Review: Tracking the Tempest

Tracking the Tempest (Jane True, #2) by Nicole Peeler

Quick Take:
This book gets of to a fun start and continues with great pacing, hilarious characters, and engaging situations. I wasn't completely sold on some of the developments near the end, but overall I adored this book.

Book Description (from Goodreads):

     Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and Ryu - Jane's bloodsucking boyfriend - can't let a major holiday go by without getting all gratuitous. An overwhelming dose of boyfriend interference and a last-minute ticket to Boston later, and Jane's life is thrown off course.     Ryu's well-intentioned plans create mayhem, and Jane winds up embroiled in an investigation involving a spree of gruesome killings. All the evidence points towards another Halfling, much to Jane's surprise...

 Review:
Hello again, Jane True! I'm so glad to have rejoined your adventures. I was tentatively a fan of yours, and this book has proved that though you took a while to get through to me, I'm now all yours!

The pacing of this installment is great, not stilted even though there is a variety of activities along the plotline; moments of high tension and action seamlessly segue into others of contemplation and investigation. The former were exhilarating, and the latter were chilling or touching (or both). All told it made for a well-rounded and book, in my opinion.

It's no surprise that this book had a lot to love by way of its characters. As in book one, the cast provides a great deal of amusement and charm from their interactions and singular quirks. Even a seeming antagonist, Conleth, was as intriguing and multi-dimensional as he was disturbing.

Newly presented in this book is a series of very tough, morally ambiguous situations that aren't easy to process and don't allow for simple judgment. I actually enjoyed this aspect, as it gave me pause for reflection. It'd make for a good discussion amongst fans, whom I know will be split or undecided on how they feel.

Now, I was admittedly underwhelmed with some occurrences near the end of the book; not so much with the resulting situation but with the fact that it didn't quite convince me. I felt like there was much more "telling" than there was "showing" (which I now realize is what bothered me so much in the beginning of book one). To avoid spoilers I won't get any more specific…but I do just that in my review on GoodReads.

My minor disappointments aside, I vastly enjoyed this book. It was such a ride, always engaging even though it was not all happy-go-lucky. This book puts this series on auto-buy status, I'd say!


Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars