Tempest Unleashed ~ Tracy Deebs (eARC) review

Tempest Unleashed (Tempest #2)
Walker Children's
June 5, 2012
352 pages
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*contains spoilers for Tempest Rising (Tempest #1)*

After choosing, in Tempest Rising, to embrace the mermaid side of herself and live in the ocean with her mother's mermaid clan, Tempest is happy with her decision. It has taken her away from her family on land - her brothers and her father whom she lived with after her, now deceased, mother abandoned them seven years ago - but she knows it's what has to be done. She's training every day, to one day be ready to take over the throne and to be ready to battle the evil sea-witch Tiamat when the day comes.

When news of something wrong with her family back on land reaches Tempest, she leaves immediately - no matter the consequences. Back at home she's reunited not only with her family members but also someone she didn't plan on seeing again: Mark.

As she waits for things with her family to be okay, she learns just how much has changed with her family - and Mark - in the months she's been gone. And how much has not.

While she's been on land and out of communication, things have not been quiet under the sea. Tiamat seems to have stepped up her plans. Lives are in danger and Tempest will have to help.

Once again she'll have to choose: sea or land. . . and maybe even Mark or Kona.



Tempest Unleashed is the sequel to Tempest Rising where Tempest Maguire came into being half mermaid - she'd already known some about it - and was forced to choose between the land she'd lived on her entire life or the sea that continued to call her. Tempest Unleashed picks up several months after the end of the first book.

The beginning of this one was hard for me to get into. Tempest didn't seem like the strong minded, tough girl character I'd come to love in Tempest Rising. She had excellent fighting skills, for sure, but I think the book starting out with her kind of losing her mind over her ex-boyfriend threw me. Things didn't quite click for me in Part I - I couldn't quite get beyond the surface. Part II (and subsequent parts), I liked much more.

This book was at it's strongest when there was some tension or when things get combative - through literal combat or vocally. When Tempest has a good back and forth going with one of the characters (even the non-argumentative ones), it really flows well. When Tempest was being introspective or things were laying the groundwork for something, it fell mostly flat.

The very end was a bit frustrating and one I need to mull over. I'm not sure if it's only because I'm not quite happy with a character decision or if there really was not quite enough basis for it to feel justified.  Either way, it wasn't bad, I'm just not sure about it!

Rating: 7/10


Thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for egalley of this title - Part of Bloomsbury Blog Tours