Review: Leashing the Tempest (Arcadia Bell, #2.5)

Author: Jenn Bennett
Series: Arcadia Bell, #2.5
Published: December 17th 2012
Publisher: Pocket Star
E-novella, 65 pages
Buy: Amazon

The purpose of this e-novella, at least in my eyes, was to make waiting for the May release of Binding the Shadows just a bit easier. Mission accomplished, Ms. Bennett. You gave me a chance to spend some quality time with my favorite characters and if possible, got me even more excited about the upcoming book. In length, Leashing the Tempest is about one-fourth of a book, so it’s definitely worth your $0.99 or 2.99, depending on your location.

Things rarely go as planned for Cady Bell, her Earthbound demon boyfriend Lon and his teenage son Jupe. In this novella, a relaxing one-afternoon boat trip turns into a real adventure when two storms hit their location and an otherworldly creature pays an unexpected visit. Once again, it’s up to Cady and her abilities to save the day.


The plot picked up a bit late, especially for a novella, but I loved that Bennett built it around a mythological creature I’ve never even heard of. Yes, there are still a few out there, and no, I won’t tell you what it is, you’ll have to find out for yourselves. I’ll just point out that I was pleasantly surprised and completely creeped out by this creature. Here, I’ll give you an extremely unhelpful clue because I’m nice like that.

I’d summoned a few demons with weird appendages: tails, cloven hooves, wings… but I’d never seen a multi-headed demon outside a medieval engraving in a musty goetic tome.

Fortunately, Jenn Bennet unleashed her sense of humor in this one, and of course, most of the humorous remarks came from the teenage Earthbound wonder Jupe and his not-so-secret crush Kar Yee. I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t be affected by Jupe’s innocent charm. Even Lon, who is a pretty strict father, all things considered, lets him get away with almost anything.

Lon and Cady’s wonderful relationship with Jupiter brings me to my favorite thing about Bennett’s books. What sets this series apart from all other urban fantasy series is the family at its center. Even though their stories are told from Cady’s point of view, in first person at that, they are indeed their stories. Every member of the newly formed family is just as important as the other two, and Bennett manages the stories with three equal protagonists beautifully.

The second book in the series, Summoning the Night, found its place among my very few favorite 2012 adult releases. If you like urban fantasy at all, you’ll definitely like this one.