Eye of the StormRating: 3.75 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | All Romance | Amazon UK
Length: Novel


The Key West shifters have a problem that no one knows how to fix: their leader, Aiden. In the two years since Aiden has taken control of the Key West shifters, bullying and abuse has become the norm in too many ways. Nathan, a spotted dolphin shifter, lives most of his life as a human but sometimes the pull of the ocean and his shifter skin become hard to resist. One night while swimming, Nathan sees two bottlenose dolphin shifters toying with a puffer fish shifter. Not being able to let another creature endure physical torment, Nathan distracts the two other dolphin shifters leading to horrible, yet desired, results.

Jacob has recently arrived in Key West with a grudge and a goal: to get Aiden out of his position of power. Jacob and Aiden have a history with Jacob’s brother having been a plaything for Aiden’s lust for young men. The tension is building between Nathan and Jacob, between Jacob and Aiden, and with all of the issues facing the men, an impending hurricane is ratcheting up the tension all across the island.

Nathan knows from his first meeting with Jacob that they are mates, and try as he may, he can’t resist the sexy orca shifter. Decision made, Nathan returns home with Jacob and best friend Aisha to pack his things and leave a note for his abusive boyfriend Paul, only to discover that his belongings have almost all been destroyed. An encounter with the dolphin bullies is the last straw for Jacob, who gives chase and shows the bottlenosed dolphins who is predator and who is prey. Sadly, the consequences of Jacob’s actions will change the course of his and Nathan’s future.

If you are into shifters, especially non-traditional ones, Eye of the Storm is definitely the book for you. The cast of characters includes whale, shark, puffer fish, rooster, cat, and so many more. You have to wonder if any of the residents of Key West are in fact, human.

Nathan certainly did turn out to be a complex and sympathetic character, having been beaten down, both literally and figuratively, to the point of despair and self-loathing. Jacob, a very strong man, is driven, but conflicted at the same time. He arrives in Key West with a specific goal in mind, which gets derailed when he meets his mate, Nathan.

Pierce did a wonderful job describing Key West in regards to the town, but also the meteorological conditions and the lushness of the flora to be found in the area. Here was my giddy, silly moment. Ready? Pathetic fallacy. Not since Shakespeare have I read a book that used pathetic fallacy in the form of the building hurricane, which mirrored the building tension in the story. I do have to say that it was not very smoothly incorporated into the plot, but still made me smile.

The overall story was neat, complex, and yet easy to follow, but at times, I found some choppy sentences and a few overused literary devices that considering the story and characters, could have been so much more unique. For the wide variety of shifters alone, I give Eye of the Storm two thumbs up.

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