Leena is a fae and a fire dancer, as wild as her mountain home. But war with the Shades has crushed her tribe, and she is forced to use her powers for her captors’ entertainment. She obeys to protect her family, until the Shades enslave her young brother in a nightmarish spell.
Rich, arrogant, and devastatingly handsome, Morran is feared as an ally of the Shades. Known as the Phoenix Prince, he is a prisoner of a different kind, cursed to forget his bloodline’s legacy of magic. His familiar is the firebird, but it has been stolen—along with his memories, his power, and his sanity.
If Leena can heal the prince, she has a chance to rescue her brother—but it’s been centuries since Morran was cursed. Can she find the key to warming his heart again? And once the Phoenix Prince is free, who says she’ll be able to tame him?
Sharon Ashwood is a free-lance journalist, novelist, desk jockey and enthusiast for the weird and spooky. She has an English literature degree but works as a finance geek. Interests include growing her to-be-read pile and playing with the toy graveyard on her desk. As a vegetarian, she freely admits the whole vampire/werewolf lifestyle fantasy would never work out, so she writes paranormal romances instead.
Sharon lives in the Pacific Northwest and is owned by the Demon Lord of Kitty Badness.
I loved the first two books of this series and the streak continues with this book!
Smolder is a great read though it's a bit slower-paced than the previous books it's also longer so really it's a win-win! I was already down with the mention of the word Phoenix but the talking cat pushed it over the edge! I love talking cats since my first talking cat (Faithful in Tamora Pierce's Alanna: The First Adventure series).
I loved the book and Leena especially. Despite her boss, the leader of the spiritual powers for her culture (think head priest) telling her she should kill Moran, the heroine sticks to her guts and duty as a healer to try to save him first!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ooo yes smolder has got a lot of different types of heat in it. Heat of the dance, warm chemistry, fire of the battle.
Smolder has quite an interesting storyline which is a little bit different to the mainstream fae stories prevalent which is only a strong point for me. You get a phoenix here instead of a dragon and a fire dancer as our main female character.
I guess what I enjoyed most about this was the fact the main male character who was the normal brooding male isn't broken in his character, but down to magic. The typical female character saving the male isn't to make him a better person but to actually save him. What was also fab was the fact that this described the chemistry, but not the specific acts , giving them poetic justice and a bit to the imagination.
On top of everything you just can't beat a talking cat and their neighbourhood watch lol. Quite funny in parts I couldn't help but snigger at the newsreport of cosplayers disturbing the peace lol.
I will definitely be looking at more of Sharon Ashwoods books. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for the pleasure of reading and leaving an honest review
Fire dancer Leena has been forced from her mountain home by war with the Shades, who are wreaking devastation throughout Faery. Mooran is the Phoenix Prince, but has been captured by the Shades and his memory, power and sanity has been stolen. Leena decides that if she can heal the prince, he can help her rescue her younger brother, who has been corrupted by the Shades. What ensues is a dangerous adventure against an unstoppable and evil foe, but Leena is very determined and stronger than she knows. I loved Leena, she has nothing to lose, so she gives her all to protect her family, friends and her people. I also loved little Kifi the temple cat, she was a great companion, advisor, and helper. The ending was very satisfying, but there is till work to do against the evil Shades, so I’m looking forward to the next story. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The story of the Fae fight against the Shades to retake the land of Faery continues, this time in the tribe of fire. Leena is a fire dancer in poverty and exile whose land has been completely destroyed by the Shades. Morran is the Phoenix Prince, a shifter who has had his phoenix torn from him so that he is only a shadow of what he was. Both are swept up in the pivotal battle for the Flame in the Great Temple. Both grow in love and find redemption in the process.
This is a story that definitely should be read in order. It’s a magical story, of course, because magic is the essence of the Fae. So grab your copy, join the battle, and fall in love with Leena and Morran. However, the war is not done, and we can happily look forward to the next book. Five Stars!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The Fae are still fighting against the Shades to retake the land of Faery. While Leena has been captured and is forced to use her fire dancer skills to entertain the Shades, they capture her brother in a devastating spell and she will need help rescuing him.
Mooran, the Phoenix Prince, had been cursed by the Shades and lost his memory, power, and sanity, and his firebird familiar has been stolen. But Leena is hoping that if she heals prince, they can rescue her brother. Of great concern is the fact that the Prince had been cursed for centuries now. Even if she can heal him, will his mind be restored or will he be out of control and too dangerous?
This is a really good story line with awesome characters. Grab your copy and follow the story as the Fae struggle to deal with the evil Shades.
I recently started following Sharon Ashwood's newsletter, and an excerpt from this novel caught my eye. I simply had to read more! At no point was I disappointed by that choice. "Smolder" has everything I love about fae romances -- dangerous yet sweet hero, a richly imaged world, and a strong heroine. Bonus: talking cats and fire dancing!
I haven't read the first two books in this series, but "Smolder" stood well on it's own (and made me want to read the others). For me, this book had a great balance of adventure, danger, and romance. I appreciated that the love scenes had some steam, yet were also more poetic than graphic.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The Mother rose in a rustle of robes. “Morran’s death may be necessary to save us all.”- The Mother of Flame
Leena, a fire Fae, is desperate; desperate to save her friend and her brother. Knowing she must face her greatest fears, Leena takes a leap of faith and dares to pursue the only course open to her...
"She had lit his soul like a private sun, filling him with childlike wonder—though nowhere near so innocent. Her heat had reminded him that he was male and had been alone too long. " - the Phoenix Prince Morran
Prince Morran felt as if he were trapped in a web of fog and forgetfulness, or he did until Leena. Something about Leena awoke his mind. Slowly, so slowly, he began to remember...
Together Prince Morran and Leena must find the true path to their destiny...
This book three in the Crown of Fae series. It can be read alone but reading them order helps you understand the whole story. Great book! It pulled me in from beginning to end and held my attention. The world building is detailed and imaginative. I really liked how the author built up the relationship between the two main characters. This book has strong, well developed characters, an interesting story line full of suspense, danger, action, mystery, unexpected twists, passion and an ending that left me wanting to read the next book in the series. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really enjoyed the fire and passion (no pun intended) of this prince-and-dancing-girl tale. This was a classic love-overcomes romance, complete with truly dark villains, a world-shaking quest and surprisingly remarkable human fae. And a Phoenix! And CATS! I heartily recommend this for lovers of epic fantasy, paranormal romance and cat lovers of all stripes - this is definitely my favourite of this series!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A great story. Leena is delightful as family, friend, healer, and dancer. Fionn, her own brother, and Morroan, the Phoenix Prince, both pale in comparison. Yet she is truly humble. Their world has turned into a horrible dystopian state. She falters but never loses her faith. The end is sweetly satisfying.
Entertaining. Great world building. Happily Ever After. Haunting. Inspirational. Romantic. Scary. Tear-jerker. Twisted. Unpredictable. Whimsical. Wonderful characters.
I received a review copy of this book from a third party. This is my honest review.
Leena is a fire fae and Morran is the Prince of the fire fae, his familiar was a Phoenix. The Shad General Juradoc killed the Phoenix and captured Morran. So starts this story of the fight between the fae and the shades. Lee a must help get the Phoenix back and these may mean she must kill the prince in order to accomplish her task. An intense story that keeps you turning the pages to see what will happen next. The author knows how to spin a story and keep your attention. A wonderful read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The story of the fire dancer and the phoenix is a good one. The story was a little slower paced than I would have liked given the material. Leena is a strong character and while she doesn't always make the right decisions she isn't rash. Morran works his way back to his former self using Leena's fire dance. I wasn't invested in the romance of it. Overall it is a good read due to the unique fire dancer/phoenix plot.
This is not my normal book to read but I like the cover so I decided to give it a try. I am really glad I did. This is a really good story all the excitement and adventure and sweet romance. I was totally entranced from the first few pages. And I love the ending. This is a great way to spend an afternoon and I highly recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a wonderful story that was a story that will pull you in. It has an interesting and intriguing storyline that has you feeling for the heroine. She has to do what’s she’s mad to do to save her family but them it changes as her brother is dragged into it. Now she has a plan that will help her if she can find a way to reverse a curse on someone. Will she be successful? .
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the third book in the series although it is the first I have read. I did not have a problem in understanding what was happening but would still like to read the 2 previous books before reading the last in the series. It was a full on read with lots of action with many emotional ups and downs. Look forward to the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Set aside most of a day for this PG15 fantasy battle of good against evil with refugee fae battling shades. Twenty-four-year-old Leena, a fire fae healer from the mountains, is now a fire dancer on tap by the Quisling Lord Dorth who is entertaining General Juradoc of the shades. and Morran the Phoenix Prince and Lord of Tymeera.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved Leena and Morran's story. There was mystery, intrigue, action, and steaminess. Ashwood has written strong characters and built a beautiful and deadly world. The action scenes had me on the edge of my seat. I have enjoyed the whole series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
loved it !!! love Kifi !!! love Morroan!!! love Leena !!! this is their story...to save her brother, she would do anything, even heal the Prince... living in a fog is not living...coming alive once more is everything... the journey begins...
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Just WOW! Loved The Phoenix!! Had to wait till I could read it straight through and so happy I did. I so love the direction these books are going and this book had everything; all the feels and the energy. Amazing storytelling and awe inspiring book universe!
A fun story in the series full of action, danger, heat, and a fun characters. Entertaining and kept me reading to the end to see how it would end. Would the Phoenix be freed and Leena be free by the end of the story. Interesting take on the fae.
Good addition with two intriguing main characters and plenty of danger, plot and romance. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Adventure-packed 5 stars. - This is Leena and Morran’s story. Morran used to defeat the Shades but now, he is under the power of the General and seems to have no recollection of his past. Leena is a fire dancer with a talent to heal through her dance and Flame. But the General has plans and it is up to Leena, Morran and a cat to save the fae. The story is full of action and danger. It was hard to tell how the fae can win. The plot is captivating and the story has a lot of interesting characters. Great world-building too. Can’t wait to read the next one! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily chose to review it.
Loved it. A story full of danger, fae and a strong heroine. Leena is a fire fae and she is desperate to save her friend & brother. Unfortunately she knows that doing this will require her to face her greatest fears.. prince Moran can't get the fog out of his mind. He needs to clear it and start remembering. I absolutely loved the talking cats. Now I need to read books 1 & 2.