Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand

Tempest Rising Tempest Rising
by Nicole Peeler
Orbit

Supplied for review by Hachette New Zealand

Reviewed By: Tosca Waerea

Jane True feels that she lives an unexceptional life…but all evidence would point to the contrary. Born to a mother who disappeared as suddenly as she appeared (wandering the town naked after a fierce storm), Jane spends most of her time taking care of her father and, due thanks to a tragedy when she was younger, avoiding the local townspeople. By day she works as a clerk at the Read It and Weep bookstore and the only time she feels truly alive is when she goes skinny dipping in the ocean. One night while swimming, Jane pulls a body from the ocean, thereby setting in motion a chain of strange and unusual events that lead to discovering the truth about her mother and her identity while meeting a whole host of paranormal creatures far and above anything she could ever imagine.

The cover art for this book is fantastic and, in the way of people who are all about the pretty everywhere, this is what first caught my attention. Jane True, as a character, is smart mouthed, insecure, maybe slightly neurotic and very, very funny. Or at least, what she doesn’t say out loud is hilariously funny (if shallow at times). If I have one niggle about the book it’s only that it felt like there were too many characters to keep track of. Just as you’d get used to a few added players more came out of the woodwork. Interestingly it does pay off in the end. Overall, a rollicking read that is chocker block full of ribald, quirky humour and an interesting cast of supernatural characters – even the requisite vampire isn’t quite what you’d expect (tall, fanged and brooding). Readers of Mary Janice Davidson will enjoy Peeler’s style.

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