Gems of Fire

Gems of Fire #1

by Diane E. Samson

Forbidden gems. Evil lords. Enchanted beasts. A reluctant assassin.

Princess Anna can never escape the castle's cold walls and scorning disapproval of her father and his brute royal counsel, Seamus. She'll always live in the shadow of her late mother, the queen. Will they ever see her for who she really is?

A riding accident lands Anna in the hands of traders who sell her as a slave in distant Kasdod to none other than her father's enemy, Lord Anwar. After overhearing a dangerous plot to conquer Sunderland and kill the royal family, Anna must escape and warn her father, even if it means facing her greatest enemy.

With the doom looming over her, Anna is approached by a dangerous man in the dark. He claims to want to help her, but can she trust him with her secrets? The perils of the journey ahead will push Anna to the limit and answer the one question that has always plagued her...

Will she ever be enough?

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal

306 pages, Paperback

Published July 28, 2022

Reviews

[Donamarie Fournier]

A breathtaking journey into royal courts, slavery, escape, war, and love. This book has it all. This is a great story of one little girl that has some of the worst luck in the world. She never meets her father's expectations and hates her father's counselor for very personal reasons. This story crosses deserts and dark forests and has a handsome savior to rescue her. Diane Sampson has written a tremendous novel that needs at least one follow-on. Anna hasn't yet become the queen she is destined to become.

[Renita Andries ♡]

I really enjoyed this book. It had romance, action and suspence. l got completely caught up in the storyline wanting to see what was going to happen to Anna next. The plot and character development was well done.

“I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.”

[Scott]

First love the cover it is a book seller by itself and there is a great story inside . This book is hard to put down your vested in the main character and have to know what's going to happen next . I enjoyed this book from start to finish it was a great read and I'm ready for book 2 😁😁😁😁

[Jackie]

An amazing story that kept me hooked. Anna is stuck in her life at the palace and hopefully will have her life change soon. Enjoyable.

[Therese Caruana]

This book finally made me understand the concept of a perfectly balanced recipe. It has secrets, brave hearts and innocent love in just the right quantities. The main character is relatable and and the villain is as evil as he is interesting. Anna is the princess and damsel in distress that is rescued from an unfortunate incident that led to her captivity as a slave girl. Her mystical hero is a warrior, but at the same time a gentleman which makes it easy for you to wish them a happily ever after. I enjoyed the details that Diane Samson uses to describe the events to give the world life and she makes it easy for you to imagine yourself in Anna’s shoes. I particularly enjoyed the part when Jack and Anna arrive at Harrington Castle and get to know Jack’s background story. I also liked that time is of the essence and that Anna is stubborn in her own way even when it doesn’t suit a princess. This was a page turner and I found the book hard to put down. If you like to read about Romantic Arthurian bravery and war, I highly recommend this book.

[Angel]

A good clean story

Gems of fire is a story about a willful princess who ends up going on an adventure of a different kind. The story is filled with good and evil things but no sex. Which is great! There’s romance and hard living as a slave. The princess changes during the story from a selfish princess who acts out for her fathers attention, to a selfless hero saving her people the best way she can. Her growth is a delightful way to showcase this adventure. You should read Gems of fire today.

[Keith Bornmann]

Very cool story

I enjoyed this story. Princess Anna makes a very believable heroine. She faces intense troubles and manages to become great in the end. Just like in real life, it seems that her ascension to victory is in God’s hands. She can’t really claim credit for much more than following God’s lead faithfully.

Clean book. I’d recommend this to anyone who likes stories like Prince of Persia.

[Mary T]

A headstrong princess taken and sold as a slave. She learns in her captivity that her homeland is threatened and escapes her master to return home with the determination action to help her father and brother save the country. Include two horses, a very nice young man, a little magic and you have the makings of a very good story.
I received this free from the author.

[Zie]

Princess Anna of Sunderland needed to escape their suffocating palace. Her desperation to be away from their kingdom led her to an accident followed by her ending up as a slave, and the unfolding of the treachery and war against her father, King Vilipp, that had been brewing.

Before the accident that has led Princess Anna to her father's kingdom's enemy, she is just a girl whom they see having no competence at all. But the accident has changed her life and the way Sunderland sees her. I really love how Anna had grown so much! Her character development, during her journey back to Sunderland, is remarkable. From a just a princess to a savior of Sunderland! I enjoyed her adventure with Jack back to their kingdom. And speaking of Jack, I really love their chemistry! They have that factor that can make a reader squeal because they just look cute together.

❝𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝,❞ 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙.
❝𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲.❞ 𝙃𝙚 𝙗𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙. ❝𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞...❞

This novel is fast-paced and will really get the readers hooked with each chapter and interestingly cool characters (Stefan tops my list! Sorry, Jack). Huge thanks to Hidden Treasure Tours for sending me an eARC of this amazing novel!

P.S. In every royal fantasy novels, UTTERLY ANNOYING advisor is really always there!

[Brittany Goodman]

More please

Thos story is complete. A problem was solved and a happy hending had, but I can see figure stories for these two and even the siblings. Especially the brother. There's also one string of thought that was left untied and loose that could make for the next story. I hope there is a next story.

[James McGinnis, Jr]

Brat, Slave, Savior.

Princess Anna, even at sixteen years of age, behaves like a spoiled ten year old. Her hard head leads to being captured and sold into the servitude of her father's greatest enemy. This book tells her story as she seeks escape to return home and to mature. I recommend this book.

[Julie Fugate]

A tough princess who despite great suffering never gives up. I really loved Anna’s determination and heart. You’ll find adventure, high stakes and romance in the midst of such horrible circumstances. A solid plot with a story that stayed with me.

[Kt Moore]

I wasn’t too sure what I was getting into with this book, but I couldn’t put it down! The story flowed so nicely and the characters were well developed. Looking forward to book 2!

“I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.”

[Brittni Kitten]

Hint of Rapunzel, but mainly a strong willed princess that just wants love and respect from her father. One decision will change her life forever. Decently fast paced with quite a bit of action, betrayal, magic gems and twists with multiple HEA. Cannot wait to read the next book!

[Kcdupont]

What an exciting book to read. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The characters were very well developed and it made me cheer for them all the way through. The cover is very dramatic and fits very well with the story. Great read.

[Emma Bermond]

I couldn't put this book down! It picks up before Anna meets Jack and it tells of her escape from the palace and how she ended up a slave for a rival king. Then around 100 pages it picks up where Shadow of Death left off. I highly recommend reading Death of Shadow first because it gives the reader insight as to who Jack is as a person and why he chose to save Anna.

The writing was a little rough at times, but still better than other first time authors I have read. The dialogue...sometimes it was good and other times it didn't sound like how people talk. It was clunky at times. However, even with these mistakes I still couldn't put the book down and I loved it.

There's a part in the book that really stuck out to me. It's when Anna was talking to the priest that was in the woods. The priest said, '"Perhaps. But the right hands have the right to use them. The weapon itself is not evil," he said. "It is about the heart of the one who uses them. They are a tool that can be used for great good or evil. The choice is yours.'" He was talking about the gems that held power and were put into old weapons. But it got me thinking about our society and how's there an internal argument over banning certain weapons. It's similar to how the gems were banned. In the end those who have a weapon and a good heart will use the weapon for good, but they have evil in their heart then they will use the weapon for evil.

[Mandi]

After reading Shadow of Death, I immediately started on this book. Samson does a fantastic job of pulling the reader into the story and keeping them hooked.

Anna and Jack are such fantastic characters to lead this journey. Neither of them is perfect, and those flaws are what make them human, real. I absolutely love Avery and Star. Samson did an amazing job of giving them personalities of their own.

The romantic aspects of this novel were handled extremely well, and the world-building is phenomenal.

I plan on starting book 2 today.

[Kath]

Great story with strong believable characters!

[Meredith Franco]

Thrilling and suspenseful, romantic and adventurous. Gems of Fire is a fantastic read! I can't wait to read the sequel and I'll make sure to let you know what I think of it as well! I recommend.

[Marygrace Holden]

Every chapter in both books pulled at my heartstrings in a way that few books ever have. I found myself laughing with them, crying with them, and rooting for them through every twist and turn. It was as if they were real people I knew and loved, rather than just characters on a page. I felt their emotions, their struggles, and their triumphs, and it was a truly unforgettable experience.

[S.M. McCoy]

Ya fantasy medieval royalty romance

I enjoyed the strength of the young princess and the sweet yet often reckless nature she had. There were cute banter moments with the knight that helps her on her quest to save the kingdom.

[Rajiv]

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“Gems of Fire” is the first book on the series with the same name, and it’s an exciting debut that I could not put down.

Firstly, I admire the author for the way she executed the story. Even though this is the first book in the series, the author adds a lot to make it equivalent to three books. There is adventure, romance, fierce battles, betrayal, and much more in the tale. The author also ends the story with gripping action that made this story memorable. Some of my special moments in the plot are when they encounter a bunyip or when Anna first escapes with the hopes of warning her father.

The characters are also dynamic and engaging. Anna is a beautiful character. She is a great heroine in that she always finds a solution to whatever predicament that lands on her. The author also built the romance wonderfully between Jack and Anna. While they meet under unusual circumstances, they form an incredible bond throughout their journey. Moreover, I also loved the character build between Anna and her father. On a side note, I also adored Nicolas, even though he only appears briefly in the tale.

However, my only criticism of the story is that the author focused more on the plot than on certain characters. For instance, we don’t get to know much about Seamus, and it would have been nice if there were a few for Jack and some of the secondary characters.

Apart from that, I enjoyed reading this book. Overall, “Gems of Fire” is gripping young adult fantasy and a great start to the “Gems of Fire” series.

[Vandana Singh]

Thank You!! Prism Book Tours and author Diane E. Samson for providing me with a digital copy of this fantastic book.

Anna is a rebel princess who has been told what to do and how to act since she was a child, and she bears the guilt of her mother’s death. She has a fiery personality and frequently gets into mischief. This is the tale of a princess who wishes to show her father how successful she is, however finally ends up doing the whole lot a princess ought to not be doing.

It’s a beautiful fantasy story full of love, courage, friendship, and loyalty. The characters are also interesting and lively. Anna is a lovable girl who’s a first-rate protagonist in that she constantly reveals a manner from anything dilemma she finds herself in.

The author also did a fantastic job with the romance between Jack and Anna. Despite the fact that they meet in odd circumstances, they create an unbelievable friendship throughout the course of their voyage. I particularly enjoyed the development of Anna’s relationship with her father. Despite the fact that it only shows briefly in the story, Especially enjoyed the relationship amongst siblings Stefan, Saira, and Anna. This is a fast paced novel.

I enjoyed this book and will check other books in this series.

[Lene Blackthorn]

A solid fantasy read with intricate magic, well-done world building and very promising setup. I liked the idea of a rebel princess, who did not have it easy at her home. After being sold to slavery, she learned how bad it could be at the cruel and punishing hands of the house of Anwar. Overhearing the plot against her family, though, makes the escape an imperative.
Stepping directly into the plot pulls the reader into the story, setting up a high pace and raising the tension level high. However, as the story proceeds, the pace slows down and the twists become more predictable. Also the strong character of Anna weakens a bit, turning more into damsel in distress than the determined rebel from the beginning. Yet she preserves the determination until the end, making her a very likable character, and combined with Jack, their relationship turns back some of the lost appeal. I believe any follow up story would be a good read as well, answering the open questions not yet closed in this book.

[GivernyReads]

Rating: 3.5

This book was a really interesting read. I love the world-building and how that plot thicken every second. This book was fast-paced and kept you on your toes. There were few moments where it did slow down, but otherwise it was amazing.

Plot development throughout this book was incredible. I loved the fantasy world that was created and how you learnt more as you continued reading. However, I would have loved to read this book in both Jack and Anna's POV. I think the book would have been more interesting.

Character development was a bit slow. I didn't like some of the characters in this book. A few did feel 2D and with no personality. However, the development done on Anna was so good. I also liked how the didn't focus mainly on the romance between the two main characters. It was more about the adventure.

Overall, this book was brilliant. I loved reading it for its plot alone. It had romance, but it didn't overwhelm the plot. I would recommend this book to fans of fantasy.

* I received this book for my honest review.*

[Catalina]

2.5 stars

I loved the cover. I was captivated the minute i saw it and knew I had to get my hands on a copy.

Anna is a rebel princess- told what to do and how to act since young, and carrying the guilt of the death of her mother. She has a feisty spirit and gets in trouble often.

The book opened with a beautiful scene of a horse race. As a rider myself, I admired the details with which it was beautifully written.

After the race, Anna's troubles began.

I loved the idea behind the story, but I felt like there was so much more than could have been developed out of it. Anna started off as an intricate character, but somewhere, she becomes the helpless princess that needs saving. The surrounding characters seem to lack the complexity needed to make this a truly captivating book.

As the book loves forward, it starts to become much more predictable. It's lacking depth.

However, the idea of the story itself is wonderful, and I'd like to see what happens in the future.

[Lisa]

Slow burn romance

This book was a good find. Jack who saves the princess from certain death. The storyline is solid and the world building and characters are written well. Anna the Princess is impulsive to say the least and ends up being sold as a slave to the house of Anwar. Anna is abused and punished like all the slaves. She ends up over hearing a conversation about the threat on her fathers kingdom. She is rescued by Jack and they endeavour to get her home to raise the alarm. During the time they spend together they fall in love. It's a clean sweet romance. Although I loved the action the journey home was long drawn out. It felt like filling the pages, it would have made the book much better to have had more about when they both arrived home, Jack's secrets, the battle and Jack getting his own kingdom back. There must be a second book as Nicolas dream hasn't yet been fulfilled. However a good read. Highly recommended.

[Anshul (stories.buddy)]

The story is spiced up with a rebellious princess, a knight in the shining armour, abduction, slavery, adventure, dark magic, treachery, backstabbing, love, war, emotional understanding. After getting all these together, what else can a reader want, it has everything to make a story remarkable.

It’s a story of the Princess of Sunderland Anna, third born with a difficult fate and alot of struggles which leads to her character develop in a very kind way. Destined to be a Queen, story take many twists and in every step Anna proves to be strong. With new changes and challenges of life, her aura is developed in a good way.

Her banter with Jack, the knight who saved her from a horrendous future is very entertaining and marks the start of something romantic between them. The sibling love shown is true to the reality.
I don't have much words to express how I feel, but yes it is a must read.

[Kelly Stepp]

A fantasy read that shows future promise and potential but didn't blow me away. The writing was a bit unpolished and the story development felt unbalanced at times; however, I found it enjoyable nonetheless. The magic for me, lie in the concept of spiritually (and magically) blessed gems and their fantastical physical manifestations and the detailed world building. I also loved the darker elements of the story and how they lent credibility to the characters' growth and motivations. Since books speak to readers differently, if you love fantasy, I'd recommend giving it a try.

[Nemo]

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Omgg this book was amazing! there were so many heart thumping moments and intriguing characters that I just couldn't put this book down! Do you love a strong female protagonist,a swoon worthy warrior and an adventurous read which will keep you hooked till the very end (not to forget the breathtaking landscapes and the stunning world building)? then this book is for you!
Trope(s) : Friends to lovers, The Chosen one