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aspencross 's review for:
Fear the Flames
by Olivia Rose Darling
adventurous
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I love the premise of this book and some of the execution is done sooo well, the rest just needs a bit more refining. I’m hoping the upcoming republished book editing amends the less good parts. I’ve been following Olivia’s writing journey since she started the Instagram and I was saving getting the book until I graduated (which I did yay!), so I am a little disappointed. I am also so excited for her edited version and the rest of the series, which I do plan to read.
Tropes included:
m/f romance, found family, dragon connection, adventure, forbidden romance
Side inclusions:
references to homosexual relationships or flirting
Trigger warnings:
torture (both active and memory), references to sexual assault/harassment, fighting, war
Content warnings:
gore, sexual content, language
There’s so much in this story that the only way I could think of breaking it down is into sections so feel free to read as you want. Sorry I kind of wrote these down and more kept coming so this is more like a mini-essay.
Important references: Elowen = main character/queen/princess, Cayden = love interest/commander of Vareveth, Finnian = best friend of Elowen
Star rating: Overall, this book is a 3.5 for me.
The first 197 pages took me almost 2.5 weeks to get through. It was honestly almost a DNF. There’s so many world aspects and people we meet in a (mostly) uneventful way that are over explained. It kind of feels pretentious at points. There’s other parts I’ll mention later but this is honestly the weakest part of the whole story which is good and rough because I’ve seen other reviews that DNF’d about 25% or 200 pages in.
The middle section was the best in terms of pacing and stakes for the characters. Brought the star rating to like a 4.
The final around 50 pages, starting on page 521, is where the steam starts to severely lose like a coal cart got detached from the train. There’s a lot that happens that feels like it just happened because the author needed it to be at a certain point and was running out of pages. The last chapter especially was kind of rough with the pacing. This final part brought the rating to a 3.5 (for now at least). It feels mean rating it lower but I did round down on the actual stars because this book is not worthy of my 4 stars.
Edits: I know other reviewers have mentioned this but the (lack of) edits did not help this fantastic story. There were chunky sentences and paragraph structures. There was good variation with the size of sentences and paragraphs but the content within and connecting each other was difficult. The word “but” was also used excessively. It’s useful but the sentences could’ve been better developed with a smaller usage of the word.
Some scenes were really confusing in terms of timing and setting. *spoiler in the rest of the paragraph* There’s a scene where Finnian, Elowen, and Cayden are in the tent play fighting about a book and it ends with Elowen grinding on Cayden. The way it’s written seems like Finnian is still in the room. I’m sure he’s not (at least for my sake I hope he’s not).
Explanations: There was a lot of over explaining for almost every “profound” moment to make sure the reader was interpreting it the right way but it felt too preachy for me and not giving the reader’s enough credit.
Conversations: On the “profound” note, many characters say very hard hitting lines. Almost too much to the point it feels unnatural. They’re good lines and good points but like aren't as impactful if everything they say is so inspiring.
Romance: It’s supposed to be a forbidden romance. I think the only person who thinks that is Elowen. This is mentioned as an edit the author is making so I’m hopeful this will be resolved for the rerelease. Other aspects of the romance:
- Consent: YAY THERE’S SO MUCH VERBAL CONSENT. This really shouldn’t be a “omg this exists in a book” type of this but it still is. The author does a really good job of showing consent throughout the book and especially between Elowen and Cayden.
- Pet names: I’m a sucker for pet names. I really am. There are too many pet names in this book, especially said by Cayden. He might just be a pet names guy but like no one talks using a name or pet name to refer to someone in nearly every sentence. I’m pretty sure I’d be able to count the number of times he doesn’t use a pet name than the times he does in relation to the number of sentences they say to each other.
- The letters: Good concept, integration needs more work. It's just an awkward space filler that doesn't show the reader much besides the time passing.
- Chemistry: Elowen has more romantic chemistry with Finnian, the gay best friend. Sexually it makes sense she like the tall, dark, hunky dude. The relationship builds in a way that's very uneven that reflects on Elowen and Cayden's chemistry. Cayden is almost instantly attracted and Elowen doesn't want to be so she tries to start beefing.
- Flirting: Their flirting at the beginning is SO cringey. Almost unreadable for me. There're too many references to straight on kinky sex (ropes, chef kink, knife play), especially for apparently hating(??) each other at the beginning. And when they do have sex it's not even kinky, it's sugar added to vanilla. Technically there's seasoning but it's just kind of basic sex if you're talking and having fun with it.
- Beefing: Why? Hopefully this is fixed with the edited version. And they kind of stop abruptly beefing and then start fucking.
Found family: It's really cute seeing little friend groups form. The chemistry of the group feels a little too forced in areas. Like Saskia becomes instantly close because finally there's a girl in the group and they like dress shopping together, there's not really any deep connection formed between them. Finnian is just a fifth wheel.
Characters: I don’t know if I actually liked them after writing this mini essay. Other reviews have touched on this but they seem so juvenile. How are these middle to upper 20 somethings?
- Elowen: she can be characterized as a strong female character (almost derogatory). She can fight, she can heal, she can be a spy, she can steal things, and she can run a country starting when she’s 10 (like why is she the Queen of Aestilian). She drinks coffee, likes pastries and dresses, and feels guilty about leaving her dragons. Pick me almost feels too brutal of a term to use for her but she’s edging the term.
- Cayden: I know he’s supposed to be morally grey, kind of like ACOTAR’s Rhysand. The grey parts are nearly black. He’s overly possessive, says he trusts Elowen but literally never acts through on that, punches his enemies to take out his enemies or people who have wronged him as “justice”. He keeps information from her ALL THE TIME. And then Elowen trusts him when he says he won’t hide stuff again. Like Ms Elowen, my therapist has a book for this relationship called “Why does he do that: angry and controlling men”. Also he’s apparently a commander of a whole fucking army. How did he end up as the highest rank by his mid twenties? Why is he so feared? What does he even do besides punch people and be anywhere besides the front lines?
- Finnian: Pretty sure he’s filling the “gay best friend/brother” trope. He’s important to Elowen but buddy doesn’t seem able to do anything besides ignore Elowen, blow up on her, or be super clingy towards her. Besides archery and being an orphan with major abandonment issues he doesn’t have much to his character.
- Ryder: How is he important to the army besides being best friends with the commander? He has to be high ranking to be able to wander off like he does. He doesn’t do much besides be a brother to Saskia and do whatever Cayden asks of him.
- Saskia: She’s smart and beautiful and likes dresses. Outside of Ryder and Cayden she doesn’t have any friends. Literally how? Her intelligence seems to be written in a way to offset Ryder’s lack of character.
World building: There are well thought out world building moments. There's some fun, but dangerous creatures in the woods. Vareveth has a pretty thought-out social structure. Pastries are specific to regions.
Other elements could be either better explained or literally made no sense in the context
- Coffee/vanilla syrup: for a setting that’s European, and more specifically Ireland, how the fuck is there coffee and vanilla. There’s mentions of trade for alcohol so I assume that is the same for coffee but the fact that she’s able to have coffee nearly everywhere doesn’t make sense. And also, in the beginning there are too many references to Elowen's "crippling coffee/caffeine addiction". Again, feels too modern.
- Religion: The author obviously comes from a Christian based upbringing, which is fair because a lot of the United States is very Christianized (or at least it’s integrated so deeply into the culture). There are SO many references to “angels” (it’s literally a pet name for the main character), Elowen and Cayden referring to each other as their "sins" and "damnation" and "going to hell", and other aspects that are super Christian based. This would be fine but there aren’t really any other references to this in the world’s religion. It’s so much Christian terminology that I’m surprised that there’s multiple gods and it's not a Christian based world.
In general, we don’t actually know much about the religion(s) of the world. There’re cults, old gods/goddesses, abandons temples, rituals. I’m hoping future books take advantage of this cool aspect because I feel like the author is missing out on really cool glimpses into how this world functions. There’s also a single generation shift between “the old ways” and the “new ways” aka pretty much how our world is now where the old ways are very strict, no sex before marriage type of thing, and the new way is more sex positive but still kind of sex repressed. These religions should also play more into the social structure of the world than it actually does. Or if they do then it's not explained/shown enough. Having the explanation on this would also explain the dragon bond thing A LOT.
- Romance, specifically smut, books: I had to look it up but the word “smut” has apparently been in use from the 17th century, but it comes from a Germanic based word which doesn't seem relevant to the Irish base. Even knowing that it still feels wrong for these characters to be referring to books as “smutty”. It feels too modern for the setting of the book.
- Faucets: Running water has been in various stages since the Romans (and probably before in other areas). Having faucets feels modern but is okay with research. What gets me is the water heater. In the end of the book Elowen references turning a faucet for a bath and having warm water. The technology used in the world doesn't seem to match having this feature. Elowen knowing how to use this feature also suggests that she has access in Aestilian, a country that's building itself from the ground up, because girly would not have learned about this in her dark cell as a child.
- Space of the world: Everything seems like a day or half a day away from Vareveth, even from walking. Like it's half a day ride to the front lines, a day and a half going to Imiraith, two days from Aestilian. The spacing doesn't make sense. Like even with horses it's too short of a distance.
- Urasos/Feynandra: These are the other two mainland countries. Did you know that? Countries. They are literally so unimportant that it doesn't make sense they exist. Elowen is able to go from Imiraith to Aestilian, crossing three countries, with minimal problems that are nature only based. They're referenced but if the spacing of Imiraith/Vareveth is a day or two across the whole country than these two countries are a half day.
- Continent war: It doesn’t actually make sense for there to be a war besides just boys beefing. Which is I guess why a lot of wars start.
- Immigration policies: Aestilian is a place for refugees. But the three most important military people are all immigrants (?) like is anyone actually from Vareveth or is it just a front.
Dragons: This is not a book about dragons. It’s building up the series to have the dragons but there aren’t actual dragons until the final section. I’m totally okay with it and I’m so glad we get to see how Elowen gets her dragons. I wish there was more about the bond and the Queen of Dragons bit as that seems majorly important, and there’s a prophecy that’s not really explained(??). This feels like a lost moment, especially as it relates to religion /social structure in world building.
The Heist: The most important part and whole premise of the story but like is in like four chapters out of nearly sixty chapters.
SPOILERS
- I know they have a cover story for all of them being gone but they get no consequences for literally leaving Vareveth completely. Like the 4 (plus Finnian) most important people are okay just all leaving their country.
- They’re able to do the heist SO easily. It’s almost ridiculous.
- They get clothes for the ball insanely easy. Also the money is the same in the continent(?). For having a war between them it doesn’t make sense that the currency is the same.
- If Elowen is the heir, how does NO ONE recognize her. I know they’re civilians but like girly has apparently been wanted for dead for 14 years. The citizens would probably know who they should be killing.
- The switch up from her father and the word spreading in 3 days across borders literally doesn’t make sense.
70 - 90% of these concerns have the possibility to be amended with the edits coming from the rerelease. And I hope they are because this series has a strong potential. I love the story and want the characters to succeed.
Tropes included:
m/f romance, found family, dragon connection, adventure, forbidden romance
Side inclusions:
references to homosexual relationships or flirting
Trigger warnings:
torture (both active and memory), references to sexual assault/harassment, fighting, war
Content warnings:
gore, sexual content, language
There’s so much in this story that the only way I could think of breaking it down is into sections so feel free to read as you want. Sorry I kind of wrote these down and more kept coming so this is more like a mini-essay.
Important references: Elowen = main character/queen/princess, Cayden = love interest/commander of Vareveth, Finnian = best friend of Elowen
Star rating: Overall, this book is a 3.5 for me.
The first 197 pages took me almost 2.5 weeks to get through. It was honestly almost a DNF. There’s so many world aspects and people we meet in a (mostly) uneventful way that are over explained. It kind of feels pretentious at points. There’s other parts I’ll mention later but this is honestly the weakest part of the whole story which is good and rough because I’ve seen other reviews that DNF’d about 25% or 200 pages in.
The middle section was the best in terms of pacing and stakes for the characters. Brought the star rating to like a 4.
The final around 50 pages, starting on page 521, is where the steam starts to severely lose like a coal cart got detached from the train. There’s a lot that happens that feels like it just happened because the author needed it to be at a certain point and was running out of pages. The last chapter especially was kind of rough with the pacing. This final part brought the rating to a 3.5 (for now at least). It feels mean rating it lower but I did round down on the actual stars because this book is not worthy of my 4 stars.
Edits: I know other reviewers have mentioned this but the (lack of) edits did not help this fantastic story. There were chunky sentences and paragraph structures. There was good variation with the size of sentences and paragraphs but the content within and connecting each other was difficult. The word “but” was also used excessively. It’s useful but the sentences could’ve been better developed with a smaller usage of the word.
Some scenes were really confusing in terms of timing and setting. *spoiler in the rest of the paragraph* There’s a scene where Finnian, Elowen, and Cayden are in the tent play fighting about a book and it ends with Elowen grinding on Cayden. The way it’s written seems like Finnian is still in the room. I’m sure he’s not (at least for my sake I hope he’s not).
Explanations: There was a lot of over explaining for almost every “profound” moment to make sure the reader was interpreting it the right way but it felt too preachy for me and not giving the reader’s enough credit.
Conversations: On the “profound” note, many characters say very hard hitting lines. Almost too much to the point it feels unnatural. They’re good lines and good points but like aren't as impactful if everything they say is so inspiring.
Romance: It’s supposed to be a forbidden romance. I think the only person who thinks that is Elowen. This is mentioned as an edit the author is making so I’m hopeful this will be resolved for the rerelease. Other aspects of the romance:
- Consent: YAY THERE’S SO MUCH VERBAL CONSENT. This really shouldn’t be a “omg this exists in a book” type of this but it still is. The author does a really good job of showing consent throughout the book and especially between Elowen and Cayden.
- Pet names: I’m a sucker for pet names. I really am. There are too many pet names in this book, especially said by Cayden. He might just be a pet names guy but like no one talks using a name or pet name to refer to someone in nearly every sentence. I’m pretty sure I’d be able to count the number of times he doesn’t use a pet name than the times he does in relation to the number of sentences they say to each other.
- The letters: Good concept, integration needs more work. It's just an awkward space filler that doesn't show the reader much besides the time passing.
- Chemistry: Elowen has more romantic chemistry with Finnian, the gay best friend. Sexually it makes sense she like the tall, dark, hunky dude. The relationship builds in a way that's very uneven that reflects on Elowen and Cayden's chemistry. Cayden is almost instantly attracted and Elowen doesn't want to be so she tries to start beefing.
- Flirting: Their flirting at the beginning is SO cringey. Almost unreadable for me. There're too many references to straight on kinky sex (ropes, chef kink, knife play), especially for apparently hating(??) each other at the beginning. And when they do have sex it's not even kinky, it's sugar added to vanilla. Technically there's seasoning but it's just kind of basic sex if you're talking and having fun with it.
- Beefing: Why? Hopefully this is fixed with the edited version. And they kind of stop abruptly beefing and then start fucking.
Found family: It's really cute seeing little friend groups form. The chemistry of the group feels a little too forced in areas. Like Saskia becomes instantly close because finally there's a girl in the group and they like dress shopping together, there's not really any deep connection formed between them. Finnian is just a fifth wheel.
Characters: I don’t know if I actually liked them after writing this mini essay. Other reviews have touched on this but they seem so juvenile. How are these middle to upper 20 somethings?
- Elowen: she can be characterized as a strong female character (almost derogatory). She can fight, she can heal, she can be a spy, she can steal things, and she can run a country starting when she’s 10 (like why is she the Queen of Aestilian). She drinks coffee, likes pastries and dresses, and feels guilty about leaving her dragons. Pick me almost feels too brutal of a term to use for her but she’s edging the term.
- Cayden: I know he’s supposed to be morally grey, kind of like ACOTAR’s Rhysand. The grey parts are nearly black. He’s overly possessive, says he trusts Elowen but literally never acts through on that, punches his enemies to take out his enemies or people who have wronged him as “justice”. He keeps information from her ALL THE TIME. And then Elowen trusts him when he says he won’t hide stuff again. Like Ms Elowen, my therapist has a book for this relationship called “Why does he do that: angry and controlling men”. Also he’s apparently a commander of a whole fucking army. How did he end up as the highest rank by his mid twenties? Why is he so feared? What does he even do besides punch people and be anywhere besides the front lines?
- Finnian: Pretty sure he’s filling the “gay best friend/brother” trope. He’s important to Elowen but buddy doesn’t seem able to do anything besides ignore Elowen, blow up on her, or be super clingy towards her. Besides archery and being an orphan with major abandonment issues he doesn’t have much to his character.
- Ryder: How is he important to the army besides being best friends with the commander? He has to be high ranking to be able to wander off like he does. He doesn’t do much besides be a brother to Saskia and do whatever Cayden asks of him.
- Saskia: She’s smart and beautiful and likes dresses. Outside of Ryder and Cayden she doesn’t have any friends. Literally how? Her intelligence seems to be written in a way to offset Ryder’s lack of character.
World building: There are well thought out world building moments. There's some fun, but dangerous creatures in the woods. Vareveth has a pretty thought-out social structure. Pastries are specific to regions.
Other elements could be either better explained or literally made no sense in the context
- Coffee/vanilla syrup: for a setting that’s European, and more specifically Ireland, how the fuck is there coffee and vanilla. There’s mentions of trade for alcohol so I assume that is the same for coffee but the fact that she’s able to have coffee nearly everywhere doesn’t make sense. And also, in the beginning there are too many references to Elowen's "crippling coffee/caffeine addiction". Again, feels too modern.
- Religion: The author obviously comes from a Christian based upbringing, which is fair because a lot of the United States is very Christianized (or at least it’s integrated so deeply into the culture). There are SO many references to “angels” (it’s literally a pet name for the main character), Elowen and Cayden referring to each other as their "sins" and "damnation" and "going to hell", and other aspects that are super Christian based. This would be fine but there aren’t really any other references to this in the world’s religion. It’s so much Christian terminology that I’m surprised that there’s multiple gods and it's not a Christian based world.
In general, we don’t actually know much about the religion(s) of the world. There’re cults, old gods/goddesses, abandons temples, rituals. I’m hoping future books take advantage of this cool aspect because I feel like the author is missing out on really cool glimpses into how this world functions. There’s also a single generation shift between “the old ways” and the “new ways” aka pretty much how our world is now where the old ways are very strict, no sex before marriage type of thing, and the new way is more sex positive but still kind of sex repressed. These religions should also play more into the social structure of the world than it actually does. Or if they do then it's not explained/shown enough. Having the explanation on this would also explain the dragon bond thing A LOT.
- Romance, specifically smut, books: I had to look it up but the word “smut” has apparently been in use from the 17th century, but it comes from a Germanic based word which doesn't seem relevant to the Irish base. Even knowing that it still feels wrong for these characters to be referring to books as “smutty”. It feels too modern for the setting of the book.
- Faucets: Running water has been in various stages since the Romans (and probably before in other areas). Having faucets feels modern but is okay with research. What gets me is the water heater. In the end of the book Elowen references turning a faucet for a bath and having warm water. The technology used in the world doesn't seem to match having this feature. Elowen knowing how to use this feature also suggests that she has access in Aestilian, a country that's building itself from the ground up, because girly would not have learned about this in her dark cell as a child.
- Space of the world: Everything seems like a day or half a day away from Vareveth, even from walking. Like it's half a day ride to the front lines, a day and a half going to Imiraith, two days from Aestilian. The spacing doesn't make sense. Like even with horses it's too short of a distance.
- Urasos/Feynandra: These are the other two mainland countries. Did you know that? Countries. They are literally so unimportant that it doesn't make sense they exist. Elowen is able to go from Imiraith to Aestilian, crossing three countries, with minimal problems that are nature only based. They're referenced but if the spacing of Imiraith/Vareveth is a day or two across the whole country than these two countries are a half day.
- Continent war: It doesn’t actually make sense for there to be a war besides just boys beefing. Which is I guess why a lot of wars start.
- Immigration policies: Aestilian is a place for refugees. But the three most important military people are all immigrants (?) like is anyone actually from Vareveth or is it just a front.
Dragons: This is not a book about dragons. It’s building up the series to have the dragons but there aren’t actual dragons until the final section. I’m totally okay with it and I’m so glad we get to see how Elowen gets her dragons. I wish there was more about the bond and the Queen of Dragons bit as that seems majorly important, and there’s a prophecy that’s not really explained(??). This feels like a lost moment, especially as it relates to religion /social structure in world building.
The Heist: The most important part and whole premise of the story but like is in like four chapters out of nearly sixty chapters.
SPOILERS
- I know they have a cover story for all of them being gone but they get no consequences for literally leaving Vareveth completely. Like the 4 (plus Finnian) most important people are okay just all leaving their country.
- They’re able to do the heist SO easily. It’s almost ridiculous.
- They get clothes for the ball insanely easy. Also the money is the same in the continent(?). For having a war between them it doesn’t make sense that the currency is the same.
- If Elowen is the heir, how does NO ONE recognize her. I know they’re civilians but like girly has apparently been wanted for dead for 14 years. The citizens would probably know who they should be killing.
- The switch up from her father and the word spreading in 3 days across borders literally doesn’t make sense.
70 - 90% of these concerns have the possibility to be amended with the edits coming from the rerelease. And I hope they are because this series has a strong potential. I love the story and want the characters to succeed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol