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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
aelitareads's review
adventurous
mysterious
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
4.0
“If I am the burning sun, ruled by flames, then you are my moon, ruling over the tides and completing the missing half of me.”
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Level: 🌶🌶
MK Ahearn dedicated this book to all the Zutara shippers who thought Zuko and Katara were the OTP and she nailed it. In this enemies to lovers romantasy a moody fire prince with a haunted past is arranged to marry the daughter of a water tribe general in an effort to unite their nations. Tie in a tyrannical Fire Lord who wants to watch the world burn and you have yourself a war brewing.
As a diehard ATLA fan I had fun finding the similarities and differences between the two stories. While you can absolutely tell Ahearn drew influences from ATLA, I think she did a great job making this book her own and I look forward to the release of Warring Tides in January 2025.
Forewarning- it does end on a huge cliff hanger so if you're someone that needs a completed story, maybe wait until December or January to read it. Broken Flames and the pre-order for Warring Tides is available on amazon.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Level: 🌶🌶
MK Ahearn dedicated this book to all the Zutara shippers who thought Zuko and Katara were the OTP and she nailed it. In this enemies to lovers romantasy a moody fire prince with a haunted past is arranged to marry the daughter of a water tribe general in an effort to unite their nations. Tie in a tyrannical Fire Lord who wants to watch the world burn and you have yourself a war brewing.
As a diehard ATLA fan I had fun finding the similarities and differences between the two stories. While you can absolutely tell Ahearn drew influences from ATLA, I think she did a great job making this book her own and I look forward to the release of Warring Tides in January 2025.
Forewarning- it does end on a huge cliff hanger so if you're someone that needs a completed story, maybe wait until December or January to read it. Broken Flames and the pre-order for Warring Tides is available on amazon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Trafficking
Cliff Hanger Endingnero_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
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
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
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
bail3ybee's review
adventurous
funny
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? N/A
4.0
I really liked this book. I loved the avatar vibes to it as someone who grew up with the show. I loved the slow burn of the relationships. Though I do wish is was more gradual, at some points it was a little whiplashy with the enemies to lovers. This book has some awesome quotes and found myself highlighting more than I normally would. I wish we got more background on the kingdoms and individuals so I hope to see more of that in the upcoming books. I also would love to see more of their creatures! Over all this was a fun and easy read and I look forward to reading the rest. I would recommend this book as a cozy romantasy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, and Physical abuse
Minor: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
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