Flamecaster (Shattered Realms #1)

Summary:

Adrian sul’Han, known as Ash, is a trained healer with a powerful gift of magic—and a thirst for revenge. The son of the queen of the Fells, Ash is forced into hiding after a series of murders throws the queendom into chaos. Now Ash is closer than he’s ever been to killing the man responsible, the cruel king of Arden. As a healer, can Ash use his powers not to save a life but to take it?

A blood-based curse.

Abandoned at birth, Jenna Bandelow was told the mysterious magemark on the back of her neck would make her a target. But when the King’s Guard launches a relentless search for a girl with a mark like hers, Jenna assumes that it has more to do with her role as a saboteur than any birth-based curse. Though Jenna doesn’t know why she’s being hunted, she knows that she can’t get caught.

Destiny’s fiery hand.

Eventually, Ash’s and Jenna’s paths will collide in Arden. Thrown together by chance and joined by their hatred of the king, they will come to rescue each other in ways they cannot yet imagine.

Set in the world of the acclaimed Seven Realms series a generation later, this is a thrilling story of dark magic, chilling threats, and two unforgettable characters walking a knife-sharp line between life and death.   (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)

Review:

This is the beginning of a series that starts twenty years after the events of the Seven Realms series and many of the characters are the children of the main characters in the previous series.  You don’t have to read the Seven Realms series first, but there are spoilers for that series right off the bat so if you think you might have any interest I’d recommend starting there.

The reason this didn’t have a full five stars for me was because the book definitely had the slow build of a longer fantasy series and sometimes I was more aware of it.  Most of the time I don’t notice all the interwoven pieces that are setting the stage for subsequent books, but this one felt a bit more obvious and was a little distracting for me.  I think these two series I would have adored had I read them a little younger, but reading them as an adult I thought they  were very solid books with wonderful storytelling, but didn’t change my life.  

Warning: Contains violence

Rating: 4 stars!

Who should read it? Fantasy fans ready for a solid series - BUT I’d recommend considering starting with the Seven Realms series.

Want to read the whole series?

• Shadowcaster (Shattered Realms #2)

• Stormcaster (Shattered Realms #3)

• Deathcaster (Shattered Realms #4)