Fire in the Blood

Last Moon Rising #1

by Dale Ibitz

In this young adult fantasy romance, the gods of nature are at war, and Earth is in chaos. During a home invasion, seventeen-year-old Haley is tumbled to Eyidora, the battle ground globe for the gods of nature. As descendant of the God of Air, Haley's called upon to stop the war.

But Haley has a problem. Actually, two problems. One named Tuggin, and one named Ian.

Both lie to her. Both have secrets. And neither are who they say they are. Haley's forced to make a choice that will decide the fate of all the worlds. But who should she trust, who should she fight, and who is the one with fire in his blood bent on betraying them all?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Ebooks, Science Fiction

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2011

About the author

Dale Ibitz was born in Oxford, Connecticut, grew up in the state of Washington, and then re-located back to Connecticut as an adult. Always a lover of books, she spent much of her childhood reading, visiting the library (her best friend’s mother was a librarian…how convenient), and writing. She majored in English at Central Connecticut State University, and while Dale holds a full-time day job where she’s immersed in the dry life of writing contracts, she’s been writing young adult fantasy and mid-grade contemporary for seventeen years (on the side, of course).

Dale’s a fan of hiking and the outdoors, seriously good writing, and she never, ever starts the day without chocolate and coffee (preferably together). Music inspires her, and she likes to listen to alternative metal. When she listens to lyrics, she finds herself imagining stories behind the words…it’s a great writing exercise.

Dale is, by nature, a klutz and has years of funny tidbits of real-life comical events which she (ahem) constantly seems to stumble in to. These tidbits have a habit of finding their way on to the pages of the books she writes, injecting a little humor to her writing.

If you were to visit Dale’s house, you'd meet her husband, 2 kids, their dog Lea (most people simply refer to her as The Beast...and for good reason), their kitten Luna (affectionately known as Loony Luna), a gaggle of ducks, and a flock of hens ruled by a tyrannical rooster they call The Stump, or Stumpy. How he got his name is a long story...maybe she’ll tell you sometime.

Reviews

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please note: I originally read and reviewed this book in July 2011. I'm updating the formatting and adding the disclosure that I received a copy of this e-book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

My Synopsis: Haley is pretty much a typical 17-year-old girl – obsessed with boys, unsure of herself, more than a little selfish – and she’s upset. Today is her birthday, and she had wanted some nice, new clothes, and maybe a “hall god” for a boyfriend – she particularly has her eyes on Ian. However, her clothes are more the “good will” variety, and Ian seems to have hooked up with her best friend Elana instead. Then her adoptive mom calls to her and Haley joins her in the kitchen, where her mom gives her a large pearl on a chain, and an odd little box with strange carving on it. Haley learns that these items were left for her by her birth parents, but when Haley asks about them, her mom instead warns her that the person who killed her parents is now after her. An ominous knocking on the door is heard, and Haley’s mom tells her to stay in the kitchen – and throws the box onto the floor, uttering a strange word. A fog starts to fill the kitchen, and Haley hears her mom telling her to jump – but jump where? And was her mom in danger? When Haley gets up to go help her mom, she instead finds herself falling – and landing in a whole new world. She learns that she is part of a prophecy to try to save the globe system, of which Earth is a part, from the dire consequences of a man’s lust for power. If he manages to gather all four stones that are linked to the Eyids (Nature gods), he can unbalance all of nature, and that will destroy not only this world, but the entire globe system, including Earth – but Haley only wants to get home and make sure her mom is OK.

My Thoughts: The writing style is very good – the pace is smooth and the tension is high throughout the story. If I recall our discussions correctly, the editing was mostly done by the author herself, and she did quite a good job overall – there are a few issues, but anyone who writes will know that it is almost impossible to edit your own stuff, and for her to have done this well was impressive. She also stuck resolutely and very well to a first-person point of view – we only know things that Haley knows, so we really don’t know much – she doesn’t know whom she can trust or of whom to be afraid, and she spends so much time being stubbornly defiant that she comes off as a bit stupid – ignoring questions she should ask in favor of asking the same sorts of things over and over, for instance. The characters she meets are varied and interestingly described. And Haley herself is very realistically portrayed – no strangely mature young person here, Haley is the real deal. I was impressed with this angle of the story, honestly – not many writers would have the guts to create a character that had such a chance as coming off as almost unlikeable because of her tendency to be so self-involved. I will be honest, at first I personally didn’t like the story much, because I didn’t like Haley much, but she grew on me. But we also see Haley grow throughout the story, which is interesting. Fans of fantasy adventure, especially those including young adults, should find this story entertaining.

Series Information: This is book 1 in the Last Moon Rising series. Book 2 is Strong Blood, which I edited. I believe she hopes to have book 3 out later this year.

[Library Lady 📚 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, first off, let me just say that I usually avoid teen paranormal romance/fantasy/whatever you want to call it. But this one was really fun!

It's a hilarious fantasy/sci-fi book for young adults, complete with romance, the requisite love triangle, plotting and betraying, kidnappings, alternate worlds and runes, oh my! The whole time I was reading, I kept cracking up, which is not what I expect from this kind of book. But in the best way, of course! I love books that make me laugh. I was surprised that this book was self-published, because it seemed to fit so perfectly into the YA genre that is so popular right now.

This is a new author I believe, and I have no doubt we'll see lots more from her in the future, probably traditionally published books. If you're wary of indie books because you think they aren't well-written or edited, you'd be surprised. This book is every bit as good (or better) than the handful other YA fantasy books I've read. Even better, it's funny! The protagonist has a witty, wry and sarcastic voice that will pull you in and make you laugh. My only complaint with this book was that it ended too soon! I wish it had been a little longer. I can't wait to see what happens to Haley in the next book.

[Jonel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Cow!!! I can’t believe how caught up I was in this book. I admit that at the beginning I had a chapter or two wondering where this novel was headed, but then I could not put the book down. Ibitz has a writing style that immerses you into the action of the story. I wanted to run out and help the characters with their various trials. His descriptions make all of the different areas of the realm seem so real. Everything flows together to create a dynamic reading experience for his audience.

There is an entirely new mythology developed with this story. It comes complete with gods and demi-gods vying for power. Each god has their own realm within the world that is not only symbolic. The lands ruled by these gods each has distinctive features marking them. Ibitz’s very interesting explanation of global warming definitely gives you something to think about.

I absolutely loved the characters. They are all well developed and seem like real people. Oh, some of them are mysterious, not giving away too many details, but they are not flat characters. Ibitz also manages to develop characters that give off a definite creepy vibe. His characters face real world dilemmas while on their very interesting journeys. The main character is constantly fighting against a feeling of not belonging anywhere, which is something faced by so many teens. She also learns that being yourself and staying true to your beliefs is more important than being accepted by the so-called “popular” crowd. I definitely felt for her when she was rejected by one of the “hall gods”, but was still left wondering if maybe, just maybe, they might get together in a future novel. The dialogue was also very appropriate for the various characters. I absolutely loved the fact that each of the Eyidoran races have their own distinctive speech patterns.

I cannot believe how well put together this novel was. Ibitz is an amazing storyteller and I thoroughly enjoyed each and every page. I cannot wait to read the next installment. Strong Blood, here I come.

[Danielle Smiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

While reading Fire in the Blood, my rating of it fluctuated between 3 and 4 stars, finding it pretty much settled into a 3.75 by the end. This is really an amazing and fun read, but it does have some rough spots that need addressing.

So what did I love? The beautiful and creative world Ms. Ibitz creates in Fire in the Blood is simply outstanding. Eyidora is so unique!!! I love the premise of the book, the use of element-based gods and the twist on global climate change. It's fast paced with crazy suspense and action. Poor Haley seems not to have anyone she can trust! There's a solid plot with enough resolution to feel satisfied but still hungry for the sequel. And I do eagerly await the sequel.

My only complaint is with the characters needing to be fleshed out more. Haley's "teen speak" is a bit over the top and she seems shallow and whinny at points. She's still a fairly likable character and shows some growth throughout, but these issues did hurt the book. Then there's Tuggin, that snarky guy who might have a heart of gold. However he's a bit too snarky to be sexy and comes off just hateful at times. This results in Haley seeming shallow or even a bit neurotic for being so into him. I understand where the author was going with Tuggin, but she missed her mark a bit here. With Ian, I'm missing his back story in order to understand his motivation. That back story may be lurking in a future book, so on him, I withhold judgment.

I have complete faith that as this series continues and as our author hits her stride, these issues will resolve themselves and I so look forward to reading the rest of this story. This is definitely one you'll want to pick up!

Read more of my reviews on my blog, Known to Read.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about a trip into a teen's mind! Haley's thoughts are priceless! She is a regular teen with all of the insecurities of not being part of the 'in group' at school. Haley has her crushes on the hall gods-the hot guys around school and the necessary fantasies, comments, etc.

Did I say she was a regular teen? Up until she turned seventeen, yes, after that, she is thrown into another realm, Eiydora, with the elemental gods warring over control and her right in the middle. I think it was amazing how Dale Ibitz took the idea of the global climate change on Earth, and made it the result of not only the people on Earth, but these warring gods!

So, we have Haley, not the epitome of grace and poise. Add the mysterious and hot Tuggin, who is her 'protector' has issues with her, along with his own agenda. He has a side that borders on hateful at times, but he still feels a draw to Haley, which he fights. Love the tension between these two!

Haley discovers that her best friend on Earth is not who she seems. Top that off with Ian, one of the hall gods being from another realm and poor Haley is really lost and on her own in this strange world! Who can she trust? Who isn't using her for their own agenda? Who is Haley, in reality? What is her role to play in this realm? The girl is a square peg in a world of round holes!

This adventure is well-written, exciting, full of fantasy, brilliant imagination and a cast of characters run the gamut of personalities! Great YA writing!

[Angie ~aka Reading Machine~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haley Roble is turning seventeen years old today. She has secret crush on hall god Ian yet she's sure that he doesn't know she exists. Her best friend Elana is flirting with Ian in art class which spoils Haley's joy. Haley's adopted mom gives Haley a beautifully carved box and necklace. Then Haley finds herself on a strange planet called Eyidora and Haley meets up with Tuggin. Tuggin tells Haley to follow him. Haley has strange dreams where she meets with Eyid~emos named Nomer that tells her she must find eyid stones before it's too late. Haley receives a twig/herb that will help her at some future date. Tuggin asks Haley what she's hiding and she refuses to share her thoughts. Haley overhears a conversation about her needing to be controlled or else. Haley doesn't know who to trust yet for the time being trusts Tuggin until she can escape. When Haley escapes Tuggin she flees across the desert and meets an unlikely ally in Tanner and hall god Ian. Ian takes Haley to his home in Ralos the very place Tuggin told her not to go. Haley is trapped by Ian where he wants her to share her Eyid stone with him so they can rule the globe. Can Haley see thru Ian's plan for her? What about Elana and Tuggin? Can Haley meet her destiny head on? What about Haley's adopted mom? Your answers await you in Fire in the Blood.

[Gabrielle Poplar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fire in the blood is an interesting read.

The plot straddles two worlds, and it nicely introduced the second world (Eyidora) to all earth kin persons. The novel handled the confusion in Haley very well, as she tried to figure out the situation she found herself, when she was transported to a strange world.

Also, I found myself relating easily to the errors in judgement she made as she tried to figure out who should be trusted, particularly since her crush on Ian, the hall god of her high school on earth, seemed to conflict with her feelings for Tuggin, the mind reader, that she kept on insisting she hated.

A well written novel, although the title doesn't seem to fit with the events that unfolded in the book, since Haley was supposed to be "The daughter of Earth, and of Air. Borne of two worlds."

I would love to read the concluding part of the story; I am eager to find out if Haley could restore Harmony through the stones, and maybe we just might get lucky on earth and have global warming resolved.

[C.D. Hussey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book jumps right into the action, never stops, and barely slows down to catch its breath. It follows Haley as she is tossed into Eyidora and a battle between gods. The writing style is fun, often funny, and easy to read. I easily finished this book in a weekend it was so addictive.

[Kim Nardi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, was a quick read...will continue on with the series.

[Eisah Eisah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a non-reciprocal review.
(This review will contain spoilers).

"Fire in the Blood" is a nice little fantasy adventure.

I think the second half of the book is much stronger than the first half. The first half is slow. When Haley ends up in the next world she doesn't know where Tuggin is taking her, what he wants, or anything. And she doesn't ask. She doesn't ask him or the other people she meets, and this is a consistent problem through most of the book.
I'd say the second problem is that Haley's sole connection to the male characters throughout the majority of the book is that she finds them attractive, and that is repeated over and over again. It would have been fine to mention her attraction to either of them about a third or a fourth of the time she did, but the book gets overloaded with her telling the reader how hot they are. Throughout the first half of the book many paragraphs can be summed up as, "Tuggin is hot. But he's a jerk."

The other parts work much better. I liked the descriptions for the water and air eyids. The action picks up after she breaks away from Tuggin and takes her own path. Although I was confused by the path she took (even if she didn't want to be caught by someone else, I would think she'd still hesitate to choose the "fiery desert death trap" path) it did get more exciting at the end.

I think a good editor could clean up a lot of the repetitive parts and strengthen other parts really well. For example:

(Slightly changed to take out stuttering and such).
"Some have killed for it, betrayed for it. Some have even broken their promises."
In this instance I would swap "killed" and "broken their promises", because killing someone is a lot harsher than breaking a promise to them. An editor can easily tweak things like that to give them more oomph.

Other descriptions worked really well. When she was describing Ian using his powers, I liked things like this:
"Ian's lips moved a half-second behind his words."
It made for a great imagery.

I was fine with Haley saying she was sick of following everyone else, but I was wondering when she would remember that not creating harmony would likely get her mom burned to a crisp. She seemed to forget things like that and she doesn't seem to consider who might be lying about what. She'll believe one person is lying over another person and, even as the facts fall apart around her, won't reconsider what is a lie and what isn't.
At the end of the book she thinks this: "I should just ask them and find out for sure, rather than believe anything that came out of Ian's mouth."
I practically cheered at that line because I had been waiting for her to finally question what was really true. But then she drops the subject and never asks. She doesn't ask Tuggin or Elana, or anyone else who would know.

Another spot for me that was both good and bad was Tanner. I liked Tanner. I think she worked as a character, and in particular I liked this line from her:
"I kick him in vulnerable thpot. Hurry"

The problem with Tanner came more from Haley's side. Haley is well aware that Tanner is part of a society where women are slaves. She's also fully aware of mind control. However, when Tanner was helping Ian because he promised to be with her, Haley considers her a traitor. That would be fine for an immediate reaction, but knowing that women are slaves and that there's mind control, she should take into account Tanner's position. She knows that Tanner probably didn't have much of a choice in anything she did.

I was disappointed there wasn't more effort in trying to save Tanner. Haley didn't have to successfully save her, but trying to grab her or something would have helped. Tanner just took lightning for her, she deserves a little bit of effort! And after she's gone she's pretty much forgotten.
I would have liked Haley to have come to a better understanding of where Tanner was coming from. She saw what women were being put through in their society.

The whole "she betrayed me" idea is a problem Haley has several times in the book. If any other woman is attracted to a man that Haley is also attracted to, Haley has issues with them. In the beginning her friend Elana appears to be speaking to Ian on friendly terms, and because of that Haley determines that Elana has betrayed her. It's an overreaction.
Later on, a character seems to like, or at least be friendly, with Tuggin. Haley reacts badly to that, too, constantly having an attitude that he can 'run to her arms, as if I would care'.
The third time is with Ian and Tanner, as I mentioned above.
Haley reacts really poorly to other girls who so much as act friendly towards men she's attracted to.

Like I said at the start of the review, I think the book ended stronger than it started. At the beginning I was waiting for something to happen, and at the end I wanted to see what would happen in the next chapter.
The battle between Haley and Ian was good. I liked when Haley started realizing she had powers and using them. More experimentation would have nice, but I also understand that the ending happened over a short period of time and she didn't have much time to experiment with what she could do.
I do like that Haley understood that Ian was not a good person to be attracted to. It would have been nice if she lost some of her attraction to him because of his personality. People do become more or less attracted to others because of how they act.

At the end Haley decides to go check on her mom - but instead of going home and forgetting that the worlds might be destroyed (which would include her mother dying), she says she wants to check and she'll come right back.
The last chapter is also the first time I felt any sort of connection between Haley and Tuggin. In the first half of the book we keep getting told she's attracted to him, but that doesn't really make a connection.

The world was well built up by the end and there was an understanding of what was going on. I liked Tuggin more in the last chapter, and Haley was starting to make her own decisions.
I wouldn't mind seeing where the series goes from here, and if someone is looking for a fantasy adventure it's not a bad book to pick up, and I hope the next book continues to improve from where she left off on this book.

[What Makes Patri · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club, to know more about this book, go to the post in our website:

Fire in the Blood (Last Moon Rising # 1) by Dale Ibitz

If you are interested, you can visit our website:

The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club


The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club's Review:


Review:

We have received Fire in The Blood in our mailbox, thanks to the author, in exchange for an honest review.

Are you ready to be sucked into a Gods War? If so, prepare yourselves for an adventure, one you may not get out alive. Fire in the Blood is the first book in the Last Moon Rising series. This is an exciting book with an innovative plot that will captivate you from page one.

I liked this book. I really enjoyed reading every page of it. The writing was clear and smooth; it was easy to understand what was going on. The author describes Eyidora, and all the things happening, with enough words to make yourself a picture of it, but not too much to not let your imagination run wild! This is one thing I really appreciate in a book, enough description to know what is surrounding the characters, but direct to the point.
I liked how Ms. Dale mixes the dialogues and description, like I said you cannot lose track of the main story. The dialogues were credible. Each of the character sounded like their actual ages and each one of them acted like you would have done in these situations.

As for the plot, you have read the synopsis right? It is awesome! When I read the synopsis I was like “this is it! This is for sure my next 5 gorjuss doll!” Ok, I may have gotten too excited! I’m not saying it was bad, not at all! Like I said, I liked Fire in the Blood, but I think Ms. Dale could have taken more advantage of it. But hey! It wasn’t bad, I’m telling you! I’m giving it 4 gorjuss doll!
Even though I think that with such a fantastic idea –war between nature Gods, and that this war is the one destroying our world? It immediately blew my mind!– Ms. Dale could have had done something even bigger. I think that Ms. Ibitz did a good job creating the main story. The plot was enthralling and refreshing.
In Fire in the Blood, we have a few twists, some of them you’ll know in advance –the author gives you clues–, others you will not know what has hit you in the head –worry not! It won’t hurt…not so much! –, but each one of them were well elaborated.

Now, I know you have been waiting for this: the characters! In Fire in The Blood we read Haley’s POV. Hayley is the main female character, the one who is supposed to save our world, hence put an end to the Gods war.
I have a problem with Haley. Usually I love the female character or I hate her. However with Haley I’m having a hard time deciding how I feel about her.
I don’t hate her, but I don’t love her either… Now that I think, I did want to slap her at some point, but just once. Anyway, I think that Haley’s character and attitude were believable.
I would really love to tell you a lot of things about Tuggin aka super hot kidnapper and Ian aka as hot as Tuggin and popular school kid, but I’m afraid I will make you a big spoiler. Anyway, if you want to know more about these hotties, you’ll have to read Fire in The Blood.
There are other interesting characters, each one of them with their pros and cons, but if you want to know which are, you’ll have to meet them personally.

The end of the book was something I wasn’t expecting. I though it will be more dramatic *Drama Queen Alert!*. It wasn’t like some other books which end so bad that you want, no, need the next book like right now! It wasn’t a bad end. I want to read the next book because Fire in The Blood was a great story, and I think that Ms. Dale’s work is excellent. Also, because I would like to know what would happen next.

I would like to thanks Ms. Ibitz for giving us such a great book to read and making us enjoy every minute of our reading. Finally, I would like to recommend this book to you and to every person in the world since I know this is a book everyone will enjoy.

[Tahlia Newland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fire in the Blood follows the story of a seventeen year old girl who finds herself thrust into another dimension after her stepmother gives her some things that belonged to her birth parents, a necklace and a box that turns out to be a portal. On arrival in this new world, a planet connected to the earth in some inter dimensional way, she is taken prisoner by a native called Tuggin, and they set off on a journey of several days, during which she has dreams of the old gods. They fill her in on a bit of the history and tell her that the chain of worlds, of which earth is one, are all in danger from an unidentified person who wants to take power and considers frying a few planets acceptable collateral damage. They also make it clear that Haley is expected to save the day by finding 3 more of the necklaces and bringing them together to harmonise the string of worlds that is presently out of balance.

It's a great idea and the author writes excellent prose with evocative descriptions and lovely metaphors. The whirlwind / magic at the end is particularly well done. The copy editing is pretty good too, with only a few typos slipping through. The pacing is good with enough happening to make you keep reading. The story builds to a good climax, and leaves us set up for a sequel. A lot of people will probably like this story because it's imaginative and different, and though I enjoyed it for those reasons, I found a few plot issues and problems with the characters.

I found the main character, Hayley, a little two dimensional and unrealistic. She either doesn't ask, or doesn't insist on answers to the obvious questions that any modern teenager would want answered - why have you kidnapped me? Where are we going? And, when she and Tuggin get to the castle, why am I here? What do you want with me? She doesn't know and neither does the reader. We are left wandering around wondering what is going on. Soon after they arrive at the castle, they head off to Tuggin's home, still without any explanation. By 40% of the way through we should have some idea of what the kidnapper wants with her, but we don't.

Also, Hayley kept trying to run away in an area devoid of human settlement, but without any idea of where she would go, any idea of the dangers and without stealing any food or other resources to take with her. I know some kids aren't very bright, but these days I think they are savvy enough to at least get some information before they take off. Also, she bemoans the fact that she hasn't been able to wash in days, then tries to sneak out of the castle before she has made use of the tub of hot water that awaited her. I found that pretty unbelievable for a girl, especially a teenage one. Hayley's main characteristic was crushing on the two hot guys. Terse and handsome pretty much sums up Tuggin.

The plot didn't quite hang together for me, either, too many convenient co-incidences. Tuggin, as far as I could tell, just happened to be in the area where Hayley appeared, even though it was several days journey from the castle and in an area with no one else around. Ian just happens to be in an underground village in the desert where Hayley ends up when she escapes from Tuggin. Other things just didn't add up. Hayley thinks Tuggin may want her necklace, but, if so, why doesn't he just take it. She wouldn't be able to stop him. Also Tuggin shows early on that he is a hard person to escape from, even at the end, Hayley can't sneak away without him noticing, yet she manages to escape while he is sleeping in the desert.

If such details don't bother you, then you may enjoy this story as it is, but I think it has a lot more potential than what has been realised. It is by no means a bad book, but it would be a great deal better with more complex characters and a little more thinking through in the plot department. Nevertheless, this author has talent and is well worth keeping an eye on.

[Jennifer Ricketts (Donnie Darko Girl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Haley is a typical junior in high school who finds out on her seventeenth birthday that she actually isn't so typical after all--there's more to who she is than she could have ever imagined. Falling through a portal, she ends up in another world.

I thought the idea behind the story was really creative--gods of the elements begin fighting, and this is what begins the global climate change on Earth, while the people on Earth are making it worse. This idea was what drew me to read this book in the first place, and I thought it was an original and interesting idea. The synopsis definitely made me want to find out more.

In the first half of the book, not a lot happens--mostly there's set up of the story, introduction of the characters, many mentions of events in the past before the book begins, but it was a slow buildup for me. From halfway through the book to the end, however, I was riveted. There was plenty of action and suspense to keep me hooked. If the first half of the book had been as exciting as the second half and not been so slow, I would have rated it higher.

Haley is spunky and tough, and I really liked her. She was the only character I felt I really got to know. There weren't many characters that I connected with--there isn't much background given for any of them, and I would have liked to know more about each of them, especially Tuggin, the other main character. I want to know more about him and what makes him tick. I did like how I was kept in suspense along with Haley--who should she trust? Who is lying to her? Who is telling the truth? This could be why the characters weren't more fleshed out--if they had been, it might have killed the suspense.

So much information was introduced in this book that it was difficult for me to keep up with all of the names for the different places and characters and had to keep looking back for reference. There are a few things I'm still confused about, for instance, why the gods began fighting and what happened to the stones. I'm hoping for some answers in the next book. I was happy with the way this book ends and suprised by the way it ends. It sets up perfectly for the next book in the series.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through an ARR group on Goodreads.

[Sarah-Jayne Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I actually won the third book in this series, but the author very kindly sent me the first two books as well.

I felt that this book worked quite well as an introduction to the world and characters, though I did think that Haley suffered a bit too much from 'hot guy syndrome'. It wasn't nearly as annoying as some of the books I've read, but some of the comments she made did induce a lot of eye-rolling.

I did feel that the author created interesting, well-rounded characters. The relationships that formed made sense and I felt that Haley suffered realistic consequences for her actions - like when she left Tuggin. And how she struggled with the situations. I do think that the whole culture shock thing could have been explored more, though - going from running hot water, electricity, heaters, etc. to a world where nothing like that exists would be really hard to deal with, but I noticed that Haley just makes one throwaway comment about Google. I also didn't see how the toilet thing was handled.

I did like the other characters in the book. They were fairly interesting and I would have liked to see more of them - especially Tanner.

I was a bit confused about what was going on with Ian - whether he actually has two personalities, or has some kind of problems with his mind.

I felt that the book was really well-written with very few errors. I could picture a lot of what was going on inside my head.

I do have the second and third books in this series, but if I didn't, I'd probably still be interested in buying them in the future. And I would definitely look at different books by this author.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Review: I love the concept of the globes or worlds being related and the war between the gods causing the global climate change on all. Haley, a descendant of these gods has been on earth for her protection and knows nothing about the world to which she is born; till on her seventeenth birthday she is transported there just after receiving a important stone. With this stone she is charged to help put the globes back in harmony. Not knowing who she can trust she lands herself in plenty of hot water before the end of the book. While it is obvious that there will be more of this story to come the author does a good job of ending this one while still leaving

you wanting more. I am looking forward to reading more. I did have a problem with the author’s need to try to give such over the top descriptive phrases. Some like gazes sliding down their noses and warmth trickling down their legs made me laugh and it was not a funny part of the story. So threw me out of the plot. I do feel like this book could really benefit from a good edit. For editing I give it a 2 Story line I give it a 5 execution of story I give it a three. Over all I give it a 3 and hope the writing and editing improves with the next books because I am looking forward to seeing what becomes of Haley.

[Jas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, this book was super duper good and I just love TUGGIN! The story came off a bit confusing but then everything just fell into place and I just loved how Tuggin took care of Haley even though he was acting as if he just hates the sight of her. I just hope there would be more turns and twists in the second book!
Fire in the Blood by Dale Ibitz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Okay, this book was super duper good and I just love TUGGIN! The story came off a bit confusing but then everything just fell into place and I just loved how Tuggin took care of Haley even though he was acting as if he just hates the sight of her. I just hope there would be more turns and twists in the second book!



View all my reviews

[Kayt Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never would have picked this book off the shelf, not being a big fan of alternate worlds, but WOAH am I glad I did! This book was wonderful. Haley wakes on her 17th birthday to her typical day, nothing new, except she learns her adoptive mother knew her parents and knows where she is from. After the usual events of her day at school, Haley is catapulted into another world - the world she is originally from. Here she finds she holds the fate of the planet in her hands. She must unite the stones in order to bring harmony back to the world. Only one problem - she only has one stone, she needs to find the other three, there are people out to get her to keep the power to themselves, and oh yeah - she is on another planet where she knows nothing!

What an exciting read to go through it all with Haley, Tuggin, Ian, and Tanner. I can't wait to read the second book in the series to see how Haley completes her task.

[Linda Covella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. There are so many facets it to it. Ibitz creates a completely realized new world with amazing details that makes this book a must read for fantasy lovers. In addition to that, she's spot on with her characterization of, Haley, the teen girl main character--braver than she realizes, she tends to fumble and stumble through the strange world she finds herself in, which only endears her to us, the readers, all the more.

There are the two conflicting young men who confuse her feelings even more. And talk about "cast of characters" this book is full of unusual, funny, scary, friendly, mean--you name it--characters that highlight the author's incredible imagination.

Underlying the story is the timely concept of global warming but from an "other world" perspective with warring nature gods and a key to survival for all that only Haley holds.

[Shelly Schulz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alternate world/universe books are something that I eat up like candy. This book was no exception to that. Fire in the Blood is a the first book in a promising young adult series. The main character Haley is a modern, typical seventeen year old girl, who wants nothing more than a "Hall-God" boyfriend, and to get through the day without some sort of muck up.

Instead, she's thrust into a parallel world called Eyidora by her adoptive mother when she's hunted by the same entity that killed her birth parents....

See my full review here.

[Ann Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, I gave it five stars. It held my attention, it has a very original plot.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book, I read it in only a few hours, and anxiously await the next

[Emma Janssen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I you want a book series that is pretty easy, fun and fast to read I recommend it. Although it does have a really long slow burn but it is worth it in the end. Don't have high expectations though it is a bit childish especially the first book.

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of this book earned a solid 3 star rating. It was just a little too fast paced, skipping a lot of the necessary description to drag a reader into the story. There were many strong words in the beginning that felt awkward, as if they were placed there to create drama, with the effect of adding a forced feel to the first few chapters.

The plot of this book isn't exactly original: girl falls through portal, finds out she is the only one who can save the universe, doesn't know who to trust, and sets off on a quest to find the magical objects before doom befalls the planet--or planets, in this case. Despite my misgivings with the hook, I read on, and in the end I'm glad I did.

The last two thirds of Fire in the Blood deserves 4 stars. Even with disjointed transitions, a few predictable moments, and more "telling" than "showing", I was intrigued. I was actually disappointed when I left work for the day, because it meant I had to stop reading. It seemed that, once the author got into the book more, she was more motivated, and described the world, the people and relationships in greater detail. The world in general was fascinating; it included lush, wild beauty juxtaposed with poverty, drought, and hardship. The creativity needed to so completely create and describe a new world is hard to come by, and even harder to control, but it is beautifully done in this book.

My one major quarrel with the end of the book was a lack of showing. The reader is told how to feel instead of made to feel it. There is a lot going on and a few unexpected turns, and the ending had the potential for an epic sort of drama. Some of that, however, was lost in the telling.

With a rough beginning but a thrilling and riveting ending, this book deserves an average rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars.

The ending has a brilliant set up for another novel, and if Dale Ibitz continues her pattern of only getting better, I expect great things out of the sequel.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book, the first in a young adult fantasy series, is based on a relatively original idea. A girl travels to another world in which the deities of Earth, Water, Air and Fire and their descendants are in a power struggle. The resulting disharmony affects the climate in all worlds.

Unfortunately, I didn't much like any other aspect of the book. The writing needs quite a bit of work. Dialogue is stilted and at times silly. The protagonist swoons over boys who treat her like garbage, which is not only hard to believe, but makes it difficult to like her very much. No one ever bothers to explain to her what is going on, ever, which leads to a whole lot of unnecessary trouble for everyone, even with the fate of all the worlds hanging in the balance. When introducing tension into the story, you have to do it in a way that readers will buy and won't have them banging their heads against the wall. And if I had to read the phrase "hall god" one more time...!

The author has decent ideas for YA fantasy, but needs further improvement with her writing and novel-crafting abilities. Perhaps she already has gotten better since putting this book out, but at this time I do not plan on reading any further in this series.

[Brit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review (We <3 YA)
This book had so much promise!! It sounds awesome. Climate change is actually due to dueling gods of another planet? Count me in! Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. The main character was quite whiney and, in my opinion, really stupid and ignorant. She couldn't figure out the simplest things and she doesn't even care that she isn't getting the terminology of the new planet right. That made me a little angry. And the fact that she ran away from Tuggin all because she thought he was going to kill her? Why not just ask him? You're on a planet that doesn't make sense to you and you just figure you'll go off on you're own because you get frustrated with who you're with? If that was the case I would have been long done with this book.
Also, I didn't find the writing to be that good. I was often left confused as to what was going on and who was talking. Also, there were a few spelling and grammatical errors.
All in all, this book was alright for me. I wouldn't really recommend it. It had so much promise but unfortunately it flunked for me

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like this genre, but the writing was simple and a bit cheesy - I may still read the next in the series to see if it improves.

[Divya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come soon.