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Book Review: Fire Heart, by Emma Hamm

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I purchased a copy of Emma Hamm‘s Fire Heart.

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They handed her a sword and bid her to take a throne…Lorelei is half elf in a kingdom where that bloodline is synonymous with “slave”. The Umbra King holds everyone captive with his pet dragon who knows no mercy. She hides in the shadows and steals to stay alive, until a rebel group gives her an offer she can’t refuse.

The King seeks a bride. If she can get close enough, she could drive a dagger into that wicked man’s heart. But the bridal games are more difficult than most. Lorelei must prove herself not only beautiful, but talented, poised, and deadly as the king. However, the closer she gets to saving her kingdom, the more she realizes a singular problem stands in her way.

The dragon.

The King’s bodyguard is more than a slathering beast. He’s a man. And the longer she’s near him, the more she realizes that perhaps the king isn’t the most dangerous person in the kingdom. Perhaps she had to guard not only her body, but her heart. For a dragon mates for life, and they’re hard pressed to give up their treasures.

my review

My experience with Emma Hamm’s books has been inconsistent. I’ve read some that I absolutely loved (such as the Otherworld Series) and others that I’ve just been bored silly by (Bleeding Hearts). This was one of the latter. Maybe I just need to avoid any of her titles with Heart in it.

The writing in Fire Heart is good, and I liked the characters well enough. But the plot just left something to be desired. The main character was little more than a patsy. The main love interest was bland, though I did appreciate his fatherly attributes. The villain was a caricature. The side characters were largely uninteresting. It was all just kind of mid.

Maybe, despite the heroine being a couple of hundred years old, the story just felt too YA for me. Maybe I just expected more from this author. Who knows? All in all, I probably won’t pick up the next in the series unless it’s a freebie. But I’m still open to trying others of Hamm’s books.

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Other Reviews:

ARC Review: Fire Heart by Emma Hamm

The Rambling Book Nerd: Fire Heart, by Emma Hamm

 

 

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Book Review: Ghostly Touches, by Salem Cross

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I picked up a copy of Salem’s Cross‘ Ghostly Touches as a freebie last year.

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They came to me in the dead of night.

I should be used to ghosts, I’m a necromancer after all. But the three men who show up at my house aren’t the spiritual beings I’m used to. These Ghosts are part of a brotherhood so secret that they were thought to be a myth.

When they ask for my help, I leap at the opportunity to aid these warriors.

But none of us expected my help to come with a price tag. Now our souls are bound to one another and unfortunately, being this close to each other secrets are starting to slip out. I can’t afford to have anyone know who, or what, I really am, but with a curse hanging over our heads and with someone suddenly after us we’ll have to stick close if we want to survive. With the Ghosts looking out for me, I should be safe… right?

my review

Despite a notable lack of worldbuilding, this was an ok read. I liked Willow a lot and liked that she was the initiator in the sexual scenes, and there was no shaming for that. The plot was interesting enough that I wasn’t bored, and the writing was readable. I would probably read the next one in the series if I could find it free or get it at the library, except for one very big problem. I only liked one of the four men in the harem. A second I could tolerate. I disliked the other two from beginning to end. Yes, I know authors have to leave room for characters to grow. But they didn’t grow enough in this book for me to be in a rush to pick up the next one so I could spend more time with them. I finished this book legitimately more interested in the Reaper Willow never actually spoke to in the book than any of the love interests.

Side note: One doesn’t narrow their pupils when they glare at someone.

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Other Reviews:

 

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Book Review: Vanished, by Nicole McKeon

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I picked up a copy of Nicole McKeon‘s cozy gaslamp fantasy, Vanished.

vanished coverEccentric social outcast Lady Gwenevere St. James knows many secret things: magic, alchemy, artifice, and even the truth about the long-forgotten faeries. But she does not know why common criminals are using rare and dangerous magic to kidnap orphans from the streets of New London.

After rescuing one young girl, Gwen vows to save the rest, no matter the cost. But the handsome Scotland Yard inspector is also investigating the case, and he thinks Gwen knows far too much about the kidnappings to be innocent.

To save the children, Gwen must dodge the Inspector, bully a coven of witches, and outsmart her marriage-minded mama, all while managing a wily young pickpocket and a headstrong raven. But an unexpected secret hides at the center of the mystery, one that will force her to confront the most painful event from her past, and possibly sacrifice her future.

my review

I enjoyed this but wasn’t blown away by it. I liked Gwen well enough, but she’s no Alexia Tarabotti (though she is trying very hard to be). The plot kept me interested, but there were no big surprises. Even the villain is fairly obvious. I liked the world, but it’s slapdash and thin in places. For example, almost everyone in a world of humans, witches, elves, and dwarves—all of whom use magic of sorts—doesn’t believe in fae magic despite knowing fae existed. Like, why not? That makes no sense to me. The children were cute but didn’t seem to be a necessary component of the story. The hero was noble and appreciateable but kind of bland. All in all, I don’t regret reading it, and I would read another in the series. But I’m not rushing out to buy the next book, either.

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Other Reviews:

Review: Vanished by Nicole McKeon

Vanished: Book One of the Gwen St. James Affair by Nicole Mckeon