Storm Siren by Mary Weber

In a world at war, a slave girl's lethal curse could become one kingdom's weapon of salvation, if the curse-and the girl-can be controlled. As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn't merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and are always killed at birth. She shouldn't even exist. Standing on the auction block and awaiting her fifteenth sell, Nym's hood is removed, revealing the pure white hair of an Elemental. Whilst the commoners fear her, Nym is snatched up by a court adviser and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed. Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed in a new world of politics, bizarre parties and rumours of an evil more sinister than she is prepared to fight. But what if she doesn't want to be the weapon they have all been hoping for? Set in a beautifully eclectic world of suspicion, mysterious powers and monsters, Storm Siren is a story of power. And whoever controls this power will win. 

When I started this book I was expecting knights, horse-drawn carriages and over-the-top balls. What I got was an almost steampunk version of what I was expecting. The kingdom of Faelen is filled with man-eating war horses, flying ships and glamorous parties that even whilst reading seemed crazily eccentric. But all of these things, though strange, just kept drawing me more and more into this world of intrigue, politics, powers and monsters. Nym was a great main character who carried so much guilt over the horrific things she had done with her unpredictable power, but she was strong in that she was one of the most selfless characters I have read about. Whilst the story didn't suck me in straight away, by the end of it I realised that I didn't want it to end (cliffhangers are going to be the death of me). Storm Siren is a beautifully written story and a fantastical one at that. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Titans

"I think some have to fight harder to choose good over evil because the evil's got it out for them. And maybe it's because those're the ones evil knows will become the strongest warriors."