TEMPER THE DARK

Looming war complicates the romance of a pair of star-crossed lovers in Storms’ YA fantasy novel.

In the high-fantasy realm of Na’uni, Alaris Kahlanik, a girl on the cusp of turning 16, has had a tough enough life as a member of the servant class. Then she gets rounded up and thrown into the Cells in the dead of night on the orders of the Emperor, Patuk. Guardsman Kagan Liis takes an interest in the imprisoned servant girl under the direction of “the Darkness,” the malevolent entity behind the throne. As Kagan investigates Alaris’ background, the imprisoned girl discovers a way out of the Cells…in a sense: She can “dreamwalk” as her soul departs from her body. While dreamwalking, Alaris discovers what the emperor has been seeking: a dragon. She later learns she can communicate telepathically with the dragon she names Nuiteniho (nicknamed “Niho”), who, sadly, has lost her memory. Meanwhile, the Darkness orders Kagan to discover what supernatural abilities Alaris may possess (“She comes from a long family line of those with special means”). Alaris ultimately reconnects with her long-lost sister, Ayanna, who is leading a revolution against Patuk. The author is to be applauded for the smooth manner in which she has combined disparate elements—a will they/won’t they relationship between two people from different castes is more fun to follow when an eccentric dragon such as Niho enters the mix. Storms also carefully unspools a complex backstory, rewarding the reader with little nuggets that prove to be gold in the end. Her two leads are eminently likable as they seek to fill in the holes in their life stories, just like Niho (they are also seemingly the only ones unable to recognize that their romance is inevitable). The villains lack subtlety but they adequately play their parts. The result is an engaging romp through a fascinating land.

A tumultuous love story blends with an uphill battle against evil in this entrancing work.