Firelight: Noelle

by Wendy R. Williams

Noelle is the first in a series of fantasy novels set in the world of the occult in present-day New York City. The story begins in Louisiana, where Noelle, an orphan fairy, is raised as a human. Noelle lives a normal life until she spontaneously flies while playing on the catwalk at a Nutcracker rehearsal. Teenaged Noelle's life becomes more complicated when she discovers she cannot kiss her boyfriend without disastrous consequences. Noelle is blessed with a fairy’s otherworldly beauty, but she morphs into a foul-mouthed wiseass after spending her college years dateless due to her flammability issue. After college, Noelle moves to New York to locate her father's family, discover who she is, and determine if there is someone anywhere she can love without setting the world on fire.

Once she arrives in New York, Noelle is immediately kidnapped by a High Lord of the mega-wealthy Dalca tribe. She is then drafted into the war between three rival Fae tribes – the Dalca, the Grendel, and Noelle’s tribe, the Cielon. The Dalca are the robber barons of the occult world - Black Rock for fairies. They are immune to Noelle’s powers – sex with a Dalca doesn’t ignite an external explosion. The Grendel were expelled from the Dalca tribe in the early 1900s because their reckless gambling endangered the Corporation. The third tribe, the Cielon, are artists, gifted with the storybook fairy powers of flying, fire starting, calling down the rain, and zapping. The Cielon have another gift that should make them the most powerful tribe, but it has turned them into prey. They are long-lived and the only tribe that hasn’t lost its fertility, allowing them to give birth to long-lived magical children.

360 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 2, 2025

About the author

Wendy R. Williams is the editor of www.newyorkcool.com. Williams is also a playwright; three of her plays have been produced Off-Broadway in New York City. Wendy's screenplay "Hit Girl" was awarded honorable mention in the 2020 Screenplay Festival. "Texas Toast" was previously a finalist at the Moondance Film Festival.

"Murder at the Top of the Stairs: A Caleigh O'Neill Story" is the first in a series of international crime novels set in the implausible but true intersections between Eastern European crime lords and global mega-rich society. The second in the series, "Murder in Mallorca," was published on Amazon in February of 2021. The third book in the series, "Murder in the Leeward Islands," was published in the summer of 2021. Book four of the series, "Murder in Windsor," was published in February of 2022. Book Five and the final (maybe?) book in the series will be published in July 2022

Wendy previously published a series of tween novels. "The Big Apple Posse: Escape From New York" is the first in a series of Teen Action Adventure novels. The second book, "Escape from New Orleans," and the third book, "The Big Apple Posse: Escape From Los Angeles," are all for sale at Amazon.com. "The Big Apple Posse Trilogy" is the omnibus edition for the three "Big Apple" books. "Solange's Song," the Young Adult sequel for "The Big Apple Trilogy," is for sale on Amazon.com

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very fun read!!! I can't believe it doesn't have thousands of 5 star reviews.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would probably say 2.5 stars honestly. I had a lot of expectations for this and a whole lot fell through made me kinda sad... hey I loved the cover right. So Noelle is left with her mother's friend as a favor and originally it was only to be for a few days while her mom returned home to deal with some things and she would be back. Well neither of her parents lived to be able to get her from the lady she now calls her Aunt. The story weaves timelines to help us understand what is going on in her life and versus how it was when her mother was at similar ages and stages or when similar activities occurred so they have an ability to compare and help Noelle have as normal of a life as possible. For the most part this works but by the time she is off to college in New York she is also ready to start looking for some answers about her real family how unfair is that she can't even kiss someone without setting the world on fire... hello I'm a teenager have you heard of hormones people and apparently she can't even hump a vibrator without an earthquake (hey her words not mine) so yeah life would be pretty shitty and who wouldn't be more than a little annoyed if you went around frustrated 24/7. So she starts looking for answers only to get herself kidnapped of course. But in doing so she meets her family and starts to learn more about herself, her family some good some bad some questions linger like will she always be a captive in her own home and what type of life does she really want, only for disaster to strike and to realize what she had at the time was way better than what she could have imagined and what she is going to be forced into now that she is considered spoils of war and forced into another man's arms. No matter what she say or how she feels. So questions remain how will the new man treat her will captivity be worse and how will he treat the child she is carrying that isn't his but her dead husband all these thing's are weighing heavily on her and fear pushes down on her more and more the longer she sits behind his doors.

[Mercy Martins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firelight: Noelle pulls you in quietly at first… and then refuses to let go.

Wendy R Williams creates a world that feels intimate yet layered with mystery, where emotion carries as much weight as the unfolding story. Noelle is the kind of protagonist you don’t just read about you feel alongside her. Her strength isn’t loud or overplayed; it’s human, tested, and deeply relatable.

What stood out most was the atmosphere. There’s a steady glow beneath the narrative tension, vulnerability, and a sense that something meaningful is always just beneath the surface. The pacing allows the emotional stakes to build naturally, making every turning point feel earned.

If you enjoy character-driven fantasy with heart, depth, and a story that lingers after the final page, this is a strong start to a promising series.

I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing where The Firelight Tales goes next.

[Aly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Minor spoilers that could probably be guessed from the book description included. The book started off really well, but once the main character got to New York the pacing got really weird. I loved seeing the integration of Cajun culture in the early chapters, and the world building was very interesting and unique. The introduction of the love interest and descriptions of their relationship were very odd to me. I’m invested enough to finish the book and probably read the next one, but I’m not seeking it out immediately either.

[Andrea Cicero · Rating 2 out of 5]

duped by a pretty cover yet again...... this feels like a 12 y/o wrote it and is in desperate need of a review by an editor....

[Chloé Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book charms you in the beginning and then manages to leave you more shocked and scandalized than you were before with every chapter. It’s funny and vivid and fantastical. I loved it.

[Philip Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moves fast in highly developed action. You'll love the characters. Waiting for more!

[Jamilyn Aubel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful cover and good premise for the story so had potential. The writing and the characters seemed very immature and lots of extraneous information.