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A review by _ckarys
A Touch of Brimstone by McKenzie Hunter
4.0
Actual rating: 3.5/5 stars
A TOUCH OF BRIMSTONE has all the elements of a compelling story: a relatable protagonist (who gets extra points for being a book lover), a smoldering dark prince (with tattoos!) and an enticing mystery that needs solving. Let me tell you a little bit more.
The story follows Luna, a bookstore clerk with a passion for fantasy trying to get over her recent breakup with her unfaithful bastard of an ex-boyfriend. Luna has always been fascinated by magic, though she’s never believed it to be real until a book bites her and sets off a spell. Suddenly, Luna is thrust into a supernatural world of vampires, witches and werewolves, all of them trying to understand why a human was used as a catalyst for a spell that opened the gates to the Underworld’s prison. Lording over all of them is Dominic, the Guardian of the prison who is more determined than all of them to see the spell reversed. He and Luna strike a deal: he will protect her from those hunting her down and she will help him find a way to return the prisoners. Will they succeed? Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out!
The world-building of A Touch of Brimstone was possibly my favorite element. It’s such a vast world with a plethora of supernatural creatures to choose from, all of them united by a thick web of alliances, rivalries and tricky history. We got small doses of what it means to be a vampire, a werewolf or a witch in this world, but it was enough to paint a picture of the strengths and weaknesses of each of these species and catapult you into the world, at the same time always leaving you hungry to find out more.
I also really enjoyed the characters! As mentioned before, Luna found a quick place in my heart because of her love of books—and fantasy book, in particular. I also saw myself a lot in her fake-it-til-you-make-it attitude, which I often find myself adopting during my own everyday struggles until I find a way to rationalize and process. Her human experience was never put on the sidelines in favor of the supernatural thrill. We get to see a lot of Luna’s daily life, which revealed various aspects of her character and her relationships. I did, however, have a harder time warming up to Dominic. I sometimes found him too be a bit too aloof, and it limited my enjoyment of the ship, though there were moments of great banter between him and Luna. However, this is only the first book and I’m curious to see the developments of this relationship.
I won’t lie…my eye got a bit distracted by another character, Anand, one of the residents of the Underworld tasked to be Luna’s shadow on various occasions. If you know my love for Sarah J. Maas, you also know my love of a certain Shadowsinger. Well, Anand falls into that sort of character: quiet, but always observant and present, with moments where he steals the attention. What will his role be in the future? I’m not sure, but I’m very curious to find out!
Though the pacing was a bit slower than I normally like, I loved the mystery element of the plot and hope that it will stay a constant in the series! Overall, it was a great read that I recommend to fans of paranormal novels with a dash of mystery and a slow-burn romance sub-plot.
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy to review! All opinions are my own.
A TOUCH OF BRIMSTONE has all the elements of a compelling story: a relatable protagonist (who gets extra points for being a book lover), a smoldering dark prince (with tattoos!) and an enticing mystery that needs solving. Let me tell you a little bit more.
The story follows Luna, a bookstore clerk with a passion for fantasy trying to get over her recent breakup with her unfaithful bastard of an ex-boyfriend. Luna has always been fascinated by magic, though she’s never believed it to be real until a book bites her and sets off a spell. Suddenly, Luna is thrust into a supernatural world of vampires, witches and werewolves, all of them trying to understand why a human was used as a catalyst for a spell that opened the gates to the Underworld’s prison. Lording over all of them is Dominic, the Guardian of the prison who is more determined than all of them to see the spell reversed. He and Luna strike a deal: he will protect her from those hunting her down and she will help him find a way to return the prisoners. Will they succeed? Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out!
The world-building of A Touch of Brimstone was possibly my favorite element. It’s such a vast world with a plethora of supernatural creatures to choose from, all of them united by a thick web of alliances, rivalries and tricky history. We got small doses of what it means to be a vampire, a werewolf or a witch in this world, but it was enough to paint a picture of the strengths and weaknesses of each of these species and catapult you into the world, at the same time always leaving you hungry to find out more.
I also really enjoyed the characters! As mentioned before, Luna found a quick place in my heart because of her love of books—and fantasy book, in particular. I also saw myself a lot in her fake-it-til-you-make-it attitude, which I often find myself adopting during my own everyday struggles until I find a way to rationalize and process. Her human experience was never put on the sidelines in favor of the supernatural thrill. We get to see a lot of Luna’s daily life, which revealed various aspects of her character and her relationships. I did, however, have a harder time warming up to Dominic. I sometimes found him too be a bit too aloof, and it limited my enjoyment of the ship, though there were moments of great banter between him and Luna. However, this is only the first book and I’m curious to see the developments of this relationship.
I won’t lie…my eye got a bit distracted by another character, Anand, one of the residents of the Underworld tasked to be Luna’s shadow on various occasions. If you know my love for Sarah J. Maas, you also know my love of a certain Shadowsinger. Well, Anand falls into that sort of character: quiet, but always observant and present, with moments where he steals the attention. What will his role be in the future? I’m not sure, but I’m very curious to find out!
Though the pacing was a bit slower than I normally like, I loved the mystery element of the plot and hope that it will stay a constant in the series! Overall, it was a great read that I recommend to fans of paranormal novels with a dash of mystery and a slow-burn romance sub-plot.
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy to review! All opinions are my own.