Richelle Mead has a very readable style. Although her books look like lots of others in this genre, indeed they often follow similar patterns in terms of plot and action, this author's ability to write in an interesting and well-paced style marks these books above many others. This latest book, 'Storm Born', takes a break from her Succubus series and introduces us to a very different heroine - Eugenie Markham - living in a different world. Eugenie is a powerful shaman, someone who banishes the gentry (spirits, fey and otherworldy beasts) to the Underworld or the Otherworld. She's been trained by her stepfather Roland to help dispose of the odds and ends that can irritate people's lives - running shoes that are possessed, that kind of thing. However Eugenie has begun to find that things seem to be different in her world. For a start, most of the spirits and fey seem less interested in killing her and more in romancing her; secondly they all seem to know her name now; and, thirdly, the hot man she's just met is definitely something out of the ordinary. Eugenie is discovering that there's more to her than she originally thought. Is she destined for something rather more than just exorcising spirits? With the help of her very reluctant and potentially murderous bound spirits, with her rather foxy boyfriend, with a fairy King who has an unusual taste for tying people up, can Eugenie uncover her full powers and can she understand her role in the history of war between the gentry and humans? This book appeared to be the first in a series in that although it reached some sort of a conclusion there were many ends left open. The focus of the story wasn't just on Eugenie's powers and battling against evil spirits but was also about Eugenie learning about herself and reading other people. The book focused a great deal on the fairy King Dorian and his training of Eugenie. The author wrote well the way that everyone involved in Eugenie's life has their own reasons for doing things and that she doesn't necessarily understand all the politics of the worlds in which she is living. There are plenty of secrets, many of which Eugenie hasn't yet uncovered, and there are reasons for peoples' actions that she doesn't understand. What stood out about this book wasn't so much the plot or the characters, although they were good, it was the author's ability to write in a flowing, interesting and descriptive style. It was easy to get drawn into this story and it was never boring. I look forward to the next in the series. Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008