Storm Breaker
WELCOME TO AMERY ACADEMY.
SURVIVE THE TRIALS.
HIDE YOUR POWER.
DON’T FALL FOR THE ENEMY.
For nineteen-year-old Poet Graves, obedience has always been survival.
Raised among the ruling elite of New Manhattan and trapped in an arranged future she never chose, Poet arrives at Amery Academy knowing exactly what’s expected of her: stay quiet, stay loyal, and never let anyone discover the dangerous secret hiding beneath her skin.
Because the storms ravaging the wasteland beyond the city walls don’t fear Poet.
They obey her.
Then she meets Rook—a mysterious outsider from the enemy faction her people were raised to hate.
He’s dangerous.
Forbidden.
And the first person who makes Poet want something more than survival.
But Amery’s brutal trials are designed to expose weakness, and someone is hunting the truth about Poet’s power. If she loses control, she could destroy everything—including herself.
Storm Caller
THE HEART-POUNDING SEQUEL TO THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Poet Graves has only ever wanted to be free. But no matter where she turns, she’s held captive—by a power she doesn’t understand, a truth she no longer believes in, and a love she can’t deny.
As Poet is drawn further into Rook’s world, his secrets force her to question who she can trust. But when friends turn into enemies, enemies prove to be allies, and the place that was once a safe harbor is revealed as the eye of the storm, Poet’s only choice is to fight for what she believes in.
When New Manhattan’s darkest secrets refuse to stay hidden, the cause Poet and Rook fight for will be called into question. The answers are out there…and they could destroy everything.
Don’t miss the thrilling continuation to a thrilling upper YA romantasy by Nisha J. Tuli, where Divergent meets The Cruel Prince n a glittering, storm-wrecked Manhattan where the elite rule through legacy―and one forbidden romance could tear it all apart.
My Review
Literally the opening pages of this book had me hooked. The first line is so classically crazy that I couldn’t resist. Poet is quite the character, and we’re immediately introduced to the fancy and not-so-fancy sectors of society, including her betrothed, Knox. It’s pretty clear that this arrangement wasn’t her choice, and I’m sure there’s a much bigger story behind it.
Then we’re thrown into an academy in a dystopian city, and Poet is about to be tested in more ways than one. If you love storms, this book definitely doesn’t disappoint. Poet and Trinity are best friends and now roommates, embarking on this journey together while Poet is hiding a huge secret. Then there’s the mysterious new guy at school, Rook, while Knox is the self-entitled arranged-marriage guy who thinks he’s better than everyone else.
This story starts with a bang and does a great job laying out the world, the divisions in society, the rankings, and the different houses people can choose from. There’s an initiation that must be passed to earn your place, and that trial was no joke.
If you loved the intense, edge-of-your-seat action of Fourth Wing, I think you’ll enjoy the energy of this story. There are trials, secrets, special abilities, an academy setting, forbidden romance, and plenty of danger waiting around every corner.
Rook, who comes from the wastelands, adds so much mystery to the story. He’s mysterious, hot, and completely different from the people Poet has grown up around. Knox, on the other hand, is exactly the kind of arrogant bully you want to dislike. I loved the contrast between Rook’s world in the wastelands and Poet’s civilized society. Every new discovery makes his home and his history more interesting.
I also really enjoyed the different structures of their society, with multiple houses specializing in different areas and working to provide for the people. Poet originally comes from House Fiama but is now pledging to Alara, and the competition between the houses adds another layer of tension to the story. I probably spelled the houses wrong but I’m listening not reading so I tried.
Poet is constantly caught between an evil father, an arranged marriage she never wanted, and figuring out what she actually wants for herself. I loved watching her finally start making choices for herself instead of simply doing what the men in her life expect of her. She has resilience, but she’s also soft and damaged, and her struggles with trust make her feel more complicated than the typical strong heroine.
And then there’s Rook. 😍
Things get steamy between him and Poet, and I absolutely loved their dynamic. The forced proximity, the tension, the forbidden romance, and the way Rook’s protective and caring nature comes through had me completely hooked. He is 100% book-boyfriend material. Their relationship goes from enemies to something much more complicated, and eventually they become almost star-crossed lovers.
There are so many tropes I love packed into this story: academy, trials, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, forbidden romance, secrets, special abilities, morally gray outcast, protective MMC, and star-crossed lovers. The challenges and secrets kept me on edge, and I constantly wanted to know when Poet’s secret would finally be exposed.
I also loved the rags-to-riches contrast between Rook and Poet. Their completely different backgrounds have shaped who they are, and watching those worlds collide was one of my favorite parts of the story.
This is a long audiobook, but honestly, it was so good. I was completely invested in the journey, the characters, the romance, and all the twists. The ending is packed with truth and lies, danger, love, choices, and consequences, and by the time I reached the end, I was completely hooked.
Poet may be a heroine, but she’s not invincible. She’s vulnerable, she’s damaged, she struggles to trust, and she makes mistakes. Rook, meanwhile, is absolutely kindle-melting. 🔥
The journey, the ending, the overall storyline… I’m completely hooked and immediately jumping into book two.
I love the catch-up at the beginning of this book in case it’s been a while since you read the previous one! There are so many revelations about this dystopian world and the Wastes, which aren’t what Poet thought they were. And Rook? He is so much more than he seems in this world of secrets.
I love how Poet’s ideas about what lies beyond the walls don’t match reality. She’s discovering not only what the Wastes are really like but also the Terra society, which is much more put together than she expected. Their Keepers, Whispers, and Storm Callers are treated so differently from those in New Manhattan, and there’s so much more to uncover.
Rook has a whole hidden identity, and in this story, we discover that he isn’t everything we thought he was. Now Poet has to grapple with trust, unfamiliar surroundings, and all the secrets he’s been keeping.
New revelations, unexpected connections, and truths I never saw coming kept me hooked as we moved from the Wastes back into society. Poor Poet is so confused and scared for both herself and Rook. The intensity in this book is REAL!
Between nail-biting trials, Poet’s dangerous new assignment, and some mildly steamy moments between Rook and Poet, there was plenty to keep me on the edge of my seat. There were moments that had me gasping, smiling, and practically biting my nails!
Things get even more twisted as Poet discovers that so much of what she believed was true has actually been a lie—a carefully constructed trick by society to fool its citizens. Rook and Poet now know the truth, along with many others in the resistance known as the Fog.
After everything they’ve been through, the story ends on a melancholy note. Suddenly, the savior is the villain, and Poet has some difficult choices to make that could change her entire outlook and future. I love how much she cares about her friends and their families, including Rook, and how she’s willing to form friendships with people others might overlook.
This story shifts from dystopian fantasy into something closer to science fiction, with some seriously creepy science thrown into the mix. Ugh, that cliffhanger ending is A LOT!
I love this dystopian series, but after everything that happened in this book, I’m not sure I’m ready to continue just yet. I’m still deciding if I need a little break before diving into the next installment!
If you would like to read The Storm Breaker Doulogy by Nisha J Tuli, you can find this book on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn on qualifying purchases.
If you like this book you may also enjoy books with these tags and categories: Dystopian, Academy, and Elemental.
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