Flamebringer audiobook

It was clear to me that this final book in the trilogy was even better than the second book. The sense of danger approaching was clearer and there was some truly weird, freaky stuff in the one Woods bear the beginning of the book. The ancient Evil was clearly getting closer with the gastradi they controlled. So the stakes are much higher and things must be discovered before the whole kingdom falls.Like in the second book, Aliza is poking her nose where it doesn't belong. But it's clear she has insights that her dragonrider husband doesn't. Which is probably good for the whole kingdom...if only she can stay alive! I read this book even faster than the second one! I really flew through the pages because it was more captivating. And for once the climax lived up to my expectations. The secret evil turned out to be something immense and totally unexpected. The one scene described was creepy indeed! Than chaos reigned after the big reveal, like it should. I won't say how it went after that. Because that would ruin the story.I must say that in the back of my mind I had always hoped that Aliza would get her own dragon. Yes, I know she is not born to have one - she's just a common born person - but some part of me had still hoped she would. I must say that didn't pan out at all. I guess it was just me being hopeful. Since it's not actually part of the plot I don't mind writing that here. It's just me being silly. I must say I do like the cover image of this book better than the second book. I really don't know why the second book didn't have a dragon on the cover?? It's kind of strange...

3.75 StarsElle Katharine White brings her Heartstone trilogy to a dramatic conclusion in Flamebringer. Her protagonist Aliza finds that she has married into a Fireborn family with a mysterious history and that the younger generation of the family is being held to account for events that took place centuries before. Wydrick is truly back (though not alone in his being back...) and there are others, like Rookwood, from Aliza and Alastair's past who have returned to plague them. Aliza's sight (a kind of foresight) has been her greatest strength, other than her powers as a healer. In this instance, it is her resolute nature and loyalty to the family that she married into that will save the day. We also see her reunited with her beloved sister Anjey, and her much loved sister in law, Julienna. The Silent King of the Els is a part of this dark story and when he starts speaking everyone will have to try their hardest to survive his wrath.A fitting conclusion to this YA series, it will be interesting to see where White goes next. Is more epic fantasy in her future plans?Content Warning: protagonist ends up with disfigurement/permanent damage.I received an Advance Review Copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this final book in the Heartstone trilogy quite a bit. It ended up being my second favorite in the series, after Heartstone. I enjoyed it more than the second book (Dragonstone) as it had more with Aliza's family. There was more with the dragons as well, which is one of the reasons I originally wanted to read it (along with it being a Pride & Prejudice retelling). Plus, I loved the hobgoblins from the first book and they returned in this one! I gave this 4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5/5 stars)!

Flamebringer brings an end to a fantastic fantasy trilogy based originally on Pride and Prejudice. Aliza and Alistair reunite with family and friends in a fight for the kingdom of Arle and that questions the history all hold dear. I have thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy and am sad that it's over. I hope that Elle Katharine White revisits this kingdom in the future, but I am satisfied with how everything was wrapped up.I received an advance reader copy of this title from the publisher.

I needed to know the ending, but had a hard time with parts of the story. The long build up was needed, but made it a bit tedious for me. The ending left me sad. Even though the evil is ended, the price was very high and there is no feeling of triumph.

This series started off as Pride, Prejudice, and Dragons, before evolving into its own world of sword-and-sorcery. If you like Andre Norton's Witchworld books, you'll enjoy this mix of battles both external and internal as the decidedly non-magical heroine rescues herself, family, and friends.

I love this series. This is such an uncommon book for people to know about! It is just magical! That is all!

end of a series and no epilogue is my villain origin story

Originally posted at Vampire Book ClubWhile away investigating the deaths of Idar near the Castle of Selwyn at the northern border of Arle, Aliza and Alastair Daired came face to face with House Daired’s sworn enemy Tristan Wydrick, previously thought dead, but still very much alive. That is, alive and ghast-ridden­ (playing host to violent shadow creatures). Wydrick imparts the same warning as others in the area: a great evil has been biding its time but is getting ready to strike.As Arle prepares for a convocation between neighboring nations, and Tekari attacks are happening with more frequency, Aliza and Alastair must gather together all those able and willing to fight for Arle, because the evil is already at their shores.Flamebringer picks up right where Dragonshadow left us, with Aliza and Alastair in pursuit of Wydrick. It’s not long before they realize it’s a fruitless endeavor as he’s already escaped for now. In other words, the book starts off running and while it seemingly has moments of pause and reflection, looking back as I write this review, I feel like Flamebringer—when compared to Dragonshadow’s languorous build—sped through the story too fast. It’s almost like books two and three are just parts two parts of a whole. They go hand-in-hand moreso than the first book which stands on its own more solidly despite having certain elements that were tied into the last two books.Mostly, I felt like there were still a lot of issues that Aliza and Alastair needed to deal with that get pushed aside without any meaningful resolution because of the overarching conflict that has arisen. I loved how Elle Katharine White portrayed their marriage. You can feel the love they have for each other even when life happens and puts them on paths that are askew from one another. It’s one of the most honest and true relationships I’ve read recently. Yes, we love the Happily Ever Afters (at least I do), but what really solidifies a relationship is working through the difficult times and the times you’re at odds with your significant other.I was super happy that there was a brief return to Hart’s Run and reuniting with Aliza and Alastair’s families and more characters from the first book. I felt like Dragonshadow really set the Daireds apart, and slightly adrift, from those they care about—an almost desolate feeling—but Flamebringer brings them back into the fold, so to speak, and you can feel that strength of heart and spirit that being around your loved ones provides. Elle Katharine White certainly doesn’t pull any punches throughout this series and with it being the final battle, you know Flamebringer is going to have some pretty big emotional moments.Flamebringer is an engaging read. For all that I thought it went by too quickly, mostly that’s because I am really interested in the world Elle Katharine White has created, and don’t want to leave it so soon. I feel like there are still corners of Arle, and beyond, that beg for exploration, and there is certainly a plethora of characters who can take up the mantle in Alize and Alastair’s stead. Fingers crossed we get to explore some more. Overall, though, I’m really impressed with a series that started as a classic retelling but developed its own history and mythology that stand apart on their own merits.

Flamebringer is the richly imagined, lushly magical conclusion to the Heartstone trilogy, in which we join Aliza and Alistair almost immediately after the events in Dragonshadow. All of the world and character building take place in the first two novels, so potential readers will definitely want to begin with Heartstone.Having been warned of a coming war greater than any the world has ever seen, our intrepid heroes are flying through a blizzard in the hopes of catching the villain Wydrick and keeping him from doing even greater damage to the nation of Arle. They know he is now a ghastradi and in league with the powerful, deadly and human hating Tekari. They need whatever information he has if they are to prevent their kingdom from being destroyed.Their dragon mount Akarra is blown off course by the powerful winds of the storm and rather than catching their foe, Aliza and Alistair find themselves forced to land in the Rushless Wood. The trees here are alive and hostile, allowing no one to pass who is not of the Mauntells. After a bit of a scuffle with those esteemed folk the pair are offered guest-right and welcomed to stay for the night in a village deep in the woods. Their visit is cut short, however, when Joanna arrives to warn the Mauntells that the Daireds have powerful enemies and sheltering them for even one night is dangerous.Forced to flee, Aliza, Akarra and Alistair head to the Dragonsmoor Mountains to plead for the Vehrashi to ally with Arle in the coming battle. While there they learn terrible truths about Alistair’s past, an added burden they don’t need given all they have suffered in their recent struggles. Weary and battleworn, they head to the capital and discover that the guilds have persuaded the king to call a convocation. Ambassadors from the Garhad Islands and the Southern Principalities are eager to be joined by the Elsian delegation and hope for a trade agreement. Alistair, Aliza and Akarra fear the Silent King of Els might be in league with the Tekari and ghastradi and that this is no peaceful discussion of commerce but a trap meant to put an end to Arle. See the rest of my review at https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...

A heart-pounding and thrilling conclusion to this fabulous series! I have totally enjoyed the creative, imaginative and fascinating way this author has spun the classic Pride and Prejudice story into this mystical adventure of magic, dragons and evil! The characters I loved so much in Ms Austen's classic came to life in a whole new way and I was sucked in from the first page. I intend to put this on my faves shelf to read over and over again anytime I want a break from reality with the solid foundation of a thoroughly classic love story. Bravo, Ms White! You nailed it!Side note: I highly HIGHLY recommend reading and listening to the audiobooks for this series! I followed along in the books, but thoroughly loved the audio version because the narrator, Billie Fulford-Brown, does the most fantastic job with about a million different voices, accents, tones and pitches with feeling and emotion in her narration! It was thrilling to listen to and really gave the characters depth! I especially enjoyed her voice and accent for Alastair's dragon, Akkara!Also I do recommend following along in the book so that you can see the words and hear them as well. GREAT series!

I feel similarly about book three as I did for book two. The fantastical elements were unique and interesting, and Elle K. White knows how to write tension and creepy moments excellently. Although I missed the feelings book one gave me with the rest of the sequel, I very much enjoyed my time finishing the story. It was incredibly emotional, which I always love, and high stakes that had me on the edge of my seat. The climax was absolutely incredible.I have read some reviews that say they think too much was packed into book three, so I was nervous. Fortunately, for me, I did not feel like this was the case. Books two and three are definitely more fast paced than book one, but I feel like the pace made sense and fit the story. The places where religion plays a role is never fully explained, but I feel like it didn't need to be despite my curiosity wanting to be further satisfied. What we did get was interesting. I loved all the character development, especially what we see at the end. These are definitely characters you can root for.

I was so nervous to read this book, the last in the Heartstone trilogy, because I adored the first book, and then really didn’t love the second one, so I was afraid the final saga would also be a letdown. Well, thankfully, the final book more than exceeded my expectations! The plot was much more fast-paced, and we got to dive more into the characters of Aliza and Alastair as they worked to uncover the mystery of the ghastradi that was set up by the second book. I will say that there were points where I was confused because the story was definitely referring back to events of the previous books, which were not fresh in my mind, so I would suggest reading all three closer together. I enjoyed the mystery the book presented, and how it tied up those loose threads. The ending was a lot more somber than I anticipated, but I did feel it had reached a resolution. All in all, I would recommend reading the whole series, because I really did enjoy this last book in addition to loving the first.