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A review by jrbournville
Blaze of Secrets by Jessie Donovan
5.0
When scrolling through the Goodreads R4R thread I noticed this title and was immediately interested. Blaze of Secrets is the first book in the Asylums for Magical Threats series by Jessie Donovan. I was lucky enough to be given a copy to review and what I found there really impressed me.
The Feiru, a magical species living in hiding from Human sight, go to such extreme lengths to avoid discovery that they would even lock their children away for life in one of the prisons for magic users. For many years, first-born children have been sent away to prison as they are the ones gifted with ability to work elemental magic.
We meet Kiarra Melini, an inmate at one of these prisons, who overheard her researcher discussing the uses and implications of her blood and the dangerous secrets it holds. She decides that if Feiru are to survive and keep their abilities, she needs to die. Prepared to take her own life with a blade crudely fashioned from a hair brush handle, Kiarra is stopped at the last moment by a surprisingly handsome intruder.
Jaxton Ward, a DEFEND officer, has been sent to infiltrate the prison compound and rescue Kiarra. Neither realise it at the time, but it is the beginning of a drastic change for them both.
Once free of the compound, Jaxton takes Kiarra under his wing, training her to function once again as a person and to join DEFEND – an anti-prison activist group. Training together, Kiarra finds herself attracted to this man in a most unnerving way. Having spent so many years fearing the touch of the researchers and other members of staff inside the prison, Kiarra has to learn to trust and overcome the demons of her past.
The prison retrieval squad hunt for Kiarra forcing her to work with Jaxton to evade capture of both herself and a fellow recent escapee – Jaxton’s brother. Through twists and turns we follow Kiarra and Jax as passions and tempers flare. When the co-leader of DEFEND informs Kiarra of a closely guarded secret, Kiarra refuses to believe the myths to be true; especially as they are about her.
The romance between Kiarra and Jaxton is strong throughout the book without feeling forced at any time, making for an easy and incredibly enjoyable read. The inclusion of the Feiru and their history in relation to real-world events gives this book a distinctive feel; you almost want to believe it to be true. As a species of their own, the Feiru are a wonderfully rounded creation with their own myths and traditions, laws and punishments.
As a romance book I found this to be one of the better ones I have ever read, and as a first novel it excelled far beyond my expectations. The ending to this book answers enough of the reader’s questions to appease them, yet leaves plenty open for the continuation of the series – something I will most certainly be reading.
The Feiru, a magical species living in hiding from Human sight, go to such extreme lengths to avoid discovery that they would even lock their children away for life in one of the prisons for magic users. For many years, first-born children have been sent away to prison as they are the ones gifted with ability to work elemental magic.
We meet Kiarra Melini, an inmate at one of these prisons, who overheard her researcher discussing the uses and implications of her blood and the dangerous secrets it holds. She decides that if Feiru are to survive and keep their abilities, she needs to die. Prepared to take her own life with a blade crudely fashioned from a hair brush handle, Kiarra is stopped at the last moment by a surprisingly handsome intruder.
Jaxton Ward, a DEFEND officer, has been sent to infiltrate the prison compound and rescue Kiarra. Neither realise it at the time, but it is the beginning of a drastic change for them both.
Once free of the compound, Jaxton takes Kiarra under his wing, training her to function once again as a person and to join DEFEND – an anti-prison activist group. Training together, Kiarra finds herself attracted to this man in a most unnerving way. Having spent so many years fearing the touch of the researchers and other members of staff inside the prison, Kiarra has to learn to trust and overcome the demons of her past.
The prison retrieval squad hunt for Kiarra forcing her to work with Jaxton to evade capture of both herself and a fellow recent escapee – Jaxton’s brother. Through twists and turns we follow Kiarra and Jax as passions and tempers flare. When the co-leader of DEFEND informs Kiarra of a closely guarded secret, Kiarra refuses to believe the myths to be true; especially as they are about her.
The romance between Kiarra and Jaxton is strong throughout the book without feeling forced at any time, making for an easy and incredibly enjoyable read. The inclusion of the Feiru and their history in relation to real-world events gives this book a distinctive feel; you almost want to believe it to be true. As a species of their own, the Feiru are a wonderfully rounded creation with their own myths and traditions, laws and punishments.
As a romance book I found this to be one of the better ones I have ever read, and as a first novel it excelled far beyond my expectations. The ending to this book answers enough of the reader’s questions to appease them, yet leaves plenty open for the continuation of the series – something I will most certainly be reading.