Dark Tempest

Red Winter Series, Book 2

By: Annette Marie

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

In the mesmerizing sequel to Red Winter, Emi can no longer hide within the safety of the shrines. The goddess has charged her with a new task, one that will take her deep into the perilous realm of yokai. Shiro is her guide and protector, yet his confusing, captivating allure is a danger of its own. With the fate of the world in her mortal hands, she cannot falter, but is she strong enough to sacrifice everything - including him?

©2017 Annette Marie (P)2017 Tantor

Great story

In the second book the action really starts and the mythology starts making more sense. I love this series.

Good story.

Picked up Red Winternasna deal of the day book. I could not stop listening. Great story and awesome narrator.

Love!!!

What did you love best about Dark Tempest?

This trilogy is fantastic, unexpectedly. I didn't go in with high hopes.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I love Shiro! Cunning and witty, totally captivating.

Which character – as performed by Emily Woo Zeller – was your favorite?

I think she did wonderful portraying Emi.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes, all throughout the story, but I don't want to include any spoilers.

Any additional comments?

Highly recommend! The audiobooks makes the story even better!!

UGH!!!

this series is TOOOOOOO GOOOOOOD. i wish it could somehow go on forever.

do yourself the FAVOR and BLESSINGGGGG of enjoying this series. fr.

Love!!!

So on the first book I wasn’t as kind to the narrator, I felt like she was overly dramatic in her reading. This book was so much better!!!! Or maybe I just got used to her?? Lol regardless, full 5 stars for everything on book 2

Amazing!!

This sequel was amazing! I love how the mythology is playing such a big part in the story with all these powerful beings. I also love how dynamic it's grown because it shines a light on how almost human and petty these, for lack of a better word, "gods" can be for world domination.

I like Emi's feisty nature and her quick retorts, but everything seems to come almost miraculously to her. She's also on death's door a lot. Her adventures, or should I say misadventures, move the story along, but it's something that's easy to overdo and I've met my quota for it.

Shiro has his true identity revealed in this novel and it was both exciting and devastating. His story is way more tragic than was visible in the first book. At this point, he almost seems to literally have battling personalities inside his head. I'm shipping Emi and Shiro, so it's bittersweet, to say the least.

I have a few theories as to how this series will end and I'm hoping I'm wrong on everything. I've never wanted a happy ending for a pair of characters like I want a happy ending for Emi and Shiro, preferably together.

The Audio Book:

The narration was great, but I still wish Emily Woo Zeller had a larger overall range of male voices so I could tell everyone apart easier.

Wonderfull Follow-Up

Okay, hear me out. Yes, the beginning is a little slow. But trust me, once you get through the first bit, it's practically non-stop adventure from thereon out.

-Emi is pretty awesome. She has grown so much from her first appearance. She has her miko powers, her kami powers, and just the plain power of understanding different worlds. You kind of forget that she is an 18-year-old with little to no experience from her strict upbringing. And that's just it--I think it's fair to say that Emi is handling all this constant flux and change pretty well considering the amount of time she's had to get used to it. What's it been, like a month or so since her journey first started? One thing is for certain, Emi is strong and intuitive. Very proud of her growth.

-Shiro is also pretty awesome. He's such a cool, complex character that fits so well with Emi. Don't forget that he grows, too.

-Yumei must be protected at all times. Much love to him. That is all.

The lore and rich atmosphere of the Red Winter Trilogy only become more detailed and interlaced with our characters. I know I've read this book before, but I can't help but get excited for the next book!

(PS: Emily Woo Zeller kills it in the narration! I wouldn't have anyone else narrating this book. She's perfect!)

loved it

tons of actions and feels.. I love this series... shiro is my favorite obviously lol.. but I love all the characters .. hands down great book and great reader

Red Winter: My Favorite Annette Marie Series

Such a great listen as I couldn't put it down. This 2nd book delves more into the story line and definitely had me coming back for more. I have listened to it 3 times completely through and plan on listening again
The characters are well developed. I love the plot, Asian culture and mythology slow romance.

Emi is such a purely beautiful character...

Emi is one of the purest, most beautiful characters I’ve ever come across. She’s innocent, sweet, but so completely determined to see her task through to the end. Her ability to look beyond herself for the good of others is humbling and it kinda breaks your heart a little. She understands love in a way that’s rare for humanity and it earns her the respect of gods. But she isn’t the unrelatable, unattainable, slightly intimidating figure she’s regarded as by the guji and the other mikos; she’s also very human, with human fears, human joys, and human burdens. She’s started embracing life and that includes her attraction to Shiro. And while I wouldn’t categorize this series as a romance per say (it’s so much more than that), the thread does run through the story and its presence is much stronger than in Red Winter. Emi and Shiro’s love is one of those delicious, slow-burn kind of things and I can’t wait to find out where they ultimately wind up. (And in case you were wondering, Yumei is still yummy and awesome and more than a little terrifying. He kicks some major ass, too.)

In addition to great characters, Ms. Marie penned a rich, vivid world for this story to take place in. The melding of magic, mythology, and formal, almost archaic religious practices with what could easily be modern-day Japan is surprisingly perfect. The modern stuff only shows up in hints and glimpses, more of a backdrop than anything else, and I’m glad because I feel like anything more intrusive would ruin the supernatural elements. Oh, and spoiler alert: there are spiders and dragons. Big, awful, magic spiders and dragons that are creepy as fuck and totally the stuff of your nightmares. I’m pretty sure I held my breath through those entire sections. *shudder*.

Although I was gifted a print copy of Dark Tempest, I ended up buying the audio version and it was fantastic. Emily Woo Zeller was the perfect narrator and I now know how some of the words should be pronounced, which is a nice bonus. Her voice as both narrator and characters captured the life of this story and gave it an atmosphere I think I would have missed in the print version–though that does have some gorgeous illustrations, so definitely check it out.

Bottom line: In this case, I totally condone judging a book by its cover, because the story is just as amazingly beautiful as the artwork. Ms. Marie has truly created something unique and captivating with this trilogy and now I’m off to read Immortal Fire because I just might die if I don’t find out what happens

Review first appeared on the "Red Hot Books" review blog