After reading the prequel novella I was really excited to jump into STROKE THE FLAME and I loved this one! After a very blah reading day where I couldn't get into any books, I dived right into the HER ELEMENTAL DRAGONS series and I'm so invested in finding out what happens next for Kira and her men.
I loved the world-building in this and I found the history of the Gods and the Dragons so interesting. It's all well developed while also being easy to understand and follow. I'm very curious to see how Kira's powers develop as she bonds with each man and gains their elemental power.
STROKE THE FLAME is told primarily from Kira's POV but it also includes chapters from each of the men and this really helped to get to know everyone. I enjoyed Kira as our heroine; she's brave, smart, and courageous. She's been given the monumental task of defeating the current corrupt Black Dragon and becoming the new representative of the Gods. And on top of all that she's expected to bond with four strangers who have been chosen as her mates: Jasin the cocky soldier, Auric the scholarly Prince, Slade the quiet blacksmith, and Reven the mysterious assassin.
To gain all their powers and become the Dragons, the group must travel to each of the Gods' temples and once there, Kira will have to bond with the mate who represents that element. STROKE THE FLAME is focused on the Fire God and his chosen mate, Jasin, a soldier in the Onyx Army. Jasin is a charming ladies' man whose confidence is never lacking, but he's also become disillusioned by the Army's mission. Though the focus is on Jasin, there's still a lot of development between Kira and the other men, especially Auric whose book is next.
While each of the men felt compelled to find Kira and their attraction to her is pretty instantaneous they can still walk away. I will say that each of the men becomes devoted to Kira and the task the Gods have given them very quickly and they're all falling for Kira fast but this personally doesn't bother me as a reader. And I did appreciate that even though feelings are coming in fast, the characters are still grappling with their changing lives, jealousy over sharing Kira, and distrust over each man's past and intentions. The heat is a bit lower and Kira only has sex with Jasin but I can tell that the heat will grow over the series as she builds her connection with each of the guys.
Content Warning: a side character with an abusive father; past death of family
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Favorite Quotes:
"The Fire God might have given me these powers, but you gave me purpose. You gave me something to fight for. And I care about you more than you know."
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I loved Kira. I’d known for a while now, maybe since our first kiss, maybe even before that. I could tell she cared for me too, but I wasn’t sure she was ready to hear those words yet or speak them back to me. It didn’t matter though, because I felt the love between us every time we touched, like an everlasting flame that flickered but would never die.