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The Feud Trilogy #2
The Flames
To survive incredible odds, one teen may have to trust both his former enemies and his fire-forged destiny…
Neil Vapros is one of the last free warriors of the great city of Altryon. He and his brother’s only chance of staying alive involves trusting an uneasy alliance with their former enemies. But in the world beyond his city’s walls, Neil’s life is much more dangerous than he ever imagined possible…
The Emperor has hired a ruthless madman and a vicious pack of assassins to hunt down the last supernatural survivors. As the allies attempt to hide from their enemies, the leader of a rebellion singles out Neil as the answer to a prophecy. Neil isn’t sure he believes he’s been “chosen,” but he knows one thing for sure: their only chance for survival lies in sticking together. While treachery and pain wait around every corner, Neil and his allies may win the day, but victory without casualties could prove impossible…
The Flames is the second book in the award-winning Epic Feud trilogy of young adult fantasy novels. If you like rich fantasy settings, imaginative supernatural abilities, and tough-as-nails characters, then you’ll love Kyle Prue’s electrifying adventure.
Neil Vapros is one of the last free warriors of the great city of Altryon. He and his brother’s only chance of staying alive involves trusting an uneasy alliance with their former enemies. But in the world beyond his city’s walls, Neil’s life is much more dangerous than he ever imagined possible…
The Emperor has hired a ruthless madman and a vicious pack of assassins to hunt down the last supernatural survivors. As the allies attempt to hide from their enemies, the leader of a rebellion singles out Neil as the answer to a prophecy. Neil isn’t sure he believes he’s been “chosen,” but he knows one thing for sure: their only chance for survival lies in sticking together. While treachery and pain wait around every corner, Neil and his allies may win the day, but victory without casualties could prove impossible…
The Flames is the second book in the award-winning Epic Feud trilogy of young adult fantasy novels. If you like rich fantasy settings, imaginative supernatural abilities, and tough-as-nails characters, then you’ll love Kyle Prue’s electrifying adventure.
- GenresFantasyYoung Adult
480 pages, Paperback
Published April 25, 2017
41 people are currently reading
519 people want to read
About the author
Kyle Prue
6 books593 followersKyle Prue is an award winning author, actor and comedian. Kyle wrote The Sparks: Book One of the Feud Trilogy when he was just 16 years old. Kyle spent a gap year before college on a national book tour visiting over 100 middle and high schools and meeting over 80,000 students. Kyle is now a student at the University of Michigan, studying acting and creative writing. He still visits schools and is a keynote speaker for conferences.
Kyle is the founder of Sparking Literacy, a non-profit dedicated to lowering the high school dropout rate by inspiring teens to read, write and follow their dreams. An actor and comedian, Kyle trained at Second City Comedy Club in Chicago, where a number of SNL actors have gotten their start.
The Sparks has won numerous national awards including Best Book and Best Fiction for Young Adults 2015. The Sparks was runner up for Best Young Adult Fiction at the Florida Book Festival and won Honorable Mentions at the New England Book Festival, Midwest Book Festival, Southern California Book Festival, the International London Book Festival and won a prestigious Indie Fab award. Kyle also won an International Moonbeam Award for Best Young Author. The Flames won the FAPA Presidentiial Gold Medais for Best Fiction and Best Fantasy 2017.
Learn more at www.kyleprue.com and www.sparkingliteracy.org. Follow Kyle:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Kyle Prue
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@KylePrue
Instagram: www.instagram.com/KylePrue
A note from Kyle: If you enjoyed the book, I really appreciate your help in spreading the word about my books. Please leave reviews on Amazon and here on Goodreads. Thank you so much!
Kyle is the founder of Sparking Literacy, a non-profit dedicated to lowering the high school dropout rate by inspiring teens to read, write and follow their dreams. An actor and comedian, Kyle trained at Second City Comedy Club in Chicago, where a number of SNL actors have gotten their start.
The Sparks has won numerous national awards including Best Book and Best Fiction for Young Adults 2015. The Sparks was runner up for Best Young Adult Fiction at the Florida Book Festival and won Honorable Mentions at the New England Book Festival, Midwest Book Festival, Southern California Book Festival, the International London Book Festival and won a prestigious Indie Fab award. Kyle also won an International Moonbeam Award for Best Young Author. The Flames won the FAPA Presidentiial Gold Medais for Best Fiction and Best Fantasy 2017.
Learn more at www.kyleprue.com and www.sparkingliteracy.org. Follow Kyle:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Kyle Prue
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@KylePrue
Instagram: www.instagram.com/KylePrue
A note from Kyle: If you enjoyed the book, I really appreciate your help in spreading the word about my books. Please leave reviews on Amazon and here on Goodreads. Thank you so much!
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 4, 2020
This is the second book in The Feud series, and it is fantastic! Filled with action, well-developed characters, and a complex and fascinating plot, The Flames is a heart-pounding thrill ride. Now outside the walls of Altryon, Neil, Lily, Darius, and Rhys must work together to defeat the emperor, who has ruthlessly taken over the land. I loved seeing these teens from feuding families put past hostilities aside and slowly become friends.
A rebellion has started outside the walls, and Neil, Lilly, Darius, and Rhys willingly join the resistance. Many see Neil as their savior, the one who will fulfill the prophecy, and Neil feels the weight of this burden. Neil is still trying to find himself and define himself, and I think he goes through the most change in this book. He is the leader of his group, and this, as well as his chosen one status, weighs heavily on him at times. However, his strength, resilience, and determination prove more powerful than his fears and doubts.
Typical of a coming-of-age novel, each of the four protagonists goes through a journey in this story. As they face bigger and bigger obstacles and more fearsome enemies, they learn more about themselves. I loved seeing the characters, especially Neil and Lilly, grow and mature. I also love how they’ve become like a family. They have all suffered losses, and they understand each other. They connect in a deep and profound way, and they care for and look out for each other like family does.
Since Neil, Lilly, Darius, and Rhys are now outside of Altryon, many new characters are introduced. Like the first book, there is a moral greyness to many of the characters, and it is unclear who the teens should trust. It seems as if Neil, Lilly, Darius, and Rhys have antagonists coming at them from every direction. However, the Doctor and his Pack are absolutely terrifying and villainous to the core. Their evilness runs deep, and their capacity for pain and violence is horrifying. Other characters prove just as murderous as the Doctor and his Pack. However, not all villains are so obvious. Prue is a master at creating unpredictable characters and plot-twists, as is evident throughout this book.
And can I just comment on how much I like the Wolf? He is a mentor to the teens, and his words of wisdom are fantastic. A teacher, friend, and fellow rebel, the Wolf is the reason that Neil, Lilly, Darius, and Rhys grow so much. He guides them into learning more about themselves, understanding their strengths and weaknesses, and embracing their destinies. Plus, he’s a fierce warrior!
The world is also insurmountably larger and includes many different towns, communities, and situations. I like that, as the story progresses, the world becomes larger, the conflicts become more grave, and even the antagonists become more villainous. I have a feeling that this will all lead to one epic conclusion! Thanks so much to the author and publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
A rebellion has started outside the walls, and Neil, Lilly, Darius, and Rhys willingly join the resistance. Many see Neil as their savior, the one who will fulfill the prophecy, and Neil feels the weight of this burden. Neil is still trying to find himself and define himself, and I think he goes through the most change in this book. He is the leader of his group, and this, as well as his chosen one status, weighs heavily on him at times. However, his strength, resilience, and determination prove more powerful than his fears and doubts.
Typical of a coming-of-age novel, each of the four protagonists goes through a journey in this story. As they face bigger and bigger obstacles and more fearsome enemies, they learn more about themselves. I loved seeing the characters, especially Neil and Lilly, grow and mature. I also love how they’ve become like a family. They have all suffered losses, and they understand each other. They connect in a deep and profound way, and they care for and look out for each other like family does.
Since Neil, Lilly, Darius, and Rhys are now outside of Altryon, many new characters are introduced. Like the first book, there is a moral greyness to many of the characters, and it is unclear who the teens should trust. It seems as if Neil, Lilly, Darius, and Rhys have antagonists coming at them from every direction. However, the Doctor and his Pack are absolutely terrifying and villainous to the core. Their evilness runs deep, and their capacity for pain and violence is horrifying. Other characters prove just as murderous as the Doctor and his Pack. However, not all villains are so obvious. Prue is a master at creating unpredictable characters and plot-twists, as is evident throughout this book.
And can I just comment on how much I like the Wolf? He is a mentor to the teens, and his words of wisdom are fantastic. A teacher, friend, and fellow rebel, the Wolf is the reason that Neil, Lilly, Darius, and Rhys grow so much. He guides them into learning more about themselves, understanding their strengths and weaknesses, and embracing their destinies. Plus, he’s a fierce warrior!
The world is also insurmountably larger and includes many different towns, communities, and situations. I like that, as the story progresses, the world becomes larger, the conflicts become more grave, and even the antagonists become more villainous. I have a feeling that this will all lead to one epic conclusion! Thanks so much to the author and publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
March 16, 2018
Review:
Protagonists: After being nearly hunted to extinction the last of the Lightborns from the city of Altryon have escaped into the outside world, a world they were once taught was a wasteland filled with savages, but is, in fact, full of thriving civilizations. With their hurt still fresh they aren't ready to fight back against the Empire, but sometimes the fight will come to you whether you want it or not. While Neil is arguably the main character of this book, and of this series, I really loved that all of our main characters have really well developed and defined character arcs in this book. I never really felt that one character was more important than the other, even when1 Neil starts to get pulled into a "Chosen One" storyline, I never felt that he became the focus of the story. Each character has a great deal of character development in this book, and what I found interesting was that the author definitely made it clear what it was that each character had to learn over the course of this book, but their character development still felt very natural and not like it was being shoved down my throat, which is usually how it is when the "lesson" our protagonist(s) has to learn is made obvious.
Romance: I wasn't sure if I was going to comment on this as the romance in this book is definitely on the lighter side for a YA novel, which is great honestly as I've kind of gotten a little romanced out lately. In fact, at first, I wasn't sure what to think about the lack of romance in this book, especially when the feelings between characters were growing a tad too fast for my liking, though with the time jump between this book and the previous one, on top of the fact that what we know about what transpired during that time jump is limited. Anyway, there are actually multiple romances in this book and I have to say I really enjoyed them both. Again, they weren't touched on a whole lot, and they never felt like anything more than a small subplot, but I felt it was handled well, and the little we do see makes an impact.
World Building: Woah, once we left the city of Altryon this world got a whole lot bigger. In fact, not that much of this book, if any, takes place within the Industrial City. There is so much of this world to still learn about and the complexities of this outside world are an interesting place to start. I was rather shocked going into the outside and just seeing how much story potential there is for these characters as they explore the world beyond the city. There's so much world building to talk about, from new villains to new discoveries surrounding the Lightborns, but unfortunately, I don't want to give too much away. I will say this though, it doesn't take too long in this book for things to get interesting and that's only the tip of the iceberg. Even after the phenomenal expansion to the story and the world that this book is there's still more I want to know, and if the next book is even half as story and world dense as this one I know I won't be disappointed.
Predictability: Like I said, this book doesn't take long for the story to get interesting and what better way than with a twist or to from left field. I mean, I'm thinking back on this book and trying to figure out if I was able to predict any twists, in a reasonable amount of time before they actually happen, and I can't really think of any. There are a couple that I got before the actual reveal, but within a second or two doesn't count. The twists and turns this story has are phenomenal, there wasn't a single one that I wasn't invested in, and while they aren't all good, in fact, I feel there are very few that were good for our heroes, they were still masterfully executed.
Ending: Going into the end of this story, and with it being the penultimate installment, I knew things were going to get good, and they sure did. The final climax, or honestly climaxes as we got different climactic events from different points of view, was amazing. It was a fantastic way to wrap up this adventure, while still leaving a great deal open for the next installment, or installments as this story opened this world up a lot and I could see more than one installment following this one. Anyway, the final climaxes were amazing, full of excitement and tension and I truly felt there was a lot at stake. While the very end of this book wasn't as game-changing as the previous one, that doesn't mean that it isn't as impactful, as a few things are revealed after the dust has settled and let me just say I'm happy it has taken me a while to get to this installment because that cliffhanger is just plain evil!
Audio Book Notes: As I've said ad nauseam, I'm not very well versed in reviewing the presentation of audio books. That being said though if you're going to pick up an audio book, this series definitely has some fantastic ones. While this audio book doesn't have a lot of production value put into it (ambient sound, background music, etc.) the narrator puts his all into presenting a thoroughly invigorating performance. It's hard not to get swept up into this world with such a masterful storyteller conveying the tale, every emotion the characters had I could feel in the narrator's performance, and at the end of the day, that really makes an audio book stand out.
Rating:
I'm quite surprised with how much I fell into this story and couldn't get out. This world is so rich and dense, the characters are phenomenal, and the story is way too easy to get swept away in. While I did greatly enjoy the first book, this installment was everything I was looking for in this series and I (literally) cannot wait until the second installment.
Protagonists: After being nearly hunted to extinction the last of the Lightborns from the city of Altryon have escaped into the outside world, a world they were once taught was a wasteland filled with savages, but is, in fact, full of thriving civilizations. With their hurt still fresh they aren't ready to fight back against the Empire, but sometimes the fight will come to you whether you want it or not. While Neil is arguably the main character of this book, and of this series, I really loved that all of our main characters have really well developed and defined character arcs in this book. I never really felt that one character was more important than the other, even when1 Neil starts to get pulled into a "Chosen One" storyline, I never felt that he became the focus of the story. Each character has a great deal of character development in this book, and what I found interesting was that the author definitely made it clear what it was that each character had to learn over the course of this book, but their character development still felt very natural and not like it was being shoved down my throat, which is usually how it is when the "lesson" our protagonist(s) has to learn is made obvious.
Romance: I wasn't sure if I was going to comment on this as the romance in this book is definitely on the lighter side for a YA novel, which is great honestly as I've kind of gotten a little romanced out lately. In fact, at first, I wasn't sure what to think about the lack of romance in this book, especially when the feelings between characters were growing a tad too fast for my liking, though with the time jump between this book and the previous one, on top of the fact that what we know about what transpired during that time jump is limited. Anyway, there are actually multiple romances in this book and I have to say I really enjoyed them both. Again, they weren't touched on a whole lot, and they never felt like anything more than a small subplot, but I felt it was handled well, and the little we do see makes an impact.
World Building: Woah, once we left the city of Altryon this world got a whole lot bigger. In fact, not that much of this book, if any, takes place within the Industrial City. There is so much of this world to still learn about and the complexities of this outside world are an interesting place to start. I was rather shocked going into the outside and just seeing how much story potential there is for these characters as they explore the world beyond the city. There's so much world building to talk about, from new villains to new discoveries surrounding the Lightborns, but unfortunately, I don't want to give too much away. I will say this though, it doesn't take too long in this book for things to get interesting and that's only the tip of the iceberg. Even after the phenomenal expansion to the story and the world that this book is there's still more I want to know, and if the next book is even half as story and world dense as this one I know I won't be disappointed.
Predictability: Like I said, this book doesn't take long for the story to get interesting and what better way than with a twist or to from left field. I mean, I'm thinking back on this book and trying to figure out if I was able to predict any twists, in a reasonable amount of time before they actually happen, and I can't really think of any. There are a couple that I got before the actual reveal, but within a second or two doesn't count. The twists and turns this story has are phenomenal, there wasn't a single one that I wasn't invested in, and while they aren't all good, in fact, I feel there are very few that were good for our heroes, they were still masterfully executed.
Ending: Going into the end of this story, and with it being the penultimate installment, I knew things were going to get good, and they sure did. The final climax, or honestly climaxes as we got different climactic events from different points of view, was amazing. It was a fantastic way to wrap up this adventure, while still leaving a great deal open for the next installment, or installments as this story opened this world up a lot and I could see more than one installment following this one. Anyway, the final climaxes were amazing, full of excitement and tension and I truly felt there was a lot at stake. While the very end of this book wasn't as game-changing as the previous one, that doesn't mean that it isn't as impactful, as a few things are revealed after the dust has settled and let me just say I'm happy it has taken me a while to get to this installment because that cliffhanger is just plain evil!
Audio Book Notes: As I've said ad nauseam, I'm not very well versed in reviewing the presentation of audio books. That being said though if you're going to pick up an audio book, this series definitely has some fantastic ones. While this audio book doesn't have a lot of production value put into it (ambient sound, background music, etc.) the narrator puts his all into presenting a thoroughly invigorating performance. It's hard not to get swept up into this world with such a masterful storyteller conveying the tale, every emotion the characters had I could feel in the narrator's performance, and at the end of the day, that really makes an audio book stand out.
Rating:
I'm quite surprised with how much I fell into this story and couldn't get out. This world is so rich and dense, the characters are phenomenal, and the story is way too easy to get swept away in. While I did greatly enjoy the first book, this installment was everything I was looking for in this series and I (literally) cannot wait until the second installment.
March 2, 2020
4.5 Stars! =D
*Screams* THIS BOOK GUYS!!! AHHH, I LOVE THE CHARACTERS SO MUCH!!!!
First of all, I'm going to say how I love the plot in this book. I dare say that it played out even better than the first book. The stakes are raised and the author didn't shy away from adding in gut wrenching twists that made me scared for the characters but so excited to finish the story.
The biggest thing I loved is how the characters grew. Not only were they learning how to get along with one another but they also had a lot of learning about themselves and family traditions. They are not all-powerful because they have powers and that knowledge sometimes is power.
And all the scenes with the Doctor were so chilling and horrible, horrible in an exciting twisted kind of way.
The Characters:
Darius quickly became a favorite in this story. I liked him in the first book, but Darius has a larger role in this story. He's this big strong dude who is so lovable. There are times that he is not the brightest, but he learned so much and he is even willing to learn. I love the scenes where he is learning how to read. And his relationship with Anastasia and Rhys, YES!!!
Neil.... I still LOVE him. But.... There were times he got little too cocky and I just can't figure out why everyone thinks he is the chosen one. I still love him, plus I like how he learned not to rely on his powers.
Bianca!!! I still ship her with Neil! I was so worried when she didn't appear in the first part of the book, but when she showed up it made me so happy.
Lilly.... I just.... I just.... She wasn't my favorite. I still liked her, and I do like how much she has grown. But they were times she irritated me a little. But I like how her nightmares show how she cares for others and that their deaths affect her. And towards the end of the book, YES!!!
Anastasia. I never wanted to trust her. I always thought she had something up her sleeve, but that ending! Wow.
Rhys!!! I wished he was in the story more. I love his knowledge and his relationship with the other characters and how he won't kill people. I just loved him! However, I am super worried how he is going to end up in the next book. 0_0
The Wolf!!! YES!!! He was very inspirational and needed to get everyone working together and to learn the lessons they needed to learn. I didn't expect to love him so much, but I did and I'm proud of it.
The Doctor. *Shivers* He is scary. That's all I have to say.
The Marksman. I really liked his character even though he was a bad guy. I just thought he was really fleshed out as a character.
Content in Book:
1. Violence. (Assassins. Stabbing people with swords, with blood and gore. Stabbing people with knives. Arrows. Fire. Burning people. Ripping people part with their mouths. Eating people. Torture. Killing people with silverware. Insane people killing people. Breaking someone's neck. Cutting off someone's hand. Hand-to-hand combat. People getting killed. Bombs/grenades. Etc. The violence can be a little bloodied and gory but never overly so, only semi-descriptive. Perfect for a YA novel.)
2. Sex. (It is implied that some of the characters had had sex or slept with women. Etc. The details are never really given to any sex scenes, pretty clean.)
3. Drinking alcohol. Getting drunk. Alcoholics.
4. Minor swear words.
5. A religion to this person known as "The Man with the Golden Light".
6. Torture. (One of the characters is said to be very disfigured and the reason why he tortures and kills people is because of what had happened to him in the past. Keeping a pain record book. Keeping someone awake for days. Not giving someone enough food and water. Cutting off someone's foot (only talked about, you never see the process of it happening). Etc.)
7. Cannibals. (There is this insane guy who was said to have eaten orphaned children in this one orphanage, later he becomes an assassin and eats his victims. He is fascinated with Lilly because she can heal quickly and talks about eating her fingers so they can grow back for him to eat them again. This same character gave another character a person as a gift who had a message written on his chest with blood. There is also a mention of a character finding remains of a half eaten person, not very descriptive. )
8. There is this drug that a few of the characters are reliant on in order to live.
9. Servants/slavery.
10. Dungeons. And the cruelty that is done to the prisoners there.
11. Magic.
Will I Continue With The Next Book in the Series???
YES!!! THE CLIFFHANGER HAS ME HANGING!!!!
Who I Would Recommend This Book Too:
Those who have first read The Sparks.
Those who like assassin stories. Those who like dystopian's. Those who like reading about people with superpowers. Those who don't mind some twists and twisted things. Those who like books with great world building and good writing. READ IT!!! =)
*Screams* THIS BOOK GUYS!!! AHHH, I LOVE THE CHARACTERS SO MUCH!!!!
First of all, I'm going to say how I love the plot in this book. I dare say that it played out even better than the first book. The stakes are raised and the author didn't shy away from adding in gut wrenching twists that made me scared for the characters but so excited to finish the story.
The biggest thing I loved is how the characters grew. Not only were they learning how to get along with one another but they also had a lot of learning about themselves and family traditions. They are not all-powerful because they have powers and that knowledge sometimes is power.
And all the scenes with the Doctor were so chilling and horrible, horrible in an exciting twisted kind of way.
The Characters:
Darius quickly became a favorite in this story. I liked him in the first book, but Darius has a larger role in this story. He's this big strong dude who is so lovable. There are times that he is not the brightest, but he learned so much and he is even willing to learn. I love the scenes where he is learning how to read. And his relationship with Anastasia and Rhys, YES!!!
Neil.... I still LOVE him. But.... There were times he got little too cocky and I just can't figure out why everyone thinks he is the chosen one. I still love him, plus I like how he learned not to rely on his powers.
Bianca!!! I still ship her with Neil! I was so worried when she didn't appear in the first part of the book, but when she showed up it made me so happy.
Lilly.... I just.... I just.... She wasn't my favorite. I still liked her, and I do like how much she has grown. But they were times she irritated me a little. But I like how her nightmares show how she cares for others and that their deaths affect her. And towards the end of the book, YES!!!
Anastasia. I never wanted to trust her. I always thought she had something up her sleeve, but that ending! Wow.
Rhys!!! I wished he was in the story more. I love his knowledge and his relationship with the other characters and how he won't kill people. I just loved him! However, I am super worried how he is going to end up in the next book. 0_0
The Wolf!!! YES!!! He was very inspirational and needed to get everyone working together and to learn the lessons they needed to learn. I didn't expect to love him so much, but I did and I'm proud of it.
The Doctor. *Shivers* He is scary. That's all I have to say.
The Marksman. I really liked his character even though he was a bad guy. I just thought he was really fleshed out as a character.
Content in Book:
1. Violence. (Assassins. Stabbing people with swords, with blood and gore. Stabbing people with knives. Arrows. Fire. Burning people. Ripping people part with their mouths. Eating people. Torture. Killing people with silverware. Insane people killing people. Breaking someone's neck. Cutting off someone's hand. Hand-to-hand combat. People getting killed. Bombs/grenades. Etc. The violence can be a little bloodied and gory but never overly so, only semi-descriptive. Perfect for a YA novel.)
2. Sex. (It is implied that some of the characters had had sex or slept with women. Etc. The details are never really given to any sex scenes, pretty clean.)
3. Drinking alcohol. Getting drunk. Alcoholics.
4. Minor swear words.
5. A religion to this person known as "The Man with the Golden Light".
6. Torture. (One of the characters is said to be very disfigured and the reason why he tortures and kills people is because of what had happened to him in the past. Keeping a pain record book. Keeping someone awake for days. Not giving someone enough food and water. Cutting off someone's foot (only talked about, you never see the process of it happening). Etc.)
7. Cannibals. (There is this insane guy who was said to have eaten orphaned children in this one orphanage, later he becomes an assassin and eats his victims. He is fascinated with Lilly because she can heal quickly and talks about eating her fingers so they can grow back for him to eat them again. This same character gave another character a person as a gift who had a message written on his chest with blood. There is also a mention of a character finding remains of a half eaten person, not very descriptive. )
8. There is this drug that a few of the characters are reliant on in order to live.
9. Servants/slavery.
10. Dungeons. And the cruelty that is done to the prisoners there.
11. Magic.
Will I Continue With The Next Book in the Series???
YES!!! THE CLIFFHANGER HAS ME HANGING!!!!
Who I Would Recommend This Book Too:
Those who have first read The Sparks.
Those who like assassin stories. Those who like dystopian's. Those who like reading about people with superpowers. Those who don't mind some twists and twisted things. Those who like books with great world building and good writing. READ IT!!! =)
January 21, 2022
Overall 5 out of 5 stars
Performance 5 out of 5 stars
Story 4 out of 5 stars
The Book Junkie Reads . . .
01-21-22
adventure this time is more dangerous and deadly
Neil is back with his own epic fantasy filled with more adventure, treachery, and a bit of ruthlessness than he could have ever bargained for when leaving the walls of his city. The words flow from the pages and the vivid visual provided is all consuming. The imagination of the scenery, the supernatural events/activities makes this all the more rich and filled with depth.
There comes a time when Neil has to make grown-up decisions and choices that could cost him his life, his friends, his family, and maybe an ally/enemy. There was no turning back for Neil in this installment of the Feud. He has no real choice but to move forward. Just which way he does that was the real choice.
Jon Eric Preston has lead us through book one (The Spark) and now he takes us on a journey with the voices he has created for the characters old and new. Seatback put on some headphones/earbuds, close your eyes and allow for it all to unfold via Jon's voice and depiction of each character though his narrations of The Feud's second installment.
Performance 5 out of 5 stars
Story 4 out of 5 stars
The Book Junkie Reads . . .
01-21-22
adventure this time is more dangerous and deadly
Neil is back with his own epic fantasy filled with more adventure, treachery, and a bit of ruthlessness than he could have ever bargained for when leaving the walls of his city. The words flow from the pages and the vivid visual provided is all consuming. The imagination of the scenery, the supernatural events/activities makes this all the more rich and filled with depth.
There comes a time when Neil has to make grown-up decisions and choices that could cost him his life, his friends, his family, and maybe an ally/enemy. There was no turning back for Neil in this installment of the Feud. He has no real choice but to move forward. Just which way he does that was the real choice.
Jon Eric Preston has lead us through book one (The Spark) and now he takes us on a journey with the voices he has created for the characters old and new. Seatback put on some headphones/earbuds, close your eyes and allow for it all to unfold via Jon's voice and depiction of each character though his narrations of The Feud's second installment.
February 23, 2020
An amazing second book. Neil ‘s hopes of staying alive aren’t easy. He has to have an alliance with past enemies as well. Enough action to keep you reading.
June 15, 2023
This felt like a bridge book. Kind of filling the gap. COULD NOT STAND the voice of the doctor when I listened to it. 😂
June 30, 2017
I am in awe of Kyle Prue’s talent to enrapture you in a story filled with lessons, journeys and foreshadowing that keeps you wanting more. He has created a action packed sophomore book that doesn’t disappoint.
Here we see the individual journey’s each Lightborn is to go on and begin. For Lily she learns honor in a different way, Neil I love his journey and his newfound humility. His sacrifices are incredible. He to me is still the key but not just for the people but his brother. I have a feeling that Rhys will need him to keep his humanity and not become something to fear. Darius to me goes on the biggest transforming journey. He is reborn in a way. He gains empathy and knowledge. he sees what matters and how he has gained a family with the other survivors. I believe he also gains hope and this is something he didn’t have before. Rhys is I think losing his but his friends are there to help him and keep him tethered.
the world building grows as does the foreshadowing and danger the Lightborn children are in. They are now together and gaining strength and knowledge. They learn to trust one another and start to build a family within. All learn from each other but also protect one another. They have lost so much that their friendships are precious to each other.
In this book, Rhys Neil, Darius and Lily have multiple enemies attacking. Some silently and some in unspeakable ways. We are introduced to some evil characters and see that the greed for Power isn’t just limited to the Emperor. The Marksman, Hyena, Doctor and Carlin are just horrible. we see evil wrapped in good as well for one is lost in the desire to feel it is justified for their children. That is the worst of evil for they don’t realize what they are doing. Power takes over and one gets lost in greed. Again we see sacrifices and journeys.
For me Rhys has the most heartbreaking journey and is in the most danger of losing himself. We see sacrifices by unlikely sources and love lead the way. Neil is the key I swear he is and his journey in this is inspiring. He sacrifices, learns humility, and like Darius learns strength isn’t just in muscle and fear. He learns repercussions for actions and sees things in a different light. He gains a renewed strength and hope. His is the flame for everyone.
Once again Kyle Prue leads us on an edge of our seat journey through lessons learned, renewed strength and opening our eyes to what is really going on or the beginning of seeing this. He has us learn about strength, love, faith and sacrifice as Neil and his friends fight for themselves and learn to fight for others and go on journeys to discovery themselves in the process. the ending like the story is spell binding and jaw dropping-filled with heartache and fraught with tension and fear but also hope. So looking forward to the next in this series.
Here we see the individual journey’s each Lightborn is to go on and begin. For Lily she learns honor in a different way, Neil I love his journey and his newfound humility. His sacrifices are incredible. He to me is still the key but not just for the people but his brother. I have a feeling that Rhys will need him to keep his humanity and not become something to fear. Darius to me goes on the biggest transforming journey. He is reborn in a way. He gains empathy and knowledge. he sees what matters and how he has gained a family with the other survivors. I believe he also gains hope and this is something he didn’t have before. Rhys is I think losing his but his friends are there to help him and keep him tethered.
the world building grows as does the foreshadowing and danger the Lightborn children are in. They are now together and gaining strength and knowledge. They learn to trust one another and start to build a family within. All learn from each other but also protect one another. They have lost so much that their friendships are precious to each other.
In this book, Rhys Neil, Darius and Lily have multiple enemies attacking. Some silently and some in unspeakable ways. We are introduced to some evil characters and see that the greed for Power isn’t just limited to the Emperor. The Marksman, Hyena, Doctor and Carlin are just horrible. we see evil wrapped in good as well for one is lost in the desire to feel it is justified for their children. That is the worst of evil for they don’t realize what they are doing. Power takes over and one gets lost in greed. Again we see sacrifices and journeys.
For me Rhys has the most heartbreaking journey and is in the most danger of losing himself. We see sacrifices by unlikely sources and love lead the way. Neil is the key I swear he is and his journey in this is inspiring. He sacrifices, learns humility, and like Darius learns strength isn’t just in muscle and fear. He learns repercussions for actions and sees things in a different light. He gains a renewed strength and hope. His is the flame for everyone.
Once again Kyle Prue leads us on an edge of our seat journey through lessons learned, renewed strength and opening our eyes to what is really going on or the beginning of seeing this. He has us learn about strength, love, faith and sacrifice as Neil and his friends fight for themselves and learn to fight for others and go on journeys to discovery themselves in the process. the ending like the story is spell binding and jaw dropping-filled with heartache and fraught with tension and fear but also hope. So looking forward to the next in this series.
March 4, 2018
June 28th, 2017; DISCLAIMER: I received a review copy of this book for honest review, and as part of a blog tour.
I thought the last book was good. This book just raised the bar for this trilogy. Kyle Prue has excelled my expectations in what a great book can/should be. I am extremely curious to know what happens next. I was left with a few questions that I hope are answered in the conclusion. Can't wait!
March 4th, 2018; AUDIO BOOK REVIEW. I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Kyle Prue. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
This time around, I truly enjoyed this book even more. I have now both read and listened to The Flames, and I am still very impressed with it. Neil was brought to life by Jon Eric Preston. I was captured into the story, which is fast paced. It's fantastically written. I am very happy to be bringing up that half Star rating I originally gave it.
The audio gave me a completely different reading experience. I felt like I was visiting it for the first time. I could not find a single fault or flaw. There just isn't anything for me to call out or say that I didn't like. I am definitely MORE ready for the conclusion of the story. I am really happy to have revisited it. I highly recommend this book. If you haven't read it, you need to get on it ASAP.
I thought the last book was good. This book just raised the bar for this trilogy. Kyle Prue has excelled my expectations in what a great book can/should be. I am extremely curious to know what happens next. I was left with a few questions that I hope are answered in the conclusion. Can't wait!
March 4th, 2018; AUDIO BOOK REVIEW. I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Kyle Prue. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
This time around, I truly enjoyed this book even more. I have now both read and listened to The Flames, and I am still very impressed with it. Neil was brought to life by Jon Eric Preston. I was captured into the story, which is fast paced. It's fantastically written. I am very happy to be bringing up that half Star rating I originally gave it.
The audio gave me a completely different reading experience. I felt like I was visiting it for the first time. I could not find a single fault or flaw. There just isn't anything for me to call out or say that I didn't like. I am definitely MORE ready for the conclusion of the story. I am really happy to have revisited it. I highly recommend this book. If you haven't read it, you need to get on it ASAP.
June 12, 2018
Note: It’s best to experience Book 1 before diving into this book.
I really enjoyed Book 1 and Book 2 doesn’t disappoint. In fact, I may have enjoyed this book a bit more. The teens from Book 1 are in the wind for the most part. Some are in hiding, some are still dealing with evil characters, and some question whether they should join the rebellion. This tale reminded me a little of The Hunger Games (teens rebellion against the ruling government), Game of Thrones (scions of the ruling houses duking it out), and X-Men (these kids got skills but desperately needed a trainer). All around, an excellent mix.
Each of the kids that survived Book 1 undergo a bit of a journey in this book. In Book 1 they were all basically a result of their powerful houses, the values impressed upon them (or smacked into them) as kids. In this story, they are away from those influences and have to work stuff out on their own. Bianca and Anastasia were two of my favorites. While there is a tie between them, they each grew up very differently and have different battles. Initially, I really wanted to hate Anastasia but by the end of the story, I found her to be a very sympathetic character and a minor hero.
Rhys! Oh, my poor lad! Rhys will need therapy after this book. He’s our scholar with all his book learning, so of course it was easy to engage with his character. In some ways, he’s the glue that binds our little band of up and coming heroes. Everyone likes or respects him and doesn’t want to see him harmed.
There’s an addition of these sea-faring folk (Tridente, if I recall correctly) in the later half of the story and I really enjoyed the time spent with them. I can see potential for them in future tales. The brother & sister brought some much needed levity to the story as well as their own unique powers.
The villains are quite villainous, and for the most part, are archetypes. Sometimes, since the true villains were so very obvious, I just wanted to kill them and move on with the more interesting parts of the story. Yet they do play their part in the plot. The Hyena was the most unpredictable because you never knew if he would leave someone alive or not, and his reasons for doing so. The Doctor was a broken, driven, mad scientist that I looked forward to seeing put down.
While there were a few times where someone or something conveniently swooped in to save the plot, I still really enjoyed this novel. Even with my minor quibbles, I give this tale 5/5 stars for sheer entertainment value.
The Narration: Jon Eric Preston did a great job with this story. All his character voices are distinct and his female characters sound like ladies. He also did a great job with the range of emotions the characters go through in this novel. His voice for the Hyena was absolutely creepy (as it should be) and I also liked how he did the mechanical lisp for The Doctor. Preston also took the time for the little touches, like making an echo-y voice sound that way, or when 2 people speak at the same time, it really sounds like that. An excellent performance and recording all around. 5/5 stars.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Kyle Prue. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
I really enjoyed Book 1 and Book 2 doesn’t disappoint. In fact, I may have enjoyed this book a bit more. The teens from Book 1 are in the wind for the most part. Some are in hiding, some are still dealing with evil characters, and some question whether they should join the rebellion. This tale reminded me a little of The Hunger Games (teens rebellion against the ruling government), Game of Thrones (scions of the ruling houses duking it out), and X-Men (these kids got skills but desperately needed a trainer). All around, an excellent mix.
Each of the kids that survived Book 1 undergo a bit of a journey in this book. In Book 1 they were all basically a result of their powerful houses, the values impressed upon them (or smacked into them) as kids. In this story, they are away from those influences and have to work stuff out on their own. Bianca and Anastasia were two of my favorites. While there is a tie between them, they each grew up very differently and have different battles. Initially, I really wanted to hate Anastasia but by the end of the story, I found her to be a very sympathetic character and a minor hero.
Rhys! Oh, my poor lad! Rhys will need therapy after this book. He’s our scholar with all his book learning, so of course it was easy to engage with his character. In some ways, he’s the glue that binds our little band of up and coming heroes. Everyone likes or respects him and doesn’t want to see him harmed.
There’s an addition of these sea-faring folk (Tridente, if I recall correctly) in the later half of the story and I really enjoyed the time spent with them. I can see potential for them in future tales. The brother & sister brought some much needed levity to the story as well as their own unique powers.
The villains are quite villainous, and for the most part, are archetypes. Sometimes, since the true villains were so very obvious, I just wanted to kill them and move on with the more interesting parts of the story. Yet they do play their part in the plot. The Hyena was the most unpredictable because you never knew if he would leave someone alive or not, and his reasons for doing so. The Doctor was a broken, driven, mad scientist that I looked forward to seeing put down.
While there were a few times where someone or something conveniently swooped in to save the plot, I still really enjoyed this novel. Even with my minor quibbles, I give this tale 5/5 stars for sheer entertainment value.
The Narration: Jon Eric Preston did a great job with this story. All his character voices are distinct and his female characters sound like ladies. He also did a great job with the range of emotions the characters go through in this novel. His voice for the Hyena was absolutely creepy (as it should be) and I also liked how he did the mechanical lisp for The Doctor. Preston also took the time for the little touches, like making an echo-y voice sound that way, or when 2 people speak at the same time, it really sounds like that. An excellent performance and recording all around. 5/5 stars.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Kyle Prue. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
November 18, 2018
This is book 2 in the Epic Feud trilogy. Book 1 is called The Sparks and gives you the start of the story, with the younger generation of the various Lightborn families trying to find their places in their families and the world about them. Book 2 carries on the story with our main character Neil Vapros, who wants to follow his father’s legacy by becoming an assassin, not an information gathering socialite! In the first book he was given his first assassin job and failed spectacularly.
Now it seems there is another group after them, who wants to wipe out all Lightborns. The Lightborns are born with powers that normal beings do not have. There were originally four families, but now there are only three. Vapros – assassins – with the ability to dematerialize and rematerialize, a handy tool for an assassin. Taurlum – skin of steel and superior strength – making for almost impossible to defeat foes. Celerius – with lightning speed – useful in sword fights.
The younger members of these remaining families have had to flee the city to survive and also come to a somewhat tense alliance with their former enemies. As they flee a madman sent by the Emperor and various groups of assassins drawn by huge rewards for their heads, they have to learn to trust and work with each other and overcome the feud between the families that started before they were born. A rebellion has started outside the walls and some see Neil as the answer to a prophecy, but he and the others are just trying to survive and save any of their family that they can.
I chose to read the first book, before I read this one as I believe it led to a much better understanding of the main characters and what their backgrounds were, but you don’t have to. You will enjoy both books, whether read in order or separately. I enjoyed both immensely and can’t wait now for the third book of the trilogy to come out!
The way the different powers are described by the author are great. Each power can also come with a weakness, which you find out as the story progresses. Nothing is unbreakable! The families were given their powers in return for always protecting the people of Altryon, but some are more power hungry than others. They will find out more about the beginning of their powers and the rest of the families involved. On top of their family powers, they also usually come into an additional power in their late teens, some of an unusual nature.
A great story of what power can do to corrupt some people and what could actually be achieved by individuals with extra powers once they put animosity aside. A very detailed story, with many parts, all moving together to make the story such a good read. I thoroughly enjoyed both books and was glad the author had included the first book with the ARC copy. I received an ARC copy of the book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
Now it seems there is another group after them, who wants to wipe out all Lightborns. The Lightborns are born with powers that normal beings do not have. There were originally four families, but now there are only three. Vapros – assassins – with the ability to dematerialize and rematerialize, a handy tool for an assassin. Taurlum – skin of steel and superior strength – making for almost impossible to defeat foes. Celerius – with lightning speed – useful in sword fights.
The younger members of these remaining families have had to flee the city to survive and also come to a somewhat tense alliance with their former enemies. As they flee a madman sent by the Emperor and various groups of assassins drawn by huge rewards for their heads, they have to learn to trust and work with each other and overcome the feud between the families that started before they were born. A rebellion has started outside the walls and some see Neil as the answer to a prophecy, but he and the others are just trying to survive and save any of their family that they can.
I chose to read the first book, before I read this one as I believe it led to a much better understanding of the main characters and what their backgrounds were, but you don’t have to. You will enjoy both books, whether read in order or separately. I enjoyed both immensely and can’t wait now for the third book of the trilogy to come out!
The way the different powers are described by the author are great. Each power can also come with a weakness, which you find out as the story progresses. Nothing is unbreakable! The families were given their powers in return for always protecting the people of Altryon, but some are more power hungry than others. They will find out more about the beginning of their powers and the rest of the families involved. On top of their family powers, they also usually come into an additional power in their late teens, some of an unusual nature.
A great story of what power can do to corrupt some people and what could actually be achieved by individuals with extra powers once they put animosity aside. A very detailed story, with many parts, all moving together to make the story such a good read. I thoroughly enjoyed both books and was glad the author had included the first book with the ARC copy. I received an ARC copy of the book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
September 27, 2018
The publisher’s blurb promises that Kyle Prue’s The Flames: Book 2 of the Feud Trilogy is made for those who enjoy “rich fantasy settings, imaginative supernatural abilities, and tough-as-nails characters”. That was certainly one of my “take-aways” from book 1 and this series and I’m happy to report that it remains true in this book 2. The lead here, Neil Vapros, is a perfectly crafted character. Good thing too as he had a truly horrendous path to face with his at best questionable allies and powerful foes. The blurb does a perfectly sound job of summarizing this book without spoiling anything important. If you find it appealing you’re pretty much bound to enjoy the tale itself. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises - the book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, and it is easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.
November 18, 2018
Kyle Prue, The Flames author, has taken this storyline and characters to a level above the Sparks, Book 1, which was excellently done. I loved this book and am anxiously waiting for Book 3, the last of the Trilogy. Again, another exceptionally well-written story with excellent character development. It is a real page-turner with lots of action and one you do not want to put down. Don't miss this series. Received a copy from Hidden Gems and this is my voluntary and honest review.
March 14, 2020
The Doctor and his Pack were completely horrifying. I can't imagine the horror that the Doctor experienced to turn him from someone like Rhys to who he became. And to willingly inflict that same horror on everyone whom he came into contact.
I wonder what it means that the Man in the Golden Light is communicating with the Lighbringers in Voltaria...
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
I wonder what it means that the Man in the Golden Light is communicating with the Lighbringers in Voltaria...
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
November 8, 2018
I dived straight into this book after finishing book 1 The Sparks.
It is so good!! The characters have grown so much from book 1 and I love the multiple character POVs!
The storyline has also grown and developed with twists and turns, secrets, friendship and sacrifice to name a few. Cannot wait to see how the author brings everything together in the final book.
It is so good!! The characters have grown so much from book 1 and I love the multiple character POVs!
The storyline has also grown and developed with twists and turns, secrets, friendship and sacrifice to name a few. Cannot wait to see how the author brings everything together in the final book.
September 18, 2020
Page turner. Fast read. Couldn't put it down.
Loved it. Thanks for staying true to the characters and creating a believable growth in maturity ..
I'm still not sure which character I love the most.
Loved it. Thanks for staying true to the characters and creating a believable growth in maturity ..
I'm still not sure which character I love the most.
August 12, 2020
Excellent 2nd book. Sad ending though. Can't wait to read the next book
September 1, 2021
The story was good but the execution was poor.
June 12, 2018
For original review: https://holedupinabook.blogspot.com/2...
A 3.5* review.
I remember really, really enjoying the first book in this series and was actually trying to find the second book to pick up (none of my libraries carried it) when I saw that the second book was also going to be available for an audiobook blog tour so I snapped it up. Honestly, I think I enjoyed the first book a lot more. This one was also good but somehow I just didn’t find myself as engaged as I was in the previous novel. I found myself often distracted and lost in the plot and it took me a long while before I found myself immersed into the story again.
I still enjoyed the major characters (Neil, Lily, Darius and Rhys) and was glad to see them working well together and learning to trust one another more despite growing up hating each other’s’ families. I thought that showed a lot of maturity on their end and really liked that aspect of the character development.
The main reason why I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I did for the first book was because a lot more characters were introduced and the author allowed almost all of them to have their own POV so it ended up becoming more distracting for me as a reader. And since I had listened to this book via an audiobook, too many POVs and not enough distinction between the characters can be really hard to navigate. This is probably the main reason why I found myself getting distracted a lot and being lost. I liked the new characters but didn’t really see a need for them to have their own POVs at time.
As for the plot, I am glad to find the plot growing more and more complex with the new Lightborns coming into play and realizing that there weren’t just 3 families. It is definitely getting more intriguing and I’m excited to read the third book (if it shows up in my library at some point).
Overall, I’m definitely invested to see how Neil Vapros will become this “savior” and how everyone else will turn out.
A 3.5* review.
I remember really, really enjoying the first book in this series and was actually trying to find the second book to pick up (none of my libraries carried it) when I saw that the second book was also going to be available for an audiobook blog tour so I snapped it up. Honestly, I think I enjoyed the first book a lot more. This one was also good but somehow I just didn’t find myself as engaged as I was in the previous novel. I found myself often distracted and lost in the plot and it took me a long while before I found myself immersed into the story again.
I still enjoyed the major characters (Neil, Lily, Darius and Rhys) and was glad to see them working well together and learning to trust one another more despite growing up hating each other’s’ families. I thought that showed a lot of maturity on their end and really liked that aspect of the character development.
The main reason why I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I did for the first book was because a lot more characters were introduced and the author allowed almost all of them to have their own POV so it ended up becoming more distracting for me as a reader. And since I had listened to this book via an audiobook, too many POVs and not enough distinction between the characters can be really hard to navigate. This is probably the main reason why I found myself getting distracted a lot and being lost. I liked the new characters but didn’t really see a need for them to have their own POVs at time.
As for the plot, I am glad to find the plot growing more and more complex with the new Lightborns coming into play and realizing that there weren’t just 3 families. It is definitely getting more intriguing and I’m excited to read the third book (if it shows up in my library at some point).
Overall, I’m definitely invested to see how Neil Vapros will become this “savior” and how everyone else will turn out.
April 28, 2017
This kept me up at night. Couldn't put it down. Great adventure and love the characters.
October 25, 2018
It was good
March 5, 2019
I'm continuing with reading the series - I wasn't surprised by any of the twists and turns of the plot... it's serviceable. :) I can definitely tell where a lot of the concepts come from, but nothing throws me out of the story.I'll continue reading. It sometimes feels like some scenes were left on the cutting room floor... I'll find myself turning back to see if I missed a reference, but again, nothing that kicks me out of the story.
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