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Is control over the elements a gift, or a curse?
Roxy thinks that she is in control of everything: with flames flaring at her fingertips and an equally fiery attitude, what more could she need? But then she meets Brae, a prince from a rival Realm, who turns her assumptions of superiority upside down.
Jasmine has none of Roxy’s confidence or intensity. But she does have a secret - and Brae - and she’s not going to give either up willingly.
Roxy thinks that she is in control of everything: with flames flaring at her fingertips and an equally fiery attitude, what more could she need? But then she meets Brae, a prince from a rival Realm, who turns her assumptions of superiority upside down.
Jasmine has none of Roxy’s confidence or intensity. But she does have a secret - and Brae - and she’s not going to give either up willingly.
202 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
3 people are currently reading
566 people want to read
About the author
Heather James
3Ìýbooks64ÌýfollowersFantasy YA writer, reader and blogger.
I review picture books, MG, YA and adult fiction.
I'm a Creative Writing MA student at Manchester Metropolitan University.
I'm a Wattpad Star and I made the Write Mentor Children's Novel Award Long List 2020.
I review picture books, MG, YA and adult fiction.
I'm a Creative Writing MA student at Manchester Metropolitan University.
I'm a Wattpad Star and I made the Write Mentor Children's Novel Award Long List 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
June 24, 2013
**I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review**
This story was extremely well written. I really liked it, it was slow paced, but it was an exciting and action packed adventure story of young adults who learn the right and wrongs of the elements that they can control.
Fire is about a world with four realms and each realm controls a different element. The Helians that control fire, Arcans control air, Brizan's control water, and the Sephans control the land. This book focuses mainly on two of these, but does have all four.
The story was told in the two main character’s Roxy and Jasmine’s POVs.
Roxy is a Helian Princess, she controls fire, and is trained to be a protector. The realm, she lives in is selfish and only wants to gain power. I liked her character in the beginning of the novel but as the story progressed, as I learned more about her, I started to dislike her. She’s spoiled, has a bad attitude, she thinks she’s better than the other people in the other realms, and refers to them as stupid quite often. Ughhh!
Jasmine or rather Jazz, was raised in the Arcan realm, a rival realm. She has lived her life not knowing her parents. She is the only character in the story who doesn’t know which realm she’s from, she has a little bit of each realm in her. I liked her personality; she was always very kind and devoted to her friends and family.
Brae, the prince of Arcans and Jazz’s best friend.
Overall this was a fun read filled with magic and good vs. evil. I loved all the characters. I highly recommend it!
I can’t wait for the next book in the series!!!!
Happy Reading!
~Ana @SoManyBooksSoLittleTime~
This review is also posted on
I also posted this on and
This story was extremely well written. I really liked it, it was slow paced, but it was an exciting and action packed adventure story of young adults who learn the right and wrongs of the elements that they can control.
Fire is about a world with four realms and each realm controls a different element. The Helians that control fire, Arcans control air, Brizan's control water, and the Sephans control the land. This book focuses mainly on two of these, but does have all four.
The story was told in the two main character’s Roxy and Jasmine’s POVs.
Roxy is a Helian Princess, she controls fire, and is trained to be a protector. The realm, she lives in is selfish and only wants to gain power. I liked her character in the beginning of the novel but as the story progressed, as I learned more about her, I started to dislike her. She’s spoiled, has a bad attitude, she thinks she’s better than the other people in the other realms, and refers to them as stupid quite often. Ughhh!
Jasmine or rather Jazz, was raised in the Arcan realm, a rival realm. She has lived her life not knowing her parents. She is the only character in the story who doesn’t know which realm she’s from, she has a little bit of each realm in her. I liked her personality; she was always very kind and devoted to her friends and family.
Brae, the prince of Arcans and Jazz’s best friend.
Overall this was a fun read filled with magic and good vs. evil. I loved all the characters. I highly recommend it!
I can’t wait for the next book in the series!!!!
Happy Reading!
~Ana @SoManyBooksSoLittleTime~
This review is also posted on
I also posted this on and
February 25, 2015
LOVED IT!
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I'd love to leave this review as just that comment but I was asked for a review so I feel I should at least try and explain what I loved about Fire. :)
Firstly though I would like to thank YA/NA Fanatics (previously YA Readers Lounge) and Heather James for providing me with this copy to review.
Sooo what I loved:
This story reminded me of Avatar - (the cartoon series not the James Cameron film) - the last airbender one. There are 4 different cultures each protected by a select group of people with special abilities to control an element.
In a similar way to Avatar - the fire realm are trying to control all the other elements. Their obsession with power and competitive 'firey' nature causes them to call a meeting where they use a 'special power' to try and take control of the other realms.
Brae, Prince of the Arcan (Wind Element) Realm, is a delegate at the meeting. Roxanne, Princess of the Helian (Fire) Realm, is ordered to follow and befriend Brae, make him trust her, to make him more easily manipulated. However what they don't know is that Brae's friend Jasmine has a secret, a power that the Helian's haven't prepared for.
I must warn you there is a Love Triangle in this one - it is obvious, you will see it coming but I didn't actually mind. This one made sense.
I loved the characters. Jasmine took a while to grow on me, I found her a little whiney at the beginning but I liked the way she grew as her character was challenged. I Loved Roxanne, she was so mean and selfish but she as well gradually changed.
The only reason I gave this book 4*s was because I can't wait for the next book and I anticipate it being amazing so I wanted to give it somewhere aim for :)
Well done Heather James - a great start to a series.
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I'd love to leave this review as just that comment but I was asked for a review so I feel I should at least try and explain what I loved about Fire. :)
Firstly though I would like to thank YA/NA Fanatics (previously YA Readers Lounge) and Heather James for providing me with this copy to review.
Sooo what I loved:
This story reminded me of Avatar - (the cartoon series not the James Cameron film) - the last airbender one. There are 4 different cultures each protected by a select group of people with special abilities to control an element.
In a similar way to Avatar - the fire realm are trying to control all the other elements. Their obsession with power and competitive 'firey' nature causes them to call a meeting where they use a 'special power' to try and take control of the other realms.
Brae, Prince of the Arcan (Wind Element) Realm, is a delegate at the meeting. Roxanne, Princess of the Helian (Fire) Realm, is ordered to follow and befriend Brae, make him trust her, to make him more easily manipulated. However what they don't know is that Brae's friend Jasmine has a secret, a power that the Helian's haven't prepared for.
I must warn you there is a Love Triangle in this one - it is obvious, you will see it coming but I didn't actually mind. This one made sense.
I loved the characters. Jasmine took a while to grow on me, I found her a little whiney at the beginning but I liked the way she grew as her character was challenged. I Loved Roxanne, she was so mean and selfish but she as well gradually changed.
The only reason I gave this book 4*s was because I can't wait for the next book and I anticipate it being amazing so I wanted to give it somewhere aim for :)
Well done Heather James - a great start to a series.
January 11, 2013
This was one of those serendipitous findings; it simply appeared on my home page and I was immediately intrigued. It was clearly meant to be!
World-building is a major strength of the novel; the author has clearly spent a lot of time getting to know every detail of her fantasy world and it shows in her writing. The history and politics of the realm are revealed using the right balance of show and tell so that you do not feel like you are having information thrown at you, or that the story is brought to a standstill. I particularly thought that getting Roxy to display her powers whilst at the same time meeting a historian with a first-hand (and thus quite passionate) account of an important historical event was very clever.
Roxy herself is a very interesting character; she has a lot of admirable qualities but also a lot of flaws which we can see are a result of her upbringing as a princess in the Helian Realm. Though the reader can of course empathise with her a lot through the link of POV her selfishness, and even at points her relish in creating misery, is rather shocking. She is exciting and I wanted to know how the events of the novel would affect and change her.
Jasmine at first runs the risk of being seen as the wet blanket as she is a lot quieter and is finding it difficult to adjust to the changes happening to her. And yet as her story progresses we recognise in her a strength which she does not even seem to realise that she has. She worries, yes, but never about herself, and she rushes off into the unknown without hesitation to save someone she cares about. Jasmine’s powers and heritage are a mystery; though I think I may have some idea of her parentage (I may be completely wrong!).
The romance in the novel was refreshing; there is no heroine who is new to town and has boys falling at her feet, or has to choose between the mysterious stranger and the reliable best friend. Having two viewpoint characters with feelings for the same boy is of course interesting, but their feelings develop and express themselves in very different ways; love is not the same for every person. There is no sudden love at first sight or long descriptions of how every physical aspect of the hero is perfection. The author recognises that love is hard, and can actually make you feel awful as well as great, and leads you to do things you never thought you were capable of.
It was also very interesting that Brae remains a bit of a mystery throughout as we never see inside his head. We know he cares for both girls but for the most part I could not guess whether he is in love with one or the other, or both, or if he even thinks of either romantically at all. I can’t wait to see this love story develop!
The only issues that I had with the novel are very small. I felt that the party, including the setting up and the cleaning up, which is part of the introduction to Jasmine’s home life, dragged on for too long. It seems that the purpose was to introduce Jasmine’s friends and their powers and to let us know that Brae is worried about her and knows something is wrong, but I think there could have been a different way to do this. In fact the aftermath is actually the most interesting part of this scene and so maybe the party could have been summed up in a few lines and then we learn more in the following section. This was the only part that I skim read � and I’m glad I didn't put the book down because I would have missed out on a great story.
One other tiny issue is that when describing a certain power of the Helians the phrase ‘like honey� is overused. It is a very effective description but it is used several times within the same scene, or scenes which are very close together. As I say this was just a tiny detail that I noticed, and it didn’t tar my enjoyment of the novel.
The ending is very fast-paced and it is one of those endings where you get to that page saying ‘Now you are finished…� and cry ‘NO! I want to find out what happens next!� It feels like there is much more to come, in terms of story, but also for the characters; their relationships and personal development.
Heather, please say that you are working on the sequel � preferably literally right now this second!
World-building is a major strength of the novel; the author has clearly spent a lot of time getting to know every detail of her fantasy world and it shows in her writing. The history and politics of the realm are revealed using the right balance of show and tell so that you do not feel like you are having information thrown at you, or that the story is brought to a standstill. I particularly thought that getting Roxy to display her powers whilst at the same time meeting a historian with a first-hand (and thus quite passionate) account of an important historical event was very clever.
Roxy herself is a very interesting character; she has a lot of admirable qualities but also a lot of flaws which we can see are a result of her upbringing as a princess in the Helian Realm. Though the reader can of course empathise with her a lot through the link of POV her selfishness, and even at points her relish in creating misery, is rather shocking. She is exciting and I wanted to know how the events of the novel would affect and change her.
Jasmine at first runs the risk of being seen as the wet blanket as she is a lot quieter and is finding it difficult to adjust to the changes happening to her. And yet as her story progresses we recognise in her a strength which she does not even seem to realise that she has. She worries, yes, but never about herself, and she rushes off into the unknown without hesitation to save someone she cares about. Jasmine’s powers and heritage are a mystery; though I think I may have some idea of her parentage (I may be completely wrong!).
The romance in the novel was refreshing; there is no heroine who is new to town and has boys falling at her feet, or has to choose between the mysterious stranger and the reliable best friend. Having two viewpoint characters with feelings for the same boy is of course interesting, but their feelings develop and express themselves in very different ways; love is not the same for every person. There is no sudden love at first sight or long descriptions of how every physical aspect of the hero is perfection. The author recognises that love is hard, and can actually make you feel awful as well as great, and leads you to do things you never thought you were capable of.
It was also very interesting that Brae remains a bit of a mystery throughout as we never see inside his head. We know he cares for both girls but for the most part I could not guess whether he is in love with one or the other, or both, or if he even thinks of either romantically at all. I can’t wait to see this love story develop!
The only issues that I had with the novel are very small. I felt that the party, including the setting up and the cleaning up, which is part of the introduction to Jasmine’s home life, dragged on for too long. It seems that the purpose was to introduce Jasmine’s friends and their powers and to let us know that Brae is worried about her and knows something is wrong, but I think there could have been a different way to do this. In fact the aftermath is actually the most interesting part of this scene and so maybe the party could have been summed up in a few lines and then we learn more in the following section. This was the only part that I skim read � and I’m glad I didn't put the book down because I would have missed out on a great story.
One other tiny issue is that when describing a certain power of the Helians the phrase ‘like honey� is overused. It is a very effective description but it is used several times within the same scene, or scenes which are very close together. As I say this was just a tiny detail that I noticed, and it didn’t tar my enjoyment of the novel.
The ending is very fast-paced and it is one of those endings where you get to that page saying ‘Now you are finished…� and cry ‘NO! I want to find out what happens next!� It feels like there is much more to come, in terms of story, but also for the characters; their relationships and personal development.
Heather, please say that you are working on the sequel � preferably literally right now this second!
February 16, 2013
First I would like to say that this book took me by surprise! The cover is not one that really screams read me but the content in the story is one to die for! Lord the saying never judge a book by it's cover is never more real then in this case. The story is well developed and the author has done her homework because the descriptions of the worlds she has created stands out and grabs you and keeps you reading until the end comes and you are like what the hell???????????
Can you imagine being born with a gift of controlling one of life's elements? Can you imagine being able to control fire? Well that is a reality for Roxy who is a Princess of The Helian Realm. She can control fire. Only she is a little selfish and a little intense when she uses it. I would say she is a little spoiled brat that is used to getting her way. Then she meets Brea who is from a rival realm and her world turns upside down. She starts to see things a different way and she starts to like Brea. But Brea is taken and his girl will not let anyone or anything come in the way of them being together.
Jasmine is Brae's girl and she has a secret. Her secret once some of it is revealed is so incredible that it takes the reader by storm. Jasmine also knows that Roxy wants Brea and she is going to make sure that Roxy knows he is hers and no one is going to come between them and she also has to keep her secret from Roxy. What will happen if Roxy finds out Jasmine's secret? What will Brea do? This is one story that is a must read and you do not want to put it down and I need the second one right now because I just have to find out what happens. Lord I am so impatient but what goes down in the last three chapters leaves you breathless!
Can you imagine being born with a gift of controlling one of life's elements? Can you imagine being able to control fire? Well that is a reality for Roxy who is a Princess of The Helian Realm. She can control fire. Only she is a little selfish and a little intense when she uses it. I would say she is a little spoiled brat that is used to getting her way. Then she meets Brea who is from a rival realm and her world turns upside down. She starts to see things a different way and she starts to like Brea. But Brea is taken and his girl will not let anyone or anything come in the way of them being together.
Jasmine is Brae's girl and she has a secret. Her secret once some of it is revealed is so incredible that it takes the reader by storm. Jasmine also knows that Roxy wants Brea and she is going to make sure that Roxy knows he is hers and no one is going to come between them and she also has to keep her secret from Roxy. What will happen if Roxy finds out Jasmine's secret? What will Brea do? This is one story that is a must read and you do not want to put it down and I need the second one right now because I just have to find out what happens. Lord I am so impatient but what goes down in the last three chapters leaves you breathless!
November 3, 2020
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to author Heather James, and Never Too Old For Y.A. & N.A. Books.)
Roxy is a fire mage, and she’s also a princess of the Helian realm. She has long been trained to be a ‘protector� and she will soon get to put her powers to the test when delegates from the other 3 realms travel to Helian to discuss trade agreements.
Jasmine is a friend of Prince Brae of the Arcan realm, and she is hiding a secret. Streaks of colour appear in people’s hair as they gain mastery of an element, Prince Brae is gaining silver streaks which show his affinity for air, whilst Jasmine has suddenly developed purple streaks � the likes of which have never been seen before. Afraid that people will think her a monster, Jasmine hides the streaks in her hair, and can’t bring herself to confide in anyone.
As ambassadors for the other three realms arrive in Helian to discuss trade agreements, most are a little wary � whilst the other three realms trade openly and use each other’s waters, nobody trusts those from Helian after a previous war, and such grievances are difficult to forgive and forget.
Will the discussions be worthwhile? What is happening to Jasmine? And can the four realms come to some sort of compromise?
This book wasn’t for me. The characters annoyed me, and the story dragged.
Roxy had such a temper. Her interactions with Brae were less conversations, and more arguments. Even when he was being conversational, she immediately jumped to the offensive, and started arguing with him, which got really annoying. It was like she had constant PMT, and if I knew her in real life she would be the sort of person that I would avoid. I just got so sick of how on-edge she was, and how ready she was to attack everyone � either verbally or with fire.
Jasmine was quite a weak girl if you ask me. She hardly had the nerve to do anything, and hiding what was happening to her from her own best friend was just cowardly. I know she believed that he would hate her if he found out, but I really think that she should have at least tried to confide in him. I just wanted her to grow a backbone and stop being such a wuss.
I found a lot of the storyline a bit dull unfortunately. I thought that there were too many info-dumps where large chunks of information would just be thrust upon us like a lecture. There were also great big sections where I felt like the story went off on a bit of a tangent, and we were forced to go through things that had very little if any significance to the storyline.
The constant arguments and back-stabbing grew old quick, and I’m sorry, but if you don’t trust the people of Helian, why even go there to discuss things? If they’re that bad, why even consider trading with them? And if you must (I know � keep your enemies closer), then would you do it on their home turf? Wouldn’t you invite them somewhere else rather than going to their lands where they obviously have the home turf advantage? To be honest it seemed like the Arcan’s and Helians had little intention of ever being friends, so the whole trip just seemed a little futile.
In the end I can’t say that I enjoyed this book. The dull parts of the storyline just bored me, the constant arguing and Roxy’s high stress levels made me feel on edge, and I got to the point where I just felt so bogged down in the story that I had a hard time pushing myself to finish. I won’t be reading the second book in this series, but some die-hard fantasy fans may enjoy this.
Overall; YA fantasy that just had too many flaws for me.
4 out of 10.
Roxy is a fire mage, and she’s also a princess of the Helian realm. She has long been trained to be a ‘protector� and she will soon get to put her powers to the test when delegates from the other 3 realms travel to Helian to discuss trade agreements.
Jasmine is a friend of Prince Brae of the Arcan realm, and she is hiding a secret. Streaks of colour appear in people’s hair as they gain mastery of an element, Prince Brae is gaining silver streaks which show his affinity for air, whilst Jasmine has suddenly developed purple streaks � the likes of which have never been seen before. Afraid that people will think her a monster, Jasmine hides the streaks in her hair, and can’t bring herself to confide in anyone.
As ambassadors for the other three realms arrive in Helian to discuss trade agreements, most are a little wary � whilst the other three realms trade openly and use each other’s waters, nobody trusts those from Helian after a previous war, and such grievances are difficult to forgive and forget.
Will the discussions be worthwhile? What is happening to Jasmine? And can the four realms come to some sort of compromise?
This book wasn’t for me. The characters annoyed me, and the story dragged.
Roxy had such a temper. Her interactions with Brae were less conversations, and more arguments. Even when he was being conversational, she immediately jumped to the offensive, and started arguing with him, which got really annoying. It was like she had constant PMT, and if I knew her in real life she would be the sort of person that I would avoid. I just got so sick of how on-edge she was, and how ready she was to attack everyone � either verbally or with fire.
Jasmine was quite a weak girl if you ask me. She hardly had the nerve to do anything, and hiding what was happening to her from her own best friend was just cowardly. I know she believed that he would hate her if he found out, but I really think that she should have at least tried to confide in him. I just wanted her to grow a backbone and stop being such a wuss.
I found a lot of the storyline a bit dull unfortunately. I thought that there were too many info-dumps where large chunks of information would just be thrust upon us like a lecture. There were also great big sections where I felt like the story went off on a bit of a tangent, and we were forced to go through things that had very little if any significance to the storyline.
The constant arguments and back-stabbing grew old quick, and I’m sorry, but if you don’t trust the people of Helian, why even go there to discuss things? If they’re that bad, why even consider trading with them? And if you must (I know � keep your enemies closer), then would you do it on their home turf? Wouldn’t you invite them somewhere else rather than going to their lands where they obviously have the home turf advantage? To be honest it seemed like the Arcan’s and Helians had little intention of ever being friends, so the whole trip just seemed a little futile.
In the end I can’t say that I enjoyed this book. The dull parts of the storyline just bored me, the constant arguing and Roxy’s high stress levels made me feel on edge, and I got to the point where I just felt so bogged down in the story that I had a hard time pushing myself to finish. I won’t be reading the second book in this series, but some die-hard fantasy fans may enjoy this.
Overall; YA fantasy that just had too many flaws for me.
4 out of 10.
March 7, 2013
I am always a bit weary (but I do it anyway) when it comes to reviewing indie books, because they are normally a hit or miss. This book thankfully was a smashing hit. This book consists of characters that come from four realms, with representation of each element. The main focus is on the characters from the Helian (fire) and the Arcan (wind) realm. Each realm does not rally mix with the other, but the water, wind and earth realms have managed to have a happy balance between the three through trade and alliances. The fire realm wants in, but not in a good way. They have a secret gift that the other realms do not know about. The reader finds out that this gift is the gift of Control. They can make any do anything to their bidding, including suicide if it comes to that. In the story, the Helian realm invites representatives from each realm to "negotiate" because they are the only realm that has been left out of alliances, for a good reason to. The rest of the book tells about what happens during this conference between the realms.
The three main characters of the story were Roxy, Jasmine, and Brae. Roxy, hmm how do I even start, I did not like her. At all. She was just too confident and conceited and I just did not enjoy her at all. When she seems to be having a change of heart throughout the story, I still didn't like her. I felt no sympathy for her, maybe I am just a bad person, but I just was not feeling her character. Jasmine on the other hand, I loved her. She was shy and a bit timid at times, but she got things done. Also, I really like her powers and the fact that she is so different from the others. Brae, was nice but he just didn't have any spunk. I felt that he fell for Roxy just a tad too easily. Jasmine had to save his little cute behind in the end.
Overall, I was entranced by this book. I am itching to read the sequel in order to read more about Jasmine and what is to come. I believe that Heather James takes her time in detailing her world she has written about, and I was pulled right into the settings of the book. I recommend this to those that love young adult fantasy!
June 8, 2013
I received a review copy in return for a honest review @ . There are GIF's there but moving on...
Part of my reviewer charm is I won't say "go read it straight away" if you shouldn't. It's one of those very decent books which just could've been 5* if it wasn't so short & mean to me! If a book has a cliffhanger in blame the book.
Why did the book have to end there? Was it because we'd suddenly glimpsed the one issue we hadn't seen coming? Well, yeah... We all know that's the perfect way to end a series because it leaves us wanting more. I was addicted before then, believe me though...
It's the character's fault. They just wanted to develop & meet more people... They also didn't want the world to build without them.
...Of course, one would assume there isn't any more world-building that needs to be done for the Hellian (Fire) realm or the Arcan (air) realm but the other two? Let's just say, I cannot wait for the sequel for just that reason. I've never read a book where the world-building has such a positive impact on the book. It seemed to help the book move along...
I think it helped 'Fire' also that Heather wasn't too scared to introduce many characters... In many cases, it was introducing.
One of the other reasons I am dying to read 'Water' is because there appeared to be three sets of characters in Fire: there were the main characters (two, out of the trio, of whom had their POV enlisted to help the reader understand Fire), then characters which I can't just call "secondary". They weren't. We were shown that they are going to be important & we better watch out for them. I'm definitely watching out for Cinear, hellian bad boy. Hellian would normally imply that but... well, he can't be average. If that's average then take the above wave as a goodbye. Over my shoulder. While I am running away fast. Speed.
Then there's obviously characters who are a lot less important than him. They are the proper side characters. They are all still cool but the type which don't factor into the relationships. A bit like how the tributes which fell at the Cornucopia in the Hunger Games don't really factor into the equation. Or anything mathematical, like a love triangle, or literalistic.
Talking of the Hunger Games, I might be a teeny bit more pleased with the girl who would come out alive if the realms were to have a Hunger Games. At least against the others she would. Or does she have weaknesses which others would take advantage of? That includes the other protagonist, Jasmine.
We didn't get to see the whole dynamic of the love triangle because only the girls narrate. It's quite hard to root for one girl over another. Yes, girls are fighting for a boy & it's way more interesting than the usual configuration of that device. The dynamic isn't comparable to a lot... You could say the way they pair up to a Hunger Games trio is like: Jazz is Peeta, Roxy is Gale & Brae is Katniss (well, maybe more... Glimmer?)
You'd sort of being sarcastic if you said that, though (impressed, unique characters cause a stir!?)
Lastly, it sounds funny but, I knew then how the story arc would go (or most of it); I might've guessed some of the things during the book but I was already dying to see where it went & ignoring the things I normally wouldn't be excited about... until I realized I was excited about them.
It was developing quite fast for the first novel in the series (but it is a fairly short book which is sad) but I knew that it be likely a cliffhanger would come & leave me wanting more... I loved the mix of world building, character development & major action. It was fabulous & the book felt so...
MIND BLOWING.
Part of my reviewer charm is I won't say "go read it straight away" if you shouldn't. It's one of those very decent books which just could've been 5* if it wasn't so short & mean to me! If a book has a cliffhanger in blame the book.
Why did the book have to end there? Was it because we'd suddenly glimpsed the one issue we hadn't seen coming? Well, yeah... We all know that's the perfect way to end a series because it leaves us wanting more. I was addicted before then, believe me though...
It's the character's fault. They just wanted to develop & meet more people... They also didn't want the world to build without them.
...Of course, one would assume there isn't any more world-building that needs to be done for the Hellian (Fire) realm or the Arcan (air) realm but the other two? Let's just say, I cannot wait for the sequel for just that reason. I've never read a book where the world-building has such a positive impact on the book. It seemed to help the book move along...
I think it helped 'Fire' also that Heather wasn't too scared to introduce many characters... In many cases, it was introducing.
One of the other reasons I am dying to read 'Water' is because there appeared to be three sets of characters in Fire: there were the main characters (two, out of the trio, of whom had their POV enlisted to help the reader understand Fire), then characters which I can't just call "secondary". They weren't. We were shown that they are going to be important & we better watch out for them. I'm definitely watching out for Cinear, hellian bad boy. Hellian would normally imply that but... well, he can't be average. If that's average then take the above wave as a goodbye. Over my shoulder. While I am running away fast. Speed.
Then there's obviously characters who are a lot less important than him. They are the proper side characters. They are all still cool but the type which don't factor into the relationships. A bit like how the tributes which fell at the Cornucopia in the Hunger Games don't really factor into the equation. Or anything mathematical, like a love triangle, or literalistic.
Talking of the Hunger Games, I might be a teeny bit more pleased with the girl who would come out alive if the realms were to have a Hunger Games. At least against the others she would. Or does she have weaknesses which others would take advantage of? That includes the other protagonist, Jasmine.
We didn't get to see the whole dynamic of the love triangle because only the girls narrate. It's quite hard to root for one girl over another. Yes, girls are fighting for a boy & it's way more interesting than the usual configuration of that device. The dynamic isn't comparable to a lot... You could say the way they pair up to a Hunger Games trio is like: Jazz is Peeta, Roxy is Gale & Brae is Katniss (well, maybe more... Glimmer?)
You'd sort of being sarcastic if you said that, though (impressed, unique characters cause a stir!?)
Lastly, it sounds funny but, I knew then how the story arc would go (or most of it); I might've guessed some of the things during the book but I was already dying to see where it went & ignoring the things I normally wouldn't be excited about... until I realized I was excited about them.
It was developing quite fast for the first novel in the series (but it is a fairly short book which is sad) but I knew that it be likely a cliffhanger would come & leave me wanting more... I loved the mix of world building, character development & major action. It was fabulous & the book felt so...
MIND BLOWING.
April 2, 2013
**Review originally posted on my blog, see it **
I would like to thank Heather James for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Heather James created a very interesting world in this series. There are four different realms in the world, each vastly different from one another from the atmosphere to the people that live in each of them. Each Realm has Protectors, those who have special powers associated with their heritage. The Helian Realm (the Protectors powers are related to fire), the Arcan Realm (the Protectors powers are related to air), the Brizan Realm (the Protectors powers are related to water), and the Sephan Realm (the Protectors powers are related to earth). Aside from the Realms being associated with different elements, the people in them all have very similar hair, eye, and skin colors which are different in each of the Realms. The people of each Realm also have very strong opinions about how the other realms behave, dress, and live. I really enjoyed the creative world building throughout Fire, along with the crazy difference in character across the different societies. The story was different from anything I've read before, and it was refreshing to see a new spin on elemental magic.
I have kind of mixed feelings about the rest of the story though. I was kind of confused about the difference between the Realms and their people for a while, but it ended up clearing up for the most part within a few chapters. It took me a long time to feel like I cared about the characters (it was somewhere around 85%), which made the story move kind of slowly for me. In the beginning I really thought I would like how spunky and strong Roxy was, and I ended up thinking of her as a pretentious spoiled brat until the last couple chapters. I suppose her attitude fit well with the society she lived in (the Helian Realm, since they were all like that). Jasmine and Brae (from the Arcan Realm) were much more easy to like, but they didn't really do anything to actually impress me for a while either. I will say that I was (actually I still am) incredibly curious about what exactly Jasmine is (I developed a theory pretty early on and now I'm curious to see how close I am).... I won't say anything else because I don't want to spoil too much! I also wish there was a little bit more about the other two Realms and their people added to the story (the Brizans and Sephans).
Overall, Fire was a really quick and entertaining read. I liked a lot of things about the world Heather James created and how unique it was. I loved how the people were so wildly different, and got a kick out of how they would use "Flames" or "Air" as an expletive depending on who was talking. The descriptions of each realm and the people in them were also amazing. There were a couple things that kept this at 3 stars for me though. I'm a sucker for romance so I definitely wish that there had been more, it felt like there was a little flicker of it but it was mostly absent throughout the story. It also bothered me a little to read "stood" and "sat" in place of "standing" and "sitting," I'm not used to hearing it so I couldn't help it getting to me. I felt like nothing really exciting happened until almost the very end, but I'm hoping now that most of the details are in place the next book will have more action. I'm definitely looking forward to book two to find out what happens.
I would like to thank Heather James for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Heather James created a very interesting world in this series. There are four different realms in the world, each vastly different from one another from the atmosphere to the people that live in each of them. Each Realm has Protectors, those who have special powers associated with their heritage. The Helian Realm (the Protectors powers are related to fire), the Arcan Realm (the Protectors powers are related to air), the Brizan Realm (the Protectors powers are related to water), and the Sephan Realm (the Protectors powers are related to earth). Aside from the Realms being associated with different elements, the people in them all have very similar hair, eye, and skin colors which are different in each of the Realms. The people of each Realm also have very strong opinions about how the other realms behave, dress, and live. I really enjoyed the creative world building throughout Fire, along with the crazy difference in character across the different societies. The story was different from anything I've read before, and it was refreshing to see a new spin on elemental magic.
I have kind of mixed feelings about the rest of the story though. I was kind of confused about the difference between the Realms and their people for a while, but it ended up clearing up for the most part within a few chapters. It took me a long time to feel like I cared about the characters (it was somewhere around 85%), which made the story move kind of slowly for me. In the beginning I really thought I would like how spunky and strong Roxy was, and I ended up thinking of her as a pretentious spoiled brat until the last couple chapters. I suppose her attitude fit well with the society she lived in (the Helian Realm, since they were all like that). Jasmine and Brae (from the Arcan Realm) were much more easy to like, but they didn't really do anything to actually impress me for a while either. I will say that I was (actually I still am) incredibly curious about what exactly Jasmine is (I developed a theory pretty early on and now I'm curious to see how close I am).... I won't say anything else because I don't want to spoil too much! I also wish there was a little bit more about the other two Realms and their people added to the story (the Brizans and Sephans).
Overall, Fire was a really quick and entertaining read. I liked a lot of things about the world Heather James created and how unique it was. I loved how the people were so wildly different, and got a kick out of how they would use "Flames" or "Air" as an expletive depending on who was talking. The descriptions of each realm and the people in them were also amazing. There were a couple things that kept this at 3 stars for me though. I'm a sucker for romance so I definitely wish that there had been more, it felt like there was a little flicker of it but it was mostly absent throughout the story. It also bothered me a little to read "stood" and "sat" in place of "standing" and "sitting," I'm not used to hearing it so I couldn't help it getting to me. I felt like nothing really exciting happened until almost the very end, but I'm hoping now that most of the details are in place the next book will have more action. I'm definitely looking forward to book two to find out what happens.
February 13, 2013
The 1st book in the element of fire series was really good! The book switches from the points of view of a girl named Roxy, to a girl named Jazz, a.k.a Jasmine. Roxy is a princess in the Helian Relm (its a hot realm where people control fire) and has just finished her training. Her attitude is as firey as the element she controls and I love it! Jazz is a quiet girl from the Arcain Realm (people control air in this realm) and is best friends with the prince of the realm, Brae, who must set out for a diplomatic meeting in the Helian Realm. Other than these realms, there are also the water and earth realm. (they have different names of course) All the realms leaders have been called to this diplomatic meeting in the Helian realm to discuss treaties and trade negotations. But Roxy and her fellow Helians have a power the other realms don't know about, and they intend to use it to gain power over the others. Jazz also has a power not even her best friend Brae knows about, and when she starts having weird, prophetic dreams, she must follow Brae and risk uncovering a secret that will ruin everything she holds close.
I'm very suprised how much I liked this book after I finished it. When I first started reading it, the switching of the point of views really confused me until I figured out what was going on with the characters and what kind of world they lived in. I didn't really understand the romantic connection between Roxy and Brae though, It just felt under developed. I loved Roxys personality and it's awesome when the heroine makes her own rules. Jazz's character was alright, but I think I know where the author is going with the purple strands in her hair, but I could be wrong. I loved the end though and it makes me want to read the next one!
I would like to thank the author, Heather James, and the YA Readers Lounge for this opportunity and I loved reading and reviewing the book!
I'm very suprised how much I liked this book after I finished it. When I first started reading it, the switching of the point of views really confused me until I figured out what was going on with the characters and what kind of world they lived in. I didn't really understand the romantic connection between Roxy and Brae though, It just felt under developed. I loved Roxys personality and it's awesome when the heroine makes her own rules. Jazz's character was alright, but I think I know where the author is going with the purple strands in her hair, but I could be wrong. I loved the end though and it makes me want to read the next one!
I would like to thank the author, Heather James, and the YA Readers Lounge for this opportunity and I loved reading and reviewing the book!
October 21, 2015
Fire by Heather James is an enjoyable fantasy that follows the stories of Roxy, a fiery Helian Protector, and Jasmine, the girl who doesn't quite belong.
I really liked this book. I loved Roxy's chapters, watching as she was brought in on the scheme that follows the Helian pattern of generally just being nasty to the other nations. It's not often that we get a point of view from the antagonists, and Roxy was such a convincing character that I was really unsure of how this was going to end up.
Jasmine and Brae have been friends for a long time; so when Brae announces his intention to travel to the Helian realm for the 'conference', Jasmine immediately worries. After a few disturbing dreams and some unusual developments of her own character, Jasmine sails herself to the Helian realm to save her friend.
The characters in this book were so defined that even if they didn't have their names above their chapters, you could still tell who was narrating, and I find that to be an exceptional thing. Too often characters sound like sock puppets and to read a book that finally bucked that trend was extremely refreshing.
During the second half of the book, I was surprised at how much I felt for a certain development on Roxy's behalf. I did not see it coming and I cannot explain how grateful I am that I was completely blindsided by this. I love when the author takes me completely unawares; it's part of the reason I read!! This is certainly one development that I can't wait to see in the sequel, Water.
Jasmine's ... unique... development was also very well executed. I figured it out about three quarters of the way through the book and had to put down my phone and go 'ohhhhhhh' because it made perfect sense and yet I didn't see it coming at all!
Recommend those who love surprising novels and the elements.
I really liked this book. I loved Roxy's chapters, watching as she was brought in on the scheme that follows the Helian pattern of generally just being nasty to the other nations. It's not often that we get a point of view from the antagonists, and Roxy was such a convincing character that I was really unsure of how this was going to end up.
Jasmine and Brae have been friends for a long time; so when Brae announces his intention to travel to the Helian realm for the 'conference', Jasmine immediately worries. After a few disturbing dreams and some unusual developments of her own character, Jasmine sails herself to the Helian realm to save her friend.
The characters in this book were so defined that even if they didn't have their names above their chapters, you could still tell who was narrating, and I find that to be an exceptional thing. Too often characters sound like sock puppets and to read a book that finally bucked that trend was extremely refreshing.
During the second half of the book, I was surprised at how much I felt for a certain development on Roxy's behalf. I did not see it coming and I cannot explain how grateful I am that I was completely blindsided by this. I love when the author takes me completely unawares; it's part of the reason I read!! This is certainly one development that I can't wait to see in the sequel, Water.
Jasmine's ... unique... development was also very well executed. I figured it out about three quarters of the way through the book and had to put down my phone and go 'ohhhhhhh' because it made perfect sense and yet I didn't see it coming at all!
Recommend those who love surprising novels and the elements.
February 14, 2013
This story is based on a very unique concept. I can definitely say that I’ve never read anything even remotely like it before. It was a very refreshing and exciting read.
This story was exceptionally well written, especially considering that it is the first novel for this author. I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that she has a well thought out and intriguing plot. This novel is going somewhere specific. It never wanders or loses its reader. I also appreciated the way that James didn’t leave anything at loose ends at the end of the novel, but yet left so much to be explained and discovered in future installments. Nothing is left in limbo, but there is more than enough to bring you back for more.
The main characters were quite interesting and very well developed. They were the type of people that you could see yourself being friends with. I truly wanted to see them succeed. You find your heart going out to them on multiple different occasions. They are so real that you can’t help it. I also love the mix of interesting powers that the characters possess. They aren’t your stereotypical supernatural powers, but this makes them all the more interesting. The powers are also integrated into who the characters are and into their beliefs. They aren’t superfluous to the characters but rather an integral part of who they are.
This is definitely a one of a kind story with many one of a kind characters. I was so drawn into this world of many realms and into the lives of the characters that I can’t wait to continue on this journey with them in the sequel.
This story was exceptionally well written, especially considering that it is the first novel for this author. I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that she has a well thought out and intriguing plot. This novel is going somewhere specific. It never wanders or loses its reader. I also appreciated the way that James didn’t leave anything at loose ends at the end of the novel, but yet left so much to be explained and discovered in future installments. Nothing is left in limbo, but there is more than enough to bring you back for more.
The main characters were quite interesting and very well developed. They were the type of people that you could see yourself being friends with. I truly wanted to see them succeed. You find your heart going out to them on multiple different occasions. They are so real that you can’t help it. I also love the mix of interesting powers that the characters possess. They aren’t your stereotypical supernatural powers, but this makes them all the more interesting. The powers are also integrated into who the characters are and into their beliefs. They aren’t superfluous to the characters but rather an integral part of who they are.
This is definitely a one of a kind story with many one of a kind characters. I was so drawn into this world of many realms and into the lives of the characters that I can’t wait to continue on this journey with them in the sequel.
June 16, 2013
It's been a while since a book has captured my complete interest and that I couldn't figure out the ending before halfway through reading it. Fire managed to keep me entertained- nay, enthralled- as well as kept me guessing.
Heather James has created a world of wonder and amazement, filled with magic, good vs. evil, and even a second sun! The world is filled with different realms that each contain a population as different from each other as, well, fire and water. ;)
Throughout the book it switches between the perspectives of Roxy and Jazz. Roxy's character is both infuriating and somewhat appalling, yet I also found myself rooting for her and loving her development. Jazz is easier to relate to at first. She is filled with many insecurities, but rises above them to do what she believes is right.
Overall, this book is a *must* read, and one that will keep you up at night (either because you won't want to put it down, or because you can't help but wonder what will happen next and reliving events.) I highly recommend reading it, and can't wait for the next book in the series!
Heather James has created a world of wonder and amazement, filled with magic, good vs. evil, and even a second sun! The world is filled with different realms that each contain a population as different from each other as, well, fire and water. ;)
Throughout the book it switches between the perspectives of Roxy and Jazz. Roxy's character is both infuriating and somewhat appalling, yet I also found myself rooting for her and loving her development. Jazz is easier to relate to at first. She is filled with many insecurities, but rises above them to do what she believes is right.
Overall, this book is a *must* read, and one that will keep you up at night (either because you won't want to put it down, or because you can't help but wonder what will happen next and reliving events.) I highly recommend reading it, and can't wait for the next book in the series!
September 29, 2013
I received a copy of Fire from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Fire was an amazing book, written with edge-of-your-seat action and a bit of mystery and romance thrown in. It appeals to all demographics, from teens to adults, as it is not dumbed down nor too mature. The pacing seemed appropriate, with enough time given to action without dwelling too long. There is also a varied cast, each with a role to play, but thankfully were not too confusing. The characters seem relatable and are well written, so it is easy to feel for them and become I invested in their story.
One critique is that the romance seems a bit forced but with hopefully become more natural in later books. Another critique is regarding world building. While the characters are well written, it was a bit hard to imagine the world it was based in. Is it modern? Apocalyptic? Medieval? Also, I HATE cliffhangers! I hate them because I loathe anticipation, however, it does make me super excited for book 2. ;)
This was a great book to read and I look forward to seeing where the characters go!
Fire was an amazing book, written with edge-of-your-seat action and a bit of mystery and romance thrown in. It appeals to all demographics, from teens to adults, as it is not dumbed down nor too mature. The pacing seemed appropriate, with enough time given to action without dwelling too long. There is also a varied cast, each with a role to play, but thankfully were not too confusing. The characters seem relatable and are well written, so it is easy to feel for them and become I invested in their story.
One critique is that the romance seems a bit forced but with hopefully become more natural in later books. Another critique is regarding world building. While the characters are well written, it was a bit hard to imagine the world it was based in. Is it modern? Apocalyptic? Medieval? Also, I HATE cliffhangers! I hate them because I loathe anticipation, however, it does make me super excited for book 2. ;)
This was a great book to read and I look forward to seeing where the characters go!
May 9, 2015
Review also posted at . There's also a giveaway for one e-copy of Fire on the blog. Ends April 12, 2013.
** I received a review e-copy for this tour. **
I am a big fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender anime so when I read the blurb of this book, I immediately contacted the author and expressed my interest to host a review post for her book tour. I really like this kind of fantasy story wherein the characters have the powers to control the elements.
Fire is set in a fantasy world divided into four realms based on what element they have an affinity for: Arcan (air), Helian (fire), Brizan (water) and Sephan (earth). Each realm has their Protectors, warriors that have control over the element of their realm. While the Arcan, Brizan and Sephan realms maintain a harmonious relationship, the Helian Realm is being outcasted because of their violent past. This attitude toward them leads the Helian king to request a summit with the leaders of the other realms under the pretense that they want to prove to everyone that they've changed. What everyone doesn't know is that the Helians are planning something else than 'being friends.'
The story has two narrators: Roxy (Roxanne) and Jazz (Jasmine). Roxy is a Helian princess while Jazz is an orphan who doesn't know her parentage and lives in the Arcan Realm. These two characters are on the opposite sides of a pole. Roxy is conceited, aggressive, and confident. Jazz, on the other hand, is gentle and caring.
What I liked the most about Fire is that the author wrote the story from two different perspectives. It did not only show the side of the 'good' but it also let me see the story from the view of someone living in the villain realm. I think it's very crucial to the story because a lot of things wouldn't have been explained if it's only Jazz telling the story. Like what the Helians are really plotting, their secret power, what it's like living in Helian Realm, etc. Those information that can only be supplied by an insider. And that's where Roxy comes in. It created balance and consistency in the story.
Now let's talk about the characters. Roxy has a very strong personality. She's a princess so she's used to getting what she wants. She's dominating, proud, frank and (somewhat) cruel. She doesn't care about other people and only thinks of what makes her happy or at least entertained. But despite all these traits, I found it hard to hate her. I even kinda sympathized with her, especially whenever her mother is mentioned. I also liked the fact that there was a major change on Roxy towards the end and all because of LOVE. Who would have thought that high and mighty Roxy would fall in love? And because of that, I liked her character more.
Jazz, for me, is a bit frustrating. Sometimes she is so slow in realizing things. When it's mentioned that her hair is turning into purple, I already have a good idea what she is. Purple is a combination of two colors, right? It doesn't take a genius to realize that Jazz is a child of this and that realms. And when her powers first showed, she had no idea that it was her doing. She even suspected Roxy of trying to harm her. It was funny reading that scene, though. I also think her having visions is cool, even though what it shows her aren't good. But Jazz's shining moment came when they needed her help the most. She was able to control one of her powers and saved her friend Brae. It was brave of her, considering she's not the fighter type. She's not even a Protector yet she found the courage to act like one. Sadly, I docked points again from her because of her cowardice to tell Brae the truth about Roxy. I understand why but it doesn't change the fact that it's wrong.
Prince Brae of the Arcan Realm is a little bit dull to me. Sure, he's kind. He's the only one who trusted Roxy when he has a lot of reasons not to. He is also a good friend to Jazz and trusted her dreams even though they sound crazy. But I am not smitten by him. It seems like he's too good to be true. I also didn't see much character on him. I wish Brae's character was explored more. I'd really like to know him better, though I wasn't really impressed by him in this book.
I wouldn't say Fire is exceptional, but it's really commendable. It's a very good and enjoyable read. I was a bit surprised to like it because I didn't have high expectations from this book when I dived into it. Heather James created a world that's unique and compelling. The plot is not overly complicated and it's smartly written. The bit about the Helian Realm having two suns? Very creative. I especially liked that the Protectors' hairs change colors when their powers first manifest. Each realm is also different - from the physical attributes of the lands to their political aspects, everything is really thought of. I admire Ms. James' imagination and world-building. The pace, though, is a little slow but the story itself keeps the reader's interest. The ending is also perfect. It's not a cliffhanger but it still makes you crave for the next book. I sure can't wait for Book 2. And more importantly, we have a new author to watch out for.
If you're looking for an interesting fantasy novel, I recommend Fire to you. With just the right amount of magic and a good deal of awesome powers, this book will totally heat you up. (Pun not intended! ^_^)
** I received a review e-copy for this tour. **
I am a big fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender anime so when I read the blurb of this book, I immediately contacted the author and expressed my interest to host a review post for her book tour. I really like this kind of fantasy story wherein the characters have the powers to control the elements.
Fire is set in a fantasy world divided into four realms based on what element they have an affinity for: Arcan (air), Helian (fire), Brizan (water) and Sephan (earth). Each realm has their Protectors, warriors that have control over the element of their realm. While the Arcan, Brizan and Sephan realms maintain a harmonious relationship, the Helian Realm is being outcasted because of their violent past. This attitude toward them leads the Helian king to request a summit with the leaders of the other realms under the pretense that they want to prove to everyone that they've changed. What everyone doesn't know is that the Helians are planning something else than 'being friends.'
The story has two narrators: Roxy (Roxanne) and Jazz (Jasmine). Roxy is a Helian princess while Jazz is an orphan who doesn't know her parentage and lives in the Arcan Realm. These two characters are on the opposite sides of a pole. Roxy is conceited, aggressive, and confident. Jazz, on the other hand, is gentle and caring.
What I liked the most about Fire is that the author wrote the story from two different perspectives. It did not only show the side of the 'good' but it also let me see the story from the view of someone living in the villain realm. I think it's very crucial to the story because a lot of things wouldn't have been explained if it's only Jazz telling the story. Like what the Helians are really plotting, their secret power, what it's like living in Helian Realm, etc. Those information that can only be supplied by an insider. And that's where Roxy comes in. It created balance and consistency in the story.
Now let's talk about the characters. Roxy has a very strong personality. She's a princess so she's used to getting what she wants. She's dominating, proud, frank and (somewhat) cruel. She doesn't care about other people and only thinks of what makes her happy or at least entertained. But despite all these traits, I found it hard to hate her. I even kinda sympathized with her, especially whenever her mother is mentioned. I also liked the fact that there was a major change on Roxy towards the end and all because of LOVE. Who would have thought that high and mighty Roxy would fall in love? And because of that, I liked her character more.
Jazz, for me, is a bit frustrating. Sometimes she is so slow in realizing things. When it's mentioned that her hair is turning into purple, I already have a good idea what she is. Purple is a combination of two colors, right? It doesn't take a genius to realize that Jazz is a child of this and that realms. And when her powers first showed, she had no idea that it was her doing. She even suspected Roxy of trying to harm her. It was funny reading that scene, though. I also think her having visions is cool, even though what it shows her aren't good. But Jazz's shining moment came when they needed her help the most. She was able to control one of her powers and saved her friend Brae. It was brave of her, considering she's not the fighter type. She's not even a Protector yet she found the courage to act like one. Sadly, I docked points again from her because of her cowardice to tell Brae the truth about Roxy. I understand why but it doesn't change the fact that it's wrong.
Prince Brae of the Arcan Realm is a little bit dull to me. Sure, he's kind. He's the only one who trusted Roxy when he has a lot of reasons not to. He is also a good friend to Jazz and trusted her dreams even though they sound crazy. But I am not smitten by him. It seems like he's too good to be true. I also didn't see much character on him. I wish Brae's character was explored more. I'd really like to know him better, though I wasn't really impressed by him in this book.
I wouldn't say Fire is exceptional, but it's really commendable. It's a very good and enjoyable read. I was a bit surprised to like it because I didn't have high expectations from this book when I dived into it. Heather James created a world that's unique and compelling. The plot is not overly complicated and it's smartly written. The bit about the Helian Realm having two suns? Very creative. I especially liked that the Protectors' hairs change colors when their powers first manifest. Each realm is also different - from the physical attributes of the lands to their political aspects, everything is really thought of. I admire Ms. James' imagination and world-building. The pace, though, is a little slow but the story itself keeps the reader's interest. The ending is also perfect. It's not a cliffhanger but it still makes you crave for the next book. I sure can't wait for Book 2. And more importantly, we have a new author to watch out for.
If you're looking for an interesting fantasy novel, I recommend Fire to you. With just the right amount of magic and a good deal of awesome powers, this book will totally heat you up. (Pun not intended! ^_^)
February 1, 2013
2.5 Stars
This review contains spoilers, I cannot hide it since it needed in my review.
This is a story about a world with 4 realms, Helian, Arcan, Sephan and Brizan. Each realm has different element as their power. They live side by side but don’t get along well there is prejudice against each realm. In this series the stories focus on Helian and Arcan realm. Helian with fire as their power considered the strongest among others while Arcan has air as their protector.
When I read the blurb I thought it will be like especially . I love her books so I kind of prepare myself Fire will be predictable and similar to Spark. But Ms. James proved me I was wrong. She created a very different story with unpredictable plot line in some parts. Why were only some parts? Because in another part I still could guess it. But I still love unpredictable story nonetheless.
I rarely read a story told from 2 heroines. It usually told from female or male POV or even both of them, but rarely from 2 females POV. So I was quite surprise when I found out I read it based on Roxanne and Jasmine POV. Roxanne or Roxy, as she prefer is a Helian who is just completed her training as a Protector. She, of course, can control fire and a second line of throne. While Jasmine aka Jazz is raise as an Arcan. She (thought) didn’t have a power. She’s an orphan who has a close relationship with the royal family especially with Brae, the prince of Arcan. Between those POV it’s quite hard to guess who are the protagonist and the antagonist. Each person has their own virtue and vice. Although I like Roxy more than Jazz I think I can predict what will happen to Jazz next, yet I would like to know more about her. Hope Ms. James surprises me with her story and proves me wrong once again.
I like the idea of this story but I’m quite confused with the world building and the setting of it. In the beginning of the story, I picture it happen in some long time ago. The elementals that influence 4 realms and the dagger which Roxy used made me think it’s like in Robin Hood kind of time. But then I read about technology and electronic devices. They have car yet they take their journey to another realm by ship. I assumed if they invented car, they also have a plane and live like in our time now. While I picture the ship is just like a traditional ship from a long time ago.
There is also inconsistency which made me have to reread a couple times to understand what it’s all about. In chapter 11, it mentions that Roxy take a ride by bike with Vincent I was desperate for the bike to move faster so that I could reach them then it mention they got out of the carVincent pulled over in a secluded district by the river and got out of the car. And then again Elated by my double victory, I followed him back to the bike.
Then in chapter 32 Jazz and Imogen hide under the table I gestured wildly to one of the tables which had a long table cloth hanging down in front of it and Imogen and I dived underneath, moments before the door opened and a large group walked in. Through a small gap to my left I watched as five Helians came into the room, accompanied by Lorelie, the youngest of the Brizan Protectors.I recognised one of the Helians as Roxy's friend Avery, but Roxy herself was missing. She was smiling joyfully at an older man - also a Protector - and said "I can't believe it's worked! This is fantastic! What are we going to make her do?"A tall, stern woman, whose brown hair was bland compared to the vibrant blue and reds of the Protectors, rounded on Avery instantly. They dive underneath the table so I assume they aren’t stand straight but some kind of in squat position or even sit down. Hence they couldn’t see who are stand beside the table moreover see their smile and hair color. They more likely could only see their feet.
Again in chapter 35 Before I could react he grabbed my wrists and slotted ornate manacles onto them�.. Avery grinned widely as I approached and I was quick to conceal the manacles behind my backhow do you conceal your wrists which have manacles on it behind your back? I couldn’t picture it.
The inconsistences kind of bother me but after read a few reviews it seem no body mentions it. Am I the only one who realizes it? Or did I misunderstand it? Or did I miss something along in the sentences?
Thanks to Ms. Heather James and YA Reader’s Lounge for the opportunity to read it for honest review. This is as honest as I can be.
PS: I love the cover but I think the tag line is better in different font color, so that I can read it from afar. It can be in the same color as the author name or same color with book’s title.
This review contains spoilers, I cannot hide it since it needed in my review.
This is a story about a world with 4 realms, Helian, Arcan, Sephan and Brizan. Each realm has different element as their power. They live side by side but don’t get along well there is prejudice against each realm. In this series the stories focus on Helian and Arcan realm. Helian with fire as their power considered the strongest among others while Arcan has air as their protector.
When I read the blurb I thought it will be like especially . I love her books so I kind of prepare myself Fire will be predictable and similar to Spark. But Ms. James proved me I was wrong. She created a very different story with unpredictable plot line in some parts. Why were only some parts? Because in another part I still could guess it. But I still love unpredictable story nonetheless.
I rarely read a story told from 2 heroines. It usually told from female or male POV or even both of them, but rarely from 2 females POV. So I was quite surprise when I found out I read it based on Roxanne and Jasmine POV. Roxanne or Roxy, as she prefer is a Helian who is just completed her training as a Protector. She, of course, can control fire and a second line of throne. While Jasmine aka Jazz is raise as an Arcan. She (thought) didn’t have a power. She’s an orphan who has a close relationship with the royal family especially with Brae, the prince of Arcan. Between those POV it’s quite hard to guess who are the protagonist and the antagonist. Each person has their own virtue and vice. Although I like Roxy more than Jazz I think I can predict what will happen to Jazz next, yet I would like to know more about her. Hope Ms. James surprises me with her story and proves me wrong once again.
I like the idea of this story but I’m quite confused with the world building and the setting of it. In the beginning of the story, I picture it happen in some long time ago. The elementals that influence 4 realms and the dagger which Roxy used made me think it’s like in Robin Hood kind of time. But then I read about technology and electronic devices. They have car yet they take their journey to another realm by ship. I assumed if they invented car, they also have a plane and live like in our time now. While I picture the ship is just like a traditional ship from a long time ago.
There is also inconsistency which made me have to reread a couple times to understand what it’s all about. In chapter 11, it mentions that Roxy take a ride by bike with Vincent I was desperate for the bike to move faster so that I could reach them then it mention they got out of the carVincent pulled over in a secluded district by the river and got out of the car. And then again Elated by my double victory, I followed him back to the bike.
Then in chapter 32 Jazz and Imogen hide under the table I gestured wildly to one of the tables which had a long table cloth hanging down in front of it and Imogen and I dived underneath, moments before the door opened and a large group walked in. Through a small gap to my left I watched as five Helians came into the room, accompanied by Lorelie, the youngest of the Brizan Protectors.I recognised one of the Helians as Roxy's friend Avery, but Roxy herself was missing. She was smiling joyfully at an older man - also a Protector - and said "I can't believe it's worked! This is fantastic! What are we going to make her do?"A tall, stern woman, whose brown hair was bland compared to the vibrant blue and reds of the Protectors, rounded on Avery instantly. They dive underneath the table so I assume they aren’t stand straight but some kind of in squat position or even sit down. Hence they couldn’t see who are stand beside the table moreover see their smile and hair color. They more likely could only see their feet.
Again in chapter 35 Before I could react he grabbed my wrists and slotted ornate manacles onto them�.. Avery grinned widely as I approached and I was quick to conceal the manacles behind my backhow do you conceal your wrists which have manacles on it behind your back? I couldn’t picture it.
The inconsistences kind of bother me but after read a few reviews it seem no body mentions it. Am I the only one who realizes it? Or did I misunderstand it? Or did I miss something along in the sentences?
Thanks to Ms. Heather James and YA Reader’s Lounge for the opportunity to read it for honest review. This is as honest as I can be.
PS: I love the cover but I think the tag line is better in different font color, so that I can read it from afar. It can be in the same color as the author name or same color with book’s title.
January 28, 2013
GENRE: YA Fantasy
THEME: Elements/ Romance
RECEIVED: Author
BLOG:
3.5 stars
REVIEW:
I love stories that have focus on the natural elements earth, wind fire and water. Another reason is because I loved the Avatar the last Airbender and Captain Planet. Fire is a fun twist to our world that similar to Avatar where there are realms with people who can control each element. It was an exciting and action packed adventure story of young adults who learn the right and wrongs of the elements that they can control.
Fire follows Roxy, a young Helian who has the gift of controlling fire. She lives in a realm that is selfish and only wants to gain power. She is also the princess and is trained to follow orders, though she is a rebel. Jasmine is from a rival realm, the tArcans who control Air. She has also lived her life not knowing her parents, with recent changes in her appearance she is now more determined to find out where she’s from. Together these two young girls meet, while in the middle of trying to prevent a war that will affect them both.
Jazz aka Jasmine was the star of Fire. I absolutely enjoyed following her in wanting to save her friends and discovering more about who she is. She is the only character in the story who doesn’t know which realm she’s from, she has a little bit of each realm in her and I’m super excited to find out more on where she’s from in the next book. I liked her personality too; she was always very kind and devoted to her friends and family. She is determined to follow her instincts and protect her friends, going to great lengths to do so.
Roxy aka Rox is definitely a princess; she is very confident and spoiled. In the beginning I didn’t care much for her and hope that she would redeem her errors. I did like her development as all the realms gathered to hers, she was able to see that their rivals really shouldn’t be considered rivals. I don’t want to give away much about her character in specific since she is the one who changes a lot of the major plot. But in the end I’m curious as to her next step after what she does.
Brae the prince of Arcans and best friend of Jazz, he was what I call too perfect. I felt that he was too nice, too forgiving and really needed to see through the lies. I liked how he finally listens to Jazz, though it took a bit of convicting. I though as his best friend he should have taken her word a little more than he did. His relationship with Roxy was a nice addition, combing rivals into friends who learn from each other. I’m also curious about his father, there is a lot of trust pushed on to such a young prince and want to know more about his relationship with his dad.
Overall this was a fun read, though sad to say it felt a lot like avatar the last airbender. Fire realm being the bad guys, going against the water, air and earth realms, it was a bit too similar that it distracted me. Jazz’s character was what made me connect to the other characters, and sucked me more into the world that James created. I also was curious as to how young all the protectors were, I want to see older protectors and what the young ones can eventually get too in gaining more control. But in the end I can’t wait to continue with this adventure and exciting world. My favorite part was that the readers get to follow two very different strong female protagonists and together they make a big difference in their lives and realms.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult novel that will make the readers wish they could control the elements. Fans of Witch Song by Amber Argyle and The Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking will enjoy the adventure and colorful characters in Fire by Heather James.
This book was given to me for an honest review by the author.
THEME: Elements/ Romance
RECEIVED: Author
BLOG:
3.5 stars
REVIEW:
I love stories that have focus on the natural elements earth, wind fire and water. Another reason is because I loved the Avatar the last Airbender and Captain Planet. Fire is a fun twist to our world that similar to Avatar where there are realms with people who can control each element. It was an exciting and action packed adventure story of young adults who learn the right and wrongs of the elements that they can control.
Fire follows Roxy, a young Helian who has the gift of controlling fire. She lives in a realm that is selfish and only wants to gain power. She is also the princess and is trained to follow orders, though she is a rebel. Jasmine is from a rival realm, the tArcans who control Air. She has also lived her life not knowing her parents, with recent changes in her appearance she is now more determined to find out where she’s from. Together these two young girls meet, while in the middle of trying to prevent a war that will affect them both.
Jazz aka Jasmine was the star of Fire. I absolutely enjoyed following her in wanting to save her friends and discovering more about who she is. She is the only character in the story who doesn’t know which realm she’s from, she has a little bit of each realm in her and I’m super excited to find out more on where she’s from in the next book. I liked her personality too; she was always very kind and devoted to her friends and family. She is determined to follow her instincts and protect her friends, going to great lengths to do so.
Roxy aka Rox is definitely a princess; she is very confident and spoiled. In the beginning I didn’t care much for her and hope that she would redeem her errors. I did like her development as all the realms gathered to hers, she was able to see that their rivals really shouldn’t be considered rivals. I don’t want to give away much about her character in specific since she is the one who changes a lot of the major plot. But in the end I’m curious as to her next step after what she does.
Brae the prince of Arcans and best friend of Jazz, he was what I call too perfect. I felt that he was too nice, too forgiving and really needed to see through the lies. I liked how he finally listens to Jazz, though it took a bit of convicting. I though as his best friend he should have taken her word a little more than he did. His relationship with Roxy was a nice addition, combing rivals into friends who learn from each other. I’m also curious about his father, there is a lot of trust pushed on to such a young prince and want to know more about his relationship with his dad.
Overall this was a fun read, though sad to say it felt a lot like avatar the last airbender. Fire realm being the bad guys, going against the water, air and earth realms, it was a bit too similar that it distracted me. Jazz’s character was what made me connect to the other characters, and sucked me more into the world that James created. I also was curious as to how young all the protectors were, I want to see older protectors and what the young ones can eventually get too in gaining more control. But in the end I can’t wait to continue with this adventure and exciting world. My favorite part was that the readers get to follow two very different strong female protagonists and together they make a big difference in their lives and realms.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult novel that will make the readers wish they could control the elements. Fans of Witch Song by Amber Argyle and The Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking will enjoy the adventure and colorful characters in Fire by Heather James.
This book was given to me for an honest review by the author.
September 27, 2013
*I received a free e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
*I hate this rating system. With a perfect rating system, I would have given this book 3.75 stars. As it is, I had to choose between 3 or 4. This book was much better than three so I chose 4. I thought that Fire was really VERY imaginative. The characters and the history were so well thought out. However, there were a few things that held me back from wanting to give it a full 4 stars.*
In Fire, the world is divided into 4 realms. The Sephans who possess earthly powers. The Brizans who possess powers related to water. The Arcans who control the wind. And the Helians who have fire powers.
Brae is the Arcan prince. His father the king is dying. When the Helian king calls a political summit, inviting delegates from each realm, Brae is sent in his father's place. While in the Helian Realm, Brae befriends the Helian princess, Roxy. Roxy is a spunky, no nonsense kind o girl. I really wanted to dislike Roxy but it's impossible. The author makes it very easy to see that her character flaws are merely a product of her upbringing and geography.
Brae's best friend is Jasmine. She was found by the Arcan priest as a baby and raised as part of his family. she doesn't know anything about her biological parents or where she comes from or what kind of powers she will develop, if any. When Jasmine starts having dream visions about Brae being in danger she immediately finds a way to travel to the Helian Realm to warn him. I love this about her. As far as she's concerned, she has no powers and yet she still rushes into danger to save her friend.
Throughout the book the author treats to a few twists and surprises, that if you're anything like me, you didn't see coming. I loved the way that Jasmine and Roxy's characters were built up and the way they grew and changed during the story. The storyline was pretty fast paced and it's very easy to get lost in this story and come to halfway through with the book. It's a very fast and enjoyable read.
With that being said, there were a few little things that I didn't LOVE about this book. Not to say that I didn't really enjoy the book because I did, I just think that these are worth a mention because they kept me from wanting to give the book a full 4 stars.
1) In the beginning, the alternating POVs were really confusing. I think longer chapters or maybe more chapters in between the switches may have cleared that up. This really was a whole new world that the author invented with so much for the reader to learn and keep track of. It was just a little much in the beginning.
2) Another thing was the relationship between Roxy and Brae. I loved where it went, I just didn't feel like there was enough build up. It seemed like in one chapter she hated him and wanted him dead and in the next chapter she had suddenly developed these very strong feelings for him. It didn't take away from the story, it just seemed a little fast and it left me wondering when her feelings had changed and what had caused the change.
3)Last...What was Jasmine thinking there at the end?!! I understand why she made the choice that she did (I may even have made the same choice in her place) but I so wish it could have ended a different way. I wanted her to be a better person. A stronger person. A less selfish person. I don't know. But at the same time, I recognize that this ending is making me anticipate the next book that much more.
I can't wait to see where Heather James takes this series. I can't wait to see what happens next with Brae and Jasmine and Roxy and their friends. Really cool first book!
*I hate this rating system. With a perfect rating system, I would have given this book 3.75 stars. As it is, I had to choose between 3 or 4. This book was much better than three so I chose 4. I thought that Fire was really VERY imaginative. The characters and the history were so well thought out. However, there were a few things that held me back from wanting to give it a full 4 stars.*
In Fire, the world is divided into 4 realms. The Sephans who possess earthly powers. The Brizans who possess powers related to water. The Arcans who control the wind. And the Helians who have fire powers.
Brae is the Arcan prince. His father the king is dying. When the Helian king calls a political summit, inviting delegates from each realm, Brae is sent in his father's place. While in the Helian Realm, Brae befriends the Helian princess, Roxy. Roxy is a spunky, no nonsense kind o girl. I really wanted to dislike Roxy but it's impossible. The author makes it very easy to see that her character flaws are merely a product of her upbringing and geography.
Brae's best friend is Jasmine. She was found by the Arcan priest as a baby and raised as part of his family. she doesn't know anything about her biological parents or where she comes from or what kind of powers she will develop, if any. When Jasmine starts having dream visions about Brae being in danger she immediately finds a way to travel to the Helian Realm to warn him. I love this about her. As far as she's concerned, she has no powers and yet she still rushes into danger to save her friend.
Throughout the book the author treats to a few twists and surprises, that if you're anything like me, you didn't see coming. I loved the way that Jasmine and Roxy's characters were built up and the way they grew and changed during the story. The storyline was pretty fast paced and it's very easy to get lost in this story and come to halfway through with the book. It's a very fast and enjoyable read.
With that being said, there were a few little things that I didn't LOVE about this book. Not to say that I didn't really enjoy the book because I did, I just think that these are worth a mention because they kept me from wanting to give the book a full 4 stars.
1) In the beginning, the alternating POVs were really confusing. I think longer chapters or maybe more chapters in between the switches may have cleared that up. This really was a whole new world that the author invented with so much for the reader to learn and keep track of. It was just a little much in the beginning.
2) Another thing was the relationship between Roxy and Brae. I loved where it went, I just didn't feel like there was enough build up. It seemed like in one chapter she hated him and wanted him dead and in the next chapter she had suddenly developed these very strong feelings for him. It didn't take away from the story, it just seemed a little fast and it left me wondering when her feelings had changed and what had caused the change.
3)Last...What was Jasmine thinking there at the end?!! I understand why she made the choice that she did (I may even have made the same choice in her place) but I so wish it could have ended a different way. I wanted her to be a better person. A stronger person. A less selfish person. I don't know. But at the same time, I recognize that this ending is making me anticipate the next book that much more.
I can't wait to see where Heather James takes this series. I can't wait to see what happens next with Brae and Jasmine and Roxy and their friends. Really cool first book!
February 12, 2017
*There may be spoilers in this review, but big ones will be marked*
Favourite Character: Brae
Actual Rating: 4.5
I really enjoyed this book. When I read the reviews before I started, I had the impression that I was going to like Roxy better than Jazz, and that Jazz was going to be quite annoying. However, as I read, I realised it was the opposite way around.
I liked Jazz's POV better than Roxy’s, I found Roxy's realm to be very violent and harsh. She also seemed quite evil. Towards the end as she started to grow as a character and I accepted her more. I also knew (from reviews) that there was going to be a love triangle, and the whole book I was rooting for Jazz. It just seemed like they were meant to be together, as they were friends for so long, and I also thought that Roxy and Brae's relationship was under-developed. I believe there could have been more to it. It was almost like in a short time (a few percent) that she had suddenly fallen in love with Brae, although she didn't really show it.
Towards the end she almost seemed fake.
But, that doesn't stop me from loving this book!!
There are four realms (that I suggest you memorize before you start to read so you don't get confused)
Helian= Fire
Sephans= Earth
Brizians= Water
Arcans= Air
Also, is it just me? Or does this cover kind of remind you of ?
(And I did pick up the "manacles" thing with Roxy, at the end of the book, as someone stated in their review.)
And WHERE WAS THE CLIFFHANGER?? I went into this book thinking there was going to be a cliff-hanger, but I don't see it!! (Not that that's a bad thing, justv a surprising thing. Well, I guess, if you look at Roxy's point of view, it WAS a cliff-hanger, but in the big picture, there really wasn't one.
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the "Never Too Old For Y.A. & N.A. Books" group on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ*
Favourite Character: Brae
Actual Rating: 4.5
I really enjoyed this book. When I read the reviews before I started, I had the impression that I was going to like Roxy better than Jazz, and that Jazz was going to be quite annoying. However, as I read, I realised it was the opposite way around.
I liked Jazz's POV better than Roxy’s, I found Roxy's realm to be very violent and harsh. She also seemed quite evil. Towards the end as she started to grow as a character and I accepted her more. I also knew (from reviews) that there was going to be a love triangle, and the whole book I was rooting for Jazz. It just seemed like they were meant to be together, as they were friends for so long, and I also thought that Roxy and Brae's relationship was under-developed. I believe there could have been more to it. It was almost like in a short time (a few percent) that she had suddenly fallen in love with Brae, although she didn't really show it.
Towards the end she almost seemed fake.
But, that doesn't stop me from loving this book!!
There are four realms (that I suggest you memorize before you start to read so you don't get confused)
Helian= Fire
Sephans= Earth
Brizians= Water
Arcans= Air
Also, is it just me? Or does this cover kind of remind you of ?
(And I did pick up the "manacles" thing with Roxy, at the end of the book, as someone stated in their review.)
And WHERE WAS THE CLIFFHANGER?? I went into this book thinking there was going to be a cliff-hanger, but I don't see it!! (Not that that's a bad thing, justv a surprising thing. Well, I guess, if you look at Roxy's point of view, it WAS a cliff-hanger, but in the big picture, there really wasn't one.
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the "Never Too Old For Y.A. & N.A. Books" group on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ*
April 13, 2013
Original Review posted on
Original Rating: 3.5
Note: Formatting is lost due to copy and paste.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a honest review. My review is not influenced in any way.
Fire turned out to be better than I expected, in most cases. Can I still mention how dreadful cliffhangers are? They're quite agonizing. Very painful, in fact. And here there's a dreadful (in a good way) last sentence staring (hopefully not laughing silently) in my face.
There tends to be a lot of errors found throughout Fire here and there. While I may have originally wanted to give it a lower rating than currently because the errors interrupted the fluency and flow, a few things I thought about for a few days made me change mind and give it a bit higher rating instead:
I love Roxy's character. She seems to have an interesting life as a Protector of the Helian Realm, and she turned out to be a much better character than I had thought she was. She also has this sort of smart-alecky personality.
Jasmine, on the other hand, was meh. Her side of the story seemed to lag a bit for awhile � more about partying and celebrating and Brae. It was more interesting later. In fact, once I got into the interesting part, I forgot to watch the time and missed the first few minutes of Grimm. I probably should've continued reading though, since that black fly person episode, which I can't figure out the name besides the fact it sounds like Jinnamu Xinto, was utterly disgusting.
In some books, I sometimes want to hug a character, glare at the character, throw something at the character, or just something else entirely with reason, but can't since they're fictional. All I can do is have a hair-tearing frustration or turn into a virtual cheerleader on the sidelines. (No offense, really.)
Fire is one of those books. There's probably a whole list of characters, but I'll probably name some. I would probably hug Roxy because of how she turned out later, even if it as the words "TROUBLE" written all around it from every side and angle. I would probably give Jasmine the not-amused face because of her chosen decision near the end, though there might be a reason. (I won't forget to add that cliffhanger to the list...) I guess I can just ponder on that for now. I would probably facepalm Brae. Just for being a bit irrational and being a bit of an "air-head" near the end. It might just be to satisfy someone else though. But I'll never know until possibly later, so I'll just stick with facepalm for now. I'll give him credit for being different from his people and not believing until he sees it.
And I would definitely throw something at Cin. Just for turning out to be opposite of what I really thought. I guess some characters don't turn out the way they seem and are a bit full of surprises with their actions/decisions sometimes, until it's actually revealed.
Original Rating: 3.5
Note: Formatting is lost due to copy and paste.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a honest review. My review is not influenced in any way.
Fire turned out to be better than I expected, in most cases. Can I still mention how dreadful cliffhangers are? They're quite agonizing. Very painful, in fact. And here there's a dreadful (in a good way) last sentence staring (hopefully not laughing silently) in my face.
There tends to be a lot of errors found throughout Fire here and there. While I may have originally wanted to give it a lower rating than currently because the errors interrupted the fluency and flow, a few things I thought about for a few days made me change mind and give it a bit higher rating instead:
I love Roxy's character. She seems to have an interesting life as a Protector of the Helian Realm, and she turned out to be a much better character than I had thought she was. She also has this sort of smart-alecky personality.
Jasmine, on the other hand, was meh. Her side of the story seemed to lag a bit for awhile � more about partying and celebrating and Brae. It was more interesting later. In fact, once I got into the interesting part, I forgot to watch the time and missed the first few minutes of Grimm. I probably should've continued reading though, since that black fly person episode, which I can't figure out the name besides the fact it sounds like Jinnamu Xinto, was utterly disgusting.
In some books, I sometimes want to hug a character, glare at the character, throw something at the character, or just something else entirely with reason, but can't since they're fictional. All I can do is have a hair-tearing frustration or turn into a virtual cheerleader on the sidelines. (No offense, really.)
Fire is one of those books. There's probably a whole list of characters, but I'll probably name some. I would probably hug Roxy because of how she turned out later, even if it as the words "TROUBLE" written all around it from every side and angle. I would probably give Jasmine the not-amused face because of her chosen decision near the end, though there might be a reason. (I won't forget to add that cliffhanger to the list...) I guess I can just ponder on that for now. I would probably facepalm Brae. Just for being a bit irrational and being a bit of an "air-head" near the end. It might just be to satisfy someone else though. But I'll never know until possibly later, so I'll just stick with facepalm for now. I'll give him credit for being different from his people and not believing until he sees it.
And I would definitely throw something at Cin. Just for turning out to be opposite of what I really thought. I guess some characters don't turn out the way they seem and are a bit full of surprises with their actions/decisions sometimes, until it's actually revealed.
March 22, 2013
You can also find this review at
Detailed Review: First, I'm going to talk about how this book left me with my mouth wide open and my eyes bulging out of my head. I was lucky that no one was there when I finally finished the book. I was stuck in the situation where I was waiting for MORE. For something to happen. Something that was going to give me a heart attack.
But...
The book just got cut off like that. Wanna know what the last sentence is?
So I told him everything, as we looked out across the water.
I was literally begging on my knees for more. I wanted more tidbits. But sadly nothing ever came. Heather, you really know how to write that it has managed to squeeze every ounce of life out of me. I just died once, but with my friend and partner Chloe's help, I was resurrected once again. I hope you give more in the next book. PLEASE.
In Fire, there are four realms that feature four different elemental powers:
The Brizan Realm: Water
The Arcan Realm: Air
The Helian Realm: Fire
The Sephan Realm: Earth
Plus if they're protectors, then they have a bonus mark: different coloured streaks in their hair. Blue for Brizan, silver for Arcan, red for Helian and green for Sephan.
Roxy is a Helian, the granddaughter of King Nero and she is a protector that's destined to be a traitor. Jasmine is an Arcan (or is she?), and she's a close friend to the Arcan prince, Brae. Both girls' lived collide together as they are put together in undesired circumstances to help the other realms survive as the Helians plan to Control them goes into motion.
And Jasmine has a secret, one she doesn't dare tell to anyone, for fear that they will think of her as a monster.
Instead of any of the colours that Protectors usually wear, she has PURPLE streaks in her hair. So I figured everything out like this: when you add blue to red you get purple. So that must meant that Jasmine is both Helian and Brizan. Am I right? Do I get a reward?
So this was a rather tearful read for me. And it was so sad....
Brief Review: I'm crying again... Please don't do this to me anymore. I beg you... The book was way better than I expected. It was plain awesome. Come along and join the pool party. My tears are enough to make a pool now.
Final Rating: 5/5 "Totally Amazing!"
Detailed Review: First, I'm going to talk about how this book left me with my mouth wide open and my eyes bulging out of my head. I was lucky that no one was there when I finally finished the book. I was stuck in the situation where I was waiting for MORE. For something to happen. Something that was going to give me a heart attack.
But...
The book just got cut off like that. Wanna know what the last sentence is?
So I told him everything, as we looked out across the water.
I was literally begging on my knees for more. I wanted more tidbits. But sadly nothing ever came. Heather, you really know how to write that it has managed to squeeze every ounce of life out of me. I just died once, but with my friend and partner Chloe's help, I was resurrected once again. I hope you give more in the next book. PLEASE.
In Fire, there are four realms that feature four different elemental powers:
The Brizan Realm: Water
The Arcan Realm: Air
The Helian Realm: Fire
The Sephan Realm: Earth
Plus if they're protectors, then they have a bonus mark: different coloured streaks in their hair. Blue for Brizan, silver for Arcan, red for Helian and green for Sephan.
Roxy is a Helian, the granddaughter of King Nero and she is a protector that's destined to be a traitor. Jasmine is an Arcan (or is she?), and she's a close friend to the Arcan prince, Brae. Both girls' lived collide together as they are put together in undesired circumstances to help the other realms survive as the Helians plan to Control them goes into motion.
And Jasmine has a secret, one she doesn't dare tell to anyone, for fear that they will think of her as a monster.
Instead of any of the colours that Protectors usually wear, she has PURPLE streaks in her hair. So I figured everything out like this: when you add blue to red you get purple. So that must meant that Jasmine is both Helian and Brizan. Am I right? Do I get a reward?
So this was a rather tearful read for me. And it was so sad....
Brief Review: I'm crying again... Please don't do this to me anymore. I beg you... The book was way better than I expected. It was plain awesome. Come along and join the pool party. My tears are enough to make a pool now.
Final Rating: 5/5 "Totally Amazing!"
July 3, 2016
3.5 stars
I would like to thank the author for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book was told in the POV of two girls—Roxy and Jasmine. Roxy is from the Helian Realm while Jasmine lives in the Arcan Realm. You can already deduct from the first few pages that these two girls are so different with each other. Temperamental, sarcastic and has a brash attitude; those were just a few things that I can describe about Roxy. While Jasmine is quite the opposite of Roxy, she’s gentle, patient and caring. The only similarity between these two girls is their affection to the prince of the Arcan Realm, Brae.
I have a mixed feelings regarding this book. Both good and the bad though I wouldn’t really call it bad, maybe annoyance is the right word for it. The good part is I’m fascinated by the world Heather James created. Since I was a kid, I really love reading/watching stuff that features the four elements (i.e. Water, Fire, Air and Earth) and knowing that this book has those in it, I quickly grabbed the chance to read Fire. Heather James created such an enthralling world. If only living to these realms is possible then I’d surely go. I’ll be looking forward to get a glimpse of what the other two realms (Brizan and Sephan Realms) like on the 2nd book of this series.
I also like the character of Roxy. She’s tough, confident and witty so it’s not easy to like her. Though some might see her as cruel (since most Helians are cruel) but I know that deep down she has a good side of her. I also like the fact that her tough exterior would melt when it comes to Brae. Who thought that the tough girl will fell in love with the so called “air head�? Though there’s not much sweet scenes between Brae and Roxy, their chemistry still makes me squeal. They’re cute! I’m officially shipping these two. :)
I know you’re curious as to what made me annoyed while reading this book. Can you guess? No? *sigh* Well, it’s Jasmine. If I love Roxy then I feel the opposite about Jasmine. SHE ANNOYED THE HECK OUT OF ME. Sorry for making it all caps but I just want to express how much her character annoyed me. Jasmine is whiny, judgmental and a freaking liar. I was really mad about what she did at the end. She should have told Brae about what Roxy admitted to her but nooo! She freaking kept it to herself. *angry huff*
Fire will surely made you do all kind of things (i.e. screaming in frustration, giggling, glaring at the characters, squealing). It will left your jaw hanging and your eyes bulging. It will left you wanting for more and wanting to find out what will happen next. I suggest you prepare yourself to the ending of this book because I’m sure you’ll be scarred (nah, just kidding). Heather James, please tell me you started writing the 2nd book already? I cannot wait to find what will happen next! :)
This review can also be found at
I would like to thank the author for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book was told in the POV of two girls—Roxy and Jasmine. Roxy is from the Helian Realm while Jasmine lives in the Arcan Realm. You can already deduct from the first few pages that these two girls are so different with each other. Temperamental, sarcastic and has a brash attitude; those were just a few things that I can describe about Roxy. While Jasmine is quite the opposite of Roxy, she’s gentle, patient and caring. The only similarity between these two girls is their affection to the prince of the Arcan Realm, Brae.
I have a mixed feelings regarding this book. Both good and the bad though I wouldn’t really call it bad, maybe annoyance is the right word for it. The good part is I’m fascinated by the world Heather James created. Since I was a kid, I really love reading/watching stuff that features the four elements (i.e. Water, Fire, Air and Earth) and knowing that this book has those in it, I quickly grabbed the chance to read Fire. Heather James created such an enthralling world. If only living to these realms is possible then I’d surely go. I’ll be looking forward to get a glimpse of what the other two realms (Brizan and Sephan Realms) like on the 2nd book of this series.
I also like the character of Roxy. She’s tough, confident and witty so it’s not easy to like her. Though some might see her as cruel (since most Helians are cruel) but I know that deep down she has a good side of her. I also like the fact that her tough exterior would melt when it comes to Brae. Who thought that the tough girl will fell in love with the so called “air head�? Though there’s not much sweet scenes between Brae and Roxy, their chemistry still makes me squeal. They’re cute! I’m officially shipping these two. :)
I know you’re curious as to what made me annoyed while reading this book. Can you guess? No? *sigh* Well, it’s Jasmine. If I love Roxy then I feel the opposite about Jasmine. SHE ANNOYED THE HECK OUT OF ME. Sorry for making it all caps but I just want to express how much her character annoyed me. Jasmine is whiny, judgmental and a freaking liar. I was really mad about what she did at the end. She should have told Brae about what Roxy admitted to her but nooo! She freaking kept it to herself. *angry huff*
Fire will surely made you do all kind of things (i.e. screaming in frustration, giggling, glaring at the characters, squealing). It will left your jaw hanging and your eyes bulging. It will left you wanting for more and wanting to find out what will happen next. I suggest you prepare yourself to the ending of this book because I’m sure you’ll be scarred (nah, just kidding). Heather James, please tell me you started writing the 2nd book already? I cannot wait to find what will happen next! :)
This review can also be found at
April 14, 2013
I was given this book in return for an honest review. This book is set in a world full of powers, different realms have different powers, the people look different, the climate is different, etc. The Helians are the mistrusted ones, they control fire and have a history of double crossing the other realms, so the others avoid the Helians at all costs. The remaining realms work well together though. When the realms get invitations from the king of the Helians, inviting them to his realm, on the guise of letting go of the past and getting to know each other, they are mistrustful but still go. The main characters are Roxy, a fairly unlikeable, royal brat who thinks she's better than everyone else, and her frienemy Cyn, who her mother wants her to marry, and who is worse than Roxy. In the other main realm is Jazz, who was found abandoned as a baby, nobody knows where she came from, but she looks different than the others of her realm. Her best friend is Brae, he is a royal and will be heading to the Helian realm. Good thing too, because Jazz has a secret she is trying to hide. The other two realms are Brizan and Sephan, they don't come into play much in this story except on the sideline. Trouble is brewing because the Helians do have an ulterior motive and if they succeed with their plan, they will rule all the realms. It's up to Jazz, who begins having vivid nightmare visions of what is going to happen, to warn them. With the help of Brody, another Arcan friend, she sets off for the Helian realm to try to stop her visions from becoming a reality. Roxy, the Helian royal, is warming up to Brae and once he has been warned by Jazz, Roxy will have to make a choice, go through with the plan, or help a new friend. In the meantime, Jazz is discovering that she is developing powers, powers that make no sense, for they aren't exclusive to any realm. The realms each have their own powers, fire, water, air, etc. Her powers are different and she is conflicted as to what this means, so she keeps it from everyone. In the end it will come down to Roxy and Jazz, will they be on the same side, or will they have to battle with each other, and who will win? I think the story itself was interesting and the characters were well developed. The only thing I had trouble with was there were times when I found myself lost and had to backtrack a bit at the beginning, because each chapter is from a different realm's perspective. Once I got further into the book, it was much easier to follow. I find myself wanting the next book because I want to find out more about where Jazz came from and the extent of her powers and how her friends will react to them. I want to see where these characters and the story goes. This book is perfectly acceptable for teens and adults.
January 25, 2013
3.5 stars
Told from the perspectives of two young girls, Roxy, a Helian girl who can use fire powers, and Jasmine, a Arcan girl who is the best friend of the Arcan (wind power) prince.
I enjoyed the story. The Helians, long thought to be the villains in all the realms (of which were are 4 realms, divvied up by elemental power), invite royal delegates to their country for a summit. Roxy, the granddaughter of the current king, is in on the plans that the Helians have for the other delegates. Jasmine watched her best friend, the Arcan prince, leave but has premonitions that he's in danger, and follows.
I also liked the two main characters, Roxy and Jasmine. Jasmine felt a bit more real to me. Roxy was quite a spoiled brat, which caused me to dislike her a lot. As the story unfolds, I liked her as she began to grow as a character.
One aspect I did find confusing was trying to imagine the world and the tech. Perhaps I'm getting to realistic in my mind with it, but in the beginning scene, Roxy is threatened with a dagger. There is no other mention of weapons in the book except for the elemental powers, but the Arcans have laptop-like devices and even electronic color-changing disco floors. Now maybe this is all powered by the elements and other technology; it just felt a little jarring to think of the setting as one way and then be surprised at the high-tech in another scene.
I did not especially enjoy the surrounding cast of characters. Cinaer you weren't supposed to like at all, which is good, cause I didn't. But even Jasmine's friends Devon and Imogen, or Roxy's friend Avery, were just too shallow and, well, stereo-typical teenage girl for me. Too many of the supporting characters seemed too one-dimensional as well.
Plot-wise, why would any ruler send these young, barely trained Protectors to represent their country and keep their royalty safe?? Example is Devon, who can't even control her powers! I suppose if I were a king of a Realm, I'd rather send some trained and seasoned warriors instead of newly power-awakened teenagers, but that's just me. I realize this course of action drives plot.
One other downside for me was the typos. I'm not normally one to catch or care about them, but several times I noticed wrong tenses, or bad and confusing sentence structure and grammar.
I think if you're look for a quick, fun read, a check-your-brain-at-the-door novel about magical powers and teenage girls, this is your kind of book. I did enjoy it and am curious to see where the future story goes, but I did feel there were some downsides that kept me from truly enjoying the experience.
Told from the perspectives of two young girls, Roxy, a Helian girl who can use fire powers, and Jasmine, a Arcan girl who is the best friend of the Arcan (wind power) prince.
I enjoyed the story. The Helians, long thought to be the villains in all the realms (of which were are 4 realms, divvied up by elemental power), invite royal delegates to their country for a summit. Roxy, the granddaughter of the current king, is in on the plans that the Helians have for the other delegates. Jasmine watched her best friend, the Arcan prince, leave but has premonitions that he's in danger, and follows.
I also liked the two main characters, Roxy and Jasmine. Jasmine felt a bit more real to me. Roxy was quite a spoiled brat, which caused me to dislike her a lot. As the story unfolds, I liked her as she began to grow as a character.
One aspect I did find confusing was trying to imagine the world and the tech. Perhaps I'm getting to realistic in my mind with it, but in the beginning scene, Roxy is threatened with a dagger. There is no other mention of weapons in the book except for the elemental powers, but the Arcans have laptop-like devices and even electronic color-changing disco floors. Now maybe this is all powered by the elements and other technology; it just felt a little jarring to think of the setting as one way and then be surprised at the high-tech in another scene.
I did not especially enjoy the surrounding cast of characters. Cinaer you weren't supposed to like at all, which is good, cause I didn't. But even Jasmine's friends Devon and Imogen, or Roxy's friend Avery, were just too shallow and, well, stereo-typical teenage girl for me. Too many of the supporting characters seemed too one-dimensional as well.
Plot-wise, why would any ruler send these young, barely trained Protectors to represent their country and keep their royalty safe?? Example is Devon, who can't even control her powers! I suppose if I were a king of a Realm, I'd rather send some trained and seasoned warriors instead of newly power-awakened teenagers, but that's just me. I realize this course of action drives plot.
One other downside for me was the typos. I'm not normally one to catch or care about them, but several times I noticed wrong tenses, or bad and confusing sentence structure and grammar.
I think if you're look for a quick, fun read, a check-your-brain-at-the-door novel about magical powers and teenage girls, this is your kind of book. I did enjoy it and am curious to see where the future story goes, but I did feel there were some downsides that kept me from truly enjoying the experience.
March 31, 2013
I am not a huge reader in the fantasy department but lately for whatever reason, I have found myself accepting more and more review requests to read in that genre. Of course, I always go into it slightly hesitant but always with hopes that I will get pulled into the story and really like what I am reading.
James did a pretty good job with the world building, something that for me is always a must, especially in this genre. You have to know what is going on around the characters. Where they live, what their world is like, if not, I feel like I never truly grasp the whole story and usually end up feeling lost or confused along the way. I didn't feel that way with this one, which was very nice. I felt I had a pretty firm grasp on the storyline and world that James had created. Nothing was ever dumped on the reader and was told with just the right amount of info at any given time of the different realms, their history, wars, economy and past.
This story is told through two point of views, Roxanne (Roxy) who if a Helian princess and a Protector of her realm and then Jasmine (Jazz), who lives in Arcan and has no idea who her parents are or even where she is really from. The different realms all have a different control over the elements (fire, air, water and earth) and neither really get along all the well with the other. There are old prejudices and animosity between them all in one form or another for the most part.
I liked that we got the two very different point of views from the girls. It helped grasp the concept of how life was different in the realms, the people, the atmosphere and even the way they looked at each other.
I wish I could say I connected better to one girl over the other but I really didn't. Not in a bad way, just one didn't really stand out more to me than the other. I found myself liking both girls but not really loving either but I think this may have more to do with me and my lack of really loving the genre more than anything else.
Overall this was a good read and there was a lot going on, especially towards the end of the story, definitely leaving it wide open for the sequel. I think those that really love fantasy will really enjoy this one. It just maybe wasn't quite for me.
James did a pretty good job with the world building, something that for me is always a must, especially in this genre. You have to know what is going on around the characters. Where they live, what their world is like, if not, I feel like I never truly grasp the whole story and usually end up feeling lost or confused along the way. I didn't feel that way with this one, which was very nice. I felt I had a pretty firm grasp on the storyline and world that James had created. Nothing was ever dumped on the reader and was told with just the right amount of info at any given time of the different realms, their history, wars, economy and past.
This story is told through two point of views, Roxanne (Roxy) who if a Helian princess and a Protector of her realm and then Jasmine (Jazz), who lives in Arcan and has no idea who her parents are or even where she is really from. The different realms all have a different control over the elements (fire, air, water and earth) and neither really get along all the well with the other. There are old prejudices and animosity between them all in one form or another for the most part.
I liked that we got the two very different point of views from the girls. It helped grasp the concept of how life was different in the realms, the people, the atmosphere and even the way they looked at each other.
I wish I could say I connected better to one girl over the other but I really didn't. Not in a bad way, just one didn't really stand out more to me than the other. I found myself liking both girls but not really loving either but I think this may have more to do with me and my lack of really loving the genre more than anything else.
Overall this was a good read and there was a lot going on, especially towards the end of the story, definitely leaving it wide open for the sequel. I think those that really love fantasy will really enjoy this one. It just maybe wasn't quite for me.
April 28, 2016
The author contacted me to review this book for her. I must say I am glad, otherwise I might I missed it.
The book has two narrators, Roxy and Jasmine. Roxy is an almost literal firecracker. Her people are associated with fire and tend to be a bit on the violent side and supremacists to their core. Not that the other four groups are not guilty of that last bit as well. I liked Roxy because she was the product of her heritage, but as we see in the story, not entirely blinded by her culture. She may be a princess, but she is unable to live up to her mother's standards. I think a lot of people will identify with that, that and the fact that she is a tough, determined, free-spirited girl, makes her such a fun character.
As much as I liked Roxy's character, I think I liked Jasmine's more. Jasmine is an enigma. She was found as a child and raised in the air realm. No one knows who her parents are -though I have my theories about that now- or why she suddenly is going through a change. Jasmine seems a little more laid back, mainly I think because of her secret, but she doesn't hesitate to jump in when she is needed. Here is a girl, raised close to the royalty of the realm, with a fairly cushy life, who just races off towards certain danger to protect those she cares about.
I really enjoyed the story. It took me a bit to remember the names of the realms and stuff, mainly because my brain refused to shift into the name remembering mode. I liked the concept of their powers and how their hair changes color to match. Which made guessing certain things a lot of fun for me. -Curious about what I mean? Read the book and you will see- I liked the little ways the author tied the elements into the different cultures. Water-emotions, fire-sparky personalities, etc. You know you have truly lost it for a book when you say something you have read and your family gives you that patient, I-know-you-are-crazy look. But I cannot help it, going around saying Flames is just too much fun.
Will I read the next one? Yes.
The book has two narrators, Roxy and Jasmine. Roxy is an almost literal firecracker. Her people are associated with fire and tend to be a bit on the violent side and supremacists to their core. Not that the other four groups are not guilty of that last bit as well. I liked Roxy because she was the product of her heritage, but as we see in the story, not entirely blinded by her culture. She may be a princess, but she is unable to live up to her mother's standards. I think a lot of people will identify with that, that and the fact that she is a tough, determined, free-spirited girl, makes her such a fun character.
As much as I liked Roxy's character, I think I liked Jasmine's more. Jasmine is an enigma. She was found as a child and raised in the air realm. No one knows who her parents are -though I have my theories about that now- or why she suddenly is going through a change. Jasmine seems a little more laid back, mainly I think because of her secret, but she doesn't hesitate to jump in when she is needed. Here is a girl, raised close to the royalty of the realm, with a fairly cushy life, who just races off towards certain danger to protect those she cares about.
I really enjoyed the story. It took me a bit to remember the names of the realms and stuff, mainly because my brain refused to shift into the name remembering mode. I liked the concept of their powers and how their hair changes color to match. Which made guessing certain things a lot of fun for me. -Curious about what I mean? Read the book and you will see- I liked the little ways the author tied the elements into the different cultures. Water-emotions, fire-sparky personalities, etc. You know you have truly lost it for a book when you say something you have read and your family gives you that patient, I-know-you-are-crazy look. But I cannot help it, going around saying Flames is just too much fun.
Will I read the next one? Yes.
October 19, 2013
This book was a really entertaining read, but some flaws just were in the way. This is going to be a free style review where I'll say all my opinions one after another.
Roxy is a royal from the Helian Realm, where people after the name of 'Protectors' are using the element of their kingdom: fire. She's in training to become a protector, when her grandfather summoned a summit where all the leaders from all the realms will organize.
Jasmine is a young girl from the Arcan Realm, who is good friend with the prince of their realm, where the element is: air. She is struggling with knowing her origins until something doesn't go right.
First of all: I liked Roxy much more than Jasmine. She was much better done and had much more personality to her. Jasmine was the most paranoid character that I've ever met. I didn't like her for so many reasons: not talking to her best friend, being judgmental of others and more. I felt like she was there to annoy me.
But, I really loved the world building! I loved that most realms have advanced technology (except for the Sephan Realm, which it's element is earth and all the people there are a bunch of green thumbs), and that each had a very unique lifestyle. For example, Helians are really loving the dangerous life while Arcans are religious people. This is one of those fantasy worlds I want to live in!
I also liked how the Protectors have colorful highlights of their elements. I would totally go around with crazy colors in my hair! And every element also has kind of additional powers, like Control for the Helians.
Another thing I didn't like about the book was how some stuff could be really predictable (I don't want to write down any spoilers).
Overall, the world building is amazing, most of the character were well written and even though the plot is a bit predictable, I really loved this book!
P.S.: Today, October 19th, is the release date of the second book, Water!
4 STARS
This book was provided by the R4R program in exchange for a honest review.
Roxy is a royal from the Helian Realm, where people after the name of 'Protectors' are using the element of their kingdom: fire. She's in training to become a protector, when her grandfather summoned a summit where all the leaders from all the realms will organize.
Jasmine is a young girl from the Arcan Realm, who is good friend with the prince of their realm, where the element is: air. She is struggling with knowing her origins until something doesn't go right.
First of all: I liked Roxy much more than Jasmine. She was much better done and had much more personality to her. Jasmine was the most paranoid character that I've ever met. I didn't like her for so many reasons: not talking to her best friend, being judgmental of others and more. I felt like she was there to annoy me.
But, I really loved the world building! I loved that most realms have advanced technology (except for the Sephan Realm, which it's element is earth and all the people there are a bunch of green thumbs), and that each had a very unique lifestyle. For example, Helians are really loving the dangerous life while Arcans are religious people. This is one of those fantasy worlds I want to live in!
I also liked how the Protectors have colorful highlights of their elements. I would totally go around with crazy colors in my hair! And every element also has kind of additional powers, like Control for the Helians.
Another thing I didn't like about the book was how some stuff could be really predictable (I don't want to write down any spoilers).
Overall, the world building is amazing, most of the character were well written and even though the plot is a bit predictable, I really loved this book!
P.S.: Today, October 19th, is the release date of the second book, Water!
4 STARS
This book was provided by the R4R program in exchange for a honest review.
April 24, 2014
the story took place in a world formed by four realms: Arcan the air realm, Helian the fire realm, Brizan the water realm, and Sephan the earth realm. people from each of the realm had different abilities, all depending on their elements. Jasmine had been adopted into the Arcan royal family since she was an infant. she became close with Brea, the Prince, believing that they would eventually get married. however, she often felt unsettled for not knowing her parents or origins. lately to complicate things, she found herself having prophetic dreams. it worsened when Brea was sent to Helian for a meeting that the Helian King had called forth, gathering leaders from all four realms with the hope of working together.
i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. starting the book, i was quite overwhelmed with the mass amount of details i read, especially when it came to the four realms. after dragging myself through the first half of the book, i was pleased to find myself enjoying more as the youngsters started taking over the spotlight. the focus was mainly on Jasmine, Brea, and Roxy, the Helian Princess. while Jasmine grew from a weak character into a stronger one by the end of the book, she didn't exactly succeeded in becoming a lovable character. it came as a surprise to me because i expected myself to fall for the main character like always, especially for having such a perfect growth. Roxy on the other hand, who was originally a tough character, transformed into a weaker character and filled with so much emotions, i couldn't believe when i rooted for her as the role seemed to suit her surprisingly well. throughout the book, i was most captivated with how each of these characters and their relationship with Brea progressed, also with their astounding abilities that had so much room to expand.
my review:
i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. starting the book, i was quite overwhelmed with the mass amount of details i read, especially when it came to the four realms. after dragging myself through the first half of the book, i was pleased to find myself enjoying more as the youngsters started taking over the spotlight. the focus was mainly on Jasmine, Brea, and Roxy, the Helian Princess. while Jasmine grew from a weak character into a stronger one by the end of the book, she didn't exactly succeeded in becoming a lovable character. it came as a surprise to me because i expected myself to fall for the main character like always, especially for having such a perfect growth. Roxy on the other hand, who was originally a tough character, transformed into a weaker character and filled with so much emotions, i couldn't believe when i rooted for her as the role seemed to suit her surprisingly well. throughout the book, i was most captivated with how each of these characters and their relationship with Brea progressed, also with their astounding abilities that had so much room to expand.
my review:
March 24, 2013
A copy of this book was provided by the author for an honest review.
Easily one of the best books I've read this year. Fire sucked down the rabbit hole and later spit me back out. I could not for the life of me, put book this book down. I devoured it in a matter of hours. Such a rich world Heather James created. I finally understand why people geek out over LOTR, Star Trek or Star Wars. I love how the two main characters are in some ways completely opposite and yet similar. On one hand you have Roxy - brash, tough and confident to a fault - though if you were a Princess and used to everything handed to you, then you might be too. And on the other hand, Jasmine who has no personal identity and is going through changes she doesn't understand, terrified to confide in even her best of friends. Then there's Brae, I'm still not sure who his HEA will be with, but holy guacamole I love Brae! (My new book boyfriend!) At first I was hoping for Vincent to have feelings for Roxy but he just kind of disappeared for half the book. And it seemed Brae and Jazz were going to be an item. But, then Brae has to leave for political reasons. Once Brae gets to know Roxy everything changes, he's nothing like she expected. I loved how the walls surrounding Roxy cracked enough to let some air get past her defenses. To be honest, especially by the end of the book, I wanted to smack Jazz. I know she's important and I'm sure Roxy and Jazz's paths will cross again. But, ugh I want to know what happens right now! I can't believe the cliffhanger, I HATE cliffhangers. I would rather wait years to start a series and be able to read all the books at once. But, if I could go back time with the option of reading the book, knowing there was going to be a cliffhanger - I'd still read it. Fire was that amazing!
Easily one of the best books I've read this year. Fire sucked down the rabbit hole and later spit me back out. I could not for the life of me, put book this book down. I devoured it in a matter of hours. Such a rich world Heather James created. I finally understand why people geek out over LOTR, Star Trek or Star Wars. I love how the two main characters are in some ways completely opposite and yet similar. On one hand you have Roxy - brash, tough and confident to a fault - though if you were a Princess and used to everything handed to you, then you might be too. And on the other hand, Jasmine who has no personal identity and is going through changes she doesn't understand, terrified to confide in even her best of friends. Then there's Brae, I'm still not sure who his HEA will be with, but holy guacamole I love Brae! (My new book boyfriend!) At first I was hoping for Vincent to have feelings for Roxy but he just kind of disappeared for half the book. And it seemed Brae and Jazz were going to be an item. But, then Brae has to leave for political reasons. Once Brae gets to know Roxy everything changes, he's nothing like she expected. I loved how the walls surrounding Roxy cracked enough to let some air get past her defenses. To be honest, especially by the end of the book, I wanted to smack Jazz. I know she's important and I'm sure Roxy and Jazz's paths will cross again. But, ugh I want to know what happens right now! I can't believe the cliffhanger, I HATE cliffhangers. I would rather wait years to start a series and be able to read all the books at once. But, if I could go back time with the option of reading the book, knowing there was going to be a cliffhanger - I'd still read it. Fire was that amazing!
June 20, 2013
“I loved him, more than anything else in the world and that when he was away it was hard to breath and that I couldn't go through a single second without thinking about him.�
Firstly, let me tell you just this!
This book blew me away....
The author has done an incredible job!She has created a whole new world...
There are four Realms:
The Arcan Realm : Air
The Brizan Realm : Water
The Helian Realm : Fire
The Sephan Realm : Earth
This book concentrates more on the Fire and the Air realm.The book is told by dual points of view, Roxy, the grandaughter of the Helian King and Jasmine, the Arcan Prince's (Brae) closest friend.Roxy belongs to the Helian Realm and is able to control fire while Jasmine should be able to control air.But things are more complicated...
According to which Realm you belong to, you get some characteristics.For example the hair colour: Arcans have silver, Brizans have blue, Helians have red and the Sephans have green.But Jasmine has a secret!She has some purple streaks...So where does she belong???It got me thinking...I think that mabe her parents were from two different realms and she ended up like this...
And yes, you have guessed right.There is a love triangle!When I started reading the book I thought that Brae and Jasmine were perfect BUT seeing Brae and Roxy together was just pure heaven!They are so different and yet they made each other realise how wrong they were...
All in all, I absolutely loved this book and I totally recommend it.
PS: I wanted to warn you that this book is a clifhanger so before reading it make sure to check out the release date of the next one...
*ARC courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review
First posted on:
Firstly, let me tell you just this!
This book blew me away....
The author has done an incredible job!She has created a whole new world...
There are four Realms:
The Arcan Realm : Air
The Brizan Realm : Water
The Helian Realm : Fire
The Sephan Realm : Earth
This book concentrates more on the Fire and the Air realm.The book is told by dual points of view, Roxy, the grandaughter of the Helian King and Jasmine, the Arcan Prince's (Brae) closest friend.Roxy belongs to the Helian Realm and is able to control fire while Jasmine should be able to control air.But things are more complicated...
According to which Realm you belong to, you get some characteristics.For example the hair colour: Arcans have silver, Brizans have blue, Helians have red and the Sephans have green.But Jasmine has a secret!She has some purple streaks...So where does she belong???It got me thinking...I think that mabe her parents were from two different realms and she ended up like this...
And yes, you have guessed right.There is a love triangle!When I started reading the book I thought that Brae and Jasmine were perfect BUT seeing Brae and Roxy together was just pure heaven!They are so different and yet they made each other realise how wrong they were...
All in all, I absolutely loved this book and I totally recommend it.
PS: I wanted to warn you that this book is a clifhanger so before reading it make sure to check out the release date of the next one...
*ARC courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review
First posted on:
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