Reviews

Born in Fire by K.F. Breene

suzsmith's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Really good!

crikeycrawfish's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

3 stars but leaning almost towards 2.5...

This book was interesting enough and I definitely want to read the sequels but it was also pretty messy.

I felt like we were just dropped in with no real explanation of the world or magic system. You kind of just learned as you went along but it was not explained well and I still find myself confused on just how exactly the magic system works. Something about being able to put spells in casings and things? Idk.

Also I feel like this book was trying too hard to be funny. Like Reagan was never serious which is fine but it also meant that there was no real depth to her character for me. But the whole time it just felt like it was trying too hard with the constant jokes and things.

I did like Darius though and the book's take on Vampires. The author had a good grasp on making vampires actually feel like dark otherworldly beings as opposed to hot dangerous guys with fangs. Darius felt old and other and the fact they have a monster side? I really enjoyed that. The whole vampire scene in general in this book was very fun and interesting to read.

Another issue I had though was that it seemed like everything had to have a big reveal that didn't really pan out quite like how the author intended. Secrets were just thrown around and revealed wildly that I was having a hard time following things. Nothing was really explained well while other things that were insignificant were explained too well to the point that I was skipping paragraphs of seemingly useless information about lore or something that didn't really pertain to what was going on.

Overall it was alright. The New Orleans setting was fun and the book was interesting but in general... meh.

athenaevarinya's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

The only thing I didn't really care for in this world was the vampire's super form, otherwise good book.

sage_the_npc's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Whew, finally a badass female main character that isn't weak or useless until the male main character comes into play. This is definitely a refreshing read for me in this regard. I really adore the world. it seems much more realistic than the magical worlds I've seen built in the present time. If I could give it 3.5 stars, I would, but I gave it 4 since it does have a bit of a charm to it

That being said, in regards to how the badass main character was written, I'd be curious if she was maybe written pre 2014. I often laughed out loud because I didn't know what else to do with the cringe energy she exuded. Outside of her actual power and skills, her personality felt like a caricature of a badass. The attempt at zingy one-liners was unfortunate, and the first 30% I kept saying I'd put this in the DNF pile. But the world and other characters are quite charming. The suspense of the story is compelling, and I'm excited to read the next book for that reason mostly.
Now the male main character is written much better, and I am enjoying the slow burn with them but not super looking forward to when things get steamy with the FMC and those one liners.

Definitely liked the supporting characters and the interweaving of their histories and factions.

The important reveal at the end was nice and definitely sets up the next books well. I wouldn't have even been mad if it was pushed out another book or two. It's worth the wait.

Overall, it's still a good read, and I'm invested now that I'm adjusted to looking past the little kinks in characterization.

ash_chooses_pikachu's review against another edition

Go to review page

1.0

DNF@70%

And I went into this series with so much hope, too....

The 17k reviews with 4.13 avg rating filled me with such hope in the time of quarantine. But, alas! That hope was to be dashed by the utter stupidity of the heroine and the completely cookie-cutter hero.

The heroine made NO SENSE, like 90% of the time. At times she seemed efficient, while at others she seemed like a complete mess, like a bumbling, messy toddler. She said completely contradictory things as well. One time she said she only got high paying, high risk jobs that no one else would take. On the other hand, she had to take an 800$ job(which is a low paying job in her field, for context) because otherwise she wouldn't be able to pay her bills. So WHICH IS IT?!?! Does she get high paying jobs or not??? Or is she just a total child with zero financial management skills?
She seemed to jump head first into bullshit situations without any considerations. Her powers were described in a weird way that just did not seem appealing to me. The author mentioned ONCE that the heroine doesn't need oxygen to breathe, and that was that, no further explanation given.

The hero on the other hand, seemed like a total cliche. Handsome, rich and a vampire, and that's it. That's his entire "personality". Have nothing more to say about him.

kira648's review against another edition

Go to review page

2.0

I tried but unfortunately this novel was a bit of boring and lost me many times

franny_mae's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

The heroine gave me early Anita Blake/Rachel Morgan vibes which I enjoyed. I wasn’t feeling this plot line, I zoned out for some moments. The reveal at the end about Reagan’s heritage may prompt me to read book 2.

winter_abbey's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

alinn0904's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

This was a decent book but honestly nothing special for me. I kind of pushed myself to read to the end of this one but will not be reading 2-3 in the series. The MFC in the book acted like a child most of the time and the MMC was mainly super boring. Honestly I think the most entertaining part of this book is I listened to it in graphic audio so that was really the only thing that kept me going.

tales_of_a_bookbug's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Woah!I didn't think I could love K.F.Breene anymore than I already do, but this book has me falling for her writing all over again!
The Warrior Chronicles is among one of the top fantasy series that I love, and I was so sad when it ended!But I think this new series more than makes up for it!
Reagan is different from Shanti, but she is still kickass,snarky and awesome!That's my favorite part about K.F.Breene's heroines.They never disappoint me!
Reagan is a bounty hunter, but it doesn't bring in a lot of cash.But still she likes what she does.
Her latest mark ends up causing a lot of problems for her, and she loses him to the vampires.
To her surprise when she comes into her office, she has an offer from the vampires since they've got a job for her.And there's no way she can refuse it either!
So she is paired up with an elder vampire named Darius,who gets on her nerves and under her skin at the same time!And now these two have a big problem to solve!
But, Reagan also has a lot of secrets to hide concerning her powers and heritage, and she will have to be super careful about things!
I loved Reagan as she was a total hoot!Her inner thoughts and sarcastic quips had me laughing so many times!She is so feisty and strong as well!And the attraction between her and Darius was well developed!It kinda starts off as mutual dislike but then moves into a better place, and it was done in such a way that it was completely believable!Callie and Dizzy were great additional characters, and I loved learning about Reagan and her powers.The mystery and the secrets had me on the edge of my seat the whole time!The last few chapters were fast-paced,action packed and filled with twists!

And though the situations and things may seem to echo Ilona Andrews' series, I think this book is quite original on its own,since the world-building and characters are different.The characterization of the vampires was done well and I was glad to see that we were shown their ugly side too,unlike other fantasy books!Vampires can't always be appealing!

This was a great start to a new UF series and I'll be eagerly counting down the days till I can get my hands on the next one!I hope it comes out soon!