Lightning and Flames

Reforged #2

by V.S. Holmes

How Can They Win a War When Their Greatest Enemies are Themselves?

​Blood stains the land. With the gods' desperation, Azirik's mania grows. Away from her newfound family, Alea struggles to control the horrors in her mind and the power in her veins. What she must learn, however, is very different from the lessons the Laen wish to teach.

Stuck waiting in a foreign city, Arman wrestles with new, fathomless fury. Coupled with the inertia of battle, his rage shatters friendships and taints alliances. Lives depend on what they learn, but war does not make time for history lessons.

“Death hurt less than I thought. I wish I could bring that peace back with me. War doesn’t scare me now, or this strange city, or life at home continuing without me. When she brought me back from that beautiful peace, my humanity stayed behind. I’m the only thing that terrifies me, now.”

This series contains scenes of intimacy between queer characters. If this makes you uncomfortable, this is not the series for you."

Unknown Binding

First published May 28, 2016

About the author

V. S. Holmes is an international bestselling author of dark, speculative fiction, from fast-paced hard sci-fi to slow-burn gothic fantasy and everything in between. He has two finished series: Stars Edge: Nel Bently Books, a queer archaeological sci-fi, and the dark fantasy Blood of Titans. Smoke and Rain, the award-winning first book in his fantasy quartet, became an international bestseller in 2018. Travelers is also included in the Peregrine Moon Lander mission as part of the Writers on the Moon Time Capsule. In addition, he writes game content for Stone Blade Entertainment and published short fiction in several anthologies.

He is currently working on a folk horror, inspired by death, sex, and their Frisian and Celtic heritage.
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Beyond the keyboard, he lives in western Massachusetts, and like to garden, feed the birds, and watch the river change with the seasons. V worked as a contract archaeologist for over a decade before becoming an electrician. V is a trans guy, among other flavors of queer, and married to a fellow archaeologist. They enjoy quiet evenings with food, games, and films with a sweet lab-rottweiler, Rory and the not-so-quiet brown mutt, Millie.

Reviews

[Page Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in V.S. Holmes’s Reforged Quartet was quite possibly even better than the first! Alea has come into her power and is trying to understand and control it, while preparing for the ultimate battle that will decide the fate of their world. She and Arman, who is also coming into his power and abilities as a Rakos, don’t spend a lot of time together in this book, but even though their trajectories are separate, they are still so connected. Bren also has a bigger role in Lightning and Flames, and he is a character I really found myself liking. Again, Holmes’s prose is steady and patient, lyrical and direct. The world Alea and Arman belong to opens up a bit more in this book as well, as they travel to new places. And there was a shocking twist at the end of the book that I absolutely did not see coming. So well done! Looking forward to the next installment!

[Amy Spitzfaden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked Smoke and Rain but I LOVED Lightning and Flames. The story and characters all had a chance to fully shine after the setup from the first book, and I was in love with the writing from the very first page. The emotions in this book are perhaps the realest thing about it, and you feel them move through you on every single page. The isn't a simple matter of good and evil - there's a huge overhaul happening and it's not going to be pretty. But the humanity even in the non-human characters is absolutely beautiful. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys dark and/or high fantasy, and I REQUIRE anyone who read Smoke and Rain to continue with this book. I can't wait for the next installment, but I'm also so scared.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another solid volume of the REFORGED series!

Massachusetts author V.S. Holmes earned her degree Biology for Keene State College and works as a contract archaeologist doing Cultural Resource Management, supplementing her interest in prehistoric people and stone tools. As a disabled and queer human, Holmes is an advocate and sponsor for those writing with disabilities, and is a significant advocate for the LGBTQ community. Her writing is in the SFF genre (Science Fiction Fantasy) and to date she has contributed short stories to four anthologies, as well as her own books – the STARSEDGE: NEL BENTLEY series, and her acclaimed REFORGED series, of which SMOKE AND RAIN was the initial volume, having won the 2015 New Apple Literary Excellence in Independent Publishing Award. LIGHTNING AND FLAMES is Volume 2. Holmes hosts the Amphibian Press Podcast.

It is most satisfying to discover that, in addition to the impact of Volume 1, this continuation of her epic tale is an even more polished novel. The atmosphere surrounding this saga is intoxicatingly real, despite the knowledge that this is a fantasy fiction. And that quality – related in eloquent and imaginative prose – suffuses every aspect of this installment. Holmes’s central heroine Alea is fully mature, as a character and as a creation, and she is accompanied by the cast of characters who have become credible even in their fantasy-imposed origins

Once again Holmes opens with a calendar image from this ‘other place and time’ and maps of the fantasy worlds. Her prose radiantly raises the curtain with atmosphere: ‘The wind off the ocean bit at Alea’s cheeks with salty teeth. She smiled, not minding the cold. It was a lover’s bite, nothing more. She preferred the hour just before dawn. The city below barely stirred. It was as if she were the only woman in the world. It should not have been a comforting thought. She leaned on the palace parapet. Below, a runner was bringing her letter to the queen and to Arman, She hated goodbye, hated explaining herself. The Dhoah’ Laen shouldn’t have to explain herself so often…Nervous was such a simple word. Emotions were not simple things. Yes, she was nervous. She was terrified…’

While some readers may fear the plethora of strange names, in Holmes’ skilled hands the verbiage becomes additive and thoroughly important. The quite condensed synopsis suggests the adventure ahead: ‘Blood stains the land. With the gods' desperation, Azirik's mania grows. Away from her newfound family, Alea struggles to control the horrors in her mind and the power in her veins. What she must learn, however, is very different from the lessons the Laen wish to teach. Stuck waiting in a foreign city, Arman wrestles with new, fathomless fury. Coupled with the inertia of battle, his rage shatters friendships and taints alliances. Lives depend on what they learn, but war does not make time for history lessons.‘

This REFORGED volume elevates the reader even more, adding to the obvious stature of V.S. Holmes’ literary presence. Very Highly recommended.