THE BREWING STORM by Paul Ruditis

Earth, air, fire, water --
A child must bring them all together.
Calm the shaking, quell the slaughter
Tonight's the night - it's now or never.

Synopsis: Despite wacky weather threatening the San Francisco area, life for the Charmed Ones is as normal as ever. Normal, that is, until eleven-year-old Tyler Michaels shows up at their door. Tyler, a Firestarter, is on the run from demons. Though the Halliwell sisters have dealt with Tyler before, a glance from the Book of Shadows turns up new, unexpected information about the boy... and the forces for which his magic can be harnessed.

Once a century the planets align in such a way that the tides shift and the climate changes, causing unpredictable weather and earthquakes. With the world out of balance the Firestarter is charged with gathering the other Elementals on the Night of the Aeolus to perform a sacred ritual. Without this ritual the weather will eventually tear the world apart. But the demons chasing Tyler want to divert the Elemental power and channel it for a dark evil. The Charmed Ones must prevent this from happening at all costs -- but the Night of Aeolus is already upon them...

My Review:
I was initially skeptical about the quality of the content as the book cover itself doesn't look much, but trust me, this is possibly one of the best and most entertaining Charmed novels in a very long time. The story had enough wit, humor, and four colorful Elementals - each with their own sets of striking personalities. Once again, Darryl Morris plays an important part in this story, but unlike "Mirror Image", his presence will be much more comfortable and sensible to the readers. And with modern references such as Britney Spears and Harry Potter, and citing to past characters Prue and Cole, what's not to love? My only complain is that the story wasn't edgy enough. Oh, and the "Windwalker" and "Waterbearer" (especially the latter) seem to be rather proficient for someone who's never been so conscious of their abilities before.

Rating: