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Firebrand #1
Réveil à la morgue: Emma Bellamy, aimant à problèmes, Vol. 1
Un assassin loup-garou. Un meurtre surnaturel. Combien de fois Emma Bellamy pourra-t-elle encore tromper la mort ?
Il ne me reste plus qu'un seul stage à effectuer avant de devenir inspectrice dans la police londonienne. Malheureusement, juste avant l'obtention de mon diplôme, ma dernière affectation me fait atterrir dans la Brigade du Paranormal. Mais ce n'est rien comparé à ce qui arrive ensuite.
Brutalement assassinée par un agresseur inconnu, je me réveille douze heures plus tard à la morgue – et bien vivante. Je ne sais pas ce qu'il s'est passé ni pourquoi. Je ne sais pas qui m'a tuée. Tout ce que je sais, c'est que l'assassin risque de retenter sa chance.
Les loups-garous disparaissent à droite et à gauche. Un mystérieux vampire semble décidé à me suivre partout où je vais. Et je dois retrouver l'auteur de mon propre meurtre.
De préférence avant que la mort ne revienne me chercher.
Il ne me reste plus qu'un seul stage à effectuer avant de devenir inspectrice dans la police londonienne. Malheureusement, juste avant l'obtention de mon diplôme, ma dernière affectation me fait atterrir dans la Brigade du Paranormal. Mais ce n'est rien comparé à ce qui arrive ensuite.
Brutalement assassinée par un agresseur inconnu, je me réveille douze heures plus tard à la morgue – et bien vivante. Je ne sais pas ce qu'il s'est passé ni pourquoi. Je ne sais pas qui m'a tuée. Tout ce que je sais, c'est que l'assassin risque de retenter sa chance.
Les loups-garous disparaissent à droite et à gauche. Un mystérieux vampire semble décidé à me suivre partout où je vais. Et je dois retrouver l'auteur de mon propre meurtre.
De préférence avant que la mort ne revienne me chercher.
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First published September 3, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 852 reviews
March 16, 2022
Brimstone Bound by Helen Harper is the first book in the Firebrand series. The author does a great job of meshing urban fantasy with supernatural suspense. It’s set in London, England and mainly in the Lisson Grove and Soho areas.
Emma Bellamy’s final two-week rotation for the detective training starts on Monday. Her two-year process will end with it and then exams. After terrific reports on her previous rotations, she’s expecting to be posted with the Cyber Squad. Instead, she’s posted to the Supernatural Squad. This is a squad where detectives go before retirement as it has little power. Supernaturals who step out of line are dealt with by their own kind. After confronting Detective Superintendent Lucinda Barnes and finding it’s not a mistake, Emma is determined to get through the rotation. Her new partner and mentor is Detective Constable Anthony (Tony) Brown. But things don’t go smoothly. Murders, cranky werewolves, helpful (or are they?) vampires, bored co-workers, disappearances, and more make this a rotation to remember.
Emma is a likeable character, driven to succeed. She knows that she wants to be a detective, but readers never get a good feeling as to why. She does have flaws as well, including risk-taking that can work for or against her depending on the situation. Tony is good-natured and close to retiring. However, there is more to him than initially meets the eye.
Harper’s writing style and the engaging characters immediately pulled me into the story. The action starts in chapter three and so does the beginning of a mystery. With chapter six, I delighted in the supernatural events that started to unfold. I got a kick out of this novel and Emma’s adventures with the Supernatural Squad. There was one aspect to one of the murders where I initially felt the murderer’s motive was weak. However, when I thought about some true crimes, I realized there are even weaker motives that have actually occurred. Themes include hierarchy, power, murder, lies, jealousy, and understanding and appreciating situations from different perspectives, and control.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this entertaining book. A well-written story line with good world-building, fascinating characters, and an interesting mystery made this novel a fast read. The plot and pacing were good. While parts of the story were a little predictable, I stayed engaged. There were plenty of action scenes, tension, and suspense to give the story energy and kept the pages turning. I would recommend it to those that enjoy urban fantasy and supernatural suspense police procedurals. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date was May 9, 2017.
Emma Bellamy’s final two-week rotation for the detective training starts on Monday. Her two-year process will end with it and then exams. After terrific reports on her previous rotations, she’s expecting to be posted with the Cyber Squad. Instead, she’s posted to the Supernatural Squad. This is a squad where detectives go before retirement as it has little power. Supernaturals who step out of line are dealt with by their own kind. After confronting Detective Superintendent Lucinda Barnes and finding it’s not a mistake, Emma is determined to get through the rotation. Her new partner and mentor is Detective Constable Anthony (Tony) Brown. But things don’t go smoothly. Murders, cranky werewolves, helpful (or are they?) vampires, bored co-workers, disappearances, and more make this a rotation to remember.
Emma is a likeable character, driven to succeed. She knows that she wants to be a detective, but readers never get a good feeling as to why. She does have flaws as well, including risk-taking that can work for or against her depending on the situation. Tony is good-natured and close to retiring. However, there is more to him than initially meets the eye.
Harper’s writing style and the engaging characters immediately pulled me into the story. The action starts in chapter three and so does the beginning of a mystery. With chapter six, I delighted in the supernatural events that started to unfold. I got a kick out of this novel and Emma’s adventures with the Supernatural Squad. There was one aspect to one of the murders where I initially felt the murderer’s motive was weak. However, when I thought about some true crimes, I realized there are even weaker motives that have actually occurred. Themes include hierarchy, power, murder, lies, jealousy, and understanding and appreciating situations from different perspectives, and control.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this entertaining book. A well-written story line with good world-building, fascinating characters, and an interesting mystery made this novel a fast read. The plot and pacing were good. While parts of the story were a little predictable, I stayed engaged. There were plenty of action scenes, tension, and suspense to give the story energy and kept the pages turning. I would recommend it to those that enjoy urban fantasy and supernatural suspense police procedurals. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date was May 9, 2017.
November 10, 2020
This is a fun Urban Fantasy based in a supernatural London with mostly-standard worldbuilding. So it's a good thing that Emma drew me in. I liked her determination and competence and that she's a bit brash and a bit foolish, but in that way of young people learning their limits.
There are two mystery-like plot threads, both a bit light. The central one, the one that draws her into the deaths of some in the supernatural community, has a bit of a shaky foundation with an antagonist who is a bit too successful for what he/she turns out to be. I enjoyed Emma's investigation and the vampire Lukas horning in on it for his own purposes and was only slightly disappointed with the eventual reveal to find it so lightweight.
The personal mystery, Emma's rebirth after death, is shaky because while it remains a mystery internally, the covers of the books of the series indicate something firebird/phoenix at its foundation. There's a bit of a misdirect as the scent of brimstone accompanies the fire that restores her to life so it's just possible that it's a really stupid lie. I'm not sure what's up with that. Maybe in this mythology the phoenix is hell-bound? We'll see. I'm just barely more intrigued than I am impatient, so that's just barely a feature rather than a bug.
In the end, I'm going to be generous because I like Emma and the potential of the series and am eager to see the next book. So I'm going with 4½ stars that I'll round to five. Just note that this is a very generous rating and the worldbuilding and plot are lightweight for that score.
A note about Chaste: Emma's boyfriend is a putz. I have no idea why she's putting up with the dork. He's a non-factor in the story, for the most part, and I'm happy to say that he isn't an ongoing feature in the series. Because the plot is speedy and we see little of him, there's no sex, explicit or otherwise in the story. So this is very chaste.
There are two mystery-like plot threads, both a bit light. The central one, the one that draws her into the deaths of some in the supernatural community, has a bit of a shaky foundation with an antagonist who is a bit too successful for what he/she turns out to be. I enjoyed Emma's investigation and the vampire Lukas horning in on it for his own purposes and was only slightly disappointed with the eventual reveal to find it so lightweight.
The personal mystery, Emma's rebirth after death, is shaky because while it remains a mystery internally, the covers of the books of the series indicate something firebird/phoenix at its foundation. There's a bit of a misdirect as the scent of brimstone accompanies the fire that restores her to life so it's just possible that it's a really stupid lie. I'm not sure what's up with that. Maybe in this mythology the phoenix is hell-bound? We'll see. I'm just barely more intrigued than I am impatient, so that's just barely a feature rather than a bug.
In the end, I'm going to be generous because I like Emma and the potential of the series and am eager to see the next book. So I'm going with 4½ stars that I'll round to five. Just note that this is a very generous rating and the worldbuilding and plot are lightweight for that score.
A note about Chaste: Emma's boyfriend is a putz. I have no idea why she's putting up with the dork. He's a non-factor in the story, for the most part, and I'm happy to say that he isn't an ongoing feature in the series. Because the plot is speedy and we see little of him, there's no sex, explicit or otherwise in the story. So this is very chaste.
January 9, 2025
✅ Characters
✅ Pace
✅ Paranormal creatures
✅ No insta-love!
✅ Original idea of having the MC investigating her own death
✅🆗 World-building
✅🆗 Plot
🆗 “Twist” at the end
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: mentions of death and murders
3.5 stars
This was an interesting debut, I honestly picked it up only because it was free with my Audible subscription, but I ended up liking it quite a lot, and I flew through the second book too!
Emma Bellamy is starting the final part of her detective training before her exams: a 2 weeks rotation in the Supernatural Squad. The squad no one wants to work in, the one you are sent to when you fucked up, and Emma has no idea why she ended up there as she is very diligent in her work, and she always aims to be efficient and professional. Determined to make a good impression, Emma starts her rotation with Detective Constable Anthony Brown, expecting to be bored and useless for two weeks, but not even 48 hours after the start of her rotation, she is murdered, wakes up in the morgue, and finds a second body while investigating her own murder. Convinced that both murders are connected, Emma decides to continue her investigation while hoping that whoever killed her will not realize she is still alive and will not try to kill her again.
The investigation part of the plot is not the most original, and the book as a whole is not the best paranormal there is, but overall it is fast-paced and well-developed enough to remain intriguing until the end, and the characters well written and likable. Having the main character investigate her own death is also original and interesting. The part that annoyed me is the twist at the end with the identity of Emma’s killer. It doesn’t fit with what we knew of the characters and what we saw in the book, and it honestly felt as though the author just wanted to add a final twist, but didn’t really think about it until the end and just decided to rewrite the last 2 chapters instead of rethinking the plot as a whole and tweaking it. I don’t want to say more because I don’t want to spoil anything, but that last part is the main reason I am not giving this book 4 stars.
I adore the fact that there is no insta-love, and there is not even romance per se. There is a hint of interest shown, and we can guess that one of the characters might become a love interest in the future, but that’s it. It’s not focused on romance, and it was refreshing to read a paranormal book where the main character is focused on her job and her goals instead of getting all worked out because of one sexy man that turns her brain to mush.
Emma is a good main character. She is new to the supes’ world and it shows, and I love how she didn’t just fit in immediately. She made mistakes and had no idea how to navigate the supes politics, but she didn’t give up because even though she didn’t want to remain with the supe squad and that she didn’t care about the supes, she had two murders to solve, and that took precedence over any unease or reticence she might have had. She is strong-willed and driven, she wants to prove herself to the world and to succeed as a detective, and she doesn’t let the supes push her around, but we can also see that she is vulnerable in their world and that she still has lot of work to do to get accepted and to survive on the long term with them. She can be a little foolish at times and takes too many risks, but it made her feel more "normal" and human.
Lukas is a yummy dark vampire lord that I definitely want more of. He fits with the stereotypical lord, ruthless and used to be obeyed, yet he doesn’t often show this side of him when he is with Emma. Instead, we get to see a charming, protective, and maybe a little overbearing vampire that is looking out for his vampires and is working an angle that will advantage himself, but also comes to genuinely care about Emma and what happens to her. He could become a love interest in the future, and I wouldn’t be mad about it at all.
On a side note, it's hard to really be intrigued and wonder about Emma's true identity with a cover like that... My guess is that she might be some kind of phoenix. 😬😅
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✅ Pace
✅ Paranormal creatures
✅ No insta-love!
✅ Original idea of having the MC investigating her own death
✅🆗 World-building
✅🆗 Plot
🆗 “Twist” at the end
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: mentions of death and murders
3.5 stars
This was an interesting debut, I honestly picked it up only because it was free with my Audible subscription, but I ended up liking it quite a lot, and I flew through the second book too!
Emma Bellamy is starting the final part of her detective training before her exams: a 2 weeks rotation in the Supernatural Squad. The squad no one wants to work in, the one you are sent to when you fucked up, and Emma has no idea why she ended up there as she is very diligent in her work, and she always aims to be efficient and professional. Determined to make a good impression, Emma starts her rotation with Detective Constable Anthony Brown, expecting to be bored and useless for two weeks, but not even 48 hours after the start of her rotation, she is murdered, wakes up in the morgue, and finds a second body while investigating her own murder. Convinced that both murders are connected, Emma decides to continue her investigation while hoping that whoever killed her will not realize she is still alive and will not try to kill her again.
The investigation part of the plot is not the most original, and the book as a whole is not the best paranormal there is, but overall it is fast-paced and well-developed enough to remain intriguing until the end, and the characters well written and likable. Having the main character investigate her own death is also original and interesting. The part that annoyed me is the twist at the end with the identity of Emma’s killer. It doesn’t fit with what we knew of the characters and what we saw in the book, and it honestly felt as though the author just wanted to add a final twist, but didn’t really think about it until the end and just decided to rewrite the last 2 chapters instead of rethinking the plot as a whole and tweaking it. I don’t want to say more because I don’t want to spoil anything, but that last part is the main reason I am not giving this book 4 stars.
I adore the fact that there is no insta-love, and there is not even romance per se. There is a hint of interest shown, and we can guess that one of the characters might become a love interest in the future, but that’s it. It’s not focused on romance, and it was refreshing to read a paranormal book where the main character is focused on her job and her goals instead of getting all worked out because of one sexy man that turns her brain to mush.
Emma is a good main character. She is new to the supes’ world and it shows, and I love how she didn’t just fit in immediately. She made mistakes and had no idea how to navigate the supes politics, but she didn’t give up because even though she didn’t want to remain with the supe squad and that she didn’t care about the supes, she had two murders to solve, and that took precedence over any unease or reticence she might have had. She is strong-willed and driven, she wants to prove herself to the world and to succeed as a detective, and she doesn’t let the supes push her around, but we can also see that she is vulnerable in their world and that she still has lot of work to do to get accepted and to survive on the long term with them. She can be a little foolish at times and takes too many risks, but it made her feel more "normal" and human.
Lukas is a yummy dark vampire lord that I definitely want more of. He fits with the stereotypical lord, ruthless and used to be obeyed, yet he doesn’t often show this side of him when he is with Emma. Instead, we get to see a charming, protective, and maybe a little overbearing vampire that is looking out for his vampires and is working an angle that will advantage himself, but also comes to genuinely care about Emma and what happens to her. He could become a love interest in the future, and I wouldn’t be mad about it at all.
On a side note, it's hard to really be intrigued and wonder about Emma's true identity with a cover like that... My guess is that she might be some kind of phoenix. 😬😅
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September 20, 2020
Call the press! I have finally seen a book I enjoyed enough to give it 5 stars.
Our heroine is a trainee who is sent to the Supe squad for training before she is given her pick of placements. She hates it because only the troublemakers are sent there. She gets there and see that it is even worse than she was expecting, the start is non existent with only 4 people,her included,are in the unit.
The head detective shows her around, she deviates from plan almost immediately through no fault of hers, her boss took the "go with it" kind of attitude and our FMC was interested in being an actual policewoman and not the lackadaisical sort to the chagrin of her boyfriend.
Unfortunately for her she is immediately murdered. She wakes up in the morgue and is shocked, she has no idea what she is and there were no references or literature she could refer to. She is obviously determined to find out who killed her and she sets out to do just that.
I enjoyed the entire book, I thought it was very well done. I liked Emma, though her being given the reins of the investigation especially after what happened was a bit unbelievable but I was able to overlook that. The villain though, I wasn't expecting that at all and I was shocked. Can't wait to read book 2.
Our heroine is a trainee who is sent to the Supe squad for training before she is given her pick of placements. She hates it because only the troublemakers are sent there. She gets there and see that it is even worse than she was expecting, the start is non existent with only 4 people,her included,are in the unit.
The head detective shows her around, she deviates from plan almost immediately through no fault of hers, her boss took the "go with it" kind of attitude and our FMC was interested in being an actual policewoman and not the lackadaisical sort to the chagrin of her boyfriend.
Unfortunately for her she is immediately murdered. She wakes up in the morgue and is shocked, she has no idea what she is and there were no references or literature she could refer to. She is obviously determined to find out who killed her and she sets out to do just that.
I enjoyed the entire book, I thought it was very well done. I liked Emma, though her being given the reins of the investigation especially after what happened was a bit unbelievable but I was able to overlook that. The villain though, I wasn't expecting that at all and I was shocked. Can't wait to read book 2.
April 5, 2021
Thanks to netgalley for the ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.
CW for my review: discussion of police brutality
I'm really struggling with how to review this one. I've enjoyed Helen Harper's work a lot and that's why I excitedly requested Brimstone Bound. The premise of waking up in a morgue, supernatural mystery, and a pesky vampire who will inevitably be the love interest? Totally my thing.
Not my thing? All the gross cop shit and ableist language that the book opened with. I literally wanted to DNF it within the first two pages. I only stuck it out to give it a proper review.
So, CW for description of police violence...the opening scene of the book we find the protagonist gleefully recounting and acting out her takedown of a perp as a police trainee. In and of itself, this is pretty gross to do and she uses ableist language to justify her actions. Most disturbing is how the description of her actions as a police trainee--which she so proudly recounts--are very similar to the police murders of George Floyd, Eric Garnet, and so many others. She talks excitedly about "patrolling the mean streets." When she is annoyed that she's assigned to the supernatural squad, her silver lining is she'll have access to cooler/deadlier weapons. It's a whole lot of police propaganda and it's wholly unnecessary to the book. This mostly tones down for the rest of the book, but then there's brief reminders through throwaway lines/thoughts that show Emma thinks cops are unimpeachable heroes.
Cop propaganda aside, it read like a typical, enjoyable Helen Harper novel with a new cast of supernatural characters and intrigue.
All this to say, I don't know how to rate this book. The end note mentioned that covid will not come up in the series and preorders will be donationed to covid relief charities. Harper writes, "I use writing as a form of escapism from reality – but that doesn’t mean I can pretend that reality doesn’t exist." To not mention police brutality as part of this reality is incredibly short-sighted, especially given that her protagonist is a cop. It's not like police brutality is an issue exclusive to the US. I think that made my issues with the book's beginning all the more stark.
I'm reluctantly giving the book 1 star. If it weren't a review it would have been a DNF. This is a Harper series that I will be skipping.
CW for my review: discussion of police brutality
I'm really struggling with how to review this one. I've enjoyed Helen Harper's work a lot and that's why I excitedly requested Brimstone Bound. The premise of waking up in a morgue, supernatural mystery, and a pesky vampire who will inevitably be the love interest? Totally my thing.
Not my thing? All the gross cop shit and ableist language that the book opened with. I literally wanted to DNF it within the first two pages. I only stuck it out to give it a proper review.
So, CW for description of police violence...the opening scene of the book we find the protagonist gleefully recounting and acting out her takedown of a perp as a police trainee. In and of itself, this is pretty gross to do and she uses ableist language to justify her actions. Most disturbing is how the description of her actions as a police trainee--which she so proudly recounts--are very similar to the police murders of George Floyd, Eric Garnet, and so many others. She talks excitedly about "patrolling the mean streets." When she is annoyed that she's assigned to the supernatural squad, her silver lining is she'll have access to cooler/deadlier weapons. It's a whole lot of police propaganda and it's wholly unnecessary to the book. This mostly tones down for the rest of the book, but then there's brief reminders through throwaway lines/thoughts that show Emma thinks cops are unimpeachable heroes.
Cop propaganda aside, it read like a typical, enjoyable Helen Harper novel with a new cast of supernatural characters and intrigue.
All this to say, I don't know how to rate this book. The end note mentioned that covid will not come up in the series and preorders will be donationed to covid relief charities. Harper writes, "I use writing as a form of escapism from reality – but that doesn’t mean I can pretend that reality doesn’t exist." To not mention police brutality as part of this reality is incredibly short-sighted, especially given that her protagonist is a cop. It's not like police brutality is an issue exclusive to the US. I think that made my issues with the book's beginning all the more stark.
I'm reluctantly giving the book 1 star. If it weren't a review it would have been a DNF. This is a Harper series that I will be skipping.
July 27, 2020
Well I liked that this was set in London as so many paranormal stories seem to be set in the US. Whilst the author does mention certain London landmarks she didn't make the mistake of trying too hard to create a contemporary London and rather just set her story there. Emma is so close to being made a detective and her final placement puts her in the run down, often overlooked supe squad but from her first day things go from bad (brawling Werewolves) to worse when someone slits her throat !
I liked Emma and enjoyed the mysteries that helped to shape this story. I won't go into what actually happens too much but will say it was a wholly unique take on Werewolves and Vampires living amongst Humans. I did have my suspicions which proved to be correct but as to the motivation in play here that was a huge surprise. I did however feel that Lukas the Vampire who keeps popping up didn't really strike me as particularly menacing and I hope that in the next book we get a lot more of his dark side. So if you fancy reading something a little different than this new series might just surprise and hopefully delight you.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
I liked Emma and enjoyed the mysteries that helped to shape this story. I won't go into what actually happens too much but will say it was a wholly unique take on Werewolves and Vampires living amongst Humans. I did have my suspicions which proved to be correct but as to the motivation in play here that was a huge surprise. I did however feel that Lukas the Vampire who keeps popping up didn't really strike me as particularly menacing and I hope that in the next book we get a lot more of his dark side. So if you fancy reading something a little different than this new series might just surprise and hopefully delight you.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
July 4, 2024
Great start to the series
I absolutely loved Helen's Blood Distantly series and even Helen's Corrigan books were amazing.
I see great potential in this series and I'm really excited to see where she is going to take the next book.
Just started book 2 can't wait 📖
Happy Reading 📗📒📓📘📚📙📕📖📚📓📗📔📒📘📓📚📙📕📖📗📓📘📒📗📖
Attention Audible users this book is free in the plus catalogue 4 /7/24 so you can check it out for free if your a member
🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂
I absolutely loved Helen's Blood Distantly series and even Helen's Corrigan books were amazing.
I see great potential in this series and I'm really excited to see where she is going to take the next book.
Just started book 2 can't wait 📖
Happy Reading 📗📒📓📘📚📙📕📖📚📓📗📔📒📘📓📚📙📕📖📗📓📘📒📗📖
Attention Audible users this book is free in the plus catalogue 4 /7/24 so you can check it out for free if your a member
🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂
September 17, 2020
Emma is about to finish the last two weeks of her police department training. She has done exceedingly well and expects her next rotation to be in the cyber crime unit, only she ends up assigned to the supernatural squad. The tale that unfolds leads to murder and enlightenment.
Emma knows the basics of the supernatural world and has zero contact, so when she assigned to DC Anthony Brown she is in for some surprises. I loved the setup and how Harper allowed the listener to learn along with Emma. This made the world-building flow smoothly while we got to know the world and characters.
Unfortunately for Emma she ends up dead her first night on the job. She awakens…. yes awakens at the morgue to discover that not only is she alive but it seems her boss is missing and so are some werewolves. Oh, and a vampire is stalking her.
I liked Emma, who grabs the reins to hunt down a killer. She is feisty and has a thing for weapons. Lukas, a vampire, reminds me a bit of an old school detective. He balances out Emma’s personality and I am curious to see their relationship build.
The case was interesting with plenty of twists and the killer took me by surprise. We get closure to the mystery and Harper set up the series nicely.
Ruth Urquhart narrates and captured the voice of Emma and others perfectly. I enjoyed her accent and could listen at a lower speed since she naturally speaks fast. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
Emma knows the basics of the supernatural world and has zero contact, so when she assigned to DC Anthony Brown she is in for some surprises. I loved the setup and how Harper allowed the listener to learn along with Emma. This made the world-building flow smoothly while we got to know the world and characters.
Unfortunately for Emma she ends up dead her first night on the job. She awakens…. yes awakens at the morgue to discover that not only is she alive but it seems her boss is missing and so are some werewolves. Oh, and a vampire is stalking her.
I liked Emma, who grabs the reins to hunt down a killer. She is feisty and has a thing for weapons. Lukas, a vampire, reminds me a bit of an old school detective. He balances out Emma’s personality and I am curious to see their relationship build.
The case was interesting with plenty of twists and the killer took me by surprise. We get closure to the mystery and Harper set up the series nicely.
Ruth Urquhart narrates and captured the voice of Emma and others perfectly. I enjoyed her accent and could listen at a lower speed since she naturally speaks fast. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
September 2, 2020
Emma Bailey is living a great life, up for her final rotation in the London Police force detective training programme she gets assigned to the Supernatural Squad (usually given as a punishment for the truly useless) rather than the Cyber Crime assignment she (and her accountant boyfriend Jeremy) was expecting.
At first Emma is mortified at being given the dunce assignment, then excited at the idea of being a liaison between the humans, vampires and werewolves, complete with special cool weapons. But then Emma finds the Supe Squad consists of three underwhelming individuals whose only role appears to be appeasement of the Supes, they don't even get to investigate crimes involving supernaturals - they do that themselves.
Then Emma gets brutally attacked while supposedly awaiting her boss in a London churchyard and wakes up lying on a mortuary slab accompanied by flames and a smell of sulphur! At first Emma blames her boss for her 'murder' or at least for setting her up, but when he goes missing too she realises there is something more sinister afoot. Werewolves are disappearing and Emma needs to find out who is responsible, and she'd kind of like to understand who wants her dead.
Although there are a lot of very familiar characters and tropes in this book (enigmatic and charming vampire lord, aggressive werewolf clans, etc) I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. Fast-paced, funny, intriguing and twisty I didn't spot the individual behind the werewolf disappearances until it was spelt out for me.
First in a new series which looks like being fun and doesn't take itself too seriously, I can't wait to read the next one.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
At first Emma is mortified at being given the dunce assignment, then excited at the idea of being a liaison between the humans, vampires and werewolves, complete with special cool weapons. But then Emma finds the Supe Squad consists of three underwhelming individuals whose only role appears to be appeasement of the Supes, they don't even get to investigate crimes involving supernaturals - they do that themselves.
Then Emma gets brutally attacked while supposedly awaiting her boss in a London churchyard and wakes up lying on a mortuary slab accompanied by flames and a smell of sulphur! At first Emma blames her boss for her 'murder' or at least for setting her up, but when he goes missing too she realises there is something more sinister afoot. Werewolves are disappearing and Emma needs to find out who is responsible, and she'd kind of like to understand who wants her dead.
Although there are a lot of very familiar characters and tropes in this book (enigmatic and charming vampire lord, aggressive werewolf clans, etc) I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. Fast-paced, funny, intriguing and twisty I didn't spot the individual behind the werewolf disappearances until it was spelt out for me.
First in a new series which looks like being fun and doesn't take itself too seriously, I can't wait to read the next one.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
November 30, 2020
3.75
There aren’t nearly enough good fantasy books on kindle unlimited to justify my having a subscription; however, I try to keep my subscription for days like this when I find that one book that’s so good I forget all the horrible ones that pointed me there. This book was one of those. The good ones I mean😅
I can list many pitfalls. Which by the way, what world do we live in that frequently employs the use of “suppose” and “rather”. I keep reading all these books and like... where are authors getting it from! Has Jane Austen ruined us so much that the only indication of formal language is through empty sign posts of ‘supposes’. Is it even necessary?! To me, it brings to light a shoddy perception of a time period and lots of eye rolling.
I ‘suppose’ I have ‘rather’ digressed from my initial point, haven’t I?🙄
My point being, regardless of my eye rolling moments at the frequency with which those word were used, I liked this book. The investigation from the very first page to the last was intriguing, engrossing, well-informed and yes, logical!
This is already high praise. I can’t tell you how many fantasy books I have read just this year alone that seemed to make a mockery of the readers with half-assed, illogical investigations buried in a ton of repetition, outlandish guesses, the most inane posturing, and boring conversation.
In this book, I got the who, what, and why in a well-told story. I also got the world’s most compassionate vampire. Damn Lukas with his empathy had me drooling over my phone.
The FMC was such a goodie-two-shoes newb. She literally did no wrong even when she was impulsive to the point of foolishly endangering herself. Everything went her way, and every time she needed something it was right there. I want to judge but I’ll leave it as this; the author’s over-protectiveness of the FMC didn’t leave room for character development in this book, it didn’t exactly leave room for a glimpse of her character either. Crossing my fingers and hoping for more in book two.
I’m not saying the FMC hadn’t been through some crap. What with the constant danger. Just saying her A led to B with the ease with which a toddler might recite the letters. There was no real struggle or moment of true helplessness or abandon. She had too many cushions for that.
The book could have used more descriptions and details in the world build, but that’s neither here nor there. Whatever the case, I am looking forward to the next book. I totally enjoyed this.
There aren’t nearly enough good fantasy books on kindle unlimited to justify my having a subscription; however, I try to keep my subscription for days like this when I find that one book that’s so good I forget all the horrible ones that pointed me there. This book was one of those. The good ones I mean😅
I can list many pitfalls. Which by the way, what world do we live in that frequently employs the use of “suppose” and “rather”. I keep reading all these books and like... where are authors getting it from! Has Jane Austen ruined us so much that the only indication of formal language is through empty sign posts of ‘supposes’. Is it even necessary?! To me, it brings to light a shoddy perception of a time period and lots of eye rolling.
I ‘suppose’ I have ‘rather’ digressed from my initial point, haven’t I?🙄
My point being, regardless of my eye rolling moments at the frequency with which those word were used, I liked this book. The investigation from the very first page to the last was intriguing, engrossing, well-informed and yes, logical!
This is already high praise. I can’t tell you how many fantasy books I have read just this year alone that seemed to make a mockery of the readers with half-assed, illogical investigations buried in a ton of repetition, outlandish guesses, the most inane posturing, and boring conversation.
In this book, I got the who, what, and why in a well-told story. I also got the world’s most compassionate vampire. Damn Lukas with his empathy had me drooling over my phone.
The FMC was such a goodie-two-shoes newb. She literally did no wrong even when she was impulsive to the point of foolishly endangering herself. Everything went her way, and every time she needed something it was right there. I want to judge but I’ll leave it as this; the author’s over-protectiveness of the FMC didn’t leave room for character development in this book, it didn’t exactly leave room for a glimpse of her character either. Crossing my fingers and hoping for more in book two.
I’m not saying the FMC hadn’t been through some crap. What with the constant danger. Just saying her A led to B with the ease with which a toddler might recite the letters. There was no real struggle or moment of true helplessness or abandon. She had too many cushions for that.
The book could have used more descriptions and details in the world build, but that’s neither here nor there. Whatever the case, I am looking forward to the next book. I totally enjoyed this.
April 19, 2022
Emma ist eigentlich fleißig und eine gute Polizistin - warum wird sie also bestraft und landet im Supernatural Squad? Und dann wird sie kurz darauf auch noch umgebracht, nur um einige Stunden später unversehrt in einer Leichenhalle aufzuwachen. Sie möchte möglichst schnell herausfinden, wer ihr Mörder ist, denn sie möchte nicht, dass er es noch einmal versuchen kann ...
Sie lebt zwar in einer Welt, in der auch Übernatürliche existieren und dazu ist sie auch eine clevere Polizistin, aber sie weiß nur wenig über die Eigenschaften der Wesen, mit denen sie nun zu tun haben wird. Das meiste sind eher Gerüchte oder bestenfalls Halbwissen, daher ist ihr Plan auch umso riskanter, denn wie soll sie einen übernatürlichen Mordfall lösen, wenn sie gar nicht weiß, welche Gefahren ihr drohen und wie sie mit ihnen umgehen soll? Und dann ist da natürlich noch die Frage, wie ihre unerwartete Wiederauferstehung da reinpasst. Trotz ihrer Planlosigkeit mochte ich ihre Entschlossenheit und ihren Sinn für Recht und Gerechtigkeit.
Das ist nun meine dritte Reihe der Autorin (nach "Hex Files" und "Blood Destiny") und wie auch bei den anderen Büchern gibt es magische Kriminalfälle zu lösen - da Emma eine Polizistin ist, passt es diesmal sogar noch etwas besser in die Geschichte. Es gibt da schon ein Muster - die heißesten und einflussreichsten Kerle und unterschätzte, mächtige Protagonistinnen, die zusammen ermitteln. Wer die anderen Bücher mochte, wird also auch hier wieder Spaß an der Lektüre haben. Ich mochte den Humor, die Spannung zwischen den Protagonisten, die starke Hauptfigur und ich fand die Ermittlungen und das magische Abenteuer spannend und gut gelungen.
Fazit
"Magic Sparks" hat mich mit dem spannenden, magischen Mordfall, vielversprechenden Übernatürlichen und starken Protagonisten sehr gut unterhalten und ich freue mich schon auf mehr!
Sie lebt zwar in einer Welt, in der auch Übernatürliche existieren und dazu ist sie auch eine clevere Polizistin, aber sie weiß nur wenig über die Eigenschaften der Wesen, mit denen sie nun zu tun haben wird. Das meiste sind eher Gerüchte oder bestenfalls Halbwissen, daher ist ihr Plan auch umso riskanter, denn wie soll sie einen übernatürlichen Mordfall lösen, wenn sie gar nicht weiß, welche Gefahren ihr drohen und wie sie mit ihnen umgehen soll? Und dann ist da natürlich noch die Frage, wie ihre unerwartete Wiederauferstehung da reinpasst. Trotz ihrer Planlosigkeit mochte ich ihre Entschlossenheit und ihren Sinn für Recht und Gerechtigkeit.
Das ist nun meine dritte Reihe der Autorin (nach "Hex Files" und "Blood Destiny") und wie auch bei den anderen Büchern gibt es magische Kriminalfälle zu lösen - da Emma eine Polizistin ist, passt es diesmal sogar noch etwas besser in die Geschichte. Es gibt da schon ein Muster - die heißesten und einflussreichsten Kerle und unterschätzte, mächtige Protagonistinnen, die zusammen ermitteln. Wer die anderen Bücher mochte, wird also auch hier wieder Spaß an der Lektüre haben. Ich mochte den Humor, die Spannung zwischen den Protagonisten, die starke Hauptfigur und ich fand die Ermittlungen und das magische Abenteuer spannend und gut gelungen.
Fazit
"Magic Sparks" hat mich mit dem spannenden, magischen Mordfall, vielversprechenden Übernatürlichen und starken Protagonisten sehr gut unterhalten und ich freue mich schon auf mehr!
July 30, 2020
You can’t beat a good murder mystery!
I was a bit iffy with this one for the first 2 or 3 chapters. It was pretty much nothing but world building that I found pretty boring to read. I even contemplated dropping it but I’m so happy I stuck it out cause this book was so good! Once I got to chapter 5 the ball was rolling and I was well and truly invested in the story.
It’s one of those unputdownable whodunnit stories with vampires, werewolves and mystery beings thrown in. It’s a lot of fun and it’s refreshing to read an urban fantasy not set in the US.
*All the proceeds from pre-orders of this book are being donated to Refuge, Medecins Sans Frontieres, and First Book.
Read more reviews and other bookish content on my blog https://elainehowlin.com
October 2, 2020
I really wanted to like this. The synopsis sounds good and I love finding new authors. I don't mind a slow build or world building. However, there is just something about this I could not get into. And oh how I wanted to. I suspect she's a demon or part demon or some such thing given the clues but I'll never know. It's the lack of logic and forethought exhibited by characters. I can forgive it here and there for story's sake but it's just too much for me here.
Let's start with the heroine's insistence on figuring everything out herself. The fact that she's got all these people just going along with it and covering for her defies all reason. First the random text she totally believes. Okay, I can forgive that. Then the pathologist just going with it and hiding her coming back to life and continuing to do so despite it making zero sense, sure. Okay. Then this friend she has in school going through files for her? Maybe buuuut probably not considering if you want to be an officer you're not going to do these kinds of favors that'll get you fired before you even finish your internship. And then these colleagues she just met going along with her crazy?
Yeah. I'm done. It's too much. Add to all of that that the writing itself fails to draw me in and I couldn't finish. I hate marking something DNF but here we are.
Let's start with the heroine's insistence on figuring everything out herself. The fact that she's got all these people just going along with it and covering for her defies all reason. First the random text she totally believes. Okay, I can forgive that. Then the pathologist just going with it and hiding her coming back to life and continuing to do so despite it making zero sense, sure. Okay. Then this friend she has in school going through files for her? Maybe buuuut probably not considering if you want to be an officer you're not going to do these kinds of favors that'll get you fired before you even finish your internship. And then these colleagues she just met going along with her crazy?
Yeah. I'm done. It's too much. Add to all of that that the writing itself fails to draw me in and I couldn't finish. I hate marking something DNF but here we are.
May 1, 2024
Since I read Ilona Andrew's urban fantasy books, I am exploring other authors in the same category. It is actually pretty cool, and this one was top. If you like investigative books where they are constantly moving to solve a mystery, this is definitely for you.
I am not going to say much to not give any spoilers, but there's no romance as of yet, just a hint that it might come in book 2 or 3.
I am not going to say much to not give any spoilers, but there's no romance as of yet, just a hint that it might come in book 2 or 3.
September 8, 2020
*Source* NetGalley
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
Brimstone Bound, by author Helen Harper, is the first installment in the authors Firebrand series. Protagonist Emma Bellamy is a detective-in-training with the London Police. She's just entered her final rotation at the top of her class when she gets disastrous news. After everything she's worked hard for, she ends up being assigned to the Supernatural Squad instead of her coveted Cyber Crime. The Supernatural Squad is where the worst of the worst are dumped. On Emma's first day, she meets her new mentor, Detective Constable Anthony Brown who she will work with for the next 2 weeks.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
Brimstone Bound, by author Helen Harper, is the first installment in the authors Firebrand series. Protagonist Emma Bellamy is a detective-in-training with the London Police. She's just entered her final rotation at the top of her class when she gets disastrous news. After everything she's worked hard for, she ends up being assigned to the Supernatural Squad instead of her coveted Cyber Crime. The Supernatural Squad is where the worst of the worst are dumped. On Emma's first day, she meets her new mentor, Detective Constable Anthony Brown who she will work with for the next 2 weeks.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
November 22, 2020
3.75 stars.
I like this one, eventhought the reason why she’s got killed in the first time is laughable 🙄.
Then she died again!
Seriously, she dies too often for my liking as a heroine 🤨.
But, I like the world building and the characters and certainly will continue reading this series!
❤️
I like this one, eventhought the reason why she’s got killed in the first time is laughable 🙄.
Then she died again!
Seriously, she dies too often for my liking as a heroine 🤨.
But, I like the world building and the characters and certainly will continue reading this series!
❤️
November 18, 2020
4.5 Rounded Up
Delightful... honestly, just delightful. This takes the Phoenix legend and transforms it to suit a new world, with new rules and new players. We have the prerequisite Vampires and Shifters, along with a whole host of 'others' - nestled into a Universe that knows about them... and has made plans to try to contain the powers that be.
London mirrors much of our own reality, with a few obvious additions, including a police department set aside strictly for the policing and dubious control of the 'Supes'. Into this world, Emma stumbles, only three shakes from graduating as an official Detective, while she makes her final rounds in the various departments that make up the London Police. The Supe Squad is NOT where she wanted to land, but soon enough, she, and everyone around her, discover that it may be where she was meant to be all along.
Quick paced yet thorough with foundational work, this novel stretches its metaphorical wings and coaxes intrigue with its very nature. The kicker? What appears to be the main plot line somehow becomes secondary, obscured by events and resolved in mundane ways that honestly made my heart hurt for Emma. It was strikingly normal for an Urban Fantasy, and I appreciated the swerve.
Perspective:
First Person, Single POV
Ending Type:
Episodic
Rating:
Adult
Romantic Dynamic:
M/F
Character Age Range:
29+
My Final Verdict on Brimstone Bound
Helen Harper creates lush, immersive worlds that suit the Urban Fantasy genre well. This tale is no different, offering interesting characters, an engaging plot and enough leeway to stretch into a satisfying series.
Delightful... honestly, just delightful. This takes the Phoenix legend and transforms it to suit a new world, with new rules and new players. We have the prerequisite Vampires and Shifters, along with a whole host of 'others' - nestled into a Universe that knows about them... and has made plans to try to contain the powers that be.
London mirrors much of our own reality, with a few obvious additions, including a police department set aside strictly for the policing and dubious control of the 'Supes'. Into this world, Emma stumbles, only three shakes from graduating as an official Detective, while she makes her final rounds in the various departments that make up the London Police. The Supe Squad is NOT where she wanted to land, but soon enough, she, and everyone around her, discover that it may be where she was meant to be all along.
Quick paced yet thorough with foundational work, this novel stretches its metaphorical wings and coaxes intrigue with its very nature. The kicker? What appears to be the main plot line somehow becomes secondary, obscured by events and resolved in mundane ways that honestly made my heart hurt for Emma. It was strikingly normal for an Urban Fantasy, and I appreciated the swerve.
Perspective:
First Person, Single POV
Ending Type:
Episodic
Rating:
Adult
Romantic Dynamic:
M/F
Character Age Range:
29+
My Final Verdict on Brimstone Bound
Helen Harper creates lush, immersive worlds that suit the Urban Fantasy genre well. This tale is no different, offering interesting characters, an engaging plot and enough leeway to stretch into a satisfying series.
February 19, 2023
Dnf at about 70% I really feel like I read a different story than other reviewers. This was even worse than most pnr. Mysteriously killed and wake up confused? Leap immediately to an independent secret investigations by yourself, and lie to your boyfriend. Your long time dream is to be a police investigator? Skulk around breaking infinite regulations and equip yourself with weapons you can’t use. Mysterious deadly vampire at the scene of your murder? After the second time you see him, take his assessment that the killer of your colleague is a wolf. Hate those guys. You’re a total newbie trainee that acts weirdly in a new department? No problem, your two teammates Plod and Emo will believe you immediately when you tell them you’re leading a secret investigation and leap to follow your commands.
Too stupid to live doesn’t even begin to cover it.
Too stupid to live doesn’t even begin to cover it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2020
Interesting premise and characters. I look forward to reading more and find the answers to so many questions. I especially need more of Lukas.
January 16, 2021
Fuck is this narrative voice boring.
DNF's @ ch.7 for fear of falling asleep the third time trying to read this
DNF's @ ch.7 for fear of falling asleep the third time trying to read this
April 26, 2021
DNF predictable & I wasn’t a fan of the h.
September 13, 2022
Une nouvelle série amusante avec une héroïne naïve mais obtuse et courageuse et un séduisant vampire dont j’aimerais bien avoir le point de vue. L’intrigue policière est sympa sauf la conclusion téléphonée.
September 14, 2022
Mon avis en français
My English review
Après avoir tenté plusieurs séries de Helen Harper, j’étais curieuse de découvrir cette trilogie.
Emma n’a qu’une envie : devenir inspectrice. Ça tombe bien, ses études sont bientôt terminées ! Enfin, elle doit encore réaliser un stage de 2 semaines. Elle tombe dans un service auquel elle ne s’attendait pas, l’endroit où personne ne veut finir : la brigade para qui gère les créatures paranormales. Elle ne comprend pas pourquoi elle a eu un tel traitement, mais elle est déterminée à faire de son mieux. Une chose est sûre, elle ne s’attendait pas à se faire tuer et à se réveiller à la morgue le lendemain. Et non, elle n’est pas un vampire !
J’ai passé un bon moment avec Emma. Elle met tout en œuvre pour essayer de comprendre ce qui se passe même si tout le monde essaie de lui mettre des bâtons dans les roues. Ce n’est pour le moment pas ma série préférée de l’auteure, mais ce premier tome est entraînant et j’ai passé un bon moment. J’ai trouvé la fin un peu grosse, mais je suis bien curieuse de découvrir la suite !
My English review
Après avoir tenté plusieurs séries de Helen Harper, j’étais curieuse de découvrir cette trilogie.
Emma n’a qu’une envie : devenir inspectrice. Ça tombe bien, ses études sont bientôt terminées ! Enfin, elle doit encore réaliser un stage de 2 semaines. Elle tombe dans un service auquel elle ne s’attendait pas, l’endroit où personne ne veut finir : la brigade para qui gère les créatures paranormales. Elle ne comprend pas pourquoi elle a eu un tel traitement, mais elle est déterminée à faire de son mieux. Une chose est sûre, elle ne s’attendait pas à se faire tuer et à se réveiller à la morgue le lendemain. Et non, elle n’est pas un vampire !
J’ai passé un bon moment avec Emma. Elle met tout en œuvre pour essayer de comprendre ce qui se passe même si tout le monde essaie de lui mettre des bâtons dans les roues. Ce n’est pour le moment pas ma série préférée de l’auteure, mais ce premier tome est entraînant et j’ai passé un bon moment. J’ai trouvé la fin un peu grosse, mais je suis bien curieuse de découvrir la suite !
February 5, 2022
Finally, after a string of "just okay" books, this one really grabbed my attention! The world-building is standard. The author doesn't spend any time to write proper introduction about the world; basically, readers should have slight understanding about the paranormal creatures and just go with the flow.
Usually, this thing annoys me, but I found myself really liking Emma and her determination. It's horrible to be killed on the first day of getting your rotation with a Squad that sounds like it's there only as "department accessory" (because if the bad guys are supernatural creatures, they will deal with it themselves, while if it the humans, then it's Criminal Investigations Department's jurisdiction). Then finds out your mentor is also murdered. But Emma practically grits her teeth and investigates the cases.
I couldn't rate this higher though since the reason of Emma's murder is ridiculous! Well, the villain is ridiculous. I'm glad (). I was fuming on the mouth when I read that part.
AND to be honest, the whole idea of a detective in training can somehow lead one separate department is also silly. BUT, I'm just going to shrug it off this time since I feel that I'm going to enjoy Emma getting more mature (and experience) in her job while understanding her un-die ability. Plus, the potential of upcoming romance between Emma and the vampire leader sounds delightful.
Usually, this thing annoys me, but I found myself really liking Emma and her determination. It's horrible to be killed on the first day of getting your rotation with a Squad that sounds like it's there only as "department accessory" (because if the bad guys are supernatural creatures, they will deal with it themselves, while if it the humans, then it's Criminal Investigations Department's jurisdiction). Then finds out your mentor is also murdered. But Emma practically grits her teeth and investigates the cases.
I couldn't rate this higher though since the reason of Emma's murder is ridiculous! Well, the villain is ridiculous. I'm glad (). I was fuming on the mouth when I read that part.
AND to be honest, the whole idea of a detective in training can somehow lead one separate department is also silly. BUT, I'm just going to shrug it off this time since I feel that I'm going to enjoy Emma getting more mature (and experience) in her job while understanding her un-die ability. Plus, the potential of upcoming romance between Emma and the vampire leader sounds delightful.
June 16, 2022
Ich bin mir sehr unsicher
Magic Sparks hat mich beim Klappentext und der Autorin sofort in Beschlag genommen. Was jedoch kam, hat mich ziemlich irritiert und verunsichert zurückgelassen. Emma ist ein ganz netter Charakter und mausert sich im Laufe des Romans tatsächlich noch zu einer etwas härteren Polizistin. Was mich mega verstört hat, direkt am Anfang, war dieser unglaublich langweilige Freund, der überhaupt nicht in die Geschichte zu passen scheint.
Abgesehen von Emma, aus deren Sicht durchgehend geschrieben wird, ist da noch der nette Vampirlord Lukas, der nicht mehr von ihrer Seite weichen will. Er ist mir auf Anhieb sympathisch, was eventuell auch an meiner Vorliebe für Vampire liegen könnte, jedoch sind seine Bemühungen am Ende jede Zeile wert gelesen zu werden.
Mir hat diesmal leider der Humor und Sarkasmus gefehlt, den ich aus den Hex Files gewohnt war. Ich hoffe sehr, dass sich das im zweiten Band wieder einstellt, denn sowohl Emma als auch Lukas sind auf einem guten Weg.
Ich bin leider etwas enttäuscht, jedoch auch gespannt, wie es weitergeht. Wenn man die Vorkommnisse und das Cover genauer ansieht, kann man sich allerdings schon denken, worauf es hinauslaufen wird. Oh, wie sehr ich mich auf die Gesichter der anderen freue!
Magic Sparks hat mich beim Klappentext und der Autorin sofort in Beschlag genommen. Was jedoch kam, hat mich ziemlich irritiert und verunsichert zurückgelassen. Emma ist ein ganz netter Charakter und mausert sich im Laufe des Romans tatsächlich noch zu einer etwas härteren Polizistin. Was mich mega verstört hat, direkt am Anfang, war dieser unglaublich langweilige Freund, der überhaupt nicht in die Geschichte zu passen scheint.
Abgesehen von Emma, aus deren Sicht durchgehend geschrieben wird, ist da noch der nette Vampirlord Lukas, der nicht mehr von ihrer Seite weichen will. Er ist mir auf Anhieb sympathisch, was eventuell auch an meiner Vorliebe für Vampire liegen könnte, jedoch sind seine Bemühungen am Ende jede Zeile wert gelesen zu werden.
Mir hat diesmal leider der Humor und Sarkasmus gefehlt, den ich aus den Hex Files gewohnt war. Ich hoffe sehr, dass sich das im zweiten Band wieder einstellt, denn sowohl Emma als auch Lukas sind auf einem guten Weg.
Ich bin leider etwas enttäuscht, jedoch auch gespannt, wie es weitergeht. Wenn man die Vorkommnisse und das Cover genauer ansieht, kann man sich allerdings schon denken, worauf es hinauslaufen wird. Oh, wie sehr ich mich auf die Gesichter der anderen freue!
December 28, 2020
Emma is training to become a police detective when she is assigned to the worst post possible for her career, the Supernatural Squad. While investigating a crime, Emma is murdered. Do not worry, she wakes up in a morgue, only to realize someone had killed her and she is no longer dead.
Now Emma is trying to uncover who murdered her, discover where her missing Supernatural Squad trainer went, and decide if the devastatingly handsome vampire is friend or foe? Emma decides to let Lucas, the vampire, help her transverse the supernatural world.
Let’s just say, Harper had me at the intriguing mysteries that she cleverly built into a riveting plot. I will be back for more!
I received this ARC copy of Brimstone Bound from Helen Harper. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Now Emma is trying to uncover who murdered her, discover where her missing Supernatural Squad trainer went, and decide if the devastatingly handsome vampire is friend or foe? Emma decides to let Lucas, the vampire, help her transverse the supernatural world.
Let’s just say, Harper had me at the intriguing mysteries that she cleverly built into a riveting plot. I will be back for more!
I received this ARC copy of Brimstone Bound from Helen Harper. This is my honest and voluntary review.
January 12, 2021
Being a Londoner myself, it was great fun to read this book.
I've become a big fan Helen Harper's books. Her strong female characters with their no nonsense attitude is the reason I keep coming back to her book despite the lack of romance. This book is a bright light in the COVID-19 darkness.
Verdict: You go girl, D'Artagnan!
I've become a big fan Helen Harper's books. Her strong female characters with their no nonsense attitude is the reason I keep coming back to her book despite the lack of romance. This book is a bright light in the COVID-19 darkness.
Verdict: You go girl, D'Artagnan!
January 5, 2021
Not interesting enough to look past the copaganda
February 16, 2023
“The greatest enemy of knowledge isn’t ignorance, it’s the refusal to do anything about that ignorance. That’s what we should really be afraid of.“
Title: Brimstone Bound
Rating : 3.5 ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Spice : ✖️
Tropes : Slow-burn romance, Whodunit Mystery, UF Sassy Heroine, Age Gap, Crime Fighting Duo, Close proximity, Protective Alpha.
Blurb : Emma Bellamy is one placement away from becoming a fully fledged London detective when she is brutally murdered by an unknown assailant. She wakes up in the morgue and discovers that werewolves are disappearing and a mysterious vampire is following her. She must solve her own vicious killing before death comes for her again.
Trigger warnings : Graphic Death, Murder,Gore, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Staged Suicide, Poisoning, Knife cw, Gun cw, Staged auto-erotic asphyxiation, Gunshot.
Brimstone Bound is a crime, UF novel rather than a romance in my opinion, but I hope that will change as we get further into the series.
We’re following Emma as she attempts to become a fully fledged London detective when she is brutally murdered by an unknown assailant in vampire territory, only it doesn’t end there. She wakes up in the morgue after she sparks into spontaneous combustion resulting in her twitching and being alive. Ya’ll she woke up in the freaking morgue on a slab!! Just imagine the horror for her and those poor workers. The goddamn trauma of that alone would give me nightmares. This is where the whodunit trope comes into play, and we’re taken on an adventure of supernatural and human politics. And who else to go along for the ride other than the lord of vampires?
I get a sense he could be a potential love interest as we get further into the series, despite her having a boyfriend, but for now, he is interesting as the other half of this crime-fighting duo. Although my interest is fairly cautious, after all, we don’t know his motive. It could be to maintain the illusion of Supe Squad, and preserve the vamps' and wolves' status quo all the while manipulating Emma like a chess piece, moving her where he sees fits. I guess we’ll see. Oh, and speaking of said boyfriend, Jeremy, I don’t like him. He seemed fairly controlling and just gave me off vibes. The ick is real with this one.
I’ll be honest, it took me awhile to warm up to Emma as a character. She is really judgemental towards the “Supe Squad” and I understood the mindset behind it ( that you only get sent there if you’ve messed up badly), but come on man, a little respect goes a long way. The Hoity Toity attitude slowly fades as she’s immersed in the Supernatural world, which thanks the gods for that. Her dialogue is a little clunky at times, but it didn’t put me off too much. I’m hoping that is a character flaw rather than an actual writing one.
The writing itself was fast paced and it was easy to keep up, the world building was slight in the fact that we didn’t get overwhelmed with information. We got to know some of the Supernatrual around London and their leaders. It will be exciting to see how they deal with new leadership within the supe Squad—especially since it’s obvious she’s not exactly human herself.
I enjoyed how the other murder cases was wrapped up, but the ending and the reveal of why Emma herself was attacked was abysmal. I actually rolled my eyes so hard and that made me drop it from a four star to a 3.5. I couldn’t stand it, it was too stupid, but because I am intrigued and we didn’t get any answers about what Emma actually is or how she woke up after dying in the first place, I will continue on with the series. It kept me entertained enough throughout, so I will follow through to the end.
June 17, 2022
Bei diesem Hörbuch handelt es sich um den 1. Teil einer neuen Urban Fantasy-Reihe von Helen Harper. Das Hörbuch ist 8 Stunden und 17 Minuten lang und wird von Marylu Poolman vorgelesen. Die liest sehr gut vor, ihre Stimme passt super zu Emma.
Die Handlung wird aus der Sicht von Emma Ballamy erzählt, einer jungen Polizistin in Ausbildung. Sie wird ausgerechnet in die Abteilung Supernatural-Squad versetzt, was ihr so gar nicht passt. Diese Abteilung befasst sich mit Fällen der übernatürlichen Bewohnern Londons. Emma wird direkt am ersten Tag ermordet und wacht nachts in der Leichenhalle wieder auf. Sie hat keine Ahnung warum sie wieder aufgewacht ist, denn bisher dachte sie, sie wäre ein völlig normaler Mensch.
Die Geschichte wird sehr rasant und spannend erzählt. Emma ist sehr selbstbewusst und taff, was ich sehr mag bei solchen Geschichten. Manchmal fand ich sie etwas zu voreilig und unüberlegt in ihren Handlungen, aber ihr geht es tatsächlich nur darum die Morde aufzuklären. Neben den Morden geht es natürlich auch im Emmas wahre Identität. Die wird in diesem Teil der Reihe noch nicht preisgegeben, wobei der Titel und auch die Umstände schon erahnen lassen was sie ist.
Romantik kommt eigentlich gar keine vor. Es gibt ein Andeutungen für spätere Entwicklungen. Ich fand diese neue Reihe wieder richtig toll. Sie ist nicht ganz so witzig wie Hex Files, aber dafür sehr spannend. Freue mich schon auf den 2. Teil.
Die Handlung wird aus der Sicht von Emma Ballamy erzählt, einer jungen Polizistin in Ausbildung. Sie wird ausgerechnet in die Abteilung Supernatural-Squad versetzt, was ihr so gar nicht passt. Diese Abteilung befasst sich mit Fällen der übernatürlichen Bewohnern Londons. Emma wird direkt am ersten Tag ermordet und wacht nachts in der Leichenhalle wieder auf. Sie hat keine Ahnung warum sie wieder aufgewacht ist, denn bisher dachte sie, sie wäre ein völlig normaler Mensch.
Die Geschichte wird sehr rasant und spannend erzählt. Emma ist sehr selbstbewusst und taff, was ich sehr mag bei solchen Geschichten. Manchmal fand ich sie etwas zu voreilig und unüberlegt in ihren Handlungen, aber ihr geht es tatsächlich nur darum die Morde aufzuklären. Neben den Morden geht es natürlich auch im Emmas wahre Identität. Die wird in diesem Teil der Reihe noch nicht preisgegeben, wobei der Titel und auch die Umstände schon erahnen lassen was sie ist.
Romantik kommt eigentlich gar keine vor. Es gibt ein Andeutungen für spätere Entwicklungen. Ich fand diese neue Reihe wieder richtig toll. Sie ist nicht ganz so witzig wie Hex Files, aber dafür sehr spannend. Freue mich schon auf den 2. Teil.
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