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Pyre
A monster hunter. A viral sensation. A woman on the brink of losing her humanity—and the man who once brought her back.
Ruby Murray was never meant to survive. Created with fire, she now hunts her own kind—thermophiles, predators who feed through flame and consume the remains of their loved ones. Working for a secret government agency is the only way to prove she’s different. But when her latest mission pairs her with Jonah, a bounty-hunting influencer with a shared past he refuses to accept, the hunt becomes a spectacle—and Ruby becomes the main attraction.
As a camera captures her every move, Ruby is forced to track the monster who made her. When former allies become enemies and the agency’s secrets prove darker than the creatures they burn, Ruby faces an impossible choice: stay the hero the world demands or embrace the monster she was meant to be.
With dark humor, morally complex characters, and searing action, Pyre is a gripping modern fantasy perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab’s Vicious and Anne Bishop’s The Others series.
Ruby Murray was never meant to survive. Created with fire, she now hunts her own kind—thermophiles, predators who feed through flame and consume the remains of their loved ones. Working for a secret government agency is the only way to prove she’s different. But when her latest mission pairs her with Jonah, a bounty-hunting influencer with a shared past he refuses to accept, the hunt becomes a spectacle—and Ruby becomes the main attraction.
As a camera captures her every move, Ruby is forced to track the monster who made her. When former allies become enemies and the agency’s secrets prove darker than the creatures they burn, Ruby faces an impossible choice: stay the hero the world demands or embrace the monster she was meant to be.
With dark humor, morally complex characters, and searing action, Pyre is a gripping modern fantasy perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab’s Vicious and Anne Bishop’s The Others series.
292 pages, ebook
Published July 11, 2025
8 people are currently reading
1519 people want to read
About the author
Draven Aurora
3 books47 followersDraven's early life was a hot mess, but during her childhood in West Texas she learned to solder, grew a deep and unwavering hatred for roosters, and participated in everything from one act play to the school's science team. She graduated Valedictorian from her high school, which is made less impressive by only having twelve in her graduating class.
She attended the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in rhetoric and writing and minoring in business. She had every intention to go to law school, which she would have hated, until she was diagnosed with cancer at 20. After beating cancer and graduating, she took a nice, quiet office job in Austin and began writing her first book.
Draven enjoys writing dark, contemporary fantasy/paranormal novels with strong, complicated female leads. Although she loves a happy ending in the romance novels she reads (ironically her favorite genre), she makes no promises for those she writes.
She currently lives in Austin with her fiance, cat, and an overwhelming number of books and video game systems. In her free time she enjoys playing video games, drinking fancy lemonades, watching rugby, and exploring renaissance festivals.
She attended the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in rhetoric and writing and minoring in business. She had every intention to go to law school, which she would have hated, until she was diagnosed with cancer at 20. After beating cancer and graduating, she took a nice, quiet office job in Austin and began writing her first book.
Draven enjoys writing dark, contemporary fantasy/paranormal novels with strong, complicated female leads. Although she loves a happy ending in the romance novels she reads (ironically her favorite genre), she makes no promises for those she writes.
She currently lives in Austin with her fiance, cat, and an overwhelming number of books and video game systems. In her free time she enjoys playing video games, drinking fancy lemonades, watching rugby, and exploring renaissance festivals.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 22, 2025
This review will contain spoilers!
Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc!
Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2025
This book was not at all what I was expecting. There are times when characters in these types of stories have a younger tone, but I was happy to see that was not the case. However, I also realized the darker themes we would encounter. The female main character, having lived alone for a long time and seeking revenge, has been through a lot. She has experienced so much grief and trauma, and her inability to control her situation would have left me feeling overwhelmed. I truly enjoyed the first half of the book, but then the pace picked up dramatically. It felt as if the author rushed through the plot, checking off events without allowing enough space between each situation. It almost seemed like the author grew tired of writing and decided to wrap things up.
Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, I received an ARC for an honest review!
Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, I received an ARC for an honest review!
August 9, 2025
This was a really good read
July 5, 2025
This is a review of Pyre by Draven Aurora, which is a romantic fantasy. I suppose it more accurately is a dark fantasy. I received a free copy through LibraryThing Early Reviewers. The description seemed interesting, but it was darker than I expected. Nevertheless, I thought it was quite interesting. I didn’t think it reached “very good”, so I am just giving it 3 stars, but I could see it being given more.
Seeing the word “phlogiston” in this book made me smile, because it has been so long since I have seen it. An old scientific theory was that phlogiston was an invisible element released during burning. This book has creatures called thermophiles who cause fires because they need the element phlogiston, and the phlogiston in humans is the best. Our protagonist Ruby is a thermophile who resists killing humans for their phlogiston. So, she works for a secret government agency that tracks down and kills thermophiles. Naturally, Ruby wants revenge on Edward, the one who turned her into a thermophile, and she hopes that the agency will discover where he is.
Her love interest is Jonah, a man she met while he was training at the agency. He is now a bounty hunter on a show sponsored by the agency. He had abandoned her, but now she is being told she has to work with him on the bounty hunting show. Another character is Kavya, Jonah’s editor and camera person. There is also Lucas, the person in management to whom all three report.
Everyone has secrets, and they come out gradually. The questions you have when reading, like who is Andy or why did Jonah leave, are answered as the story progresses. Edward has secrets. The agency has secrets. They are revealed at the end. I was satisfied at the end.
Seeing the word “phlogiston” in this book made me smile, because it has been so long since I have seen it. An old scientific theory was that phlogiston was an invisible element released during burning. This book has creatures called thermophiles who cause fires because they need the element phlogiston, and the phlogiston in humans is the best. Our protagonist Ruby is a thermophile who resists killing humans for their phlogiston. So, she works for a secret government agency that tracks down and kills thermophiles. Naturally, Ruby wants revenge on Edward, the one who turned her into a thermophile, and she hopes that the agency will discover where he is.
Her love interest is Jonah, a man she met while he was training at the agency. He is now a bounty hunter on a show sponsored by the agency. He had abandoned her, but now she is being told she has to work with him on the bounty hunting show. Another character is Kavya, Jonah’s editor and camera person. There is also Lucas, the person in management to whom all three report.
Everyone has secrets, and they come out gradually. The questions you have when reading, like who is Andy or why did Jonah leave, are answered as the story progresses. Edward has secrets. The agency has secrets. They are revealed at the end. I was satisfied at the end.
May 29, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ Thank you so much to the publisher, author and NetGalley for this ARC, all views and opinions are my own ✨
A shorter story with zombie/Supernatural vibes and FMC who reminded me of Bryce from Crescent City. Great for fans of modern sci-fi where monsters live among us and are hunted by “one of their own”.
“Ruby Murray was never meant to survive. Created with fire, she now hunts her own kind—thermophiles, predators who feed through flame and consume the remains of their loved ones.”
Pros:
* This was a really interesting story, I loved the concept of the Thermies with “walking dead” vibes.
* I enjoyed the relationship with her a Jonah as the story went on, it felt a little forced at first but I liked how it developed.
* The twists and turns really helped to keep me engaged in the story, one specific plot twist (which was more about a readers assumption than anything else) really hit me
* The story really left me wanting to know more about Thermies and their origins etc.
Cons
* I wanted more. The book was short, so it was easy to consume, but I wanted more of the story.
* The end all felt very rushed, I liked the conclusion but I felt there was more that could have been pulled out of this.
* What Ruby did at the end, I definitely wanted more about this. Considering her actions throughout the book it just felt… well off.
* The beginnings of Ruby and Jonah’s relationship in the book felt a bit strange and disingenuous, I was glad that it was developed more as the story went on.
* Because the story was so heavily weighted to the end with reference to plot twists and revelations, the pacing did feel off. But mainly because I really did want to delve further into the ideas raised at the end!
* The end felt a little “easy” for me, considering the book set up and the revelations I expected (and wanted) something a bit more hard hitting.
In all, a good story, a sassy FMC, an intriguing concept that I wish had been explored more. It just fell a little flat for me in parts.
A shorter story with zombie/Supernatural vibes and FMC who reminded me of Bryce from Crescent City. Great for fans of modern sci-fi where monsters live among us and are hunted by “one of their own”.
“Ruby Murray was never meant to survive. Created with fire, she now hunts her own kind—thermophiles, predators who feed through flame and consume the remains of their loved ones.”
Pros:
* This was a really interesting story, I loved the concept of the Thermies with “walking dead” vibes.
* I enjoyed the relationship with her a Jonah as the story went on, it felt a little forced at first but I liked how it developed.
* The twists and turns really helped to keep me engaged in the story, one specific plot twist (which was more about a readers assumption than anything else) really hit me
* The story really left me wanting to know more about Thermies and their origins etc.
Cons
* I wanted more. The book was short, so it was easy to consume, but I wanted more of the story.
* The end all felt very rushed, I liked the conclusion but I felt there was more that could have been pulled out of this.
* What Ruby did at the end, I definitely wanted more about this. Considering her actions throughout the book it just felt… well off.
* The beginnings of Ruby and Jonah’s relationship in the book felt a bit strange and disingenuous, I was glad that it was developed more as the story went on.
* Because the story was so heavily weighted to the end with reference to plot twists and revelations, the pacing did feel off. But mainly because I really did want to delve further into the ideas raised at the end!
* The end felt a little “easy” for me, considering the book set up and the revelations I expected (and wanted) something a bit more hard hitting.
In all, a good story, a sassy FMC, an intriguing concept that I wish had been explored more. It just fell a little flat for me in parts.
July 5, 2025
Rating: 3.5/5
The concept of this book was strong, and I could see the potential right away. But something felt like it was missing. I spent a large part of the story feeling confused about what was happening. It almost read like a sequel or part of a series, as if there was a prequel I hadn’t read that would have filled in key backstory and worldbuilding. There were a lot of references to past events, but instead of building suspense, they left me feeling confused.
That said, I really liked the chemistry between Jonah and Ruby. Their shared history at the academy felt genuine, and those moments gave the story some emotional grounding. I just wish their relationship had been explored more fully. There was a lot of potential to develop their connection and really lean into the tension between them, but it didn’t quite get there.
The writing itself was solid, and there were definitely moments that stood out. I think this story would have landed more powerfully for me with more context, but there’s a solid foundation here.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.
The concept of this book was strong, and I could see the potential right away. But something felt like it was missing. I spent a large part of the story feeling confused about what was happening. It almost read like a sequel or part of a series, as if there was a prequel I hadn’t read that would have filled in key backstory and worldbuilding. There were a lot of references to past events, but instead of building suspense, they left me feeling confused.
That said, I really liked the chemistry between Jonah and Ruby. Their shared history at the academy felt genuine, and those moments gave the story some emotional grounding. I just wish their relationship had been explored more fully. There was a lot of potential to develop their connection and really lean into the tension between them, but it didn’t quite get there.
The writing itself was solid, and there were definitely moments that stood out. I think this story would have landed more powerfully for me with more context, but there’s a solid foundation here.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.
August 3, 2025
This was a unique and fun read. It had a Superhero feel at times (Think X-Men or Batman) and then at other times, it read a lot like an old fashioned detective novel...maybe Dick Tracey is a little TOO literal of an example, but it's close! Regardless, this is a paranormal story that feels VERY original and that is difficult to pull off.
I read a few reviews of this book before I started reading it myself. There seemed to be some complaints about the ending wrapping up too quickly. I think the author may have addressed these complaints by adding two "afterward" type chapters that summed things up and tied a nice little bow. Personally, I kind of liked the place where the book seemed to end originally. It fit with the action hero/detective motif where the end of a movie version would have been newspaper headlines flashing on the screen while the title song played and the credits rolled. I didn't feel as if the author "rushed through the end" or "rushed to finish the story." I guess each reader will have his or her own opinion.
I read a few reviews of this book before I started reading it myself. There seemed to be some complaints about the ending wrapping up too quickly. I think the author may have addressed these complaints by adding two "afterward" type chapters that summed things up and tied a nice little bow. Personally, I kind of liked the place where the book seemed to end originally. It fit with the action hero/detective motif where the end of a movie version would have been newspaper headlines flashing on the screen while the title song played and the credits rolled. I didn't feel as if the author "rushed through the end" or "rushed to finish the story." I guess each reader will have his or her own opinion.
May 27, 2025
I’m rounding my stars up to 4 but I’m really begging the author to make this into two books.
The idea is fab, the plot good but I need more info, more details, I WANT more.
It felt rushed and things seemed to jump, so the romance felt a little flat and the friendships/alliances almost seemed fake. I want more detail and more background. There were a lot of times we were told things and not shown them, if that makes sense.
I also think there needs to be a prologue to ground the story.
I was completely lost even though I was having fun, until like 30 % so a prologue would add emotional depth and draw you in.
It was like being thrown into the deep end of the pool as a kid 😂
I really did enjoy the book and it’s my first of this author’s. It shows a lot of promise with how inventive the system of power is. Plus the plot with the government agency is very super spy
The idea is fab, the plot good but I need more info, more details, I WANT more.
It felt rushed and things seemed to jump, so the romance felt a little flat and the friendships/alliances almost seemed fake. I want more detail and more background. There were a lot of times we were told things and not shown them, if that makes sense.
I also think there needs to be a prologue to ground the story.
I was completely lost even though I was having fun, until like 30 % so a prologue would add emotional depth and draw you in.
It was like being thrown into the deep end of the pool as a kid 😂
I really did enjoy the book and it’s my first of this author’s. It shows a lot of promise with how inventive the system of power is. Plus the plot with the government agency is very super spy
May 24, 2025
Up front, I won this book on Goodreads. I started reading a different book on my book reader and was having a problem finding it again. This book opened up for some reason. So I was like, what the heck, I’ll just read this then.
Wow. It had me hooked at the first page. I loved the story line. I loved how she created Thermophiles. A great change to all the same old creatures. Not that I don’t love the same old creatures, but it was a nice change. The whole book kept me interested.
Even though the TCA ended up being the way you would expect a government agency to be, I didn’t see that ending with them. But I should have.
Definitely worth the read. So glad I did. Now let me check out another book by Draven Aurora. So glad I couldn’t open the original book I was reading.
Wow. It had me hooked at the first page. I loved the story line. I loved how she created Thermophiles. A great change to all the same old creatures. Not that I don’t love the same old creatures, but it was a nice change. The whole book kept me interested.
Even though the TCA ended up being the way you would expect a government agency to be, I didn’t see that ending with them. But I should have.
Definitely worth the read. So glad I did. Now let me check out another book by Draven Aurora. So glad I couldn’t open the original book I was reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2025
3/5 ⭐️ Thanks you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ARC
Pyre was a great take on zombies and the government's way of keeping them hidden from the rest of the population.
We follow the life of one zombie who decides to work with the government agency tasked with finding other zombies before they harm other people. The whole premise of how they are turned into zombies, what they eat and need to do to stay 'alive' is a fresh take that I enjoyed.
While I know this is a relatively short story, this would have made an excellent series if fleshed out. It felt a bit like reading the cliffs notes of what should have been a longer novel.
Pyre was a great take on zombies and the government's way of keeping them hidden from the rest of the population.
We follow the life of one zombie who decides to work with the government agency tasked with finding other zombies before they harm other people. The whole premise of how they are turned into zombies, what they eat and need to do to stay 'alive' is a fresh take that I enjoyed.
While I know this is a relatively short story, this would have made an excellent series if fleshed out. It felt a bit like reading the cliffs notes of what should have been a longer novel.
August 25, 2025
As a story overall I was really interested in this. The Thermophiles are an interesting take on the undead and I've never seen anything similar to them. The story itself is good but the pacing felt really off to me. The romance was really on again off again, and the original misunderstanding between the characters seemed really weak to me. Also the amount of pop culture references. This might be a personal preference but I find them really annoying in a book especially when they have very little bearing on the plot. It gives me the ick. The main bad guy really seems to have no reason to go after the main character in particular despite there being implications that he is grooming her for something. Sure you could say he's crazy and picked her at random, but I felt like there was no reason in the end. The other thing was that there was a large twist at the end which could have been handled so well, but I felt that it was really rushed at the end to wrap the book up. It was a good twist but I felt like there were a lot of unanswered questions at the end. Who were all these thermophiles just living free that they contacted at the end? Its a very quick and unsatisfying ending for a plot with a lot of potential in my opinion.
May 19, 2025
The first chapter was just something else...Ina good way. I haven't read too many books that word it like this, and i thought it was a beautiful way to introduce us to this character. This book was just brilliant. This is the first book I've read from this author, and I was not disappointed. The emotions and the rage i felt were so raw. This world was so fascinating and tragic and a bit funny at times. I loved the characters, and the twists were just mind-blowing! Oh, easiest 5 star giveaway.
ARC review
ARC review
April 23, 2025
The creatures known as Thermophile are a new take on the zombie/vampire that I greatly enjoyed. Draven continues to present excellent and dramatic relationships between her characters, and I am excited to see what spooky story comes next!
May 15, 2025
I had a genuinely good time with this one. I liked the characters and the plot and the world building. I would have liked to know more about what happened to Kavya toward the end but that’s a relatively minor note.
June 5, 2025
I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book, and even when I started it, I still wasn’t sure. After a little bit of time and getting used to the unique universe, I settled in and enjoyed the ride. I liked the interesting and unique take on vampires/zombies which can be a good or bad thing. I was a little iffy when we met Jonah, and I took a little bit to warm up to him, but he did grow on me. This is wild ride, as well as an engaging one, and readers who like a unique universe will definitely like this one. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
June 20, 2025
#GoodReadsGiveaway
December 12, 2025
💜💜💜💜💜
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews