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The Oracle #1
The Oracle's Flame
The Kingdom of Altnoia is on the cusp of civil war. The king and heir have been murdered, the throne taken by their uncle, and the kingdom's only hope lies with Prince Edan who has been missing for the past year. The Oracle appoints her new Dragon of Fire one task: Find Prince Edan and keep him alive.
It should have been a simple task, but Dragon did not anticipate that Prince Edan would hide away on a pirate ship, forcing Dragon not only to endure pirates, but sea-sickness and his fear of water. And nothing, not even the Oracle, could have prepared him for the twins and the complicated feelings they spark.
WARNING/SPOILER: Contains twincest and a threesome relationship.
It should have been a simple task, but Dragon did not anticipate that Prince Edan would hide away on a pirate ship, forcing Dragon not only to endure pirates, but sea-sickness and his fear of water. And nothing, not even the Oracle, could have prepared him for the twins and the complicated feelings they spark.
WARNING/SPOILER: Contains twincest and a threesome relationship.
64 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 19, 2013
8 people are currently reading
179 people want to read
About the author
Mell Eight
69 books276 followersWhen Mell Eight was in high school, she discovered dragons. Beautiful, wondrous creatures that took her on epic adventures both to faraway lands and on journeys of the heart. Mell wanted to create dragons of her own, so she put pen to paper. Mell Eight is now known for her own soaring dragons, as well as for other wonderful characters dancing across the pages of her books. While she mostly writes paranormal or fantasy stories, she has been seen exploring the real world once or twice.
For more information on Mell’s stories and future writing plans, visit her website.
For more information on Mell’s stories and future writing plans, visit her website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
September 22, 2015
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
There is something I really like about Mell Eight's books. There's a sweetness to her fantasy that's endearing rather than annoying, and I liked that as sweet as it can be the stories aren't without real danger, and consequences. I liked the characters, and I liked seeing them grow closer together. The plot had a nice arc to it, and even thought I thought some of the ending was a little out of left field I could still enjoy the story. A nice start to a new series.
art credit - Dragon Tea by freeminds
There is something I really like about Mell Eight's books. There's a sweetness to her fantasy that's endearing rather than annoying, and I liked that as sweet as it can be the stories aren't without real danger, and consequences. I liked the characters, and I liked seeing them grow closer together. The plot had a nice arc to it, and even thought I thought some of the ending was a little out of left field I could still enjoy the story. A nice start to a new series.
art credit - Dragon Tea by freeminds
August 4, 2015
Maybe I'm still to in love with Tori, but I'm afraid this Dragon tale never managed to capture my heart the way previous Mell Eight books have.
Kindle was delightful, a sweet and young dragon. I enjoyed his story. But due to the lack of detail the plot felt very rushed and unsatisfactory for me.
I also found the beginning rather confusing, again probably due to the lack of detail, and the twist with the twins felt very unbelievable.
ETA
Funny how a second reading can bring abut a different feeling. While I still think this one was too short and so lacking in detail I enjoyed it more than my previous review indicates.
Kindle was delightful, a sweet and young dragon. I enjoyed his story. But due to the lack of detail the plot felt very rushed and unsatisfactory for me.
I also found the beginning rather confusing, again probably due to the lack of detail, and the twist with the twins felt very unbelievable.
ETA
Funny how a second reading can bring abut a different feeling. While I still think this one was too short and so lacking in detail I enjoyed it more than my previous review indicates.
October 6, 2017
LO QUE ME GUSTÓ
•Los diferentes maestros en las áreas elementales. El funcionamiento de la magia. La posición del Oráculo como un ícono místico capaz de predecir eventos futuros.
•La narración rápida y amena, pero no tan extraordinaria.
•La simpleza de Dragón. Para ser un personaje plano, me resultó agradable para pasar el rato.
LO QUE NO ME GUSTÓ
•La trama. A ver, tenía una buena idea, pero lo desarrolló tan pobremente.
•El príncipe gemelo sacado de la manga y para nada necesario. Me pareció muy innecesario, incluso si su deseo era hacer un trío.
•El trío.No me gustan los tríos y yo no quería ni esperaba un trío aquí. Es más, pensaba que el príncipe sería el capitán y que terminaría siendo el dominante.
•El... ¿romance? La verdad que no me creí para nada como es que en una semana había interés romántico en los tres.
Y lo que se asoma para la continuación, según leí, me dejó más que consternada y confundida. ¿El príncipe logró coronarse como rey? ¿O fue un aviso? No entendí, ni quiero saber.
•Los diferentes maestros en las áreas elementales. El funcionamiento de la magia. La posición del Oráculo como un ícono místico capaz de predecir eventos futuros.
•La narración rápida y amena, pero no tan extraordinaria.
•La simpleza de Dragón. Para ser un personaje plano, me resultó agradable para pasar el rato.
LO QUE NO ME GUSTÓ
•La trama. A ver, tenía una buena idea, pero lo desarrolló tan pobremente.
•El príncipe gemelo sacado de la manga y para nada necesario. Me pareció muy innecesario, incluso si su deseo era hacer un trío.
•El trío.
•El... ¿romance? La verdad que no me creí para nada como es que en una semana había interés romántico en los tres.
Y lo que se asoma para la continuación, según leí, me dejó más que consternada y confundida. ¿El príncipe logró coronarse como rey? ¿O fue un aviso? No entendí, ni quiero saber.
November 24, 2015
This was definitely an interesting read. I loved the mythology and the world building in it that moved along with the flow of the story. The opening was a bit rough for me. I struggled to find a POV and not have it all just be over the top narration, but once the story with Dragon got started, it flowed very nicely.
Read this easily in an hour or two, which is great, and I’m very interested in seeing where the next installment in this series takes these characters. It’s hard not to spoil anything in this since the plot picks up right away, but each character has their own personality that makes them easily distinguishable from the next, even the side characters. This to me makes the story.
Warning that there is twincest in this story. The sexual scene doesn’t happen until the epilogue, so if you’re still interested, then skip that part. The mythology behind why the twins are together is a great twist on ancient mythology as is the whole plot with the elements included.
Overall, a great read that I did not want to put down until I finished.
**I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review from Inked Rainbow Reads**
Read this easily in an hour or two, which is great, and I’m very interested in seeing where the next installment in this series takes these characters. It’s hard not to spoil anything in this since the plot picks up right away, but each character has their own personality that makes them easily distinguishable from the next, even the side characters. This to me makes the story.
Warning that there is twincest in this story. The sexual scene doesn’t happen until the epilogue, so if you’re still interested, then skip that part. The mythology behind why the twins are together is a great twist on ancient mythology as is the whole plot with the elements included.
Overall, a great read that I did not want to put down until I finished.
**I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review from Inked Rainbow Reads**
August 18, 2022
A Joyfully Jay review.
3 stars
The Oracle’s Flame was a quick read with strong pacing, but it lack well defined characters or a plot that had much substance. I think when your main character is a dragon, naming them Dragon is a little too on the nose. There isn’t a lot of depth to Dragon, but his unease with being away from his home and the safety it provides is palpable. It makes him more sympathetic and slightly more interesting than the other characters. Shov and Shev feel like characters in name only and so singularly one dimensional they had almost no impact on the overall plot, save the attention they paid to Dragon.
The pacing is solid in The Oracle’s Flame and, aside from being a short read, there are several action sequences that keep things moving swiftly. Unfortunately, there isn’t much of a plot to speak of. Aside from getting Dragon to a ship in order to search for a missing prince, the story doesn’t really do much.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
3 stars
The Oracle’s Flame was a quick read with strong pacing, but it lack well defined characters or a plot that had much substance. I think when your main character is a dragon, naming them Dragon is a little too on the nose. There isn’t a lot of depth to Dragon, but his unease with being away from his home and the safety it provides is palpable. It makes him more sympathetic and slightly more interesting than the other characters. Shov and Shev feel like characters in name only and so singularly one dimensional they had almost no impact on the overall plot, save the attention they paid to Dragon.
The pacing is solid in The Oracle’s Flame and, aside from being a short read, there are several action sequences that keep things moving swiftly. Unfortunately, there isn’t much of a plot to speak of. Aside from getting Dragon to a ship in order to search for a missing prince, the story doesn’t really do much.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
October 26, 2019
Good
3.75 ⭐️
I’d had this one on my Wishlist for a while and when LT3 was closing and Mell Eightt didn’t know if she would continue to publish I brought up the whole series so I didn’t miss out.
It was only when I was reading the blurb before reading this one that I noticed the warning and was a bit concerned as that’s not my thing. But I was pleasantly surprised and how it was handled was ok for me.
I loved Kindle the dragon and his interactions with the crew. I loved that he was this big and powerful dragon hiding behind the facade of kindle, and only when the ones he loved were threatened did the powerful dragon come out.
Looking forward to continuing on with this series
3.75 ⭐️
I’d had this one on my Wishlist for a while and when LT3 was closing and Mell Eightt didn’t know if she would continue to publish I brought up the whole series so I didn’t miss out.
It was only when I was reading the blurb before reading this one that I noticed the warning and was a bit concerned as that’s not my thing. But I was pleasantly surprised and how it was handled was ok for me.
I loved Kindle the dragon and his interactions with the crew. I loved that he was this big and powerful dragon hiding behind the facade of kindle, and only when the ones he loved were threatened did the powerful dragon come out.
Looking forward to continuing on with this series
February 19, 2017
FIRST RE-READ 18 February 2017
It was fun to get to revisit this world. I just wish the book were about four times as long, so there'd have been some time for some character and relationship development.
Favorite Quote:
"There ain't no one who don't look to the stars in hard times. That dragon will always be there as a symbol of hope."
ORIGINAL REVIEW 28 March 2015
A delightful surprise! The world is fascinating, I just wish I'd gotten to spend more time in it. The way magic works is delightful, and Dragon was a lovely introduction to it.
It was fun to get to revisit this world. I just wish the book were about four times as long, so there'd have been some time for some character and relationship development.
Favorite Quote:
"There ain't no one who don't look to the stars in hard times. That dragon will always be there as a symbol of hope."
ORIGINAL REVIEW 28 March 2015
A delightful surprise! The world is fascinating, I just wish I'd gotten to spend more time in it. The way magic works is delightful, and Dragon was a lovely introduction to it.
November 20, 2013
This series is off to a great start.
August 5, 2017
*NOTE: This is a review of the entire series*
I love reading LGBTQ+ fiction. I also love reading fantasy books. When the two genres are combined, it's a must read for me. I saw the Oracle series, and fell in love with the covers. After seeing them, I knew I had to read the series. Unfortunately, after reading all four books in the series, it was just okay. There were parts that I liked, but the parts that I disliked outweighed that.
I have different feelings about each of the books. In the first book in the series, The Oracle's Flame, the twincest made me very uncomfortable. I did love the way that both of the guys fell in love with who they did, but the twincest just creeped me out. However, I did think that the next book in the series, The Oracle's Hatchling was enjoyable. I had problems with a few things in the book, but I thought it brought something new and different to the story of the dragon's world that Mell Eight had created. The third book in the series, The Oracle's Golem was really good as well. I liked how the two main characters took the time to build their relationship, instead of just instantly falling in love. I did expect a different ending to The Oracle's Golem, and was really disappointed when it didn't happen. The last book in the series, The Oracle's Sprite, was just weird. I wasn't sure what to think of it at first. when the big plot twist was revealed, I understood it better, but I still thought it was odd. It was definitely my least favorite book in the series.
Even though I have a lot of mixed feelings on The Oracle series, I did find it enjoyable. The ending of The Oracle's Sprite said that there would be a fifth book, but as far as I know, it was never released. If a fifth book does get released, I will probably read it because I've invested a lot in reading the series up until this point.
I love reading LGBTQ+ fiction. I also love reading fantasy books. When the two genres are combined, it's a must read for me. I saw the Oracle series, and fell in love with the covers. After seeing them, I knew I had to read the series. Unfortunately, after reading all four books in the series, it was just okay. There were parts that I liked, but the parts that I disliked outweighed that.
I have different feelings about each of the books. In the first book in the series, The Oracle's Flame, the twincest made me very uncomfortable. I did love the way that both of the guys fell in love with who they did, but the twincest just creeped me out. However, I did think that the next book in the series, The Oracle's Hatchling was enjoyable. I had problems with a few things in the book, but I thought it brought something new and different to the story of the dragon's world that Mell Eight had created. The third book in the series, The Oracle's Golem was really good as well. I liked how the two main characters took the time to build their relationship, instead of just instantly falling in love. I did expect a different ending to The Oracle's Golem, and was really disappointed when it didn't happen. The last book in the series, The Oracle's Sprite, was just weird. I wasn't sure what to think of it at first. when the big plot twist was revealed, I understood it better, but I still thought it was odd. It was definitely my least favorite book in the series.
Even though I have a lot of mixed feelings on The Oracle series, I did find it enjoyable. The ending of The Oracle's Sprite said that there would be a fifth book, but as far as I know, it was never released. If a fifth book does get released, I will probably read it because I've invested a lot in reading the series up until this point.
October 11, 2022
The Oracle’s series by Mell Eight is set up in this novella, The Oracle’s Flame. It is a sweet YA series. In the beginning we get a quick history of how the Oracles sees events playing out. She must make heart wrenching decisions to save the people and the land. The Oracle’s Flame is about Kindle, a fire dragon. He is given a quest and must go to sea and protect the crown Prince who everyone believes is dead. He goes undercover on a pirate ship! He hides his abilities, until he must save his friends Egan and Edan. There is some action, and the pacing moves along quickly. Overall, a great read! 4.5 stars
August 5, 2022
Mell Eight has been an auto-read for me since I first discovered their fantasy worlds years ago. The Oracle’s Flame focuses on their favorite paranormal creature, the dragon, who goes by the name Dragon until he is undercover when he becomes Kindle, seriously downplaying his fire abilities. It was fun to see him try to survive surrounded by his opposing element, water, and its attendant seasickness, to which I could relate. HIs adventures on a pirate ship make for entertaining reading. And as is true of all the author’s books, there is a well-deserved HEA or at least a HFN. I received a copy of The Oracle’s Flame by Mell Eight from Indigo Marketing and Design and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 2, 2014
This review can be found at The Blogger Girls review site.
3.5 stars
I’m going to be completely honest, I didn’t really want to read this book. When I was browsing Less Than Three Press’ Coming Soon page, I came across The Oracle’s Hatchling and wanted to read it ASAP. Unfortunately, it was book two in The Oracle series and when I saw that book one, The Oracle’s Flame, was ménage I almost, almost said forget it… but the second book was just so tempting so I took the plunge and I read this one.
It’s based around how the Oracle saw the world consumed with greed that turns into disease. The world was sick and it was all caused by a corrupt false king. That’s where Dragon comes in. A newly made Dragon of Fire, he has one of the highest positions in the Monastery and the Oracle sends him on a mission to protect the prince before the false king kills him. Just days into his mission, however, he’s brought onto a pirate ship where he meets the twins Shev & Shov, where more than just attraction develops between them. What’s Dragon supposed to do when he finds himself falling for both twins especially since neither of them know why he’s really on the ship?
Now, I’ll freely admit that I actually enjoyed this one. I absolutely adored the world and loved the idea around the Oracle and her efforts to not only save the world but to make her people happy. It’s a sweet tale about finding that missing part of yourself. We see that in the way Shev and Shov take to Dragon so quickly and their desire to make him part of their little love nest.
I really liked that this story revolved around finding the missing Prince. It’s obvious who the prince is but it’s still fun to see Dragon war with himself over his wish to have Shev and Shov but to also do his duty and protect a prince he still hasn’t officially met. Where Shev is the mischievous and adventurous twin, Shov is more for comfortable in the kitchen. Dragon is like that connection between the two twins because he’s able to be adventurous with Shev but also laid-back with Shov.
As I said, it’s a sweet tale about finding that person that completes you and taking that final step to embrace it. While I enjoyed it, I did have some issues. Mainly, I felt like the story was too short. I didn’t really feel a connection between the three characters and I didn’t feel like I understood the world that Dragon came from. Also, I was a little sad that we didn’t get to see the missing prince take back the throne from the false king. However, even with that, there’s something about this author’s writing I really enjoyed that made me want to keep reading.
In the end, I still liked the story. It was a short, sweet read that passed the time for a little bit. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author and seeing where she goes with this series. A word of caution, though, this story contains some incest (although briefly) but readers should be aware that Shev and Shov are twins and they’re also lovers who want to make Dragon their third.
3.5 stars
I’m going to be completely honest, I didn’t really want to read this book. When I was browsing Less Than Three Press’ Coming Soon page, I came across The Oracle’s Hatchling and wanted to read it ASAP. Unfortunately, it was book two in The Oracle series and when I saw that book one, The Oracle’s Flame, was ménage I almost, almost said forget it… but the second book was just so tempting so I took the plunge and I read this one.
It’s based around how the Oracle saw the world consumed with greed that turns into disease. The world was sick and it was all caused by a corrupt false king. That’s where Dragon comes in. A newly made Dragon of Fire, he has one of the highest positions in the Monastery and the Oracle sends him on a mission to protect the prince before the false king kills him. Just days into his mission, however, he’s brought onto a pirate ship where he meets the twins Shev & Shov, where more than just attraction develops between them. What’s Dragon supposed to do when he finds himself falling for both twins especially since neither of them know why he’s really on the ship?
Now, I’ll freely admit that I actually enjoyed this one. I absolutely adored the world and loved the idea around the Oracle and her efforts to not only save the world but to make her people happy. It’s a sweet tale about finding that missing part of yourself. We see that in the way Shev and Shov take to Dragon so quickly and their desire to make him part of their little love nest.
I really liked that this story revolved around finding the missing Prince. It’s obvious who the prince is but it’s still fun to see Dragon war with himself over his wish to have Shev and Shov but to also do his duty and protect a prince he still hasn’t officially met. Where Shev is the mischievous and adventurous twin, Shov is more for comfortable in the kitchen. Dragon is like that connection between the two twins because he’s able to be adventurous with Shev but also laid-back with Shov.
As I said, it’s a sweet tale about finding that person that completes you and taking that final step to embrace it. While I enjoyed it, I did have some issues. Mainly, I felt like the story was too short. I didn’t really feel a connection between the three characters and I didn’t feel like I understood the world that Dragon came from. Also, I was a little sad that we didn’t get to see the missing prince take back the throne from the false king. However, even with that, there’s something about this author’s writing I really enjoyed that made me want to keep reading.
In the end, I still liked the story. It was a short, sweet read that passed the time for a little bit. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author and seeing where she goes with this series. A word of caution, though, this story contains some incest (although briefly) but readers should be aware that Shev and Shov are twins and they’re also lovers who want to make Dragon their third.
June 11, 2015
Dragon is new to the top job in his fire caste as the Dragon of Fire. He’s young and inexperienced but when the Oracle commands him to find the missing prince of Altnoia and keep him alive, Dragon heads out to sea to do just that. Unfortunately water and the fire caste do not mix and poor Dragon finds himself having to battle sea sickness, hide from rain storms and deal with marauding pirate crews. Dragon ends up working on a pirate ship where he knows the prince is hiding somewhere amongst the crew. But perhaps more importantly to Dragon he meets twins Shev and Shov, who awaken desire in Dragon for the first time.
I loved the way this first book in the series started, with a history of the kingdom of Altnoia. I could practically hear the voice-over narrator as though I was watching the beginning of a fantasy movie. James Earl Jones would have nailed it. From there we see what the Oracle sees as she sorts through all possible futures for Altnoia, searching for just one that doesn’t end in the downfall of everything she is sworn to protect. When she finds that one slim chance for good to prevail she sends out her Dragon and waits, and watches.
This beginning drew me in immediately. I loved knowing what the Oracle foresaw and I loved watching the awkward young Dragon become the Dragon of her vision. The plot itself was interesting with pirates and dragons and missing princes but it’s the world that the author created that kept me hooked. From the lava flows beneath the monastery to the galley of the pirate ship I could envision perfectly the world that Dragon was inhabiting. But it wasn’t just the settings that were detailed. I became immersed in understanding the castes and how they worked and served the Oracle. I wished I could touch the tattoos on their backs because they fully captured my interest.
In some ways the romance side of this story was unimportant but I’m never one to turn my nose up at a romance. It definitely wasn’t the main focus of the story, and don’t expect a lot of delicious twincest-menage-sexytimes. Actually, the book is fairly non-explicit. Even readers who have an issue with twincest may enjoy this one.
The ending left me desperate to know what happens next, although I do like the idea that the next part of this ongoing story is told through different eyes.
Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2015/06/1...
I loved the way this first book in the series started, with a history of the kingdom of Altnoia. I could practically hear the voice-over narrator as though I was watching the beginning of a fantasy movie. James Earl Jones would have nailed it. From there we see what the Oracle sees as she sorts through all possible futures for Altnoia, searching for just one that doesn’t end in the downfall of everything she is sworn to protect. When she finds that one slim chance for good to prevail she sends out her Dragon and waits, and watches.
This beginning drew me in immediately. I loved knowing what the Oracle foresaw and I loved watching the awkward young Dragon become the Dragon of her vision. The plot itself was interesting with pirates and dragons and missing princes but it’s the world that the author created that kept me hooked. From the lava flows beneath the monastery to the galley of the pirate ship I could envision perfectly the world that Dragon was inhabiting. But it wasn’t just the settings that were detailed. I became immersed in understanding the castes and how they worked and served the Oracle. I wished I could touch the tattoos on their backs because they fully captured my interest.
In some ways the romance side of this story was unimportant but I’m never one to turn my nose up at a romance. It definitely wasn’t the main focus of the story, and don’t expect a lot of delicious twincest-menage-sexytimes. Actually, the book is fairly non-explicit. Even readers who have an issue with twincest may enjoy this one.
The ending left me desperate to know what happens next, although I do like the idea that the next part of this ongoing story is told through different eyes.
Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2015/06/1...
July 26, 2016
I should warn you right off the bat that this book does have instances of twinsect that happen during it, but they are not graphic or extremely detailed in any way.
But onto the review now!
I really enjoyed this book for the simple fact that the story itself is something that is completely different. It was interesting to follow along with the characters, I don’t know if they would be considered shape shifters or elemental controllers but it was just amazing reading this story.
Once I started it, I could not put it down. We have Kindle’s character that can shift into a dragon and is on a mission to find the prince, keep him safe and save the world from the wrong doings of others. But he ends up meeting Sev and Sov, and realizes that he has feelings for both of them. And he is worried it will take away from his mission.
Considering this is a short story, there was so much action packed into it that it kept me turning the pages and wanting to read more. Also, considering the length, I was really surprised about how well the characters were developed. I was able to connect with them all in different ways.
I can say the only thing that bothered me was the ending because we are left wondering what is going to happen. What is the next step in the story between Kindle and the men?
Reviewed by Crystal for Crystal’s Many Reviewers
*Copy provided for honest review*
April 2, 2014
For my full review visit http://wp.me/p220KL-29K
Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5 rounded up to 4
"New author, new series. Both things make this reviewer extremely happy. Add a dragon or two and things get just that much better. The Oracle's Flame, the first in The Oracle series, sets the foundation for this universe and the stories to come. The story begins in the Monastery, built into and under the Sacred Mountain. In this ancient building, more city than single structure, the Oracle and the Four Castes live and carry out the Oracle's plans.
Mell Eight has created a wonderful, fascinating universe for this series and for this first story, a imaginative, fun m/m/m? romance…
For all my reviews and thoughts on writing, visit http://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords...
March 6, 2017
Twins, dragons and pirates. A nice combination for a nice story. Dragon, the most powerful of the fire kind, is sent in a journey by his Oracle to find and protect the Prince of Altonia. Things get complicated when he finds himself on board of a pirate ship and attracted to the beautiful pirate twins.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2014
I really liked this first book in the Oracle series. I found it a page turner as well as a light entertaining read. I really liked all the characters and will start on the Oracle's Hatchling as soon as I can. This is an easy reread for me. Four and one half stars.
February 3, 2022
Me gustó mucho la temática y la manera en que se desarrollaron los personajes y el universo. Sin embargo es muy cortito y la siguiente parte no tiene como protagonistas a los mismos personajes
March 14, 2023
A very easy read with a bit of an opener into this world and a very limited focus onto a single sequence of events.
This series focuses on people sent out from the Monastery by the Oracle. The Oracle can see both past and future and uses that to help guide the world away from large events of death and destruction. A coup in a nearby kingdom will lead to such an event if the heir who escaped cannot be saved, so the Oracle sends the person from the Monastery who will be able to prevent such a fate from happening. However, she sends out her people with only a minimum of information, details to get to where they need to be but not how they are supposed to go about their task once there. It is enough direction to get them going the right way but it does leave some uncertainty once the task is actually at hand.
In this story it is the dragon of fire that is sent out to protect the heir. There definitely could have been more about the powers that people have in this world. It seems that people at the Monastery are humans who train until they are old enough to test, whereupon they emerge from a mysterious testing room changed and marked as to their magical focus. They can even emerge completely changed, as dragon did. It would be nice to know what the testing room is (as Dragon does not remember it), how people end up at the Monastery, and what these changes mean for them (as they are apparently not human any more?). Instead the story jumps into Dragon being sent out on his mission and seeing things from there.
As a shorter book not all time is followed in this. There are jumps, from when Dragon heads out to times when he is on the ship for a bit and life has no major changes. It works for the shorter story but doesn't entirely allow the relationship to build as much as it could have. The curiosity and affection that Dragon has for the men he is helping is obvious, but the jump to love feels a bit much. At the same time the jumps work as it allows things to move along from parts that don't give any new information and instead move into the changes and revelations that occur in time.
While it could have improvements, this is definitely a story from an intriguing world that follows characters that it is easy to want to root for while in tumultuous times.
This series focuses on people sent out from the Monastery by the Oracle. The Oracle can see both past and future and uses that to help guide the world away from large events of death and destruction. A coup in a nearby kingdom will lead to such an event if the heir who escaped cannot be saved, so the Oracle sends the person from the Monastery who will be able to prevent such a fate from happening. However, she sends out her people with only a minimum of information, details to get to where they need to be but not how they are supposed to go about their task once there. It is enough direction to get them going the right way but it does leave some uncertainty once the task is actually at hand.
In this story it is the dragon of fire that is sent out to protect the heir. There definitely could have been more about the powers that people have in this world. It seems that people at the Monastery are humans who train until they are old enough to test, whereupon they emerge from a mysterious testing room changed and marked as to their magical focus. They can even emerge completely changed, as dragon did. It would be nice to know what the testing room is (as Dragon does not remember it), how people end up at the Monastery, and what these changes mean for them (as they are apparently not human any more?). Instead the story jumps into Dragon being sent out on his mission and seeing things from there.
As a shorter book not all time is followed in this. There are jumps, from when Dragon heads out to times when he is on the ship for a bit and life has no major changes. It works for the shorter story but doesn't entirely allow the relationship to build as much as it could have. The curiosity and affection that Dragon has for the men he is helping is obvious, but the jump to love feels a bit much. At the same time the jumps work as it allows things to move along from parts that don't give any new information and instead move into the changes and revelations that occur in time.
While it could have improvements, this is definitely a story from an intriguing world that follows characters that it is easy to want to root for while in tumultuous times.
December 4, 2022
Title: The Oracle’s Flame
Author: Mell Eight
Publisher: Nine Star Press
ISBN: 978-1-64890-520-9
Buy Link: https://ninestarpress.com/product/the...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
The Oracle 1
The Kingdom of Altnoia is on the cusp of civil war. The king and heir have been murdered, the throne taken by their uncle, and the kingdom’s only hope lies with Prince Edan who has been missing for the past year. The Oracle appoints Kindle, her new Dragon of Fire, one task: find Prince Edan and keep him alive.
It should have been a simple task, but Kindle did not anticipate Prince Edan would hide away on a pirate ship, forcing the dragon not only to endure pirates, but seasickness and his fear of water. And nothing, not even the Oracle, could have prepared him for the two pirates he meets and the complicated feelings they spark.
Total Score: 5/5
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Summary:
As the Kingdom of Altnoia is on the brink of war, The Oracle searches for the path the will lead to the least destruction. Upon finding it The Oracle send the new untried Dragon of fire out to find a way to save Prince Edan. Unfortunately know one knows where he is or even if he is alive. Kindle, the Dragon of Fire, never fit in with the other dragons and was more than willing to try his luck in the outside world.
Nothing is simple for Kindle. From being taken onto a pirate ship, dealing with sea sickness, and worse of all being around so much water that is dangerous for a fire dragon. Kindle is embarking on an adventure that revolves around two very lovely pirates or are they?
This is a great start to a new series.
Author: Mell Eight
Publisher: Nine Star Press
ISBN: 978-1-64890-520-9
Buy Link: https://ninestarpress.com/product/the...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
The Oracle 1
The Kingdom of Altnoia is on the cusp of civil war. The king and heir have been murdered, the throne taken by their uncle, and the kingdom’s only hope lies with Prince Edan who has been missing for the past year. The Oracle appoints Kindle, her new Dragon of Fire, one task: find Prince Edan and keep him alive.
It should have been a simple task, but Kindle did not anticipate Prince Edan would hide away on a pirate ship, forcing the dragon not only to endure pirates, but seasickness and his fear of water. And nothing, not even the Oracle, could have prepared him for the two pirates he meets and the complicated feelings they spark.
Total Score: 5/5
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Summary:
As the Kingdom of Altnoia is on the brink of war, The Oracle searches for the path the will lead to the least destruction. Upon finding it The Oracle send the new untried Dragon of fire out to find a way to save Prince Edan. Unfortunately know one knows where he is or even if he is alive. Kindle, the Dragon of Fire, never fit in with the other dragons and was more than willing to try his luck in the outside world.
Nothing is simple for Kindle. From being taken onto a pirate ship, dealing with sea sickness, and worse of all being around so much water that is dangerous for a fire dragon. Kindle is embarking on an adventure that revolves around two very lovely pirates or are they?
This is a great start to a new series.
February 15, 2024
3.75
Reread 2024
Still enjoyed this one. I did still worry about the twin factor but that only came up in the epilogue and I was able to skim over it.
Good
3.75 ⭐️
I’d had this one on my Wishlist for a while and when LT3 was closing and Mell Eightt didn’t know if she would continue to publish I brought up the whole series so I didn’t miss out.
It was only when I was reading the blurb before reading this one that I noticed the warning and was a bit concerned as that’s not my thing. But I was pleasantly surprised and how it was handled was ok for me.
I loved Kindle the dragon and his interactions with the crew. I loved that he was this big and powerful dragon hiding behind the facade of kindle, and only when the ones he loved were threatened did the powerful dragon come out.
Looking forward to continuing on with this series
Reread 2024
Still enjoyed this one. I did still worry about the twin factor but that only came up in the epilogue and I was able to skim over it.
Good
3.75 ⭐️
I’d had this one on my Wishlist for a while and when LT3 was closing and Mell Eightt didn’t know if she would continue to publish I brought up the whole series so I didn’t miss out.
It was only when I was reading the blurb before reading this one that I noticed the warning and was a bit concerned as that’s not my thing. But I was pleasantly surprised and how it was handled was ok for me.
I loved Kindle the dragon and his interactions with the crew. I loved that he was this big and powerful dragon hiding behind the facade of kindle, and only when the ones he loved were threatened did the powerful dragon come out.
Looking forward to continuing on with this series
Read
August 19, 2022Not so much a review as a disclaimer. The two pirates are vaguely related (like, distant, distant cousins or something), and you know, fantasy is often Like That, and I could over look it, but the characters have almost the same name, and the author is quite specific, multiple times, that they look "almost identical."
Basically, this isn't twincest by the letter of the law, but it sure as heck is twincest by the spirit of the law, so if that's your Nope Trope, pass this one up, fam. #squick
Basically, this isn't twincest by the letter of the law, but it sure as heck is twincest by the spirit of the law, so if that's your Nope Trope, pass this one up, fam. #squick
July 18, 2017
Another from Mell Eight which I wished would have been longer but still accept that it's shorter because, goodness! That was really, really good! Oh well, I think it's better the way it is. I really love it.
January 4, 2018
Good book
July 19, 2017
PIFM challenge book July 2017
Okay short story with some really good potential, just seriously under developed that made it feel a bit half arsed
Okay short story with some really good potential, just seriously under developed that made it feel a bit half arsed
October 6, 2024
3.5 Stars rounding up as this is just a sweet story that makes you feel good in the end. Look instalove isn't my favorite at any time and this is instalove to the nth degree. There's no real development of the relationship between Kindle and Shev and Shov, but at the same time I still bought that they were a good trio and cheered for them.
Dragon is the newly made Dragon of Fire and the Oracle has a mission for him. She's seen a darkness spreading across the world and is deploying key pieces to try to prevent that from taking over the world. One of the linchpins requires the displaced prince returning to take back his kingdom from his usurper uncle. Dragon is sent on this mission, to find the missing prince amongst the pirates and help him recover his throne. Calling himself Kindle, Dragon manages to get on board the pirate ship and quickly finds himself caught between his duty and the new feelings he has for the twins on board the ship.
While it was quite easy to figure out what was going on Kindle was easy to cheer for and really I'm just left wishing this was a longer story so it could be more fleshed out. But for a short things are nicely compact and you do get a complete story within it.
Dragon is the newly made Dragon of Fire and the Oracle has a mission for him. She's seen a darkness spreading across the world and is deploying key pieces to try to prevent that from taking over the world. One of the linchpins requires the displaced prince returning to take back his kingdom from his usurper uncle. Dragon is sent on this mission, to find the missing prince amongst the pirates and help him recover his throne. Calling himself Kindle, Dragon manages to get on board the pirate ship and quickly finds himself caught between his duty and the new feelings he has for the twins on board the ship.
While it was quite easy to figure out what was going on Kindle was easy to cheer for and really I'm just left wishing this was a longer story so it could be more fleshed out. But for a short things are nicely compact and you do get a complete story within it.
November 23, 2013
The pacing was odd. The beginning was inscrutable and, without info you learn later on, seemed like the author lost track of which character was what. I don't really understand why it's separated into all those "parts" unless those are used in lieu of chapters, but even then, it seemed weird. It broke up the narration too completely, so you expect a long time gap, but really, it's just the next chapter. The place this story ended was weird, too. Stuff, happened, but it seemed aborted, deus-ex-machina'd, and altogether tensionless. The stories were nice, but the character dynamics...the relationship didn't seem quite organic enough.
And I seem to be having a run of menages now. The last one I chose at random featured a menage, too.
It's like the author tried to establish and epic overplot, but it didn't quite translate to large-scale and instead came off as a chibi version of what could have been/was supposed to be a nasty (good-nasty) little web of intrigue. Because of that, the series interest is lost.
And I seem to be having a run of menages now. The last one I chose at random featured a menage, too.
It's like the author tried to establish and epic overplot, but it didn't quite translate to large-scale and instead came off as a chibi version of what could have been/was supposed to be a nasty (good-nasty) little web of intrigue. Because of that, the series interest is lost.
July 26, 2016
I really enjoyed the flow of the language in this story and loved the entire concept of the dragons and their castes, and the way Eight describes Dragon's experiences, trapped within his human form. There were a lot of great ideas presented, but once Dragon gets to the ship in search of the missing heir to the throne, things start to drift. The story switches its focus to the awkwardly described burgeoning romance between Dragon and twin brothers who may or may not be tied to the destiny the Oracle foresaw.
May 8, 2024
A nice short story. Not much substance to it, but still enjoyable and entertaining.
____
I've read all five publishhed instalments, the last one will be published in 2022. None of the stories are special, but they are entertaining short stories and I liked them. Perfect for something short, simple and entertaining in between. I will read this series again when I get ahold of the last instalment.
_____
I just reread it and it really is rather bare-bones. Sweet and enjoyable, but very simple and short.
____
I've read all five publishhed instalments, the last one will be published in 2022. None of the stories are special, but they are entertaining short stories and I liked them. Perfect for something short, simple and entertaining in between. I will read this series again when I get ahold of the last instalment.
_____
I just reread it and it really is rather bare-bones. Sweet and enjoyable, but very simple and short.
March 29, 2014
I liked the characters and the setting, I just wish that there had been a little more background explaining the world and I would have liked a little more time given to the three MCs getting to know each other and falling in love. Still, it was a fun read.
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