Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Firelight by Kristen Callihan

2 reviews

allingoodtime's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I had no idea what to expect from this book. I already knew I love this author’s contemporary romance so I figured I’d enjoy her writing in other genres. The problem was, I wasn’t sure what the genre of this story really was. I’m still not sure. The best I can say is historical romance mixed with paranormal romance. I’ve seen steampunk classifications but I’ve never read steampunk, yet this doesn’t fit my visions of what that would be. Maybe later in the series it veers more that way? Regardless of the genre, I am happy to report I did enjoy this story.

When it comes to the love story, this had all the elements and feelings I’m looking for. There is a fantastic connection between Miranda and Archer, even with the relationship being forced on Miranda by her father. She has an instant trust in Archer and something about him puts her at ease enough that she feels she can be herself. This is saying a lot since the man wears a mask and gloves and often has a cape on as well. Of course, when first meeting Archer it is easy to pigeonhole him into a Phantom of the Opera box, but as the story goes on I’d say its vibes are much more those of Beauty and the Beast.

Miranda has her own secrets, they’re just not hidden under masks or clothing. As much as Miranda’s power has affected her life and that of her family, Archer is unaware of just how special she is. This is a case of two people keeping secrets from the one person who may truly empathize. Archer’s secret had me guessing all over the place. While my guesses were mostly wrong, they gave me hints of what is to come in this series.

There are places in this story that moved too slowly for me, but I think that’s the world-building. Being the first book, this book has to do a lot of heavy lifting. There are characters to meet, gifts to discover, and social norms to understand. Yet when it came to Archer and Miranda, things were exciting and beautiful. I loved their love.

I’m looking forward to exploring this world Kristen Callihan has created. Regardless if her stories are contemporary, historical, paranormal, or fantasy, she knows how to write amazing characters. 
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sydapel's review against another edition

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

3.75

Paranormal + historical = my new hyper fixation??? 

To be fair, I found some of Archer's martyr attitude to be tiresome and the mystery is a little hard to follow and tedious, but the last 100 pages or so are do enjoyably dramatic that I cannot help but love it. 
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