Review: Storm Warrior by Dani Harper

Storm Warrior by Dani Harper
Published by Montlake Romance
Published on: August 6, 2013
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 308
Format: ARC
Source: Author

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Enslaved for millennia by the masters of the Welsh faery realm, the fierce Celtic warrior Rhys is doomed to wander the earth forever. But when a brave beauty unwittingly breaks the enchantment, he is drawn into a strange new world…and an all-consuming desire.

Sensible Morgan doesn’t believe in magic—until a mysterious being saves her from a fate worse than death, and life as she knows it changes forever. Now the man of her dreams has become flesh and blood, igniting a spark in Morgan’s soul which science cannot explain. But even a love that transcends time may not be strong enough to withstand the power of an ancient curse.

From the best-selling author of Changeling Moon, this stirring novel of passion and magic launches an addictive new series for fans of paranormal romance.

Storm Warrior is a cute, light, paranormal romance with memorable characters and a delightful story that’s easy to like. The plot’s fairly straightforward which made the more complex Faerie lore easier to grasp and I loved that this book features a Grim! As omens of death their role in the paranormal world is somewhat limited; they’re more observers than do-ers so Harper really had to pay special attention to her mythology and shape it accordingly and she does by incorporating many different types of faeries. My only complaint is that there wasn’t enough action but that’s often the case of a first installment in a series so I won’t hold that against Dani.

In many ways this novel felt more like time travel fiction than a paranormal romance because Rhys becomes mortal very early on in this book and spends the rest of it learning how to live in the 21st century. Although he’s been a silent observer for a thousand years, he spent them as a mastiff (dog) so he has little use for things like cars and the internet. I enjoyed watching him re-learn the intricacies of human society and his attempts to convince Morgan that he’s a millennia old Celt were beyond entertaining. As a vet, her beliefs are rooted in science so accepting that faeries and Grims are real is quite a stretch for her. I was happy that Harper developed her Faerie lore to the extent that she did because without it, this novel would have been very un-paranormal.

I actually enjoyed the side characters more than the main protagonists in this story; Leo and Ranyon were definitely my two favourites but I also liked the other veterinarians that work with Morgan. Leo’s a sweet old man who quickly becomes one of Rhys’ best friends and Ranyon is an ellyll which is kind of a mix between a brownie and a tree-type creature. I loved that he was a Blue Jay’s fan! A big thank you to Dani Harper for that fun, little, Canadian Easter egg! She also did her Faerie research before writing this book and it showed; her lore about the Tylwyth Teg, barghest and The Hunt was rich and enthralling.

Rhys is definitely fictional boyfriend material; I loved everything about him from his sexy tattoo, to his Celtic accent to his… personality. I had to include that last one just to make me feel less superficial. I wish he’d spent more of this book as a Grim instead of a mortal though but I have a feeling that the Fair Ones aren’t through with him yet. As much as I respected and admired Morgan’s level-headedness and independence, her inability to accept the truth that was right in front of her nose did irritate me. I mean really, who cares if Rhys thinks he’s a thousand year old Celtic warrior! Haven’t you ever heard of bedroom role play? They eventually do work things out but it took too long in my opinion; I would have preferred a bit more sexy time!

Dani Harper has a real talent for writing great paranormal romances; she first drew me in with her Changeling series and now she’s hooked me with her first Grim installment. Storm Warrior is the perfect mix of sizzle and supernatural plus, you can’t go wrong with a smokin’ hot Grim!

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