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The Half-Light City #4
Fire Kin
Imagine a city divided…a city readying itself for a war. The vampire Blood and the shape-shifting Beast Kind seek to seize control now that the treaty is broken. Only the humans stand in their way…but they stand without their Fae allies…and they desperately need help....
I chose to stay with the humans when the Fae withdrew from the City. I am a healer, and they need me. I know the odds are against them. I know they need reinforcements. But I never expected them to turn and seek aid from the depths of my past. Asharic is a powerful Fae, exiled by the Veiled Queen thirty years ago. Leaving me behind. But now the queen is dead and the throne is vacant, and Ash is returning to the City—my City—with his mercenary army.
It would be false to deny that there is still a spark between us, but I will not be taken in again. And I’m not the only one disturbed by his return. A Blood lord is poised to conquer the Half-Light City, and other enemies new and old are gathering to eliminate the threat Ash poses. To save the City, we will have to join forces. And pray we’re not the ones who burn…
I chose to stay with the humans when the Fae withdrew from the City. I am a healer, and they need me. I know the odds are against them. I know they need reinforcements. But I never expected them to turn and seek aid from the depths of my past. Asharic is a powerful Fae, exiled by the Veiled Queen thirty years ago. Leaving me behind. But now the queen is dead and the throne is vacant, and Ash is returning to the City—my City—with his mercenary army.
It would be false to deny that there is still a spark between us, but I will not be taken in again. And I’m not the only one disturbed by his return. A Blood lord is poised to conquer the Half-Light City, and other enemies new and old are gathering to eliminate the threat Ash poses. To save the City, we will have to join forces. And pray we’re not the ones who burn…
320 pages, Paperback
First published May 6, 2014
23 people are currently reading
823 people want to read
About the author
M.J. Scott
28 books594 followersM.J Scott is a RITA® Award nominated author. She is an unrepentant bookworm. Luckily she grew up in a family that fed her a properly varied diet of books and these days is surrounded by people who are understanding of her story addiction. When not wrestling one of her own stories to the ground, she can generally be found reading someone else’s. Her other distractions include yarn, cat butlering, dark chocolate and fabric. She lives in Melbourne, Australia.
For free reads and all her news and sneak peeks sign up to her newsletter at https://www.mjscott.net!
Follow her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authormjscott
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She has also written contemporary romance as Melanie Scott and Emma Douglas.
For free reads and all her news and sneak peeks sign up to her newsletter at https://www.mjscott.net!
Follow her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authormjscott
Or Instagram: www.instagram.com/melwrites
Or Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/mel_writes
She has also written contemporary romance as Melanie Scott and Emma Douglas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
October 15, 2015
This book was a good ending to this Half-Light City quartet. It continued to have me hooked throughout the entire read.
What I liked:
- A Fae involved with a Fae. No huge age differences that would border on creepy.
- An old romance getting a second chance.
- More of a taste of this world's magic.
- An opening for possibly more books in this world.
- A good ending, not leaving the reader feeling unsatisfied.
What I disliked:
- As usual with these books, the conversations were split up by too much "thoughts".
- There were no new secrets to discover.
- A lot of the events were too predictable.
Asharic was a great male lead. I loved everything about him, especially because he wasn't "Mr. Perfect". I get tired of reading about those types.
These books are still the best I've read that are written in the first person. I usually cannot stand first person narratives because the characters tend to come off very whiny. This was not the case with this quartet. I wasn't the keenest on this book involving vampires, because I don't like the new spin our culture has put on them since Twilight. I like vampires that are villains and don't sparkle. The vampires here didn't necessarily sparkle, but they did have some "good" characters. I struggle with that concept but it didn't take away from the book.
I'm very pleased with M.J. Scott's writing and I'm interested in reading more of her books. She has a new series coming out about witches which seems a little more up my alley so I'll be happy to read those soon.
What I liked:
- A Fae involved with a Fae. No huge age differences that would border on creepy.
- An old romance getting a second chance.
- More of a taste of this world's magic.
- An opening for possibly more books in this world.
- A good ending, not leaving the reader feeling unsatisfied.
What I disliked:
- As usual with these books, the conversations were split up by too much "thoughts".
- There were no new secrets to discover.
- A lot of the events were too predictable.
Asharic was a great male lead. I loved everything about him, especially because he wasn't "Mr. Perfect". I get tired of reading about those types.
These books are still the best I've read that are written in the first person. I usually cannot stand first person narratives because the characters tend to come off very whiny. This was not the case with this quartet. I wasn't the keenest on this book involving vampires, because I don't like the new spin our culture has put on them since Twilight. I like vampires that are villains and don't sparkle. The vampires here didn't necessarily sparkle, but they did have some "good" characters. I struggle with that concept but it didn't take away from the book.
I'm very pleased with M.J. Scott's writing and I'm interested in reading more of her books. She has a new series coming out about witches which seems a little more up my alley so I'll be happy to read those soon.
May 27, 2014
2014-05-10 (before reading)
Crappy CSS.
I'll have to fix it before reading it >_>
Crappy CSS.
I'll have to fix it before reading it >_>
March 17, 2019
For a book on Armageddon it was an incredibly boring one. Least of all the romance. It was a chore to read, there wasn't anything interesting to keep me in.
Everything was surface only. I mean you can do so much with Fae and politics and nothing. It was so bland.
Everything was surface only. I mean you can do so much with Fae and politics and nothing. It was so bland.
May 4, 2014
http://openbooksociety.com/article/fi...
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi
*Beware of Spoilers*
fire-kin-the-half-light-city-m-j-scottFire Kin picks up where Iron Kin left off … the Fae queen has been killed and the veil has fallen, treaty negotiations to keep peace between the different races has stopped, meaning complete chaos and uncertainty for the races, especially the humans, who are in the most danger being weaker than the other species.
Asharic was exiled from the Fae kingdom, Summerdale, and the nearby areas when he killed someone in a duel. But with the queen now dead, his exile is over. He can go back home. To his family. To Bryony. So he doesn’t think twice when the Templars offer him and his mercenary army a job standing with them in the upcoming race war. But can he right the wrongs of his past and get back the girl he loves with his whole heart? Can their combined forces win a war that threatens their very existence?
I started this series at book three, Iron Kin. I loved the romance between Fen and Saskia in that book, but didn’t much care for all the political maneuverings that was going on around them. But I could see the potential of the series and knew that I must continue reading it.
Enter the newest and possibly last entry into The Half-Light City series, Fire Kin. It was so much more than I ever expected! I was hooked early on and the book kept me interested throughout. This one seemed to focus more on the couple it centers on, Ash and Bryony, than anything else. There were other things going on with the impending war looming, but this couple seemed to remain the focus. Being an emotion loving reader, that was the perfect recipe for an amazing book for me!
I loved Ash! His charm and charisma really bled through the pages.
“A mystery.” He smiled, his teeth a white gleam in the shadowed face. “I like mysteries.”
“Don’t you have enough to do without going looking for trouble?”
“I especially like mysteries that involve trouble.”
I was nagging Bryony to take him back throughout the book, and I was so incredibly sad when she forced his hand with the Veiled Court, making it clear they had no future either way. I figured she would come around eventually, but I still wanted to kick her butt for making my guy so sad! Plus it was annoying me the pity party she was having in her internal dialogue when it was her own doing.
*Spoiler-Skip the below quote to avoid it*
“Bryony came with us, shooting me a look that told me that if I tried to turn her away, then she might finally fulfill one of her threats to turn me into a frog– or worse. Of course, if she could, half my problems would be solved, but knowing her, she’d then organize for me to be the first frog king of the Fae and I wasn’t going to give Salvia the satisfaction of being able to stomp on me and kill me that way.”
I think it was pretty clear early on whom was going to take the Veiled Queen’s place at the helm of the Fae Court, but the journey was still a lot of fun.
Scott definitely knows how to write a powerful against all odds love story and I hope to read more from her in the future. I’m just sad to see that this appears to be the final book in the series, all the issues seem to be solved. I just wish I had more time to spend with these couples that she made me fall in love with! Leave it to me to fall in love with the series on the last book!
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi
*Beware of Spoilers*
fire-kin-the-half-light-city-m-j-scottFire Kin picks up where Iron Kin left off … the Fae queen has been killed and the veil has fallen, treaty negotiations to keep peace between the different races has stopped, meaning complete chaos and uncertainty for the races, especially the humans, who are in the most danger being weaker than the other species.
Asharic was exiled from the Fae kingdom, Summerdale, and the nearby areas when he killed someone in a duel. But with the queen now dead, his exile is over. He can go back home. To his family. To Bryony. So he doesn’t think twice when the Templars offer him and his mercenary army a job standing with them in the upcoming race war. But can he right the wrongs of his past and get back the girl he loves with his whole heart? Can their combined forces win a war that threatens their very existence?
I started this series at book three, Iron Kin. I loved the romance between Fen and Saskia in that book, but didn’t much care for all the political maneuverings that was going on around them. But I could see the potential of the series and knew that I must continue reading it.
Enter the newest and possibly last entry into The Half-Light City series, Fire Kin. It was so much more than I ever expected! I was hooked early on and the book kept me interested throughout. This one seemed to focus more on the couple it centers on, Ash and Bryony, than anything else. There were other things going on with the impending war looming, but this couple seemed to remain the focus. Being an emotion loving reader, that was the perfect recipe for an amazing book for me!
I loved Ash! His charm and charisma really bled through the pages.
“A mystery.” He smiled, his teeth a white gleam in the shadowed face. “I like mysteries.”
“Don’t you have enough to do without going looking for trouble?”
“I especially like mysteries that involve trouble.”
I was nagging Bryony to take him back throughout the book, and I was so incredibly sad when she forced his hand with the Veiled Court, making it clear they had no future either way. I figured she would come around eventually, but I still wanted to kick her butt for making my guy so sad! Plus it was annoying me the pity party she was having in her internal dialogue when it was her own doing.
*Spoiler-Skip the below quote to avoid it*
“Bryony came with us, shooting me a look that told me that if I tried to turn her away, then she might finally fulfill one of her threats to turn me into a frog– or worse. Of course, if she could, half my problems would be solved, but knowing her, she’d then organize for me to be the first frog king of the Fae and I wasn’t going to give Salvia the satisfaction of being able to stomp on me and kill me that way.”
I think it was pretty clear early on whom was going to take the Veiled Queen’s place at the helm of the Fae Court, but the journey was still a lot of fun.
Scott definitely knows how to write a powerful against all odds love story and I hope to read more from her in the future. I’m just sad to see that this appears to be the final book in the series, all the issues seem to be solved. I just wish I had more time to spend with these couples that she made me fall in love with! Leave it to me to fall in love with the series on the last book!
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
May 20, 2014
GENRE: Urban Fantasy
THEME: Fae, Magic, Werewolves
RECEIVED: Publisher
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
It’s been way too long since I got sucked back into the world of The Half-light City. I adored the first and second and missed the third, but since I did read the first two I wasn’t lost at all stepping into the fourth book in the series. The whole gang is back, my two favorite boys Guy and Simon, along with their kick butt ladies are back in action. But this time the plot focuses on the death of the fae queen and the possibility of vampires and werewolves taking over control. The new couple in focus is Asharic an exiled fae and the healer Bryony.
Fire Kin follows right where the third book left off, which helped me understand what happened in the third that I missed. It follows Asharic a powerful fae who can now return to the City since the queen’s death. Byrony and Asharic have a long history and with him being back tension rises between the two. But Asharic wont give up on Bryony and knows that there is a connection and no matter how much she denies it, they belong together. With a war on the verge or coming to the city they must work together with the fae and templar knights to stop the vampires and werewolves from taking over once and for all.
Bryony is passionate about helping others and is not at all happy to have Asharic back in her life. I had a hard time with Bryony’s character, as she was a little too stubborn and pushy for my liking. It frustrated me when she pushed Asharic into doing something he never wanted in the first place. However M.J. Scott knows how to make her female characters strong and always on the verge of sacrificing their happiness, it just went to show Bryony was only thinking of the city and not love.
Asharic was fantastic; he is a warrior and has a good head on his shoulders, which helps the Templar Knights plan how to stop their enemies. His background was fascinating, he is also so very powerful, but doesn’t seem to care much about it as he only wants to help and get Bryony back into his life. I love his persona of passion and charm, frustrating Bryony to not ends, which makes her cave at some points. In the end he has to make a tough decision that I made me love him even more.
Overall I loved coming back into this world; there is always so much excitement and danger that I never know what going to happen. It was also great seeing how the characters from the other books are progressing. I’m definitely going to step back and read book three now that I’m all caught up, the last duo had a lot happened to them. Again this is one Urban Fantasy series that I will continue to come back too and look forward to seeing where Scott takes them next.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult novel with some violence and adult situations. Fans of authors Christina Henry of the Madeline Black series and Keri Arthur of the Dark Angels series will love The Half-Light City series Blood Kin by M.J. Scott.
THEME: Fae, Magic, Werewolves
RECEIVED: Publisher
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
It’s been way too long since I got sucked back into the world of The Half-light City. I adored the first and second and missed the third, but since I did read the first two I wasn’t lost at all stepping into the fourth book in the series. The whole gang is back, my two favorite boys Guy and Simon, along with their kick butt ladies are back in action. But this time the plot focuses on the death of the fae queen and the possibility of vampires and werewolves taking over control. The new couple in focus is Asharic an exiled fae and the healer Bryony.
Fire Kin follows right where the third book left off, which helped me understand what happened in the third that I missed. It follows Asharic a powerful fae who can now return to the City since the queen’s death. Byrony and Asharic have a long history and with him being back tension rises between the two. But Asharic wont give up on Bryony and knows that there is a connection and no matter how much she denies it, they belong together. With a war on the verge or coming to the city they must work together with the fae and templar knights to stop the vampires and werewolves from taking over once and for all.
Bryony is passionate about helping others and is not at all happy to have Asharic back in her life. I had a hard time with Bryony’s character, as she was a little too stubborn and pushy for my liking. It frustrated me when she pushed Asharic into doing something he never wanted in the first place. However M.J. Scott knows how to make her female characters strong and always on the verge of sacrificing their happiness, it just went to show Bryony was only thinking of the city and not love.
Asharic was fantastic; he is a warrior and has a good head on his shoulders, which helps the Templar Knights plan how to stop their enemies. His background was fascinating, he is also so very powerful, but doesn’t seem to care much about it as he only wants to help and get Bryony back into his life. I love his persona of passion and charm, frustrating Bryony to not ends, which makes her cave at some points. In the end he has to make a tough decision that I made me love him even more.
Overall I loved coming back into this world; there is always so much excitement and danger that I never know what going to happen. It was also great seeing how the characters from the other books are progressing. I’m definitely going to step back and read book three now that I’m all caught up, the last duo had a lot happened to them. Again this is one Urban Fantasy series that I will continue to come back too and look forward to seeing where Scott takes them next.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult novel with some violence and adult situations. Fans of authors Christina Henry of the Madeline Black series and Keri Arthur of the Dark Angels series will love The Half-Light City series Blood Kin by M.J. Scott.
April 18, 2014
So much better than Iron Kin (I did NOT read the first two books of the series). A powerful love story that I couldn't get enough of. I was routing for Ash all the way! I just love him! There were a few predictable happenings in this book, but they were written in a powerful way that kept my interest throughout. I'm just sad to not see more of these amazing characters!
October 30, 2021
I loved Ash so much! He was perfection! Byrony was good but Ash… fitting that he would become King and make changes in the Fae world!
I liked all of the heroes. Ash was number one. I didn’t think anyone could top Guy. He was superb too! Simon would be my third favorite. I really liked Fen but he was so weak.
Out of the heroines…Nobody topped Lily! Lily was my favorite! Holly didn’t have much to do in any of the books after her friend died. I wish her friend Reggie had been saved. There was no reason to kill poor Reggie! She had a bad break being friends with the half-Fae, Holly. Kidnapped in Holly’s book, found, then killed in weak ass Fen’s book. Speaking of Fen again they kept talking about how strong he was but he never really did anything!
They also said Byrony was strong but she didn’t show her power either. Saskia was my least favorite heroine. I thought she had some great power that would make a difference but it was never put forward either.
I was hoping for more romances. They hint at Rhian and Liam. I would also like to know if Hannah (the DuCaine’s youngest sister) gets a power.
Also where did the magic come from in their family. Had to be the mother. Dad was very rarely spoken of. At times I thought he was dead. Then they would mention him.
Anyway these are my thoughts and queries.
I liked all of the heroes. Ash was number one. I didn’t think anyone could top Guy. He was superb too! Simon would be my third favorite. I really liked Fen but he was so weak.
Out of the heroines…Nobody topped Lily! Lily was my favorite! Holly didn’t have much to do in any of the books after her friend died. I wish her friend Reggie had been saved. There was no reason to kill poor Reggie! She had a bad break being friends with the half-Fae, Holly. Kidnapped in Holly’s book, found, then killed in weak ass Fen’s book. Speaking of Fen again they kept talking about how strong he was but he never really did anything!
They also said Byrony was strong but she didn’t show her power either. Saskia was my least favorite heroine. I thought she had some great power that would make a difference but it was never put forward either.
I was hoping for more romances. They hint at Rhian and Liam. I would also like to know if Hannah (the DuCaine’s youngest sister) gets a power.
Also where did the magic come from in their family. Had to be the mother. Dad was very rarely spoken of. At times I thought he was dead. Then they would mention him.
Anyway these are my thoughts and queries.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2025
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)
3.5*
I read books 1 to 4 back to back. The rating is for them as a group.
If there is a complete set available, it's not been added and I'm not in the mood to play 'find and add to GR'.
First time read the author's work?: No
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
3.5*
I read books 1 to 4 back to back. The rating is for them as a group.
If there is a complete set available, it's not been added and I'm not in the mood to play 'find and add to GR'.
First time read the author's work?: No
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
April 10, 2021
This fourth book was a good conclusion to the series. I give it a 3.5. I actually quite enjoyed the two characters. And getting a deeper look into face court politics. But considering the length of the book it felt like a lot of places where there could have been more details was just internal monologues and needless pinning. And when there wasn’t enough details it felt like the story was rushing along. Everything happened at the end. It was somewhat predictable. And annoying that so many situations could’ve been addressed if only the characters stopped “ignoring” what was right in front of them. Anyways, I enjoyed the series despite the repetitiveness of some of the stories!
August 6, 2018
Asharic "Ash" sa'Uriel'pellar more commonly known as Captain Pellar of his own mercenary troop is asked to come to Half-Light City. For Ash, being back brings many memories that best left forgotten except one Lady Bryony sa'Eleniel. Lady Bryony knows that Ash is back but can't let memories of the past cloud her judgment. Bryony is an acclaimed healer and doesn't have time for romance. With the murder of Veiled Queen leaving power vacuum among the Fae. When a delegation led by Bryony to Summerlands presents more danger than any of them expected. Ignatius Grey is a thorn in everyone side that needs resolution and soon. What danger lurks in Summerlands? Will Bryony acknowledge her feelings for Ash? Can Ignatius Grey be stopped? Who murdered The Veiled Queen? Your answers await you in Fire Kin.
November 27, 2017
3.4 stars: entertaining, as each steps from one romance-couple to the next; the universe is consistent, with overlap from the previous books (and those couples as well).
an 'easy' read, a fantasy romance theme.
an 'easy' read, a fantasy romance theme.
February 5, 2018
Great read, great series
I was engaged from the first book and love how the author is able to write a separate love story for the various characters while keeping the story arch going, as well as including all the favorite characters. Highly recommended but start with book 1!
I was engaged from the first book and love how the author is able to write a separate love story for the various characters while keeping the story arch going, as well as including all the favorite characters. Highly recommended but start with book 1!
June 10, 2021
Such a good ending. I really loved this series. I did feel like this book could have been longer - it felt rushed in parts and especially near the end. But overall it was wonderful. A fantastic series.
June 27, 2017
I was surprised that the end happened so quickly and hope there will be another, as there were some unexplained bits in the final chapter!
August 24, 2017
Enjoy all these books. Great characters.
May 6, 2018
An exciting conclusion to a really great series. This was my favorite of the four.
October 15, 2019
Excellent conclusion to the Half-life city books. Recommended make sure you read them in sequence.
September 22, 2020
Great end to the series
This was a great end to a very interesting series. I really loved hearing more about Byrony’s story although I was hoping for a happy ending for Liam
This was a great end to a very interesting series. I really loved hearing more about Byrony’s story although I was hoping for a happy ending for Liam
December 31, 2024
Perfect ending for the series!!! 👏🏻👏🏻♥️♥️
April 14, 2025
Didn't read the whole series yet but enjoyed it for the world building aspects.
July 4, 2025
Not as good as the rest of them
July 29, 2014
Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..
Since I'm very romance driven with my reading choices, it's only fitting that I kick this review off with my feelings for the main couple, Bryony and Ash. I just love the past history and tension that comes with reunited lovers. It's that battle to make this time work that really amps up the tension for me, and if you've followed my reviews at all, you'll know that that delicious tension and build up between a couple is my weakness. When done well, it can suck me completely into the characters, and I was so happy that was the case here with these two.
Now as much as I loved Ash and Bryony together, they couldn't overshadow an issue I had with the flow and focus of this book. So much time seemed to be spent on the fae politics side of things rather than the overall series arc of the war against the blood. This might have been okay if I had felt like we were getting somewhere with the fae aspects, but it just seemed to scratch the surface a stay rather vague, and yet major things happened, leaving my scratching my head and scrambling to get on board. It's also because of this heavy fae focus (and well heavy romantic focus too, but you won't hear me complaining about that), that the final showdown or resolution seemed to get jilted. I mean when you have a four book build up with a "big bad" I just would have expected the climax to have a bit more oomph to be honest. Don't get me wrong, I like how things turned out and the little event at the very very end really sold things for me, but I still feel a bit let down at how it was all resolved. I guess I just wanted a bit more.
So that being said, I'm pretty impressed with this final installment in the Half Light series. While I did have a bit of frustration with wanting more at the climax, overall I'm pleased and would recommend the entire series to fans of Urban Fantasy or lighter steampunk.
Since I'm very romance driven with my reading choices, it's only fitting that I kick this review off with my feelings for the main couple, Bryony and Ash. I just love the past history and tension that comes with reunited lovers. It's that battle to make this time work that really amps up the tension for me, and if you've followed my reviews at all, you'll know that that delicious tension and build up between a couple is my weakness. When done well, it can suck me completely into the characters, and I was so happy that was the case here with these two.
Now as much as I loved Ash and Bryony together, they couldn't overshadow an issue I had with the flow and focus of this book. So much time seemed to be spent on the fae politics side of things rather than the overall series arc of the war against the blood. This might have been okay if I had felt like we were getting somewhere with the fae aspects, but it just seemed to scratch the surface a stay rather vague, and yet major things happened, leaving my scratching my head and scrambling to get on board. It's also because of this heavy fae focus (and well heavy romantic focus too, but you won't hear me complaining about that), that the final showdown or resolution seemed to get jilted. I mean when you have a four book build up with a "big bad" I just would have expected the climax to have a bit more oomph to be honest. Don't get me wrong, I like how things turned out and the little event at the very very end really sold things for me, but I still feel a bit let down at how it was all resolved. I guess I just wanted a bit more.
So that being said, I'm pretty impressed with this final installment in the Half Light series. While I did have a bit of frustration with wanting more at the climax, overall I'm pleased and would recommend the entire series to fans of Urban Fantasy or lighter steampunk.
October 2, 2015
Fire Kin is book 4 and the final one in the Half Light City series. This one covers Bryony’s story. I was a bit surprised that this was the focus character for this book at first, because I just wasn’t expecting it. I did really enjoy the direction it went, though.
As a final book, this closed out the series nicely. All of the issues that were brought into play in all the previous books saw a clean and believable resolution without any major strings left hanging. There are no plans to return to this series, though the author’s FAQs section does mention that she may be willing to return to this world at a later date.
While I did enjoy this book quite a bit, the characters were probably my least favorite of the series. I just didn’t get quite as into them as I have the others. I think part of that was because of the impressions I had formed of Bryony in previous books struggled to line up with how she came across in this book. As for Ash, I didn’t feel like he was as interesting as the other male leads in the other books, either. Something about the interaction between the two was just a tad off for me and that kept me from liking them as much. I think I enjoyed the non-romantic part of this book the most.
As a series, I did really like this one as it was pretty different than the typical shifter or vampire or even fae book out there without stretching those differences completely out of whack. This introduced me to a new author for me and I’ll be watching to see what else she has to bring to the table.
As a final book, this closed out the series nicely. All of the issues that were brought into play in all the previous books saw a clean and believable resolution without any major strings left hanging. There are no plans to return to this series, though the author’s FAQs section does mention that she may be willing to return to this world at a later date.
While I did enjoy this book quite a bit, the characters were probably my least favorite of the series. I just didn’t get quite as into them as I have the others. I think part of that was because of the impressions I had formed of Bryony in previous books struggled to line up with how she came across in this book. As for Ash, I didn’t feel like he was as interesting as the other male leads in the other books, either. Something about the interaction between the two was just a tad off for me and that kept me from liking them as much. I think I enjoyed the non-romantic part of this book the most.
As a series, I did really like this one as it was pretty different than the typical shifter or vampire or even fae book out there without stretching those differences completely out of whack. This introduced me to a new author for me and I’ll be watching to see what else she has to bring to the table.
September 23, 2014
Bryony is Fae, living among the humans who need her healing skills, even after the other Fae retreat to the safety of their home as war threatens. She's working with the humans, and hoping for peace with the Beasts against the Blood lord determined to take control of Half-Light City. The situation is dire, so she can't refuse help--even from Asharic, a man she once loved, exiled by the Queen, now allowed back by the Queen's death.
She thought she'd gotten over him, but now that she actually sees him, Bryony isn't so sure. And she'll have to work with him to earn the peace the city so desperately needs. Winning the war between her heart and mind might be more difficult than convincing the Fae to help, and the Blood to take up a fragile treaty again.
Another tension-filled steampunk romp, with danger around every corner, setbacks in the face of success, but hope despite the darkness. The romantic relationship between Bryony and Asharic has plenty of history, lots of sparks, and a great deal of angst. Seeing the previous couples happy together is also nice.
She thought she'd gotten over him, but now that she actually sees him, Bryony isn't so sure. And she'll have to work with him to earn the peace the city so desperately needs. Winning the war between her heart and mind might be more difficult than convincing the Fae to help, and the Blood to take up a fragile treaty again.
Another tension-filled steampunk romp, with danger around every corner, setbacks in the face of success, but hope despite the darkness. The romantic relationship between Bryony and Asharic has plenty of history, lots of sparks, and a great deal of angst. Seeing the previous couples happy together is also nice.
October 19, 2014
I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads to review.
I did not read the previous books in the series but I liked how it was pretty easy to understand what was going on for the most part and while some spoilers from the previous books were given away, it didn't take away from the story.
However I had a very hard time getting into this novel. While I found main character Ash intriguing by himself, I didn't care from his chemistry with Bryony and that love story. It seemed like there was too much action going on in this novel but neither the action or the main characters were well developed. The alternating viewpoints were sometimes confusing since they happened occasionally in the middle of chapters, but for the most part they were okay to deal with.
However there were some exciting and entertaining parts, and a pretty good ending. Unfortunately, I'm not sure I liked this book enough to go back and read the others in this series.
I did not read the previous books in the series but I liked how it was pretty easy to understand what was going on for the most part and while some spoilers from the previous books were given away, it didn't take away from the story.
However I had a very hard time getting into this novel. While I found main character Ash intriguing by himself, I didn't care from his chemistry with Bryony and that love story. It seemed like there was too much action going on in this novel but neither the action or the main characters were well developed. The alternating viewpoints were sometimes confusing since they happened occasionally in the middle of chapters, but for the most part they were okay to deal with.
However there were some exciting and entertaining parts, and a pretty good ending. Unfortunately, I'm not sure I liked this book enough to go back and read the others in this series.
May 27, 2014
I am so happy that this series is more than a trilogy!
This is a very intricate world with the Blood, Fae, Beasts and humans working together in one city to try and live in peace. This story picks up after an attempt to end the peace so that the Blood can rule the city. There is of course a love story but for this book that takes a back seat to the politics. I really enjoyed seeing some issues that have been building over the last several books come to a head and see a resolution. I really appreciate the fact that this author doesn't spend pages and pages recapping everything that has happened before and every characters back story. It does mean that I had a few "Oh, yeah. Now I remember..." moments, but I will take those over the repetitiveness any day!
Excellent series especially for fans of urban fantasy and fantasy. I would recommend starting with the first book in order to get the most out of the series.
This is a very intricate world with the Blood, Fae, Beasts and humans working together in one city to try and live in peace. This story picks up after an attempt to end the peace so that the Blood can rule the city. There is of course a love story but for this book that takes a back seat to the politics. I really enjoyed seeing some issues that have been building over the last several books come to a head and see a resolution. I really appreciate the fact that this author doesn't spend pages and pages recapping everything that has happened before and every characters back story. It does mean that I had a few "Oh, yeah. Now I remember..." moments, but I will take those over the repetitiveness any day!
Excellent series especially for fans of urban fantasy and fantasy. I would recommend starting with the first book in order to get the most out of the series.
February 3, 2015
Mi spiace dirlo in maniera così scarna e sgarbata, ma davvero non vedo perché indorare la pillola quando l'autrice, per sua stessa ammissione, aveva strutturato la serie come una trilogia.
Questo volume è atroce, e non capisco come alcuni lettori possano averlo trovato entusiasmante. Sono ancora allibita dalla superficialità con cui la Scott ha rappresentato le dinamiche di trama e, soprattutto, di relazione tra i due protagonisti principali. Manca completamente il sentimento, non c'è pathos (nonostante gli innumerevoli spunti che avrebbero potuto esserne veicolo), e l'innamoramento di Bryony e Ash mi è sembrato accadere perché sì, come una forzatura su tutti i fronti.
Persino la battaglia finale, che culmina con la cattura del cattivone di turno, si è svolta in un arco lungo più o meno 4 pagine scarse.
Davvero un volume bruttissimo.
Questo volume è atroce, e non capisco come alcuni lettori possano averlo trovato entusiasmante. Sono ancora allibita dalla superficialità con cui la Scott ha rappresentato le dinamiche di trama e, soprattutto, di relazione tra i due protagonisti principali. Manca completamente il sentimento, non c'è pathos (nonostante gli innumerevoli spunti che avrebbero potuto esserne veicolo), e l'innamoramento di Bryony e Ash mi è sembrato accadere perché sì, come una forzatura su tutti i fronti.
Persino la battaglia finale, che culmina con la cattura del cattivone di turno, si è svolta in un arco lungo più o meno 4 pagine scarse.
Davvero un volume bruttissimo.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2014
Okay, so I finally finished reading this book. I held off because I didn't want the series to end. Everything wraps up nicely, but I still confess to wanting more. Even if they were just short stories, I think I would like to see little bits of each couple's future, and I'd also like to see a novella or novel revolving around Liam because he was a great side character. I liked that we got to learn a lot more about Bryony in this book and Ash was an interesting new character. Overall I think Lily and Simon are my favorite couple but each book was amazing. I look forward to reading many more M.J. Scott books in the future.
August 14, 2014
My least favourite of the series. I love Simon & Lily from the first book. I really like Holly & Guy from the second book. I like Fen but wasn't crazy about Saskia in the third. In this one I didn't mind Ash but didn't really feel like we really got to see much of his personality at all and I actually didn't like Bryony much at all. I also had the same problem with the alternating view points that I found in the last book - there was no differentiation in the "voices" so I could never tell who was speaking with double checking the chapter heading part way through. I think it is time to end this series.
August 9, 2014
I'm glad that this series seems to have come to a conclusion, as the past few books have been rather lacking. The romance between the two mains is fairly boring, and the conflict within the city itself concerning the different factions doesn't start to get exciting until the middle/end of the book. That being said, the book actually didn't grab my attention until after Ash and Bryony went to court that first time (a good third of the way through). Fire Kin is more a story about Ash and he is a character I really enjoyed reading about, but I wish this adventure could have been more well-rounded. I will say, however, the ending was great.
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