By Nisha J. Tuli
Storm Breaker is the first book in a new trilogy by Nisha J. Tuli. Dystopian settings are definitely having their moment in the genre, and I found this one to be particularly enjoyable. Poet Graves, the FMC, is the 19-year-old daughter of a powerful scion in a futuristic Manhattan that exists in an era post catastrophic global warming. Earth is now plagued by electromagnetic storms and people with the rare ability to absorb the energy released from those storms have to hide their existence or risk being eliminated from the population. Poet must conceal this rare magical ability from everyone she knows, which becomes increasingly more difficult once she enters Amery Academy.
Amery Academy is divided into factions that mirror the social structure of New Manhattan. First year students must pledge a house to maintain their status as society members who are afforded a myriad of privileges only open to the select few who can make it through their schooling successfully. Rook, a mysterious new student who grew up outside the city walls, draws Poet’s eye despite her reluctant engagement to a fellow society member named Knox, someone handpicked by her father to increase his own power and social standing.
I found the romance between Poet and Rook to be extremely engaging. Rook is an enigma and yet has some wonderful moments of vulnerability as he slowly learns to trust Poet and see past his misguided assumptions about her and her upbringing. He is constantly championing her strength and agency, helping her gain a better sense of self-worth in the process. At the same time, Poet breaks through Rook’s stoicism to reveal a kind and caring side of himself that he is hesitant to share, and their moments of connection feel well earned and believable.
While there are deadly trials as part of the school’s training, the focus of the book is centered much more on Poet’s internal struggle for agency and autonomy given her father’s controlling nature and her mother’s deference towards him. The trials serve to demonstrate to both the readers and to Poet herself what she’s capable of and what choices she can and should make for her own life. The cutthroat nature of the school also makes sense in the context of a dystopian world where resources are scarce, and the population desperately fears repeating the mistakes of the past.
This is a YA book, and my only major gripe with it was the slightly repetitive nature of Poet’s internal monologue, which I attribute to it being written for a YA audience. The stakes are laid out a few too many times, especially in the middle section when Poet’s motivations and dilemmas are already well established. This only slightly hindered my enjoyment of the book, and I didn’t find the romance or the characters immature. I would consider this more upper YA/NA given the fact that the characters are college aged (and act like it).
The last stretch of the book really picks up speed with a bunch of revelations I didn’t see coming and an adrenaline fueled final few chapters. Some of the decisions made by the main characters are a bit questionable in terms of their logic and sense of urgency given the danger involved. Despite this, the last quarter of the book really gripped me and made me desperate to know what the fallout would be. As is typical for the first book in a series it does end on a cliffhanger but thankfully book 2 in the trilogy is set to release in September of 2026 (no official title yet).
4.25/5 stars
