readingwithmrleo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
This one wasn't for me and the only reason I did not DNF the book was because I was part of a book tour and felt like I did commit to reading it. But this isn't going to be a great review considering how I had such a hard time reading it.
First off, our FMC annoyed me to a point where I actually wanted to burn the book. (Really wished those flames would come alive and put me out of my misery.) She had no plan whatsoever and somehow miraculously survived everything without doing anything special. I honestly don't even get why people helped her and fell for her so quickly… I'm speechless. I'm okay with flawed characters that have a great evolution, but I didn't see that happening for Karys. She was also the worst fake actress ever, like how could she believe these people even believed one second she was not there to sabotage them is beyond me.
The relationship had no evolution. I don't know, I've seen relationships developed in a day that were more believable than this one who stretched over months. It was kind of an insta love in reality… which I hate. And the whole: I'm mad at you for betraying me but I'm also betraying you… like… girl, you have no right being mad at him cause you are WAY worse.
The world building was really hard to understand for me. Lots of info dumps and I still have so many questions anyway.. I have no idea how half the characters looked and had a hard time picturing anything. Some things I thought would be useful later but never came back.. I also think this book is way too long for nothing. I'd cut half those pages out. It was going so slowly, I really didn't need one chapter of our FMC talking about cooking… get to the damn point.
Okay, so after all that… What did I like, you ask?
I liked Moth. A lot. (but then I was so mad she sent him away the way she did, unforgivable).
I did like Davryn and the other Gods with him. I wished we learned more about them considering this book was 600 freaking pages long.
I liked the core of this story, like I was intrigued but the whole package made it hard to enjoy.
So that's it. I'm not so sure what is wrong with me, maybe it was bad timing, too many fantasy reads in a row, the seasonal depression, I don't know. But everyone seemed to like this one so maybe this book will be your favourite book of the year for all we know! Don't let my grinchy grinch review stop you from reading it!
Thanks to BookOfMatchedMedia for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
First off, our FMC annoyed me to a point where I actually wanted to burn the book. (Really wished those flames would come alive and put me out of my misery.) She had no plan whatsoever and somehow miraculously survived everything without doing anything special. I honestly don't even get why people helped her and fell for her so quickly… I'm speechless. I'm okay with flawed characters that have a great evolution, but I didn't see that happening for Karys. She was also the worst fake actress ever, like how could she believe these people even believed one second she was not there to sabotage them is beyond me.
The relationship had no evolution. I don't know, I've seen relationships developed in a day that were more believable than this one who stretched over months. It was kind of an insta love in reality… which I hate. And the whole: I'm mad at you for betraying me but I'm also betraying you… like… girl, you have no right being mad at him cause you are WAY worse.
The world building was really hard to understand for me. Lots of info dumps and I still have so many questions anyway.. I have no idea how half the characters looked and had a hard time picturing anything. Some things I thought would be useful later but never came back.. I also think this book is way too long for nothing. I'd cut half those pages out. It was going so slowly, I really didn't need one chapter of our FMC talking about cooking… get to the damn point.
Okay, so after all that… What did I like, you ask?
I liked Moth. A lot. (but then I was so mad she sent him away the way she did, unforgivable).
I did like Davryn and the other Gods with him. I wished we learned more about them considering this book was 600 freaking pages long.
I liked the core of this story, like I was intrigued but the whole package made it hard to enjoy.
So that's it. I'm not so sure what is wrong with me, maybe it was bad timing, too many fantasy reads in a row, the seasonal depression, I don't know. But everyone seemed to like this one so maybe this book will be your favourite book of the year for all we know! Don't let my grinchy grinch review stop you from reading it!
Thanks to BookOfMatchedMedia for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
noodlecatreads's review
5.0
Words can’t even do justice to how much I loved this book. I buddy read this with a few of the girlies and was YODELING at them constantly after like every chapter.
The tension is THICC the stakes are HIGH and I am now in the market for my own fire daddy.
I loved how the trials incorporated riddles the FMC had to figure out while fighting for her life. I also really enjoyed how the author portrayed the FMCs OCD and how she used her ability to find patterns and puzzles in things. It was honestly really cool to read.
That betrayal/plot twist that I should’ve seen coming but didn’t?!? The gasp that came out of my mouth could’ve been heard for miles. Phenomenal. The betrayal on both sides honestly.
This book had me on the edge of my seat the. entire. time. I was STRESSED. My eyes were racing across the pages nonstop because the stakes were so high and they continued to climb higher.
The writing is absolutely flawless and the scenes flow together so seamlessly I forgot I was even reading a book. It was incredible.
The ending was perfection and left me with more questions than answers but I am absolutely vibrating in anticipation for the next book.
I cannot recommend this read enough. It was everything I could’ve wanted and more. This was my first S.M. Gaither book but if her other works are even remotely as fantastic as this one, then I will be buying and devouring all of them. Well done
The tension is THICC the stakes are HIGH and I am now in the market for my own fire daddy.
I loved how the trials incorporated riddles the FMC had to figure out while fighting for her life. I also really enjoyed how the author portrayed the FMCs OCD and how she used her ability to find patterns and puzzles in things. It was honestly really cool to read.
That betrayal/plot twist that I should’ve seen coming but didn’t?!? The gasp that came out of my mouth could’ve been heard for miles. Phenomenal. The betrayal on both sides honestly.
This book had me on the edge of my seat the. entire. time. I was STRESSED. My eyes were racing across the pages nonstop because the stakes were so high and they continued to climb higher.
The writing is absolutely flawless and the scenes flow together so seamlessly I forgot I was even reading a book. It was incredible.
The ending was perfection and left me with more questions than answers but I am absolutely vibrating in anticipation for the next book.
I cannot recommend this read enough. It was everything I could’ve wanted and more. This was my first S.M. Gaither book but if her other works are even remotely as fantastic as this one, then I will be buying and devouring all of them. Well done
gabydarling's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Sarah J Maas meets Neil Gaiman.
“If it’s any encouragement, I am imploring you to commit blasphemy” 🥵🥵🌶️🌶️
I love it, and I love that this is a small author and it’s on kindle unlimited. I love that it’s a new book and relatively unknown. And I truly hope so many people find this series and fall in love with it. For those reasons, I’m putting 5 stars for goodreads, but it’s really 4.2 stars.
It’s witty. The main characters are interesting with good arcs. Valas and Moth are absolutely stand out side characters. It’s a great world.
It’s missing on 5 stars for 2 reasons:
Not one but TWO misunderstandings that fully derail the plot… WHYYY. The misunderstanding trope is awful and frustrating.
It’s slow at times. Off and on throughout. I’d find myself getting addicted and then something would happen and were in another part of the plot that’s slow again.
“If it’s any encouragement, I am imploring you to commit blasphemy” 🥵🥵🌶️🌶️
I love it, and I love that this is a small author and it’s on kindle unlimited. I love that it’s a new book and relatively unknown. And I truly hope so many people find this series and fall in love with it. For those reasons, I’m putting 5 stars for goodreads, but it’s really 4.2 stars.
It’s witty. The main characters are interesting with good arcs. Valas and Moth are absolutely stand out side characters. It’s a great world.
It’s missing on 5 stars for 2 reasons:
Not one but TWO misunderstandings that fully derail the plot… WHYYY. The misunderstanding trope is awful and frustrating.
It’s slow at times. Off and on throughout. I’d find myself getting addicted and then something would happen and were in another part of the plot that’s slow again.
one_more_chapter96's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Great world building, loved the different Courts and powers as a concept, mixed with the Elves being exiled. Cool character arcs, some twists and turns & I loved the the FMC was never fully clueless or found answers to the questions I had quite quickly, and there didn’t seem to be many plot holes at all which was great. Good spice and funny parts too. Loved the ending.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Toxic friendship, Murder, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Grief
Minor: Death, Death of parent, and Sexual content
viickyreads's review
5.0
Flame & Sparrow is a captivating fantasy novel that journeys into a world where mortals and elves clash against gods, secrets that lie behind revenge, and will have you immersed into a plot of magic and trials.
Kary goes through the dangers of trying to destroy the gods and their realm, making her reckless but a strong and determined protagonist. The God of Fire, Dravyn, is reluctant to share much at first but he becomes a lot more likable as the story progresses. He continues to add flames to the forbidden romance that is growing between them. I also adore the cute animal sidekicks such as Moth, the griffin!
Tropes you can find in Flame and Sparrow are found family, enemies-to-lovers, he falls first, and more. It does have some slow-burn spice as well. All which I enjoyed!
Moreover, the world-building was intriguing and there was enough description to create a vivid and unique imagination. This explores the themes of trust, betrayal, the two opposing sides of gods and humans, which all will lead you anticipating for more. It’s great for readers who love fantasy and gods.
Kary goes through the dangers of trying to destroy the gods and their realm, making her reckless but a strong and determined protagonist. The God of Fire, Dravyn, is reluctant to share much at first but he becomes a lot more likable as the story progresses. He continues to add flames to the forbidden romance that is growing between them. I also adore the cute animal sidekicks such as Moth, the griffin!
Tropes you can find in Flame and Sparrow are found family, enemies-to-lovers, he falls first, and more. It does have some slow-burn spice as well. All which I enjoyed!
Moreover, the world-building was intriguing and there was enough description to create a vivid and unique imagination. This explores the themes of trust, betrayal, the two opposing sides of gods and humans, which all will lead you anticipating for more. It’s great for readers who love fantasy and gods.
shelbrei's review
5.0
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review (thank you S.M. Gaither!!) and I’m so glad I did!
This book has a little bit of everything you look for in a fantasy book: an intricate magical system, meddling gods, enemies to lovers, hidden identities, animal companions and so much more. I loved that the book made it easy to picture what was happening and provided enough detail to really understand and be able to immerse yourself in the scenes.
Karys is such a strong FMC with a little bit of sass to her and that’s the kind of FMC I love reading about. Watching her relationship with Dravyn develop and change was so much fun.
The twists the book had were also fantastic - the last 30% of the book especially kept me turning pages until I was done. It left me in high anticipation for the next book! Can’t wait to continue reading about these two and where their story goes from here.
This book has a little bit of everything you look for in a fantasy book: an intricate magical system, meddling gods, enemies to lovers, hidden identities, animal companions and so much more. I loved that the book made it easy to picture what was happening and provided enough detail to really understand and be able to immerse yourself in the scenes.
Karys is such a strong FMC with a little bit of sass to her and that’s the kind of FMC I love reading about. Watching her relationship with Dravyn develop and change was so much fun.
The twists the book had were also fantastic - the last 30% of the book especially kept me turning pages until I was done. It left me in high anticipation for the next book! Can’t wait to continue reading about these two and where their story goes from here.
copyrightxcasey's review against another edition
5.0
I was provided an early copy of this title for free by the author (but she thick, so yes I am dreadfully late to the game) and am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was such an easy five stars, in that I literally couldn’t find a single negative thing to say about this book if I looked through it with a fine tooth comb. This was my first S.M. Gaither READ- I have another of her books on my tbr- and if I learned anything it’s that she is very good at what she does.
Beautifully, vividly written. If you love your romantasy with enemies to lovers vibes, some spicy spice, an intriguing plot and a tribe of lovable side characters (We ALL need our very own Moth) then I would highly recommend letting yourself be swept away by this first part of Karys and Dravyn’s duology!
This was such an easy five stars, in that I literally couldn’t find a single negative thing to say about this book if I looked through it with a fine tooth comb. This was my first S.M. Gaither READ- I have another of her books on my tbr- and if I learned anything it’s that she is very good at what she does.
Beautifully, vividly written. If you love your romantasy with enemies to lovers vibes, some spicy spice, an intriguing plot and a tribe of lovable side characters (We ALL need our very own Moth) then I would highly recommend letting yourself be swept away by this first part of Karys and Dravyn’s duology!
nerdydevil's review against another edition
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
frombrunvandash's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to the author, S.M. Gaither, and her team for providing me with an ARC of this amazing book!
Ever since her sister's death, Karys has been following in her sister's footsteps to help kill the gods. As velkyn (elves), Karys and her kind were once more powerful than the Marr, the middle-gods who now oversee the mortal realm. However, once the elves were deemed unworthy by the creators of the realms, they were stripped of their power, becoming displaced and discriminated against by humans and the Marr alike. After helping to burn down a newly constructed temple dedicated to the Fire Marr, Karys is captured and nearly burned at the stake by humans. On the pyre, she's faced with two choices: burn to death or make a deal with Dravyn, the very god she intends to kill. Realizing this is her chance to destroy the Marr from within, Karys agrees to serve in the Fire god's court. However, once she arrives in the divine realm, she begins to question everything she once believed.
I absolutely loved Flame and Sparrow. This slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance delivers everything you'd expect of a well-written high fantasy. The world-building was intricate (yet also familiar from the author's previous series). The plot is fast-paced and action-packed, keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout. Many gods (Moraki and Marr) are introduced in this book and I was genuinely interested in each one, enjoying their unique powers and descriptions. The dialogue is witty and full of banter, and the found family aspect really stood out to me. Overall, the tension between Karys and Dravyn was perfect (even if the slow burn was a tiny bit drawn out). Also, Moth and Zell are my new favorite furry sidekicks!
I highly recommend Flame and Sparrow to any reader who enjoys high fantasy romances. I can't wait for Karys and Dravyn's HEA in the next book. I'm also looking forward to any additional installments in this series–we've been introduced to so many interesting gods/characters and I hope we'll get more of their stories too.
Ever since her sister's death, Karys has been following in her sister's footsteps to help kill the gods. As velkyn (elves), Karys and her kind were once more powerful than the Marr, the middle-gods who now oversee the mortal realm. However, once the elves were deemed unworthy by the creators of the realms, they were stripped of their power, becoming displaced and discriminated against by humans and the Marr alike. After helping to burn down a newly constructed temple dedicated to the Fire Marr, Karys is captured and nearly burned at the stake by humans. On the pyre, she's faced with two choices: burn to death or make a deal with Dravyn, the very god she intends to kill. Realizing this is her chance to destroy the Marr from within, Karys agrees to serve in the Fire god's court. However, once she arrives in the divine realm, she begins to question everything she once believed.
I absolutely loved Flame and Sparrow. This slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance delivers everything you'd expect of a well-written high fantasy. The world-building was intricate (yet also familiar from the author's previous series). The plot is fast-paced and action-packed, keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout. Many gods (Moraki and Marr) are introduced in this book and I was genuinely interested in each one, enjoying their unique powers and descriptions. The dialogue is witty and full of banter, and the found family aspect really stood out to me. Overall, the tension between Karys and Dravyn was perfect (even if the slow burn was a tiny bit drawn out). Also, Moth and Zell are my new favorite furry sidekicks!
I highly recommend Flame and Sparrow to any reader who enjoys high fantasy romances. I can't wait for Karys and Dravyn's HEA in the next book. I'm also looking forward to any additional installments in this series–we've been introduced to so many interesting gods/characters and I hope we'll get more of their stories too.