Blaze of Secrets
by: Jessie Donovan
4 HEARTS
From Goodreads
To avoid persecution, the Feiru will do anything to keep their elemental magic a secret from humans—even lock away their children for life. Few know what goes on inside the prison system for magic users, but that is about to change…
Kiarra Melini overhears the dangerous secrets of her blood and decides that if Feiru elemental magic is to survive, she needs to die. But before she can finish the deed, a handsome black-clad man kidnaps her from prison and introduces her to an anti-prison activist group. As the prison retrieval squad hunts for her, Kiarra must overcome the demons of her past or risk losing not only her newfound freedom, but also the man who reawakens her desires and captures her heart.
Jaxton Ward finally rescues his older brother from prison, but instead of helping with his brother’s recovery, he’s ordered to train Kiarra—a stubborn elemental fire user who claims her magic is gone. But just as Kiarra starts trusting him with her secrets, the prison enforcers catch up with them. Now Jaxton must find a way to keep his family safe while also protecting the only woman able to ignite both his temper and his passion.
Kiarra Melini overhears the dangerous secrets of her blood and decides that if Feiru elemental magic is to survive, she needs to die. But before she can finish the deed, a handsome black-clad man kidnaps her from prison and introduces her to an anti-prison activist group. As the prison retrieval squad hunts for her, Kiarra must overcome the demons of her past or risk losing not only her newfound freedom, but also the man who reawakens her desires and captures her heart.
Jaxton Ward finally rescues his older brother from prison, but instead of helping with his brother’s recovery, he’s ordered to train Kiarra—a stubborn elemental fire user who claims her magic is gone. But just as Kiarra starts trusting him with her secrets, the prison enforcers catch up with them. Now Jaxton must find a way to keep his family safe while also protecting the only woman able to ignite both his temper and his passion.
I'm very interested in the world Jessie Donovan has built in this book. There aren't many books about Fey, or in this case Feiru, to begin with. I'm not sure I completely understand it yet either, and I'm okay with that. I'm hoping all will be explained as the series develops. But for a first book, this world building, history, and issues going on are fresh and intriguing.
I only had one issue with this book, and that was the connection between Jaxton and Kiarra. I adored both characters on their own, but I never felt the connection between them until about halfway through the book. It made it very difficult to get through at times. When I'm reading a romance, I really have to believe the relationship the main characters have. Eventually the depth of their relationship had me believing by the end, but up until that point, I just found it hard to get behind.
Jaxton was a great hero and I loved him. From the moment he rescues Kiarra to the moment he admitted his love for her, I was sold on him. He was a warrior, a trainer, and a lover. He was always at a disadvantage and learned to make that a strength. He healed Kiarra in ways no one else could have, and he helped her become the woman she had always been deep down inside. He protected her with a fierceness that rivals alpha werewolves, and he loved her in a way that chased away her demons. He was the complete package for someone damaged like Kiarra, and in healing her, he allowed her to do the same for him.
Kiarra was an incredibly strong woman to endure what she had since she was a child and became the woman she was, with Jaxton's help. She developed in such a believable way, and her thought process through it all was understandable. She was determined not to let her life in the AMT (Asylum for Magical Threats) rule her on the outside, and she did everything she could to conquer her fears and doubts. She ended up becoming not only a strong woman, but a woman of importance and a woman who finally knew true love. All of these things gave her the courage to do what she knew needed to be done and helped her discover the truth about herself in the process. Her love for Jaxton healed his own scares that he never truly thought existed. Through each other, they became something so much more.
Overall this was a very good story. The world building had me interested and the small developments throughout was good enough to add some kind of inkling as to how future books are going to develop. I just wish it hadn't taken so long for the connection between Jaxton and Kiarra to really kick in. It would have made the book so much better, and probably would have landed it on my favorites shelf.
It'd definitely worth checking out.
***This ARC was given to me by Jessie Donovan in exchange for an honest review.
Hotness Rating
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
