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Blood and Flame
Two young women from vastly different worlds.
A magical quest that will test all that they believe…
Beneath the shroud of darkness, two Initiates await their future. Both seek the same—to undergo the Rite of the Faithful and become Mages in the Quinarium.
For Dara, becoming a Blood Mage is a way to flee poverty and leave her past behind, while Wynne’s desire to be a Flame Mage means rebelling against her family's wishes and turning her back on her wealth and status.
Paired together to perform their unusual rite, they must stop the mysterious slaughter of a village’s livestock and investigate rumors of an impossible source of mana, the fuel used for magic.
Their quest sends them on a fantastical journey across the world of Llendshold, from dangerous Fae forests, across treacherous waters, and deep underground into a dwarf city.
In seeking answers, their loyalty to the Quinarium is shaken to breaking point. Nor can they ignore the power of their growing bond.
But if they stand up for what is right and embrace the truth, will it mean losing all that they hoped for?
Blood and Flame is Book One in The Quinate’s Faithful, a fantasy trilogy filled with magic, action-packed adventures, and a touch of slow-burn romance.
A magical quest that will test all that they believe…
Beneath the shroud of darkness, two Initiates await their future. Both seek the same—to undergo the Rite of the Faithful and become Mages in the Quinarium.
For Dara, becoming a Blood Mage is a way to flee poverty and leave her past behind, while Wynne’s desire to be a Flame Mage means rebelling against her family's wishes and turning her back on her wealth and status.
Paired together to perform their unusual rite, they must stop the mysterious slaughter of a village’s livestock and investigate rumors of an impossible source of mana, the fuel used for magic.
Their quest sends them on a fantastical journey across the world of Llendshold, from dangerous Fae forests, across treacherous waters, and deep underground into a dwarf city.
In seeking answers, their loyalty to the Quinarium is shaken to breaking point. Nor can they ignore the power of their growing bond.
But if they stand up for what is right and embrace the truth, will it mean losing all that they hoped for?
Blood and Flame is Book One in The Quinate’s Faithful, a fantasy trilogy filled with magic, action-packed adventures, and a touch of slow-burn romance.
299 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 20, 2025
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34 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 17, 2025
A decently done sword-and-sorcery fantasy in many ways, marred by serious mechanical issues, but with a more original world than some I've seen. However, it's also not completely to my taste, being more dystopian and darker than I personally prefer.
The author has a bad dangling-modifier habit, sometimes leaves the past perfect tense out of sentences that really need it, occasionally chooses a word that doesn't quite have the right connotation for the context (or just sounds similar to the word he means) or uses the wrong preposition in an idiom, and makes several other common errors, like hyphenating an adjective and its noun. As always with books I get for review via Netgalley, I must note that I haven't seen the final published version, and there may yet be more editing to come, though there's a lot to work on.
The author is also one of those people who likes to use other words as alternatives to "said," and chooses some odd ones, including "drolled" (probably by mistake for "drawled"), "cut" (not "cut in," just "cut") and "spewed". He repeatedly says "at the aft" when he just means "aft" or "at the stern." A quirk I've seen elsewhere, but never so much, is that he misses the "-ed" ending off some short verbs that end in "t" when putting them in the past tense. I've often seen "spit" used as the past tense instead of "spat" and "grit" instead of "gritted" (as in teeth), and have put it down to a dialectal variation, but I don't believe I've seen "flit" or "jut" or "rest" used this way before.
Add this to the frequent lack of past perfect tense when referring to something that happened before the narrative moment, and the author's habit of using the phrasing "X did A when Y did B" when it should be "X was doing A" or "X had done A," and it becomes challenging at times to parse how the action is taking place in time in order to envisage it. Point of view also tends to wander sometimes between the two main characters within the same scene.
These issues aren't on every page, by any means, but when they do appear, they distract from what is a decent story about engaging characters. Certainly, there's nothing here that is completely unexpected, though the worldbuilding shows some originality. Monsters, even if they have familiar names like "Jackals" and "Sirens" (all species names, including "Humans," are capitalized for some reason), aren't what you're expecting from those names, and aren't just an existing monster under a new label, either. The humans (or Humans, if you insist) are vegan, while the Fae aren't, which is a low-level conflict between people of those two origins; although there is a leather gauntlet early on, I think that's just a slip, since it's described as "cloth" a couple of sentences later.
The church is dystopian, because of course it is, though unlike most real corrupted religious organizations it doesn't seem to go in for large-scale sexual abuse, thankfully. Or if it does, the characters we follow don't encounter it. It mostly just lies about history and commits ethnic cleansing. I don't like dystopian, so that took my overall enjoyment down a little, along with the gory tragic battles.
On balance, while it showed potential and some originality, it wasn't quite the kind of story I love, and the many language issues were a big distraction for me. Those factors combine to take it down to a three-star rating, and keep it off my recommendation list for 2025. It was good enough that I finished it, but not so good that I'd read another.
The author has a bad dangling-modifier habit, sometimes leaves the past perfect tense out of sentences that really need it, occasionally chooses a word that doesn't quite have the right connotation for the context (or just sounds similar to the word he means) or uses the wrong preposition in an idiom, and makes several other common errors, like hyphenating an adjective and its noun. As always with books I get for review via Netgalley, I must note that I haven't seen the final published version, and there may yet be more editing to come, though there's a lot to work on.
The author is also one of those people who likes to use other words as alternatives to "said," and chooses some odd ones, including "drolled" (probably by mistake for "drawled"), "cut" (not "cut in," just "cut") and "spewed". He repeatedly says "at the aft" when he just means "aft" or "at the stern." A quirk I've seen elsewhere, but never so much, is that he misses the "-ed" ending off some short verbs that end in "t" when putting them in the past tense. I've often seen "spit" used as the past tense instead of "spat" and "grit" instead of "gritted" (as in teeth), and have put it down to a dialectal variation, but I don't believe I've seen "flit" or "jut" or "rest" used this way before.
Add this to the frequent lack of past perfect tense when referring to something that happened before the narrative moment, and the author's habit of using the phrasing "X did A when Y did B" when it should be "X was doing A" or "X had done A," and it becomes challenging at times to parse how the action is taking place in time in order to envisage it. Point of view also tends to wander sometimes between the two main characters within the same scene.
These issues aren't on every page, by any means, but when they do appear, they distract from what is a decent story about engaging characters. Certainly, there's nothing here that is completely unexpected, though the worldbuilding shows some originality. Monsters, even if they have familiar names like "Jackals" and "Sirens" (all species names, including "Humans," are capitalized for some reason), aren't what you're expecting from those names, and aren't just an existing monster under a new label, either. The humans (or Humans, if you insist) are vegan, while the Fae aren't, which is a low-level conflict between people of those two origins; although there is a leather gauntlet early on, I think that's just a slip, since it's described as "cloth" a couple of sentences later.
The church is dystopian, because of course it is, though unlike most real corrupted religious organizations it doesn't seem to go in for large-scale sexual abuse, thankfully. Or if it does, the characters we follow don't encounter it. It mostly just lies about history and commits ethnic cleansing. I don't like dystopian, so that took my overall enjoyment down a little, along with the gory tragic battles.
On balance, while it showed potential and some originality, it wasn't quite the kind of story I love, and the many language issues were a big distraction for me. Those factors combine to take it down to a three-star rating, and keep it off my recommendation list for 2025. It was good enough that I finished it, but not so good that I'd read another.
April 28, 2025
I was sent this arc by booksirens for an honest review.
I had alot of fun with this book! it reminded me alot of Blood Over bright haven by M.L Wang which I adored. The characters were awesome, i loved the different races of fae, human, dwarves, sirens ect. I loved that it was sapphic & Dara & Wynne are super cute together!
Now around the middle and the end of this book i started to feel a little confused and lost as to what was going on, I felt like the plot was muddled somewhere in the middle and the interludes didn't make much sense or go anywhere?
Either way I had fun & did enjoy it!
I had alot of fun with this book! it reminded me alot of Blood Over bright haven by M.L Wang which I adored. The characters were awesome, i loved the different races of fae, human, dwarves, sirens ect. I loved that it was sapphic & Dara & Wynne are super cute together!
Now around the middle and the end of this book i started to feel a little confused and lost as to what was going on, I felt like the plot was muddled somewhere in the middle and the interludes didn't make much sense or go anywhere?
Either way I had fun & did enjoy it!
May 24, 2025
Thanks to BookSirens for the ARC copy of "Blood and Flame". This has not affected my review at all, which are my own thoughts.
Dara, a former miner, and Wynne, the daughter of a Lord, face together their Rite of the Faithful, initiate mages for two of the Five deities that form the Quinate, revered by the Quinarium, which they'll join if they succeed. And how they want to succeed, for it will mean carving their own path in life, by their own decisions. Dara is determined to life her life as a miner behind, to run away from the darkness and a loveless life, becoming a powerful Blood Mage at the Academy of Raimara and passing said Rite. For Wynne, it will mean leaving her mother's shadow, having a life chosen by herself and be the serving healer she's always wanted to be.
Yet, they're tasked with an unusual rite: to stop the mysterious slaughter of a village’s livestock and investigate rumors of an impossible source of mana, the fuel used for magic. This quest will take them to travel of through the whole world of Llendshold, meeting all kinds of people, discovering shocking truths and learning to trust each other.
Now, that in theory, because, in my opinion, the book came out quite short in some of these aspects. It wanted to do too much in little space and even, in my opinion and for my liking of fantasy novels, jumping through time. I'll start dissecting this, though I normally go for characters first, but I barely have issues with them, so I'll get to them and the good later.
My point here is that, as Blood and Flame is the first book in a trilogy, I thought it would be all about the girls' Rite, them really coming into the magic and building a strong relationship between them, either to develop even more or have issues at future books. And, in a way, it does that, but it went jumping ahead in time too much for my liking, and those moments could have been used to ease tension, (or to create it depending how conversations went), to give the characters some much needed moments to stop and breathe AND to built even deeper and more meaningful relationships between them.
[Vague spoilers in this paragraph, so I can give you a precise example]
In fact, later in the book, when they've made friends, they end up listening to a private conversation that compromises one of those new friends, who ends up leaving the group, and another one is clearly affected because, despite their differences, they could have end up being good friends with time. Not anymore, probably. Yet, there's a jump ahead in time so the remaining characters go to their next important location. And then, after days of traveling and finally reaching their destiny, FINALLY, Dara asks the other character how she's feeling after that conversation and the departure of the other character. Like, why now. Why not have a scene during the traveling and having Dara ask that precisely. Because, if I remember correctly, the way this exact conversation goes, it could have been done at any time and it wouldn't have changed anything, because, while important to the characters and for us (readers) to connect with them emotionally knowing what their going to, it doesn't affect much the plot. Yet, we wait for days and days for Dara to make the question.
[End of vague spoilers]
Now, I'm not saying that it is a bad way to write a book, but when the book is fantasy, I expect to see more, even of the travels. No need for the book to be 600 pages long and show every second of the traveling, but some key moments of the characters interacting or dealing with threats on the way would have been nice. For me, of course, maybe other people prefer their books this way. But, in my opinion, since this is a trilogy, I would have played with the expectations of the genre and the available space/length to add to what we already have. To make it even better, because the book is good, it takes us on a nice little adventure, but I expected more.
And, while technically, all the quest has to do with their Rite and with the Quiarium, the Rite was formed by two tasks that they have completed way before the end of the book, the only thing left for them was to report to their superiors. So, in my opinion, the book went a bit too fast in that aspect, because they take some detours and such and something else happens to make them doubt about their faith. That's all I'll say, but for young people that have grown up deep in that faith and wanted to be part of the institution that regulate it, they accept some final things too fast, as if they never really intended to be part of the institution. And sure, you can have faith and not be part of the institution, but I would have liked to see more resistance about some aspect from Dara and Wynne.
I think my maim complaint here is that I have other expectations for the book with it being fantasy and the first in a trilogy, actually. Because, as said, the book is not really bad objectively, but I expected different things and more exploration of some aspects and it didn't delivered, so I was a bit disappointed. But, as said before, I'm sure other people will enjoy this book exactly for the reasons that I didn't end up enjoying it as much as I could have.
Now, on to the good. The world and the characters.
While base in the elemental type of magic, I think it was quite smart how Corbett took that and tied it to an interesting way of summoning the magic. With each of them being significant to one of the Quinate deities, worshiped by the Quinarium and almost every person living in Llendshold. The way religion and politics are interwoven and how some type of magics are view in better light than others gave a massive touch of realism to the world Dara and Wynne inhabit.
On the other hand, I think characters were the strongest point of this book's case. Dara and Wynne come from very different backgrounds, each one with goals and motivations similar yet so vastly different, that, at first, one may think that they could never be friends or even work together to pass their Rite. and yet, the manage to see pass all that, in a way, growing within themselves and within each other. Their arc characters, to change and to become different people with values and morals and to make their own decisions based on what they're learning of the world and how it operates, were the best part of the book for me. I was rooting for them to win and pass their Rite, because Dara and Wynne are characters that you can't help but love and want them to succeed, of course.
They also make some friends along the way, mainly, Caudro, a Paladin, and Ami, a Fae. Both of them equally well develop as the main characters and as capable of growth as shown in the pages. These four go on an exciting and dangerous quest that takes them through forests, mountains and into the heart of legends and rumors. I enjoyed their interactions so much, because the characters were so well defined that they tended to clash but also learnt to help each other and to respect each other's views. I can't wait to see more of them.
Yes, because, though I have complaint about some aspects of the book and it wasn't nothing revolutionary for me, I want to see more of Dara and Wynne and Caudro and Ami and the world they inhabit. I want to know what they'll do next after that high tension ending, so yes, you'll see me around reading the next book in the trilogy for sure.
Now, If I manage to keep y'all until the end of this review, first, thank you, and second, as you can tell, I have my ups and downs with this book, but it is entertaining, full of fantasy aspects that any fan of the genre will appreciate but I also think that it can be the perfect read for someone starting to introduce themselves in fantasy. Short, with tension filling the pages and memorable characters, Blood and Flame is definitely a recommended one from me
Dara, a former miner, and Wynne, the daughter of a Lord, face together their Rite of the Faithful, initiate mages for two of the Five deities that form the Quinate, revered by the Quinarium, which they'll join if they succeed. And how they want to succeed, for it will mean carving their own path in life, by their own decisions. Dara is determined to life her life as a miner behind, to run away from the darkness and a loveless life, becoming a powerful Blood Mage at the Academy of Raimara and passing said Rite. For Wynne, it will mean leaving her mother's shadow, having a life chosen by herself and be the serving healer she's always wanted to be.
Yet, they're tasked with an unusual rite: to stop the mysterious slaughter of a village’s livestock and investigate rumors of an impossible source of mana, the fuel used for magic. This quest will take them to travel of through the whole world of Llendshold, meeting all kinds of people, discovering shocking truths and learning to trust each other.
Now, that in theory, because, in my opinion, the book came out quite short in some of these aspects. It wanted to do too much in little space and even, in my opinion and for my liking of fantasy novels, jumping through time. I'll start dissecting this, though I normally go for characters first, but I barely have issues with them, so I'll get to them and the good later.
My point here is that, as Blood and Flame is the first book in a trilogy, I thought it would be all about the girls' Rite, them really coming into the magic and building a strong relationship between them, either to develop even more or have issues at future books. And, in a way, it does that, but it went jumping ahead in time too much for my liking, and those moments could have been used to ease tension, (or to create it depending how conversations went), to give the characters some much needed moments to stop and breathe AND to built even deeper and more meaningful relationships between them.
[Vague spoilers in this paragraph, so I can give you a precise example]
In fact, later in the book, when they've made friends, they end up listening to a private conversation that compromises one of those new friends, who ends up leaving the group, and another one is clearly affected because, despite their differences, they could have end up being good friends with time. Not anymore, probably. Yet, there's a jump ahead in time so the remaining characters go to their next important location. And then, after days of traveling and finally reaching their destiny, FINALLY, Dara asks the other character how she's feeling after that conversation and the departure of the other character. Like, why now. Why not have a scene during the traveling and having Dara ask that precisely. Because, if I remember correctly, the way this exact conversation goes, it could have been done at any time and it wouldn't have changed anything, because, while important to the characters and for us (readers) to connect with them emotionally knowing what their going to, it doesn't affect much the plot. Yet, we wait for days and days for Dara to make the question.
[End of vague spoilers]
Now, I'm not saying that it is a bad way to write a book, but when the book is fantasy, I expect to see more, even of the travels. No need for the book to be 600 pages long and show every second of the traveling, but some key moments of the characters interacting or dealing with threats on the way would have been nice. For me, of course, maybe other people prefer their books this way. But, in my opinion, since this is a trilogy, I would have played with the expectations of the genre and the available space/length to add to what we already have. To make it even better, because the book is good, it takes us on a nice little adventure, but I expected more.
And, while technically, all the quest has to do with their Rite and with the Quiarium, the Rite was formed by two tasks that they have completed way before the end of the book, the only thing left for them was to report to their superiors. So, in my opinion, the book went a bit too fast in that aspect, because they take some detours and such and something else happens to make them doubt about their faith. That's all I'll say, but for young people that have grown up deep in that faith and wanted to be part of the institution that regulate it, they accept some final things too fast, as if they never really intended to be part of the institution. And sure, you can have faith and not be part of the institution, but I would have liked to see more resistance about some aspect from Dara and Wynne.
I think my maim complaint here is that I have other expectations for the book with it being fantasy and the first in a trilogy, actually. Because, as said, the book is not really bad objectively, but I expected different things and more exploration of some aspects and it didn't delivered, so I was a bit disappointed. But, as said before, I'm sure other people will enjoy this book exactly for the reasons that I didn't end up enjoying it as much as I could have.
Now, on to the good. The world and the characters.
While base in the elemental type of magic, I think it was quite smart how Corbett took that and tied it to an interesting way of summoning the magic. With each of them being significant to one of the Quinate deities, worshiped by the Quinarium and almost every person living in Llendshold. The way religion and politics are interwoven and how some type of magics are view in better light than others gave a massive touch of realism to the world Dara and Wynne inhabit.
On the other hand, I think characters were the strongest point of this book's case. Dara and Wynne come from very different backgrounds, each one with goals and motivations similar yet so vastly different, that, at first, one may think that they could never be friends or even work together to pass their Rite. and yet, the manage to see pass all that, in a way, growing within themselves and within each other. Their arc characters, to change and to become different people with values and morals and to make their own decisions based on what they're learning of the world and how it operates, were the best part of the book for me. I was rooting for them to win and pass their Rite, because Dara and Wynne are characters that you can't help but love and want them to succeed, of course.
They also make some friends along the way, mainly, Caudro, a Paladin, and Ami, a Fae. Both of them equally well develop as the main characters and as capable of growth as shown in the pages. These four go on an exciting and dangerous quest that takes them through forests, mountains and into the heart of legends and rumors. I enjoyed their interactions so much, because the characters were so well defined that they tended to clash but also learnt to help each other and to respect each other's views. I can't wait to see more of them.
Yes, because, though I have complaint about some aspects of the book and it wasn't nothing revolutionary for me, I want to see more of Dara and Wynne and Caudro and Ami and the world they inhabit. I want to know what they'll do next after that high tension ending, so yes, you'll see me around reading the next book in the trilogy for sure.
Now, If I manage to keep y'all until the end of this review, first, thank you, and second, as you can tell, I have my ups and downs with this book, but it is entertaining, full of fantasy aspects that any fan of the genre will appreciate but I also think that it can be the perfect read for someone starting to introduce themselves in fantasy. Short, with tension filling the pages and memorable characters, Blood and Flame is definitely a recommended one from me
May 17, 2025
Disclaimer: I received an advanced reader copy of this book through BookSirens and this review is my own opinion.
Originality is not a dealbreaker for me. After all, the field of fiction is abundant with retreaded ground. No one is going to be 100% new 100% of the time. But if you're not going for novelty, something else needs to take its place. This could be great prose, compelling characters or just a generally good time. Blood and Flame by Brendan Corbett unfortunately misses the mark.
It's a fairly standard fantasy adventure that follows two mages, Wynne and Dara as they are sent on a quest to investigate a rumoured source of mana. From the get-go, the characters are cookie cutter. Wynne comes from nobility and Dara comes from a common background. This serves as a source of tension, but this doesn't last and it serves to highlight the core issue with this novel. Everything is surface level. Blood and Flame fails to take things further or explore anything deep. There's tension between the humans and the fae, and suggestions that not everything the humans know to be true is actually accurate, but even these themes don't get a lot of attention outside of jibes by the characters. The vast majority of worldbuilding is done through dialogue and all of the characters blend together. There is some attempt to make the fae character Ami cheeky, but more often than not this comes across as mean-spirited.
The magic system has its perks and had the potential for being great, but as with most things in this novel, its implications are largely left unexplored.
With a defter hand and a better application of voice, Blood and Flame could have been a decent fantasy adventure, but the execution is lackluster and it doesn't quite meet the mark.
Originality is not a dealbreaker for me. After all, the field of fiction is abundant with retreaded ground. No one is going to be 100% new 100% of the time. But if you're not going for novelty, something else needs to take its place. This could be great prose, compelling characters or just a generally good time. Blood and Flame by Brendan Corbett unfortunately misses the mark.
It's a fairly standard fantasy adventure that follows two mages, Wynne and Dara as they are sent on a quest to investigate a rumoured source of mana. From the get-go, the characters are cookie cutter. Wynne comes from nobility and Dara comes from a common background. This serves as a source of tension, but this doesn't last and it serves to highlight the core issue with this novel. Everything is surface level. Blood and Flame fails to take things further or explore anything deep. There's tension between the humans and the fae, and suggestions that not everything the humans know to be true is actually accurate, but even these themes don't get a lot of attention outside of jibes by the characters. The vast majority of worldbuilding is done through dialogue and all of the characters blend together. There is some attempt to make the fae character Ami cheeky, but more often than not this comes across as mean-spirited.
The magic system has its perks and had the potential for being great, but as with most things in this novel, its implications are largely left unexplored.
With a defter hand and a better application of voice, Blood and Flame could have been a decent fantasy adventure, but the execution is lackluster and it doesn't quite meet the mark.
November 2, 2025
Full disclosure: I received this book through a giveaway on The StoryGraph. This has in no way influenced the opinions expressed in this review.
To be blunt, that notice shouldn’t even be needed when I have to say that what I appreciated in Blood and Flame mainly has to do with what isn’t there rather than what is. To say that I wasn’t particularly bothered by anything specific that was presented or took place may sound like praise, and to some extent it is, but what I actually made mental notes of was being relieved when the entire time spent by the main characters in their respective Academies was treated as mere background information and rushed through in two chapters, one for each of them, and definitely, and much more importantly, the fact that the romance was treated as perfectly normal, without any case being made over its “kind” at any point, which is just how it should be. Other than that, sure, the book is easy to read and the focus on the action and the way the characters get through it all avoids any moments when it may get either tedious or too tense, so you should be able to read it quickly.
Unfortunately, that’s more of a relief than an actual positive remark, because even those aspects mentioned above come with serious caveats. The romance is just poorly written and developed, and while it may be said that, refreshingly, that’s not the focus of the book, the action is, and that’s not much better either. It largely reads like going through a checklist of challenges that the author probably believes the characters are “supposed” to go through in such stories, some of them quite clearly inspired by the works that form the basis of the fantasy genre but without any of the associated impact. You may worry about the outcome once or twice, but soon enough it’ll be clear that they’ll actually be quite fine regardless of how things look, and while healing abilities provide the means to get away with a lot, hero’s luck and powerful magic that’s explained far too little play a large role.
As for everything else… I’m tempted to ask what “everything else” may there be to talk about. This is just a swashbuckling adventure in a fantasy setting, sword and sorcery at a level that I’d say couldn’t even be described as “young adult”, but more like something meant for teenagers. That impression is strengthened by the other characters reacting to noticing potential romantic moments in ways that seem more suitable for a high school setting, which setting would also be more fitting for the behavior of the other attendees during those chapters that rush through Dara and Wynne’s time at their respective Academies, but the main problem is the lack of depth and detail. The worldbuilding is quite rudimentary, the magic system leaves ample room for explanations that aren’t provided, the writing style is, for lack of a better term, workmanlike, getting the job done but pretty much exhausting any potential to do any more than that after the first two paragraphs, the dialogues just don’t feel right, and any character except Dara and Wynne hardly has any depth. Not that they offer anything like what such characters should offer from that point of view either, especially when they’re supposed to develop quite notably over the course of the book and yet it just doesn’t feel like they do. Plus that the initial contrast between them is way too forced… And then there is the issue of what is revealed to them, which is far too blatant and obviously known by too many to need to be revealed in such a manner, to not be sufficiently common knowledge for a sizable resistance movement to already exist. Or, if that was crushed, for a resigned acceptance on a large scale.
To conclude, the rating may seem a little harsh when Blood and Flame isn’t necessarily a bad book, but there are hardly any reasons to recommend it. It may be a decent read for teenagers, or maybe for some young adults who are rather undemanding and perhaps also less experienced with the fantasy genre, but for anyone else it probably can’t be more than a pretty quick and easy way to increase the number of books read by one. The idea behind it may have some potential, but it’s lacking in pretty much every aspect when it comes to actually realizing it and, while being the first of a planned series leaves room for things to improve and may even provide a justification for some of the missing explanations, it’s far from enough of an excuse and it doesn’t offer enough of a motivation to want to continue.
To be blunt, that notice shouldn’t even be needed when I have to say that what I appreciated in Blood and Flame mainly has to do with what isn’t there rather than what is. To say that I wasn’t particularly bothered by anything specific that was presented or took place may sound like praise, and to some extent it is, but what I actually made mental notes of was being relieved when the entire time spent by the main characters in their respective Academies was treated as mere background information and rushed through in two chapters, one for each of them, and definitely, and much more importantly, the fact that the romance was treated as perfectly normal, without any case being made over its “kind” at any point, which is just how it should be. Other than that, sure, the book is easy to read and the focus on the action and the way the characters get through it all avoids any moments when it may get either tedious or too tense, so you should be able to read it quickly.
Unfortunately, that’s more of a relief than an actual positive remark, because even those aspects mentioned above come with serious caveats. The romance is just poorly written and developed, and while it may be said that, refreshingly, that’s not the focus of the book, the action is, and that’s not much better either. It largely reads like going through a checklist of challenges that the author probably believes the characters are “supposed” to go through in such stories, some of them quite clearly inspired by the works that form the basis of the fantasy genre but without any of the associated impact. You may worry about the outcome once or twice, but soon enough it’ll be clear that they’ll actually be quite fine regardless of how things look, and while healing abilities provide the means to get away with a lot, hero’s luck and powerful magic that’s explained far too little play a large role.
As for everything else… I’m tempted to ask what “everything else” may there be to talk about. This is just a swashbuckling adventure in a fantasy setting, sword and sorcery at a level that I’d say couldn’t even be described as “young adult”, but more like something meant for teenagers. That impression is strengthened by the other characters reacting to noticing potential romantic moments in ways that seem more suitable for a high school setting, which setting would also be more fitting for the behavior of the other attendees during those chapters that rush through Dara and Wynne’s time at their respective Academies, but the main problem is the lack of depth and detail. The worldbuilding is quite rudimentary, the magic system leaves ample room for explanations that aren’t provided, the writing style is, for lack of a better term, workmanlike, getting the job done but pretty much exhausting any potential to do any more than that after the first two paragraphs, the dialogues just don’t feel right, and any character except Dara and Wynne hardly has any depth. Not that they offer anything like what such characters should offer from that point of view either, especially when they’re supposed to develop quite notably over the course of the book and yet it just doesn’t feel like they do. Plus that the initial contrast between them is way too forced… And then there is the issue of what is revealed to them, which is far too blatant and obviously known by too many to need to be revealed in such a manner, to not be sufficiently common knowledge for a sizable resistance movement to already exist. Or, if that was crushed, for a resigned acceptance on a large scale.
To conclude, the rating may seem a little harsh when Blood and Flame isn’t necessarily a bad book, but there are hardly any reasons to recommend it. It may be a decent read for teenagers, or maybe for some young adults who are rather undemanding and perhaps also less experienced with the fantasy genre, but for anyone else it probably can’t be more than a pretty quick and easy way to increase the number of books read by one. The idea behind it may have some potential, but it’s lacking in pretty much every aspect when it comes to actually realizing it and, while being the first of a planned series leaves room for things to improve and may even provide a justification for some of the missing explanations, it’s far from enough of an excuse and it doesn’t offer enough of a motivation to want to continue.
September 28, 2025
The Review
This was such a compelling and gripping fantasy read. The author brilliantly expands on this mystical world of fae and ogres, as well as many other creatures, while also showcasing the powerful magic that fuels this adventure. The worldbuilding was top-notch, really emphasizing the different classes of mage and the different approaches to magic that they embody. This also helped fuel the character arcs of this narrative, as the more ruthless blood mages often clashed with the healing and light fire mages. Yet, the book offers great LGBTQ representation through protagonists Dara and Wynn. Their journey does a fantastic job not only of allowing them to see one another but also of bringing them closer together as a result.
The themes explored in this book offer a unique take on the fantasy genre, as it examines what happens when organized religious institutions co-opt a particular faith, forcing those driven by faith to question who they follow and why. The slow-burning storytelling and time to explore every faction of this world helped elevate the strength of this religion and its profound impact on the world.
The Verdict
Thrilling, entertaining, and mesmerizing, author Brendan Corbett’s “Blood and Flame” is a must-read fantasy novel and a grand entry in the Quinate’s Faithful series. The twists and turns that this story takes, the balance of religious undertones in the story, and the relatability and passion for these two protagonists and the cast of characters they encounter will leave readers breathless, as the cliffhanger ending keeps them eager for the next entry in the series.
This was such a compelling and gripping fantasy read. The author brilliantly expands on this mystical world of fae and ogres, as well as many other creatures, while also showcasing the powerful magic that fuels this adventure. The worldbuilding was top-notch, really emphasizing the different classes of mage and the different approaches to magic that they embody. This also helped fuel the character arcs of this narrative, as the more ruthless blood mages often clashed with the healing and light fire mages. Yet, the book offers great LGBTQ representation through protagonists Dara and Wynn. Their journey does a fantastic job not only of allowing them to see one another but also of bringing them closer together as a result.
The themes explored in this book offer a unique take on the fantasy genre, as it examines what happens when organized religious institutions co-opt a particular faith, forcing those driven by faith to question who they follow and why. The slow-burning storytelling and time to explore every faction of this world helped elevate the strength of this religion and its profound impact on the world.
The Verdict
Thrilling, entertaining, and mesmerizing, author Brendan Corbett’s “Blood and Flame” is a must-read fantasy novel and a grand entry in the Quinate’s Faithful series. The twists and turns that this story takes, the balance of religious undertones in the story, and the relatability and passion for these two protagonists and the cast of characters they encounter will leave readers breathless, as the cliffhanger ending keeps them eager for the next entry in the series.
May 27, 2025
A masterfully crafted narrative about the dangers of blind faith and the importance of human connection.
Raised within the religious strictures of the Quinarium, Dara and Wynn are in training to become Mages - fully-fledged members of society’s ruling class. Coming from very different schools of magic and personal backgrounds, the two women are paired for their final test - a journey that sends them far beyond the neat web of ‘truth’ constructed by the Quinarium.
As they meet a variety of allies and enemies, from elusive Fae to bloodthirsty Jackals, Dara and Wynne begin to uncover the horrifying reality of their Order, and must question whether anything they’ve ever been taught has been the truth.
If you’re a fan of classic fantasy, ‘Blood and Flame’ boasts a unique, fully constructed magic system, exceptional world-building, and new flavors of classic staples.
If you’re more into romance, ‘Blood and Flame’ has got that too, in spades, with a gorgeous slow-burn that shows how meaning is found in the connections we make.
I loved the way that ‘Blood and Flame’ never felt the need to sacrifice its sweet moments in favor of world-building, while simultaneously developing a uniquely magical world that I could practically taste and touch. With the way things ended, I can’t wait to see what comes next for these characters!
Raised within the religious strictures of the Quinarium, Dara and Wynn are in training to become Mages - fully-fledged members of society’s ruling class. Coming from very different schools of magic and personal backgrounds, the two women are paired for their final test - a journey that sends them far beyond the neat web of ‘truth’ constructed by the Quinarium.
As they meet a variety of allies and enemies, from elusive Fae to bloodthirsty Jackals, Dara and Wynne begin to uncover the horrifying reality of their Order, and must question whether anything they’ve ever been taught has been the truth.
If you’re a fan of classic fantasy, ‘Blood and Flame’ boasts a unique, fully constructed magic system, exceptional world-building, and new flavors of classic staples.
If you’re more into romance, ‘Blood and Flame’ has got that too, in spades, with a gorgeous slow-burn that shows how meaning is found in the connections we make.
I loved the way that ‘Blood and Flame’ never felt the need to sacrifice its sweet moments in favor of world-building, while simultaneously developing a uniquely magical world that I could practically taste and touch. With the way things ended, I can’t wait to see what comes next for these characters!
May 2, 2025
Review: My first thought upon requesting this novel was "I am going to regret this". You know, the olde "read all of my ARCs, now have nothing to do at night" rigamarole. Am I right? This novels description was pulled from the herring barrel of story lines that litter the halls of fantasy. "Poor wittle waif, working in mines but has powerful enough magic to become the greatest mage EVER!". Yawn. Really?
How did the writing stack up against the others that have waded the same plagiaristic waters? Rave reviews for most of this authors work did not translate into this installment. Nothing set it apart from the cliche'd narrative that tramples this genre. The writing style is very simple with emotions purveyed via verbal interchanges and "grumbled/mumbled" descriptors. Also, this turned out to be super gay and should have been noted by the publisher.
The best and only thing about this novel is the creative use of magic and the Fae population. The characters still lack depth as the movement does nothing to improve them. You end up not caring what happens to them when they are constantly blushing / crushing, stealing glances and groping around. Are all YA's gayer than a bag of hammers?
I received this ARC for an honest review.
How did the writing stack up against the others that have waded the same plagiaristic waters? Rave reviews for most of this authors work did not translate into this installment. Nothing set it apart from the cliche'd narrative that tramples this genre. The writing style is very simple with emotions purveyed via verbal interchanges and "grumbled/mumbled" descriptors. Also, this turned out to be super gay and should have been noted by the publisher.
The best and only thing about this novel is the creative use of magic and the Fae population. The characters still lack depth as the movement does nothing to improve them. You end up not caring what happens to them when they are constantly blushing / crushing, stealing glances and groping around. Are all YA's gayer than a bag of hammers?
I received this ARC for an honest review.
May 24, 2025
I was given this book complimentary from Book Sirens in e-book form in return for my honest review. Everything stated in this review is of my own opinion and I was not compensated monetarily for providing this review.
Seem to be on a roll with BookSirens - every book I have reviewed lately has ben either good or great. I am pleased to report that this novel falls into the second category. I actually finished the book a number of days ago but as I spent so much time reading this book other tasks did not get done and I have been playing catch-up.
This book was obviously a labor or love and it shows in the way everything fits together. The pacing is perfect from the start to the finish and, my God, the author has written one of the best romances I have read for a long while - no lazy author insta-love here, no sir, the author treats his characters as real world people which I suspect they are in the writer's head. By doing this they live in ours. Sufficient world building to enable the reader to build a mental picture without being overly descriptive and bumping the reader out of the narrative.
I will stop because I don't want to give spoilers.
I an torn because I want #2 asap but also want the same high quality.
Five stars - as he writes....so shall we read!!
Seem to be on a roll with BookSirens - every book I have reviewed lately has ben either good or great. I am pleased to report that this novel falls into the second category. I actually finished the book a number of days ago but as I spent so much time reading this book other tasks did not get done and I have been playing catch-up.
This book was obviously a labor or love and it shows in the way everything fits together. The pacing is perfect from the start to the finish and, my God, the author has written one of the best romances I have read for a long while - no lazy author insta-love here, no sir, the author treats his characters as real world people which I suspect they are in the writer's head. By doing this they live in ours. Sufficient world building to enable the reader to build a mental picture without being overly descriptive and bumping the reader out of the narrative.
I will stop because I don't want to give spoilers.
I an torn because I want #2 asap but also want the same high quality.
Five stars - as he writes....so shall we read!!
May 24, 2025
In one word, mind-blowing. If you are looking for a world where you question everything alongside the characters, similar to the Matrix, I cannot recommend this enough! 10/10!
I have not read a book with such lore in quite a while. This world that Corbett has created reminds me of Lord of the Rings. Many different creatures and species make for an easy time getting sucked in. I can honestly say I did not want to put it down after I started.
Dara and Wynne grow so much from beginning to end that I am craving more. It is validating when you find characters that make the human struggle so personable. Their religion is not what it seems and the obstacles they have to face to find the truth are invigorating to read. Corbett does such a great job of making it so easy to immerse yourself in every scene, I found that I could so easily imagine the world around them.
I would recommend this without question!
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily*
I have not read a book with such lore in quite a while. This world that Corbett has created reminds me of Lord of the Rings. Many different creatures and species make for an easy time getting sucked in. I can honestly say I did not want to put it down after I started.
Dara and Wynne grow so much from beginning to end that I am craving more. It is validating when you find characters that make the human struggle so personable. Their religion is not what it seems and the obstacles they have to face to find the truth are invigorating to read. Corbett does such a great job of making it so easy to immerse yourself in every scene, I found that I could so easily imagine the world around them.
I would recommend this without question!
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily*
May 9, 2025
This was one of these books you don’t see coming. It sounded cool, but I didn’t expect it to be a breath of fresh air. This is a YA fantasy series that is starting off pretty epic, if you like books like Wheel Of Time and Sword Of Truth, LOTR and epic quests. You’ll love this. Dara is a lowborn girl who has worked as a miner and has struggled all of her life so far, Wynne is a highborn daughter of a lord and has wanted for nothing except choice and independence.
They are both sent together on a quest to complete their rite and become mages of their chosen powers, fire and blood and learn so unfavourable things along the way.
Dara, Wynne and Ami make an amazing little team and I am excited to read more in this story. Whilst this is a bit tropey and not the most elegantly written, it’s aimed at young adults and is easy to read.
Highly recommend.
I received an ARC of this book from the author and Booksirens for my honest review. Thank you
They are both sent together on a quest to complete their rite and become mages of their chosen powers, fire and blood and learn so unfavourable things along the way.
Dara, Wynne and Ami make an amazing little team and I am excited to read more in this story. Whilst this is a bit tropey and not the most elegantly written, it’s aimed at young adults and is easy to read.
Highly recommend.
I received an ARC of this book from the author and Booksirens for my honest review. Thank you
May 20, 2025
This book will capture your interest from the start, take your heart, rip it into tiny pieces, and then hold it hostage til the very end. That said, when do we get book two??? Corbett does a great job with his unique world-building and magic system, and the vivid descriptions place the reader right in the thick of it. Your heart will truly go out to Dara as you see her story begin to unfold. But her determination in the face of overwhelming odds is truly heartwarming. Wynne comes from the opposite - but at the same time is also looking for freedom. The difference being her cage is gilded and comfortable. Watching them interact, grow and develop is a delight, even though the story itself can be quite dark and heartbreaking. The story itself is tense, with plenty of twists and action to keep you reading. I really can’t wait to see what book two has in store!
June 29, 2025
netgalley review***
I really enjoyed this story and it actually surprised me how much I ended up liking it since the start had me questioning if I wanted to finish it. I feel like the start was trying to give us backstory and set up for the main plot but it skipped the whole academy arc. I thought the academy was put in place to explain the magic system but that never really happened we only got a simplified version. Once the main mission came up it became more enjoyable. I liked the relationship within the group dynamic. I do have to say that the ended started to lose me again but overall not a bad begging to a series. hopefully later on there will be more explanation about the power system and how the world is set up.
I really enjoyed this story and it actually surprised me how much I ended up liking it since the start had me questioning if I wanted to finish it. I feel like the start was trying to give us backstory and set up for the main plot but it skipped the whole academy arc. I thought the academy was put in place to explain the magic system but that never really happened we only got a simplified version. Once the main mission came up it became more enjoyable. I liked the relationship within the group dynamic. I do have to say that the ended started to lose me again but overall not a bad begging to a series. hopefully later on there will be more explanation about the power system and how the world is set up.
May 11, 2025
Wow! A fantastic beginning to a new series by Brendan Corbett. The story hooked me from the first page and kept me emmersed to the very last word. I really enjoyed this book. There is plenty of adventure, action, twists, turns, surprises, and magic. The two main characters Dara and Wynne were well developed and engaging. Their growth within the story was great with room for more growth in future books. Brendan Corbett's world building was beautifully written blending creativity and magically throughout the story keeping the reader completely immersed! I highly recommend reading this book!
I received an advanced copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advanced copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 18, 2025
I found this book entertaining and enjoyed reading it. There was so much happening and the story moved along at a quick pace. I would have rated more stars, but I personally had a hard time connecting with the characters, and I did not appreciate how the story jumped ahead at times.
Thank you to Storygraph giveaways for the opportunity to read this book.
Thank you to Storygraph giveaways for the opportunity to read this book.
October 26, 2025
This book is a young adult fantasy. As such, I give the book four stars. It has an interesting story and likable characters.
This book was received from the author through Voracious Readers Only, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book was received from the author through Voracious Readers Only, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 26, 2025
I found this book to be quite easy to follow in terms of the storyline and the characters. I feel perhaps the attraction of the characters is a bit forced and I didn’t enjoy that specific aspect of the plot but overall I do think I will continue reading the series to see where it goes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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