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The Ferryman and the Flame #1
Surrender
Book One of The Ferryman & The Flame
How far would you go to save everything you ever loved?
Kaliel was warned about her love for the Ferryman. One day he will marry the land and leave Avristar forever. She doesn’t listen, and because of what she is—a Flame—one of nine apocalyptic weapons, she sparks a war. In a desperate attempt to save her home and her love, Kaliel tries to awaken Avred, not knowing she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.
How far would you go to save everything you ever loved?
Kaliel was warned about her love for the Ferryman. One day he will marry the land and leave Avristar forever. She doesn’t listen, and because of what she is—a Flame—one of nine apocalyptic weapons, she sparks a war. In a desperate attempt to save her home and her love, Kaliel tries to awaken Avred, not knowing she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.
335 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2011
36 people are currently reading
2898 people want to read
About the author
Rhiannon Paille
22 books289 followersRhiannon is a booksmith from the middle of nowhere, Canada. She holds a PhD in Metaphysical Science and Parapsychology, which is to say she happens to know a lot about what goes bump in the night. When she's not writing she's singing karaoke, burning dinner, and hiding her superhero identity. She'd like to own a unicorn one day, as long as it doesn't eat her. You'll find her sipping iced cappuccino despite her allergy to coffee at www.yafantasyauthor.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews
June 16, 2020
Found this one while I was scrolling through all the free YA books on Kindle years and years ago. Didn't like it... it was very awkward and uncomfortable...... if I'm remembering right the MC loses her virginity to that one random kid and its just soooooooo?? cant really remember, it was so long ago, if I'm wrong ignore me... anyway, this book is so bad it's funny, until it gets annoying, which happens fast.
Also.......
well nevermind, lmao, I'll tell that one another day 👀
Also.......
well nevermind, lmao, I'll tell that one another day 👀
September 13, 2013
This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/
Thanks to Netgalley and Coscom Entertainment for giving me a copy of this book to review.
Elvins do not fall in love, they marry the land, so when Kaliel and Krishani start getting feeling for each other they have to hide them or be judged by everyone. At the same time they both have to deal with their own destinies and how they affect all of Avristar.
While this has all the elements I love in a fantasy book I just could not connect with it. As you go straight into the story I felt a bit lost and confused throughout half the book.
We only got to know Kaliel and Krishani in terms of their romance and destiny but not much else about them. I also did not like the insta-love in this book as they only met once yet pined after each other for over a year.
However I did like how descriptive and imaginative this book this is a I actually felt like I was in Avristar while reading this book and I could see how it look and felt like.
Overall a good story but with characters I could not relate to.
Thanks to Netgalley and Coscom Entertainment for giving me a copy of this book to review.
Elvins do not fall in love, they marry the land, so when Kaliel and Krishani start getting feeling for each other they have to hide them or be judged by everyone. At the same time they both have to deal with their own destinies and how they affect all of Avristar.
While this has all the elements I love in a fantasy book I just could not connect with it. As you go straight into the story I felt a bit lost and confused throughout half the book.
We only got to know Kaliel and Krishani in terms of their romance and destiny but not much else about them. I also did not like the insta-love in this book as they only met once yet pined after each other for over a year.
However I did like how descriptive and imaginative this book this is a I actually felt like I was in Avristar while reading this book and I could see how it look and felt like.
Overall a good story but with characters I could not relate to.
July 12, 2011
I’ll start by saying that Paille’s writing style is beautiful! I slipped into the world she created effortlessly, and as I was reading, a sentence or phrase would make me go, “wow! I love the way that was said.” The small gestures the characters made filled out scenes and made them so real…I felt like I was in the story. The writing evoked beautiful scenes in my mind but wasn't intrusive, so it was easy to slip into the story. Also, I cared about the characters so much!
Kaliel is a young girl struggling to master her talents, but prone to some odd habits/talents as well. For instance, she swims with the merfolk, and can’t rest until she’s visited the water. Also, flowers bloom in the pathways where she walks. Definitely a special girl, but when she meets Krishani, things get complicated. There’s an instant attraction (not of the cheesy variety), and the two of them can’t stop thinking about each other. However, secrets are discovered and it makes the attraction between them MUCH more complicated!
Kaliel had a vulnerability and a youth that was endearing but she was brave and intelligent. Krishana was also brave and passionate. Loved them both – great character development. My very favorite was Pux, though! Not really sure why…his spirit just spoke to me. Reading this book felt like reading a classic, but with everything I love in a book: romance, heartbreak, and lots of action! I would recommend this book to EVERYONE and then dare them not to fall in love with it!
Kaliel is a young girl struggling to master her talents, but prone to some odd habits/talents as well. For instance, she swims with the merfolk, and can’t rest until she’s visited the water. Also, flowers bloom in the pathways where she walks. Definitely a special girl, but when she meets Krishani, things get complicated. There’s an instant attraction (not of the cheesy variety), and the two of them can’t stop thinking about each other. However, secrets are discovered and it makes the attraction between them MUCH more complicated!
Kaliel had a vulnerability and a youth that was endearing but she was brave and intelligent. Krishana was also brave and passionate. Loved them both – great character development. My very favorite was Pux, though! Not really sure why…his spirit just spoke to me. Reading this book felt like reading a classic, but with everything I love in a book: romance, heartbreak, and lots of action! I would recommend this book to EVERYONE and then dare them not to fall in love with it!
February 8, 2015
So, as you can see from the interview, Krishani is struggling with a few things. I was immediately drawn to Krishani. The book trades between POV, with Kaliel's but a lot with Krishani too. I really enjoyed the parts from his POV. He's a tortured soul and you just want to help him fix it. Kaliel and Krishani are soul mates that were never meant to be. They struggle to resist it but the pull is too strong. That pull is strong, even to the point that they can find each other by being drawn to each other. It's quite compelling. One wonders if in the end there can't be happiness for two so bound to each other but alas this book contains no happiness for the two.
The world is of an epic fantasy, set in the world of the Fey. The Fey are logical and love is foreign to them. The love shared between Krishani and Kaliel is not so much forbidden as it is unheard of. Everyone and everything is against them.
The ending was hard to take. I think Rhiannon rates up there as one of those evil authors that loves to torture her characters and her readers. Not sure how book 2 will go on after what poor Krishani was forced to endure. Not sure what is left at all.
If you enjoy epic fantasy and a good story, then pick this one up.
The world is of an epic fantasy, set in the world of the Fey. The Fey are logical and love is foreign to them. The love shared between Krishani and Kaliel is not so much forbidden as it is unheard of. Everyone and everything is against them.
The ending was hard to take. I think Rhiannon rates up there as one of those evil authors that loves to torture her characters and her readers. Not sure how book 2 will go on after what poor Krishani was forced to endure. Not sure what is left at all.
If you enjoy epic fantasy and a good story, then pick this one up.
January 7, 2012
***Originally posted to: Bookish Blog
Rhiannon Paille is the J.R.R. Tolkien of today's young adult generation. She's a visionary with a phenomenal talent for words, and I just can't tell you how much I love her! I'm not in the least surprised that I enjoyed her YA debut novel so much - she wrote a beautiful story, because she herself is a wonderful person with a beautiful soul. Visually breathtaking and emotionally powerful - The Flame of Surrender will have you riveted to its pages from the opening passages to the cliffhanger ending. Starcrossed lovers, marvellous setting, magic, adventure and jaw-dropping twists - this book has everything a fantasy fan could possibly crave for.
I won't even try to describe the plot. It's beyond me. Too epic to even try - I'm still not sure if I got everything right and I feel like I need to re-read this book ASAP. As soon as you start reading, you are drawn into the world of magic, mystery and forbidden love. Rhiannon crafted an astounding story that enthralls in scope, writing ability and creativity. She basically built everything from scratch, breathing life into her creation with her mesmerizing and evocative storytelling. This book is just as fragile as a butterfly wing, and just as sweet and addictive as a slow and soft kiss on a hot summer evening. Graceful, vibrant, fresh and absolutely charming, Flame of Surrender is made of win and epicness.
I can't emphasize enough how much I fell in love with this story. No amount of raves, oohs and aahs can ever do this book justice. I loved everything about it, from the magnificent and fully imagined setting, well-drawn and lively characters, magical and mysterious atmosphere and deliciously forbidden romance to the heart-breaking twists and unexpected surprises.
I admit, at the beginning I felt overwhelmed. Who wouldn't? You find yourself thrown into an entirely new world and it takes a moment to sort through all the customs, traditions, rules, places and people that you're introduced to. Rhiannon doesn't waste time explaining how everything works, the reader is basically on his/her own. But as the story progresses, everything comes together and you begin to see the big picture. It's totally worth it. You'll need to stay focused and open minded. If you do that, you'll be rewarded with something beyond a typical fantasy novel, something so epic, your eyes will pop and your head will be spinning!
One of my favorite aspects of this book was its uniqueness and freshness. Especially when it comes to naming the characters and places. And don't even get me started on all the cool stuff the main characters could do/were burdened with, that was just out-of-this-world fantastic. Wow! It took me some time to actually memorize more than the names of the two MCs, but about half way through the book, I found myself so into this world that I felt like I could close my eyes and magically transport myself to the Island of Avristar. I can't remember last time something like that happened to me. I wanted to have a conversation with the trees, make things bloom with just a single touch or even strike things with a lightning! I wanted to visit the Elmare Castle and swim with the merfolk.. ahh.. so many fabulous, beautiful things and sceneries! I crave more!
Flame of Surrender is hands down one of my favorite fantasy books ever. YA or not, this is just pure awesomeness and every fantasy fan should read it. It's a delectable, rich in detail, numbingly brilliant and swoon-worthy read that you can't afford to miss out on. I'm enraged that I can't have the second book, like, right now! I'd give a lot to be able to delve back into the fascinating and imaginative world of Avristar.
Rhiannon Paille is the J.R.R. Tolkien of today's young adult generation. She's a visionary with a phenomenal talent for words, and I just can't tell you how much I love her! I'm not in the least surprised that I enjoyed her YA debut novel so much - she wrote a beautiful story, because she herself is a wonderful person with a beautiful soul. Visually breathtaking and emotionally powerful - The Flame of Surrender will have you riveted to its pages from the opening passages to the cliffhanger ending. Starcrossed lovers, marvellous setting, magic, adventure and jaw-dropping twists - this book has everything a fantasy fan could possibly crave for.
I won't even try to describe the plot. It's beyond me. Too epic to even try - I'm still not sure if I got everything right and I feel like I need to re-read this book ASAP. As soon as you start reading, you are drawn into the world of magic, mystery and forbidden love. Rhiannon crafted an astounding story that enthralls in scope, writing ability and creativity. She basically built everything from scratch, breathing life into her creation with her mesmerizing and evocative storytelling. This book is just as fragile as a butterfly wing, and just as sweet and addictive as a slow and soft kiss on a hot summer evening. Graceful, vibrant, fresh and absolutely charming, Flame of Surrender is made of win and epicness.
I can't emphasize enough how much I fell in love with this story. No amount of raves, oohs and aahs can ever do this book justice. I loved everything about it, from the magnificent and fully imagined setting, well-drawn and lively characters, magical and mysterious atmosphere and deliciously forbidden romance to the heart-breaking twists and unexpected surprises.
I admit, at the beginning I felt overwhelmed. Who wouldn't? You find yourself thrown into an entirely new world and it takes a moment to sort through all the customs, traditions, rules, places and people that you're introduced to. Rhiannon doesn't waste time explaining how everything works, the reader is basically on his/her own. But as the story progresses, everything comes together and you begin to see the big picture. It's totally worth it. You'll need to stay focused and open minded. If you do that, you'll be rewarded with something beyond a typical fantasy novel, something so epic, your eyes will pop and your head will be spinning!
One of my favorite aspects of this book was its uniqueness and freshness. Especially when it comes to naming the characters and places. And don't even get me started on all the cool stuff the main characters could do/were burdened with, that was just out-of-this-world fantastic. Wow! It took me some time to actually memorize more than the names of the two MCs, but about half way through the book, I found myself so into this world that I felt like I could close my eyes and magically transport myself to the Island of Avristar. I can't remember last time something like that happened to me. I wanted to have a conversation with the trees, make things bloom with just a single touch or even strike things with a lightning! I wanted to visit the Elmare Castle and swim with the merfolk.. ahh.. so many fabulous, beautiful things and sceneries! I crave more!
Flame of Surrender is hands down one of my favorite fantasy books ever. YA or not, this is just pure awesomeness and every fantasy fan should read it. It's a delectable, rich in detail, numbingly brilliant and swoon-worthy read that you can't afford to miss out on. I'm enraged that I can't have the second book, like, right now! I'd give a lot to be able to delve back into the fascinating and imaginative world of Avristar.
Read
February 1, 2013DNF. I may return to this another time. For now I just didn't connect with the characters and that's a huge thing for me.
March 5, 2013
There is a lot to love about Surrender. It is amazingly imaginative and I was sucked into the story easily. Whenever I put the book down, I yearned to pick it back up again. Paille has completely won me over. I don’t read much fantasy so you can take my opinion with a grain of salt but I really loved this book. I will now warn you that the next paragraph is kind of spoilery. But the rest of the review is safe. I promise!
Krishani is a Ferryman that dreams of death. Kaliel is one of the nine Flames, the Amethyst Flame. These two people are destined to marry the land but instead they both fall deeply in love with each other. Their love causes a war and Kaliel must save all the things that are important to her before it is to late. Dun dun dun!
Paille’s writing is vivid and detailed, never leaving the reader dissatisfied. Some scenes are written so well that I feel as though I can reach out and let me fingers dip into the water, run my hand through the blades of grass, or watch the colors of the land change by Pux’s command. I couldn’t get enough of her words.
The fantasy world that Paille created was fantastic. She made the world with a creative imagination. The talent to whisper to trees, the power to control the land, the dangers of the water, and the all-knowing Great Oak. I could tell that Paille put a lot of effort in the creation of her fantasy world. I do wish that there was more information provided to the reader so I could know more about the past of the world. Other than that the world was great.
Kaliel and Krishani have a certain innocence to them. They look at the world in a naive way, I think. I thought that this was what made these two such charming characters. I was emotionally invested in them immediately. Kaliel and Krishani are also strong characters that go through a lot of hardship. Sometimes I just wanted to give them both a hug and comfort them. Which I would be horrible at but still… I think that the side characters were also done fairly well. I enjoyed their presence in the story.
I don’t think that the romance is very believable in this novel. The love between Kaliel and Krishani felt like it was to…instant. I do realize that their first encounters impacted each other greatly but I still didn’t find their almost instant feelings for each other realistic. They are still a sweet couple nonetheless.
If you don’t have much patience I wouldn’t recommend this book to you. The first half is mostly setting up the story and introducing the characters. The second half is when things get real interesting. It had me reading with absolute excitement! There are also some moments that had me tearing but because they were so tragic. And some parts are truly touching.
Overall Surrender is a great fantasy novel that will keep the reader turning the pages with anticipation until the end. And when the reader gets to the end, the reader will probably want to buy the next book as soon as possible. I know I did.
Krishani is a Ferryman that dreams of death. Kaliel is one of the nine Flames, the Amethyst Flame. These two people are destined to marry the land but instead they both fall deeply in love with each other. Their love causes a war and Kaliel must save all the things that are important to her before it is to late. Dun dun dun!
Paille’s writing is vivid and detailed, never leaving the reader dissatisfied. Some scenes are written so well that I feel as though I can reach out and let me fingers dip into the water, run my hand through the blades of grass, or watch the colors of the land change by Pux’s command. I couldn’t get enough of her words.
The fantasy world that Paille created was fantastic. She made the world with a creative imagination. The talent to whisper to trees, the power to control the land, the dangers of the water, and the all-knowing Great Oak. I could tell that Paille put a lot of effort in the creation of her fantasy world. I do wish that there was more information provided to the reader so I could know more about the past of the world. Other than that the world was great.
Kaliel and Krishani have a certain innocence to them. They look at the world in a naive way, I think. I thought that this was what made these two such charming characters. I was emotionally invested in them immediately. Kaliel and Krishani are also strong characters that go through a lot of hardship. Sometimes I just wanted to give them both a hug and comfort them. Which I would be horrible at but still… I think that the side characters were also done fairly well. I enjoyed their presence in the story.
I don’t think that the romance is very believable in this novel. The love between Kaliel and Krishani felt like it was to…instant. I do realize that their first encounters impacted each other greatly but I still didn’t find their almost instant feelings for each other realistic. They are still a sweet couple nonetheless.
If you don’t have much patience I wouldn’t recommend this book to you. The first half is mostly setting up the story and introducing the characters. The second half is when things get real interesting. It had me reading with absolute excitement! There are also some moments that had me tearing but because they were so tragic. And some parts are truly touching.
Overall Surrender is a great fantasy novel that will keep the reader turning the pages with anticipation until the end. And when the reader gets to the end, the reader will probably want to buy the next book as soon as possible. I know I did.
December 8, 2011
Flame of Surrender is an epic fantasy with an epic twist! It is about growing up and facing impossibly difficult circumstances, and finding love that never should have been. It is emotional and painful and absolutely wonderful.
The beginning of the book naturally sets up the world of Avristar that Rhiannon has so thoughtfully crafted. There is so much going on that it took a little while for all of the details to sink in. That being said I really appreciated the lengths to which the author went to really bring Avristar to life. I read for the details and I think it was the smallest ones that made this world building so incredible. Things like the purple flowers that sprouted at Kaliel’s feet and the way that Pux could change the colors of plants. Those small details not only made this unique setting feel authentic but they really showed the author’s passion for her characters.
I found that about a quarter of the way through the novel the pace really picked up and I wasn’t able to put this book down. Once I got a feeling for the setting and the characters I became completely tangled up in Kaliel and Krishani’s stories. Falling in love wasn’t supposed to be in the cards for Kaliel but it happened none the less.
“I didn’t expect to see you again,” she admitted, her green eyes sparkling behind the falls. Krishani took in a sharp breath and slid his hands into hers. “I never expected to meet you the first time,” he whispered.”
“He released his hold on her and she turned, and buried her face in his chest. He ran his hands along her back. “I thought about you every day,” he said as he pressed her cheek into him. She smiled against his tunic.
“And I thought about you.”
“Promise me one thing then,” he whispered as she shook.
“What?”
“That you’ll find a happy ending"
*Swoon*. I think that this is right about where I fell in love with this book. I’m not going to tell you any more – you will just have to read it for yourself! But what I will tell you is that Flame of Surrender is book that will not disappoint fans of YA. I can’t even imagine what the author has in store for us in the second book of this series because wow – talk about a cliff-hanger ending! This is a book filled with vivid imagery, magic, and raw emotion and it is all wrapped up in Rhiannon’s beautiful writing style.
I received a review copy of Flame of Surrender from Lightening Book Promotions (thank you!!!) in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The beginning of the book naturally sets up the world of Avristar that Rhiannon has so thoughtfully crafted. There is so much going on that it took a little while for all of the details to sink in. That being said I really appreciated the lengths to which the author went to really bring Avristar to life. I read for the details and I think it was the smallest ones that made this world building so incredible. Things like the purple flowers that sprouted at Kaliel’s feet and the way that Pux could change the colors of plants. Those small details not only made this unique setting feel authentic but they really showed the author’s passion for her characters.
I found that about a quarter of the way through the novel the pace really picked up and I wasn’t able to put this book down. Once I got a feeling for the setting and the characters I became completely tangled up in Kaliel and Krishani’s stories. Falling in love wasn’t supposed to be in the cards for Kaliel but it happened none the less.
“I didn’t expect to see you again,” she admitted, her green eyes sparkling behind the falls. Krishani took in a sharp breath and slid his hands into hers. “I never expected to meet you the first time,” he whispered.”
“He released his hold on her and she turned, and buried her face in his chest. He ran his hands along her back. “I thought about you every day,” he said as he pressed her cheek into him. She smiled against his tunic.
“And I thought about you.”
“Promise me one thing then,” he whispered as she shook.
“What?”
“That you’ll find a happy ending"
*Swoon*. I think that this is right about where I fell in love with this book. I’m not going to tell you any more – you will just have to read it for yourself! But what I will tell you is that Flame of Surrender is book that will not disappoint fans of YA. I can’t even imagine what the author has in store for us in the second book of this series because wow – talk about a cliff-hanger ending! This is a book filled with vivid imagery, magic, and raw emotion and it is all wrapped up in Rhiannon’s beautiful writing style.
I received a review copy of Flame of Surrender from Lightening Book Promotions (thank you!!!) in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
February 3, 2015
Note: I received this book via Netgalley.
The first thing that caught my attention about this book was the cover; it was gorgeously breathtaking and drew me to the book right away. The plot itself seemed a little Romeo and Julietish to me. As elvens Kaliel and Krishani are supposed to “marry the land,” not fall in love with one another. The challenges they seem to face are overwhelming but their love for each other is intense enough to last. For the most part the relationship seemed realistic in the rush of intensity and emotion they felt for one another.
Rhiannon did an amazing job of character and world building. The world is imaginative and creative although at some parts I got lost in what was going on and had to reread. Even though the story was extremely descriptive there were a few parts that stretched out making the pace of the story as a whole slow.
Overall, the book was extremely interesting once the reader immersed themselves into the world and the story was innovative enough to be entertaining.
Also on http://lrjohnson13.blogspot.com/2012/...
The first thing that caught my attention about this book was the cover; it was gorgeously breathtaking and drew me to the book right away. The plot itself seemed a little Romeo and Julietish to me. As elvens Kaliel and Krishani are supposed to “marry the land,” not fall in love with one another. The challenges they seem to face are overwhelming but their love for each other is intense enough to last. For the most part the relationship seemed realistic in the rush of intensity and emotion they felt for one another.
Rhiannon did an amazing job of character and world building. The world is imaginative and creative although at some parts I got lost in what was going on and had to reread. Even though the story was extremely descriptive there were a few parts that stretched out making the pace of the story as a whole slow.
Overall, the book was extremely interesting once the reader immersed themselves into the world and the story was innovative enough to be entertaining.
Also on http://lrjohnson13.blogspot.com/2012/...
September 20, 2013
*I received a free ARC of Surrender from CreateSpace via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review*
This and other reviews can also be found on my blog: (un)Conventional Bookviews.
In Surrender, Kaliel is a young girl who feels clumsy around her kinsfolk, she can speak to the trees and the merfolk, but she falls over everytime she needs to go somewhere. At the fire festival in Avristar, she goes to a waterfall one evening.
This and other reviews can also be found on my blog: (un)Conventional Bookviews.
In Surrender, Kaliel is a young girl who feels clumsy around her kinsfolk, she can speak to the trees and the merfolk, but she falls over everytime she needs to go somewhere. At the fire festival in Avristar, she goes to a waterfall one evening.
September 22, 2017
I recently reviewed this book on Netgalley and I specifically picked the option of 'no' when they ask would you like to be in contact and connect with the author. I guess she decided to completely ignore that and send me this very unprofessional and rude email. I did give her book a bad review but it was in no way mean or malicious. If you are reading this review now Rhiannon/Violet than please know that I actually DO have a right to give your book whatever kind of review I want to. You published it and you sent it into Netgalley for reviewers to do exactly that. It's pretty silly of you to get upset when you don't like the reviews and ignore my request to NOT be contacted by you. I wasn't even going to bother posting a review to Goodreads or Amazon but now I am because of your message, so enjoy!
March 29, 2013
Surrender by Rhiannon Paille
First in The Ferryman and the Flame series
1.5 stars (DNF)
Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 1
Swoon Worthy Scale: 1.5
The Villain- I didn’t get far enough to encounter a villain or a problem.
Villain Scale: DNF
Character Scale: 1
Cover Thoughts: I actually really like the cover. It’s stunning and also why I requested this book. The other covers for it are very pretty, too.
A copy was provided by Netgalley and Create Space for an honest review.
First in The Ferryman and the Flame series
1.5 stars (DNF)
Kaliel is always getting into trouble. She sneaks off to swim with mermpeople and one night meets Krishani. Krishani is meant to marry the land and leave Avristar to join the Lands of Men. Kaliel is apparently warned about her love according to the synopsis about her love for the Ferryman. She is also a Flame, one of nine apocalyptic weapons, sparking a warking. She awakens Avred, not knowing she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice. I don’t know what half of this means because apparently this is a synopsis of something else because this wasn’t what I was reading at all. It could’ve developed into what the synopsis hinted but I couldn’t bring myself to read past 35% of the book. I hate DNFing, but I couldn’t go on. This synopsis seems misleading to me because I was reading about a girl frolicking about causing mischief and thinking about Krishani’s beautiful mismatched eyes while also fearing her trip to the Great Oak.
The main female character is Kaliel. Kaliel is constantly being told that she is special. In my opinion the only special thing about Kaliel is the fact that flowers grow when she walks. Other than that Kaliel has no attributes that I can think of. She isn’t very bright and the only thing she seems useful for is making terrible decisions. I personally didn’t like her very much. I tried to, but I found myself disliking her more and more with every page I read. I felt very disconnected from her when I was reading her POV and I just didn’t care what was going to happen next.
Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 1
The main male character is Krishani. I actually really liked Krishani at first. His POV at the beginning was promising and then he went away and we got Kaliel’s POV, but when he came back his POV was nearly unbearable. I skimmed some parts and found myself rolling my eyes a lot. Kaliel thinks about Krishani’s eyes a lot and Krishani thinks about Kaliel’s a lot. This is really annoying for some reason. With every mention of someone’s eye color I wanted to scream.
Swoon Worthy Scale: 1.5
The Villain- I didn’t get far enough to encounter a villain or a problem.
Villain Scale: DNF
The other side characters all seemed fake and just there to be there and move the story along. I don’t even feel like talking about them, but I will mention one. I really liked Pux. He was interesting and cute in a bubbly way. Plus he has a wicked cool power.
Character Scale: 1
I feel terrible that I wasn’t able to finish this book, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. I told myself at the beginning of this year if I ran into a book that I didn’t enjoy I would DNF and I did that for the first time this year and pretty much my whole entire life. This book probably could’ve been good if I kept reading, but I didn’t want to. Maybe I’ll try to read this again one day, but not anytime soon. I really wanted to like this book, but just because I didn’t like this book, doesn’t mean someone else won’t. This book just didn’t work for me and maybe I wasn’t in the mood for it.
Cover Thoughts: I actually really like the cover. It’s stunning and also why I requested this book. The other covers for it are very pretty, too.
A copy was provided by Netgalley and Create Space for an honest review.
October 18, 2013
Flame of Surrender takes place in the ethereal country of Avristar: a high fantasy world of elves. High fantasy isn’t my normal genre, and usually I find high fantasy dry, so I tend to avoid it. Nevertheless, I still was intrigued by the blurb about Flame of Surrender on NetGalley. I wasn’t disappointed as the story was extremely imaginative and had great prose, but I did have some hiccups while reading.
As I said before, the world is incredibly imaginative. The problem I had, though, was that it was sometimes hard to follow. I thought that the author could have gone into a little more introduction about the world so it would be easier for the reader to keep what-is-what straight. This may have been more of an issue for me particularly since I don’t normally read high fantasy, which commonly incorporates vast and elaborate lands. At the same time, however, the reader should never feel lost and more than once was I flipping back in my e-reader to check if I had missed something (but normally I hadn’t).
As with any book labeled YA, the romance is an extremely key element. Though I thought the romance was cute, it felt rushed. Their initial attraction was sweet, but the build up over the time spent apart seemed… unrealistic. The intensity of their pining for each other seemed a little much for having had such a brief meeting. This is really only a half complaint -- I only found it slightly annoying and not enough of an issue for me to put the book down.
The only full criticism I have is that the pace is way too slow. There seemed to be a lot of lengthy build up for elements that were not important, and it felt like nothing was happening for quite a long stretch in the beginning. When the characters do reunite and it seemed like the story would start to pick up, it still didn’t. I found myself losing interest as it felt the plot had barely moved since beginning the book.
Overall, Flame of Surrender was well written and set in greatly creative world. However, it was another book that I desperately wanted to love, but found myself barely liking.
This review was originally posted on my blog Where the Mome Raths Outgrabe
As I said before, the world is incredibly imaginative. The problem I had, though, was that it was sometimes hard to follow. I thought that the author could have gone into a little more introduction about the world so it would be easier for the reader to keep what-is-what straight. This may have been more of an issue for me particularly since I don’t normally read high fantasy, which commonly incorporates vast and elaborate lands. At the same time, however, the reader should never feel lost and more than once was I flipping back in my e-reader to check if I had missed something (but normally I hadn’t).
As with any book labeled YA, the romance is an extremely key element. Though I thought the romance was cute, it felt rushed. Their initial attraction was sweet, but the build up over the time spent apart seemed… unrealistic. The intensity of their pining for each other seemed a little much for having had such a brief meeting. This is really only a half complaint -- I only found it slightly annoying and not enough of an issue for me to put the book down.
The only full criticism I have is that the pace is way too slow. There seemed to be a lot of lengthy build up for elements that were not important, and it felt like nothing was happening for quite a long stretch in the beginning. When the characters do reunite and it seemed like the story would start to pick up, it still didn’t. I found myself losing interest as it felt the plot had barely moved since beginning the book.
Overall, Flame of Surrender was well written and set in greatly creative world. However, it was another book that I desperately wanted to love, but found myself barely liking.
This review was originally posted on my blog Where the Mome Raths Outgrabe
November 6, 2011
Originally Posted at: http://iliveforreading.blogspot.com/2...
Rhiannon Paille's Flame of Surrender was AMAZING. Totally gorgeous. It brought me back to the days of fantasy, but of course, this one with romance. I was entranced by the writing, it kept me hooked from page one till the very end.
Love the characters and the whole world which Paille has developed. It's so different and original, and of course, beautiful the way in which the writing describes the setting of which the story takes place. I fell in love– I wanna go there!
I loved the two main characters, Krishani and Kaliel from the moment they came into the book. I really found them to be likeable characters, as they bring about rebellion, going against the laws and rules, like all the great fiction books out there! These two will always be special though...kinda like a fantasy Romeo and Juliet... with more understandable English.
I was hooked onto the book, but the book was pretty long to read. The book kept me up thinking, eager to get back to it again. This had really grabbed my attention!
Sometimes, however, I felt a little confused. With all the names of things and people, of thee different settings– I lost track of where I was at times.
I really like the switch in points of view though. Really good to know what's happening on both sides, as well as having a boy's POV, which you don't really find common in YA fiction!
Overall, I found Flame of Surrender a more than promising beginning to what I hope is a better-than-the-last-book-which-was-already-amazing series. Paille has created something fantastic, that all readers won't be able to resist. Can't wait to find out what happens next!
**Thank you so much to Rhiannon Paille and Stormi from Lightning Book Promotions for sending me the book for review and making me part of the Blog Tour**
Rhiannon Paille's Flame of Surrender was AMAZING. Totally gorgeous. It brought me back to the days of fantasy, but of course, this one with romance. I was entranced by the writing, it kept me hooked from page one till the very end.
Love the characters and the whole world which Paille has developed. It's so different and original, and of course, beautiful the way in which the writing describes the setting of which the story takes place. I fell in love– I wanna go there!
I loved the two main characters, Krishani and Kaliel from the moment they came into the book. I really found them to be likeable characters, as they bring about rebellion, going against the laws and rules, like all the great fiction books out there! These two will always be special though...kinda like a fantasy Romeo and Juliet... with more understandable English.
I was hooked onto the book, but the book was pretty long to read. The book kept me up thinking, eager to get back to it again. This had really grabbed my attention!
Sometimes, however, I felt a little confused. With all the names of things and people, of thee different settings– I lost track of where I was at times.
I really like the switch in points of view though. Really good to know what's happening on both sides, as well as having a boy's POV, which you don't really find common in YA fiction!
Overall, I found Flame of Surrender a more than promising beginning to what I hope is a better-than-the-last-book-which-was-already-amazing series. Paille has created something fantastic, that all readers won't be able to resist. Can't wait to find out what happens next!
**Thank you so much to Rhiannon Paille and Stormi from Lightning Book Promotions for sending me the book for review and making me part of the Blog Tour**
August 19, 2011
OMG I'm in loooove with this book! I don't know how to explain how this book made me feel but I'm still shaking! The end really freaked me out and made me cry, I didn't expect it at all, and now I can't wait for the next book. I feel sorry for Krishani, and Kaliel, and Pux, but I don't want to ruin it for anyone else. If you keep reading, there's spoilers.
Kaliel and Krishani were just so cute together. They fell in love like right away like love at first sight, but they weren't supposed to be together but they just couldn't resist each other. I liked that the author didn't make us get all nervous about their relationship, wondering if they'd be together or not, it was like, they just were together, it didn't matter what anyone said about it.
And I LOVED that so much because that's how it really is in real life you know? If you love someone you just go be with that person, it doesn't matter what's standing in your way you just do it.
And anyway, you can tell I love these two already and I want to see them go far, I want to see them succeed and now I'm not sure how that's going to happen! But I trust the author, I know she wouldn't do something like this and then let us all down and stuff by making it impossible for Kaliel and Krishani to be together.
Anyway, the writing was beautiful, Avristar felt so real to me, the characters scared me, made me laugh and cry. And ugh . . . the story line . . . sooooo good . . . I can't even imagine it being any other way, and it was so original and like nothing that's on the shelves.
I can't think of a single bad thing to say about this book, it was THAT good.
I hope I get to read the next book soon because I just can't wait!
Kaliel and Krishani were just so cute together. They fell in love like right away like love at first sight, but they weren't supposed to be together but they just couldn't resist each other. I liked that the author didn't make us get all nervous about their relationship, wondering if they'd be together or not, it was like, they just were together, it didn't matter what anyone said about it.
And I LOVED that so much because that's how it really is in real life you know? If you love someone you just go be with that person, it doesn't matter what's standing in your way you just do it.
And anyway, you can tell I love these two already and I want to see them go far, I want to see them succeed and now I'm not sure how that's going to happen! But I trust the author, I know she wouldn't do something like this and then let us all down and stuff by making it impossible for Kaliel and Krishani to be together.
Anyway, the writing was beautiful, Avristar felt so real to me, the characters scared me, made me laugh and cry. And ugh . . . the story line . . . sooooo good . . . I can't even imagine it being any other way, and it was so original and like nothing that's on the shelves.
I can't think of a single bad thing to say about this book, it was THAT good.
I hope I get to read the next book soon because I just can't wait!
September 9, 2011
Dear reader,
Let me lure you into a world with a hidden milieu that reveals its spirit with fantastical characters of another world. A detailed land with vivid descriptions, allow you to add the softest of detail to a complete world. Although this book starts out as a slow read, it is easy to be drawn into the mystery of The Ferryman & the Flame as the love of Krishani, “the boy who follows death”, and Kaliel, a girl destined to be associated with the apocalypse of Avristar, risks the lives of those who live outside the Lands of Men.
The essence of love and passion opens you to rekindle the nostalgia of young, first loves with its tortured longing and desire of being caressed and kissed. This doomed love is one that the reader fights for along with the likable yet flawed characters.
The pacing of the story increases, developing the nature of the Flame, a supernatural weapon requiring guidance, if not protection, as she discovers her true nature and capacity, and relationship of the Ferryman as the mysterious personification of death.
A beautiful story of friendship and love uses unique language and fantasy lexicon, which occasionally left me back tracking for translations. This story reads best for those fans of fantasy and romance with a twist. As much as this story brings warmth to the spirit, this is no happy-go-lucky tale with the undertones of war and apocalypse with Krishani and Kaliel choosing to “hide, face the enemy, or awaken.” Drawn in to continue the series, I like how this story makes me feel and look forward to future reads.
Reviewed by Rosa for Book Sake.
Let me lure you into a world with a hidden milieu that reveals its spirit with fantastical characters of another world. A detailed land with vivid descriptions, allow you to add the softest of detail to a complete world. Although this book starts out as a slow read, it is easy to be drawn into the mystery of The Ferryman & the Flame as the love of Krishani, “the boy who follows death”, and Kaliel, a girl destined to be associated with the apocalypse of Avristar, risks the lives of those who live outside the Lands of Men.
The essence of love and passion opens you to rekindle the nostalgia of young, first loves with its tortured longing and desire of being caressed and kissed. This doomed love is one that the reader fights for along with the likable yet flawed characters.
The pacing of the story increases, developing the nature of the Flame, a supernatural weapon requiring guidance, if not protection, as she discovers her true nature and capacity, and relationship of the Ferryman as the mysterious personification of death.
A beautiful story of friendship and love uses unique language and fantasy lexicon, which occasionally left me back tracking for translations. This story reads best for those fans of fantasy and romance with a twist. As much as this story brings warmth to the spirit, this is no happy-go-lucky tale with the undertones of war and apocalypse with Krishani and Kaliel choosing to “hide, face the enemy, or awaken.” Drawn in to continue the series, I like how this story makes me feel and look forward to future reads.
Reviewed by Rosa for Book Sake.
January 4, 2013
I absolutely love how this book started. With the epilogue depicting a man tormented by his memories and fearful of what was to come.
And so the story began, “This is the legend of The Ferryman and the Flame.”
Absolutely loved it! It was so attention catching and mysterious and made me immediately start the first chapter eager to hear the tale of The Ferryman and the Flame.
This is definitely a fantasy read, if I am being honest, a little more so than I thought it would be and while that would normally bother me (I am not huge on fantasy with some of the hard names and lands to pronounce) it didn't in this one. The storyline was so unique and interesting that it kept me entertained and turning the pages. The world that Rhiannon created was both magical and beautiful and you couldn't help but be drawn into it.
The tale of love was so reminiscent of the feelings of first love most of us feel. The nervousness, the exciting feeling of not knowing what will come next and when you will see them again. Except this love tale is so much more. In a world where love almost doesn't exist for those of Kaliel and Krishani's position. They are to marry the land, not each other.
I have heard the tale of The Ferryman before but of course never of the Flame. I love stories of star crossed lovers and this one was great. Told from a totally different perspective and cleverly done with the parables and the Oak Tree.
I think all lovers of fantasy (with romance) will really enjoy this one. Krishani is a great strong character although flawed and Kaliel is his match in every way.
3.5 to 4 Stars!
And so the story began, “This is the legend of The Ferryman and the Flame.”
Absolutely loved it! It was so attention catching and mysterious and made me immediately start the first chapter eager to hear the tale of The Ferryman and the Flame.
This is definitely a fantasy read, if I am being honest, a little more so than I thought it would be and while that would normally bother me (I am not huge on fantasy with some of the hard names and lands to pronounce) it didn't in this one. The storyline was so unique and interesting that it kept me entertained and turning the pages. The world that Rhiannon created was both magical and beautiful and you couldn't help but be drawn into it.
The tale of love was so reminiscent of the feelings of first love most of us feel. The nervousness, the exciting feeling of not knowing what will come next and when you will see them again. Except this love tale is so much more. In a world where love almost doesn't exist for those of Kaliel and Krishani's position. They are to marry the land, not each other.
I have heard the tale of The Ferryman before but of course never of the Flame. I love stories of star crossed lovers and this one was great. Told from a totally different perspective and cleverly done with the parables and the Oak Tree.
I think all lovers of fantasy (with romance) will really enjoy this one. Krishani is a great strong character although flawed and Kaliel is his match in every way.
3.5 to 4 Stars!
December 14, 2012
Alas, this was a very rough book for me to read. I finished it to finish it and the only part of the book I ended up liking was the ending, thus this one star review I thought I was writing ending up being two stars. I really enjoy bittersweet endings and after suffering through pages and pages of Kaliel and Krishani acting like lovesick puppies, I was SUPER enthused that it wasn’t the predictable happy ever after ending.
This book felt like a sequel to me (even though it isn’t). There were a lot of things that weren’t explained well and I never understood the backstory of the races or even the phrase “marry the land” which was repeated over and over again. There was so much of the world that never made the pages. What small parts of the world that were explained were beautiful – but it was a very small bit. I didn’t understand the hierarchy or why the land of men was a bad place to go.
But what made me so reluctant to turn the next page was how in-your-face the romance is. The world is going to hell but the only two people who can apparently save it rather mope and complain about not spending enough time with each other. And when they are together, they do the most inappropriate things. Sleeping in the same bed is not okay if you’re suppose to “marry the land”. Neither Kaliel nor Krishani paid any respect to their elders and did whatever they wanted. Surrender really was a disappointment.
(I received a copy of this book from the author/netgalley in exchange for my honest review.)
This book felt like a sequel to me (even though it isn’t). There were a lot of things that weren’t explained well and I never understood the backstory of the races or even the phrase “marry the land” which was repeated over and over again. There was so much of the world that never made the pages. What small parts of the world that were explained were beautiful – but it was a very small bit. I didn’t understand the hierarchy or why the land of men was a bad place to go.
But what made me so reluctant to turn the next page was how in-your-face the romance is. The world is going to hell but the only two people who can apparently save it rather mope and complain about not spending enough time with each other. And when they are together, they do the most inappropriate things. Sleeping in the same bed is not okay if you’re suppose to “marry the land”. Neither Kaliel nor Krishani paid any respect to their elders and did whatever they wanted. Surrender really was a disappointment.
(I received a copy of this book from the author/netgalley in exchange for my honest review.)
November 21, 2012
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Coscom Entertainment and Netgalley.)
Kaliel first meets Krishani whilst swimming a pond – a pond where merfolk live – a pond that she is forbidden to swim in. Once they meet they are attracted to each other, and when they next meet, a year and a half later, they kiss.
Both are destined to ‘marry the land’, and therefore cannot be together. It seems that Krishani will become a ferryman, and Kaliel is a flame – one of only 9 in all the world, and destined to start a war.
Can Kaliel and Krishani have any kind of future together? And what do their prophecy’s mean? Can love be stronger than destiny?
This was a YA epic fantasy, with a romance between Kaliel and Krishani thrown in. Both Kaliel and Krishani had problems – Kaliel insisted on doing what she wasn’t supposed to do, and getting caught, and Krishani persistently failed the tests set for him.
Both had a destiny that they didn’t know about, and both received cryptic parables from ‘the great oak’ who told people what they were set to be in life.
I had a feeling from the beginning that this book might not have a happy ending, although I had a feeling that this would probably be partly because this book is the first in a series! I’m not sure where the story goes from here, but I like that the author was brave enough for this sort of ending!
Overall; if you like epic fantasy you’ll probably like this.
6 out of 10.
Kaliel first meets Krishani whilst swimming a pond – a pond where merfolk live – a pond that she is forbidden to swim in. Once they meet they are attracted to each other, and when they next meet, a year and a half later, they kiss.
Both are destined to ‘marry the land’, and therefore cannot be together. It seems that Krishani will become a ferryman, and Kaliel is a flame – one of only 9 in all the world, and destined to start a war.
Can Kaliel and Krishani have any kind of future together? And what do their prophecy’s mean? Can love be stronger than destiny?
This was a YA epic fantasy, with a romance between Kaliel and Krishani thrown in. Both Kaliel and Krishani had problems – Kaliel insisted on doing what she wasn’t supposed to do, and getting caught, and Krishani persistently failed the tests set for him.
Both had a destiny that they didn’t know about, and both received cryptic parables from ‘the great oak’ who told people what they were set to be in life.
I had a feeling from the beginning that this book might not have a happy ending, although I had a feeling that this would probably be partly because this book is the first in a series! I’m not sure where the story goes from here, but I like that the author was brave enough for this sort of ending!
Overall; if you like epic fantasy you’ll probably like this.
6 out of 10.
August 10, 2011
The author crafts a shockingly beautiful and realistic fantasy world for the reader in this novel. The reader will actually be able to picture the island and the environment with the little details the author includes. The main characters are both very likable and will endear themselves to the reader within the first couple of chapters. Their seemingly impossible love story will have the reader rooting for them throughout the book.
The plot is very unique. The idea that Kaliel could be a potentially dangerous weapon sounds surreal, but is carried out very well. "The boy who follows death" is a very intriguing character as well. The reader will enjoy getting to know them both. The secondary characters play much less of a part, but they are no less interesting-especially Pux.
This story is fast-paced in just the right places while slower in others-such as the beginning of the relationship between the main characters. The reader will learn the book's vocabulary in no time and enjoy the unusual names. The ending is both a surprise and extremely exciting. Any fantasy/romance/mystery readers will truly love this book.
December 14, 2012
I have to admit it was the cover of this book that caught my attention - it's just too pretty to resist! It helped that fantasy is one of my favourite genres so it didn't take much to sell me on the blurb too. Unfortunately it turns out that this just wasn't the right book for me. I don't want to put people off trying it though because I seem to be in the minority with this one.
The reasons I didn't like it were mainly down to the confusing world building. I only made it through the first 16% so I'm sure this would have changed if I'd read further but I was struggling with a huge number of character names and places, a lot of which I wasn't even sure how to pronounce.
I might have carried on reading further if it hadn't been for the major case of insta-love. Boy catches girl skinnny dipping. Girl catches boy watching her. One very short conversation later and bam they're both obsessed. Weeks later and they've not even seen each other again but they're both constantly thinking about each other and wishing they could be together. It was boring me already so I'm afraid I gave up.
The reasons I didn't like it were mainly down to the confusing world building. I only made it through the first 16% so I'm sure this would have changed if I'd read further but I was struggling with a huge number of character names and places, a lot of which I wasn't even sure how to pronounce.
I might have carried on reading further if it hadn't been for the major case of insta-love. Boy catches girl skinnny dipping. Girl catches boy watching her. One very short conversation later and bam they're both obsessed. Weeks later and they've not even seen each other again but they're both constantly thinking about each other and wishing they could be together. It was boring me already so I'm afraid I gave up.
November 2, 2012
Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this.
I had some difficulty getting into the story. Most of it was probably because of the slow start. The author takes a lot of time to build the world, and up until the 30% mark, I still wasn't sure where the story was headed for.
Also it was insta-love for the characters. I'm usually okay with this as long as the love feels believable. But for the first part, it felt a bit like an unhealthy infatuation for each other. As the story develops however, we would be able to understand more of what was at stake. The story picks up at the latter half of the book and we get to see more things arise. The concept of the Ferryman and the Flame was very well thought of. There were a lot of fantastical elements that I really liked, the descriptions, sceneries, creatures, forbidden love and stories within the story. They were all fun, but I would have appreciated a bit more character development. Still, this book is worth giving a try for lovers of YA fantasy and romance.
I had some difficulty getting into the story. Most of it was probably because of the slow start. The author takes a lot of time to build the world, and up until the 30% mark, I still wasn't sure where the story was headed for.
Also it was insta-love for the characters. I'm usually okay with this as long as the love feels believable. But for the first part, it felt a bit like an unhealthy infatuation for each other. As the story develops however, we would be able to understand more of what was at stake. The story picks up at the latter half of the book and we get to see more things arise. The concept of the Ferryman and the Flame was very well thought of. There were a lot of fantastical elements that I really liked, the descriptions, sceneries, creatures, forbidden love and stories within the story. They were all fun, but I would have appreciated a bit more character development. Still, this book is worth giving a try for lovers of YA fantasy and romance.
December 15, 2012
This is a great epic fantasy with a wonderful twist of romance thrown in. I loved this book!
This book was original and kept me guessing. There was never a dull moment! My favorite thing about the book was the switching point of views. Books to me are just that much better when the author takes the time to go through and switch the perspective between characters. I feel like I get a more complete look at the story.
I was not prepared for the ending. Oh I had read other reviews that had warned me but it still was not enough to prepare me. :(
I can't wait to read the next book in this series!
http://mydailyobsessionreview.blogspo...
This book was original and kept me guessing. There was never a dull moment! My favorite thing about the book was the switching point of views. Books to me are just that much better when the author takes the time to go through and switch the perspective between characters. I feel like I get a more complete look at the story.
I was not prepared for the ending. Oh I had read other reviews that had warned me but it still was not enough to prepare me. :(
I can't wait to read the next book in this series!
http://mydailyobsessionreview.blogspo...
March 8, 2013
This book was kindly given by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I honestly did not finish this story. It felt like there was too much detail & not enough story. I just couldn't bring myself to finish the 84% that was left. The cover is really pretty. It threw me off because I really wanted to like this book. *Sad face* I'm going to apologize to Netgalley for sending this and me not even finishing it, I kind of feel like a bad reader but then I think to myself, "People don't finish books because they just can't get into them all the time." It's true. This was one of those for me.
I honestly did not finish this story. It felt like there was too much detail & not enough story. I just couldn't bring myself to finish the 84% that was left. The cover is really pretty. It threw me off because I really wanted to like this book. *Sad face* I'm going to apologize to Netgalley for sending this and me not even finishing it, I kind of feel like a bad reader but then I think to myself, "People don't finish books because they just can't get into them all the time." It's true. This was one of those for me.
Want to read
January 18, 2013FREE! http://www.amazon.com/SURRENDER-The-F...
1/17/13
1/17/13
November 17, 2012
Okay..so I liked this. But was confused through out most of it, full review coming soon.
November 14, 2011
Visit Behind A Million Pages for the author interview and this review from the Book Blog Tour!
The prologue (0) gets straight to the story. We get into the atmosphere very quickly as we are already asking questions on who the Flame is and what was/is the prophecy? Action is quick to follow and we are very soon devouring pages.
Random Fact Alert: Who wouldn’t want to live in the Great Library? I would!
We see the two’s connection from when they first met. From how much Kailel thinks about Krishani we want and wait for the next time they cross paths again. From then on we have a connection to the Waterfall and all the times that they have met there. At the end of the novel when Kailel starts going through her memories of the Waterfall we are there to as we can remember what they experienced together as well as what they shared.
I tend not to read the blurb of the novel straight before I am about to read a novel. This is because some novels reveal too much within their blurbs which leaves us in the novel somewhat unsatisfied as we were expecting it and everything else that happens in the novel is just strategically placed there to make the story flow together and for it to be longer, yet we already know most of the story through the blurb. This however, in most novels, leaves us to read in order to find out what happens at the end as the blurb would mention a challenge or life-altering choice. I actually happened to read this blurb when finishing this novel and it seemingly fell in with the blurb-story category that I mentioned above. We are told straight about who Kailel and Krishani are (Flame and Ferryman) as well as basically what happens in the novel and left with the life-altering choice that will be made at the end of the novel. From this blurb we are not told about who they are and from my perspective it is like that because it was already mentioned in the blurb so there was no need to mention it again.
We question how much knowledge of the land and of herself as a flame, if she knows that she is a flame. She doesn’t seem to know or get taught that much about certain things and is kept in the dark. This just allows her to become weaker and more vulnerable as she has no knowledge of anything that is relevant to her and her dilemma.
They live in a land where love does not exist (kinda like that) to some extend as it is saved for the land as they marry the land and not fall in love with others. We can see from this knowledge that their love is forbidden and their constant thinking of each other makes this intensity grow. We wonder what she can do (powers) and what her role will be in the war that was foretold by the great oak. Will she come to accept her destiny and her chosen path? Or will she run away from fear?
The descriptions of places, surroundings and people should be taken into account for many authors as many do not accurately describe the surroundings within the story. Paille does a brilliant job and we can tell this by the complete visual imagery we get as we read about the places, surroundings and people. We can ‘see’ everything that is happening at that current time allowing us to grab a better sense of their environment and to become more connected within their realm. Although we do lack some information within the novel, yet most of the time it is cleared up when reading further. However, some small details that we do consider do not show within the novel. Things such as when she is told that she is leaving at Beltane, we need to be reminded how long away that is. We also need to know about the passing of days, sometimes throughout the novel we get skipped through a number of days quickly and we only realise it later rather than sooner. In other words, throughout this book it does lack knowledge of some things. We just hope that the next novel will clear a lot of things up for us.
Although we are taken through the novel in third person persona, we learn with Kailel mostly. We come to understand her parable as well as her changing world and position within it. This gives us a connection with her that, although we are not shown in first person what she is thinking and feeling, we understand her so that we know what she is thinking and feeling as well as getting the added benefit of understanding about the other characters as well through the use of third person.
I would have hoped that from reading this book that there was a reference at the start of the novel that allows us to know how the words/names are said as well as what some of the places/creatures in this novel are. Some of the names that are used make you stop reading so that you have to re-read it over again in order to see if it sounds right through the way that it is spelt as well as stopping to think what some of the words for creatures and things (such as feorns) mean as well. The constant use throughout the book of words that are used in the characters world allows us to lose focus and contact with the story, and makes us not so interested in the story that we lose focus and our minds wander because we are not familiar with the words used and it makes us seem out the loop with the story. A loss of connection. This is also one of those novels where you would like a map of their world at the start of the novel.
This novel does lack in the whole “book crack” element that holds you to every word, forcing us to read every word written. We are able to stop reading as well as get sidetracked at times. It does have some aspects of “book crack” within the novel yet at other times it lacks this, which takes us more time to read the novel that what we would actually hope because of this lacking factor.
Completely loved the intensity at the end of chapter 20, it was brilliant and I only wish that he whole novel was complete with that sort of feverish action. The emotion just poured out of every word written and we could feel along with Kailel what it was like to let go and release the other being, the “flame” inside us all.
Another novel with a cliff hanger to die for!! Cannot wait for the second novel! We want to find out what happened with Kailel as well as what will happen to Krishiani.
Suspicions:
Krishani has the dreams about the Ferryman probably because he is the next Ferryman. This could explain why he cannot handle his powers and complete his training. If this is true then it is the same with Kailel as she has dreams about fire and flames which could hint at her being a Flame.
The prologue (0) gets straight to the story. We get into the atmosphere very quickly as we are already asking questions on who the Flame is and what was/is the prophecy? Action is quick to follow and we are very soon devouring pages.
Random Fact Alert: Who wouldn’t want to live in the Great Library? I would!
We see the two’s connection from when they first met. From how much Kailel thinks about Krishani we want and wait for the next time they cross paths again. From then on we have a connection to the Waterfall and all the times that they have met there. At the end of the novel when Kailel starts going through her memories of the Waterfall we are there to as we can remember what they experienced together as well as what they shared.
I tend not to read the blurb of the novel straight before I am about to read a novel. This is because some novels reveal too much within their blurbs which leaves us in the novel somewhat unsatisfied as we were expecting it and everything else that happens in the novel is just strategically placed there to make the story flow together and for it to be longer, yet we already know most of the story through the blurb. This however, in most novels, leaves us to read in order to find out what happens at the end as the blurb would mention a challenge or life-altering choice. I actually happened to read this blurb when finishing this novel and it seemingly fell in with the blurb-story category that I mentioned above. We are told straight about who Kailel and Krishani are (Flame and Ferryman) as well as basically what happens in the novel and left with the life-altering choice that will be made at the end of the novel. From this blurb we are not told about who they are and from my perspective it is like that because it was already mentioned in the blurb so there was no need to mention it again.
We question how much knowledge of the land and of herself as a flame, if she knows that she is a flame. She doesn’t seem to know or get taught that much about certain things and is kept in the dark. This just allows her to become weaker and more vulnerable as she has no knowledge of anything that is relevant to her and her dilemma.
They live in a land where love does not exist (kinda like that) to some extend as it is saved for the land as they marry the land and not fall in love with others. We can see from this knowledge that their love is forbidden and their constant thinking of each other makes this intensity grow. We wonder what she can do (powers) and what her role will be in the war that was foretold by the great oak. Will she come to accept her destiny and her chosen path? Or will she run away from fear?
The descriptions of places, surroundings and people should be taken into account for many authors as many do not accurately describe the surroundings within the story. Paille does a brilliant job and we can tell this by the complete visual imagery we get as we read about the places, surroundings and people. We can ‘see’ everything that is happening at that current time allowing us to grab a better sense of their environment and to become more connected within their realm. Although we do lack some information within the novel, yet most of the time it is cleared up when reading further. However, some small details that we do consider do not show within the novel. Things such as when she is told that she is leaving at Beltane, we need to be reminded how long away that is. We also need to know about the passing of days, sometimes throughout the novel we get skipped through a number of days quickly and we only realise it later rather than sooner. In other words, throughout this book it does lack knowledge of some things. We just hope that the next novel will clear a lot of things up for us.
Although we are taken through the novel in third person persona, we learn with Kailel mostly. We come to understand her parable as well as her changing world and position within it. This gives us a connection with her that, although we are not shown in first person what she is thinking and feeling, we understand her so that we know what she is thinking and feeling as well as getting the added benefit of understanding about the other characters as well through the use of third person.
I would have hoped that from reading this book that there was a reference at the start of the novel that allows us to know how the words/names are said as well as what some of the places/creatures in this novel are. Some of the names that are used make you stop reading so that you have to re-read it over again in order to see if it sounds right through the way that it is spelt as well as stopping to think what some of the words for creatures and things (such as feorns) mean as well. The constant use throughout the book of words that are used in the characters world allows us to lose focus and contact with the story, and makes us not so interested in the story that we lose focus and our minds wander because we are not familiar with the words used and it makes us seem out the loop with the story. A loss of connection. This is also one of those novels where you would like a map of their world at the start of the novel.
This novel does lack in the whole “book crack” element that holds you to every word, forcing us to read every word written. We are able to stop reading as well as get sidetracked at times. It does have some aspects of “book crack” within the novel yet at other times it lacks this, which takes us more time to read the novel that what we would actually hope because of this lacking factor.
Completely loved the intensity at the end of chapter 20, it was brilliant and I only wish that he whole novel was complete with that sort of feverish action. The emotion just poured out of every word written and we could feel along with Kailel what it was like to let go and release the other being, the “flame” inside us all.
Another novel with a cliff hanger to die for!! Cannot wait for the second novel! We want to find out what happened with Kailel as well as what will happen to Krishiani.
Suspicions:
Krishani has the dreams about the Ferryman probably because he is the next Ferryman. This could explain why he cannot handle his powers and complete his training. If this is true then it is the same with Kailel as she has dreams about fire and flames which could hint at her being a Flame.
June 28, 2023
Thank you for the egalley to review and give my opinion.
I love a good fantasy with a hint of romance, this one has that flavor. So of course I dove right in.
Paille does a great job with world building. Visually stunning and descriptive so I felt I could really picture Avristar. I could easily imagine all the things she described.
The forbidden love aspect is a trope I often enjoy. Krishani and Kaliel are dynamic characters. I will say I could have used more from then than just their love. I feel like this was the only way we truly got to know them, through their romance. Possibly delving into then outside of this would have given me a better picture of who they both truly are.
Paille offered a unique plot, hard to do with fantasy.
The pace varied. I felt at times it dragged a bit and some things could have been left to the imagination as opposed to drawing out the descriptions and things that were happening.
The epic battle was the height of the story.
Overall enjoyable though I don't think I'll be moving on to the books that follow.
I love a good fantasy with a hint of romance, this one has that flavor. So of course I dove right in.
Paille does a great job with world building. Visually stunning and descriptive so I felt I could really picture Avristar. I could easily imagine all the things she described.
The forbidden love aspect is a trope I often enjoy. Krishani and Kaliel are dynamic characters. I will say I could have used more from then than just their love. I feel like this was the only way we truly got to know them, through their romance. Possibly delving into then outside of this would have given me a better picture of who they both truly are.
Paille offered a unique plot, hard to do with fantasy.
The pace varied. I felt at times it dragged a bit and some things could have been left to the imagination as opposed to drawing out the descriptions and things that were happening.
The epic battle was the height of the story.
Overall enjoyable though I don't think I'll be moving on to the books that follow.
January 8, 2013
Come by my blog and see the book tour, read excerpt and guest post too.
I was really touched by this sad and sweet story. The emotions that play out over time from when Kaliel is 14 and Krishani I believe was 15 or 16 and on, they first met at those ages, but their budding love really didn’t hit until later and grew. It was a forbidden love I would call it. I did have some confusion on what the term “to Marry the Land” meant, but guessing since this is a fantasy with the elves, that they would be like monks and nuns to the land? I am not sure, it’s the best way I was able to think of it. What is sad, is that they are told what their destiny is, they have no choices at all in their own life, and that is so sad. It turns out both of them had a bit different future in store for them.
This book is written very well, and really pulls you into this fantasy world. But it’s not so farfetched that you do not believe it, it really is brought to life for you.
Here is a very sweet reunion for them, they are a bit older here:
“I thought about you every day,” he said as she pressed her cheek into his tunic.
She smiled against his shirt. “And I thought about you.”
“Promise me something?” He wasn’t holding her, not really, their bodies weren’t pressed together and the inches between them made Kaliel feel cold.
“What?”
“You’ll find a happy ending.”
“What if I can’t?”
He pulled back and brushed his thumb across her cheek. “Promise me you will.” His eyes met hers and his jaw dropped. His hand paused, cupping her face in his palm. He held her gaze, her heart beating hard. Before she had time to answer, he pressed his lips against hers. She didn’t expect him to do that and it was better than she imagined. She came to life under him, kissing him back with unyielding passion that made him pull away to seemingly catch his breath.
Kaliel’s sadness drained away as he broke from her lips and then cupped her face with both hands and kissed her again, pressing the length of his body against her. His kisses made her feel light and giddy, like she could float into the sky. She slid her hands up his chest and looped them around his neck. There was swimming in the lake and losing her breath and then there was this. Being out of breath with him was like drowning in a sea of happiness. He could keep her prisoner forever and she’d never complain. He pulled away again, and wound his arms around her waist, trapping her against him. His lips found hers again, rough and inexperienced, but strong and satisfying.
She opened her mouth and his tongue grazed hers, warmth spreading from her heart to the rest of her body, making her tingle. She smiled against his lips.
“I missed you.” She tried to steady her breathing.
Krishani shook his head and put his hands on either side of her face. “This is all I want. This and nothing else, ever.” His mouth covered hers again. He pressed himself against her and she sighed. It felt like she had known him her entire life and even longer, if longer even existed.
Also this part:
“I made a bolt of lightning strike down a threethousand-year-old-tree in Amersil, because in the middle of a meditation I thought about your green eyes.” A sheepish smile crept onto his face.
Her eyes widened. “Three thousand years?”
“All because of your green eyes.” He pressed his lips against hers. He leaned back and she followed his lips, straddling him, pressing her hips into his groin, bracing herself on his shoulders.
“All I want is this, this and nothing else. Ever.”
Krishani grunted in agreement as her mouth came down on his.
As you can see by that sweet scene, they deeply care for one another, and it only grows from there. I do not want to say much on what is expected of them, or what they do, so not to spoil anything.
I think some of the abilities that Kaliel have are pretty cool, she can “talk” to the trees and animals, as well as sortof communicate with the mermaids that are supposed to be dangerous. She is always running off to swim in the pond or lake, when it’s forbidden to do so. Krishani also seems to be really powerful, but is unable to control his powers. He loosed control when he tries to control the elements like he should, destroying whole areas of trees that are old. He seems to have the best control if he is near Kaliel.
It’s an amazing fantasy book, and highly recommend anyone who likes the paranormal/fantasy type books. It’s truly captivating. You really need to read this. I can’t wait for book 2.
5 out of 5 stars.
I was provided a copy of this book for my honest review from the author.
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