Title: A Blaze Of Fire
Series: Fated Fae Elementals
Author: Karina Espinosa
Release Date: 4th November 2022
BLURB from Goodreads
To protect the ones you love, who would you be willing to become?
Striking a deal with Alec, an Unseelie High Fae, I agree to follow him to the Fae realm and seek sanctuary in the Unseelie Court. Staying hidden in the human realm is no longer an option if I want to keep Ansel and my mother safe. But revealing my identity came with a whole host of problems.
As the carrier of the orb, I have the power of all of the elements, except they’ve been dormant for twenty-five years. The Unseelie King is anxious for me to learn how to use my powers, but when I learn an ability that should be impossible, I’m no longer the safest person in the Unseelie Court.
Tensions rise as I’m separated from Ansel and grow closer to Alec. Is anyone really as good as they say they are? Or are they all just as bad?
REVIEW
Violet is now at the Unseelie court in the fae realm with only Alec to rely on, she has little choice but to trust him and those he tells her she can. After meeting the King, 'Lady' Violet is shown to her own room. Violet is definitely impressed, though despairs at the revealing attire she is expected to wear. To help her dress appropriately for each event she is expected go attend she is given a handmaid called Rosemary. Though Alec is in a room nearby Violet is also assigned her own guard called Rook.
Violet begins training with fire (in more ways than one!) her biological father Kazimir who still doesn't know he is her father. Kazimir forces Violet to use her emotions to manifest her elements despite Alec warning her against going down this route.
Next up is training to use air with Calypso, though due to the no nonsense almost "tough love" way of training with Kazimir Violet has already summoned Air and used it to save herself! Kazimir seems almost sorry to be passing Violet over to be trained in her next element. He offers her a few words of advice that suggest he may have a slight soft spot for Violet. Violet immediately realises that Calypso's training really is the polar opposite to training with Kazimir, it's all about breathing, calm and control.
Violet sees the darker cruel side of the unseelie when she opens her mouth in the wrong place and ends up going out to collect taxes. Violet is horried that the poor people in the villages are forced to hand over food they themselves need to an already rich King. She is even more shocked by those offering their daughters and then by one man who refuses to hand over his young daughter who ends up being publicly lashed. Violet cannot stand by and do nothing and Alec ends up covering up the evidence of her helping the poor villager.
When the tax collecting party is attacked by wraiths, Violet refuses to leave three of their travelling party behind to fight to their deaths as a distraction. Violet ends up publicly revealing another power she has which puts her in even more danger from those in power.
I love the interactions between Violet & Rook and Violet & Rosemary at first she is wary of them but soon learns she can trust them with her life. I think Kazimir, the tough warrior, loyal only to the King is developing a tiny soft spot for Violet but what is he going to do when he finds out the truth about who she is?
It turns out that Violet isn't the only one willing to become something or someone else to protect someone they love. Strangely it's the same person being protected in each case. Is the person worth protecting? At the beginning of this book I would have said yes but after the cliffhanger at the end I'm honestly really not so sure!
It seems Violet can either please the Unseelie fae or the Unseelie King but not both at the same time. Lots happens in this book, Ansel cannot bear not being able to see Violet and in his mind to protect her he reveals things about her to the Seelie Queen and gets himself sent to the Unseelie court as the Seelie Queens representative. It's not long before Ansel & Violet are getting hot & steamy in her room and a cupboard!! Violet does like Ansel a lot and yep, enjoys getting steamy with him but theres also sparks and sizzle aplenty surrounding Violet & Alec. Which brother would be the better match for Violet, and perhaps more importantly which brother can she trust!!
Theres so much more to come from this series, what will Kazimir do when he realises his blood connection to Violet. I keep flitting between which brother I prefer.....I guess that's what Violet is doing too. After the revelation of why Alec became Unseelie and after the cliffhanger I am strongly leaning towards Alec!! Though I am also becoming a little partial to Kazimir!!
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