Take a photo of a barcode or cover
nightstitch96 's review for:
Of Flame and Fury
by Mikayla Bridge
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Incredibly predictable. Literally the only "plot twist" that wasn't extremely obvious was because it didn't really make sense. Like the author was purposely holding back information for the surprise factor (more on this later in the spoiler-y section).
I didn't like any of the characters. They just all felt like they were angry and lashing out at everyone around them for no reason, especially at the start? I feel like the only reason the FMC and MMC didn't like each other at the beginning was just so the book could be marketed as "enemies-to-lovers", which it's not. At most it's more like "rivals-to-lovers" but even that is...generous. Plus, I dislike that this was marketed for fans of Fourth Wing? I didn't even realize this was YA until part way through because why would a YA be compared to Fourth Wing? Feels...weird to me?
The logic in this book was bad. Nothing made sense, most things happened how they happened just to further the plot rather than being a rational thing someone would do/think.
After Kel turned down the corporate dude's offer to join them the first time and then like...that night/next day her aviary burns down, leaving them with literally no other options than to accept the corporate dude's offer... HOW ARE YOU NOT SUSPISCIOUS!? AND!!! How does an aviary MADE TO HOUSE BIRDS THAT CATCH ON FIRE BURN DOWN? I think the author tried to explain it by saying that phoenix fire and normal fire weren't the same thing. I could maybe see that where something is normal fireproof but phoenix fire would still cause problems. But you're trying to convince me that it's the other way and I Do. Not. Get. It.
The race where Coup gets hurt. Like has 4th degree burns everywhere because the phoenix got so hot it burned him everywhere....HOW IS HIS HAIR FINE. Like 2 chapters later Kel was running her fingers through his hair. HIS HAIR IS FIREPROOF BUT NOT THE AVIARY?!
Okay so let's talk about the pandemic thing in this book. AB. It's apparently so common that it's like a common cold? But it's fatal. If it's so fatal then like...why are there no safety procedures to follow to not have literally everyone die? I don't understand how it spreads. Airborne? Everyone would be dead. Contact or blood? Our entire main group of characters would be sick. How tf does Kel end up getting AB but literally none of the other characters get it??
AND THEN we make up a character right at the end???? "What do you mean you don't remember this character...we hang out with her every Saturday for movie night!" Listen. Maybe you can explain away Kel not remember the actual movie nights or pool party or whatever happening as it's happening. But there is NO WAY that NONE of these characters talked about this sick person at SOME POINT during the...what, month(s) that they were there? Or referenced a movie they had supposedly watched together? Or any planning on all getting together as a group? That's just...not how people talk? It doesn't make any sense. It was just thrown in for the shock factor and I HATED IT.
The rest of the hints I thought were... fine. Kel not sleeping well, her being angry (through if the author wanted us to pick up on it, there needed to be more time to get to know Kel BEFORE she gets sick. Because I literally just thought that was how she was as a character), etc. But inventing a character 85% of the way into the book is just....bad.
I didn't like any of the characters. They just all felt like they were angry and lashing out at everyone around them for no reason, especially at the start? I feel like the only reason the FMC and MMC didn't like each other at the beginning was just so the book could be marketed as "enemies-to-lovers", which it's not. At most it's more like "rivals-to-lovers" but even that is...generous. Plus, I dislike that this was marketed for fans of Fourth Wing? I didn't even realize this was YA until part way through because why would a YA be compared to Fourth Wing? Feels...weird to me?
The logic in this book was bad. Nothing made sense, most things happened how they happened just to further the plot rather than being a rational thing someone would do/think.
The race where Coup gets hurt. Like has 4th degree burns everywhere because the phoenix got so hot it burned him everywhere....HOW IS HIS HAIR FINE. Like 2 chapters later Kel was running her fingers through his hair. HIS HAIR IS FIREPROOF BUT NOT THE AVIARY?!
Okay so let's talk about the pandemic thing in this book. AB. It's apparently so common that it's like a common cold? But it's fatal. If it's so fatal then like...why are there no safety procedures to follow to not have literally everyone die? I don't understand how it spreads. Airborne? Everyone would be dead. Contact or blood? Our entire main group of characters would be sick. How tf does Kel end up getting AB but literally none of the other characters get it??
AND THEN we make up a character right at the end???? "What do you mean you don't remember this character...we hang out with her every Saturday for movie night!" Listen. Maybe you can explain away Kel not remember the actual movie nights or pool party or whatever happening as it's happening. But there is NO WAY that NONE of these characters talked about this sick person at SOME POINT during the...what, month(s) that they were there? Or referenced a movie they had supposedly watched together? Or any planning on all getting together as a group? That's just...not how people talk? It doesn't make any sense. It was just thrown in for the shock factor and I HATED IT.
The rest of the hints I thought were... fine. Kel not sleeping well, her being angry (through if the author wanted us to pick up on it, there needed to be more time to get to know Kel BEFORE she gets sick. Because I literally just thought that was how she was as a character), etc. But inventing a character 85% of the way into the book is just....bad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Animal death, Medical content
Minor: Blood