Claimed By Death

by M.N. Beck

He commands death with the whisper of his breath, and he has her in his crosshairs.

Kai, a demon-slayer with the unique ability of holy fire, has vowed to be a force in the dark, protecting humans from otherworldly bloodlust. This ability has made her a target among her peers, but a prized weapon in Coetus, the organization that has trained her.

When a new foe enters the realm and begins killing members of Coetus, Kai is tasked with stopping him with her place in the organization dependent on her ability to destroy him. But death’s ruler is impossible to kill.

The Prince of Death has a goal of his own and as Kai draws closer to the enemy, she gains his deadly attention, becoming ensnared in his grasp. With lives hanging in the balance, Kai will be forced to forge alliances to help her defeat the Prince of Death before he gets to her first.

Kai will tread a path of pain, loss, discovery and love in her hunt to slay the Prince of Death.

Fire and Brimstone: The Prince of Death is the first book in this dark fantasy series and a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance.

This books contains violence, mild language and suggested spice.

Genres: Fantasy

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2022

About the author

M. N. Beck is an avid reader and loves a fearless FMC. Alpha males make her swoon and usually find a place in her writings. When she's not reading or writing, she is chasing her two wild boys around the country side.

Reviews

[JP · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling story that felt like a good start to a promising series. The world building was unique and took most of the book to establish. Im hoping book 2 will really dive into the heart of the story.
Thanks Green Elk Publishing via NetGalley.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Green Elk Publishing for access to this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.5 ⭐

After reading the description of the book I just knew I had to read it! And guess what? I loved it!

Fantasy with a side of romance?! Strangers to friends to enemies to lovers?! Slowburn?! Mystery?! Fighting?! Sign. Me. Up.

Kai had to see her whole life in a completely different light after finding out some secrets about the people she works for. And this after she befriended someone who is actually the same person they sent her to kill.
Slaying demons is her life purpose. But what happens when she figures out that there's demons in places she didn't know?

Seeing Kai coming to terms with her own power, her mind, her purpose and everything in between was amazing. I just LOVE a badass fmc! And she found some pretty amazing friends along the way who are more than ready to help her tackle these new informations.

And we also LOVE Bhram in this house. He's hot. He's sweet. He's protective. He's EVERYTHING!

Do yourself a favor and pick this book up right now! And I just know you're gonna enjoy it as much as I did!

Also... M. N. Beck and Green Elk Publishing? I need the next book right this instant! Please!

[Lindsey_reads_books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reread the second edition, love it! I love the new title and cover! I need more urban fantasy like this!

(older review)I have started reading more contemporary and I love dark fantasy. This book was so much fun to read. New love unlocked contemporary dark fantasy and I want more books like this.

Kai is great kickass FM. I love her banter and wit. I enjoyed reading her story as she tries to know more about her past and figure out her future. And Brahm, oh goodness I am a sucker for the tall dark and handsome that falls first and wants to protect what he has claimed as his. I love the ending for them and I can't wait for the 2nd book!

[Kristy Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was immediately drawn into this story. I hung on every word anticipating and trying to guess what came next. This book was awesome!

[LeeAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was absolutely pulled into this story. I loved Kai and her personality. The world reminds me a bit of Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr with the different races and such hiding in plain sight. I love the use of the different races to that it just makes me want to read more about them, especially the angels. I can't wait to see this author advance more into the world!

The only thing I can really say that was a little bit off for me was the flashback instances. They ran so smoothly from actual time to the flashbacks I had to stop and backread a few times to get my brain to wrap around the fact it was a past event instead of the now.

Other than that I really enjoyed it and recommend it.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kai is a hunter of demons, with the organization Coetus, that works to protect humans from deadly bloodthirsty creatures. Her power of holy fire sets her apart from other slayers.

Kai is sent on a mission to kill the Prince of Death. Coetus gives her just days to complete her mission or she won't be allowed back. But not all is what it seems with Coetus, and, with herself.

I really enjoyed this book and I'm glad there will be a continuation because we must have our war. Without giving spoilers, I had other ideas who was going to be the prince of death. I can't wait for book 2.

[Molly Persson · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If you’re going to die, die quietly so the rest of us don’t have to suffer.”

Plot- ★★★★★
Characters- ★★★★★
World building- ★★★
POV- Single pov from the FMC

This book was given to me, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow. I am legitimately speechless. Right from the first page you get thrown into action, there is never a boring moment in this book! We get to follow Kai, a slayer with a special ability to control holy fire. She is told she needs to kill The Prince of Death, because he is killing the leaders of her organisation. As we follow along on the hunt to find him, we see her make new friends but we also see her question what is worth fighting for.
I loved the fact that Kai was so sarcastic and quick witted, if someone tried to make her seem dumb or make her uncomfortable, she would just snap back with something even more outrageous. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Thank you to NetGalley and M.N. Beck for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

[Brenda Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome! I loved Kai. It has everything you need; romance, it's thrilling, bloodshed. It's so suspenseful that you will NOT want to put it down! I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

[Rukshy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not normally a fan of first person novel, but this was really great.
Kai, a demon slayer, is the most proficient slayer in the organisation, with a trademark of holy fire. This is fun, adventurous and has moments of humour. 5/5 stars

[Jordynn Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ARC Review✨

I was totally hooked by the ending of the first chapter! Action, romance and slaying mythical creatures this book literally has everything! I’m ready to see Kai take Coatis down with Brahm and her army in book 2!

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much more than expected.

This book is gripping from the get go, an enjoyable read.
I hope the second book will be soon, please tell me there is a second book?

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining read with fantastic world-building. I loved the premise of "she's fighting for the good guys... but wait..." So much self reflection and mystery wrapped up with dark fantasy. Very enjoyable read!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Katelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story sucks you in from the beginning and the action never slows down. I honestly struggled to put this book down long enough to work and sleep because I was constantly needing to know what was going to happen next. I absolutely loved Kai. She is fiercely loyal, strong, self assured, and brave in the face of adversity. She’s also just a complete badass! She has this incredible power and instead of letting it turn her into a monster or weapon of mass destruction she uses it to bring justice and order to the world. Brahm is a complete alpha who knows what he wants and he’s not afraid to do whatever he needs to to get it. I love that he doesn’t play games or waver in his loyalties. He’s the type that’s all in, 100%, from the moment he makes up his mind. This book is an absolute adventure and leaves you needing to know how these incredible characters are going to tackle what comes next (it does not end on a cliffhanger though)! This was my first read by this author and I really enjoyed it!

[Alicia Marsland · Rating 4 out of 5]

At least somewhat respectful of its sources

I do get so tired of fantasies that mangle Christian belief. However, while the change was refreshing, it wasn’t uplifting or inspiring. There’s way too much of divines and humans and all kinds of other creatures living an adventure just to get off with one of each other. That is getting seriously boring and that has got to be one of the worst fiction writing sins ever, overdoing and misusing sex until it’s boring. So this is why I’m not giving the book 5 stars. It’s well written and well conceived and all that, but really, the theme is old, old, old. it’s not sacrifice, nor love, nor joy but just Stereotypical sex. And the stupid abs!

[S.A. Krishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent world of fantasy, adventure and outworldies

The story begins with the death of a demon in the hands of Kai. After that, her day in Coetus, brings out Kai's personality. Her childhood at the hands of Sister Martha and the Coetus itself and that brings the unique power which Kai has - the holy fire.

Her interactions with the others, especially the younger slayers, was beautiful to read about. Even if she physically kept pushing them, it was nice to see that she enjoyed her time here. That brings it to her past with James and the bullies, especially Dan.

But then things move quickly when the executives of the Coetus are seemingly killed by a powerful monster. Kai is tasked with finding the 'monster' behind it.

That brings her to Brahm. She is drawn to him, but feels no power from him.

But things are not what they seem. As she battles vampires, and many other creatures, it makes Kai reconsider the reasons for the existence of the Coetus and how she ended up there.

Brahm is perfect. Elusive, mysterious and patient as he waits for Kai to understand more about herself and her powers.

The title of the prince of death is apt as Kai tries to find the truth and comes to know far too many things which had been kept as a secret from her.

Reading about the "Mark of Cain" was enjoyable and apt in the story as it moved forward.

The factasy, adventure and the mystery in the story kept the pages turning. The world created was also enjoyable with plenty of danger lurking everywhere. The characters were also perfect and the way they had to work together sometimes with distrust and sometimes with love was very nice.

Overall, enjoyable adventure/romance/fantasy read bringing in all elements of the 'outworldly' slayer life. 

[Mirella Ivanova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please note: I have read the ARC copy. However, all the opinions and views are my own as any other review I make.

Very slight spoilers, please beware.

Rating 4🌟
Plot twist: 4 🌟
Spiciness: 0 🌶

Where do I even start!!! There was so much action, known (and not that known) creatures such as vampires, werewolves etc! If you are looking for a high fantasy, high action book, then this book is for you!!!

It was literally *bam bam* action *bam bam* action, there wasn't even one page that didn't have a fantasy action flare to it! Adored it for that 😀

The author did an amazing job with the scenes and world building, it felt more like watching a TV series rather than a book - I was sucked in and couldn't put it down to the end!!! I had to know what's next!!!

Now for the reason I gave it 4 🌟

I'm all about modern fantasy, however, I feel like some of the dialogues or descriptions were not as sophisticated as the book is! Also, I am pretty advanced fantasy reader but there were some words that baffled my brain and had to re-read the paragraph to make sense of it.

I did like the book as a whole and will definitely read book 2 when is available!

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a great start to this dark fantasy series Fire and Brimstone. It was well written and did what I was hoping from the description. I was invested in what was happening to the characters and glad I read this. I look forward to reading more in this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jennifer Labonte · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read! I love all of the characters and the main character Kai is a badass. You have intense fight scenes and romance wrapped in a neat package. The author also has a sense of humor that you see throughout. The author is so great at describing every scene and character that you feel like you are there. It kept me captivated the whole book. I'm so excited for the next book in this series to come out.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right or Wrong?

Sometimes you find yourself questioning everything you know. When challenged with that thought you listen to your intuition, look deep into yourself, and you find yourself along the way. Unlikely friends emerge, new information is reveled, fights, adventure, saving people, and preparing to save the world....yeah, pick up the book and read it, then tell others to read it too.

[Erik Sapp · Rating 1 out of 5]

I believe there is a good story in this book. Sadly, I could not get to it. The writing is so bad. The sentences are short and choppy. That the book is written in present tense (rather than past) does not help.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nochu_Dee · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I read the book blurb of Fire and Brimstone I was really intrigued because I am always in for a good monster slaying book with church sanctioned slayers who are embroiled in church politics. Unfortunately, Fire and Brimstone turned out to be none of that.

I do understand writing a book is no easy feat but this is my honest opinion about Fire and Brimstone. So with all due respect to the author, I found the writing to be bad and choppy. The chapter separations were extremely bad and the world building almost non existent. Characters were stereo typical and had no depth and the plot was extremely weak. Also the plot twists were glaringly obvious.

There was nothing novel or creative about the mythical creatures or the concept of heaven and hell and their eternal war. At times I felt as though I was reading a summary of a ‘Supernatural’ TV series episode. The research that had gone into executing the plot seemed to be bare minimal.

I am not religious at all but I know for a fact that The Church is one of the oldest, richest and most powerful organizations on earth. Hypothetically if they were to have a subsidiary of church sanctioned slayers, they would would have a wealth of information at their fingertips (Hello Vatican Archives!) and will be equipped with the best weapons and training to achieve their missions, no matter how misguided those missions might be, as was the case in this book. Therefore the Coetus just shoving Kai into such a dangerous mission without no information, back up or guidance provided was very unconvincing.

For a battle hardened experienced slayer as the book claimed I found Kai to be very naive and immature and there was no character growth at all. I didn’t find Brahm interesting at all. For such a powerful entity, his character falling flat was very disappointing to me. Also the side characters felt superficial and provided no purpose in the story.

Overall, I found Fire and Brimstone to be dull and lacking and it didn’t manage to hold my interest at all. My heartfelt thanks to Netgally, Green Elk Publishing and M. N. Beck for providing me the advanced reader copy of Fire and Brimstone.

[Iris P · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a lot to like about this book! I enjoyed the overall prose and it had a great, fast pace.

However, there were some things that surprised me.

First of all, reading the reviews and the summary, I was not aware how modern this book was. Maybe I’m just an idiot and I missed something, but one minute she’s stabbing a demon with a dagger and the next she’s getting into an SUV. I must have somehow missed that it’s urban fantasy. There’s nothing wrong with this, it just personally isn’t the kind of fantasy I would have picked myself, and not what I thought I was getting. Still, it was an interesting premise so I kept going. And overall, I’m glad I did! I personally like Kai as a female MC and the whole book has a classic vibe to it. (Someone else mentioned Buffy the vampire slayer and I agree). The magic is interesting and I like the overall world a lot.

I was also surprised by how gory and graphic it was, especially right up top. In my opinion, there’s quite a lot of that. However, again, I think that overall the author makes it work and is well worth the read to anyone who likes dark fantasy/Romance.

[Codylyn Hazel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a great read! I love the fantasy world where vampires, werewolves, Fae, and slayers all exist together with humans! Kai was someone I could really relate with and understand the struggles she was going through. Always feeling like the odd man out and having the weight of the world on her shoulders, but also being the badass that she is and ultimately finding out who she really and where she stands in the world! The twist I didn’t really see coming honestly, but I had a feeling Brahm was going to be someone special! Overall I would recommend this book to everyone who wants a great FMC and a whole fantasy world war!

[Hayley Chopra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Badass FMC, humour, action, supernatural creatures, enemies to lovers... what's not to love.

The descriptive writing style makes it like a movie playing in your head. I would say potentially borders on being a bit too "wordy" at times, BUT the non stop action makes it hard to put down and the occasional over descriptions easy to look past.

The story feels familiar (think Buffy, Throne of Glass, Dark Artifices, maybe splash of Supernatural) but maintains a unique spin that keeps you curious.

I am beyond ready for the next books and can see this quickly becoming a comfort series I will keep coming back too.

[L.R. Kreutzinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

surprisingly good!

Fantasy romance is not my favorite genre and can get repetitive sometimes but this book was a nice surprise to read. The story and character development of Kai was fantastic along with the twists and turns within made me feel more like this is fantasy adventure than romance. Definitely a good read for those that are fans of urban fantasy and shows like Supernatural. I can’t wait to read what comes next for Kai, great job M.N. Beck!

[Leslie Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This urban fantasy captivated me with its unique world-building and a strong-willed female main character. Adding Brahm into the mix creates a recipe for exciting adventures and possibly some romance.

The only issue I encountered was the heavy use of continuous description, which occasionally pulled me out of the story. I found myself having to work hard to reconnect with the narrative.

Despite that, I can’t wait to dive into book two!

[Shana Roszko · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of a slow start but once the story starts going it gets really good. Kai can be a bit annoying sometimes but liked her by the end. Brahm was very interesting and mysterious. I liked that he put the mark of Cain on her to protect her.

[Jackie Call · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great world building with an interesting storyline. The fast pass story sucks you right in. I could not put this book down and finished it in two days. I got very attached to the characters and had to know what happened next. Great if you like dark fantasy with a little romance.

[Kyndalyn Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

great adventure

Really good read, I occasionally got a little lost with location jumps and fast actions but it’s nothing that would prevent me from continuing to read on.

[Kat Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

Well done! I loved the plot and I loved the characters. It was well worth the money and time to read.