Color of Fire

Strange Eden #3

by Gina Giordano

“And I thought you were my savior in my darkest hour. How very wrong I was.”

1794: Devastated by the violent disappearance of her husband, Charles Sharpe, Eliza struggles to save Pleasant Hall from the hands of crooked creditors and the governor’s greed. In the aftermath of the attack, her husband’s enemies have branded him a traitor and declare him dead.

But an unlikely source carries knowledge that he still lives, and he alone knows who has taken Charles. Eliza’s desperation drives her to form an alliance with the king of the underworld Captain Hiram Bruin, a notorious man who is more pirate than privateer.

Eliza’s death has been ordered by Lord Dunmore, and Bruin himself tasked with the deed. But Hiram Bruin has never been a man to follow orders. He offers her passage on his ship, the Fortuyne, and his personal protection. In her hour of distress, Eliza accepts—for she has no other choice.

Bruin takes Eliza on a dangerous voyage from the island of New Providence to the wild and untamed Saba, and finally to England, where her journey started three years ago.

Eliza endures her new sinister reality, one where death creeps ever closer, and quickly learns that the only monsters at sea are men. Ensnared by the salt air and damning secrets, one thing is startlingly Bruin wants to take everything she holds dear. For the roots of revenge lie deep…

Will Eliza be able to save the life of her husband before it’s too late? What price is she willing to pay for his freedom? And can she escape this unimaginable nightmare, fueled by a man of unspeakable cruelty?

Color of Fire is the dark, thrilling conclusion to Gina Giordano’s sweeping historical epic, the STRANGE EDEN Trilogy.

Genres: Historical Fiction

465 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 20, 2025

About the author

Gina Giordano always had an insatiable curiosity and a penchant for history. Born in New York City, she is a writer, artist, and a conjurer of the past. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and a master’s degree in historical fiction from New York University and has traveled to sixty-seven countries across the globe. When she is not climbing ancient ruins or exploring forgotten palaces, she enjoys swimming with sharks in remote pristine waters. Her debut novel, Strange Eden, was longlisted for the 2023 Bath Novel Award. Strange Eden and The Island King have both topped the bestseller chart for Historical Caribbean & Latin American Fiction on Amazon multiple times, and she is grateful for the support of readers like you.

You can find Gina on Instagram under the handle @ginagiordanobooks. Her website is www.ginagiordanobooks.com.

Reviews

[Aida Rivero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Color of Fire
By Gina Giordano

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What to expect:
🌴 Dark History
🔥 Feminine Rage
🌴 Fierce FMC
🔥 She Saves Him
🌴 Dark Obsession
🔥 Revenge
🌴 Emotional Wreckage
🔥 Last In Series
🌴 Pirates
🔥 Adventure
🌴 Dual POV
🔥 Enemies to Lovers
🌴 Exotic Setting
🔥 Touch Her & Die
🌴 Hidden Identity
🔥 Secrets Unveiled
🌴 Forced Proximity
🔥 Love Triangle
🌴 Political Corruption
🔥 Slow Burn
🌴 Thick Tension

Wow. What an epic, dark, and utterly gripping conclusion to the Strange Eden trilogy! Gina Giordano has crafted an immersive historical world in the 1790s Bahamas and delivered a finale that did not disappoint. The stakes are higher than ever, the atmosphere is incredibly tense, and the characters are pushed to their absolute limits.
Eliza's journey in this book is phenomenal. Devastated by the disappearance of her husband, Charles, and facing ruin from the Governor's greed, her desperation forces her into an uneasy alliance with the notorious "king of the underworld," Captain Hiram Bruin—a man who was actually tasked with her death. The dynamic between Eliza and Bruin is everything: complex, morally gray, and filled with palpable tension. I was completely invested in her "descent into her own version of a Caribbean Hell" to save her husband, a journey that explores female rage, obsession, and resilience.
The plotting is masterful. The story takes readers on a wild, dangerous voyage from New Providence to England, and every twist and turn felt earned and genuinely surprising. Giordano's historical research shines through, making the 18th-century setting a character in itself, full of corruption, danger, and breathtaking descriptions of the sea. The constant reminder that "the only monsters at sea are men" adds a haunting layer to the narrative.
If you love sweeping historical sagas, complex, flawed characters, and a true sense of adventure, you need to read this trilogy. The Color of Fire ties everything up perfectly while maintaining the dark, intense atmosphere that makes this series so unique. An absolute must-read!

10/10 Would recommend to family and friends

[Lily Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll start this review off by saying that by the end of the book, I was sobbing. I mean, literal sobbing. The Strange Eden series has been such a massive part of my life for the past two and a half years that I genuinely do not know how I will ever get over its ending or read another book without comparing it to the trilogy.

Gina is an artist. There is no other way to say it. She has created not just one, but THREE literary masterpieces. The world will not know what has hit it when The Colour of Fire is released.

Since the first page of Strange Eden, Eliza has blown my mind with her courage, determination and sheer strength. Eliza has had to deal with the most incredible challenges, persevered through the toughest trials and tribulations, struggled against society’s expectations of her gender, yet has still managed to remain a trusting and loyal heroine.

Hiram Bruin is honestly the most sick and twisted villain I could ever imagine - to the point where I questioned Gina’s ability to pull off the ending I was hoping for, as I didn’t think an author would be able to recover from writing such a dark book.

I don’t want to say too much about any other character as I do not want to spoil any of the three books, but Gina - you know who I love, and I would die for them.

If any book were to win an award for ‘Best Character Arcs’, it would be this one. I have never (and probably will never again) experienced so many plot twists in one book! If anyone reading this has not read the Strange Eden or The Island King - don’t get too comfortable, it’s not going to end how you think it will.

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to write a review that does any book Gina writes justice. Her books should be shouted about from the rooftops; they should be number 1 bestsellers in every country, available in every language, in every shop.

I am genuinely heartbroken that this series has come to an end, and even writing this has left me crying, but I cannot wait for what

[mila_readss · Rating 5 out of 5]

˖°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ . 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲 ˖°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Dark Historical Fiction
𝗟𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵: 470 pages
𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ♾️

• Feminine rage
• Slow-burn romance
• Sailing wild oceans
• Caribbean history
• British Imperialism
• Journey back home
• Revenge plot
• Set in 1790s

"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐰𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦."

Have you ever been completely absorbed by a book series? For me, this is it.

The Strange Eden series will always have a special place in my heart. It's one of those stories that will keep the characters in your thoughts for years, making you miss them. A truly unputdownable tale.

The long-awaited installment was everything I hoped for and more.

Reading this series took me on an emotional rollercoaster, and while I'm thrilled to have witnessed the characters' reunion, I know I will miss them dearly.

This was a dark adventure through the pirate underworld and the twisted mind of the enemy who aimed to destroy everything and almost succeeded.

It's amazing how the author sheds light on the issues of the slave trade, the injustices of powerful men, and so much more unfairness from that era that we get to experience. There’s so much happening in this series that it’s impossible to cover every detail, so I’ll let you discover it for yourself.

If there’s an author who truly deserves recognition and is so underrated on Booktok, it’s her. The amount of research she put into this, along with how long it’s been a concept in her mind, makes it all the more emotional to see it finally in print. Thank you, Gina for allowing me to experience this 'Strange Eden' of a world. I can’t wait to see what else you have planned for us readers.

If you’re eager to dive into a brand new, exotic world and uncover all its hidden truths and beauty, then you absolutely need to pick this up.

Thank me later! 😉

[Siera · Rating 5 out of 5]

🔥 ARC Review: Color of Fire by Gina Giordano 🔥
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I devoured this book in two days flat — Color of Fire completely consumed me in the best way. This is book three in the series, and wow, Gina Giordano did not hold back.

It’s got everything: dark history, feminine rage, and that perfect “she saves him” energy that makes you want to throw your book across the room and then immediately pick it back up again. The emotion? Raw. The tension? Delicious. The payoff? Totally worth it.

Giordano’s writing is lush and vivid — she paints every scene like fire on the page. If you love morally complex characters, powerful women reclaiming their strength, and stories that don’t shy away from pain and power in equal measure, this is absolutely a must-read.

Release date: November 20th — mark it down and pre-order now. Trust me, you’ll want this one the second it drops.

#ARCReview #ColorOfFire #GinaGiordano #BookReview #FeminineRage #SheSavesHim #DarkFantasy #Bookstagram #FiveStarRead #BookRecs

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

She’s playing a dangerous game and likely is going to get burned. Eliza though has no other choice as she fights to rescue the man not too long ago she hated. As she learned more about who he really was and what he was willing to fight for in the second book of this series she began to really she who he was. Now it seems she may be too late in telling him that she does love him. When Bruin comes along she has no choice but to trust that he will help her. Yes, he may have gotten her on his ship without her permission, but at least she was able to make sure her son was safe before he swept her away. Now it seems it’s a race across the seas to find and save Charles who she is sure is alive. Whether or not she will be by the time they reach him is still up for debate. When you have to trust the dangerous pirate you never know what really will happen.
An incredible finale to the series. You will be swept away not only across the ocean but with a story that makes you wonder who really can be trusted and will redemption be found?

https://kathskornerdotblog.wordpress....

[Aria · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Color of Fire concludes Gina Giordano’s trilogy with a dramatic and poignant finale, addressing long-standing conflicts and relationships. The narrative tackles themes of sacrifice, power, and redemption amid the harsh realities of 18th-century colonial life. As an ARC, the pacing feels uneven at times, with some abrupt transitions disrupting flow. While the worldbuilding remains immersive and the conclusion satisfying, character development feels undercooked for a series ender. The book offers closure but leaves some emotional arcs only partially explored. Overall, The Color of Fire receives 3 stars for its ambitious resolution and strong setting, balanced by uneven execution and depth.

[RippedPagesLLC · Rating 4 out of 5]

“And I thought you were my savior in my darkest hour. How very wrong I was.”

Color of Fire is the dark, thrilling conclusion to Gina Giordano’s sweeping historical epic, the Strange Eden Trilogy.

What to expect:
🌴 Dark History
🔥 Revenge
🌴 Pirates
🔥 Adventure
🌴Political Corruption
🔥 Secrets Unveiled


My Thoughts:
Eliza’s downfall is that she is too trusting. In this third and final book of the Strange Eden by Gina Giordano, we see Eliza on a journey to rescue her husband. Everyone has given up on him, assuming that he is dead after his capture, having been sold off to a dangerous pirate.
Eliza, however, is determined to see him again.
I ended up rating Color of Fire: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

[Trina Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome story. It was a page turner, and the suspense was insane. I was on the edge of my seat, and I couldn't even put it down. The book cover caught my attention and more. Lady Sharpe had just lost her dead husband could the person who killed her husband might wanted her for himself in this moment. Will the actions have consequences or will things heat up between this other guy. The characters were amazing, and you could just fall in love with their fire of romance and chemistry they share.
I highly recommend this book Happily Book PR via Bookfunnel and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
Trina Jones

[Sharon Hudrlik · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as it hit my email for this arc. I went a whirlwind of non stop reading it.
It’s such a page turner.
It continues where it left off, which I was not a happy camper I had to wait what happened next. But the wait was worth it.
The development throughout the series and having such an amazing ending. Definitely will keep you on your toes.
It’s one thing and another, and I just could not put down.
Definitely recommend.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a gripping and emotional tale! Eliza is determined to prove her husband is not dead and find him. Unfortunately, she is at the mercy of men. Will she be able to find her Charles?

I recommend this for anyone looking for a historically accurate romance set in the Caribbean in the late 18th century. Thank you for the early copy of this book. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Emma :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun and quick read for me! I loved the vibes of this book! I really liked the pace of the book, the characters, and the overall writing was just amazing!

Also, this may be book three in the series, but it can be read as a standalone.

[Elle and the Haunted Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you like historical fiction? But make it dark? Then this book is for you. It also has feminine rage, slow burn romance, wild ocean sailing, history of the caribbean and the way back home.
I found myself crying at the end of this book. Absolutely was absorbed by this book.