Servants of the Storm by Delilah S. Dawson

Guys, I'm super excited about this teen debut! I was introduced to Delilah S. Dawson through the fabulous Carniepunk anthology and couldn't believe I'd managed to somehow miss out on her work before then. Excellent world building and a steamy blend of romance and paranormal make her Blud series to die for :) So of course her upcoming Servants of the Storm was added to the wish list as soon as I came across mention of it.

It's been almost a year since Hurricane Josephine swept through Savannah laying waste to everything in its path. Like the city, Dovey survived the storm, but the same can't be said for her best friend Carly and Dovey feels this loss with every waking moment. Dovey's doctors have given her meds to help and her parents seem to be guardedly hopeful, but Dovey knows no pill is strong enough to erase Carly from her memory. 

Then one day Dovey sees Carly. She knows it can't be real - she was at Carly's funeral and saw the body in the coffin. Or did she? Ever since the storm Dovey's memory has been filled with gaping holes. Her day to day is foggy and her brain is clouded by the meds. Without them she's finally able to think much more clearly and begins a search she hopes will lead to the truth about Carly's death. But as Dovey follows the specter of her dead friend down a warren of rabbit holes into Savannah's darkest depths, she begins to realize that Josephine was only the beginning. Something dark has settled in Savannah and Dovey is caught right in the middle. 

With its cast of unforgettable characters and a truly nightmarish setting, Servants of the Storm was satisfyingly quirky and bizarre. It was actually quite reminiscent of the Blud world and I kept expecting some sort of tie in because of the similar tone. (There isn't one.)

Maybe it's the fact that I'm from the deep south that I found myself enjoying this one so much. The whole area, whether it be Savannah or New Orleans, is kind of steeped in historical oddities and ghost stories. The added annual stress of hurricane season is something I know all too well. Dawson captured the strange feeling that comes post storm, the relief that you escaped fairly without injury and the knowledge that some of those around you weren't so lucky. The twist here - the added supernatural element - was one I found intensely appealing.

Servants of the Storm is dark and definitely weird. I happen to like dark and weird, though, so it was a good fit for me. I will say that the end was very open to interpretation. I don't know if this means there'll be more to come but I certainly hope so.

Servants of the Storm hits shelves officially tomorrow (August 5).