARC of this book. I showed mucho restraint in not immediately tearing through it, okay? I deserve praise for that. Instead, like a good blogger, I waited until it was actual around the release date so I could excitedly jabber about this book with you all. What a sacrifice, right? You’re welcome.

Eye of the Sh*t Storm is an absolute roller coaster ride that immediately grabs a reader and refuses to let go. With the same sarcastic narrator, and some fun new superpowers, the third book of the Frost Files takes an introspective look at humanity and friendship and all the messy things that go with both.

For some reason, I had thought this series was a trilogy, and that made me sad? Maybe it’s because I’m so used to trilogies in fantasy right about now. Thankfully, that’s not the case, and a fourth book, at least, has already been confirmed, and I couldn’t be more excited about it! I mean, it’s obvious by the time you reach the end of this book that there will be at least one other, and thank goodness for that. I am so not ready to leave this world and these characters. If you’ve read the first two books of this series, book three ratchets the action factor up to 11 and then adds all these icky, nasty feels that will hit you in a completely different way than the feels from the second book did!

My Thoughts

- Eye of the Sh*t Storm opens with a bang (sort of literally) and the action never lets up. I couldn’t put it down! The book opens with a car chase scene involving drugs and guns … and obviously everything goes sideways, because when China Shop is involved, nothing can be easy. That’s just a given. This isn’t a “can’t come up for air” sort of action. There are plenty of snippets of downtime to catch your breath, but not enough to take off the pressure. After all, everything is sort of culminating in this book, and you should feel Teagan’s desperation and everything China Shop is going through. Ford does this exceptionally well with his pacing, where the pressure is never quite relieved and there’s always an underlying sense of urgency. Urban fantasy is often characterized by a lot of action, but if you want something that’ll hold your attention and force you to keep turning pages to find out what’s next, this book delivers on that and then some.

- Teagan Frost is back with a vengeance, and she’s the sarcastic narrator/reluctant hero we’ve all been waiting for. If you’ve read the previous two books, you’re likely already well familiar with Teagan. And if you haven’t … what are you doing here? You could be reading them! Go! Off with you! You won’t regret it! Teagan’s trademark sarcasm and witty narration is back for another run, and the minute I opened the book, I realized how much I had missed it. I’m not going to say Teagan is a great example of humanity, because she’s probably not, but you know what? She’s a freaking real example of humanity, with hopes and dreams and flaws and stupid adulting things that she’d rather not do but has to because that’s what adults do, even though adulting is waaaay overrated. I’ve always loved how relatable and realistic Teagan is, and this book was no exception to that. Teagan has been through a lot in the previous books, and you know what? This book isn’t exactly smooth sailing for her, either. She’s forced to question a lot about who she is, what she wants, and the people around her. She’s struggling with memories of her childhood—which wasn’t all terrible, now that she thinks about it—and where exactly she belongs in the world. In other words, our little Teagan is growing up! I’m really curious about where this will take Teagan in future books.

- In fact, the whole gang is back, but their dynamic is shifting, now more than ever, especially following the events in book three. It isn’t just Teagan questioning what she’s doing and where she wants to be. In fact, that’s pretty much the theme of this entire book. The team has been in situation after situation, each one seemingly more harrowing than the last, and it’s worn on pretty much everyone’s nerves. Not to mention that half of them didn’t actually choose this job. A lot of soul-searching takes place in this book. Since I’ve grown to love the characters, it’s hard watching them go through it.

- In between the action, this book is stuffed full with a deeper narrative about the nature of humanity, especially following natural disasters, about coming together and falling apart, and all the dark, squishy feels that make humans … well, human. In case you’ve forgotten, in book two, things kind of went … sideways. Sometimes literally. I appreciated the fact that it wasn’t the case that bad things happened in book two and then people just … forgot about it in book three? That sometimes happens in books, where the plot just rushes on. Instead, Ford moves the plot along just fine, but also acknowledges how things have changed, and those changes act to further shape the plot. Because big changes have happened to Teagan Frost’s LA, and the characters aren’t always sure how to grapple with them. The whole city has settled into a haze of unsurety about what the future holds and how to even get there. Being able to see that aftermath and growth is just *chef’s kiss*. As someone who has lived through several natural disasters (none as big as what happened in book two, of course, but still), it’s so refreshing to see the process portrayed with such honesty and rawness. I’m all the more eager to find out what book four has in store because of it!

#EyeoftheSh*tStorm
Okay let's be real for a minute, how awesome are Jackson Ford's Titles! I love this series and yes I do wait to see the next title every time. I cannot help, but act like a middle schooler laughing at them. The books are great and the writing is edge of your seat fun!. Please, please pick up one of these titles!

I say this with the most positive intent: Jackson Ford’s writing is like the best MadLib ever created. Just when you think things can’t get any crazier, he drops another projectile into the mix (many times literally 💣)… taking the basics of a superhero crew and turning it squarely on its head.

Teagan is back with more skills but lots of trouble. LA is a smoldering pile after the action in Random Sh*t Flying Through the Air. The new book begins in typical fashion: Drugs, Guns, and Bikers. A high speed chase down a culvert… a bridge destroyed and drug-enhanced telekinetic powers. And that’s just the first scene.

To find out more about this series, please read my review for the first book: The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind by Jackson Ford

Also, here are two of the best reviewers of SFF with their thoughts on Eye of the Sh*t Storm:

Drew @ The Tattooed Book Geek

Tammy @ Books Bones Buffy

Note: I have not read the second book, and that did not affect my reading of Eye of the Sh*t Storm. Ford filled in enough about the massive earthquakes in book 2 and the reason behind it.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit Books, and the author for an advanced copy for review.

Are you ready for a third round of Teagan? This one starts with a bang - Teagan pisses off a biker gang by stealing their meth -- and then accidentally inhales some of it when China Shop's van crashes. And you KNOW this is going to have an impact on Teagan's psychokinesis.

Maybe I should back up. For those of you unfamiliar with this series, I wholeheartedly recommend going back and reading the first two books - The Girl who Could Move Sh*t with her Mind and Random Sh*t Flying through the Air. The series follows Teagan Frost, who has psychokinesis - she can move sh*t with her mind. She works with a group called the China Shop Movers - a government undercover group who uses Teagan's powers on top-secret missions. Teagan can be a bit of a smart ass at times, and "difficult to work with" doesn't really begin to cover it.

This time, Teagan has to decide how to handle yet another young child with superpowers - the ability to create and control lightning. Is she going to turn him over to her government handler? Is she going to delve deeper into where these children are coming from? The one thing I can tell you is you're in for another wild and wacky ride with the China Shop crew.

I absolutely love this series and can't wait for book 4 - yes, that's right, there's more sh*t to come!

The nitty-gritty: More over-the-top, batshit crazy fun from Jackson Ford, and I loved every second of it!

I knew I could count on Jackson Ford for a really good time, and I’m happy to say the third installment in his Frost Files series delivered on every level. Wow was this a blast! Now, according to the author, you can easily jump into this series in any order you want to, which I sort of agree with, because each book has a self contained story. However, in my opinion it’s better to start from the beginning because the characters have been through so much together at this point, that some of the nuances of their relationships will be lost on new readers. (Apologies to Paul, because I assured him he didn’t need to read book two in order to enjoy this. But after finishing it, I’m changing my mind.) There might be minor spoilers in this review, but I’m going to keep them to a minimum.

The story picks up a mere two months after the conclusion of Random Sh*t Flying Through the Air, when a young boy with the ability to control the earth caused several devastating earthquakes in California, turning the state to rubble and throwing everyone and everything into chaos. Teagan and her friends from the China Shop, a secret, government-run agency that operates under the radar, are still recovering from a terrible loss, not to mention the fact that Los Angeles has become a post apocalyptic wasteland and many people are homeless and out of work. Some enterprising factions have taken advantage of this fact by squatting in abandoned buildings and running illegal operations right under the noses of the police. 

When the story begins, Teagan, Annie and Africa have been sent to one such place to do some undercover recon. A biker gang called the Legends is purportedly selling illegal guns, and Moira Tanner, who runs China Shop, wants the three to pretend to do business with them and scope the place out for a future raid. Not surprisingly, their operation does not go well, but there’s no time to dwell on that when Moira gives them a new mission: something strange is going on at a self-storage facility in Glendale. The entire building has been electrified, which doesn’t make sense because electricity cannot travel through concrete or wood. Something fishy is going on, and Teagan suspects that another person with abilities similar to hers is responsible. When she discovers a young boy named Leo inside the building, Teagan makes a choice that could threaten the entire operation.

That’s about all the plot I’m willing to give you, but let’s just say as soon as Teagan and her friends arrive at the storage facility to investigate, shit happens quickly and doesn’t stop until the end. The entire story takes place during one very long day and night, and I can vouch for the fact that it was hard to put the book down once I started. If you’re new to the series, I’ll give you a quick rundown about Teagan. Teagan has an ability called PK (psychokinesis) and can move inorganic objects with her mind. Thanks to her scientist parents, she and her brother and sister were all experimented on and given different abilities (think X-Men). Teagan made a deal with Moira Tanner that she would go to work for her undercover operation, in exchange for protection from a government facility that wants to get their hands on her and use her for their own nefarious purposes. 

In this book, Teagan makes the decision to go rogue at one point and not follow directions, and this act fractures the entire team. I actually loved this development because it added quite a bit of tension to the group dynamic and allowed for some very emotional moments between the characters. Jackson really does a great job of balancing the action and the character development, and as much as I loved the fast-paced craziness of the plot, it was nice to see that the characters are all just regular people, trying to find connections and do the right thing. Annie is mad as hell at Teagan and grieving over Paul (from the last book), and their very uncomfortable relationship was one of my favorites. Reggie—the tech brains of the operation, an ex-military pilot who lost the use of her legs in Bosnia and is now confined to a wheelchair—is grappling over her loyalty to Moira (who saved her in Bosnia) and her desire to get the hell out of China Shop and follow her heart’s desire to become an actor. And then you have Teagan’s complicated relationship with ex boyfriend Nic, a Black man who is frustrated with Teagan’s unintentionally racist attitudes but who loves her deep down. In fact, Teagan has a complex relationship with just about everyone she knows—yes, she’s a bit hard to like. But that’s one reason I love her so much, she’s really trying to do the right thing, but she’s too young to understand that her approach is all wrong.

But let’s get to the action, shall we? I have to say, the first four chapters of Eye of the Sh*t Storm are probably the best opening chapters I’ve ever read. I think I held my breath the whole time, these scenes were off the charts ridiculous, but the most fun I’ve had in a long time. I don’t want to spoil your fun, but let’s just say there’s a hysterically funny (but also nail-biting) scene involving a stolen bag of meth and a chase sequence that takes place in the L.A. River. And that’s only the beginning. Ford takes his characters on a dangerous, exhausting journey through a devastated Los Angeles, from the famous concrete L.A. River to Dodger Stadium to Downtown LA, with stops at homeless camps and abandoned buildings along the way, not to mention a bite to eat at Howlin’ Ray’s Hot Chicken. Biker gangs with guns (and plenty of tattoos), evil mad scientists, a scary crazy person called the Zig Zag Man and more are just a few of the obstacles Teagan and her friends must face.

Jackson throws a bit of social commentary into his story to balance things out, like the plight of the homeless in L.A., racism, drug addiction and the great economic divide between the rich and the poor, but it’s all mixed into the plot in such a way as to not be preachy. We also learn more about Teagan’s past and the “School”—the secret government facility that might be responsible for the children with abilities who are wreaking havoc on the city. Jackson drops a bomb at the end—one I should have seen coming but I didn’t!—that clearly suggests that this series isn’t over by a long shot. The book ends on a cliffhanger, and I’m sad that I have to wait for the next book, although now I have time to guess the title of book #4: When the Sh*t Hits the Fan, perhaps? In any case, I can’t wait to see what bonkers scenario Ford comes up with next. I’m betting it’s going to be a good one.

Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.

My review of The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind

My review of Random Sh*t Flying Through the Air