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lindsm94's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really loved this story. The world building was clear and easy to fall into. I really enjoyed getting both main characters points of view and slowly watching them put the pieces together and fall for each other. I also adore the friendship of Koraine and Nyla. I’m excited to see where the story goes next and especially what happens with Nyla.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Physical abuse
Moderate: Sexual violence, Death of parent, and Sexual assault
Minor: War, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Violence
nero_nash's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Attention all Zutara fans 🗣️📣 this is the damn book for you!
The female MC does remind me of Yue... But I'm not complaining 😂
The prince has been served my heart on a gold platter. Seriously Bellamy, take it, it's yours.
Both Koraine and Bellamy are incredibly caring and strong willed characters. Their past and their growth in this book is truly something special. I'm quite proud of both of them and how far they have come.
All in all they both stole my heart and I'm DYING to have that second book😭
The female MC does remind me of Yue... But I'm not complaining 😂
The prince has been served my heart on a gold platter. Seriously Bellamy, take it, it's yours.
Both Koraine and Bellamy are incredibly caring and strong willed characters. Their past and their growth in this book is truly something special. I'm quite proud of both of them and how far they have come.
All in all they both stole my heart and I'm DYING to have that second book😭
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse
Moderate: Cursing, Child abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Death of parent
Minor: Classism, Emotional abuse, Violence, and War
annmeyer's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a review. I discovered it on TikTok, where it was advertised as being inspired by Zuko and Katara in Avatar: The Last Airbender. (The book's dedication reads: “For everyone who thought Zuko and Katara should’ve ended up together.”) I've been in a bit of a reading rut lately, but this was a really quick, easy-to-digest read to get back into the swing of things.
The book follows Koraine (FMC inspired by Katara), a nobleman's daughter with water-manipulation abilities. Almost immediately, she is sent away to the fire kingdom to be married off to a prince (Bellamy, MMC inspired by Zuko) to establish an alliance — a political marriage of convenience of sorts. In many ways, I think the writing and plot fell flat for me, which was disappointing because I think this book and the others that follow it have a lot of potential, especially considering the MMC is supposedly in his early 20s. I was hoping for a bit more maturity and depth in terms of the political and familial themes.
Like ATLA, each of these kingdoms (as well as two others) exists based on the elements of air, water, earth, and fire, with various people able to control the elements for fighting, healing, and other purposes. I think that the context of ATLA's world-building does a lot of heavy lifting to carry the setting in this book, as without it in the back of your mind certain things wouldn't be as clear or exciting. Besides the world-building of ATLA, parts of the plot and crucial character development are also really heavily informed by the TV series, particularly Bellamy's relationship with his father. (Nothing in this book truly compares to Zuko's character development and confrontation of his father in the third season, though.)
The overall plot follows Koraine's experiences navigating a new, hostile kingdom and the people living there, particularly in the palace. The book is primarily romance with a little bit of fantasy, so it focuses mostly on her developing relationship with Bellamy (as well as her friendship with his sister, Nyla). The enemies-to-lovers trope was prominent, but I felt it was a bit rushed; things felt very fast-paced overall, but the two main characters would go days or weeks without seeing each other, then have some kind of event/interaction, and so on. The build-up and delay certainly had me turning pages fast, but because the interactions were somewhat limited, the romance felt a little forced by the time it got very intense. I wish more time had been spent flushing out their being enemies, outside of just choosing to avoid each other. The last 100 pages of the book felt really rushed in particular, as the plot started to develop very rapidly toward the book's ending.
I wish there had been more depth to some of the side characters (e.g. one that appeared late in the book was a little reminiscent of Uncle Iroh) as they felt a bit hollow at times, and it was difficult to become invested in any of them. I also wish that more had happened in the middle of the book overall, as the bulk of it was focused on the main character's emotional states and looming responsibilities. I've seen some people mention that this book struggles with showing instead of telling, and I'm inclined to agree. Additionally, the writing quality could have been a bit better at the sentence-structure level.
Overall, it was a quick, fun read. I don't know for sure that I'd read the second book, but this one did make me really want to go watch ATLA again.
The book follows Koraine (FMC inspired by Katara), a nobleman's daughter with water-manipulation abilities. Almost immediately, she is sent away to the fire kingdom to be married off to a prince (Bellamy, MMC inspired by Zuko) to establish an alliance — a political marriage of convenience of sorts. In many ways, I think the writing and plot fell flat for me, which was disappointing because I think this book and the others that follow it have a lot of potential, especially considering the MMC is supposedly in his early 20s. I was hoping for a bit more maturity and depth in terms of the political and familial themes.
Like ATLA, each of these kingdoms (as well as two others) exists based on the elements of air, water, earth, and fire, with various people able to control the elements for fighting, healing, and other purposes. I think that the context of ATLA's world-building does a lot of heavy lifting to carry the setting in this book, as without it in the back of your mind certain things wouldn't be as clear or exciting. Besides the world-building of ATLA, parts of the plot and crucial character development are also really heavily informed by the TV series, particularly Bellamy's relationship with his father. (Nothing in this book truly compares to Zuko's character development and confrontation of his father in the third season, though.)
The overall plot follows Koraine's experiences navigating a new, hostile kingdom and the people living there, particularly in the palace. The book is primarily romance with a little bit of fantasy, so it focuses mostly on her developing relationship with Bellamy (as well as her friendship with his sister, Nyla). The enemies-to-lovers trope was prominent, but I felt it was a bit rushed; things felt very fast-paced overall, but the two main characters would go days or weeks without seeing each other, then have some kind of event/interaction, and so on. The build-up and delay certainly had me turning pages fast, but because the interactions were somewhat limited, the romance felt a little forced by the time it got very intense. I wish more time had been spent flushing out their being enemies, outside of just choosing to avoid each other. The last 100 pages of the book felt really rushed in particular, as the plot started to develop very rapidly toward the book's ending.
I wish there had been more depth to some of the side characters (e.g. one that appeared late in the book was a little reminiscent of Uncle Iroh) as they felt a bit hollow at times, and it was difficult to become invested in any of them. I also wish that more had happened in the middle of the book overall, as the bulk of it was focused on the main character's emotional states and looming responsibilities. I've seen some people mention that this book struggles with showing instead of telling, and I'm inclined to agree. Additionally, the writing quality could have been a bit better at the sentence-structure level.
Overall, it was a quick, fun read. I don't know for sure that I'd read the second book, but this one did make me really want to go watch ATLA again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, War, and Physical abuse
Minor: Sexual harassment
princess_sara_sparkles's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Grief, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and War
britanyisreading's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The setup: Koraine is sent to the kingdom of Abelon as a bride for the prince, Bellamy. Their marriage will barter peace between their two kingdoms - fire and water. Abelon’s king is watching everything Koraine does and puts pressure on Bellamy to control his future wife. Their peoples have been enemies for years, but Bellamy and Koraine will have to find a way to get along as they are bound together. Unfortunately, the peace among the four elemental kingdoms is tenuous at best and war seems inevitable.
My thoughts: There is a lot to like about Broken Flames. The pacing is quick, and the premise is interesting. I love seeing the relationship develop between Koraine and the people she meets in Abelon. The slow burn between Koraine and Bellamy was a little hard to follow. I didn’t see even a friendship being built between them so it was a little difficult to buy into their relationship. The language used is quite modern which can kind of take you out of the story, but also I feel like I’m seeing more and more in new adult books. The political tension and behind the scenes scheming was also somewhat difficult to follow. I could tell who was not trustworthy, but it didn’t all add up even when things were revealed toward the end. I saw it all coming, but the motives were still so unclear. Something that I feel was lost in the quick pacing was a deeper understanding of the world and the characters’ motivations. Bellamy felt the most fleshed out to me, but Koraine was sort of unpredictable. I really disliked the story trajectory with Cyrus, and after reading I’m still kind of like… what was the point of that? I think I expected more from the story, but it did a good job of introducing us to the world, setting up the main characters, and ended on a surprising twist. I will definitely be picking up book two.
The vibes:
- dual POV
- enemies to lovers
- slow burn
- elemental magic
- “my wife”
- “touch her and die”
- dragons
- sea serpents
- griffins
- Zutara vibes
- marriage of convenience
- ATLA type kingdoms
*I received this as an ARC, and my review contains my honest thoughts and opinions.*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Violence, Torture, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and War
smolone13's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Ratings:
Goodreads: 3.5/5
Storygraph: 3/5
My Rating: 3.5/5
Synopsis:
Inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender. Two rival kingdoms on the brink of war come to a means of peace by forcing an arranged marriage on Koraine and Bellamy.
My Review:
This book was honestly more than I was expecting. I found M. K. Ahearn on TikTok and immediately signed up for the ARC as soon as I saw that it was inspired by Katara and Zuko. I loved Zuko and Katara and honestly thought they had a strong connection and should have been together. Now, I am not saying this book is perfect by any means and I honestly felt like the book could have been longer, but I know this is going to be a series so I am expecting more.
Koraine is a part of a water kingdom who lives with her two brothers, her mother who is distant, and her father who is a general to the king. The king and her father arrange for her to get married to the fire kingdom’s prince, Bellamy. She immediately feels a sense of hatred and betrayal by everyone. Not to mention, they all expect Koraine to be killed after entering the kingdom. (Isn’t that nice?) When she heads over to Bellamy’s kingdom, she is met with something completely different. Bellamy doesn’t truly want anything to do with her because he wants to protect her, but he also has to be close to her to show his father that he can handle “responsibility”. Koraine is simply there and does a number of things that probably should have got her in trouble. Bellamy is actually a sweet character, and although he seems to be harsh, he has a tough trauma, an abusive father, and wants Koraine to be safe. It isn’t long until he realizes she’s not safe in the kingdom. Meanwhile, Koraine realizes that Bellamy’s tough exterior is just that. A mask. Bellamy’s sister is a different case and a great supportive character. Nyla is a sweet character who adds a great support to both Bellamy and Koraine, especially Koraine. Nyla and Koraine grow as a pair and become close friends which I think sets Koraine and Bellamy’s relationship.
The book is set in a fantasy setting with four different kingdoms and the fire kingdom being the prime enemy to all of these kingdoms because of their ruthless ways. Most of the time it is set within the fire kingdom right in the castle where Koraine is being held. There isn’t much of a scenery change unless they are at a party, in the ocean, at the orphanage, or when they escape the fire kingdom to head to the water kingdom.
The main plot is quite literally Koraine and Bellamy joining forces. That is the whole plot.
I did enjoy this book but I felt like it could have been longer and show some more growth between Bellamy and Koraine’s relationship instead of jumping ship. I gave this book a rating of 3.5 because of that reason. I would love to continue this series and see if there are any changes as the series progresses.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Emotional abuse
Minor: War
reyap30's review
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
A huge thank you to MK Ahearn and Azala Press for allowing me a chance to read the ARC for this book. I saw the TikToks and was completely sold on the association to Zutara. As a huge ATLA fan and a Zutara shipper, I will gladly read anything that resembles them. And I think it fulfilled that, but as a whole I was not impressed.
I really wanted to like this book. I want to preface this review by saying I read the initial version of the ARC when it was sent out. Then a few days later I read the edited ARC two more times.
I gave this a lot of thought because my initial reaction was that I disliked it. But by my third read, I could see that some of my criticisms were due to bias and the expectation that it needed to parallel Avatar The Last Airbender more closely than it did. By the third time I read it, I was able to appreciate it for what it was, for the things that make it stand on its own as a story. That is to say, I enjoyed parts of this book. However, my overall opinion of it is poor.
To put it plainly, my main gripe with the book is the writing quality and plot feels empty in terms of what actually happens.
When it comes to setting a scene, I tend to overlook whether there is proper grammar when it comes to indie books— things like spelling or punctuation errors. I know that for self-published authors it’s expensive to invest in editing. But I think this book would really benefit from developmental editing more. There are no instances where the writing is show and not tell. I felt like all the information was spoon-fed to me from the setting, to actions and also the internal thoughts of both POVs. Not to mention the short sentences and straightforward vocabulary, those internal thoughts felt very juvenile. All the characters felt a few years younger than they actually are. I would be more convinced this was on the younger side of a YA book if it weren’t for the swear words and sex scenes sprinkled in. Which made it very uncomfortable to read spicy scenes.
Example from very early on in the book that I still can’t stop thinking about:
"Settling on my horse, I nudged her forward to follow my father off of our property. She was a beautiful, all white, thoroughbred. I’d affectionately named her Milly, but no one else called her that. All of our horses had secret names I’d given them. I gave up trying to convince my father to name them. He’d called it a waste of time when I had told him about Milly years ago. With every new horse brought to our home, I’d quietly named them, keeping them a secret only I knew."
This scene, and very first scene where she has snuck away from home is an attempt to tell the reader that Korraine has a rebellious nature. However this isn’t followed up on because of the characterization, which is my other main issue with the story.
Korraine’s personality does not match up with her actions. She is at times opinionated, stubborn, has compassion and a bit of an adventurous spirit. Most of her internal commentary centers around duty and the loyalty towards her family. She resolves to survive her time in Abelon and possibly gain intelligence to send back home. (The fact that she— a nobeman’s daughter— barely knows the political situation within her own kingdom is also concerning). However, once she gets there what she actually does for the most part is wander around the palace and surrounding city aimlessly, get drunk, spend time with her sea dragon and shop with Nyla. Amidst all this, she comes to see that her fiancé isn’t all that bad and so the attraction grows between them. There’s a disconnect between her thoughts and her actions, and also other people’s perceptions of her. There’s a moment in the book where just before they are about to be intimate, Bellamy thinks about how powerful and strong she, when in fact he has only seen her manipulate water a few times on a small scale.
Emotionally, I would consider Korraine to be strong. She is noblewoman that is being used as a bartering tool. She’s in the enemy’s kingdom, living in the royal palace, surrounded by people that have had a hand in the suffering of people from her homeland. That is an intensely highly stressful situation and I have to give her credit for at least trying to adapt. I just wish the book had taken it one step further where she actively tries to sleuth around the castle, maybe connect with a spy in Abelon who’s working for Morwen. Literally anything because according to Bellamy, “You’re the future queen. You have the freedom to go anywhere in this palace and city with little exceptions.”
Another question: WHY?
Either the king of Abelon is confident Korraine isn’t a threat or the people of this kingdom are lax about national security. They don’t trust her or the people’s response to her enough to have the wedding happen right away, but they’ll give her free rein to do whatever she wants.
And she doesn’t even take advantage of that. In all, I know it’s harsh but I feel like she’s very much a doormat. If anything if we are to make parallels to characters in ATLA, she does not remind me of Katara. She’s more like Princess Yue, in personality and appearance (which by the way was weird, because I kept imaging Zuko/Yue in my head while reading).
But again, this book is a romance, not a political fantasy. I probably don’t have enough grounds to complain about it, but if these elements are going to be there, I would hope they make enough sense that there aren’t questions of how or why.
Bellamy as a character is only slightly a step up from Korraine. He’s moody, brash and hyper focused on supporting this orphanage in the city. He deeply cares about his kingdom, his sister and the approval of his father. I could see strong parallels to Zuko, as was the inspiration of his character. But I do want to point out that his trauma is very downplayed. There’s a scene where he’s being physically abused by his father that turns into an excuse for Korraine to nurse him to health. It felt like that scene was less about his development as a character and more of a way to forge intimacy between the two leads. As much as his backstory was intriguing, I felt like he was directionless until he learned the truth of his mother’s death.
As for the worldbuilding, I am a high fantasy reader so my expectations are unrealistically high in that aspect. This is mainly a romance but I was left wanting for more details on some things.
Examples:
“Long ago the goddesses had shaped our kingdoms and blessed us with the abilities to control the elements.”
Who are the goddesses? How did they give the abilities to humans? How did the first elemental users learn the arts? What is the history behind this?
“The goddesses want a balance of power, and this marriage gives us the best chance at that. Whether you follow through or not is up to you.”
So if the goddesses want a balance of power, and are known to interact with humans (i.e. giving them abilities) why have they done nothing about the war?
How are the dragons interacting with their humans? How are the sea dragons able to interact as well. There’s this quote in the beginning of the book about the sea dragons, but I don’t feel like this is fully explained. Is the bond really only sensing one another? And if so, why doesn’t Talay come when Korraine is being kidnapped by pirates? How does the bond work? Can it it be shut off at all? Does the bond only work because they are elemental users?
“Most of the warriors in our kingdom had their own sea serpent, raised and bred in a special cove controlled by the palace. The only reason I’d been gifted one was because the king gifted my father’s children each with their own as a sign of his gratitude following the war.”
This insinuates that non elemental users can also bond, so then how does that magic work?
Again, this might all be very nitpicky. Not everyone needs that kind of worldbuilding, but for me it wasn’t enough.
I do find the concept of warring nations intriguing and was excited to see how an arranged marriage would mitigate the conflict. Given that this is a fantasy world, I expect a certain amount worldbuilding that feels immersive. I wasn’t pulled in like I wanted to be.
When it comes to the plot, not much happens other than:
-Korraine exploring, going to parties/getting drunk and befriending a guardsman that tries to assault her
-Bellamy is either training or visiting his favorite orphanage
-Bellamy gets sent to a battle and gets punished for letting his men die/his scars cause the sexual tension to turn into a romantic moment -Bellamy finding out his father had his mother killed
-They run away to Morwen, leaving his sister behind
-Get married and then get captured
Which by the way was really weird, because Nyla and Bellamy have a really good relationship. A loving one, with trust and loyalty and genuine friendship. The fact that she doesn’t really hear him out when he’s trying to tell her that their father isn’t who they think he is was bizarre. She didn’t really give a good argument as to why she stayed behind. It’s even more bizarre that she’s hunting them down at the end of the book.
I do want to say this book has the elements of Zutara if that is why you’re reading this. Broody prince that’s secretly a dork at heart meets a headstrong girl that loves her family. Although I cannot agree that Korraine parallels Katara in any way, you could easily find things to relate back to that dynamic.
Would I recommend this book to anyone? Probably not. I think it’s a good start though. If this were polished a bit more, with what the author was intending to do with this story it could be something much greater.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and War
griffieclark's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I was very into the storyline of this book at first glance…but it could use another round or two of editing.
Inspired by Zutara (the fan made relationship of Prince Zuko and Katara from Avatar the last airbender). This story follows Korraine and Bellamy, a nobleman’s daughter of the water kingdom and the prince of the fire kingdom, as they are set in an arranged marriage. This is described as the story that Avatar fans always wanted.
My two main critics are wanting more world building and character descriptions. We hear of Korraine’s moon white hair (which later is referred to as blonde?), her curvy figure, and blue eyes. As for Bellamy, is was hard for me to build his appearance in my mind. Brown hair? Dark eyes? Some scars acrossed his arms, but that’s about it. I would have liked to be painted a picture of the water kingdom beyond it being surrounded by water at all times. As for the fire kingdom, a black stone castle with a fire gate, one pool in the garden, and some very confusing hallways is what is told.
This may be contradictory to my 2.5 stars but i think this book could be a little longer. Maybe drag out the friendship with Cyrus, have them get closer and have him gain Korraine’s trust so his betrayal hits harder. Have Korraine really find some love for this kingdom before it all comes crumbling down. The book just felt like a race and in the end, i wanted more to be expanded upon. Make me fall in love with these characters and feel for them.
Inspired by Zutara (the fan made relationship of Prince Zuko and Katara from Avatar the last airbender). This story follows Korraine and Bellamy, a nobleman’s daughter of the water kingdom and the prince of the fire kingdom, as they are set in an arranged marriage. This is described as the story that Avatar fans always wanted.
My two main critics are wanting more world building and character descriptions. We hear of Korraine’s moon white hair (which later is referred to as blonde?), her curvy figure, and blue eyes. As for Bellamy, is was hard for me to build his appearance in my mind. Brown hair? Dark eyes? Some scars acrossed his arms, but that’s about it. I would have liked to be painted a picture of the water kingdom beyond it being surrounded by water at all times. As for the fire kingdom, a black stone castle with a fire gate, one pool in the garden, and some very confusing hallways is what is told.
This may be contradictory to my 2.5 stars but i think this book could be a little longer. Maybe drag out the friendship with Cyrus, have them get closer and have him gain Korraine’s trust so his betrayal hits harder. Have Korraine really find some love for this kingdom before it all comes crumbling down. The book just felt like a race and in the end, i wanted more to be expanded upon. Make me fall in love with these characters and feel for them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Death of parent, War, Alcohol, Physical abuse, and Violence
renreadsbooks's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Thank you to the author for sending me this ARC! I was super excited to read this because I was a hardcore Zutara shipper in my fandom days and it sounded amazing.
So overall I think the concept is great and I enjoyed the two main MCs (because obvi they are inspired by Zuko & Katara). The slow burn was fantastic.
Unfortunately, I struggled a bit getting through this book. The beginning lacked some solid world building /explanations/ elaborations. It felt like there were times they would introduce a character and I spent the rest of the book wondering what they looked like/how old they were because there was a lack of description. A lot of antagonists (the Morwen princess, the Abelon king, Cyrus) felt so extremely one dimensional and predictable. and the smut feels like it smacks you out of no where. I love smut and i did see the warnings in the beginning but these MCs went 0-100 real quick and the dialogue from Bellamy threw me off in these scenes because I feel like he barely speaks/ thought like this so I was shook.
The biggest problem I think was the repetition in the characters thoughts. And I was not a fan of the repeated trauma Koraine had to go through and how this was the only opportunity for the MCs to bond. It felt very icky. Same with her having no solid/consistent support system. Her family: horrendous or absent, her HOME kingdom: terrible, the friends she makes: BACKSTABBY. so all she has to rely on is the love interest? gross. OH. and the tea loving Iroh inspired head cook. ugh.
The ending had me UPSET. I hope in the next book Koraine is handled with care and gets a happy ending.
So overall I think the concept is great and I enjoyed the two main MCs (because obvi they are inspired by Zuko & Katara). The slow burn was fantastic.
Unfortunately, I struggled a bit getting through this book. The beginning lacked some solid world building /explanations/ elaborations. It felt like there were times they would introduce a character and I spent the rest of the book wondering what they looked like/how old they were because there was a lack of description. A lot of antagonists (the Morwen princess, the Abelon king, Cyrus) felt so extremely one dimensional and predictable. and the smut feels like it smacks you out of no where. I love smut and i did see the warnings in the beginning but these MCs went 0-100 real quick and the dialogue from Bellamy threw me off in these scenes because I feel like he barely speaks/ thought like this so I was shook.
The biggest problem I think was the repetition in the characters thoughts. And I was not a fan of the repeated trauma Koraine had to go through and how this was the only opportunity for the MCs to bond. It felt very icky. Same with her having no solid/consistent support system. Her family: horrendous or absent, her HOME kingdom: terrible, the friends she makes: BACKSTABBY. so all she has to rely on is the love interest? gross. OH. and the tea loving Iroh inspired head cook. ugh.
The ending had me UPSET. I hope in the next book Koraine is handled with care and gets a happy ending.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Torture, War, Sexual content, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Classism, Death of parent, Violence, Alcohol, Bullying, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, and Cursing
mikslitshelf's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I received an e-arc from the author, for my honest review.
Overall, I liked the concept, plot, and characters.
The book was fast paced but the relationship between the MCs were so very slow. While I love a slow-burn, we didn’t see much between them until about 60-70% in. I liked the world and magic system, we read bits of Koraine’s kingdom as she’s longing for it while in the new fire kingdom. I would have liked to read more details, it could have been more descriptive for each kingdom.
I would have liked to seen more interaction between characters and their corresponding animals. They just felt kind of there. I hope to see this in the sequel.
Both MCs have character growth and I look forward to see them in the next instalment fully in their new-me era.
Bellamy has a complicated past and as we read on, we understand why he is hesitant to show his affection and get to know who his soon-to-be bride. Koraine is just trying to survive and starts to find herself in her new place.
I loved that Nyla, Bellamy’s sister, was so welcoming towards Koraine.
Abelon’s king is the biggest antagonist, I don’t get how his rule hasn’t been taken from him. Is he just power hungry or a crazy king? I think both.
The ending had me a bit confused and surprised. It has quite the cliffhanger.
Overall, I liked the concept, plot, and characters.
The book was fast paced but the relationship between the MCs were so very slow. While I love a slow-burn, we didn’t see much between them until about 60-70% in. I liked the world and magic system, we read bits of Koraine’s kingdom as she’s longing for it while in the new fire kingdom. I would have liked to read more details, it could have been more descriptive for each kingdom.
I would have liked to seen more interaction between characters and their corresponding animals. They just felt kind of there. I hope to see this in the sequel.
Both MCs have character growth and I look forward to see them in the next instalment fully in their new-me era.
Bellamy has a complicated past and as we read on, we understand why he is hesitant to show his affection and get to know who his soon-to-be bride. Koraine is just trying to survive and starts to find herself in her new place.
I loved that Nyla, Bellamy’s sister, was so welcoming towards Koraine.
Abelon’s king is the biggest antagonist, I don’t get how his rule hasn’t been taken from him. Is he just power hungry or a crazy king? I think both.
The ending had me a bit confused and surprised. It has quite the cliffhanger.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Physical abuse, War, and Violence