Of Fire and Ash {Book Review}

 Hello all! Today I'm reviewing Of Fire and Ash by Gillian Bronte Adams. Happy release day! Let's get to it.

Synopsis:

She rides a fireborn, a steed of fire and ash, trained for destruction.

Ceridwen tal Desmond dreams of ruling like her father over the nation of Soldonia, where warriors ride to battle on magical steeds—soaring on storm winds, vanishing in shadow, quaking the earth, and summoning the sea. After a tragic accident claims her twin brother, she is exiled and sworn to atonement by spending her life—or death—for her people.

But when invaders spill onto Soldonia’s shores and traitors seize upon the chaos to murder her father, Ceridwen claims the crown to keep the nation from splintering. Combatting overwhelming odds and looming civil war, she begins to wonder if the greatest threat to the kingdom may, in fact, be her.

With fire before her and ash in her wake, how can she hope to unite instead of destroy?

Flames rage and oceans rise in this explosive first installment of The Fireborn Epic as the exiled heir, a novice priest, and a reluctant rebel wage war against a hidden power that threatens to shake the world.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ .

    Listen, I loveee a good fantasy. I also love a good epic fantasy. So let's see how this one measures up. 

The Cover:

    Covers that are artistic renderings are a hit or miss for me. They can come off amateurish or unpolished. I'm happy to report that this cover does not hit these negative qualities. I love the artistic depiction of Ceridwen atop her flaming steed. It fits the novel and its themes so well and the artist clearly knows what they are doing. This artistic rendering reminds me of more classic fantasy novels when illustrated covers were more than norm and that's definitely not a bad thing here. Lovely cover.

 Characters

    In an epic fantasy of this type, separating the characters from the story is not an easy thing, so I will do my best. The characters that make up the tapestry of the book are imperfect and well-constructed. The book follows three different characters and I actually enjoyed all of them. In fact, I was often hungry for more when a chapter would end only for me to get pulled into another character. Ceridwen's reckless ways, Rafi's joking cowardice, and Jakim's struggles with morality each made for some compelling storylines. There is a full cast to fill out side and minor characters too. One of my favorite has to be Finnian, Ceridwen's partner. No spoilers here, but he rides a shadow horse and is generally very cool. Some might struggle to keep up with all of the many characters, but that's par for the course when it comes to fantasy novels of this magnitude. Just do like I did and look back to find a character's first appearance if you can't remember who on earth they are--here's looking at you, Nold. Sorry about that.

 Plot and Story 

    First of all, let me just say... this story is amazingly detailed. The world is expansive and each culture feels fleshed out and unique. Reading the different story lines set in such completely different parts of the story world is very interesting, as Adams delves into each different culture so completely. At the beginning of each chapter there is a small excerpt related to the different cultures and I found that such a nice and interesting touch. It was a unique way to give more insight into the different cultures without info dumping within the story itself. Without spoiling anything, the story of Of Fire and Ash deals with a lot of broken and struggling characters trying to find their future. The book is full of fantastic horses with amazing abilities. Some of them fly, some are water horses, some shadowers that can fade into shadow and smoke, and the main character's horse is a fireborn. He flames. There is a lot to these special horses but they really add to the story and it's a pretty unique path to take. The book deals with a LOT of heavy themes and there are a couple of very, very sad parts. However, hope is also present and that is the most beautiful element blazing forth. I finished the novel wanting book two very much. I'm curious to see how the stories of different characters will intertwine in the future.

Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Ash-Fireborn-Epic-Book/dp/1621842037/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=of+fire+and+ash&qid=1638939040&sr=8-1

The Girl Who Could See: Release Day Review!

 Hello, all! Today is the release day of The Girl Who Could See, a novella by Kara Swanson. I was lucky enough to be on the launch team and receive an early copy of the book, so I'm releasing my review today.

All her life Fern has been told she is blind to reality—but, what if she is the only one who can truly see?

Fern Johnson is crazy. At least, that's what the doctors have claimed since her childhood. Now nineteen, and one step away from a psych ward, Fern struggles to survive in bustling Los Angeles. Desperate to appear normal, she represses the young man flickering at the edge of her awareness—a blond warrior only she can see. 

Tristan was Fern's childhood imaginary hero, saving her from monsters under her bed and outside her walls. As she grew up and his secret world continued to bleed into hers, however, it only caused catastrophe. But, when the city is rocked by the unexplainable, Fern is forced to consider the possibility that this young man is not a hallucination after all—and that the creature who decimated his world may be coming for hers.



What a title (and storyline), am I right?

Cover

I know I'm on a roll with loving the covers I've reviewed lately, but this one is truly exceptional. It even won a cover contest, so I'm not the only one who thinks so. 

Characters

Okay, but who couldn't love Tristan, the boy from another world who's protected Fern from childhood? That's adorable, right? I think it is. Tristan sort of reminded me of one of my own characters at the beginning of the story, but as I read more of him, he was quite different, multi-faceted, and kind of precious in a tough warrior boy sort of way. I liked Tristan an awful lot. 

Our main character, Fern, is the star of character growth. She starts the book pretty much legally insane and trying to keep it a secret that she's illegally raising her niece. Seeing Fern's character development from someone who was afraid to even think about her childhood, to a strong woman willing to fight for those she loved was pretty incredible. 

I also have to mention that I enjoyed the use of the F.B.I as major players. You don't see this a lot in fantasy books, so it was a fun and unique addition. 

Story/Plot

Getting everything you want to say into a 50,000+ word book is hard. Getting your story into a novella? Crazy difficult, in my experience of writing novellas. I prefer novels because you can get so much more information in.

But Kara Swanson takes that thought and turns it on its head. Not only does she write a good novella, she writes one with just enough detail and a perfectly sized plot to fill her pages just right. The story is action packed, doesn't drag with needless exposition, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I saw someone mention this as a good beach-day read and I agree. If you want a quick summer read that isn't a romance novella, this is a good choice. Action packed and it will only take a couple of sittings. 

I really enjoyed this one and liked that with its short length, it was easy to get through, but also well-developed. I was left with some questions, so I wouldn't be adverse to a sequel, but if there isn't one coming... I think this novella stands well on its own. 

Guess what? This novella is only 99 cents today because it is release day. You should grab it here while you have the chance!

About the author: As the daughter of missionaries, KARA SWANSON spent sixteen years of her young life in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. Able to relate with characters dropped suddenly into a unique new world, she quickly fell in love with the speculative genre and was soon penning stories herself.

At seventeen, she independently published a fantasy novel, Pearl of Merlydia. Her short story Distant as the Horizon is included in Kathy Ide's 21 Days of Joy: Stories that Celebrate Mom. She has published many articles, including one in the Encounter magazine. Kara received the Mount Hermon Most Promising Teen Writer Award in 2015.

Congratulations to Kara!

~ Bethany