FIRELIGHT
Author: Kristen Callihan ISBN: 9781455508594 2/2012 INSPIRATIONAL/HISTORICAL Publisher: HATCHETTE FOREVER
Time Period: Victorian London, 1881
London, 1881
Once the flames are ignited . . .
Miranda Ellis is a woman tormented. Plagued since birth by a strange and powerful gift, she has spent her entire life struggling to control her exceptional abilities. Yet one innocent but irreversible mistake has left her family's fortune decimated and forced her to wed London's most nefarious nobleman.
They will burn for eternity . . .
Lord Benjamin Archer is no ordinary man. Doomed to hide his disfigured face behind masks, Archer knows it's selfish to take Miranda as his bride. Yet he can't help being drawn to the flame-haired beauty whose touch sparks a passion he hasn't felt in a lifetime. When Archer is accused of a series of gruesome murders, he gives in to the beastly nature he has fought so hard to hide from the world. But the curse that haunts him cannot be denied. Now, to save his soul, Miranda will enter a world of dark magic and darker intrigue. For only she can see the man hiding behind the mask.
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 RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:
It would seem fire is the theme of choice to write about lately, at least in the paranormal reads I have been gifted with, and Kristen Callihan dives right into the subject with a hauntingly strange read that still leaves me scratching my head. Is it science, religion, or a complex mix of nature and the previous two listed at work here?
It took me a few chapters to actually get what was happening and for the tale to flow. I confess my confusion in the beginning of the story—the dialogue is not the best, scenes are haphazard, and the character connections less than obvious. To be completely forthright, it took me reading half of the book before I began to understand just how marvelous it really is. There are layers and layers to this one, and all are worth uncovering. As I continued to read, the scenes simply got better, the story line became clearer, and the characters turned downright marvelous!
FIRELIGHT is unlike any other paranormal I have ever read. I actually hesitate to classify it as such, but that is probably the most accurate description for it at the moment. I will not let you labor under the illusion that it is only about fire, but I absolutely will not spoil the lovely surprise as to the wickedly-odd affliction that is between the pages. Expect the unexpected, and enjoy the ride. I can't wait to see what Callihan writes next.
Shannon Johnson
RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:
FIRELIGHT is an action-packed paranormal romance with strong characters, the first in the Darkest London series (other than prequel novella, Ember).
The story is set in 1881 London, though I did find the setting more vague than specific. Miranda Ellis is not your average Victorian heroine. Daughter of a ruined merchant, she provides for her household by stealing. When Lord Benjamin Archer comes calling, though, she has no choice but to marry the enigmatic masked aristocrat.
They first met when Archer rescued Miranda from a street fight a few years before. He has been unable to forget her, despite the danger marriage brings both of them. For an old connection has never forgotten him either, and wants him back.
If you like your paranormal romance with plenty of fight scenes, less-than-lily-white main characters, and a heroine who can battle with the best of them, this is your cup of tea. This heroine is as unusual as the hero.
I really appreciated FIRELIGHT as it is paranormal romance without that huge cast of hot men so often offered up so that a series can continue. It made for a tighter, more focused read. While the evil was vanquished in this book, there is more mythology to work with and another hero to take the lead in the July 2012 release MOONGLOW.
Heather Hiestand |
