Hey, readers and writers!
It’s not a good month without an indie novel or two. Today I’ll be reviewing Flame Kissed by Alexis Radcliff. Check out the review below and make sure to give your two cents in the comments section if you’ve already read the book, too!
Rating: 4 stars
Synopsis
Ella Denton hasn’t felt the same about fire since she lost her home and her family in a tragic fire. However, her adoptive sister has plans to help Ella get out of her shell and talk to her childhood crush. The Denton family meet Nick Gauss at a ski resort and Ella hopes she can finally tell Nick that she likes him.
Those plans come to a halt when she’s torn from her family by a monster and thus transported into a realm between realms. It is there that she’s saved by a beautiful prince, Rhys, who is as demeaning as he is handsome. Ella has to be brave and quick-witted as she’s surrounded by people she can’t trust and realizes that she has a spark within her that makes her formidable and special.
What I Enjoyed:
I’ve read a few of Radcliff’s novels, so I wasn’t surprised that her world building would be exciting and interesting. I don’t know much yet since we only get a taste of it, but so far it feels a bit like Norse mythology where there are multiple worlds or realms connected to each other by one realm, and that’s where Ella finds herself despite her attempts to resist it.
Another great part was that the novel took an hour or so to read. If you like quick reads (maybe you’re behind on your Goodreads reading challenge?) then Radcliff’s novella gets right to the point and gets you right into the series.
I also like Ella. She’s a pretty relatable girl and you definitely start rooting for her from the beginning.
What I Didn’t Enjoy:
The only thing that detracted from the novella was referring to something happening in the story as a fantasy novel trope. For example, an old woman explaining where Ella is was called an “info dump” and Rhys is described as wearing something found in a fantasy novel. It took me out of the story to see clichés so blatantly pointed out and numerous times throughout the novel.
My Final Thoughts
To be honest, I’m really excited to read the next book, Flame Bound right away! I’m not sure why this segment was so short, but it does make me excited to read more and figure out Ella’s true nature and what’s in store for her. Knowing Radcliff’s writing style, I know it’s going to impress her readers.
If you’d like to learn more about Alexis Radcliff and her work, you can catch up with her via social media:
Have you read anything by Alexis Radcliff? Do you have your own thoughts about it? Share with me in the comments. You can also see all of my other book reviews by checking our the Book Reviews tab.