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Erlanis Chronicles #1
Of Fire and Roses
Nathaniel West's mother is dead, his father a lost cause. Anger has become a way of life, until he meets and falls in love with Cora Ewell. Only Cora has a secret, one that could kill them both. An age old dark magic resurfaces and it becomes a race against time for Cora and Nate to find the long buried secrets to saving everyone they love and each other. After a near fatal accident leaves Nate in limbo, he must find a way to get through to Cora before time runs out and she is forced into life eternal with the evil wizard, Elias Stafford.
188 pages, Paperback
First published February 15, 2014
About the author
Danielle Belwater
2 books8 followersDanielle Belwater adores the concept of true love and truly believes everyone has their Prince Charming or Snow White out there somewhere, even if they have to fight demons, ghosts, and wizards to find it.
Danielle has been having a love affair with words since she was young and in primary school, writing some rather imaginative tales. This love has followed her into adulthood.
She lives in rural South Australia with her husband, young daughters and way too many animals to mention. She spends most of her time dreaming up characters, stories, ghostly tales, and watching Firefly re-runs. She also cooks the odd meal for her family to avoid them looking like skeletons at official author functions!
Danielle is passionate about reading and her interests include pretty much anything with words from rolling four volume epics to the daily newspaper.
Danielle has been having a love affair with words since she was young and in primary school, writing some rather imaginative tales. This love has followed her into adulthood.
She lives in rural South Australia with her husband, young daughters and way too many animals to mention. She spends most of her time dreaming up characters, stories, ghostly tales, and watching Firefly re-runs. She also cooks the odd meal for her family to avoid them looking like skeletons at official author functions!
Danielle is passionate about reading and her interests include pretty much anything with words from rolling four volume epics to the daily newspaper.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 23, 2014
It's hard to believe this is Danielle Belwater's first novel. It's compelling from the very first paragraph. I am a sucker for good metaphors and this is full of them! Such descriptive emotive writing. I thought Nate was such a cool character and that he was written genuinely well for his age and sex. Just when I thought I knew what was happening there were twists that were very clever. I can't wait until the next book. Highly recommend for any age not just YA.
May 20, 2014
I have received this book in exchange of an honest review.
This is the first book in a series that I think can be very interesting and fun to read.
The characters in this book are very well-built and their emotions, actions and reactions seem real and understandable.
The whole story is imaginative and well-written and the author definitely did a great job with it.
If you are a paranormal fan, I think you will like this book.
This is the first book in a series that I think can be very interesting and fun to read.
The characters in this book are very well-built and their emotions, actions and reactions seem real and understandable.
The whole story is imaginative and well-written and the author definitely did a great job with it.
If you are a paranormal fan, I think you will like this book.
March 28, 2014
I loved this book. it doesn't matter that it's a YA, I loved it.
Twists, turns a real bad guy and best friends who care.
This book has it all. I nearly cried at the end. 'Oh no', was actually spoken out loud.
Excellent book and an unbelievable debut Novel.
This Author will be going places and I look forward to reading more.
Twists, turns a real bad guy and best friends who care.
This book has it all. I nearly cried at the end. 'Oh no', was actually spoken out loud.
Excellent book and an unbelievable debut Novel.
This Author will be going places and I look forward to reading more.
May 12, 2014
Of Fire and Roses was a wonderful read. I loved all the characters-Nate, Josh, Cora. The author did a wonderful job with description and attention to detail. This was a fast read with tones similar to The Beautiful Creatures novels, so if you're a fan (which I am) of that series, Of Fire and Roses should be right up your alley. I can't wait for book 2. I need to find out what happens!
June 1, 2014
I received this book from the author and Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock.
Of Fire and Roses is book one in the Erlanis Chronicles. Nate and his father move from the big city to a small town looking for a fresh start after his mother's death. Nate seeks solitude in the forest and while there meets Cora, a beautiful girl with deadly secrets. Both are drawn together and find themselves falling in love but Cora tries to fight it. Dark forces are at work and their love maybe be the death of Nate.
I enjoyed the book. It was an easy read. The characters were real and I was instantly pulled in. It was refreshing to read a story from a purely male perspective. Normally YA novels chose to write from the female POV so this was a nice change. I enjoyed Nate's character and his interactions. He is a strong lead and I was easily drawn to him.
The thing that bugged me was how fast they fell in love that was a little hard to believe. Also the ending was a bit rushed, I was hoping for more of a showdown with all the build up but was left disappointed.
This book is for young adults. I would recommend this book for fans of fantasy YA books like Amy Butler Greenfield's Chantress series.
I give this book 4 fangs.
Of Fire and Roses is book one in the Erlanis Chronicles. Nate and his father move from the big city to a small town looking for a fresh start after his mother's death. Nate seeks solitude in the forest and while there meets Cora, a beautiful girl with deadly secrets. Both are drawn together and find themselves falling in love but Cora tries to fight it. Dark forces are at work and their love maybe be the death of Nate.
I enjoyed the book. It was an easy read. The characters were real and I was instantly pulled in. It was refreshing to read a story from a purely male perspective. Normally YA novels chose to write from the female POV so this was a nice change. I enjoyed Nate's character and his interactions. He is a strong lead and I was easily drawn to him.
The thing that bugged me was how fast they fell in love that was a little hard to believe. Also the ending was a bit rushed, I was hoping for more of a showdown with all the build up but was left disappointed.
This book is for young adults. I would recommend this book for fans of fantasy YA books like Amy Butler Greenfield's Chantress series.
I give this book 4 fangs.
March 9, 2014
I’ll preface this review by saying I don’t often read YA books, but I’m sooooo glad I picked up Danielle Belwater’s ‘Of Fire & Roses.’ I won’t rehash the twisty-turny plot or the killer ending, but I will say your average teen is in for a hell of a read. The author has created a world that sucks you in with its beautiful descriptions, with characters you feel could easily be the boy or girl next door, they’re so identifiable. The romance is sweet but intense and you’ll be left screaming for Ms. Belwater to ‘hurry up already’ and get the next instalment in the Erlanis Chronicles published!
August 9, 2016
* I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review *
Of Fire and Roses is a Teen/ Young Adult Supernatural Romance about a teenage boy named Nate West. Nate's mother is recently deceased and he and his father's relationship is pretty much non existent. When Nate's father takes a new job, Nate is forced to relocate to a new home 9 hours away. There he meets Josh who he instantly befriends and Cora who he instantly falls in love with. Long ago a curse was placed on Cora's family and Nate is plunged head first into a world full of the supernatural. Full of phenomena that he barely believes in much less knows how to deal with.
I have mixed feelings about this book. First let me tell you what I DID like about it and then I'll tell you what I DIDN'T.
*LIKED*
1. Of Fire and Roses was well written as far as the writing style and the amount of detail provided by the author. I liked that as a reader I never felt like I was being left in the dark.
2. The characters were well developed and thought out. I didn't just know what each character or their life was like now, I also got a brief history on just about each character in the book. This is so important and almost never done. It helps so much when it comes to readers connecting to and relating to CHARACTERS in the story.
3. The ending was pretty great. The story seemed to get better and better the farther you got into the book. Despite my 3.5 star rating, once you got towards the middle of the book and on it was pretty hard to put down.
Unfortunately, Now I must tell you what I
*DIDN'T LIKE*
about this book...
Basically it was only that things just seemed to happen very quickly in Of Fire and Roses. Too quickly for me. I didn't feel like there was enough build up. Nate catches a glimpse of Cora one day while running in the woods. By the time he catches up to her, he's in love. By the next day they are in a full blown romantic relationship. (Not sexual, just romantic) Too much, too soon. Cora tells Nate about her family's curse right away, even though he is little more than a stranger, and falls in love with him with little to no hesitation on her part, even though she knows there will be repercussions. And even after Nate finds out about the curse, which he claims to not believe in, he sticks around which doesn't seem to be typical teenage boy behavior to me. I wouldn't have walked in the other direction, I would have run. But that's just me, not Nate. His heart wants what his heart wants. The swiftness of it all just made the STORY hard for me to connect to.
In the end, I would like to point out that this book has gotten glowing reviews. Just because it wasn't for me doesn't mean that it won't be for you. This is just one opinion out of many. I definitely think that if the synopsis grabs you, you should buy the book and form your own opinion.
Happy Reading!
Of Fire and Roses is a Teen/ Young Adult Supernatural Romance about a teenage boy named Nate West. Nate's mother is recently deceased and he and his father's relationship is pretty much non existent. When Nate's father takes a new job, Nate is forced to relocate to a new home 9 hours away. There he meets Josh who he instantly befriends and Cora who he instantly falls in love with. Long ago a curse was placed on Cora's family and Nate is plunged head first into a world full of the supernatural. Full of phenomena that he barely believes in much less knows how to deal with.
I have mixed feelings about this book. First let me tell you what I DID like about it and then I'll tell you what I DIDN'T.
*LIKED*
1. Of Fire and Roses was well written as far as the writing style and the amount of detail provided by the author. I liked that as a reader I never felt like I was being left in the dark.
2. The characters were well developed and thought out. I didn't just know what each character or their life was like now, I also got a brief history on just about each character in the book. This is so important and almost never done. It helps so much when it comes to readers connecting to and relating to CHARACTERS in the story.
3. The ending was pretty great. The story seemed to get better and better the farther you got into the book. Despite my 3.5 star rating, once you got towards the middle of the book and on it was pretty hard to put down.
Unfortunately, Now I must tell you what I
*DIDN'T LIKE*
about this book...
Basically it was only that things just seemed to happen very quickly in Of Fire and Roses. Too quickly for me. I didn't feel like there was enough build up. Nate catches a glimpse of Cora one day while running in the woods. By the time he catches up to her, he's in love. By the next day they are in a full blown romantic relationship. (Not sexual, just romantic) Too much, too soon. Cora tells Nate about her family's curse right away, even though he is little more than a stranger, and falls in love with him with little to no hesitation on her part, even though she knows there will be repercussions. And even after Nate finds out about the curse, which he claims to not believe in, he sticks around which doesn't seem to be typical teenage boy behavior to me. I wouldn't have walked in the other direction, I would have run. But that's just me, not Nate. His heart wants what his heart wants. The swiftness of it all just made the STORY hard for me to connect to.
In the end, I would like to point out that this book has gotten glowing reviews. Just because it wasn't for me doesn't mean that it won't be for you. This is just one opinion out of many. I definitely think that if the synopsis grabs you, you should buy the book and form your own opinion.
Happy Reading!
July 3, 2014
3.5*s
Review posted here...
http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.co...
Of Fire and Roses is the first book in the ‘Erlanis Chronicles’ introducing us to a cursed family legacy…. We meet Nate West as he and his father make the move to a small town a year after losing his mother. Relations are strained between Nate & his father because Christopher – Nate’s dad – couldn’t cope with his grief and blocked Nate out; emotionally, building a rift between them so hopefully the move will give them both a fresh start. On Nate’s first day at the new house, he goes for a run and sees something from the corner of his eye, a red blur, like flames and then nothing. On further investigation, he meets the owner of the flame coloured hair - a girl named Cora – and feels an instant connection, when they touch it’s like sparks ignite…… but Cora has a secret and it could lead to their deaths. So, I enjoyed this book and thought the story gave a very mysterious feel. It was strange for me to have the book voice to be told through a male point of view – not a bad thing, just I’m not used to it – and it took a bit of getting used to. All of the characters are likable particularly Nate, Cora and Josh- Nate & Cora seemed more mature and serious for their age but that was understandable with everything that is facing them and their home lives too, Josh was the fun guy of the story and that gave some energy to the group so that everything wasn’t always so serious. I thought Cora’s mother was a very interesting character too and would have loved more from her because I know she has more going on than appears to be. The storyline is one that’s been done before but I liked that it wasn’t all about reincarnation as family curses so often tend to be. Cora’s family is cursed, we know that very early on and we know that it is because of a lover spurned but we don’t know the full story behind it or who is behind it and as the story unravels – it all becomes clear. There was a magical element to the story but it wasn’t overdone and it really added to the ambience of the book, be it from old magic to ghosts and of course magic being used for evil, it all brought a different feeling to the book when it came up and added to the story so well. It all becomes a race against time to find out what is going on with numerous life threatening situations trying to split the pairing up and the way the clues were found became very unusual but sort of genius, I liked the conclusion a lot because even if you thought you knew what would happen, there are still a couple of surprises to be had leaving me very satisfied. I’m curious to see where the series could go from this because it was concluded well, so I’d definitely have a read of book two.
Review posted here...
http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.co...
Of Fire and Roses is the first book in the ‘Erlanis Chronicles’ introducing us to a cursed family legacy…. We meet Nate West as he and his father make the move to a small town a year after losing his mother. Relations are strained between Nate & his father because Christopher – Nate’s dad – couldn’t cope with his grief and blocked Nate out; emotionally, building a rift between them so hopefully the move will give them both a fresh start. On Nate’s first day at the new house, he goes for a run and sees something from the corner of his eye, a red blur, like flames and then nothing. On further investigation, he meets the owner of the flame coloured hair - a girl named Cora – and feels an instant connection, when they touch it’s like sparks ignite…… but Cora has a secret and it could lead to their deaths. So, I enjoyed this book and thought the story gave a very mysterious feel. It was strange for me to have the book voice to be told through a male point of view – not a bad thing, just I’m not used to it – and it took a bit of getting used to. All of the characters are likable particularly Nate, Cora and Josh- Nate & Cora seemed more mature and serious for their age but that was understandable with everything that is facing them and their home lives too, Josh was the fun guy of the story and that gave some energy to the group so that everything wasn’t always so serious. I thought Cora’s mother was a very interesting character too and would have loved more from her because I know she has more going on than appears to be. The storyline is one that’s been done before but I liked that it wasn’t all about reincarnation as family curses so often tend to be. Cora’s family is cursed, we know that very early on and we know that it is because of a lover spurned but we don’t know the full story behind it or who is behind it and as the story unravels – it all becomes clear. There was a magical element to the story but it wasn’t overdone and it really added to the ambience of the book, be it from old magic to ghosts and of course magic being used for evil, it all brought a different feeling to the book when it came up and added to the story so well. It all becomes a race against time to find out what is going on with numerous life threatening situations trying to split the pairing up and the way the clues were found became very unusual but sort of genius, I liked the conclusion a lot because even if you thought you knew what would happen, there are still a couple of surprises to be had leaving me very satisfied. I’m curious to see where the series could go from this because it was concluded well, so I’d definitely have a read of book two.
May 13, 2014
This book was a light, entertaining read about a boy who must save a mysterious girl from the curse on her family. I thought the premise was unique and played out in unexpected ways--the ending in particular was a twist that I didn't see coming. I enjoyed the rich, descriptive prose and the paranormal elements about how ghosts could influence the human world. Also, it was a nice break from most paranormal romances to have both teen lovers be humans.
However, the book had some problems, some of them technical. It's written pretty roughly--in many places there are long run-on paragraphs where several different characters' actions blend together, so sometimes it was difficult for me to figure out who was doing or saying what. It's a common beginner's mistake, and I know this is the author's first book, so I think she could have benefited from the help of more experience critique partners or a professional editor.
From a structural point of view, the pace of the novel is very fast, with the whole story taking place over only a few weeks. That means the main characters fall in love the moment they see each other, before they have any kind of conversation. Of course that helps to raise the stakes because their lives are immediately in danger from the jealous ghost, but as a reader who finds "insta-love" in books unrealistic, I didn't feel very invested in their relationship. But I think that might be part of Nate's personality to get attached to people very quickly, because he also starts calling another boy his best friend right away.
If you can get past these flaws, though, it's a new twist on the story of a boy saving a doomed girl from paranormal forces. It's my hope that the author continues to grow and the next installment in this series is better polished than the first.
Favorite Dish
Nate cooks for his dad and usually resorts to easy food like pasta or baked beans, so there wasn't a lot of tasty food in this book. But after all of their trips to the local diner, I found myself craving a milkshake.
Bonus: Ghosts
I love a good ghost story, and Elias Stafford didn't disappoint me. His jealous rage has kept him haunting Cora's family from the grave. But he wasn't the only ghost--and the last part of the book that deals with how ghosts can influence the mortal world was definitely the most exciting. There are specific rules and limitations that the main characters are bound by, and I was happy that it stayed consistent all the way through.
My Recommendation
Fans of paranormal romance who want to see two humans falling in love will probably enjoy this book.
However, the book had some problems, some of them technical. It's written pretty roughly--in many places there are long run-on paragraphs where several different characters' actions blend together, so sometimes it was difficult for me to figure out who was doing or saying what. It's a common beginner's mistake, and I know this is the author's first book, so I think she could have benefited from the help of more experience critique partners or a professional editor.
From a structural point of view, the pace of the novel is very fast, with the whole story taking place over only a few weeks. That means the main characters fall in love the moment they see each other, before they have any kind of conversation. Of course that helps to raise the stakes because their lives are immediately in danger from the jealous ghost, but as a reader who finds "insta-love" in books unrealistic, I didn't feel very invested in their relationship. But I think that might be part of Nate's personality to get attached to people very quickly, because he also starts calling another boy his best friend right away.
If you can get past these flaws, though, it's a new twist on the story of a boy saving a doomed girl from paranormal forces. It's my hope that the author continues to grow and the next installment in this series is better polished than the first.
Favorite Dish
Nate cooks for his dad and usually resorts to easy food like pasta or baked beans, so there wasn't a lot of tasty food in this book. But after all of their trips to the local diner, I found myself craving a milkshake.
Bonus: Ghosts
I love a good ghost story, and Elias Stafford didn't disappoint me. His jealous rage has kept him haunting Cora's family from the grave. But he wasn't the only ghost--and the last part of the book that deals with how ghosts can influence the mortal world was definitely the most exciting. There are specific rules and limitations that the main characters are bound by, and I was happy that it stayed consistent all the way through.
My Recommendation
Fans of paranormal romance who want to see two humans falling in love will probably enjoy this book.
February 18, 2014
An absolute gem of a novel! Of Fire and Roses is bursting with vivid description making me feel that I was not only reading the novel, but that I was there.
The story begins with Nate and his father moving, a trail of pain and loss following them both as Nate's mother was killed by a drunk driver. The author mastered feelings evoked from such a profound loss with both effected characters: a son feeling his way through life without his mother's kindness to balance out his father's roughness, and a husband left trying to fill a dual role.
In the opening pages, Nate meets Cora-an intriguing, mysterious girl that he's instantly drawn to. The further Nate careens into Cora's world, the darker and more sinister the plot becomes. Nate soon discovers a family curse that has him fighting from both sides of life and death to save the girl he loves.
The other characters were rich and mapped out very well, my favorite supporting character being Josh. Nate and Josh quickly become friends and the reader finds out soon enough just how far a true friendship can go.
Along with the tender moments of young love, Of Fire and Roses had its fair share of suspense and scare. There were parts that had chills running up my spine. The end was a surprise I did not see coming and left me scratching my Kindle screen trying to get to a next page that wasn't there as I was refusing to believe I was at 100%.
Overall, Of Fire and Roses is truly a mesmerizing, fiery, haunting novel with an incredible start to an amazing new series. I believe Danielle Belwater will be an author to watch out for, a wonderful addition to the young adult genre.
The story begins with Nate and his father moving, a trail of pain and loss following them both as Nate's mother was killed by a drunk driver. The author mastered feelings evoked from such a profound loss with both effected characters: a son feeling his way through life without his mother's kindness to balance out his father's roughness, and a husband left trying to fill a dual role.
In the opening pages, Nate meets Cora-an intriguing, mysterious girl that he's instantly drawn to. The further Nate careens into Cora's world, the darker and more sinister the plot becomes. Nate soon discovers a family curse that has him fighting from both sides of life and death to save the girl he loves.
The other characters were rich and mapped out very well, my favorite supporting character being Josh. Nate and Josh quickly become friends and the reader finds out soon enough just how far a true friendship can go.
Along with the tender moments of young love, Of Fire and Roses had its fair share of suspense and scare. There were parts that had chills running up my spine. The end was a surprise I did not see coming and left me scratching my Kindle screen trying to get to a next page that wasn't there as I was refusing to believe I was at 100%.
Overall, Of Fire and Roses is truly a mesmerizing, fiery, haunting novel with an incredible start to an amazing new series. I believe Danielle Belwater will be an author to watch out for, a wonderful addition to the young adult genre.
May 29, 2014
3 - 3.5 Stars in my Sky!
After a pretty horrible year Nate and his Dad move to a new town where he meets a beautiful girl called Cora. Of Fire & Roses sees Nate and Cora immersed in a battle against bad magic and an evil curse.
It was an interesting change to read a YA book told in the guys POV and I enjoyed getting inside Nate's head. I did get confused at times because Nate's inner thoughts didn't always seem that congruent with a teenage guy. The language didn't always seem to 'flow' as the dialogue sometimes seemed a little immature but I'm sure this can easily be 'tightened' to increase the natural ebb and flow.
I liked Cora and would have liked to have seen her developed a little more. The family history stuff reminded me a little of that in the Caster Chronicles (in particular Beautiful Creatures).
I'm not generally a big fan of insta-love because I usually find it unrealistic, but when I considered the age of the characters and remembered how emotionally charged teenagers can be I was more willing to accept it.
The book is short and sweet, combined with a clever concept and an interesting twist. I hadn't seen certain events coming and was happy with the ending. It would have been nice to have had the events spread over a longer time frame as everything seemed to happen rather quickly. The backstory with Stafford was intriguing and I enjoyed the supernatural element. Of Fire & Roses is a fun and intriguing introduction to Danielle Belwater's Erlanis series.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review!
Also reviewed on my blog Zili in the Sky
July 4, 2016
Reviewed by Heather
Book provided by the author for review
Originally posted at Romancing the Book
This story took of at an extreme pace. I’m not usually a fan of the typical “love at first sight” kind of books but the mystery surrounding Nate and Cora’s relationship was intense. I really liked that, although the characters were obviously crazy about each other, the focus point was the curse on Cora’s family.
I immediately connected with the main character of the story, Nate. He was funny and intelligent. His love interest, Cora, was also very interesting. Coming from a family with a history of cursed woman, she and Nate fight an evil spirit for the love they have found. The ending really was not what I expected and I think that is the main reason I like this book so much.
This book is a good mix between suspense, mystery, and a little romance. I cannot say enough how much this book surprised me. Although some parts were scattered and required a little concentration to understand, this was an all around good book. If paranormal mystery is your thing, I’d recommend this book.
Book provided by the author for review
Originally posted at Romancing the Book
This story took of at an extreme pace. I’m not usually a fan of the typical “love at first sight” kind of books but the mystery surrounding Nate and Cora’s relationship was intense. I really liked that, although the characters were obviously crazy about each other, the focus point was the curse on Cora’s family.
I immediately connected with the main character of the story, Nate. He was funny and intelligent. His love interest, Cora, was also very interesting. Coming from a family with a history of cursed woman, she and Nate fight an evil spirit for the love they have found. The ending really was not what I expected and I think that is the main reason I like this book so much.
This book is a good mix between suspense, mystery, and a little romance. I cannot say enough how much this book surprised me. Although some parts were scattered and required a little concentration to understand, this was an all around good book. If paranormal mystery is your thing, I’d recommend this book.
September 1, 2014
Of Fire and Roses was an excellent debut novel. It is perfectly suited in the YA genre, with just enough romance to keep my attention and make me cheer for the doomed lovers-Cora and Nate. It wasn't heavily bogged down with supernatural elements but enough to make the story line intriguing.
The author's attention to detail was perfect. The book came alive. I highly enjoyed this and the surprise ending was a reward worth waiting for. I will certainly be on the look out for future works from this author and would love to have the sequel to this!
The author's attention to detail was perfect. The book came alive. I highly enjoyed this and the surprise ending was a reward worth waiting for. I will certainly be on the look out for future works from this author and would love to have the sequel to this!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews