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Vampires in Avignon #1
A Violet Fire
In the Vampire Stratocracy of Cain, human blood is scarce. For centuries, councils have sought to assuage the blood shortage by enslaving and breeding humans, turning them into profitable supply units for the rich and the abled.
Today, eighteen-year-old Wavorly Sterling is officially a supply unit, bound to serve her blood willingly to her master for the rest of her life. One of only few humans that was not bred in Cain, Wavorly knows freedom better than anyone, and she is determined to escape the clutches of her oppressors, even if by the hands of death.
But surprises lay beyond every certainty, and within every doubt. Where Wavorly's hatred for both vampires and her enslavement once flowed free as blood, it merely trickles as she grows to admire her reserved, yet receptive master and savior, Anton Zein.
Although warmed by comforts never felt before, danger still lurks in the castle, and a prophecy calls from beyond the walls of a lavender gate—concealing the horrific secrets lodged between handsome smirks and cinereous eyes. It will take everything within Wavorly to face her fears and her doubts; to harness the truth of her past despite what that means for her future. The only question is, will she?
Set in a richly detailed world of fantasy, A Violet Fire is a gripping journey filled with passion, betrayal, lies, and the encouragement we all need to take a stand for our freedom—no matter the cost.
[image]
Today, eighteen-year-old Wavorly Sterling is officially a supply unit, bound to serve her blood willingly to her master for the rest of her life. One of only few humans that was not bred in Cain, Wavorly knows freedom better than anyone, and she is determined to escape the clutches of her oppressors, even if by the hands of death.
But surprises lay beyond every certainty, and within every doubt. Where Wavorly's hatred for both vampires and her enslavement once flowed free as blood, it merely trickles as she grows to admire her reserved, yet receptive master and savior, Anton Zein.
Although warmed by comforts never felt before, danger still lurks in the castle, and a prophecy calls from beyond the walls of a lavender gate—concealing the horrific secrets lodged between handsome smirks and cinereous eyes. It will take everything within Wavorly to face her fears and her doubts; to harness the truth of her past despite what that means for her future. The only question is, will she?
Set in a richly detailed world of fantasy, A Violet Fire is a gripping journey filled with passion, betrayal, lies, and the encouragement we all need to take a stand for our freedom—no matter the cost.
[image]
Paperback
First published December 9, 2019
45 people are currently reading
11850 people want to read
About the author
Kelsey Quick
3 books452 followers Hi, I'm Kelsey
I apparently like writing enough to string together hundreds of thousands of words into cohesive and coherent sentences. I also apparently really like escapism.
But I know for a fact I love my husband, family, friends, and huskies.
I run a steel company that I watched my father build from the ground up 10 years ago. His legacy is my first priority. My personal legacy (my art and novels) are my second priority (they pay the bills and travel expenses significantly less than the first).
I'm addicted to anything wholesome, clean, and what makes me feel good on the day to day.
Examples: praying, healthy eating, running, alone time.
NOT Examples: discomfort for the sake of fashion, co-dependence, pickles
For business requests or rights information, please email me here: contact@avioletfire.com
A Violet Fire is distributed by IngramSpark (Lightning Source)
I apparently like writing enough to string together hundreds of thousands of words into cohesive and coherent sentences. I also apparently really like escapism.
But I know for a fact I love my husband, family, friends, and huskies.
I run a steel company that I watched my father build from the ground up 10 years ago. His legacy is my first priority. My personal legacy (my art and novels) are my second priority (they pay the bills and travel expenses significantly less than the first).
I'm addicted to anything wholesome, clean, and what makes me feel good on the day to day.
Examples: praying, healthy eating, running, alone time.
NOT Examples: discomfort for the sake of fashion, co-dependence, pickles
For business requests or rights information, please email me here: contact@avioletfire.com
A Violet Fire is distributed by IngramSpark (Lightning Source)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 215 reviews
April 4, 2021
When she was just a child, Wavorley Sterling's village was decimated by a vampire attack.
In fact, she is the only known survivor, rescued, or captured, depending on your perspective, and brought to live within the vampire Stratocracy of Cain.
Set in a dystopian world, where the blood supply is low, the Stratocracy has developed a vast and complex system for raising human supply units.
These supply units, are eventually chosen and bound to a master who they must serve, and feed, for the duration of their lives.
Wavorly is brought to a private school where the girls are raised together and taught how to please their future masters.
The majority of these girls were born within the Stratocracy, so have never tasted the freedom of the outside world as Wavorly has.
This sets her apart from the other girls and she struggles trying to understand their seemingly docile personalities in the face of what lies ahead of them.
In fact, when we first meet her, she is in the midst of executing an escape attempt. Although it may not go as planned, you have to give the girl props for her strength and determination.
No matter how hard she fights back against the powers that be however, Wavorly is ultimately selected by Lord Anton Zein to live in his castle as one of his supply units.
They have a complicated history and you just know something's going to go down at that castle!
I really enjoyed this, you guys!
I do not read a lot of vampire-related content, my only experiences really being Salem's Lot, NOS4A2 and Doctor Sleep, so I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this or not.
Spoiler Alert: I did!
I loved the overall dystopian feel of this story. The world-building was excellent and I cannot wait to learn more in the next book.
In addition to loving Wavorly, I also really enjoyed quite a few of the side characters, who added depth, humor and challenging personalities to the story.
There were people you could really get behind and people that were a joy to hate. Yes, that is a thing.
Although the plot got a little jumbled for me towards the end, I was still on board for all that was happening. There were revelations, betrayals and a lot of excitement.
I think this left off in a great spot for the continuation of the series and I definitely will be continuing. I have no idea how many books are planned, but personally, I am hoping for at least three.
This was one of those books that when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it and wishing I was!
Overall, this was an impressive debut. I feel confident this author has a bright future ahead of her. If you are looking for an inventive and captivating, fast-paced read, you should definitely pick this one up!
Thank you so much to the author, Kelsey Quick, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review.
I have since pre-ordered the paperback because I love the cover and also, have no self-control.
In fact, she is the only known survivor, rescued, or captured, depending on your perspective, and brought to live within the vampire Stratocracy of Cain.
Set in a dystopian world, where the blood supply is low, the Stratocracy has developed a vast and complex system for raising human supply units.
These supply units, are eventually chosen and bound to a master who they must serve, and feed, for the duration of their lives.
Wavorly is brought to a private school where the girls are raised together and taught how to please their future masters.
The majority of these girls were born within the Stratocracy, so have never tasted the freedom of the outside world as Wavorly has.
This sets her apart from the other girls and she struggles trying to understand their seemingly docile personalities in the face of what lies ahead of them.
In fact, when we first meet her, she is in the midst of executing an escape attempt. Although it may not go as planned, you have to give the girl props for her strength and determination.
No matter how hard she fights back against the powers that be however, Wavorly is ultimately selected by Lord Anton Zein to live in his castle as one of his supply units.
They have a complicated history and you just know something's going to go down at that castle!
I really enjoyed this, you guys!
I do not read a lot of vampire-related content, my only experiences really being Salem's Lot, NOS4A2 and Doctor Sleep, so I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this or not.
Spoiler Alert: I did!
I loved the overall dystopian feel of this story. The world-building was excellent and I cannot wait to learn more in the next book.
In addition to loving Wavorly, I also really enjoyed quite a few of the side characters, who added depth, humor and challenging personalities to the story.
There were people you could really get behind and people that were a joy to hate. Yes, that is a thing.
Although the plot got a little jumbled for me towards the end, I was still on board for all that was happening. There were revelations, betrayals and a lot of excitement.
I think this left off in a great spot for the continuation of the series and I definitely will be continuing. I have no idea how many books are planned, but personally, I am hoping for at least three.
This was one of those books that when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it and wishing I was!
Overall, this was an impressive debut. I feel confident this author has a bright future ahead of her. If you are looking for an inventive and captivating, fast-paced read, you should definitely pick this one up!
Thank you so much to the author, Kelsey Quick, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review.
I have since pre-ordered the paperback because I love the cover and also, have no self-control.
September 20, 2019
I am a closeted fan of vampire books, especially the YA genre, but if anybody asks me I'll deny it.
I watch the Twilight movies every. single. time. I see them on the guide, much to the chagrin of my bf. Again, I'll deny this fact.
And A Violet Fire is exactly why I'm such a fan of the genre.
It's not so much of an original storyline as it does have the typical ingredients: super hot vampire dude, willful chick who is, at first, immune to his wicked charms. However, I was pleasantly surprised that that is where the stereotypes end in this book.
This story revolves around blood slaves which is especially awesome in my book.... errrr... I mean this book. Whatever. I would totallyyy be a blood slave. In the cerebral words of Paris Hilton, "that's hot".
"Enslavement is still enslavement, no matter how soft the chains."
See? Totally hot.
Unlike typical vampire stories, vampires don't hide in the dark in this book, they rule the world. Muahahahaha 🦇
I appreciate that vampires are the only creepy peeps walking the earth in this story because I'm not particularly fond of mixing my paranormal monsters. I'm a snob that way.
There's a twist at the cliffhanger end that I didn't see coming. To be honest, I didn't even know I should have been looking for one.
Kelsey Quick's writing flows swiftly, never getting bogged down with superfluous page fillers. Easily a one sitting type of read.
I am totally invested in this story and will be awaiting the second book with cold blood-tinged bated breath.
Oh... and look at that cover. That's hot, right?
** I was provided an ARC from the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. **
I watch the Twilight movies every. single. time. I see them on the guide, much to the chagrin of my bf. Again, I'll deny this fact.
And A Violet Fire is exactly why I'm such a fan of the genre.
It's not so much of an original storyline as it does have the typical ingredients: super hot vampire dude, willful chick who is, at first, immune to his wicked charms. However, I was pleasantly surprised that that is where the stereotypes end in this book.
This story revolves around blood slaves which is especially awesome in my book.... errrr... I mean this book. Whatever. I would totallyyy be a blood slave. In the cerebral words of Paris Hilton, "that's hot".
"Enslavement is still enslavement, no matter how soft the chains."
See? Totally hot.
Unlike typical vampire stories, vampires don't hide in the dark in this book, they rule the world. Muahahahaha 🦇
I appreciate that vampires are the only creepy peeps walking the earth in this story because I'm not particularly fond of mixing my paranormal monsters. I'm a snob that way.
There's a twist at the cliffhanger end that I didn't see coming. To be honest, I didn't even know I should have been looking for one.
Kelsey Quick's writing flows swiftly, never getting bogged down with superfluous page fillers. Easily a one sitting type of read.
I am totally invested in this story and will be awaiting the second book with cold blood-tinged bated breath.
Oh... and look at that cover. That's hot, right?
** I was provided an ARC from the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. **
April 23, 2020
Whoa! What an incredible Journey!
I like Vampire books, but have tended to stay away from books where the main character is a blood slave because that storyline just didn’t appeal to me. However, I requested this book from Netgalley for some reason and I ended up loving every minute of it. I have been reading it straight since I started and haven’t even stopped to eat dinner. It is now after midnight, so that tells you how much I liked it. My son even offered to make dinner But I was too engrossed to stop and eat.
The story is fully developed, all the characters are well rounded and described perfectly, there are a bunch of supporting characters in this story and you get to know all of them very well. The story surrounds an eighteen year old human girl named Wavorly Sterling who used to live in a town called Avignon, France. Until it was overrun with rogue vampires and her family was killed when she was eight. One of the five Pureblood Militarily leaders of Cain, the Vampire Stratocracy, was nearby and came to check what was going on and saved Wavorly.
He was one of the most feared in all of Cain and after that, he owned her. His name was Lord Anton Zein. After “rescuing” her he put her in Nightengale school of infantry supply, basically a training center to be blood supply for one of the five Leaders of Cain. Almost all of the “supply” in Nightengale came from Saya which is a breeding center where they get sent if their blood isn’t good enough or after they are done being used by the Lords of Cain. Once they get to Saya, they have baby after baby until their bodies give out.
Wavorly is different from everyone else in that she was once free, so she knows she is a slave and she longs to be free again. Whereas the rest have been bred to serve their masters and brainwashed since they were born to think that it is their duty and the best they can attain. They don’t understand why she wants to escape.
The pace really picks up once the day comes that the Lords arrive to choose their supply. Each Lord already owns a bunch of humans, but they test the blood of each to decide who goes with them to the castle, who goes to Saya, and who is fed to the rogue vampires in the cells under the school. The rogue vampires tear them to pieces.
Wavorly meets Lord Anton Zein again for the first time in ten years. I won’t give away spoilers but it is a good story. There are so many unexpected surprises and Wavorly never does what you think she will. She is a pretty great heroine and though there is a cliffhanger.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub
I like Vampire books, but have tended to stay away from books where the main character is a blood slave because that storyline just didn’t appeal to me. However, I requested this book from Netgalley for some reason and I ended up loving every minute of it. I have been reading it straight since I started and haven’t even stopped to eat dinner. It is now after midnight, so that tells you how much I liked it. My son even offered to make dinner But I was too engrossed to stop and eat.
The story is fully developed, all the characters are well rounded and described perfectly, there are a bunch of supporting characters in this story and you get to know all of them very well. The story surrounds an eighteen year old human girl named Wavorly Sterling who used to live in a town called Avignon, France. Until it was overrun with rogue vampires and her family was killed when she was eight. One of the five Pureblood Militarily leaders of Cain, the Vampire Stratocracy, was nearby and came to check what was going on and saved Wavorly.
He was one of the most feared in all of Cain and after that, he owned her. His name was Lord Anton Zein. After “rescuing” her he put her in Nightengale school of infantry supply, basically a training center to be blood supply for one of the five Leaders of Cain. Almost all of the “supply” in Nightengale came from Saya which is a breeding center where they get sent if their blood isn’t good enough or after they are done being used by the Lords of Cain. Once they get to Saya, they have baby after baby until their bodies give out.
Wavorly is different from everyone else in that she was once free, so she knows she is a slave and she longs to be free again. Whereas the rest have been bred to serve their masters and brainwashed since they were born to think that it is their duty and the best they can attain. They don’t understand why she wants to escape.
The pace really picks up once the day comes that the Lords arrive to choose their supply. Each Lord already owns a bunch of humans, but they test the blood of each to decide who goes with them to the castle, who goes to Saya, and who is fed to the rogue vampires in the cells under the school. The rogue vampires tear them to pieces.
Wavorly meets Lord Anton Zein again for the first time in ten years. I won’t give away spoilers but it is a good story. There are so many unexpected surprises and Wavorly never does what you think she will. She is a pretty great heroine and though there is a cliffhanger.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub
June 16, 2022
This little baby of mine is officially published! Check it out if you're curious about my vamps! ;)
Amazon Kindle
--UPDATED--
Hi everyone, thank you for your support thus far on my debut novel! I can't believe how many of you are genuinely interested in reading it! This is my first manuscript, my "heart" book... one that I was determined to throw out into the world despite industry-wide rejection. (Vampires just weren't cool enough to sign on from 2017-2018.) Thus, I self-edited (with the mentor help of B.B. Swann and the beta help of E.C. Farrell ), self-illustrated, and self-promoted this self-published, 346-page labor of love.
The idea for this epic tale has been on my heart for over a decade, where I was drafting manga panels for it in math class while reading Vampire Knight, Vol. 1 out of LaLa magazine by Matsuri Hino. It is definitely a story that I felt needed to be released to the world even though no one else did. Whatever the outcome, I'm glad that I tried. Love you all <3
Amazon Kindle
--UPDATED--
Hi everyone, thank you for your support thus far on my debut novel! I can't believe how many of you are genuinely interested in reading it! This is my first manuscript, my "heart" book... one that I was determined to throw out into the world despite industry-wide rejection. (Vampires just weren't cool enough to sign on from 2017-2018.) Thus, I self-edited (with the mentor help of B.B. Swann and the beta help of E.C. Farrell ), self-illustrated, and self-promoted this self-published, 346-page labor of love.
The idea for this epic tale has been on my heart for over a decade, where I was drafting manga panels for it in math class while reading Vampire Knight, Vol. 1 out of LaLa magazine by Matsuri Hino. It is definitely a story that I felt needed to be released to the world even though no one else did. Whatever the outcome, I'm glad that I tried. Love you all <3
December 6, 2019
This book grabbed me right away and wouldn't let go.
The only time I was able to tear myself away from it was when my kindle battery died.
Stupid kindle.
Battery fired back up I was completely sucked (pun intended) back in again.
I am so freaking excited this is only the start of a series because I didn't get enough!
I am flabbergasted that this is her debut?!
The world building, the sideways storyline, the hawt hawt vampires...
Obsessed with it all!
Much love to NetGalley & Kelsey Quick for my ARC.
The only time I was able to tear myself away from it was when my kindle battery died.
Stupid kindle.
Battery fired back up I was completely sucked (pun intended) back in again.
I am so freaking excited this is only the start of a series because I didn't get enough!
I am flabbergasted that this is her debut?!
The world building, the sideways storyline, the hawt hawt vampires...
Obsessed with it all!
Much love to NetGalley & Kelsey Quick for my ARC.
December 9, 2019
Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.
Oh.
My.
Nocturnal Nights.
It’s official.
My heart is broken, my feminine energy is bristling, and vampires are back with a bloodthirsty vengeance.
The world has been dominated by vampires for centuries now. In Cain, Humans are bred to serve vampires in whatever form necessary – as blood supply units, servants, or breeders. They are instructed in special schools in how to best serve their immortal masters, through meekness and subservience. But for Wavorly, one of the few humans who were born and raised outside of vampire rule before her inevitable capture, she would rather die than be a slave to a vampire. After countless escape attempts, her day of judgment has finally come: to see if her blood will qualify her a spot in her master’s household as a live-in servant and supply unit. Somehow Wavorly is accepted into Zein’s home, despite her insubordination and unabashed hatred for his ownership over her. But as time goes on, Wavorly wonders if the vampire who brought her to Cain isn’t the monster she believes him to be. And maybe he sees her as more than just a blood supply.
A Violet Fire has given me a book hangover from Hell, and it’s unclear if I’m going to make it.
Send help.
Finally.
An addicting YA Vamp Fantasy untainted by glittering blood-lusters and a female protagonist who lacks self-worth and looks to a man for breath.
This, is true living corpse bliss.
This book is the vampire Handmaid’s Tale I didn’t know I needed, and it is packed and layered with beautiful writing, witty and sharp dialogue and a plot that will make you weak at the knees. I am HOOKED by this story-line, and for good reason! Like The Handmaid’s Tale, this world is suffering from a distinct decline in human life, which is the main source of survival for vampires. Though some parts of this world give more respect to human life, Cain, much like Gilead, is the hub of humans enslaved to work as servants, blood supply units and breeders.
When a human comes of age, they are brought before their master at the Distribution Ceremony where their blood is sampled. If their blood is accepted, they are brought to their masters home to be used as a supply unit when needed. The brainwashed humans who were born and bred in Cain are raised to believe their life mission is to look pretty, be submissive and to strive for the honor of having their blood sucked out of them.
Dreamy, isn’t it?
But the kicker here is this: quality of blood is improved by quality of life and happiness. So naturally that means our sassy, foul-mouthed, and all-around pissed off gem Wavorly has got to have some top-shelf vital fluids right?
“My blood should be the foulest thing to ever touch his lips.”
Swoon!
Wavorly is the definition of a strong, fierce, “gives no shits” female lead! We first meet her as she is attempting another escape from Cain the day before the Distribution Ceremony, and immediately we learn that she is not a damsel in distress sitting around twirling her hair around her finger. She wants nothing more than to be free of her enslavement to Zein, who swore to protect her when he “saved” her from a rouge vampire when she was a child, and to search for other humans off the grid. Though she is forced into becoming a supply unit for Zein, she does so with a sharp tongue and zero remorse for her rash actions.
Girl. Is. Fierce.
“While you’ve been staring at yourself in the mirror all your life, I've been training myself on how to best ruin your reflection.”
But where this story gets even more interesting is when we get to see more of Zein.
He is one of five of the most powerful and ruthless vampires in Cain, and has a long and bloody history on the battlefield and just…in general. He is said to be cruel and sadistic with zero regard for human life, but as time goes on, our girl begins to see a less murdery version of this mysterious immortal.
Now don’t worry, I’m not going into any more detail beyond that, but my oh my guys, Zein is giving me all the Lestat meets Rowan (TOG) vibes and I am dying. DYING. He’s vague, he’s angry, and he’s got sharp looks that will make your blood run cold and sizzle all at once. But in true form of my questionable taste in men, I am swooning over this vampires’ hot and cold demeanor. It has been a solid 24 hours since I finished A Violet Fire and I am STILL questioning my stance on him! I love him. I hate him. I‘d die for him. I’d die to stab him in the face.
It’s all very confusing.
“…his eyes return to their mysterious gray and appear to be lost in a sea I can’t even begin to navigate.”
I could go on for days about this book and the immense torture that I am experiencing due to this cliffhanger, but I must stop for fear that I am going to spill all the secrets just so I’m not the only one writhing in pain. This is so much more than just a possible vampire romance. It’s dripping in feminist vibes, has an epic and mysterious plot where a prophecy speaks of a human savior, and makes you question your feelings right alongside Wavorly. I am so obsessed with this book, I have already started reading it again just to find details that I’ve missed!
Do yourself a favor, buy this.
Oh.
My.
Nocturnal Nights.
It’s official.
My heart is broken, my feminine energy is bristling, and vampires are back with a bloodthirsty vengeance.
The world has been dominated by vampires for centuries now. In Cain, Humans are bred to serve vampires in whatever form necessary – as blood supply units, servants, or breeders. They are instructed in special schools in how to best serve their immortal masters, through meekness and subservience. But for Wavorly, one of the few humans who were born and raised outside of vampire rule before her inevitable capture, she would rather die than be a slave to a vampire. After countless escape attempts, her day of judgment has finally come: to see if her blood will qualify her a spot in her master’s household as a live-in servant and supply unit. Somehow Wavorly is accepted into Zein’s home, despite her insubordination and unabashed hatred for his ownership over her. But as time goes on, Wavorly wonders if the vampire who brought her to Cain isn’t the monster she believes him to be. And maybe he sees her as more than just a blood supply.
A Violet Fire has given me a book hangover from Hell, and it’s unclear if I’m going to make it.
Send help.
Finally.
An addicting YA Vamp Fantasy untainted by glittering blood-lusters and a female protagonist who lacks self-worth and looks to a man for breath.
This, is true living corpse bliss.
This book is the vampire Handmaid’s Tale I didn’t know I needed, and it is packed and layered with beautiful writing, witty and sharp dialogue and a plot that will make you weak at the knees. I am HOOKED by this story-line, and for good reason! Like The Handmaid’s Tale, this world is suffering from a distinct decline in human life, which is the main source of survival for vampires. Though some parts of this world give more respect to human life, Cain, much like Gilead, is the hub of humans enslaved to work as servants, blood supply units and breeders.
When a human comes of age, they are brought before their master at the Distribution Ceremony where their blood is sampled. If their blood is accepted, they are brought to their masters home to be used as a supply unit when needed. The brainwashed humans who were born and bred in Cain are raised to believe their life mission is to look pretty, be submissive and to strive for the honor of having their blood sucked out of them.
Dreamy, isn’t it?
But the kicker here is this: quality of blood is improved by quality of life and happiness. So naturally that means our sassy, foul-mouthed, and all-around pissed off gem Wavorly has got to have some top-shelf vital fluids right?
“My blood should be the foulest thing to ever touch his lips.”
Swoon!
Wavorly is the definition of a strong, fierce, “gives no shits” female lead! We first meet her as she is attempting another escape from Cain the day before the Distribution Ceremony, and immediately we learn that she is not a damsel in distress sitting around twirling her hair around her finger. She wants nothing more than to be free of her enslavement to Zein, who swore to protect her when he “saved” her from a rouge vampire when she was a child, and to search for other humans off the grid. Though she is forced into becoming a supply unit for Zein, she does so with a sharp tongue and zero remorse for her rash actions.
Girl. Is. Fierce.
“While you’ve been staring at yourself in the mirror all your life, I've been training myself on how to best ruin your reflection.”
But where this story gets even more interesting is when we get to see more of Zein.
He is one of five of the most powerful and ruthless vampires in Cain, and has a long and bloody history on the battlefield and just…in general. He is said to be cruel and sadistic with zero regard for human life, but as time goes on, our girl begins to see a less murdery version of this mysterious immortal.
Now don’t worry, I’m not going into any more detail beyond that, but my oh my guys, Zein is giving me all the Lestat meets Rowan (TOG) vibes and I am dying. DYING. He’s vague, he’s angry, and he’s got sharp looks that will make your blood run cold and sizzle all at once. But in true form of my questionable taste in men, I am swooning over this vampires’ hot and cold demeanor. It has been a solid 24 hours since I finished A Violet Fire and I am STILL questioning my stance on him! I love him. I hate him. I‘d die for him. I’d die to stab him in the face.
It’s all very confusing.
“…his eyes return to their mysterious gray and appear to be lost in a sea I can’t even begin to navigate.”
I could go on for days about this book and the immense torture that I am experiencing due to this cliffhanger, but I must stop for fear that I am going to spill all the secrets just so I’m not the only one writhing in pain. This is so much more than just a possible vampire romance. It’s dripping in feminist vibes, has an epic and mysterious plot where a prophecy speaks of a human savior, and makes you question your feelings right alongside Wavorly. I am so obsessed with this book, I have already started reading it again just to find details that I’ve missed!
Do yourself a favor, buy this.
January 12, 2022
THIS BOOK, WOW!! I love vampires/PNR and this was an amazingly detailed dystopian spin on things with Waverly, a blood slave, who is constantly at odds with her master Zain, who “rescued” her (or kidnapped her into blood slavery, depending on whose take you believe) from the streets of Avignon when they were under siege when she was a young child. Their chemistry is off the charts, and the balance of forbidden romance and her anger with him for what he and other vampires have done to the human race is wonderfully written. I was absolutely devouring this book and loving every page, and then it gets to the last 25% and there are some amazing twists that turn everything about what I thought I’d been reading on its head. I so need book two now!
January 19, 2020
A really good vampire story. 4.5-stars out of 5.
If it's so good why is it not 5-stars? It's purely because it's a series and I'm going through a phase when I'd prefer a standalone.
If you like vampire stories, or you simply enjoy good writing, then this is the tale for you. This one has plenty of strong female characters, which are flawed by their forced association to the vampires that they serve.
There are religious undertones here that some of you will enjoy and (as you would expect from a vampire tale) there is romance of a twisted nature. For those of you (like me) who are old enough to remember the Hammer-Horror films with Christopher Lee as Dracula, you know what I'm talking about; the vampire's mental and physical hold over their prey.
Kelsey Quick does a really good job of rekindling the vampire legends here and I look forward to the time when book 2 A Crimson Truth is available to read.
Thanks for reading.
If it's so good why is it not 5-stars? It's purely because it's a series and I'm going through a phase when I'd prefer a standalone.
If you like vampire stories, or you simply enjoy good writing, then this is the tale for you. This one has plenty of strong female characters, which are flawed by their forced association to the vampires that they serve.
There are religious undertones here that some of you will enjoy and (as you would expect from a vampire tale) there is romance of a twisted nature. For those of you (like me) who are old enough to remember the Hammer-Horror films with Christopher Lee as Dracula, you know what I'm talking about; the vampire's mental and physical hold over their prey.
Kelsey Quick does a really good job of rekindling the vampire legends here and I look forward to the time when book 2 A Crimson Truth is available to read.
Thanks for reading.
October 26, 2019
Dark and intriguing, Kelsey Quick’s A VIOLET FIRE is a tale of passion, oppression and the power of the human will to survive against all odds, even if it means death. In a world where vampires rule, humanity is bred and enslaved as a food source, one teen, a rarity among the “herd,” knew freedom and is determined to find it again. What Wavorly did not expect was to share an emotional attraction with her master that overstepped all boundaries and clouded her vision of escape.
Steeped in rich detail, raw in its darkness, this tale is magnetic in its edgy telling, and trust me, these vampires ae the things of nightmares, nothing sparkly about them as they use and abuse their human sheep. Prepare to wonder how such complete subservience can overtake the spirit of survival in humanity and revel in the audacity of one girl who dares to make her feelings known.
Is Wavorly destined to be more than a blood slave? Is she meant to be the beginning of a new world order where freedom is everything?
Kelsey Quick has done a remarkable job of creating a world that rides on the razor’s edge of hell. Stark and foreboding, see each scene in your mind and feel what the characters feel. Find good among the evil and the strength of one human to test and go beyond the limits of her captivity.
In a world of dark fantasy, where A VIOLET FIRE may not be an original tale, its presentation is fresh and riveting. If you like your vampires to be the thing of nightmares, beautiful, yet deadly and your heroines to hold tight to an inner flame that burns for freedom, even as they question some of their own emotions, then this is a must read and Kelsey Quick should be on your list of go to authors! Hard to believe this is her debut tale!
I received a complimentary ARC edition from D&B management. My review is completely honest and voluntary.
Series: Vampires in Avignon - Book 1
Publication Date: December 9, 2019
Publisher: Kelsey Quick
Genre: Dark Fantasy / YA
Print Length: 398 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Steeped in rich detail, raw in its darkness, this tale is magnetic in its edgy telling, and trust me, these vampires ae the things of nightmares, nothing sparkly about them as they use and abuse their human sheep. Prepare to wonder how such complete subservience can overtake the spirit of survival in humanity and revel in the audacity of one girl who dares to make her feelings known.
Is Wavorly destined to be more than a blood slave? Is she meant to be the beginning of a new world order where freedom is everything?
Kelsey Quick has done a remarkable job of creating a world that rides on the razor’s edge of hell. Stark and foreboding, see each scene in your mind and feel what the characters feel. Find good among the evil and the strength of one human to test and go beyond the limits of her captivity.
In a world of dark fantasy, where A VIOLET FIRE may not be an original tale, its presentation is fresh and riveting. If you like your vampires to be the thing of nightmares, beautiful, yet deadly and your heroines to hold tight to an inner flame that burns for freedom, even as they question some of their own emotions, then this is a must read and Kelsey Quick should be on your list of go to authors! Hard to believe this is her debut tale!
I received a complimentary ARC edition from D&B management. My review is completely honest and voluntary.
Series: Vampires in Avignon - Book 1
Publication Date: December 9, 2019
Publisher: Kelsey Quick
Genre: Dark Fantasy / YA
Print Length: 398 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
dnf
January 1, 2021DNF @ 35%
The main character is getting on my nerves and I have to say I'm just bored out of my mind. Sorry, not sorry.
Maybe another time.
The main character is getting on my nerves and I have to say I'm just bored out of my mind. Sorry, not sorry.
Maybe another time.
August 20, 2019
An amazing read, not a vampire love story, but a tale that will be spread over books. Engaging and thoroughly entertaining. Wavorly is an amazing character, so gutsy I loved her so much, we don’t get to know Zein too much as he’s kept quite withdrawn and it’s obvious we will learn over time. I can’t wait for the next.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
August 8, 2019
6+Stars. Can you say HELL YES!!!
Kelsey Quick is a new-to-me author and she made one heck of an impression on me with A Violet Fire!
Set in a time where humans are scarce and thus, so is the blood supply for vampires, humans are now serving at their whim. From breeding farms to brainwashing and sustenance for vampires, humans are completely dominated and oppressed.
Wavorly, however, has known freedom and the outside world. She bucks convention and all demands. She has a huge hate for vampires. Especially one who saved her from death by another vampire then left her and promised to come back when he never did.
Being headstrong, passionate and courageous she defies convention and that sets her apart from her peers who shun her because they cannot understand her willfulness and defiance. This has left her alone for too many years.
When once again she meets Zein, the vampire who saved her, she has more hatred and distrust for vampires than ever. When she is chosen to follow Zein to his home after the Distribution Ceremony, she cannot wait to escape.
As the days go by, however, her mindset starts to waver. She starts to believe that not all vampires are evil and that includes her master, Zein. Can she trust him? Or, is everything just a ruse?
Holy smokes! This book blew me away! It’s excruciating knowing that I have to wait for the next book. There are breath-stealing moments that left me at the edge of my seat. It is exciting, gripping and full of danger. It consumed me. Around every corner there was a new development. Twists and turns abound. This series is going to be my newest addiction.
My anxiety during the selection was raging alongside Wavorly’s. I needed to know what her fate was going to be.
Wavorly is strong, defiant and courageous. She left me slack-jawed. She is such a ballsy little thing!
Zein is a tough one to crack. We do not get to see much of him but he keeps everything so close to the chest. He is powerful, demanding and somewhat of a bully which befits his station. It was hard to categorize if he is good or bad and what his intentions are toward Wavorly. I have a feeling that in the long-run even he doesn’t really know.
This is one book you don’t want to miss!
I received an ARC via NetGalley of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Kelsey Quick is a new-to-me author and she made one heck of an impression on me with A Violet Fire!
Set in a time where humans are scarce and thus, so is the blood supply for vampires, humans are now serving at their whim. From breeding farms to brainwashing and sustenance for vampires, humans are completely dominated and oppressed.
Wavorly, however, has known freedom and the outside world. She bucks convention and all demands. She has a huge hate for vampires. Especially one who saved her from death by another vampire then left her and promised to come back when he never did.
Being headstrong, passionate and courageous she defies convention and that sets her apart from her peers who shun her because they cannot understand her willfulness and defiance. This has left her alone for too many years.
When once again she meets Zein, the vampire who saved her, she has more hatred and distrust for vampires than ever. When she is chosen to follow Zein to his home after the Distribution Ceremony, she cannot wait to escape.
As the days go by, however, her mindset starts to waver. She starts to believe that not all vampires are evil and that includes her master, Zein. Can she trust him? Or, is everything just a ruse?
Holy smokes! This book blew me away! It’s excruciating knowing that I have to wait for the next book. There are breath-stealing moments that left me at the edge of my seat. It is exciting, gripping and full of danger. It consumed me. Around every corner there was a new development. Twists and turns abound. This series is going to be my newest addiction.
My anxiety during the selection was raging alongside Wavorly’s. I needed to know what her fate was going to be.
Wavorly is strong, defiant and courageous. She left me slack-jawed. She is such a ballsy little thing!
Zein is a tough one to crack. We do not get to see much of him but he keeps everything so close to the chest. He is powerful, demanding and somewhat of a bully which befits his station. It was hard to categorize if he is good or bad and what his intentions are toward Wavorly. I have a feeling that in the long-run even he doesn’t really know.
This is one book you don’t want to miss!
I received an ARC via NetGalley of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 24, 2019
I received this from Netgalley for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings expressed are my own.
This is quite possibly the worst book I've read in 2019. I was intrigued by the comparison done with The Handmaid's Tale and A Court of Thrones and Roses - but it does not even compare to those two.
The writing drags on, our main character Wavorly is bratty, unlikeable and is even lowkey slut-shamey. She dislikes girl a lot more than she dislikes men in the same conditions.
Zein is instantly dislikeable, the background story we are given is bloody. And it does not feel real. I don't fall for it. I was hoping for an awesome vampire story with awful vampires but I didn't get that.
The breeding houses is the only similarity I can make to The Handmaid's Tale but all in all, they aren't that comparable at all... There is also an element of "The Chosen One" and God and honestly, just awful shit. I think you would more enjoyment of throwing yourself from a swing set and break your arm.
The love affair or whatever I should call it, was not at all believable and I found the last 20% of the book not enjoyable at all. I think I would have more success with watching paint dry.
This is quite possibly the worst book I've read in 2019. I was intrigued by the comparison done with The Handmaid's Tale and A Court of Thrones and Roses - but it does not even compare to those two.
The writing drags on, our main character Wavorly is bratty, unlikeable and is even lowkey slut-shamey. She dislikes girl a lot more than she dislikes men in the same conditions.
Zein is instantly dislikeable, the background story we are given is bloody. And it does not feel real. I don't fall for it. I was hoping for an awesome vampire story with awful vampires but I didn't get that.
The breeding houses is the only similarity I can make to The Handmaid's Tale but all in all, they aren't that comparable at all... There is also an element of "The Chosen One" and God and honestly, just awful shit. I think you would more enjoyment of throwing yourself from a swing set and break your arm.
The love affair or whatever I should call it, was not at all believable and I found the last 20% of the book not enjoyable at all. I think I would have more success with watching paint dry.
dnf
December 11, 2019Dnf. Nope.
July 15, 2019
Thank you Netgalley and D&B Management for sending me a digital copy of A Violet Fire.
This book is quite different from typical vampire stories. In a world ruled by vampires, Wavorly is a mere human, trained to become a supply unit - humans who provides blood to the vampires - for the dark brooding Lord Anton Zein, one of the five rulers of the vampire nation, who rescued her years ago from an attack of rogue vampires. But just because Wavorly owes her life to him does not mean she is willing to serve as his slave and live to feed his blood lust. She loathes him and chooses to defy him in every way she can but as she spends more time with him, she starts to question whether he really is the monster she thought him to be. But in this ruthless world ruled by bloodsucking monsters, things are not the way they seem. Soon her life takes an unexpected and dangerous turn as she learns about sinister plots and hidden prophecies.
SPOILERS AHEAD
I was quite torn on whether to give it a 4 star or 5 star, so i guess I am settling for 4.5 stars. This book gave me everything I needed - dark and forbidden romance, chosen one, cool prophecies - everything. It is perfect for all the Darkling and Alina (from Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo) shippers including me. I loved the main character - but while she starts off as a badass heroine, her character kind of becomes more of a lovesick damsel in distress in the middle of the book until she regains her awesome stature in the end. The love interest/ villain is extremely well written - he is manipulative and evil but he also has this soft vulnerable side, especially, in the end of the book you see his conflicts and realize that no matter what his original intentions were, to his own dismay, he IS in love with Wavorly. I still hate him for all the heinous things he has done, but I also ship him with Wavorly so hard and hope to see him redeem himself eventually (though I don't know if anyone can ever excuse this level of atrocity). This book is set in a dark and semi dystopian vampire world which I haven't seen in books before and enjoyed very much. The starting of this book, however, was very slow. I was almost 20% in when I was seriously considering not finishing - but once you get past it, the plot (atleast romance wise) starts getting interesting. I also felt like the author was unnecessarily too descriptive. The book would have worked just fine without those details and I skimmed through most of them.
Overall, it was a really good book - a bit slow paced but swoon worthy. I can't wait to see more of Wavorly and Zein. Prophecies and chosen ones are my favorite fantasy tropes and I am very excited to see how this one plays out. I look forward to reading the next installment of this series.
This book is quite different from typical vampire stories. In a world ruled by vampires, Wavorly is a mere human, trained to become a supply unit - humans who provides blood to the vampires - for the dark brooding Lord Anton Zein, one of the five rulers of the vampire nation, who rescued her years ago from an attack of rogue vampires. But just because Wavorly owes her life to him does not mean she is willing to serve as his slave and live to feed his blood lust. She loathes him and chooses to defy him in every way she can but as she spends more time with him, she starts to question whether he really is the monster she thought him to be. But in this ruthless world ruled by bloodsucking monsters, things are not the way they seem. Soon her life takes an unexpected and dangerous turn as she learns about sinister plots and hidden prophecies.
SPOILERS AHEAD
I was quite torn on whether to give it a 4 star or 5 star, so i guess I am settling for 4.5 stars. This book gave me everything I needed - dark and forbidden romance, chosen one, cool prophecies - everything. It is perfect for all the Darkling and Alina (from Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo) shippers including me. I loved the main character - but while she starts off as a badass heroine, her character kind of becomes more of a lovesick damsel in distress in the middle of the book until she regains her awesome stature in the end. The love interest/ villain is extremely well written - he is manipulative and evil but he also has this soft vulnerable side, especially, in the end of the book you see his conflicts and realize that no matter what his original intentions were, to his own dismay, he IS in love with Wavorly. I still hate him for all the heinous things he has done, but I also ship him with Wavorly so hard and hope to see him redeem himself eventually (though I don't know if anyone can ever excuse this level of atrocity). This book is set in a dark and semi dystopian vampire world which I haven't seen in books before and enjoyed very much. The starting of this book, however, was very slow. I was almost 20% in when I was seriously considering not finishing - but once you get past it, the plot (atleast romance wise) starts getting interesting. I also felt like the author was unnecessarily too descriptive. The book would have worked just fine without those details and I skimmed through most of them.
Overall, it was a really good book - a bit slow paced but swoon worthy. I can't wait to see more of Wavorly and Zein. Prophecies and chosen ones are my favorite fantasy tropes and I am very excited to see how this one plays out. I look forward to reading the next installment of this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2022
“Your generation of humans are lucky... for your existence upon this earth is spared only by the impending extinction of your race. You should be grateful that your masters have become less predatory and more parasitic over the last century.”
I haven't read a vampire story in so long, I didn't know I missed it so much! I've finished this book in two sittings and loved it, especially so because I wasn't expecting much from it. There's a few things left to be desired but overall it was a great read.
The story focuses a lot on Waverly's thoughts and actions plus the romance rather than on the fantasy elements like the violet door that is eventually introduced. I wish it was mention more often than set aside until it was explained in the end but the romance was my cup of tea so I didn't mind it much. It honestly reminded me of Alina and the Darkling but much better since there's actually romance and intimacy happening. I really enjoyed the world building as well, it didn't feel too much nor too little.
A few other things bothered me thougg like it was implied that Narref and Zein has some sibling rivalry happening but no situation nor anything substantial happened that shows this. To me, I found it to be the opposite, Narref works hard to not inconvenience Zein.
My other issue was the murky emphasis on the technology advancement. Sometimes it implies that it's advance, other times that it wasn't that advance so it left me confused whenever it was mentioned.
As for the characters, I liked Violet's strong personality but didn't find any sense in her sudden outburst of trying to befriend people she didn't get along with out of nowhere. Glera doesn't show up as much until the end but I really liked her as well. It was interesting knowing the reasoning for why most other characters are the way they are. As for the vampires, I loved Gemini and Narref so much especially the banter between them and Waverly. Zein was the perfect "Darkling" to me and loved him the most.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story and romance though I wished it balanced it a bit more with the fantasy elements. The chosen one plot happened in the last 50 or so pages which felt a bit sudden and out of nowhere because of the focus on the romance. Nevertheless, I can't wait for the sequel!
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the digital copy for an honest review.
I haven't read a vampire story in so long, I didn't know I missed it so much! I've finished this book in two sittings and loved it, especially so because I wasn't expecting much from it. There's a few things left to be desired but overall it was a great read.
The story focuses a lot on Waverly's thoughts and actions plus the romance rather than on the fantasy elements like the violet door that is eventually introduced. I wish it was mention more often than set aside until it was explained in the end but the romance was my cup of tea so I didn't mind it much. It honestly reminded me of Alina and the Darkling but much better since there's actually romance and intimacy happening. I really enjoyed the world building as well, it didn't feel too much nor too little.
A few other things bothered me thougg like it was implied that Narref and Zein has some sibling rivalry happening but no situation nor anything substantial happened that shows this. To me, I found it to be the opposite, Narref works hard to not inconvenience Zein.
My other issue was the murky emphasis on the technology advancement. Sometimes it implies that it's advance, other times that it wasn't that advance so it left me confused whenever it was mentioned.
As for the characters, I liked Violet's strong personality but didn't find any sense in her sudden outburst of trying to befriend people she didn't get along with out of nowhere. Glera doesn't show up as much until the end but I really liked her as well. It was interesting knowing the reasoning for why most other characters are the way they are. As for the vampires, I loved Gemini and Narref so much especially the banter between them and Waverly. Zein was the perfect "Darkling" to me and loved him the most.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story and romance though I wished it balanced it a bit more with the fantasy elements. The chosen one plot happened in the last 50 or so pages which felt a bit sudden and out of nowhere because of the focus on the romance. Nevertheless, I can't wait for the sequel!
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the digital copy for an honest review.
June 23, 2019
I struggled on weither to give this a 4 or 5 star rating. Ultimately I am selecting 5.
Let me start by saying I LOVE vampire books. I have had a long time love for all things vampire so this struck my interest instantly.
This book started out much different than most vampire books I have read. The H is slightly annoying in the fact that her desire to escape seems to outweigh everything including self preservation.
Zein....awww....Zein. I shall claim you as my book boyfriend. I know I should not like him. He is not such a nice man really but I just can't help myself! I am very anxious to read more and do hope he redeems himself in future books.
There were two thing that made me question the rating, 1. The ending felt a bit rushed and perhaps a little out of place. 2. At times I felt like thinga were overly detailed for my liking. However I decided that with another book coming the ending will be okay and that the details issue is simply a personal preference thing.
I found it a good read, although a bit dark. I will certainly be waiting for the next installment.
*I received an arc of this to review, however the thoughts and options expressed are my own*
Let me start by saying I LOVE vampire books. I have had a long time love for all things vampire so this struck my interest instantly.
This book started out much different than most vampire books I have read. The H is slightly annoying in the fact that her desire to escape seems to outweigh everything including self preservation.
Zein....awww....Zein. I shall claim you as my book boyfriend. I know I should not like him. He is not such a nice man really but I just can't help myself! I am very anxious to read more and do hope he redeems himself in future books.
There were two thing that made me question the rating, 1. The ending felt a bit rushed and perhaps a little out of place. 2. At times I felt like thinga were overly detailed for my liking. However I decided that with another book coming the ending will be okay and that the details issue is simply a personal preference thing.
I found it a good read, although a bit dark. I will certainly be waiting for the next installment.
*I received an arc of this to review, however the thoughts and options expressed are my own*
dnf
December 10, 2019DNF on Chapter 2
Hear me out before stones start being thrown! I took the cautious way into this novel and by that I mean I read the first chapter in the kindle sample to determine if this was something I liked or didn't like off the bat. I came to the conclusion that as interesting as the plot and characters seem I, personally, can't stand descriptive and flowery writing if I'm physically reading it. My eyes have been acting up with an allergy no doctor can pinpoint and I don't have the patience to sit through books that don't get to the point as fast as I'd like them to. This is in no way a jab at the author, it's simply a personal preference. I can usually get through books like this as an audio book by speeding it up a little. I'm not a fast reader so audio books also help on that front. If this book gets made into an audio book with a narrator whose voice I like I'm willing to get it a second chance!
Hear me out before stones start being thrown! I took the cautious way into this novel and by that I mean I read the first chapter in the kindle sample to determine if this was something I liked or didn't like off the bat. I came to the conclusion that as interesting as the plot and characters seem I, personally, can't stand descriptive and flowery writing if I'm physically reading it. My eyes have been acting up with an allergy no doctor can pinpoint and I don't have the patience to sit through books that don't get to the point as fast as I'd like them to. This is in no way a jab at the author, it's simply a personal preference. I can usually get through books like this as an audio book by speeding it up a little. I'm not a fast reader so audio books also help on that front. If this book gets made into an audio book with a narrator whose voice I like I'm willing to get it a second chance!
February 3, 2020
*
"If death is the only choice that I can make. for myself, then I will make it.”
Let me start off by saying that I'm not a big fan of vampire books, especially romanticized vampires. But I liked the idea of this being post apocalyptic.
In the world of Cain, humans have been hunted to near extinction. To keep their food source from drying up, the vampires have created a system to breed, train, and drain the humans. They create loyal servants from birth whose only desire is to be anything their vampire masters want of them.
But Wavorly is different. She wasn't born in the breeding house like the other boys and girls, but was captured from one of the last free human towns. She was only eight when that happens and spends the next ten years learning how to be the best food source.
Fast forward a little. She is now in the castle here to serve her master Anton Zein, who actually rescued her as a child when her village was attacked. You can probably guess from here that he calls on her frequently to feed on her and they talk and start to create a bond.
Wavorly is a bit of a hot head and doesn't know how to control her tongue. She back talks the vamps and is constantly putting herself in danger. Zein, for some unknown reason, keeps saving her. Now Zein, I'll admit whenever he was kind to Wavorly I always became suspicious. Not once did I view their "romance" as forbidden love but as a vampire tricking a naive human.
Turns out, that's exactly what was going on. Phew. I was so relieved when he turned out to be evil! I was like, YES! Buuuut, the ending was rushed. A whole bunch of information and twists get thrown at you one after the other with no real build up. Sure her childhood friend was mentioned so you already knew he was going to show up, but the lavender portal gate I didn't feel was explained very well. Those scenes were more confusing than anything.
Overall I felt like the story was just alright. It seemed a lot like some other books I've read (but in this day and age what theme hasn't been used) and I'm undecided if I'll read the next book or not.
If you liked this book try these:
Captured
The Beautiful Ones
*~~~~
Ages 16+
Language: Mild
Sexual Content: Drinking of blood, Zein and Wavorly kiss a few times but have a pretty heated one in a carriage,
Trigger Warnings: forced bondage, hints at abuse and rape,
"If death is the only choice that I can make. for myself, then I will make it.”
Let me start off by saying that I'm not a big fan of vampire books, especially romanticized vampires. But I liked the idea of this being post apocalyptic.
In the world of Cain, humans have been hunted to near extinction. To keep their food source from drying up, the vampires have created a system to breed, train, and drain the humans. They create loyal servants from birth whose only desire is to be anything their vampire masters want of them.
But Wavorly is different. She wasn't born in the breeding house like the other boys and girls, but was captured from one of the last free human towns. She was only eight when that happens and spends the next ten years learning how to be the best food source.
Fast forward a little. She is now in the castle here to serve her master Anton Zein, who actually rescued her as a child when her village was attacked. You can probably guess from here that he calls on her frequently to feed on her and they talk and start to create a bond.
Wavorly is a bit of a hot head and doesn't know how to control her tongue. She back talks the vamps and is constantly putting herself in danger. Zein, for some unknown reason, keeps saving her. Now Zein, I'll admit whenever he was kind to Wavorly I always became suspicious. Not once did I view their "romance" as forbidden love but as a vampire tricking a naive human.
Turns out, that's exactly what was going on. Phew. I was so relieved when he turned out to be evil! I was like, YES! Buuuut, the ending was rushed. A whole bunch of information and twists get thrown at you one after the other with no real build up. Sure her childhood friend was mentioned so you already knew he was going to show up, but the lavender portal gate I didn't feel was explained very well. Those scenes were more confusing than anything.
Overall I felt like the story was just alright. It seemed a lot like some other books I've read (but in this day and age what theme hasn't been used) and I'm undecided if I'll read the next book or not.
If you liked this book try these:
Captured
The Beautiful Ones
*~~~~
Ages 16+
Language: Mild
Sexual Content: Drinking of blood, Zein and Wavorly kiss a few times but have a pretty heated one in a carriage,
Trigger Warnings: forced bondage, hints at abuse and rape,
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2019
Anyone who's enjoyed Holly Black's The Cruel Prince needs to read Kelsey Quick's A Violet Fire. It takes the same basic concept of being a rare human in world of magical, powerful creatures, and turns it into a kind of psychological drama with a fantasy backdrop. It's beautifully crafted, and the character development is top-notch. This book exemplifies what an active protagonist should look like--not jumping from one big, exciting event to another but pushing the plot forward with her decisions.
When the book begins, Wavorly (or Wave, as her few friends call her), has every reason not to have agency. She's enslaved as a young child, raised in a world where her only purpose is feeding a vampire master, and pretty much spends all her time locked in one cage or another. Yet her fierce goal to escape and find freedom permeates her every action. She gives herself agency. Her choices matter, and she reflects back on them and adjusts future actions accordingly. Wave never just walks anywhere. She surveys her surroundings, looking for openings she can use later.
The core of the book is the war going on in Wave's head. She has always hated vampires, but when her master Zein starts showing her small moments of kindness, it throws her off, and she finds her resolve weakening. The reader is left constantly trying to figure Zein out as much as Wave is. I could still see readers having mixed feelings about him even after the book is over.
Throughout the book, Wave gets visions of a sort by stepping into a room of violet flames that only she seems to be able to see. These build up to an excellent twist at the end that I don't believe any reader is going to see coming, simply because the hints Wave gets from her moments past the wall are too disjointed. But I don't believe this is one of those books where the aim is to figure the twist out. The big question becomes, once all is revealed, what does Wave ultimately do with this final piece of information? Does she give Zein her full trust or not? There are surprisingly stiff consequences if her assessment about him is wrong.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I hope I get to read more of the author's work in the future.
When the book begins, Wavorly (or Wave, as her few friends call her), has every reason not to have agency. She's enslaved as a young child, raised in a world where her only purpose is feeding a vampire master, and pretty much spends all her time locked in one cage or another. Yet her fierce goal to escape and find freedom permeates her every action. She gives herself agency. Her choices matter, and she reflects back on them and adjusts future actions accordingly. Wave never just walks anywhere. She surveys her surroundings, looking for openings she can use later.
The core of the book is the war going on in Wave's head. She has always hated vampires, but when her master Zein starts showing her small moments of kindness, it throws her off, and she finds her resolve weakening. The reader is left constantly trying to figure Zein out as much as Wave is. I could still see readers having mixed feelings about him even after the book is over.
Throughout the book, Wave gets visions of a sort by stepping into a room of violet flames that only she seems to be able to see. These build up to an excellent twist at the end that I don't believe any reader is going to see coming, simply because the hints Wave gets from her moments past the wall are too disjointed. But I don't believe this is one of those books where the aim is to figure the twist out. The big question becomes, once all is revealed, what does Wave ultimately do with this final piece of information? Does she give Zein her full trust or not? There are surprisingly stiff consequences if her assessment about him is wrong.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I hope I get to read more of the author's work in the future.
December 19, 2019
For more fun, bookish stuff, check out my blog!
Big note at the beginning of this review is that not only did I receive an ARC of A Violet Fire for a free and honest review by the author, but that Kelsey Quick and I have become author buddies along the way! I helped her with some of the late-stage editing of AVF, provided cover feedback, and we also talk shop about author stuff. So this review is biased fo sho! But I still wanted to get up a review. 🙂
I had tons of fun reading A Violet Fire. Anyone who’s spent time around these parts knows I’m a big vampire fan, and A Violet Fire was just the right strain of different to keep me glued to the page. I loved the world-building; save for The Passage by Justin Cronin, which I didn’t entirely get along with, I’ve never read a vampire book where vampires have taken over the world. The premise here is simple and makes for great romantic power dynamics: vampires in this universe own humans like cattle, and our human MC, Wavorly, is a blood supply unit of hot vampire bad boy Zein. Yeah, it sounds a little fucked up on paper, but if you’re like me and love a Beauty and the Beast backbone, then this is a book to put on your list.
Quick has a voice for YA, and the book moves swiftly. It does have a first book feel; by that I mean that you can tell it’s gone through a lot of editing and has some patches, but I don’t really deduct for that since every author has a first book. It was all the little touches I enjoyed most: Wavorly’s friendships, the way she uses French to her advantage, her insistence on human dignity, the dark and lush imagery. Reading AVF is kind of like eating candy; the two are nothing alike story-wise, but I was reminded of the momentum I felt when I read The Selection a few years back. It’s just fun.
I’m excited for the sequel to AVF, which I believe is slated for release next year. Vampires are back in YA, thank the lord! And a big congratulations to Kelsey again; as I said in my interview with her, I’ve never seen an indie author put so much effort into a release, and I admire her as a fellow author businesswoman. I will definitely be reading book two.
Big note at the beginning of this review is that not only did I receive an ARC of A Violet Fire for a free and honest review by the author, but that Kelsey Quick and I have become author buddies along the way! I helped her with some of the late-stage editing of AVF, provided cover feedback, and we also talk shop about author stuff. So this review is biased fo sho! But I still wanted to get up a review. 🙂
I had tons of fun reading A Violet Fire. Anyone who’s spent time around these parts knows I’m a big vampire fan, and A Violet Fire was just the right strain of different to keep me glued to the page. I loved the world-building; save for The Passage by Justin Cronin, which I didn’t entirely get along with, I’ve never read a vampire book where vampires have taken over the world. The premise here is simple and makes for great romantic power dynamics: vampires in this universe own humans like cattle, and our human MC, Wavorly, is a blood supply unit of hot vampire bad boy Zein. Yeah, it sounds a little fucked up on paper, but if you’re like me and love a Beauty and the Beast backbone, then this is a book to put on your list.
Quick has a voice for YA, and the book moves swiftly. It does have a first book feel; by that I mean that you can tell it’s gone through a lot of editing and has some patches, but I don’t really deduct for that since every author has a first book. It was all the little touches I enjoyed most: Wavorly’s friendships, the way she uses French to her advantage, her insistence on human dignity, the dark and lush imagery. Reading AVF is kind of like eating candy; the two are nothing alike story-wise, but I was reminded of the momentum I felt when I read The Selection a few years back. It’s just fun.
I’m excited for the sequel to AVF, which I believe is slated for release next year. Vampires are back in YA, thank the lord! And a big congratulations to Kelsey again; as I said in my interview with her, I’ve never seen an indie author put so much effort into a release, and I admire her as a fellow author businesswoman. I will definitely be reading book two.
May 7, 2019
I really enjoyed this book! The main character’s name is Waverly and as you read through the book her early life story starts to emerge. The complexity of her past and how she survived it and continues to try too not only survive, but live, in a society where humans are not the dominant species. She grows from a rebellious young girl to a woman with a purpose. I don’t want to say more about the plot because I don’t want to give anything away. The writing is descriptive and the plot moves along quickly. I found that I could relate to the character’s actions and choices because they made decisions that were true to their nature. This helped draw me into this world. I am looking forward to the next installment!
July 26, 2019
I honestly could not put this down. Absolutely enthralling and I was constantly kept on my toes. I frequently went from loving the main character to wanting to strangle her, yet it just made for an even more amazing read. Love what the author did with the characters and I can’t wait to see where this leads!
April 25, 2019
An absolutely beautifully written book. The prose is heartbreakingly gorgeous. Quick does an excellent job of crafting character arcs, an interesting and unique setting, and a fabulous twist on vampires. I read an early version and am so excited to read the updated one!
August 6, 2019
Okay, I should start this by informing anyone that reads this review by saying I may have a slight personal bias. I received this book free from the author, and even after I had trouble downloading the initial link she gave her FF readers, she personally helped me and sent me a link so I had the chance to read her work. That being said I'm going to give the most honest review I'm capable of, I just thought I should give everyone context ahead of time.
Alright, on to the review.
I have to say I enjoyed the premise of this book. I like vampire novels but they're honestly not my favorite supernatural creature so I'm always open to new interpretations of the legend. When it comes to insta-love in YA novels I'm often down right repulsed. I'm a slowburn kinda girl, I want them to discover their love over 500 pages or even better two to three books.
I'm saying all this because one of the things that caught my eye about this book was the author outright saying that she was going to challenge that notion in the YA Fantasy/Supernatural romance category. I've read quite a few books this year with interesting plots that were completely destroyed by the quick love the main character goes through. Fifty pages into books like that and she's already prepared to marry the boy and pledge her life to saving him, no question. Meanwhile, I'm not entirely sure what his last name is and he's barely had more than nine lines of dialogue, this leaves me completely distracted from the danger she's in and her mission in life, because I'm too busy trying to see what she sees in him.
So, that's why I was interested in this book.
Part of me wants to say that the author was successful in achieving her goal. The character, Z29734, or Wavorly, is interesting on her own. She has goals, she questions the world when no one else around her seems to, she's independent, and not willing to live her life attempting to please anyone. All of that was really great to see in a character, especially the human heroine in a vampire novel.
For a long time, the book it was mostly focused on Wavorly, her friendships and her intent to escape her fate of being a supply unit and then a breeding mare to feed the never ending hunger of the vampire hierarchy. She was outwardly prickly to those who went to school with her, because she refused to lay back and be brainwashed like the vampires in charge wanted her to, and because her classmates had been reared from the start to want to please, they were more than happy to view her as the outsider.
It was actually really interesting, watching her try to navigate new friendships in awkward places. In all honesty I'm not entirely sure if I would have been a big enough person to do what she did for one of girls who had mistreated her in the past. And I liked that they weren't pitted against each other by the author, which could have so easily happened in the hands of someone else. I hate having to watch girls fight over the idea of a scrap of a boy's attention, so seeing so much of the book dedicated to them slowly getting to know each other better was refreshing.
But I have to admit things changed when the vamp, Zein, appeared, and I couldn't entirely understand why.
At first in his presence, she was fierce and angry, willing to speak her mind and uncaring about winning his affection, but then there were these two giant time skips, set months apart, that left me confused. Apparently, they spent several months together, getting to know each other and over that time her opinion of him began to change. Then they spent time away from each other and she actually had a hard time resisting the urge to visit him. This was a really confusing thing to experience as a reader because seemingly out of nowhere, she'd let down her guard.
I didn't feel like I spent enough time with Zein to get to know him, let alone fall for him as she did. So much of this book is focused on the girls' experiences as supplies, that Zein's scenes feel more like snippets, and I couldn't get enough of a vision of his personality to say whether I liked him or not. Other vampires, like Gemini and Narref, had far more impact on me than Zein. They were humorous and a little complex, I was surprised how quickly I began to trust them, despite how dangerous they were. Which set the right tone of fear I felt this book was trying to impart; watch who you trust, after all everyone around you bites.
By contrast, the more trusting Wavorly became of Zein, the more I became suspicious, not charmed. I mean, I'm pretty sure he assaulted her the first time they were alone together, and she very nearly died from fright, so I couldn't wrap my head around her sudden thought process regarding him. I seriously thought for a moment he was drugging her; that was the only thing that I could think of to explain her complete 180° opinion on him. I had a funny little conspiracy that something was in the supply's water and that's where all this loyalty toward the vampire race was coming from.
I am not, however, writing off the possibility that there could be more Zein. I only read the tiny excerpt from the sequel and my interest has become reignited in him. If half, or even a quarter, of that book is written in his perspective it will bring far more substance to their potential romance. I need to understand him better before I can decide how I feel about him. I can't even write off their 'relationship' as toxic because I just don't understand where he's coming from.
Moving away from Zein, I'd like to continue to the world-building.
The author's ability to describe what was being experienced by Wavorly was top notch. I've recently started writing a little myself, and my biggest struggle is describing the world around characters the way I picture it, that's why I can recognize and admire how well she does it. I had very clear pictures in my mind whenever Wavorly felt pain, adrenaline or fear. Often, when she was in danger, I felt it just as acutely.
There was something that confused me a bit. The world itself. There was a great event, or feeding period that lead to humans being put on the brink of extinction. Now, only wealthy politically connected vampires got to feed from actual humans, the rest have to do with imitation blood packs. From there Earth's history is a little muddy.The level of technology involved in their world wasn't clear. They had a form of solar panels, trackers, and other small types of tech, but cameras didn't exist. It would have been far simpler to watch over the supply units if they had cameras, instead they all had to be tagged like animals, which I found bizarre and unsettling. Not much else of the world seemed to be modern, people wore cloaks and robes, it felt like an old world most of the time with small touches of the modern world involved. I'm not sure if this some future form of what Earth could be like after hundreds or thousands of years of vampires and humans barely coexisting, or perhaps other forms of technology were simply banned. If I was supposed to believe that everything was so old fashioned, dramatic, and full of pomp because vampires are naturally drama queens, I would actually believe that and would to take this part back.
Then there were the nations mentioned. At first I thought this was an original world the author created, because there were locations that had original names. Until I found out that France and Jerusalem exist and are central to the story. I'm not sure if I wasn't paying enough attention, but I don't know if any other real life countries exist, or if something important happened to them to cease their existence.
I understand how important French was to her backstory and individuality as a supply unit, but I'm not entirely sure if that couldn't have been achieved with a fictional country, especially since there was barely any French spoken in the book. I don't want to seem too harsh, there may be more important tie-in's to French culture in the sequel. I'm just expressing the confusion I felt whenever it was brought up.
One last thing to note; the author wrote this book in first person/present tense, which I know can be frustrating to certain people who prefer third person/past tense.
Long review, cut short: There is more to this book than what meets the eye, and I need to read the next book to really understand the characters. There is plenty to be built on from A Violet Fire, and the idea of a semi-distopian world run by vampires who feed on a dwindling supply of overtly complacent human (mostly) women, is interesting enough for me to pull up another chair, on another weekend, and see where the characters go from there. I liked Wavorly, I'm interested in learning more about Zein, and all of the supporting characters have plenty of potential, not just as background beings, but also watching to see if they find their own journeys of independence, or if nurture truly tops nature, and they continue to find fulfillment in being supply units.
I would read this again, and recommend it, not just because I enjoyed the book, but also in the hopes that it could help bring more thought to the genre. 😄
Alright, on to the review.
I have to say I enjoyed the premise of this book. I like vampire novels but they're honestly not my favorite supernatural creature so I'm always open to new interpretations of the legend. When it comes to insta-love in YA novels I'm often down right repulsed. I'm a slowburn kinda girl, I want them to discover their love over 500 pages or even better two to three books.
I'm saying all this because one of the things that caught my eye about this book was the author outright saying that she was going to challenge that notion in the YA Fantasy/Supernatural romance category. I've read quite a few books this year with interesting plots that were completely destroyed by the quick love the main character goes through. Fifty pages into books like that and she's already prepared to marry the boy and pledge her life to saving him, no question. Meanwhile, I'm not entirely sure what his last name is and he's barely had more than nine lines of dialogue, this leaves me completely distracted from the danger she's in and her mission in life, because I'm too busy trying to see what she sees in him.
So, that's why I was interested in this book.
Part of me wants to say that the author was successful in achieving her goal. The character, Z29734, or Wavorly, is interesting on her own. She has goals, she questions the world when no one else around her seems to, she's independent, and not willing to live her life attempting to please anyone. All of that was really great to see in a character, especially the human heroine in a vampire novel.
For a long time, the book it was mostly focused on Wavorly, her friendships and her intent to escape her fate of being a supply unit and then a breeding mare to feed the never ending hunger of the vampire hierarchy. She was outwardly prickly to those who went to school with her, because she refused to lay back and be brainwashed like the vampires in charge wanted her to, and because her classmates had been reared from the start to want to please, they were more than happy to view her as the outsider.
It was actually really interesting, watching her try to navigate new friendships in awkward places. In all honesty I'm not entirely sure if I would have been a big enough person to do what she did for one of girls who had mistreated her in the past. And I liked that they weren't pitted against each other by the author, which could have so easily happened in the hands of someone else. I hate having to watch girls fight over the idea of a scrap of a boy's attention, so seeing so much of the book dedicated to them slowly getting to know each other better was refreshing.
But I have to admit things changed when the vamp, Zein, appeared, and I couldn't entirely understand why.
At first in his presence, she was fierce and angry, willing to speak her mind and uncaring about winning his affection, but then there were these two giant time skips, set months apart, that left me confused. Apparently, they spent several months together, getting to know each other and over that time her opinion of him began to change. Then they spent time away from each other and she actually had a hard time resisting the urge to visit him. This was a really confusing thing to experience as a reader because seemingly out of nowhere, she'd let down her guard.
I didn't feel like I spent enough time with Zein to get to know him, let alone fall for him as she did. So much of this book is focused on the girls' experiences as supplies, that Zein's scenes feel more like snippets, and I couldn't get enough of a vision of his personality to say whether I liked him or not. Other vampires, like Gemini and Narref, had far more impact on me than Zein. They were humorous and a little complex, I was surprised how quickly I began to trust them, despite how dangerous they were. Which set the right tone of fear I felt this book was trying to impart; watch who you trust, after all everyone around you bites.
By contrast, the more trusting Wavorly became of Zein, the more I became suspicious, not charmed. I mean, I'm pretty sure he assaulted her the first time they were alone together, and she very nearly died from fright, so I couldn't wrap my head around her sudden thought process regarding him. I seriously thought for a moment he was drugging her; that was the only thing that I could think of to explain her complete 180° opinion on him. I had a funny little conspiracy that something was in the supply's water and that's where all this loyalty toward the vampire race was coming from.
I am not, however, writing off the possibility that there could be more Zein. I only read the tiny excerpt from the sequel and my interest has become reignited in him. If half, or even a quarter, of that book is written in his perspective it will bring far more substance to their potential romance. I need to understand him better before I can decide how I feel about him. I can't even write off their 'relationship' as toxic because I just don't understand where he's coming from.
Moving away from Zein, I'd like to continue to the world-building.
The author's ability to describe what was being experienced by Wavorly was top notch. I've recently started writing a little myself, and my biggest struggle is describing the world around characters the way I picture it, that's why I can recognize and admire how well she does it. I had very clear pictures in my mind whenever Wavorly felt pain, adrenaline or fear. Often, when she was in danger, I felt it just as acutely.
There was something that confused me a bit. The world itself. There was a great event, or feeding period that lead to humans being put on the brink of extinction. Now, only wealthy politically connected vampires got to feed from actual humans, the rest have to do with imitation blood packs. From there Earth's history is a little muddy.The level of technology involved in their world wasn't clear. They had a form of solar panels, trackers, and other small types of tech, but cameras didn't exist. It would have been far simpler to watch over the supply units if they had cameras, instead they all had to be tagged like animals, which I found bizarre and unsettling. Not much else of the world seemed to be modern, people wore cloaks and robes, it felt like an old world most of the time with small touches of the modern world involved. I'm not sure if this some future form of what Earth could be like after hundreds or thousands of years of vampires and humans barely coexisting, or perhaps other forms of technology were simply banned. If I was supposed to believe that everything was so old fashioned, dramatic, and full of pomp because vampires are naturally drama queens, I would actually believe that and would to take this part back.
Then there were the nations mentioned. At first I thought this was an original world the author created, because there were locations that had original names. Until I found out that France and Jerusalem exist and are central to the story. I'm not sure if I wasn't paying enough attention, but I don't know if any other real life countries exist, or if something important happened to them to cease their existence.
I understand how important French was to her backstory and individuality as a supply unit, but I'm not entirely sure if that couldn't have been achieved with a fictional country, especially since there was barely any French spoken in the book. I don't want to seem too harsh, there may be more important tie-in's to French culture in the sequel. I'm just expressing the confusion I felt whenever it was brought up.
One last thing to note; the author wrote this book in first person/present tense, which I know can be frustrating to certain people who prefer third person/past tense.
Long review, cut short: There is more to this book than what meets the eye, and I need to read the next book to really understand the characters. There is plenty to be built on from A Violet Fire, and the idea of a semi-distopian world run by vampires who feed on a dwindling supply of overtly complacent human (mostly) women, is interesting enough for me to pull up another chair, on another weekend, and see where the characters go from there. I liked Wavorly, I'm interested in learning more about Zein, and all of the supporting characters have plenty of potential, not just as background beings, but also watching to see if they find their own journeys of independence, or if nurture truly tops nature, and they continue to find fulfillment in being supply units.
I would read this again, and recommend it, not just because I enjoyed the book, but also in the hopes that it could help bring more thought to the genre. 😄
February 24, 2020
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars!
*ARC received from the author via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
For More Book Reviews Check Out My Blog: Dreamy Addictions
I've requested this book because I like vampire novels set in a dystopian world. I didn't put any high expectations on it, but surprisingly I found the story enjoyable. Despite having some issues, it was overall a pleasant ride. I'm not much fan of the cover though. It looks similar to the covers of J.R. Wards Black Dagger Brotherhood.
The story follows eighteen year old Wavorly Sterling who's a supply unit, bound to serve her blood willingly to her master for the rest of her life. She was just a child when her whole town was killed by rabid vampires and she was saved by Lord Anton Zein, the most feared vampire in Cain. All the girls who were born within the stratocracy are comfortable with their life being a blood supply unit and breeders, but Wavorly comes from a world where she tasted the freedom, and she will not stop until she escapes from this hell. She absolutely hates vampires, but she starts to admire her reserved Master who seems different than other ruthless vampires, and her growing feelings for him might become a problem for her. When old secrets and betrayals are finally revealed, Wavorly didn't know whom to trust.
I have mixed feelings about Wavorly's character. I don't hate her because I really admired her fierceness, but sometimes she really annoyed me. She tries to be bold and brave, but sometimes her actions seemed reckless. Nonetheless, I'm still rooting for her. The vampire Anton Zein was very very mysterious and reclusive. He's been hiding many secrets and it seems like he has some weird fascination for Wavorly. He never brutally punished her even though she was such a trouble maker, but I'm still not sure whether he's a good guy or a bad guy. I enjoyed the slow burn romance between Wavorly and Zein. It wasn't too intense but loved every interaction between them. I'm not fan of Wavorly's friends and I didn't care for them. I liked Narref though.
The plot was a bit confusing at the beginning and it took some time for me to understand what's really happening. Things started to make sense only after the second half. There's a prophecy trope which I've seen in a lot of vampire novels. There are some surprising twists that I hadn't seen coming. The author's writing was easy to follow. The book was written in wavorly's first person pov. The world building was decent but I was hoping for more. The story was set in a dystopian world where vampires rule the world and humans are nothing but blood supply units. The setting gave me medieval vibes because most of the plot was set in the castle.
Overall, I enjoyed it! The book concludes with a cliffhanger and I'm definitely going to check out the next book when it comes out.
*ARC received from the author via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
For More Book Reviews Check Out My Blog: Dreamy Addictions
I've requested this book because I like vampire novels set in a dystopian world. I didn't put any high expectations on it, but surprisingly I found the story enjoyable. Despite having some issues, it was overall a pleasant ride. I'm not much fan of the cover though. It looks similar to the covers of J.R. Wards Black Dagger Brotherhood.
The story follows eighteen year old Wavorly Sterling who's a supply unit, bound to serve her blood willingly to her master for the rest of her life. She was just a child when her whole town was killed by rabid vampires and she was saved by Lord Anton Zein, the most feared vampire in Cain. All the girls who were born within the stratocracy are comfortable with their life being a blood supply unit and breeders, but Wavorly comes from a world where she tasted the freedom, and she will not stop until she escapes from this hell. She absolutely hates vampires, but she starts to admire her reserved Master who seems different than other ruthless vampires, and her growing feelings for him might become a problem for her. When old secrets and betrayals are finally revealed, Wavorly didn't know whom to trust.
I have mixed feelings about Wavorly's character. I don't hate her because I really admired her fierceness, but sometimes she really annoyed me. She tries to be bold and brave, but sometimes her actions seemed reckless. Nonetheless, I'm still rooting for her. The vampire Anton Zein was very very mysterious and reclusive. He's been hiding many secrets and it seems like he has some weird fascination for Wavorly. He never brutally punished her even though she was such a trouble maker, but I'm still not sure whether he's a good guy or a bad guy. I enjoyed the slow burn romance between Wavorly and Zein. It wasn't too intense but loved every interaction between them. I'm not fan of Wavorly's friends and I didn't care for them. I liked Narref though.
The plot was a bit confusing at the beginning and it took some time for me to understand what's really happening. Things started to make sense only after the second half. There's a prophecy trope which I've seen in a lot of vampire novels. There are some surprising twists that I hadn't seen coming. The author's writing was easy to follow. The book was written in wavorly's first person pov. The world building was decent but I was hoping for more. The story was set in a dystopian world where vampires rule the world and humans are nothing but blood supply units. The setting gave me medieval vibes because most of the plot was set in the castle.
Overall, I enjoyed it! The book concludes with a cliffhanger and I'm definitely going to check out the next book when it comes out.
September 21, 2019
ARC provided by NetGalley and author for an honest review
Would you give your blood to a vampire in need? Even if it left you bedridden for hours, could you find yourslef selfless enough to do so?
A dystopian world where vampires are the majority and humans have become the minority.
The humans have been bred and raised within an academy, only learning what they need to know to serve one of five vampire rulers of the Stratocracy as a submissive servant, giving blood when needed or being sent to the reproduction house where their only role is to reproduce for the benefit of the vampires food supply. Waverly-a feminist symbol trying to break the chains of servitude-is one of few humans not bred in Cain. She remembers the taste of freedom and is determined to feel it once more. Upon graduation from the academy, she is assigned to Master Zein's supply unit alongside her two friends, Katarii and Savvy, where she becomes a favorite of blood tastes to Zein. She starts to have troubling feelings as with each feeding she learns more about Zein and falls for him. Think a creepy Stockholm syndrome.
A slave house with shelter from the rain, and a slave house without shelter from the rain are still slave houses.
But when Waverly stumbles upon a mysterious violet door, she starts to question if there is more to be known under Zein's shelter.
The Setting Sun this world giveth and taketh away, hope's light stripped from malice, virality, hate, grace subdued on the Sun's brightest day. Jerusalem's tempest, a century reborn, again and again, forevermore. Sacrifice for sacrifice, thousands spared, thousands torn. The damned claw and forever warn. The heir apparent, the violet judgement, unleashing wrath of the angels forlorn. Jerusalem's tempest unleashed, again and again, forevermore.
Waverly must escape the world of Cain, but can she succeed when she starts to feel stirrings of love for the one person she swore she would never even like?
Romance, fantasy, and an amazing plot twist, I can't begin to recommend this enough!
Would you give your blood to a vampire in need? Even if it left you bedridden for hours, could you find yourslef selfless enough to do so?
A dystopian world where vampires are the majority and humans have become the minority.
The humans have been bred and raised within an academy, only learning what they need to know to serve one of five vampire rulers of the Stratocracy as a submissive servant, giving blood when needed or being sent to the reproduction house where their only role is to reproduce for the benefit of the vampires food supply. Waverly-a feminist symbol trying to break the chains of servitude-is one of few humans not bred in Cain. She remembers the taste of freedom and is determined to feel it once more. Upon graduation from the academy, she is assigned to Master Zein's supply unit alongside her two friends, Katarii and Savvy, where she becomes a favorite of blood tastes to Zein. She starts to have troubling feelings as with each feeding she learns more about Zein and falls for him. Think a creepy Stockholm syndrome.
A slave house with shelter from the rain, and a slave house without shelter from the rain are still slave houses.
But when Waverly stumbles upon a mysterious violet door, she starts to question if there is more to be known under Zein's shelter.
The Setting Sun this world giveth and taketh away, hope's light stripped from malice, virality, hate, grace subdued on the Sun's brightest day. Jerusalem's tempest, a century reborn, again and again, forevermore. Sacrifice for sacrifice, thousands spared, thousands torn. The damned claw and forever warn. The heir apparent, the violet judgement, unleashing wrath of the angels forlorn. Jerusalem's tempest unleashed, again and again, forevermore.
Waverly must escape the world of Cain, but can she succeed when she starts to feel stirrings of love for the one person she swore she would never even like?
Romance, fantasy, and an amazing plot twist, I can't begin to recommend this enough!
May 24, 2019
Vampires are really letting me down in 2019. Is this replacing my mermaid disappointment trend of 2018?
November 10, 2019
3.5 stars
Today, I was in the mood for a vampire book that would give me all the feels. I'm not ashamed to say I love watching the Twilight movies once in a while. It's been a long time since I've read a book with vampires and I remembered I had an ARC that could be exactly what I needed. Immediately, A Violet Fire drew me in and I couldn't put it down.
I wanted something a little cheesy (but not in a bad way) and I feel like this book delivered the right amount. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure yet what I think of some of the plot concerning the main female character, Wavorly. However, I am so excited to read the second book! I really need to find out what happens next, especially concerning the romance. I'm invested and I can't wait.
(Thank you for letting me read an ARC via Netgalley)
Today, I was in the mood for a vampire book that would give me all the feels. I'm not ashamed to say I love watching the Twilight movies once in a while. It's been a long time since I've read a book with vampires and I remembered I had an ARC that could be exactly what I needed. Immediately, A Violet Fire drew me in and I couldn't put it down.
I wanted something a little cheesy (but not in a bad way) and I feel like this book delivered the right amount. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure yet what I think of some of the plot concerning the main female character, Wavorly. However, I am so excited to read the second book! I really need to find out what happens next, especially concerning the romance. I'm invested and I can't wait.
(Thank you for letting me read an ARC via Netgalley)
June 7, 2019
I received an ARC of A Violet Fire via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
1.5 stars
The premise of this story didn't sound all too bad to me. Even while I was reading I was still hopeful that, at some point, maybe the story would grip me and I would start feeling entertained. That point was probably at around 85% into the book, which is when I started feeling entertained because of the whole mess that started to unfold. The actual main plot, a supposedly huge twist in the MC (Wavorly)'s identity, starts in the last 15% of the story, cramming a whole lot of information in about 4 pages, followed by an action sequence that I mainly skimmed through.
I can honestly say that I was disappointed in a sad sort of way when the 'plot twists' were all revealed, simultaneously, at the end. Besides the fact that I had more or less figured them all out before they were revealed (which can happen, no huge book-breaking problems there), they were just smushed into the book quickly right before it ended, while the first 3 quarters of it didn't really have much substance. If the actual plot that was introduced at the end was spread out a little more, it might have been a lot more smooth. The main thing I got from the story was that there was a huge pile of girls and women fighting over the attention of their owner, alternating with a select few paragraphs of political world building, and by the end Wavorly has changed her mind around 6 times about anything and everything, making it clear that she doesn't know what she wants in the least. Not knowing what she wants in itself isn't the problem, but I do feel like that isn't the best mindset to be in while making the fairly big decision of killing a whole bunch of people.
Wavorly seems to be an incredibly distrusting person when it comes to women and the exact opposite when it comes to men. The second a man (most of them vampires, who are supposed to be her enemy) shows any form of kindness or compassion, she considers them a good person, despite the list of reasons she has to believe the opposite. While the women she meets, who are all in the same harsh situation she is in, all immediately get pushed aside in her mind as being either mean/evil or irrelevant.
Zein, the love interest/lord, felt extremely inconsistent to me. One scene he's not like the other vampires and the next he's showing how much importance he places on doing what's right for his vampire society. If this were caused by miscommunications or gossip or the like, that would make sense in the story, but he himself literally says contrasting things. The love he (supposedly) feels for her, I can't really account for, since we don't know what he's thinking, but I didn't feel like it was portrayed as a very gradual or genuine thing. However, the fact that there's even any hinting at her feeling something for him just feels kinda outlandish to me. As we established, she doesn't know what she wants, and that very much includes the love aspect of it. During the wild mess of an action scene at the end it becomes clear that she has no problems with pushing aside her "feelings" for him, which just makes everything she's felt throughout the whole story sort of empty. How long would it take her to push anything else she feels aside without much trouble?
TL;DR: Wavorly is a whole mess, suitable for the whole mess of a book she's the MC of.
1.5 stars
The premise of this story didn't sound all too bad to me. Even while I was reading I was still hopeful that, at some point, maybe the story would grip me and I would start feeling entertained. That point was probably at around 85% into the book, which is when I started feeling entertained because of the whole mess that started to unfold. The actual main plot, a supposedly huge twist in the MC (Wavorly)'s identity, starts in the last 15% of the story, cramming a whole lot of information in about 4 pages, followed by an action sequence that I mainly skimmed through.
I can honestly say that I was disappointed in a sad sort of way when the 'plot twists' were all revealed, simultaneously, at the end. Besides the fact that I had more or less figured them all out before they were revealed (which can happen, no huge book-breaking problems there), they were just smushed into the book quickly right before it ended, while the first 3 quarters of it didn't really have much substance. If the actual plot that was introduced at the end was spread out a little more, it might have been a lot more smooth. The main thing I got from the story was that there was a huge pile of girls and women fighting over the attention of their owner, alternating with a select few paragraphs of political world building, and by the end Wavorly has changed her mind around 6 times about anything and everything, making it clear that she doesn't know what she wants in the least. Not knowing what she wants in itself isn't the problem, but I do feel like that isn't the best mindset to be in while making the fairly big decision of killing a whole bunch of people.
Wavorly seems to be an incredibly distrusting person when it comes to women and the exact opposite when it comes to men. The second a man (most of them vampires, who are supposed to be her enemy) shows any form of kindness or compassion, she considers them a good person, despite the list of reasons she has to believe the opposite. While the women she meets, who are all in the same harsh situation she is in, all immediately get pushed aside in her mind as being either mean/evil or irrelevant.
Zein, the love interest/lord, felt extremely inconsistent to me. One scene he's not like the other vampires and the next he's showing how much importance he places on doing what's right for his vampire society. If this were caused by miscommunications or gossip or the like, that would make sense in the story, but he himself literally says contrasting things. The love he (supposedly) feels for her, I can't really account for, since we don't know what he's thinking, but I didn't feel like it was portrayed as a very gradual or genuine thing. However, the fact that there's even any hinting at her feeling something for him just feels kinda outlandish to me. As we established, she doesn't know what she wants, and that very much includes the love aspect of it. During the wild mess of an action scene at the end it becomes clear that she has no problems with pushing aside her "feelings" for him, which just makes everything she's felt throughout the whole story sort of empty. How long would it take her to push anything else she feels aside without much trouble?
TL;DR: Wavorly is a whole mess, suitable for the whole mess of a book she's the MC of.
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