[Book review] Tempest's Legacy by Nicole Peeler

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If you’ve been reading my reviews for any length of time, you’ve probably picked up on the fact that I appreciate a novel with some wit and humor.  After growing up on Douglas Adams and finding Terry Pratchett many years ago, I came to like my novels with a bit of a chuckle thrown in.  Nicole Peeler’s Jane True novels fit the bill nicely with their combination of sly winks and raunchy ribaldry.  Tempest’s Legacy is no exception, although its overall tone is more serious than the previous books.

Jane hasn’t seen Anyan Barghest for a while, and so it’s a surprise when he shows up at her door.  But he’s there to deliver terrible news: her mother has been found dead in a lab that was experimenting on supernatural beings.  Heartbroken, Jane insists on joining the search for the guilty parties.

Jane’s task is complicated by the fact that the other investigator is Ryu, the vampire that Jane just recently broke up with.  And he really doesn’t like having to take “no” for an answer.  Couple that with Jane’s growing affection for Anyan and you have a recipe for tension.  But when someone begins attacking the people that Jane loves, all other concerns must be set aside so that the killers can be found before it’s too late.

One of the things that I really appreciated about this book was its realistic portrayal (or so it seemed to me) of someone getting out of a bad relationship.  Jane and Ryu had a relationship that was heavily based on sex, and it was refreshing to see Jane realize this, realize that she didn’t want that, and extricate herself.  It seemed to be an almost deliberate thumb of the nose at the Twilight phenomenon, and if it is, I heartily approve. 

Another thing that I like is that Jane isn’t an all-powerful uber-heroine who kicks everyone’s ass and never musses a single hair.  She’s still very much in the learning phase, and although she has power, she has little knowledge and less control.  That does leave the door open for the men to “protect” her, but the author resists that shortcut and instead lets Jane learn from her mistakes.

A series’s third book is a good time to shake up the status quo a bit, and Peeler does a great job of that.  Not only does Jane’s relationship with Ryu undergo a drastic change, but there are some significant power shifts among the supernatural community as a whole that will have far-reaching consequences in the series.

As I mentioned earlier, this novel is darker than the previous two.  Peeler does get in a quip or three, but much of this story focuses on more somber topics: Jane’s mother’s death, the kidnapping of a friend, the breakdown of a love affair.  I think this shows the author maturing as a writer.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the humor, but the lighter reliance on it here allows Peeler to stretch her wings and try for some deeper emotions.  I think she succeeded admirably.

I admit, I’m fond of this series and I look forward to each new installment.  Tempest’s Legacy is smart, entertaining and filled with both action and emotion.  Peeler is most definitely an author to watch as she continues to grow into her craft.

Also by this author: Tempest Rising, Tracking the Tempest 

This book was provided by the publisher.