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A Fallen Spark
I am a dragon shifter destined to lead nations.
Or at least I was. Fate changed for me the day I Drowned. Instead of growing up to fulfill a prophecy, I became society's villain. Children died because of me. The world hates me for it. Almost as much as I hate myself.
There is one purpose left for me- create the magic Eikonia uses for currency. And I can't even do that. The one thing that I thought would change my fate, has backfired on me. Killing my father should have set me free from his abuse, but I am more of a captive than ever before.
Now Eikonia has taken things into their own hands. They have threatened the lives of everyone I love. I must do everything in my power to protect them and defeat the demon inside of me.
Or at least I was. Fate changed for me the day I Drowned. Instead of growing up to fulfill a prophecy, I became society's villain. Children died because of me. The world hates me for it. Almost as much as I hate myself.
There is one purpose left for me- create the magic Eikonia uses for currency. And I can't even do that. The one thing that I thought would change my fate, has backfired on me. Killing my father should have set me free from his abuse, but I am more of a captive than ever before.
Now Eikonia has taken things into their own hands. They have threatened the lives of everyone I love. I must do everything in my power to protect them and defeat the demon inside of me.
521 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2023
1 person is currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Beverly
2 books11 followersA human of all time doing regular human things and dreaming of the day she'll grow wings.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 5, 2024
We're gonna put this at a 3.5 and round up for Goodreads. Overall, I did like this book and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
This adult high fantasy with dragons and magic is not perfectly written, but it is one of the better self-published debut novels I've read. I've broken down this review into three sections: Things I didn't like, things I noticed that don't have an objective net positive or net negative effect on the rating, and things I liked. I'll be starting with the cons in order to end on a positive note. Since this is a romantasy novel but I am not a romantasy reader, I'll be focusing mainly on the fantasy part rather than the romance part.
Cons:
The magic system - I had a hard time with this magic system. I got the impression from the start that it was a hard magic system, there were rules for how the land's magic had to be generated, and we got scenes of the POV characters using "spells" as currency, and casting magic that had specific names and functions. However the further I read, the more inconsistencies there seemed to be. Sometimes characters move their hands to cast spells, sometimes they don't move anything. Some spells have names, other times characters just vaguely reference "using magic" to do chores, or perform "summoning spells" (the summoning spell in particular caught my attention because it's never clarified where the objects are being summoned from. Are they in the room with the caster? Are they in a pocket dimension? Are objects on the other side of the continent popping out of existence to appear in the summoner's hand? what are the limitations here?). Also, what's the difference between a weapon spell and a curse in terms of effect on the intended target? It's totally possible that this was meant to be a hybrid system, but because that's not immediately clear, the lack of defined rules/consequences/ect. was frustrating.
Grammar and punctuation - honestly not even close to the worst I've seen. There were definitely some mistakes; missing spaces, dashes where there should have been em-dashes, and a couple instances of word mix-ups (elevate instead of alleviate, elude instead of allude). Enough errors that it's worth mentioning, but the book was obviously edited.
Lego in the fantasy realm - This was a world-breaking detail that kept cropping up. A character using "plastic building bricks" is fine, a character using Brand Name Legos implies that the story is set on our Earth and in our timeline, rather than an alternate world.
Neutrals:
the pacing - the overarching pace as fine. It moved pretty quickly, especially for the genre/target audience, which I appreciated. All of the chapters are very short, which isn't a bad thing on its own, but because it also switches POV/Time/Both with every new chapter, it made the reading experience kind of herky-jerky. Towards the end there were also chapters that I felt could have been placed earlier in the book, or combined with other chapters to create more impactful scenes.
Towards the end, the shifting POVs were used similarly to how a TV show might switch cameras to show scattered characters doing their part to bring together the finale. Which works fine on screen, but not as well on page. Being forced to change perspectives that often makes it harder to focus on, and invest in, the Ultimate Dramatic Final Scenes happening on page.
What the hell are sun shades? - I thought it was a spell but then they're treated as sunglasses for the whole story, which begs the question of why they're being called a different name if they are just sunglasses.
Pros:
yay we end on a good note.
Worldbuilding - it had a lot of thought put into it. The culture of the land was fairly well explored as one where truth and magic are highly valued. There is government, a currency system, and relationships with surrounding lands. And we get to see the characters suffer the consequences of some of this worldbuilding, as magic a.k.a. currency starts to become scarce and forces the people to either take action or find other options, such as technology. I'm interested to see whether technology does take on a heavier role in the world in future books.
Characters - They're all unique from each other and I never had a hard time remembering who was who. There was lots of angst to go around, which is always nice (for me, the angst goblin). They all seemed well developed, and it was interesting to see how their paths crossed and connected as the story unfolded.
Book design - This was surprisingly good for a selfpub book. Formatting and design are things that I see selfpub authors regularly drop the ball on. It's difficult to get right! But this book had good font, good line spacing, pretty cover, cute chapter headers. It looked really nice.
Finally, bonus points for dropping a word I didn't know. If you catch me using "cachexic", you know where I got it from.
This adult high fantasy with dragons and magic is not perfectly written, but it is one of the better self-published debut novels I've read. I've broken down this review into three sections: Things I didn't like, things I noticed that don't have an objective net positive or net negative effect on the rating, and things I liked. I'll be starting with the cons in order to end on a positive note. Since this is a romantasy novel but I am not a romantasy reader, I'll be focusing mainly on the fantasy part rather than the romance part.
Cons:
The magic system - I had a hard time with this magic system. I got the impression from the start that it was a hard magic system, there were rules for how the land's magic had to be generated, and we got scenes of the POV characters using "spells" as currency, and casting magic that had specific names and functions. However the further I read, the more inconsistencies there seemed to be. Sometimes characters move their hands to cast spells, sometimes they don't move anything. Some spells have names, other times characters just vaguely reference "using magic" to do chores, or perform "summoning spells" (the summoning spell in particular caught my attention because it's never clarified where the objects are being summoned from. Are they in the room with the caster? Are they in a pocket dimension? Are objects on the other side of the continent popping out of existence to appear in the summoner's hand? what are the limitations here?). Also, what's the difference between a weapon spell and a curse in terms of effect on the intended target? It's totally possible that this was meant to be a hybrid system, but because that's not immediately clear, the lack of defined rules/consequences/ect. was frustrating.
Grammar and punctuation - honestly not even close to the worst I've seen. There were definitely some mistakes; missing spaces, dashes where there should have been em-dashes, and a couple instances of word mix-ups (elevate instead of alleviate, elude instead of allude). Enough errors that it's worth mentioning, but the book was obviously edited.
Lego in the fantasy realm - This was a world-breaking detail that kept cropping up. A character using "plastic building bricks" is fine, a character using Brand Name Legos implies that the story is set on our Earth and in our timeline, rather than an alternate world.
Neutrals:
the pacing - the overarching pace as fine. It moved pretty quickly, especially for the genre/target audience, which I appreciated. All of the chapters are very short, which isn't a bad thing on its own, but because it also switches POV/Time/Both with every new chapter, it made the reading experience kind of herky-jerky. Towards the end there were also chapters that I felt could have been placed earlier in the book, or combined with other chapters to create more impactful scenes.
Towards the end, the shifting POVs were used similarly to how a TV show might switch cameras to show scattered characters doing their part to bring together the finale. Which works fine on screen, but not as well on page. Being forced to change perspectives that often makes it harder to focus on, and invest in, the Ultimate Dramatic Final Scenes happening on page.
What the hell are sun shades? - I thought it was a spell but then they're treated as sunglasses for the whole story, which begs the question of why they're being called a different name if they are just sunglasses.
Pros:
yay we end on a good note.
Worldbuilding - it had a lot of thought put into it. The culture of the land was fairly well explored as one where truth and magic are highly valued. There is government, a currency system, and relationships with surrounding lands. And we get to see the characters suffer the consequences of some of this worldbuilding, as magic a.k.a. currency starts to become scarce and forces the people to either take action or find other options, such as technology. I'm interested to see whether technology does take on a heavier role in the world in future books.
Characters - They're all unique from each other and I never had a hard time remembering who was who. There was lots of angst to go around, which is always nice (for me, the angst goblin). They all seemed well developed, and it was interesting to see how their paths crossed and connected as the story unfolded.
Book design - This was surprisingly good for a selfpub book. Formatting and design are things that I see selfpub authors regularly drop the ball on. It's difficult to get right! But this book had good font, good line spacing, pretty cover, cute chapter headers. It looked really nice.
Finally, bonus points for dropping a word I didn't know. If you catch me using "cachexic", you know where I got it from.
December 2, 2023
First of all, read the TWs, I suffered a lot from animal abuse.
Having said the above, we have our main character Adler who is born as the next successor to govern his country and there is a great prophecy about him, which causes the envy of many, mainly his father, who is a true tyrant and will do the impossible to continue having the power.
Adler is a complex character who has suffered a lot, the author jumps between chapters of the present and the past so we understand the trauma that Adler suffers and what makes him repress himself and not trust in his potential. You really suffer with him, especially with everything his father does to him, you feel his loneliness and his pain.
But we also see a light in so much darkness. Mark, his childhood friend and his great love, I really liked how the author gradually builds the relationship, the relationship feels natural and sincere. Mark is someone who knows what he wants and waits patiently without pressuring, although he sometimes makes questionable decisions, but who doesn't? The truth is he was one of my favorite characters.
Laine is another character that has an important weight in the story and I honestly didn't like her at all, I think she was too spoiled and self-centered. I hope that in the following books we will see growth in this character.
I think it's a series that shows promise.
Having said the above, we have our main character Adler who is born as the next successor to govern his country and there is a great prophecy about him, which causes the envy of many, mainly his father, who is a true tyrant and will do the impossible to continue having the power.
Adler is a complex character who has suffered a lot, the author jumps between chapters of the present and the past so we understand the trauma that Adler suffers and what makes him repress himself and not trust in his potential. You really suffer with him, especially with everything his father does to him, you feel his loneliness and his pain.
But we also see a light in so much darkness. Mark, his childhood friend and his great love, I really liked how the author gradually builds the relationship, the relationship feels natural and sincere. Mark is someone who knows what he wants and waits patiently without pressuring, although he sometimes makes questionable decisions, but who doesn't? The truth is he was one of my favorite characters.
Laine is another character that has an important weight in the story and I honestly didn't like her at all, I think she was too spoiled and self-centered. I hope that in the following books we will see growth in this character.
I think it's a series that shows promise.
December 3, 2023
This is a difficult, complex but ultimately amazing book in my opinion. It’s long and has multiple points of view and it took me a while to get into it but when I did I found it compelling and by the end very satisfying. I love dragon books but this book didn’t have as much to do with dragons as it did power and interactions between the various characters. Stephanie Beverly has made a bold choice to have both multiple narrators and going back and forth in time. This makes the book harder to follow, especially in the beginning but it ultimately makes it more interesting as we slowly begin to figure out what is actually going on as the various characters do.
If this sounds like you might like it then I recommend that you read the trigger warnings because this book has a lot of dark elements.
Then enjoy it, don’t believe everything you read in the beginning, sink into it, remember to check who the narrator is for each chapter and make sure you have enough time to read it because it’s a long one and you won’t want to stop till you figure it out. Have fun.
If this sounds like you might like it then I recommend that you read the trigger warnings because this book has a lot of dark elements.
Then enjoy it, don’t believe everything you read in the beginning, sink into it, remember to check who the narrator is for each chapter and make sure you have enough time to read it because it’s a long one and you won’t want to stop till you figure it out. Have fun.
December 3, 2023
He was supposed to lead nations but children died because of him and now he is doomed. He thought killing his father to stop the abuse would set him free but he is even more of a captive. Can he redeem himself? Will others finally sees him as a victim? How will it all go? See if he can get a better life for a change
December 1, 2023
Very good story but too much skipping between characters and places in time. This made it hard to get really invested for quite a lot of the book. Adler was terribly abused in all possible ways by his father (lots of potential triggers including SA). His HFN with Mark was beautiful.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and am happy to leave a voluntary review.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and am happy to leave a voluntary review.
December 3, 2023
I kind of have mixed feelings about the book. It was quite lengthy for me. And I usually take a longer time to get into fantasy novels. At times it was getting a bit difficult for me to grasp the world-building and the new characters in the beginning. But slowly and steadily the book grew on me and I can say it was worth it.
December 10, 2023
Oh, this high dragon angst story. the betrayals and twists and turns that our characters encounter through the story. will keep you on edge with the suspense.
December 10, 2023
It's a great debut novel. I highly recommend it to those into intricate plots and putting together the crumbs thrown throughout the chapters.
January 19, 2024
I read this book really fast! I felt like I could really picture the story. You can tell how much care went into writing it and I look forward to reading the next one 😊
November 30, 2023
For me this was a 3.5 star read which I’ve rounded upto four stars. This is a new to me author and from what I can see a debut novel in a debut series, the story is good, it’s quite a long read but for me it jumped about a bit to much and made it hard to get into, I will maybe try book two in the series as the basis of the story is good, good story just not a fan of the writing style but everyone is different.
December 10, 2023
3.25⭐️
A Fallen Spark follows Adler, Laine, Skye and Mark as they fight against oppression and hopelessness and for their loved ones in any way they can. Adler is the central character who connects everyone. He is a tortured soul who grew up hating himself, his magic and his dragon. Unable to make peace with the integral elements of himself, his father’s destructive and demoralizing words and actions became his truth. In a rage-filled act of courage and bid for freedom from his abominably abusive father, he binds himself to him instead. Now desperate to free himself from his self-inflicted curse and scared of the damage it would cause the country if it can’t be reversed or contained, he isolates himself completely. Adler’s choice devastates the country’s economy and its imminent collapse and exacerbation of wealth inequality draws Skye and Laine into his orbit.
All the MC’s journeys revolve around freedom—freedom of choice, freedom to be one’s true self, and freedom from overwhelming fear. They grapple with their lack of agency and how it keeps them from living a full life. The deep bond and forbidden desire Mark and Adler share are repressed by fear of their fathers and their dispassionately violent correction—Mark’s via vicious combat training and Adler’s malicious cruelty in all forms. Laine is confined by an increasingly stifling restriction to her family farm, then ensnared in a deadly web of conspiracy. Skye’s brother’s addiction and her fierce love for him keep them trapped in a cycle of pain and despair while her compassion and journalistic integrity have her determined to pin down Adler and uncover the truth.
I enjoyed all the characters, flaws and all. They each (technically) have a complete developmental arc. With Adler being the main focus, I expected some unevenness in this area, but Laine’s is almost non-existent. She is mostly one note (though at differing octaves and intensity) and sometimes come across as a tool; to be fair, everyone functions as a specific tool in Adler’s narrative. Their POVs are interspersed with flashbacks that mostly flow naturally into the character’s reasoning/actions in the present and don’t disrupt the pacing—except towards the end. While most help create and maintain the tension of the climax’s progression, others hinder it. While, the worldbuilding is simple and magic can pretty much do anything with mentions of learning spells but seemingly none used, it does what it needs to do for the story and isn’t distracting.
What *is* distracting are some choices that, to me, didn’t make sense nor developed organically in the context of the story/characters. For instance, Alder’s refusal to share what has happened to him is plausible at first because of his martyr complex created by growing up believing he’s a monster. It makes sense as a character response that motivates the plot. As the story progresses, it’s less a reasonable reaction and more an easy plot device, something codified for me by how and why the secret is divulged. This is also true about a character who is basically thrown away at the end without the slightest bit of resolution. The other prominent theme in this book is villains and monsters—how they are made, what distinguishes them, and how villainous acts do not always make a villain. This character becomes a pain and rage-filled force, but when Adler has a chance to provide a truth that may eventually act as a sliver of connection to their humanity and keep them from becoming a monster (something Marc does for Alder), he doesn’t.
Adler is very empathetic and sensitive, traits his father ruthlessly tried to kill. Adler intimately knows the slide into becoming a monster. Yet, withholds the truth and watches them be engulfed by rage; the truth would not have been accepted at that moment, true, but could have planted a seed of hope. This action does not fit with the compassionate person he is nor his emotional space when it happens. This makes him, if not a monster, his actions monstrous; this may work for the theme but not as a character beat. My guess is that this will be explored later in the series, but here it soured the ending for me a bit, especially as everyone else gains their freedom and gets a neatly tied up HEA while this character is abandoned and once again trapped by the actions of others.
Though not completely sticking the landing for me and having some repetition and pacing issues towards the end, I enjoyed A Fallen Spark; the MCs are engaging, drawing me into their plights and making me root for them.
A Fallen Spark follows Adler, Laine, Skye and Mark as they fight against oppression and hopelessness and for their loved ones in any way they can. Adler is the central character who connects everyone. He is a tortured soul who grew up hating himself, his magic and his dragon. Unable to make peace with the integral elements of himself, his father’s destructive and demoralizing words and actions became his truth. In a rage-filled act of courage and bid for freedom from his abominably abusive father, he binds himself to him instead. Now desperate to free himself from his self-inflicted curse and scared of the damage it would cause the country if it can’t be reversed or contained, he isolates himself completely. Adler’s choice devastates the country’s economy and its imminent collapse and exacerbation of wealth inequality draws Skye and Laine into his orbit.
All the MC’s journeys revolve around freedom—freedom of choice, freedom to be one’s true self, and freedom from overwhelming fear. They grapple with their lack of agency and how it keeps them from living a full life. The deep bond and forbidden desire Mark and Adler share are repressed by fear of their fathers and their dispassionately violent correction—Mark’s via vicious combat training and Adler’s malicious cruelty in all forms. Laine is confined by an increasingly stifling restriction to her family farm, then ensnared in a deadly web of conspiracy. Skye’s brother’s addiction and her fierce love for him keep them trapped in a cycle of pain and despair while her compassion and journalistic integrity have her determined to pin down Adler and uncover the truth.
I enjoyed all the characters, flaws and all. They each (technically) have a complete developmental arc. With Adler being the main focus, I expected some unevenness in this area, but Laine’s is almost non-existent. She is mostly one note (though at differing octaves and intensity) and sometimes come across as a tool; to be fair, everyone functions as a specific tool in Adler’s narrative. Their POVs are interspersed with flashbacks that mostly flow naturally into the character’s reasoning/actions in the present and don’t disrupt the pacing—except towards the end. While most help create and maintain the tension of the climax’s progression, others hinder it. While, the worldbuilding is simple and magic can pretty much do anything with mentions of learning spells but seemingly none used, it does what it needs to do for the story and isn’t distracting.
What *is* distracting are some choices that, to me, didn’t make sense nor developed organically in the context of the story/characters. For instance, Alder’s refusal to share what has happened to him is plausible at first because of his martyr complex created by growing up believing he’s a monster. It makes sense as a character response that motivates the plot. As the story progresses, it’s less a reasonable reaction and more an easy plot device, something codified for me by how and why the secret is divulged. This is also true about a character who is basically thrown away at the end without the slightest bit of resolution. The other prominent theme in this book is villains and monsters—how they are made, what distinguishes them, and how villainous acts do not always make a villain. This character becomes a pain and rage-filled force, but when Adler has a chance to provide a truth that may eventually act as a sliver of connection to their humanity and keep them from becoming a monster (something Marc does for Alder), he doesn’t.
Adler is very empathetic and sensitive, traits his father ruthlessly tried to kill. Adler intimately knows the slide into becoming a monster. Yet, withholds the truth and watches them be engulfed by rage; the truth would not have been accepted at that moment, true, but could have planted a seed of hope. This action does not fit with the compassionate person he is nor his emotional space when it happens. This makes him, if not a monster, his actions monstrous; this may work for the theme but not as a character beat. My guess is that this will be explored later in the series, but here it soured the ending for me a bit, especially as everyone else gains their freedom and gets a neatly tied up HEA while this character is abandoned and once again trapped by the actions of others.
Though not completely sticking the landing for me and having some repetition and pacing issues towards the end, I enjoyed A Fallen Spark; the MCs are engaging, drawing me into their plights and making me root for them.
November 27, 2023
A FALLEN SPARK is the first book in the Windows to the Soul series and my review is a 3.5 star rating.
This is a long book, told from different perspectives and at different times. As such, it can be a little confusing to stay with the story as it jumps timelines and people. I would say this has romantic elements, but it certainly isn't a romance. Also, if you are sensitive to subjects, then I absolutely recommend you read the TWs as there are some horrible moments on page.
Adler is the prophesied dragon child, here to save the world. Unfortunately, choices he wasn't even aware of were taken away from him, and he became the villain of the story. But don't worry, there are plenty more in here, and a lot worse than Adler.
Mark is his childhood best friend, the one he loves, and the one he will die to protect. There is also Tabitha, Mark's sister. Skye, a journalist who lives with their brother, Darren, also has a role to play, as does Darren.
Laine is a wild card, kept apart from everyone, and forced to do experiments to keep her parents safe. I'm not sure if she is supposed to be a character you sympathise with or not, but I didn't. I found her to be quite spoilt and close-minded, unwilling to even try to see the bigger picture.
All in all, I found this book to be interesting, with a unique idea of things costing spells in a world where magic is fading, and the effects that would have.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 27, 2023
This is a long book, told from different perspectives and at different times. As such, it can be a little confusing to stay with the story as it jumps timelines and people. I would say this has romantic elements, but it certainly isn't a romance. Also, if you are sensitive to subjects, then I absolutely recommend you read the TWs as there are some horrible moments on page.
Adler is the prophesied dragon child, here to save the world. Unfortunately, choices he wasn't even aware of were taken away from him, and he became the villain of the story. But don't worry, there are plenty more in here, and a lot worse than Adler.
Mark is his childhood best friend, the one he loves, and the one he will die to protect. There is also Tabitha, Mark's sister. Skye, a journalist who lives with their brother, Darren, also has a role to play, as does Darren.
Laine is a wild card, kept apart from everyone, and forced to do experiments to keep her parents safe. I'm not sure if she is supposed to be a character you sympathise with or not, but I didn't. I found her to be quite spoilt and close-minded, unwilling to even try to see the bigger picture.
All in all, I found this book to be interesting, with a unique idea of things costing spells in a world where magic is fading, and the effects that would have.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 27, 2023
November 28, 2023
A Fallen Spark is the first book in Stephanie Beverly’s Windows to the Soul series, and it was a story I was eager to dive into. As a lover of dragons, I am always excited for new series that will offer me unique and gripping takes on the creatures I always have fun with. With plenty of intriguing promises in the blurb, I went into A Fallen Spark with high hopes.
I will be entirely honest and say that this is one of those cases where I do not think I was the right reader for the book. While there were elements that had me curious, I had difficulty connecting to the story due to the writing. There were many times when I found things to be repetitive, and it made it difficult for me to remain interested in what was happening. Although I could overlook this to some degree, there were other things that made it difficult for me to remain invested. As with any story where there are many points of views, there were some that interested me more than others. While this is to be expected, most did not interest me much in this. I wanted to follow certain characters only, see more from them to help me understand and connect with them, but such was not the case. As I said, however, I feel this is largely person preference as I went into the story expecting a different type of tale.
All in all, while this did not work for me, I can certainly see it working for many.
I will be entirely honest and say that this is one of those cases where I do not think I was the right reader for the book. While there were elements that had me curious, I had difficulty connecting to the story due to the writing. There were many times when I found things to be repetitive, and it made it difficult for me to remain interested in what was happening. Although I could overlook this to some degree, there were other things that made it difficult for me to remain invested. As with any story where there are many points of views, there were some that interested me more than others. While this is to be expected, most did not interest me much in this. I wanted to follow certain characters only, see more from them to help me understand and connect with them, but such was not the case. As I said, however, I feel this is largely person preference as I went into the story expecting a different type of tale.
All in all, while this did not work for me, I can certainly see it working for many.
December 3, 2023
This is one of those fantasy reads that definitely keeps its readers on their toes - Or at least it was for me
There is a lot of time jumping - Character development Breath stealing OMG moments - You think I am kidding but I was constantly going back to see how I missed the clues for some of the twists and reveals
Alder was carrying so much baggage that he was drowning in fear
Everyone had a demand on him and had already cast him as the villain in their stories
I can not tell you the number of times I wish I could have held him and told him it would be okay
Or the number of times I wanted to erase a certain councilman or deliver some sense to his supposed friends
I was proud of our little rebel Anya - She realized there was more than just what she was being fed
By the time the main players had wiggled their way into my love or loathe category, and the pieces began to fall into place creating a bigger picture
I was hooked
This is a slow-build
Lots of details and multiple POV's coming at you
Extraordinary characters that were each unique and brought so much to the story
Vivid world building
It did take me a few chapters to get into the rhythm but once I got it...
The story was that much more intense
Highly recommend it for those who enjoy a more complex and unique read
I will be looking for more from Stephanie
There is a lot of time jumping - Character development Breath stealing OMG moments - You think I am kidding but I was constantly going back to see how I missed the clues for some of the twists and reveals
Alder was carrying so much baggage that he was drowning in fear
Everyone had a demand on him and had already cast him as the villain in their stories
I can not tell you the number of times I wish I could have held him and told him it would be okay
Or the number of times I wanted to erase a certain councilman or deliver some sense to his supposed friends
I was proud of our little rebel Anya - She realized there was more than just what she was being fed
By the time the main players had wiggled their way into my love or loathe category, and the pieces began to fall into place creating a bigger picture
I was hooked
This is a slow-build
Lots of details and multiple POV's coming at you
Extraordinary characters that were each unique and brought so much to the story
Vivid world building
It did take me a few chapters to get into the rhythm but once I got it...
The story was that much more intense
Highly recommend it for those who enjoy a more complex and unique read
I will be looking for more from Stephanie
December 3, 2023
Adler, a dragon, was born to be the prophesied one but during his Drowning ceremony his father, without his knowledge, altered the outcome and caused Adler to kill many people. Adler has never forgiven himself, thinking he was the cause. Instead of being part of a prophesy, he is now a villain, a monster. He father delights is tormenting him both physically and emotionally. Having had enough, Adler makes the decision to kill his father, an action that backfires and leaves him in a different type of cage. When he does not fulfill his oath, his enemies move to force him.
This was quite an intense story. The narration moved between four people who fates were intertwined. This allowed us to realize what was happening to each person, both good and bad. As is often true, greed and desire for power entered into the story as did a touch of jealousy. As the story progressed, we were able to see examples of true evil. There are many triggers in this one so check that out first. It is a captivating story that you want to keep reading to see how everything will be resolved. There are still some unresolved issues, which maybe addressed in the future.
I am received a complimentary and it was my pleasure to voluntarily leave this review.
This was quite an intense story. The narration moved between four people who fates were intertwined. This allowed us to realize what was happening to each person, both good and bad. As is often true, greed and desire for power entered into the story as did a touch of jealousy. As the story progressed, we were able to see examples of true evil. There are many triggers in this one so check that out first. It is a captivating story that you want to keep reading to see how everything will be resolved. There are still some unresolved issues, which maybe addressed in the future.
I am received a complimentary and it was my pleasure to voluntarily leave this review.
December 4, 2023
A Joyfully Jay review.
2.75 stars
The plots in this book include the possession of Adler by his father, the evil council forcing Adler to do their will, Laine and who she is, Skye and their brother and the drug he’s addicted to, a missing councilor, the lack of magic in the world because of Adler, a prophecy, and Adler not being able to control his dragon. In the end, several plot threads are dropped, and the ones that are given attention are sort of waved at to end with a big fight, but with no real resolution. It’s a mess. There is too little time spent building up the stakes, too much time wallowing in misery porn. The writing is stilted, but the author does a decent job of keeping Adler, Skye, and Laine consistent. I could easily tell who was who in a scene.
The pacing, plotting, and lack of personality from the main character made it hard to stay invested. The romance was one-sided, and if it weren’t for the author telling me the two men were in love, I wouldn’t have guessed.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
2.75 stars
The plots in this book include the possession of Adler by his father, the evil council forcing Adler to do their will, Laine and who she is, Skye and their brother and the drug he’s addicted to, a missing councilor, the lack of magic in the world because of Adler, a prophecy, and Adler not being able to control his dragon. In the end, several plot threads are dropped, and the ones that are given attention are sort of waved at to end with a big fight, but with no real resolution. It’s a mess. There is too little time spent building up the stakes, too much time wallowing in misery porn. The writing is stilted, but the author does a decent job of keeping Adler, Skye, and Laine consistent. I could easily tell who was who in a scene.
The pacing, plotting, and lack of personality from the main character made it hard to stay invested. The romance was one-sided, and if it weren’t for the author telling me the two men were in love, I wouldn’t have guessed.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
December 2, 2023
This was pretty good! It was definitely on the longer side, and the author had their work cut out in terms of building a fantastical world. I was a little throw off in the beginning with the introduction of so many characters. In fact, I would have preferred if there weren't so many POVs, as I wanted to read for the romance, so having so many characters left me skimming. I wish that the main couple hadn't already met prior to the start of the book, which was a little off-putting. They are already in a relationship when the story starts (though there is explanation).
Overall good fantasy read!
Overall good fantasy read!
December 1, 2023
Interesting characters, spicy and sweet love, family drama, and intrigue both personal and on a grand-scale level keep you turning pages. The characters are both realistically flawed yet relatable and lovable. The romance is tender and slow-burning. The intrigue is carefully woven into reveals layered into past and present. Beautiful writing, realistic and interesting characters, and intricate worldbuilding make this a 5-star read for me!
December 5, 2023
This was a wonderful read. I am a huge fan of books about power and the scheming and manipulations involved in getting it and holding on to it. Mix that in with the author's use of changes in time and points of view and I couldn't put the story down. Adler was a fascinating character. So much pain and guilt to carry around and through it all, there is Mark. Hope we get to see much more of this world.
December 3, 2023
I was confused at first when I read A Fallen Spark because I thought it was epic fantasy that takes place in a uncertain far past/historical based upon medieval times. But instead it was more urban fantasy that takes place in more of the current times. But the plot was good and the romance sweet.
December 17, 2023
Enjoyed this one from a new to me author! It had a great premise with nice worldbuilding and intriguing main characters. Length was excellent though I wanted a bit more romance in it. Looking forward to reading this author again in the future!
December 1, 2023
It was ok. interesting in a way that if it’s your thing, if something sparked for you you should try it. for it, I wasn't the person, I found it hard to keep myself reading
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