A Blaze of Fire By Karina Espinosa
review by Katy Grant
AVAILABLE: Friday November 4th, 20022
She had left her human world behind to save Ansel. But who
would save her from those in the Unseelie Court who would see her dead. First, she
was half fae, an abomination in the eyes of the humans as well as in the eyes
of the fae. It could be a death sentence for her sire and herself if any found
out her father was Kazimir, the Unseelie King’s General. Thankfully, even
though she looked exactly like her mother, Kazimir didn’t appear to recognize
her.
After speaking to the Seelie Queen, Ansel was allowed to attend
the Unseelie Court as an Ambassador, so he could keep watch over Violet. He
didn’t like how close his brother was becoming to her. After sneaking into her
room to see her, where their passion for each other took over, Alec warned
Ansel to stay clear of Violet or he could be the means of all their deaths.
Now within the Unseelie Court, Alec had promised to protect
her and to that end he had two loyal fae to stand watch over her. Rose was a
Pixie with no powers, a low fae, as her handmaiden and Rook who size and
fighting strengths were a bit terrifying. The plan was to demonstrate to the Unseelie
King that Violet did hold the Orb within her, therefore having the ability to
control and use all four elements, Earth, Wind, Fire and Water. The second
purpose, to have her offer fealty to him; the third, to prove to the King that once
she was completely trained and in control of her elemental powers, she would be
an asset to the Unseelie and not a threat.
To this end, her training began with Kazimir, as an elemental
fire fae. When she didn’t show promise soon enough, he pushed her off a cliff
towards the rocks and water below. Her elemental wind power stood her in good stead,
thankfully. But now she was more than ever, weary of him. As another form of
testing, the King decided to send Violet along with Kazimir to collect the taxes
from the lower fae. Kazimir and Alec both tried to object, to no avail, since
Violet herself stood before the King and accepted the task, unknowing of the
cruelty behind the act.
The journey would only take a week after all, what could be
so hard about collecting taxes. The first village they came to, Violet realized
why both men had objected to her going. The
villagers looked as if they were starving, the huts and town looked to be
falling down. She watched as a villager
was being whipped half to death because he had no tribute to offer and refused
to give up his young daughter. She couldn’t just stand by and watch. She tried
to stop the lashing but was pulled away by Alec and ushered off to the Town Hall.
Later, the beaten man lay on the ground, where they dropped him after his
lashing, as if dead. While the others
were distracted, Violet asked Rook to help her bring him into the Town Hall
where she could tend him. The Fae showed no signs of humanity, no compassion to
those who they considered beneath them.
As they left the village and headed for the next, along the trail,
they were attacked by creatures of death, Wraiths, flying down from the sky
with claws extended. Kazimir ordered men left behind to fight them off to give
the rest of them time to get away. But as Violet looked back, she could see
those left behind would not survive the attack without help. She broke free of
Alec and ran toward them to help even if it meant her death….but as she was
throwing fire at the creatures a strength broke free from within her….
She was now in mortal danger if the King found out what she
had done.
In these chapters, the Unseelie Court unfolds with all its warts,
starting with their cruel monarch pulling the strings of control. From the high
fae and their arrogant ways to the inhuman treatment of the low fae, to those
who look to a legend to somehow change their realm. She knew she couldn’t stand
by and watch this inhumanity continue, she would help where she could, while
she was here. Violet never intended to stay in this world. Somehow, she would return
to the human world.
The conspiracies, intrigue,
secrets, heartbreak and caring hearts will show themselves. Living among these beings
had showed her that they were not always what they seem on the surface. Karina
Espinosa has put her own imaginative twist to good storytelling, envisioning the
Unseelie Court in her own way. Evil is not always fully evil, characters will grow
and change, but will it be enough to save those under the King’s oppression, for
any to join in to protect Violet or is there too much fear, self-importance, or
self-preservation of the old ways. This tale ends in a twisted cliffhanger that
sends a dagger to the heart of this reader.
I love the beginning of this tale “A Hint of Delirium”, the first in this
trilogy. But “A Blaze of Fire” had me
wanting to hide in the shadows of this tale to watch, listen and somehow become
part of this riveting story.
I was given an ARC to read so that I might share what I saw
in this tale. This is what I found.
