Daughter of Molten Flames

by Morgana Follmann

Seraphina Rey, eager to start a new life with her girlfriend outside of her controlling parents’ home, is left devastated when an argument in Buenos Aires unleashes an unknown power, killing her partner and several others in the process. A building collapses on top of her before she manages to escape, making her fall into a short coma.

When she wakes up a week later, she finds herself in a hospital in Padma, a country located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. There, everyone has an elemental power, and they refuse to let her leave without learning how to control her own first. The more she learns about their culture, the more she discovers about herself and her past, granting her the freedom and experiences she so desperately craved to become her own person.

But Padma is on the brink of war, the people suffering from the king’s outdated laws banning relationships between those of different powers. After becoming entangled in a relationship with the son of a rebel, Seraphina vows to aid their mission. But in the search for a way to weaken the throne, she unknowingly begins chipping away at her own family’s secrets—secrets about her parents’ involvement in the Padmeni revolution, and others about her identity and the depth of her powers. Once exposed, they put her and everyone’s safety at risk, simultaneously challenging everything that the Padmeni know and have fought for.

400 pages, Hardcover

Published October 14, 2024

About the author

Morgana Follmann is a fashion designer, an avid reader and writer, and an ambitious dreamer. She(/they) lives in Montreal, Canada, but was born and raised in Brazil. She's currently working on getting her debut fantasy book published and writing the second installment of the series.

The author's pen name for her single poetry book is Cora Wolfe.

Reviews

[Isabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

OHHHH MYYYY GODDDDD

[catherine | view.between.pages]

I am not sure where to start, to say this book was an epic adventure is an understatement. Morgana’s ability to mix fantasy and current modern day reality was amazing. This book gave me a mix of Zodiac academy and Avatar the last air bender vibes. Anyways, without giving away to much, as the first novel in a series, I am very excited to see where this goes, especially with that ending!!

After a devastating accident Seraphina Rey finds herself in a hospital in Padma , a country in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. There, everyone has an elemental power, and they refuse to let her leave without learning how to control it first. It’s during her training she starts to discover who she truly is and about her parents past, which is about to change her future forever.

✨Themes ✨

Fighting Academy
Political Unrest/Civil War
Elemental Powers
Diverse characters
LGBTQ+ and disability representation
Forbidden love

✨Favourite quote✨

“But most importantly, she remembered no one, absolutely no one could break her without her permission. Not anymore. Never again.”

Daughter of the Molten flames releases on October 14th

[Kyla Palin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to DNF this one as much as it pains me. Even so I’ll rate it three stars for the unique storyline. I wanted to love this but certain elements just got me out of the flow as it were. First the author has this way of changing perspectives in the same paragraph. It’s jarring to realize we are experiencing things from the other party suddenly. Also I felt the world building and exposition was rushed in many parts. I got nearly to the end of the book and nothing much was going on. So overall good bones. Just not for me.

[asvinireads · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I was sent this book in exchange for a review*

I want to preface this by saying I am giving Daughter of Molten Flame 5 stars on here as to not negatively effect the overall rating, however I did have some feedback on areas of improvement/suggestions which I have shared directly with the author as this is her indie debut.

With that being SAID, I want to applaud Morgana for really putting her heart and soul into this stunning story. I really appreciated the diverse cast of characters, the interconnected relationships that allude to a history that adds to an element of mystery, the disability representation, the nod to real-world politics and issues of gen*cidal governments and systemic oppression, *DEEP BREATH* and so much more! Also, as an ATLA fan I really enjoyed certain characters (hello Kai) and the strange creatures of Padma.

While I do wish the romance element was dragged on a little longer (self-serving preference bc I’m a sl*t for a pained slow-burn) I’m here for the “forbidden” aspect of it.

There are some pretty violent and graphic scenes sprinkled throughout so take heed (trigger warnings included). There is also a glossary in the back so you can learn some of the language of Padma as the protagonist does.

Daughter of Molten Flame has every element a fantasy book should have! I can’t wait to see how the series continues to unfold.

Congratulations on your debut, Morgana!

[Natnthecat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cross between Avatar the last Airbender and the hunger games. Seraphina Rey, the sole crossbreed left of the Nishkir people, returns to the island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Padma, her new home that she will return to its once beautiful glory.

This book was great, the first of what I think will be a trilogy. It's a slow burn and to be honest got a little confusing at times how the characters stories are told and intertwined. But it's the book to build suspense and anticipation. WHICH IT DEFINITELY DID! I cannot wait to read more of the downfall of Uriel, the current king and ruler of Padma and Seraphinas Uncle.

Seraphina has come to **** shit up , and with my absolute LOVE for all things hunger games, I'm so excited for the next book in this series. Seraphina has the resilience and strength of Katniss Everdeen, the power of Aang, Zuko and Toph. Mixed together into one woman , Seraphina will bring Uriel down and return Padma to how it once was. A safe place for Nishkir to be united.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

From land to people, this book is a gem of diversity. What an incredible read. Strong plot, unique world building, & deeply meaningful characters. It takes you on Seraphina’s journey as she dives into a world no one prepared her for, only to find out that not only is she vital in a movement for the freedom of its people, but just how much it will push her self-discovery. A melting pot of ethnically diverse characters, each one has gripping story that led them to this moment, to Seraphina’s life, as they unite for another chance to restore balance to a world where love wins.

I have to highlight the linguistic characteristics of this book as one of my favorite parts. As someone who is passionate about languages, it was so much fun seeing multiple languages showcased, including new language unique to Padma. It kept me on my toes as an immersive detail. So. cool.

Sitting on the edge of my seat for the next book 😮‍💨❤️‍🔥

[Revy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book while visiting Canada for the first time and I'm so happy I got to meet an indie author in the wild! This book is rich and diverse in its cast and worldbuilding. I loved the maps, the conlang, and the detailing of the lands - it all felt very real and believable. I think Padma is awesome!
Storywise I feel the pacing was a little haphazard as we travelled with Serafina. She has her big moments of clarity and story progression, only to suddenly slow down again. I would love to have seen her get more unhinged and involved in the politics head on (yes you go girl! Drag that man into this screaming!) and to see more of Kai as well as Raiden (love a bad boy and a sad boy). But overall this was very enjoyable and a really great fantasy/romantasy read!

[Meg M · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was a little hard to get into- it’s very heavy on the world-building, which is good, but I needed to be in the right frame of mind to focus on it. Once I got through that, though, I FLEW through the rest of the book. The world is so different from others I’ve read and I was intrigued to see where Rey would go next and how she would react. I appreciate that she’s flawed, and owns those flaws. Some of the twists I suspected, but others took me completely by surprise. The character diversity was really well done, and I could put myself in the shoes of characters I didn’t even really like and maybe understand why they did what they did. I had to pay attention to figure out which character PoV I was reading sometimes, but those parts definitely helped me understand the story a lot better. I’m excited for the next book!!

[EliReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked it, at the beginning it was a little bit hard to understand Padma and the people from there. I did kinda wish that the action came faster but at the same time it would have been harder to understand what was happening without all the context.

[Avery · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an absolute insane book that I would say it is insanely relevant to the current political climate we are entering. 4.5 stars, my only problem was with the random switching of perspective.

[Isabella · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐️