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A Fire in Their Hearts
'A gripping story' - The Scotsman
'A poignant love story suffused with a deep, moving humanity' - The Herald
'A memorable novel' - The Sunday Times
SCOTLAND, 1662.
Hunted, held prisoner and banished for a belief...
As civil war rages and King Charles II tightens his grip on the Church of Scotland, childhood sweethearts Violet and Samuel are swept into a violent struggle for religious freedom. They pledge their hearts to each other - and to a cause that will test their faith, courage and love beyond measure.
Hunted as rebels, imprisoned behind the walls of the infamous Greyfriars Kirkyard and torn from their homeland, Violet and Samuel are sentenced to a life of indentured servitude on the brutal sugar plantations of Barbados. But when their ship wrecks off the coast of Orkney, they become separated.
Alone and captive in a foreign land, Violet must summon every ounce of strength to survive the horrors she faces - and to cling to the hope that Samuel is still alive. Can love endure across oceans, through wars and captivity?
A Fire in Their Hearts is a powerful, epic tale of love, faith and survival, inspired by the extraordinary true events of the seventeenth-century Killing Times, by the bestselling author of The Last Witch of Scotland, Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year 2024.
'Heartfelt and devastating . . . Philip Paris's remarkable story-telling brings some of the darkest episodes in Scottish history memorably to light.'
S.G. MacLEAN, bestselling author of The Bookseller of Inverness
'An utterly heart-wrenching novel.'
FIONA VALPY, author of The Sky Beneath Us
'Touching and dramatic . . . A beautifully written page-turner. Highly recommended.'
ELISABETH GIFFORD, author of The Lost Lights of St Kilda
'A poignant love story suffused with a deep, moving humanity' - The Herald
'A memorable novel' - The Sunday Times
SCOTLAND, 1662.
Hunted, held prisoner and banished for a belief...
As civil war rages and King Charles II tightens his grip on the Church of Scotland, childhood sweethearts Violet and Samuel are swept into a violent struggle for religious freedom. They pledge their hearts to each other - and to a cause that will test their faith, courage and love beyond measure.
Hunted as rebels, imprisoned behind the walls of the infamous Greyfriars Kirkyard and torn from their homeland, Violet and Samuel are sentenced to a life of indentured servitude on the brutal sugar plantations of Barbados. But when their ship wrecks off the coast of Orkney, they become separated.
Alone and captive in a foreign land, Violet must summon every ounce of strength to survive the horrors she faces - and to cling to the hope that Samuel is still alive. Can love endure across oceans, through wars and captivity?
A Fire in Their Hearts is a powerful, epic tale of love, faith and survival, inspired by the extraordinary true events of the seventeenth-century Killing Times, by the bestselling author of The Last Witch of Scotland, Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year 2024.
'Heartfelt and devastating . . . Philip Paris's remarkable story-telling brings some of the darkest episodes in Scottish history memorably to light.'
S.G. MacLEAN, bestselling author of The Bookseller of Inverness
'An utterly heart-wrenching novel.'
FIONA VALPY, author of The Sky Beneath Us
'Touching and dramatic . . . A beautifully written page-turner. Highly recommended.'
ELISABETH GIFFORD, author of The Lost Lights of St Kilda
Audible Audio
Published August 28, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 7, 2025
4.5⭐️ such an incredible book!
January 19, 2026
All that heart break... and for what?! Bro I am so mad. It's giving Hard Times by Dickens
March 3, 2026
A really good, harrowing book. However, I did not like the ending. It didn’t make sense for the characters for me.
December 3, 2025
I am becoming a real fan of this authors work. There is nothing I love more than learning whilst enjoying a great story unfolding & the fact it is set predominantly in Scotland makes it more interesting, as places & customs are more familiar.
This was a part of Scotlands history I knew very little about & there is a lot of trauma to digest particularly when the main characters are separated after the ship wreck & how drastically different their lives unfold. Through other stories I was familiar with the slave trade operations at this time, yet it did not make it any easier reading about the horrific way the slaves are treated.
I had really hoped that Violet would reunite with Samuel at the end & it was brave of the author to leave it as he did, but it is another reason that makes this book memorable & I really look forward to more of their work being published!
This was a part of Scotlands history I knew very little about & there is a lot of trauma to digest particularly when the main characters are separated after the ship wreck & how drastically different their lives unfold. Through other stories I was familiar with the slave trade operations at this time, yet it did not make it any easier reading about the horrific way the slaves are treated.
I had really hoped that Violet would reunite with Samuel at the end & it was brave of the author to leave it as he did, but it is another reason that makes this book memorable & I really look forward to more of their work being published!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2026
Loved this book!
Beautifully written, truly harrowing and immersive journey through a torrid time in Scottish history.
Beautifully written, truly harrowing and immersive journey through a torrid time in Scottish history.
January 27, 2026
A gripping and heartbreaking book
I could not put this book down, even though it was horrific in parts and I shed many a tear. I felt physically ill at times with the brutality described in the different circumstances the characters find themselves in. This book haunts me now. It is brilliantly written but it is a tough read.
I could not put this book down, even though it was horrific in parts and I shed many a tear. I felt physically ill at times with the brutality described in the different circumstances the characters find themselves in. This book haunts me now. It is brilliantly written but it is a tough read.
September 6, 2025
A Fire In Their Hearts completely blew me away - what an emotional and heart wrenching read.
It grabbed me hard from its opening aboard the The Crown of London ship and it didn't let me go until it's final bittersweet words.
A vivid tale inspired by the seventeenth century Killing Times, where brutal conflict between Presbyterian Covenanters who fought for their religious beliefs and the Stuart monarchy who hunted and executed them for their refusal to to bow to the Kings authority over the church broke out. I knew little of this period in history and have learnt a lot.
It's an extraordinary love story, sweeping from the heather hills of Scotland to the plantations of Barbados. An exploration of faith, loyalty, determination and survival against all the odds and the kind of horror that it is impossible to imagine. I could not put this book down - it's all encompassing.
Deeply in love from childhood, Violet, Samuel and their families are caught up in the civil war. Told by each POV we follow their story as they fight bravely, are captured and imprisoned, watch helplessly as their loved ones are killed, and then are sentenced to a life of slavery on a plantation in Barbados. They board The Crown of London and vow never to let each other go - just as the ship is dashed against the rocks of Orkney. Separated in person but never in heart, their story continues as Samuel strives for survival in Scotland and Violet is sold to a plantation owner on the other side of the world.
Evocative and compassionately written, yet unflinching, Violet, Samuel and the cast of brave characters the will stay with me for a long time.
A must read for fans of historical fiction, and a particularly essential read for those with an interest in Scottish history.
I can't recommend this book enough - and also Philips previous novel The Last Witch of Scotland which is also fantastic!
It grabbed me hard from its opening aboard the The Crown of London ship and it didn't let me go until it's final bittersweet words.
A vivid tale inspired by the seventeenth century Killing Times, where brutal conflict between Presbyterian Covenanters who fought for their religious beliefs and the Stuart monarchy who hunted and executed them for their refusal to to bow to the Kings authority over the church broke out. I knew little of this period in history and have learnt a lot.
It's an extraordinary love story, sweeping from the heather hills of Scotland to the plantations of Barbados. An exploration of faith, loyalty, determination and survival against all the odds and the kind of horror that it is impossible to imagine. I could not put this book down - it's all encompassing.
Deeply in love from childhood, Violet, Samuel and their families are caught up in the civil war. Told by each POV we follow their story as they fight bravely, are captured and imprisoned, watch helplessly as their loved ones are killed, and then are sentenced to a life of slavery on a plantation in Barbados. They board The Crown of London and vow never to let each other go - just as the ship is dashed against the rocks of Orkney. Separated in person but never in heart, their story continues as Samuel strives for survival in Scotland and Violet is sold to a plantation owner on the other side of the world.
Evocative and compassionately written, yet unflinching, Violet, Samuel and the cast of brave characters the will stay with me for a long time.
A must read for fans of historical fiction, and a particularly essential read for those with an interest in Scottish history.
I can't recommend this book enough - and also Philips previous novel The Last Witch of Scotland which is also fantastic!
March 18, 2026
What a fab book,
So easy to read a good mix of history & fiction, true love, faithfulness & loyalty in a horrific time of Scotlands seventeenth century blood thirsty killing past. A good solid story of two 6 years, Samuel & Violet who know in there hearts that they are destined to be together for the rest of there days.
Religion strikes again during the reign of the KIng, Samuel & Violet are Covenanters & for there stout beliefs/views/crimes they are banished to Barbados to work sugar plantations; to serve a life of indentured servitude on the brutal sugar plantationsas the life sapping work that is the Sugar trade of the island of Barbados. En-route further tragedy strikes threatening to separate them forever. When their ship wrecks off the coast of Orkney, they become separated. Violet is now a women alone vulnerable & captive in a foreign land, she must use all her strength every ounce of it & more to survive the horrors that now await her & hope that Samuel is still alive somewhere & will hunt heaven & earth for his beloved Violet. Can love endure across oceans, through wars & brutal forced captivity??
Well written, good strong charcters, got though this in three days, it is a book well worth giving time too & the ending,..................................?????????????????????? Well........
So easy to read a good mix of history & fiction, true love, faithfulness & loyalty in a horrific time of Scotlands seventeenth century blood thirsty killing past. A good solid story of two 6 years, Samuel & Violet who know in there hearts that they are destined to be together for the rest of there days.
Religion strikes again during the reign of the KIng, Samuel & Violet are Covenanters & for there stout beliefs/views/crimes they are banished to Barbados to work sugar plantations; to serve a life of indentured servitude on the brutal sugar plantationsas the life sapping work that is the Sugar trade of the island of Barbados. En-route further tragedy strikes threatening to separate them forever. When their ship wrecks off the coast of Orkney, they become separated. Violet is now a women alone vulnerable & captive in a foreign land, she must use all her strength every ounce of it & more to survive the horrors that now await her & hope that Samuel is still alive somewhere & will hunt heaven & earth for his beloved Violet. Can love endure across oceans, through wars & brutal forced captivity??
Well written, good strong charcters, got though this in three days, it is a book well worth giving time too & the ending,..................................?????????????????????? Well........
March 30, 2026
Fire in Their Hearts is a well-written and atmospheric historical novel, with a strong sense of place and a clear depth of research behind it. The story is immersive, and Paris captures the emotional weight of loyalty, identity and conflict effectively.
However, I found the dual narrative less impactful than it could have been. While both strands had potential, they didn’t always feel fully developed or balanced, and at times the story felt slightly disjointed as a result.
Some character arcs - particularly Calum’s - felt as though they needed more resolution. There were moments where I expected a deeper payoff or clearer conclusion, but instead certain threads seemed to taper off rather than fully land.
The ending, for me, didn’t quite deliver the sense of closure the novel had been building towards. After such a rich and detailed journey, it left me wondering what it had all been working towards, rather than feeling a strong emotional or narrative resolution.
Overall, an engaging and thoughtfully written historical novel, but one that didn’t fully realise the potential of its structure and character arcs.
However, I found the dual narrative less impactful than it could have been. While both strands had potential, they didn’t always feel fully developed or balanced, and at times the story felt slightly disjointed as a result.
Some character arcs - particularly Calum’s - felt as though they needed more resolution. There were moments where I expected a deeper payoff or clearer conclusion, but instead certain threads seemed to taper off rather than fully land.
The ending, for me, didn’t quite deliver the sense of closure the novel had been building towards. After such a rich and detailed journey, it left me wondering what it had all been working towards, rather than feeling a strong emotional or narrative resolution.
Overall, an engaging and thoughtfully written historical novel, but one that didn’t fully realise the potential of its structure and character arcs.
September 8, 2025
Set in Scotland and Barbados during from the 1660s to 90s, this was a harrowing and heartbreaking read, exploring human suffering but also human kindness and endurance even in the darkest of places: from Scottish battlefields and prisons to the indentured servitude and slavery on the sugar plantations of Barbados. It pulls no punches but doesn’t dwell on gratuitous descriptions of violence, and I found it impossible not to become invested in the characters.
Not a light read by a long chalk, but one that shines a light onto the ‘killing times’ - a chilling period of religious/ political civil war in Scotland that gets little airtime these days (perhaps because it is so dark).
Not a light read by a long chalk, but one that shines a light onto the ‘killing times’ - a chilling period of religious/ political civil war in Scotland that gets little airtime these days (perhaps because it is so dark).
November 17, 2025
Great example of historical fiction writing and a time of Scottish resistance to the English King, not written about enough. The plot is fairly slow and meandering, although the descriptions and character development are impressive.
January 26, 2026
I enjoy historical fiction when it enables me to learn more about events about which I knew little. This is a good example, bringing to life the struggle of the Scottish Covenanters in the 17th century. A great tale.
August 30, 2025
A fabulous historical fiction novel around the Covenanters and their lives.
I found the story of Violet and Samuel engaging and it captured the time and place very well. There is something about this authors writing that draws you in and I was invested from very early on.
The brutality of the time was shocking to read at times, it all been well documented but reading it on page made me quite upset at times. Violet’s story is heart breaking and your reading and willing her just to survive. We have less of Samuel as the story moves on and I would have liked to have spent more time with him.
I was frustrated at the ending, I won’t go into it as it’s difficult without spoilers but it didn’t leave me satisfied at all.
A really enjoyable historical fiction set in Scotland and Barbados in the 1600’s and an author I would read time and time again.
I found the story of Violet and Samuel engaging and it captured the time and place very well. There is something about this authors writing that draws you in and I was invested from very early on.
The brutality of the time was shocking to read at times, it all been well documented but reading it on page made me quite upset at times. Violet’s story is heart breaking and your reading and willing her just to survive. We have less of Samuel as the story moves on and I would have liked to have spent more time with him.
I was frustrated at the ending, I won’t go into it as it’s difficult without spoilers but it didn’t leave me satisfied at all.
A really enjoyable historical fiction set in Scotland and Barbados in the 1600’s and an author I would read time and time again.
September 3, 2025
If I could give this a million stars I would, this book will forever have my heart ❤️ beautiful
October 30, 2025
Exciting and well written novel about the Scot’s Covenanters . Scottish Protestants resisting Stuart dominance over the church and English dominion over Scotland . Engaging and moving .
March 5, 2026
3.75
Slow start to part 1 but glad I continued as It was a heart wrenching ending
Slow start to part 1 but glad I continued as It was a heart wrenching ending
March 28, 2026
Audiobook.
An epic tale of love, faith and survival, inspired by the extraordinary true events of the seventeenth-century. Set in Scotland - particularly Edinburgh!
An epic tale of love, faith and survival, inspired by the extraordinary true events of the seventeenth-century. Set in Scotland - particularly Edinburgh!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews