Pirates seem to be everywhere in romance and romantasy lately, so I was excited to pick up Tempest by Victoria Aveyard.
I really, truly enjoyed this book. The story is gripping, and I was hooked enough to read late into the night. My issue is simple. I wanted more.
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What Is Tempest About?
The story takes place in the fictional Lyrian Sea and its many islands, and it starts in the middle of the action. We meet our FMC, Cat, an independent woman who runs The Widow Rose, a local watering hole. Her connection to the infamous pirates of the Lyrian Sea gets her arrested. To save herself from the gallows, Cat strikes a deal with the governor. She will bring him Valerian Kane, the notorious pirate captain with whom she has a romantic past.
Cat has other motives, though, and she keeps them from both the governor and the reader. That mystery is what kept me turning pages.
Each chapter alternates between the past and the present, and the past chapters fill in some of the backstory. I will be honest about this one. The structure made the story move slowly, and it took me a while to settle in.
Publisher’s Description
Cat Rose knows what it is to live in two worlds, in two times. Before—as Lady Catrine Rose of the Meridian Empire, chained to a loathsome lord with a dwindling fortune. And after—as the Widow Rose, queen of a pirate tavern in the Lyrian Sea, determined to be the master of her own fate.
But tides turn and winds change. The Meridian Empire looms on the horizon, the full weight of her navy falling on the Lyrian, bent on reclaiming the wealthy colonies and crushing the pirate republic once and for all. Ship after ship is captured, save for one, captained by a pirate who continually evades both noose and blade: the legendary Valerian Kane.
With his fearsome ship and uncanny connection to the song of the sea, Valerian is the only man who might rally the pirates who remain. The only man who threatens the Empire. And the only man Cat has ever loved, blazing in and out of her life like a star.
Desperate for victory, the Empire offers Cat a devastating choice: bring them Valerian or hang. In truth, no choice at all.
But Cat Rose is nothing if not a survivor.
A storm is rising on the Lyrian. What will it leave in its wake?
My Thoughts on Tempest (Spoiler Light)
This one took a bit to get into, and I went in with high hopes for its potential. In the present timeline, Cat and Valerian have gone their separate ways, and we learn that Cat has betrayed the pirates. The crown is rounding up pirates and anyone associated with them, and the noose is tightening around Cat. She is forced to make a deal with the governor to help him find Valerian.
Cat is a layered, complicated character, and she could easily be considered morally gray. For much of the book, I could not decide how I felt about her. Do I like her? Or are her actions unredeemable? On the surface, she makes very selfish choices, betraying pirates who were once her friends to save her own skin. But is that really what is going on?
The past chapters take us back to when Cat and her then husband first travel to the islands of the Lyrian Sea. We see her first encounter with Valerian when pirates take over their ship. Later, we see her again after she survives another pirate takeover and is held captive.
The Dual Timeline and Pacing
As I previously mentioned, the back-and-forth structure slows the plot considerably. Around the halfway point, the book finally gave us more of the past and more of Cat and Valerian, and that is when I was fully hooked. I kept reading in hopes of watching their relationship blossom.
Spoiler Warning
Stop here if you want to avoid spoilers. They are still light, but they are spoilers.
Where Tempest Fell Short for Me (Spoilers)
We never see the relationship actually develop between Cat and Valerian. We see tension, sure. But we don’t actually see the relationship between them that is hinted at in the “present” chapters. I was hoping for more of the backstory. I wanted to watch Cat and Valerian fall for each other, and I wanted to see their fallout. That would have helped me understand Cat's motives, too.
I could not believe that after finishing the entire book, we never reach the time in her past when Cat and Valerian are considered "together." Will that come in the next installment, or will it be left out entirely? The whole book felt like setup, and even then, big chunks of the past are still missing.
I don't mind moving between past and present. When every single chapter alternates, though, it greatly slows the story. Victoria Aveyard is a beautiful writer who builds gorgeous fantasy worlds, but I needed more substance from this one. The story gripped me and kept me turning pages, hoping to fill in the blanks, and it never quite got there.
Usually when a book leaves us wanting more, it is because we need to know what happens next. I got a little of that here. Mostly, though, I wanted the background story filled in. I love the idea of this book, an infamous, dangerous pirate captain and a woman with a damaged past, his captive and running from the law. We only get glimpses of the earliest stages of that relationship.
My Rating: 3/5 Stars
I am torn on this rating. I want to go higher because the book did eventually pull me in. I was addicted and reading late into the night. But I finished feeling so unsatisfied, so I am landing on 3/5.
Spice Level: 0/5
This is another mild spoiler, so skip ahead if you prefer. If you are expecting spice, you will be disappointed. The story never reaches the point where Cat and Valerian get together, so I am giving Tempest a 0/5 for spice.
Who Might Enjoy Tempest?
If you love a pirate setting, a morally gray heroine, and lush worldbuilding, and you can be patient with a slow-building dual timeline, Tempest may work for you. If you want a fully developed romance and some heat, you may want to wait and see what the next installment delivers.
If you love romantasies like Tempest, try:
The Wicked Sea by Jordan Stephanie Gray
Between Tides and Thunder by Leena Kazak
The Song of Salt & Shadow by Seren Rose
Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller
The Ever King by LJ Andrews
