As a child, Elowen Atarah was ripped away from her dragons and imprisoned by her father, King Garrick of Imirath. Years later, Elowen is now a woman determined to free her dragons. Having established a secret kingdom of her own called Aestilian, she’s ready to do what’s necessary to save her people and seek vengeance. Even if that means having to align herself with the Commander of Vareveth, Cayden Veles, the most feared and dangerous man in all the kingdoms of Ravaryn.
Cayden is ruthless, lethal, and secretive, promising to help Elowen if she will stand with him and all of Vareveth in the pending war against Imirath. Despite their contrasting motives, Elowen can’t ignore their undeniable attraction as they combine their efforts and plot to infiltrate the impenetrable castle of Imirath to steal back her dragons and seek revenge on their common enemy.
As the world tries to keep them apart, the pull between Elowen and Cayden becomes impossible to resist. Working together with their crew over clandestine schemes, the threat of war looms, making the imminent heist to free her dragons their most dangerous adventure yet. But for Elowen, her vengeance is a promise signed in blood, and she’ll stop at nothing to see that promise through.
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My Review Of Fear The Flames
Well, this book was disappointing, to say the least. I pre-ordered it, knowing it was being re-released and published by a publisher. This plot had great potential. I love dragons and stories with dragons, but this book fell flat for me. I started dragging around 50% of it, which is unusual for me when it comes to romantasy. Even with a book I didn’t like, I still try to find things I enjoyed.
What I Liked:
Characters Age: I liked the fact that the main characters were older. More often than not, I read a fantasy in which the main character is freshly 18 with not a lot of experience. That wasn’t the case here, which was a breath of fresh air. Although despite their age, the writing and dialogue made them feel like 18-19.
Friendships & Humor: I’m always looking for a book that includes humour throughout, and this one did. The friendships were believable and heartfelt. I loved the friendship between Elowen and Finnian.
What I Didn’t:
Questions Unanswered: I had many questions in this book that I never got an answer to. These two kingdoms are feuding, but we have yet to find out why. How did her father justify locking up and hurting his daughter to his peers, her mother and his people? How did a 4/5-year-old endure what she did without breaking the bond to escape it? There are trained soldiers who would break even with the proper training, so it seems unrealistic that a little kid could resist after years of torment.
World-Building: The world-building could have been more fleshed out. I didn’t understand the relationships between these kingdoms. Magic was mentioned several times, but it was never expanded upon other than saying that it wasn’t allowed in some kingdoms—who can use it and why? There wasn’t much to describe the places.
Sacrificing Character: I get frustrated when a character’s character is sacrificed to advance the plot or the romance. Elowen put herself in dangerous situations twice, which could’ve been avoided with any critical thinking on her part. I felt like it was only in the book to move the romance along – rather than making decisions based on who she is. Things like this make the characters and story feel unrealistic.
The Plot: As I said before, the plot had great potential. Unfortunately, it never felt important or urgent. It felt like an afterthought to the romance.
Would I Recommend Fear The Flames?
I can’t say that I would. I know many people enjoyed this book and saw past what I did. You might enjoy this book if you love a romantic story with dragons that isn’t very plot-driven. I want a balance of character and plot, and I didn’t feel that when reading this. This book should be worth the price tag (almost 20$ CAD for Kindle), which is pretty steep. More time was needed in the editing room with beta readers to flesh the story out and answer questions the reader would have.
