The Gathering Storm Review

Title: The Gathering Storm
Author: Robin Bridges
Publish Date: January 2012 from Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Synopsis:

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.

The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

The Gathering Storm is a great mix of historical fiction and paranormal romance. It was amazing to find a book that does such a great job of mixing my two favorite generas that also presents an intriguing storyline.

The Gathering Storm is a paranormal retelling of 1880’s Russian history of the ruling class. The story follows Katerina Alexandrovna, a young Duchess that is trying to find her way in both the world of the paranormal and the world of the Russian and European courts that are dangerously intertwined. Katerina has a special dark gift, she’s a necromancer, and if this secret is found out, it could make her very valuable to some or get her exiled from Russia.

Katerina and her gift have caught the eye of two very powerful princes, Prince Danilo, the air to the throne of Montenegro & George Alexandrovich, the second son of the Russian Tsar. Along with figuring out her feelings for both Princes, Katerina is caught up in a paranormal plot to take over the Russian royal bloodline. Katerina’s choices will either help save or doom the Russian Royal family. I loved how Robin delved into Russian culture and made The Gathering Storm feel like historical fiction with a paranormal twist. It was amazingly executed and I cannot wait for book two in Katerina Trilogy.

My Overall Review: