A NIGHT OWL REVIEWS BOOK REVIEW | Reviewed by: Jane Eliot
Callista is on a mission to avenge the death of her family. After witnessing the murder of her entire village by the savage shadowbeasts, Callista begins her training as a guard in order to hunt down the man responsible for the tragedy. The flame within her is a source of power with which she yields her ancestral sword and gives her the power to kill the shadowbeasts. When shadowbeasts invade the city, Callista is injured and found by the young Prince Justin, who is returning from 3 years of absence to a kingdom in turmoil. Together, they must find a way to overcome these dangerous creatures and restore the kingdom to peace. Colleen Helmes presents a very catching novel! Flame of Destiny is an intensely woven work, with magic, action, and romance. Callista is a strong and independent heroine who is just coming into herself and discovering her true abilities, as well as her weaknesses. She is a very realistic and relatable character. As the novel goes on, the reader can see Callista maturing into a young woman, losing some of the headstrong qualities that we see at the beginning. It is pleasing to see her develop her power and work to understand it. The romance that blossoms between Callista and Justin is sweet. They must deal with many hurdles as they face challenges together. What I enjoyed most was the way they needed to work together as a team to survive. It was not one saving the other all the time! There is continuous action in the novel, keeping up a steady pace of intrigue and excitement! Helme switches perspectives just enough to keep the audience informed of what is going on in the other areas of the novel, without drawing too much away from the heroine. And while the main plot of this story is tied up by the end, there is still more to discover. I am anxious to read the next book for this series!!
Aug 20, 2011 | 9781594263729
5 - Rare Top Pick | 4.5 - Top Pick | 4 - I Liked It | 3.5 - Enjoyable | 3 - OK | 2.5 - It just didn't click
Book Blurb for Flame of Destiny
For Callista, joining the Elite Guard will give her the means to find the murderer who killed her family. With the sword of her ancestors, she enters the Academy and soon discovers latent powers only heard of in legends. Her uncanny skills do not go unnoticed, and when her first assignment goes terribly wrong, she is saved by a man whose destiny becomes entwined with her own. Soon, she is forced to re-consider who her enemies really are. As her power awakens, she is drawn into a web of deceit that will ultimately shake everything she believes in. With a new sense of her identity, she must confront a dark evil hidden behind an unspeakable secret. This evil threatens to destroy her and the man she has come to love. Will she be strong enough to withstand this power, or will she become the very thing she has sworn to destroy?
|