What do you think?
Rate this book
Curse of the Dark Kingdom #2
Soldier of Fire
This Firebird inspired fantasy romance novel features a reckless cursed prince, a princess secretly searching for the dangerous Demon Egg, rivals falling in love, and magical talking animals.
249 pages, ebook
Published July 26, 2022
22 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
About the author
Amberlyn Holland
31 books63 followersAmberlyn grew up reading her older sister’s SFF collection and her mother’s category romances so it’s only natural her storytelling leans toward fantasy and paranormal romance.
She currently lives in Northern New York where her writing schedule, and life, revolve around the whims of her dog. When not catering to a demanding terrier or getting lost in books, she enjoys crafting, watching football and hockey, and hanging out with her husband.
If you want to keep up to date on new releases and special events, sign up for her newsletter.
She currently lives in Northern New York where her writing schedule, and life, revolve around the whims of her dog. When not catering to a demanding terrier or getting lost in books, she enjoys crafting, watching football and hockey, and hanging out with her husband.
If you want to keep up to date on new releases and special events, sign up for her newsletter.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 15, 2022
Firebird is creative and new with characters that are lovable and relatable in their humanity and struggles. I enjoy the way each of these stories are self contained while still having an ongoing plot that spans the whole series. It is a great way to marry the fairytale format with an inventive and rich world that deserves to be explored through multiple stories.
When I started this book I couldn’t remember all the details established in the previous book about the political and historical setting of this fictional world, but within the first two chapters everything I needed to know was quickly reviewed without feeling overwhelmed by it.
I love the animals and how they interact with Raneir. They are intelligent but also true to the natures we expect of each kind in a way that feels fluid and believable. Instead of being mystically wise or intellectually superior to humans, they are driven as much by emotion and instinct as any of us. It seems normal for Thane to carry on a conversation about Raneir’s situation one minute, and run wild trying to catch his cat nemesis the next.
Raneir’s motivations and reactions feel genuine and realistic as he grapples with the things he has always believed about himself and others in light of how Xadi treats him with respect and interest, rather than the fear and disgust he always braces himself for. It is realistic and relatable the way he falls back on familiar defence mechanisms every time he feels off balance, even as he begins to grow past them. His habits and learned behaviours understandably lag a bit behind his inner growth, giving deeper meaning to the ultimate change he goes through than if he had easily diverged from the familiar patterns as soon as he realized they were unfair and ill-informed.
Xadi also feels real in her responses to the situation, to Raneir and even to her own feelings. I was cheering her on as she continued to defy Raneir’s expectations, judging him for himself and never once falling back on the rumours and superstitions that inform how most people respond to him. She was not a copy-paste personality thats been over done, nor did her reactions feel contrived in order to serves a convenient purpose in the story.
I love this new series so much! I think it might be my favourite of Amberlyn Holland’s worlds, and I have read her other series’ multiple times. I can’t wait for the next book!
When I started this book I couldn’t remember all the details established in the previous book about the political and historical setting of this fictional world, but within the first two chapters everything I needed to know was quickly reviewed without feeling overwhelmed by it.
I love the animals and how they interact with Raneir. They are intelligent but also true to the natures we expect of each kind in a way that feels fluid and believable. Instead of being mystically wise or intellectually superior to humans, they are driven as much by emotion and instinct as any of us. It seems normal for Thane to carry on a conversation about Raneir’s situation one minute, and run wild trying to catch his cat nemesis the next.
Raneir’s motivations and reactions feel genuine and realistic as he grapples with the things he has always believed about himself and others in light of how Xadi treats him with respect and interest, rather than the fear and disgust he always braces himself for. It is realistic and relatable the way he falls back on familiar defence mechanisms every time he feels off balance, even as he begins to grow past them. His habits and learned behaviours understandably lag a bit behind his inner growth, giving deeper meaning to the ultimate change he goes through than if he had easily diverged from the familiar patterns as soon as he realized they were unfair and ill-informed.
Xadi also feels real in her responses to the situation, to Raneir and even to her own feelings. I was cheering her on as she continued to defy Raneir’s expectations, judging him for himself and never once falling back on the rumours and superstitions that inform how most people respond to him. She was not a copy-paste personality thats been over done, nor did her reactions feel contrived in order to serves a convenient purpose in the story.
I love this new series so much! I think it might be my favourite of Amberlyn Holland’s worlds, and I have read her other series’ multiple times. I can’t wait for the next book!
November 30, 2022
The Curse of the Dark Kingdom by Amberlyn Holland is by far the best fairy tale series being written today. This older teen/young adult series continues the standard of excellence with Soldier of Fire. This cursed family has won my heart. It makes no difference that I am more grandmother than teenager. I love these books.
Adults now under the curse of the late cruel king, their father seemed to me to be a heartless blow when they endured their childhood growing up under his thumb. However, for two of the siblings the curse had a flip side of blessing to it. So what about Raneir, the solider of fire? Based on the Firebird tale, Raneir is not the only one living under a curse. Princess Xadi decides to do anything or sacrifice everything to save her sister from another curse. It is not Raneir that the reader meets first but Xadi in this unique story.
While there is an overarching theme that runs through these tales each sibling’s story is self-contained. The first ones to have broken the curse that they were under cannot help the others. Each sibling’s bane is unique to them. What a creative mind this author has, bringing it to this extremely well-written, original and extraordinary story. Believable characters that you love in spite of their flaws, maybe even more so because of them.
Fairytale, yes. Romance, yes. Wonderful fantasy, yes. As a result it is an electrifying, thrilling read. Interested in an astonishing take on a legendary story, then Soldier of Fire is the book for you.
The publisher/author gave me a complimentary ARC of the book which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Adults now under the curse of the late cruel king, their father seemed to me to be a heartless blow when they endured their childhood growing up under his thumb. However, for two of the siblings the curse had a flip side of blessing to it. So what about Raneir, the solider of fire? Based on the Firebird tale, Raneir is not the only one living under a curse. Princess Xadi decides to do anything or sacrifice everything to save her sister from another curse. It is not Raneir that the reader meets first but Xadi in this unique story.
While there is an overarching theme that runs through these tales each sibling’s story is self-contained. The first ones to have broken the curse that they were under cannot help the others. Each sibling’s bane is unique to them. What a creative mind this author has, bringing it to this extremely well-written, original and extraordinary story. Believable characters that you love in spite of their flaws, maybe even more so because of them.
Fairytale, yes. Romance, yes. Wonderful fantasy, yes. As a result it is an electrifying, thrilling read. Interested in an astonishing take on a legendary story, then Soldier of Fire is the book for you.
The publisher/author gave me a complimentary ARC of the book which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 28, 2023
Soldier of Fire
Curse of the Dark Kingdom #2
Fantasy
Amberlyn Holland
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I'm really enjoying this series so far. Although the basic plot is similar to book one, there are enough differences to keep things interesting.
This book is set in the same world but focuses on new characters, although there is a crossover to book 1 here and there. Xadi is a great as a character, she's determined to free her sister from the curse she was born with and Raneir struggles with the loneliness that comes with his curse as well as the rejection of his family.
The pacing was a little slower but I still finished it in about 7 hours because I couldn't put it down. The fight scene was really good and I'm looking forward to finding out who the secret POV was from and why they stole a certain item.
I wasn't keen on how quickly the relationship between Xadi and Raneir developed though. It seemed to happen really quickly - they had one kiss and then they loved each other. I prefer a bit more build up than that.
The characters were nicely developed and I loved Thane the talking dog, he had a lot of sarcasm and personality 😂.
I can't wait to read the next book when it's released in March though!
Curse of the Dark Kingdom #2
Fantasy
Amberlyn Holland
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I'm really enjoying this series so far. Although the basic plot is similar to book one, there are enough differences to keep things interesting.
This book is set in the same world but focuses on new characters, although there is a crossover to book 1 here and there. Xadi is a great as a character, she's determined to free her sister from the curse she was born with and Raneir struggles with the loneliness that comes with his curse as well as the rejection of his family.
The pacing was a little slower but I still finished it in about 7 hours because I couldn't put it down. The fight scene was really good and I'm looking forward to finding out who the secret POV was from and why they stole a certain item.
I wasn't keen on how quickly the relationship between Xadi and Raneir developed though. It seemed to happen really quickly - they had one kiss and then they loved each other. I prefer a bit more build up than that.
The characters were nicely developed and I loved Thane the talking dog, he had a lot of sarcasm and personality 😂.
I can't wait to read the next book when it's released in March though!
December 15, 2022
Book two and this incredible series continues. The curse has hit Raneir the solider of fire, who faces challenges just like the others but can converse with the animals which is pretty cool though of course with the good also comes the bad. It’s gripping , it’s exciting, it’s a little on the darker side and it’s filled with action and has twists that will have you on the edge of your seat. Raneir and Xadi Are such great characters and both are cursed in such different ways whilst Ranier is trying to break his own curse as Xadi is trying to break the curse on her family that kills the first born before they can ascend to the throne and her twin sister is the oldest one so the curse falls on her. It’s a wonderful fairytale read that is full of family drama, danger, betrayal and treachery and is so good that you will find yourself totally sucked into this world.
December 4, 2022
A fantastic continuation of the series. Raneir has been cursed similarly to his brothers and sister. Each must stay within the confines where the curse was imposed. Independently, Madi's sister Mara has been cursed to die young. The three work together as allies against a common foe in an uneasy truce. Emotions run high during this adventure which ends delightfully. However, there is a foreshadowing of unhappy future events at the end.
Action-packed. Easy-to-read. Entertaining. 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.
Action-packed. Easy-to-read. Entertaining. 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.
November 19, 2022
Raneir and Xadi first appear to be opposites. Both are stubborn and focused. He has been under a curse for five years. She comes from a family that is cursed so the first born heir is to die before accepting the throne, for generations.
Truths withheld, lies boldly stated, and a partnership to seek a treasure.
Sweet clean romance. A dash of mystery and adventure. And a world that keeps getting more interesting and entertaining as the series progresses.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Truths withheld, lies boldly stated, and a partnership to seek a treasure.
Sweet clean romance. A dash of mystery and adventure. And a world that keeps getting more interesting and entertaining as the series progresses.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
November 29, 2022
Firebird and talking animals—blessings and/or curses.
Raneir and Xadi keep each other on their toes looking for clues to undo curses. Raneir has some challenges he needs to deal with, but he gets to hear his animal friends talk! So fun! Lots of action and interesting dilemmas. The mysterious black and white cat is back. However, while it’s help is accurate, it is also minimal. Satisfying ending, while setting up for the next fairytale story. I received an ARC copy from the author and am happy to leave a review.
Raneir and Xadi keep each other on their toes looking for clues to undo curses. Raneir has some challenges he needs to deal with, but he gets to hear his animal friends talk! So fun! Lots of action and interesting dilemmas. The mysterious black and white cat is back. However, while it’s help is accurate, it is also minimal. Satisfying ending, while setting up for the next fairytale story. I received an ARC copy from the author and am happy to leave a review.
November 30, 2022
Raneir, the illegitimate son of the king, has an interesting two-part curse. He can understand animals and when he talks to them they understand him in return. Most people just think he’s crazy. The other part of the curse is that there are times when he blacks out and wakes up in a different location with no memory of how he got there.
It's a great read and sets things up for the next book (which I can't wait to read).
It's a great read and sets things up for the next book (which I can't wait to read).
March 13, 2024
What a twisted mixed retelling of the Koschei the Deathless and the Firebird tales! I very much liked the characters, whose compromise (comprising of goals at loggerheads, snarky banter, and unwilling attraction) made the main characters with their foibles feel so real. Definitely something for fairytale retelling fans to grab and read!
August 2, 2024
captivating
This story had me hooked from the first page. The characters were unique and beautifully flawed. Its a fantastic story of redemption and selflessness. I loved Raneir’s struggle with letting people in and Xadi’s loyalty to a fault. This is a fast paced roller coaster and I highly recommend it!
This story had me hooked from the first page. The characters were unique and beautifully flawed. Its a fantastic story of redemption and selflessness. I loved Raneir’s struggle with letting people in and Xadi’s loyalty to a fault. This is a fast paced roller coaster and I highly recommend it!
July 29, 2025
Fairly interesting plot
Caught on without having read the first book
Personal Rating: 3.5/5
Criteria based rating
1. Emotional depth/description: 3.5/5
2. Characters' weight/nuances: 3.5/5
3. Realism/Believability: 3/5
4. Re-readability: 3/5
5. Plot/Structure/Storytelling: 3.5/5
Calculated average: 3.3/5
Caught on without having read the first book
Personal Rating: 3.5/5
Criteria based rating
1. Emotional depth/description: 3.5/5
2. Characters' weight/nuances: 3.5/5
3. Realism/Believability: 3/5
4. Re-readability: 3/5
5. Plot/Structure/Storytelling: 3.5/5
Calculated average: 3.3/5
December 14, 2022
An absolutely fabulous, clean fairytale adventure evoking similar feelings of The Princess Bride movie. Well-written and fast-paced, there is adventure, intrigue, and romance to appeal to a wide audience.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
June 12, 2025
So many twists!
I was trying to explain this story to my Fav, and kept leaping from point to point in my excitement. He was thoroughly confused but I am totally thrilled. An exciting read.
I was trying to explain this story to my Fav, and kept leaping from point to point in my excitement. He was thoroughly confused but I am totally thrilled. An exciting read.
August 3, 2023
Couldnt finish. Predictable
November 12, 2023
Sooooo good!! Easily best one in the series so far! Adored Raneir and Xadi and how they came to their uneasy truce!! Such a sweet ending too!
July 8, 2023
Content:
Language: None.
Sexual: mild. Just some kisses.
Violence: mild, some fighting and such.
TW: This series deals with the fallout of an emotionally/mentally abusive parent and how his children deal with it. This book centers around illegitimacy and abandonment as well as lack of belonging.
Welcome to the second book of dealing with the emotional wound. Haha. But really, this series has been a blast to read, as it's dealing with heavy themes but it's not so heavy that I feel that horrible sickness in the pit of my stomach after reading it like some books.
And can I just say, I've never been so jealous of a cursed person in a book. He gets to talk to animals! I mean the blacking out part, not so cool, but...talking to animals!
Just that fact alone made me like Raneir. How can you not like a guy whose best friends are his horse and his dog? He's brash, impulsive, and crafty as heck. He's so different from Alastair that I was a bit taken aback, but in a delighted way. And the fact that he's got a mental rivalry with Alastair, who we just got to know so well in the previous book, was a fun tidbit, and helps you know that Raneir has his own misconceptions to deal with.
This book is based on the Firebird myth, which I admit, I'd never heard of and was rather excited to go into without having any idea of what I'd find. It has a definite Eastern mythology feel, which was lots of fun. And Phoenixes? Who doesn't love Phoenixes?! I still need to go Google my way through the mythology, but it was a grand romp of a read not having any context at all.
As soon as you meet Xadi you can see how amazing she and Raneir will match each other. They fit perfectly, and I was thrilled to see how it would play out, waiting to see how long it would take each of them to realize it too.
I was a bit unsettled when a big part of the story dealt with a demon, but it panned itself out as I figured out the lore of the world. They use 'demon' in this story as a way to say, super evil abomination of a person that defies natural laws...like death. So, I felt it was more akin to djinn or something like a malevolent creature rather than the creepy demons in horror movies. I was totally okay with that.
Such a fun story, and great to see how Raneir faced his own misconceptions and started to soften toward others and realize he didn't have to be alone to be safe.
Can't wait (well, I guess I have to) for the next one!
Language: None.
Sexual: mild. Just some kisses.
Violence: mild, some fighting and such.
TW: This series deals with the fallout of an emotionally/mentally abusive parent and how his children deal with it. This book centers around illegitimacy and abandonment as well as lack of belonging.
Welcome to the second book of dealing with the emotional wound. Haha. But really, this series has been a blast to read, as it's dealing with heavy themes but it's not so heavy that I feel that horrible sickness in the pit of my stomach after reading it like some books.
And can I just say, I've never been so jealous of a cursed person in a book. He gets to talk to animals! I mean the blacking out part, not so cool, but...talking to animals!
Just that fact alone made me like Raneir. How can you not like a guy whose best friends are his horse and his dog? He's brash, impulsive, and crafty as heck. He's so different from Alastair that I was a bit taken aback, but in a delighted way. And the fact that he's got a mental rivalry with Alastair, who we just got to know so well in the previous book, was a fun tidbit, and helps you know that Raneir has his own misconceptions to deal with.
This book is based on the Firebird myth, which I admit, I'd never heard of and was rather excited to go into without having any idea of what I'd find. It has a definite Eastern mythology feel, which was lots of fun. And Phoenixes? Who doesn't love Phoenixes?! I still need to go Google my way through the mythology, but it was a grand romp of a read not having any context at all.
As soon as you meet Xadi you can see how amazing she and Raneir will match each other. They fit perfectly, and I was thrilled to see how it would play out, waiting to see how long it would take each of them to realize it too.
I was a bit unsettled when a big part of the story dealt with a demon, but it panned itself out as I figured out the lore of the world. They use 'demon' in this story as a way to say, super evil abomination of a person that defies natural laws...like death. So, I felt it was more akin to djinn or something like a malevolent creature rather than the creepy demons in horror movies. I was totally okay with that.
Such a fun story, and great to see how Raneir faced his own misconceptions and started to soften toward others and realize he didn't have to be alone to be safe.
Can't wait (well, I guess I have to) for the next one!
January 26, 2025
Xadi, the Imperial Princess and Twin sister of Heir Princess Xara must find the Demon Egg where the demon's essence is kept and must destroy it so that the curse put on the first born of the Imperial family (Xara) who is slated to die before she ascends the throne, is neutralized.
They, therefore travel to the Citadel on the Border of their neighboring kingdom under the guise of a negotiating team. There, its is said that t he last Firebird was sighted and that is precisely what the Prophecy states will lead to the Egg.
Upon arrival, they meet the unrecognized son of tyrannical King Aegron the Cruel, the Citadel commander, Raneir who bares a curse of his own that he'll risk anything to break.
The author writes a masterful sequel to the beginning of the "Curse of the Dark Kingdom" series where Mystical beings, Adventure, love, treachery, determination, a well planned search for a particular item, parental disappointment and a series of twists and turns that make this book a page-turner that I rate with 5 Stars and that I highly recommend.
They, therefore travel to the Citadel on the Border of their neighboring kingdom under the guise of a negotiating team. There, its is said that t he last Firebird was sighted and that is precisely what the Prophecy states will lead to the Egg.
Upon arrival, they meet the unrecognized son of tyrannical King Aegron the Cruel, the Citadel commander, Raneir who bares a curse of his own that he'll risk anything to break.
The author writes a masterful sequel to the beginning of the "Curse of the Dark Kingdom" series where Mystical beings, Adventure, love, treachery, determination, a well planned search for a particular item, parental disappointment and a series of twists and turns that make this book a page-turner that I rate with 5 Stars and that I highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews