Forged Within Flame: A Collection of Interconnected Short Stories

by Raymond McNeil

A fire will burn brightest before it flickers and fades, and those trapped in its heat will either be consumed or survive to resist even the greatest of blazes. Six girls face such a crucible as their lives are torn apart by misfortune and mistake. Only time will tell if they are turned to ash or if they become something far stronger forged within flame.

A collection of sixteen interconnected short stories full of life, love, struggle and everything in between.

346 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 3, 2018

Reviews

[E.M. Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this when it first came out and I had a good time with it. Raymond has a good grasp on the emotional volatility of his characters. The emotions are high, so much so that it sometimes borders on the ridiculous. It's all very fleshed out and wholesome and draining (in a good way) when things get intense.

This is his first published work and he shows a lot of room to grow. The prose is very basic and there's a lot that is clearly derived from the shows he watches. This is Madoka Magica without the magic and if that interests you, go ahead and read. But it never really rises above that fanfiction-level premise.

I'd feel bad if I was active on Goodreads and had to give it this review when it first came out. But thankfully, his follow-up The Artificer, while sharing some of the issues, is an overall better written and more creative work than his freshman outing.

[Verse Atoui · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Hi I'm 13 my parents died in a tragic car accident and now I'm working at a crepe stand" I feel like there are better ways to do your exposition. I thought it might get better later on but it doesn't really. Lot of heart went into it tho, I think the author could do great things they just need... some more practice actually writing stuff down, instead of just building backstories & settings.