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Shadows & Flame #1–4 omnibus

Shadows & Flame Box Set

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She's forgotten her past. Too bad her past won't return the favor.

Ursula can't remember a single thing from before three years ago, so she has to keep her life simple. All she wants is to earn enough money for rent--and maybe a bit left over for a new pair of boots.

But on her eighteenth birthday, all hell breaks loose... quite literally... when a hellhound shifter shows up in her kitchen. Kester's lethally gorgeous, and he's come with a terrifying message: Ursula owes her soul to a demon.

No one seems to care that she doesn't remember striking that deal.

Thrust into the middle of a war between the gods of fire and night, Ursula fights her way across New York--and through the fae realm--to survive. Along the way, she must reclaim her magical knowledge and her long-forgotten skills with the blade if she wants to escape eternal damnation.


This boxed set contains all four books in the Shadows & Flame series. They're urban fantasy with lots of magic, romance, and intrigue.

1099 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 17, 2018

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409 people want to read

About the author

C.N. Crawford

81 books8,748 followers
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C.N. Crawford are Wall Street Journal bestselling authors of romantasy books, including books with fae, demons, and magical academies.

We write fantasy romance, urban fantasy, and portal romance. Our books often include trials, banter, and enemies to lovers stories.

CN Crawford’s books are perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, K.F. Breene, and Laura Thalassa.

Note: We are actually two people--a former biologist (Nick) and a former school psychologist (Christine).








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5 stars
424 (59%)
4 stars
196 (27%)
3 stars
66 (9%)
2 stars
17 (2%)
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4 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
Profile Image for Witch-at-Heart .
1,574 reviews21 followers
May 30, 2024
Shadows and Flames is a re-release of books 1-4 in the Demons of Fire and Night series. As the duo that is C. N. Crawford is one of my favorite writers. I was surprised I had missed this older series and had not already read it before. It was amazing I loved it and C. N. Crawford’s writing style as always flows seamlessly and I was transported into this world and totally happy to be there.

Because this is a 4 book set it sadly (not really hahaha) took me a few sleepless nights to finish. However, I hands down recommend the book hangover.

Our MC Ursula doesn’t have the best life. She has pretty much no money, a job she hates working for her ex-boyfriend (who treats her terribly). Then to ice that cake no memories of her life except for the last 3 years. She has no idea who she was/is or how she lost her memories.

If all of this doesn’t seem difficult enough on Ursula’s 18th birthday a shapeshifting hellhound appears in her kitchen demanding her soul… I mean what the what!?… This is apparently a deal she made before her memory loss.

Desperate to not loose her soul she trusts what appears to be a note she wrote to herself before she made the deal… Her only way out is asking for a trial and not a fun safe kind. As Ursula fights for her life the trial awakens skills and powers she had no idea she possessed throwing Ursula into a world, completely foreign from how she had been living. However, Ursula isn’t exactly feeling like this is for the better.

In what she feels like a shocking twist Ursula can transform into hellhound herself. This gives her a position as a soul collector of those who have pledged themselves to Emerazel, a fire demon Goddess. This really wasn’t what Ursula had in mind think worst nightmare since this started to prevent her own soul from being taken. So being forced to exact that punishment on others to relinquish their souls is a terrifying and emotionally painful task for Ursula. However, she has no choice this is a do or die job!

On Ursula’s first soul collecting mission to say things go poorly is an understatement. The collection trigger a cascading series of dangerous situations leaving Ursula scrambling to rely on powers she can’t fully control. This also forces her to depend on the strengths and skills of both her peers and enemies to finish the job.

I loved the growth arc of our MC who when thrown into a ride or die scenario learns to trust her survival instincts.

I really enjoyed the mystery of what/who Ursula might be because early on it is apparent she is not a normal hellhound. The journey Ramps up as we watch her character develop and grow.

Ursula is strong flawed and a bit broken which I always like. However, Ursula has grit and determination. This makes for very satisfying heroine and I was easily able to become invested in her journey.

Now onto our male MC Bael who is mysterious and has a dark past he would like to leave behind. This is a broken character who presents with cut off wings. Sooooo definitely some baggage there leaving you wanting to unpack that box to see what his story is. This is an MC who absolutely does not want to care about Ursula he would prefer to hate her and walk away but a smoldering current of attraction on both sides leaves that as an unattainable goal.

This is a slow burn and as the story progresses Bael and Ursula find mutual respect for each other that only continues to deepen their attraction.

Now the villains… These are truly despicable characters that you will love to hate, lots of action, so many awesome side characters that completely pull you into this well crafted plot and world building. Oh and did I mention the story is about a civilization on the moon! So cool! Loved that part.

As I continued to progress thru this box set Ursula still doesn't remember her life but-starts getting flashes of memory. In the meantime Dragons have laid waste to New York looking for her. Yes gah Dragons 🤩🙌!

I am pretty mind blown that a world could be created with Gods, vampires, demons, Fae and yet seamlessly move into King Arthur legend/lore. This is so well done it’s hard to believe this is an early series for this writing pair. You can definitely see the evolution and growth in their writing style from then to now but folks this is incredibly well done and a satisfying read.

I also have to say I LOVE the slow burn. I love a natural evolution and I am completely fine with fade to black m. I don’t need the behind closed door details. It is enough for me to know it’s happening.

However, not related to this series if you want spicy, later series definitely provide the heat so have no fear this pair can provide it all. Just keep reading their books!

Now back to this box set. It is a full on journey to forgotten kingdoms, kick butt fighting, dragons, hellhounds and so much more. Who knew so much could be packed into four books.

Also despite the slow burn Bael is so hot. I am so impressed that this series keeps it classy while bringing all the sexy. It was incredibly hard to put the kindle down to do life (dang work n everything else) all I can say is once I started reading. Sleep deprivation for the win.

All in all an awesome series with quirky humor, great characters, desperate times and riveting action. And such a cool world I 💯 % Recommend!
462 reviews
September 2, 2018
Good finale

This series of 4 books is told from Ursulas POV. There is plenty of mystery and action. Ursula is a strong female character. Who saves and is saved many times over. The world and character building are excellent. The chemistry between the two characters was static. Bael said some aweful things to her, yet he was very protective of her. It was very confusing and gave me whiplash. I thought their could have been more to the romance between the two characters. It wasn't until near the end of the 4th book that we learnt how Bael really felt toward her. He was protective but I wasn't sure if that was due to the oath or the claiming. Anyway there was a HEA... 4 stars for the world building and action, 3 stars for character building and only 2stars for the romance. So if u like action led books with the tiniest bit of chemistry between characters you will love this series. There is some sexual content but nothing graphic... Highly recommended
Profile Image for Brittani.
7 reviews3 followers
August 25, 2018
Just kind of Eh

The series was ok. It felt very drug out and I struggled to finish. Bael started out an intriguing strong character and ended very underwhelming. As soon as I started getting invested in the relationship his character changed and it kind of ruined it for me. During the last book j found myself asking a lot of the time, why did that even happen? A few continuity errors and things that contradicted previous explanations. It was never really explained why the dragons, Abrax, or anyone in general were after Ursula or why she was important to anyone enough to raze the world looking for. *Spoiler* Finding out she was Nyxobas' daughter was more of a side note than an actual plot point. I was left unsure if this had to do with why everyone was after her. It was a decent book to kill time with but the writing left a lot to be desired.
Profile Image for Katie.
425 reviews1 follower
February 26, 2019
Good to get them all at once and read on through!

It's a good series! Having all the books together in one is for the best because each book starts off exactly where the last one left off but don't worry because each book has its own thing thing going on under the main story arc! I would almost call this an epic simply because of all the travelling done throughout the books. We find out heroine going from London to new York to the moon and back again to everywhere including mountains with dragons and trees that hold the great merlin!
The writing is so well done ✔
The main arc and sub plots are worth the read 👌
The world building is good and definitely eclectic 👍
There is romance(not at all oppressive), ass kicking, cussing, but no explicit sex scenes for those who enjoy that
Profile Image for Randy L. Miller.
8 reviews
October 15, 2018
Like many there were some continuity issues, but ***SPOILER ALERT*** seriously, I have the most powerful weapon in the world, I am able to kill the bad guy with it, but my boyfriend is hurt so I dropped the sword next to the bad guy and run off to save him. Golly Gee Willikers, Just like the second Potter film, Run to Jenny, throw my wand on the ground...C'mon writers, find a different way to transfer weapons into someone else's hands. Abrax mutters in Angelic, and the sword is tugged from her grip, Abrax mutters in Angelic and he is healed and grabs the sword while she is putting the wings on, but we have to swallo that this trained warrior would just drop her sword and run accross the room when her enemy has the power (the demonstrated power) to heal himself with just a few words.
Profile Image for Heather Gilbert.
1,769 reviews85 followers
October 22, 2018
Fast paced and literally action packed, it skips through explanations and tempts you to keep up - which you will, if you stick with it. Honestly, the first book is a mishmash of half information and taunts - throwing just enough detail at you to keep you reading, while twisting the narrative down a darkened alley of demons, Hellhounds, Gods and Angelic language. Each book that follows only builds on that, layering tidbits of story and history like a complicated puzzle that teases the protagonist as much as it teases you. In the end, the truth is so blazingly obvious it actually is surprising - and you'll know it long before the 'Mystery Girl' does.

Overall, this was a solid series - though there are a few weaknesses in the plot and character development. Worth a look.
Profile Image for John A. Sillasen.
356 reviews4 followers
January 21, 2025
This is a wonderful series. I'mA Tale of Humans, Fae, & the Gods that Fight using Humans as Weapons

A complete tome of four books. Gods war over territory and their human weapons. The more people they grant power to, the more they have them as tools to wage their wars with. One son of a god wants more power. Kingdoms wage war over territory. Then there is the mystery girl. At 15 she is found in the burnt rubble of a church in London with no memory before the Fireman carried her out. She has nothing but a piece of paper in her pocket about when she turns 18 to ask for a trial, signed Ursala, that's you. Won't tell anymore other than maybe one word, Excalibur. Read all 4 to understand and enjoy these tales!
Profile Image for Geo.
355 reviews3 followers
November 14, 2018
Another amazing series!

Since I've been reading these books out of order, I have heard a lot about Abrax, but he'd never been in any of the books I'd read. It's nice to put a personality to the name. Bael was amazing. I loved him from his very first appearance. Took me a while to get used to Ursula, but I loved her at the end as well. I wish that there had been more of Kester but c'est la vie. Vera was amazing. I kind of want to here more about her and Lucian. Zee grew on me. She was annoying in the first book but she got better. I loved the blend of fantasy, paranormal, and romance. I'd recommend this series and it's authors to anyone. Great series!
1 review
October 30, 2020
This series was perplexing to me. It started off really good and I couldn’t put it down. I liked the setup we got in the first book, and the second book was great with the dynamic between Ursula and Bael. For me, the third book game came out of left field. Somehow this turned into an Arthurian story, and it wasn’t necessary at all. In fact, I think the third book could be removed from the series altogether and it would’ve been more enjoyable. I had an idea about Ursula’s past by the end of the second book, but had to read two more books for her to figure it out. The series was just too drawn out and could’ve been better.
Profile Image for Pauline Johnson.
442 reviews
January 28, 2025
Wasn't sure if I was going to like this set or not. It surprised me. I really enjoyed reading about Ursula's adventures. This was almost perfect. I was captivated the whole way through. Just in my opinion, I was hoping for more romance from Beal and Ursula. Beal is the perfect silent but deadly character that I love. Ursula is slow on the uptake with how Beal feels for her. The villains are plentiful and conniving. The author portrayed them perfectly up to the end. This story is perfect for the young adults. There is romance but not the steamy kind. The story flows beautifully and it keeps you enthralled and wanting more.
Profile Image for Britany.
16 reviews
September 1, 2018
Whole Series Read in One Day!

I was hooked from the first page! Following Ursula as she tries to discover who she is was thrilling, heartbreaking, breathtaking. I felt like I was there through everything! She never gave up no matter what people thought of her. Everyone thought she was just a worthless Hound! But she proved them wrong! And Bael, as he tries to protect Ursula from all the dangers surrounding her he gains back his humanity and will to live and love! This is such a powerful story of growth, betrayal, strength, weakness, love and hate. These people will draw you in and you'll feel every single thing they do like you right th
Profile Image for Patricia Sneed.
10 reviews
November 27, 2018
Awesome read

I have never enjoyed a series so much. Once I started reading I could not put my phone down. I’ve stayed up for two nights reading.
The action starts right at the beginning and doesn’t stop. Each book has a twist that you didn’t see coming. The characters are first class.
There is plenty of snark and dry humor to please the readers.
I would and have recommended this series to my friends.
Thanks for a good read.
Profile Image for Sara.
300 reviews2 followers
October 8, 2018
Devine!

I loved this series, and it was a great find to find it in a complete boxed set. The story flows perfectly and I hated to put it down. Ursula was extremely each to like. I love the slow burn romance. Amazing story and amazing writing! I will be checking out more from this author!
29 reviews
December 22, 2018
Great story line

I enjoyed reading these books. Once I got into the first one I couldn't put them down until the last page. Ursula and Bael (along with their friends) are fun and interesting characters to follow on this journey. I would love to see a stand-alone book of the stories behind Z and the other characters!!!
Profile Image for SCS.
62 reviews
January 15, 2019
Loved it!

CN. Crawford is a favorite author of mine. She gives depth and life to her characters & one may become vested in their outcome.

The only thing I would add is a heck of a better proof reader. And to mention that soup and stew, even in England, are two distinct items of food.

For real.
1,050 reviews7 followers
May 20, 2019
Really 4.5 stars

I gave this box set a 4.5 stars instead of 5 because of the lack of sex scenes. Just being honest. It doesn't have to raunchy but you got to give us more than what you gave! Especially the build up and then it just fell flat! The storyline was awesome and it kept me wanting to read it till the end. Overall good box set.
Profile Image for Witch-at-Heart .
1,574 reviews21 followers
May 30, 2024
Shadows and Flames is a re-release of books 1-4 in the Demons of Fire and Night series. As the duo that is C. N. Crawford is one of my favorite writers. I was surprised I had missed this older series and had not already read it before. It was amazing I loved it and C. N. Crawford’s writing style as always flows seamlessly and I was transported into this world and totally happy to be there.

Because this is a 4 book set it sadly (not really hahaha) took me a few sleepless nights to finish. However, I hands down recommend the book hangover.

Our MC Ursula doesn’t have the best life. She has pretty much no money, a job she hates working for her ex-boyfriend (who treats her terribly). Then to ice that cake no memories of her life except for the last 3 years. She has no idea who she was/is or how she lost her memories.

If all of this doesn’t seem difficult enough on Ursula’s 18th birthday a shapeshifting hellhound appears in her kitchen demanding her soul… I mean what the what!?… This is apparently a deal she made before her memory loss.

Desperate to not loose her soul she trusts what appears to be a note she wrote to herself before she made the deal… Her only way out is asking for a trial and not a fun safe kind. As Ursula fights for her life the trial awakens skills and powers she had no idea she possessed throwing Ursula into a world, completely foreign from how she had been living. However, Ursula isn’t exactly feeling like this is for the better.

In what she feels like a shocking twist Ursula can transform into hellhound herself. This gives her a position as a soul collector of those who have pledged themselves to Emerazel, a fire demon Goddess. This really wasn’t what Ursula had in mind think worst nightmare since this started to prevent her own soul from being taken. So being forced to exact that punishment on others to relinquish their souls is a terrifying and emotionally painful task for Ursula. However, she has no choice this is a do or die job!

On Ursula’s first soul collecting mission to say things go poorly is an understatement. The collection trigger a cascading series of dangerous situations leaving Ursula scrambling to rely on powers she can’t fully control. This also forces her to depend on the strengths and skills of both her peers and enemies to finish the job.

I loved the growth arc of our MC who when thrown into a ride or die scenario learns to trust her survival instincts.

I really enjoyed the mystery of what/who Ursula might be because early on it is apparent she is not a normal hellhound. The journey Ramps up as we watch her character develop and grow.

Ursula is strong flawed and a bit broken which I always like. However, Ursula has grit and determination. This makes for very satisfying heroine and I was easily able to become invested in her journey.

Now onto our male MC Bael who is mysterious and has a dark past he would like to leave behind. This is a broken character who presents with cut off wings. Sooooo definitely some baggage there leaving you wanting to unpack that box to see what his story is. This is an MC who absolutely does not want to care about Ursula he would prefer to hate her and walk away but a smoldering current of attraction on both sides leaves that as an unattainable goal.

This is a slow burn and as the story progresses Bael and Ursula find mutual respect for each other that only continues to deepen their attraction.

Now the villains… These are truly despicable characters that you will love to hate, lots of action, so many awesome side characters that completely pull you into this well crafted plot and world building. Oh and did I mention the story is about a civilization on the moon! So cool! Loved that part.

As I continued to progress thru this box set Ursula still doesn't remember her life but-starts getting flashes of memory. In the meantime Dragons have laid waste to New York looking for her. Yes gah Dragons 🤩🙌!

I am pretty mind blown that a world could be created with Gods, vampires, demons, Fae and yet seamlessly move into King Arthur legend/lore. This is so well done it’s hard to believe this is an early series for this writing pair. You can definitely see the evolution and growth in their writing style from then to now but folks this is incredibly well done and a satisfying read.

I also have to say I LOVE the slow burn. I love a natural evolution and I am completely fine with fade to black m. I don’t need the behind closed door details. It is enough for me to know it’s happening.

However, not related to this series if you want spicy, later series definitely provide the heat so have no fear this pair can provide it all. Just keep reading their books!

Now back to this box set. It is a full on journey to forgotten kingdoms, kick butt fighting, dragons, hellhounds and so much more. Who knew so much could be packed into four books.

Also despite the slow burn Bael is so hot. I am so impressed that this series keeps it classy while bringing all the sexy. It was incredibly hard to put the kindle down to do life (dang work n everything else) all I can say is once I started reading. Sleep deprivation for the win.

All in all an awesome series with quirky humor, great characters, desperate times and riveting action. And such a cool world I 💯 % Recommend!
Profile Image for Milian Glafira.
158 reviews6 followers
July 29, 2018
Amazing

I cannot find the words to express my appreciation of this series of books. At first I was sceptical about it cause I'm not really into demons and gods, but Crawford is, yeah... Amazing - read it immediately!!!💕
48 reviews
September 7, 2018
Great series!

If you're into fantasy, dragons, demigods, and battles for humanity, this is definitely the series for you! Well written, creative and characters that draw you in make for an excellent read!
Profile Image for Brenda.
156 reviews1 follower
September 18, 2018
Loved the story

I really enjoyed reading the book set. The only thing I would have changed is her age. It just didn't seem like she was so young. Her thoughts were much more mature than an 18 year old. Just a thought. But I still loved the books.
33 reviews
September 18, 2018
Loved it.

Honestly I've read this entire series and i love it. The one thing that somewhat bothers me, is that the other books set in this world, by the same author, are inconsistent in the lore. But i love the series. I love the characters. I love the world.
Profile Image for Sheila Ryals.
2,577 reviews13 followers
November 14, 2018
😻

I read the first two books and they where good. For some reason I missed the release of book 3. When I saw this I bought it so I could re-read the first two. Then finally read the third. That was actually a pretty good ending.
89 reviews
February 21, 2019
Couldn't put it down!

If you pick this up don't plan on doing much for the next few days. It is that good! And each book brought yet another twist! I never got bored that is for sure!

Profile Image for Marissa Gideon.
67 reviews
January 11, 2025
Honestly it was a tough read at first but after getting about half way it just started getting real good. And phew that bomb drop at the end. Ursula takes on the gods in this 4 book edition. Read to see if she succeeds or will they shackle her to their service forever? So good. 😊
8 reviews
August 5, 2018
Very good series. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. It had lots of continuous action and mystery. I would very much recommend this series.
8 reviews
September 3, 2018
Shadows and flame

This was amazing! I only wish there was more after the last book. Ursula was an awesome heroine and I loved this story
Profile Image for Stephanie.
138 reviews
September 13, 2018
Good read

Lot's of action and strong characters. I hated to see this series end. . . . . . . .
Profile Image for Tracy Runyan.
18 reviews
September 20, 2018
Great series

Read them all and did nothing but the necessary housework until i finished them. Pg13 and can be read by teens
5 reviews
September 29, 2018
Great series!

If you like urban fantasy, you should like this series. The settings are more imaginative than many I have read.
3 reviews
September 29, 2018
Best book in a long time

I so enjoyed this book better than most i have read in a while.Will read more by this author in the future.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews

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