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The Fire Beneath Azura
Within the capital, a thriving metropolis erected by the human race along the southern expanse of Terram, a veteran mining crew finds a mysterious relic deep within the Azuran mines. Believing this to be an omen, commerce sector councilor Merad Mayler will stop at nothing to succeed the role of lead councilor. After seeking the aid of a highly favored speaker, Wynn Reynolds, and an eager commerce guard recruit, Cade Noch, Merad believes he finally has all the pieces needed to put his schemes into motion.
Meanwhile, ripples of the discovery beneath Azura are felt in distant lands. Guided by divine forces, Tunis, a young Qari female from the small coastal village of Fayne, and Nadim, an Eidonian male from the hidden island of Sanctuary, find themselves thrust on a journey through unknown lands in a desperate attempt to save their homes.
Will their efforts be enough to stop the power threatening to destroy everything they know and love? Or will they only live long enough to see the world burn before their eyes?
Meanwhile, ripples of the discovery beneath Azura are felt in distant lands. Guided by divine forces, Tunis, a young Qari female from the small coastal village of Fayne, and Nadim, an Eidonian male from the hidden island of Sanctuary, find themselves thrust on a journey through unknown lands in a desperate attempt to save their homes.
Will their efforts be enough to stop the power threatening to destroy everything they know and love? Or will they only live long enough to see the world burn before their eyes?
- GenresFantasy
481 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 20, 2024
4 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 16, 2024
Finished The Fire Beneath Azura today. I had to pause to finish up the Wheel of Time but I immediately picked it back up because it was AWESOME. The plot is so interesting. The story has a bunch of super unique POVs. My fav was Tunis, least fav was Cade. Nadim seems like his story is going to be the most interesting content wise. Wynn was interesting, but not the most exciting. The world building slowing unraveling was my favorite part. It’s great. I need book 2 like, ASAP
August 9, 2024
A really strong debut novel, The Fire Beneath Azura hits the ground running with a gripping and dark mystery, taking place in a grounded fantasy setting. Well, multiple settings. The mysteries within the multiple POV's kept me hooked from beginning to end, causing me to finish the book in less than 5 days. John C. Griffin does a great job at giving you just enough without spoiling the journey of discovering who the characters are, their motivations, as well as their cultures. I appreciate not being spoon fed information, but instead being able to piece everything together as I read through the book. The character development was very well done, and I found myself really caring about each one for the most part. Which is great, seeing as this was a very character driven book. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Fire Beneath Azura, and I look forward to the next book!
September 7, 2024
A lawyer, a fish girl, a guard, and a rabbi walk into a mine…
4.5⭐️
Okay, I’m impressed. The world building is lush. The imagery is immersive. The multiple POVs are unique. The storylines kept me wanting more. I felt like I was watching a movie the entire time. Everything was just so well developed.
Every character’s voice was distinct, and despite them being so different I felt connected to each of them.
A truly solid book 1 for a new fantasy series. The plot threads are woven, every character is left on a cliff, and I’m on my toes awaiting book 2.
* LQBTQIA
* Multi-POV
* Mix of urban and high fantasy
* Mischievous gods
* Unique settings
4.5⭐️
Okay, I’m impressed. The world building is lush. The imagery is immersive. The multiple POVs are unique. The storylines kept me wanting more. I felt like I was watching a movie the entire time. Everything was just so well developed.
Every character’s voice was distinct, and despite them being so different I felt connected to each of them.
A truly solid book 1 for a new fantasy series. The plot threads are woven, every character is left on a cliff, and I’m on my toes awaiting book 2.
* LQBTQIA
* Multi-POV
* Mix of urban and high fantasy
* Mischievous gods
* Unique settings
August 13, 2024
I love the characters and cannot wait to see where their journeys take them! It was refreshing to read such a mature and "real" feeling book. The world building was fun to follow and I have so many theories on how this is all going to connect. I cannot wait for Book 2!
March 25, 2026
“We’ve become so focused on our routines that we’ve forgotten how to dream.”
“But you’ve found your dreams in the stars. That’s why I envy you.”
The Fire Beneath Azura by was a phenomenal and captivating read that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. This epic fantasy pulls you into a world on the brink of unraveling. Deep beneath the Azuran mines, a mysterious relic is discovered, one that powerful leaders see not as a warning, but as an opportunity. Political ambition, dangerous alliances, and calculated schemes begin to spiral as a ruthless councilor manipulates everyone around him to seize control.
Far from the capital’s power games, the fallout reaches distant shores. Guided by forces greater than themselves, two unlikely heroes, Tunis, a determined girl from a quiet coastal village, and Nadim, a man in training to take over for his people’s religious leader from a hidden island are forced into a perilous journey across unfamiliar lands to protect everything they love.
The story balances high-stakes political intrigue with adventure, weaving multiple perspectives into a looming, world-ending threat. If you love morally complex characters, fate-driven quests, and that constant edge-of-disaster tension, this one delivers.
“But you’ve found your dreams in the stars. That’s why I envy you.”
The Fire Beneath Azura by was a phenomenal and captivating read that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. This epic fantasy pulls you into a world on the brink of unraveling. Deep beneath the Azuran mines, a mysterious relic is discovered, one that powerful leaders see not as a warning, but as an opportunity. Political ambition, dangerous alliances, and calculated schemes begin to spiral as a ruthless councilor manipulates everyone around him to seize control.
Far from the capital’s power games, the fallout reaches distant shores. Guided by forces greater than themselves, two unlikely heroes, Tunis, a determined girl from a quiet coastal village, and Nadim, a man in training to take over for his people’s religious leader from a hidden island are forced into a perilous journey across unfamiliar lands to protect everything they love.
The story balances high-stakes political intrigue with adventure, weaving multiple perspectives into a looming, world-ending threat. If you love morally complex characters, fate-driven quests, and that constant edge-of-disaster tension, this one delivers.
December 5, 2024
I loved The Fire Beneath Azura. If you're a fan of classic high fantasy and enjoy reading about diverse characters, ancient artifacts, political intrigue, and found family you will love this book. It's very well written and beautifully formatted. Nothing will take me out of a self published book faster than poor writing and tons of errors.
The story itself is very character driven. It's book 1 in a series so be prepared to be left wanting more. We get a lot of story set up in this book. It is multiple POV with the storylines starting to converge at the end. I love all of the characters. Even a year after reading it for the first time I still think about a few of them and I can't wait to see what happens in the rest of each other their stories.
The story contains love and romance but is not a romantasy and there is very little spice however what is there, is very well done.
I have high high hopes for the rest of the series. Can't wait!
The story itself is very character driven. It's book 1 in a series so be prepared to be left wanting more. We get a lot of story set up in this book. It is multiple POV with the storylines starting to converge at the end. I love all of the characters. Even a year after reading it for the first time I still think about a few of them and I can't wait to see what happens in the rest of each other their stories.
The story contains love and romance but is not a romantasy and there is very little spice however what is there, is very well done.
I have high high hopes for the rest of the series. Can't wait!
August 5, 2025
✨ Hands down one of my favorite reads this year!
Each of the characters do well to suck you right into their parting the world, their culture and their life. I love how the tone from one character to the next doesn’t blend into the same tone. Each character is distinct and well created and written.
The world building is detailed just enough to give the readers an idea and the plot is enough to fill in the gaps and the imagery is intense but not so intense that I disliked it. Trigger warning is at the beginning of the book but let me tell you, I’ve read a lot worse.
Everything that was written in was enough and then some. This story hooked me from the first page all the way up to the end.
I am not including characters and plot to avoid spoilers but if you get the chance to try a new author and enjoy epic fantasies where the world building is just as good as the story, please give this one a go!
Each of the characters do well to suck you right into their parting the world, their culture and their life. I love how the tone from one character to the next doesn’t blend into the same tone. Each character is distinct and well created and written.
The world building is detailed just enough to give the readers an idea and the plot is enough to fill in the gaps and the imagery is intense but not so intense that I disliked it. Trigger warning is at the beginning of the book but let me tell you, I’ve read a lot worse.
Everything that was written in was enough and then some. This story hooked me from the first page all the way up to the end.
I am not including characters and plot to avoid spoilers but if you get the chance to try a new author and enjoy epic fantasies where the world building is just as good as the story, please give this one a go!
September 11, 2025
There are not many books I’ve read where the prologue is what sucks you in. Then, there’s chapter 1. Holy smokes, is this a good book! Multiple POVs, a mix of urban and classic fantasy, top-tier storytelling, the world-building gives you everything without spending half of the chapter explaining an alley and so, so much more! I need the rest of the saga because I need closure. Highly recommend!
September 16, 2024
For a debut novel, this is wonderful. It is well written, the characters are strong, the world building interesting and unique. I was hooked from the prologue, and I can't wait to see what happens next. John C. Griffin is the real deal.
January 31, 2025
Good read.. ready for the next!
April 20, 2025
a different style of fantasy book than normal! It's a very diverse world and a very interesting start to a series. I wished there had been more of an "it all comes together" moment at the end but it hooked my attention enough to make me want more. check the TW/CW - I tend to avoid (consciously or not) books by men but John did a great job! Even with the spicy/romance parts
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews