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Fireblood

(Fireblood #1)

Trisha Wolfe (Goodreads Author)

3.44 · Rating details · 660 ratings · 117 reviews

To save a kingdom, Zara must choose between a prince who could be the answer and a rising rebellion that threatens to take control.

When Zara Dane is chosen to marry Prince Sebastian Hart, son of the man who ordered her father’s capture, Zara knows she must fight to save everything she loves from ruin.

Being betrothed to the prince means a life trapped behind the towering s ...more

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Paperback, 356 pages

Published December 17th 2013 by Spencer Hill Press

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Oct 25, 2013 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it did not like it

Shelves: why-do-i-hate-myself, nobility, fantasy, ya, romance, sci-fi, religious-spiritual, boring-main-character, assassin

THE WORLD HAS BEEN DECIMATED BY A VIRUS. PEOPLE ARE TURNED INTO CANNIBALS. Survival? Fuck that shit. Let's make a new society based on King Arthur's Camelot, build ourselves a fucking castle, establish the Knights of the Round Table, and have rousing jousting tournaments!!!!!

I've heard of some comparisons between this book and The Selection. No. It is nothing like it. There was a process in The Selection. There was competition in The Selection. There is nothing competition-like involved in this ...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Wendy Higgins added it

EEEP! So honored to blurb this excellent book! You guys are going to seriously love it. It's got action and history and a sizzling romance. Trisha is a fabulous writer. :-)

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Aug 23, 2012 ♥ Rebecca ♥ rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi, young-adult, romance, reviewed, dystopian, arcs-giveaways

A video version of this review also appears at: A Match Made in Heaven

This book really grabbed me by the heart and would not let me go. Although I have one major issue with it which is the cause of the 4 stars, and I will get to that later. I was tempted to even move it down to a 3.5 because it was kind of a major issue. But I really enjoyed the story so I couldn't.

First off, the story was totally captivating and I just could not put this book down. I read way past my bedtime. For the first par A video version of this review also appears at: A Match Made in Heaven

This book really grabbed me by the heart and would not let me go. Although I have one major issue with it which is the cause of the 4 stars, and I will get to that later. I was tempted to even move it down to a 3.5 because it was kind of a major issue. But I really enjoyed the story so I couldn't.

First off, the story was totally captivating and I just could not put this book down. I read way past my bedtime. For the first part of the book it was fascinating but in a subdued sort of way. I thought it would be about Zara coming to terms with her position in Karm and using her influence over Sebastian to try to make a better kingdom--while also loving someone else. But then the rebels were introduced to the story and it become so much more complex. There was so much more going on than I gathered from reading Unveiled.

When I first saw the cover for this book I really liked the appearance of the characters. Zara was gorgeous but there was something about her that still looked strong and kick-ass. But I didnt even know the half of it. Zara was amazing, and so was Devlan. The cover made him look strong but kind, and he was. He was so protective of Zara and it made me like him instantly, before I really knew anything else about his character. They had so much chemistry that I felt like they couldnt even be in the same room with Sebastian or he would be able to see it simmering between them. Their romance moved faster than I first anticipated, which I am very glad for. I wasnt sure at first what the romance level would be in this.

Now my problem with this book was Sebastian. The problem was that I liked him. He was a tormented character from the beginning but I never bought him as a villain. Not that I was 'Team Sebastian' or anything, but I saw the goodness in him that Zara seemed to see in the beginning. I felt so sorry for him whenever she rejected him. He was an ass to her sometimes, especially when he hurt her, and I dont agree with his actions, but I certainly do not think that Zara's actions were justified either. She treated him worse than he deserved. And when she lost faith in him in the end, she jump to the extremes about how he was worse than his father. I really thought she was getting through to him when she told him all her secrets. I could see it getting through to him. But then it was ruined and I think he started to act a little out of character. Its hard to believe he would do some of the awful things he did without really understanding where it came from. We never met King Hart and we never saw Sebastian interact with him so its hard to believe that that darkness had been seeded in him by his father. We never saw where it came from, we were just told "he's Hart's son" and are supposed to know that that is enough to make him evil. And Zara's actions in the end make me incredibly sad. Its hard to accept what the rebels did, but I can accept that if I saw Sebastian as a true villain, as I get the impression that I was supposed to, then none of it would have bothered me. So it doesnt ruin my feelings for any of the other characters. But overall I dont like how his character was handled. He was either portrayed too kind in the beginning, or not evil enough in the end. It all just left a sour taste in my mouth.

But besides that I loved how things turned out in the end. I really enjoyed seeing Fallon and Xander and the roles they played in this story. It was a huge HEA all around and I especially enjoyed the epilogue. Zara and Devlan seemed to be in a perfect place for them. I am not sure whether or not any more books are planned in this series, but the ending was perfect if there arent.

ARC provided by NetGalley on behalf of Spencer Hill Press, in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Sep 01, 2013 Booknut rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ethics-and-society, gorgeous-guys, dystopian, books-i-love-dearly, forever-re-read, favorites, knight-in-shining-armour, mystery-and-sherlocking, can-t-get-enough-of, heartbreak-and-loss

'Just over four weeks ago, Prince Sebastian announced his intention to find a maiden to wed. As he's only nineteen, all assumed this was a move toward him taking the throne. A wife would mature him in the eyes of Karm.

The news had spread through the realm like wildfire. Or, how I imagine a wildfire would spread and consume if it were allowed. Every girl of age had gone into a frenzy. Hadley had talked about it nearly every day.

Not me. I watched my father wither.

The force field may imprison Karm, ...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Victoria Scott rated it it was amazing

Review to come, but suffice it to say..."Damn, son!" :)

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Nov 10, 2013 Kirsty (Amethyst Bookwyrm) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, review, favorites, netgalley-edelweiss, dystopia

This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/

Thanks to Netgalley and Spencer Hill Press for giving me this book to review.

The land has been destroyed and is filled with monsters, and Karm is the only safe place as it is protected by a barrier, and the king has ruled that it should be inspired on the medieval world of Camelot. Zara Dane has been hiding the fact that her father has The Virus, an illness which kills everyone in Karm, when she is chosen by Prince This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/

Thanks to Netgalley and Spencer Hill Press for giving me this book to review.

The land has been destroyed and is filled with monsters, and Karm is the only safe place as it is protected by a barrier, and the king has ruled that it should be inspired on the medieval world of Camelot. Zara Dane has been hiding the fact that her father has The Virus, an illness which kills everyone in Karm, when she is chosen by Prince Sebastian to be his bride. Her father is sent away and she is forced to stay in the castle, under the watchful eye of the first knight, Sir Devlan, but all Zara wants to do is run away and find her father before it is too late. As Zara gets to know the people in the castle, she is drawn into the rebellion against the King, but should she trust their plan or the spark of good she sees in Sebastian?

Fireblood is a brilliant book as it is a dystopia but reads and feels like a fantasy which is really unusual. The plot is fast paced and engaging, and has the right mixture of betrayals, romance and action.

All the characters are really complex, but especially Zara as she strong-willed and determined to protect those she cares about, and while her judgement may not always be right, her decisions are made with a good heart. The romance in Fireblood is good as it developed at a steady pace, however, it was a bit predictable as it was obvious which person Zara would fall for, but it was much better than the love triangle it seemed like it was going to be. Sebastian was an interesting character as at some points I hated him, but at others I sympathised and understood him. Devlan is a strong, kind and loyal person, and I would have loved to have some chapters from his perspective to see what he was thinking.

I loved this book and I hope there is more stories from this world, although the way it ended it does not need another to wrap up any loose ends. I will be reading more books by Wolfe and I would recommend Fireblood to fans of The Selection series, The Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy and Throne of Glass.
...more

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Nov 17, 2013 Rashika (is tired) marked it as did-not-finish

Shelves: why-did-i-read-it, read-2013, ya, fantasy, dystopia, wimpy-or-i-no-like-mcs

* This review has also been posted on The Social Potato

Warning: Rant Ahead

I believe this is my second DNF review. I really tried to give this book a chance instead of just bailing out but by the time I got to 36% nothing seemed to be working for me. I did not like this book. In fact I made more notes in the 36% I had read than I usually do for an entire book.

Right off the bat the setting is one of my biggest issues. I don’t know much about Camelot and while I really like King Arthur’s legend, ...more

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Oct 15, 2013 Anne rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, netgalley, read-in-2013, fantasy, dystopian, mature-ya, nook

3.5 stars
This review can also be seen at http://www.addicted2heroines.com/2013...

Fireblood was interesting in the way it blended fantasy and dystopian together into one big pot. Fantopian?
Sorry, just thinking out loud.

At first it seemed like a retelling of the King Arthur story, because it looked like their might be some sort of Arthurian love triangle going on between the characters. And there kinda was. But not really. Besides, since the world itself was created by the king to mirror Avalon, y ...more

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Nov 22, 2013 Marie rated it it was ok

Shelves: waste-of-time, boring, what-the-hell

No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't get into this. It first off reminded me of a really bad version of The Selection. Then after that it just didn't hold my attention at all. Not even the twist at the end impressed me.
The heroin- Zara, seriously got on my nerves. Devlan pissed me off and Sebastian was just all over the place.

Their personalities were not well developed at all. A lot more consideration was needed for the characters. Not just to make them each unique but in order for reade No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't get into this. It first off reminded me of a really bad version of The Selection. Then after that it just didn't hold my attention at all. Not even the twist at the end impressed me.
The heroin- Zara, seriously got on my nerves. Devlan pissed me off and Sebastian was just all over the place.

Their personalities were not well developed at all. A lot more consideration was needed for the characters. Not just to make them each unique but in order for readers like me to be able to relate to them.

I mean Zara was just so judgemental. Even before she knew the prince she wouldn't give him a chance- granted he was a power hungry sociopath, but at the beginning I thought he was just a lost vulnerable boy seeking the approval of his father who was very manipulative and devious.
I thought of their relationship as equal. They both treated each other more or less the same. Zara hurt him with words, he hurt her with stupid actions.
And then Devlan used to be like a brother to the prince and not even he tried to help him or make amends. He presumed Zara knowing the consequences and was just selfish.
And Seb was the only reason this got 2 stars as I didn't see him as corrupt. He was the tortured soul, I mean he can't have had a proper upbringing, he lost his mother for one and look at his dad. We may not have known him as a character but our imaginations are enough. The problem was, Sebastian was the only character that worked and that I ended up liking. And look what happened to him? There was so much potential there to redeem the book but no. Yet again an author decided it's easier to just kill the source of potential- literally.
But that need twist with Xander? I was too far gone with this story to even appreciate that. This just tired me, the characters were bland and it was just uninteresting.

Another big issue was that the king was central to the story and yet he does not even have a role in the book? We never even get to meet him or get to know him for him.

Usually I try to identify at least one good aspect but in this case I can't. It was quite simply a waste of time. I will not be continuing with the series I'm afraid. ...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Lauren Hammond rated it it was amazing

Such an epic, epic read!

It takes a true literary genius to come up with and build a world like Karm. A world that's terrifying yet enchanting at the same time.

Fireblood is one of those books that leaves you breathless and keeps you thinking about the characters long after you've put the book down.

Zara is sassy, smart, and not afraid to kick some butt! Add in a gorgeous knight, a handsome prince, some major swoon-worthy moments, then mix that all together in a realm of cruelty, and intrigue wher ...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Tammie rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, low-fantasy, indies, young-adult, ya-fantasy, dystopian

3.5 stars. Fireblood is a fantasy set inside a future dystopia. Normally I would say this doesn't work, but I actually think this author pulls it off. Basically there was a nuclear war and the unaffected survivors have lived in a city protected by a domed barricade for several generations. The king decided to base the society on Camelot, but and has also taken most of their freedoms away. With the exception of communicators, view screens and the barrier the people are not exposed to technology. ...more

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Nov 17, 2013 Zachary Flye rated it it was amazing

Actual Rating 4.5 stars

Originally posted on my blog, Zach's YA Reviews (zachsyareviews.com)

Review:

Protagonist: Going into this book I had entirely different expectations of Zara's character than what I saw while reading her story. After reading Unveiled, the sort-of midquel novella for this story, I had expected Zara to be a complacent and willing fiancee to Prince Sebastian, however she was stuck in an undesirable situation and does everything she can to change her destiny. I loved Zara's stron Actual Rating 4.5 stars

Originally posted on my blog, Zach's YA Reviews (zachsyareviews.com)

Review:

Protagonist: Going into this book I had entirely different expectations of Zara's character than what I saw while reading her story. After reading Unveiled, the sort-of midquel novella for this story, I had expected Zara to be a complacent and willing fiancee to Prince Sebastian, however she was stuck in an undesirable situation and does everything she can to change her destiny. I loved Zara's strong will and determination to be free of her betrothed and castle Karm. From start to finish Zara only had the good of everyone in mind and does whatever it takes to help all of Karm into a new age, a better age. While I love that Zara is kind-hearted and strong-willed, she never really seemed to have any flaws. Sure she made mistakes, though they never seemed to come from a flaw but rather being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and not being privy to certain information. While she never struck me as a Mary-Sue character, I feel that if she had a few visible flaws would have made her a more interesting character.

Romance: Early on I feared that this book would house a love-triangle. It's not that I'm generally opposed to love triangles, but it's such a common theme that is poorly executed in YA literature that I get anxious when one is presented in a story. That being said, there was no love triangle in this story, well not really. Instead of the traditional two men vying equally for a girl's affections, the two men vying for Zara's affections are in no way equally matched, in fact Zara knows from their very beginning that she will never return one of the men's affections. The romance with the other starts off slow, almost hesitant, and grows at a rather slow pace. I loved that the romance of this book didn't encompass or drive this story. I'm really starting to hate books that are so driven by their love stories that what is really going on in their worlds is eclipsed leading to a substandard book. This book however has a great story, with a nice romanced woven into it.

World-Building: At first glance I had thought this world was one shrouded in fantasy and magic, however as I began to read the book, or rather it's companion Unveiled, it became clear that this world is really a dystopian one. I was caught off guard by the complete change in the genre of this tale. Karm is the only safe place in all the world, surrounded by a protective barrier, and it's ruler has dictated that Karm is to be a utopia based around the fabled land of Camelot, but a deadly Virus threatens this utopia. I really loved the idea of a futuristic version of medieval times, it brings all the glamour and beauty of that time but leaves the more disgusting parts behind. To be honest if I was this realm's king I probably would have convinced my citizens to regress to the more spectacular parts of the past, though I would have done my best to not make the same harsh choices he did.

Predictability: I'm not sure what to think of the predictability. There were moments when I knew what was coming, and it was much more than guessing, it was a gut feeling that lead me to uncover most of the secrets this book holds. There were also things that were much easier to uncover after reading Unveiled, which makes me wonder if it was a mistake reading the novella before reading this book, but I know that if I read this first, all of the surprises in the novella would be ruined for me, so in the end I guess reading the novella first was the right thing to do, it also made seeing the main characters from it hold a deeper meaning to me as the reader. As for the things that were hard to figure out, this was due to a lack of easily seen foreshadowing, or at times no real foreshadowing at all.

Ending: The ending was probably the most shocking thing for me, mainly because it was an honest to goodness ending. All while reading this book I had it in my head that this was only the start to a series, however instead it was a stand alone, or at least has the ability to be. While I can't really see the author continuing the series with Zara, I could see this becoming a great companion novel series. I could be proven wrong and there may be a great second installment involving Zara as the protagonist and narrator, there was a small opening in the epilogue to continue, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Rating:

This is a brilliantly written book, whether it be a stand-alone or the beginning to a series it has captivated my heart. While there are a few things that bugged me about the book, they were very minor and with such an amazing concept and execution I'd recommend picking up this book next month or maybe adding it to your holiday list. ...more

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Oct 31, 2013 Chanzie rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley, fantasy

Rating: 3.5/5 stars
I had been eyeing this book for a while on NetGalley and I decided to read this book based on some good feedback I read from some fellow blogging friends. I enjoyed the first half of the book, but I fell in love with the story in the second half of the book.

Characters: 3.5/5
Trisha definitely creates some interesting and balanced characters.

Zara - I love this name. Zara is stubborn yet knows when to follow through and put her pride aside. She is likable, smart and clever. I wa ...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Pavan rated it it was amazing

Ok if you haven't gotten this book on your TBR list, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!!!

From my fangirly mini reviews on goodreads you can see that I absolutely adore Trisha Wolfe's books (and Trisha)!! And I have good reason!

Fireblood has to be one of my favourites of 2013! It's got EVERYTHING!! This is a futuristic/dystopian book with a Camelot feel as Jamie (Two Chicks on Books) has said here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/397774202

There is action, there is drama and the romance is off the c ...more

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Dec 10, 2013 Stacey rated it did not like it

Shelves: unfinished

I could not get through this book.

Firstly, the strange premise and world-building put me off. I love reading medieval fantasies, and I enjoy Arthurian tales, but I really dislike Big Brother stories. And to mix them both together in some confusing dystopian novel just seemed odd. The juxtaposition of knights and mass media just didn't sit well.

The characters were a two-dimensional and stereotypical. The main character was melodramatic and silly. I could not like or sympathize with her.

Lastly, ...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Alyssa rated it liked it

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Fireblood by Trisha Wolfe
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Publication Date: December 17, 2013
Rating: 3 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

To save a kingdom, Zara must choose between a prince who could be the answer and a rising rebellion that threatens to take control.

When Zara Dane is chosen to marry Prince Sebastian Hart, son of the man who ordered her father’s capture, Zara knows she must fight to save everything she loves from ...more

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May 26, 2013 Nemo (The Moonlight Library) rated it it was ok

Shelves: format-ebook, source-netgalley, genre-dystopian, beautiful-covers, 2013-read, sts, i-like-princesses, books-i-own, 2013-published, arc

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Zara Dane has been chosen as Prince Sebastian’s new bride, and taken against her will into the luxury of the Camelot-style castle in this history-emulating dystopian. Zara plans her escape, but she’s swept into the arms of Devlan, the first knight, and part of the rebellion to topple King Hart’s rule. Can Zara convince Sebastian to rule Karm differently before the rebels attack? And what is the secret of Outside?

I finished Fireblood several days ago and now that I’ve sat down to review it I had Zara Dane has been chosen as Prince Sebastian’s new bride, and taken against her will into the luxury of the Camelot-style castle in this history-emulating dystopian. Zara plans her escape, but she’s swept into the arms of Devlan, the first knight, and part of the rebellion to topple King Hart’s rule. Can Zara convince Sebastian to rule Karm differently before the rebels attack? And what is the secret of Outside?

I finished Fireblood several days ago and now that I’ve sat down to review it I had to think for a minute what the main character’s name was. Unfortunately Zara was incredibly bland, two-dimensional, and utterly unmemorable. Also unfortunately I just read another book with basically the exact same premise (Captivate by Vanessa Garden), except the girl chooses the other love interest, and that book was much more memorable.

The problem with Fireblood is that Zara has zero personality, Sebastian is utterly off-putting because he sexually assaults her early on and never redeems himself, and Devlan is your typical angry silent brooding type who likes to beat on Zara to make her stronger. The problem is not that we’ve seen all this before in a hundred other YA dystopian stories, but that the characters are all two-dimensional (as in they remain the same at the beginning as at the end, with no character progression or growth), but they are bland, the conversations are difficult to follow because they are not logical, and I after a strong beginning I was in the end bored and slightly confused and often found the characters’ actions illogical. However, the biggest thing I liked in terms of characters was how easily jealous Sebastian became and his actions towards the end. After all, he didn’t really know Zara, so why should he trust her? Pretty words won’t replace a lifetime of propaganda.

The plot didn’t kick in until about 40% through, which I personally found very annoying. I really liked the opening as it helped define the confusing setting and introduced several plot elements such as the Virus and the televised executions, and I liked Zara. But after spending nearly half the novel avoiding Sebastian’s lechery and spending time with Devlan, I was beyond ready for the rebels to burst onto the page. I didn’t find the romance with Devlan interesting either, because rather than making eyes at each other or even showing reactions to each other such as fluttering hearts or sweating or anything like that, we the audience were simply reading what was happening, as in the physical actions and reactions with nothing deeper than that, absolutely zero emotion, no progression to like or crush or admiring. It was as if we spent the novel watching through Zara’s eyes as she noticed how he walked or an emotionless report of their actions together, but never why it made her feel towards him, so when she did finally fall in love it seemed out of the blue and even forced. I therefore found the romance with Devlan unconvincing.

There were two issues I had with the plot: the first was that Prince Sebastian seemed to have picked Zara off the streets to marry because he wanted to get into her pants, which seemed strange to me as surely he could do that to anyone? He was allowed to choose whomever he wanted but he didn’t think about making a strong partnership, choosing a wife who would support him or even have common interests as he didn’t even get to know Zara before she was officially engaged. Sometimes it seemed like a ploy simply to elevate Zara from commoner to princess. Even when Zara asked “Why me?” he simply answered with, “I saw you on the monitors.” Not “I saw you on the monitors and you’re hot,” or even, “I saw how caring you were” or any other quality. Sebastian’s ‘reason’ for choosing Zara is as emotionless, illogical, and careless as Zara’s ‘relationship’ with Devlan.

The other thing that bothered me was the plot for the rebels to overthrow King Hart. King Hart released a Virus that took people at random and forced them into a zombie-like state to work outside the force field, and occasionally sacrifice one to the cannibals Outside, and in return the force field protected the people inside Karm and they were happy and peaceful and well-fed and the weather was controlled so there were no disasters or anything. It seemed like a really good deal to me, and I couldn’t figure out why anyone would want to bring down the force field and leave these happy, peaceful people vulnerable to cannibals and monsters and all the horrors of Outside.

However I would like to praise the setting. Karm was a Camelot-inspired world protected by a force field from Outside in the future of Earth, and the populace was forced to recreate Camelot-type lifestyles. So although I assumed this book was a fantasy because of the mention of royalty in the blurb, it’s actually a dystopian with a pseudo-historical setting set in the future after a nasty Virus has devastated the population. I really liked this idea and thought it quite original – rather than just your usual futuristic dystopian-in-a-bubble, they had knights and tournaments with jousting and royalty and I just liked it.

Unfortunately for me the original setting was about the only redeeming thing about the book.

Thanks to Spencer Hill Press and Netgaley for providing this advanced reader copy for an honest review. ...more

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Sep 15, 2012 Melanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2013

4*s
review posted here...
http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.co...
Fireblood is the first book in a new series of the same name, it’s dystopian/fantasy and I was very impressed with this introduction to the world of Karm….
Following an apocalyptic, ending of the world as we know it, the world has changed and filled with mutated monsters, viruses and destitution, so a man built a kingdom in which to rule under the guise of safety & protection but he ruled as a tyrant, taking away peoples’ rights to 4*s
review posted here...
http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.co...
Fireblood is the first book in a new series of the same name, it’s dystopian/fantasy and I was very impressed with this introduction to the world of Karm….
Following an apocalyptic, ending of the world as we know it, the world has changed and filled with mutated monsters, viruses and destitution, so a man built a kingdom in which to rule under the guise of safety & protection but he ruled as a tyrant, taking away peoples’ rights to be free, killing those who show signs of virus, restricting peoples’ lives in a way that means to even speak of any unauthorised topics meant death. He created a kingdom based upon Camelot, filled with Knights, a royal court, tournaments and the whole way of life, keeping it under strict control, but with tyranny always comes rebellion and the rebels are mounting an offence that has been years in the making. So when Prince Sebastian – only heir to the throne - chooses a commoner as his bride, the rebellion see opportunity. Zara Dane can’t work out why on earth the prince chose her for his bride, she is just a girl who lives with her father and clones animals for a living but when they take away her father who is showing signs of the virus at the same time that they come to cart her off to the castle she decides to go willingly in hopes she can see her father again, but that quickly become escape plans. Once there though she is assigned a guard, none other than the prince’s own first Knight- Devlan – who although watchful of her, helps her adjust to life at court and dissuades her from fleeing, until she over hears some plans for her that changes her whole view of life in Karm. After being introduced to the Rebels, she finds some startling information, not only about the secrets being kept from the people but also about the members of the rebellion themselves. Being more determined to escape than ever, she begins training for a very important mission that will hopefully lead to not only her freedom but freedom for all, she doesn’t bank on losing her heart in the process…. Will the plans work this time?
So, I really liked this book and it was a great introduction to the series. This is only the second time I’ve read dystopian fantasy and I have to say it’s a lot better than the previous. I find this genre is a bit hard to think of as being a post apocalyptic world because it goes back to a medieval scenario or in this case Camelot, I get why the King wanted to do this because of the society that King Arthur created and people felt this was a successful and peaceful society and in some respects he is all about the safety & protection of his people, that just got warped somewhere along the way but it’s easy to see his intentions. I thought the idea behind that was great and it brought something new to me as a reader although I would have liked to have seen a bit more of the outside than what we got but with this being the first book, there is always a possibility that we will get that. I liked the characters, of course Zara & Devlan are our main characters and I did feel connected to them straight away, I felt the connection to each other from the point they met which always helps pull me into the story. What I liked about Zara most was that whilst she was willing to let things play out, she always had her own mind and wasn’t going to just sit there and be compliant, I liked that she questioned things which is against tradition in their time. I loved the relationship between her & Devlan, it was sweet and tentative, with an innocence about it that was really appealing and out of the two suitors, Devlan would win, hands down. I do like what she tries to do with regards to Sebastian, everyone deserves a fair chance.
The storyline was really good, it is very much a getting to know you and your world and the training sometimes bogged it down a bit but what kept me interested was the promise of action from the rebels & the developing relationship between our two leads. As I said, I like the idea behind this and the intentions in creating Camelot and to be honest, I thought maybe the rebels would make a mistake by changing things considering the purported danger on the outside, I understand the need for free will but I also know that to feel safe is another need and I wasn’t sure if I was convinced by the rebels intentions on some points. The book really took off for me when the rebels came into it, the prequel I had read was great and I was expecting more of the same action but it took it’s time coming, saying that when it did come it was awesome and eventually brought lots of action in the form of battles, rescue attempts, lots of espionage with lots of plots & plans and that added a much needed excitement to the story. I really liked the conclusion and thought it was really fitting, it did feel like the end of a stand alone though so I’m really curious to see where it’s going to go now, this was a great start though. ...more

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Oct 11, 2013 Shelley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-releases, netgalley-arc, spencer-hill-press

*Genre* Fantasy, Dystopia
*Rating* 4.0

*First Thoughts*

Fireblood is the first novel in a new series by Trisha Wolfe. Wolfe creates an interesting world that is apparently caught somewhere between Camelot and a dystopian society. Fireblood is set in the Kingdom of Karm which was created to protect people from the Outside. The Outside is a vast wasteland thanks to the nuclear fallout of the Final War that started in 2016. Karm is ruled by an egotistical madman who truly believes that the people shou *Genre* Fantasy, Dystopia
*Rating* 4.0

*First Thoughts*

Fireblood is the first novel in a new series by Trisha Wolfe. Wolfe creates an interesting world that is apparently caught somewhere between Camelot and a dystopian society. Fireblood is set in the Kingdom of Karm which was created to protect people from the Outside. The Outside is a vast wasteland thanks to the nuclear fallout of the Final War that started in 2016. Karm is ruled by an egotistical madman who truly believes that the people should take up the mantle of Camelot including talking the dialect (Nay, I won't do it!) and wearing the eras clothing (women wearing long gowns). Anyone who speaks out about his rule, may find themselves on the Outside, in the Oubliette, or worse.

King Hart uses his Knights of the Force to keep the citizens in line and taking care of anyone who steps out of line including Rebels who want a change in the way things are done in Karm. Even though residents of Karm are protected by a force field, they understand that they are carriers of the Virus that was created during the Final War by a government scientist and that at any time, they can end up Taken away and left to die.

When Prince Sebastian goes on a search for his betrothed, 17 year old Zara Dane has absolutely no clue that she will be chosen. The fact is that she has no use for the royals, and never wants to step a foot inside the castle is beyond her control. She likes spending time with her father Rorick cloning animals and her bestie Hadley. So, when she is named as Sebastian's betrothed, and her father is taken away by the Force, she finds herself stepping into a situation where she has to make her own choices and decisions as to which way her life will go. One wrong move, and it might be her last. She has to ask herself why was she chosen over those more wealthy and deserving? How long had Sebastian been planning on naming her his future Queen? And, who can she trust, the heir to the crown, or Sir Devlan Capra, Sebastian's former best friend now turned First Knight.

I will say that I was pleasantly surprised at how interesting Fireblood turned out. It mixes a Camelot setting with a dystopian twist. Zara is a character who has to quickly learn who to trust and make her own decisions about her future. She has to choose between being the new Queen of Karm and being with Sebastian, or trusting the Rebel faction that wants to put an end to the Hart rule, and go in an entirely different direction in which the citizens have a voice and a choice in their own lives and they're not being used as chew toys for the monsters outside the walls of Karm.

I will also say that I was happy, yes, HAPPY, that the twisted 3 way love triangle between Zara, Sebastian, and Devlan did not make it through the story without being beat down, and stomped to death. I had hoped that Zara would make the early choice between the two, and it was the correct choice in my opinion. My personal feelings were that Sebastian wasn't to be trusted and that he was somehow using Zara for his own gains. I saw Devlan differently in that here was someone with a similar past to Zara's and they should have some common ground to fall back on.

Although this is part of a series, Wolfe could have ended it right where she does in Fireblood. There may or may not be other stories with Zara and Devlan involved. Will it follow a new couple? Where this series goes from here, is anyone's guess and only Wolfe knows for sure. I will definitely stay tuned for more information!

*Recvd via NetGalley 10/11/2013* Expected publication: December 17th 2013 by Spencer Hill Press ...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Farrah rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, dystopian-postapocalyptic

Absolutely lovely! Fireblood was yet another amazing book from the fabulous Trisha Wolfe. This book has thrills, secrets, betrayals, and, of course, romance. It was totally amazing and I loved it!

Zara was a great heroine. Let me first say, though, that I loved her name. Partly because one of my friends also has that name and partly because I've just always liked it. But, let's talk about the actual character. She was wonderful. She was very strong and clever and always did what she thought was r Absolutely lovely! Fireblood was yet another amazing book from the fabulous Trisha Wolfe. This book has thrills, secrets, betrayals, and, of course, romance. It was totally amazing and I loved it!

Zara was a great heroine. Let me first say, though, that I loved her name. Partly because one of my friends also has that name and partly because I've just always liked it. But, let's talk about the actual character. She was wonderful. She was very strong and clever and always did what she thought was right. Her judgement wasn't always perfect, but I think those flaws just made her a more realistic character, somewhat that we can more easily relate to. I thought she was a lovely heroine.

Though there is kind of a love triangle, in the Zara was betrothed to someone else, Devlan was the main love interest and the hero of the story. He was awesome. He was definitely worthy of the title "hero." He was strong, brave, clever, and loyal. He always followed what he believed in, but not if it conflicted with his morals. He was also very sweet and adorable. I really liked him. I thought he was brilliant.

The romance between Zara and Devlan developed slowly. They really shouldn't have been together if they valued their lives and they realized that, so they kept a tight grip on their feelings. But, what made it sweet was that they fell for each other anyway. I thought they were a lovely couple.

Sebastian was a complicated character. There were times that I loved him and times that I wanted to punch him in the face. It was impossible to settle on whether he was good or bad, even after what happened at the end. He was a very dynamic character. On one hand, he had traces of his father's cruelty in him. On the other, he wasn't letting them take over, trying his best to be a good person. Even after what he did at the end, I still felt bad for him and still liked him. Even if I never quite figured out whether or not I loved him, I definitely loved his character. The way he was so complicated made him very interesting and an intriguing character to read about.

The plot was fast paced. I was hooked the entire way through. There were tons of secrets, particularly about how the kingdom was run, but also about the characters' pasts. And, the thrills were constant as Zara struggled to figure out what was right. It was all enough to keep me on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed the story and the ending was lovely. I think this is going to be a standalone, other than the prequel, because all the loose ends were tied and it felt like the story was concluded. I'm happy with that fantastic ending, but I wouldn't say no to seeing more from these characters :)

Fireblood was a fantastic YA read. It was thrilling, unpredictable, romantic, and full of secrets. I absolutely loved reading it. Lovers of YA romance, this is a book you don't want to miss.

photo 2_zps3b4250b0.jpg

*I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Brandi Kosiner rated it it was amazing

Trisha has done it again. Kick ass characters, swoon worthy romance, and an intricate plot with side characters that are fully fleshed out.
I loved the setting of this one. It is unlike anything I have read really. It is set in the future, a dystopian society that is based on Camelot, with knights, dresses, older speech patterns, tournaments and the like. Zara is the main character and she is chosen to be the new princess, but she wants no part, because although the society is "peaceful", the Trisha has done it again. Kick ass characters, swoon worthy romance, and an intricate plot with side characters that are fully fleshed out.
I loved the setting of this one. It is unlike anything I have read really. It is set in the future, a dystopian society that is based on Camelot, with knights, dresses, older speech patterns, tournaments and the like. Zara is the main character and she is chosen to be the new princess, but she wants no part, because although the society is "peaceful", the king rules harshly, with violent and deadly broadcasted punishments for those who disobey.
Zara is such a strong character, but she has and knows her limits, and I really appreciated that about her. She is new to the court, being raised on a farm, and that makes her relatable, because I have no idea what I would do if trusted into politics, it would be out of my league. But I love how easily she learns and adapts to situations whether court girls with their claws out, to learning to ride a horse or be in combat. She has such a pure heart, she wants to see the best in everyone and she brings that out in people. I also appreciate that she gets emotional. She doesn't deny that part of herself, she knows it is a part of her and that showing them isn't a weakness, but a show of strength.
As she plots her escape, she gains help learning to ride from the first knight, and her guard Devlan. I loved him from the minute I met him, with his wit, charm, broodiness, and his protective nature. I love their exchanges, and like Zara, I wanted to know the secrets he harbored. And little by little we find them out, and it only makes me want to know more about him and fall for him all the more.
The swoon factor is definitely present in this one, and like I have come to expect from Trisha, the romance leaves me breathless, and wanting more.
Sebastian, the prince is a story of himself. I go from hating, to thinking that he has a soft side that can be coaxed out, having hope for him shattered, to pity. The whole range of emotions because he really is a complex character, and being raised by a harsh ruler has left him with a mean streak, but there are also traces of wanting more for the kingdom but the two sides battle which is what leaves me so conflicted.
The rebels are surprises all around in this one, and they are the beacon of hope, but they also have their problems and people that like Zara, it is hard to trust even though they are against the king for their own reasons. But Devlan is there, and they uncover to her some shocking truths, not only about the depth of the evil from the king, but things about her past, and who she is.
The story gives me a good ending, nail biting, and action filled for sure, but it fit the story perfectly, and I am anxious to see how the series will continue.

Bottom Line: Absolutely amazing, brilliant setting, wonderfully developed characters and heart-pounding romance and action.
...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Lynsey (A Bookish Life) rated it really liked it

Great YA Fantasy!

What a positively fascinating and original setting for a Fantasy novel! You many be forgiven for thinking this book has a historical, medieval-type setting. But, alas, you would be wrong. Well, at least, you'd only be half right. You see, it's actually futuristic! Set in a dystopian society in the not-too-distant future, held captive under a forcefield dome thingy in some re-imagined version of King Author's Camelot! Now if that's not original, I don't know what is. The only dif Great YA Fantasy!

What a positively fascinating and original setting for a Fantasy novel! You many be forgiven for thinking this book has a historical, medieval-type setting. But, alas, you would be wrong. Well, at least, you'd only be half right. You see, it's actually futuristic! Set in a dystopian society in the not-too-distant future, held captive under a forcefield dome thingy in some re-imagined version of King Author's Camelot! Now if that's not original, I don't know what is. The only difference with this version of the mythical Utopian realm, is that it's as fake as a Hollywood smile, and full of incongruous, out-of-place modern conveniences, like electricity and communication devices. Why? Oh, who knows... Because the tyrannical ruler, King Hart, felt like it one day? He had a vision of the perfect society - complete with adopted speech patterns and dialect, authentic clothing, knights and fair maidens, etc, etc. Only the problem with things that are fake, false and forced, is that their lustre wears off all-too-quickly, and soon only ugliness can be found where once held allure. As is the case in FIREBLOOD.

Naturally, the person to untangle this maniacal mess is our main character, Zara, or, Princess Zara, as she's soon called, after being called upon at the beginning of the story to be the Crown Prince's new bride-to-be, whether she wants to or not. And she most assuredly does not. With the royal guards beating down her door, however, she has little choice, and is soon sequestered in the Prince's keep. But what of the prince? Can he be as bad as she's always believed? And what of the Prince's first knight, Devlan, and they way he makes her feel? It's a tangled web, to be sure, but one that held this reader's attention fast and firm throughout.

I enjoyed Zara's character quite a bit. She did confuse me on occasion, though. Particularly at the beginning of the book when she seemed to swing erratically between outspoken objector, and demure subservient. Her backbone seemed to come and go with the wind, which was odd. Nevertheless, she made tremendous progress as the story progressed and was a heroine worth championing by the end, which is what counts, right?

I have to say, it was very satisfying in how neatly FIREBLOOD was wrapped up. So much so, in fact, that I was actually surprised to note that it's slated to be a series rather than a standalone title. I think it certainly works well as a standalone and could be read as such, and I can only guess and what other torments the author has in store for her characters in future instalments!

To sum up, while not a perfect novel by any means, FIREBLOOD was an original enough worldbuilding concept, with diverse and unpredictable characters, to have me awarding it a very healthy 4 stars.

Great fun!

4 Stars ★★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
...more

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Nov 29, 2013 Kathy Martin rated it it was ok

FIREBLOOD seemed to me to be a book that was trying to do too much, trying to fit in too many of the popular tropes. It was post-apocalyptic since it took place after a war that devastated the Earth. It was dystopia because the enclosed world where all the remaining humans lived was ruled by a despot. There was an attempt at the requisite YA love triangle. And there was the sort of intrepid heroine who came off to me as wishy-washy.

For some unknown reason, Prince Sebastian decides to make Zara D FIREBLOOD seemed to me to be a book that was trying to do too much, trying to fit in too many of the popular tropes. It was post-apocalyptic since it took place after a war that devastated the Earth. It was dystopia because the enclosed world where all the remaining humans lived was ruled by a despot. There was an attempt at the requisite YA love triangle. And there was the sort of intrepid heroine who came off to me as wishy-washy.

For some unknown reason, Prince Sebastian decides to make Zara Dane his chosen bride. He has never met her. She is more interested in hiding her father's illness because all citizens with the Virus are taken away to die. Her first instinct is to escape. Where she might escape to remains in question as the humans are confined to a rather small dome separating them from the outside wilderness.

When Zara meets First Knight Devlan Capra her plan changes. Now, I am not sure why she is so attracted to him given that he blows hot and cold toward her and puts his duty ahead of her. However, compared to Prince Sebastian who is cruel and who attempts to force Zara to be intimate, he looks good. Still, Zara believes that she sees some kindness in Sebastian and thinks that she can influence him to change things when he is king.

When Zara learns that her father isn't dead but has been sent to the outside world to help provide the power for the city, Zara joins the rebels who want to defeat the evil King Hart and free all those Taken. Naturally, this gently reared girl who measures all of 5'2" turns out to be a natural at physical warfare defeating knights who have trained for years after only a few weeks of practice - practice taught by Devlan. Spending time with Devlan makes her love him more but she is still torn between him and the vision she has of a kinder, gentler Sebastian.

I had difficulty connecting with any of the characters and thrown out of the story frequently by the numerous coincidences that drove the plot. People who need one more dystopia might enjoy this story. I found it lacking something for me. ...more

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Nov 21, 2012 Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kindle-books, arc-book-read

Once upon a time I use to be able to say that fantasy just wasn't a genre for me but with reading quite a few exceptional books in the genre this past year, I can no longer proclaim that it isn't for me. In fact Fireblood is one of those books that is so well written, so well done, and with characters that I could associated with and like immediately that I would go as far as to say that I just so happen to be in love with the genre now.

Zara, Devlan and Sebastian are intriguing characters. All p ...more

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Aug 21, 2017 Kes rated it did not like it

Shelves: fiction, read-2017

Awful. Here are the notable points of awfulness.

Horses
So, the author has done some research into horses but clearly not enough. We start with gems like the protagonist wondering: "I can't tell if it is a boy or a girl" (the proper term is mare or stallion or even gelding) but somehow she knows what a trot and canter is (even though she needs so many other basic terms explained for her), and automatically knows what sidesaddle is. It's an inconsistent level of knowledge.

Weird language
At times, th ...more

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Oct 10, 2013 Rebekah rated it really liked it

This was yet another book that surprised me. I ended up really liking this book. I enjoyed that it was a dystopian story where the "King" chose a time period to imitate and he chose the time period you see in the cover. What is interesting about this story is they actually LIVE like this no guns nothing and you don't realize that it's an advanced world until you realize that there are big screens and cameras and transmitting and all that. It was so interesting!

I loved the fact that Zara has no ...more

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Nov 25, 2013 Cassie C rated it liked it

Shelves: disappointing

Actual rating 2.5 stars

I rounded up to be nice, but honestly this book was just not my cup of tea. The premise sounded amazing, and as I was reading, I kept thinking how much potential this novel had, but it just wasn't executed properly. It took me a bit to figure out that this was actually a dystopian novel, and not a medieval novel (like I originally thought), but there were times when the writing was awkward or odd. As a result, I had to re-read sentences a couple of times before I finally u ...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Lexie rated it it was ok

Shelves: first-in-series, ebooks-owned-read

Like my sister I really disliked the ending. What got me more was a certain lack of grace to the writing. The beginning felt rigid and overly short for the amount of emotion it was trying to convey. The ending fell flat as well since I honestly did not care about the truth of the world.

+++

I didn't realize until about halfway through the book that this is not only the author of a short story I didn't enjoy that greatly (Unveiled), but also that the short story tied into this series.

Well color me ...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Michelle Pickett rated it it was amazing

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: You can’t go wrong with Trisha Wolfe. She a word master, weaving them together until they melt and mold into something truly beautiful.

Karm was an exceptional dystopian world built on the idea of Camelot. Wolfe did an outstanding job of drawing me into it and showing me around. I felt the atmosphere, heard the sounds, smelled the smells. I felt as though I was there with the people.

Characters were outstanding as always. Zara was kick-ass. Trisha isn’t ...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Brooklynn N. Gibbs rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, netgalley-november-2013

Once again Trisha weaves a compelling story and world that just sucks readers in and doesnt let them go. I fully enjoyed reading another one of her books. While it took me a bit longer to read this one, once it hit that certain spot I didnt want to put it down.

The characters are amazing and I wouldnt change a thing about it. The POV annoyed me a bit because I felt that it should have been third person. It would have been much much better if we could delve into the minds of the other characters. ...more

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Sinopsis en Español // Synopsis in Spanish	1	1	Feb 16, 2015 11:21AM
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USA Today bestselling romantic thriller author. From an early age, Trisha Wolfe dreamed up fictional worlds and characters ...more

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Quotes from Fireblood

“You know, Sir Devlan. Many women might find the quiet type endearing," I say. "I admit, a man of few words has an attractive quality." His head turns toward me. "But seeing how you're one of the few people I have to converse with, your lack of conversational skills can be obnoxious.” — 7 likes

“She lifts the white gown. "The prince loves white." Her fingers caress the satin. "He had your betrothal gown made just for you."

(...) Anger boils under my skin. "Then he can wear it," I snap.” — 3 likes

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