Flamecaster (Shattered Realms)

This was an entertaining epic fantasy novel that begins a new series set in the world of the Seven Kingdoms. It is filled with interesting characters. Adrian sul'Han, who is better known as Ash, is the son of the Queen of the Fells and a budding mage. When his father is killed in front of him, he runs, vowing revenge on the King of Arden, who ordered the murder. He spends four years learning to be a healer and expert poisoner and keeping the fact that he is alive secret from most. He spends his summer in Arden using his skills as a poisoner to disrupt things for the king as he plots and plans to assassinate the king.

Jenna Bandelow is an orphan who has a mysterious mark on the back of her neck. She has been working in the mines of Delphi until she watches the King of Arden murder her two best friends. Jenna is also determined to kill the king. She begins as a saboteur in Delphi since she is an expert with explosives. She is active in the underground that is trying to retake the city of Delphi from the king.

However, the king has set his spies to find the girl with the mysterious mark on her neck because the Empress of Carthia is willing to trade an army for her. The king needs the army to finally win the 25 year war that he has been waging on the Fells - a war that started over a declined marriage proposal but is now more about religious differences. The Fells is ruled by mages and Arden believes mages are demons and that they must be killed.

After activities of their own, both Ash and Jenna meet in the king of Arden's palace. She is a prisoner and he is too though she is in a cell and he is collared to control his magic and working for the king as a healer and magic detector. They fall in love which is completely unexpected for each of them.

Jenna and Ash aren't the only ones who want to kill the King of Arden. He is not universally beloved. Nor are they the only ones plotting in Arden. Other interesting characters are Lila, who is a fellow student at the school where Ash has been hiding and learning, and Destin Karn, who is the son of the king's most loyal General. Still another interesting character is Evan Strangward who comes to Arden as an emissary of the Empress of Carthia. Everyone has a hidden agenda.

I can't wait to read the next book in this series. There are so many plot threads left dangling and I need to know how the author manages to knit them together.

Ms. Chima returns to the land of the Seven Realms, twenty-five years later. I cannot express my excitement. I adored the Seven Realms series and am ecstatic that it is back! Now, its the Shattered Realms. For the last twenty five years, the King of Arden has been after the Fells. For 25 years, he's been angry that the Queen spurned him for the lowly street thief turned powerful wizard.
After tragedy strikes when he is thirteen, Ash takes off to study at Spiritas, under an assumed name. He studies magic and healing . At sixteen he transfers to Mystwerk, which is the real school for magicians. He focuses on healing and in his off time, runs around the country assassinating people who are against the crown. But someone has betrayed him and he has to leave in a hurry.
He decides to head to the capital of Arden to confront and kill the king. But things are definitely not what they seem here. Magic is supposed to be against the law, but magic is used everywhere, distorted to the kings views.
Jenna Bandelow was just a child when she saw her friends murdered, for no real reason except the king of Arden is a jerk. Even as a child, she worked long hours in the mine and here was the king asking for more. After her friends are killed, a towns person whisks her off, she changes her name, and she starts helping the resistance. But when soldiers come looking for the girl with the magemark, her time is numbered. She is captured and taken back to Arden, but she is injured and really hopes to die. But a certain talented Healer won't let her die.... and they grow close. She has no idea what the heck the magemark or why everyone and their brother appear to be after her. She just knows she has to get away.
Holy Moly. Oh, hey, there's a dragon, just so you know. I love DRAGONS!! I loved the book. It's a great continuation of the Seven Realms series. The world we love still feels the same. Han and Raisa have children! Still, I thought the book was well written and it kept me on my toes, waiting to see what would happen next. I cannot wait for the next Shattered Realms book! (A year. Ugh).

Like so many others have already stated, this book fell short for me--way short. I've always been a lover of fantasy books and have absolutely enjoyed Chima's other two fantasy series. I was really looking forward to seeing the future of the Seven Realms. However, the plot and characters in this book just didn't develop well for me--not just in comparison to the Seven Realms books, but just in general. I didn't think she did a good job on the world building. I couldn't see the places the main characters were at the way I expect in a good fantasy novel. The plot felt rushed and didn't pull me in. I found myself not really caring about what happened to the main characters. Some of the side characters were a lot more interesting than Ash and Jenna (the main characters/love interests), but we don't get to see them as much. Also, I HATED how Ash and Jenna INSTANTLY fell in love. It felt like a poorly written, cheesy high school melodrama. That was one of the best things about Han and Raisa. There was obvious attraction between them, but tension as well and slowly built up as did their romance so once they finally got together it was so much more rewarding than Ash and Jenna. I was actually kind of annoyed by them and their interactions together. I will probably read the next book just to see if it gets any better, but I was extremely disappointed in this book. Hope it isn't an indication of all of Chima's future works.

Flamecaster is a book following Ash and his amazing adventure through the Seven Realms. Ash is a young princeling in the queendom of the Fells (Fellsmarch) with an extraordinary talent for magical healing. When his talented, beautiful sister gets slain in a skirmish along the border with Tamron, Ash and his family are heartbroken. The heir to the throne is dead and now there is a threat looming from the kingdom of Arden. Then suddenly, there is another terrible tragedy.

When the terrible tragedy occurs, Ash is filled with rage, and he leaves the Fells to claim revenge. Will Ash be able to avenge the fallen? Will Ash be able to defeat Arden alone? Find out in this amazing thriller!
Opinion:
Cinda Williams Chima never disappoints, and this book is no exception. This fantasy/action book was written with amazing characters, fantastically described places, dragons, magic, and amulets! Ash is the main character with a fiery attitude, a kind heart, and a deep sense of family.

The descriptions were awesome! One part where I especially loved the description was, “...a place where the northern winds needled the nose and cleared the head for thinking.”

Although this book is an impressive start to a new series, “Shattered Realms,” it isn't a really good stand-alone story. To understand the full storyline, you should read the first series, “The Seven Realms”, before you read this second series. This book has some killing and violent descriptions, so I would recommend this book for ages 13 and up.

Reviewed by a LitPick student book reviewer Age 13

*Please note that this review may contain spoilers for the Seven Realms series so if you're not up to date with those books look away now*

I absolutely love Cinda Williams Chima's Seven Realms series so when I found out she was returning to that world, albeit 20 years later, in the Shattered Realms books I couldn't wait to pick up Flamecaster. You know that well used phrase "be careful what you wish for" though? Well, Flamecaster is a perfect example of why you should take that advice to heart! This book may be set 20 years in the future and it may revolve around the next generation of characters, but that doesn't make it any less brutal and the first five chapters nearly killed me. I was utterly heartbroken and I came so close to putting this book down and pretending it didn't exist because the author doesn't shy away from tearing apart things that we thought were safe at the end of the previous series. I'm still praying that events at the beginning of this book weren't what they originally seemed and that we're going to be able to heave a huge sigh of relieve when we pick up the next book and find out what really happened. Please Cinda Williams Chima take pity on me, I beg you!

Anyway, if you can get past those first few chapters and kind of put aside your love for old characters long enough to give the new ones a chance I still think you're going to love this book so don't let my comments above put you off reading it. We are introduced to some absolutely brilliant characters here and I'm really excited to see what comes of them as the series continues. This book starts 20 years on from The Crimson Crown, Raisa has been a good queen to the Fells but they have been at war with the Arden ever since she publicly rejected the king's marriage proposal so long ago. The war has taken it's toll on the Fells and the surrounding realms but Arden is stronger than ever, especially since they have been capturing wizards and using magical collars to force them to do the king's bidding.

I was a little worried that the main characters were only about 13 when we first started reading but luckily after a bit of background we get to jump forward around 4 years which puts them at a similar age to Raisa at the start of the previous series. Ash is Raisa and Han's son and he's seen first hand what the King of Arden has cost his family and his people so he decides to set out on a mission to sneak into Arden and assassinate him. He has been trained as a healer but that just gives him an advantage as he knows which plants can kill, he just has to get close enough to the king to be able to use them. Ash has a lot of Han's street smarts and he's a really easy character to root for and like although I wasn't too happy about the way he left home so suddenly without letting Raisa know he was safe.

Jenna is a girl who comes from a poor town in Arden, she was forced to work in the mines from a very young age and when the king killed her two closest friends she joined the rebellion determined to end his reign of terror once and for all. There is a lot more to Jenna than first meets the eye and her family have been keeping secrets that even she doesn't know about so her storyline gets interesting really quickly when it becomes known that the king is searching for a girl with a certain birthmark. I'm not going to say much more than that - I think you should read the book to find out the details! - but I loved her character. She's incredibly brave and puts herself into some tough situations in her quest for revenge so I definitely want to see her succeed with her goals.

We have a couple of great side characters too in Lila and Destin. Lila is a warrior and at first glance she's quite mercenary and only seems to go where the money is but she has a good heart and is very protective of the people she cares about. Destin is more morally ambiguous, I'm hopeful that he's on the side of good but I do worry about some of the things he does. Is he just playing the king and his guards though? He's definitely keeping secrets and I'm not even sure if he knows what side he falls on yet so that's going to be interesting to watch play out in the future books. Flamecaster has everything I loved about the original series - the great characters, the interesting plot twists and the fabulous world building - but then Cinda Williams Chima had to one up herself and include dragons! I honestly don't think it could get much better and I'm going to be first in line for the sequel when it publishes next year.

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Unlikely allies with a shared goal: to kill the King of Arden.

Opening Sentence: Compare to the freezing weather outside, the stable was warm and steamy and alive with the sleepy murmurings of horses.

The Review:

A most anticipated April release, I had high hopes for Flamecaster but sadly, I was rather disappointed. A few of my friends have recommended books by Cinda Williams Chima but this is the first book I read from this author and I expected an excellent read. Don’t misunderstand me, it was good, but it took me many attempts to actually get into the story and flow of things. Some stories are captivating from the first chapter but Flamecaster wasn’t one of them.

If wishes were horses even beggars would ride.

The story is told from numerous points of view, which normally doesn’t bother me but with this book it confused me. Plus, it didn’t help that there was a time jump at the start and the main characters changed their names in an attempt to disguise their true identity. Just as I began to grasp the character’s past, their name changed and I was left wondering what was happening!

The MCs, Ash and Jenna, were well developed and although both had difficult pasts, their goals were the same; to kill the king of Arden. I liked Jenna’s fiery character and outlook on life, to enjoy the present and not think too far ahead or behind.

“Karn!” she cried out. Vaulting from the bed, she knelt beside the healer, but Karn was already there.
Swearing, the lieutenant rolled the boy onto his back. “What happened? Did you stab him, too?”
“Shut it,” Jenna said. “I think he’s fainted.”

Ash, on the other hand, was a worrier and I liked him to begin with, but I soon became irritated with his plans to kill the king. His ideas for assassination were all in his head because he never took any action. I don’t think he would have irritated me as much if he had tried and failed (without getting caught, of course) but Ash appeared to be simply biding his time. At times I wondered whether he genuinely wanted to murder Montaigne or not!

“That way I won’t waste time watching people die who might have lived if I only had the skills.” Despite his best efforts, his voice shook.
“That’s the thing about guilt,” his father said. “It always seems like there’s enough to go around. The only ones who don’t take a share are the ones who are actually guilty.”

My favourite character was Lila. At the start I wasn’t too sure how she fits into the story but her bluntness was entertaining. She certainly added the much needed humour to Flamecaster and it helped that she was pretty kickass!

When the thane spotted the dragon, he took a quick step back and gripped the hilt of his sword. “Is…is that what I think it is?”
“That depends on what you think it is,” Strangward said.
Lila couldn’t help liking the emissary’s style. Whether she’d keep liking him remained to be seen.

To conclude, I didn’t enjoy this story nearly as much as I had expected, especially given the hype it received. Perhaps if I had read the Seven Realms series, I might have enjoyed it more but it is unlikely that I will continue this series.

Notable Scene:

“That’s not what I mean, and you bloody well know it,” Adrian hissed. “Yes, she loved him. He’s dead because he loved her back, and because she loved me, and he shouldn’t have to pay that price for love.”

“Aye, there’s something we agree on.” Taliesin set her cup down. “He shouldn’t have had to pay that price. Love is the root of so much suffering and misery, so much loss. It’s the worst thing in the world, to risk yourself by loving someone. At the same time, it’s the best thing in the world-and worth the risk…”

FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Flamecaster. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

I haven't read the Seven Realms series. The Shattered Realms is apparently a spin off series of the Seven Realms, but I loved the cover for Flamecaster and the description drew me in. Plus when I went to look, the Seven Realms series received really good reviews. So all of that led me to request Flamecaster for review. And in the end, I enjoyed it.

Ash is the prince of Fellsmarch. When Flamecaster starts Ash is reeling over the loss of his older sister. He also loses his father rather quickly when his father tries to rescue him from assassins. Ash, of course, feels guilty that his father died trying to protect him and so he runs away to a school that will help him better his abilities as a mage. While Ash is naturally gifted at healing he also has other abilities and other interests. Over the years, Ash doesn't just learn how to heal others, he learns to be an assassin himself. And his ultimate goal is to kill the king of Arden who was responsible for both the death of his older sister and his father.

Flamecaster is told from multiple points of view. Mostly from Ash and Jenna, but also from a few other characters at times. This narration style was more the type of eye in the sky where any character's thoughts and feels and actions were available for discussion at any point. This isn't always my favorite narration style, but it worked for Flamecaster.

That being said let's discuss Jenna next. She was a young girl working in the mines of Delphi when the book starts up. The king of Arden comes to visit Delphi one day and two of Jenna's friends also die that day as a result. And thus Jenna's hatred of the king springs up. She lets all of Delphi believe she died that same day and she goes into hiding in plain sight. After that, she makes it her mission to work against the king of Arden by blowing up bridges and generally causing mischief whenever she can. However, there's something mysterious about her. Jenna was adopted and she has this unknown mark on her neck. The only thing she knows about her birth family is the her birth grandmother told her that she would be hunted because of the mark.

There's also Destin Karn who plays the role of lieutenant in the king's army and Lila Barrowhill who works as a black market smuggler and spy. These two have key roles to play, but I can't discuss them too much as they both have spoilerish storylines.

When Jenna is finally discovered, she's injured to the point of needing healing that only magic can do. Enter Ash. While trying to find an in to the palace in order to assassinate the king, Ash gets spotted as an exceptional healer. He's brought in to heal Jenna so that she can be questioned, and of course the two begin to develop an attraction to each other. Yet there's more beneath the surface.

Truth be told, I feel like the entirety of Flamecaster was really just set up for the Shattered Realms series. There were many pieces of the puzzle that weren't revealed until the near end, but all that did was excite me to see what's going to happen next. While I don't think all of the "twists" were entirely unpredictable, I still don't know how everything fits together so I'm looking forward to the next book to find out.

Favorite quotes:
-It was one thing to break their hearts; it would have been worse if he'd held their hearts in his hands.

-"That's the thing about guilt," his father said. "It always seems like there's enough to go around. The only ones who don't take a share are the ones who are actually guilty."

-"In our story, the king of Arden gets eaten by wolves in Chapter One."

-"It's the worst thing in the world, to risk yourself by loving someone. At the same time, it's the best thing in the world--and worth the risk."

-"It's easy to die, Mageling," Taliesin said, stroking his hair. "It's staying alive that's hard work."

-"The problem is, hope is the thing that can't be reined in by rules or pinned down by bitter experience. It's a blessing and curse."

-"Give me another suggestion"..."something a little more creative than self-sacrifice."

-"You never know when you might face the sudden need to die," he said.

In the end, I really enjoyed Flamecaster. I'm intrigued enough to want to know what's going to happen in the rest of the series. Cinda Williams Chima is one of the first authors since finishing Morning Star that had me wanting to keep reading. Flamecaster wasn't perfect for me, yet I think I would have enjoyed this even more if I'd first read the original series, Seven Realms (which I do plan to do). Flamecaster gets 4 Stars from me. Have you read Flamecaster? What did you think? Let me know!

***There be spoilers herein!***

After reading the Abhorsen series by Garth Nix, I had a bit of trouble getting into something new. I ended up listening to podcasts, mostly, while I half-heartedly tried to find a new book that would spark that same kind of interest for me. Does anyone else get this way after a great series? It's kind of like a mourning period, I think. Sort of a depression that it's over.

In the middle of this unfortunate dearth of reading, my 12 year old son and I were at Costco the day before Flamecaster was set to be released, and there it was, lying on the book table. We almost missed it, someone had set a cookbook on top of the stack. But we finally noticed it and snatched it up, our eyes wide.

I read the Seven Realms Series to my kids last year and they loved it just as much as I did. My 11, now 12 year old went on to read the series on his own six times.

We decided to read Flamecaster as a read aloud too. I have a 14 year old, 12 year old, and 10 year old absolutely riveted... but we nearly abandoned the whole book after the 2nd chapter.

Six paragraphs of spoiler:

When Han died, we were speechless. Crushed. There were tears. There was anger. My oldest didn't want to go on. He was done. He wanted to do his best to pretend that this book did not exist.

We paused and talked about how authors are instructed to "kill their darlings" and why. We also talked about real-life war and losses and how sometimes being willing to kill off a beloved character makes for a better book.

But we also talked about the unwritten rule that an author has an obligation to honor an established series. Remember when JK Rowling said she might have made a mistake in pairing Hermione with Ron? Some serious shizz hit the fan. Fans (ha) were upset, angry even. She'd written seven beloved books, she'd ended the series with a very clear, happy ever after finality - fans could ship different characters, but canon had been written. Decided. Printed. For an author to go back and erase or try to rewrite canon can feel like a betrayal to many.

So there's definitely a feeling of betrayal here. And so soon, so early in the book, before we even had the chance to fall in love with our old favorites all over again. We LOVE Han. And we were so excited to revisit this realm, this world -- we were warned that it was going to be about the next generation, but we hoped we'd catch glimpses of our favorites from afar.

In the end, we blew our noses and decided to reserve further judgement. Maybe there is a really good reason Han needed to die (THERE BETTER BE). Something beyond just shock value or 'getting him out of the way' because it seems like there could be better ways to set Adrian up for his own adventures.

We pressed on, and while my kids are still tender-hearted about it, and I have my own feelings of devastation and loss, we soon became involved in the new story.

I'll pause here and say that this book feels a little different from the previous Seven Realms book in a couple of different ways:

1. Chima's voice is noticeably different. I don't know if this is just the natural evolution of an author, or outside influences, the fact that she's with a new publisher, or even a mindful choice to make this new series stand on its own. It's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just something I noticed.

2. This book feels older, more adult than the Seven Realms series. In Seven Realms there were some mild adult themes, some light references to sex, and only world-specific made up swearing.

In this book, the passionate scenes are quite a bit more descriptive and I need to do more editing for my younger listeners. The swearing is real and a lot more frequent. Not over the top, but again I'm editing it out for my younger listeners. The violence is worth mentioning as well. Within the first few chapters we have a lot of death, some of it quite violent. SPOILERS: Chima does a very thorough job of setting up King Gerard to be a horrific person. He violently kills a 7 year old girl by snapping her neck in front of a crowd, and runs his sword through a teenage boy multiple times (it's clear he's going to make his death slow and painful before someone shoots a mercy arrow and kills him more quickly). The Darius? Darian? Brothers of St. Malthus are pretty gross. They suck the blood of the gifted to cleanse them of their sorcery and their depravity is pretty graphic.

All that said, and despite SPOILER: the sucker-punch of Han dying *sob*, I love it. I read ahead on my own (I tried not to) and finished in the wee small hours this morning. (I'm a little over half way through with the kids.) The characters are interesting, and there's a fun surprise near the end that I did not see coming, but is quite delightful. I also really like one of the new characters introduced towards the end as well and I'm excited to find out more about the mysteries she's set up.

I enjoyed the expansion of the world, and the hints of more to come. I feel like she's made this extension flow nicely - there are new things, new places, new characters that didn't exist in the previous Seven Realms books but they don't feel like poor or hasty add-ons. Chima has built an amazingly full and rich world, so it's not a stretch to find there were aspects of it we hadn't been acquainted with yet.

I can't wait for the next installment... in fact, I'm remembering why I usually abstain from new series so I can read them all in one go rather than waiting a year between each new book, but with Chima I can't help it. Let the impatient waiting begin.

Much like her Seven Realms series (which I somewhat recently fell in love with), Cinda Williams Chima has won my heart in that way she has. Like a slow-burn romance, where you’re so gradually drawn in that by the time you realize what’s happening, you’re completely engulfed. Yes: I really, really liked Flamecaster.

The book starts off in familiar places, with some familiar places, which made it oh so easy for me to settle right in to the story. But, very soon, *things happen* that make it clear to both the reader and the main character that she’s not going to make it easy for us. For the first half of the book, I have to admit that what I most enjoyed was learning about how familiar places had changed and developed over the years, and seeing things through the new characters’ eyes. I wasn’t really hooked until later on in the story (such is the way of things with me and her series, so it’s ok).

Once things really got going, I truly began to adore Ash. It was a lot of fun to watch how things unfolded for him, and the balance was deftly held by the mystery and tension flowing from and toward Jenna in her own struggles and mysteries. Another reader had mentioned the instalove, and while I was skeptical, when I saw it — yeah, I saw it. Folks, there is some definite instalove going on here, and while that did niggle me a bit, I just decided to go with it. (That is one reason I knocked a star off my rating, though.)

All in all, by the end of the book I was basking in awe, because Chima know how to tell a freakin’ story! I absolutely LOVED the reveals, the denouements, and the questions we’re left with at the end of the story. I am ALL IN, and I bet you will be too. Especially if you’re a fan of the Seven Realms books, as I am. TOTALLY recommended, whether or not you’ve even heard of her other series!

I really wanted to love FLAMECASTER, but really only liked it.

What I liked about FLAMECASTER: I enjoyed the fantasy of the story. There were dragons, wizards, healers, a dragon hybrid?—I think we will find out more about that in a later book. I liked most of the characters. They still had some mystery to them to be solved in a future book, but they had some good development in FLAMECASTER and I enjoyed following them. I enjoyed the world. I had no problem picturing the places visited thanks to the world building.

What I didn't like about FLAMECASTER: There were too many POVs. I would connect with one mind and then be thrust into another right when things were getting interesting. Too many changes. The story got a bit boring and slow in many spots and I found myself skimming to get to the good stuff. I think some of the skimming and boring parts came from not loving all the characters whose POVs were included. There is some MAJOR insta-love going on. If that wasn't bad enough there is some weird mystical like connection between them that really wasn't explained that well.

So the big question is, will I read the next book? I honestly don't know. I don't think I will search it out, but if it happens to fall into my lap for review I think I might give it a try.

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

What a captivating story this was! I loved the characters, the plot, and the possibilities in this story!

A young mage who ran away from home after the murder of his father, leads him on an epic journey to strange new places, people, and experiences.

A young orphan girl with a strange, yet magical mark on the back of her neck, trying her best to survive in a harsh and dangerous environment.

A tyrannical king hell bent on war on a queen who spurned him years ago.

Put all this together and you have an awesome book that you cannot put down! A must read that I highly recommend.

Okay, I just have to start out this review with ... isn't the cover of the book just gorgeous?! Next, before you think me too shallow and easily swayed by a gorgeous cover (which at times I am) ... I also have to add that Flamecaster (the story) far surpassed the beauty of it's cover!

While set in the world of Ms. Chima's first series, Seven Realms, Flamecaster can be read as a stand alone first book in her new series. It is very well written with compelling characters and a plot that is and action packed from start to finish. I can't wait to read next book in the Shattered Realms series and while I am waiting for it to be released, I plan on catching up by reading the Seven Realms!

4.5 Stars!

Thanks to HarperTeen and Edelweiss for the gift of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was delighted to see Cinda Williams Chima had started a new series with a second generation of the gray wolves! This book did not disappoint, quickly setting the connection between the previous series and this one. The characters were easy to like. This book follows the prince, Adrian, also know as Ash. He is in hiding after seeing his father murdered. It also follows a mysterious girl named Jenna with a magemark on the back of her neck. She is important, we just don't know why, and neither does she. This book left me wanting more of their story! Can't wait to read the next book!

I adored the Seven Kingdoms books, couldn't put them down & inhaled them in a week flat. I picked FLAMECASTER up both hopeful & nervous. Disappointment won out for at least the entire first half of the book. I didn't care about or like most of the characters or care that much about what any of them were up to. Things did get more interesting in the later half of the book, I found myself more wrapped up in a few of the characters and their lives, and situations got very interesting, esp. with Jenna, in the end so I'll be giving the next book a chance.

The worst part about reading Flamecaster was coming to the end and knowing I have to wait another year for Book 2. Noooooo!!! 5-star debut book for Shattered Realms. It's been less than 6 months since I've read the Seven Realms series so everything was pretty fresh in my mind. (Note: Flamecaster can also be read by those unfamiliar with the Seven Realms books, a series that takes place a generation prior to this new series.)

The universe this author created is incredibly vivid and well-constructed. Flamecaster features action, drama, romance and intrigue, and the foundation is set for an amazing multi-book fantasy adventure. Told mostly from the POV of protagonists Ash and Jenna, we also get glimpses into the minds of important supporting characters. The writing is top-notch and I repeatedly found myself smirking with delight at the entertaining internal dialogue. Well done, Ms. Williams Chima, well done.

I picked up this book having not read the original series. I was aware that this was a new series set in an already established universe but I found that my comprehension of events didn’t suffer from not reading the previous novels. Chima skillfully recapped important details that new readers would have otherwise missed. The only thing that I think probably suffered was my lack of connection with some of the beloved characters from the previous series. Because of that lack I didn’t feel as much pain or empathy with some of the events that involved them. I would recommend reading the previous series first in order to feel the full effect the author intends but it isn’t necessary to enjoy the book as I certainly did enjoy it

I am not one to name two popular titles and say the book I read is a mash up of them. I have seen some rather odd combinations. I wonder what they will call this one… Game of Thrones meets Dragon Tales? Nope, this book and universe is wholly and entirely its own creature. Yes, the author doesn’t shy from violence and she certainly has created a despicable enemy. The first few chapters are like a kick in the gut. But no, I wouldn’t call this a Game of Thrones Lite version. The violence and occasional crude humor might be considered a little heavy handed for younger teens but I wouldn’t consider it gratuitous but rather it serves to paint a picture of a hard world.

Of all the characters I would have to say that Lila was my favorite, hands down. She is irreverent and hilariously blunt. I laughed out loud more than once at some of her remarks. She lightens an otherwise dark novel and she’s not even the main character. I enjoyed Ash and Jenna but I never fell in love with them. They spent half of the novel apart and then the romance was rushed when they did come together. There is a good reason for their bond but I wouldn’t have minded it being stretched out a little bit more. They became physical fairly quickly which bothers me especially in a YA novel. There’s heavy kissing on-screen and further intimacy off-screen. Their stories were compelling but truly I enjoyed Lila more. Another character that stood out was the Queen of Arden. She perhaps suffered more than anyone and yet had a strength no one truly recognized.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and am curious to read the original serious. I would suggest the book for older teens and up as it may be a bit heavy for younger teens and children. The world Chima has created is fully realized and intriguing but might be slightly better understood if the previous books are read. This book is not a standalone as several mysteries are not answered or resolved. But thank heavens it is not a cliffhanger. Two thumbs up.

Flamecaster has the perfect combination of fantasy, magic, romance, mystery, and intrigue that I've come to love and expect from Chima's writing. I'm so happy to see the Fell's world continue!! Can't wait to read Shadowcaster

Cinda Williams Chima does it again! I absolutely loved her first Shattered Realms series, first Heir trilogy, new Heir series, and now Flamecaster. She does an amazing job introducing and developing characters, creates a stunning story surrounding those characters, and all while connecting you personally with her protagonists and other major characters. To be honest this is why I was furious reading the beginning of Flamecaster. However, I soon got over it due to Chima's development of the new characters while nicely acknowledging previous ones from her first Shattered Realms series. I really hope that Crow makes his way back into this new storyline, but he probably got his final peace at the end of the last series and won't be returning with the amulet. The author also creates an intriguing mix of legends and backstory centered around Arden and that mystery country, Carthage, which tie neatly, and sometimes importantly, into the main storyline. This was nice because it separated what readers knew about the Fells and gave us something new to learn. Overall I loved this book, and I would recommend it to anyone new to Cinda Williams Chima, or a veteran Chima reader.

I stumbled across this book while traveling, the king, queen, magic, love, mystery drew me to buy this book. It didn't take long to fall into a beautiful mysterious new world and I was hooked. I just finished Flamecaster today and will be buying the next book of the within the week. If you like sorcery, magic, and midevil settings, I highly recommend this book.

An excellent follow up to Shattered Realms and a wonderful start to a whole new adventure! Chima brings back the characters we love, but they aren't the main focus any more. Now we have a whole new cast to fall in love with. The world is well developed, the characters beautifully flawed, and with a few twists abd surprises to keep you powering through until the end and wanting more!

I loved the previous series. This book did not disappoint but it caused more questions than answers. And now we have to wait for the answers. More great characters and an intriguing story about the son of Queen Raisa, the wolf queen. Excellent start to the new series.

Flamecaster the book the had my heart racing for joy within the first five pages, made my stomach drop by page 10, and broke my heart on page 26. With a new publisher and a new companion to its beloved Seven Realms series Shattered Realms shatters the world we once new bring in new mysterious characters and life to the war torn world of the Seven Realms and I loved every last bit of it! I am eagerly waiting for the second book in hopes for more mysteries to unfold and maybe a chance to be reunited with some old familiar faces.

this book was very sloppy compared to the maaterpiece of the shattered realms. han dies, and it wasnt even a heroic death. he dies for a ambush, but doesnt die from anything else in the shattered realms. cindy if your reading this, please make another series where han and raisa are picking up from the crimson crown. show a lot of hans ability in everything. dont forget to incluce a lot of love scenes. [...]

This book is good, but nothing compared to Seven Realms. While Han was a bada**, Ash reminded me of the pokemon ash who yells everytime he talked(annoying af). Han was like an allyoucaneatbuffet and ash was a 6 peice kids meal(or 4 peice). Ash tasted good, but didn t fill you up. I m not even going to get into Jenna

Cindy Williams China has a wonderful way with creating a realm that draws you in and makes you feel as thoughyou are there. Like the previous series, this one is definitely something that you will want to read.

Fantastic read with thrilling twists and an unprecedented ending (and beginning as well). If you are a fan of her other works then I would truly recommend it. I, personally, am a huge fan of hers and the Seven Realms Series are my favorite books. This sequel does those justice.

Disclaimer: Did not read the original series. Plot still made sense.

The cover if very, very beautiful. Every time I put the book down for being boring, the cover called to me again. Bonus for reading and reading (and reading and reading): dragons at the end!

The Prince: Ash is a healer, wants to learn healing. Queen Mom wants him to study princing.
The Special Snowflake: Jenna has a raised mark on the back of her neck, no idea what it means.

In alternate chapters, Ash and Jenna trek from trope to trope.
Warning: A Plethora Of Capitalized Words!

Ash sees his (prince-consort) father murdered and can't save him, so it is obviously All His Fault [tm]. Instead of telling Queen Mom about it, he dyes his hair and runs away to school as the Prince Incognito [tm]. He spends summer breaks trekking enemy lines, healing horses and killing people. Yay petty vengeance, useless to the actual Cause.

Jenna is a miner, mom dead, little girl Orphan under her care. The Evil King (tm) has kept a war going for 25 years because Ash's Queen Mom wouldn't marry him. (Thereby proving that she had the Right Idea.) King kills Sweet Little Orphan Girl and also Jenna's semi-boyfriend, so Jenna Becomes A Rebel. In aid of this, Jenna Disguises Herself As a Boy. Bonus, she disguises herself as several different boys through the book.

I skipped pages here and there for both characters. They were so, so boring. Eventually, Prince Incognito is outed, Jenna figures out that she in fact has a Marvelous Ability, and a Dragon Child is transported over seas - in a wooden boat, with a tiled room so that dragon-flame won't sink the ship. The dragon is to bribe Evil King, but he DOESN'T NOT WANT THE DRAGON, he wants more troops to continue is Forever War Against The Woman Who Spurned Him.

Flamecaster is a book following Ash and his amazing adventure through the Seven Realms. Ash is a young princeling in the queendom of the Fells (Fellsmarch) with an extraordinary talent for magical healing. When his talented, beautiful sister gets slain in a skirmish along the border with Tamron, Ash and his family are heartbroken. The heir to the throne is dead and now there is a threat looming from the kingdom of Arden. Then suddenly, there is another terrible tragedy.

When the terrible tragedy occurs, Ash is filled with rage, and he leaves the Fells to claim revenge. Will Ash be able to avenge the fallen? Will Ash be able to defeat Arden alone? Find out in this amazing thriller!
Opinion:
Cinda Williams Chima never disappoints, and this book is no exception. This fantasy/action book was written with amazing characters, fantastically described places, dragons, magic, and amulets! Ash is the main character with a fiery attitude, a kind heart, and a deep sense of family.

The descriptions were awesome! One part where I especially loved the description was, “...a place where the northern winds needled the nose and cleared the head for thinking.”

Although this book is an impressive start to a new series, “Shattered Realms,” it isn't a really good stand-alone story. To understand the full storyline, you should read the first series, “The Seven Realms”, before you read this second series. This book has some killing and violent descriptions, so I would recommend this book for ages 13 and up.

Reviewed by a LitPick student book reviewer Age 13