Born in Flames

Born in Flames is the first part of a trilogy which I am looking forward to finishing since I love dragons and loved the concept of the book, however, I always feel a bit disappointed in first books, because I want to know what else happens in the story, but my impatience is hardly Knoebel's fault...

So that being said, I enjoyed this book, Knoebel's narration style and The Born in Flame's storyline feels fresh. The protagonist Aurora is strong, stubborn and a bit hot headed but her counterpart Fenn is level headed and only wants to keep her safe. Due to this, I liked him better, but Aurora holds the story well. They were both real enough that I was able to connect to them easily.

Great story and highly recommend it!

'Born in Flames' is a story of fate and choice. Aurora is a determined young woman eager to discover her origins, but an uncertain destiny at times does not compare with the normal life Fenn advocates for them. Whether to plunge into a forgotten world or settle completely into life on a Hawaiian island, the choice is Aurora’s to make.

Aurora’s choice is under a lot of pressure as she is set upon by a creepy old stalker, occasional voices that only she can hear, and artifacts that she finds herself responding to in extraordinary ways. Her adventure peels back the world she has become accustomed to, revealing something large in tantalizing little pieces. The heroes, thrust into unfamiliar landscapes and responsibility, must navigate obstacles and enemies imposed by a magical realm while they scramble to solve a mystery by the next full moon and keep their lives in the process. While full of action, the suspense of this book can be excruciating, forcing the reader to wish it possible to ingest the book all at once and have the answers to the multitude of questions.

With suspense in mind, the deadline of the full moon can be difficult to take seriously, as the characters often allow themselves to become distracted, sometimes for hours. Understandably, the obstacle is often the fact that Aurora and Fenn have to wait for business hours to seek those who can provide answers and their upheld respect for necessary sleep and hygienic habits. The practicality adds an unexpected balance to the magical happenings of the novel.

The characters of Aurora and Fenn are a large part of what makes this book so enjoyable. They are childhood friends and have the inside jokes, nicknames, and an ease of being together that develops into adorable, heart-squeezing heights before the complications of the story bring about world-shattering distress. Fenn is Aurora’s protector, and though there is the implication that he was set deliberately into that position, Fenn cares about Aurora and does everything he thinks is right to keep her safe, sometimes conflicting with the progress of the quest. Their dynamic is a major draw, another being the unseen realm which together they are striving to learn of.

The magical realm and those who live there are a magnificent vision of Knoebel’s. It comes with fantastic architecture, culture, history, and mythology. Its full realization is best displayed by the beings who inhabit it and the way in which they live with their magic. As Aurora’s childhood memories are gone, the reader discovers everything along with her, and the sense that there is so much more than what is shown makes the release of the second book unbearably far away.