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A Tale of Six Sources #1
From Fire and Shadows
A girl with a dangerous power.
A warrior they call the shadow of death.
A world divided and slowly dying.
Six-year-old Theodora grew up at the House, a place for girls born without power. Abandoned as a baby, she has no memory of her past beyond the melody that invades her dreams. So when an ancient presence starts whispering in her ear, she answers.
The reward is fire; the price is the destruction of the only life she has ever known. Yet from the loss comes a chance at a better future… if she can learn to control a power that no one seems to understand.
Across the ocean, Death's Arm warrior Kai struggles with the changes forcing him out of the shadows. With the neglect of those in power breeding dissent, he is called to do his job as their occasional cut it at the root.
But when a strange restlessness makes him question an order for the first time... he finds himself on the path he never wanted, but can no longer avoid. After all, he may be the only one capable of stopping what is coming—a war where death is just the beginning.
347 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 15, 2020
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135 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
August 20, 2020
Thank you Book Sirens for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Theodora is a six year old girl living in a house for girls with no power. One night her power makes itself known in the form of blue fire which destroys everything and everyone in the surrounding area. This event brings about the start of a new life for Theodora and the development of a power which is unheard of.
Kai is a powerful warrior who is being used as a personal assassin to the leader of his region. The people are not happy with the way the region is being ruled. Kai finds himself questioning the orders he is given. A decision not to comply puts him on a path he intended to avoid. Leading a small group of warriors he intends to put a stop to the upcoming war.
What I liked about this book
The world is really well described. It's easy to picture the places, the characters and their powers in your minds eye.
I liked the direction that the story is headed in.
The first chapter gives a strong start to the book which grabs your attention immediately.
What I didn't like
Even though I do like the direction of the story, I didn't really understand where it was going until more than half way through the book.
After a strong start the story flat lines a little bit but it does pick up again after the 50% mark.
The time jumps several times and at seemingly random times.
There are alot of Gaelic (I think) words which have been used throughout the book which are for the most part explained but occasionally they aren't which did cause a little confusion. there is a glossary at the back of the book which explains them though but I personally would prefer that this is done consistently throughout the narrative.
Overall, this book had the feel of a prequel. It laid the groundwork for what has the potential to be a really enjoyable series. I would definitely like to read the next one to find out where the author goes with it.
3 stars
✮✮✮
Find this review and others on my blog
Theodora is a six year old girl living in a house for girls with no power. One night her power makes itself known in the form of blue fire which destroys everything and everyone in the surrounding area. This event brings about the start of a new life for Theodora and the development of a power which is unheard of.
Kai is a powerful warrior who is being used as a personal assassin to the leader of his region. The people are not happy with the way the region is being ruled. Kai finds himself questioning the orders he is given. A decision not to comply puts him on a path he intended to avoid. Leading a small group of warriors he intends to put a stop to the upcoming war.
What I liked about this book
The world is really well described. It's easy to picture the places, the characters and their powers in your minds eye.
I liked the direction that the story is headed in.
The first chapter gives a strong start to the book which grabs your attention immediately.
What I didn't like
Even though I do like the direction of the story, I didn't really understand where it was going until more than half way through the book.
After a strong start the story flat lines a little bit but it does pick up again after the 50% mark.
The time jumps several times and at seemingly random times.
There are alot of Gaelic (I think) words which have been used throughout the book which are for the most part explained but occasionally they aren't which did cause a little confusion. there is a glossary at the back of the book which explains them though but I personally would prefer that this is done consistently throughout the narrative.
Overall, this book had the feel of a prequel. It laid the groundwork for what has the potential to be a really enjoyable series. I would definitely like to read the next one to find out where the author goes with it.
3 stars
✮✮✮
Find this review and others on my blog
August 14, 2020
3.4/5 ☆ = 3+
DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own honest opinions.
In a world filled with magic and wonders, we find it divided. As the dangers of war are lurking in the shadows, we follow two main protagonists with extraordinary powers and secrets where they find themselves to be the only ones who can stop the brewing war.
When I first read the description, I imagined a completely different story. Of course, it's kind of unfair to have such expectations for a book, as the author never knows what one specifically wants, but I really wanted to like this book. The promises of danger and magic lured me in a trap that was FROM FIRE AND SHADOWS.
I found it incredibly difficult to read through the first 25 % of this book. The world-building had great potential, as I could imagine these magical cities described in the book. However, I had immense problems with the names and remembering where the different cities were (as well as their names). New words were introduced all the time and I had no idea if it was important or not. The magic system was also quite hard to understand, as they all had different names (as you know, I suck with learning these names and stuff). And it did take me quite some time to categorize the different types of magic. Quickly summarised, it was hard to keep up with all the new information.
On another note, I really did like the direction the story was going. I am not a really big fan of action, so the internal thinking and descriptions worked perfectly for me. At some points, the new-name-throwing kind of threw me off, but everything had such great potential.
The characters were also quite intriguing, as I wanted to learn more about them every time they appeared. However, the aging journey of Theodora kind of - yes - threw me off. It wasn't exactly what I expected. Yet it leaves room for a lot of development for the upcoming sequels, that's for sure.
In conclusion, this book was a good start for an upcoming series. It leaves room for new storylines as well as gives us, the readers, a starting point. I really wish the magic system and name stuff was better explained. Hopefully, there's more to learn in the sequel!
Over and out. -Nora <3
DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own honest opinions.
In a world filled with magic and wonders, we find it divided. As the dangers of war are lurking in the shadows, we follow two main protagonists with extraordinary powers and secrets where they find themselves to be the only ones who can stop the brewing war.
When I first read the description, I imagined a completely different story. Of course, it's kind of unfair to have such expectations for a book, as the author never knows what one specifically wants, but I really wanted to like this book. The promises of danger and magic lured me in a trap that was FROM FIRE AND SHADOWS.
I found it incredibly difficult to read through the first 25 % of this book. The world-building had great potential, as I could imagine these magical cities described in the book. However, I had immense problems with the names and remembering where the different cities were (as well as their names). New words were introduced all the time and I had no idea if it was important or not. The magic system was also quite hard to understand, as they all had different names (as you know, I suck with learning these names and stuff). And it did take me quite some time to categorize the different types of magic. Quickly summarised, it was hard to keep up with all the new information.
On another note, I really did like the direction the story was going. I am not a really big fan of action, so the internal thinking and descriptions worked perfectly for me. At some points, the new-name-throwing kind of threw me off, but everything had such great potential.
The characters were also quite intriguing, as I wanted to learn more about them every time they appeared. However, the aging journey of Theodora kind of - yes - threw me off. It wasn't exactly what I expected. Yet it leaves room for a lot of development for the upcoming sequels, that's for sure.
In conclusion, this book was a good start for an upcoming series. It leaves room for new storylines as well as gives us, the readers, a starting point. I really wish the magic system and name stuff was better explained. Hopefully, there's more to learn in the sequel!
Over and out. -Nora <3
September 17, 2020
2.5 stars
This book had good ideas and I like the direction of the plot but unfortunately, the execution of this first book could have been better. Therefore, I didn't really enjoy my time reading this book. It was a bit too slow-moving for my taste and after a while, there were many time jumps during the book (at least during the second half) and I have to say those were frustrating. Every time, I never really knew where I was going to land or what had happened during the time we missed. Now, I know it helped the plot and to make sure Thea would grow older but it was annoying since it didn't happen only once. As for her age, in the first half, I felt like she was a lot older than a six years old. I think the beginning was my favorite part when Thea and Gunner met and spent time together even though it was slow and I didn't really understand the world around them (I still don't after finishing the book to be honest). Overall, I'm not unhappy I read this book but I'm not sure yet if I'll pick up the next book once it's published. I guess we'll see!
(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)
This book had good ideas and I like the direction of the plot but unfortunately, the execution of this first book could have been better. Therefore, I didn't really enjoy my time reading this book. It was a bit too slow-moving for my taste and after a while, there were many time jumps during the book (at least during the second half) and I have to say those were frustrating. Every time, I never really knew where I was going to land or what had happened during the time we missed. Now, I know it helped the plot and to make sure Thea would grow older but it was annoying since it didn't happen only once. As for her age, in the first half, I felt like she was a lot older than a six years old. I think the beginning was my favorite part when Thea and Gunner met and spent time together even though it was slow and I didn't really understand the world around them (I still don't after finishing the book to be honest). Overall, I'm not unhappy I read this book but I'm not sure yet if I'll pick up the next book once it's published. I guess we'll see!
(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)
August 17, 2020
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC of From Fire and Shadows in exchange for an honest review.
See more reviews at my blog https://thestorybooksisters.wordpress...
From Fire and Shadows is a dual-narrative that spans over the course of a decade through the perspectives of a young girl named Theodora learning to use her newfound power and an assassin, Kai, who hides a dark secret. As they each learn to cope with changing times, they discover that they were meant to stop a global war.
From Fire and Shadows followed an intricately woven storyline that took me on many adventures. I loved the concept, but the execution needed some improvement, and I was left confused by some elements.
One major thing I disliked was the jumps in time. The book starts off with 6-year old Theodora until about halfway through, and then jumps 6 years ahead. I didn’t really understand why there was a 6-year gap, where we don’t have a clue of what happened during that time. There were also other unexplained time jumps, which left me so confused that I had to go back and reread chapters.
Next, I felt that 6-year old Theodora’s thoughts sounded too complex for her age, and she felt older than 6. Twelve year-old Thea’s voice had the same amount of maturity as her 6-year self. Baptista should have made 6-year old Theodora sound less mature to make her more realistic.
Finally, I think the writing style was just not for me. Baptista used up much of the book laying down the storyline that there ended up being little action.
The world-building was average, and the magic system was underdeveloped. There were times when it felt too wordy, but I enjoyed the descriptive language.
Overall, the plot had a lot of potential, but it never let the readers revel in its storyline. The characters felt one-dimensional at times, which made it more unrealistic. From Fire and Shadows just didn’t hook me enough to get me excited for the next book.
See other book reviews and more on my blog The Storybook Sisters, and on my Instagram the_storybooksisters.
See more reviews at my blog https://thestorybooksisters.wordpress...
From Fire and Shadows is a dual-narrative that spans over the course of a decade through the perspectives of a young girl named Theodora learning to use her newfound power and an assassin, Kai, who hides a dark secret. As they each learn to cope with changing times, they discover that they were meant to stop a global war.
From Fire and Shadows followed an intricately woven storyline that took me on many adventures. I loved the concept, but the execution needed some improvement, and I was left confused by some elements.
One major thing I disliked was the jumps in time. The book starts off with 6-year old Theodora until about halfway through, and then jumps 6 years ahead. I didn’t really understand why there was a 6-year gap, where we don’t have a clue of what happened during that time. There were also other unexplained time jumps, which left me so confused that I had to go back and reread chapters.
Next, I felt that 6-year old Theodora’s thoughts sounded too complex for her age, and she felt older than 6. Twelve year-old Thea’s voice had the same amount of maturity as her 6-year self. Baptista should have made 6-year old Theodora sound less mature to make her more realistic.
Finally, I think the writing style was just not for me. Baptista used up much of the book laying down the storyline that there ended up being little action.
The world-building was average, and the magic system was underdeveloped. There were times when it felt too wordy, but I enjoyed the descriptive language.
Overall, the plot had a lot of potential, but it never let the readers revel in its storyline. The characters felt one-dimensional at times, which made it more unrealistic. From Fire and Shadows just didn’t hook me enough to get me excited for the next book.
See other book reviews and more on my blog The Storybook Sisters, and on my Instagram the_storybooksisters.
July 27, 2020
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of From Fire and Shadows in exchange for an honest review.
The World building in From Fire and Shadows was wonderfully done. You get a very clear layout of power dynamics, cultures, and the world as a whole. I really loved what the narrative chose to describe. This is a very atmospheric lead. How the magic system worked was a little underdeveloped, but I'm sure that will become clearer in later books.
My main issues lay with Thea's perspective. This almost felt like 2 seperate books. Half with Thea as a 6 year old, half with her twice that age (I think. There was a 6 year time jump anyways so that's what I'm going with. Either way, she's significantly older). It's almost split exactly 50/50. The problem is, following a 6 year old is a vastly different experience to following a teen/pre-teen. I get wanting to give background to a character, but splitting it 50/50 made it feel like the beginning was more of a prequel than part of 1 story arc. I would have preferred it to either be divided into 2 books or for the time we spend developing Thea's backstory to have been dropped closer to 25% of the novel. Since we spend so much time with Thea as a young child then catch back up with her when she's still basically just doing what all the adults in her life want her to do, the stakes never quite stuck because she became a passive character. You don't sit there worrying about what a character will do when they don't make decisions for themselves.
Overall, From Fire and Shadows was a perfectly average start to the series. It established it's world, characters, and magic system, but it didn't have enough plot wise to get me excited about the next book.
The World building in From Fire and Shadows was wonderfully done. You get a very clear layout of power dynamics, cultures, and the world as a whole. I really loved what the narrative chose to describe. This is a very atmospheric lead. How the magic system worked was a little underdeveloped, but I'm sure that will become clearer in later books.
My main issues lay with Thea's perspective. This almost felt like 2 seperate books. Half with Thea as a 6 year old, half with her twice that age (I think. There was a 6 year time jump anyways so that's what I'm going with. Either way, she's significantly older). It's almost split exactly 50/50. The problem is, following a 6 year old is a vastly different experience to following a teen/pre-teen. I get wanting to give background to a character, but splitting it 50/50 made it feel like the beginning was more of a prequel than part of 1 story arc. I would have preferred it to either be divided into 2 books or for the time we spend developing Thea's backstory to have been dropped closer to 25% of the novel. Since we spend so much time with Thea as a young child then catch back up with her when she's still basically just doing what all the adults in her life want her to do, the stakes never quite stuck because she became a passive character. You don't sit there worrying about what a character will do when they don't make decisions for themselves.
Overall, From Fire and Shadows was a perfectly average start to the series. It established it's world, characters, and magic system, but it didn't have enough plot wise to get me excited about the next book.
September 7, 2020
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
From Fire and Shadows took me forever and a day to get through. Or at least, that is how it felt. Which is beyond weird because what took me hours and hours to get through felt like weeks. Long story short, it wasn't fun for me to experience.
In it, you will meet Theodora, aka Thea, and Kai. The only thing that bugged me was how they never truly met one another. I mean with the ending, there are hints that they might meet each other in the next book but who even knows. That being said, I struggled with this book. I honestly don't even think anything really happened in it. Other than Thea learning more about her powers.. maybe.
In the end, I am so very happy that I'm done with the book. Not sure how I will feel if and when the next book comes out. I hope it would be better than this and something actually happens.. but if not, then I'm doomed. This series is doomed. At least for me.
From Fire and Shadows took me forever and a day to get through. Or at least, that is how it felt. Which is beyond weird because what took me hours and hours to get through felt like weeks. Long story short, it wasn't fun for me to experience.
In it, you will meet Theodora, aka Thea, and Kai. The only thing that bugged me was how they never truly met one another. I mean with the ending, there are hints that they might meet each other in the next book but who even knows. That being said, I struggled with this book. I honestly don't even think anything really happened in it. Other than Thea learning more about her powers.. maybe.
In the end, I am so very happy that I'm done with the book. Not sure how I will feel if and when the next book comes out. I hope it would be better than this and something actually happens.. but if not, then I'm doomed. This series is doomed. At least for me.
August 16, 2020
An epic tale.
A book full of plot twists, action, mystery, drama and power.
I fell in love with the world that the writer wrote and it had me hooked.
The setting is very well written, the atmosphere is unmistaken tensed and ready to burst anytime and I really liked that the protagonist is a little girl. Not a boy, common to epic tales, and not a full grown woman ready for a love interest -at least for the first half of the book-.
I found ot inspiring that I had two Thea's perspectives in the same copy. It was like reading two books!
The only problem I had is with the made up language. I wanted a wordbook in the first page to look up since I only remember the word for "boy" and "lord". But I was really impressed with the fact that the writer created a language for the book. A plus for sure.
I loved the drama, perfect balanced for the plot and for explaining the games of politics, the mystery in everything had me flipping the pages faster.
The action was fast and I didn't got bored at all anywhere. I really love reading it.
I received an arc of the book and really, it was the greatest thing that happened to me this month.
A book full of plot twists, action, mystery, drama and power.
I fell in love with the world that the writer wrote and it had me hooked.
The setting is very well written, the atmosphere is unmistaken tensed and ready to burst anytime and I really liked that the protagonist is a little girl. Not a boy, common to epic tales, and not a full grown woman ready for a love interest -at least for the first half of the book-.
I found ot inspiring that I had two Thea's perspectives in the same copy. It was like reading two books!
The only problem I had is with the made up language. I wanted a wordbook in the first page to look up since I only remember the word for "boy" and "lord". But I was really impressed with the fact that the writer created a language for the book. A plus for sure.
I loved the drama, perfect balanced for the plot and for explaining the games of politics, the mystery in everything had me flipping the pages faster.
The action was fast and I didn't got bored at all anywhere. I really love reading it.
I received an arc of the book and really, it was the greatest thing that happened to me this month.
August 17, 2020
I downloaded an ARC of Fire and Shadow from Booksprout for an honest review. This review is purely subjective and any criticism or praise expressed herein are intended to be constructive.
Synopsis
The idea for the story is intriguing, a young girl, Theodora, coming to terms with her developing powers and trying to figure out her place in the world. She has been rejected by those who are supposed to care for her after she allegedly destroys all her close friends in her Home by accident, in a somewhat dreamlike state. She is ‘saved’ by a leader called Gunnar who ensures her powers and skills are developed properly. Her elemental powers are strong, stronger than what has been seen in such a long time, it appears her powers are the only hope to save this world.
Critical Thoughts
This novel wasn’t for me. I had to DNF at 35% as I felt there wasn’t enough plot development to keep me interested - it was going nowhere and perhaps it wasn’t helped by the writing style. As a reader I was distracted by the sheer volume of descriptive narration during character conversation and general interaction. A break from these descriptive passages with quick dialogue would have been a refreshing change within the novel and it would have quickened the pace.
I believe there would have been more value in transferring this effort into plot development and world building; showing more of the natural and manmade surroundings and what sets them apart from other worlds in this genre. I felt like I was hanging around inside with these characters - like I was in Gunnar’s magical tent, stuck in a stuffy library scene with an exciting world outside that I didn’t know about.
Reading about facial expression got a little tiring as well - there was a lot of lip curling and eyebrow raising going on. I can appreciate that this is the author’s style of writing but for me it was distracting - my mind wandered and it was too easy to put the book down.
Only reaching a third of the way through the novel I hadn’t figured out why there was a second storyline about Kai, a hardened warrior. Perhaps Theodora and Kai team up later in the novel - it felt like it was heading this way. Again Kai’s story felt slightly jarring within the novel, perhaps there could have been some link early on to Theodora?
Finally the novel wasn’t without grammatical error and it needed further editing.
Praise
There is no doubt that J.F.Baptista is a great writer - a wordsmith, building complex worlds with equally complex characters. The author has mastered showing and not telling with such romanticism. This debut novel, although difficult for me to get into and finish, shows plenty of promise and I wish the author all the best on producing the rest of the elemental novels that proceed From Fire and Shadows.
Synopsis
The idea for the story is intriguing, a young girl, Theodora, coming to terms with her developing powers and trying to figure out her place in the world. She has been rejected by those who are supposed to care for her after she allegedly destroys all her close friends in her Home by accident, in a somewhat dreamlike state. She is ‘saved’ by a leader called Gunnar who ensures her powers and skills are developed properly. Her elemental powers are strong, stronger than what has been seen in such a long time, it appears her powers are the only hope to save this world.
Critical Thoughts
This novel wasn’t for me. I had to DNF at 35% as I felt there wasn’t enough plot development to keep me interested - it was going nowhere and perhaps it wasn’t helped by the writing style. As a reader I was distracted by the sheer volume of descriptive narration during character conversation and general interaction. A break from these descriptive passages with quick dialogue would have been a refreshing change within the novel and it would have quickened the pace.
I believe there would have been more value in transferring this effort into plot development and world building; showing more of the natural and manmade surroundings and what sets them apart from other worlds in this genre. I felt like I was hanging around inside with these characters - like I was in Gunnar’s magical tent, stuck in a stuffy library scene with an exciting world outside that I didn’t know about.
Reading about facial expression got a little tiring as well - there was a lot of lip curling and eyebrow raising going on. I can appreciate that this is the author’s style of writing but for me it was distracting - my mind wandered and it was too easy to put the book down.
“I fixed it.” She couldn’t keep herself from softly adding.
Bogha looked over his shoulder, eyes a little too serious to go with the gentle smile on his lips. He started to say something but, at that moment, Gunnar barged into the house.
He didn’t say anything when he saw what they were doing, but he did raise his eyebrow in Bogha’s direction. With a shake of his head, Gunnar sat down on the big chair facing them.
Only reaching a third of the way through the novel I hadn’t figured out why there was a second storyline about Kai, a hardened warrior. Perhaps Theodora and Kai team up later in the novel - it felt like it was heading this way. Again Kai’s story felt slightly jarring within the novel, perhaps there could have been some link early on to Theodora?
Finally the novel wasn’t without grammatical error and it needed further editing.
Praise
There is no doubt that J.F.Baptista is a great writer - a wordsmith, building complex worlds with equally complex characters. The author has mastered showing and not telling with such romanticism. This debut novel, although difficult for me to get into and finish, shows plenty of promise and I wish the author all the best on producing the rest of the elemental novels that proceed From Fire and Shadows.
July 29, 2020
Thank you to the publisher for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Many elements of this book showed promise. The world was fully conceptualized; it was easy to imagine stepping into this world alongside the characters. The writing focused on atmosphere, on setting us up to not just read about, but to fully experience the world.
I struggled the most with our narrator. Theodora starts off as a 6-year-old, and we spend a decent portion of the book with her at this age. However, this portion still reads as though the narrator is much older, with the rare exception of a self-aware moment of narration intended to emphasize her 6-year-old-ness. We get a time jump later on, where Theodora is older and the reader is able to more fully settle into her established, older-feeling voice. The portion with such a young narrator is difficult to interact meaningfully with as an older reader, as the older-sounding voice prevents a solid suspension of disbelief. I worry that it may also alienate younger readers, who might not be thoroughly able to see themselves reflected in a main character whose perspective is written at such a higher level. The narrative may be better served by adjusting Thea's ages in each section of the book, or else allowing us to spend the majority of our time with older Thea, disclosing only the most essential moments of younger Theodora's story.
While Theodora's close third perspective was often difficult, and although the plot did not feel incredibly compelling, the reading experience was enjoyable enough. I just wanted to like it far more than I did. I'm not sure I was the right reader for this book, but I also don't know if I know the right reader/audience, especially given the vast difference between the ages of our primary narrator.
Many elements of this book showed promise. The world was fully conceptualized; it was easy to imagine stepping into this world alongside the characters. The writing focused on atmosphere, on setting us up to not just read about, but to fully experience the world.
I struggled the most with our narrator. Theodora starts off as a 6-year-old, and we spend a decent portion of the book with her at this age. However, this portion still reads as though the narrator is much older, with the rare exception of a self-aware moment of narration intended to emphasize her 6-year-old-ness. We get a time jump later on, where Theodora is older and the reader is able to more fully settle into her established, older-feeling voice. The portion with such a young narrator is difficult to interact meaningfully with as an older reader, as the older-sounding voice prevents a solid suspension of disbelief. I worry that it may also alienate younger readers, who might not be thoroughly able to see themselves reflected in a main character whose perspective is written at such a higher level. The narrative may be better served by adjusting Thea's ages in each section of the book, or else allowing us to spend the majority of our time with older Thea, disclosing only the most essential moments of younger Theodora's story.
While Theodora's close third perspective was often difficult, and although the plot did not feel incredibly compelling, the reading experience was enjoyable enough. I just wanted to like it far more than I did. I'm not sure I was the right reader for this book, but I also don't know if I know the right reader/audience, especially given the vast difference between the ages of our primary narrator.
September 8, 2020
I have to say, this has one of the best introductory chapters I've read. It's compelling and evokes a lot of emotion and is so well written. After that, the story goes sort of stagnant, we have some world building and not much else until the halfway mark. Theodora is only six, so I understand that she's learning about her powers and this new magical world, but I would have liked more action or to get to part two quicker.
The second part of the story has a lot of time jumps, which I sort of expected but it made me feel like not much was happening if we were able to move ten plus years without issues. I did like learning more about Kai, he's an awesome warrior and his death powers are so interesting. I wish we'd seen him fight more instead of planning all the time, but I did like him bonding with the other warriors.
The ending made me hopeful that we'd see some romance and the war might finally be here. This was definitely an introduction, teaching us about the world and getting to know the characters. It would have benefitted from more action to move the story along.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
The second part of the story has a lot of time jumps, which I sort of expected but it made me feel like not much was happening if we were able to move ten plus years without issues. I did like learning more about Kai, he's an awesome warrior and his death powers are so interesting. I wish we'd seen him fight more instead of planning all the time, but I did like him bonding with the other warriors.
The ending made me hopeful that we'd see some romance and the war might finally be here. This was definitely an introduction, teaching us about the world and getting to know the characters. It would have benefitted from more action to move the story along.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
August 13, 2020
From Fire and Shadows follows Theodora and Kai in a magical world of six power lineages. The first part of the book is from Theodora at the age of six. It is odd to read from the perspective of a six year-old for a good chunk of a YA novel, in my opinion. I felt so lost for the majority of this part of the book and had a hard time getting into the book for this reason. However, I read on. In another territory we meet Kai who is a half-blood and an assassin. Kai is questioning his loyalty and Theodora struggles to control her newfound powers and that's the basic gist of the book.
While I thought the concepts of magic were interesting, I felt they could have been developed more. I found it difficult to follow the author's thinking at times and I just needed an overall stronger execution.
While I thought the concepts of magic were interesting, I felt they could have been developed more. I found it difficult to follow the author's thinking at times and I just needed an overall stronger execution.
August 14, 2020
This really wasn’t for me, I’m sure it will be a better fit for other readers , but I felt me and this book just never clicked. The story was interesting and I was drawn by it, but I couldn’t connect to the writing style or feel, so it just wasn’t for me.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
August 28, 2020
Thanks to BookSirens for providing me an advance copy of From Fire and Shadows (pub date Aug 15, 2020) in exchange for an honest review:
The title of J.F. Baptista's YA fantasy novel contains two words related to each of the book's main characters: "fire" and "shadows." More specifically, these nouns refer to the characters' powers--and their secrets.
First, the fire: the reader's introduced to Theodora when she's a young six-year-old, living in a place called "The House" that holds children without special abilities. In reality, Theodora does have powers; they're just latent. Theodora is a Nàdarra, who can control natural things. After this ability leads to a fatal fire, she's taken in by a giant man named Gunnar, so she can learn about her power and train to better control it. This proves difficult, as Theodora's abilities are unusual.
Second, the shadows: Kai is a Bàs, someone with powers related to death. He's also a warrior and a lethal assassin who's forced to serve the ruler Gothar. Increasing unrest among his people about leadership causes Kai to question this relationship even further, eventually provoking infighting and casualties. In order to combat Gothar and his Death's Arm military, Kai will have to use his special shadow-associated abilities--including the assistance of anaman, or the souls of the dead.
Theodora and Kai's stories eventually start to become entangled, as groups of people with different powers are increasingly pushed toward larger scale conflicts and war. Author Baptista does a great job with world-building and descriptions of beings and places--we get cities hidden under ice, water dragons, horses imbued with personality, and journeys into Linne Anam (the world of the dead).
Unfortunately, this book is a little oddly bifurcated by pacing issues. Theodora's story starts with the forward-moving discovery progress of a middle-grade book (despite the fact that she's only six at the start, the character reads as older), while Kai's narrative has the quicker intuitive movement of a YA or adult novel with elaborate politics, heavy backstory, and countless characters. Going back and forth between the two perspectives can get somewhat confusing--Theodora seems to move too slowly, and it's difficult to keep up with the fast speed of Kai's narrative. After some time jumps during which the main characters age, the pacing gets even speedier for both parties.
This book has some really smart ideas and concepts, but I'm not sure if I caught or understood them all. Moving the glossary to the front would certainly help with this; I found myself frequently wishing for a reference guide, but I didn't realize there was one until I reached the end of the e-book.
The title of J.F. Baptista's YA fantasy novel contains two words related to each of the book's main characters: "fire" and "shadows." More specifically, these nouns refer to the characters' powers--and their secrets.
First, the fire: the reader's introduced to Theodora when she's a young six-year-old, living in a place called "The House" that holds children without special abilities. In reality, Theodora does have powers; they're just latent. Theodora is a Nàdarra, who can control natural things. After this ability leads to a fatal fire, she's taken in by a giant man named Gunnar, so she can learn about her power and train to better control it. This proves difficult, as Theodora's abilities are unusual.
Second, the shadows: Kai is a Bàs, someone with powers related to death. He's also a warrior and a lethal assassin who's forced to serve the ruler Gothar. Increasing unrest among his people about leadership causes Kai to question this relationship even further, eventually provoking infighting and casualties. In order to combat Gothar and his Death's Arm military, Kai will have to use his special shadow-associated abilities--including the assistance of anaman, or the souls of the dead.
Theodora and Kai's stories eventually start to become entangled, as groups of people with different powers are increasingly pushed toward larger scale conflicts and war. Author Baptista does a great job with world-building and descriptions of beings and places--we get cities hidden under ice, water dragons, horses imbued with personality, and journeys into Linne Anam (the world of the dead).
Unfortunately, this book is a little oddly bifurcated by pacing issues. Theodora's story starts with the forward-moving discovery progress of a middle-grade book (despite the fact that she's only six at the start, the character reads as older), while Kai's narrative has the quicker intuitive movement of a YA or adult novel with elaborate politics, heavy backstory, and countless characters. Going back and forth between the two perspectives can get somewhat confusing--Theodora seems to move too slowly, and it's difficult to keep up with the fast speed of Kai's narrative. After some time jumps during which the main characters age, the pacing gets even speedier for both parties.
This book has some really smart ideas and concepts, but I'm not sure if I caught or understood them all. Moving the glossary to the front would certainly help with this; I found myself frequently wishing for a reference guide, but I didn't realize there was one until I reached the end of the e-book.
October 9, 2020
This book was just okay for me. This novel focused on two characters. One of them is a young girl who grows up during the course of the book. The other is a warrior that has been working as an assassin to a ruler. It wasn’t bad, and there are some good aspects of the novel. It just didn’t entirely work for me.
I liked a lot of aspects of the world itself, though I wish some aspects were better explained. I really liked the shadow realm and would like to learn more about it. The souls and the shadow realm were probably some of the sections that engaged me the most. I would also like to learn more about why the powers related to this world are so feared. Some of the other magical aspects were really interesting, but I do still feel a little confused about the system of magic.
I like Gene. I wish we could have seen more of her. She seemed more interesting to me than Gunnar. I almost would have liked to see her in Gunnar’s role.
The main aspect that didn’t work for me was that this novel felt very “male-centric.” This is more of a preference thing. I tend to prefer female-driven stories. Even though one of the main characters was a girl, it felt like men were “in charge” most of the time. I felt the main character was lacking agency throughout the book. Often, during the beginning of the book, it seemed the various men were patronizing her. Then she just seemed like she was going along with whatever other characters wanted her to do. The moments she did make her own choices resulted in catastrophe. I’m not sure how I feel about that messaging.
I really hope Thea grows in independence and takes a less passive role in the next book(s).
There were moments I almost put this book aside, but I stuck with it. I’m not sure I will read the sequel or not. We shall see.
Thank-you J. F. Baptista and Book Sirens for providing this free arc in exchange for an honest opinion.
I liked a lot of aspects of the world itself, though I wish some aspects were better explained. I really liked the shadow realm and would like to learn more about it. The souls and the shadow realm were probably some of the sections that engaged me the most. I would also like to learn more about why the powers related to this world are so feared. Some of the other magical aspects were really interesting, but I do still feel a little confused about the system of magic.
I like Gene. I wish we could have seen more of her. She seemed more interesting to me than Gunnar. I almost would have liked to see her in Gunnar’s role.
The main aspect that didn’t work for me was that this novel felt very “male-centric.” This is more of a preference thing. I tend to prefer female-driven stories. Even though one of the main characters was a girl, it felt like men were “in charge” most of the time. I felt the main character was lacking agency throughout the book. Often, during the beginning of the book, it seemed the various men were patronizing her. Then she just seemed like she was going along with whatever other characters wanted her to do. The moments she did make her own choices resulted in catastrophe. I’m not sure how I feel about that messaging.
I really hope Thea grows in independence and takes a less passive role in the next book(s).
There were moments I almost put this book aside, but I stuck with it. I’m not sure I will read the sequel or not. We shall see.
Thank-you J. F. Baptista and Book Sirens for providing this free arc in exchange for an honest opinion.
August 22, 2020
I’ll admit that at first I was just not drawn in to this book the way I had hoped to be. My mind kept throwing up words like “derivative” and “formulaic”, and I had a very adverse reaction to the age of the main character. As I read on though I found myself being dragged further and further into Thea and Kai’s story. In part one Thea is only 6 years old and for me the writing was a touch too mature for her supposed age, however as the book moves on Thea and the storytelling’s age levels begin to align. This shouldn’t be a problem in the follow up books!
I’ve seen many people comment that there were too many names, and places to remember and I’ll admit at first I was overwhelmed but the more the story grabbed my attention the less of a problem that became.
I have a note that if a book is going to use so many words of a different language (in this case Gaelic) perhaps it would be better to have the glossary at the front of the book as opposed to at the end where you don’t know it exists until after you’ve been confused throughout.
Definitely will read the next book in the series-which I don’t think I would have said early on in my reading of this one.
I’ve seen many people comment that there were too many names, and places to remember and I’ll admit at first I was overwhelmed but the more the story grabbed my attention the less of a problem that became.
I have a note that if a book is going to use so many words of a different language (in this case Gaelic) perhaps it would be better to have the glossary at the front of the book as opposed to at the end where you don’t know it exists until after you’ve been confused throughout.
Definitely will read the next book in the series-which I don’t think I would have said early on in my reading of this one.
September 18, 2020
I recieved this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I feel little bad for this, but I didn't like this book and it's a huge dissapointed for me.
When I read the synopsis I was very excited about this book because it sounds so interesting, fantastic and full of magic. But when I started reading and reached 20% I knew this is not going to end well.
I didn't like the characters and in my opinion it is a very confusing book. I couldn't imagine what the world is like and, honestly, I'm going to forget about the book very soon.
It just isn't for me.
I feel little bad for this, but I didn't like this book and it's a huge dissapointed for me.
When I read the synopsis I was very excited about this book because it sounds so interesting, fantastic and full of magic. But when I started reading and reached 20% I knew this is not going to end well.
I didn't like the characters and in my opinion it is a very confusing book. I couldn't imagine what the world is like and, honestly, I'm going to forget about the book very soon.
It just isn't for me.
November 16, 2021
*I got this eARC from Netgalley in exhange for a honest review *
The book started out interesting, shaping the story, but i quickly fell off. It just...very quickly bored me? i couldn\t focus on the characters or find it interesting.
The book started out interesting, shaping the story, but i quickly fell off. It just...very quickly bored me? i couldn\t focus on the characters or find it interesting.
September 5, 2020
'From Fire and Shadows' by J. F. Baptista begins with a tragedy.
In a world where the majority has some sort of magical ability, Theodora was the odd one out until one day when her power overtakes her, resulting in a fire. After that, she is whisked away to a new life amongst her people, where she learns more about her origins, and the strange magic she possesses. Along the way, she forms a connection with Kai, and they find themselves linked without ever having met.
As a protagonist, Theodora was a delight to read. She's introduced at the tender age of six, and her curiosity for her new world is infused in the writing. She's playful and trusting, launches herself into new projects and friendships head first, which lends her chapters a lightness rarely seen with older main characters.
Kai, on the other hand, is fully grown when he's introduced, and quite cynical. His chapters balance Theodora's out in the beginning, and then go on to compliment them as she grows.
The book takes place over a decade or so, with the main characters only meeting at the very end. The audience experiences those years mostly through Theodora's perspective, as Kai's chapters are shorter and more action focused. However, keeping up with this was slightly confusing, as the time jumps happen suddenly, sometimes mid chapter. Kai's first chapters were especially confusing, as the events that lead to the first time jump are rather rushed.
The world was fascinating, with the world-building done rather well. Baptista uses modified versions of Gaelic terms for many of the central pillars of the world, so I had to continuously check the included glossary, but it does get easier as it goes on. I look forward to reading more of it, especially the history as only bits and pieces of that are included.
Overall, I enjoyed J. F. Baptista's 'From Fire and Shadows' and look forward to reading the sequel!
In a world where the majority has some sort of magical ability, Theodora was the odd one out until one day when her power overtakes her, resulting in a fire. After that, she is whisked away to a new life amongst her people, where she learns more about her origins, and the strange magic she possesses. Along the way, she forms a connection with Kai, and they find themselves linked without ever having met.
As a protagonist, Theodora was a delight to read. She's introduced at the tender age of six, and her curiosity for her new world is infused in the writing. She's playful and trusting, launches herself into new projects and friendships head first, which lends her chapters a lightness rarely seen with older main characters.
Kai, on the other hand, is fully grown when he's introduced, and quite cynical. His chapters balance Theodora's out in the beginning, and then go on to compliment them as she grows.
The book takes place over a decade or so, with the main characters only meeting at the very end. The audience experiences those years mostly through Theodora's perspective, as Kai's chapters are shorter and more action focused. However, keeping up with this was slightly confusing, as the time jumps happen suddenly, sometimes mid chapter. Kai's first chapters were especially confusing, as the events that lead to the first time jump are rather rushed.
The world was fascinating, with the world-building done rather well. Baptista uses modified versions of Gaelic terms for many of the central pillars of the world, so I had to continuously check the included glossary, but it does get easier as it goes on. I look forward to reading more of it, especially the history as only bits and pieces of that are included.
Overall, I enjoyed J. F. Baptista's 'From Fire and Shadows' and look forward to reading the sequel!
January 4, 2022
"A Tale of Six Sources". I rated this book a 5 star because I truly believe that "From Fire and Shadows" can be the beginning of an amazing history. The world is well build, easy to imagine but interesting and amusing, and the characters are enjoyable (although Kai can be a bit to edgy).
If you like pure magic without that "cringe" romance I think you'll enjoy this book.
If you like pure magic without that "cringe" romance I think you'll enjoy this book.
August 24, 2020
I was very impressed by the dense throng of fantasy that this story unabashedly displays. I was surprised to find that reading initially from a 6yr old’s perspective was very engaging, or Baptista made it so. I thought it was a great view to introduce the magic through and to be able to get away with less explanations or nitpicking plot points because a child believably acts on impulse or often doesn’t understand a bigger picture and it feels genuine. I also really enjoyed the way the character’s relationships developed, particularly with her guardian figure. The way Baptista used simple exchanges but lots of unspoken expectations and tension was just excellent. I was expecting the time jumps, and was initially disappointed but only because I was enjoying the current read so much. The adjustment was easy though and prepared me for the next jumps to come.
I think overall this was a very excellent read with fantasy that felt fresh and worked hard to bury tropes. I like the characters and loved the world and am going to be awaiting sequels with fervor. I wouldn’t call it overly similar because that would not be doing Baptista’s work justice, but I would compare this read to that of Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of a glass series. This is a different feeling story and world though and I want to make that clear because it is appreciated!
There were only small things to note on the negative. I discovered maybe 3-5 typos in the whole book. I reread sentences carefully when this happens because I always find it surprising that a close-reading editor wouldn’t notice these. However, I recognize that there are more important things to edit and typos in a draft. That is truly just for the author’s information. I was reading digitally and wasn’t able to mark them as I know page numbers won’t align, but I am sure one occurred when describing Balder’s eyes.
The only other critique I would mention is that the last sections, maybe the last 20% of the book, was somewhat hard to follow...Specifically the preoccupations of the 14 & Kai as they researched their enemy’s plot and learned about hidden cities. It’s hard to put my finger on this but I think it had to do with the density of the foreign words, the large cast of male warriors dead and undead, and the bubbling up of Kai’s history alongside new information.
I think for the first half of the book I gleefully followed a 6 yr old Theadora without questioning the lacking information about important historical events that were clearly going to become important. I think it would have made the latter portion of the book easier to follow if those had been explained sooner. Since they were not, the reader has to digest dense historical political information with new political information. I think the mystery would still have been preserved if the ties to current characters were left unsaid. Some ties, such as the twins history with dual lineage people, are still unknown by the end of the book which is slightly annoying but acceptable. There is plenty of tension building into this sequel without the additional small mysteries I think, but that may be another point. Anyways, that’s a lot of seemingly negative but I want to author to be able to have the full impression. I felt that the positives heavily outweighed the negative and I would have detailed the positives even more but I didn’t want to reveal those treats to new readers rather than allowing them to experience them.
Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to review an advance free copy of this book! My review is voluntary and my fanship true!
I think overall this was a very excellent read with fantasy that felt fresh and worked hard to bury tropes. I like the characters and loved the world and am going to be awaiting sequels with fervor. I wouldn’t call it overly similar because that would not be doing Baptista’s work justice, but I would compare this read to that of Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of a glass series. This is a different feeling story and world though and I want to make that clear because it is appreciated!
There were only small things to note on the negative. I discovered maybe 3-5 typos in the whole book. I reread sentences carefully when this happens because I always find it surprising that a close-reading editor wouldn’t notice these. However, I recognize that there are more important things to edit and typos in a draft. That is truly just for the author’s information. I was reading digitally and wasn’t able to mark them as I know page numbers won’t align, but I am sure one occurred when describing Balder’s eyes.
The only other critique I would mention is that the last sections, maybe the last 20% of the book, was somewhat hard to follow...Specifically the preoccupations of the 14 & Kai as they researched their enemy’s plot and learned about hidden cities. It’s hard to put my finger on this but I think it had to do with the density of the foreign words, the large cast of male warriors dead and undead, and the bubbling up of Kai’s history alongside new information.
I think for the first half of the book I gleefully followed a 6 yr old Theadora without questioning the lacking information about important historical events that were clearly going to become important. I think it would have made the latter portion of the book easier to follow if those had been explained sooner. Since they were not, the reader has to digest dense historical political information with new political information. I think the mystery would still have been preserved if the ties to current characters were left unsaid. Some ties, such as the twins history with dual lineage people, are still unknown by the end of the book which is slightly annoying but acceptable. There is plenty of tension building into this sequel without the additional small mysteries I think, but that may be another point. Anyways, that’s a lot of seemingly negative but I want to author to be able to have the full impression. I felt that the positives heavily outweighed the negative and I would have detailed the positives even more but I didn’t want to reveal those treats to new readers rather than allowing them to experience them.
Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to review an advance free copy of this book! My review is voluntary and my fanship true!
August 19, 2020
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of From Fire and Shadows in exchange for an honest review.
Fire and Shadows takes place in a world where the majority of people have some sort of magical ability, Theodora, our main character, being the odd one out until one day when her power overtakes her, resulting in a tragic fire. After that, she is spirited away to a new life amongst her people, where she learns more about her origins, and the strange magic she possesses. Along the way, she forms a connection with Kai, and they find themselves linked without ever having met.
To start with the good, the overall plot of this book is highly imaginative and fun. It's a decent opener and you can clearly see how this instalment can be built on to further the protagonist's journey, however I wished there was more going on plot-wise in this instalment instead to actually encourage me to care about the main character’s journey. I enjoyed what was provided in terms of the world building. There was an understandable layout of power dynamics, cultures and the world as a whole, although I did feel the magic system could have benefited from further explanations. I hope that this will follow the trend of most series, and really go to town on world building and developing magic systems in the sequel so that it can become a lot clearer.
My issues with this book are sadly based on the perspective of the protagonist, Thea. As we spent a large portion of the novel following Thea as a child before jumping forward, I struggled to fully connect to either version of Thea. The experiences of a young child and a teen are vastly different and so it felt at times like we were now following a completely different and new character rather than just an older version of our protagonist. This was especially evident due to the split narrative. Kai is much older, already fully grown, when he is introduced. This contrast could have worked very well to balance Thea’s perspective, however I instead found myself looking forward to reading his chapters much much more than Thea’s – especially an issue as his chapters are much shorter. I definitely think this book would have benefited from a reduced time spent on Thea’s childhood or at the very least of a streamlining of the time-jump, which could sometimes be confusing.
Overall, a perfectly average start to the series. Provided decent world building however it still left a bit too much to be desired. I enjoyed the world and the beginnings of the magic system described however, I craved more. I think a bit too much time was spent developing the backstory of the main character, which resulted in an overall lack of engaging plot. I can see how this was supposed to build empathy and engage us with the character, personally I still felt a bit of a disconnect. While I did not have a bad time reading the book, I didn't necessarily get excited for a sequel either. It established its world, characters, and magic system, but it didn't have enough plot wise to get me excited about the next book.
This is a very solid 3 star for me, however I can see a lot of potential for further books written by Baptista.
Fire and Shadows takes place in a world where the majority of people have some sort of magical ability, Theodora, our main character, being the odd one out until one day when her power overtakes her, resulting in a tragic fire. After that, she is spirited away to a new life amongst her people, where she learns more about her origins, and the strange magic she possesses. Along the way, she forms a connection with Kai, and they find themselves linked without ever having met.
To start with the good, the overall plot of this book is highly imaginative and fun. It's a decent opener and you can clearly see how this instalment can be built on to further the protagonist's journey, however I wished there was more going on plot-wise in this instalment instead to actually encourage me to care about the main character’s journey. I enjoyed what was provided in terms of the world building. There was an understandable layout of power dynamics, cultures and the world as a whole, although I did feel the magic system could have benefited from further explanations. I hope that this will follow the trend of most series, and really go to town on world building and developing magic systems in the sequel so that it can become a lot clearer.
My issues with this book are sadly based on the perspective of the protagonist, Thea. As we spent a large portion of the novel following Thea as a child before jumping forward, I struggled to fully connect to either version of Thea. The experiences of a young child and a teen are vastly different and so it felt at times like we were now following a completely different and new character rather than just an older version of our protagonist. This was especially evident due to the split narrative. Kai is much older, already fully grown, when he is introduced. This contrast could have worked very well to balance Thea’s perspective, however I instead found myself looking forward to reading his chapters much much more than Thea’s – especially an issue as his chapters are much shorter. I definitely think this book would have benefited from a reduced time spent on Thea’s childhood or at the very least of a streamlining of the time-jump, which could sometimes be confusing.
Overall, a perfectly average start to the series. Provided decent world building however it still left a bit too much to be desired. I enjoyed the world and the beginnings of the magic system described however, I craved more. I think a bit too much time was spent developing the backstory of the main character, which resulted in an overall lack of engaging plot. I can see how this was supposed to build empathy and engage us with the character, personally I still felt a bit of a disconnect. While I did not have a bad time reading the book, I didn't necessarily get excited for a sequel either. It established its world, characters, and magic system, but it didn't have enough plot wise to get me excited about the next book.
This is a very solid 3 star for me, however I can see a lot of potential for further books written by Baptista.
August 11, 2020
There are six power lineages in the story, Aite (power over time-extinct), Bas (power over death and the dead), Beatha (power over life), Inntinn (power over the mind), Nadarra (power over natural things, and Uine (power over space -extinct).
There are two storylines in this novel. One of Theodora’s and the other, of Kai’s.
The first three chapters tell us about Theodora who grew up at the House. It is the home for girls without power. She had no memories of her life before the House. When she turned six years old, a comforting melody appears in her dreams or nightmares almost every other night. This melody was asking her to do something she doesn’t understand. When she decided to follow the melody, she went out of the House and to the forest. She stopped at a forest pool that glowed an electric blue. Out of curiosity, she dips her finger into the pool. Never did she realized that this will be the cause of the death of the 17 innocent people living in the House.
Due to the fire incident that burned the House, Theodora was taken to the village and was kept at the attic of a dark green house. On the fourth day, she met Gunnar, who took her out of the village house to her new home.
In another territory called Bas, we follow the story Kai, a half-blood like Theodora and a Death Arm’s warrior. Kai is an occasional assassin following the orders of Gothar, cinn (leader) of Ann Eadar.
It might take several chapters before the two main characters will meet. But the in-between events will capture your interest and imagination.
The rest of the story will take us into different magical places and interesting supporting characters. There is an interesting revelation near the end that will surely capture your attention up until the last page.
Good thing I’ve been patient enough to finish it. It has taken several chapters to get to know the backstories of the main characters. Several Scottish Gaelic words were used in the story that it would have been better if the glossary was placed at the beginning of the novel. I’ve only come to know that there was a glossary when I finished the last chapter. 😀
I enjoyed reading this novel. It's a magical world, has interesting characters and the concept of the story is unique. I would like to know what happens to Theodora and Kai in the next book! If you're a fan of fantasy, adventure, and magic, I recommend this book to you!
I’m grateful to the publisher and to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review the eARC of this novel.
There are two storylines in this novel. One of Theodora’s and the other, of Kai’s.
The first three chapters tell us about Theodora who grew up at the House. It is the home for girls without power. She had no memories of her life before the House. When she turned six years old, a comforting melody appears in her dreams or nightmares almost every other night. This melody was asking her to do something she doesn’t understand. When she decided to follow the melody, she went out of the House and to the forest. She stopped at a forest pool that glowed an electric blue. Out of curiosity, she dips her finger into the pool. Never did she realized that this will be the cause of the death of the 17 innocent people living in the House.
Due to the fire incident that burned the House, Theodora was taken to the village and was kept at the attic of a dark green house. On the fourth day, she met Gunnar, who took her out of the village house to her new home.
In another territory called Bas, we follow the story Kai, a half-blood like Theodora and a Death Arm’s warrior. Kai is an occasional assassin following the orders of Gothar, cinn (leader) of Ann Eadar.
It might take several chapters before the two main characters will meet. But the in-between events will capture your interest and imagination.
The rest of the story will take us into different magical places and interesting supporting characters. There is an interesting revelation near the end that will surely capture your attention up until the last page.
Good thing I’ve been patient enough to finish it. It has taken several chapters to get to know the backstories of the main characters. Several Scottish Gaelic words were used in the story that it would have been better if the glossary was placed at the beginning of the novel. I’ve only come to know that there was a glossary when I finished the last chapter. 😀
I enjoyed reading this novel. It's a magical world, has interesting characters and the concept of the story is unique. I would like to know what happens to Theodora and Kai in the next book! If you're a fan of fantasy, adventure, and magic, I recommend this book to you!
I’m grateful to the publisher and to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review the eARC of this novel.
August 20, 2020
I received an arc of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5/5 stars
The story is written in two storylines, two main characters, who are linked to each other throughout the story. It takes place over a period of years and also in different locations. It feels like a well-founded fantasy novel/ world in which these characters find themselves. We follow the story of Theodora, a young girl with a unique and unknown power. On the other hand Kai, a warrior with an interesting and dangerous power of his own.
The author used Scottish Gaelic language as a base for a lot of names of characters, locations etc. It give this world and story an interesting sound. Although a lot of names were mentioned throughout the story, and it sometimes became difficult to remember who the character was, or what the places were named. It took me a while to get back in the story when I got lost, but overall it was interesting enough for me to continue reading.
The fantasy world has interesting elements, I've already mentioned the Scottish-linked names, besides that I find the way the powers are distributed, or the powers that characters have very interesting. There powers are linked to the color of their eyes, which I find a nice aspect of the story.
The first chapters gave an introduction to the world and the main characters, but it doesn't have much substance in their characteristics. We don't really get to know them, but that due to the fact that years go by, and with that the characters grow, change and so do their powers and relationships with other characters.
The side characters we meet throughout the chapters are interesting, peculiar in their own way, and sometimes it's a pity that we don't read about them anymore. I find that there are a lot of fascinating storylines and relationships in the book, that I wish I could read more about.
The story kind of slowed down for me in the middle, but got very good near the last 30% of the book. The years went by faster, the storylines came closer together, it got very exciting to read. The story is captivating and the end of the story certainly makes me want to read more about it. I am looking forward to the sequel in the series.
3.5/5 stars
The story is written in two storylines, two main characters, who are linked to each other throughout the story. It takes place over a period of years and also in different locations. It feels like a well-founded fantasy novel/ world in which these characters find themselves. We follow the story of Theodora, a young girl with a unique and unknown power. On the other hand Kai, a warrior with an interesting and dangerous power of his own.
The author used Scottish Gaelic language as a base for a lot of names of characters, locations etc. It give this world and story an interesting sound. Although a lot of names were mentioned throughout the story, and it sometimes became difficult to remember who the character was, or what the places were named. It took me a while to get back in the story when I got lost, but overall it was interesting enough for me to continue reading.
The fantasy world has interesting elements, I've already mentioned the Scottish-linked names, besides that I find the way the powers are distributed, or the powers that characters have very interesting. There powers are linked to the color of their eyes, which I find a nice aspect of the story.
The first chapters gave an introduction to the world and the main characters, but it doesn't have much substance in their characteristics. We don't really get to know them, but that due to the fact that years go by, and with that the characters grow, change and so do their powers and relationships with other characters.
The side characters we meet throughout the chapters are interesting, peculiar in their own way, and sometimes it's a pity that we don't read about them anymore. I find that there are a lot of fascinating storylines and relationships in the book, that I wish I could read more about.
The story kind of slowed down for me in the middle, but got very good near the last 30% of the book. The years went by faster, the storylines came closer together, it got very exciting to read. The story is captivating and the end of the story certainly makes me want to read more about it. I am looking forward to the sequel in the series.
August 6, 2020
I received an eBook copy from the publisher in return for an honest review.
6-year-old Theadora comes to find her powers in a devastating event. Not only has she lost everything and everyone she knew, but she gains something mysterious and deadly that not even others with powers can explain.
Kai is an assassin for a powerful man, but no one knows his deepest secret: the shadows he calls to assist with his kills.
While reading, I really wanted to enjoy this book. But there were lacking elements. While the plot story is intriguing and eventful, but not until Part 2 of the book, the world building is blotchy and the magical abilities are thrown at the reader sporadically. The author jumps paragraphs with important details, which calls for minutes and minutes of re-reading for better understanding of what's going on.
Also, Part 1 describes new-to-adulthood Kai and 6-year-old Theodora, which I described above as uneventful. Although boring, it did describe what was going on in their minds as they used their powers and their emotions surrounding them. Part 2 jumped about 6 years into the future without much of an explanation on what happened during that time period. Kai was still in his self-induced heal prison and Thea hasn't learned anything new about her powers. At this point in the book, things start getting a little more interesting. However, there were other periods where the book jumped months, or even years, ahead without explanation.
The glossary in the back of the book is helpful, and if kept open on another screen, comes in handy.
The plot is interesting and I will be looking for the next book in the series to learn more about Thea's and Kai's "power" struggle and search for the hidden cities.
6-year-old Theadora comes to find her powers in a devastating event. Not only has she lost everything and everyone she knew, but she gains something mysterious and deadly that not even others with powers can explain.
Kai is an assassin for a powerful man, but no one knows his deepest secret: the shadows he calls to assist with his kills.
While reading, I really wanted to enjoy this book. But there were lacking elements. While the plot story is intriguing and eventful, but not until Part 2 of the book, the world building is blotchy and the magical abilities are thrown at the reader sporadically. The author jumps paragraphs with important details, which calls for minutes and minutes of re-reading for better understanding of what's going on.
Also, Part 1 describes new-to-adulthood Kai and 6-year-old Theodora, which I described above as uneventful. Although boring, it did describe what was going on in their minds as they used their powers and their emotions surrounding them. Part 2 jumped about 6 years into the future without much of an explanation on what happened during that time period. Kai was still in his self-induced heal prison and Thea hasn't learned anything new about her powers. At this point in the book, things start getting a little more interesting. However, there were other periods where the book jumped months, or even years, ahead without explanation.
The glossary in the back of the book is helpful, and if kept open on another screen, comes in handy.
The plot is interesting and I will be looking for the next book in the series to learn more about Thea's and Kai's "power" struggle and search for the hidden cities.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2020
From Fire and Shadows is a dual point of view story, focusing on two main characters, Theadora and Kai. These two characters are different on so many levels yet they both had the same impact and I grew to care for both of them.
The worldbuilding was one of my favorite aspects of the book. From the first chapter, I was able to see how talented the author is when it comes to describing the layout of the land as well as the different cultures and hierarchies. Every different place of the world is treated fairly when it comes to description and it sucked me right into the book.
Personally, I thought it would be difficult for me to enjoy a story that was mostly narrated by a 6-year-old Theadora. But I was pleasantly surprised with the direction it was going, especially in the second part, as years pass and Theadora grows up.
Yet something that kind of made it difficult for me to fly through the story was the numerous Scottish Gaelix words that the author added to the story. In any book that has their own terminology, it takes me a while to fully grasp the context in which they are used. Luckily for me, I have read multiple fantasy books and they all come with their own difficult terminologies so once I understood the context, it was easier for me to get through the story. However, I could see how this would push someone away from fully enjoying the story.
Throughout the book, I quickly came to the realization that I greatly preferred Kai’s perspective, especially in the first part. But I grew to enjoy Thea’s perspective once I passed the second part. It was much more strongly written and her voice changed, along with her age.
From Fire and Shadows is a strong start to a series that has great potential and I can’t wait to read more about Kai and Thea.
The worldbuilding was one of my favorite aspects of the book. From the first chapter, I was able to see how talented the author is when it comes to describing the layout of the land as well as the different cultures and hierarchies. Every different place of the world is treated fairly when it comes to description and it sucked me right into the book.
Personally, I thought it would be difficult for me to enjoy a story that was mostly narrated by a 6-year-old Theadora. But I was pleasantly surprised with the direction it was going, especially in the second part, as years pass and Theadora grows up.
Yet something that kind of made it difficult for me to fly through the story was the numerous Scottish Gaelix words that the author added to the story. In any book that has their own terminology, it takes me a while to fully grasp the context in which they are used. Luckily for me, I have read multiple fantasy books and they all come with their own difficult terminologies so once I understood the context, it was easier for me to get through the story. However, I could see how this would push someone away from fully enjoying the story.
Throughout the book, I quickly came to the realization that I greatly preferred Kai’s perspective, especially in the first part. But I grew to enjoy Thea’s perspective once I passed the second part. It was much more strongly written and her voice changed, along with her age.
From Fire and Shadows is a strong start to a series that has great potential and I can’t wait to read more about Kai and Thea.
October 1, 2020
ARC from NetGalley
I'm not entirely sure why this gets such low reviews. I really enjoyed this book. Sure, it could use an edit, but it's an ARC. It brought me back to previous high fantasy I'd read as a child. It had the same ethereal feeling of wonder.
We follow Theodora (Thea) from age 6 to age 17 as she and her powers grow. People have called this book slow, but I thought it was paced nicely with Thea uncovering new powers often enough to satisfy. The reactions of the adults when they realized how strong she was were particularly enjoyable. I love an OP MC when done well, and this was done well. Thea is terrified of what she can do and what she can't control.
The magic system is fascinating. The setting is gorgeous. There wasn't a lot of character development, but I think that aspect will be a bit of a slower burn. This book had 0 romance. I love romance. It's one of the more important facets of a book for me, but I didn't miss it. It had enough going on to keep me turning the pages, so much so that I had to forbid myself from starting to read it before I was done with my work lest the work not get done.
At first, I was flitting through the Kai pages because I wanted to know more about Theodora, but eventually the Kai pages gripped me too. I hope he gets a bit more growth in the coming book. His gritty, dark bits nicely offset the shiny happy discoveries of Thea as a child.
All in all, a solid first book in a high fantasy series. I'm eager to read the next one.
I'm not entirely sure why this gets such low reviews. I really enjoyed this book. Sure, it could use an edit, but it's an ARC. It brought me back to previous high fantasy I'd read as a child. It had the same ethereal feeling of wonder.
We follow Theodora (Thea) from age 6 to age 17 as she and her powers grow. People have called this book slow, but I thought it was paced nicely with Thea uncovering new powers often enough to satisfy. The reactions of the adults when they realized how strong she was were particularly enjoyable. I love an OP MC when done well, and this was done well. Thea is terrified of what she can do and what she can't control.
The magic system is fascinating. The setting is gorgeous. There wasn't a lot of character development, but I think that aspect will be a bit of a slower burn. This book had 0 romance. I love romance. It's one of the more important facets of a book for me, but I didn't miss it. It had enough going on to keep me turning the pages, so much so that I had to forbid myself from starting to read it before I was done with my work lest the work not get done.
At first, I was flitting through the Kai pages because I wanted to know more about Theodora, but eventually the Kai pages gripped me too. I hope he gets a bit more growth in the coming book. His gritty, dark bits nicely offset the shiny happy discoveries of Thea as a child.
All in all, a solid first book in a high fantasy series. I'm eager to read the next one.
November 29, 2020
First, I want to take a moment to admire the book cover. It drew me in right away to From Fire and Shadows by J. F. Baptista. I was curious to see what this is about.
Alright, the world building was beautifully done. You really get a feel of the culture, and character building. I would say that the magic system is a bit confusing to follow and understand how the rules work. Even so, I think this will become more clear as the story progresses in the sequel. Also, the time jump can be hard to follow at times.
What I did like about the story is that the characters were quite intriguing and you will want to know more about them. This book is a dual-narrative with the two main protagonists Theodora and Kai. Of course, they discover they have a big destiny to fulfill which is to stop the global war! Awesome, right? lol
Sometimes it was hard to push through the story. It starts off really well then suddenly becomes a bit flat but does pick up again. A lot of ground-work was laid out in this book so I'm thinking in the second book there will be more action. I am curious to see where the sequel goes.
There is a lot of Gaelic words used throughout the story and sometimes explained in the narrative. But if you are still not sure, there is a glossary at the back of the book. I thought this was a cool touch to enrich the story! :)
Lastly, I want to say thank you to BookSirens. I received an advance reader's copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Alright, the world building was beautifully done. You really get a feel of the culture, and character building. I would say that the magic system is a bit confusing to follow and understand how the rules work. Even so, I think this will become more clear as the story progresses in the sequel. Also, the time jump can be hard to follow at times.
What I did like about the story is that the characters were quite intriguing and you will want to know more about them. This book is a dual-narrative with the two main protagonists Theodora and Kai. Of course, they discover they have a big destiny to fulfill which is to stop the global war! Awesome, right? lol
Sometimes it was hard to push through the story. It starts off really well then suddenly becomes a bit flat but does pick up again. A lot of ground-work was laid out in this book so I'm thinking in the second book there will be more action. I am curious to see where the sequel goes.
There is a lot of Gaelic words used throughout the story and sometimes explained in the narrative. But if you are still not sure, there is a glossary at the back of the book. I thought this was a cool touch to enrich the story! :)
Lastly, I want to say thank you to BookSirens. I received an advance reader's copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 7, 2020
One thing that I truly admired about this novel was the world-building. From the first few pages, Baptista began to create a setting of a world that is intriguing and had room to grow and expand as the plot progressed. This was also benefited by the continuous moving of characters and dual points of view.
I struggled at the beginning to feel invested in the characters or the plot. It wasn't until chapter 10 that I began to understand the plot and the motivations behind different characters.
For the first 2/3 of the book, I would say that I would have given From Fire and Shadows 2 stars. However, the last third redeemed it and brought my rating up to 3 out of 5.
For the characters, I enjoyed the two different points of view so that the reader could see the different power groupings and territories. The contrast between Thea and Kai was jarring in a good way as you switch between a child/teen's naivety to a hardened warrior who has dealt with death his whole life. I did find that there were many secondary characters and I kept losing track of them all. I also wish that there was more interaction with them, such as Ikar and Gene, instead of the long descriptive sections of the settings.
Overall it wasn't a bad read, and I did stay up late to finish it.
*I received an eARC through NetGalley*
August 14, 2020
When Thea was taken under the wing of Gunner a tall stranger after burning down the only place she knew as home and killing the only friend she had Thea embarks on a journey of discovery about powers that she never knew she possessed. Powers that she was not able to control. Thea made friends with brothers Lin and Leit who would become very important in her life during her time with Gunner and beyond.
In another world Death Warrior Kai was hiding the powers he never wanted from all that knew him. But there was a link between Thea and Kai that they did not understand and although they had never met they were on a path towards each other.
I found this story very confusing initially and at times through out the book and I really wished that the glossary was at the beginning of the book rather than at the end as it made it difficult to understand some of the language that was used. In saying that I still really enjoyed this story. Both Kai and Thea were interesting although Thea was sometimes frustrating with her naivety and the fallout from her actions. The side characters like Gunnar, the brothers and Ungar also added depth to the storyline. I look forward to reading the next in the series to find out what is in store for all the characters.
3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review
In another world Death Warrior Kai was hiding the powers he never wanted from all that knew him. But there was a link between Thea and Kai that they did not understand and although they had never met they were on a path towards each other.
I found this story very confusing initially and at times through out the book and I really wished that the glossary was at the beginning of the book rather than at the end as it made it difficult to understand some of the language that was used. In saying that I still really enjoyed this story. Both Kai and Thea were interesting although Thea was sometimes frustrating with her naivety and the fallout from her actions. The side characters like Gunnar, the brothers and Ungar also added depth to the storyline. I look forward to reading the next in the series to find out what is in store for all the characters.
3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review
August 1, 2020
Fire and Shadows is a fantastic read with an intricate plot in a colorful new world. The fantasy elements are masterfully intertwined in a political war to make a story that you won’t want to put down. This is not a surface level book but instead one that actually makes you think and follow along with engagement. There can be some confusion as to what is going on during portions of the book but I think once the reader gets used to the strange dialect and names for specific power lineages, the book creates its own beautiful culture. I did have an issue with the abrupt age switch at the middle of the book because it felt weird going from a confused little girl as the main narrator to a more away pre-pubescent Individual. There was also some confusion with the POV switch between Kai and Thea because I couldn’t see how they could possible link until the very end. This would generally be a good strategy but I believe me I also felt less invested or interested in Kai’s story than Thea’s. Overall, I loved this book but I feel like the sequence of events and transitions could have been organized better. Definitely would recommend this book. I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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