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Fire Cursed

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Elemental magic. Souls doomed to eternal reincarnation. An ancient cult intent on dominating the world.

Phoenyx Blake has a dark secret, one she repressed when her father died in a mysterious house fire. When she wakes in a dungeon with three strangers, she’s forced to face that secret, which isn’t easy seeing as she’s dreamt about her fellow prisoner, Sebastian, all her life. The four work together to uncover the wicked intentions of their captors, only to discover they’re in greater danger than they ever could’ve imagined, and so is the rest of the world if they fail to escape. Can they master the powers they didn’t know they had before it’s too late, or will the irresistible flame between Phoenyx and Sebastian be forever extinguished?

If you like the magic of the House of Night series, the 18+ heat of the Curse of the Gods series, and the locked-room suspense of the Maze Runner series, then you’ll devour this fiery first book of Tricia Barr’s elemental magic series, the Bound Ones. One-click Fire Cursed to begin the steamy adventure today!

275 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2022

31 people are currently reading
74 people want to read

About the author

Tricia Barr

114 books162 followers
By day, Tricia is a full time mom to two beautiful toddler girls and a wife/business partner to a handsome hard-working husband. By night--and nap times--she writes unique and thrilling young adult fantasies inspired by her vivid, somewhat creepy dreams and her own adventures around the world.

Sign up for her Email List and be automatically notified about new releases: http://www.tricia-barr.com/

List of Tricia's books:

THE BOUND ONES:
Ignite (Book 1)
Submerge (Book 2)
Unearth (Book 3)
Haunt (Standalone)

THE AMARANT:
The Vampire Secret (Book 1)
The Vampire Unleashed (Coming soon)

Steamy Adult Paranormal Romance Standalones:
Devilish

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5 stars
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12 (28%)
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Profile Image for Melo.
836 reviews21 followers
January 2, 2022
Not for me

The writing style is not to my taste just couldn't get into this book, I got bored. The dialogue wasn't engaging it all felt stilted, the heroines reactions were just not believable. Them eating burgers after just waking up in a cell is like watching a horror movie when you yell at the actor to run the other way.

I only got to 30%
155 reviews
January 20, 2022
Really enjoyed this story. Phoenyx awakens in a concrete bared cell with another girl (Lily) starring at her. Neither can remember how or why they are here and also discover they were abducted from different states. A man comes into the cell room throws a bag at the cell and retreated. Phoenyx pulls the bag and opens it to find a small hamburger, bottle of water, and apple for each of them. As they eat they get to know each other Lily was studying to be a nurse and Phoenyx was just starting college. Suddenly men drag two men in suits into the adjoining cell, lock the door, and walk away without a word. After Sebastian and Skylar recover from their drugging they put their heads together with the girls to try to figure out why they are here.
Only to discover some interesting facts. All four of them share the same birthdate and each has a unique power. They discover that their kidnapper believes the legend learned when they joined the brotherhood. These four are the "Unbound ones" and the leader Dex wants to harness their power for himself.
They soon come up with a plan of how to use their powers to escape and fracture this evil brotherhood. Realizing they totally trust each other like they have known each other forever?
Received this book free in exchange for my review.
6,029 reviews40 followers
March 22, 2022
Four people held captive for a mysterious purpose. Each contains a power that they don't really understand. Can they put the pieces of the puzzle together, and learn to trust each other, soon enough to save themselves, let alone the world?

This is book one of the series, so a good place to start.

This is an urban fantasy story. The story is generally well written and easy to read with an interesting cast of characters. They each have interesting and distinct personalities which makes it fun to watch them interact. Most of the story takes place in the cells as they get to know each other and puzzle out the mystery. As a result I felt the book suffered a bit from first-book syndrome with too much exposition and not enough action. Still, it was an intriguing start and I have hopes for the next book being a bit more dynamic. Overall, a decent start and I am intrigued to see where it goes next.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes
Profile Image for Barbara Marie Warner.
1,639 reviews2 followers
October 7, 2025
Fire Cursed (The Bound Ones Book 1)

Fire Cursed (The Bound Ones Book 1) ~~ I wasn’t prepared for how quickly Fire Cursed pulled me in. Tricia Barr doesn’t waste time—within a few pages, I was knee-deep in elemental magic, reincarnated souls, and a dark cult that had me thinking, “Wait, what is actually happening right now?” But in the best way.
The setup is wild: four strangers—each with buried powers—get yanked into a fate bigger than any of them imagined. I loved the whole “past lives and fated mates” twist. It’s not just about romance; it’s about destiny coming full circle. The chemistry between the characters sizzles, but what really hooked me was how human they felt. They’re flawed, scared, and stubborn as hell, and I found myself rooting for every single one of them.
By the time I hit the last few chapters, I was whispering “oh no, oh no, oh NO” under my breath like I was part of it. This book sets the stage for something epic—and trust me, it delivers.
Profile Image for C Exley Books (Cassandra).
730 reviews82 followers
December 29, 2021
This is the first book by this author I have read and it won't be my last I couldn't put this down once I started. Fire Cursed is the first book in the new series The Bound Ones.

Four people taken from three different locations with little memory of how or why they have been taken. Phoenyx wakes up in a cell in a room without windows and believes she has been drugged.There is an other girl, Lily sharing her cell who has a similar story. Then you have best friends Sebastion and Skylar who find themselves in same situation as Phoenyx and Lily which is how they meet each other.

I loved it and I recommend it you won't be disappointed. Beware this book ends on a cliffhanger.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
195 reviews
January 19, 2022
not bad but a bit boring

Abook about four kidnapped people trapped in a cell and the superpowers they find they have. For most of the book they are in these cells so it is mostly conversational and the only real action is near the end and kind of anticlimactic. The characters are interesting though, so there is that. The gratuitous sex scene seems out of place in the novel and could have been shortened to “they went to his room “as any reader would know why they went there. I’m not against a sex scene but it should be needed, not just added The author ,needs to learn how to describe action scenes as they tended to be short and summed up as “they all burned up.” Anyway, it’s an okay book but not really an action book, more of a conversation between strangers.
Profile Image for Shayay.
2,805 reviews55 followers
July 6, 2022
Loved how this one started with a bit of mystery! Phoenyx wakes up locked in a cell in a cement room with no windows; she believes she was drugged, but things are spotty. There’s another girl, Lily, sharing her cell, who has a similar story. There’s also some POV from another lead character, Sebastian, who seems to have a bit of a magical touch, and who finds himself and his bff, Skylar, in a sticky situation that has Phoenyx and Sebastian crossing paths. Secrets going on with these 4; something mystical! This is a fun, quirky story with interesting ideas and entertaining characters. Plus, a bit of sweet romance!
Profile Image for Tahnia Ross.
2,184 reviews9 followers
January 4, 2022
Phoenyx, Lily, Sebastion, and Skylar all have gifts and all wake up in a cell-like room. Phoeynix and Lily arrive one at a time, Sebastion and Skylar together. They were kidnapped and held by a group known as Four Corners who think they are the Bound Ones, the holders of the elements. Derek, the Grand Master, wants to forcibly siphon the powers each of the four have into himself. This book has some action, angst, a strong female protagonist, romance, and ends with a cliffhanger. Yay! Highly recommended.
Profile Image for C.J. Santiago.
479 reviews4 followers
January 30, 2022
Interesting hypothesis

Phoenyz, Sebastian, Lilly and Skylar.... Only the guys knew each other. But they were all kidnapped and taken to two cells, where they had no idea. The girls were starting college and they had parents who would worry. The guys were orphans, who grew up in foster care. Who wanted them? And for what reason??

Sebastian and Skylar were sort of Las Vegas con artists. They had some kind of system that allowed them to cheat and get away with it until they were outed. But what they all had in common was astounding.

Its an interesting story.
Profile Image for Witch-at-Heart .
1,577 reviews21 followers
December 26, 2021
Four youths. Four abductions. Taken from different locations, each with very little memory of how or why they have been taken.

This book initially starts off with a chilling edge to it but revolves round the mystery of their unwanted captivity. As they begin to figure things out. It becomes clear everyone has a few secrets and as these come to light the book picks up and is definitely worth the read. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Deb Barringer.
590 reviews4 followers
December 29, 2021
Fire Cursed, Tricia Barr's first installment of The Bound Ones, is a mind trip like no other. The storyline is unique, moderately paced, filled with abductions, terror, death, magic, wonder and even light romance. It really does cover it all. I enjoyed having basically 4 main characters each with individual points of view. If you enjoy paranormal thrillers, this is one book not to be missed!
Profile Image for Bonnie McCutcheon.
199 reviews2 followers
May 17, 2022
The storyline was original and interesting, although it was a little slow paced. The characters were pretty well written and likeable. Just a warning, it does end in a cliffhanger. I will be reading the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Sharon.
726 reviews10 followers
December 31, 2021
Fire Cursed

I enjoyed reading this story, the characters are interesting and so is the world that they inhabit, this is a good start to the series

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Dana Fernandez.
472 reviews16 followers
March 15, 2022
This was a first for me by this author but won’t be my last. Fire Cursed has a great storyline that kept me wanting more. Four strangers end up being friends and learn that their pasts are intertwined. I can’t wait for the next one.
100 reviews
January 3, 2022
Loved it

Really good characters strong plot, a really good ending.
l 'm ooking forward to the next book now.

Thank you
Profile Image for Raven Woodward.
Author 17 books237 followers
April 24, 2022
Definitely enjoyed this! I was going through a hardcore reading slump but this helped get me out of it once all the action picked up.
Profile Image for Jennifer Layne.
1,040 reviews4 followers
July 22, 2022
This was a great read! Lots of action, 4 distinct personalities and strong characters. A love story plays out in the worst of situations.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews

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