A Chill in the Flame

Villains #1

by Piper C.J.

From USA Today bestselling author and TikTok sensation Piper CJ comes the first in a standalone dark romantasy duology. Discover the origins of demons and darkness and uncover the twisted politics behind the sprawling, bloody continent in the Villains books, set in Piper's beloved The Night and Its Moon universe.

Shattered by her sister's murder, Princess Ophir's gift for fire magic spirals in her grief, threatening to incinerate the castle. That is, until mysterious siren Dwyn arrives from the sea, pledging both assistance and something more. They work to quench Ophir's flames, all the while Dwyn's longtime rival watches from the shadows: Tyr, who has tracked Dwyn's abilities across the continent and now finds himself embroiled in a sinister competition with her for Ophir's heart.

But everything changes when Dwyn's calculated lessons unlock a second power in Ophir, the most rare and dangerous of all magic…manifestation.

Ophir knows three things for certain. One, she burns passionately for both the beautiful siren and the rugged master of secrets. Two, with their powers combined, the trio can seek revenge against her sister's killers.

And three, no one can be trusted.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Magic, Adult, LGBT, Fiction

464 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 19, 2024

About the author

Fantasy author with an M.A. in Folklore, who loves to take pictures, eat french fries, and live my life as an all-around creative forest nymph! I'm so excited to bring you with me on my journey as I step out of our everyday lives and into the new fantasy world within The Night and Its Moon fantasy series!

I wrote these books for an audience of one, and that audience was me. I wanted to see bi representation, love, mental health struggles, religious trauma, and overcoming the of obstacles that I needed to be modeled in my own life. At the end of the day I'm so proud of myself for creating the series that I'd always hoped I could read, and I hope someone is able to connect with them in a way that I have.

Reviews

[Julia Roome · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think piper c j is a v cool person but man I wish she would get a better editor. The plot and characters are so fun but there were multiple inconsistencies and typos that could’ve been fixed so easily!!!!

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is extremely poorly written and doesn’t show the reader anything. It feels like an assignment that needed to hit a word count.

[Meghan Bright · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded down. There were both things I liked and disliked about this book. It was a bit choppy and repetitive at times. A lot of telling instead of showing things that happened/are happening. Idk if that makes any sense. I feel like a lot happened while also not a lot happening?!

Things I liked!! The MMC. The overall plot (even though execution wasn’t the best). The twists. The Vageths. The whole villains/revenge/unreliable characters things. The magic systems.

Will I read book 2?!
Ahhh idk. I wanna know what will happen but also dont know if I feel like it with this one.

[n4ssie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like I knew exactly what this book was when I met it (based on the synopsis) but the execution was mid.

The whole story surrounded an all powerful princess based on her possession of a manifestation ability—but it wasn’t giving powerful, it gave “I’m powerful,” but in order to achieve that power and believe myself, people need to tell me I’m amazing and sexy. There were so many descriptive segments in the book but on the wrong things. I wish there was more world building, look descriptions (not just abt how their boobs curved a certain way ..?), and character building —CONNECTION I NEEDED TO FEEL THE CONNECTIONS.

Dwyn and Ophirs relationship feels so forced and just so sexual, bonded by nothing but trauma. The whole book Dywn was trying to prove herself and being like “I care so much for the princess blah blah blah why do you think I stayed blah blah blah,” but there’s literally no chemistry between the two, just a lot of empty words. Tyr, on the other hand, was fine shyt. He was a lot more sympathetic and like nurturing. He the type to let you cry and accept the grief of your sister literally getting gutted in front of you whereas Dwyn was like “no just use that sadness turn it into anger and kill everyone 🥰.” Even in the moments when they got lit (surprising lower amount than I expected based on the freakiness of this damn trope) Tyr’s side was so much more emotional like he was deadass falling in love; then you have Dwyn over here just trying to buss it down. HELL TYR AND DWYN HAVE MORE CHEMISTRY THAN HER AND OPHIR ugh i just despise Dwyn. //// Disclaimer: I hate polygamy and am straight

Not a lot happened at all and the primary conflict was the princess running away from her problems. When I think Ophir I envision a girl hunched over In the corner with her legs pulled to her chest…not this big black venomous snake she claim to be. ANYWAYS the end gave me nothing! we kinda back to where we started and it was only enjoyable because Dwyn was unconscious and Tyr delivered a cute uplifting speech while being sexy.

Sorry I thought this review would be short lmfao. All to say though im slightly more curious to read the sequel than I was before, especially to see if this bitch Dywn’s secret gets revealed (hopefully Ophir drops her in the ocean) but we’ll see if Farehold occupies my mind enough for me to go back.

2.5 ☆

[Talia Devereaux · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was bad. Not only was it bad, but it was offensive. The writing itself was very poorly done. Clearly, this book was not even edited. It read as if the author wrote something, ran out of ideas, came back to write more, and didn't bother to check that everything made sense. The narration is super inconsistent, especially in the first two hundred pages. There's tons of head hopping as well, a lot of telling without showing. Full pages where we're just told the entire thought process someone is having, without a single hint of action or dialogue. There's even an entire conversation where, instead of writing out the dialogue, she writes one person's dialogue and describes what the other person says.

Not many, she admitted. She’d been met by guards when she’d entered the city. She’d been escorted to the dungeon when she’d first confirmed Berinth’s identity for Tarkhany’s royal authorities. She’d interacted with the servants as they’d brought her meals and helped her bathe and dress. Other than that, she’d only had a few peculiar exchanges with Zita. The barest curiosities sparkled in Samael’s expression. “Peculiar how?” She amended that she didn’t know whether or not the exchanges were typical for Tarkhany culture, seeming rather embarrassed as she recalled the scolding she’d received on her ignorance of the other kingdoms. “And the prince?”

like wtf is this writing???

This was marketed as a vengeance fantasy, I think? The story starts with Ophir, who is the youngest princess of the kingdom Farehold, taking her elder sister Caris to a party. There's a lot of narration to make sure you're aware that Caris is a picture of 'virginal elegance': she's pure as a flower, never does anything wrong, saves herself for marriage, and is gonna unify the entire continent!! She doesn't want to be at this party at all, which is essentially a massive orgy, but Ophir convinces her to stay despite her sister begging to leave. And then, Caris is drugged, tied and pinned down by several men, sliced open and disembowelled. For a good chunk of the story, you're led to believe she was assaulted by these men as well, only for it to later come out that "at least her maidenhead was still intact!!!"

Ophir tries to commit suicide by drowning in the ocean because she blames herself, but is rescued by a siren named Dwyn, who also happens to be the first Asian person Ophir has ever seen. Quick aside to explain the book's general racism. Basically, all the countries are segregated, and nobody travels anywhere, so whenever anyone from a different country shows up in a country that's not their home, everyone is shocked and is like OMG, LOOK at A PERSON WHO IS A DIFFERENT SKIN TONE THAN ME?!?!?! and they're all immediately suspicious of them(except for some reason when Dwyn showed up, the king and queen just let her move in to the castle because she has water powers and were like oh yeah, def go sleep in our daughters room and put out her night terror fires that she sets, person that i've never met before. I trust you with my only remaining child and heir's life; that makes complete sense. We are not suspicious of you or questioning you in any way.) Ophir later meets the second Asian person she's ever met, whose name is Tyr(no, this is not a Norse-inspired fantasy; she just named him after the Norse god of war for no conceivable reason). When she notices that Dwyn and Tyr have identical tattoos, her first thought is 'I wonder if every Asian person has that tattoo', and not MAYBE THESE TWO PEOPLE ARE SOMEHOW CONNECTED??? Because the tattoo literally indicates that they're part of the same cult(and they're unable to kill each other because it's a magic blood curse tattoo). We also later find out that the queen in the desert country(Tarkhany(lol okay, cs lewis), also the land of the Black people, where there is also only one shade of Black person, light-skinned Black people do not exist, apparently, evident when Tyr and Dwyn visit and are like OUR BRONZE SKIN CANNOT BLEND IN WITH ALL THESE BLACK PEOPLE) used to own a summer palace in Farehold, where the white people now live, but the white people came and just moved into her house and were like this is ours now ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. And instead of fighting for her people and her home, the queen and the entire rest of her country are like, Oh, bummer, guess we'll go back to our desert and stay there and never leave for six hundred years. So basically, the author understands nothing of what colonialism was like, nor how social classes in other countries work, how skin tone in a lot of places dictates wealth because darker skinned people typically work outside, and rich people fight to stay pale because it indicates that they're rich....rich people are fat because they have plenty of food and money, nobody is starving themselves for appearances....

Her chest and hips curved generously, which had been a refreshing testament of confidence in a world that glorified starving itself for social norms.

While Tyr and Dwyn had gilded undertones darker than the average pink skin in Farehold, they were ashen compared to the rich dark browns of the citizens of Midnah. There’d be no chance of maneuvering through the streets undetected.

So anyway, back to the plot. Ophir is depressed now that her sister is dead. While she's mourning, Dwyn moves in and somehow teaches her that she can manifest. Still unsure how Dwyn was aware she had this ability, yet no one else did. They end up having some type of romantic relationship that makes zero sense to me, honestly. I just don't think the author is capable of writing realistic relationships or dialogue whatsoever because most of the time I found myself squinting at the page in disgust because nobody talks or acts like this at all, but ANYWHO. Tyr eventually pops up too out of nowhere, you learn that he's been following Dwyn across the continent because he learned that she has the ability to use magics that don't belong to her and he really wants that ability too but Dwyn won't share so he constantly calls her a selfish parasitic bitch and a disgusting murderer even though he's a hypocritical fuck who literally wants to do the exact same thing as her. She drains people's life in order to use these magics, but can literally only use them for like a minute max, so it seems incredibly pointless. He wants to use it so he can use ice, fire and shadow to kill these people who killed his dog. The whole book, he won't tell you who this person he wants to avenge is, and you're meant to think it's a lover. Nope, he's John Wick, avenging a dog. But like I don't care cuz I never actually saw the dog, and he keeps calling women cunts and bitches so he can get fucked. Also, Dwyn CONSTANTLY calls him a dog and a mongrel, so the author was really just shoving that in our faces.

Probably halfway through the book, Ophir's parents tell her she has to take up her duties, marry the king her sister was supposed to marry, and become the queen, and she is absolutely appalled by this. It never occurred to her that she'd have to do this at all, which again is wildly stupid. Her parents have TWO CHILDREN. Heir and the spare! If one dies, the other can rule. There's no world in which a king and queen would leave the spare unprepared to take the heir's place. That's just not logical at all. But because she doesn't wanna do that, she runs away with Tyr and Dwyn to finally get revenge for her sister. Tyr was at the party that night and was somehow there long enough to get an entire list of people involved in her sister's death, but was not able to save said sister from the murderers??? Okay, makes sense.

They take refuge in a strangers home, steal his food, and when he comes back and recognizes Ophir and tries to return her home, she murders him in cold blood and feels zero regret. I know they're supposed to be villains, but I would've expected her to have like some kind of feeling about killing a completely innocent man?? It was a massive leap from never killing anyone to letting me set this perfectly innocent person on fire because I don't want him to take me home. They find a spice merchant who is on Tyr's list; he somehow provided the surgical instruments they used to kill Caris??? Ophir tortures him, he seems weirdly like...subdued and accepting of his fate, and tells her some information about how Caris' magical blood was gonna give him like some unlimited power and she realizes that's what Dwyn and Tyr are using her for(but never thougth to question them until now??) ditches, them and runs off to the desert where the guy who drugged her and Caris is. Btw, the list is no longer important. She has no knowledge of anyone else who is on it, save for this one guy, Berinth, who is hiding in the desert (BUT HE'S WHITE, WHY WOULD HE POSSIBLY GO TO THE PLACE WHERE THE BLACK PEOPLE LIVE?)

“First, we ask you where Berinth is, and you send us to the desert. The man is clearly of Farehold blood. He’s not a Tarkhany man."

Why would he seek asylum in a country where he’d stand out as the only fae paler than the sand?”

While she's in the desert, she creates some demons. One of the demons she created earlier is a dog-shaped creature called a vageth. She gets this name because it's a 'vague hound'. Omfg. Then she makes a horse, is like, nah, not good enough, and sends it on its way. Then makes a dragon, and again it's like, "Oh no, can't have you going and killing my enemies before I do—don't want them to see what's coming!" then makes it a guardian demon that can say one word, and is like 'go warn my enemies i'm coming!' despite literally just saying she doesn't want them to know what's coming....and the creature being able to say...one word....

Meanwhile, Dwyn has disguised herself as a fucking white woman because white people don't trust Asian people, and then also uses a persuasion magic when she could've just done that in the first place. Finally, Ophir gets to the desert, and they want you to suspect the king and queen here of killing Ophir's sister, especially when you finally see the guy Ophir was looking for, and he's acting like he has no idea what's going on. You realize he's being puppeteered and the puppeteer is none other than Dwyn!!! (won't lie, the only part I actually enjoyed was that reveal)

Tyr finds out, doesn't tell Ophir, has a threesome with Ophir and Dwyn, and then watches Dwyn magically manipulate Ophir from the shadows??? Why did he not stop her? Then they're at a party where they're gonna kill the dude, the king of the desert tries to poison ophir with the exact same poison used on caris earlier in the book(it was only a paralytic though, so if he was trying to assassinate the princess why not use a poision that would actually kill her???) her demon creations crash the party, start eating everyone, they run away, dwyn is paralyzed and tyr still doesn't tell ophir shit. The end. The book is over.

wtf was this?

Oh, forgot to mention the acephobia. There's a line where Ophir is asking why it matters that Caris was a virgin, and Dwyn basically says that she had no autonomy since she was saving herself for marriage, and since Ophir has had a lot of sex, she had autonomy. bitch what?

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

More like 1.5 or 1.75 stars

Maybe RTC

[Alicia Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first Pipper CJ book and I am blown away!

Borrowed from a friend and so glad I didn’t sit on this one!

I was sucked into this book and was happy to go along for the ride! So much going on but was able to keep up until the last few chapters where I would yell at the book and re read it to be sure I was imagining things. Absolutely looking forward to another book within this series and will absolutely have to checkout her “The Night and Its Moon” series

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want a book that lets you fantasize about indulging in your worst revenge impulses, this book is for you. Everyone is a villain! A Chill in the Flame was so magnificent and so narratively satisfying. I couldn't stop reading until I had devoured it. This was my favorite book by Piper CJ so far! I've long admired Piper's prose, and this book exceeded all my expectations. Her words are so wonderfully vivid and her use of metaphor makes every character and moment so understandable and relatable. A Chill in the Flame takes place in the same universe as Piper CJ's completed series The Night And Its Moon, but over a thousand years prior. If you have not read TNAIM series, Piper does an excellent job of setting up the world. Her world-building is always unparalleled and A Chill in the Flame beautifully expands the world of Gyrradin. If you have read the TNAIM series, there are many delightful easter eggs. And as usual, Piper CJ does a phenomenal job of mixing heartbreak with levity. The characters and the plot sucked me into the world and would not let me go. I cried as the characters cried, laughed at each sassy remark, and, gasped with each plot twist. The main characters Ophir, Dwyn, and Tyr are so fun in their villainy when they all come together and I can't wait for other readers to meet them. I haven't stopped thinking about A Chill in the Flame since I finished and I am so excited for the next book in the series. This is a book I will be reading many, many more times.

[Aysia · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing/prose of this book made it unreadable for me. I don't think I got more than 5 chapters deep and kept hoping the prose would get better (which I started thinking as early as the second page of the prologue). It never did. Some of the metaphors were stacked onto each other didn't make sense and/or were phrased grammatically incorrect. It felt like the author wanted to write lush, poetic prose in a grandiose sweeping way for a fantasy novel but completely missed the mark.

[Alexis Reardon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not going to lie it was a bit slow for me but you can always count on Piper CJ for a cliff hanger.

[Macy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread. Opinions haven't changed since the first time, here is my original review:
For fans of The Night and Its Moon that are saddened by the end of Amaris and Nox's story, this new series is the perfect filler. What could be described as a prequel to the events in the first series, we find blanks explained and questions answered. Ophir is a difficult character to love but quickly you understand how she becomes the way she is. The love I have for Tyr is as much as I have for Gad but the disdain i have for Dwyn is greater than any hatred I've had for a character. This is arguably Piper CJs best book yet. She captures grief, anger, love, hope, etc so well that you can physically feel what the characters feel. The pacing of storyline is just enough to keep you wanting to know more without being too fast. If you haven't read the other series in this universe there is a bit of a learning curve to the world building but it's still easily digestible. I cannot wait for the next book to come out. Well done Piper.

[Mylène Blouin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The world and the story are interesting, I am curious to know what will happen next.

The author describe it as a book where everybody is a villain, and I was really curious to see what it means since I love morally grey characters, but I wasn't expecting all the characters to be kinda annoying. I guess that's on me, and it make sense that I didn't fall in love with any of them since they are not great people.

What I found the most interesting is the evolution of how I feel about Caris death. At the beginning, when she die, you don't really know her so even if I know that it's sad and I understand everybody's pain, it didn't affect me that much. But as I read the book and learned more about her and her importance for the world, I am now so angry and sad that she is dead. She was an awesome person and would have been the greatest queen. She was the only hope for the world and now everything is a dumpster fire.

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The plot was super interesting and the twists were really good and unexpected. The characters and the world building could have been flushed out more but I think it’s great for Young Adult or New Adult audiences because of explicit scenes aren’t too graphic but written more poetically

[Paige Doland · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fun idea of a book. Everything happens too quickly and is told rather than shown. Ends with a cliff hanger. I'd be interested in how it continues. Not my fav but decent idea.

[Sadie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable! I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I have in other books but I loved being back in the same world as TNAIM series

[Jacklyn B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really intrigued by the idea of a book where everyone is a villain! These characters are on a path of revenge and they are unhinged and unreliable and flawed - basically everything I want in a villain!

✨What To Expect:
🥀Dark Romantasy
⚔️High Fantasy
🔥Villain Origin Story
💋Love Triangle
🚫Trust No One
😂All The Banter
🏳️‍🌈Queer Characters
🔪Badass FMCs
❤️‍🔥Protective MMCs

[Penny Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

It just wasn't that good. The plot was mid. The writing was mid. The female protagonist, a sulk of a character named Firi, was dull and immature. I'd hoped this was an intentional beginning of a character arc but, alas, this is just her. Ancient fae and sirens bickering about spelling and who gets to touch the girl; is this high school? Unfortunately, this text did not have me excitedly reaching for it.

[Grace Lewis · Rating 1 out of 5]

i started reading this book and could only get five chapters in. i thought it had an interesting premise, but the random graphic sex was so out of pocket and then followed by a death. the writing feels like it wants to complex and metaphorical, but everything kind of feels too wordy and long. i found myself thinking “where the hell is this sentence going?” on more than one occasion.

ALSO how do you say that MC has had copious amounts of sex but also that she’s an infant practically in her species IN THE SAME BREATH? am i the only one tripping about this?

[emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

bro i literally got 60 pages in this book before i just couldn't anymore. too much going on, not enough world building, not enough explanation even if the goal is to leave the reader in the dark a little bit. the premise and idea is good but it's just not executed well at all.
addendum: after reading some community reviews it seems i need to read a different series first? so if that's good maybe i will come back to this.

[Sarah Hayes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fae with mystical powers

I was at first intrigued with the world building and unlikely rescuer by two vastly differing characters with motives that twist the story. These twisted relations lead Ophir to use her powers to seek vengeance. This was almost a DNF; however, I curious Ophir would succeed. It left me not wanting to seek any resolution of her story. I will not be continuing with this series.

[Debbie Scallion · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay.
I found the FMC annoying in her attachment to the secondary FMC. And the MMC was not drawn out enough.

Ophiri's character lacks depth and is constantly running on simple emotions... There were likely backstories and other elements that could have been elaborated on. Near the end, because I have a VERY hard time not finishing a book, (but I was tempted with this one) I was saying out loud "this is stupid"

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stuggled to get through this. Some parts were super drawn out and some were super rushed. This book could have benefited from some heavy editing. I've never had such trouble getting into a fantasy book. At the end I was just glad it was over, I'm not interested in finishing it.

[LizardHands · Rating 3 out of 5]

In general, I felt that this book had immense potential, but the primary things that turned me away were 1. Telling and not showing and 2. Repetition of the same information, particularly in the first 1/3. I am hoping that kinks such as this will be worked on in following books

What I liked:

*good names for a fantasy books. Nothing that makes me roll my eyes like Peet or Nyte or Emmierald or something. I also always love a pronunciation guide.

*vageth hounds

*limitations to abilities

*everyone totally acknowledging that they're horrible people

*ophir is such a non main character of a main character. You'd usually get fantasy books where Caris is the main character, or about someone like Ophir becoming someone like Caris. Death of a loved one is such a casual convention in fantasy as well, but I feel like it was told much more realistically

*actually having different Fae aging conventions than human ones (like using age 75 as a marriageable age)

*SVEA HAHAHA

*dwyn actually was a good twist

*unique storyline

What I didn't like:

*there are so many repetitious sections. This need a big ol sword of editing taken to it. especially the first 1/3, I actually almost stopped reading because I felt like I was really the same information over, and over, and over. Even past that 1/3 mark, there'd be repeated info sections. I struggled immensely with getting through this until Ophir flees the castle

*so much "telling." I think this book had very good character interactions, but I just wish they were utilized a lot more. I don't want to hear "dwyn tried to make an argument against tyr," or, "ophir manifested something," but I actually want the dialogue or I actually want to hear a description of the object being manifested. The 3rd person (hope I got that right) narration was overly present in many chapters. I would like for the story to be handed to the characters a bit more

*the first 1/3 of the book jumped around in time way too much. It would go from the present, to the recent past, then to a flashback for ophir, then to a monologue for Tyr

This is a good story to go for if you are looking for something different with morally grey characters. I felt some similarities to "long live evil" too.

Edit: also would like to note that i have not read the main series. I did not know these were slightly linked till glancing at some of the other reviews. So idk if anything I didn't understand was due to this; I read purely as though this was a standalone/new series

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another "new to me" author and the funny thing was that I chose the book because of the cover. Why is that funny? Well, because I hardly EVER pay attention to covers. They just really aren't something that impacts my decisions....usually. So, for some reason, I liked the cover.

I've now decided that there is probably a reason for me to stick to story summaries vs covers going forward. That is not to say that I didn't like this book....I just didn't like it that much,

Apparently, this is a series in which all of the MC's are villains. That actually sounds interesting, and it is always fun to read a story with a villain that you can't help but like. Unfortunately, I had a hard time with most of the MC's - specifically the FMC's.

We have Princess Ophir, the second daughter of the King and Queen and therefore not the Heir. She is the typical "spare" who is NOT the responsible one. She is reckless and carefree without caring too much about consequences. She is then responsible for the events that lead to the death - and an awful and gruesome death - of her older sister - The Crown Princess. That serves as a big wake up call for her - until it really doesn't.

Then there is the other FMC Dwyn, who shows us "mysteriously" and just happens to befriend Ophir. Out of the good of her heart? Nope - remember, this is an ode to villains.

Then we have the 2 MMC's. There is Tyr, another mysterious person who has an extremely antagonistic relationship with Dwyn, but does he really want to help for any good reason?

Last but not least, there is Ophir's bodyguard. This guy has made it through the longest because apparently, Ophir goes through these guards like water - because she is just that pleasant of a person. He is the only one that seems to actually care about Ophir and her future.

So - we are introduced to these 4 characters and follow along as they embark on a crazy journey. Well, Ophir decides to enact vengeance, and the rest are following along because they each have their own reasons behind the things they are doing - but crazy journey it is.

That doesn't even cover the absolutely bonkers events that caused her sister's death and the people behind that. The reasoning behind all of that was just a bit too "out there" to me.

I listened to this on audio and while the narrator - Natalie Naudus - was also new to me, I decided to alternate between reading and listening. While the story itself was a unique premise, it just never really grabbed me and wasn't something that pulled me into the story itself. I really, really didn't like Ophir or Dwyn so I think that was probably the biggest problem.

This was also FFM which felt odd considering that two of the three characters couldn't stand each other. So, I'm going to stop with book one.

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

“’I want everyone who hurt my sister to experience ten times over every bit of pain that they caused her. Death is too good for them. I want them afraid. I want them to suffer.’

'Perfect.'”

I think this is the first time I have given one of Piper’s books less than 5 stars. And really it 3.5. We’ll start with what I liked. I loved getting a prequal set in the same world as TNAIM, just thousands of years before it. There were lots of fun little “Oh!” moments where you found out how something was created or why something was the way it was, or even just saw a familiar place name. I’m also a big fan of Tyr, absolute yes to that character, well mostly..

Unfortunately, most of the book felt unfinished. It needed a strong editor for a lot of it, and even an ok editor at other times. There were typos in it, and a fair few sentences that didn’t make sense or flow well, which are things that should be picked up by an editor, or even beta readers. There were also weird timings that seemed off, or things that just didn’t match up to what was said previously in the book. This would all be expected in a first draft, but an editor should have picked up on them and sent them back to fixed. I know there was an editor because they are thanked in the acknowledgments, maybe there needed to be a second editor..

I also couldn’t stand Ophir for the first half of the book. She was just so whiny and ignorant. I get that an absolutely atrocious thing happened, and that she was never prepared to be the next in line for the throne, but she just seemed really insufferable. They are all villains I guess, just do different degrees, maybe you aren’t meant to like her. But it is difficult to get into a book where none of the characters are likeable.

Will I read the second one? Definitely. I love Piper’s books. But this one was a miss.

[sunbeams.and.rainbows · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was completely, unequivocally blown away by this book. “A Chill In the Flame” is a masterpiece & the (all) mother of all villain origin stories. I am not normally an annotator but I couldn’t stop highlighting, underlining, & starring as Piper CJ’s words had me giggling w/ delight, curling my toes, & gasping in shock or horror or both. Piper CJ’s prose is unparalleled. She has a beautiful way of cutting right to the core of emotional & physical description to depict scenes on the page in a way I’ve never experienced before from any other author but feels absolutely, perfectly right. If you’re not sure anyone could make you sympathize w/ multiple villains & burn w/ their murderous revenge, Piper CJ can. Her words enveloped me into the story like a warm hug & completely immersed me back into the world of Gyrradin, then, very quickly, ripped my heart out & stomped on it. And yet I craved more! I mourned along w/ Ophir & felt her every emotion or lack there of, and I was along for the ride as Dwyn helped knit Ophir’s heart (& mine) back together. I happily stayed on that ride through twist after glorious twist. If you haven’t read TNAIM series by Piper CJ, PLEASE read it before starting “A Chill In the Flame!” It will make the reading experience that much more heart-pounding, gear-turning, & totally mind-blowing. The pacing of the book was perfect. I was completely in love w/ the way time, as well as multi-POV, was used to unfurl the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the bi rep & the spice was just so hot. Clearly I loved this book (ok that may be an understatement) & I CANNOT wait for what the 2nd book in the Villains prequels duology has in store for Ophir, Dwyn, Tyr, Ceneth, Harland, & Zita!

[Elise Celarier · Rating 5 out of 5]

For lovers of flawed characters, unreliable narrators, and absolutely heart stopping prose. If you're the type who always wonders "How did the villain end up like that? What could drive someone to that point?" THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU.

Exploring themes of grief, vengeance, and a thirst for power, A Chill In The Flame takes you deep into a beautiful fantasy world as you follow one princess's fall from grace. How far would you go to avenge a loved one? At what point does justice turn into something more sinister? Does intent matter in the face of the consequences? I don't think I can accurately describe this book without spoiling it, so instead of here are a few quotes:

"Knowledge was supposed to be a blessing. The thirst for knowledge that didn’t belong to you was an all-consuming curse."

"Unfortunately, wishes and wants are useless unless we do something about them."

"Passivity in the face of injustice was as good as condoning its continuity."

“I’ve survived,” Dwyn countered. “Does it matter how that happens? "

Bonus: Readers of The Night And Its Moon series will appreciate the numerous breadcrumbs and answers to questions left over following The Dawn and Its Light. I'm already itching for a reread to see what new things I notice! Naturally, for every answer provided I have three new questions and theories. Can't wait for the next book!

[Micca B aka gigglybookgeek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to read an e-ARC of The Chill In the Flame, which is the first of two of the Villians series. They are a prequel to the TNAIM series (which is AMAZING). Seeing all the little parts that tie back to TNAIM, plus knowing where places are, was great. I absolutely LOVED feeling like this is totally my villain era while reading this. Ophir wants revenge. Her sister has been murdered, and everyone must pay. I am with her. Go get them ALLLLLLL.

Dwyn…oh how I am in love with her. Even if she is a scheming, jealous siren. From the very second she in introduced, all the way until the end of the book, I couldn’t get enough. Tyr, the way he torments Dwyn and how much she loathes him, I love him too. I can see why Ophir is pulled to both of them.

You will want to go on this mission of vengeance. You will constantly find little parts that catch you by surprise. The spice? Oh yes. While it is not what I would consider “smut” level, the scenes are written so well. I just shivered thinking back on them.

Piper always goes the extra mile with pronunciation guides, maps, and playlists. She also creates such rich characters, and knows how to build anticipation. Both within the story and in steamy scenes. I cannot wait for the second book. I am so incredibly thankful that she writes so often. I don’t think I could go a year or more without a Piper book.

[Kayla Levine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love how Piper CJ describes light & setting. The scene where Dwyn (I read her name in my head like Dawn) in walk down a black sand beach screaming, if you've read NOG 1 you remember "That depends what kind of mood I'm in." kind of hunting. She's scantily clad in this beautiful . . . from the way she describes it I imagine this charcoal gray dress that starts below her decolletage & stops at the the top of her thigh an inch below the crease of her bottom, & Try feels this overwhelming sense of mortal dread as soon as he sees her. He knows automatically, instinctively to fear her; that she is a predator attracting a meal under the guise of a mate in distress while another man who is not as intuitive runs with a bundle of blankets to come save the damsel in distress. I envision the sky medium gray & overcast as the cold February temperature winds whip mist off the ocean & Dwyn's black wavy hair locks around her screaming face. I imagine her hands & fingers tensed & positioned like claws. Tyr cries out to the victim to stop but the blanket man catches up to our siren anyway. She wraps him up in a big bear hug & mummifies him instantly. The devoured shell plops to the ground as she descends into the freezing sea leaving Tyr in a state of shock & horror. I absolutely love everything about the way this woman describes light. If I could direct it on screen I would.

[Allison Voehringer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prequel to the "The Night & Its Moon" series, we are invited to visit Gyrradin before it became the world we are familiar with - and witness the villain origin story that Ophir involuntarily finds herself on. A darker story than the TNAIM series, fans of fantasy and horror alike may love this series! While I'm not usually one for darker scenes, I found myself captivated by the sinister twists and events through a Chill in the Flame.

In true Piper CJ fashion, every character is known to her in complete wholeness. Every detail is lovingly accounted for as we traverse the subtle breadcrumbs and easter eggs that tie the books together with incredible and masterful creativity and precision

In a world where everyone is a villain, she still manages to convey the incredible nuances that make up every complicated part of life. An individual being wholly good or entirely evil is an oversimplification; one that we don't have the luxury to pretend exists as we traverses the tragedies of Gyrradin - and the complex and ever-evolving relationships around Ophir.

**The series is also far spicier than TNAIM, so alongside the horror and villainy, expect the skillful spice that one expects in her adult books 🔥**