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heabooknerd's review against another edition
4.0
SMOLDER continues the story for Austin, Tan, and Mack as they spend their time at the farmhouse and try to find a way to survive. The action slows down a bit from the previous book but there is a lot more focus on the emotional side, especially for Tan. There's a lot of hard emotions and trauma being addressed in SMOLDER but Nora Phoenix still keeps the story hopeful. I'm really curious to see how things with the aliens will be handled in the last book.
Content Warning: Homophobic language and abuse; Tan was raped while at the camp
Content Warning: Homophobic language and abuse; Tan was raped while at the camp
ankysbookbubble's review against another edition
5.0
Oooh, this series keeps getting better and better. Mack, Tan and Austin are amazing together and I can't wait to read more of them and Pax.
teresab78's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars
I really enjoyed seeing our characters grow as they deal with their issues. The world is bleak and I’m not sure how things can improve but they have each other and as long as they have that they’ll survive. I think this would make a great movie.
I really enjoyed seeing our characters grow as they deal with their issues. The world is bleak and I’m not sure how things can improve but they have each other and as long as they have that they’ll survive. I think this would make a great movie.
tendoheart's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.25
liz7kathleen's review
3.0
Too much group therapy. Not enough alien invasion. Also. Tan is the most annoying character I have ever read.
haunted_by_humans's review
adventurous
challenging
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? No
3.75
The pacing in this book was a bit slower than the first but I honestly didn’t mind too much.
maya56's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
litandlayne's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
explorebooks's review
4.0
“Can you let go and trust us to make you fly?”
While I enjoyed the first book in the Ignite series, it took me until this second book Smolder to truly start feeling connected to the characters in this story. Tan in particular was a character that took time to grow on me as the story progressed but now I adore him and the brave face he’s forced to put on again and again.
While I read a ton of Fantasy and even Sci-Fi M/M Romances, it’s not often that I read a series focusing on an Alien Apocalypse. The Ignite series does an excellent job at creating an alien race that is similar to humanity and yet incredibly different. Despite the reason for the Zagorians arrival on Earth being rather mundane, it’s actually how similar they are to humans when compared to your stereotypical alien race in most Sci-Fi’s that makes them fascinating to me. Mack puts it perfectly:
“These aliens appeared enough like humans that Mack guessed they had to be pretty much alike in their minds and emotions. Of course, that also meant having similar problems as mankind. Greed. A thirst for power. A callous disregard for the weak. Was it strange that it was a comfort, somehow, to know that this was a general problem of human-like creatures, or however Zagorians would be labeled, and not just on Earth? Leave it to him to find solace in that.”
When it comes to the romance side of things, this series is a great example of a well-balanced poly relationship. Our three main men, Tan, Austin, and Mack couldn’t be more different from each other and yet each of them brings something different to their relationship. The three of them just seem to work together incredibly well and while communication is clearly their biggest struggle, they always manage to talk things out when necessary.
All three of them have some rather difficult pasts, having been sent to the reintegration camp for young queer men by someone in their lives that they thought they could trust. Tan had the most difficult time at camp of the three of them, but none of them have had an easy life. Now, all they want is to be able to have some sort of happiness with each other, as much as possible when there’s aliens taking over the earth, of course.
While I’ve spoken of the three main men, there’s some other characters in this series who deserve a mention as well.
Nora Phoenix introduces a wonderful trans character in Smolder, a trans-guy named Bobbi who despite having a supportive family who helped him get top-surgery, found himself at the reintegration camp for females when a neighbor noticed the changes after his surgery and reported him. Tan notices Bobbi’s flat chest and asks Bobbi if he would prefer male pronouns, saying “it’s the easiest thing in the world” to use the correct pronouns, leading to all the guys being supportive of Bobbi’s identity and viewing him as one of the guys. While we didn’t get to know Bobbi too well, I enjoyed the time we did get to spend with him.
Then there’s Pax, a Zagorian who has helped Mack and the rest of the guys out of dangerous situations again and again. He’s proof that not all Zagorians are bad people and he’s willing to exchange information to help Mack and the rest of the guys defeat his kind in exchange for being able to stay on Earth after since the planet he and his kind come from is slowly dying.
Smolder manages to balance the action and romance out perfectly, keeping me entertained and turning the pages. I can’t wait to continue this series with the third book [b:Burn|50341727|Burn (Ignite, #3)|Nora Phoenix|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1578690976l/50341727._SY75_.jpg|75282756].
While I enjoyed the first book in the Ignite series, it took me until this second book Smolder to truly start feeling connected to the characters in this story. Tan in particular was a character that took time to grow on me as the story progressed but now I adore him and the brave face he’s forced to put on again and again.
While I read a ton of Fantasy and even Sci-Fi M/M Romances, it’s not often that I read a series focusing on an Alien Apocalypse. The Ignite series does an excellent job at creating an alien race that is similar to humanity and yet incredibly different. Despite the reason for the Zagorians arrival on Earth being rather mundane, it’s actually how similar they are to humans when compared to your stereotypical alien race in most Sci-Fi’s that makes them fascinating to me. Mack puts it perfectly:
“These aliens appeared enough like humans that Mack guessed they had to be pretty much alike in their minds and emotions. Of course, that also meant having similar problems as mankind. Greed. A thirst for power. A callous disregard for the weak. Was it strange that it was a comfort, somehow, to know that this was a general problem of human-like creatures, or however Zagorians would be labeled, and not just on Earth? Leave it to him to find solace in that.”
When it comes to the romance side of things, this series is a great example of a well-balanced poly relationship. Our three main men, Tan, Austin, and Mack couldn’t be more different from each other and yet each of them brings something different to their relationship. The three of them just seem to work together incredibly well and while communication is clearly their biggest struggle, they always manage to talk things out when necessary.
All three of them have some rather difficult pasts, having been sent to the reintegration camp for young queer men by someone in their lives that they thought they could trust. Tan had the most difficult time at camp of the three of them, but none of them have had an easy life. Now, all they want is to be able to have some sort of happiness with each other, as much as possible when there’s aliens taking over the earth, of course.
While I’ve spoken of the three main men, there’s some other characters in this series who deserve a mention as well.
Nora Phoenix introduces a wonderful trans character in Smolder, a trans-guy named Bobbi who despite having a supportive family who helped him get top-surgery, found himself at the reintegration camp for females when a neighbor noticed the changes after his surgery and reported him. Tan notices Bobbi’s flat chest and asks Bobbi if he would prefer male pronouns, saying “it’s the easiest thing in the world” to use the correct pronouns, leading to all the guys being supportive of Bobbi’s identity and viewing him as one of the guys. While we didn’t get to know Bobbi too well, I enjoyed the time we did get to spend with him.
Then there’s Pax, a Zagorian who has helped Mack and the rest of the guys out of dangerous situations again and again. He’s proof that not all Zagorians are bad people and he’s willing to exchange information to help Mack and the rest of the guys defeat his kind in exchange for being able to stay on Earth after since the planet he and his kind come from is slowly dying.
Smolder manages to balance the action and romance out perfectly, keeping me entertained and turning the pages. I can’t wait to continue this series with the third book [b:Burn|50341727|Burn (Ignite, #3)|Nora Phoenix|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1578690976l/50341727._SY75_.jpg|75282756].
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