Genre/Tags: Storm/Tornado Chasers, Reality TV Show, Bi MC,  Closeted MC, Parent with Significant Mental Health Condition (FDIA)

Author: Nicky James

Story Rating: 5 Stars

Narrator: Nick J Russo

Narrator Rating: 5 Stars

Length: 12 hours and 21 minutes

Audiobook Buy Links: Audible, Author’s Page 

He was the lightning to my thunder, different in every way, yet we were inextricably linked.

A storm rages inside Gale. He’s drowning in secrets and failing at every turn. A life in the seminary didn’t work out. A degree in atmospheric science wasn’t what he had hoped. Closeted and insecure, overshadowed by his outgoing twin sister, Gale’s only happiness comes from photographing nature.

Ozrik’s life is a series of lightning strikes. Suffocating under the thumb of a mother with a mental illness, he rebels by chasing tornadoes. Fearless and reckless, he risks his life simply to feel alive.

When Ozrik’s chase team gets noticed by a television producer who wants to turn his hobby into a reality show, Ozrik jumps at the chance. Getting paid to chase tornadoes might be his ticket to freedom.

Until he learns that his team isn’t the sole contender.

A rival group of chasers has also been selected.

What was meant to be a life-changing opportunity turns into a competition that could be the end of Ozrik’s team for good.

He was born for this. As the wind begins to blow, and the season ramps up, Ozrik’s ready to prove himself.

Except that the storm he ends up chasing is unlike any he’s encountered.

It swirls inside the heart of a complicated man.

A storm with the power to destroy him.

Review: 

Gale was different, and I still didn’t know why. His inner storm called to me. It sang, begging for someone to listen, and I heard it. I heard him and all he couldn’t say.

The Main Characters: Ozrik Devereaux is twenty-four. He lives with his mother in the town of Elk City, Oklahoma. Even though there’s approximately 11,000 people in town, pretty much everyone in Elk City knows about his mother. The sheriff will track Oz down if Stella continuously complains to him that her son must be ‘dead in a ditch somewhere’ because he hasn’t answered the (hourly) dozens upon dozens of texts, or as he refers to them ‘the bombardment of microfiction horror.’ Pretty apt. 

Oz does occasional work at the Salted Orange, a local bar, but his true passion is leading Twisted Fates, his hand picked team of storm chasers. They’re popular on social media. Oz is especially passionate about chasing tornadoes, the bigger the better, and his followers love Twisted Fates ability to get really close to twisters, as well as Oz’s good looks, and his infectious excitement and knowledge about the pursuit.

After graduating from high school, Vern and I dove headfirst into storm chasing. We lived in the heart of tornado alley and had been obsessed with the worst Mother Nature could throw at us since we were kids. It took time to build knowledge and a solid team, but we’d been at it for years.

Oz’s mother has a mental health disorder known as FDIA. Her behaviour has remained intense – she’s poisoned him on numerous occasions, convinced medical staff he’s had cancer, currently claims he has leukaemia. He loves her but he makes sure to wear a medic alert necklace that says ‘don’t believe her lies.’ However, people jibing him or being overly sympathetic about his mum and his lot in life doesn’t sit well with him. What most people see is an outgoing, loyal, passionate guy that loves skirting danger, but we also get to see what it’s like for him to deal with a mother who isn’t stable. No matter what side of Oz is on display, he’s always incredibly likeable. He’s also brave. As if it isn’t enough to be flayed bare by his family situation, he’s also well and truly out as a bisexual guy in a smallish mid-western town.   

Then there’s Gale Windrow. He’s twenty-six and still lives with his father on acreage on the outskirts of Elk City. Merrison never pushes his son. He allows him space if he wants to talk, which Gale doesn’t ever avail himself of, and is an overall gentle parent. Gale and his twin sister’s mother died when they were ten. Gale loved her dearly. Still does. Olivia took over the motherly role but she was a child herself. The end result is Olivia can be incredibly pushy and Gale never wants to disappoint her. 

Dad clasped my shoulder. “Be yourself, Gale. You can’t be anyone else, right?”
“Yeah.” No one knew that more than me.
“Chin up. You don’t give yourself enough credit. You have inner strength. You’re intelligent. You’re worth knowing. Don’t let anyone, especially your sister, walk all over you. You stand up for yourself. You hear me?”

School wasn’t a solid place for Gale, a nerdy, introverted kid. In the seminary, on his way to becoming a priest, it’s clear something happened that changed his trajectory, turning an introvert into an avoidant. After dropping out, he ends up pivoting and obtaining a degree in atmospheric science, just because a place was available, while his sister heads another group that chases storms, the Wind Riders. They haven’t been on the scene for as long as Ozrik and his Twisted Fates crew have, but Olivia has a fast growing following. Having girl-next-door looks and a ton of determination definitely helps. 

I felt for Gale. It’s hard living in the shadow of a high achieving, pushy sibling, which Olivia has always been, feeling like an outlier because you don’t want anyone to know about your sexuality. Having such faith in God when you don’t dare say out loud you’re gay, trying to supress that, then being shamed and bullied. It’s a lot. Gale’s feeling like God isn’t interested in him very much anymore. It leaves him quite directionless as he looks for signs or guidance from God.    

The Romance: It’s sweet. Kind. Gentle. Oz didn’t know about Gale because they went to different schools, then Gale went to university, and afterward, deliberately kept to himself for quite some time. However, Gale has had –  has – fantasises about Oz. He’s watches him on Twisted Fates’ YouTube channel, and on one occasion, Gale gets an opportunity to photograph Oz, on the downlow, during a storm. Something Gale uses as extra fuel for his highly internalised desire for Oz. For a while he’s thought of Oz as this handsome, bad boy rockstar of storms and tornadoes. Someone unobtainable. As if Gale would have ever have a chance with someone like Ozrik Devereaux. Besides, Gale isn’t going to put his sexuality out there because he barely allows himself to think about it. When Olivia, who has no clue about Gale’s orientation or desire, mentions that Oz is a player, it makes Gale even more leery. As they develop their relationship, particularly over the course of the reality TV competition, Gale finds it so difficult to trust Oz even when Oz gives him no indication that he is anything but caring.

While the romance may be seen as an opposites attract story, that isn’t totally true. Both of the MCs have experienced some tough times in their lives. Gale doesn’t allow himself relationships. Oz usually keeps his at a superficial level. Oz has bravado, chases some dangerous storms, but he still feels the burn of his mother’s mental health and everyone knowing all about his problematic childhood through to current life with his mother. Gale is locked down, never wanting to burden anyone with his issues. Never hanging out with others. He hasn’t felt like he’s enough at any stage in his life. Since leaving the seminary he feels like he’s lost his connection to God. He’s also hyperaware that trust given freely could come back in cruel ways, it’s already happened to him. So Gale ‘copes’ by camping, taking and developing photographs from his loved 35mm camera, and being alone with his anxiety.  

Oz’s upbringing has cultivated a lot of compassion and he uses that with Gale. The consent that Oz ensures every step of the way with Gale is a lovely thing. He’s protective of him. Gale has to find his place in the world and not let the past define him. It’s nice to see him come into himself – not unrealistically so – as the story progresses. Gale ignites an electrical charge in Oz that he’s never experienced with anyone prior. It means a lot to Oz. There is no ‘superficial’ with Gale. Their combined electricity. Their ‘zap’ moments. It adds a felt-sense connection to both men’s lives. I loved how the touch/zap moments are special to them right through to the very end of this book. James does such a good job with these two characters fitting together.  

Like the blurb says, both storm chaser teams get called in for a discussion in regards to a TV series. Both teams are led to believe they’re the only ones wanted – but this is the era of reality TV. What’s better than 2 crews of chasers competing against one another? Combining them with cameras increasingly everywhere to cause drama. There’s only going to be 5 overall spots but they want 10 team members in the show, two teams of 5. Olivia only has 4 in her team, so she guilts and leans on Gale to take part when it’s the last thing he’s ever wanted. Gale doesn’t do well in close proximity to others. Doesn’t want to head into big electrical storms or tornadoes. He has panic. He prefers his photography which, while in its infancy, seems to be gaining some traction for him.  

Extra Bits:

Just to be nit-picky – Munchausen’s by Proxy might sound kind of fascinating, and while it once was called that, it isn’t the correct term for Oz’s mother’s illness. It’s actually been in both the DSM and ICD for sometime as Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another, or FDIA. It’s a misunderstood, layered, and generally not well handled mental health condition, often because it straddles psychiatry and a country’s child protection services.   

There are 2 POV throughout. I believe it was important to be in both MCs heads. Particularly given that Gale is shutdown.

James does a good job of making sure no one is black and white in terms of their character. That includes secondary characters. 

While there is emotion in the book, it’s lovely, it’s touching, overall it’s an upbeat story.

Nick J Russo does a good job of delivering Oz and Gale so they are uniquely themselves. I’d definitely recommend the audiobook if you’re debating which way to go.

Overview: 

In a sea of similar books about hockey or sport, also trying to traverse AI generated material that I don’t want to touch – so frustrating – Stormz Rising gives a unique, well written contemporary romance alternative by a known author. I’ve read two Nicky James books this year and both of them have been 5 star reads because of their uniqueness, their heart, humanity, and the beauty I saw within their characters. For Stormz Rising, it’s 5 Stars!