Review: Another dark urban fantasy in the MetaWars series, action-packed and realistic in its tone.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 5, 2013
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Another dark urban fantasy in the MetaWars series, action-packed and realistic in its tone.Opening Sentence: “Greens are such a pain in the ass.”The Review:Tempest is the third novel in the MetaWars series and it begins a few months after the events in Changeling. Each novel so far has been told from a different Metas’ point of view. This time it is Ethan’s turn. Ethan who is known as Tempest, along with Teresa, Gage, Marco and Renee are just about getting used to their three new houseguests when two more are dropped off at their door. Ever since the Meta powers have returned to the world, new children and teenagers are finding out that they have Meta powers themselves and the group has taken it upon themselves to help when they can.Ethan and the others (the young ex-Rangers) just can’t get a break, even the people they rescue are scared of them. They do everything they can to show the good that they can do but now a new group of Meta-haters is trying to take them down. Also, a Presidential election is near and the front-runner wants all Metas locked up for their own good.Meanwhile, Ethan is sent to Manhattan Island to see if all the Bane (evil) Metas should remain there or be released. The island currently serves as a prison. Ethan believes that all Banes should remain locked away but since he undertook this mission with possible vengeance on his mind, he is shocked when he learns the gravity of the situation on the island and that not all Banes are truly evil.Tempest undergoes quite a metamorphosis in this novel. He likes to hide behind his sarcasm and wit but inside he is hiding many secrets. Ethan is scared of what the others will think about him, especially since he has been hiding some of his secrets for a long time. One of the secrets that he has been hiding is the fact that he is gay. There are some sensual moments but the novel is far more than just about Ethan being a gay superhero.I have throughly enjoyed this series so far. It is a dark series with lots of tragedy and people getting hurt. There isn’t a day that goes by that they aren’t hunted by someone who wants them dead or oppressed. Teresa is the one thread of hope that gets the rest of the group fired up and hoping that one day they will be accepted for who they are. Ethan begins to believe in that hope and that hopefully one day everything will be alright. The emotions that the characters go through seem very realistic and even how the world deals with the aftermath of a war and the superheroes that survived it.The ending felt quite abrupt to me. There was a bit of a wrap up but not enough that it felt like issues were resolved. I know that the main unresolved story arc will continue in Renee’s book Chimera and I already can’t wait to pick up that story.Overall, if you are a fan of urban fantasy and superheroes, pick up this series, you just may enjoy this world that has been developed.Notable Scene:“It sounds like you’ve got a crush going on,” she said when I finally stopped talking.Leave it to Dahlia to home in on the most awkward part of the monologue. “Maybe.”She made a noise.“Okay, so very probably,” I amended.“And you’re scared.”“Honestly? A little. But not of him.”“Of what the others will think?”“Yeah. I mean, I don’t think they’ll react badly, exactly. I guess I don’t want them to be disappointed that I didn’t trust them enough to tell them sooner.”“That wasn’t the problem, though, was it? You trusting them?”She knew me so well it was frightening. “No. I do trust them, and I always have.”“But you saw being gay as a weakness, just like having Jinx for a father was a weakness.”“Exactly. Only I don’t feel that way about McTaggert anymore. Regular people might not get it, and they might judge me as the offspring of a supervillain, but I don’t care. I know who I am.”“I think you do. And I think you’re ready to accept all parts of yourself without reservations. Do you know how I know this?”“Do tell.”“Because right now, Ethan? In the nine months I’ve known you, there’s something in your voice I haven’t ever heard before.”“Which is?”“Hope.”FTC Advisory: Pocket Star/Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of Tempest. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.