ARC Review--Roar by Cora Carmack

In a land ruled and shaped by violent magical storms, power lies with those who control them.

Aurora Pavan comes from one of the oldest Stormling families in existence. Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world’s deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora’s been groomed to be the perfect queen. She’s intelligent and brave and honorable. But she’s yet to show any trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people.

To keep her secret and save her crown, Aurora’s mother arranges for her to marry a dark and brooding Stormling prince from another kingdom. At first, the prince seems like the perfect solution to all her problems. He’ll guarantee her spot as the next queen and be the champion her people need to remain safe. But the more secrets Aurora uncovers about him, the more a future with him frightens her. When she dons a disguise and sneaks out of the palace one night to spy on him, she stumbles upon a black market dealing in the very thing she lacks—storm magic. And the people selling it? They’re not Stormlings. They’re storm hunters.

Legend says that her ancestors first gained their magic by facing a storm and stealing part of its essence. And when a handsome young storm hunter reveals he was born without magic, but possesses it now, Aurora realizes there’s a third option for her future besides ruin or marriage.

She might not have magic now, but she can steal it if she’s brave enough.

Challenge a tempest. Survive it. And you become its master.

I received this ARC from an independent bookstore for free on Independent Bookstore Day for pure reading enjoyment. I was in no way compensated for this review.

I picked up Cora Carmack’s Roar on whim when I saw it among the pile of ARCs up for grabs during the Independent Bookstore Day festivities. I had been hearing a lot of early buzz on it and I just decided, why not? I only knew Cora Carmack by name and the fame of her NA titles, so I was eager to see how she would handle fantasy—a genre I greatly enjoy. And though this is considered YA, it’s a very mature YA, like Jennifer L. Armentrout’s YA books. And while I had a rough start to Roar, it wasn’t too long before the story picked up and started reeling me in!

Aurora is the only daughter to the queen of Pavan. She comes from a long line of Stormling families, yet she possesses no powers herself. Stormlings can basically tame storms, there is more detail to what else can be done, but I won’t be able to explain it well at all! So I’ll just leave it at that. When she’s betrothed to marry the younger prince of Locke, her mother thinks it’s the best thing for Pavan and her, for this way no one would ever have to learn of the powerless princess. But Aurora discovers that prince Cassius isn’t all that charming as he may seem. He’s up to something and when she follows him one night she finds herself in a market that deals in storm magic.

It’s in a height of trouble that she meets Locke, yup, named after the country he came from, who is both brooding and charming. He’s a part of a group who hunts storms and basically take some of their essence to be bottled and sold for various reasons. When Aurora learns that one can harness storm magic she thinks it will be the answer to her dilemma. She joins Locke and his group of hunters, despite his protests, so she can learn.

Aurora dons a new identity, Roar, so that Locke and his friends won’t know that she’s the princess. Since she had to stage a fake kidnapping in order to run away, she doesn’t want a connection to be formed between Roar and Aurora.

This read was far more intriguing than I initially expected. Starting a new book/world is always a little mind boggling, yet after the initial confusion was over, I found it to be a very easy read. The only confusion I had dealt with the storm magic. It had far more detail to it than I could grasp at times. You know the feeling you get when you’re not sure you read something right and even a re-read doesn’t really help shed light onto matters? That’s what happened to me on occasion when storms started brewing. These storms seemed almost magic based in origin rather than anything weather related. And since it’s a fantasy read, I just kind of went with that.

I will admit, the story sets a slower pace, but like I said, after a few chapters I was really into everything! The pacing didn’t bother me so much. I really enjoyed the slower pacing as we watch Roar grow and learn and form friendships with her newfound friends. Though some are more welcoming than others.

Not too long ago, I mentioned I had a love for hate to love relationships and we kind of get that here! True, I wouldn’t call it outright hate on both sides, but there’s definitely something brewing between Roar and Locke from the moment they meet! I love how there’s buildup to things and then retreat. It’s definitely a romance that takes time to blossom and it was awesome!

I also really enjoyed the multiple points of view in this one! Not only do we get Roar and Locke’s point of view, but Cassius and a few others as well! This definitely allows you to follow what’s going on with Roar and her journey as well as things back home while she is away.

Roar was quite the exciting and fascinating read! While the ending isn’t one I would call it a cliffhanger of detrimental sorts, it’s still one that will have you wanting the next book soon! There were many revelations coming on the horizon at the end of this one and I cannot wait to see where they will lead to! We learned so much about this world and the characters, but there is still plenty more to be revealed!

Roar is a fantasy read that is not to be missed! Filled with magical storms and the ones who chase after them, dangerous encounters with numerous enemies, a budding romance, and a heroine who comes into her own and discovering her sense of self, this book truly grabs at your heartstrings refusing to let go even after the last page! I will be most eagerly waiting the sequel in the year to come!


Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars


Roar releases June 13, 2017