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Flameborn
Each major kingdom on the continent of Zulukara controls at least one of Earth’s elements. The peaceful people of Tambia control fire. The inventive sea people of Nongo control water. The mighty empire of Gavalon controls wind, stone and nearly everything else. The only thing keeping the fragile peace is fear of the continent’s colossal dragons and the mysterious Tambian women who control them, who are known as Fire Speakers. But everything changes when a Fire Speaker is born in Gavalon. Her name is Zamani Flameborn.
394 pages, Paperback
Published September 28, 2020
34 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 19, 2020
Don't miss this book!
I really enjoyed this book. Jamel Cato has created a rich world with an interesting elemental-based magic system. I love that he follows the rule of show, not tell. The first few chapters were a little confusing with so many characters to keep up with and not knowing what's really going on, but it quickly comes together without having to read a massive info dump.
For the most part, the characters feel very real. I found myself caring about them and identifying with their motivations. I wish there had been a bit more internal monologue at times. I really liked Tharon but about midway thorough the book he started to feel a bit one-dimensional. It isn't an unusual plot device for a character to try to reclaim their birthright so I would have liked to see a little more depth in him. However, I really loved Zamani and almost every other character in the book (even the ones you love to hate!) felt very well-developed.
There are a lot of different POVs in the book but Cato is kind of a genius in that he keeps the chapters very short. I was never bored or eager to get through a chapter so I could find out what was happening in another part of the story.
There are times when Flameborn kind of felt like men versus women, and it's kind of supposed to as discrimination is a huge theme in the book, but it is done well for the most part. The women all felt like real people and that's often a huge problem that authors struggle with. It kind of makes me cringe how often women are referred to as "females" but that's really a me thing and men are just as often referred to as "males." There's one scene where a MC gets mad about someone hiding with "the females" implying that it's cowardly and it was a low point for me in the story. It would have been just as easy to call him a coward without bringing that into it, especially because the MC is supposed to be more progressive and one of the women ends up being a badass later in the story.
I really enjoyed the way Cato wrote the battle scene toward the end. Jumping from POV to POV sometimes just for a sentence really gave the story fantastic momentum. I wish the post-battle part of the story had had a little more depth because it felt a little rushed but the final scene (while not a cliffhanger) still had me eager to read the next book in the series.
Check this book out if you're interested in African fantasy, strong characters, and don't mind being stuck on your couch for hours at a time because you can't stop reading.
I really enjoyed this book. Jamel Cato has created a rich world with an interesting elemental-based magic system. I love that he follows the rule of show, not tell. The first few chapters were a little confusing with so many characters to keep up with and not knowing what's really going on, but it quickly comes together without having to read a massive info dump.
For the most part, the characters feel very real. I found myself caring about them and identifying with their motivations. I wish there had been a bit more internal monologue at times. I really liked Tharon but about midway thorough the book he started to feel a bit one-dimensional. It isn't an unusual plot device for a character to try to reclaim their birthright so I would have liked to see a little more depth in him. However, I really loved Zamani and almost every other character in the book (even the ones you love to hate!) felt very well-developed.
There are a lot of different POVs in the book but Cato is kind of a genius in that he keeps the chapters very short. I was never bored or eager to get through a chapter so I could find out what was happening in another part of the story.
There are times when Flameborn kind of felt like men versus women, and it's kind of supposed to as discrimination is a huge theme in the book, but it is done well for the most part. The women all felt like real people and that's often a huge problem that authors struggle with. It kind of makes me cringe how often women are referred to as "females" but that's really a me thing and men are just as often referred to as "males." There's one scene where a MC gets mad about someone hiding with "the females" implying that it's cowardly and it was a low point for me in the story. It would have been just as easy to call him a coward without bringing that into it, especially because the MC is supposed to be more progressive and one of the women ends up being a badass later in the story.
I really enjoyed the way Cato wrote the battle scene toward the end. Jumping from POV to POV sometimes just for a sentence really gave the story fantastic momentum. I wish the post-battle part of the story had had a little more depth because it felt a little rushed but the final scene (while not a cliffhanger) still had me eager to read the next book in the series.
Check this book out if you're interested in African fantasy, strong characters, and don't mind being stuck on your couch for hours at a time because you can't stop reading.
November 3, 2020
So...
I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I'll say this much off the bat. Cato has (potentially) got a damned good world to build upon.
There's a good blend of scifi, fantasy, steampunk, and alternate reality going on in this book, and I love it. The magic system sounds intriguing, from what little bit we actually saw. The unique weapons were a nice touch as well.
Unfortunately, despite the length of the book, everything seemed superficial. There was simply so much going on that there wasn't enough time to really focus on any one thing, and it really hurts the story.
That said, it's a good first start. I hope Cato continues the story, and picks up where the first book left off. There's a ton of potential here for a world that rivals that of Wheel of Time, Sword of Truth, and Game of Thrones. I can't wait to see if the world will grow to fulfill the potential that is there.
I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I'll say this much off the bat. Cato has (potentially) got a damned good world to build upon.
There's a good blend of scifi, fantasy, steampunk, and alternate reality going on in this book, and I love it. The magic system sounds intriguing, from what little bit we actually saw. The unique weapons were a nice touch as well.
Unfortunately, despite the length of the book, everything seemed superficial. There was simply so much going on that there wasn't enough time to really focus on any one thing, and it really hurts the story.
That said, it's a good first start. I hope Cato continues the story, and picks up where the first book left off. There's a ton of potential here for a world that rivals that of Wheel of Time, Sword of Truth, and Game of Thrones. I can't wait to see if the world will grow to fulfill the potential that is there.
October 18, 2020
This is the first book I have read by Jamel Cato and I really enjoyed it. It takes place in a fantasy version of the continent of Africa known as Zulukara, which is surrounded by a mysterious fog. Nations are at war as the kingdom of Gavalon gains more territory and its king wants to rule all of Zulukara. This world has dragons, elemental magic, and deities. The worldbuilding in this book was great. There are many different cultures and it’s an interesting take on elemental magic. Zulukara contains a mix of bronze-age technology enhanced by magic. This book follows many different characters, which can sometimes be a bit overwhelming, especially at first because a lot of time passes in a few short chapters. Sometimes when I read books that follow multiple viewpoints there is one character that I dread reading about. This book did not have that problem because every character was interesting to follow.
There are two main characters: Zamani Flameborn and Tharon. Zamani is a Fire Speaker, meaning she wields powerful fire magic. She was discovered as an infant by the ruler of Gavalon and raised as a “lady”, but people see her as foreign and more like a weapon than a human being. Tharon is a young man who lives on a farm in the former kingdom of Yinegal. He wonders if his mother is hiding something from him, because all she will tell him is that their family is originally from “the East”.
I am looking forward to reading more books by Jamel Cato. I rate Flameborn 4.5/5.
There are two main characters: Zamani Flameborn and Tharon. Zamani is a Fire Speaker, meaning she wields powerful fire magic. She was discovered as an infant by the ruler of Gavalon and raised as a “lady”, but people see her as foreign and more like a weapon than a human being. Tharon is a young man who lives on a farm in the former kingdom of Yinegal. He wonders if his mother is hiding something from him, because all she will tell him is that their family is originally from “the East”.
I am looking forward to reading more books by Jamel Cato. I rate Flameborn 4.5/5.
December 25, 2020
This book was great
This world is really fantastic and has so much potential.One thing I do have to say though is, for the first 150 pages it felt like a bunch of set-up.That was mainly due to the fact that the chapters are too short (five pages)meaning we went from different povs really quick.After the half way point it get better though.
This world is really fantastic and has so much potential.One thing I do have to say though is, for the first 150 pages it felt like a bunch of set-up.That was mainly due to the fact that the chapters are too short (five pages)meaning we went from different povs really quick.After the half way point it get better though.
January 8, 2021
This fantasy has lots of waring and killing with kings and nobles having different types of powerful magics. If you like different styles of fantasy this is worth checking out.
About 2/3 through the book there's a chapter where a character is on Earth, which may be a set-up for a future book in this series.
About 2/3 through the book there's a chapter where a character is on Earth, which may be a set-up for a future book in this series.
April 15, 2021
Flameborn is fun and a good read.
I downloaded this book when the author Jamel Cato put it up for free on Reddit. One of the things I was struck by was the world building and the characters. They were all unique and memorable. One of the things I think could’ve been handled a little better was the structure. There are 70ish chapters with most being 3-5 pages but I think it would’ve flowed a lot better if some of them were combined. We switch POVs a lot too quickly and I was lost for most of the book. The final third of the book is great as chapters became longer and there was more action and reveals that kept me interested.
I downloaded this book when the author Jamel Cato put it up for free on Reddit. One of the things I was struck by was the world building and the characters. They were all unique and memorable. One of the things I think could’ve been handled a little better was the structure. There are 70ish chapters with most being 3-5 pages but I think it would’ve flowed a lot better if some of them were combined. We switch POVs a lot too quickly and I was lost for most of the book. The final third of the book is great as chapters became longer and there was more action and reveals that kept me interested.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews