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The Whisper of Shadows #1
Cold Fire
Hunter isn’t special. Just anxious, haunted, and maybe in need of therapy—but avoiding it like a plague of regrets. Then one night, reality shatters.
A dragon crashes into his life—bleeding, burning—and shapeshifts into a silver-eyed man who speaks in riddles and bleeds ancient magic.
Ace should have died with a sword in his shoulder. Instead, instinct led him across the world to a stranger with copper hair and a smile that made him forget how to breathe. Hunter is reckless, radiant, unknowable. And Ace, a dragon prince raised on duty and silence, is already unraveling.
Then there’s Asher—the warlock with centuries behind his eyes and danger stitched into his every word. He’s survived a hundred heartbreaks. He knows better. But Hunter draws him like gravity.
And Zane… Zane isn’t from this world. In a future of engineered obedience, he was built to follow, but born to break. The dreams of winged men and dragons were madness—until they weren’t. Now he’s here, human in all the wrong ways, and desperate to matter.
They shouldn’t fit. They shouldn’t work. But something ancient binds them—something fragile, forbidden, and possibly doomed.
Four men. One broken fate. And a question none of them are ready to face:
What happens when loving each other isn’t enough to save them?
A dragon crashes into his life—bleeding, burning—and shapeshifts into a silver-eyed man who speaks in riddles and bleeds ancient magic.
Ace should have died with a sword in his shoulder. Instead, instinct led him across the world to a stranger with copper hair and a smile that made him forget how to breathe. Hunter is reckless, radiant, unknowable. And Ace, a dragon prince raised on duty and silence, is already unraveling.
Then there’s Asher—the warlock with centuries behind his eyes and danger stitched into his every word. He’s survived a hundred heartbreaks. He knows better. But Hunter draws him like gravity.
And Zane… Zane isn’t from this world. In a future of engineered obedience, he was built to follow, but born to break. The dreams of winged men and dragons were madness—until they weren’t. Now he’s here, human in all the wrong ways, and desperate to matter.
They shouldn’t fit. They shouldn’t work. But something ancient binds them—something fragile, forbidden, and possibly doomed.
Four men. One broken fate. And a question none of them are ready to face:
What happens when loving each other isn’t enough to save them?
747 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 27, 2022
45 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
About the author
Kai Jennex
6 books19 followersAn exhausted author inhabiting Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Has three cats, 2 ghosts and 1 roommate living with them. Also, zero brain cells activated.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 20, 2025
This was an astronomically long feeling book that I struggled to get into. The characters are odd, the relationships seem half formed, the internal monologes are so back and forth it was feeling like a wattpad angsty story. Between characters, conversations were vague about the topics that seemed important while simultaneously, the characters were over the top crass about their lives and s*xual experiences. I realize this is a fantasy storyline, but the time traveling to random historic periods of time to do nothing (?????) was so strange. We picked up some characters along the way sure, but it made little to no sense to me. This was also pitched as an MMMM+ style book in a book rec group, however, I would like to note it's primarily a light MM relationship between 3 main MMCs that is also an open relationship with the 2 other MMCs. At no point are all 4 explicitly together and atleast half of this book 2+ of the 4 MMCs don't want to be near the others, platonically or s*xually.
I'm sure this develops further in future books but it's not for me to find out! Light spice, long and ambling plot line,
I'm sure this develops further in future books but it's not for me to find out! Light spice, long and ambling plot line,
November 1, 2022
I finished this book in three days. I loved it. It was so funny. I was laughing reading most of it. There were also more serious parts and a lot of things happened throughout the book. There was time travel, Warlocks and Dragons as well as other supernatural species.
This book is really long but I loved the chapters where we could see the characters interact in a normal setting just as much as the parts where there is more action. A lot of things happen so I wasn’t bored.
I love the relationship between Ace, Hunter and Asher. At first, I didn’t really like Zane but I started to like him after reading a chapter from his point of view. I love how they interact with each other. They made me laugh.
I read this book on Kindle, but I will definitely buy the paperback version and annotate it when I read it again.
This book is really long but I loved the chapters where we could see the characters interact in a normal setting just as much as the parts where there is more action. A lot of things happen so I wasn’t bored.
I love the relationship between Ace, Hunter and Asher. At first, I didn’t really like Zane but I started to like him after reading a chapter from his point of view. I love how they interact with each other. They made me laugh.
I read this book on Kindle, but I will definitely buy the paperback version and annotate it when I read it again.
October 9, 2022
The authors takes us on a journey through time on this intriguing and exciting ride. Thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns But loved how history was brought into this storyline. I can't wait to read the next one!
May 24, 2025
I literally cannot say enough good things about this book. If you’re a fan of amazing world building, character driven development, gay poly relationships (with some relationships still being developed in this book), a snarky mage with walls miles high, a dragon hoarding his precious mates (even if he doesn’t understand why yet), a human from the future and a “mystery supe” that is the center of their relationship - this book is for you.
It’s a whopper at 1,115 pages but I couldn’t put it down for a second and would have easily read another 1,000 pages. Book two is currently being re-edited and released weekly on Patreon and I’m there the second the chapter drops. Do yourself a favor and take a chance on this book - you won’t regret it.
It’s a whopper at 1,115 pages but I couldn’t put it down for a second and would have easily read another 1,000 pages. Book two is currently being re-edited and released weekly on Patreon and I’m there the second the chapter drops. Do yourself a favor and take a chance on this book - you won’t regret it.
April 6, 2023
I finished this duo (Cold Fire and Silver Magic ) within a few days. I've been in a reading slump and I came across this title on Reddit under M/M fantasy adventure and decided to give it a shot. This is a review of the first two books.
tl;dr I loved this series and you should definitely give it a go if you want adventure intermixed with slice of life.
This is a dense series for it being two books, but it is not weighed down by superfluous descriptions or pretentious prose. It can switch from cute to introspective on a dime. Romance & found family is my happy place and this book is filled with it.
You've got Hunter, a stagnant soul who seizes the opportunity of MORE like a man in a desert given water.
You've got Ace, a man who just wants to spread his wings and matter.
You've got Asher, a lost man acquainted with Loss as a constant companion.
You've got Zane, a conveyor-belt gingerbread man who wants to be a real boy.
I giggled. I snickered. I cried. My heart flew. My heart warmed. My heart broke. This was just what I needed.
I know this book won't be for everyone because I know others will find the pacing to be frustrating, but I honestly enjoyed the action when there was action and cherished the down time when there was down time to allow the characters time to figure themselves out and their relation to one another.
I will say the one down-side that brought me out of the story was just bad editing. For example, "conscious" instead of "conscience" and others like that where my brain had to do some quick blipping to make sense of what the author intended to say, which is not the worst offense because I'd rather read a great story with bad editing than a perfectly edited book with a bland story. Plus, on reflection, the mistakes were cute because it seemed to parallel Hunter's same educational struggle.
Overall, if you have some down time to be charmed, you should definitely check this series out. I am ecstatic to learn that this series will be continuing.
P.S. This story is delightfully spicy. ;)
tl;dr I loved this series and you should definitely give it a go if you want adventure intermixed with slice of life.
This is a dense series for it being two books, but it is not weighed down by superfluous descriptions or pretentious prose. It can switch from cute to introspective on a dime. Romance & found family is my happy place and this book is filled with it.
You've got Hunter, a stagnant soul who seizes the opportunity of MORE like a man in a desert given water.
You've got Ace, a man who just wants to spread his wings and matter.
You've got Asher, a lost man acquainted with Loss as a constant companion.
You've got Zane, a conveyor-belt gingerbread man who wants to be a real boy.
I giggled. I snickered. I cried. My heart flew. My heart warmed. My heart broke. This was just what I needed.
I know this book won't be for everyone because I know others will find the pacing to be frustrating, but I honestly enjoyed the action when there was action and cherished the down time when there was down time to allow the characters time to figure themselves out and their relation to one another.
I will say the one down-side that brought me out of the story was just bad editing. For example, "conscious" instead of "conscience" and others like that where my brain had to do some quick blipping to make sense of what the author intended to say, which is not the worst offense because I'd rather read a great story with bad editing than a perfectly edited book with a bland story. Plus, on reflection, the mistakes were cute because it seemed to parallel Hunter's same educational struggle.
Overall, if you have some down time to be charmed, you should definitely check this series out. I am ecstatic to learn that this series will be continuing.
P.S. This story is delightfully spicy. ;)
November 6, 2025
If you're looking for a massive MMM+ urban fantasy, then this book is for you. I don't think I slept for 48 hours.
The plot was SO good. It sucked me in and had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The characters were so well-written that I felt like we were friends by the time I finished, and their personalities were vibrant and realistic.
Not only that, there were smaller pieces of lore that the authors meshed into the plot to match with myths and legends I already knew about, and I loved it. I was on my knees by the time I made it to the end.
If you're looking for something with magic, angels, demons, warlocks, dragon shifters and mutates (think Marvel mutants), then this is for you. The poly relationship is a slow build that feels natural, with enough spice that it had me clutching my pearls at times.
I have the biggest book hangover ever, but I'm telling you, it's worth it. There's something seriously special about these authors. I wanted a 'Court of Thorns and Roses', and Cold Fire definitely delivered.
The plot was SO good. It sucked me in and had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The characters were so well-written that I felt like we were friends by the time I finished, and their personalities were vibrant and realistic.
Not only that, there were smaller pieces of lore that the authors meshed into the plot to match with myths and legends I already knew about, and I loved it. I was on my knees by the time I made it to the end.
If you're looking for something with magic, angels, demons, warlocks, dragon shifters and mutates (think Marvel mutants), then this is for you. The poly relationship is a slow build that feels natural, with enough spice that it had me clutching my pearls at times.
I have the biggest book hangover ever, but I'm telling you, it's worth it. There's something seriously special about these authors. I wanted a 'Court of Thorns and Roses', and Cold Fire definitely delivered.
September 21, 2025
This book was so well written.I really enjoyed the story and characters a lot. It's one of the longer books that I've read recently, but I think it works for this story because there is so much happening, lots of different but important characters. The cliffhanger was diabolical and destroyed me a little, 😩 but I will still be reading the next book when it comes out. 😁❤️
June 9, 2025
I was completely blown away by the massive, very complex and masterfully written world building so much so that I returned a few times for re reads before I even finished the book. Because, Wow, what kind of brilliant minds can come up with the creation of something so unbelievably, utterly amazing!?! Apparently this incredible duo can gift their readers with a miracle!
I still don't know where to start and how to describe page after page of pure, undiluted delight!
If I have to summarize then Cold fire is a modern, gritty, dark-ish reread of the classic urban fantasy elements that come to life completely reborn - dragons, nephilims, angels, demons and modified humans. The polyamory aspect is embedded tastefully into the fabric of a very plot heavy, action packed and emotionally drenched story.
Solid part of feeling connected to what was happening on page, were the descriptions - vibrant, colorful and full of life.
You'll need just a few pages to start loving the narrative and fall in love with His grumpy highness Hunter, the snarky, know it all Asher or the aloof, touch starved Ace.
The plot develops, expands and spreads out during a heart stopping race of time and eras while the characters meet the past, the present and the future, twisted in evolving spiral of events that leave them changed and more connected to each other on entirely new level. Perhaps most impactful is the last part of the book, in which Zane appears, bringing a chilling, colorless reality, devoid of any feelings. There were many moments in the story that brought tears to my eyes or laughter, anger or wonder, but Zane - he was definitely something else, something you want to wrap your arms around and hold tightly, with his quiet acceptance that anything that shakes the rules brings death in his society. Meeting Asher, Hunter, and Ace was not only the most exciting thing that had ever happened to him, but the only time he felt alive. How not to love a man who had nothing good in his life, but still managed to preserve the spark of humanity and the natural curiosity of a child in an adult body? Zane was the missing piece that made the Ace, Asher and Hunter a cohesive, indestructible whole. And me - it made me really happy and content that I found this book and had the chance to experience the story, not just read it..
I still don't know where to start and how to describe page after page of pure, undiluted delight!
If I have to summarize then Cold fire is a modern, gritty, dark-ish reread of the classic urban fantasy elements that come to life completely reborn - dragons, nephilims, angels, demons and modified humans. The polyamory aspect is embedded tastefully into the fabric of a very plot heavy, action packed and emotionally drenched story.
Solid part of feeling connected to what was happening on page, were the descriptions - vibrant, colorful and full of life.
You'll need just a few pages to start loving the narrative and fall in love with His grumpy highness Hunter, the snarky, know it all Asher or the aloof, touch starved Ace.
The plot develops, expands and spreads out during a heart stopping race of time and eras while the characters meet the past, the present and the future, twisted in evolving spiral of events that leave them changed and more connected to each other on entirely new level. Perhaps most impactful is the last part of the book, in which Zane appears, bringing a chilling, colorless reality, devoid of any feelings. There were many moments in the story that brought tears to my eyes or laughter, anger or wonder, but Zane - he was definitely something else, something you want to wrap your arms around and hold tightly, with his quiet acceptance that anything that shakes the rules brings death in his society. Meeting Asher, Hunter, and Ace was not only the most exciting thing that had ever happened to him, but the only time he felt alive. How not to love a man who had nothing good in his life, but still managed to preserve the spark of humanity and the natural curiosity of a child in an adult body? Zane was the missing piece that made the Ace, Asher and Hunter a cohesive, indestructible whole. And me - it made me really happy and content that I found this book and had the chance to experience the story, not just read it..
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews