Firewalker (Stormwalker #2) by Allyson James
Urban Fantasy
November 2, 2010
Paperback, 352 Pages
Berkley
Reviewed by Tori
Favorite Quote: "So educate me. There are Stormwalkers like you; Nightwalkers, which are like vampires; and then Skinwalkers, those creatures I fought out in the vortexes. What are werewolves-dogwalkers?"
This contains some mild spoilers from book one-Stormwalkers.
In the conclusion of Stormwalker we learn that Janet is the result of a shaman and his demon/goddess lover. Janet now commands two incredible powers; her elemental power and the beneath ground magic she inherited from her mother. Combined together, Janet is a force to be reckoned with, and the supernatural world has their eyes on her.
Mick, her black hair blue eyed dragon lover, is a Firewalker. He was originally contracted to kill Janet before her powers matured. But instead he fell in love with her and has designated himself her protector. When Mick suddenly goes missing, Janet and the ever unwilling Nash races to his rescue only to find it was a test set up by the dragons to test her and Mick. Mick has been commanded to appear before the dragon tribunal to plead for his life.
Janet has made her life in Megallan and her hotel, Crossroads, has become a haven for all sorts of supernatural creatures. When a brutally savaged body is found out in the desert Sheriff Nash sets his sights once again on Janet; and to her surprise, Coyote, her spirit guide. As Janet races to help Mick, defeat the dragon council, solve a murder, and gain control over her magic she realizes that she may not be humanity’s savior…she may be our destroyer.
Firewalker starts off with a BANG and continues on in the same fashion till the end. The protagonists, Janet & Mick, are both strong & passionate with an innate sense of justice.
Janet is a strong fiercely loyal heroine who is trying her best to deal with her magic and her personal life. Set upon by all sides, Janet is treated more like a pariah due to her powers and grows weary of all the threats on her life.
Mick, or McYum as I call him, is much more then what he seems. Untamed, protective, and oh so sexy, Mick loves Janet but still views her with a prejudiced eye when it comes to her powers. His obligation to the dragons, if she should fall under the spell of her beneath magic, weighs heavily on his heart.
This is a fast paced read filled with suspense, romance, magic and well blended humor. Janet and Mick ‘s chemistry still flares strong and hot in this installment but we do not see as much bed play here. They have some serious issues to work out and Ms. James takes the time to flesh out the emotional aspects of their love and the problems Janet has with Mick’s secrets. Even though Janet still collapses under the weight of authority figures and it is still annoying, her character does some maturing and I cheered as she finally takes a much needed stand.
The supporting characters are deep, intense, and personable enough for each to have their own books within the series. We see more of Nash, Maya, and of course Janet’s flamboyant bi sexual magic mirror who’s help is often accompanied by sexual innuendos.Coyote continues to taunt Janet with his riddles and threats all the while trying to coax her & Mick into his bed. The conflict between Nash and Janet burns bright as Nash is still antagonistic over any magic but circumstances will once again ally them to fight side by side for those they love and elevates their convoluted relationship.
The two main story lines build independently of each other to suspenseful levels within the main arc and blend together perfectly towards the end for a climatic finish that was off the charts in tension and suspense. I enjoy the continuing arc that builds around her magic and the conflicts that are a result. The secondary storyline, though interesting, was a bit weak in plot and reason. It doesn’t flesh out as well. Only towards the end when the storylines merged did it click for me. I found Firewalker to be as exciting and gripping as Stormwalker and look forward to my next journey into this series with Shadow Walker.
Rating: B+
Recent Reviews:
All Things Urban Fantasy – 3/5
Goodreads
This series includes (Read in order recommended)
Stormwalker
Firewalker
Shadow Walker – June 2011
As 2010 is nearing its end I'm already making up the balance what I had to buy in 2010 to read and failed at. This is one of the series but I'm glad the second book is just as good as the first Tori :)
Leontine-:( Sorry this one wasn't a hit for you.
This sounds like an interesting series. *writes it on my 'to check out' list* Nice review Tori!
McYum. Yes, after having read the first book, I have to agree on that point. I'm reading this one now so I skimmed but we both agreed on the first book so I'm sure I'm going to love this one too.
I read and reviewed this for The Book Binge and I think I liked it better than you did. I thought the two books together were splendid–which is unusual since I rarely like narratives in the first person–too confining as to viewpoint. James did a splendid job of bringing in all the character voices in both books, IMHO.
I haven't read this series yet, but the bisexual mirror is a character I must meet ;)
Haven't picked up this series but I like how it sounds. I'm all about supporting characters and I like that a bisexual mirror is one of them. Great review.
Stephanie G
Paranormal Haven
Fabulous review as always Tori, I have this series on my TBR list. I love that Janet does some maturing, that's always nice to know going in, I like when we get to see growth and progress. And McYum sounds quite enjoyable, I look forward to reading all about him:)
I want to go back and see your review for the first book. I've wanted to start this series all year! Since you liked them both, based on this review, maybe I'll start before January :D
Thanks for the review!
Julie-Thank you. It brings together a lot of different but interesting aspects concerning the paranormal.
FV-NOM NOM to McYum. ;)
Dr J-I enjoy this series. Ms. James has a wonderful voice.
Mandi- The mirror is hilarious.
PH-Try it. You'll like it. :)
Jenny-Thank you. Character grow is a maker or breaker for me in a book.
Pam-I think you would srsly like.
I had forgotten what the rating meant..already, yikes. Luckily you have it on the side.
Recommended with a smile, cool
Wow, this series sounds really different and good! Great review Tori!
Blodeuedd-LOL I'm still learningit myself. TG for sidebar chart.
Amy865-Thank you. I likeys.
I'm skipping the review for now (I'll be back) b/c I won a copy of the ARC from Ms. James. I STILL have to read Stormwalker (on my kindle), so my plan is to read both later this month. Can't wait!! Thanks!
My cousin recommended this blog and she was totally right keep up the fantastic work!
Anonymous-YEA!! Always glad to make a new friend.