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In a world where magical storms are rampant, it’s up to the Stormling royalty to protect their kingdoms and their ungifted subjects from the danger of the wildlands and the deadly storms. As the sole surviving heir of the kingdom of Pavan, Aurora has been groomed to be the perfect queen. There’s just one problem: She shows no trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people and fight the storms.
An arranged marriage to a Stormling prince from another kingdom might be the only way for Aurora to keep her secret and her crown. But when dark secrets about the prince and his family surface, Aurora realizes marrying him isn’t the perfect solution her mother seems to think it is.
When Aurora disguises herself and sneaks out of the palace to follow the prince one night, she stumbles across a black market dealing in storm magic. Stranger still, the people selling magic are not Stormlings. When she discovers a storm hunter who says he wasn’t born with magic, Aurora realizes there may be another option for saving her kingdom and herself. Legend says her ancestors first gained their magic by facing a storm and stealing its heart. If Aurora can be brave and strong enough to face a storm, she might be able to steal magic.
Roar is a romance-heavy fantasy that is equal parts cliche and surprising. Roar is a girl insecure about her place in her world, and this lends a certain realism to the story, but this appears to be her only flaw. She’s described as perfect and beautiful otherwise — at least by the two guys who want her.
I’ve seen a lot of arguments in reviews for this book over whether the romance was harmful or well done. In my opinion, it borders on both. While not appearing to feature a love triangle, the opportunity is there, showing one male character with strong possessiveness over Aurora as if she were something to conquer, while the other character shows a strong protectiveness. While this protectiveness does not keep him from controlling Aurora or letting her be her own person, I found he tended to say one thing while his actions at times showed something different. He appeared to respect her, and seemed to genuinely feel it, while also being a little too hands-on when I did not feel the story called for it. However, people are flawed. Both Aurora and her love interest make mistakes, but all relationships are not without their issues. This gave the characters more of a three-dimensional feel, despite some cheesy moments in the romance.
This leads me to the world building. It’s clear Cora Carmack is a romance author, but while most romance writers who venture into fantasy seem to neglect world building, she does a terrific job. The legends and myths surrounding the storms, as well as the fight for storm magic, turned this from a typical young adult fantasy book into something new and unexpected.
In short, Roar is a story that might intrigue some readers while annoying others with its touchy-feely romance, but overall it’s a unique world with fascinating magic and evocative writing.
Rated: Moderate. Sexual innuendos are made through a couple of jokes among the storm hunter crew. One scene features soldiers wanting to rape a character, but they don’t get farther than insinuating their intent. Mention is made of the many things that could be found at an illegal market, including prostitution. While there isn’t insta-love between characters, there is instant attraction and quite a bit of physical appreciation between characters. The evocative writing also makes the romance feel more detailed, including several makeout scenes (often with tongue). One such scene feels especially intimate, despite the characters remaining clothed, with descriptions of exploring hands. Afterwards, a character mentions it being their first in everything (kissing, falling in love, etc.) with someone, though the characters wait to take their relationship further until the right moment. A girl contemplates intimacy. A girl’s torn shirt exposes the area above her heart including her breasts. Violence is surprisingly tame — with most of the danger being man-vs.-nature-inspired. A spirit witch diviner is approached for advice, which might make some readers uncomfortable. In the way of language, there are around 10 uses of mild language and a handful of uses of the name of Deity.
