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Kythan Guardians #1
Destiny's Fire
It's the year 2040, and sixteen-year-old Dez Harkly is one of the last of her kind-part of a nearly extinct race of shape-shifters descended from guardians to the Egyptian pharaohs. Her home and her secret are threatened when the Council lowers the barrier, allowing the enemy race to enter the Shythe haven. As the Narcolym airships approach, Dez and her friends rebel against their Council and secretly train for battle. Not only is Dez wary of war and her growing affection for her best friend Jace, she fears the change her birthday will bring. When Dez's newfound power rockets out of control, it's a Narcolym who could change her fate...if she can trust him. Dez's guarded world crumbles when she discovers why the Narcos have really come to Haven Falls, and she's forced to choose between the race who raised her and the enemy she's feared her whole life.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 8, 2012
28 people are currently reading
7366 people want to read
About the author
Trisha Wolfe
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USA Today bestselling romantic thriller author. From an early age, Trisha Wolfe dreamed up fictional worlds and characters and was accused of talking to herself. Today, she lives in South Carolina with her family and writes full time, using her fictional worlds as an excuse to continue talking to herself.
http://amazon.com/author/trishawolfe
Visit My Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/trishawolfea...
Visit My Facebook Readers Group: The Lair
https://www.facebook.com/groups/14186...
Visit My Website
http://TrishaWolfe.com
Sign Up For My VIP List
http://bit.ly/36HEPtP
USA Today bestselling romantic thriller author. From an early age, Trisha Wolfe dreamed up fictional worlds and characters and was accused of talking to herself. Today, she lives in South Carolina with her family and writes full time, using her fictional worlds as an excuse to continue talking to herself.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews
January 10, 2012
As a new steampunk novel, Destiny's Fire delivers with a lot of action, steamy scenes and a fantastic futuristic setting. On the brink of extinction, enemy races Narcolym and Shythe are going to have to learn to live with each other, because Haven Falls' protective barrier has come down.
While I had difficulty at the start, I ended up captivated by the world that Trish has built. Right from the beginning we're thrown into this world with Nacrolyms, Shythe, and the intriguing history surrounding them. I was a bit disjointed at first, not knowing the specifics of this reality. How they live, the barrier, why they are at war; the politics behind the plot take a while to become clear. Combined with the slower pace, I wasn't sure what to make of the book. However, about half-way through it picks up quite a bit, along with deeper world building which quickly turns it into an engrossing tale.
Inside this world resides quite a few fascinating characters. Dez, our main character, is determined, strong, with an attractive personality. I loved her attitude, as well as her realistic reactions to the events in the story. Her "secret" also promises an exciting, action packed series. The only thing I didn't like was how she treated Jace as sort of a stand-in for her real interest. I loved Jace. He's so sweet and genuine; I really felt for him. Dez's best friend, Lana, is a fun, well-rounded character that you get to care about as much as the protagonist. She's exuberant and simply fills the pages with life.
The unique lore together with unexpected plot twists gives us a remarkably elaborate story. Everything blends together wonderfully. I especially enjoyed the romance that allows a breather from the intensity. There is definite chemistry between the love interests which is perfectly paced to make us long for more. Altogether well written and gratifying, Destiny's Fire is an honorable debut that I recommend to all steampunk fans.
Fun fact: I have a strong dislike for the word eyeteeth (Which does not, in fact, mean eyeballs on teeth *phew*) O_o
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
While I had difficulty at the start, I ended up captivated by the world that Trish has built. Right from the beginning we're thrown into this world with Nacrolyms, Shythe, and the intriguing history surrounding them. I was a bit disjointed at first, not knowing the specifics of this reality. How they live, the barrier, why they are at war; the politics behind the plot take a while to become clear. Combined with the slower pace, I wasn't sure what to make of the book. However, about half-way through it picks up quite a bit, along with deeper world building which quickly turns it into an engrossing tale.
Inside this world resides quite a few fascinating characters. Dez, our main character, is determined, strong, with an attractive personality. I loved her attitude, as well as her realistic reactions to the events in the story. Her "secret" also promises an exciting, action packed series. The only thing I didn't like was how she treated Jace as sort of a stand-in for her real interest. I loved Jace. He's so sweet and genuine; I really felt for him. Dez's best friend, Lana, is a fun, well-rounded character that you get to care about as much as the protagonist. She's exuberant and simply fills the pages with life.
The unique lore together with unexpected plot twists gives us a remarkably elaborate story. Everything blends together wonderfully. I especially enjoyed the romance that allows a breather from the intensity. There is definite chemistry between the love interests which is perfectly paced to make us long for more. Altogether well written and gratifying, Destiny's Fire is an honorable debut that I recommend to all steampunk fans.
Fun fact: I have a strong dislike for the word eyeteeth (Which does not, in fact, mean eyeballs on teeth *phew*) O_o
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
December 1, 2011
In a nutshell, DESTINY'S FIRE made me hate Trisha Wolfe. I'm talking SERIOUS hate--like fuming, loathing, hair-ripping hatred that leads to chainsaws and lighter fluid. Basically, this book made me realize how far I have to go before I pen a book as brilliant as DESTINY'S FIRE. Hence the hate.
On the reals: I loved the main character, Dez, and her struggle to find her place in a chaotic, turbulent world. The book's steamy scenes are hot enough to make the Sahara shiver, and the writing is brilliant and beautiful. I won't give too much away, but I will say this--keep an eye on Trisha Wolfe, because she'll soon be a household name for any YA enthusiast!
On the reals: I loved the main character, Dez, and her struggle to find her place in a chaotic, turbulent world. The book's steamy scenes are hot enough to make the Sahara shiver, and the writing is brilliant and beautiful. I won't give too much away, but I will say this--keep an eye on Trisha Wolfe, because she'll soon be a household name for any YA enthusiast!
February 17, 2012
If I love this book any more than I already do, I don't think it would be healthy! Destiny's Fire is one of those books you pick up not expecting much but end up loving unconditionally.
In Destiny's Fire, Trisha Wolfe creates one of the most unique, complex, and breathtaking stories you'll ever read about. At first the world may seem a little overwhelming, but you quickly get immersed in the thrilling world of the Kythan with their crazy-cool powers. There's also a fun steampunk element, too (with cool gadgets and corsets). I couldn't get enough!
Dez is my favourite kind of heroine: a strong, bad-ass fighter who cares deeply about those she loves, but not too strong that she's hard to connect with. She has the perfect amount of vulnerability; there isn't a single thing she does that I can't see happening in real life.
And the romance is PERFECT. ♥ Complicated and sensual with the perfect hint of dangerousness, it will turn people who don't like love triangles into people who do! Both Reese and Jace break my heart and make it melt at the same time. The chemistry is off the charts. And you'll fall in love with the amazing secondary cast too!
Original, action-packed, and absolutely unputdownable, Destiny's Fire is a brilliant novel that I can't recommend enough! I'm crossing my fingers that the author is planning to write a sequel so I can add that to my favourites shelf next to this one. :)
BUY or BORROW?: If I only had a little bit of money and had to choose between saving it or buying this book, I'd purchase Destiny's Fire in a heartbeat! An absolute MUST-have!!
(Original review at Mimi Valentine's YA Review Blog)
In Destiny's Fire, Trisha Wolfe creates one of the most unique, complex, and breathtaking stories you'll ever read about. At first the world may seem a little overwhelming, but you quickly get immersed in the thrilling world of the Kythan with their crazy-cool powers. There's also a fun steampunk element, too (with cool gadgets and corsets). I couldn't get enough!
Dez is my favourite kind of heroine: a strong, bad-ass fighter who cares deeply about those she loves, but not too strong that she's hard to connect with. She has the perfect amount of vulnerability; there isn't a single thing she does that I can't see happening in real life.
And the romance is PERFECT. ♥ Complicated and sensual with the perfect hint of dangerousness, it will turn people who don't like love triangles into people who do! Both Reese and Jace break my heart and make it melt at the same time. The chemistry is off the charts. And you'll fall in love with the amazing secondary cast too!
Original, action-packed, and absolutely unputdownable, Destiny's Fire is a brilliant novel that I can't recommend enough! I'm crossing my fingers that the author is planning to write a sequel so I can add that to my favourites shelf next to this one. :)
BUY or BORROW?: If I only had a little bit of money and had to choose between saving it or buying this book, I'd purchase Destiny's Fire in a heartbeat! An absolute MUST-have!!
(Original review at Mimi Valentine's YA Review Blog)
December 19, 2011
Destiny's Fire is sizzling H-O-T!!
After reading Unveiled by Trisha Wolfe, I was so excited to read more of her work. She has an uncanny ability to draw in the reader and bring some major heat to the scenes.
Since this book isn't out until January, I am going to leave this spoiler free and tell you what you can expect out of this FANTASTIC book...
A kick arse protagonist with wit and spunk, some seriously delicious scenes that will leave you blushing, two major hotties who are night and day, a super awesome bestfriend, originality in plot and structure as well as setting, deception, and a major twist that had my knees up to my chest with my face inches from the screen.
All I can say is you must READ THIS BOOK!! (Clubbing will never be the same ;)
After reading Unveiled by Trisha Wolfe, I was so excited to read more of her work. She has an uncanny ability to draw in the reader and bring some major heat to the scenes.
Since this book isn't out until January, I am going to leave this spoiler free and tell you what you can expect out of this FANTASTIC book...
A kick arse protagonist with wit and spunk, some seriously delicious scenes that will leave you blushing, two major hotties who are night and day, a super awesome bestfriend, originality in plot and structure as well as setting, deception, and a major twist that had my knees up to my chest with my face inches from the screen.
All I can say is you must READ THIS BOOK!! (Clubbing will never be the same ;)
February 12, 2012
Uuuugh, why? Please tell me why? Why would one ruin a gripping and fast-paced story, set in an imaginative and unique world with a stupid, painful and utterly unnecessary love triangle?!? God, I'm so mad. I really thought I was going to love this, because at first the story seemed so promising but no, of course there has to be a love triangle (and one of the worst kind) to rain on my parade. As soon as it was clear that there would be a LT everything went as expected. This story line is so old it has grown a beard! And that ending really finished me off. Ridiculous, I tell you. I guess my problem is that I've read too many books like this one in my time and I just don't have any patience left for this kind of - excuse me - shit. That's why I loved Night School so much. That woman actually managed to surprise me. But surprises here? Oh no. Don't expect any. Everything will play out exactly how you think it will. Now I need to get a few more things off my chest but it's gonna get a bit spoilery so be warned.
So...now how should I rate this? I have no idea. I liked it but the romance part bothered me so, so much that I can't bring myself to give this more than 3 stars. And I'm being generous here.
So...now how should I rate this? I have no idea. I liked it but the romance part bothered me so, so much that I can't bring myself to give this more than 3 stars. And I'm being generous here.
November 21, 2011
Destiny's Fire was one of the best young adult reads for me this year. Since it will not be released from Omnific Publishing until 2012, I'm not going to do a full review here. Just know, the characters are amazing and I SO want to be their friend. The plot twists into something I wasn't quite expecting, but did add to my emotional turmoil in a good way. Intrigue, suspense, action, strong male and female characters...this book has it all. The fantasy elements are unique from others I've read in the genre, and speaking of genre...This book has a mix of a few, so very hard for me to pinpoint exactly how to categorize it. There are elements of steampunk but it's not a traditional steampunk book. It is set in the future with hints of dystopian without the depressing feel that comes along with it. There are fantastic paranormal elements that make the characters in this book unique from other paranormal books I've read. I haven't seen this particular take on paranormal, which was refreshing in itself. Of course, there is romance, which is a must for me. The love interests do not annoy you. There is a bit of a love triangle but not in the traditional sense as we typically think of as annoying triangles. The ending is NOT what I expected, especially for a book that hints as a possible series (oh, please let this become a series.) I most definitely was left wanting more of this world, characters, and story! I finished this book within one day, which if you read any of my reviews, if it takes me a day or two to read something, I REALLY got into and invested in the story. I'm now on pins and needles wondering what the cover will look like!
June 26, 2011
This book is fantastic! EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ IT!!! Seriously :)
August 7, 2011
This isn't out yet, so, no spoilers:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's YA/steampunk goodness to the core. There is a love triangle, but it doesn't work the way you think it will...and I was unsure how it was going to go up until the very end! So hard to pick a team! (no but srsly Team Reese) (heh)
The dialogue is solid, very funny and authentic. The world the Kythan live in is realistic yet tinged with the steampunk/paranormal, which is so fun and cool to get into. Highly recommended. Get into this at the beginning, because this could become an amazing series, Hunger Games style!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's YA/steampunk goodness to the core. There is a love triangle, but it doesn't work the way you think it will...and I was unsure how it was going to go up until the very end! So hard to pick a team! (no but srsly Team Reese) (heh)
The dialogue is solid, very funny and authentic. The world the Kythan live in is realistic yet tinged with the steampunk/paranormal, which is so fun and cool to get into. Highly recommended. Get into this at the beginning, because this could become an amazing series, Hunger Games style!
January 12, 2012
Review to come, but all I can say is I LOVE Trisha Wolfe's writing!
December 10, 2015
Similar Books: Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Half-Blood by Jennifer Armentrout
Destiny's Fire was for me what Jennifer L. Armentrout's books are for a lot of other people, I think - a quick, fun, fast-paced guilty pleasure with great worldbuilding and plenty of steamy romance. There were a lot of elements in this book that I don't normally like - a love triangle, [semi] insta-love, and a heroine that's totally unrealistic. But I've got to say that everything came together into a story that I devoured. This book is like candy - I just couldn't stop eating it!
I'm a little confused as to the genre of this book. It reminded of Marissa Meyer's Cinder in that it's futuristic, but it's also has a lot of steampunk elements. But technically, steampunk is supposed to be set in the past. Anyway, it feels like a steampunk novel, though a bit more modern. Whatever it is, though, I liked it!
The worldbuilding was really my favorite part of the story. This is a world I want to live in! It's SO COOL! It's kind of like if everyone now decided they were fans of steampunk and converted all our power to steam and all of our clothes became Victorian-inspired. But there's still a modern sensibility to it that made it more easy to relate to and, therefore, a good choice for those a little wary about steampunk, IMHO.
But I've got to say that reading this book made me want to walk around wearing clothes like these...
[image error]
Wolfe took a very interesting approach to the steampunk elements - she rationalized them as having been influenced by one of the shape-shifter races called the Narcos. Their fire ability is what creates the steam that powers everything. It's never said explicitly, but it's implied that the other race of shape-shifters, called the Shythe, have the power of electricity. But they aren't as dominant politically, so their power isn't what's used.
Cool, right?
Anyway, enough with the worldbuilding, because really, I could talk about that the entire review - the levibikes (I WANT ONE!), the band guys that wear top hats (wouldn't mind one of those, either...), the tension between the two shape-shifting races. It was all really interesting!
But I liked the story, too. It focuses on Dez, who's about to go through the "change," which happens to all the shape-shifters at the age of 17, allowing them to fully shift into their other form. But Dez has a secret - she's not really a Shythe; she's half Narco, and the government says she's supposed to be dead. There was some good political intrigue there!
Honestly, though, this story relies heavily on the romance, as per usual in YA. You've got Jace, Dez's best friend, who has secretly loved her for years. I couldn't really figure out how Dez didn't know he was crazy about her. It was really obvious.
Then there's Reese, the Narco who's a lot more like Dez than she wants to admit. Reese was a little troublesome for me. He was a really big jerk at the beginning, and I have a rough time liking a hero that starts off mean and becomes nice but only to the heroine. You've got to give me a REALLY good reason why he was like that, and you've got to let me get to know him REALLY well before I'm going to like him. And there just wasn't enough about Reese that made me care about him.
Thus, I was Team Jace all the way. I'm a sucker for the best-friend-turned-lover, so really, I was on his side even before Dez met Reese. And I liked that even though you think he's crazy about midway through the book, he's inevitably vindicated. (I felt vindicated by association.)
The romance is pretty typical for a YA book - lots of kissing and hotness, but little substance to really hold on to. It was all very cotton candy fluffy, but I accepted it that way. I just couldn't get past the really cool wing-parachutes. I mean, really, I WANT ONE!
This is a perfect read between tough books. It appeals to the escapist in all of us. It has the same edgy sort of feel as Jennifer Armentrout's books but with a much more well-thought out world and characters that are more engaging.
Destiny's Fire was for me what Jennifer L. Armentrout's books are for a lot of other people, I think - a quick, fun, fast-paced guilty pleasure with great worldbuilding and plenty of steamy romance. There were a lot of elements in this book that I don't normally like - a love triangle, [semi] insta-love, and a heroine that's totally unrealistic. But I've got to say that everything came together into a story that I devoured. This book is like candy - I just couldn't stop eating it!
I'm a little confused as to the genre of this book. It reminded of Marissa Meyer's Cinder in that it's futuristic, but it's also has a lot of steampunk elements. But technically, steampunk is supposed to be set in the past. Anyway, it feels like a steampunk novel, though a bit more modern. Whatever it is, though, I liked it!
The worldbuilding was really my favorite part of the story. This is a world I want to live in! It's SO COOL! It's kind of like if everyone now decided they were fans of steampunk and converted all our power to steam and all of our clothes became Victorian-inspired. But there's still a modern sensibility to it that made it more easy to relate to and, therefore, a good choice for those a little wary about steampunk, IMHO.
But I've got to say that reading this book made me want to walk around wearing clothes like these...
[image error]
Wolfe took a very interesting approach to the steampunk elements - she rationalized them as having been influenced by one of the shape-shifter races called the Narcos. Their fire ability is what creates the steam that powers everything. It's never said explicitly, but it's implied that the other race of shape-shifters, called the Shythe, have the power of electricity. But they aren't as dominant politically, so their power isn't what's used.
Cool, right?
Anyway, enough with the worldbuilding, because really, I could talk about that the entire review - the levibikes (I WANT ONE!), the band guys that wear top hats (wouldn't mind one of those, either...), the tension between the two shape-shifting races. It was all really interesting!
But I liked the story, too. It focuses on Dez, who's about to go through the "change," which happens to all the shape-shifters at the age of 17, allowing them to fully shift into their other form. But Dez has a secret - she's not really a Shythe; she's half Narco, and the government says she's supposed to be dead. There was some good political intrigue there!
Honestly, though, this story relies heavily on the romance, as per usual in YA. You've got Jace, Dez's best friend, who has secretly loved her for years. I couldn't really figure out how Dez didn't know he was crazy about her. It was really obvious.
Then there's Reese, the Narco who's a lot more like Dez than she wants to admit. Reese was a little troublesome for me. He was a really big jerk at the beginning, and I have a rough time liking a hero that starts off mean and becomes nice but only to the heroine. You've got to give me a REALLY good reason why he was like that, and you've got to let me get to know him REALLY well before I'm going to like him. And there just wasn't enough about Reese that made me care about him.
Thus, I was Team Jace all the way. I'm a sucker for the best-friend-turned-lover, so really, I was on his side even before Dez met Reese. And I liked that even though you think he's crazy about midway through the book, he's inevitably vindicated. (I felt vindicated by association.)
The romance is pretty typical for a YA book - lots of kissing and hotness, but little substance to really hold on to. It was all very cotton candy fluffy, but I accepted it that way. I just couldn't get past the really cool wing-parachutes. I mean, really, I WANT ONE!
This is a perfect read between tough books. It appeals to the escapist in all of us. It has the same edgy sort of feel as Jennifer Armentrout's books but with a much more well-thought out world and characters that are more engaging.
April 5, 2012
OH MY LORD!!! I'm amazed that this book was under my radar, but I am absolutely thrilled that I came across it! This was awesome, it was like Half-Blood and I Am Number Four mixed together into a brand new world! I have to say the book blurb does not do it justice, so I feel the need to write a detailed review. Wolfe has written a unique, exciting, sexy story that captivated me from beginning to end, and I absolutely loved it!
Dez lives with her mother, a member of the nearly-exctinct Kythan shape-shifter race. They live in fear that someone will discover Dez's secret; that she's not only Kythan, but also half-Narcolym, the enemy race. Dez and her closest friends, triplets Nick, Jace, and Lana, secretly train together to keep themselves ready to fight for the survival of the Kythan. As she's about to turn 17 and come into her powers, her world is turned upside down when the Narcos, normally unwelcome in Haven Falls, are suddenly allowed in their city by their Council. After an unsettling and confusing confrontation with a cocky Narco named Reese, Dez is more nervous than ever about what the change will mean for her. But when she starts the painful process of changing, Reese becomes her greatest ally to help her through. She finds they are more alike than she ever realized, and that this arrogant guy who couldn't keep his hands off her at the club is far more than meets the eye. As he helps Dez prepare to hide her abilities before they all head off to the academy, they can't deny their feelings for each other any longer. But with Jace suddenly acting like he wants more than friendship, a line being drawn between the races, and questions about Dez's abilities and the Narco presence still unanswered, can there really be anything between them?
Okay, so now to gush!! This book was so much more than I was expecting, it really took me by surprise. The characters that Wolfe created were fun, real, exciting, and memorable. Dez is awesome, I just love her!! She reminds me of (ironically) Deznee from Touch. She is uncertain of where her future is going, but she's strong and brave as she faces it all and becomes the ultimate bad-ass as the story goes on. I really liked the triplets, too, they were interesting characters and the history they had with Dez gave the book more depth. Jace was so sweet (though hot-headed) and timid with her; it was obvious to everyone else how he felt and it was cute to watch him fumble all over himself in the beginning of the story. I have to say, though, the moment Reese walked into the picture I was 100% sold on him. Talk about your sexy, cocky, make-me-melt characters; he is HOT!! I mean, like, I think my kindle almost melted HHHHHOOOOTTTT! Good lord, every minute he was with Dez the chemistry between them was seriously off the charts, and Wolfe definitely gives plenty of examples for us to enjoy! *biting knuckles*
I love the plot for this series, too, and I think Wolfe did a great job of creating something that was exciting to read about. We learn about the history of the races and how they came to be servants to the humans, but I didn't feel like the book was bogged down by that part of the story. The powers that the different races posses, and how Dez learns to control hers, were so much fun to read about. I so look forward to seeing what she and Reese will be capable of later in the series!!
This story has everything you could ask for in a great fantasy series; an exciting and unique plot, plenty of action, dynamic characters, a sexy and pulse-racing romance, hearthache, a creepy antagonist you know will be back for more, and twists that keep you guessing to the very end. I couldn't put this book down all day because I was hooked on everything that was happening to Dez and Reese! It's not often you come across a series that is this well-written, and I'm definitely impressed!! Wolfe has started a phenomenal series with Destiny's Fire, and I can't wait to see what's next and have more of these awesome characters in the sequel!!
Dez lives with her mother, a member of the nearly-exctinct Kythan shape-shifter race. They live in fear that someone will discover Dez's secret; that she's not only Kythan, but also half-Narcolym, the enemy race. Dez and her closest friends, triplets Nick, Jace, and Lana, secretly train together to keep themselves ready to fight for the survival of the Kythan. As she's about to turn 17 and come into her powers, her world is turned upside down when the Narcos, normally unwelcome in Haven Falls, are suddenly allowed in their city by their Council. After an unsettling and confusing confrontation with a cocky Narco named Reese, Dez is more nervous than ever about what the change will mean for her. But when she starts the painful process of changing, Reese becomes her greatest ally to help her through. She finds they are more alike than she ever realized, and that this arrogant guy who couldn't keep his hands off her at the club is far more than meets the eye. As he helps Dez prepare to hide her abilities before they all head off to the academy, they can't deny their feelings for each other any longer. But with Jace suddenly acting like he wants more than friendship, a line being drawn between the races, and questions about Dez's abilities and the Narco presence still unanswered, can there really be anything between them?
Okay, so now to gush!! This book was so much more than I was expecting, it really took me by surprise. The characters that Wolfe created were fun, real, exciting, and memorable. Dez is awesome, I just love her!! She reminds me of (ironically) Deznee from Touch. She is uncertain of where her future is going, but she's strong and brave as she faces it all and becomes the ultimate bad-ass as the story goes on. I really liked the triplets, too, they were interesting characters and the history they had with Dez gave the book more depth. Jace was so sweet (though hot-headed) and timid with her; it was obvious to everyone else how he felt and it was cute to watch him fumble all over himself in the beginning of the story. I have to say, though, the moment Reese walked into the picture I was 100% sold on him. Talk about your sexy, cocky, make-me-melt characters; he is HOT!! I mean, like, I think my kindle almost melted HHHHHOOOOTTTT! Good lord, every minute he was with Dez the chemistry between them was seriously off the charts, and Wolfe definitely gives plenty of examples for us to enjoy! *biting knuckles*
I love the plot for this series, too, and I think Wolfe did a great job of creating something that was exciting to read about. We learn about the history of the races and how they came to be servants to the humans, but I didn't feel like the book was bogged down by that part of the story. The powers that the different races posses, and how Dez learns to control hers, were so much fun to read about. I so look forward to seeing what she and Reese will be capable of later in the series!!
This story has everything you could ask for in a great fantasy series; an exciting and unique plot, plenty of action, dynamic characters, a sexy and pulse-racing romance, hearthache, a creepy antagonist you know will be back for more, and twists that keep you guessing to the very end. I couldn't put this book down all day because I was hooked on everything that was happening to Dez and Reese! It's not often you come across a series that is this well-written, and I'm definitely impressed!! Wolfe has started a phenomenal series with Destiny's Fire, and I can't wait to see what's next and have more of these awesome characters in the sequel!!
February 18, 2012
::: Also posted on: http://jana-thebookgoddess.blogspot.com/
Last month, if you told me that I would have read a steampunk novel and end up LOVING it, then I would have laughed maniacally at your face and tell you to f*** off. Hell, if you told me that yesterday, I would have.
Let me see. I'll start with why I'm a little *wary* of this. Do any of you remember the old cover? Yep. The one with the girl with the bad haircut and a head too big? With the super scary NOT hot guy? Yep. That's the one. (Here's the link if you can't remember) I've got the 'Don't judge a book by its cover' drilled in my head, but this, THIS. You just can't blame me. I'm afraid that cover turned me off a bit and dear God I admit I was one of the people that went a bit mad and sprouted off not very nice comments when it was revealed on The Story Siren. To tame the backlash, the publisher decided to redesign the cover (above) which is a million times better.
Secondly, I was so frigging worried that I would get so confused out of my mind about all these terms and words that steampunk normally uses. And yes, when I started Destiny's Fire, I was overwhelmed with all these new terms and stuff that my mind couldn't take it anymore and I actually had to write them down in a piece of paper to keep in track. I know. I'm sad. BUT. As you get more into the story, I found out that I don't actually need the list! Because Trisha's writing just drew me in and along the way, we do get some backstory and history so I said bye bye to my list.
I love the main character, Dez (Destiny) Harkly. She was strong, stubborn, selfish, yet she wanted to do things right. She was just overall a good person. And she wasn't annoying like the other heroines and female leads that I've encountered lately (I mean, HAVE YOU READ MY REVIEWS?). Sure, some of her actions were selfish and unjustified, but hey. No one's perfect. I love the whole cast - Dez, the triplets Jace, Lana and Nick, Reese (of course), her mum, and even her teacher Mr. Liam. They were all three-dimensional and had very likable personalities.
And you know what else I love? The love triangle. Halleluiah! Finally, I love triangle where both guys are good (in lack of better words) for her. We have Jace, her loyal and over-protective bestfriend and on the other, we have Reese (insert biggest squeeeee here) the hot brave red-eyed hottie who is just so bad I love him. At first, I was totally team Jace (I mean hell, with a name like that, how can I refuse?) then when we get to see more of Reese. OH I thought I died and gone to heaven. That boy is sex on legs.
This book was so unlike everything I've ever read before. There were times when I was like WHAT? and chocked on my drink when the ending thingy was revealed and we find out who her father is. I love everything about it - the unpredictable storyline, the gripping and nonstop action, fully-fleshed characters *coughhotboyscough* and an intense love triangle that would have you fanning yourself. I know I did.
This is one of the most underated books out this year (I think I need to call the hype monster for this one!) and possibly my favourite debut author 2012 book I've read so far. This is definitely one of my favourites ever. How's that? So yes. Please do read it now. And just because I'm so kind and it's VALENTINE'S DAY today, I think you lot deserve to have a peek at these two gorgeous hotties. Just promise me not to touch Reese - he's MINE. :P
(Go on the blog to view pictures: jana-thebookgoddess.blogspot.com
Last month, if you told me that I would have read a steampunk novel and end up LOVING it, then I would have laughed maniacally at your face and tell you to f*** off. Hell, if you told me that yesterday, I would have.
Let me see. I'll start with why I'm a little *wary* of this. Do any of you remember the old cover? Yep. The one with the girl with the bad haircut and a head too big? With the super scary NOT hot guy? Yep. That's the one. (Here's the link if you can't remember) I've got the 'Don't judge a book by its cover' drilled in my head, but this, THIS. You just can't blame me. I'm afraid that cover turned me off a bit and dear God I admit I was one of the people that went a bit mad and sprouted off not very nice comments when it was revealed on The Story Siren. To tame the backlash, the publisher decided to redesign the cover (above) which is a million times better.
Secondly, I was so frigging worried that I would get so confused out of my mind about all these terms and words that steampunk normally uses. And yes, when I started Destiny's Fire, I was overwhelmed with all these new terms and stuff that my mind couldn't take it anymore and I actually had to write them down in a piece of paper to keep in track. I know. I'm sad. BUT. As you get more into the story, I found out that I don't actually need the list! Because Trisha's writing just drew me in and along the way, we do get some backstory and history so I said bye bye to my list.
I love the main character, Dez (Destiny) Harkly. She was strong, stubborn, selfish, yet she wanted to do things right. She was just overall a good person. And she wasn't annoying like the other heroines and female leads that I've encountered lately (I mean, HAVE YOU READ MY REVIEWS?). Sure, some of her actions were selfish and unjustified, but hey. No one's perfect. I love the whole cast - Dez, the triplets Jace, Lana and Nick, Reese (of course), her mum, and even her teacher Mr. Liam. They were all three-dimensional and had very likable personalities.
And you know what else I love? The love triangle. Halleluiah! Finally, I love triangle where both guys are good (in lack of better words) for her. We have Jace, her loyal and over-protective bestfriend and on the other, we have Reese (insert biggest squeeeee here) the hot brave red-eyed hottie who is just so bad I love him. At first, I was totally team Jace (I mean hell, with a name like that, how can I refuse?) then when we get to see more of Reese. OH I thought I died and gone to heaven. That boy is sex on legs.
This book was so unlike everything I've ever read before. There were times when I was like WHAT? and chocked on my drink when the ending thingy was revealed and we find out who her father is. I love everything about it - the unpredictable storyline, the gripping and nonstop action, fully-fleshed characters *coughhotboyscough* and an intense love triangle that would have you fanning yourself. I know I did.
This is one of the most underated books out this year (I think I need to call the hype monster for this one!) and possibly my favourite debut author 2012 book I've read so far. This is definitely one of my favourites ever. How's that? So yes. Please do read it now. And just because I'm so kind and it's VALENTINE'S DAY today, I think you lot deserve to have a peek at these two gorgeous hotties. Just promise me not to touch Reese - he's MINE. :P
(Go on the blog to view pictures: jana-thebookgoddess.blogspot.com
January 4, 2012
Need book 2 NOW!!
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Review: I must say that I honestly didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book. I knew I loved Trisha's writing from what I read in her short story Unveiled, but this was my first time reading a steampunk novel. But as soon as I started reading, all my worries flew away. Destiny's Fire grabbed me on page 1. Literally, and if you've read the book, you know why! Immediately in the story we meet Dez and the triplets - Jace, Lana, and Nick. We learn about their world in 2040 where the Narcolym are coming to start mingling with the Shythe. No one really likes this idea, especially Jace. Dez and the triplets train for a battle they feel will be inevitable.
As I mentioned, steampunk is new to me and I thought I would be completely confused by the terms. I should have factored in Trisha's fabulousness. She made it exciting! She completely described this foreign world to me in a way that helped me truly visualize it. It all made sense!
Dez was incredible. She was such a strong character and she really cared about her friends. This is all tested when Reese, a Narcolym, pushes his way into the picture. Jace and Reese do not get along, at all! Due to all of this conflict, Jace finally stars showing his feelings for Dez and she tries to see what is stronger, her feelings for her best friend or her best friend's new enemy. Drama! Reese is more than he seems though, and he shows Dez a part of her past that she didn't know existed.
Jace or Reese, Jace or Reese. It's like picking cake or ice cream. Trisha created the type of love triangle I adore. I could see the pull for each guy and they both did have a downside. No one was perfect and between Jace's temper and Reese's secrets, I could see the conflict Dez had between them.
The plot and action Trisha created in this story was also an unexpected turn. There was a great back-story, a lot of manipulation, and a powerful Council that both races had to deal with. I felt like I was thrown headfirst into this intense battle and I loved every minute of it! Dealing with all the craziness really helped Dez grow as a person. It was as if she was 3 years older by the end of the book.
I was very satisfied with how everything wrapped up but I gotta have book 2 soon!! Who can resist reading more of a wonderful story with a sizzling romantic love triangle? Not me!
Destiny's Fire gave me a taste of something new and I'm hooked! I can't wait to read more from Trisha Wolfe and see where she takes these characters next.
Recommended: Paranormal/steampunk readers or anyone who wants a taste of steampunk. Also, anyone who just loves a lot of drama, action, and hotness.
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Review: I must say that I honestly didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book. I knew I loved Trisha's writing from what I read in her short story Unveiled, but this was my first time reading a steampunk novel. But as soon as I started reading, all my worries flew away. Destiny's Fire grabbed me on page 1. Literally, and if you've read the book, you know why! Immediately in the story we meet Dez and the triplets - Jace, Lana, and Nick. We learn about their world in 2040 where the Narcolym are coming to start mingling with the Shythe. No one really likes this idea, especially Jace. Dez and the triplets train for a battle they feel will be inevitable.
As I mentioned, steampunk is new to me and I thought I would be completely confused by the terms. I should have factored in Trisha's fabulousness. She made it exciting! She completely described this foreign world to me in a way that helped me truly visualize it. It all made sense!
Dez was incredible. She was such a strong character and she really cared about her friends. This is all tested when Reese, a Narcolym, pushes his way into the picture. Jace and Reese do not get along, at all! Due to all of this conflict, Jace finally stars showing his feelings for Dez and she tries to see what is stronger, her feelings for her best friend or her best friend's new enemy. Drama! Reese is more than he seems though, and he shows Dez a part of her past that she didn't know existed.
Jace or Reese, Jace or Reese. It's like picking cake or ice cream. Trisha created the type of love triangle I adore. I could see the pull for each guy and they both did have a downside. No one was perfect and between Jace's temper and Reese's secrets, I could see the conflict Dez had between them.
The plot and action Trisha created in this story was also an unexpected turn. There was a great back-story, a lot of manipulation, and a powerful Council that both races had to deal with. I felt like I was thrown headfirst into this intense battle and I loved every minute of it! Dealing with all the craziness really helped Dez grow as a person. It was as if she was 3 years older by the end of the book.
I was very satisfied with how everything wrapped up but I gotta have book 2 soon!! Who can resist reading more of a wonderful story with a sizzling romantic love triangle? Not me!
Destiny's Fire gave me a taste of something new and I'm hooked! I can't wait to read more from Trisha Wolfe and see where she takes these characters next.
Recommended: Paranormal/steampunk readers or anyone who wants a taste of steampunk. Also, anyone who just loves a lot of drama, action, and hotness.
January 15, 2012
Destiny’s Fire is so UNIQUE! It was amazing! And complete thrill ride! It’s one my favorite steampunk stories, set in 2040, filled with shape-shifters descended from guardians to the Egyptian pharaohs. Wolfe’s love story bit added equal parts excitement and a lot sexy-times lol. Don’t worry about the love triangle thing. I love a good love story…just as long as it’s played out well. Destiny’s relationship with Reese and Jace is gradual and a genuine building. What I’ve learned throughout this whole love triangle thing is that you go for what you want.
Dez and all the other characters are very relatable and I loved their sparring scenes to dancing in the clubs. They just play off of each other very well. Wolfe’s characters told the story; it was like everything was molded around them, this story was made for them. Wolfe does an excellent job writing such likable characters.
The plot was very dynamic. I for one haven’t really read steampunk novel(except for Cassandra Clare’s.) Destiny’s Fire was everything I could hope for in a novel(potential series?) There’s romance, action, a Strong female lead. There are some serious moments thrown in there too. For the most part I just remember having that feeling like “I have to finish this book, it’s so good (can’t look away)”during this novel. I love being invested in the characters and being excited when reading the story. I never would have expected such great things with Destiny’s Fire! It’s a MUST READ!
Dez and all the other characters are very relatable and I loved their sparring scenes to dancing in the clubs. They just play off of each other very well. Wolfe’s characters told the story; it was like everything was molded around them, this story was made for them. Wolfe does an excellent job writing such likable characters.
The plot was very dynamic. I for one haven’t really read steampunk novel(except for Cassandra Clare’s.) Destiny’s Fire was everything I could hope for in a novel(potential series?) There’s romance, action, a Strong female lead. There are some serious moments thrown in there too. For the most part I just remember having that feeling like “I have to finish this book, it’s so good (can’t look away)”during this novel. I love being invested in the characters and being excited when reading the story. I never would have expected such great things with Destiny’s Fire! It’s a MUST READ!
January 4, 2012
Wow. That is the one word I'm left with!
Trish is a friend of mine, and I feel so lucky that I got to be a part of reading this story before it was published! I knew that Trish was talented, and she had amazing stories to share, and I'm so proud of her that she's on the shelves and more people get to read her awesomeness.
Destiny's fire was amazing. I love Dez's character. She has spunk and she's strong, all those traits that I admire and wish I had more of. She is relatable, and she has a great voice.
Destiny's Fire has so much action, and everything flows together so wonderfully. There are some truly hot scenes, and the plot is paced perfectly.
I like the secondary characters too- Lana is a great friend with her own personality. I also like Mr. Liam--I love that they have an ally with him, and that he helped out so much.
Book boys spoiler:
Trish is a friend of mine, and I feel so lucky that I got to be a part of reading this story before it was published! I knew that Trish was talented, and she had amazing stories to share, and I'm so proud of her that she's on the shelves and more people get to read her awesomeness.
Destiny's fire was amazing. I love Dez's character. She has spunk and she's strong, all those traits that I admire and wish I had more of. She is relatable, and she has a great voice.
Destiny's Fire has so much action, and everything flows together so wonderfully. There are some truly hot scenes, and the plot is paced perfectly.
I like the secondary characters too- Lana is a great friend with her own personality. I also like Mr. Liam--I love that they have an ally with him, and that he helped out so much.
Book boys spoiler:
July 23, 2011
Seriously well written and unputdownable. I fell in love with the characters that Trish created and can't wait for the sequel. If you're a reader, you'll beg for more, and if you're a writer, you'll be inspired. The Crystal Pendulum so rocks!
April 12, 2012
Oh, this book was so addictive!
A very different type of steampunk novel.
The Good
- I liked the unique concept of descendants from Egyptian gods, the Kythan and Narcos. When I first saw "shape-shifter" in the synopsis, I thought it'd be somewhere along the lines of werewolves or something. However, that was not the case. These shape-shifters were completely different, and I loved the story behind their existence, as well as their cool powers.
- The steampunk aspect was a bit different in this book. I've only read one other steampunk book set in the future, but that one was purely steampunk. This book had sort of a more modernized steampunk, and it was really cool! At first I thought that it wouldn't work, but it totally did.
- When it comes to steampunk, I'm SUCH a sucker for the clothes and gadgets. I'm not really a fashionista, but I want one of those bustle skirts now! Though maybe not a mini bustle skirt like the kinds Lana wears - I wouldn't be able to pull it off.
- I liked the pacing of the book. It's a pretty short book and I initially thought that since it's so short, the story might seem a bit rushed. But the story flowed a long quiet nicely.
- It was totally unpredictable. When it was revealed why the Narcos were really there, I was so surprised! What I had guessed was waaaaay different.
The Bad
- This book needs to be longer than 2_ pages! I was so sad that it ended so quickly. I wouldn't even mind if it were 500 pages and took me days to finish it.
The In-Betweens
- While I liked this futuristic steampunk world, I was a bit disappointed to see that not much explanation was given as to how this world came about. I was expecting a history lesson about why the world (or at least whichever country the story takes place in) is like this. But eventually I learned to let it go, which isn't something I usually do in books. I saw the world in this book as a alternate world, where steampunk and magic is real.
The Characters
- My feelings for Dez were a roller coaster ride. Sometimes I absolutely loved her. She can kick major butt and believes in herself. But other times, she can be so damn dense. Like not even realizing when a certain friend has a crush her. I mean, it was so obvious even a blind person would've known. And she also has a problem with talking to her friends about important things. She just keeps putting it off and when things go bad, she regrets it. I know that hesitating to reveal something really important about yourself to your closest friends is tough, especially if you're afraid of them hating you. But isn't it better to tell them as soon as possible, rather than at an unexpected time? And don't even get me started on the whole Dez/Reese/Jace situation. Anyways, overall, I liked Dez. No matter what, I have to admit that she's pretty cool.
- Reese was such a sleazy character at first. He basically feels up Dez on their first meeting. And honestly, I was prepared to not like him at all. But that changed. He went from the obnoxious, hot-headed jerk to the totally sweet and passionate boyfriend every girl wants. There are a couple things that I'm mad at him about, but I just can't help loving him now.
- Jace was probably even more hot-headed than Reese, but not a jerk at all. He, unfortunately, got stuck in the "best friend" zone. I felt that he lacked confidence in himself, like his feelings for Dez. Although he's pretty nice, he's also the type of person who gets angry first and listens later with a clear head. But honestly, I liked him. He can be very thoughtful and understanding if you give him the chance.
- Lana was a great friend to Dez, but I found her quick understanding of the truth about Dez a little hard to believe. I don't mean to say that she should have been mad at Dez forever, but they'v been friends for years and Dez has never trusted her with this secret. I dunno, I'd be in shock. But Lana was very mature and I'm actually glad she listened to Dez.
Recommended?
I would definitely recommend this book to those looking for a fresh new read. I sort of got a Jennifer L. Armentrout vibe from it, which is a very high praise.
Looking forward to book 2!
A very different type of steampunk novel.
The Good
- I liked the unique concept of descendants from Egyptian gods, the Kythan and Narcos. When I first saw "shape-shifter" in the synopsis, I thought it'd be somewhere along the lines of werewolves or something. However, that was not the case. These shape-shifters were completely different, and I loved the story behind their existence, as well as their cool powers.
- The steampunk aspect was a bit different in this book. I've only read one other steampunk book set in the future, but that one was purely steampunk. This book had sort of a more modernized steampunk, and it was really cool! At first I thought that it wouldn't work, but it totally did.
- When it comes to steampunk, I'm SUCH a sucker for the clothes and gadgets. I'm not really a fashionista, but I want one of those bustle skirts now! Though maybe not a mini bustle skirt like the kinds Lana wears - I wouldn't be able to pull it off.
- I liked the pacing of the book. It's a pretty short book and I initially thought that since it's so short, the story might seem a bit rushed. But the story flowed a long quiet nicely.
- It was totally unpredictable. When it was revealed why the Narcos were really there, I was so surprised! What I had guessed was waaaaay different.
The Bad
- This book needs to be longer than 2_ pages! I was so sad that it ended so quickly. I wouldn't even mind if it were 500 pages and took me days to finish it.
The In-Betweens
- While I liked this futuristic steampunk world, I was a bit disappointed to see that not much explanation was given as to how this world came about. I was expecting a history lesson about why the world (or at least whichever country the story takes place in) is like this. But eventually I learned to let it go, which isn't something I usually do in books. I saw the world in this book as a alternate world, where steampunk and magic is real.
The Characters
- My feelings for Dez were a roller coaster ride. Sometimes I absolutely loved her. She can kick major butt and believes in herself. But other times, she can be so damn dense. Like not even realizing when a certain friend has a crush her. I mean, it was so obvious even a blind person would've known. And she also has a problem with talking to her friends about important things. She just keeps putting it off and when things go bad, she regrets it. I know that hesitating to reveal something really important about yourself to your closest friends is tough, especially if you're afraid of them hating you. But isn't it better to tell them as soon as possible, rather than at an unexpected time? And don't even get me started on the whole Dez/Reese/Jace situation. Anyways, overall, I liked Dez. No matter what, I have to admit that she's pretty cool.
- Reese was such a sleazy character at first. He basically feels up Dez on their first meeting. And honestly, I was prepared to not like him at all. But that changed. He went from the obnoxious, hot-headed jerk to the totally sweet and passionate boyfriend every girl wants. There are a couple things that I'm mad at him about, but I just can't help loving him now.
- Jace was probably even more hot-headed than Reese, but not a jerk at all. He, unfortunately, got stuck in the "best friend" zone. I felt that he lacked confidence in himself, like his feelings for Dez. Although he's pretty nice, he's also the type of person who gets angry first and listens later with a clear head. But honestly, I liked him. He can be very thoughtful and understanding if you give him the chance.
- Lana was a great friend to Dez, but I found her quick understanding of the truth about Dez a little hard to believe. I don't mean to say that she should have been mad at Dez forever, but they'v been friends for years and Dez has never trusted her with this secret. I dunno, I'd be in shock. But Lana was very mature and I'm actually glad she listened to Dez.
Recommended?
I would definitely recommend this book to those looking for a fresh new read. I sort of got a Jennifer L. Armentrout vibe from it, which is a very high praise.
Looking forward to book 2!
January 13, 2012
So after reading one of the most anticipated reads of 2012, Destiny’s Fire and harbouring mixed feelings about it, I’ve decided to change the format of this review to my very rarely used Likes/Dislikes form.
Likes
Unique and Imaginative world
Wow. Seriously Wow. No more vampires, werewolves, mermaids and paranormal creatures of the sort. Instead, we have Kythans, who are shape-shifter descendants of guardians who watched over European Pharaohs. There are two races, the Narcolym and Shythe, the latter being on the brink of extinction due to centuries of long-standing war. However, the two races want peace now, and must learn to live together in Haven Falls. The Narcolym/Shythe relationship reminded me a bit of the Moroi/Strigoi relationship from Vampire Academy since both are on the verge of killing off the other. I was immediately drawn to the world Wolfe has created, and it was interesting learning about the different abilities of the two races.
Endearing side characters
I definitely liked the supporting characters more than the main one. We have Jace, Lana, and Nick, who are triplets, and long-life friends of Dez, our heroine. Lana was such an endearing best friend; I loved how she took care of Dez and she was so sweet and supportive the whole time! I really liked Jace as well, despite his stubbornness which annoyed me at times. But he was also caring, and everything he did was for the benefit of his family and friends. Which reminds me, I hated what Dez did to Jace! How could she treat such a sweet and considerate guy so horribly?!?!?1
Heart-pounding Action
I loved the last 30 pages of action! But I have to admit, it was mainly the thrilling action that made up for the well…parts that I didn’t quite like.
Dislikes
An Unnecessary Love Triangle
Yes. Unnecessary. I’m sick of the whole best friend/MC/Prince charming love triangle, and truthfully, most of the time they don't work well. (Or maybe it's just me). The thing is, if the love triangle were to be removed, it would have no effect on the major storyline, but the book would be reduced by almost 50 pages. Why can’t the heroine’s best friend REMAIN her BEST FRIEND instead of being put in as a potential love interest? It feels like a girl can’t have a male best friend without the guy developing more-than-a-friend feelings for her.
A very indecisive and slightly irritating heroine
I’ll admit, I admired her determination to succeed, her strength and perseverance during the worst times, but the fact that she ‘toyed’ with her best friend really irritated me. She was leading on her best friend while having feelings for someone else; I wish she could’ve made up her mind about who she wanted to be with, instead of two-timing and hurting both parties. Apparently she was lying because she ‘doesn’t want to hurt his feelings’. *facepalm* I was honestly really annoyed being inside for head for half the book because of her selfishness and indecision.
Truthfully, Destiny’s Fire didn’t live up to my expectations, but I was certainly impressed with the mythology and action. I’m definitely in the minority here, so I’m sure a lot of you would enjoy this more than me.
Likes
Unique and Imaginative world
Wow. Seriously Wow. No more vampires, werewolves, mermaids and paranormal creatures of the sort. Instead, we have Kythans, who are shape-shifter descendants of guardians who watched over European Pharaohs. There are two races, the Narcolym and Shythe, the latter being on the brink of extinction due to centuries of long-standing war. However, the two races want peace now, and must learn to live together in Haven Falls. The Narcolym/Shythe relationship reminded me a bit of the Moroi/Strigoi relationship from Vampire Academy since both are on the verge of killing off the other. I was immediately drawn to the world Wolfe has created, and it was interesting learning about the different abilities of the two races.
Endearing side characters
I definitely liked the supporting characters more than the main one. We have Jace, Lana, and Nick, who are triplets, and long-life friends of Dez, our heroine. Lana was such an endearing best friend; I loved how she took care of Dez and she was so sweet and supportive the whole time! I really liked Jace as well, despite his stubbornness which annoyed me at times. But he was also caring, and everything he did was for the benefit of his family and friends. Which reminds me, I hated what Dez did to Jace! How could she treat such a sweet and considerate guy so horribly?!?!?1
Heart-pounding Action
I loved the last 30 pages of action! But I have to admit, it was mainly the thrilling action that made up for the well…parts that I didn’t quite like.
Dislikes
An Unnecessary Love Triangle
Yes. Unnecessary. I’m sick of the whole best friend/MC/Prince charming love triangle, and truthfully, most of the time they don't work well. (Or maybe it's just me). The thing is, if the love triangle were to be removed, it would have no effect on the major storyline, but the book would be reduced by almost 50 pages. Why can’t the heroine’s best friend REMAIN her BEST FRIEND instead of being put in as a potential love interest? It feels like a girl can’t have a male best friend without the guy developing more-than-a-friend feelings for her.
A very indecisive and slightly irritating heroine
I’ll admit, I admired her determination to succeed, her strength and perseverance during the worst times, but the fact that she ‘toyed’ with her best friend really irritated me. She was leading on her best friend while having feelings for someone else; I wish she could’ve made up her mind about who she wanted to be with, instead of two-timing and hurting both parties. Apparently she was lying because she ‘doesn’t want to hurt his feelings’. *facepalm* I was honestly really annoyed being inside for head for half the book because of her selfishness and indecision.
Truthfully, Destiny’s Fire didn’t live up to my expectations, but I was certainly impressed with the mythology and action. I’m definitely in the minority here, so I’m sure a lot of you would enjoy this more than me.
December 15, 2012
I really loved this book! I think it deserves a 4.5/5. The premise was amazing, and the idea of the Kythan and their abilities and their world. And I love private school stories, even though that aspect of the story didnt last long, I enjoyed it. Destiny was an awesome heroine, I really loved her. There were times when I questioned some of her decisions, but she must have been very confused and scared, so I can forgive her, especially since things turned out well in the end.
I love Reese. He was so awesome. Even though Jace was swooning all over Destiny from the beginning, as soon as Reese made an appearance I knew he was the one. And he just got better with each appearance. I couldnt get enough! For those who have read Evernight, Jace reminded me of Balthazar from that series. But Reese is like no other. There were instant sparks! Far from insta-love, but more like when you cant stand someone but are still attracted to them. Sexual tension. But once Dez realized she could trust him things went so quickly. She opened up to him instantly and trusted him with everything. But it is somewhat understandable. They had a lot in common and they could understand each other like no one else, he clearly cared about her so much. And they could not stop kissing. Haha, there is so much kissing in this book!
But there was a time early on when something Dez said put worry in Reese's eyes. Dez saw it and asked him about it. But I knew he was lying. He was always open and honest with her and she could see that she could trust him and so could we. But I never forgot that one moment and I didnt like it. Reese was so wonderful, I couldnt handle it if it turned out to be too good to be true. For the rest of the book I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. They ended up having their highs and lows, and during the lows I was so sad and anxious. But the highs made me forget the lows all together! And it had such a great ending that it was all worth it! It was just great overall, with a great mood and a lot of action and suspense. I highly recommend this book, especially to fans of Half-Blood. I cant wait for the next book in the series!
I love Reese. He was so awesome. Even though Jace was swooning all over Destiny from the beginning, as soon as Reese made an appearance I knew he was the one. And he just got better with each appearance. I couldnt get enough! For those who have read Evernight, Jace reminded me of Balthazar from that series. But Reese is like no other. There were instant sparks! Far from insta-love, but more like when you cant stand someone but are still attracted to them. Sexual tension. But once Dez realized she could trust him things went so quickly. She opened up to him instantly and trusted him with everything. But it is somewhat understandable. They had a lot in common and they could understand each other like no one else, he clearly cared about her so much. And they could not stop kissing. Haha, there is so much kissing in this book!
But there was a time early on when something Dez said put worry in Reese's eyes. Dez saw it and asked him about it. But I knew he was lying. He was always open and honest with her and she could see that she could trust him and so could we. But I never forgot that one moment and I didnt like it. Reese was so wonderful, I couldnt handle it if it turned out to be too good to be true. For the rest of the book I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. They ended up having their highs and lows, and during the lows I was so sad and anxious. But the highs made me forget the lows all together! And it had such a great ending that it was all worth it! It was just great overall, with a great mood and a lot of action and suspense. I highly recommend this book, especially to fans of Half-Blood. I cant wait for the next book in the series!
February 8, 2012
Every once in a while, I come across a book that amazes me with its creativity. A book with such vivid world building that I’m shoved front and center into a fantasy world that, for a few hours, becomes more real than my own. A story that sucks me into a vortex of action, romance, laughter, and heartbreak, that simply makes me want to hide in a corner somewhere and not come up for air until the last page.
DESTINY’S FIRE is one of those books.
What makes it even more special is that Trisha Wolfe is my critique partner, which means I got to hear about this book before the first word was even written, and I watched it grow daily in my inbox. I waited impatiently for my latest Reece fix and once I got it, I was simultaneously inspired for my own writing . . . and horribly discouraged.
See, Ms. Wolfe wrote the book (he he, get it?) on bringing the STEAM. I call her the Queen of Steamy, actually, and the moniker fits. She never fails to make me swoon, and even if my heart belongs to one of the other characters in the beginning, she always brings me around. The men (make no mistake, there are no boys here!) that populate her story world are a wonderful mix of bad boy, sexy-on-a-stick, and unique vulnerability, that NO woman is safe from. And, in the case of DESTINY’S FIRE, we have two amazing hotties to fall for—Jace and Reece. Both equally devastating and equally sigh worthy. Trying to mimic the level of steam she brings is nearly impossible.
But Ms. Wolfe doesn’t stop there. As for the chicks, no meek misses allowed. Dez is tough and feisty, Lana loyal and witty, and they both kick major a$$. Dez is tough from page one, but she still has flaws like everyone else, still makes mistakes, and it is those bad choices that make her real. She falls down and picks herself up again. She learns from her past and grows as a character, and I can’t wait to see the person she becomes by the series end.
Note I said series end because this baby is a series, WOOT!!!
DESTINY’S FIRE crosses genres, uniquely blending paranormal, steampunk, and urban fantasy, and is a must read for fans of action-packed storytelling, characters that live and breathe on the page, and story worlds that you can lose yourself in. Write down Trisha Wolfe’s name . . . you’re going to be seeing it for years to come.
DESTINY’S FIRE is one of those books.
What makes it even more special is that Trisha Wolfe is my critique partner, which means I got to hear about this book before the first word was even written, and I watched it grow daily in my inbox. I waited impatiently for my latest Reece fix and once I got it, I was simultaneously inspired for my own writing . . . and horribly discouraged.
See, Ms. Wolfe wrote the book (he he, get it?) on bringing the STEAM. I call her the Queen of Steamy, actually, and the moniker fits. She never fails to make me swoon, and even if my heart belongs to one of the other characters in the beginning, she always brings me around. The men (make no mistake, there are no boys here!) that populate her story world are a wonderful mix of bad boy, sexy-on-a-stick, and unique vulnerability, that NO woman is safe from. And, in the case of DESTINY’S FIRE, we have two amazing hotties to fall for—Jace and Reece. Both equally devastating and equally sigh worthy. Trying to mimic the level of steam she brings is nearly impossible.
But Ms. Wolfe doesn’t stop there. As for the chicks, no meek misses allowed. Dez is tough and feisty, Lana loyal and witty, and they both kick major a$$. Dez is tough from page one, but she still has flaws like everyone else, still makes mistakes, and it is those bad choices that make her real. She falls down and picks herself up again. She learns from her past and grows as a character, and I can’t wait to see the person she becomes by the series end.
Note I said series end because this baby is a series, WOOT!!!
DESTINY’S FIRE crosses genres, uniquely blending paranormal, steampunk, and urban fantasy, and is a must read for fans of action-packed storytelling, characters that live and breathe on the page, and story worlds that you can lose yourself in. Write down Trisha Wolfe’s name . . . you’re going to be seeing it for years to come.
January 10, 2012
I was excited about Destiny's Fire right off the bat and it did not disappoint at all. In fact, it exceeded expectations in every way! The more I read, the more excited about the story I got. Trisha Wolfe, created an awesome storyline, cool kick butt characters, and gadgets worthy of the steampunk title. So many of the 2012 debuts have such a huge hype surrounding them, and Destiny's Fire deserves all of it.
The story focuses around Dez and her three triplet friends. They are all members of the Shythe race. I love Dez! She is so special- nice, really good without being annoying, and pretty. I felt so bad that she was nervous to tell her friends her secret. Especially Jace. I love Jace so much! I am on team Jace all the way. He is just so sweet to Dez and you can tell that he has loved her forever. It is just so cute to see him get nervous and be protective around her. But of course Dez is a teenager, so when a hot new guy shows up in town she can't resist him. Reese is ok, but it will always be Jace for me. I'm not 100% sure that this triangle is totally resolved so I can't wait to see where it goes in the next book. But I really liked that this YA did not shy away from the romance. It was one of my favorite parts of the story, which is really saying something because there are such cool powers and a blooming conflict between two races going on too!
I loved the way the two races were described. It is going to be so cool to see what else is to come for them and how Dez will react to everything. I am fascinated by her, and I can't wait to see what is next for her and her friends. (and her love life of course!) Destiny's Fire grabbed my attention and my heart and it did not let go until long after I was done reading. This is going to be a hard book to top! I loved it so much, you need to read this book! If this book is any indication, 2012 is going to be an epic year!!
The story focuses around Dez and her three triplet friends. They are all members of the Shythe race. I love Dez! She is so special- nice, really good without being annoying, and pretty. I felt so bad that she was nervous to tell her friends her secret. Especially Jace. I love Jace so much! I am on team Jace all the way. He is just so sweet to Dez and you can tell that he has loved her forever. It is just so cute to see him get nervous and be protective around her. But of course Dez is a teenager, so when a hot new guy shows up in town she can't resist him. Reese is ok, but it will always be Jace for me. I'm not 100% sure that this triangle is totally resolved so I can't wait to see where it goes in the next book. But I really liked that this YA did not shy away from the romance. It was one of my favorite parts of the story, which is really saying something because there are such cool powers and a blooming conflict between two races going on too!
I loved the way the two races were described. It is going to be so cool to see what else is to come for them and how Dez will react to everything. I am fascinated by her, and I can't wait to see what is next for her and her friends. (and her love life of course!) Destiny's Fire grabbed my attention and my heart and it did not let go until long after I was done reading. This is going to be a hard book to top! I loved it so much, you need to read this book! If this book is any indication, 2012 is going to be an epic year!!
March 27, 2013
I read this again and I loved it!!! This just gets better every time. It was the pick for the YTbook club over on youtube so I thought I would reread to refresh my memory. I am so glad they decided on this one because it was a blast to revist this world and its characters and I can't wait for the next book!!!!!!!!
Great first book and I cant wait to read more!!! Review to follow.
Wow this was so much better than I had anticipated. I found myself throughly sucked into this story from the very beginning. I loved the steam punk eliminates because they were there but they didn't over whelm the story. I could picture this world and belive in it. The author does a great job in making you believe in this race of shape-shifters. I can picture Dez and her friends looking like the pictures on the tomb walls of the great pharaohs. It is also does a great job of convincing you that this is a race on the brink of extinction and that its council is willing to do what ever it takes to keep them alive. You actually feel as if there is a count down to impending danger while you are reading this book.
I loved all the different plots going on in this book. There was so much going on but it never felt disjointed or confusing. The author clearly has a vision for this story and she is definitely amazing at the execution of it. The story was full of excitement from beginning to end. I just wish I didn't have to wait so long until the next book.
Great first book and I cant wait to read more!!! Review to follow.
Wow this was so much better than I had anticipated. I found myself throughly sucked into this story from the very beginning. I loved the steam punk eliminates because they were there but they didn't over whelm the story. I could picture this world and belive in it. The author does a great job in making you believe in this race of shape-shifters. I can picture Dez and her friends looking like the pictures on the tomb walls of the great pharaohs. It is also does a great job of convincing you that this is a race on the brink of extinction and that its council is willing to do what ever it takes to keep them alive. You actually feel as if there is a count down to impending danger while you are reading this book.
I loved all the different plots going on in this book. There was so much going on but it never felt disjointed or confusing. The author clearly has a vision for this story and she is definitely amazing at the execution of it. The story was full of excitement from beginning to end. I just wish I didn't have to wait so long until the next book.
January 10, 2012
DESTINY'S FIRE tells the story of Dez Harkly, a shape-shifting descendant to the Egyptian secret service. She's spunky, tough, loveable--all the qualities one needs in a kick-butt heroine! From the very beginning, I fell in love with Dez and rooted for her right up to the very end.
I'm not going to go into too much detail for fear of spoiling this awesomely fun read for others, but trust me when I say DESTINY'S FIRE has it all: an exciting, well-paced plot that moves with the right amount of action; well-rounded characters that jump from the page with distinct voices; and enough steam-inducing romance to melt glaciers. Seriously! Though the plot was so fun and addictive, it was the romance that hooked me and reeled me in--and makes me wanna jump inside Trisha's head to get the rest of the story. (One word: Reese!) (Okay, two words: Jace!)
Overall, DESTINY'S FIRE is a fantastic read that keeps you hooked from beginning to end, and I couldn't be happier to give it 5 Stars. I urge each of you to pick up a copy today and fall into the magical world Trisha Wolfe has created!!
I'm not going to go into too much detail for fear of spoiling this awesomely fun read for others, but trust me when I say DESTINY'S FIRE has it all: an exciting, well-paced plot that moves with the right amount of action; well-rounded characters that jump from the page with distinct voices; and enough steam-inducing romance to melt glaciers. Seriously! Though the plot was so fun and addictive, it was the romance that hooked me and reeled me in--and makes me wanna jump inside Trisha's head to get the rest of the story. (One word: Reese!) (Okay, two words: Jace!)
Overall, DESTINY'S FIRE is a fantastic read that keeps you hooked from beginning to end, and I couldn't be happier to give it 5 Stars. I urge each of you to pick up a copy today and fall into the magical world Trisha Wolfe has created!!
February 9, 2012
Between the gorgeous cover, the great story line, and the fact that Trisha is one of my agency sisters, I knew I had to read this book. But... I had no clue it was going to become one of my favorite reads in a long time. Seriously. I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. Dez is a kick butt character who has her flaws. She can take on any guy in a fight, which is just awesome, but she's also extremely caring. She's very real and her emotions are raw. I got so wrapped up in her relationships with Jace and Reese and couldn't wait to see how the story would play out. The action scenes are intense, and I had to keep reading to see what would happen next. Add in Trisha's flawless writing and this book is definitely one I'll be reading again.
If you haven't bought this book already, go get it now! Seriously! Go!
If you haven't bought this book already, go get it now! Seriously! Go!
May 26, 2012
I totally loved this book..when i read it's on shape-shifter i really didn't expect a futuristic setup n shifters with abilitles of charge n flame.
And ofcourse Dez N Reese..ah i so loved them!Especialy Reese ..he's the FAMOUS badboy with hot looks making our girl swoon!LOL!
It has every element..mystery,romance,action,magic..what not!
Waiting for the next book in series eagerly!
Sri.
And ofcourse Dez N Reese..ah i so loved them!Especialy Reese ..he's the FAMOUS badboy with hot looks making our girl swoon!LOL!
It has every element..mystery,romance,action,magic..what not!
Waiting for the next book in series eagerly!
Sri.
February 13, 2012
Dez Harkly has a secret. One that she’s been forced to keep her entire life. One that if it were discovered would put her in danger. One that could get her banished from Haven Falls. Or worse…. One that could get her killed.
As a Kythan, a descendant of the guardians of the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt, she is duty bound to be a Protector to humans. And at the age of seventeen she’ll come into her powers. But when that day comes, she will no longer be able to keep her secret. She’ll no longer be able to hide who she really is. She’ll no longer be safe.
Unless she can somehow find a way to hide her powers, she and her mom will have to run. But with their enemies, the Narcolym, descending upon Haven Falls, leaving her home and her friends behind is the last thing that Dez wants to do.
So, when an unexpected ally offers a solution to her problem, Dez must decide whether or not to put her trust in him. But if she’s wrong it will cost her everything. Because giving him her trust means not only putting her life in his hands, but giving him her heart.
***
Destiny’s Fire is a fast-paced, exciting and deliciously different paranormal young adult novel by author Trisha Wolfe that takes readers to a future where the descendants of an ancient race of beings that guarded the Pharaohs of Egypt are fighting for their survival.
This action-packed story is the first book in a new series by the author, set in the not-so-distant future in a place called Haven Falls, where the Shythe have been trying to maintain the peace with their enemies, the more aggressive Narcolym. Both have grown weaker as humans continue to grow less dependent upon them as Protectors and the demand for their powers diminishes.
And as a race whose existence is bound to the humans’ need for them, the Kythan are in danger of facing extinction. With only the Shythe and the Narcolym remaining of their kind, the two must not only co-exist, but work together to come up with a way to ensure their survival. Even if it’s one that may incite a rebellion.
As Dez, Jace, Lana and Nick try to discover just what the Shythe Council knows, they prepare themselves for war. Training in secret, even before they’ve come into their powers, they want to be ready to defend themselves and their kind against the enemy Narcos. But when the Narcos start appearing around Haven Falls, it becomes even more important to find out why they’re there and just what they they plan to do. Before it’s too late.
From cover to cover, Destiny’s Fire is filled with action, suspense, mystery and an intense and heartbreaking love triangle that will keep readers captivated. The world is intriguing, the characters are incredibly likable and their abilities are simply fascinating.
The main character Destiny “Dez” Harkly is brave and strong and courageous and yet delicate, fearful and indecisive when it comes to love. Her relationship with Jace is ever-changing and adds to the dramatic tension. And each of her encounters with Reese sends the tension through the roof. For her, for Jace and especially for the reader.
With all the excitement of a paranormal adventure combined with all the heat and anguish of a gripping love story, this incredibly fast-paced story, that can easily be devoured in one sitting, will be unputdownable.
On a personal note:
What first drew me to Destiny’s Fire was the description. I loved that this story was set in the future but was about a race of beings who were descendants of the guardians of an ancient civilization. And I loved learning about them and their powers.
But of course I wanted to know more. About them. About their history. And about the different races of Kythans. As this is the first book in the series, I am anxiously awaiting the next book to see what else will be revealed about these guardians of the Pharaohs.
I loved the different powers the Narcolym and the Shythe had. It was fascinating to see just how their powers could be wielded and how they could be used in the modern day. Though I am not exactly sure how they are used in 2040 by the Kythans in their role as Protectors, seeing their powers in action at the bar Cogs and used with those crystals was pretty awesome.
And I am so curious how they would have been used in ancient Egypt, or if the powers of the guardians at that time were different. It would be seriously amazing to learn more about their history and their evolution in a future book in the series.
I loved what the main character Dez Harkly was capable of – though I won’t reveal just what she could do here, because that would be spoiler-y. Her history and her abilities were totally bad-a**. As a fighter she was an incredibly strong heroine…. though in matters of the heart she was the complete opposite.
In training she could take down Nick and Lana easily. And with some effort she could take down Jace. She was incredibly courageous and she didn’t run away from danger. And that was before she came into her powers.
But when it came to the boys in her life and the love triangle she got herself into for being too indecisive and slightly clueless, she was a complete scaredy cat. So I loved Dez, because I loved flawed characters, but she drove me a little crazy for not standing up for what she wanted or making the hard choices when she needed to.
And she was too quick to forgive. Way too quick. Going from wanting to kill someone to wanting to kiss them in a heartbeat made me want to go at her with Charge or Flame to knock some sense into her. But because she was so kick-a** with everything else, I still found her likable.
Surprisingly, to me anyway, Jace was my favorite of the two boys. Actually, I am totally shocked by that one. Reese was all sorts of strong and mysterious and dangerous, which is usually my favorite, but I just didn’t connect with him like I did Jace. Jace may have been the good boy, but he was still pretty broody and fiery tempered and way more trustworthy and deserving of Dez.
And Lana was a great character – she was actually my favorite. She was fun and super nice and forgiving and open-minded and incredibly understanding. She may not have been the best fighter, but she was the perfect balance to Dez.
I thought the pace worked well overall. It was a super quick read and kept me engaged from start to finish. There were a few scenes toward the end that I thought were a bit rushed, though, and could have allowed for more time for Dez to accept some of the surprises that were thrown her way.
And as I said before, I would have loved to know more about the Kythans, but I guess that’s what sequels are for. So, I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series. Besides, while it wasn’t a tormenting cliffhanger ending, there is a lot left up in the air for book two, and I really want to find out just what happens next.
As a Kythan, a descendant of the guardians of the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt, she is duty bound to be a Protector to humans. And at the age of seventeen she’ll come into her powers. But when that day comes, she will no longer be able to keep her secret. She’ll no longer be able to hide who she really is. She’ll no longer be safe.
Unless she can somehow find a way to hide her powers, she and her mom will have to run. But with their enemies, the Narcolym, descending upon Haven Falls, leaving her home and her friends behind is the last thing that Dez wants to do.
So, when an unexpected ally offers a solution to her problem, Dez must decide whether or not to put her trust in him. But if she’s wrong it will cost her everything. Because giving him her trust means not only putting her life in his hands, but giving him her heart.
***
Destiny’s Fire is a fast-paced, exciting and deliciously different paranormal young adult novel by author Trisha Wolfe that takes readers to a future where the descendants of an ancient race of beings that guarded the Pharaohs of Egypt are fighting for their survival.
This action-packed story is the first book in a new series by the author, set in the not-so-distant future in a place called Haven Falls, where the Shythe have been trying to maintain the peace with their enemies, the more aggressive Narcolym. Both have grown weaker as humans continue to grow less dependent upon them as Protectors and the demand for their powers diminishes.
And as a race whose existence is bound to the humans’ need for them, the Kythan are in danger of facing extinction. With only the Shythe and the Narcolym remaining of their kind, the two must not only co-exist, but work together to come up with a way to ensure their survival. Even if it’s one that may incite a rebellion.
As Dez, Jace, Lana and Nick try to discover just what the Shythe Council knows, they prepare themselves for war. Training in secret, even before they’ve come into their powers, they want to be ready to defend themselves and their kind against the enemy Narcos. But when the Narcos start appearing around Haven Falls, it becomes even more important to find out why they’re there and just what they they plan to do. Before it’s too late.
From cover to cover, Destiny’s Fire is filled with action, suspense, mystery and an intense and heartbreaking love triangle that will keep readers captivated. The world is intriguing, the characters are incredibly likable and their abilities are simply fascinating.
The main character Destiny “Dez” Harkly is brave and strong and courageous and yet delicate, fearful and indecisive when it comes to love. Her relationship with Jace is ever-changing and adds to the dramatic tension. And each of her encounters with Reese sends the tension through the roof. For her, for Jace and especially for the reader.
With all the excitement of a paranormal adventure combined with all the heat and anguish of a gripping love story, this incredibly fast-paced story, that can easily be devoured in one sitting, will be unputdownable.
On a personal note:
What first drew me to Destiny’s Fire was the description. I loved that this story was set in the future but was about a race of beings who were descendants of the guardians of an ancient civilization. And I loved learning about them and their powers.
But of course I wanted to know more. About them. About their history. And about the different races of Kythans. As this is the first book in the series, I am anxiously awaiting the next book to see what else will be revealed about these guardians of the Pharaohs.
I loved the different powers the Narcolym and the Shythe had. It was fascinating to see just how their powers could be wielded and how they could be used in the modern day. Though I am not exactly sure how they are used in 2040 by the Kythans in their role as Protectors, seeing their powers in action at the bar Cogs and used with those crystals was pretty awesome.
And I am so curious how they would have been used in ancient Egypt, or if the powers of the guardians at that time were different. It would be seriously amazing to learn more about their history and their evolution in a future book in the series.
I loved what the main character Dez Harkly was capable of – though I won’t reveal just what she could do here, because that would be spoiler-y. Her history and her abilities were totally bad-a**. As a fighter she was an incredibly strong heroine…. though in matters of the heart she was the complete opposite.
In training she could take down Nick and Lana easily. And with some effort she could take down Jace. She was incredibly courageous and she didn’t run away from danger. And that was before she came into her powers.
But when it came to the boys in her life and the love triangle she got herself into for being too indecisive and slightly clueless, she was a complete scaredy cat. So I loved Dez, because I loved flawed characters, but she drove me a little crazy for not standing up for what she wanted or making the hard choices when she needed to.
And she was too quick to forgive. Way too quick. Going from wanting to kill someone to wanting to kiss them in a heartbeat made me want to go at her with Charge or Flame to knock some sense into her. But because she was so kick-a** with everything else, I still found her likable.
Surprisingly, to me anyway, Jace was my favorite of the two boys. Actually, I am totally shocked by that one. Reese was all sorts of strong and mysterious and dangerous, which is usually my favorite, but I just didn’t connect with him like I did Jace. Jace may have been the good boy, but he was still pretty broody and fiery tempered and way more trustworthy and deserving of Dez.
And Lana was a great character – she was actually my favorite. She was fun and super nice and forgiving and open-minded and incredibly understanding. She may not have been the best fighter, but she was the perfect balance to Dez.
I thought the pace worked well overall. It was a super quick read and kept me engaged from start to finish. There were a few scenes toward the end that I thought were a bit rushed, though, and could have allowed for more time for Dez to accept some of the surprises that were thrown her way.
And as I said before, I would have loved to know more about the Kythans, but I guess that’s what sequels are for. So, I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series. Besides, while it wasn’t a tormenting cliffhanger ending, there is a lot left up in the air for book two, and I really want to find out just what happens next.
January 23, 2012
Originally posted at: http://girlzandtheirbooks.blogspot.co...
For starters, I have never read a steampunk novel. And man am I glad this one got to be my first! I have been reading a lot of first lately hah? Ya, it's cus I am REALLY behind on my reading...it sucks! But anyways, this book is a steampunk but it is also part dystopian just so you all know! I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC and look at the date? 12 days later? Ugh I really do apologize! Like I said I am behind on reading and then I have been bombarded with ALL SORTS of review requests. Not that that's bad...Its NEVER bad, just hard with school so again I sincerely apologize! :)
I had the honor of talking with the author herself. Miss Trisha Wolfe. So not only is she a great and wonderful person but she is an very talented writer! I absolutely adored her style in writing. She gave full detail of the steampunk world, the two different sides, each individual character and the places they went to. I am now a steampunk novel adorer! Why? Because of this wonderful book right here! I loved everything about it!
The main character, Dez, is a very likeable character. She is very headstrong but not too headstrong. She cares about her friends and family and would do just about anything to protect them. She is a halfbreed. Daughter of the Skythe AND of the Narcos! She has to hide her identity. Only her mom knows but all of it changes as well the Change approaches. Man do things take a turn and not just because of her Change process but because of all the Narcos invading the Skythe Haven. Aren't they supposed to be enemies? Aren't they NOT supposed to be allowed in the Skythe Haven? and most importantly WHY are they here?
Lana, Dez's best friend, is so awesome! She was so cool and kick butt! She could definitely hold her own! Nick, Lana and Jace's brother, was cool too. You didn't really see or here much of him but I still liked him. He was cool in his own special way. Now for the final one in the triplet siblings......
Jace....Awe Jace! He has been one of Dez's best friends for forever. He is protective of her, pushes her to her limits in training, and duuh! LOVES her! He is adorable! He shows her his love in cute little ways but of course Dez is just too dense to realize it. Of course there is more to the story ( I mean there has to be for me to love this boy right?) :) But....YOU have to read it for yourself...sorry! *innocent look* As much as I love the boy who is about to be mentioned just realize...I was rooting for him at the beginning and I still love him! He is just too amazing to pass up!
And now.....REESE!!!!! *sighs, melts....DIES* I know I use that reaction often with these fictional boys but who can blame me!! ;) Reese is SMOKIN hot! And he has secrets of his own! I was PISSED at the end at him but ya....again you have to read!!! (^_^) Everything zbout this boy screams..."LOVE ME!! I AM FREAKIN AMAZING AND DUHHHHHH HOT!!!!! WITH A CAPITAL *makes H sound*!!!! I think I said enough! haha Oh and I can't forget those hot...steamy....goose-bump producing moments between him and Dez *shivers* ;b
I kind of feel that Reese and Dez's relationship went a little fast. That he was a little too open and revealed himself a little TOO early but if I really think about it.....it was for the best....still part of me would have liked to have read a little bit more mystery in Reese. Of course that was just a teeny tiny dislike of mine but there is nothing else to complain about really. I LOVED it! It was amazing! The world, the ways of the people, the story behind the Feyan, the treaty, the history of them all. Ya pretty much EVERYTHING! lol
~~~~~~~*~My Rating~*~~~~~~~
4/5 stars! :)
~~~~~~~*~Final Say-So~*~~~~~~~
Once you get a chance to read this book....do so! You won't regret it! And if you are like me, never before reading a steampunk...this is the one! This book is absolutely amazing! Definitely deserves those four stars!
Thanks for stopping by! Hope you enjoyed my review! :D
~Jaiden
For starters, I have never read a steampunk novel. And man am I glad this one got to be my first! I have been reading a lot of first lately hah? Ya, it's cus I am REALLY behind on my reading...it sucks! But anyways, this book is a steampunk but it is also part dystopian just so you all know! I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC and look at the date? 12 days later? Ugh I really do apologize! Like I said I am behind on reading and then I have been bombarded with ALL SORTS of review requests. Not that that's bad...Its NEVER bad, just hard with school so again I sincerely apologize! :)
I had the honor of talking with the author herself. Miss Trisha Wolfe. So not only is she a great and wonderful person but she is an very talented writer! I absolutely adored her style in writing. She gave full detail of the steampunk world, the two different sides, each individual character and the places they went to. I am now a steampunk novel adorer! Why? Because of this wonderful book right here! I loved everything about it!
The main character, Dez, is a very likeable character. She is very headstrong but not too headstrong. She cares about her friends and family and would do just about anything to protect them. She is a halfbreed. Daughter of the Skythe AND of the Narcos! She has to hide her identity. Only her mom knows but all of it changes as well the Change approaches. Man do things take a turn and not just because of her Change process but because of all the Narcos invading the Skythe Haven. Aren't they supposed to be enemies? Aren't they NOT supposed to be allowed in the Skythe Haven? and most importantly WHY are they here?
Lana, Dez's best friend, is so awesome! She was so cool and kick butt! She could definitely hold her own! Nick, Lana and Jace's brother, was cool too. You didn't really see or here much of him but I still liked him. He was cool in his own special way. Now for the final one in the triplet siblings......
Jace....Awe Jace! He has been one of Dez's best friends for forever. He is protective of her, pushes her to her limits in training, and duuh! LOVES her! He is adorable! He shows her his love in cute little ways but of course Dez is just too dense to realize it. Of course there is more to the story ( I mean there has to be for me to love this boy right?) :) But....YOU have to read it for yourself...sorry! *innocent look* As much as I love the boy who is about to be mentioned just realize...I was rooting for him at the beginning and I still love him! He is just too amazing to pass up!
And now.....REESE!!!!! *sighs, melts....DIES* I know I use that reaction often with these fictional boys but who can blame me!! ;) Reese is SMOKIN hot! And he has secrets of his own! I was PISSED at the end at him but ya....again you have to read!!! (^_^) Everything zbout this boy screams..."LOVE ME!! I AM FREAKIN AMAZING AND DUHHHHHH HOT!!!!! WITH A CAPITAL *makes H sound*!!!! I think I said enough! haha Oh and I can't forget those hot...steamy....goose-bump producing moments between him and Dez *shivers* ;b
I kind of feel that Reese and Dez's relationship went a little fast. That he was a little too open and revealed himself a little TOO early but if I really think about it.....it was for the best....still part of me would have liked to have read a little bit more mystery in Reese. Of course that was just a teeny tiny dislike of mine but there is nothing else to complain about really. I LOVED it! It was amazing! The world, the ways of the people, the story behind the Feyan, the treaty, the history of them all. Ya pretty much EVERYTHING! lol
~~~~~~~*~My Rating~*~~~~~~~
4/5 stars! :)
~~~~~~~*~Final Say-So~*~~~~~~~
Once you get a chance to read this book....do so! You won't regret it! And if you are like me, never before reading a steampunk...this is the one! This book is absolutely amazing! Definitely deserves those four stars!
Thanks for stopping by! Hope you enjoyed my review! :D
~Jaiden
April 5, 2012
Read more of my reviews at Nick's Book Blog.
Ever since I started reading dystopian novels, I've loved the genre. The Hunger Games, Divergent, Shatter Me etc ... You name it. So, I was pretty excited to get to read Destiny's Fire. However, this has got to be my least favorite out of all the dystopian books that I've read.
Destiny's Fire tells the story of Dez in the year 2040, where shape-shifters are part of the human world. There are two different races in this world, the Narcolym and the Shyte, who are enemies. The story begins with Narcolyms deciding to live among the Shyte. Our main character, Dez is, in fact, half-Narcolym half-Shyte because of her parents background.
Now, Dez was ,initially, a quite fascinating character. She was energetic, fiery, courageous and kick-ass. She was the kind of main character who never bowed down and didn't let anything discourage her. However, as the story went by, I began to feel an extreme distaste for her. Her attitude bothered me so much that I ended up disliking her character in general. Because of the certain decisions that she made, I lost my respect for her as a kick-butt character.
This book has a love triangle, my nightmare in YA books. Dez has been friends with the triplets Jace, Lana and Nick since they were very little. As expected, Dez develops a little crush on Jace and vice-versa.
Jace was a likable character. He was honest, sweet and a little conflicted on the inside. Shy, he was initially unable to express his true feelings for Dez.
Then, we have Reese. He was from the enemy species. He was outspoken, blunt and a bit of a bad boy. He immediately started flirting with Dez upon meeting her.
Dez and Reese rushed into a relationship in the first few chapters of the book. I thought that they jumped into a relationship way too fast for my liking. They hardly got time to learn anything about each other. Also, I didn't like how she trusted Reese so immediately when at first she was wary of him because he came from the enemy species.
I also hated the fact that she kept vacillating between the two guys. According to me, she kept hurting both guys and she whined and complained too much about it. The thing is that I felt zero chemistry between the main character and her love interests.
Overall, the romance was a failure and a bore to me.
The secondary characters were so under developed because the main focus of the book was the love triangle. I really don't like when authors do that. I like when secondary characters have a personality and these personalities and characteristics that contribute to the plot of the story. I like when the entire cast of a book actually forms a pivotal part of the book, but this wasn't the case with Destiny's Fire. As a reader, I got very little information about the secondary characters and this made me feel utterly frustrated.
The plot was highly original, in my opinion. I'm not going to deny that it had a LOT of potential. However, the story-line is drowned by the annoying love triangle. The world that the author has created is intriguing and actually very interesting. She could have done wonderful things with this book, but she didn't exploit her skills fully by concentrating on the plot of the story. Instead, she gave too much attention to the love triangle.
The world-building in this story is pretty awesome. The author did a great job at that! The entire history behind their world was mysterious and captivating.
Trisha Wolfe is a talented author, but her focus on the love triangle ruined things for me.
Overall, I found this to be a major disappointment and sincerely hope that the sequel will move away from the frustrating love triangle.
If you, like me, dislike love triangles, then this is not the book for you.
Ever since I started reading dystopian novels, I've loved the genre. The Hunger Games, Divergent, Shatter Me etc ... You name it. So, I was pretty excited to get to read Destiny's Fire. However, this has got to be my least favorite out of all the dystopian books that I've read.
Destiny's Fire tells the story of Dez in the year 2040, where shape-shifters are part of the human world. There are two different races in this world, the Narcolym and the Shyte, who are enemies. The story begins with Narcolyms deciding to live among the Shyte. Our main character, Dez is, in fact, half-Narcolym half-Shyte because of her parents background.
Now, Dez was ,initially, a quite fascinating character. She was energetic, fiery, courageous and kick-ass. She was the kind of main character who never bowed down and didn't let anything discourage her. However, as the story went by, I began to feel an extreme distaste for her. Her attitude bothered me so much that I ended up disliking her character in general. Because of the certain decisions that she made, I lost my respect for her as a kick-butt character.
This book has a love triangle, my nightmare in YA books. Dez has been friends with the triplets Jace, Lana and Nick since they were very little. As expected, Dez develops a little crush on Jace and vice-versa.
Jace was a likable character. He was honest, sweet and a little conflicted on the inside. Shy, he was initially unable to express his true feelings for Dez.
Then, we have Reese. He was from the enemy species. He was outspoken, blunt and a bit of a bad boy. He immediately started flirting with Dez upon meeting her.
Dez and Reese rushed into a relationship in the first few chapters of the book. I thought that they jumped into a relationship way too fast for my liking. They hardly got time to learn anything about each other. Also, I didn't like how she trusted Reese so immediately when at first she was wary of him because he came from the enemy species.
I also hated the fact that she kept vacillating between the two guys. According to me, she kept hurting both guys and she whined and complained too much about it. The thing is that I felt zero chemistry between the main character and her love interests.
Overall, the romance was a failure and a bore to me.
The secondary characters were so under developed because the main focus of the book was the love triangle. I really don't like when authors do that. I like when secondary characters have a personality and these personalities and characteristics that contribute to the plot of the story. I like when the entire cast of a book actually forms a pivotal part of the book, but this wasn't the case with Destiny's Fire. As a reader, I got very little information about the secondary characters and this made me feel utterly frustrated.
The plot was highly original, in my opinion. I'm not going to deny that it had a LOT of potential. However, the story-line is drowned by the annoying love triangle. The world that the author has created is intriguing and actually very interesting. She could have done wonderful things with this book, but she didn't exploit her skills fully by concentrating on the plot of the story. Instead, she gave too much attention to the love triangle.
The world-building in this story is pretty awesome. The author did a great job at that! The entire history behind their world was mysterious and captivating.
Trisha Wolfe is a talented author, but her focus on the love triangle ruined things for me.
Overall, I found this to be a major disappointment and sincerely hope that the sequel will move away from the frustrating love triangle.
If you, like me, dislike love triangles, then this is not the book for you.
January 9, 2012
I feel very honored to be a part of this blog tour, especially after reading the book. This is seriously one amazing book that I believe fans of The Mortal Instruments and Hush Hush series will definitely enjoy this. It contains steampunk and action goodness, not to mention a pretty steamy-hot love triangle.
Dez (short for Destiny) is a girl that grew up hiding her true identity. Having been raised as one of the Shythe (a nearly extinct race of shape shifters), Dez was always taught that the Narcolym (another, stronger, race of shape shifters) are the enemy and responsible for the low number of Shythe still left in the world. Both the Shythe and the Narcolym are part of a larger race, Kythan, descendants from guardians to the Egyptian pharaohs, and dependent on humans' need for them, even though humans are not aware of their existence. Every Kythan, Shythe and Narcolym alike, goes through a transformation at age 17, where they are marked and develop their powers. The Shythe, who are known for having glowing blue eyes, are given the power of charge (passing electric currents). The Narcolym, whose distinguishing feature is their glowing red eyes, are given the power of flame.
Dez lives with her mother in Haven Falls, the last safe for the Shythe in which protection spells protect the border from being infiltrated by Narcolym. Talks of a possible a peace treaty between the Shythe and Narcolym councils has Dez and her friends nervous of because the Narcolym cannot be trusted. Her friends, Lana, Jace and Nick, who are also triplets, secretly train for an impending battle, headed up by Jace . Dez discovers that although the triplets and she have been friends since they were little, she is starting to develop feelings for Jace, who apparently feels the same way about her, though both are too shy to admit it to one another.
Dez's world comes apart the day that the without warning the barriers are lowered by the council and the Narcolym freely enter her Haven Falls. This brings on an unexpected encounter with a Narcolym named Reese who changes Dez's life forever. You see, Dez has a secret. While all the Shythe's eyes are blue and the Narco's are red, hers are neither. Hers are violet, product of her mother being Shythe, and her father being Narco. A half breed, a product of an experiment that supposedly went wrong and wasn't supposed to survive, and in hiding with her mother as long as can remember. Dez is forced from a young age to disguise the color of her eyes using lenses and fears most of all what will happen the day of her transformation, will her power be flame or charge, or both.
I became highly invested in the world that Trisha Wolfe has created. It was refreshing to read about other types of shape-shifters, something new, something fresh, something I had not heard of before. I can't get enough of this story and can't wait to read know more about this Kythan world. The steampunk is an added plus to my already growing obsession with these characters. Jace is that boy next door, gentle, caring, and good looking. Reese is the super hot bad boy, the one you do not bring home to mom. Lana is that token loyal friend every girl should have. Finally, Nick is the one who reminds us all, that it's not all business, sometimes you just have to relax and let go. 5 stars all the way for this book. I'm not kidding. You guys need to read this like now. You can thank me later.
(Originally reviewed at JJiReads.blogspot.com)
Dez (short for Destiny) is a girl that grew up hiding her true identity. Having been raised as one of the Shythe (a nearly extinct race of shape shifters), Dez was always taught that the Narcolym (another, stronger, race of shape shifters) are the enemy and responsible for the low number of Shythe still left in the world. Both the Shythe and the Narcolym are part of a larger race, Kythan, descendants from guardians to the Egyptian pharaohs, and dependent on humans' need for them, even though humans are not aware of their existence. Every Kythan, Shythe and Narcolym alike, goes through a transformation at age 17, where they are marked and develop their powers. The Shythe, who are known for having glowing blue eyes, are given the power of charge (passing electric currents). The Narcolym, whose distinguishing feature is their glowing red eyes, are given the power of flame.
Dez lives with her mother in Haven Falls, the last safe for the Shythe in which protection spells protect the border from being infiltrated by Narcolym. Talks of a possible a peace treaty between the Shythe and Narcolym councils has Dez and her friends nervous of because the Narcolym cannot be trusted. Her friends, Lana, Jace and Nick, who are also triplets, secretly train for an impending battle, headed up by Jace . Dez discovers that although the triplets and she have been friends since they were little, she is starting to develop feelings for Jace, who apparently feels the same way about her, though both are too shy to admit it to one another.
Dez's world comes apart the day that the without warning the barriers are lowered by the council and the Narcolym freely enter her Haven Falls. This brings on an unexpected encounter with a Narcolym named Reese who changes Dez's life forever. You see, Dez has a secret. While all the Shythe's eyes are blue and the Narco's are red, hers are neither. Hers are violet, product of her mother being Shythe, and her father being Narco. A half breed, a product of an experiment that supposedly went wrong and wasn't supposed to survive, and in hiding with her mother as long as can remember. Dez is forced from a young age to disguise the color of her eyes using lenses and fears most of all what will happen the day of her transformation, will her power be flame or charge, or both.
I became highly invested in the world that Trisha Wolfe has created. It was refreshing to read about other types of shape-shifters, something new, something fresh, something I had not heard of before. I can't get enough of this story and can't wait to read know more about this Kythan world. The steampunk is an added plus to my already growing obsession with these characters. Jace is that boy next door, gentle, caring, and good looking. Reese is the super hot bad boy, the one you do not bring home to mom. Lana is that token loyal friend every girl should have. Finally, Nick is the one who reminds us all, that it's not all business, sometimes you just have to relax and let go. 5 stars all the way for this book. I'm not kidding. You guys need to read this like now. You can thank me later.
(Originally reviewed at JJiReads.blogspot.com)
August 10, 2012
This review orignally appeared HERE on my blog, My Life is a Notebook.
Tell me you DON’T want to read this book after that synopsis, and I will do hand stands wearing a clown costume. Seriously. At least, that was my reaction when I saw this blurb waaaaaay back before the beginning of the year, when this book made my 12 Debut Authors I’m Looking Forward to in 2012 list. I have been dying to get my hands on a copy ever since, so imagine my excitement when this event came up.
And the first part of the book was just as epic as I wanted it to be.
This world is SO COOL. It’s part steampunk, part fantasy, and the way they mesh together is freaking fantastic. I soaked in every description of power, of the two different races, and the little bit of back history we got. Dez’s change and resulting powers were also the coolest things to visualize. There was no shortage of power usage, so I got a LOT of it to make me happy. From beginning to end, I never got tired of it. I hope in coming books we’ll get to touch a little bit more on the Egyptian guardian aspects, because that was never really covered as much as I wanted it to be, but maybe that’s because there was WAY too much going. Wolfe never once infodumped, and only gave me what I needed to know, which was a huge plus.
The character of Dez also started out pretty rock solid. She’s my kind of girl, preferring to wear tomboyish clothes and go without makeup. Her friends, the triples Nick, Jace and Lana, were fairly bland, but they made nice foils for Dez and moved the plot forward in ways Dez herself never would have pushed it.
Then Reese came along.
Reese first enters the book as a hot-headed Narco who tries to get it on with Dez up against a club wall despite her protests. Then Dez decks him, and he says that turns him on. For a creep, he was written pretty well.
And then the logical inconsistencies start.
It turns out, Reese is only pretending to be a creep. In reality, he’s a Kythan as special as Dez. I don’t want to give too much away, but basically Dez has been keeping a secret her whole life about just how powerful she really is, and Reese is the first one she can tell it to. So obviously she falls in love with him, despite the fact that Jace is totally into her and she was supposedly crushing on Jace for the first 100 pages. This, of course, causes a love triangle. This is standard YA romance, sure, but you all know I’m ridiculously jaded about standard YA romance by now.
I can’t really go into the others without giving away some serious spoilers, but let me just say that some REALLY BIG PARTS of the end were totally implausible. Or maybe they were plausible, but they were never given much explanation. After the spectacular start this book got off to, I was expecting more out of the plotline and wasn’t prepared to just settle in and enjoy the ride. I was expecting a watertight plot that wasn’t there.
All and all, though, I really enjoyed this book, especially the world. It NEVER stopped moving, even when what was happening wasn’t pure action, which is really hard to have happen. Sure, there was romance and inconsistencies, but as long as you’re ready to just sit back and enjoy the ride, you’ll enjoy this one too. At the very least, you’ll be reading one of the most unique books I’ve read all year.
Tell me you DON’T want to read this book after that synopsis, and I will do hand stands wearing a clown costume. Seriously. At least, that was my reaction when I saw this blurb waaaaaay back before the beginning of the year, when this book made my 12 Debut Authors I’m Looking Forward to in 2012 list. I have been dying to get my hands on a copy ever since, so imagine my excitement when this event came up.
And the first part of the book was just as epic as I wanted it to be.
This world is SO COOL. It’s part steampunk, part fantasy, and the way they mesh together is freaking fantastic. I soaked in every description of power, of the two different races, and the little bit of back history we got. Dez’s change and resulting powers were also the coolest things to visualize. There was no shortage of power usage, so I got a LOT of it to make me happy. From beginning to end, I never got tired of it. I hope in coming books we’ll get to touch a little bit more on the Egyptian guardian aspects, because that was never really covered as much as I wanted it to be, but maybe that’s because there was WAY too much going. Wolfe never once infodumped, and only gave me what I needed to know, which was a huge plus.
The character of Dez also started out pretty rock solid. She’s my kind of girl, preferring to wear tomboyish clothes and go without makeup. Her friends, the triples Nick, Jace and Lana, were fairly bland, but they made nice foils for Dez and moved the plot forward in ways Dez herself never would have pushed it.
Then Reese came along.
Reese first enters the book as a hot-headed Narco who tries to get it on with Dez up against a club wall despite her protests. Then Dez decks him, and he says that turns him on. For a creep, he was written pretty well.
And then the logical inconsistencies start.
It turns out, Reese is only pretending to be a creep. In reality, he’s a Kythan as special as Dez. I don’t want to give too much away, but basically Dez has been keeping a secret her whole life about just how powerful she really is, and Reese is the first one she can tell it to. So obviously she falls in love with him, despite the fact that Jace is totally into her and she was supposedly crushing on Jace for the first 100 pages. This, of course, causes a love triangle. This is standard YA romance, sure, but you all know I’m ridiculously jaded about standard YA romance by now.
I can’t really go into the others without giving away some serious spoilers, but let me just say that some REALLY BIG PARTS of the end were totally implausible. Or maybe they were plausible, but they were never given much explanation. After the spectacular start this book got off to, I was expecting more out of the plotline and wasn’t prepared to just settle in and enjoy the ride. I was expecting a watertight plot that wasn’t there.
All and all, though, I really enjoyed this book, especially the world. It NEVER stopped moving, even when what was happening wasn’t pure action, which is really hard to have happen. Sure, there was romance and inconsistencies, but as long as you’re ready to just sit back and enjoy the ride, you’ll enjoy this one too. At the very least, you’ll be reading one of the most unique books I’ve read all year.
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