Embers in a Dark Frost by Kelly Keaton

Embers in a Dark Frost by Kelly Keaton

Book stats:
Reading level: New adult
eBook: 825 KB
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Self-published
Release date: November 15, 2012

Series: Fire & Frost #1

Source: Review copy from Good Choice Reading blog tour

Reviewed by: Jenn

Purchase: Amazon

The Fire Breathers have come. The Underworld calls. A choice must be made…

With her feared half blood and flame-colored hair, DEIRA D'ANU is a constant reminder of human betrayal and the war that claimed the light from Innis Fail. Now, darkness and frost creep across the land, strengthening the Lord of the Underworld. War is imminent—an allegiance with the Fire Breathers is vital. When their champion, Balen, sees Deira, he believes she is the key to finding the light and stopping the dark frost.

But the Underworld calls to Deira, tempting her to turn her back on a world that never cared and betray the champion willing to sacrifice everything to keep her safe and save his world from darkness.

I have big love for this author when she writes the brilliant Charlie Madigan books as Kelly Gay so I was excited to give her alter ego a try, especially since EMBERS IN A DARK FROST sounded like fantasy magic when I read the blurb. I was a little wary when I found out that it was a New Adult novel because I've never tried anything in this new-ish genre and I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but I generally enjoyed EMBERS IN A DARK FROST, though there are some flaws.

My favourite parts of the book are probably the characters. I thought Deira was a great protagonist. She's been an outcast her whole life thanks to the red hair that marks her as having human blood (really not a good thing in this world) and she finally gets a purpose in this book. It's great to see her grow and see the spark of who she is really build as she comes to accept her destiny and explore her abilities. This being the start of a trilogy, she doesn't complete her journey but Deira's definitely an interesting person that you'll be rooting for. Plus, her powers are really cool and I look forward to seeing more of them in subsequent stories. (The New Adult categorization comes from the fact that she's on a journey of self-discovery but she's not a teenager anymore.) Balen, the champion and leader of the Fire Breathers, is also an interesting character, though he's more mysterious since he doesn't narrate. His relationship with the Crow was really neat (and I'm not going to say more than that to avoid spoilers) and the attraction between Balen and Deira is nicely established. Deira and Balen's antagonist is also well developed and I found myself feeling sympathetic towards him, though not so sympathetic I agreed with his approach to his situation. I love it when authors create characters who aren't black and white; the good guys and the bad guys both live in the grey in this book, which I found very satisfying.

I also really liked the setting, though I did find some of the world building unclear. I was instantly immersed in the world but it took me a little while to realize that it was a variation on Celtic mythology and to figure out exactly who Deira's people are. There were hints here and there but I paused a few times wondering who Deira's people are. They were obviously not human but it wasn't laid out well enough for me to understand the origins of the mythology until near the end of the book. I understand not wanting to bog the reader down with a pile of description at the start but I would have appreciated a bit more clarity, especially since I know the author is a fantastic writer. Perhaps this is a side effect of self-publishing?

Although EMBERS IN A DARK FROST is not a perfect novel, I did quite enjoy reading it. It's an engaging beginning for the author's Fire & Frost world and a satisfying foray into a more high fantasy world. I look forward to the next chapter in Deira's story, due out in 2013, and hope you'll give EMBERS IN A DARK FROST a try.

Read an excerpt

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by jenn at Monday, December 10, 2012

 Fantasy, Fey/Faeries, giveaway, Kelly Gay, Kelly Keaton, Review  12 People left their mark

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PSC: Interview and Giveaway with Kelly Gay

To celebrate the recent release of the fourth book in the Charlie Madigan series, Shadows Before the Sun, I’m happy to have the amazing Kelly Gay on the blog, for an interview!

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To start, could you give us a quick primer on Charlie Madigan and her world?

Charlie is a thirty-one year old single mother to a preteen daughter. She lives with her daughter, a revenant occupying the body of her ex-husband, and a rescued hellhound named Brim in Atlanta. Charlie and her partner Hank, a siren, are law enforcement officers, policing the criminal element in and around Underground Atlanta, the largest off-worlder neighborhood in the city. Years earlier, heaven and hell (and the beings in them) came out of the closet, many immigrating to our world. All of our myths of gods, demons, angels, and mythical creatures come from these two worlds (called Elysia and Charbydon), and the beings within them having used our planet in the past as a battle ground, neutral ground, and subsequently a place to settle. 

THE HOUR OF DUST AND ASHES ends very dramatically, with Hank being taken back to Elysia and Charlie saving Bryn. From the looks of the prologue of SHADOWS BEFORE THE SUN, you're starting us off with your usual suck-you-in opening. What else do you have in store for readers in this novel?

Alessandra, the oracle, makes a big appearance in the book. We’ll see what the heavenly world of Elysia is like, what’s been happening to Hank in the siren city of Fiallan, and how Charlie deals with the creature known as Sachath (aka Death). There are some pretty big battles, and some terrible things that made me tear up when writing. The books ended up being more emotional than I thought, more gut wrenching and surprising. I guess when it comes down to it, I’d say this is really Hank and Charlie’s book.

Rex is one of my favourite characters in the series and he's had quite the story arc in the first three novels. What do you have in store for him? Will we see him exploring his jinn heritage? Is he still a Revenant if he's the only soul in the body?

Thank you! I love Rex. Technically now that Will is gone, Rex isn’t really a revenant, since he won’t be jumping bodies anytime soon. He’s now a permanent fixture in not only body, but in Charlie and Em’s lives as well. They couldn’t kick him out if they tried! Rex makes an appearance in this installment, but not as big a one as Rex fans probably hoped. But I’m not done with him yet!  He’s just too fun to write about. In Shadows you’ll see how he’s been handling all the jinn traits that have been manifesting – in typical Rex style, LOL. 

Charlie's wielding a pretty serious sword on the cover of SHADOWS BEFORE THE SUN instead of her usual gun. Can you give us any non-spoilery hints about that?

The sword on the cover relates to the First Ones. And that’s all I can say. :)

Which characters in the series are your favourite to write?

I’ve always enjoyed writing Charlie and Emma. But getting inside of Rex’s head is one of my favorite things. But my favorite character to write about in this book was Hank. I wrote several scenes from his point of view, which is a first for the series, and I fell in love with him all over again. He’s still that mix of powerful siren/confident male and devilish charm, but now he’s so much more. Can’t spoil it, but *sigh*.

Is there anything you can tell us about the future of the series? Will there be more Charlie Madigan books? (I really hope so!)

I hope so too! We’re discussing that now. I have so much more left in me with these characters. I feel very invested in all of them. And I’d love to write some stories featuring others besides Charlie. 

Do you have any memories of summer camp that you'd care to share?

Never went to summer camp. Weird, that. 

What qualifies as a scary campfire story in Charlie Madigan's world? (I'm assuming the usual bump-in-the-night is a bit different.)

Hmm. Probably something along the lines of the evil Circe, a few moon snakes, and the shadow of death. *shivers*

Thanks you so much for your participation <3

You’re very welcome. Thanks for having me!

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More about Shadows Before the Sun:

The electrifying sequel to the acclaimed urban fantasies The Better Part of Darkness, The Darkest Edge of Dawn, and The Hour of Dust and Ashes!

After filling out mountains of paperwork, Detective Charlie Madigan sets out for a death-defying trip into heavenly Elysia to rescue her partner Hank and bring the siren home. Of course, she doesn’t expect to leave behind an all out siren revolution or return home to find that jinn crime boss, Grigori Tennin, has begun a massive search for the divine being, Ahkneri. Tennin’s tactics set off a chain reaction that puts Charlie in the crosshairs of the shadowy creature known as Death and awakens Ahkneri from her long sleep. And when Vengeance rises, Atlanta will never be the same.

 

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

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Kelly is offering one (1) lucky winner a copy of Shadows Before the Sun!

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More books by Kelly:

 

“I'm just your average bookworm who likes to spend an embarrassing amount of time in make-believe places.

I've had many jobs from construction (I can drive a backhoe, tar and shingle a roof, and frame out a house) to waiting on tables, threading film through a projector, managing horse farms, and selling men's underwear (a talent, I tell you!).

In the writing world, I'm a 2010 double RITA finalist, a three-time RWA Golden Heart finalist, and a recipient of an NC Arts Council Fellowship grant in Literature.”

 

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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by Tynga at Thursday, August 02, 2012

 Interview, Kelly Gay, Paranormal Summer Camp, Simon Schuster  42 People left their mark

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Shadows Before the Sun by Kelly Gay

Shadows Before the Sun by Kelly Gay

Book Stats:
Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban fantasy
Mass market paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Pocket
Release date: July 31, 2012

Series: Charlie Madigan #4

Source: Review copy from publisher

Reviewed by: Jenn

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Between life and death lies a chasm of pain beyond imagining...

Elysia may be a heavenly off-world destination, but beyond it, in the siren city of Fiallan, the Circe have punished Charlie Madigan’s partner, Hank, into a tortuous state between life and death. With all the proper legal channels cleared, Charlie heads to Elysia, not knowing what she’ll find, or if she’ll ever see the siren again . . . while at home, jinn crime boss Grigori Tennin has begun an all-out hunt for the divine being Ahkneri. Tennin’s tactics set off a chain reaction that puts Charlie in the crosshairs of the shadowy creature known as Death, and stirs Ahkneri from her long sleep—and if Vengeance wakes, Atlanta will never be the same.

SPOILER ALERT: I can't talk about SHADOWS BEFORE THE SUN without discussing major events from previous novels so don't read this unless you're caught up on the series. I will, however, keep this post spoiler-free for SHADOWS BEFORE THE SUN since it’s brand new and I don’t want to ruin anything for you.

I have been madly in love with Charlie Madigan even since I first met her in THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS. She lives in an alternate Atlanta, where scientists have discovered two parallel plains of existence, one a paradise (Elysia) and one that's pretty hellish (Charbydon). The beings from these worlds have been visiting earth for millenia and are the inspiration behind most of the world's myths. Since this discovery thirteen years ago, people from both worlds have moved to Earth and have been integrated into human society. Atlanta is one of the major off-world hubs, home to large populations from both planes. Charlie is a law enforcement agent with her partner Hank, a siren from Elysia who has been moving from work partner to something more. She's also a single mom to her daughter Emma, who has gifts that include the ability to communicate mentally with her adopted hellhound Brim, and has a roommate in the shape of Rex, a Revenant or spirit who set up shop in Charlie's ex-husband's body. On top of all of this, she's also got the DNA of the three noble races running through her blood, thanks to a wackadoodle experiment in THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS, and she struggles to master her new powers and avoid Sachath, a shadow of death that is called every time Charlie uses her powers. It's a stressful life, and one that got exponentially more intense when Hank got dragged back to the siren city of Fiallan at the end of the previous book, THE HOUR OF DUST AND ASHES, just as they were contemplating taking things in a more romantic direction.

In SHADOWS BEFORE THE SUN, Charlie is on a mission to get Hank back. Even when told he’s dead, she won’t give up and she goes to Elysia with an unexpected ally. If you’ve read our interview with Kelly Gay, you’ll know who I’m talking about. (I won’t mention it here in case you want to be surprised. I know I was when I saw this character show up on the page.) It gives Charlie a chance to get to know this character a lot better, which I loved because I wasn’t all that fond of her (okay, small clue) when we’ve bumped into her before. After SHADOWS BEFORE THE SUN, I’m really rooting for her and I think you will be, too.

This book also gives us a glimpse into Elysia, something we’ve never really had before. In THE HOUR OF DUST AND ASHES, we got to go to Charbydon and see what life is like there. Now, with SHADOWS BEFORE THE SUN, we get to visit paradise…and learn that it’s got just as many dark secrets as Earth of Charbydon. Charlie is out of her element and facing her strongest enemies so the action is intense and the plot unfolds in a way that will have you desperate to know more.

One really neat thing about this book is that we get some scenes from Hank’s perspective. They’re not all cheery since he’s a prisoner and being tortured but it was very interesting to see a bit more of what makes him tick. Over the course of the series, Kelly Gay has slowly revealed bits and pieces of Hank's past, culminating with him telling Charlie about being Malakim in THE HOUR OF DUST AND ASHES, and so it’s gratifying to get some more insight into his character, even if it is under atrocious circumstances.

As always, Kelly Gay has written a thrilling story that sucks you in from the first page of the prologue and spits you out at the end, emotionally exhausted. Her books have always been brilliant but I think she’s done a magnificent job with SHADOWS BEFORE THE SUN. Charlie is pushed to her physical and emotional limits and I was right there with her the whole way. I don’t know if we’ll see more Charlie Madigan books (see the interview) but I really hope so. Kelly Gay is a master storyteller and I just can’t get enough!

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by jenn at Thursday, August 02, 2012

 Kelly Gay, Review, Simon Schuster  4 People left their mark

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