Firebug is the first book in a paranormal duology by Lish McBride and follows Ava who can starts fires with her mind. This novel had a bit of a rough start for me and the first half of this novel was a bit difficult to read, but the 2nd half was a vast improvement and I became hooked at this point. I think one of the most daunting aspects of this book was the fact that it seemed as though the romance would evolve into a love triangle, a horrifying possibility. Though the romance skirts near love-triangle antics, I was pretty satisfied with the endgame of the romance in this novel.
Ava is a Firebug, an extremely rare and powerful creature that is highly desirable to the Coterie, a paranormal mafia. The Coterie practically owns Ava and so, she has no choice but to act as the organization's hit-man. When the organization targets one of Ava's closest family friends, she decides that she's had enough of the Coterie and refuses to do it. Refusing to obey the Coterie is a death wish for Ava and her friends.
It took me a while to warm up to Firebug and the beginning sections of this novel nearly made me want to DNF. Though this novel has an exciting start, some of the subsequent chapters poorly framed this novel and the plot, making it difficult for me to continue reading. In addition, the humor in this one takes a bit of getting used to to and it's a very particular sense of humor that didn't exactly settle with me initially. I warmed up to the humor after a few chapters and began to appreciate Firebug for its snarkiness.
Another thing that bothered me about Firebug was Ava's romance with Ryan, a character that I really hated. It's clear that readers aren't supposed to like Ryan, but his character felt too one-dimensional and bland. There was not much to his character arc and it made it difficult for me to follow Ava around with Ryan on her heels like a puppy.
The Coterie is the magical, paranormal mafia that Ava is bound to and I absolutely loved reading about the head of this organization, Venus. She was such a frightening, intimidating figure and truly commanded my action every time she made an appearance on stage. It's impossible not to hate her, but at the same time I wanted her center stage at any given opportunity. I also really liked the two other members of Ava's little Coterie gang, Ezra and Loch who managed to add another layer of light-heartedness and humor to Firebug.
Though it took me a while to read the 1st half, I speedily read the second half of this novel in a sitting or two. The second halve of this novel was filled with action and was incredibly fast-paced. Any qualms I had with the opening of this novel had dissipated in the later sections of the novel and by the end, I was thoroughly entertained. I desperately need to read the sequel now and I can't wait to see what happens next to Ava and her friends.
Firebug is a pretty entertaining paranormal romance and I really look forward to reading the sequel. It took a bit of time for me to get into this novel, but in the end Firebug impressed me with its fun, humorous dialogue and storyline. I'm so glad that I stuck with Firebug and I'll definitely be sticking around to read more of McBride's novels.
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