What do you think?
Rate this book
Into the Fire #5
Hone
When the time nears for Matthias to become an apprentice, Marcus tries to claim him for the fighting corps. Not to be outmaneuvered, Wolf demands the boy spend equal time in the blacksmith’s workshop. A heated argument becomes a tipsy reminiscence of their own training, and Wolf and Marc concoct exactly the sort of idea fueled by long winter nights and too much ale.
Inspired by the master-apprentice tradition, the two men embark on a private exchange of guidance and discipline, instruction and experimentation, and practice, practice, practice. But what begins as a playful sharpening of skills soon lays bare the core of their partnership: the strength, durability, and resilience that have bound them for years – qualities they’ll need if Marc is going to accept his son’s true calling, and Wolf acknowledge the unconventional apprentice he’s been training all along.
HONE is the 5th novella (21,000 words) of INTO THE FIRE, a steamy historical romance series featuring two strong, stubborn, sexy heroes:
1. THRUST
2. STRIKE
3. FORGE
4. QUENCH
5. HONE
INTO THE FIRE series
When the Roman Empire collapses, two boyhood rivals reunite as very different men. Marcus is a soldier with no army and few skills beyond killing. Wolfram is a blacksmith forced to defend his home with a hammer and his wits. Thrust together by cataclysm, Marc and Wolf will strike a partnership from the raw material of their shared past, shaping its angles and edges with a desire they won’t deny, to forge a love strong enough to withstand an unpredictable new world.
Inspired by the master-apprentice tradition, the two men embark on a private exchange of guidance and discipline, instruction and experimentation, and practice, practice, practice. But what begins as a playful sharpening of skills soon lays bare the core of their partnership: the strength, durability, and resilience that have bound them for years – qualities they’ll need if Marc is going to accept his son’s true calling, and Wolf acknowledge the unconventional apprentice he’s been training all along.
HONE is the 5th novella (21,000 words) of INTO THE FIRE, a steamy historical romance series featuring two strong, stubborn, sexy heroes:
1. THRUST
2. STRIKE
3. FORGE
4. QUENCH
5. HONE
INTO THE FIRE series
When the Roman Empire collapses, two boyhood rivals reunite as very different men. Marcus is a soldier with no army and few skills beyond killing. Wolfram is a blacksmith forced to defend his home with a hammer and his wits. Thrust together by cataclysm, Marc and Wolf will strike a partnership from the raw material of their shared past, shaping its angles and edges with a desire they won’t deny, to forge a love strong enough to withstand an unpredictable new world.
76 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2015
11 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
Mia West
49 books188 followersEpic romance, two heroes at a time! My story universe features warriors and blacksmiths, rescue swimmers and hockey players, treasure hunters and time travelers, and quite a few shifters. My favorite kind of hero: a grumpy f*cker who’ll do anything for the man he loves.
Read my entire universe free on AO3!
Novel-length ebooks are free on wide vendors.
Happy reading :)
~ Mia
Read my entire universe free on AO3!
Novel-length ebooks are free on wide vendors.
Happy reading :)
~ Mia
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 18, 2023
In the full series bundle I'm reading, Hone was followed by a very short novelette called Spark. The previous novelette in the series was pointless so I didn't discuss it but Spark revolves around two side characters and it was closely tied to Hone so I'll talk about them both in this review.
Sidenote: Spark was a 3 star read but because this GR entry is for Hone, I'm using my rating for Hone on it. There's no GR entry for Spark, which is why I'm sharing my thoughts about it here.
Hone
I went into Hone with expectations that weren't met at all, partially because it mostly consisted of erotica and filler and partially because the plot threads that the author introduced in Book 4 weren't followed up at all. The worst example of this was Philip's desire throughout Book 4 to approach the nearby region's leader to make an alliance. The book ends with a strong hint that this plotline will be explored in Book 5 but it's not even referenced. In fact, the story starts with a 7 year time jump to 487 AD. There's a throwaway line to Philip having taken on a diplomat role over the years and that he frequently negotiates with neighboring areas but none of it is shown. There's no reference at all to the neighboring leader who had been discussed frequently in Book 4! I was also surprised that the threesome between Philip, Marcus and Wolf is only mentioned in a throwaway line. It goes to show that it was pointless.
Another example of this was the clever but disappointing word trickery the author used in the summary. You see - the summary talks about the MCs past apprenticeships and since that was a huge part of their history (Marcus started out being his foster father's smithing apprentice but he hated it and was replaced by Wolf), I was excited that the book would involve lots of references to the past and show character growth. Unfortunately...the entire summary is a series of euphemisms. The author isn't talking about apprenticeships or careers - the entire summary is a reference to smutty good times. While this was a clever approach, it was disappointing to discover that none of my expectations would be met. It was especially disappointing that the author hints that the smutty good times would lead to character growth when the erotica was just that - erotica.
Instead of focusing on the things introduced in Book 4, the author's main reason for doing the time jump was to do a story revolving around 12 year-old Matthias (Wolf and Marcus' son) and 13 year-old Britte (Matthias' best friend) being old enough to start their apprenticeships. Unfortunately, the apprenticeship plotline was way too thin to warrant an entire novella but the author forced the issue by including tons of filler in the form of erotica and slowing the apprenticeship plotline down by making Wolf and Marcus be dumbasses.
Even worse - the apprenticeship issue wasn't enough to justify this story length so the author padded out the wordcount with repetitive sex scenes and pointless bantering. Some conversations literally involved characters repeating themselves.
It sucks because the apprenticeship plotline could have worked very nicely as a small novelette. If it had been done properly, then Marcus and Wolf would have known what Britte and Matthias really want to do but the kids would have chosen to go into the traditional roles that they believe their various parental figures want them to do. It would have been obvious to all the adults involved that the kids weren't happy and were doing each other's work so things would have been resolved when Wolf and Marcus finally confronted them and told them it was fine for them to pursue professions they're passionate about but they need to learn to stand up for themselves. That would have made sense. It would have been a nice, short little snippet that advanced the overall story but wasn't bogged down with erotica and repetitive bantering.
Lastly, I was disappointed by the author including many references in this book that were meant to be callbacks to things from earlier in the series - except they weren't in the earlier books. For example, Wolf having a special phrase he uses when saying good night to Matthias or Marcus using Wolf's native language when saying ILY to him. These were all cute things but they lost most of their impact when we're told it's something characters have always done but we know that it's not true. The author is capable of doing this right (Britte's special bracelet is a great example) so it's disappointing that the author didn't do it properly throughout.
Overall, I feel it's not necessary to read Hone to enjoy the overall series. The resolution of Matthias and Britte's apprenticeships would be obvious to anybody who paid attention during Books 3 and 4 and the rest of the book is pointless.
Spark
Part of the pointless filler in Hone were the constant references to the nightly storytelling that military scout Tiro does for the rest of the community. We don't hear much of the story he tells and it has no relevance to the events in Hone, which was irritating.
BUT - the story Spark is a re-telling of certain events from Hone but with a focus on side characters Philip and Tiro and that's when the nightly storytelling sessions actually matter and we get lots more details about the story Tiro is telling. The whole thing was adorable and I loved how creative the idea was!
That being said - I had a hard time understanding the parallels between . Maybe others found the connections easy to understand but I like to think that I'm not an idiot so the fact that I didn't see much connection between the two things makes me think that the author could have done a better job to smooth things out. Hilariously, I felt the author's clues regarding the were too obvious but the clues in the dragon story were so vague that I never noticed them.
This all being said, I enjoyed Tiro and Philip's romance. They're interesting characters and I was sad in previous installments that Philip had to spend so much time staring at Marcus and Wolf being happy together while he was all by himself. Now he's happy and that makes me happy.
Sidenote: Spark was a 3 star read but because this GR entry is for Hone, I'm using my rating for Hone on it. There's no GR entry for Spark, which is why I'm sharing my thoughts about it here.
Hone
I went into Hone with expectations that weren't met at all, partially because it mostly consisted of erotica and filler and partially because the plot threads that the author introduced in Book 4 weren't followed up at all. The worst example of this was Philip's desire throughout Book 4 to approach the nearby region's leader to make an alliance. The book ends with a strong hint that this plotline will be explored in Book 5 but it's not even referenced. In fact, the story starts with a 7 year time jump to 487 AD. There's a throwaway line to Philip having taken on a diplomat role over the years and that he frequently negotiates with neighboring areas but none of it is shown. There's no reference at all to the neighboring leader who had been discussed frequently in Book 4! I was also surprised that the threesome between Philip, Marcus and Wolf is only mentioned in a throwaway line. It goes to show that it was pointless.
Another example of this was the clever but disappointing word trickery the author used in the summary. You see - the summary talks about the MCs past apprenticeships and since that was a huge part of their history (Marcus started out being his foster father's smithing apprentice but he hated it and was replaced by Wolf), I was excited that the book would involve lots of references to the past and show character growth. Unfortunately...the entire summary is a series of euphemisms. The author isn't talking about apprenticeships or careers - the entire summary is a reference to smutty good times. While this was a clever approach, it was disappointing to discover that none of my expectations would be met. It was especially disappointing that the author hints that the smutty good times would lead to character growth when the erotica was just that - erotica.
Instead of focusing on the things introduced in Book 4, the author's main reason for doing the time jump was to do a story revolving around 12 year-old Matthias (Wolf and Marcus' son) and 13 year-old Britte (Matthias' best friend) being old enough to start their apprenticeships. Unfortunately, the apprenticeship plotline was way too thin to warrant an entire novella but the author forced the issue by including tons of filler in the form of erotica and slowing the apprenticeship plotline down by making Wolf and Marcus be dumbasses.
Even worse - the apprenticeship issue wasn't enough to justify this story length so the author padded out the wordcount with repetitive sex scenes and pointless bantering. Some conversations literally involved characters repeating themselves.
It sucks because the apprenticeship plotline could have worked very nicely as a small novelette. If it had been done properly, then Marcus and Wolf would have known what Britte and Matthias really want to do but the kids would have chosen to go into the traditional roles that they believe their various parental figures want them to do. It would have been obvious to all the adults involved that the kids weren't happy and were doing each other's work so things would have been resolved when Wolf and Marcus finally confronted them and told them it was fine for them to pursue professions they're passionate about but they need to learn to stand up for themselves. That would have made sense. It would have been a nice, short little snippet that advanced the overall story but wasn't bogged down with erotica and repetitive bantering.
Lastly, I was disappointed by the author including many references in this book that were meant to be callbacks to things from earlier in the series - except they weren't in the earlier books. For example, Wolf having a special phrase he uses when saying good night to Matthias or Marcus using Wolf's native language when saying ILY to him. These were all cute things but they lost most of their impact when we're told it's something characters have always done but we know that it's not true. The author is capable of doing this right (Britte's special bracelet is a great example) so it's disappointing that the author didn't do it properly throughout.
Overall, I feel it's not necessary to read Hone to enjoy the overall series. The resolution of Matthias and Britte's apprenticeships would be obvious to anybody who paid attention during Books 3 and 4 and the rest of the book is pointless.
Spark
Part of the pointless filler in Hone were the constant references to the nightly storytelling that military scout Tiro does for the rest of the community. We don't hear much of the story he tells and it has no relevance to the events in Hone, which was irritating.
BUT - the story Spark is a re-telling of certain events from Hone but with a focus on side characters Philip and Tiro and that's when the nightly storytelling sessions actually matter and we get lots more details about the story Tiro is telling. The whole thing was adorable and I loved how creative the idea was!
That being said - I had a hard time understanding the parallels between . Maybe others found the connections easy to understand but I like to think that I'm not an idiot so the fact that I didn't see much connection between the two things makes me think that the author could have done a better job to smooth things out. Hilariously, I felt the author's clues regarding the were too obvious but the clues in the dragon story were so vague that I never noticed them.
This all being said, I enjoyed Tiro and Philip's romance. They're interesting characters and I was sad in previous installments that Philip had to spend so much time staring at Marcus and Wolf being happy together while he was all by himself. Now he's happy and that makes me happy.
April 9, 2018
Oh I've missed these two! Hone is book 5 of a series of novellas about a long term couple, blacksmith Wolf and ex-Roman soldier Marc surviving in post Roman invaded Britain, now under threat from the invading barbarians of Western Europe. Their adopted son Matthias is growing, to the point where he needs to apprentice to a trade. He's more interested in brains than brawn, though his two fathers have definite ideas about where they hope he'll have talent and skill.
It's a long dark winter, heated by Wolf and Marc discovering that orgasm denial is a powerful way to increase their already strong bond. I love how these two push and pull each other in a committed relationship that is still passionate and intense. The worldbuilding is thorough and engaging, with Matthias's young female friend Britt also ready for an apprenticeship, and definitely not one set out for her just because she's female. For the moment, their small group isn't under immediate threat so they can focus on rebuilding their strength and cohesion, getting ready for whatever comes their way in the spring. Looking forward to what's coming next!
For those interested in reading the series, I recommend starting at the beginning to really watch Marc and Wolf's relationship develop but each novella has a complete story as part of the overarching series plot, and a happy ending.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the author for review.
It's a long dark winter, heated by Wolf and Marc discovering that orgasm denial is a powerful way to increase their already strong bond. I love how these two push and pull each other in a committed relationship that is still passionate and intense. The worldbuilding is thorough and engaging, with Matthias's young female friend Britt also ready for an apprenticeship, and definitely not one set out for her just because she's female. For the moment, their small group isn't under immediate threat so they can focus on rebuilding their strength and cohesion, getting ready for whatever comes their way in the spring. Looking forward to what's coming next!
For those interested in reading the series, I recommend starting at the beginning to really watch Marc and Wolf's relationship develop but each novella has a complete story as part of the overarching series plot, and a happy ending.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the author for review.
December 17, 2022
My boyssssss.
My beautiful, stinky boyssssss.
This was essentially all smut, and I was absolutely here for it.
[Live footage of Wolf coaxing Marc away from Tiro's Story Hour with sweet words of filth]
My beautiful, stinky boyssssss.
This was essentially all smut, and I was absolutely here for it.
[Live footage of Wolf coaxing Marc away from Tiro's Story Hour with sweet words of filth]
November 3, 2015
Once again, Ms. West delivers a fantastic read.
Marc and Wolf have quickly become my favorite book couple and Mia West one of my top 5 authors. Okay, top three in romance...
Dammit... Top two in m/m romance.
There, I admitted it, she owns me.
In this installment of the Into the Fire series, we find Marc and Wolf on a new journey together. One in which they test their sexual limits and strengthen their hearts bond. These two men couldn't be more in sync if they lived in the same body. Theirs is a beautiful relationship filled with humor, love, pride in their partner and pride in their ability to provide for their partner. It's a love that's only grown stronger over the years and as a reader my only regret is that these two men didn't have more time together.
No, they don't die. Good Lord. You'd have to dig me out of my own grief hole if that'd happened. What I mean is, Marc and Wolf are, admittedly, no spring chickens. And while I rationally know that they're approaching their twilight years, the irrational, romantic side of me wants them to find immortality so they can live on together, forever. I wish they'd found this magical relationship sooner, so we could've enjoyed it longer.
Cheesy? Yeah. Yeah, it is. But damn it to heck, I feel like my own heart is invested in these men. I can't imagine this ever coming to an end.
And so this is the writing of Mia West, and why I'd probably walk across hot coals or sell my first born for the next book in this series. (Admittedly, my first born is nearly 20 and a bit of a pain in the rear. Not sure if that'd be much of an even swap.)
If you're on the fence about any of the books in this series, get off it, tromp on over, and let Marc and Wolf welcome you in. You won't regret it.
Marc and Wolf have quickly become my favorite book couple and Mia West one of my top 5 authors. Okay, top three in romance...
Dammit... Top two in m/m romance.
There, I admitted it, she owns me.
In this installment of the Into the Fire series, we find Marc and Wolf on a new journey together. One in which they test their sexual limits and strengthen their hearts bond. These two men couldn't be more in sync if they lived in the same body. Theirs is a beautiful relationship filled with humor, love, pride in their partner and pride in their ability to provide for their partner. It's a love that's only grown stronger over the years and as a reader my only regret is that these two men didn't have more time together.
No, they don't die. Good Lord. You'd have to dig me out of my own grief hole if that'd happened. What I mean is, Marc and Wolf are, admittedly, no spring chickens. And while I rationally know that they're approaching their twilight years, the irrational, romantic side of me wants them to find immortality so they can live on together, forever. I wish they'd found this magical relationship sooner, so we could've enjoyed it longer.
Cheesy? Yeah. Yeah, it is. But damn it to heck, I feel like my own heart is invested in these men. I can't imagine this ever coming to an end.
And so this is the writing of Mia West, and why I'd probably walk across hot coals or sell my first born for the next book in this series. (Admittedly, my first born is nearly 20 and a bit of a pain in the rear. Not sure if that'd be much of an even swap.)
If you're on the fence about any of the books in this series, get off it, tromp on over, and let Marc and Wolf welcome you in. You won't regret it.
November 1, 2015
Heartfelt fun
I read in one sitting. I smiled, laughed and.....enjoyed all that was given. A great heartfelt story of growing up and keeping old relationships new. A must read.
I read in one sitting. I smiled, laughed and.....enjoyed all that was given. A great heartfelt story of growing up and keeping old relationships new. A must read.
December 24, 2015
Exceptional ... this series goes from strength to strength, and Hone is pure magic.
October 20, 2023
Wolf the blacksmith and Marcus the Roman realize their adopted son Matthias is old enough to be apprenticed. Both men want him to apprentice to them. Together, they decide for the rest of winter, he will split his days between the two them. Come spring they will decide which apprenticeship suits the boy better. Also for some reason for the duration of the apprenticeships, they decide they're abstaining from actual release during sex. So much of this story is told in vignettes of two them teasing each other in the evenings in different places, while the rest of their community is gathered around the fire listening to the storyteller Tiro.
I found this entry rather boring. Two stars.
I found this entry rather boring. Two stars.
January 10, 2020
As ever, another good tale.
As the children grow, Marc and Wolf find that they need to grow and change with them. I am still enjoying this tale of ancient Rome. Many thanks to the author.
As the children grow, Marc and Wolf find that they need to grow and change with them. I am still enjoying this tale of ancient Rome. Many thanks to the author.
January 15, 2022
Their son is old enough to start as an apprentice and there's a ton of edging.
February 3, 2016
(｡♥‿♥｡)
OMG! Every time! I simply cannot get enough! I want this series to never end.
I love the way Mia consistently remains with the language of the times. With out fault . She blows me away with the almost poetic way she tells the story of the never ending love Marc and Wolf share with each other and now their son in spite of all the conflicts and trials they endure. Not to mention the absolute hotness , a raw, masculine, drool worthy sex. (So good!)
She never ceases to amaze me.
OMG! Every time! I simply cannot get enough! I want this series to never end.
I love the way Mia consistently remains with the language of the times. With out fault . She blows me away with the almost poetic way she tells the story of the never ending love Marc and Wolf share with each other and now their son in spite of all the conflicts and trials they endure. Not to mention the absolute hotness , a raw, masculine, drool worthy sex. (So good!)
She never ceases to amaze me.
November 6, 2015
I can not put into words how much I loved this book,
It feel like I've been waiting forever for Hone to be available and the wait was definitely worth it... I loved this book soo much that I am literally speechless, I feel like what ever words I could come up with to say about this book wouldn't be enough, so I am just going to repeat myself for the third time and say I absolutely loved this book!
It feel like I've been waiting forever for Hone to be available and the wait was definitely worth it... I loved this book soo much that I am literally speechless, I feel like what ever words I could come up with to say about this book wouldn't be enough, so I am just going to repeat myself for the third time and say I absolutely loved this book!
February 18, 2021
Their family set, Marc and Wulf attempt to guide their son down the road of apprenticeship - Marc that of a defender, Wulf that of a blacksmith.
Neither of them expected the twist that would forge their future.
Neither of them expected the twist that would forge their future.
April 16, 2017
3.5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews