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Ignited
“You see, Liam, the real reason Danny and I asked you to come here is we need your help. We need you to help us keep Karis alive.”
When Liam Shaw arrives in London on the morning of the opening ceremony, he jumps into the spell-binding social world of the 2012 Olympics. Liam thinks he’s attending the games to support his high school friend, British diver Danny Litenn. But then, out of the blue, Danny’s sister Heather asks for help with keeping a man named Karis Brindamoure alive. Suddenly, amidst sporting events of all sorts, Liam begins his new role as an unofficial bodyguard. With the assistance of a ghostly figure, Liam investigates Karis’s past, striving to unravel the mystery. Something is very wrong. But what could it be?
When Liam Shaw arrives in London on the morning of the opening ceremony, he jumps into the spell-binding social world of the 2012 Olympics. Liam thinks he’s attending the games to support his high school friend, British diver Danny Litenn. But then, out of the blue, Danny’s sister Heather asks for help with keeping a man named Karis Brindamoure alive. Suddenly, amidst sporting events of all sorts, Liam begins his new role as an unofficial bodyguard. With the assistance of a ghostly figure, Liam investigates Karis’s past, striving to unravel the mystery. Something is very wrong. But what could it be?
324 pages, Paperback
Published September 27, 2022
3 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 18, 2023
Great writer!
This book was almost impossible to put down. I felt like I was at the Olympics
With friends. Loved learning about london.
This book was almost impossible to put down. I felt like I was at the Olympics
With friends. Loved learning about london.
March 5, 2024
I was asked to be one of the ARC/beta readers for C.R. Kelchner's Ignited.
I've marked spoilers from here on out.
First of all, Kelchner's strengths lie in creating a sense of place, and allowing the reader into the characters' internal worlds. He had a story he wanted to tell, and he poured his heart and soul into telling it. I love to see when writers bring their passion to their work, and he certainly does.
As the reader goes through the story, set against the backdrop of the 2012 London Olympics, one can practically smell the fresh rain on the sidewalk, hear the rumble of double-decker buses, and taste the richness of the British tea in many scenes. I was really impressed that he was able to tell a story set in a precise time and place with such vivid detail.
The characters, too, all had a strong presence on the page, and were all going through some struggle that the reader might relate to. I was especially fond of Heather (not that I'm biased, or anything) because she provided a grounded "moral compass" of the story, even if her dialogue came across as preachy at certain points. was believable and sweet, and I couldn't wait to see where the book would take them.
Liam is an "everyman" type of character, and so naturally, he was the weakest in terms of development, but it allows the reader a good POV character to experience the story through. There were moments where I was confused as to his relationships with the other characters, and why they might trust him so easily, () but overall, I thought he was a likeable MC, and provided a clean slate for the audience to adhere themselves to.
Then that brings us to twins Karis and Alessandra. At times, the both of them read very much like caricatures, and I had a hard time getting a clear read on their motivations and backstories. (I was not a fan of Alessandra, and I was often very confused as to ) However, as the book went on, I became more and more intrigued as to Karis's backstory and what drove him to the place we find him in the book.
Unfortunately, this is where I have to talk about something of my personal taste: I felt that the dialogue was a little too "on the nose" for me, and there were many instances when the characters would come right out and say exactly how they were feeling, what they were thinking, and spill their entire backstory in one sitting to Liam. I can chalk this up to being Kelchner's writing style, but for me, I prefer a bit more subtext and a chance to unravel the mystery without being given long sections of exposition.
There were also times when I wondered what the purpose of the was. Perhaps it was a vehicle for Liam (and therefore the audience) to see into Karis's backstory that we otherwise wouldn't have gotten to see? I felt the story could have done without it, since it added an element of whimsy and fantasy that isn't present in the majority of the book.
Other than those two personal taste things, however, this is an immersive and unique entry into Kelchner's library of work, and I am honored to have been asked to beta-read it ahead of time. I'm excited to see where his writing career takes him, and I'm eagerly looking forward to the next installment in The Blue of Torches series. I could tell that his writing craft only improved as he wrote, and this tells me he's got a bright future ahead of him as an author.
I've marked spoilers from here on out.
First of all, Kelchner's strengths lie in creating a sense of place, and allowing the reader into the characters' internal worlds. He had a story he wanted to tell, and he poured his heart and soul into telling it. I love to see when writers bring their passion to their work, and he certainly does.
As the reader goes through the story, set against the backdrop of the 2012 London Olympics, one can practically smell the fresh rain on the sidewalk, hear the rumble of double-decker buses, and taste the richness of the British tea in many scenes. I was really impressed that he was able to tell a story set in a precise time and place with such vivid detail.
The characters, too, all had a strong presence on the page, and were all going through some struggle that the reader might relate to. I was especially fond of Heather (not that I'm biased, or anything) because she provided a grounded "moral compass" of the story, even if her dialogue came across as preachy at certain points. was believable and sweet, and I couldn't wait to see where the book would take them.
Liam is an "everyman" type of character, and so naturally, he was the weakest in terms of development, but it allows the reader a good POV character to experience the story through. There were moments where I was confused as to his relationships with the other characters, and why they might trust him so easily, () but overall, I thought he was a likeable MC, and provided a clean slate for the audience to adhere themselves to.
Then that brings us to twins Karis and Alessandra. At times, the both of them read very much like caricatures, and I had a hard time getting a clear read on their motivations and backstories. (I was not a fan of Alessandra, and I was often very confused as to ) However, as the book went on, I became more and more intrigued as to Karis's backstory and what drove him to the place we find him in the book.
Unfortunately, this is where I have to talk about something of my personal taste: I felt that the dialogue was a little too "on the nose" for me, and there were many instances when the characters would come right out and say exactly how they were feeling, what they were thinking, and spill their entire backstory in one sitting to Liam. I can chalk this up to being Kelchner's writing style, but for me, I prefer a bit more subtext and a chance to unravel the mystery without being given long sections of exposition.
There were also times when I wondered what the purpose of the was. Perhaps it was a vehicle for Liam (and therefore the audience) to see into Karis's backstory that we otherwise wouldn't have gotten to see? I felt the story could have done without it, since it added an element of whimsy and fantasy that isn't present in the majority of the book.
Other than those two personal taste things, however, this is an immersive and unique entry into Kelchner's library of work, and I am honored to have been asked to beta-read it ahead of time. I'm excited to see where his writing career takes him, and I'm eagerly looking forward to the next installment in The Blue of Torches series. I could tell that his writing craft only improved as he wrote, and this tells me he's got a bright future ahead of him as an author.
August 3, 2023
Kelchner delivers a compelling story with a fun setting and intriguing characters. At first, I thought some of the dialogue seemed a little odd, but as I kept reading and saw the character development, it made sense, and I became more drawn into the story. The book became harder and harder to put down as I went along. As someone who loves the Olympics and remembers watching the 2012 London games, it was really fun to read a novel in that setting, and I thought the backdrop of the Olympics helped balance out some of the heaviness of the subject matter.
Kelchner deals with some difficult and traumatic subjects, which he wisely warns about in the Author's Note at the beginning, but he does so in a tasteful and not overly graphic way. He also shows his keen understanding of psychology and plants several nuggets of wisdom throughout the dialogue, perhaps my favorite of which is, "Pain unlocks the gate to the path of gratitude." I can't wait to read the next installment to see what happens next!
June 4, 2023
Hope he keeps pumping out content. Very entertaining, and CR touches on deeper traumas. Well worth a read! Wish I could offer some critiques, but nothing.
April 19, 2023
While the setting and genre are not my particular taste when it comes to reading, I was delightfully intrigued by the mystery and backstory of the characters.
In many ways, the story itself is a interpersonal drama that focuses on the characters themselves while placing them in a unique circumstance (London during the 2012 Olympics) all the while maintaining a simple premise that builds upon itself more and more until the end.
The book tackled particularly deep issues with more nuance than most Christian fiction. It was refreshing, to say the least, but because of this I can not recommend this story for just anyone due to its niche genre and potentially triggering nature. But if you are looking for a book that doesn't stray away from the heavy topics while balancing a straightforward premise and relish the thought of traveling to London; check it out!
In many ways, the story itself is a interpersonal drama that focuses on the characters themselves while placing them in a unique circumstance (London during the 2012 Olympics) all the while maintaining a simple premise that builds upon itself more and more until the end.
The book tackled particularly deep issues with more nuance than most Christian fiction. It was refreshing, to say the least, but because of this I can not recommend this story for just anyone due to its niche genre and potentially triggering nature. But if you are looking for a book that doesn't stray away from the heavy topics while balancing a straightforward premise and relish the thought of traveling to London; check it out!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews