Elle Cosimano

For fans of Maggie Stiefvater and Laini Taylor, a perfect storm lies ahead in this riveting fantasy duology opener from award-winning author Elle Cosimano. One cold, crisp night, Jack Sommers was faced with a choice--live forever according to the ancient, magical rules of Gaia, or die. Jack chose to live, and in exchange, he became a Winter--an immortal physical embodiment of the season on Earth. Every year, he must hunt the Season who comes before him. Summer kills Spring. Autumn kills Summer. Winter kills Autumn. And Spring kills Winter. Jack and Fleur, a Winter and a Spring, fall for each other against all odds. To be together, they'll have to escape the cycle that's been forcing them apart. But their creator won't let them go without a fight.

Seasons of the Storm

god this story had so much potential but its basically a romance (not even written that good) with a bit of fantasy. Everything is so rushed… I feel like the author should have given more space to the creation of the plan… I mean jack creates it without even a moment of brainstorming with the others HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE. Plus we basically know nothing about where they live, we only know some things because jack was trying to get to the autumn section… but for the rest of all we know NOTHING. Nothing about the relationship he has with other winters, what is a normal day like…ecc. 

the author could have at least have written a saga of 3 books if it was all described better and especially not so focused on the romance. 

mirta <3

god this story had so much potential but its basically a romance (not even written that good) with a bit of fantasy. Everything is so rushed… I feel like the author should have given more space to the creation of the plan… I mean jack creates it without even a moment of brainstorming with the others HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE. Plus we basically know nothing about where they live, we only know some things because jack was trying to get to the autumn section… but for the rest of all we know NOTHING. Nothing about the relationship he has with other winters, what is a normal day like…ecc. 

the author could have at least have written a saga of 3 books if it was all described better and especially not so focused on the romance. 



Teeeeeesha

A world where people are given a choice to become Seasons after they die under Gaia and Chronos's rule. Jack, the winter season falls for Fluer, the spring, the season he has to hunt.

Nicole Dykeman

I’m not sure how to feel about this. If it was actually a Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons fanfic—which is exactly what it felt like—I would adore it. The magic system is really cool, but quite honestly, the characterization was lacking, and I wasn’t as invested as I hoped I would be. All around, though, it was cute, and I’m a sucker for a romance like Jack and Fleur’s.

linda

Mi è piaciuto molto. Lo so che non è senza critiche, ma il word building è fatto bene così come la caratterizzazione dei personaggi e lo sviluppo delle relazioni. Ho letteralmente adorato tutti i protagonisti (<3Fleur <3).
Il librofa parte di una duologia ma può essere tranquillamente letto come uno standalone dato che non finisce con un nuovo plot ma lo lascia intravedere.
Spice rate: 1🌶️/5🌶️

Sophie

No one reccomended this to me, so that's new, since this year I just read books from booktok, or rerad my childhood favourites.
This book was a treat.
I had a little reading slump from the Love Hypothesis, so I needed a love story. This book gave me so much Percy Jackson vibes though. 
The world building is easily understandable. There's a teeny tiny Greek mythology in it. The found family trope. The forbidden love trope. They're on a "quest". It was Percy Jackson, but with more love. For me this one was seemed finished, so I have no clue why we need a second book, but I'm gonna read it and find out.

Maegan Kennedy

** spoiler alert **
           Arc provided by the publisher in exchange for and honest review.
I was instantly intrigued when I read the synopsis for this book and it did not disappoint. I mean, Seasons killing seasons with survival and enemies to lovers? Sign me up! It was super enjoyable and overall an entertaining story. There were some funny parts that had me laughing with the characters, and also some heartbreaking moments that had me crying alongside the characters. The premise of seasons killing season is both intense and unique and I thought that the author executed the story in a great way. You can’t help but love the four main seasons - Jack, Fleur, Julio, and Amber - along with their Handlers. Each character has a well thought out backstory that fits with their character arcs. I loved Jack and Fleur the best, but Amber and Julio’s banter was quite entertaining. Jack and Fleur just have that amazing star-crossed lover relationship that works within the rest of the plot. The story stayed consistent which is good and I loved how the characters changed in a realistic way. There were little elements thrown in that I loved, like Slinky the cat, and the glimpses into how the MC’s became seasons. I loved the survival aspect of the novel, I think it fit really well into the story. Overall this book amazing and I will definitely be picking up a finished copy as soon as possible. Rating: 4.5 / 5

Kaitee Tredway

That awkward moment when you like all the secondary characters better than the narrators? That was this book for me.

Landri Driskill

** spoiler alert **
           A little slow to start but once you get to part two, it’s a journey! I’m in love with the characters and can’t wait to see what adventure awaits them in the sequel.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2020 so I'm really sad I didn't enjoy it very much.

First of all, the synopsis does not make it seem like it, but this is an urban fantasy (not my favourite genre at all). So the book was not at all what I expected. When I started reading, I thought I had picked up the wrong book by accident and I checked and re-checked that I was actually reading "Seasons of the Storm".

Second, the plot is confusing, the characters are rather one-dimensional and I didn't feel engaged in the romance. Now, I'm not a romance fan in general, but I can enjoy it if the story surrounding it is good and the characters are likeable. It just didn't do it for me in this book.

I considered DNF'ing, but decided I should give it a full go since it was so high on my anticipated releases... Oh well, I've finished it now. I won't be reading the sequel.

No one reccomended this to me, so that's new, since this year I just read books from booktok, or rerad my childhood favourites.
This book was a treat.
I had a little reading slump from the Love Hypothesis, so I needed a love story. This book gave me so much Percy Jackson vibes though.
The world building is easily understandable. There's a teeny tiny Greek mythology in it. The found family trope. The forbidden love trope. They're on a "quest". It was Percy Jackson, but with more love. For me this one was seemed finished, so I have no clue why we need a second book, but I'm gonna read it and find out.


Sarah Jackson

*3.5

Was the reason I picked this up because it was a Jack Frost retelling? Yes. Was probably the main reason I enjoyed it because they portrayal of Jack Frost reminded me of Rise of the Guardians? Absolutely. 

This was super fun! I think the author did a good job of explaining certain plot points which are often overlooked in writing, particularly as to why these characters who don't age still act like teenagers when they are technically in their 50s. Although I think the author did miss some key filler moments of plot. In spots I felt we were racing from one plot point to another and the proper amount of time wasn't dedicated to giving each scene the love and care it deserved. 

I am defs gonna read the sequel though... even if its just to read about Jack again.

Belle Ellrich

*I WAS SENT A PHYSICAL ARC BY THE AUTHOR IN RETURN FOR MY HONEST REVIEW. THIS DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION*

After hearing about Seasons of the Storm and learning that it was releasing this year, I was very eager to get my hands on it. It sounded like a book with some of my favorite things; such as forbidden romance, action, and Elementalist teenagers. Who doesn't love a premise like that?


This book started off great. The hook-and-grab was fantastic, and the plot moved along perfectly. The characters, too, were very easy to connect with and gain a love for. However, it was towards the end of the first part that the pacing began to fall apart.

I'm usually all for a fast-paced book, especially when it has action in it. However, this was a different case. When you start off at a certain pace, you really have to make sure that you stick to it. Because it began to increase, the plot began to read as a little sloppy and a bit disorganized. It was a bit disappointing, as it had been going so well before!

Some good news though, is that Jack's POVs in this book were very well made. His character was really thrilling to follow along with, and I loved when he was faced with trials he had to figure out how to overcome. However, when it came to Fleur's POV, I felt like hers really lacked. Her POV wasn't as interesting to read through, and it felt like I was reading about a bystander instead of a main character.

One thing I really did love was that this book was one of those ones that feel like you're reading a movie. It's easy to "see" the scenes and imagine the characters doing and saying as the book tells. Plus, the dialogue was really great and believable, unlike most teen-centered books.

This book comes with a trigger warning, and while I loved seeing that, I didn't feel as though it actually stood by the plot. Jack came across as a very anxious main character, and Fleur had a few moments that could be sensitive to certain readers. This is where Jack's POV verse Fleur's POV comes in again. While Jack's character stuck to his anxiousness, Fleur's completely disregarded after it became irrelevant. It was like as soon as the plot moved forward, it was forgotten about and never brought up again.

All in all, I did like this book. I thought it was pretty good, but it's not a favorite. I had pretty high expectations for it, and it fell through in some bits. For that, I rate it 3.75 stars. I look forward to reading the next installment.

Libby Kowitz

** spoiler alert **
           Wow, this book. I started this back in July as a buddy read and I finished it today. I have so so so many thoughts on it, and I’ll try to make sure they’re all cohesive because I have so much to say about how I loved this. Please note: this is not a spoiler-free review.

Were it not for the ending (and really all of Part 3) this book would have gotten 3-4 stars (probably 3.5). The beginning was difficult to get into, the time jumps made it hard to follow, the characters seemed overdramatic and unlikeable, and I couldn’t tell where the plot was going. The whole first part of this sort of felt like a bad dream. In all honesty, if I wasn’t buddy reading this, I wouldn’t have continued past chapter 4.

But, let me say, I am so very glad I did. Because HOLY CRAP the character development was top notch. Let me tell you, I hated Jack Sommers initially and boy did I sob when he was dying. Seriously. I loathed that boy for all of part 1. When did I fall in love with him? I don’t even know but it happened. He grew from the boy so terrified of death to the leader of a rebellion. I just… I don’t have words to express how stellar his development was.

I can honestly say I wasn’t expecting this book to have so much girl power either. I stan Poppy and Fleur and Amber and Marie and Noelle. And maybe Gaia???? From the start, I preferred Fleur to Jack (but by the end I adored them both equally), but I feared this was one of those boy’s books. You know the ones–where the main character is a boy. Maybe it’s split POV with a girl, but in the end, the guy is the hero and the female character is the love interest. Elle Cosimano totally flipped this trope on its head and she deserves all the props in the world FOR THAT ENDING. Just, wow.

AND THE FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS? I initially thought, oh, Fleur’s the kind of girl who’s not like other girls. You know, the ones authors write to try to make them more likable, but in the end, the girl is unlikable because she literally hates every other girl for being different from her. I thought this mostly because she seemed like she could hardly stand Poppy in the beginning. BUT MY FRIENDS, I ADORE A GOOD ENEMIES TO BEST-FRIENDS TROPE AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I GOT. Not for Poppy and Fleur–it turns out they actually do care about each other–but for Fleur and Amber??? I ship the bromance.

Oh, and the male friendships? This is something that is so neglected in literature, and while I wish by the end I would have felt like Jack and Julio made peace (I just felt like after their fight, they could have had a moment together where they became bros), Jack and Chill’s friendship was literally amazing.

The romance was amazing too. Not much steam, and in the beginning, I definitely felt like Amber and Jack would have made a better couple, along with Julio and Fleur being together. It made more sense to me. By the end I totally shipped Amber/Julio and Fleur/Jack, though.

I think that’s it for characters. Onto the plot. This is something that just really frustrates me because until I’d finished, I really felt like all of part 1 was unnecessary. EXCEPT IT WASN’T? AND IT MADE SENSE? AND THE AUTHOR BROUGHT IT FULL CIRCLE? AND NOW I KIND OF WANT TO READ THIS BOOK AGAIN? WHAT?

I dragged my feet for a whole month through part 1, thinking this book was going to get two stars. Then I get through part 2 and think, okay, it’s going to get four stars. But then part 3 happens and I realize everything I thought wasn’t important was?! This book deserves a five-star rating, even if it did begin slow and even if there were times I felt the pacing was off, just because Cosimano’s use of Chekhov’s gun was incredible (like J.K. Rowling incredible). I can’t fault this book for anything when every single line, every single scene, every single beautiful word meant so much by the end.

Know that when you read this book, you aren’t going to like it in the beginning. It’s going to be difficult to read. But I think it’s so important that the beginning was difficult because the end is so well-deserved. It’s not your typical happily ever after (and there were scenes that had me texting my buddy read friend things like, “No more crying. It needs to be all sunshine and rainbows from here,” only to end up crying like 5 pages later). But the plot is phenomenal, and the character arcs are unequivocally some of the best I’ve ever read.

So this book, despite the flaws I initially thought it had, gets five-stars because there wasn’t a single word on the pages that I regretted reading by the end. Also, my apologies, because I feel like almost every sentence in this review is uppercase, but it warranted an enthusiastic review.

(Also, I am Amber. Amber is me. And I love Julio. *heart eyes*)

That is all.

Ashlee

I love the premise of this book and it definitely lived up to my expectations! 

Seasons of the Storm is a modern-day urban fantasy-esque story in which characters are the embodiments of the four seasons and must kill the Season that comes before them, every year, in order for their season to officially begin and continue the cycle. 

When Jack Sommers lays dying he’s given a choice. Choose death or choose to become a Winter and live a life of semi-immortality. Jack has been a Winter for over thirty years now but he’s begun to question the life he’s chosen to lead. And the crux of that questioning is bottled within his growing feelings for Fleur, the Spring that’s destined to kill him every year.

Jack and Fleur are joined by a full cast, including Julio (a Summer) and Amber (an Autumn) who also harbor feelings for each other. As I was reading this, I got some strong squad good vibes and I really enjoyed the dynamic between all of the characters.

The various Seasons have taken on their task as young adults on the cusp of their mortal death, but most characters in this book have been alive for decades past the age they physically appear. While this is a young adult novel, I questioned this at times, especially as some of the characters acted almost too much like teenagers, given the time they’ve been alive for. But, like I said, being that it is a young adult novel, I didn’t mind it so much as I questioned how realistic those personifications we.

The heart of this plot lies in the character’s choices and whether they’re willing to continue hunting each other down, even while it eats away at their conscience and muddles the relationships they’ve built.

I love the concept of this book. I love that it has a fast-moving plot that takes us through multiple settings and geographic locations. I love that there are so many great characters to connect with and root for and that the friendships are solid and the romance fulfilling.

This novel does have an ending that is tied up nicely and makes it feel like a standalone, but there is a sequel coming now too, so I look forward to seeing what is next!

Seasons of the Storm

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