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laurajaylive's review against another edition
5.0
Though it's huge and took me a while to read, I really enjoy this book! The fae and human conflict is powerful and I was enveloped in Lora's quest from the start. The characters and intertwined paths make the multiple POVs super fun to read, and I was invested in each character's purpose, hoping they'd succeed while fearing they wouldn't. In the end, I wish I had book two right next to me and ready to go! That last line though!!! Ugh, I'm hooked!
boba_n_books's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.75
Spice Rating: 🌶️.5 / 5
WOW. I had such a hard time putting down Through Fire & Ruin because I needed to see what happened next at every turn.
Imagine a world where humans were enslaved by fae for centuries. After they finally broke free, the border between their two worlds, Earth and Liraen, was shut for good. No one can pass through it. Or so they thought. Readers follow Lora and Amira--two very different women whose lives begin to intertwine in unexpected ways. Lora is a half-human, half-fae who is on a quest to find the cure for a virus (no, not Covid lol) that is spreading across Earth. Though she has been told not to trust the fae, she finds out that she doesn't have a choice but to trust the fae male who helps guide her through Liraen on her quest. Amira is a level one fae who has been physically and emotionally tortured by her half-brother for her entire life. Amira thinks she's finally going to be free of her brother through her engagement to the future king of Liraen, but it turns out that he might be just as bad, or worse, than her brother. Both women have to decide what is most important to them and who and what is worth the risk.
The authors' writing is addicting to say the least, and with that cliffhanger, I need book 2 asap!! I love the characters and their development throughout the novel. Their world-building wasn't info-dumpy, but the magic system does leave a lot to be explored in books 2 and 3. I thought the relationship between humans and fae was intriguing, and I would love to know more about the history between the two races.
All of that to say, I highly recommend this book! Readers who love enemies to lovers, magic, and found family will eat this book up.
WOW. I had such a hard time putting down Through Fire & Ruin because I needed to see what happened next at every turn.
Imagine a world where humans were enslaved by fae for centuries. After they finally broke free, the border between their two worlds, Earth and Liraen, was shut for good. No one can pass through it. Or so they thought. Readers follow Lora and Amira--two very different women whose lives begin to intertwine in unexpected ways. Lora is a half-human, half-fae who is on a quest to find the cure for a virus (no, not Covid lol) that is spreading across Earth. Though she has been told not to trust the fae, she finds out that she doesn't have a choice but to trust the fae male who helps guide her through Liraen on her quest. Amira is a level one fae who has been physically and emotionally tortured by her half-brother for her entire life. Amira thinks she's finally going to be free of her brother through her engagement to the future king of Liraen, but it turns out that he might be just as bad, or worse, than her brother. Both women have to decide what is most important to them and who and what is worth the risk.
The authors' writing is addicting to say the least, and with that cliffhanger, I need book 2 asap!! I love the characters and their development throughout the novel. Their world-building wasn't info-dumpy, but the magic system does leave a lot to be explored in books 2 and 3. I thought the relationship between humans and fae was intriguing, and I would love to know more about the history between the two races.
All of that to say, I highly recommend this book! Readers who love enemies to lovers, magic, and found family will eat this book up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Drug use, Murder, Death, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Torture
miareadit's review against another edition
4.0
The storyline is definitely the kinds I like to read in a fantasy: adventure, mystery, and magic. There is also a touch of spice in the story and I'm hoping that there'll be more in the next one! Oh and you all know how much I love a good twist! I did sense a cliffhanger coming on towards the end (aside from the fact I know the sequel comes out really soon!!) BUT that was not the cliffhanger I expected! It was also very interesting having the different POVs from the FMCs!! Although they’re from different worlds and deal with different situations, their stories collide at the end for one big OMG moment.
So, we have Lora, who will dive into danger to save her family and meets Eyden, the fae blackmarket seller, who basically has trust issues. Their forced proximity has them grow closer but not quite to the point of trusting each other completely.. just close enough to let their walls burn down temporarily. Then we have Amira, a fae princess betrothed to the interim fae King of the kingdom of Turosian, Karwyn, who has a secrets of his own. Amira tries her best to fulfill her duty as fiancé and try to get through grumpy Karwyn, but sometimes her good heart gets in the way and gets her into trouble.
I’d like to say so much more but honestly I feel like I’d be spoiling it for you!
Will I be continuing the series? Yes. The characters’ stories are just truly beginning and now I need to know more.
Please read if you like slow burns, forced proximity, a touch of spice, adventure, fantasy, strong willed FMCs, and a really good freaking cliffhanger.
So, we have Lora, who will dive into danger to save her family and meets Eyden, the fae blackmarket seller, who basically has trust issues. Their forced proximity has them grow closer but not quite to the point of trusting each other completely.. just close enough to let their walls burn down temporarily. Then we have Amira, a fae princess betrothed to the interim fae King of the kingdom of Turosian, Karwyn, who has a secrets of his own. Amira tries her best to fulfill her duty as fiancé and try to get through grumpy Karwyn, but sometimes her good heart gets in the way and gets her into trouble.
I’d like to say so much more but honestly I feel like I’d be spoiling it for you!
Will I be continuing the series? Yes. The characters’ stories are just truly beginning and now I need to know more.
Please read if you like slow burns, forced proximity, a touch of spice, adventure, fantasy, strong willed FMCs, and a really good freaking cliffhanger.
jmwaldrop's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. It is obvious the amount of work that went into perfecting this story following the two MC's whos worlds collide in the most unexpected way. As the stakes are raised for both Lora and Amira, their emotional journey heightens gripping the reader and when the bombshell drops at the end I was speechless. *chef's kiss*.
I can't wait to see what's next in the adventure for these two and I would highly recommend this indie debut to anyone who loves well developed, adventure romantic fantasy with a character driven plot and a dramatic ending which leaves you wanting more.
I can't wait to see what's next in the adventure for these two and I would highly recommend this indie debut to anyone who loves well developed, adventure romantic fantasy with a character driven plot and a dramatic ending which leaves you wanting more.
vicwritesbooks's review
5.0
This book stole my soul, ripped out my heart and crushed it between the very pages. Wow.
I fell in deep right on the get-go when Lora was introduced. A strong, stubborn female lead that is sure to keep things interesting wherever she goes, because to the places she goes no one she knows can follow. I got sucked through the portal right along with her as she entered the fairyland and fell into the arms of Eyden.
Oh my gods how I loved Eyden!! And I loved Rhay. I absolutely hated Amira’s brother and despised Karwyn. So many emotions all mixed up in a perfect book cocktail. I never wanted it to end! Why did it have to end?!
Lora is a perfectly normal human girl with a perfectly normal secret. Oh wait, she aint all that normal and her secret is the only thing able to save her mother when she fell sick with a deadly virus. Her only purpose is to find a cure and get back home safely. Only the cure is across the border in a Fae world full of dangers and safety is never guaranteed. Making a deal with what might as well have been a devil, Lora plunges into her quest in a stubborn rush. Only, Eyden is digging deeper into her heart the longer Lora stays in the fairy world and her priorities get mingled up with new missions. Eyden dug deep into my heart, too! With every remark and word play they exchanged my heart beat faster for them! And oh my god, the fire those two harbored makes me blush.
Eyden gave me, at the beginning when him and Lora just met, an older uncle vibes . No idea why, don’t ask me. That quickly changed once they started to get to know each other better with one sarcastic comment after another. Really loved every bit of him and I’ve got so many questions. So many!
Amira has a whole lot of problems, keeping her mother safe is just the tip of the iceberg. Only, Amira’s mother needs no cure for a deadly illness and the only way to keep her safe is following the commands of her cruel brother and marrying an even crueler tyrant. Oh yes, Amira has an amazing life as a half-fae princess without any power to speak of. She gets pushed and pulled around like a puppet on strings. The only positive thing in her life in the foreign court is Rhay. Rhay the king’s best friend, the very same king Amira is supposed to marry. Rhay the fae that quite likely has fallen in love with her. Rhay that has got to keep a secret bigger than loving his best friend’s bride! Oh my god! And that’s when my heart screamed.
Rhay!! So many good scenes with him. I love him to bits, I really do. Drowning his worries in sarcasm and alcohol is Rhay’s way to live. And ofcourse the parties. Endless parties. But despite being the best friend of a cruel ruler, Rhay has a good heart and that’ll get him in trouble. So much trouble! You’ll just have to find out for yourselves!
All in all, reading Through Fire & Ruin was a rollercoaster ride and it was waaay too short for my liking! There’s got to be more coming and now! I need it right now!
I fell in deep right on the get-go when Lora was introduced. A strong, stubborn female lead that is sure to keep things interesting wherever she goes, because to the places she goes no one she knows can follow. I got sucked through the portal right along with her as she entered the fairyland and fell into the arms of Eyden.
Oh my gods how I loved Eyden!! And I loved Rhay. I absolutely hated Amira’s brother and despised Karwyn. So many emotions all mixed up in a perfect book cocktail. I never wanted it to end! Why did it have to end?!
Lora is a perfectly normal human girl with a perfectly normal secret. Oh wait, she aint all that normal and her secret is the only thing able to save her mother when she fell sick with a deadly virus. Her only purpose is to find a cure and get back home safely. Only the cure is across the border in a Fae world full of dangers and safety is never guaranteed. Making a deal with what might as well have been a devil, Lora plunges into her quest in a stubborn rush. Only, Eyden is digging deeper into her heart the longer Lora stays in the fairy world and her priorities get mingled up with new missions. Eyden dug deep into my heart, too! With every remark and word play they exchanged my heart beat faster for them! And oh my god, the fire those two harbored makes me blush.
Eyden gave me, at the beginning when him and Lora just met, an older uncle vibes . No idea why, don’t ask me. That quickly changed once they started to get to know each other better with one sarcastic comment after another. Really loved every bit of him and I’ve got so many questions. So many!
Amira has a whole lot of problems, keeping her mother safe is just the tip of the iceberg. Only, Amira’s mother needs no cure for a deadly illness and the only way to keep her safe is following the commands of her cruel brother and marrying an even crueler tyrant. Oh yes, Amira has an amazing life as a half-fae princess without any power to speak of. She gets pushed and pulled around like a puppet on strings. The only positive thing in her life in the foreign court is Rhay. Rhay the king’s best friend, the very same king Amira is supposed to marry. Rhay the fae that quite likely has fallen in love with her. Rhay that has got to keep a secret bigger than loving his best friend’s bride! Oh my god! And that’s when my heart screamed.
Rhay!! So many good scenes with him. I love him to bits, I really do. Drowning his worries in sarcasm and alcohol is Rhay’s way to live. And ofcourse the parties. Endless parties. But despite being the best friend of a cruel ruler, Rhay has a good heart and that’ll get him in trouble. So much trouble! You’ll just have to find out for yourselves!
All in all, reading Through Fire & Ruin was a rollercoaster ride and it was waaay too short for my liking! There’s got to be more coming and now! I need it right now!
bookish_abby's review
2.5
If you like supporting indie authors, a dystopian-ish future, world traveling, and intriguing plot, this book is for you! Our first FMC Lora has a secret that lets her travel to Liraen, the world of the fae, in search of a cure for a deadly virus thats sweeping Earth. She’s brash and arrogant with a softer side she hides away. Whereas our second FMC Amira is much more demure and shows her soft side as the future queen of Liraen, but is holding secrets as well. I will say I found it challenging to connect with the FMCs and it took a bit to read the dynamic between them and their surrounding characters, but they grew on me as the story continued to unfold. I’m definitely curious to see how this story plays out because the plot is there! Book 2 in the Through Fire and Ruin series, The Promise of Midnight, is out June 23rd!
mrssigh's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
3.5
Thank you for the giveaway prize! I enjoyed reading this, and I assume there is more to come? Amira's past is intriguing, and my imagination is continuing telling her story forward. When can we read more?!
badassladyknight's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
deedles's review
Won in a Storygraph giveaway.
I'm not the biggest fan of the authors' writing style. At best, I feel like I'm reading a YA based on tone alone — the first bit is draggy, and the descriptions about the mysterious illness hits too close to him based on the recent (and still ongoing) pandemic. It attempts to draw up some intrigue, but it's more predictable than anything, I suppose.
The introduction of the magic system was really strange? I know it was from the get go but the way they built up the pandemic situation firmly locked it in modern territory until they mentioned magical border. Took me out of it so fast. Also, the main character's reveal to her friend Maja that she was a fae was so devoid of feeling and so anti-climactic it really, really, got me to get so annoyed.
I'm not the biggest fan of the authors' writing style. At best, I feel like I'm reading a YA based on tone alone — the first bit is draggy, and the descriptions about the mysterious illness hits too close to him based on the recent (and still ongoing) pandemic. It attempts to draw up some intrigue, but it's more predictable than anything, I suppose.
eloveyy's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5