Helpful Score: 12
The characters:
Janet, Mick, Coyote, and the cop Nash Jones
The story:
Janet Begay, a half Navajo Stormwalker, can call the power of any storm and manipulate it to her liking. The Navajo and Stormwalker side of her is from her father. Her mother, an evil Goddess in a place called the Beneath, wants Janet to join with her so they can rule the Beneath AND with their combined powers, take over the world.
Janet not only has the physical struggles against the evil that has been unleashed by her mother but she also has to struggle internally with the insecurities of being only half Navajo and the daughter of an evil, power crazy Goddess.
Adding to her internal struggles, Janet does not know whom to trust. There is Mick her on again off again, super hot boyfriend who performs disappearing acts at all the wrong moments. Then there is the sarcastic, witty Coyote God, appropriately named "Coyote", the town cop named Nash Jones who seems to have a vendetta against Janet or the super hilarious Magic Mirror with a wisecracking mouth that will make you laugh non-stop.
Lost In The World:
The descriptions of the hotel, the desert, the small diner, even the railroad tracks made the setting so realistic. The author does a great job of making the reader feel like you are there.
Will I read the next book in the series?
Not only will I read it, I'll probably pre-order it. I really liked the book and especially how strong minded but vulnerable Janet was. I loved the relationship between Janet and Mick. The book had all the elements I love, it was scary and surprising, it had romance (and hot sex) and it had paranormal elements that were perfectly woven into the story line making it seem so realistic.
Janet, Mick, Coyote, and the cop Nash Jones
The story:
Janet Begay, a half Navajo Stormwalker, can call the power of any storm and manipulate it to her liking. The Navajo and Stormwalker side of her is from her father. Her mother, an evil Goddess in a place called the Beneath, wants Janet to join with her so they can rule the Beneath AND with their combined powers, take over the world.
Janet not only has the physical struggles against the evil that has been unleashed by her mother but she also has to struggle internally with the insecurities of being only half Navajo and the daughter of an evil, power crazy Goddess.
Adding to her internal struggles, Janet does not know whom to trust. There is Mick her on again off again, super hot boyfriend who performs disappearing acts at all the wrong moments. Then there is the sarcastic, witty Coyote God, appropriately named "Coyote", the town cop named Nash Jones who seems to have a vendetta against Janet or the super hilarious Magic Mirror with a wisecracking mouth that will make you laugh non-stop.
Lost In The World:
The descriptions of the hotel, the desert, the small diner, even the railroad tracks made the setting so realistic. The author does a great job of making the reader feel like you are there.
Will I read the next book in the series?
Not only will I read it, I'll probably pre-order it. I really liked the book and especially how strong minded but vulnerable Janet was. I loved the relationship between Janet and Mick. The book had all the elements I love, it was scary and surprising, it had romance (and hot sex) and it had paranormal elements that were perfectly woven into the story line making it seem so realistic.
Helpful Score: 10
Everyone has already written such lovely reviews that it's hard to come up with something original to say. I will start by admitting that I'm not a fan of Allyson James' other works. I picked up Stormwalker based on the fabulous reviews on PaperbackSwap and belatedly realized that the author was responsible for one of my least favorite paranormal romances ever! Dragon Heat was so bad I never finished it and returned it asap to the Borders from which I purchased it, profusely apologizing to the staff that I simply never return books but had to get this one out of my sight. With that bad experience in mind I reluctantly made a bet with myself that I would give Stormwalker a few chapters to convince me not to take it back. I expected some very bad writing but was very much pleasantly surprised!
I don't know if Dragon Heat was a fluke or if the author's writing has evolved into something that I like or what, but the other reviewers are right in saying that the plot of Stormwalker is very engaging and readable, the characters diverse and intriguing, and the world different enough to stand out from other paranormal books saturating the market. I will definitely pick up the sequel, Firewalker, in November. The story has plenty of romance and some sex, but it could easily be marketed as a straight fantasy. The character dynamics make you more intrigued with their byplay and less with who ends up with whom.
Meanwhile I'm going to have to see about possibly giving the author's Dragon Series another chance . . .
I don't know if Dragon Heat was a fluke or if the author's writing has evolved into something that I like or what, but the other reviewers are right in saying that the plot of Stormwalker is very engaging and readable, the characters diverse and intriguing, and the world different enough to stand out from other paranormal books saturating the market. I will definitely pick up the sequel, Firewalker, in November. The story has plenty of romance and some sex, but it could easily be marketed as a straight fantasy. The character dynamics make you more intrigued with their byplay and less with who ends up with whom.
Meanwhile I'm going to have to see about possibly giving the author's Dragon Series another chance . . .
Helpful Score: 4
Great read-action paranormal. It's a Coyote story, of course I loved it! But beyond that, it's beautifully written. The plot is page turning and the setting is warmly evocative of the Southwest areas near the Navajo Reservation. The characters are rich and sometimes quirky. You've got to love the magic mirror with lust on it's mind, Sheriff Nash who is so rigidly determined to remain an unbeliever, and of course there's Coyote...
The heroine has issues that make 'Mommy, Dearest' look like the Waltons. Her mother is an evil Goddess from Beneath [don't worry if you don't know anything about the myths, legends, and religious beliefs of the Southwest - the author does a fantastic job of providing the information without sounding like you're reading from the Cliff Notes] who wants out into our world. To accomplish this, she takes over young women who move too close to the vortexes and send them out to find a sperm donor for the purpose of creating a child she will then control. So far only one child has been successfully born [that we are aware of] - our heroine, Janet, who has no intention of being controlled.
The hero is Mick who has many secrets, secrets that upset the heroine's world when she finally learns them...
The are several subplots in addition to Janet vs the Goddess - Janet is looking for a missing girl, a dead body shows up in her basement, and she's renovating the shell of an old hotel to open as a business. I really enjoyed it and have the sequel on pre-order.
FYI 'A Little Night Magic' concerns Jamison Kee and Coyote - good story though it's not important to read it first.
Stormwalker
A Little Night Magic (2009) (in Hot for the Holidays)
1. Stormwalker (2010)
2. Firewalker (2010)
The heroine has issues that make 'Mommy, Dearest' look like the Waltons. Her mother is an evil Goddess from Beneath [don't worry if you don't know anything about the myths, legends, and religious beliefs of the Southwest - the author does a fantastic job of providing the information without sounding like you're reading from the Cliff Notes] who wants out into our world. To accomplish this, she takes over young women who move too close to the vortexes and send them out to find a sperm donor for the purpose of creating a child she will then control. So far only one child has been successfully born [that we are aware of] - our heroine, Janet, who has no intention of being controlled.
The hero is Mick who has many secrets, secrets that upset the heroine's world when she finally learns them...
The are several subplots in addition to Janet vs the Goddess - Janet is looking for a missing girl, a dead body shows up in her basement, and she's renovating the shell of an old hotel to open as a business. I really enjoyed it and have the sequel on pre-order.
FYI 'A Little Night Magic' concerns Jamison Kee and Coyote - good story though it's not important to read it first.
Stormwalker
A Little Night Magic (2009) (in Hot for the Holidays)
1. Stormwalker (2010)
2. Firewalker (2010)
Helpful Score: 4
Stormwalker has been 1 of my Top 10 of 2010!!! i loved this very cool, very new way of Urban Fantasy!!! Janet a stormwalker, is kick ass, high energy, tryin 2 do the "right" thing. Her bf Mick is some 'unknown' kind of kick asser. and the cop Nash is pretty funny too. Coyote is a trip, but def. needed in the story. They all come 2gether 2 defeat her crazy Mom, in the ground basically. A whole nother world that wants Janet and her powers in a Bad way!! The closer Janet gets 2 her mom and the portals, the more she endures the evil lurking and things that go bump in the night. Watching Janet & Mick evolve was great. They have great bedroom stuff!!! very very envious. & Nash being part of the 'nonbeliever' becomes a believer, and not too happy bout it. Loved loved loved this book!!! Cannot wait til Firewalker comes out, which is about Mick n his big dark secrets. YAY! U will not be disappointed by this crazy world, that's right under our noses!! 5 *s
Helpful Score: 1
I have read her other series the immortals which she uses her name Jennifer Ashley. have always been a fan of hers,. I came upon this pseudnym name Allyson James, in an anthology, as where i found the prequel to her Stormwalker series. Have read her Firewalker (#2 in series), and have rated both as 5 stars. Like the way she weaves all the characters together, and u have a variety of the different beings. Plus she weaves a good story line..closing all the gaps, and narrator of a good urban fantasy of which is one of my most popular genres.
