Fire of the Sorceress (Immortal Sorceress #1) by Krista Walsh

Fire of the Sorceress (Immortal Sorceress #1) Reviews

• 
  Noelle

  I was Instantly drawn into this story… from page one it had my attention and I was hooked. Kat Palon is the FMC who is a sorceress who has lived nearly 900 years. She works to stop those who use their magic for evil or take their powers too far. She once was a feared sorceress but after her colleague and vampire friend, Adrian, retires and she creates distance between herself and her ex (not sure what his job title would be but dead collector?), Emrick, she struggles to find the motivation anymore to continue on. She continues to fight the battle of those who cross the line with their magic but her magic and powers are not what they once were. When she is shown three witches who died in a horrific way… she knows only one witch can be responsible. This witch she has chased for centuries and she is determined to not let him get away this time. The journey through this book is filled with action, suspense and so much more! Can she find motivation to help her regain purpose and her powers? Can she finally put a stop to this witch who has continued to elude her?
  
  I really loved and enjoyed this book. I found the authors ways of writing captivating. I would love to know more about Kat and Emricks story in the past and what happens in the future. I hope to continue to read more of author Krista Walsh’s work and would recommend Fire of the Sorceress to my friends!
• 
  Bevin

  CW: violence, gore, loss of family, some others
  
  Thank you to the author for allowing me to be a part of the ARC team!
  
  Being functionally immortal means multiple lifetimes of traumas tend to accumulate, and Kat is no exception. The constant grind that she’s been living for the past 800+ years has finally caught up, leaving Kat burnt out, exhausted, and with a limited supply of magic. So when bodies start dropping, potentially ramping up to an incredibly lethal spell, the odds are most certainly not in her favor.
  
  This book was so much fun! It’s a quick, easy read that still manages to pack a lot of entertainment in along the way. I was fortunate enough to read “Fury of the Sorceress”, a novella that takes place between this book and the next, back when it released in 2023, and I’m happy to report that the characters are every bit as enjoyable now as they were then.
  
  A fast-paced urban fantasy with loads of snark, this story keeps you entertained the whole way through. While the focus is on our FMC Kat, there are several other characters sprinkled in that help the story come to life with their distinctive personalities. The plot was easy to follow and interesting enough to keep the reader engaged. The fairly straightforward nature of the story allowed Kat’s inner struggles and her personality to really shine through, which made it easy to root for her along the way.
  
  Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It’s easy on the brain and has a decent amount of humor sprinkled in, while still having some depth and background to the characters. This all combines to make an enjoyable read that doesn’t feel like mindless fluff. If you like urban fantasy with *all* the paranormal categories, strong FMCs with a temper, and a heaping dose of adorable found family, then this is the book for you!
• 
  Tina Miles

  I’m a big fan of Walsh’s Invisibie Detente and Cadis series. With this book, Walsh has created yet another terrific series starter and I’m already anxiously waiting to read book 2.
  The story is compelling and engaging right from the opening chapter. I’m wondering why Emric can’t be with Kat and what are her powers? Why is she depressed and not at her full strength? Why does Rhys keep Seeing these horrid scenes? Who is Adrien and why won’t he be her partner anymore?
  I have so many questions! Krista Walsh writes a fascinating story to answer all my questions and more. The plot moves along quickly with lots of action to keep me interested. Her characters are fully developed, and their actions are consistent with their personalities and goals.
  I highly recommend you read this book if you enjoy fantasy, magic and romance.
• 
  Anaïsu Anaïsu

  I liked Kat, it's a testament to the author's writing skills that I can relate to a T with a +900 years immortal sorceress, who's having a hard time in life, it's mostly in her head but that makes her even more "human" because we all know sometimes our minds are our worst enemy.
  
  The fact Kat is so relatable makes her characters flesh out and real, even though, we are dealing with magic, paranormal, and fantasy elements. Kat is an excellent FMC.
  
  I love her relationships with Rhys, Maera, and Adrian but mostly Emrick. You can feel the longing, the passion, and the regrets between them through the author's words. It feels like a Greek tragedy and I'm here for it, as long as I get my HEA, well... time will tell. (I'm crossing my fingers because our leading sorceress needs more wins in her immortal life)
  
  I removed a start because I didn't like Barrett's character, mostly when he interacted with Kat, he was fine with Rhys. It's not necessarily the author's fault; maybe it's more of a personal pet peeve of mine, but in some instances the presence of Barrett as her "partner" made me wish she was just alone... or with anyone else. I didn't enjoy their interactions and I wished they had a bit more of a light frenemies banner type of relationship. I could have been behind that but it wasn't, so this character sucked some of the joy from me.
  
  
  As a minor "dislike" I felt the final battle was a bit too long or at least it felt too long for me. We have been there 2 times already so the final and third time, even though EPIC, it dragged a little bit. Nonetheless, I can't wait to read more (the epilogue made me very intrigued... Adrian's words...)
• 
  Blake

  (FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I change my mind on a series, so want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)
  
  3.25*
  
  I liked Kat, aka the MC. I felt she and her actions were relatable.
  
  I mostly liked Maera and Rhys.
  
  The book lost at least a star with me for the following reasons:
  1. Emrick aka the Love interest. He met her after she survived the massacre of her toddler son and all her family and other 300 members of their village. She has survivors guilt. So of course she's not going to be thrilled to find out he's giving up part of his soul every time he interacts with mortals. She loves him and is a good person, so of course she's told him to say away for the last 75 years. If she didn't love him she'd not care he was slowly killing what makes him, him each time they interact etc.
  2. Adrian, aka mentor / former partner in stopping bad things. Hypocrite. It's fine for him to want to be retired, when for most of his hunting life he had Emrick and then also Kat as working partners. Kat no, she has to go on battling alone or know she's slowly killing the 'man' she loves every time he works with her!
  3. Barrett, aka Adrian's pet. Total and complete hypocrite. Hates magic, yet is Adrian's pet / blood donor. It's fine for Adrian to retire, but oh so bad that Kat left the Witch hunters, etc., to do the job for the last 50 years while she had a break after 800 years of hunting! -- I disliked him the most of the 3 and honestly would not care if next book he died.
  
  I could have put up with the first two, but Barrett pushed it into losing a star.
  
  
  First time read the author's work?: Yes
  
  Will you be reading more?: Probably
  
  Would you recommend?: Yes -- What I disliked other's might like or not annoy them as much.
  
  
  ------------
  How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
  4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
  3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
  or
  3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
  
  All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
  -
  2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
  1* = Disliked
  
  Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
• 
  Denise

  Fire of the Sorceress is the 1st book in the Immortal Sorceress it follows the Prequel where we are introduced to Kat (Katrina) Palon of Palonia where Kat was born and raised. Emerick who is Kat's forbidden love interest as he is a Reaper of which all Reapers help the dead travel to their final destination. Kat's friend Adrian is an ancient vampire of which in Kat's early early years he as in his prime and helped Kat with her Hunts of Evil Magic doers. Barret who is one of Adrian's Thralls, A thrall is someone that freely gives a Vampire their daily blood source from the vein and they take care of the Vampire's home while the vampire is sleeping.
  I loved Rhys and Maera.. Maera is Kat's House Keeper and Rhys is Maera's son; Rhys has the power to see future or past events other wise that power is known as being a Seer.
  When Death of some witches start to happen and Rhys has one of his visions it sets Kat into a memory of how her family was taken down. She must do something to stop who ever is causing this terrible tragedy to continue.
  I loved reading Fire of the Sorceress with it's high energy and action that kept me on the edge and wanting more after reading the last page.
  So, if you love Broody men, Forbidden love, a Young Adult with futuristic visions and lots of magical action... Then You will love this series.
• 
  B.L.

  Here's the thing about a Krista Walsh book: you know it will deliver.
  
  This is a 5-star Urban Fantasy. Wild magic, found family dynamics, all the PINING, and a strong female lead overcoming her internal struggles while - yet again - saving the world from an arcane threat.
  
  While the story picks up almost 900yrs into Kat Palon's immortal life, Walsh seamlessly weaves in the story of how she gained immortality, enticing the reader with morsel after morsel of juicy backstory speckled through the modern plot, including the history of Kat and her reaper love interest Emrick, and I ATE. IT. UP.
  
  The standouts for me, however, were Poppy the Occult Shop Owner, and the love-to-hate-you frenemy-ship between Kat and Barrett. The way these two despise yet wildly respect each other had me cackling (along with Adrian, I am sure). I can't wait to read more of their exchanges and get more Poppy in future books (please give me more Poppy in the future books).
  
  Pick this one up. Fire of the Sorceress is a blast from cover to cover.
  
  
• 
  Caprice

  A new beginning
  
  My first ever book from Krista Walsh. It was awesome beginning of new series. Writing flows smoothly and kept me engaged till the end.
  
  Kat has lost her purpose and after 850 years all she wants to do is - nothing... Immortality is a difficult thing, most people only see benefits..but what is another side of the coin?
  It's interesting to see how Kat is picking herself up from the depth of her depression, to get back on her feet and fight the evil.
  
  I liked the Fire of Sorceress but if I start new series that has no backstory - my personal preference is the inclusion of a new romantic interest. Not that there was much of a romance in this book, but the romantic interest was established many centuries ago, even if they are not together at the moment. This doesn't make the story any worse!
• 
  Kendra

  I received an ARC copy of this story for a honest review.
  This is a really nice start to the series and I really look forward to future books. I kind of felt there was a little jumping around and it could of been a longer story with more details. You are just starting to get the know the characters and there are a lot of ??? on backstories. The main character is relatable for a 800+ year old sorceress who is getting a little tired on life. She works hard to keep the balance in the world between good and evil. There is minimal romance but hints at a long ago relationship between Kat and another character Emrick. There is action, adventure, fantasy and wit.
  Although not my favorite sstory by Krista it is a worthy read and I definitely look forward to future books.
• 
  Leigh Brooker

  I loved, loved loved this book. It tapped into all the elements that make excellent reading for me. A fiery, stubborn heroine, check. Unrequited love check. Snarky sidekick check.
  
  I adored Kat from the get go and I found myself rooting for her all the way even at the start of the book when she just wanted to walk away from it all as her immortality had wore her down, I just knew she wasn't the type to do so and loved seeing her come into her own by the end of the story.
  
  And then there's Emrick, the emmisary of death who's feelings for Kat tore me up inside as to get involved with the mortal world costs him pieces of his soul, my heart literally ached for him. I have a feeling it's gonna be a lot worse before it gets better but damnit I'm invested in this love so I can only hope for a happy ending.
  
  I also liked Barrett, the thrall of Adrian (Kat's BFf) who's forced to work with Kat his snark was entertaining as a begrudging friendship forms between the two. I hope he's back in book two.
  
  So yep definitely gotta find out what happens next so I'll definitely be reading the rest of this series two enthusiastic thumbs up, and recommend this to anyone who's not read it yet.
• 
  Penny

  I absolutely adore this author’s writing, and I’m so excited to start this series after the wonderful prequel I read. Kat is so full of despondency about past events, I feel so much for her. I love her journey in this, and how we are introduced to the evil bad…or is he? Adrian, Barrett, and all the other characters. They make the story very well-rounded since they keep each other in line. I really wanted to see more of Emerick and wished he was more involved in the storyline, but I’m sure we will later. I also was a little confused about the island, but I might have just been reading too fast. Can’t wait for number two! Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
• 
  Mariaan Belinfante

  Epic storyline. Drawn into the world of Kat drained by the shackles of immortality, she has a real struggle to get her mojo back with the dwindling of her forceful powers to be strong enough to eliminate the thread of what Michael poses to the world. Thwarted every time but unable to get help from Emrick and not wanting to pull Adrian out of his self imposed retirement. Her banter with the stoic Barrett was amusing. Well written and I definitely look forward to the next book to see what the future hold for her, Emrick and Rhys.
  I received an advanced review copy and leave this review voluntary.
• 
  Aighmi*

  What do you do when you are a powerful, gifted immortal who has hit the wall?
  
  The first part of this book could be called Immortality Sucks. Poor Kat is burned out. Fighting evil witches and dealing with cantankerous allies gives Kat a lot to think about and wrestle. Where does true strength lie? What is truly important? Her growth throughout the book is reluctant and tremendous. The action is powerful, and the suspense enough to keep the pages turning well past bedtime.
  
  So what do you do when you have hit that wall? You find your will to hit back.
• 
  Paula Dawes

  Katerina/Kate/Kat (seems everyone has a different name for her) has a past that she can’t let go of and a future she doesn’t know if she wants. She is missing her old partners as Adrian has retired and she risks losing Emerick forever if she is with him. However, knowing her past will help her with her future if she can accept it.
  Time to figure out her purpose and find some new people to fight with as there is a new evil that needs removed from the world.
  This is definitely a book that’s hard to put down!
• 
  Steve

  Krista knocked it out of the park with Fire of the Sorceress, it delivered on everything I wanted out of the prequel book. We got backstory, we got lore, and we even got Kat getting good again. On top of it all we got an awesome story involving well written characters and big time circumstances all relating to Kat's history. After reading I just need to see these characters grow even more, I need to know whats causing Adrian's paranoia, and I need to know who is giving out long dead secrets.
• 
  Sascha Missy

  I ve been invited to Krista her arc group, and I was so happy, coz Krista her writing is always delivering.
  
  This book is a 5-star Urban Fantasy. Wild magic, family dynamics, all the points are touched in what you search for an urban fantasy.
  and also a strong female lead overcoming her internal struggles while she is saving the world from an threat.
  
  I’m looking forward to the next book.
  
  Really recommend this book.
• 
  Wendy Smith

  Just finished this book - I want more!! Terrific plot and wonderful characters with the added bonus of
  being based in Toronto and Manitoulin Island. This is the second in the series and is building up to a spectacular battle between good and bad...don't want to say more as it might spoil things! Well worth the read so keep an eye out!
• 
  Neha

  It started of good yet most of the story was forgettable.
  Story just felt very shallow because the world building was very basic. The character development was all done through the continuous monologue of our FL, which just got tiring.
  Now pair this with anticlimactic ending. It ended up being a lackluster book.
• 
  Larry

  This yet another "new to me" author and I am impressed with this story. The characters are well fleshed out and vital to the story from the very beginning and the action doesn't slow for a moment throughout the whole book. The plot is straightforward, and the premise is finding out who is killing the witches and why. The answers come reluctantly and with cost. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next one.
• 
  Kasey Phillips

  An enjoyable tale of rediscovering yourself, found family and forbidden love. A relatable female protagonist and a cast of interesting characters. A good urban fantasy to keep in your bag when you need something better to do than scroll your phone.
• 
  Ursula Visser

  What a wonderful start of a new series. As always, Krista Walsh swept me into a world of her imagination, making the main MC's as real as they get: flawed, unsure, hopeful, but always with their own 'voice'.
  Needless to say, I bought book 2 rightaway.
• 
  Tina Maldonado

  Beautiful story of Katerina and her family. Many trials and bindings. Can't wait for the next.