| Title | : | Flamecaster (Shattered Realms, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 006238094X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780062380944 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 535 |
| Publication | : | First published April 5, 2016 |
Adrian sul’Han, known as Ash, is a trained healer with a powerful gift of magic—and a thirst for revenge. The son of the queen of the Fells, Ash is forced into hiding after a series of murders throws the queendom into chaos. Now Ash is closer than he’s ever been to killing the man responsible, the cruel king of Arden. As a healer, can Ash use his powers not to save a life but to take it?
A blood-based curse.
Abandoned at birth, Jenna Bandelow was told the mysterious magemark on the back of her neck would make her a target. But when the King’s Guard launches a relentless search for a girl with a mark like hers, Jenna assumes that it has more to do with her role as a saboteur than any birth-based curse. Though Jenna doesn’t know why she’s being hunted, she knows that she can’t get caught.
Destiny’s fiery hand.
Eventually, Ash’s and Jenna’s paths will collide in Arden. Thrown together by chance and joined by their hatred of the king, they will come to rescue each other in ways they cannot yet imagine.
Set in the world of the acclaimed Seven Realms series a generation later, this is a thrilling story of dark magic, chilling threats, and two unforgettable characters walking a knife-sharp line between life and death.
Flamecaster (Shattered Realms, #1) Reviews
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Reviewed by:
Rabid Reads
First things first--I've been asked eleventy billion times where FLAMECASTER falls in the works-of-Chima lineup: it's a spinoff from her
Seven Realms series.
You: Should I read
Seven Realms before reading FLAMECASTER?
Me: That's a complicated question. Technically, you don't need to. BUT. I think you should. B/c reasons:
1. It's my favorite (finished) YA fantasy series, so EVERYONE should read it.
2. I have an OCD compulsion to read everything in order.
3. There's something that happens at the beginning of FLAMECASTER that won't have the impact it should, if you haven't read
Seven Realms.
You: What is this thing?
Me: I'LL NEVER TELL. But later I will dance around it like a zombie from
Thriller (b/c still traumatized and can't help it).
You: Is there anything special about this spinoff?
Me: YES. I'm so glad you asked. This book takes place twentyish years after the events in
Seven Realms, and the main characters in FLAMECASTER are the children of the main characters from
Seven Realms.
HOW COOL IS THAT?
You: SO VERY COOL.
*high fives*
And now is when I'm going to get exceedingly vague.
That thing I mentioned? The one that I warned I'd be dancing around? Yeah, it's . . . so very awful.
It's almost as bad as the Bad Thing that happened in
Morning Star, and the Bad Thing that happened in
Morning Star is my current reigning Worst Thing to Happen in a Book EVER.
And this Bad Thing influences so much of what comes after that I can't talk about any of it. What I can tell you is:
1. There are dragons.
2. There are pirates.
3. It's funneh:If I killed the bastard now, Ash thought, none of these lords would lift a finger to stop me. But then they’d turn around and execute me, because, you know, precedent.
B/c, you know, precedent. *giggle snorts*
4. The new characters will keep you in a near constant state of panic trying to figure out who's good and who's bad (which is a good thing b/c TWISTY and unpredictable).
5. There's a villain so contemptible that he/she/it joined the Most Vile Villain ranks with
Umbrage.
And most importantly, I loved it. Unless the Bad Thing happened to make it easier for blah, something, blah blah, something to happen, in which case I will do much violence to quench the fire of my RAGE.
*laughs nervously*
BUT.
I'm hopeful that's just my paranoid, hyperactive imagination running wild, and this time next year, I'll be back to let you know, b/c Chima has proven with FLAMECASTER that her success with
Seven Realms wasn't a fluke--she is awesome--and my YA fantasy monster is sated. Highly recommended.
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OMG! I got a package in the mail today and I won some stuff from Cinda's sweepstakes. I got the a new Hardback Dustjacket copy to put on the old one that matches all the other books in the set. I got some bookmarks, a tattoo, and a signed bookplate! I am so happy! I actually put the new one over the old one and put it back on my shelf. Lol
•••••••••••
Cinda Williams Chima just broke my heart!
I didn't much read the blurb to the book and I skimmed reviews so I never really knew what was going to happen in this book. I just knew that Chima wrote it and I wanted it so I got it. I thought that the Seven Realms series was over and I was happy and then they weren't (in a sense) and the beginning of this book destroyed me =( ***MILD SPOILERS***
And at first I blamed the person that blamed them self in the book for what happened. But I knew I just had to read the book and not think about the beginning.
Also, there are people out there that think book readers are crazy to get so invested in their books. I have to say that people like us, the bookaholics, book geeks, book nerds, book dragons, worms - whatever you want to call us - have a great passion for the world of books and there is not a thing wrong with being invested in anything that you love. The only harm that comes from this is maybe, too much crying, too much yelling, not enough sleep. Now let us begin!
Adrian (Ash) sul'Han is a healer and he goes off to the school his mom and dad went to so he can learn more. Then after some time someone is trying to kill him so that doesn't work out. Ash meets a girl named Lila Barrowhill that saves his life and tries to get him back home to his mom and sister. But, he doesn't want to go THERE, he wants to kill the king. That rat b•••••d who destroys lives and everything in it! I wanted to see him burn. <--- Hehe, I just, nevermind.
So Ash ends up in the stables of the good ole King arsehat, I mean, King Montaigne, where he helps the animals and finally makes his way into the palace. And of course he meets Lila there because she is Lila and she is good and OMG she is connected to the old books. Anyhoo . . .
We get to meet Jenna Bandelow in the beginning of the book too. That part made me mad too. I just loathed that King through-out the whole book. I mean, loathed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jenna has a mage mark on the back of her neck and all of the sudden some Empress Celestine across the way wants her. This puts old King Montaigne on her trail because she must be worth something if the Empress wants her. The twat puts her in the dungeon and things are found out, slowly but surely. I mean Jenna didn't know much of anything about her past, only that she was adopted and her parents didn't know much either. OH, but she is so much more and when I found out I got me some chills! Lord have mercy, I can't wait to read more about her and Flamecaster =)
I was so happy at the ending of this book. I did a little couch dance and I laughed and cried. It's so freaking amazing!
There is some love in the book but it doesn't really have time to manifest, but I just thought I would mention it.
I can only hope there are good things on the horizon for this little group I have grown to love. And the new edition as well! ♥
But we all know how Chima likes to break our hearts so I should probably start hating everyone and everything right now!
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On Sale for the month of March on
Amazon for $1.99
Be careful what you wish for. This was my thought this entire book. I loved the Seven Realms series and like many pined for more stories in this world. Well I got it CWC completely delivered a fantastic story but I also got what comes with that. All the characters that were safe in my head with their Happily Ever Afters are no longer safe and I learned early that I might not be okay with that because CWC totally ripped out my heart while it was still beating, threw it on the ground, dropped a piano on it and then she Cackled…yes Cackled maniacally.
Me Opening the first pages of this book:
Me before starting this book: Seven Realms I’m home again
Me after chapter 1: This hurts a little
ME AFTER CHAPTER 2: Hey look there is my heart beating in front of me ON THE GROUND. Watch out for the Piano it is coming.
ME AFTER CHAPTER 3: WHY Chima WHY???? It burns us precious.
AND HERE IS CHIMA: Cackles Maniacally, “You thought you wanted more stories…..I’ll give you more stories.”
Okay Okay…..maybe it wasn’t quite that bad no it was totally that bad
But here is the thing I learned while reading The Seven Realms series (which even though you totally don’t have to read it first you really should because it is AWESOME and I want you to be as emotionally connected to everything as I was), where was I…oh yes this is what I learned CWC has a plan. She always has a plan in her stories and if you wait for the completion of it she will give you a beautiful story.
So I will just remember when I was reading The Exiled Queen and my ship totally sank….and it sank hard, like the Titanic and I was devastated. But then something magical happened and I totally fell in love with how almost everything worked out on the romantic front for said Queen even though I almost never jump ships. I was so on board with how everything happened once the series was at completion and I thought ’Yes! This is fantastic. This is how it was meant to be. How could anything else have happened?’ So THIS is my hope for this series as well. But that said….I might still throw things if a certain thing happens….I will not be happy about it and I WILL RANT FOREVER if that is why I had to go through that pain in this book. *Takes a deep breath* unless CWC makes me love it…I don’t see how it could happen but……let’s just leave it there.
Moving On, even though I felt so broken after the first few chapters Chima told me a fantastic story with things like foreign Queens, and Evil King, Assassins, Spies, gorilla warfare tactics, blood drinking priests (ewe) and DRAGONS!!!!
Ash is everything I expect from a child born to Han and Raisa. Quick witted, sneaky and a man with a plan. He is an easy character to root for and I wonder how many tricks he has up his sleeve with a former street lord for a father. He is definitely dangerous.
Jenna is a bit of an enigma in this and I loved the mystery that surrounded her. Most of the book is a set up to part of her story arc and by the end of this my mouth dropped to the floor and I was WOWed. *slow claps* for CWC for how that all went down.
There are some great other side characters in Lila and Destin. I’m a sucker for the snark and both bring it in spades."Second thing, whatever the king asks you to do, say yes. If he asks you to dig up your mother and hang her body from the ramparts, say yes. If he wants to you to make him a coat from the carcasses of kittens, your answer is yes. If he wants you to kiss his royal ass, say yes. Am I clear?"
"Yes," Destin said. Then couldn't help adding, "And if he asks me to kill you? Should I say yes to that as well?"
I’m hoping that Destin turns out to be in team good but it seems that he has a few skeletons in his closet and so I’m not really sure where his loyalties and motivations lay. But I do know it will be interesting to discover them.
Lila on the other hand is a warrior woman, I loved her from the first page but it might take others a minute to warm up to her. Still she gets some of the best snarky lines throughout the book and so it was instalove for me.“You don’t have to come with me,” Ash said. “I only brought you along because you’re good with a knife. And got us the uniforms. And the explosives.”
Lila snorted. “Sorry I’m not pulling my weight.”
I do love a girl that knows her way around explosives.
Overall
It was fantastic and I loved it being back in this world so much. There is something really magical about the Seven Realms and the first series has stuck with me as one of my favorites throughout the years. I even came up with a theory to get my through part of my heartbreak of the beginning and I’m hoping that it pays off in the long term, because I do not accept it….I’m not ready to say that ‘the incident’ really happened in a permanent sense….I can’t do it.
The only bad thing is that I found this series starting on book 1 and will have to wait with the rest of the world for its completion.
Before reading.
I know this awesome person (she is really the best, you know who you are) that was able to snag me an ARC. I can't wait to get back into the world of the Seven Realms, I might vomit I'm so excited. -
"Hope is the thing that can't be reined in by rules or pinned down by bitter experience. It's a blessing and a curse."
Okay, let's break this down:
1) This is one of the most promising starts to a fantasy series I've read in a long time.
2) I haven't read the Seven Realms series but, if you have, there is something that happens at the start of this book that will give you serious feelings. I almost feel them just by knowing what I know, even though I never read the original books.
3)
Flamecaster was an exciting and engaging book, but not quite what I expected. In some ways, though, it was so much more.
4) There is magic and dragons and pirates and revenge and evil royalty and characters that may be good or bad... must I go on?!
I want to say some more about #3 because, based on all the reviews I've seen, I went into this book expecting something and that wasn't exactly what I got.
When it comes to fantasy, I tend to expect one of two things: 1) A long, dense work, filled with description and a slow-moving but intricately-woven plot (think Sanderson or Rothfuss), or 2) Lighter, simpler fantasy, filled with lots of drama, action and romance (think Maas or Bardugo). Both have their merits, but I was under the impression that
Flamecaster was going to fall easily into the second - fast-paced, action-packed and probably romantic. And it didn't.
Don't get me wrong,
Flamecaster does not quite follow the pattern of long, wordy, adult fantasy novels either. But Chima writes like the seasoned author she is, with a knack for building up her storytelling, crafting a perfectly-told scene gradually, and developing multiple interesting characters over the course of the novel. The one romance that surfaces is not particularly central to the story and falls into its rightful place behind survival, intrigue, and a web of mystery and lies.
There's a richness to this novel, and it's well-written in a way I don't see too often in YA fantasy anymore. I liked how the story unfolded gradually, fuelled by the characters' and the reader's need for vengeance and justice.
I'm coming to understand that the words "fast-paced" and "engaging" are not necessarily the same thing. It is possible for a book to be packed full of random action and never pull you into the story, just as it is also possible - and as is the case here - for a book to reveal its secrets slowly and gradually, but be all the more engaging because of it. Good old tension, how I have missed thee.
Flamecaster is a book that is clearly meant to be read as part of a series. This first installment does not follow the standard format of conflict and resolution, saving many things for the bigger story arc and leaving gaping questions at the end. But, honestly, it just made it even more thrilling. I can't wait for the next book.
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Flamecaster (Shattered Realms, #1), Cinda Williams Chima
Flamecaster is a breathtaking story of dark magic, chilling threats, and two unforgettable characters walking a knife-sharp line between life and death. This series is set about two decades after the end of the Seven Realms series.
Adrian-Sul-Han, known as Ash, is a trained healer with a powerful gift of magic—and a thirst for revenge. Ash is forced into hiding after a series of murders throws the Queendom into chaos. Now he’s closer than ever to killing the man responsible, the cruel king of Arden. With time running out, Ash faces an excruciating choice: Can he use his powers not to save a life but to take it?
Abandoned at birth, Jenna Bandelow was told that the mage-mark on the back of her neck would make her a target. But when the King’s Guard launches a relentless search for a girl with a mark like hers, Jenna assumes that it has more to do with her role as a saboteur than any birth-based curse. Though Jenna doesn’t know why she’s being hunted, she knows that she can’t get caught.
Eventually, Ash’s and Jenna’s paths will collide in Arden. Thrown together by chance and joined by their hatred of the ruthless king, they will come to rescue each other in ways they cannot yet imagine.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز بیست و دوم ماه دسامبر سال2017میلادی
عنوان: شعله گیر کتاب نخست از سری قلمروهای متلاشی شده؛ نویسنده سیندا ویلیامز چیما (چایما)؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده21م
کتاب «شعله گیر» کتاب نخست از سری «قلمروهای متلاشی شده» داستانی نفس گیر از جادوی تاریک، و تهدیدهای مهیب، با دو شخصیت فراموش نشدنی است، که بر روی خطی تیز، بین مرگ و زندگی گام میزنند؛ «آدریان سول هان»، نامدار به «اَش»، یک شفا دهنده ی آموزش دیده، با توانایی جادوگری، و تشنه ی انتقام است؛ پس از یک سری کشتار که «کویندوم» را به آشوب میکشاند، «اَش» پنهان میشود؛ اکنون او بیش از هر زمان دیگری، به کشتن پادشاه ظالم «آردن» نزدیک شده؛ با پایان یافتن زمان، «اَش» با یک گزینش توانفرسا روبروست: آیا او میتواند از توانایی خویش نه برای نجات یک زندگی، بلکه برای گرفتن آن زندگی، سود ببرد؟
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 01/10/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی -
2.5 - Not going to write a whole review for this so I'll just leave a few points...
1. I love the world. It feels so real and is so well done.
2. I LOVED Cinda's 'Seven Realms' series (that happens before this one.) That being said, I'm totally peeved about what happened to one of the characters. So not cool. Pointless. Shitty. So if you decide to read the other series, wait a while until you dig into this one.
3. The story was very slow and kinda boring. While I like the characters, I'm not super invested.
That being said, I heard the second book in this series (soon to be released) is incredible, which is why i suffered through this one. So yep. Fingers crossed.
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Etsy -
That was too far, Chima, TOO. FAR!
Why!?? how?? why?? You’ve struck hard, and right where it hurts. Cruel move.
This series is set about two decades after the end of the Seven Realms series and what happens here is as a result of that went down in the first series. So,YOU NEED TO READ THAT SERIES FIRST in order to better understand the world and certain characters. -
Edit #1:
Wow. That cover.
Just. Wow.
--
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG
IS THIS FOR REAL?
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This is me at page 25
at page 26....
after page 26
I can't I just can't.
WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME CINDA WILLIAMS CHIMA, WHY?!
My OTP.. my poor OTP.....
Shattered Realms literally shattered me...
It was really difficult to read past page 26.
I did managed to pull through.
Ash was so much like his father, but gentler and calmer.
And Jenna, (whom I wish is named Gemma because Jenna is a very difficult name for me to remember) is quite a difficult character for me to sync with. I am not sure what I feel about her at this moment, but I did remember not liking Raisa that much until the 3rd book so.....
I don't know, I will have a re-read the book again once I've calmed down abit, but at this moment, my heart cannot take it.
PS: Is it weird that I shipped Adrian with Lila more than the weird insta-love of Jenna and Adrian?
I mean Adrian and Lila being together would be just plain awesome. (NO SPOILERS FOR YOU)
**Update**
It's 2016 you guys.
We are getting warmer.
----------------------------------------
I NEED HAN ALISTER AND RAISA ANA' MARIANNA AGAIN. OR JUST GIVE ME THEIR CHILDREN. -
4.5
Solid start to another solid series by Ms. Chima -
*** 4.25 ***
A buddy read with the wizards at BB&B!!!
I just finished reading this book, the first in the spin-off series of Seven Realms. Here the realms are Shattered and my heart was shattered along with them between chapter 1 and 3, rubbing some salt in the wound with characters 4 and 5, just in case we were not hurting enough, or could imagine hope or something... I am actually ready to bet that this author was one of the creators behind the illegal but still practiced on terrorists torture manual for the Bolivian Prison System!!! Or at least the CIA in Guantanamo... Maybe she got fired because of unusual cruelty and then decided to become a Fantasy Writer, so she can pass on the torture to us, poor, unsuspecting victims, or readers - in this case the two are interchangeable!!!
I should start by saying that the first series, "The Seven Realms", consisting of 4 books, made me a fan of her writing, making me fall in love with the characters and their world. There were some signs of the author's potential for cruelty, but it all is well when ends well, right?
Then came the news of this spin-off series, same world, 20-25 years later. Happiness ensued, jigs were danced, there was even a talk of nominating Cinda Williams Chima for sainthood... Then couple of weeks ago, among the happy celebrations of revelers for the book's release, we began hearing screams of pain, hearts braking, souls crashing and wails of despair... What happened? How could she do this to us??? What had we done to deserve this *BAD THING* to befall us??¿???? Then I knew - it was a conspiracy to lull us in a benign sense of pleasant safety, than BANG, hit us where it will hurt the most!!! She was clever, she knew how to get most from her stabbing...
I wish I could say that she had the assassin honor of finishing us straight off after that, but I can't. Remember her previous profession, the torture creating gig, right....
She began healing us, putting salves, cleaning the wound, clean bandages and even some TLC.. You don't trust her, you know better now, but she is building the sense of safety and security again... You start to have some hope, maybe a Phenix will rise out of the ashes... And she seals the promise with a Dragon (still a flying flame-resistent creature), and we, the suckers that we are, are going to open the next book brimming with hope and hungry for the Happily Ever After we have dared to dream about again... She had better deliver!!!
Despite the emotional pain, this book was just as bewitchingly beautiful as the previous books!!! I was hooked, and went on the ride holding on for dear life by my fingernails!!! The writing is flawless, the characters real, the world and magic build up on the previous series. It is very much an Young Adult Fantasy and I didn't even care - I lost myself in the storytelling and will await the next installment with trepidation!!!
I recommend this series (but read the first 4 books in order) to all lovers of Fantasy despite the other genres designations...
Happy Reading to all and may the book fairies bring you what and when you need to read!!!! -
"The problem is, hope is the thing that can’t be reined in by rules or pinned down by bitter experience. It’s a blessing and curse.”
3.5 stars
You're reading a spin off series of one of your favourite series so you'd expect to see your favourite characters from the original series, right?! Wrong. You see 2 chapters with Han and that is it. No more of our favourite lovable characters. That honestly was the biggest adjustment to make in this book. I wasn't used to not seeing my favourite characters and I felt a bit ripped off that they weren't as present in here. These characters are their fucking CHILDREN and yet their parents aren't anywhere in sight. However, from the ending of this book I'm pretty sure we will be seeing our lovable characters again and I'm soooooo fucking ready for this.
Look, this book wasn't what I was expecting so I did feel a bit let down. On it's own this book is pretty good even though it is ridiculously slow. It stressed me out by how long it took me to read this and I feel like it could've been 300 pages long and you wouldn't even notice that 200 pages were missing.
This book also starts ridiculously depressing. I already knew a certain sad event was going to happen but I just wasn't emotionally ready. I sat and sobbed for a good 30 minutes before I recovered and I could move on. Let's just note that that specific event was fucking stupid and didn't need to happen at all and I'm high key annoyed and upset by it.
Ash and Jenna were okay main characters but overall I liked Lila and Destin and I want to see more of them. I wasn't a fan of the insta love between Ash and Jenna and I actually ship Lila and Ash more even though there's no romantic interest between them. However, I also kinda ship Lila and Destin. Can you tell that Lila was my favourite character? (Honestly that was a shock to me since the only Lila I know is in ADSOM and I actually hate her guts).
Look, I don't know what to say about this book. It was average but I'm still hopeful for this series. -
3.5
*********************************
POR FIN LO ESTOY COMENZANDOOOOO.
*********************************
LO TENGO. OH POR DIOS, LO TENGO. ASSDFGHJKL.
Quiero releer primero Seven Realms antes de empezar esta belleza, BUT SOON. -
NEED NOW PLEASE. KAY THX BYE.
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"Love is the root of so much suffering and misery, so much loss. It’s the worst thing in the world, to risk yourself by loving someone. At the same time, it’s the best thing in the world—and worth the risk.”
Flamecaster is an awesome epic fantasy novel that ticks all the right boxes. I know some people were a little distressed by the death early on of a character from a previous series but I can't really comment on that as I haven't read the originals. I will say it seems a bit harsh to one star an entire book for something that occurs like 30 pages in... anyway.... this series is fabulous.
WRITING
The writing is really funny. It has this delightfully wry tone:
"His mood was so black that getting murdered was beginning to seem appealing”
It is light on info dumps, has very funny dialogue and manages to weave a pretty complicated history/ background seemlessly into a fast paced plot.
CHARACTERS
Characters were sophisticated, complicated and multifaceted. With the exception of the central antagonist everyone got reasonable development.
"No, Hanson, this is not the scene where the girl puts on a skirt and some paint and her schoolmate, who’s a little thick, suddenly realizes that she is his true love.”
“Oh,” Ash said. “Good to know.”
There was an even spread across genders, no one felt trope-ish. There was a bit of Insta-ish love but it was understated. Ash, Jenna and Lila are all especially awesome, flawed characters and I found their trials and tribulations absorbing.
QUIBBLES
* I've already read the next book and now I'm not so sold on the Insta-love. Am I crazy for thinking a slow burn with Shadow would have been better? Him all grief struck, slowly building trust? No? Its just me? :'(
* This book has a lot of political subplots. I enjoy that but if you prefer action, action, action it might be a slog.
* It takes Ash too long to realise he has done the wrong thing, I would have preferred a more developed arc where he came to recognise his mistakes slowly over the course of the book with valid introspection which was dramatised thru his interactions with other characters- basically a more sophisticated exploration of family obligations, guilt and grief that arose out of watching how other people dealt with this stuff. I think that plot line was meant to be his dramatic thru-line but it basically only came up at the start and the end.
Despite these minor issues I thought this was great.
If you haven't read the author's other books and have been put off by disappointed fans don't let that deter you. Going in fresh I thought this was fabulous. -
I keep fluctuating between 4 & 5 stars. Something that happens in the beginning of the book made me almost put it down and walk away. My daughter actually did put it down. I'm still not happy about it, so I'm just pretending I didn't read that part.
This book is very different from the first Seven Realms series, but also very much the same. I loved the glimpses of the old characters, and loved the new ones I got to meet. I couldn't read this fast enough, and once I moved on from the beginning, I didn't want to do anything other than read.
This world is one I could live in indefinitely, and Cinda Williams Chima is a master of storytelling. Whether you've read the other series or you just love fantasy, I think you'll be swept away by this story too. -
Rating 2.5-3
I had such high hopes for this book, and thus I feel quite let down. I never thought I would rate this book so low, but by Goodreads standards 2 stars = it's okay which is really how I feel about this book. It was slow and overall not very compelling.
The Seven Realms was/is still one of my favorite series to date but this follow-up does not have the wonderful magic of the original. Not only that they killed off my favorite character from the original series . The death itself felt terribly anti-climatic to me, my dearly departed deserved better. But honestly their death was probably one the only times I felt anything for a character in this book.
Adrian "Ash" sul'Han, our main protagonist, was just not a compelling character. We first meet him as an unsure, insecure thirteen year old boy who feels like an unneeded extra in his family. Unfortunate events unfold, and he just runs a way from home. No other options even seem to cross his mind. Then when we meet him again four years later he's developed unparalleled healing ability, improved magical skill and is on a quest to destroy the King of Arden - even if he has to constantly put his life in danger to do so. So essentially there is little to no character development seen. We do not get to see him grow and develop as a wizard/mage. I am just expected to accept that he is now more valuable and useful than he was before. No, just no, respect and admiration have to be earned.
Then we have Jenna our female protagonist, whose most interesting quality really is that her eyes are as golden as a cats. And we know that her life was changed forever four years ago when the King of Arden killed her only two friends, one being her first love. Now she secretly works with the rebellion in the efforts of overthrowing the king. That is until she becomes the hunted, as the king sends someone after her due to her "magemark".
Destin Karn - this guy seems to have more secrets than Ash at this point and I have absolutely no idea what his true intensions are. But I wish we got to read more about him. Like all the missions Destin and Lila went on while Ash and Jenna were stuck at the castle. Why couldn't I follow them on their journey every once in a while? Why couldn't I get more Destin Karn narrated chapters rather than Jenna? Because even based on what little I know, I feel utterly certain he is a thousand times more interesting.
Lila "Barrowhill" comes off as a survivalist. She appears to go wherever the money is, or so it seems, but in reality like all the characters she lives a secret life. Clearly, a master of her trade and an expert in deception she does whatever it takes to get the job done. She is tough, spunky and has smart mouth. Again, quite certain I like her better than our main characters most of the time.
Ash and Jenna ***WARNING, WARNING SO MUCH INSTA-LOVE, ABORT, ABORT INSTA-LOVE OVERLOAD! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!***
I am not someone who is overly picky about romances most of the time. There are a number series' that I have enjoyed which some of my friends did not because of the romance, most often because of how fast the romance developed between some characters. But even I will concede that this romance just did not work for me. These two meet in a dungeon when Ash is assigned to heal Jenna after Destin brings her back to the King of Arden's palace. And from the moment they touch hands there is literally an INSTANT connection. Their walls come down as they basically see into each other's minds - feel each others suffering etc. etc. From that moment on the two almost never stop thinking about each other.
Examples of this overplayed romance include: When Adrian essentially says that while killing the King of Arden is still important it is now also important he survive, because now he has Jenna. Let me get this straight, early on you said nothing was more important than killing the King even if it meant dying and leaving your mother and younger sister behind. But now you cannot die because you found this girl and she if worth living for? YOUR FAMILY WAS NOT WORTH LIVING FOR BUT SHE IS!? REALLY!!!? Second example, when they are both in Jenna's room (where she is being held prisoner and about to be traded over to the Empress Celestine) they get all hot and bothered until Ash puts a stop to it. Essentially he says she is making it hard for him to do the right thing but she goes on to say that them being together would be the right thing. Umm...no your life is literally on the line right now, I think you need to get your priorities straight. Sure I agree that sometimes you have to live in the moment but now is not one of those times.
You know whose relationship I was more interested in? Destin and Lila! Because we got so little backstory on them individually, and also on how they came to meet and wound up working together etc. And I just find them far more interesting than our main pairing in general, not necessarily as a romance but as two flawed characters with a rather interesting yet unclear relationship, but that might also be because they are not constantly shoved in my face.
Essentially this book was all over the place. There were moments of intrigue that got me interested, hoping for more, only to ruined by chapters that had me waiting for things to happen. Also I do not like the whole "I think the person I have grown interested in/my love interest is dead thing" happening for the second time. We've dealt with this once already in the Seven Realms series, I do not think we need a rehash with characters I like significantly less. Honestly, the coolest thing about this book is that dragons are now a real thing in the Seven Realms. I am onboard with dragons! The epilogue seems to promise more revelations in the next book, but honestly I am not sure I am up for another one at this point.
So if you want my feelings after reading this book summed up about one sentence: Meh...it was okay I guess. -
Buddy read with
Nouf *LostinFantasy* :D
Final rating: 3/5 stars
I am honestly disappointed with how this series started. Compared to the first one? It's uninteresting. There is this thing with me. If I am interested in something, I'm gonna read it even dead tired from work. But I didn't because this book just didn't hold my attention. I even forgot what happened in half of the book.
Anyway, it's a low and slow start, sometimes pretty cliche and predictable, with cliche pairings that are uninteresting and honestly totally not needed. Why must there be insta-love in everything YA? I wonder... If only it was easy to insta-love.
Newslfash! Some people are lucky enough and they click with each other and marry 6 months later (case of my parents), some drag themselves for years. But these are kids, who saw each other few times, had a "connecting moment" and then fell in love instantly.
It was so annoying and distracting from the main plot it was just too much.
Not to mention unnecessary deaths for the sake of improving a character (or worsening them by making them face a super-angsty situation). There wasn't even enough time to remind us of them, how they were, more scenes, etc.
It was all so sudden it was plain and just... unshocking and untouching.
For new readers, it's probably just confusing. For older ones, like me, it's frustrating (in most of the cases).
As for the characters, no one was interesting, there are more questions than answers, it was all so randomly thrown in, like a badly made soup.
I don't know. Too much happened, and too much of it felt random.► OVERALL:
I suggest you read the
review by my friend, Nouf *LostinFantasy*, she has a bit more positive opinion on this book and more sorted out concerning stories and characters.
I'm gonna continue the series, of course. I still wanna know how it ends, but i'm not holding it as a priority.
-
Video Review!!!
https://youtu.be/qedbtSEh8ig -
2.5 ⭐️
First of all… do not start off a next gen series by killing off the most beloved character from your previous series - I want to see them happy and thriving after all they’ve been through… not find out that their lives are the way they are at the beginning of this book… just no.
But besides for the horrible start… I found this book to be kinda boring (especially in comparison to the previous series). Nothing about it grabbed my attention and I wasn’t really into any of it. I really didn’t like Ash or the decisions he made - and it makes absolutely no sense that he hasn’t been caught or killed yet. Also, there was insta-love 🤮
Idk if I’ll continue with the series - so far it is quite a let down from seven realms… but I do like me some dragons, so we’ll see. -
Cinda Williams Chima's Seven Realms series was one of my favorites when I was younger. So, I had high expectations coming into the Shattered Realms series, and I'm happy to say I was not disappointed.
Mrs. Chima's characters, world building, and plot were just as top notch as I remember. I enjoyed everyone of the POV's in this book. Ash, Jenna, Lila, and Destin were all great characters and the side characters were just as well developed. This series has a darker feel that the original, and Mrs. Chima shows she is not afraid to kill of characters when the need arises. Every scene is meaningful and helps develop the story. It was so easy to get sucked in that I devoured this book way faster than is normal for me.
In the end I was left with more questions than answers, but that is to be expected with the first book in a series. Needless to say I will be starting the second book right away. I would recommend this to all the readers who enjoyed the Seven Realms series, and lovers of YA fantasy."Hope is the thing that can't be reined in by rules or pinned down by bitter experience. It's a blessing and a curse."
Actual Rating: 4 stars **** -
You know...I wanted to get through it, but I really can't. After that disastrous opening, , I really didn't give a crap anymore. Anyway...I tried to, but I couldn't.
Aside from my annoyance with that, Adrian and Jenna are both uninteresting. The one interesting character so far was Adrian's older sister, Hana, but she's already dead. When Adrian was moping around about how great his sister was, it only served to make me side-eye making Adrian the main character even more.
I needed a better reason for death. I needed a better reason for Adrian's flight from home. I just needed something more compelling all around to keep me going. Honestly, I wish the author had just chosen a different protagonist from another part of the Seven Realms rather than Han and Raisa's son. -
4.5 Stars
It took me 3 years to finally start this, since I knew that my favorite character of the original series was going to die in the first few pages. It was horrible and I cried, but to be honest, the rest of the book is amazing. I love the new characters, there's just something about Cinda Williams Chima's writing and character building that I enjoy enormously. -
Buddy read with
Buddies Books and Baubles
*Please note that this review may contain spoilers for the Seven Realms series so if you're not up to date with those books look away now*
I absolutely love Cinda Williams Chima's Seven Realms series so when I found out she was returning to that world, albeit 20 years later, in the Shattered Realms books I couldn't wait to pick up Flamecaster. You know that well used phrase "be careful what you wish for" though? Well, Flamecaster is a perfect example of why you should take that advice to heart! This book may be set 20 years in the future and it may revolve around the next generation of characters, but that doesn't make it any less brutal and the first five chapters nearly killed me. I was utterly heartbroken and I came so close to putting this book down and pretending it didn't exist because the author doesn't shy away from tearing apart things that we thought were safe at the end of the previous series. I'm still praying that events at the beginning of this book weren't what they originally seemed and that we're going to be able to heave a huge sigh of relieve when we pick up the next book and find out what really happened. Please Cinda Williams Chima take pity on me, I beg you!
Anyway, if you can get past those first few chapters and kind of put aside your love for old characters long enough to give the new ones a chance I still think you're going to love this book so don't let my comments above put you off reading it. We are introduced to some absolutely brilliant characters here and I'm really excited to see what comes of them as the series continues. This book starts 20 years on from The Crimson Crown, Raisa has been a good queen to the Fells but they have been at war with the Arden ever since she publicly rejected the king's marriage proposal so long ago. The war has taken it's toll on the Fells and the surrounding realms but Arden is stronger than ever, especially since they have been capturing wizards and using magical collars to force them to do the king's bidding.
I was a little worried that the main characters were only about 13 when we first started reading but luckily after a bit of background we get to jump forward around 4 years which puts them at a similar age to Raisa at the start of the previous series. Ash is Raisa and Han's son and he's seen first hand what the King of Arden has cost his family and his people so he decides to set out on a mission to sneak into Arden and assassinate him. He has been trained as a healer but that just gives him an advantage as he knows which plants can kill, he just has to get close enough to the king to be able to use them. Ash has a lot of Han's street smarts and he's a really easy character to root for and like although I wasn't too happy about the way he left home so suddenly without letting Raisa know he was safe.
Jenna is a girl who comes from a poor town in Arden, she was forced to work in the mines from a very young age and when the king killed her two closest friends she joined the rebellion determined to end his reign of terror once and for all. There is a lot more to Jenna than first meets the eye and her family have been keeping secrets that even she doesn't know about so her storyline gets interesting really quickly when it becomes known that the king is searching for a girl with a certain birthmark. I'm not going to say much more than that - I think you should read the book to find out the details! - but I loved her character. She's incredibly brave and puts herself into some tough situations in her quest for revenge so I definitely want to see her succeed with her goals.
We have a couple of great side characters too in Lila and Destin. Lila is a warrior and at first glance she's quite mercenary and only seems to go where the money is but she has a good heart and is very protective of the people she cares about. Destin is more morally ambiguous, I'm hopeful that he's on the side of good but I do worry about some of the things he does. Is he just playing the king and his guards though? He's definitely keeping secrets and I'm not even sure if he knows what side he falls on yet so that's going to be interesting to watch play out in the future books. Flamecaster has everything I loved about the original series - the great characters, the interesting plot twists and the fabulous world building - but then Cinda Williams Chima had to one up herself and include dragons! I honestly don't think it could get much better and I'm going to be first in line for the sequel when it publishes next year. -
“You cannot stand astride the line between
good and evil, life and death, for long. It will destroy you.”
FLAMECASTER is the first book I’ve read from Cinda Williams Chima. Although I’ve heard that you don’t need to read her previous books to understand the spinoff, I feel like there is a lot I didn’t fully appreciate. While I can’t deny Chima is a good storyteller, I had issues with this one.
What is time?
The book starts off with the characters being around thirteen years old. This was a good way to provide backstory but I felt like I couldn’t relate to them, and that feeling carried on as they aged. When they begin to get into adult situations as they grew older, it just felt a bit weird because I still saw them as kids. Which brings me to…
All the random time skips! What the heck, I’d be reading one POV and then switch to another where they say “It had been two months since…” Where is the timeline here? This feels more convolvuted than the X-Men timeline.
You might need to read the manual.
(There is no manual, but there should be.)
I thought there were too many POVs near the beginning. Who are these people? Why are they relevant? I thought this was a book about two heroes. As time went on, I did grow to like the other POVs but as the book went on, they fizzled out. It was almost as if they were almost forgotten about. One “main” character barely even had a part!
A well-developed fantasy world is a good thing. Except when you are thrown into the well-developed fantasy world without knowing much. There were a lot of terms I didn’t know and I felt like I was missing a lot of backstory since I didn’t read the other books. Which actually reminds me, I still have questions about some things.
Setup, setup, and more setup.
I recognize that this is the first book in a series but I expected a bit more from it. Not much really happened, although there is major potential. Things didn’t even really kick up in this one until the last hundred pages.
Readability Points
All that being said, I clearly finished and liked the book. The pacing and potential in FLAMECASTER saved it. Never once was I bored or tired of the world. Chima’s writing really sucks you in and keeps your attention.
“Love is the root of so much suffering and misery, so much loss.
It’s the worst thing in the world, to risk yourself by loving someone.”
Insta-Love: A Case Study
Has there been or will there ever be a book that gives as good of an example of insta-love as this one? Probably not. Needless to say, I didn’t buy this couple at all. For a five-hundred page book, you are going to have to work a bit harder on the development. After all, you had five-hundred pages. -
“Love is the root of so much suffering and misery, so much loss. It’s the worst thing in the world, to risk yourself by loving someone. At the same time, it’s the best thing in the world—and worth the risk.”
...
*pulls knife out of chest*
I was personally attacked by this book. The first few chapters of Flamecaster fucking KILLED ME. Why would you do this to me, Cinda?!
Ahem.
Yeah, people weren't wrong about how brutal the first few chapters of this book were. If you've read the Seven Realms series (and you damn well should!) then Flamecaster will hit you hard. I won't get into specifics, but damn. I cried like a little baby.
And I mean it, guys: Read the Seven Realms series before starting this series. You're only doing yourself a disservice. It was so unbelievably worth it!
Now, onto Flamecaster.
This first installment in the Shattered Realms follows a plethora of characters, all from different corners of the Seven Realms. Ash is a young mage on a quest for revenge. Jenna is a rebel hiding out in the lawless village of Delphi, plagued by a secret power she doesn't understand. These two characters cross paths, and nations face off in war that could tear the realms apart.
This book was great.
Flamecaster was my companion through long bus rides along Czech countrysides. I read the last half of this book on my international flight back to the US. It had me in its claws from page one. And part of that is due to the fascinating characters.
I really like our leads. Ash is a very unconventional hero; he's a healer with violent desires. To protect his family and his country, he's out for the blood of one man: the vicious, ruthless Gerard Montaigne, King of Arden. One of the things I like about Ash was the inner conflict that he faced. His past and his dreams were at war with one another, and the struggles he went through in this book were heartbreaking.
Jenna was a badass character as well. Her story was definitely an interesting one, and I can't wait to find out more about her! The magic she possesses, and the secrets surrounding her lineage have me itching to pick up the second book right away. Not only was Jenna fierce and crafty: she was also flawed and realistic, which I appreciated.
However, the side characters in this book are amazing. Destin Karn is a "villain" with layers and hidden motivations. He was awesome. And then we have Lila Barrowhill, a thief/con-artist whose side you're not really sure she's on. What a badass she was!
My favorite character in this entire book has to be Evan Strangward, a pirate with storm magic from Carthis. I LOVE HIM. I want an entire book about this guy, please and thank you.
I loved hearing about characters from the previous series that I loved. Being thrown into this world again was such a joy. It's rich and full of depth, with so much history and magic. The Seven Realms is a fascinating fantasy world that I hope Chima continues to write about. A good portion of this book is set in Arden, a land that we only get glimpses of in the previous books, and and we're learning a lot more about Carthis, an Empire overseas with a badass sorceress queen. Sign me the fuck up.
The plot in this story was very character driven, but there was a lot of great tension built up in the political machinations of the warring countries of the Fells and Arden. There were secrets, spying, and surprises all around. I was consistently entertained! I'm so excited to continue on with this series and see where our characters go from here.
Because that ending. was. INSANE.
This book made me emotional. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I was constantly enthralled with it. The only downside to Flamecaster was the romance. I didn't particularly care for it. I mean, it made sense why Jenna and Ash would gravitate towards one another given the circumstances of their relationship, but I felt it was...a little rushed? You guys know I'm trashed for slow burn.
Other than that, I thought this book was great. You all are sleeping on Cinda's books: SHE'S A QUEEN.
On to Shadowcaster! I'm so excited. -
It has a Dragon, a Prince and Magic. I'm into it. 😏🐉🤴🧙♀️
(4)🌟🌟🌟🌟 -
My! The story was epic! I love it! I love it! I love it! The element of surprise was truly stunning. I really should read The Seven Realms.
Just one issue, the romance was too sudden. Just in my opinion though. The romance was logic to happen in the plot. And I love the relationship. It's was sweet.
This book will for sure be my fave 2016.
5TH JANUARY 2017
JUST LOOK AT THE NEW COVER! IT HAS TOG VIBES WITH IT!
AND KNOW I DON'T WHICH SHOULD I PICK.... -
THIS BOOK. THIS FUCKING BOOK REACHED INTO MY CHEST, TORE MY HEART OUT, AND STOMPED ON IT REPEATEDLY IN 26 PAGES. 26 pages in and I was ugly crying for a good hour. I have never cried so quickly for a book ever. When I finally composed myself every time page 26 was alluded to I started tearing up again.
Ever since I read The Seven Realms series a few years ago, I was in love with this beautiful world Chima had built. I was especially in love with the characters. When news came that this series would be a follow up about Han and Raisa's kid, I danced and screamed like a loon. I still am a little, but goddammit this isn't what I wanted. Not at all. Don't get me wrong, this is a great start to a fantasy series, but page 26 is not what I wanted for my Seven Realms loving heart.
Enough about my grieving, let's get back to the actual plot. After the events of page 26 Ash finds himself running away to Oden's Ford, the mage school he's always wanted to go to. He has only one goal in mind, to kill the king of Arden. I loved Ash. He is exactly how I expected Han and Raisa's son to be, smart, cunning, compassionate, determined, and ruthless. He will stop at nothing to kill the king, but he has the patience to wait for the right time.
Then we meet Jenna, a miner girl with her own reasons for wanting the king dead and a mystery surrounding her. I like Jenna. She's smart and headstrong, but I was more curious about what made her so damn special. When I finally guessed it and was right, I must say, it's pretty damn cool. I'm very curious to see how she will tie into everything as the series progresses.
Secondary characters are also great. We have Destin, a lieutenant and son of the general, and Lila, a spy with her own secret agenda. Both appear to be morally ambiguous characters, you're not quite sure whose side they're on. They're great characters though. Destin has a dry sense of humor, and a complicated history with his father. Lila is sassy and snarky. I'm eager to see more from them as well.
We interact more with the world outside of the war between the Fells and Arden. The Northern Islands are involved somehow, and we meet new characters from there. I'm really eager to explore more of this section of the world and find it the mystery behind everything.
Now, you'll notice I docked a star off. That is because of the instalove. Now, I'm usually open-minded about instalove because my boyfriend and I have been together for over 3 years and we kissed two days after we met, and got together 2 weeks after our first meeting. Instant attraction does happen, and relationships do start quickly. It's rare, but it happens. My relationship is proof of that. However, two characters meet once and as soon as they part they're thinking about each other, swooning and everything. The next day they're kissing. A few days later, they're doing more than kissing. Like damn, slow down guys. You literally met each other six days ago and you're already proclaiming your love?? Attraction and crushes I can understand, but love in six days? I don't think so. Granted, at their first meeting something happens between them that might explain this a bit, but it's still ridiculous. You guys barely know each other! It was just too ridiculous. I found it kinda funny though
Other than that, it was great. There are assassination attempts, bloodsucking priests, pirates, and mythical creatures. The story is well-paced, and the characters are well-written. Chima's writing is beautiful as always. She manages to throw in deep character introspection as all the madness is happening. This was a solid building block to a new series, and I'm really eager to see where Chima takes it! I still have hope for a solution to page 26. THERE ARE 3 MORE BOOKS TO FIX THIS. I REFUSE TO GIVE UP!!!! -
It hasn't been that long since I'd read this novel, but I wanted to get a reread in before I finally picked up the sequel. And I'm definetly glad I did, the rating stays solid. But I have to say, I forgot how many questions this book left me with! Especially that epilogue, my excitement is totally rekindled.
This is somewhat of an edit for my original review, so there's some light spoilers ahead. Still super short, however, and everything I'll say is revealed within the first hundred pages, but still just go read the books if you haven't lol.
Cinda Williams Chima has yet to disappoint me, and I’m quite a ways past obsessed with her books (not to mention their covers because wowza). It blows my mind how unbelievably underrated this woman is. Why are more people not reading her books?? What are all of you doing with your lives?? The Seven Realms series as a whole was one of the best that I read in 2016 and I’m so glad that the sequel series is off to such a fabulous start—better than its predecessor at point.
Flamecaster was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because, as always, I fall in love with Chima’s characters. They’re all so fabulously layered and unique. You can’t help but root for them. And I always have so much fun, as there’s just the right amount of banter and snark (Lila, amirite?) and humor to lighten things up when you need it. I wish I could explain how much I love being immersed in this world, the politics and the magic of it all.
But, as I said, it was also a curse. There was a lot of grief. The true tragedy of this book, of the existence of this series really, is definitely the stolen happy ending for the Seven Realms. Han and Raisa deserved to live out their lives together and in love. It's bittersweet knowing they had 25 years, that they loved and raised children but lost their first.
Ash, I love him so much though. I'd be glad to have this series if only for him. Well, Ash and Jenna both. I love how they came together and their stories meshed so beautifully. I'm looking forward to their reunion more than anything else hands down.
I won't say anything more, except that I can't wait to see where Shadowcaster takes me.
