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rayonx's review against another edition
4.0
This book in one sentence: On the brink of war between two nations, as well as a civil war in Glacium, Olina tries to reconcile her multiple identities and find a way to prevent bloodshed.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Steaminess: 🌶️🌶️
Would I recommend: Yes. I am genuinely surprised by how much I've enjoyed this series. I thought I might have read too many books in this genre, but this series is so well crafted that I was thoroughly engaged. Book three is just as good, the story progresses and there is still much intrigue, without the book needing to completely reinvent itself. It does a good job of building on book 1 and 2.
Content warnings: (past) domestic abuse, sexual assault and child abuse.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Steaminess: 🌶️🌶️
Would I recommend: Yes. I am genuinely surprised by how much I've enjoyed this series. I thought I might have read too many books in this genre, but this series is so well crafted that I was thoroughly engaged. Book three is just as good, the story progresses and there is still much intrigue, without the book needing to completely reinvent itself. It does a good job of building on book 1 and 2.
Content warnings: (past) domestic abuse, sexual assault and child abuse.
leabookjoy's review against another edition
5.0
To sum ump :
- OMG
- I LOOOVEEEE Jovan the barbaric <3 (I love also the fact he could be wrong)
- I SO LOVE Lina/FROST >< (she's so brave, even with everything she went through ...)
- God I sooo know Blaine was a snake !!
- But he's small potato compared to the Queen and her brother !! What A BITCH !!
- the scene when Lina revealed to her friends who she is ... AWESOME
- God the end !! I was sooo freaked and then I squealed because ... well Jovan <3
Did I already tell you how much I love this series ??
- OMG
- I LOOOVEEEE Jovan the barbaric <3 (I love also the fact he could be wrong)
- I SO LOVE Lina/FROST >< (she's so brave, even with everything she went through ...)
- God I sooo know Blaine was a snake !!
- But he's small potato compared to the Queen and her brother !! What A BITCH !!
- the scene when Lina revealed to her friends who she is ... AWESOME
- God the end !! I was sooo freaked and then I squealed because ... well Jovan <3
Did I already tell you how much I love this series ??
dfostermartin's review against another edition
2.0
So I really liked the first two books of this series, but this third one left me very disappointed.
First, what I liked:
I have always really liked Olina. She has passion and makes mistakes, but she learns from them. She's not a damsel in distress, but instead can fight her own battles (literally). She has empathy for others in a way some of the other main characters lack.
Her barracks friends are awesome. I love that they all have different personalities and things that their good at/bad at. I'm pleased that the author didn't do a one personality type fits all for these characters. It really kept the story more interesting.
The diversity of the responses to Olina's mixed heritage. A part of you wants everyone to like her no matter what, but it feels much more honest with mixed receptions.
What I hated:
It's probably not the authors fault, but I am just totally over this stereotype that has tainted so many fantasy books. Lead woman character meets lead male character who becomes progressively more domineering/over protective/jealous and then they fall in love. And the man is still domineering/over protective/jealous but it's ok, right? Because they're in love and he's only that way because he loves her so much and that's what true love looks like. Oh, and he's hot and makes our lead females heart flutter every time she sees him no matter how mad he's made her recently.
Maybe this just shows how great the author's persuasive abilities are. She paints the picture of this totally awesome female that can handle anything (not helpless) and I'm totally on board. Then she writes how mad Olina gets when Jovan acts all overbearing or says she's not allowed to do something. And I agree! I'm like, damn straight, he's being an ass! Then he crawls into bed with her that night (or three days later) and says something like I hate when we fight or doesn't mention it at all (no apology) and she's like *sigh omg you're totally right and I feel this heat in my belly and I don't want to want to feel this way but I can't help it! Why not??? At this point my opinion of him is pretty low. He kind of sucks. Olina in so many ways is growing as a character, but Jovan just stays the same.
Unless I get wind that Jovan suddenly becomes a man that can trust Olina and doesn't need to puff up his chest or act possessive every time another male looks at her or act like she's a delicate flower instead of the badass that she is, I don't think I'll be finishing this series.
First, what I liked:
I have always really liked Olina. She has passion and makes mistakes, but she learns from them. She's not a damsel in distress, but instead can fight her own battles (literally). She has empathy for others in a way some of the other main characters lack.
Her barracks friends are awesome. I love that they all have different personalities and things that their good at/bad at. I'm pleased that the author didn't do a one personality type fits all for these characters. It really kept the story more interesting.
The diversity of the responses to Olina's mixed heritage. A part of you wants everyone to like her no matter what, but it feels much more honest with mixed receptions.
What I hated:
It's probably not the authors fault, but I am just totally over this stereotype that has tainted so many fantasy books. Lead woman character meets lead male character who becomes progressively more domineering/over protective/jealous and then they fall in love. And the man is still domineering/over protective/jealous but it's ok, right? Because they're in love and he's only that way because he loves her so much and that's what true love looks like. Oh, and he's hot and makes our lead females heart flutter every time she sees him no matter how mad he's made her recently.
Maybe this just shows how great the author's persuasive abilities are. She paints the picture of this totally awesome female that can handle anything (not helpless) and I'm totally on board. Then she writes how mad Olina gets when Jovan acts all overbearing or says she's not allowed to do something. And I agree! I'm like, damn straight, he's being an ass! Then he crawls into bed with her that night (or three days later) and says something like I hate when we fight or doesn't mention it at all (no apology) and she's like *sigh omg you're totally right and I feel this heat in my belly and I don't want to want to feel this way but I can't help it! Why not??? At this point my opinion of him is pretty low. He kind of sucks. Olina in so many ways is growing as a character, but Jovan just stays the same.
Unless I get wind that Jovan suddenly becomes a man that can trust Olina and doesn't need to puff up his chest or act possessive every time another male looks at her or act like she's a delicate flower instead of the badass that she is, I don't think I'll be finishing this series.
naomilane's review against another edition
5.0
After Fantasy of Flight, I wasn't too sure about this one, afraid of the direction Kelly St. Clare was going to take but I ended up loving this book even more than the first one. I am so happy right now, I had the time of my life reading Fantasy of Fire.
Finally, our heroine, Olina, makes the right choices and stops running everytime something scares her emotionally. Her three different identities from the second book, identities that were bothering me greatly, are not an issue anymore. I loved her so much in this third installment, she grew a lot and learned from her mistakes. I loved the fact that she realized all that and was willing to change. Loyalty, patience, kindness, love, fierceness, devotion, she showed all of that and more in Fantasy of Fire, I fell in love with her character even more.
The romance is finally moving in the right direction and I couldn't be happier. I love King Jovan, how smart, strong and protective he can be. Their relationship took a turn for the better in this book, I had been waiting for it for a long time and it was perfect. I'm glad Kelly waited for them to realize their feelings for each other, they needed that time, especially Olina. She was inexperienced at first and had been in love with Jovan's little brother. She needed to find her true self, to experience life before she could truly face her feelings for him. Jovan is a little different, he's older, more experienced but he was patient and knew she needed time. However, I loved that when he realized time was running out, he gave up all pretense and went public with his feelings. The last few chapters of this book were, by far, the best.
I admit at being frustrated while reading some scenes. Jovan can be a stubborn asshole when he wants to be, but I really liked how the author handled that part of the story. He always made the right decisions, so it was nice to see him in a different light. I liked the fact that, when he realized his mistake, he apologized to everyone and meant it. I also liked the fact that Olina didn't dwell on it, she tried to put herself in his shoes and realized how hard it was for him. Power couple right there. Even if they didn't know it at the time.
The story itself was full of tensions and had me on the edge of seat for most of the book. Things are getting serious between the Bruma and the Solati. War is coming. It was a thrill to read this from Olina's point of view, knowing she's the rightful heir to the Solati but she's choosing to fight with the Bruma. As I've mentioned, the last few chapters are intense in the romance department but not just. The fighting, the suspense, the revelations, I couldn't stop reading.
The secondary characters were, as usual, so fun and entertaining. We get to see the delegation but also Olina's other friends, those who know her as Frost, the pit fighter. I love both sides so I was excited to see them all interacting and become friends.
I can't wait to read the last book in this amazing series, a little sad knowing all will be over after that but extremely excited to see how things are going to end, and, finally, get some important answers.
Finally, our heroine, Olina, makes the right choices and stops running everytime something scares her emotionally. Her three different identities from the second book, identities that were bothering me greatly, are not an issue anymore. I loved her so much in this third installment, she grew a lot and learned from her mistakes. I loved the fact that she realized all that and was willing to change. Loyalty, patience, kindness, love, fierceness, devotion, she showed all of that and more in Fantasy of Fire, I fell in love with her character even more.
The romance is finally moving in the right direction and I couldn't be happier. I love King Jovan, how smart, strong and protective he can be. Their relationship took a turn for the better in this book, I had been waiting for it for a long time and it was perfect. I'm glad Kelly waited for them to realize their feelings for each other, they needed that time, especially Olina. She was inexperienced at first and had been in love with Jovan's little brother. She needed to find her true self, to experience life before she could truly face her feelings for him. Jovan is a little different, he's older, more experienced but he was patient and knew she needed time. However, I loved that when he realized time was running out, he gave up all pretense and went public with his feelings. The last few chapters of this book were, by far, the best.
I admit at being frustrated while reading some scenes. Jovan can be a stubborn asshole when he wants to be, but I really liked how the author handled that part of the story. He always made the right decisions, so it was nice to see him in a different light. I liked the fact that, when he realized his mistake, he apologized to everyone and meant it. I also liked the fact that Olina didn't dwell on it, she tried to put herself in his shoes and realized how hard it was for him. Power couple right there. Even if they didn't know it at the time.
The story itself was full of tensions and had me on the edge of seat for most of the book. Things are getting serious between the Bruma and the Solati. War is coming. It was a thrill to read this from Olina's point of view, knowing she's the rightful heir to the Solati but she's choosing to fight with the Bruma. As I've mentioned, the last few chapters are intense in the romance department but not just. The fighting, the suspense, the revelations, I couldn't stop reading.
The secondary characters were, as usual, so fun and entertaining. We get to see the delegation but also Olina's other friends, those who know her as Frost, the pit fighter. I love both sides so I was excited to see them all interacting and become friends.
I can't wait to read the last book in this amazing series, a little sad knowing all will be over after that but extremely excited to see how things are going to end, and, finally, get some important answers.
lolasreviews's review against another edition
4.0
I was happy to return to this fantasy world. I decided I wanted a book I would be sure I would enjoy after I just DNF the previous book I attempted to read. And returning to this series was a great decision. I quickly got sucked back into the story and I really enjoyed this book from start to ending. Book 2 ended on a bit of a cliffhanger and in this book we get to see what happens next.
I wasn't sure what I had expected to happen next after the ending of book 2, but this wasn't it. It was really interesting reading how things progressed and especially how Olina handled it all. She has changed and grown so much in this series and this book is another very important step in her character development. She embraces her role as future ruler a bit it seems, she takes responsibility and makes some big decisions. There is also a decision she makes and I enjoyed seeing how she handled it and how everyone reacted to the news.
I also liked how in this book we get to see more of the side characters from previous books. And it feels like almost everyone has a role here, which was great. I enjoyed seeing more of the side characters again and how they were doing. This author writes such a great cast of side characters! I also was happy to see more of Olandon in this book and there are some important changes in his character as well, which I enjoyed seeing. There are some side plot lines that come to a conclusion in this book and some other plot lines that continue and even some new ones that are started. While the book might feel a bit gentle paced at times, which totally works here, there is a lot going on.
Olina goes through some amazing character development in this series and I think I say this in every review for this series so far. But so far in every book she has changed as a person and every book presents her with new challenges and decisions and she continues to change. It really is amazing to see and she really grows into her own as the series progresses and every time I think she has found her place there is more to happen. There were a few things I wasn't 100% sure about that she did, but I liked reading how it all played out and in some cases she might not go about things the right way, but I could see why she went this route and in the end I am glad she did what she did.
There also was a bit of romance in this book and while at first I wasn't as sure about it, I am totally rooting for this couple now. Although this book did have some moment where I wanted to push their heads together and have them kiss instead of the half misunderstandings and avoidance and trying to do the right thing. I get why they acted that way, but at the same time I just want them to be together. But there were some great scenes that totally made up for the slightly frustrating ones. And by the end, I just hope they keep following this trend in this next book. They still have some things to work through together and I hope to see some of that in the next book.
To summarize: Fantasy of Fire is a great third book in this amazing fantasy series. I easily got sucked back into the story and I really enjoyed this book. There are some interesting plot developments in this book. There are also some side plot lines that got resolved, others that continue and some new ones that pop up. I wasn't sure what I had expected to happen in this book, but I am sure it wasn't this. The book had some great twists and surprises. One of my favorite parts is seeing how Olina develops over the course of the series, it's awesome to see how she changes in each book. There are new challenges and decisions she has to make in this book and I enjoyed reading how she handled it all. There is a bit of romance as well, by now I am fully invested in this couple and while there are some frustrating scenes there are also some beautiful and touching ones. I am looking forward to see how book 4 wraps this series up!
I wasn't sure what I had expected to happen next after the ending of book 2, but this wasn't it. It was really interesting reading how things progressed and especially how Olina handled it all. She has changed and grown so much in this series and this book is another very important step in her character development. She embraces her role as future ruler a bit it seems, she takes responsibility and makes some big decisions. There is also a decision she makes and I enjoyed seeing how she handled it and how everyone reacted to the news.
I also liked how in this book we get to see more of the side characters from previous books. And it feels like almost everyone has a role here, which was great. I enjoyed seeing more of the side characters again and how they were doing. This author writes such a great cast of side characters! I also was happy to see more of Olandon in this book and there are some important changes in his character as well, which I enjoyed seeing. There are some side plot lines that come to a conclusion in this book and some other plot lines that continue and even some new ones that are started. While the book might feel a bit gentle paced at times, which totally works here, there is a lot going on.
Olina goes through some amazing character development in this series and I think I say this in every review for this series so far. But so far in every book she has changed as a person and every book presents her with new challenges and decisions and she continues to change. It really is amazing to see and she really grows into her own as the series progresses and every time I think she has found her place there is more to happen. There were a few things I wasn't 100% sure about that she did, but I liked reading how it all played out and in some cases she might not go about things the right way, but I could see why she went this route and in the end I am glad she did what she did.
There also was a bit of romance in this book and while at first I wasn't as sure about it, I am totally rooting for this couple now. Although this book did have some moment where I wanted to push their heads together and have them kiss instead of the half misunderstandings and avoidance and trying to do the right thing. I get why they acted that way, but at the same time I just want them to be together. But there were some great scenes that totally made up for the slightly frustrating ones. And by the end, I just hope they keep following this trend in this next book. They still have some things to work through together and I hope to see some of that in the next book.
To summarize: Fantasy of Fire is a great third book in this amazing fantasy series. I easily got sucked back into the story and I really enjoyed this book. There are some interesting plot developments in this book. There are also some side plot lines that got resolved, others that continue and some new ones that pop up. I wasn't sure what I had expected to happen in this book, but I am sure it wasn't this. The book had some great twists and surprises. One of my favorite parts is seeing how Olina develops over the course of the series, it's awesome to see how she changes in each book. There are new challenges and decisions she has to make in this book and I enjoyed reading how she handled it all. There is a bit of romance as well, by now I am fully invested in this couple and while there are some frustrating scenes there are also some beautiful and touching ones. I am looking forward to see how book 4 wraps this series up!
lotte5322's review
It was to hard to continue reading for me because I really don’t like jovan.
lunatik's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Xenophobia
licensetoshelbs's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0