Roar / Cora Carmack

2.5/5

Roar follows the journey of Aurora, in line for the Stormling throne. The Stormlings promise security from storms to its citizens through their ability to control storms, but Aurora is powerless. In order to maintain her powerful position and the safety of her kingdom, she decides to marry a powerful Stormling prince of another kingdom. But when she discovers that it is possible to earn the power to control storms, she runs away in pursuit of this power, hoping to truly earn her position and independence.

The blurb suggests a strong female lead determined to establish her own independence and earn power for herself. I think Aurora does deliver on the strong independent female lead part, but Cora Carmack seems to want to twist the events of the novel to continually place Aurora in the role of the damsel in distress. She was often placed in a position of helplessness where Locke, the love interest, had the upper hand. I would compare these swoon-y, "I need you to carry me" sort of moments to fan fiction. Because of this, the novel leans more strongly in the romance genre than I would prefer my fantasy novels to.

I was a little disappointed with the "discovery" about Aurora and her lack of power. I am a little tired of novels that have a lead who struggles with being powerless, only to find that they are more powerful than everyone else. I want to hear about someone who isn't gifted, makes do, and succeeds using the resources they have. That was what the summary promised, and not what the book delivered. I was also a little disappointed with the discovery that wasn't made: Locke doesn't find out Aurora's true identity, at least not in this book. I was really looking forward to that moment!

Despite the aforementioned shortcomings, I found Roar decently enjoyable. It is a good time killer or between-reads book. It has inspirations of Throne of Glass and Under the Never Sky, so if you're looking for a filler book to cure withdrawal symptoms or fill the wait for a sequel, give Roar a try.