Inner Fire

by R.L. Stedman

‘Maybe it would be better if I started at the beginning.’ Gran watched me carefully. ‘This ability we have; my mother, me. You. We draw heat along our bodies; anger makes us flame.’

When her friend is assaulted, Corinne Peterson can’t help reacting. But she didn’t think and now her hands are burnt, Gran is coming to look after her and, scariest of all, strange men are watching her house. Could they be terrorists? Secret agents?

It seems that Gran’s idea of a solution is to introduce Corinne to Rowan. Okay, sure, maybe eighteen year old Rowan is gorgeous – but he has his own troubles. And right now, Corinne doesn’t need complications in her life.

But in a world of surveillance and secrecy, complexity is inevitable. And as the tension mounts Corinne realizes - maybe Gran can help her, after all.

Warning: contains coarse language and sexual references

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal

266 pages, Paperback

First published October 26, 2014

About the author

Hi there! I'm Rachel Stedman, writing as R. L. Stedman. I live in the wild and windy town of Dunedin, New Zealand. My first novel, A Necklace of Souls, was published in 2013, and won a number of exciting awards - including Best First Novel, 2014!

You can find out more about me on my website www.rlstedman.com - plus, if you feel like reading a FREE fairytale collection, then copy and paste this link into your browser: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/66nq33qkbm

Hope you enjoy, and happy reading!

Reviews

[Carol, She's so Novel ꧁꧂ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book while I went away on holiday, so unfortunately I don't have the book to refer to whilst writing this review.

I enjoyed it very much! A very interesting & creative plot followed. The pace was fast & the writing vivid, other than getting a little bogged down at the start of Corinne & Rowan's romance. For me another flaw was that I found Rowan's backstory more interesting than the main plot.

Still the best NZ fiction book I've read this year & I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Marisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun one-off book that I think was a good read, but would be particularly good for young adults or folks looking for an single fantasy (but based in science) read. I say that because I love young adult books, but tend to be particularly intrigued in ones that are series as it means the story goes on. That being said, it was refreshing to have a story with a resolution at the end rather than a cliffhanger. The story is based in England and I loved having a mini-escape to a different country with the slang and imagery. Stedman does a great job setting the scene with minimal description and I blame her for my wanderlust hankering after this read.

The story itself around Jamie’s power is unlike any other fantasy book I’ve read before. It was neat that there was also a scientific basis. But in addition to the fantasy aspect, Jamie and her friend Deepti are realistic, imperfect teenagers. Their concerns and interests are relevant and certainly modern. There is potential for a continuation of the story if Stedman wishes and I hope she does! I would love to hear more about Gran’s history and if Aiden will continue to pursue Jamie. I hope to see more from the author.

Warning: Contains sexual references

Please note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review courtesy of YA Bound Blog Tours.

Who should read it? Modern fantasy fans interesting in a single read.

See all my reviews and more at www.ReadingToDistraction.com or @Read2Distract

[✿ℎazℯℓ - thℯ ℛock Cℎick ℱairy✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can I just say that I really want to read the next book now?

This book is a lot different than what I've read all year. It's straight to the point and aside from the fire power thingy, it also has a deep drama hidden inside.

First off, the main character, Corinne, is a teenager, so please cut her some slack. The author made her sound like the everyday teen. She has insecurities, she has fears, she questions older people's decision for her, she wants more freedom... but that's all hardly possible because of her..um.. condition. I rooted for her because in all fairness to her character, she's resilient. She holds up and doesn't seem to crumble under pressure. I like that she's this kid who wants to look strong on the outside. She doesn't want people to view her as weak, which is just right because after all, fire is her element... and we all know fire IS STRONG. :)

Corinne meets Rowan and things start to change. She starts feeling other things. This is also right about the time her gran teaches her about her gift. Anyway, Rowan is what you would expect a hero to be. He's charming, nice, a great talker. I appreciate their banters because he's really sweet. However, he could be very persuasive and so like other hot-blooded teenagers. He's umm.. well, let's just say that he really likes to get hot and heavy with Corinne. He's almost perfect, so the twist to his character is so outrageously unexpected. I totally didn't see it coming. My feelings for this twist is still kind of vague. We'll see on the next book.

The love part in this book is actually quite cute, albeit a little abrupt. Even though they just met, the like at first sight works well. However, when I consider Corinne's age... I would thank her for trying to hold things back a little. Since their scenes have lots of kissing and um.. petting, it's just right to put a little limit for now since it's all so new. I commend her for not being swept away too fast. There, I just had to say that. ;)


Something also has to be said about the adults in this book. They did their best to take care of Corrine. As far as I could tell, the whole family loves her and is concerned about her well being. It's a nice touch. :) I wish for all of them to stay safe as the series goes by (this is a series, right?).

The ending promises a good continuation for Corinne's and her family's situation. I really want to know who wants her and what they want from her. I'm looking forward to that. I'm also looking forward to how her character would grow. With all the things that has happened to her, she's bound to learn many things, right? I want to see that. I also want to see where her relationship with Rowan will go.


All in all, I'm giving this 3.5 fairy wings. It's a good start to a series.


I was given an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Kelly (Diva Booknerd) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3½ stars.
Reviewed at Sporadic Reads http://www.sporadicreads.com/2015/01/...
Inner Fire was a bit of a surprise read. I expected the typical young adult paranormal, but what I found was an action packed storyline that for the most part, I enjoyed. Told from Corrine’s point of view, she lives with a debilitating ability to produce fire from her emotions, namely anger. Skipping a generation, Corrine’s grandmother is the only person who can sympathize with her, and takes her under her wing to guide and protect her. Living in the middle of nowhere, Corrine has no access to her phone or the internet and pushed to spend time with the handsome Rowan, who helps her grandmother with odd jobs around the house. Within hours, the two form an unusual attraction and Corrine discovers a series of ‘firsts’ with thanks to Rowan’s charm. These two are all over one another like a couple of loved up bunnies, Rowan is slightly older and I felt he used his experience to take advantage of Corrine at times, while hiding a whopper of a secret. Of course she was a willing participant, but when you’re in the middle of nowhere without options, what’s the chances of finding the one?

Corrine’s grandmother is clearly the star of Inner Fire. She’s a no nonsense woman who knows far more than she lets on. I loved her character. She was tough, sassy and a complete surprise. My main issue was not having Corrine’s ‘gift’ described in detail, but there seems to be a sequel on the horizon that I’m hoping will answer all those burning questions. (Psst, see what I did there)

If you’re looking for a read outside of the usual paranormals, give Inner Fire a try. Fast and furious romance, a kick ass nanna and a touch of suspense, it’s was a pretty entertaining read and not a bad start to the series.

[Crina | booktwist_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Original post on http://readingadd.blogspot.ro/. Review posted as part of tthe blog tour.

To be honest I'm so disapointed. Because I was expecting something more original and action packed and suspenful. But I received a book full of teenage drama, ton of cliches, things that didn't had a logic and the characters seemed so flat and false.

I'm making this to sound so bad, but sincerly it was just ok! Is not awful, but is not awesome either. And my expectations made it even worse.

I don't want to give spoilers but from the first chapters of the book all the stuff that happened wasn't what I thought it would be. And I wasn't expecting something so original that was impossible. I really liked the idea with the power and the whole fire thing, but excepting that, all was... meh. I'm so tired of unnecessary drama and insta' love and plain characters. I'm tired of things happening just to happen and without having a logic. I know is fiction but this was sometimes fiction of fiction of fiction.

This novel has some pluses, because is short and you fly through it, and I think is good if you're in a reading slump. Or if you want something fast and easy to read. Or maybe it will be good for you, because we have different tastes and what seemed bad and awful for me it will be amazing and original for you. I don't want people to not read this because of my review. No, this is just my personal opinion. Maybe other people or reviewers enjoyed it or loved it. For me it was just ok. And I'm sorry that I disliked it so much, but I can't lie and I can't eat some stuff that is not good.

And I gave it this rating just because of the whole fire idea, but just for that.

[Kura Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know the kind of friends that get you in trouble? That's what Corinne has, and I found myself immediately caring for and empathizing with her troubles.

I really enjoy reading stories with magic but set here in the real world, cos who hasn't thought, What if? What if I could set stuff on fire with my mind...?

And more books should feature kick-arse grandmothers. Fingers-crossed for the sequel.

[Farrah · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay YA read, Inner Fire was a book that I enjoyed. It wasn't a favorite, but it was a nice book.

Let me start with what I liked:

My favorite part, by far, was Corinne's grandmother. That woman was a total badass and I really liked her.

I also liked the overall idea for the book. It was definitely cool and made me want to find out more about people who literally ignite.

Rowan was a sweetie and a charmer and I really liked him.

Now, to what I didn't like, which was mostly things that just didn't live up to what they could have been.

Corinne, to start with, could have been a much more kick-ass character, with her abilities. Instead, she came off as annoyingly immature and it wore on my nerves.

Also, while I liked the idea for the book, I thought it could really have been done better. More explanation, for one, and more utilization, if that makes any sense. Corinne had these abilities and didn't actually make use of them, which was somewhat disappointing.

Altogether, this made for a book that was okay. I didn't love it, but I was kept interested enough to keep going. So, it wasn't too bad. YA lovers, you might want to look this one up.

*I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fast moving young adult thriller which is totally engaging. A genetic trait affects the members of Corinne's family they overheat and can produce fire which can have the effect of causing mayhem and destruction. Corinne's family were affected by the Christchurch earthquakes and returned to England because the anxiety was causing Corinne to stress out, and when she stresses out she sets things on fire. Culminating in their house. Corrinne has a meltdown in a shop one day and causes total mayhem and at the same time there is a new security system with facial recognition. To get her away from some scary guys who are stalking her the family send her away to the country to Great Great Granny who happens to have the hottest neighbour around. There is lots going on, a lightening pace and not a single dull moment. I loved this story. Highly recommended for secondary, especially girls who want something quirky and interesting.

[Gay Buckingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Inner Fire' is a great read.

It's specially appealing because it is both plot driven (I kept reading long after I should have been asleep because I wanted to see what would happen) and it is also character driven (the narrator is so honest an d speaks to the reader as if she were confiding in her best friend). As the book continues we come to care about the narrator and want see how she will cope with all they things happening around, and to, her.

The writer skilfully allows the narrator to share with the reader her ambivalence and confusion about her emerging sexual development and feelings, partly by using contemporary language and slang.

I'd like a sequel please.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inner Fire is contemporary YA novel with a sci-fi premise. Corrine has a medical condition that enables her to produce fire, a bit of a problem when she gets mad and a problem for the new surveillance organisation SecurEYES whose recognition software cannot read her face when she gets her rage on. Cue spooky men in black stalking her through train stations and military types hunting her down. Good news for Corrine she has a kick ass grandma with the same condition and a mysterious history that will help both of them survive. There's action, romance, intrigue and family drama to keep you turning the pages as Corrine struggles to come to terms with her 'gift' and her destiny.

[R.L. Stedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

another review of my own work - I hope that's okay with goodreads. I love this book, especially the parts in Devon, as it's really true to the area. It's fast-paced, was fun to write and fast to read. Hope you enjoy...

[Katerina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review also on my blog: The Realm of Books

3.8/5

Hey guys..goodness it has been awhile since I last did a review. Dang school for being my first priorities. I am glad to be back though!

So story time (cuz we all love those), I came across this book and was really interested in it, I loved the story line and the concept of the book. So me being I looked around and all of a sudden I was sent this book by the Author/Publisher. I was so, so, so excited!! I mean, I am pretty sure I sped my way home when my mom called and told me a package arrived!

Inner Fire literally took me an hour to read, I sat down at my school's cafe and I just devoured it. I guess that means I like it.

Corinne is definitely special, although she views her gift as a curse. I personally liked Corinne, I liked her did not love her. Corinne came off as a strong character yet was also very weak...and it seemed she liked to complain a lot. She definitely has a lot of inner dialogue. When Corinne was younger there was a series of earthquakes that caused her power to become pronounced. Ever since that catastrophic day she has hated her power, and her parents are also not lover's of this gift either.

The only one who understands is her great Gran, who is a very paranoid old women. In attempts to save her friend Corinne ends up burning her hand and a whole investigation goes down. Causing Corinne to pick up and leave to her grandmother's for awhile, although she hates it. Until she meets Rowan, the grandson of Gran's lover man.

I must say I loved Rowan he was really straight forward about what he wanted, and he definitely wanted Corinne. He was very chill about every thing. That is where the first problem of this book comes in, the romance. Now you all know me I love me my romances. This romance, however, was way to fast. As in the meet and then literally two hours later they are going at it like rabbits. SELF CONTROL PEOPLE!!!

Inner Fire was definitely a very fast paced young adult novel. While I did like it, it created problems. There was not enough depth in the book, it gave the background story needed. Yet it was missing something. Then there was the little problem with the tiny random details that really did not need to be added. I looked over that.

Finally to my main point, the character's. I did not personally connect with any of them. I felt that they were not developed enough. I loved their personalities, just not their back stories. Where is the life, the realism?

All in all Inner Fire did light a fire within me. It was action packed, the romance was steamy, the drama was great, the British terminology was pretty great, and Gran's quotes are honestly the greatest. I would suggest picking up this book, but first borrow it from a friend or even rent it :) before picking it up!

xx Kat xx

[A.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really a 3 star, nor a 4 star.... Idk still contemplating. Can I just give it the rating durf, like in iCarly.
I'm glad I took notes this one time.

Bizarrely epic, epically bizarre.

I was very confused in the beginning, maybe it was because I was reading too fast or if whatever was happening in the book fast, but I gathered all that was happening, I just couldn't see the connections between one thing going on to another thing going on. I did read the synopsis, but I forgot parts, and remembered extremely vague bits such as these key words: fire, grandma, boy. Literally that was all I remembered. And that is what this story literally revolves around. However, I still found the dialogue interesting between the characters, thus keeping me from completely disregarding this book. The small sub-topics, or just mentions of things or people here and there aren't totally the sole focus or main cause, but they were still bits and pieces that later on made sense once the author finished providing all the puzzle pieces to allow the reader along with the main character put the puzzle together. One of the small mentions that stood out to me was Malignant Hyperpyrexia; I knew it sounded so familiar, unless its just a made up word and making an ass out of myself. I learnt the term as Hyperthermia instead. Near the end gives a bit of an insight as to how the story came about and tells how that medical condition became part of the story. Very informative, and much appreciated.

The characters...were something else. When I read the name Deepti, I didn't know if to pronounce it as 'Deep-tee' or 'Deep-t-eye', but then I saw the last name and it reassured me on how to properly say the name. My first impression of Rowan got me thinking along the lines of "Oh, he real slick.." And that all got me very suspicious. Threading very lightly is what I wanted to tell the main character, Corrine, but nope, she was a goner because of his green eyes, and so was I. I still had my fair share of eye-rolling and to laugh my ass off when he made one real slick move smh. Oh and let's not forget his spontaneous self and his out-of-the-blue snog. It was WTF-inducing. Hot damn, the romance was pretty fast for me, but me still likey ;) I have to admit, I laughed for many reasons, and one of them was the fact that Rowan actually had a Jamie(Outlander) moment. However, I can include that the story had actual humor to those reasons. However, one line made me snort, chortle and cough at just how bad it sounded to me, but it was irreverent enough to let it slip through the cracks.

It did get better along the way, obviously, because I gladly finished the book. I did at times think that this story was going nowhere, but I was happy to be proved wrong.

Overall, I did enjoy this read, faults and all, because honestly every book has those, but to be able to look past it means that the author was able to get here story across and connect with the reader.

[Brenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free ebook from the author in exhange for an honest review.

I truly loved the idea of this book! I mean a book about a girl that could create fire from her hands? Also a society that was watched constantly? How could this not be a good book? The opening of the book with the scene in the sari shop had me hooked. I was so intrigued by a character that could produce fire. I was even more intrigued when she was leaving to go and live with her grandmother and she was attacked at the train station. I kept thinking to myself this is going to be great.
Then we meet the love interest. After meeting one time these two are all over each other. I had it pointed out that they were teenagers so they would do that. Once that was pointed out I was okay with it. Her boyfriend had a secret however that could test their fledgling relationship.
I wish the author would have done more with the inner fire. Mostly the main character complained about it. Again understandable as she is a teenager. I had hoped that the grandmother would have taught her how to use this gift in much more detail.
While I enjoyed the book, I was disappointed to learn about a spook le cure for this mutation. I wish she would have celebrated it instead of saying yay I can be normal now.
I did enjoy this book. This review may not seem like it but I did. I absolutely loved the grandmother. She was an incredibly fascinating character. I loved her, I loved her, I loved her. I wish there was more about her past.
This book needed to be longer. I usually don't say that about books. There was just so much going on for 213 pages. Meaning this book I kept saying ' I hope this is going to be a trilogy or series'. I think it would have made a fantastic one. Even a duology. I just think this concept of fire making and over servailence of the government is a great storyline. It could have been so much more. That is why I gave it three stars. If it had been about 100 pages more so the story could have taken off a bit more it would have been a five star book.

[Caro [The Book Rogue] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inner Fire as as I read is the crammed up, shortcut version of a great story. The idea, not so far from reality, is amazing, and the plotline was well developed. However, there was so much potential here building that world and phrasing the story that was not properly made use of, creating an unbelievable inbalance that's like abstract art. It makes me want to howl pitifully at the stars, because I hate abstract, but it might just blow someone else's mind.

People with a genetic "defect", a mutation that puts them on the next level of humanity, who are able to throw fire and live way longer than average. Those people hunted by secret government agencies and other influencial groups to be used as weapons and spies. Add in a hint of Big Brother with tapped phone lines and facial recognition cameras all over, making it difficult for them to hide, and a threat from the past, and it gives you nothing short of excitement. It's perfect to build an action-loaded story with lots of conspirational twists, but Inner Fire stops right at the top layer of "it all somehow exists". *sigh*

Corinne confused me, because she went from all insecure mouse to kickass flame in a matter of one success. It was a turnaround more than a development, and I couldn't decide if she was a moody cliche or actually had character, with her burning the house down as a child trauma, but I definitvely liked her all kickass and standing her ground.
Rowan had an awesome background, totally not everyday in a YA story, he was totally horny-eager, but kind. However, I'm torn over his uncaring attitude towards dangerous unknown things, like a girl throwing flames. I'm not sure if I think it's a fresh take, or totally unrealistic. Him insta-lovingly kissing Corinne out of the blue for no reason except her pretty face pissed me off, though, because that sure as hell was totally unrealistic.
Gran was cool, although not consitent, and I didn't get why Corinne's family got any screen time at all.

Area Scan: Idea: 5/5 -- Flow: 3/5 -- Vocab: 3/5 -- Plot: 2/5 -- Heroes: 3/5 -- Sidekicks: 3/5 -- Villains: 2/5 -- Romance: 2/5 -- Drama: 4/5 -- Suspense: 3/5
Overall: 2.5/5

[Amphitrite · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked: Corinne’s grandma was really awesome, a bit strange and a seemingly shady character in the beginning, but she turned out to be my favorite of the characters. I also loved learning what I could about the people who have this mutation that could literally make themselves produce fire. Really awesome, and a really interesting I wish I had gotten to know more about this rare mutation! I could also understand Corinne’s aversion to her mutation (seriously if you set fires to things every time you got angry or stressed you would be wary of it too). I enjoyed Rowan’s character, I didn’t know how to react to him originally when I found out about him because I knew he was somehow going to be in the plot when Gran talked about him, but he did turn out to be a good character.

What I didn’t like: I was hoping for more action, more suspense, because that’s what this novel gave an air of when I saw it. Like there would be some big thing that caused Corinne to have to accept her mutation over time and see what a good use it could be. I was also expecting for more of Corinne being someone who accepts this strange mutation in the beginning, or at least being more inclined to use it when she needed to. It’s not something that put me off, it was just my expectations, and even though they turned out to not happen I’m not really disliking it, I’m pretty okay with it to be honest.

Overall Review: While it didn’t live up to my complete expectations once everything got rolling, I really did find this book to be a fun, quick, light read. It’s not very long, just shy of 270 pages, but it did have an interesting story with characters who I really enjoyed reading about and a mutation that made me wonder. Plus, people who can set things on fire because of a mutation, how much more interesting can it get? While I did want more about the mutation and what it is besides what Corinne’s dad tells us, when it was first recognized and all that, I was okay with what I knew by the end.

Recommend?: For fantasy lovers, if you like a bit of science on the side of your fantasy. Because that’s kind of what it is!

[Kathlyn La · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gift=trouble
Strange men=action
Boy=romance

The novel started with a bang as we meet Corrine, your not so normal girl. "We draw heat along our bodies. Anger makes us flame". . .she can create fire, that is how I can closely relate it, and it has something to do with genetics. Freaking cool to have powers if you think about it, but the way that she can't help control it, the struggles that came along with it and with cameras watching every move. .tough one.

Cameras are everywhere. Seeing her friend Deepti being assulted, Corrine can't help reacting and let her power and rage out resulting with a man closely burnt alive. Then came strange men watching her house, following and running where she and her family went, which pushes her parents to decide that it is better to lived in Devon with Gran, a wickedly cool and cute (for me) grandmother who lives in a roof with a tarpauline strung with ropes across it. She then met Rowan and pursued living a life but trouble seems to follow her.

The idea of having something or someone watch every movements and you, having a one of a kind gift with people suddenly being interested, wanting to kidnap you for their own purposes is not new to me but I love R.L. Stedman's version of it.

The setting is simple, set in a "totally hidden from the road by the walls of the barn" as described in the book yet it pushes past that, giving the characters growth and development. It story takes place in a less than a week period of time, all twists and conflicts happening at once, in different places with different persons, I found this book not only enjoyable to read but also pretty action packed! The romance and the interaction and caring of the elders to each other in the story are pretty cute. But Rowan and Corrine. .pretty fast for me but their bittersweet romance tells it all, I love it. Overall, there us enough tension and flavor. This book is impressive and engaging.
I love this book. I hope there will be a sequel!

[Honor · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Inner Fire" is an ideal book for anyone in the teenage demographic, wanting a fast paced read with an intense and unpredictable plot line.

The protagonist is a 16 year old teenage girl called Corrine, whose rare genetic "condition" makes her the target of an intense dilemma involving a series of conflict and thrilling drama.

The characters in the book, in particular Corrine and her great grandmother (Elsie), were well developed and heir quirky nature and character flaws made hem both relatable and interesting. Corrine, in particular, was a relatable character for many teenagers as her laws an internal struggles as a character helped teach the reader a variety of life lessons. One which was explored quite prominently was honesty, which Corrine struggled with throughout the novel, but ultimately learned it's importance as the story progressed.

It also touches on some interesting subjects such as public surveillance, through the presence of the "SecurEYEs" organisation which monitor the population through security cameras and facial recognition software. This provokes questions surrounding our own privacy, an ever relevant topic in a society with constantly progressing technology, increasingly similar to that in the book,

The novel also features a romantic subplot between Corrine and Rowan -a male teenage character- which, although little sudden, is also endearing. Whilst important, the romance between the characters does in no way distract from the main plot; a refreshing change from the plethora of YA books dominated by romance.

Conclusively, I found this a well written, action-packed read and I really enjoyed Stedman's suspenseful writing style. "Inner Fire" was a fantastic novel, which left little to be desired, with an action-packed plot, romance, well-developed characters and some great messages. Highly recommend to any teenager after a thrilling, intense novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Merissa (Archaeolibrarian) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from YA Bound Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review.

This book is set in London and Devon. The main character, Corinne, lives and goes to school in London. One day after school a conspiracy of events leads her to lose control of ability again and she burns down a shop. Her gran comes from Devon but due to circumstances she goes back almost straight away and takes Corinne with her.

I liked the premise of this book but it didn't deliver for me. Corinne comes across as very immature and spends more time whining about her ability than trying to learn anything about it. We don't really learn a lot about the other characters, apart from Gran. To me, she was one of the best and most interesting characters in the book. She kicked ass and I loved her!

And as for the love interest... Corinne is supposed to be this shy, retiring, virginal girl and yet when a stranger gives her kisses out of nowhere she's absolutely fine with it and they're like rabbits within seconds. What?! Even as a 16-year old teenager, there's no way I would have reacted like that with someone I didn't know! I have complained about other books having insta-love but they were snail slow compared to this.

I liked reading this book and about SecurEYES etc but I couldn't actually connect with any of the characters apart from Gran, which is quite depressing when I'm certainly not over 100 years old. If you like young YA with a dash of 1984 then this is probably the book for you.

[Faye · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot of Inner Fire was interesting enough but not something that wows you. And I have to warn you that the ending is a huge cliffhanger. Though it was a quick read.

The characters... Hmmm... All I can say is that the grandmother (make that the great grandmother) of Corinne was more interesting than the heroine itself. There are a lot of cliches like including the friend and the (pending) hero. Speaking of hero, there's some romance but I have to be honest, I'm not feeling it. It seemed too fast for me in a sense that boy meets girl and they've only known each other less than 24 hours or so and then they started kissing. And the hero has a secret which devastated the heroine yaddy-yaddy-yaddah then they made up.

Although the romance wasn't the only story since Corinne has a special gift and there are people after her. Her grandmother right now is the only who can help her. And Corinne's dad has some studies that would probably help her or make it worse.

And just when it's becoming more interesting, it ended in a cliffhanger. But would like to read more.

I received an arc from YABOUND BOOKTOURS

[Hope Sandall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inner fire is a fantastic action-packed book. I picked it up and simply couldn't put it down. With gripping first chapter which sucked you in. It only go better and better from there. The characters were described perfectly and you really felt like they were real and you were watching a movie. Each chapter flowed well with the next one and I feel a sequel is definitely in order. You felt an immediate connection with the main character, who is easy to relate to and fun. You love reading through the misadventures which is her life and all the crazy things that happen in it. I recommended this book to everyone in my class and told each one of them to go out and buy it.
The adventure never died down throughout the entire book and during each chapter you found yourself biting your nails and rooting for what you wanted to happen. This book never disappointed and if I had the chance I would read it again and again. I rate this book 4.5 out of 5, because I’m leaving room for a super epic sequel.

[Sina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just want to start of by saying that I really love this book!! I'm not going to say everything I loved about the book, but I'm going to mention the things that I love the most.

I really love the main character in he book Cronnie . She is a teenage girls that behaves like a teenage girl should. I also love how the author has managed to take an actual illness and turn it in to this amazing power without doing to much out of it.

I also love Gran and Rowan. Gran because she is this badass old lady that I fell in love with from the minute I meet her. Rowan just because he is sweet and everything a girl would want in a guy, minus hid secret.

And last, I felt that the book was a little bit short, so I'm hoping there will be another book! (if there is a second book coming i can't wait!!)

I got my example of the book in exchange for an honest review.
P.S: If you liked this book I can recommend that you try to read A Necklace of Souls by the same author ;)

[Jane Woodham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inner Fire is the first YA novel I have read in ages, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The pace was good, I ripped through the book. The scenario was interesting, a girl who can create fire from within, and the surveillance stuff is all realistic. The characters are strong, the gran is fantastic; secretive, powerful, canny. Corinne's attraction to Rowan feels very real; exciting and scary, all at the same time, and we really feel for her when he lets her down. It looks as though readers are looking for a sequal. I'd definitely read one, I think Stedman pulled it off.

[Noelle Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty decent. I wouldn't mind reading it a second time if the mood strikes me and I think this book would be good for anyone who likes their stories with a dash of fantasy and sci-fi. It has a good pace, good characters and a good storyline.


*won on GoodReads First Reads*

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced, thriller that was interesting enough to keep me reading. I would say that this is more for the younger generation that like thriller and sci-fi. But overall, it was a good read!

*Received for an honest review*

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review Coming Soon

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.