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Chaos & Flame #1
Chaos & Flame
From New York Times bestselling author Justina Ireland and Tessa Gratton comes the first book in a ferocious YA fantasy duology featuring ancient magic, warring factions, and a romance between the two people in the world with the most cause to hate one another.
Darling Seabreak cannot remember anything before the murder of her family at the hands of House Dragon, but she knows she owes her life to both the power of her Chaos Boon and House Kraken for liberating her from the sewers where she spent her childhood. So when her adoptive Kraken father is captured in battle, Darling vows to save him--even if that means killing each and every last member of House Dragon.
Talon Goldhoard has always been a dutiful War Prince for House Dragon, bravely leading the elite troops of his brother, the High Prince Regent. But lately his brother's erratic rule threatens to undo a hundred years of House Dragon's hard work, and factions are turning to Talon to unseat him. Talon resists, until he's ambushed by a fierce girl who looks exactly like the one his brother has painted obsessively, repeatedly, for years, and Talon knows she's the key to everything.
Together, Darling and Talon must navigate the treacherous waters of House politics, caught up in the complicated game the High Prince Regent is playing against everyone. The unlikeliest of allies, they'll have to stop fighting each other long enough to learn to fight together in order to survive the fiery prophecies and ancient blood magic threatening to devastate their entire world.
Darling Seabreak cannot remember anything before the murder of her family at the hands of House Dragon, but she knows she owes her life to both the power of her Chaos Boon and House Kraken for liberating her from the sewers where she spent her childhood. So when her adoptive Kraken father is captured in battle, Darling vows to save him--even if that means killing each and every last member of House Dragon.
Talon Goldhoard has always been a dutiful War Prince for House Dragon, bravely leading the elite troops of his brother, the High Prince Regent. But lately his brother's erratic rule threatens to undo a hundred years of House Dragon's hard work, and factions are turning to Talon to unseat him. Talon resists, until he's ambushed by a fierce girl who looks exactly like the one his brother has painted obsessively, repeatedly, for years, and Talon knows she's the key to everything.
Together, Darling and Talon must navigate the treacherous waters of House politics, caught up in the complicated game the High Prince Regent is playing against everyone. The unlikeliest of allies, they'll have to stop fighting each other long enough to learn to fight together in order to survive the fiery prophecies and ancient blood magic threatening to devastate their entire world.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 28, 2023
200 people are currently reading
30k people want to read
About the author
Tessa Gratton
74 books1,924 followersTessa Gratton is the author of adult and YA SFF novels and short stories that have been translated into twenty-two languages, nominated twice for the Otherwise Award, and several have been Junior Library Guild Selections. Her most recent novels are the dark queer fairy tales Strange Grace and Night Shine, and queer the Shakespeare retelling Lady Hotspur. Her upcoming work includes the YA fantasy Chaos and Flame (2023), and novels of Star Wars: The High Republic. Though she has lived all over the world, she currently resides at the edge of the Kansas prairie with her wife. Queer, nonbinary, she/any.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 547 reviews
April 12, 2023
this wasnt terrible, but it definitely wasnt great either.
it just feels like the bare minimum. the characters, while having potential due to their backstories, are pretty bland. the plot, while set up to be quite dynamic, is quite slow. and the writing, while being the combination of two good authors, is weak at times (the character names are also super cringey).
so there are some seeds of good content present, but they just never fully bloomed, leaving me unsatisfied.
↠ 2.5 stars
it just feels like the bare minimum. the characters, while having potential due to their backstories, are pretty bland. the plot, while set up to be quite dynamic, is quite slow. and the writing, while being the combination of two good authors, is weak at times (the character names are also super cringey).
so there are some seeds of good content present, but they just never fully bloomed, leaving me unsatisfied.
↠ 2.5 stars
April 25, 2024
The first chapter was chiefs kiss. I was so sucked in. And then the rest of the book happened 😒
I’m so sad the story didn’t focus on the first chapter’s character because Talon & Darling were incredibly cringey.
I’m so sad the story didn’t focus on the first chapter’s character because Talon & Darling were incredibly cringey.
April 29, 2023
I think there is a lot of potential in this story. I wanted a little more with the world building as I think it was a creative and rich world of possibilities. The characters also had a lot of potential but I don’t think any of them truly reached that potential. I must admit I am typically not a fan of instant love with romance books, but in this case I think it worked even less than normal. Given the war between their houses I do not believe that in a couple of days Talon and Darling would have been even having swooning thoughts for each other. Don’t get me wrong, I think their romance has potential but I wanted a slow burn that felt more realistic. With all that said I will definitely be reading the second part to this duology. I do want to know what happens next and how this world will handle the changes that prophecy is bringing. I hope to learn more about boons and some of the house history in the next book. Overall I gave this one 3.5 stars.
March 5, 2023
Okay, all my lovers of political intrigue in fantasy LISTEN UP! While Chaos & Flame is a bit slow to start and find its footing, by the end I was completely invested and desperately need the next book.
And it really took me by surprise as well. I thought it was setting things up to be just your garden variety YA fantasy with romantic angst. And while there is certainly some of that romantic angst, it is expertly woven into a world of ancient magic, political plots, war, and prophecy. There are some interesting twists, and well-developed side characters.
The novel is written from two perspectives with alternating chapters. Darling Seabreak (yeah, I don't love her name choice either tbh) is a Black, bisexual young woman who is the last surviving member of House Sphinx, taken in by House Kraken and trained to be a deadly warrior. Her childhood was spent hiding in sewers and as a result her eyes are light-sensitive. Now her adoptive father has been kidnapped and she is determined to get him back and kill the scions of House Dragon along the way- those responsible for the murder of her family.
Talon Goldhoard is the War Prince of House Dragon. After the assassination of his mother by House Sphinx, his father launched a years-long war. Now his older brother Caspian is High Prince Regent and Talon's only goal is to protect what remains of his family. Caspian was probably my favorite character in the book, but he is erratic and unpredictable- spending most of his life painting haunting images of a girl who looks just like Darling. So when Talon captures her, he brings her back to the palace where she becomes embroiled in politics.
I won't say too much more about the plot, but I ended up really liking this and that cliffhanger ending was fantastic! I would like to see a little more nuance to Talon and Darling as characters, thought they are surprisingly alike in personality and goals. Again, this took some time to draw me in but it was well worth it. For people who have only read Gratton's adult fantasy, this will read as much faster paced and it lets the plot drive things to a greater extent rather than taking so much time with characters and setting. And I get that for a YA novel, but I do think we get enough of those things for it to work. Sign me up for book 2! I received an advance copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
Content warnings include violence, injury, gore, blood-letting, body horror, death, grief, etc. In general this is on the violent side for YA.
And it really took me by surprise as well. I thought it was setting things up to be just your garden variety YA fantasy with romantic angst. And while there is certainly some of that romantic angst, it is expertly woven into a world of ancient magic, political plots, war, and prophecy. There are some interesting twists, and well-developed side characters.
The novel is written from two perspectives with alternating chapters. Darling Seabreak (yeah, I don't love her name choice either tbh) is a Black, bisexual young woman who is the last surviving member of House Sphinx, taken in by House Kraken and trained to be a deadly warrior. Her childhood was spent hiding in sewers and as a result her eyes are light-sensitive. Now her adoptive father has been kidnapped and she is determined to get him back and kill the scions of House Dragon along the way- those responsible for the murder of her family.
Talon Goldhoard is the War Prince of House Dragon. After the assassination of his mother by House Sphinx, his father launched a years-long war. Now his older brother Caspian is High Prince Regent and Talon's only goal is to protect what remains of his family. Caspian was probably my favorite character in the book, but he is erratic and unpredictable- spending most of his life painting haunting images of a girl who looks just like Darling. So when Talon captures her, he brings her back to the palace where she becomes embroiled in politics.
I won't say too much more about the plot, but I ended up really liking this and that cliffhanger ending was fantastic! I would like to see a little more nuance to Talon and Darling as characters, thought they are surprisingly alike in personality and goals. Again, this took some time to draw me in but it was well worth it. For people who have only read Gratton's adult fantasy, this will read as much faster paced and it lets the plot drive things to a greater extent rather than taking so much time with characters and setting. And I get that for a YA novel, but I do think we get enough of those things for it to work. Sign me up for book 2! I received an advance copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
Content warnings include violence, injury, gore, blood-letting, body horror, death, grief, etc. In general this is on the violent side for YA.
April 6, 2023
★ 3.25 // 5
TW: misgendering (side character), genocide (off page but discussed a lot), poison, knife violence, gore, blood, body horror (ripping a heart out grotesquely), war themes, and death
My first YA Tessa Gratton book and my first EVER Justina Ireland book! Needless to say, I was VERY excited about this new fantasy duology, and while I did have some issues with the story overall—and I'll get to those points later—Chaos and Flame has some of the most unique concepts and world building that I have ever seen without YA and even Adult fantasy. I truly cannot wait for the sequel because that cliffhanger came out of nowhere to smack me upside the head. I need to know what happens next! *cries*
Now's my time to shower Justina and Tessa with praise. For starters, the opening prologue of Caspian and his abilities? TOOK ME OUT. It solidified my inkling to read this ARC, and I couldn't hold back from delving immediately between the pages.
Caspian is actually not one of the dual POVs, but he is a significant character because he is the older brother to Talon, one of the POVs, and is the prince Regent of their kingdom. Buttttt rumors are swirling around him that he's going mad, and his boon power and its secrecy don't help those rumors at all. He has a prophecy boon, and it manifests through his artwork, specifically his preferred medium of painting. We actually meet the other lead Darling through his paintings because ever since his boon manifested, he cannot stop painting her. Like... his room is LITERALLY covered in images of Darling, and to our knowledge, he's never met her prior. Isn't this fascinating? I loved every minute of his boon experiences, and they truly made this novel standout. Not to mention the other boons are just as exciting—Darlings insane healing abilities that saved her from her family's annihilation and Talon's tracking abilities that expand even to someone who has a boon for invisibility. Literally insane how unique these boons are and I'm really hoping within the sequel to Chaos and Flame, we can learn more about the technicalities of boons. At this point, we just know they're at an all time low in this world when they used to be extremely common. I do think my favorite character is Caspian. He's an enigma throughout the book, but as a reader you question if he's as crazy as everyone makes him out to be, particularly when he shows a bit of his true self. We don't even get a good look at his true, open self, and it made him by far the best character.
Now that's not to say I didn't enjoy Talon and Darling—the leads. Their best moments were actually with one another, in my opinion, double points if they were alone together. They have great chemistry as enemies to lovers too, and their relationship is insta-love besides that initial enemies meeting/ fight. I would've liked their romance to be drawn out further, so the slow build from hating one another to loving appears more natural. It felt very cut and dry at first, and I got whiplash. To be honest, both leads are wildly curious, searching for so many answers throughout the novel, and to see their different approaches was a nice distinction. For character specifics, Darling's eyes are affected by chaos (the magic system of this world), so she has to wear special goggles to help with light sensitivity. I think in the sequel we're going to learn more about how her eyes got to that point because I get the feeling there's more to them than meets the eye. On the plus side though, she's great with night vision and that appears to be the extent to their perks. Then, in terms of Talon, he's just a big softie haha. He gives off golden retriever vibes to his loved ones, and as soon as he shifts that onto Darling, I was hooked!
Ultimately, what drew me most to Talon and Darling were their deeply ingrained loyalties to their loved ones. At first I wrote "sides" inside of "loved ones", but I deleted that and replaced it because over the course of the novel, we see how Darling and Talon just want what's best for the people they love. I liked watching their loyalties to their political affiliations crack over time in favor of peace, and while it made them appear younger to have all that optimism and hope for peace, it reminded me of just HOW young they are. Talon may be a war general and Darling a rebel in this war, but they're children too. They didn't choose to follow this path but were led to it by adults.
Finally, it is time to talk about my biggest gripe with this book—pacing. This realization shocked me because Tessa Gratton's adult books have always been slow paced, so it was a bit of a shock to see them write incredibly fast. I haven’t read any of Justina’s other works, so I’m unsure of her pacing. Anyway, the pacing didn't allow for the relationships and time jumps to feel as realistic as they could've been. I mentioned Darling and Talon's insta-love earlier, but we go to multiple nobility Houses over the course of the book, and I felt robbed of those weeks worth of travel that culminated into a couple pages. There was one ambush during their travels, but I wanted more of those deeper conversations and connections because travel brings people together, at least usually haha. When we get to the Houses even, some of those chapters felt WAY too quick. I wanted to get to know these people, but I couldn't, so their names went in and out of my brain like the span of a breath. This world is too complex to be roughly 350 pages, and I think it should've been at least 100 more. Plus, when major deaths happened within this installment, I felt nothing for the character and their relationship to the lead because I felt as if I barely knew them due to the pacing speed. Also, slight tangent, the character who killed the person revealed information about them that not even the friend character knew, so it really was jarring and random to read that entire sequence. What does it matter if they had prior allegiances? That character is dead now. What is the point? Maybe something will happen in the sequel, but it was just off-putting to add a very important detail at their death. I really hope the sequel is much much longer because this world deserves the lush descriptions, hallway conversations, and slow build to the climax.
Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for a review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
TW: misgendering (side character), genocide (off page but discussed a lot), poison, knife violence, gore, blood, body horror (ripping a heart out grotesquely), war themes, and death
My first YA Tessa Gratton book and my first EVER Justina Ireland book! Needless to say, I was VERY excited about this new fantasy duology, and while I did have some issues with the story overall—and I'll get to those points later—Chaos and Flame has some of the most unique concepts and world building that I have ever seen without YA and even Adult fantasy. I truly cannot wait for the sequel because that cliffhanger came out of nowhere to smack me upside the head. I need to know what happens next! *cries*
Now's my time to shower Justina and Tessa with praise. For starters, the opening prologue of Caspian and his abilities? TOOK ME OUT. It solidified my inkling to read this ARC, and I couldn't hold back from delving immediately between the pages.
Caspian is actually not one of the dual POVs, but he is a significant character because he is the older brother to Talon, one of the POVs, and is the prince Regent of their kingdom. Buttttt rumors are swirling around him that he's going mad, and his boon power and its secrecy don't help those rumors at all. He has a prophecy boon, and it manifests through his artwork, specifically his preferred medium of painting. We actually meet the other lead Darling through his paintings because ever since his boon manifested, he cannot stop painting her. Like... his room is LITERALLY covered in images of Darling, and to our knowledge, he's never met her prior. Isn't this fascinating? I loved every minute of his boon experiences, and they truly made this novel standout. Not to mention the other boons are just as exciting—Darlings insane healing abilities that saved her from her family's annihilation and Talon's tracking abilities that expand even to someone who has a boon for invisibility. Literally insane how unique these boons are and I'm really hoping within the sequel to Chaos and Flame, we can learn more about the technicalities of boons. At this point, we just know they're at an all time low in this world when they used to be extremely common. I do think my favorite character is Caspian. He's an enigma throughout the book, but as a reader you question if he's as crazy as everyone makes him out to be, particularly when he shows a bit of his true self. We don't even get a good look at his true, open self, and it made him by far the best character.
Now that's not to say I didn't enjoy Talon and Darling—the leads. Their best moments were actually with one another, in my opinion, double points if they were alone together. They have great chemistry as enemies to lovers too, and their relationship is insta-love besides that initial enemies meeting/ fight. I would've liked their romance to be drawn out further, so the slow build from hating one another to loving appears more natural. It felt very cut and dry at first, and I got whiplash. To be honest, both leads are wildly curious, searching for so many answers throughout the novel, and to see their different approaches was a nice distinction. For character specifics, Darling's eyes are affected by chaos (the magic system of this world), so she has to wear special goggles to help with light sensitivity. I think in the sequel we're going to learn more about how her eyes got to that point because I get the feeling there's more to them than meets the eye. On the plus side though, she's great with night vision and that appears to be the extent to their perks. Then, in terms of Talon, he's just a big softie haha. He gives off golden retriever vibes to his loved ones, and as soon as he shifts that onto Darling, I was hooked!
Ultimately, what drew me most to Talon and Darling were their deeply ingrained loyalties to their loved ones. At first I wrote "sides" inside of "loved ones", but I deleted that and replaced it because over the course of the novel, we see how Darling and Talon just want what's best for the people they love. I liked watching their loyalties to their political affiliations crack over time in favor of peace, and while it made them appear younger to have all that optimism and hope for peace, it reminded me of just HOW young they are. Talon may be a war general and Darling a rebel in this war, but they're children too. They didn't choose to follow this path but were led to it by adults.
Finally, it is time to talk about my biggest gripe with this book—pacing. This realization shocked me because Tessa Gratton's adult books have always been slow paced, so it was a bit of a shock to see them write incredibly fast. I haven’t read any of Justina’s other works, so I’m unsure of her pacing. Anyway, the pacing didn't allow for the relationships and time jumps to feel as realistic as they could've been. I mentioned Darling and Talon's insta-love earlier, but we go to multiple nobility Houses over the course of the book, and I felt robbed of those weeks worth of travel that culminated into a couple pages. There was one ambush during their travels, but I wanted more of those deeper conversations and connections because travel brings people together, at least usually haha. When we get to the Houses even, some of those chapters felt WAY too quick. I wanted to get to know these people, but I couldn't, so their names went in and out of my brain like the span of a breath. This world is too complex to be roughly 350 pages, and I think it should've been at least 100 more. Plus, when major deaths happened within this installment, I felt nothing for the character and their relationship to the lead because I felt as if I barely knew them due to the pacing speed. Also, slight tangent, the character who killed the person revealed information about them that not even the friend character knew, so it really was jarring and random to read that entire sequence. What does it matter if they had prior allegiances? That character is dead now. What is the point? Maybe something will happen in the sequel, but it was just off-putting to add a very important detail at their death. I really hope the sequel is much much longer because this world deserves the lush descriptions, hallway conversations, and slow build to the climax.
Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for a review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
October 15, 2023
started off with so much potential, and then slowly became the most mid read of the century. flat 3 stars.
August 26, 2023
Je dois avouer que le début m'a laissée un peu sceptique (j'ai l'impression que c'est le cas pour beaucoup de mes lectures en ce moment, j'ai du mal à rentrer dedans...), mais une fois lancée, j'ai beaucoup aimé. C'est un peu décousu parfois, autant dans les dialogues que dans les événements qui se déroulent, un peu rapide aussi au niveau des relations et de l'évolution des personnages, mais au fil des pages, on s'attache à eux et j'ai finalement été prise au jeu. La deuxième partie du roman est très addictive et j'ai beaucoup aimé le rôle de Caspian et ce qu'il apporte au récit.
J'ai en revanche trouvé la fin très abrupte, parce qu'il se passe des trucs de ouf et au lieu d'une dernière ligne, j'avais l'impression d'être juste à la fin d'un chapitre quoi. Je ne savais pas que ce n'était pas un one shot mais un premier tome, ce qui explique mon moment de WHAAAT, mais tout va bien, le tome 2 sort apparemment en mai 2024 en VO... il va falloir patienter un peu pour retrouver Dragons, Krakens et tous les autres !
J'ai en revanche trouvé la fin très abrupte, parce qu'il se passe des trucs de ouf et au lieu d'une dernière ligne, j'avais l'impression d'être juste à la fin d'un chapitre quoi. Je ne savais pas que ce n'était pas un one shot mais un premier tome, ce qui explique mon moment de WHAAAT, mais tout va bien, le tome 2 sort apparemment en mai 2024 en VO... il va falloir patienter un peu pour retrouver Dragons, Krakens et tous les autres !
October 18, 2024
It really had potential, but I think it lacked in depth. There could have been better excited depth in the characters but also the world building. I liked the concept of the book. it just fell flat for me execution wise. Read this as I won the 2nd book from a Goodreads giveaway, so I'm hoping the 2nd Book has a better depth to the characters and the world building aspects! We shall see 🤞
April 12, 2023
It’s painful, how much potential was wasted. The concept was so neat & the character backstories paved a freaking runway for their dynamic but it just fell SO. FLAT.
Homegirl gets captured by her sworn house enemy and is just CHILLIN. She tries to be super cool super spy with POISONOUS LIP BALM????? Oh just kiss the king & his brother the prince of war!! NBD! Not like they killed your family & captured you!!! WHERE WAS THE TENSION??? WHERE WAS THE MORAL DILEMMA??? They fall head over heels for each other in two seconds flat??? Wrong. It was all WRONG. Rocks for brains. All of them.
And it was all just SO heavy handed like goddamn was your pen made out of BRICKS?!
2⭐️ also darling’s (yes that was her name but not her name? honestly still confused about that) narrator was the same narrator from Legendborn/Bloodmarked and don’t get me wrong she was FINE but it gave me montage style flashbacks to the horrible trip that was Bloodmarked)
Homegirl gets captured by her sworn house enemy and is just CHILLIN. She tries to be super cool super spy with POISONOUS LIP BALM????? Oh just kiss the king & his brother the prince of war!! NBD! Not like they killed your family & captured you!!! WHERE WAS THE TENSION??? WHERE WAS THE MORAL DILEMMA??? They fall head over heels for each other in two seconds flat??? Wrong. It was all WRONG. Rocks for brains. All of them.
And it was all just SO heavy handed like goddamn was your pen made out of BRICKS?!
2⭐️ also darling’s (yes that was her name but not her name? honestly still confused about that) narrator was the same narrator from Legendborn/Bloodmarked and don’t get me wrong she was FINE but it gave me montage style flashbacks to the horrible trip that was Bloodmarked)
November 29, 2023
Anyone currently in their Dragon Fantasy Era needs to read this! The political intrigue, warring (magical) houses and enemies to lovers dynamics (between protagonists Talon and Darling) is soo scorchingly entertaining that I really didn’t want it to end!
Told from the alternating POV of two characters on opposite sides of a decades long war. Darling, an assassin determined to get revenge for the murder of her family (at the hands of House Dragon.) And Talon, House Dragon’s war general who’ll do anything to protect the family he has left, his older brother Caspian (the realm’s High Prince Regent.)
After a battle between Talon’s soldiers and Darling’s rebellious adopted family (House Kraken), Talon captures Darling, and with orders from the High Prince Regent brings her back to the palace for punishment.
But punishment isn’t exactly what Caspian has in mind. Instead, Darling finds herself the newly reinstated head of House Sphinx —and for the first time navigate the complicated inter-house politics that, if she isn’t careful, could lead her (and House Dragon) into a chaotic and fiery downfall.
The lore and history surrounding the different mythical creatures and their connections to each house was really fascinating, though not as detailed as I would’ve liked. I loved the dragon scenes which for the most part were actually quite lighthearted, except for one scene (but wish we got a bit more Kitty the dragon content.)
I was a little disappointed we didn’t get to see more of Caspian (or have him as a POV character) as his actions and motivations were shrouded in mystery and I would’ve loved to have explored his (rather chaotic but insightful) thought processes.
But the emotional development we explore in our two POV characters, Darling and Talon, was really good. Having both experienced losses (at the hands of each other’s families) I really enjoyed delving into their inner thoughts —especially surrounding their attraction/ conflicted feelings for one another and directly opposing loyalties.
The chemistry between them was scorchingly good, if a little angsty at times (with all the long, yearning looks and emotionally conflicted inner monologues) but did proceed quite quickly—so perfect for anyone who doesn’t enjoy slow-burn narratives.
Also, given how integral the romance aspect is to the story, I just wanted to remind everyone that this is YA (the target audience being teens) so please don’t go into this expecting it to be spicy.
Overall, an enjoyable read with a PHENOMENALLY FIERY, cliffhanger of an ending that I’m still in shock over —I’m not sure if I’ll survive the wait for book 2 but I’ll be eagerly awaiting it nonetheless.
Also, a huge thank you to Penguin Teen and The Tandem Collective for the finished PB copy.
Told from the alternating POV of two characters on opposite sides of a decades long war. Darling, an assassin determined to get revenge for the murder of her family (at the hands of House Dragon.) And Talon, House Dragon’s war general who’ll do anything to protect the family he has left, his older brother Caspian (the realm’s High Prince Regent.)
After a battle between Talon’s soldiers and Darling’s rebellious adopted family (House Kraken), Talon captures Darling, and with orders from the High Prince Regent brings her back to the palace for punishment.
But punishment isn’t exactly what Caspian has in mind. Instead, Darling finds herself the newly reinstated head of House Sphinx —and for the first time navigate the complicated inter-house politics that, if she isn’t careful, could lead her (and House Dragon) into a chaotic and fiery downfall.
The lore and history surrounding the different mythical creatures and their connections to each house was really fascinating, though not as detailed as I would’ve liked. I loved the dragon scenes which for the most part were actually quite lighthearted, except for one scene (but wish we got a bit more Kitty the dragon content.)
I was a little disappointed we didn’t get to see more of Caspian (or have him as a POV character) as his actions and motivations were shrouded in mystery and I would’ve loved to have explored his (rather chaotic but insightful) thought processes.
But the emotional development we explore in our two POV characters, Darling and Talon, was really good. Having both experienced losses (at the hands of each other’s families) I really enjoyed delving into their inner thoughts —especially surrounding their attraction/ conflicted feelings for one another and directly opposing loyalties.
The chemistry between them was scorchingly good, if a little angsty at times (with all the long, yearning looks and emotionally conflicted inner monologues) but did proceed quite quickly—so perfect for anyone who doesn’t enjoy slow-burn narratives.
Also, given how integral the romance aspect is to the story, I just wanted to remind everyone that this is YA (the target audience being teens) so please don’t go into this expecting it to be spicy.
Overall, an enjoyable read with a PHENOMENALLY FIERY, cliffhanger of an ending that I’m still in shock over —I’m not sure if I’ll survive the wait for book 2 but I’ll be eagerly awaiting it nonetheless.
Also, a huge thank you to Penguin Teen and The Tandem Collective for the finished PB copy.
August 31, 2024
3.5⭐️
A very sympathetic read.
The story is simple, and so is the fantasy, but I didn't mind.
There's a lot of action, and I never had time to get bored.
I liked both points of view. The characters were nice and interesting. However, I found their exchanges a little too childish at times.
The worldbuilding is simple and not very in-depth. But it's well constructed. I felt it was a youth fantasy.
A very sympathetic read.
The story is simple, and so is the fantasy, but I didn't mind.
There's a lot of action, and I never had time to get bored.
I liked both points of view. The characters were nice and interesting. However, I found their exchanges a little too childish at times.
The worldbuilding is simple and not very in-depth. But it's well constructed. I felt it was a youth fantasy.
March 26, 2023
A great new YA fantasy series to add to your shelf! It has romance, a unique world, and a cliffhanger that will have you sitting on pins and needles until 2024.
I loved the world this took place in. There are kingdoms of sort ruled over by one big kingdom that conquered them all. There are creatures, magic, Chaos (which I hope will be expounded upon in the second book), and fun new terms. Plus, all of their last names were so spot on to their kingdoms.
As well, this book started out incredible! The action was so fun and engaging. A wonderful fight scene that ended beautifully and jumped right into the thick of things. It was a great hook to introduce the characters, this war they've been fighting, why they hate each other, etc. I wanted to know more and it was all slowly revealed.
Caspian, the older brother to our MMC, was a great character in this story. He seemed to hold so many secrets and was always so flighty and unpredictable. I never knew how he was going to react to something, or if he was actually crazy or simply playing a part. I loved his character while also distrusting him.
The romance began earlier than I thought it would have. I expected more enemies to lovers and that ended semi abruptly. Our lovely War Prince, Talon, was actually quite soft. Not a morally gray guy at all which is what I was expecting. And not grumpy which I also expected. In fact, he seemed to be the one jumping right into this romance without a second thought. Again, things felt rushed and sudden. I thought there would be time to build on things, but that was not the case. They jumped right in and I feel neutral about it.
The plot slowed down quite a bit after the initial action scene. The story was interesting still, but I expected more fight scenes and action and whatnot. There were a couple of small things, but not the same high energy as at the beginning of the book.
Lastly, I felt like Darling's emotions were off. Where she should have shown strong emotions, she breezed over the situation. Where she should have moved on, she was showing strong emotions and having big reactions. I was missing that something from her to tie it all together.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, even with its oddities, and look forward to the next one! The ending was quite exciting, leaving many things up in the air and facilitating soooooo many questions. I'm excited to see where this series goes.
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed a gifted and advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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I loved the world this took place in. There are kingdoms of sort ruled over by one big kingdom that conquered them all. There are creatures, magic, Chaos (which I hope will be expounded upon in the second book), and fun new terms. Plus, all of their last names were so spot on to their kingdoms.
As well, this book started out incredible! The action was so fun and engaging. A wonderful fight scene that ended beautifully and jumped right into the thick of things. It was a great hook to introduce the characters, this war they've been fighting, why they hate each other, etc. I wanted to know more and it was all slowly revealed.
Caspian, the older brother to our MMC, was a great character in this story. He seemed to hold so many secrets and was always so flighty and unpredictable. I never knew how he was going to react to something, or if he was actually crazy or simply playing a part. I loved his character while also distrusting him.
The romance began earlier than I thought it would have. I expected more enemies to lovers and that ended semi abruptly. Our lovely War Prince, Talon, was actually quite soft. Not a morally gray guy at all which is what I was expecting. And not grumpy which I also expected. In fact, he seemed to be the one jumping right into this romance without a second thought. Again, things felt rushed and sudden. I thought there would be time to build on things, but that was not the case. They jumped right in and I feel neutral about it.
The plot slowed down quite a bit after the initial action scene. The story was interesting still, but I expected more fight scenes and action and whatnot. There were a couple of small things, but not the same high energy as at the beginning of the book.
Lastly, I felt like Darling's emotions were off. Where she should have shown strong emotions, she breezed over the situation. Where she should have moved on, she was showing strong emotions and having big reactions. I was missing that something from her to tie it all together.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, even with its oddities, and look forward to the next one! The ending was quite exciting, leaving many things up in the air and facilitating soooooo many questions. I'm excited to see where this series goes.
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed a gifted and advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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May 9, 2023
This book is weird, it's a weird book. I usually do an overview but I feel like I want to skip that to address just....this book is weird.
Chaos & Flame is a very cool idea. It has very Game of Thrones-style 'houses' at war with each other. House Dragon is a dominant warlord house waging hellfire on the rest of the world. A chaotic, somewhat made prince reagent (Capsian) and his warrior brother (Talon)wage the war their father started. serves as this POV. It focuses on Darling, a war orphan, now house Kraken's adopted daughter. She is captured by the brothers and revealed to be a lost lady of a dead house which may be the key to a long-lost prophecy regarding this war.
I loved this concept, and the opening chapter is a BANGER. After that, the book just simply becomes 'okay'.
This is not a long book, but it is slow. I don't mind slow much, but there isn't a long of intrigue. There IS a lot of repetitive conversations and love triangle-style interactions that all focus on Darling trying to espionage these guys. She's a pretty standard YA protagonist and both men become obsessed with her instantly. Despite the enemies-to-lovers tag, this is your standard 'warring factions quick romance' story. It is saved by the fact that Caspian is wildly interesting.
To me, the romantic element of this reminded me A LOT of The Red Queen. It is obvious who she is going to be with from the get-go, but there's enough intrigue with the more villainous brother that makes you want to keep reading more. I would recommend this for TRQ fans, though I will warn you right now the romance isn't nearly as well written.
The characters are fine? Caspian is VERY interesting and everyone else is pretty normal.
I had a lot of hope for the 'house' system and magic setup, but this too is a little more simple than I would have liked. It's still fun, and to be honest I was never completely bored reading this. It just felt like a halfhearted attempt at a story I've seen done better...and I really wanted it to do more. Chaos & Flame has duo authors, which may contribute to its clunkiness and lack of willingness to take risks. There was an amazing chance to be subversive in this story and it was pretty squandered. What you have left is the patchwork of many other books before it.
If you have a huge Maven hangover I may recommend it for you. Otherwise it is worth skipping.
August 29, 2023
3.5/5
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this YA fantasy. This book started off strong - the tone set in the prologue really highlighted the intensity of the Dragon Scion's prophecy boon and the mystery behind the "eyeless girl" that the young scion kept seeing and painting. I do wish the book maintained the same writing style as the prologue (which has a Spinning Silver -esque vibe) rather than switching to dual POVs for the rest of the book.
The world-building and the magical abilities (boons) of the characters have a lot of potential. I'm intrigued as to what will happen next, as the entire book was just building towards the massive cliffhanger that was foreshadowed at the beginning.
Though this was a relatively slow-moving YA fantasy, the romance was not a slow-burn (which was rather disappointing). I do love a good enemies-to-lovers trope, but I really didn't like the instalove and (almost) love triangle.
*** #5 of my 2023 Popsugar Reading Challenge - A book with mythical creatures ***
_______________________________
If you like the following books, then you might enjoy Chaos & Flame, or vice-versa:
The first time the scion of House Dragon painted the eyeless girl, he was only six years old. She was nothing but a face shaped with finger smears of brown, a darker crooked line that might've been a sad smile, and huge, swirling black holes where her eyes should be.
"I don't know how to save her," he said to his mother when he presented the art to her.
His mother accepted the soft parchment, doing her best to hide the horror she felt at the red-rimmed, furious eyeholes in her son's painting. Casually, she asked, "Why is she in danger?"
"I don't know."
"What happened to her eyes?"
"Nothing yet."
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this YA fantasy. This book started off strong - the tone set in the prologue really highlighted the intensity of the Dragon Scion's prophecy boon and the mystery behind the "eyeless girl" that the young scion kept seeing and painting. I do wish the book maintained the same writing style as the prologue (which has a Spinning Silver -esque vibe) rather than switching to dual POVs for the rest of the book.
The world-building and the magical abilities (boons) of the characters have a lot of potential. I'm intrigued as to what will happen next, as the entire book was just building towards the massive cliffhanger that was foreshadowed at the beginning.
Though this was a relatively slow-moving YA fantasy, the romance was not a slow-burn (which was rather disappointing). I do love a good enemies-to-lovers trope, but I really didn't like the instalove and (almost) love triangle.
*** #5 of my 2023 Popsugar Reading Challenge - A book with mythical creatures ***
_______________________________
If you like the following books, then you might enjoy Chaos & Flame, or vice-versa:
Shelved as 'dnf'
March 7, 2023Stopped around 30% because of two reasons: the pacing of what I think is coming up just isn't working for me; we're recapping too much inside our dual-POV character's heads, and there's a strong smell of instalove just wafting off the pages. Whyy???
You've got the perfect set-up for a slow burn with a prince whose father murdered her entire family and she's taken prisoner by him. Two days later when the only words they exchanged were at the time of him capturing her, he should not be thinking multiple times, "oh, I wish she was here, there's something about her, I kinda miss her already" and she should not be thinking, "oh, well, he's actually kind of handsome though, as much as I hate to admit it."
But then I just couldn't anymore when the deus-ex-machina lip-balm poison shows up and she's instructed to try to kiss both the prince and his king brother in order to kill them.
Too little time, too many other books.
You've got the perfect set-up for a slow burn with a prince whose father murdered her entire family and she's taken prisoner by him. Two days later when the only words they exchanged were at the time of him capturing her, he should not be thinking multiple times, "oh, I wish she was here, there's something about her, I kinda miss her already" and she should not be thinking, "oh, well, he's actually kind of handsome though, as much as I hate to admit it."
But then I just couldn't anymore when the deus-ex-machina lip-balm poison shows up and she's instructed to try to kiss both the prince and his king brother in order to kill them.
Too little time, too many other books.
Shelved as 'dnf'
December 27, 2022DNF at 37%.
As soon as Chaos & Flame was announced, I knew this was a book I simply had to read. So, when it appeared on Netgalley, best believe I jumped on that Request button.
Unfortunately, the book contains one of my most-hated 'tropes', if you will – insta-love.
I just can't stand it.
Up until the 37% mark, I was really enjoying Chaos & Flame. Sure, the worldbuilding took me a few chapters to get into, but I was having a good time. I didn't completely hate Darling or Talon(which, given the luck I've had with my most recent string of reads/DNFs, is a win in itself), and the plot was progressing nicely. But in the space of a chapter, maybe two, both POV characters go from not trusting and wanting to kill the other to thinking about how nice it would be to kiss each other, and – in Talon's case – thinking how safe his brother is in Darling's company, when again, a chapter or two before, he wouldn't put it past Darling to kill his brother.
Just... what?!
Why does insta-love even exist in the year 2022. Please. Surely most people have worked out by now that it is simply one of the WORST tropes?
I might be able to excuse it if it's included for the sake of the plot (e..g. star-crossed lovers or there's some kind of prophecy involved/something drawing the characters together) AND it's introduced early enough on in the book, but there was absolutely no reason for it to be included here.
They're enemies. They've known each other for all of 5 minutes. Please, for the love of God, where is the slow burn this book/premise deserved?
Given that I had enjoyed what I'd read so far and was reading it relatively quickly (for my usually slow-reader self), I'd be tempted to carry on with Chaos & Flame in spite of the insta-love, but as the old saying goes... too many books, too little time.
Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for a giving me a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
↠ I can't even give this one a star rating tbh
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As soon as Chaos & Flame was announced, I knew this was a book I simply had to read. So, when it appeared on Netgalley, best believe I jumped on that Request button.
Unfortunately, the book contains one of my most-hated 'tropes', if you will – insta-love.
I just can't stand it.
Up until the 37% mark, I was really enjoying Chaos & Flame. Sure, the worldbuilding took me a few chapters to get into, but I was having a good time. I didn't completely hate Darling or Talon
Just... what?!
Why does insta-love even exist in the year 2022. Please. Surely most people have worked out by now that it is simply one of the WORST tropes?
I might be able to excuse it if it's included for the sake of the plot (e..g. star-crossed lovers or there's some kind of prophecy involved/something drawing the characters together) AND it's introduced early enough on in the book, but there was absolutely no reason for it to be included here.
They're enemies. They've known each other for all of 5 minutes. Please, for the love of God, where is the slow burn this book/premise deserved?
Given that I had enjoyed what I'd read so far and was reading it relatively quickly (for my usually slow-reader self), I'd be tempted to carry on with Chaos & Flame in spite of the insta-love, but as the old saying goes... too many books, too little time.
Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for a giving me a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
↠ I can't even give this one a star rating tbh
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Want to read
December 26, 2023DNFing. not right now.
March 28, 2023
Thank you PenguinTeen for my eARC
”I had a dream about the dark. Not the night,which has stars and the moon to cast shadows,but an all consuming dark, one that devoured and twisted and changed a girl into something else, something defiant and monstrous”
ok wow that ending! this one was good and surprisingly a quick read for an epic, high fantasy.Chaos & Flame didn't waste time with plunging into some stunning action scenes right off the bat, what really intrigued me is the boon magic the individuals in the world possess,Their boons are like gifts from Chaos (hoping we will be delving deep into it more in the next part). The pacing is quick for the most part, the magic system is what makes this book set apart from any recent YA fantasy books. It took a while for me to find my footing because the magic system is unique and a bit overwhelming initially but once I understood the workings of it, it wasn't a problem.
The first chapter made me sit up and pay attention, it describes Caspian the High Prince Regent of Pyrlanum having visions of a girl he never met.His boon is painting, he paints ONLY about a girl in several scenarios, some of them even being from the future.He comes off a little unhinged and mad hatter-ish and thanks to him the plot remains intriguing until the very end, I absolutely adored his character and wished there is more of his perspective. Talon his brother carries the weight of the house politics while keeping Caspian's "madness" under cover, he captures Darling, who is a kin of enemy house during an attack. Turns out Darling is the girl from the paintings! I KNOW RIGHT? and thus enfolds a true enemies to lovers trope.
I enjoy a good political intrigue and this book is great in that aspect along with warring factions, the world of Chaos and Flame has various houses but they are ruled by House Dragon, it also has ancient lore about dragons and Phoenix's (yasss!cue the GoT music). I loved that I had absolutely no clue whats happening until the very end other other than the fact some kind of foul play is afoot, all credits to Caspian and his incoherent mumblings and unpredictable behavior. The last quarter was just unhinged and the cliffhanger made me clench my jaw lol
My only complaint is pacing and and insta lust, pacing is off at times where things go super fast when you want them to slow down and explain and then at times it dragged when I was eager to move on from a scene. The Insta lust is just a personal preference tbh, I just was taken aback with how Talon and Darling pine for each other immediately for being on the opposite sides of warring factions. Overall I really enjoyed the refreshing plot and am eager for book 2 in the duology , if you love House of dragon, Game of Thrones, Shadow and Bone- you will devour this
What to expect
-Epic/High fantasy but YA
-True enemies to lovers
-lot of Political intrigue, ruling houses and warring factions
-Interesting magic system
-Ancient lores, prophecies, blood magic
-A bit of chosen one trope
-DRAGONS & PHEONIXS
”I had a dream about the dark. Not the night,which has stars and the moon to cast shadows,but an all consuming dark, one that devoured and twisted and changed a girl into something else, something defiant and monstrous”
ok wow that ending! this one was good and surprisingly a quick read for an epic, high fantasy.Chaos & Flame didn't waste time with plunging into some stunning action scenes right off the bat, what really intrigued me is the boon magic the individuals in the world possess,Their boons are like gifts from Chaos (hoping we will be delving deep into it more in the next part). The pacing is quick for the most part, the magic system is what makes this book set apart from any recent YA fantasy books. It took a while for me to find my footing because the magic system is unique and a bit overwhelming initially but once I understood the workings of it, it wasn't a problem.
The first chapter made me sit up and pay attention, it describes Caspian the High Prince Regent of Pyrlanum having visions of a girl he never met.His boon is painting, he paints ONLY about a girl in several scenarios, some of them even being from the future.He comes off a little unhinged and mad hatter-ish and thanks to him the plot remains intriguing until the very end, I absolutely adored his character and wished there is more of his perspective. Talon his brother carries the weight of the house politics while keeping Caspian's "madness" under cover, he captures Darling, who is a kin of enemy house during an attack. Turns out Darling is the girl from the paintings! I KNOW RIGHT? and thus enfolds a true enemies to lovers trope.
I enjoy a good political intrigue and this book is great in that aspect along with warring factions, the world of Chaos and Flame has various houses but they are ruled by House Dragon, it also has ancient lore about dragons and Phoenix's (yasss!cue the GoT music). I loved that I had absolutely no clue whats happening until the very end other other than the fact some kind of foul play is afoot, all credits to Caspian and his incoherent mumblings and unpredictable behavior. The last quarter was just unhinged and the cliffhanger made me clench my jaw lol
My only complaint is pacing and and insta lust, pacing is off at times where things go super fast when you want them to slow down and explain and then at times it dragged when I was eager to move on from a scene. The Insta lust is just a personal preference tbh, I just was taken aback with how Talon and Darling pine for each other immediately for being on the opposite sides of warring factions. Overall I really enjoyed the refreshing plot and am eager for book 2 in the duology , if you love House of dragon, Game of Thrones, Shadow and Bone- you will devour this
What to expect
-Epic/High fantasy but YA
-True enemies to lovers
-lot of Political intrigue, ruling houses and warring factions
-Interesting magic system
-Ancient lores, prophecies, blood magic
-A bit of chosen one trope
-DRAGONS & PHEONIXS
March 23, 2023
Chaos & Flame first caught my attention when I read the synopsis - 'ancient magic, different houses and prophecies' stood out to me and I knew I needed to read it. This is the first book in a new YA Fantasy duology and has romance, action and mystery.
The book starts with a slow pace, we are introduced to the world and meet Darling and Talon. With a dual POV, the world-building and plot evolve with each part (CHAOS, ENEMIES, ALLIES, FLAME). The tension builds as new revelations come to light and some jaw-dropping plot twists occur. I was intrigued by the 'prophetic' paintings, depicting a mysterious girl and when the girl's identity is revealed, a series of connections slowly fall into place and the final result is epic!!
Darling, Talon and Caspian make for interesting characters and each plays such an important role.
I was gifted a proof copy of this book and even though it's not the final version, there are so many amazing quotes. I can't wait for the book to be published and tab all of my favourite quotes.
- Political intrigue
- Plot twists
- Different houses/sections
- Magic
- Cliffhanger
- Romance
- Secrets
Fans of The Bridge Kingdom series or Throne of Glass will enjoy this book.
Many thanks to Penguin Random House SA and Netgalley for gifting me this book.
The book starts with a slow pace, we are introduced to the world and meet Darling and Talon. With a dual POV, the world-building and plot evolve with each part (CHAOS, ENEMIES, ALLIES, FLAME). The tension builds as new revelations come to light and some jaw-dropping plot twists occur. I was intrigued by the 'prophetic' paintings, depicting a mysterious girl and when the girl's identity is revealed, a series of connections slowly fall into place and the final result is epic!!
Darling, Talon and Caspian make for interesting characters and each plays such an important role.
I was gifted a proof copy of this book and even though it's not the final version, there are so many amazing quotes. I can't wait for the book to be published and tab all of my favourite quotes.
- Political intrigue
- Plot twists
- Different houses/sections
- Magic
- Cliffhanger
- Romance
- Secrets
Fans of The Bridge Kingdom series or Throne of Glass will enjoy this book.
Many thanks to Penguin Random House SA and Netgalley for gifting me this book.
April 26, 2023
I can’t believe I pre-ordered this. I am so disappointed…
RTC but everything relevant you can find in other 1-2 star reviews they ain’t lying 😭
RTC but everything relevant you can find in other 1-2 star reviews they ain’t lying 😭
July 3, 2023
3/5 stars, okay overall story with interesting concepts
Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group & Razorbill for the arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
This book sounded really exciting when I originally asked for the arc, and I was very curious to see two authors writing one book because for me that usually goes really well or it feels clunky. While this book successfully felt like a complete story from those two authors, it ended up just being okay for me. I'm sad to say that because it really is such an interesting story and while it does pull on some typical young adult tropes I don't mind that usually.
I think the big problem for me was how inconsistent the plot and timing seemed, there were times when things moved really fast and other times when there were lots of time jumps which isn't my favorite thing. It just didn't feel coherent in that regard, but some of the relationships between the characters also moved way too fast for my liking. For example, there is an enemies-to-lovers relationship in this book, which is my favorite romance trope so I was so excited, but almost immediately upon being in each other's presence, they were commenting how they really liked the other person and thought they were attractive. It might just be my personal preference because I really enjoy slow-burn romance, but it just felt way too fast for me, and neither of them seemed to be compatible at all.
Beyond that, the worldbuilding was actually pretty interesting, I really liked the different houses that people existed in (and their powers or "boons" adhered to). I didn't completely understand how they were all linked to House Dragon as it appeared that way, but still, I think the concept always interests me. I wish there had been more emphasis on the history of the world, or a larger explanation because everything I learned made me a little confused.
All that being said I still thought this story was alright and I do want to continue on with the next book because this ending was crazy for the characters. Talon and Darling were just okay main characters, pretty stereotypical for young adult books, but I do think there is great potential for them to grow into something more in the coming books. There's a lot that gets thrown around at the end of this book that will largely affect this world and so I think it could be interesting to see what happens with the rest of the world.
[TW: poisoning, death of a parent, lots of blood and gore, explosions, war themes, murder]
Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group & Razorbill for the arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
This book sounded really exciting when I originally asked for the arc, and I was very curious to see two authors writing one book because for me that usually goes really well or it feels clunky. While this book successfully felt like a complete story from those two authors, it ended up just being okay for me. I'm sad to say that because it really is such an interesting story and while it does pull on some typical young adult tropes I don't mind that usually.
I think the big problem for me was how inconsistent the plot and timing seemed, there were times when things moved really fast and other times when there were lots of time jumps which isn't my favorite thing. It just didn't feel coherent in that regard, but some of the relationships between the characters also moved way too fast for my liking. For example, there is an enemies-to-lovers relationship in this book, which is my favorite romance trope so I was so excited, but almost immediately upon being in each other's presence, they were commenting how they really liked the other person and thought they were attractive. It might just be my personal preference because I really enjoy slow-burn romance, but it just felt way too fast for me, and neither of them seemed to be compatible at all.
Beyond that, the worldbuilding was actually pretty interesting, I really liked the different houses that people existed in (and their powers or "boons" adhered to). I didn't completely understand how they were all linked to House Dragon as it appeared that way, but still, I think the concept always interests me. I wish there had been more emphasis on the history of the world, or a larger explanation because everything I learned made me a little confused.
All that being said I still thought this story was alright and I do want to continue on with the next book because this ending was crazy for the characters. Talon and Darling were just okay main characters, pretty stereotypical for young adult books, but I do think there is great potential for them to grow into something more in the coming books. There's a lot that gets thrown around at the end of this book that will largely affect this world and so I think it could be interesting to see what happens with the rest of the world.
[TW: poisoning, death of a parent, lots of blood and gore, explosions, war themes, murder]
December 26, 2022
This was one of the best YA fantasy books I’ve read in a while. For fans of Throne of Glass, Red Queen, Game of Thrones and other similar ‘kingdom-esque’ books, Chaos and Flame combines intrigue, yearning romance, and slight mystery that will make you want more. Like chess pieces on a board, Darling Seabreak cannot remember anything before the death of her family, but when she’s taken under the wings of House Dragon as the official Scion of her house, she must navigate court politics, a mad king with a hint of truth, and his protective brother. I could not stop reading this book until the last second, and there’s going to be a lot of anticipation for the conclusion to this duology.
April 3, 2023
3⭐️ I really liked the premise of this book and it had some great moments but overall it was underwhelming. I really did appreciate seeing all the diversity in this book such as the BIPOC MC and non binary character it was nice to see a fantasy world intentionally make space for all people.
Darling Seabreak cannot remember anything before the murder of her family at the hands of House Dragon. What she does know is she owes her life to House Kraken who saved her as a child. So when her adoptive Kraken father is captured, Darling vows to save him--even if that means killing every member of House Dragon.
Talon Goldhoard has always been a dutiful War Prince for House Dragon, bravely leading the elite troops of his brother, the High Prince Regent. But lately his brother's erratic rule threatens to undo a hundred years of House Dragon's hard work, and factions are turning to Talon to unseat him.
Together, Darling and Talon must navigate the treacherous waters of House politics while being caught up in the complicated game the High Prince Regent is playing against everyone.
The first 10% of this book was super confusing and info dumpy but got better as I kept reading. I do think certain areas in the middle were sluggish as well.
As characters go Talon and Darling were ok. They didn’t have much depth to them they changed their minds constantly for no good reason. They were enemies (and it was great!) and all of the sudden they caught feelings.. when and how did that happen?! It would have been so much better to let them be enemies longer so they could really explore their feelings. Caspian was the most interesting character he was a fun mystery to figure out!
I really liked the mythical creature aspect of this book I mean who doesn’t love dragons?! The political drama was the most interesting part of this book for me and I wish we got more of it!
I will say I did like the ending of this book and will probably read the next one! Thank you to NetGalley and penguin teen for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Darling Seabreak cannot remember anything before the murder of her family at the hands of House Dragon. What she does know is she owes her life to House Kraken who saved her as a child. So when her adoptive Kraken father is captured, Darling vows to save him--even if that means killing every member of House Dragon.
Talon Goldhoard has always been a dutiful War Prince for House Dragon, bravely leading the elite troops of his brother, the High Prince Regent. But lately his brother's erratic rule threatens to undo a hundred years of House Dragon's hard work, and factions are turning to Talon to unseat him.
Together, Darling and Talon must navigate the treacherous waters of House politics while being caught up in the complicated game the High Prince Regent is playing against everyone.
The first 10% of this book was super confusing and info dumpy but got better as I kept reading. I do think certain areas in the middle were sluggish as well.
As characters go Talon and Darling were ok. They didn’t have much depth to them they changed their minds constantly for no good reason. They were enemies (and it was great!) and all of the sudden they caught feelings.. when and how did that happen?! It would have been so much better to let them be enemies longer so they could really explore their feelings. Caspian was the most interesting character he was a fun mystery to figure out!
I really liked the mythical creature aspect of this book I mean who doesn’t love dragons?! The political drama was the most interesting part of this book for me and I wish we got more of it!
I will say I did like the ending of this book and will probably read the next one! Thank you to NetGalley and penguin teen for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 19, 2024
⭐️ 3 stars
It should be an interesting plot, but everything turns flat and kind of boring. I think the ending was good for me, like an opening for the second book that could be more thrilling. But again, this book just doesn't give something to hook you while you read it. The romance is also mediocre, I feel their tension but not the chemistry. The characters are also bland, none of them are appealing except Caspian, I mean he's weird, full of mystery, and a little annoying, but he's kind of worth reading. So, the conclusion is sometimes a great concept doesn't end up with great execution, as in this book.
It should be an interesting plot, but everything turns flat and kind of boring. I think the ending was good for me, like an opening for the second book that could be more thrilling. But again, this book just doesn't give something to hook you while you read it. The romance is also mediocre, I feel their tension but not the chemistry. The characters are also bland, none of them are appealing except Caspian, I mean he's weird, full of mystery, and a little annoying, but he's kind of worth reading. So, the conclusion is sometimes a great concept doesn't end up with great execution, as in this book.
September 29, 2023
3,5/5 full review sur insta
September 4, 2023
ce livre est génial, surtout pour les adeptes de la romantasy. si vous avez du mal à comprendre les fantasy, ce roman est pour vous : l’écriture est très contemporaine et simple, ce qui rend très facile la compréhension, d’autant plus qu’il est très court et se lit ainsi très rapidement ! j’adore la romance entre Talon et Darling, j’adore l’univers, j’adore tout. je pensais que c’était un one shot et l’ai à première vue trouvé peu développé, mais c’est en réalité un premier tome, ce qui veut dire que c’est relativement normal ! je recommande ce livre avec lequel j’ai passé un excellent moment.
PS : la version collector est magnifique et de très bonne qualité, foncez !
PS : la version collector est magnifique et de très bonne qualité, foncez !
June 18, 2023
REVIEW: Chaos & Flame by Tessa Gratton
Plot 3
Pace 4
Action 3
Characters 3
Writing 4
World Building 4
14VL
Spoiler free reviews!
Read this if you like:
• High fantasy
• Rare magical talents
• Insta Love
• Political fantasy
• Two POV’s
SUMMARY: Assassin Darling’s family were murdered by House Dragon. Talon – war general of House Dragon- and brother to the prince meets Darling, who his brother has obsessively painted for years and know he must capture her alive. These unlikely allies must navigate a game of power, betrayal, destiny - and love
ON FIRE
Firstly: Well hello Cliff-hanger!!! I did not see that coming AT ALL.
Secondly the colors of the book are absolutely stunning. I has so much fun with this read along organized by @penguinbooksya @penguinbookssouthafrica, thank you!
The world building was so immersive – I really felt interested in the histories and details of the house factions which felt so Game of Thrones in a way.
My favorite character is Caspian (even though he doesn’t have his own POV) the combination of his magical talent, unreliable personality and mystery made him all the more intriguing!
I did find I wanted a lot more depth to Darling and Talon, but I am hopeful these characters development will progress in the next book. It could be the instalove that felt unrealistic as I personally do prefer a more slow burn. They both have many similarities (maybe too many?) and I love how underneath it all both just want to protect their families.
I adored the magic system – the magical talents were such a unique concept especially Caspian’s prophetic talent.
It did take some time for me to be fully invested in this novel but the political intrigue was perfectly executed in this book. There was an epic action scene that felt straight out of a movie. The pacing was odd to me at times – sometimes I found this book to be incredibly slow and at other times sped up.
RECOMMEND IT FOR: An exciting high fantasy for fans of insta love, magic, court politics and prophesies.
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Publish Date: March 28, 2023
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 336
Young Adult/ Romance/ High Fantasy/ Magic
Thank you to @penguinbooksya for the review copy, opinions are my own.
May 16, 2024
2024 reread:
I think this one is closer to a high 3.5 or a 4 on reread. Probably a 4. I still had a good time with it, but on reread I definitely noticed the beginning dragging and the instalove was much more apparent when I wasn't swept away in the story. That said, I still enjoyed it and am excited to see how this story resolves in Blood & Fury!
______________________
Rating: Loved It, 4.5 stars
I am honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I thought the premise was phenomenal, but after a really strong prologue to start, the beginning seemed to suggest that it was going to be a bit cliche and tropey. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I think that the world is a really interesting one that sets up some good political intrigue. We have houses at war, vanishing magic, and lots of myths and legends.
We follow Talon, the scion of the reigning Dragon house, and Darling, an adopted member of the Kraken house. While I love the dual POV, they are both in first person, which I kind of hate, BUT I liked everything else so much about this book that I didn't even really mind it.
So while it had the feel of a very trope-filled read at first, I think that the pacing really evened out as the book progressed and the plot just took off. I think that the star character was Caspian, the high prince, and Talon's older brother. Talon and Darling weren't bad characters, they just weren't as well fleshed out as I'd like. I enjoyed the angst though that ran through their relationship. The enemies to lovers wasn't annoying, even if it did have that insta-love tendency that I find happens with all relationships set up like that. I enjoyed the political intrigue and the mystery that Caspian posed to both Darling and Talon.
By the end I was very drawn in and invested in the story and where everything would go. It ends on quite the cliffhanger, and I definitely am looking forward to the next book. I thought it was well-written and a really interesting world.
I highly recommend this if any of those things sound good to you. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for an early review copy. All opinions are my own.
I think this one is closer to a high 3.5 or a 4 on reread. Probably a 4. I still had a good time with it, but on reread I definitely noticed the beginning dragging and the instalove was much more apparent when I wasn't swept away in the story. That said, I still enjoyed it and am excited to see how this story resolves in Blood & Fury!
______________________
Rating: Loved It, 4.5 stars
I am honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I thought the premise was phenomenal, but after a really strong prologue to start, the beginning seemed to suggest that it was going to be a bit cliche and tropey. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I think that the world is a really interesting one that sets up some good political intrigue. We have houses at war, vanishing magic, and lots of myths and legends.
We follow Talon, the scion of the reigning Dragon house, and Darling, an adopted member of the Kraken house. While I love the dual POV, they are both in first person, which I kind of hate, BUT I liked everything else so much about this book that I didn't even really mind it.
So while it had the feel of a very trope-filled read at first, I think that the pacing really evened out as the book progressed and the plot just took off. I think that the star character was Caspian, the high prince, and Talon's older brother. Talon and Darling weren't bad characters, they just weren't as well fleshed out as I'd like. I enjoyed the angst though that ran through their relationship. The enemies to lovers wasn't annoying, even if it did have that insta-love tendency that I find happens with all relationships set up like that. I enjoyed the political intrigue and the mystery that Caspian posed to both Darling and Talon.
By the end I was very drawn in and invested in the story and where everything would go. It ends on quite the cliffhanger, and I definitely am looking forward to the next book. I thought it was well-written and a really interesting world.
I highly recommend this if any of those things sound good to you. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for an early review copy. All opinions are my own.
May 25, 2023
This is such a nothing book.
There isn't anything wrong with it, per se, but it just made me feel...nothing. There was nothing engaging about the plot, nothing impactful about the world, nothing striking about the characters. I can't imagine a world where this would ever be anyone's #1 favorite. It's entirely, inescapably mediocre. There isn't anything I could criticize specifically, because it's all technically fine. It's just...yeah. No need to repeat myself.
There isn't anything wrong with it, per se, but it just made me feel...nothing. There was nothing engaging about the plot, nothing impactful about the world, nothing striking about the characters. I can't imagine a world where this would ever be anyone's #1 favorite. It's entirely, inescapably mediocre. There isn't anything I could criticize specifically, because it's all technically fine. It's just...yeah. No need to repeat myself.
August 4, 2024
Neither bad nor good 🥺 My greatest annoyance was the FMC constantly reminding the reader that she was adopted. Darling, please just call Leonetti your father!
The world building is lacking and the characters fall really flat. All of the names are very childish and had me giggling.
It feels like Game of Thrones for children but with a lot of violence. It was just 300 odd pages of waffle but never enough details.
I had high hopes for this book but I was rather disappointed. It's an easy read but I struggled to engage with the book.
The world building is lacking and the characters fall really flat. All of the names are very childish and had me giggling.
It feels like Game of Thrones for children but with a lot of violence. It was just 300 odd pages of waffle but never enough details.
I had high hopes for this book but I was rather disappointed. It's an easy read but I struggled to engage with the book.
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