Going Down In Flames Series by Chris Cannon

Ok I want to start off by just letting you know how I came to find this book. I was sent the 5th book to review from the publisher through netgalley. I started it thinking maybe I could read it without reading the first four books, well I was wrong, so I went out of my own money bought the other four  AND let me just say that I am so flippin happy I was wrong and that I went ahead ans spent the money because this series was sooooo good. I really hope the author comes out with more than the 5 currently available because I will more than happily read any and all of them!

Just a heads up this post will be a long one.... It features a 5 book series!

BOOK 1: Going Down in Flames

SYNOPSIS:

If her love life is going down in flames, she might as well spark a revolution.

Finding out on your sixteenth birthday you’re a shape-shifting dragon is tough to swallow. Being hauled off to an elite boarding school is enough to choke on.

Since Bryn is the only crossbreed at the Institute for Excellence, all eyes are on her, but it’s a particular black dragon, Zavien, who catches her attention.

Zavien is tired of the Council’s rules. Segregated clans, being told who to love, and close-minded leaders make freedom of choice almost impossible. The new girl with the striped hair is a breath of fresh air, and with Bryn’s help, they may be able to change the rules.

At the Institute, old grudges, new crushes, and death threats are all part of a normal day for Bryn. She’ll need to learn to control her dragon powers if she wants to make it through her first year at school. But even focusing on staying alive is difficult when you’re falling for someone you can't have.

SOOO WHAT DID I THINK OF THIS BOOK?

I freaking loved it! First it is a super fast and fun read, I instantly connected with the characters especially Bryn the main character, she is so sassy and funny. There is love, laughs and legends what more could you possibly ask for! I will say there are a lot of similarities with this book series and the Harry Potter series, but instead of wizards you have shape shifting dragons. When dragons reach their 16th birthday they are able to morph from human to their dragon forms, so they are sent to a special dragon school, kind of like hogwarts, here they learn about their powers, how to use them and their history, again like hogwarts. 

Bryn does not know she is a dragon until a mysterious stranger shows up in her neighborhood and kindly informs her, which has her rushing home to confront her parents. Here not only is she informed that she is in fact a dragon, but a hybrid one. Her father is a red dragon and her mother is a blue dragon, which in dragon society are not supposed to exist, dragons are taught they can only marry and reproduce with their own clan, i.e. color. The mysterious stranger did not just show up to turn Bryn's life upset down but to make it even worse by delivering a letter from the "council", who are the leaders of the dragon world.... think the ministry of magic in harry potter, the letter informs her that she is suppose to report to dragon school that fall.

Once Bryn gets to school is where all the action really starts! Bryn has to learn who she really is, her powers all while trying to survive social exile oh and someone trying to kill her.

I give this book a 5 out of 5, heck I would give is a 7 out of 5. Definite must read! So well written! I can not say enough good things really about this book!!

BOOK 2: Bridges Burned

SYNOPSIS:

Don't just fight the system…burn it.

Since discovering she is a shape-shifting, fire-breathing dragon on her sixteenth birthday (surprise!), Bryn McKenna’s world has been thrown into chaos. Being a “crossbreed”—part Red dragon and part Blue—means Bryn will never fit in. Not with dragon society. Not with the archaic and controlling Directorate. And definitely not when she has striped hair and a not-so-popular affection for rule-breaking…

But sneaking around with her secret boyfriend, Zavien, gets a whole lot harder when he’s betrothed to someone else. Someone who isn't a mixed breed and totally forbidden. And for an added complication, it turns out Bryn’s former archnemesis Jaxon Westgate isn’t quite the evil asshat she thought. Now she’s caught between her desire to fit in and a need to set things on fire. Literally.

Because if Bryn can’t adapt to the status quo…well, then maybe it’s time for her to change it.

WHAT DID I THINK?:

AGAIN I freaking loved it!! It maybe hard to believe from my gushing review over book 1 but I actually like this one more than the first. Bryn starts to come more into herself so her sassiness just get better which just makes the story funnier and flow so well. You also are give even more of the backstory and dragon history. There is also plenty of relationship drama and action scenes. Someone or multiple someones are still trying to off her, she gets betrayed by Zavien, and possible new relationship with her mother's grandparents. So again lots of action and oh so much drama!

Def 5 out of 5 book, highly recommend. I couldn't put it down, super fast read. 

BOOK #: Trial By Fire

SYNOPSIS: 

Bryn’s hopes for a peaceful new semester at school go up in smoke when someone tries to kill her—again. She’s not sure which is scarier, facing the radicals who want to sacrifice her for their cause, or her impending nightmare of a Directorate-arranged marriage to her nemesis, Jaxon.

The one bright spot in her life is Valmont, her smoking-hot knight who is assigned to watch over her twenty-four hours a day. Is what she feels for him real or just a side effect of the dragon-knight bond? At this point, stopping the impending civil war might be easier than figuring out her love life.

She may have to live in their world, but she doesn’t have to play by their rules.

WHAT DID I THINK?

I did like this book, but out of the series I can say it was not my favorite, it took me a little longer to get through than the others did, I did not seem to be drawn back into as easily as the others. There is still plenty of sassiness and humor, plus you have Zavien out and new dude Valmont in, Valmont is a super hot knight there to watch over her and as a bonus his family owns the best Italian restaurant in town and for a girl with a appetite like Bryn that is like winning the lottery. Of course there is still relationship drama since as a dragon she is supposed to marry another dragon not a human even if he is a knight and her family, mostly her grandparents, want her to marry Jaxon, the leader of the council's son. Jaxon and Bryn pretty much hate each other so it is super fun when her grandmother and Jaxon's mom push them together. This book also has action since people are still trying to kill Bryn, but now they are also attacking the school and the council. I give this one a solid 4 out of 5. Good read, but just didn't quite have what the others did....

BOOK 4: Fanning the Flames

SYNOPSIS:

Bryn McKenna has it all, including her smoking-hot knight turned live-in boyfriend, Valmont. Even though she’s a hybrid dragon, she’s finally fitting into the new shape-shifting dragon world that’s become her own. But her grandparents want to ruin everything by making Bryn’s nightmare of an arranged marriage to Jaxon Westgate a reality. It doesn’t help that Jaxon’s father is on a witch hunt for Rebel sympathizers and Bryn finds herself in his line of fire.

If she doesn’t say, “ I do,” she’ll lose everything. Good-bye flying. Good-bye best friends. Good-bye magic. But if she bends to her grandparents’ will and agrees to marry Jaxon, she’ll lose the love of her life—her knight.

The Going Down in Flames series is best enjoyed in order.

WHAT DID I THINK?

I loved it! This one I really loved since you are exposed to even more backstory/dragon history. You are shown that Bryn is not the only hybrid. This one I will warn though will take you on one emotional rollercoaster. I do not want to ruin anything with saying too much, because if you ask my blog partner I am the world's worst at that, if I am excited about a book must like I am with this book I will basically tell you everything that happened.... So I will just say this author is not in the least scared to kill off some beloved characters. So there is a little less sass in this one but it still so well written that you will not want to put it down. 

5 out of 5 highly recommend!!

AND NOW FOR THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL....

BOOK 5: Burning Bright

SYNOPSIS:

Bryn is back for her senior year at the Institute for Excellence, also known as shape-shifting dragon school. She isn’t sure which is scarier, the life-force sucking dragons stalking campus or the fact that she’s officially betrothed to Jaxon, a guy who will never love her. Not that she could ever love him, either… That’s just ridiculous.

Senior year should be fun. Her parents are alive, she’s finally fitting in, and she’s learning how to be a Medic. But what’s with Jaxon giving her strange looks? He runs hot and cold, and he doesn’t even have the excuse of being a hybrid fire-and-ice-breathing dragon like her. One minute they’re having a great time and the next, she wants to blast a fireball at his head. The marriage contract of doom looms over them--unless this match not made in heaven kindles a flame… 

WHAT DID I THINK?

Ummmm this by far was the best one, saying I loved it just is not enough or truly capture my feelings for this book. It was just so so good. Bryn has her parents back, she has let Valmont out of his knighthood and is now on the path that might just be her fate/destiny....

Bryn's sassiness is back in full force in this book, which I just love so much, I love when a book literally has me laughing out loud. This book also like other gives you even more dragon history, only this time it shows the dark side of their history, making Bryn slightly sympathetic of the council and why they exist. Hybrids are out in full force in this book as well, of course trying to determine the peaceful hybrids from the rebels is a challenge and and for those hybrids at school that challenge falls on Bryn and Jaxon to determine.

There is also relationship drama since Bryn has now accepted Jaxon's marriage contract but Jaxon isn't the best mate since he is still bleeding emotionally over the death of Rhianna so she has to snap him out of depression and rage. 

This book has a ton of action scene, some that are really gory and may involve Jaxon basically gutting someone.... so if you felt the other books were lacking in this area you will definitely be happy to read this installment. 

I give this a 10 out of 5, it was by far the best in the series. I will say one thing, and hope and pray I am not spoiling anything for anyone, but the last 20 pages.... umm Chris that was cruel, I had a small panic attack I could not read the pages fast enough to find out if Jaxon was okay, but that ending was so so good and made me literally say "AWWWWWW".... i so hope this is not the end I need more Bryn and Jaxon in my life!!!!

SO over all I loved this series, I loved the characters, the action the sassiness, the laughter and the fantasy of it all. I recommend all to go out now, yes right freaking now and buy all 5 books you will not regret it! If just so happens something in you has died and you did not love this series fire off in the comment section below......

Escape to Death by Stephen Perkins

 

 

I will start off by say this is a very very long book that is not a quick easy read. There is so much that goes on in this story, from political corruption to zombies to witchcraft and voodoo.... pretty much everything is in this book. I will also say that the author is able to weave together multiple storylines with lots of shock and awe that will keep any reader on their toes and guessing how it all will end. this guessing goes all the way up to pretty much the very last page. the book is also written very well, but I will say that some of the storylines it did have me wondering what their point was in the full scheme of the novel, and now that I have finished it I still feel that some of the people and their stories were not needed and just took up space unnecessarily. I also feel like there was too much going on, like stated above you have so many things going on that some things were not explained and given proper spotlighting that it deserved, this felt like this one book should have been broken up into multiple ones, a series. Also, with having things like witches and warlocks and zombies and corrupt business men, corrupt politicians, and so much more as a reader you don't really know who is the bad guys and who are the good ones, and those that you think are good turn out be bad or die. Just so much of so many things.

 

In conclusion, I give this a 3 out of 5. If it had been condensed more, the unnecessary storylines and people removed so that there could be more suspense and more focus on the true storylines and people it would have been a fantastic book. One that would be hard to put down and could have sparked a new series and a new hero.

END OF THE LAST GREAT KINGDOM (THE BRIMSTONE CHRONICLES #1) BY VICTOR ROSE

 

 

 

I really enjoyed this book, I loved how it combined the magic and fantasy of seen in books like Harry Potter with the blood, gore and battles seen in books like Game of Thrones. The overall premise of the book is a race war and young mage "Brimstone" that is the key to ending it. The characters in this book are highly developed, you get their fully backstory and learn what makes them act they way they do. The book is over 300 pages and it just book one in the saga, so even the smallest of characters you are given a little bit of a backstory on them so there is no filler characters each has a specific reason for being in the story. The setting is highly detailed as well and this is very important since the characters are pretty much always traveling.

 

If you are a fan of harry potter, but wanted something way more mature then you will like this novel, but I will say that some may not like this novel since it is VERY similar to harry potter, the first basic similarity is the group, Brimstone, Heat and Neutron.... which as you can see is three just like Harry, Ron and Hermione. Second, both go to magical school, in this book its Central, in Potter is Hogwarts. Third, Brimstone has to search for his fractured soul in order to become strong enough to defeat the order, and in Potter of course he has to locate the different horcrux to defeat the dark lord. But I will say the similarities do end pretty much there and that is because this story is a lot more mature than HP ever was since there is so much death in this book, and the deaths are very detailed and very gory. You have people stabbed in throats, peoples limbs being cut off, and oh you can forget the rotten corpses.

 

So even though this book is focused around young teens, like 13 years old, this book is probably not the best for kids of that age. But as an adult if you wanted a more mature harry potter then this is definitely the book for you.

 

The only real problem I had with the book, is that sometime the different characters and locations can get muddled and confusing of who is who since in the novel peoples name change as they take on new roles so it can be confusing to remember whose storyline you are reading about and the characters travel a lot and they often go to new places and then to places they have already been so the picture of the land gets confusing, so it would be awesome if the author had included a map at the beginning so you could tell the distances between places described in the characters travels. Time is another one that gets a bit confusing, since it is said to take weeks to get somewhere but then two pages later they are there, but the author will then use 10 pages to describe on day event, so dates would have been nice to.

 

So overall I would give this novel a solid 4 out of 5 stars, And I an definitely looking forward to reading the other novels in this series to see what becomes of Brimstone and all the other characters.