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A sharpened blade cannot save a kingdom, and a dragon can only burn a throne...

Lorelei did what she was supposed to do. Cut the King's throat, liberate a kingdom, and then fade into the darkness once more. But this time, she can't leave. The rebellion wants to use her as a figurehead in their mad plan to steal a kingdom from a bloodline, and Lore has other more pressing matters at hand.

The King survived, and within his clutches are the last dragon eggs in all of Umbra. Her loyalty to the dragon bids her to go on yet another adventure and return the eggs to their would-be father. All for on purpose and one purpose alone. Lore desires to see the kingdom flourish under the hands of magical creatures. She longs to see the time of man come to an end.

Humans had ruled for a time and they had failed. Now, she had to fix what they had broken.

But too many people stand between her and this new plan. A rebellion and their elf leader who has no fear of blood. A friend who lied for months. Many other creatures stand in her path, hoping to get close to the half elf who saved Umbra. And last, the dragon who turns her inside out with a single glance. The same dragon who killed her mother.

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 11, 2022

416 people are currently reading
2265 people want to read

About the author

Emma Hamm

75 books4,445 followers


We all know you don't really care about reading my background. Enjoy Cap instead.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
Profile Image for ~ Tara Bezeau ~.
101 reviews25 followers
April 18, 2022
I absolutely love following along on this series. I highly recommend this book/series it is very well written and has you guessing what’s gonna happen next which I adore! Magical creatures, adventure and just enough romance to keep you intrigued & wanting more from book 3! Can’t wait to keep reading this series. Bring on book 3!
Profile Image for Lover of books.
266 reviews9 followers
April 1, 2023
I loved this book so much more then the first one! The time issue was fixed and it just seemed to flow much better. My only complaint was that the timeline seemed a bit squished. But still loved it and will definitely continue the series!!
Profile Image for ruby.
208 reviews74 followers
February 15, 2023
Thriller sequel!!

The sequel follows shortly after the events of Fire Heart. It was mostly of journey/adventures and about the feelings left unsaid between Abraxax and Lore. She couldn't forgive him easily since knowing he killed her mother on king's order. And she was also in denial to accept the emotions she started to feel in book 1. Though, the tension was impeccable. It was slow burn again since they needed time to heal a wound that wouldn't close ever. Besides that, Lore and her crew went in search of finding King's half brother and Abraxax eggs. I'd say I loved this book a little more than previous one. Will definitely continue to see how the relationships would go on another level and a way to open the eggs and then, to stop the mortal king.
Profile Image for Kim.
764 reviews1,896 followers
April 25, 2022
I received a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'll keep this spoiler free since this is the second installment in this series but this was yet again such a fun ride. This book picked up where the first one ended and I enjoyed this one as much as the first one. Abraxas is my favorite character, by far and I really loved his POV chapters. If you are looking for adventure, dragons, magic, elves and a well told story then this is the series for you.
Profile Image for Nite0wl29.
352 reviews63 followers
April 1, 2022
He kept telling himself he was a good man, but she’d already labeled him as the villain in her story. Maybe it was time for him to be a little evil.

Would you believe me if I said I actually enjoyed this story more than the first book? Because I did. I truly did. There are a lot of elements that I really liked. Other things, not so much…

I loved Abraxas’ character development and I think the author handled him really well. I just wish the same could be said of Lorelei. 95% of this book is Lore wearing nothing but a scowl on her face, and chiding herself for her developing feelings for Abraxas. Yes, I understand these two are emotionally constipated since both Lorelei and Abraxas lack experience in positive relationships with anyone. Lore just reminded me too much of Poppy in FBAA, and not in a good way. It gets tiring and redundant when the MC’s monologue is all “I hate myself for these feelings” for 90% of the book. And I feel like this takes away from the depth of the overall story and it’s side characters.

Not gonna lie, there’s a moment when I thought the romance would be a love triangle. Lore’s chemistry with this certain character was pretty intense during that scene…Then we never see him again until later in the book. For a split second; even though the emphasis on his character made it seem he would be important to Lore’s story. Still don’t understand what the point of him meeting Lore.

The next issue with the story: the lack of villain presence. Margaret is made out to be this (possible) big baddie alongside the King, but we see nothing of her after the first several chapters. And the King from book 1 briefly appears after all this build up for his return.

I am curious to see how this series ends so I’ll be sticking around for book 3. I just hope we see more depth to Lore in the next book than what she allowed in this book. And more focus on the world and it’s supporting characters.
Profile Image for R.V. Wilbur.
Author 7 books97 followers
April 2, 2022
“…𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞. 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞. 𝐖𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐠𝐥𝐲. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞.”

______________________

This review WILL contain SPOILERS for the First Book ONLY!! I will not reveal any spoilers for this book, however if you have not yet read Fire Heart you will want to stop reading this review now :-)

***

Ok you still with me?? Let’s go!!

This book picks up not too long after the ending of the first book. I will be the first to admit that with the revelation in the final sentences of Fire Heart I came into this book with a strong idea of where this one would go…and I was way, WAY off. I wrongly assumed that we would see Lore taking on the twisted leadership of the rebellion while also trying to track down and remove the king, but what we get instead is Lore, Abraxas, Beauty, and Goliath (YES he is BACK!!) set off on an epic, cross-world quest to track down Zander’s half brother in hopes of freeing the dragon eggs from the evil king’s clutches before destroying him once and for all. And after finishing this book I can honestly say I’m glad that I was wrong and I’m even MORE excited about where this story is heading now!!

Now knowing that Zander survived his attempted assassination at Lore’s hand, the rebellion finds themselves in a precarious position trying to convince the world at large that they DID in fact defeat the king and that Lore is their hero, savior, and the figurehead of the rebellion who will bring magical creatures back into power. Where we find Lore, however, is in a place where you almost never meet a character, especially in fantasy: the aftermath of life AFTER the “happy ending”.

The thing that I loved the most about the first book and that I continue to love about this book is the classic fairytale vibe it gives off. The races of magical beings are your tried and true classics (elves, dragons, dwarves, hags, warlocks, etc.) and the world building and storyline as a whole stays true to that. But then perfectly woven throughout is reality. Lore did not succeed in her mission. She does not want the fame or life she is being slowly forced into, and the “hero” she fell for in the heat of the moment as they thought they saved the world is the same creature who murdered her mother and set the course of her life, it’s struggles, and ultimately her entire future on its end. Watching her grapple with that along with EVERYTHING else she has been trying to understand and grasp through the first book is painful, and I’ll be honest a little frustrating because you so desperately want her to see herself how Abraxas sees her and how we as the readers see her. She just isn’t there yet, but she’s getting there and her growth in this book is beautiful.

Abraxas is beyond charming, but also gets a good dose of reality in this book as well. His devotion to Lore and his patience with her is absolutely everything, but then watching him try to adapt to a life in which the dragon does NOT rule, and where he is no longer the most untouchable, infallible being in the room is uncomfortable when compared to just how long he has been alive and how much he has seen. But the world is different now from what it was during the time of the dragons and his journey to accepting his role in the “new” world, and his adapting to the relationships around him, all delicately balanced while still remaining true to the dragon that he is leaves us with one HECK of a story!!

Lore and Abraxas’ romance is the slowest of slow burns that honestly must be what it feels like to be leisurely roasted by a dragon and I just want them together SO BADLY!!! But again, reality is the beautiful thread of this story and watching them deal with their issues and learn and grow together, and then watching that growth and understanding become such a deep love is refreshing against a genre saturated with so much fast paced, fated, unquestionable love. It’s sweet, tender, and absolutely PERFECT.

The side characters in this book continue to shine. Beauty was hands down my favorite in Fire Heart and she continues to embody everything that is just so good about humanity. She shows her mettle and proves that she can be quite the force, but she is still just the BEST and I adore her!! Goliath…I can’t tell you how happy I was to see him return and join Lore, Abraxas, and Beauty on their journey. His unintentional bromance with Abraxas was the friendship I never knew I needed and now I can’t live without it!! I won’t go into spoilers, but I will say the sleeper hit was the king’s half brother Zephyr. I absolutely LOVE HIM. That is all.

The only reason this is a 4 star read after the first book’s 5 solid stars is the pacing…we’re only 2 books in but this book definitely seems to serve as the transitional “middle” book of the storyline so to speak. You don’t see a whole lot of story/plot advancement, but what you do get is a deepening of the characters, a thorough world building beyond the castle, a more full understanding of the magical races beyond the mortals and the rebellion, and the groundwork that is set to make for one hell of a reckoning for our crew in the future…ESPECIALLY Lore. There were parts of this book that just felt so slow, but if you’re truly committed to the characters and allow yourself to fall in love with and absorb the story you’ll find yourself enjoying the slightly lower stakes of this book. But don’t let that lull you into a false sense of security, because the last 5 chapters of this book are PURE FIRE!!!! That’s all I’ll say about that, but I honestly think I highlighted nearly all of it. It was pure perfection that ended with less of a cliffhanger and more of a bang and I am SO glad we only have a few months more to wait before the next installment. If you haven’t started this series yet, get on it NOW and get ready because I don’t think you’re prepared for what comes next!!!
Profile Image for Pipsprite.
115 reviews29 followers
January 6, 2023
Emma Hamm has become one of my favorite authors, and she should be one of yours too! Knowing my love of Dragons and all things fantasy, I was already hooked! The relationships and just the situations in this book make for an amazing read! Emma's writing is just very easy to fall into and fast to read! I am in love with these characters and this world! I recommend this to anyone that love fantasy and world building!
Profile Image for Kaitlin.
198 reviews1 follower
April 1, 2022
First of all, if you haven't read Fire Heart drop everything and do so because it's awesome! And it's sequel Bright Heart is EVEN BETTER!

Bright Heart picks up shortly after the end of book 1. I love how the book began with Lorelei being conflicted by the recent events. So much happened so quickly at the end of book 1 and I love how she had to grapple with that and process everything. She didn't just automatically accept the new relationships and place in the world, she had to take her past into account too. This added so much depth to her character.

I also loved the development of the found family and the adventures they went on. We got to see much more of the world, which was super cool. The plot moved along nicely and there was a nice balance of action, introspection, and romance.

Overall, I'd highly recommend and I'm already anxious for book 3!

Thank you so much to Emma Hamm for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for readwithnikkie.
86 reviews17 followers
December 30, 2022
2.5/5

I noticed again some inconsistencies in this book. One of them being Abraxas was talking about his shifting in chapter 7 with Beauty, he talks about how he thinks of clothes and he will be wearing them. Lore is confused as she remembers him being naked in the great hall. She wonders if he lied to her. They already touched on this subject previously in the last book about why he couldn’t/ didn’t summon clothing when he was injured. There are some more but I’ll just leave it at that.

Again, I’m feeling that more world building would of made this story better.

The whole “Abraxas killed my mother” seemed to be gone over so many times it just kinda got repetitive. Of course this is a valid concern and feeling Lore has, BUT I just found it’s brought up so many times in the beginning.

I really was hoping this book would be better than the first as I truly wanted to like this story more, but something is missing which I can’t quite put my finger on. I don’t feel very connected to Lorelei.

I kinda DNF’d at half way and than picked this up again.

Lorelei is so childish.

Ok, so let’s talk about the positives.
I loveee Abraxas. The last 15%-20% was half decent. The story line is a good concept. I like the side characters BUT Beauty was kinda getting on my nerves the last half of the book.

Will I read the rest of the books, yes… yes I will.
Profile Image for bookznerd.
160 reviews55 followers
April 6, 2022
4⭐️
ARC copy

This book picks up where book 1 left off. In this book you also read from Lore and Abraxas.
Book 2 contains much more adventure and world building than 1. Book 1 was more of a story to get into and get to know the characters better.
They go with a group in search of the dragon eggs that were missing. A lot happens along the way, so they don't get any further with the search.
I really enjoyed the growth of the 2 main characters and their relationship. I also enjoyed reading more about beauty. There were many new fun characters in this part that I am very curious about in the next book.❤️
Why not 5 stars?
I missed the quick and easy reading of this book. Also in part 1 I laughed about the characters that I missed here a lot. This book was also slowed down by the world building.
The ending was really AMAZING! Wow so cool! 🤩
Profile Image for Kelsey Monteath.
100 reviews
June 28, 2023
** 4.5 stars **

I really really like this book and I dare say as the series has continued the more I love it! Now this series is a slow burn, but let me tell you how much I love it. At one stage the two main characters sat next to each other and I genuinely squealed and texted a friend about it.

I love every character within these books. I love their flaws, I love their banter and I love their friendships! The character growth within the two books alone has been immaculate! Watching Abraxas realise that everyone is there to help him and just want to support him and go from this always grumpy man to a slightly grumpy man who has friends! AHHHHH!

It’s 12am and you know damn well I am going too download the next book so that all of tomorrow I can read the next one! I’m so glad I got put on this series this year!
Profile Image for Elianna.
112 reviews10 followers
December 27, 2022
I can hardly ever say no to a book with dragons and I am so glad that I kept up with this series! For a second book Bright Heart does a good job of keeping the story moving without falling into a slump. So often, second books feel like filler, but this one did not!

With King Zander in the wind, I was anxious to see where Hamm would take the story. Right from the beginning it becomes clear that our main characters will be setting out on a quest and nothing makes a quest better than the companions. Abraxas, Lore, Beauty and Goliath set out with the goal of finding a means to rescue the last remaining dragon eggs. I loved following along as these four worked together and the opportunity to see and explore more of the beautiful world Hamm has created.

I really can’t get enough of Abraxas. He is this terrifying dragon, unafraid of protecting what is his, and at the same time, he has a real softness about him that makes him a very intriguing character. I love his dialogue and his interactions with Lore although some of them felt a bit forced and not as natural feeling as they could be. It is obvious he has fallen hard and would do anything for Lore, which I love in a male lead but I was hoping that their interactions would have more depth to them.

I enjoyed reading Bright Heart and I am looking forward to where the story will go in book 3!
Profile Image for Jennifer.
81 reviews1 follower
October 2, 2022
I started this book out of curiosity about what would happen after book 1, but I kept reading for Abraxas. I was not expecting him to be such a sweet cinnamon roll underneath this rough and tough dragon exterior and I loved every minute of it and the scenes with him and Lore.

I can't say Lore is my favorite FMC, she makes some frustrating discussions but she grew in me more by the end.
Profile Image for Janice Mahn.
257 reviews2 followers
April 2, 2023
Continuation of the series. Enjoyable character development. So far the books have not ended in a cliffhanger.
Profile Image for Bree.
8 reviews
October 17, 2023
A great YA Romantasy with a dragon. No 🌶️ but a great book to read if you’re waiting for sequels to other books to come out.
Profile Image for Laura.
735 reviews3 followers
April 13, 2022
4.5 stars
I just finished the story and I'm quite speechless. There is so much to absorve yet, it's hard for me to think of what to say on this review.
Overall: the woldbuilding was expanded and the way Emma done it was amazing! There was never a moment where I felt she was info-dumping, instead, she showed us bit by bit as the story went along.
I loved the characters and loved even more the new ones that were introduced at this journey.
Any time Abraxas pov would come I would just melt. This boy has fallen hard. Not only that, but we got to see a new side of him (or several new). I'm quite intrigued with how the story will move along at the "dragons are hoarder things and people", as he has showed his protective and possessive side more than once. So far it looks good and dandy but I wonder...
Also, I'm intrigued about Beauty. Not going to lie, I didn't trust her in this book, I felt she was hiding something and I don't know that her loyalty to Margaret is only for the reasons she has spoken. And the fact that her presence wasn't so strong as I would have hoped and wished for... I'm looking and I'm waiting.
As for the plot, I loved that there was a bunch of things happening and several mini-quests coming over and over, my only critique to it - and the reason why I didn't give this book a solid 5 stars rating - was that each quest would end and another would start in a very convenient way. Like they got everything they needed even though they had no idea how they were going to get it. It's not done in a poorly way, by all means, but still felt this way.
Anyways, I'm just so excited for this story! And I wished I read it faster, but life is chaotic at the moment and I couldn't sit down and read all day as I tend to do with Emma Hamm's books. Also, I'm curious... how many book we will have in this series?
Profile Image for Jessica Palmer.
33 reviews
January 2, 2025
Ой! This one was ROUGH to get through. It became exactly what I was afraid it would be. The male love intrest became way to possessive and out of character, the female main character was even more childish, and the story plot feels dragged out for me. However the support characters were likeable tho. Will I read the next book? Sigh.. Dunno, maybe.. but not likely.
Profile Image for Alyssa.
116 reviews1 follower
April 21, 2022
I have to say that I was kind of let down. Bright Heart is absolutely still a good book, but I expected it to be dynamically better than book one, and it wasn’t.

Lorelei and Abraxas have such potential: they’re strong, passionate, caring. But they couldn’t get their shit together. I know they have complicated history, but there’s being conflicted and there’s ping-ponging back and forth until I want to scream. And considering they’re both fairly old, they treated the issues somewhat childishly.

The plot struggled for me. The book began with “let’s go find this guy” and it took over 100 pages for them to even get on their way. With longer books, I often find myself thinking that 50 pages have passed and not much has happened, which is annoying but fine—but since Bright Heart was a relatively short book, I need fairly constant motion. By the end of the book, there were only a few new important plot points.

The foreshadowing was… odd. Everything is vague for now, but it’s implied that certain characters will be hugely important, and vastly powerful, and like so many other heroes/ heroines in series. I’m not a fan of the “prophecy hero” but if that’s your cup of tea then you’ll like parts of Bright Heart.

There was also the recurring issue of the main character’s stunning beauty. I remember the first book mentioned that she wasn’t traditionally beautiful, but this one seemed to disregard that; “her beauty is unmatched,” “tiny waist,” and more seem to show us that she is flawlessly radiant. Except for her “boxy hips” (???) and when her hair gets knotty.

I’ll be reading the next book, but when characters have little development and the plot is similar, it’s a bit hard to get through.
Profile Image for Tatiana.
249 reviews19 followers
April 3, 2022
I have a lot of feelings about this book.
The story starts just a few days after the ending fo fire heart. And then we embark in a quest to find the dragon eggs and a way to open the cursed box that contain them. I thought this book will go more to the way the rebellion takes over and how they pursue the king, but instead this book focuses more on the eggs which I liked, even though I would have liked to know a bit more about what the rebellion and Margaret were doing during this time. But I think that will be for the next book.
I like the plot and the story, the world they live in and I really want to see how this story continues, how they right the worngs.
But to be honest there where plenty of things that I didn't like. For starters Lore and Abraxas lack chemistry and their relationship feels forced, their interactions for most of the books are childish, for a really old dragon and a 300 years old half elf they behave like teenagers. Specialy Lore she is incredibly annoying and offers very little to the story, she takes the most ridiculous decisions that makes no sense. And there is more chemistry with a random (that possibly won't be so random in the next book) she met than with Abraxas.
There is some things that makes no sense to me like for example, why wait till is dark to try entry a cursed place, does the dark somehow deactivate curses? There is no explanation as to why wait and that makes no sense to me. And this is just one example as there were various times I felt as puzzled.
Still the story and the plot are really enjoyable and I will stick around to read the next book and see how this story ends, specially after the release of the next book cover, that is gorgeous. but it won't be because of the characters.
53 reviews
January 24, 2024
It was hard for me to finish this, the internal dialogue that the characters have are awful and long and very childlike, keep in mind the two main characters are hundred la of years old, she sees him basically as a pupppy who will always protect her and everything for her and he knows he “was born to follow orders” and realizes he is doing it now for the main character and still think everything is fine, they act like they are 11 years old each, repeating the same mistakes over and over again throughout the book ñ, I really tried to like it I hate Dnf ing books, I finish this one although I really didn’t like it, started the 3rd one and I can’t keep reading anymore is draining the life out of me, I can’t even follow the plot anymore, they just walk and try to save the eggs or kill the king whatever comes first, Aldo there is a prophesy and they haven’t even bother to look at that in a book and a half? So weird
Profile Image for Eugenia.
121 reviews1 follower
May 20, 2022
It had some discrepancies on the plot that just irked me.
For example, [it begins with Abraxas tired from walking and Lore and Beauty mocking him, then all of the sudden he's the one on the lead and telling them of their terrible endurance. Also, he was meant to be a human shadow to the king, but suddenly he's too tired/weak from changing so often on the journey. And with Goliath, he told Lore about his lost lover in the woods, but then he told her about it one evening while drunk]
I know it's not much to make you dislike a book, but it reads as bad proofing to me and just irked me too much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Samantha.
101 reviews6 followers
June 17, 2022
Picking up right after the events of “Fire Heart”, Emma Hamm brings us back to the obsession we all have with Lore and Abraxas.

The relationship between the two definitely took off in this installment and I loved to see it!

Overall I really enjoyed this book! Was in 100% better than book 1? Probably not but it’s definitely up there and I can’t wait to continue this series to find out how it will end!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Erica.
315 reviews11 followers
September 27, 2023
Lore and Abraxas's relationship confused the heck out of me, and it lost its spark pretty quickly. All these dramatic, romantic quotes that were repeated in similar ways throughout the entire book. They're powerful, but not so powerful that their effect can last the entire book. There needed to be variety to keep things attractive and us readers on our toes.
Profile Image for BloodyKelpie.
358 reviews4 followers
August 27, 2025
Oh Goddess, this series was definitely better than I thought…after the last cliffhanger? I feel like I was holding my breath with anxiety to know what would happen, damn they finally were having a heartfelt moment!! But no, the poor fuckers can’t even fuck and bare their hearts timescale other than that, so shit hits the fan… poor Abraxas, the guy doesn’t deserve this shit… that damn Margaret will be a pain in the ass… I can smell the rot in her soul. The rebellion needs a clear-headed leader, not some bitter woman with too much hate in her heart.

Yet her heart screamed when she looked at him now. Common sense had finally squeezed through the adrenaline and connection she’d felt with him. Abraxas was the sole person who had made the largest impact in taking down the King. And with that common sense, trailed the reality that this man had killed her mother. Yes, he wasn’t the one who had ordered it. No, he hadn’t wanted to kill anyone on the orders of the King. But he’d still done it. She remembered the flames that had erupted from his reptilian mouth.


Oh, for gods sake!!! Not again!!! Poor, sweet-hearted Abraxas… he definitely has his hands full with Lore and all her self-sabotage ways… girl, shut up and just fucks his brains out. Everyone knows you want to, but instead, she’s distancing him, and in the meantime, even if she doesn’t see it because of her own pain, she’s hurting him too.

Abraxas had learned long ago that trying to rush women usually ended in heartbreak. If she needed him to wait a century for the ache in her soul to ease, then he would. And gladly.


See? He is too good for this world, and thank Goddess he is the rational one in this relationship and isn’t really angry with her for being a bitch about their relationship. Damn, I love Beauty hahaha, she’s really a great friend, and it’s so refreshing that she and Abraxas are friends too, because every time the second female lead is always only the female lead friend, yeah, the SFL and the ML will have a good relationship and all, but all just something superficial like they can’t be really friends because this will piss the FL… but in this book? It’s really a breath of fresh air because Beauty is Abraxas’s friend, she even tells him when he’s full of shit, and they fight like kids hahaha, it’s so funny to see Lore practically rolling her eyes at them acting like children.

The two of them were going to keep fighting until they were purple in the face, and Lore would have to do all the work on her own. If she let them continue being idiots, then nothing would ever get decided. She heaved a sigh and stood up. “The two of you stop talking.” Beauty hissed, “I’m tired of him telling us all what to do because he’s some ancient dragon.” “I’ve lived at least ten of your lifetimes, little girl!” Abraxas snarled in reply. “If neither of you don’t stop talking now, I will sink a dagger into each of your hands and tip your chairs back into the fireplace.” Lore looked down at her nails for a brief moment before making eye contact with both of their shocked expressions.


Yeah hahaha Lore is absolutely the adult one in their group, what is surprising since Abraxas is damn old, but I put the blame on him being a slave for so long that he didn’t really have the time to grow into an adult in social interactions, or the blame is because he was too much around a childish king that had tantrums if someone didn’t agree with him. Fucking hell hahaha yeah dragons really are arrogant because he just walked into Margaret’s room and told her he, Beauty and Lore are going after the eggs… and now that Margaret didn’t react like a normal person arguing with him, she just stood there looking at him without saying anything she just didn’t react at all ,he even told a joke because the silence was so intense hahaha fucking hell I really love him even more when he is awkward.

Hahaha who could say that our big proud arrogant dragon could struggle so much now that he has to travel like a mortal ? Hahaha it’s really funny because he was making fun of Beauty because she packed such a big bag and he didn’t need to pack anything because he was a dragon, all he could need was himself… well reality sucks so in the first night he really was sorry that he didn’t pack a bag with a mat in it, how the powerful fall uh? Hahahaha.

“A little different when you’re walking through them, isn’t it?” Lorelei asked, stepping a little closer to him. “They aren’t the beloved people the King visited on a regular basis.” “No, they seem...” Tired? Ill? He didn’t know the right word to describe these poor people who had been forgotten by their king and country. “They’re the citizens of Tenebrous,” she replied. “They’ve always looked like this. It’s just hard to tell when you’re sitting in the lap of luxury.” His stomach turned, and he thought for a moment he might vomit.


Yeah, my sweet Abraxas being a slave sucks, but at the very least, he lived in luxury. Before Lore, he didn’t even bother to really crash heads with Zander, so he lived comfortably in a gilded cage or the nearest someone can get to being comfortable being a slave of unstable kings most of his ancient life. So, it’s completely understandable he didn’t know how ill and poor the people really are. It must be shocking since he lived all these years only focused on trying to maintain the eggs safe.

He felt as though he were the child they dragged behind them. Abraxas didn’t know the plan at all, nor did he understand where to go or what to do now. This entire journey had rather firmly put him in his place, and it had only been a couple of days. What a humbling experience. And also one that reminded him how lucky he was to be a dragon while all the other individuals in the world struggled far more than he did. Perhaps they were stronger than him, because he was certain he’d have folded like a stack of cards long ago.


Really humbling, hahaha. The poor guy didn’t see anything yet. Hahaha, fucking hell, he lost Lore I. The crowd for a moment and was almost panicking and turning into a dragon because he was lost, damn I love him and his weird way of being overly confident in a moment and not at all in another. Hahaha. Holly hell, seeing Lore in Tenebrus is like I’m reading Assassin’s Creed. Yeah, I read the books and played the games. Let’s just say I’m a little obsessed with Assassin’s Creed…our girl is damn good at parkour and even jumps from buildings like when we’re playing the game and has to open a new part of the map? We go to a tower or some place really high and then do a fancy jump into some soft thing? Yeah, Lore is like this and she’s sooooooo cool.

She’d fear him soon enough. He opened his mouth, the low growl echoing from his throat, one of an ancient beast. “Let me make this very clear. If you lose her, then you lose me. Make no mistake, child, I am only here because of her. I care for two things in life. Those eggs. And that woman.”


Woah… it’s the first time I saw Abraxas being an asshole like this… well his dragon is riding him hard since Lore is missing so he is being an asshole what is understandable because he is feeling like a failure because he wasn’t with them when shit hit the fan, he was trying to give Lore the cold shoulder because she was being… a bitch but nothing new and isn’t like she didn’t have reasons to be one since you know…he killed her mother, so now our sweet boy is being an asshole and snapping to everyone in a damn hurtful way because he has low self-esteem and thinks he failed in everything in his life… what maybe is true… but he can’t give up!! Yeah he couldn’t really protect the eggs and yeah he just couldn’t protect his woman too, but Lore doesn’t need an overprotective man anyways and the eggs? They are only missing so cool off Abraxas because yeah you suck at protecting things but no one is perfect uh? Hahahaha.

Damn it’s funny how complex Abraxas is , one moment only Lore and the eggs are important to him and them five days later? Goliath and Beauty are now too, even after him snapping at her about only Lore mattering to him, my conclusion is that how a dragon he is overprotective of what he thinks is part of his hoard, Lore and the eggs are already part of it, and now Goliath and Beauty are too, so now he cares about their safety, see ? I’m a doctor in dragon psychology hahaha.

Fuck Motherfucking hell!!! I’m in the Fields of Somber? There are zombies? Are you fucking kidding me? It’s a nightmare and if I were Lore? I absolutely could run for the hills screaming bloody murder to Abraxas turn into a dragon and fly us all away from this shit place, nope zombies are where I draw the line, in this I can totally relate to Lore, a man with a fire sword? Am I reading GOT? Fucking hell I don’t care because this is soooo fucking cool!!

Finally, he looked down at the dwarf and gruffly replied, “It’s a hard choice for me, too. Not because of the order, but because you are all my friends. I don’t wish to see you harmed any more than Lore.”


Oh gods… Abraxas is… damn I love the guy, he is too precious damnit!!!! Holy hell he even is scared of spiders ? Yeah undoubtedly Abraxas is my fav of this series, he’s just my dream boyfriend like… he’s sweet, kind, can turn into a dragon, is thoughtful with his friends, is sarcastic…damn I could go on all day because I damn love the guy hahaha.

< blockquote > “I think, if we avoid the webs and step very slowly, we might walk by them unseen.” “I’m going to scream. Or vomit.” She wanted to slap him, but the sound would alert the spiders to their presence, and she didn’t want to take that risk. “You’re a dragon.”

Hahaha poor Lore, sometimes Abraxas acts like an ancient man all wise and fearless and others like a young guy when everything is a new experience and has some senseless fears…but he’s justifiable in this situation because… fucking hell it was giant spiders… who the fuck wasn’t going to freak the fuck out? Yeah I know, Lore couldn’t because the girl is a badass, guys when I say he is afraid of spiders, I mean the kind of fear when you freeze…can you believe? Abraxas the overprotective dragon freezing because of spiders? Lore had to save him hahaha I’m laughing so hard because of his astonished face? Damn that was priceless.

Oh Gods… this series is too wonderful, damnit!!! So much angst and action, I loved every damn second but… unfortunately my time here is ending…yeah I have to go back to my hell aka med school and start studying again… I still have eight days but I can’t focus in such a detailed series anymore…damn me because I’m fucking curious to know what will happen to them, I love Abraxas so damn much!! Lore is cool too, and their friends? Yeah this book is so damn good and I wanted to at least read her and Abraxas fucking with abandon at least once before I had to go but let’s say I’ll absolutely see it when I’m freed again hahaha.
Profile Image for MommaT_Book_Phoenix.
129 reviews1 follower
April 13, 2022
A dragon, an elf, a human and a dwarf walk into a tavern...

A dragon, an elf, a human and a dwarf walk into a tavern...
sounds like the start of a joke, but this small snarky ragtag crew holds my heart, still the underdogs,  but finding strength together in this second-in-series tale. 

The MH is a medieval half-elf Katniss Everdeen... she's become the face of a rebellion, and doesn't want it. She just wants magical folk to have rights like the humans, and perform magic without threat of death. The problem is she can't turn her back on what's happening to Abraxas, his eggs are gone and she wants to right this wrong before tackling the woes of Umbra.


I was so ready for book 2 to get here, and I was not disappointed! The story picks up right after the events in Fire Heart and jumps back into the fray of the that event's aftermath. 

The characters are more fleshed out, from Lore and Abraxas, to side characters like Beauty and Goliath.

I love, love, love the multiple POVs! I fell like Abraxas took some of the limelight,  and I'm here for it.  He's so enduring, in trying to understand Lore & her actions, feelings, and hesitancy, and him giving her the space she needs, though he's in love with her. His learning how to treat others in the group,  tenderness,  he's an ancient being, or him seeing things from the less fortunate's POV as opposed to from the sky, or a royal carriage, it's eye-opening for him and I loved how he took it in stride.  

They aren't instalove, they have real world issues to work through, and it's believable,  even in a fantasy book. I like it,  they're have to work for it,  and I hope to see this ember that keeps igniting go full flame in book 3!!

I live getting to see me of Umbra in all it's beautiful detailing, the new characters that pop in, and I feel like the stage is set up nicely for things to start coming together. The journey, the new comradare & bromance, and this love story unfolding is one worth reading! You must start with Fire Heart, but if you've made it this far... just go get it now! I can't wait for Brave Heart will be out in July!


My thanks to the author & Book Sprout for the ARC, all thoughts and opinions are mine own, and no compensation was received. 

Profile Image for Rachel.
2,342 reviews131 followers
April 22, 2022
The first book in the Dragon of Umbra series was great and Emma Hamm has struck gold again with the second book in the series, Bright Heart.

Let me start off by saying that things are not good, rumor is Zander survived the attack, the Darkveil elf, Margaret is plotting something not so good, the mad elf has devious plans at work, the dragon eggs are still missing, the rebellion didn't go as planned and worse of all things between Lore and Abraxas are back to what they were in the beginning with Lore not forgiving Abraxas for his part in the death of her mother. It's a dumpster fire and so entertaining.

I liked the plot of this one, Lore, Abraxas, and friends go on a quest to find the eggs and may find an ally or two on the way. I liked that the landscape was expanding building upon the world even more and I really enjoyed learning more about unique supernaturals and learning more of the history of the supernatural. It also killed me learning more about what life was like for Lore, she's treated so wrongly just for being half-elf but yet she doesn't turn that hate on the people who turned their backs on her, she still has great pride in being a Silverfell elf and I think prove how strong she is even if she was a little lost at the beginning of this.

What really killed me is the angst between Lore and Abraxas, I just love them so much. I suffered through most of this book because they could not get it together, more Lore than Abraxas. Abraxas looking for forgiveness, giving his whole heart to this relationship, trying to coax Lore into trusting what was between them, and Lore was running, in denial about her feelings for most of the book. I just wanted to scream at her but I can understand the hesitation. Thank gods things get resolved one way or another by the end of this book, it would have killed me to have to suffer through this in another book.

Bright Heart had everything, a nightmare king, impossible rumors, a frustrated albeit patient dragon, angsty romance, diabolical elves, zombies, (zombies y'all), and so much more. The story isn't over with yet there is a lot more to do and I wonder what's gonna happen in the next book, Brave Heart whatever it is I know it's gonna be interesting.

Profile Image for Karina.
130 reviews87 followers
October 7, 2023
Abraxas is actually the only character I'm still reading and rooting for.

He is by far my favorite character. He's grumpy as heck and somehow the cuddliest man ever who reminds me a lot of an overprotective dog. Mr. Big Bad Dragon over here scares the poop out of everyone but is only soft for one person and has unending loyalty towards them.

On the other side of this fantasy romance is Lore.

Sweet, sweet, annoying Lore. Gosh, I want to love her so much, but her character - a lot of these characters actually- seems so inconsistent it's grating on my nerves. There were a couple of scenes that actually made no logical sense. You know that one annoyingly idiotic character is scary movies who's always the first to die or the one that makes everyone else die bc they're dumb af? Yeah, that's Lore. That and having a whole ass conversation in a house about to collapse and giant spiders trying to eat them alive and a dead warlock trying to kill them. JUST LEAVE RUN GET TF OUT OF THERE YALL CAN HOLD HANDS AND SING CUMBAYA LATER

Run Bitch Run! gif

Lore choosing to stay behind to fight a giant zombie horde alone while a dragon flies everyone else to safety didn't make any sense whatsoever. She could have easily gone with them.

And the judgement in this book?? My lord why was everyone so body shamey here? I lost how many times these characters called Abraxas ugly and sexualized his body. There was no need for that, what did that poor man who's been a slave most of his life do to y'all?? Beauty's body weight was mentioned multiple times in this book too and I felt like her entire character was done a disservice.

I'm probably going to stick around for book 3 because Abraxas
Badass dragon and female elf gif
and also I'm incredibly invested in those sweet dragon eggs.
3 Dragon Eggs gif
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