Flameskins have this fire “spirit” thing inside them called pyra and when they grow up it consumes them and takes over. They are feared, hated and perFlameskins have this fire “spirit” thing inside them called pyra and when they grow up it consumes them and takes over. They are feared, hated and persecuted for it. Flameskins and a kingdom called Tokken has been at war for a long time. Sol, a Tokken huntress, and Kelan, a flameskin soldier, end up travelling together and things happen.
I really liked the idea of flameskins and how pyra just takes control pretty much turns them into a demon. We get the story from both sides as every other chapter is from Sol’s pov and every other is from Kelan’s pov. The plot revolves mostly around Sol and Kelan and their relationship from enemies to lovers. I liked Kelan instantly and I did like Sol, but she was so hung up on her ideals at first.
My complaints are that there was little of world-building. We didn’t really learn about like the cultures and people in it. Sold and Kelan are most of the book alone in the mountains but still. But apparently, this is a prequel to the actual series, and I hope the world-building gets better in that. And I would have liked less focus on romance and more focus on world-building.
That being said, I didn’t want to put the book down because I wanted to know what happens next. So that’s a good thing. A great debut book.
Merged review:
Flameskins have this fire “spirit” thing inside them called pyra and when they grow up it consumes them and takes over. They are feared, hated and persecuted for it. Flameskins and a kingdom called Tokken has been at war for a long time. Sol, a Tokken huntress, and Kelan, a flameskin soldier, end up travelling together and things happen.
I really liked the idea of flameskins and how pyra just takes control pretty much turns them into a demon. We get the story from both sides as every other chapter is from Sol’s pov and every other is from Kelan’s pov. The plot revolves mostly around Sol and Kelan and their relationship from enemies to lovers. I liked Kelan instantly and I did like Sol, but she was so hung up on her ideals at first.
My complaints are that there was little of world-building. We didn’t really learn about like the cultures and people in it. Sold and Kelan are most of the book alone in the mountains but still. But apparently, this is a prequel to the actual series, and I hope the world-building gets better in that. And I would have liked less focus on romance and more focus on world-building.
That being said, I didn’t want to put the book down because I wanted to know what happens next. So that’s a good thing. A great debut book....more
After Nazis killed her husband, Lana joins the French resistance hoping to avenge her husband and is told to get to the Riviera. There she is meant toAfter Nazis killed her husband, Lana joins the French resistance hoping to avenge her husband and is told to get to the Riviera. There she is meant to pretend to be the mistress of Guy Pascal, a wealthy businessman.
The book was fast-paced, quick read and was lighter in tone than most WWII books. It’s set in Riviera which isn’t the epicentre of the war and Nazis, which does make it less dark than most books. There were many times that I was frustrated with Lana and her actions during the book. Especially, in the first half of the book, she didn’t seem to fully understand the whole resistance thing with the need to hold secrets and not trying to involve everyone in it somehow. There was one character that I wasn’t sure if he’s good or evil, does he help the Nazis or not.
That the book was fast-paced wasn’t always a good thing. At first, Guy criticises Lana about everything and then just suddenly is in love with her. At times it feels like we jump in time missing more interesting incidents. Like when people are rescued to Switzerland. But Lana is just fretting at home and then it’s just said that the thing went well. I mean there goes a lot of interesting stuff that could have been implored. I’m in two minds about the ending. Didn’t hate it but didn’t like it either....more
Georgie is a young journalist who is sent to Berlin just before the start of the war with another British journalist Max. The last time she was in BerGeorgie is a young journalist who is sent to Berlin just before the start of the war with another British journalist Max. The last time she was in Berlin was during the Olympics and the city has changed since then and so has the atmosphere there. You can feel that the war is coming.
A large part of the book was about the foreign press and the relationship they had with each other. And it was a nice touch because it’s not a world I’ve read before. Some of the more detective-style/spy stuff felt little far fetched.
Georgie meets a young junior Nazi officer who doesn’t seem to fit the typical image of a Nazi. In hindsight, it’s easy to say but I kinda wanted to yell at her to “run for your life” when she kept seeing him for information. It was also frustrating because Georgie has been complaining about how other countries don’t see through Nazi propaganda and lies. And then she tries to justify to herself going to a date with one and then trying to separate the man from the uniform. Like what are you doing?! But I would have liked to see more about how this charming young man turned into an ardent Nazi follower who fanatically believed the ideology.
In the end, the book was just ok. Not bad but not great either....more
The first part of the book focuses on Meira’s life in Warsaw before and during the war and the second part of her life after the war after she emigratThe first part of the book focuses on Meira’s life in Warsaw before and during the war and the second part of her life after the war after she emigrates to the US. Meira falls for the boy that her parents intended for her sister resulting in a fractured relationship with her sister. She is a married woman with a small child when anti-semitism is on the rise and Jews are moved into a ghetto where she works as a seamstress.
After the war, she has lost everything and is trying to create a new life for herself in the US. Her only surviving relative is her sister and they have a strained relationship after what happened with Avrom, Meira’s husband. Zotia moved to the US before the war so she and her husband’s experience of the war are very different than Meira’s.
It was really interesting to read about Meira’s life after the war and the hardship there since most of the book concentrates on the wartime. It was also interesting to see Zotia’s family’s reaction to Meira since their view and experience of the war was so different. I haven’t read many books that focus on life after the war so this interesting. Seeing the every-day hardship as an immigrant in a strange land. Where no one wants to hear what really went on.
This was an emotional book that is based on the life of the author’s great-aunt....more
Curses, devils, doomed loves. What’s not to like? I mean you really should be careful what you wish for…
Addie is born in a small village in 17th centuCurses, devils, doomed loves. What’s not to like? I mean you really should be careful what you wish for…
Addie is born in a small village in 17th century France. She doesn’t want to marry the man she is supposed to marry and ends up making a deal with that comes with a price. People won’t remember her and that can be difficult and not an ideal situation to have a relationship. Until she meets a boy that changes all that.
The story flips between Addie’s story through the years and the year 2014. The story starts a bit slow getting the back story, but it does pick up soon-ish. There’s no adventures and action like in Shades of Magic series.
My one problem was that nothing really changes with Addie. You would think that in 300 years she would change and grow up, but she doesn’t. I still loved the book but that was something I wish was explored better. I must say though that I liked the devil. But despite all that, I did like the book....more
I was looking forward to reading this because I don’t think I’ve read a book set in there before. The book started rather slowly, and I never2,5 stars
I was looking forward to reading this because I don’t think I’ve read a book set in there before. The book started rather slowly, and I never connected with the characters. I don’t really know what to say about it and I can’t tell exactly what my problem was with it. It just left me feeling “meh” afterwards....more
Edward I is trying to gain control of Wales. Robert FitzStephan is Edward’s man and while fighting in the marches he kills a man, which results in 4,5
Edward I is trying to gain control of Wales. Robert FitzStephan is Edward’s man and while fighting in the marches he kills a man, which results in a wife in the form of a daughter of the murdered man. Not the most promising start to married life. And then there is Robert’s long-time mistress who isn’t just about to let go of her man.
Oh, I’ve waited for Belfrage to get back into a medieval world and I wasn’t disappointed!
Eleanor “Noor” d’Outremer is not too happy to hear she has to marry the man who killed her father and brother. And having Welsh blood does complicate things even more. Still a young girl when she marries and having lost her whole family, she has to grow up fast in those uncertain times. The start of Robert’s and Noor’s marriage is rocky, and I wanted to slap Robert so many times. But hey, it can only get better right? He did grow on me after a bit though.
I liked Noor and it was great seeing her finding herself while at times standing up to her husband and the queen. I’m looking forward to learning more about that inheritance thing and her Castilian family.
I don’t remember if I’ve read a book that has this much Eleanor of Castile on stage. Not sure I liked her but still.
Can’t wait for the next book in the series!...more
Aislin is a young girl in Albion (Britannia) whose village, and everyone she loves, are killed when Roman general Vespasian attacks her village. She iAislin is a young girl in Albion (Britannia) whose village, and everyone she loves, are killed when Roman general Vespasian attacks her village. She is determined to get vengeance and ends up in Rome. There she manages to get a sort of vengeance and then her road leads to Jerusalem. While there, she meets a teacher called Yohanan.
There are quite a lot of characters and several points of views in the book. But it was interesting to see how the people’s stories intertwined through the book.
I’m not a religious person and honestly don’t know much about anything related to it so I don’t really know how many, apart from few exceptions, of the characters were real people. But even though there is a religious theme in the book, it doesn’t come off as preachy.
I loved the writing style even if I missed the finer points of the religious themes. I loved Kaplan’s previous book By Fire, By Water so I was excited to read this, and I wasn’t disappointed....more