Romantasy Melody
Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge – Book Review
Jul 12
3 min read
0
14
Book Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Spice: Mild
Summary:
Phoenix racing is the main attraction on the island of Cendor, garnering big crowds, loads of media attention, and major sponsorships. Everyone on the island has some kind of interest in the races, and seventeen-year-old Kel Varra is no exception. Kel and her phoenix, Savita, are a part of the Crimson Howlers, a rag-tag phoenix racing team that includes Kel’s best friend Dira. Kel has mixed feelings about taming the magical and dangerous phoenixes for human entertainment, but she needs the prize money to keep her family farm.
When a tragedy happens during one of their races, the Howler’s must find a new rider for Savita. Dira surprises Kel by offering the job to Warren Coupers. Otherwise known as “Coup”, the popular, dare-devil rider and Kel have always butted heads. But when Savita’s enclosure on Kel’s farm burns down, Kel is forced to accept a sponsorship offer from a mysterious tech magnate, and working with Coup is part of the deal. High-stakes racing action and heart-pounding romance will ensue as the Howlers try to navigate their way through a world fraught with secrets, danger, and corruption.
Reaction:
Of Flame and Fury is a fast-paced, exciting fantasy set in a world where magic and technology clash to produce phoenix racing. It’s one of my favorite books of the year so far! First, I felt a lot of nostalgia reading this book because the racing backdrop and Kel’s love for Savita reminds me of one of my favorite series as a kid that was set in the world of horse racing (Thoroughbred by Joanna Campbell). I loved that Kel cares for and respects Savita and the other phoenixes. It really drew me into her character and the story. The plot starts a bit predictably in some ways, but there’s a huge surprise late in the book that threw me for a loop. I was flabbergasted, which is a hard thing for a book to do, and I devoured the end as quickly as I could. The world is nuanced, and despite the inclusion of phoenixes and other magical creatures, closely resembles our modern world. I’m hoping there are additional books that further explore the other islands, the various groups vying for power, and the wild magical creatures. Lastly, the romance is sweet, and I appreciated that the relationship was not just there to have romance in the book; it presented a major opportunity for character growth for Kel & Coup. The one downfall of the ARC that I received was that it did not have an epilogue, so the book ends at the climax, with no resolution whatsoever. If I can read the epilogue when the book comes out, maybe this review will be improved to five stars.
I received this ARC as part of a Goodreads Giveaway. Thanks to the publisher and the author for sponsoring a giveaway.
What I enjoyed:
· The world is a magical reflection of our own, and they face many similar challenges that mostly boil down to whether the price of human advancement is worth it. Kel’s thoughts on phoenixes and phoenix racing are a relatable example of the internal questions I think many of us face today when it comes to these types of issues. A great example of how relatable I think Kel is as a character.
· The action sequences in this book are mostly races instead of fighting, which was a really refreshing mix up from the books I usually read. The phoenix racing scratches that itch for high-stakes action without it being all about swords and soldiers.
· Like Kel, I wasn’t sure about this brash, daredevil Coup at the beginning of the story, but he grew on me as his layers got peeled back. I loved that he has a great character arch as the story continues and takes the first step to be vulnerable with Kel, which then allows Kel to be vulnerable in return.
What I didn't enjoy:
· I didn’t like that I was left in the lurch with the Epilogue! I’m truly trying to figure out if this is normal for an ARC to not include the epilogue? Because it brought me back to my 5th grade Language Arts class where we learned the elements of a story, and a conclusion was definitely one of them! I understand ending the story on a cliffhanger, but there is still usually a conclusion within the cliffhanger, and I didn’t feel that here.
