Title: Storm BreakerAuthor: Nisha J. Tuli
Series: Storm Breaker #1
Pages: 416
Publication Date: May 5, 2026
Publisher: Entangled: Mayhem Books
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Dystopia
Synopsis:
For nineteen-year-old Poet Graves, New Manhattan has always promised safety―if she obeys. Raised within the ruling Houses and betrothed to a powerful heir, she enters Amery Academy knowing her future has already been decided.
But Amery is nothing like she imagined. Its trials are brutal, its loyalties conditional, and its rules designed to expose weakness. As Poet struggles to survive, she must hide the truth that could get her executed: the storms don’t fear her―they answer back.
When a dangerous outsider from beyond the city walls enters the academy, Poet is drawn to him despite everything she’s been taught to believe. He threatens the life she’s been promised. And choosing him could cost her not just her future, but her freedom.
A gripping dystopian romance filled with forbidden power, ruthless challenges, and a heroine who refuses to burn quietly―perfect for fans of Divergent and The Hunger Games.
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Wow! This was such an exciting and gripping read! I’m so thrilled that dystopias are having a moment right now because I’ve read several over the past couple of months, and I’m as obsessed as I was in the early 2000s. Storm Breaker is described as Divergent meets The Hunger Games, and those of you who know me know how much I LOVE The Hunger Games. So, of course, I dove right into this book as soon as I got it. I couldn’t put it down! It was so good that I actually ended up reading it in one day.
The story follows nineteen-year-old Poet Graves, who has always believed New Manhattan would keep her safe as long as she followed the rules, even if it meant accepting an arranged future that she doesn’t truly want. But when she arrives at Amery Academy, she quickly realizes that, between the brutal trials, shifting loyalties, betrayals, lies, and the dangerous secret she’s hiding, survival is anything but guaranteed. And when a mysterious outsider from beyond the city walls starts to pull her in, Poet is forced to choose between the life she’s always been told to want and a freedom that could cost her everything.
I loved these characters so much, especially Poet and Rook. Poet has been shaped by control, fear, and expectations her entire life, and watching her start to question that and slowly come into her own was one of my favorite parts of the book. And the found family she builds at the academy was the best, especially after seeing how she’s treated by those who supposedly care for her. The friendships she forms contrast so well with her actual family, who are honestly just awful. Her father, in particular, made me furious, and don’t even get me started on her fiancé. The way they treat her, control her, and try to force her into a life she doesn’t want just made me root for her even harder when she starts finding people who actually see her and care about her.
Rook is mysterious and dangerous, and I absolutely adored him. He’s very different from what Poet has been told about people who live outside of New Manhattan. I think Poet and Rook learn a lot about how wrong their preconceived notions are, and their slow-building romance is amazing. Poet is stuck in this arranged engagement to a man who is shady, disrespectful, and completely undeserving of her, which makes the contrast with Rook even more pronounced. From the moment he shows up, there is this tension and chemistry between them that just builds and builds. I loved it! Their relationship is a slow burn with forbidden vibes, and the banter, the quieter moments, and the way they see each other in a way that no one else does made my heart so happy.
The dystopian elements were also really interesting. The world is harsh, controlled, and rigid, and there’s a constant feeling of danger and darkness in this ominous and oppressive society. The academy is hardcore, as are the trials! They definitely give me Hunger Games/Divergent vibes. The political intrigue and the power dynamics are intriguing, too, and there are some thought-provoking messages about control and expectations, identity and self-discovery, the use of fear and obedience to gain power, and how love and acceptance can be a strong catalyst for change.
And that ending? I can’t even! I’m already desperate to see where it goes next, and I definitely know I’ll be thinking about this story for a long time. Special thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
Until now, I guess I never truly understood that my worth to them was found in my compliance. Not my presence.
“Poet Graves, you are the best kind of trouble I’ve ever found in my life.”
- forbidden romance
- slow burn
- enemies to lovers
- found family
- dark academia
Nisha J Tuli is a USA Today and international bestselling author of glittering fantasy worlds, steamy rom-coms, and kissing scenes full of angst. Her book, Trial of the Sun Queen, went on to become a BookTok hit, selling over a million copies and finding its way into readers’ hands around the world. Her book Storm Breaker is currently in development with Amazon MGM for a TV series.
When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found in the gym or the kitchen (to eat, not to cook) or maybe knitting scarves to survive a Canadian winter. She lives in Manitoba with her husband, their two kids, and their fluffy Samoyed.
