Firelight

Darkest London, Book 1

By: Kristen Callihan

Narrated by: Moira Quirk

Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

London, 1881

Once the flames are ignited...

Miranda Ellis is a woman tormented. Plagued since birth by a strange and powerful gift, she has spent her entire life struggling to control her exceptional abilities. Yet one innocent but irreversible mistake has left her family's fortune decimated and forced her to wed London's most nefarious nobleman.

They will burn for eternity...

Lord Benjamin Archer is no ordinary man. Doomed to hide his disfigured face behind masks, Archer knows it's selfish to take Miranda as his bride. Yet he can't help being drawn to the flame-haired beauty whose touch sparks a passion he hasn't felt in a lifetime. When Archer is accused of a series of gruesome murders, he gives in to the beastly nature he has fought so hard to hide from the world. But the curse that haunts him cannot be denied. Now, to save his soul, Miranda will enter a world of dark magic and darker intrigue. For only she can see the man hiding behind the mask.

©2012 Kristen Callihan (P)2012 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

2012, RT Book Reviews' Seal of Excellence, Winner

"Callihan has a great talent for sexual tension and jaw-dropping plots that weave together brilliantly in the end."—Diana Gabaldon, New York Times bestselling author

"Beauty and the Beast meets Phantom of the Opera (with hints of Carrie and an abundance of Egyptian mythology) in this gripping, intoxicating story, simmering with incendiary sensuality and featuring a heroine who risks all to save the man she loves. An exceptional debut and the first of what promises to be a compelling series."—Library Journal, starred review

"Compulsively readable...a compelling Victorian paranormal with heart and soul."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

Outstanding in every way.

I adored everything about this story. The narrator was top notch and, IMHO, the story was fanfreekintastic! One of my very favorite paranormal romance audio books ever. Looking forward to the next installment

Excellent start..was intrigued the entire time

This book was very good. It kept you on your seat wondering what was going on with the Archer. I've never really read a historical PNR... This was very exciting and different than your typical shifter/demon/vamp story. While this story is series there wasn't and cliffhanger or unanswered questions. Waiting for the next installment.

Wow! 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

First, I love this story. It was unique, interesting, and well written. Second, the narrator was superb—the perfect choice for the book. Third, the author really knows how to write a steamy love scene without making it gross. And said scenes are used sparingly, which only adds to the steaminess.

I can’t wait to read the rest of this series!

This is the most frustrating book I ever read!!

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I am not sure how to rate this book the story was great but the writer just took too long to get to the point. A few times I just wanted to tear my hair out. I stopped listening few times.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Get to the point !!! it was frustrating !!!

GREAT STORY

Enjoyed this audio. First audio i have listened too by KC, wont be the last. Loved the characters and plots, had me guessing till near the end who the villain really was. Story was well written keeping you interested, didn't feel once the "Oh come on, get on with it". It was refreshing just to listen to another author who created a great story with great characters.

PNR + Historical Romance = a new favorite series!

My two favorite genres in one delightful read! I really enjoyed this book and am writing this review while devouring the third installment! This series is fantastic and romantic and all the wonderful things I love in a story.

For years Miranda has been paying for a past misdeed that has left her family destitute. Her bravery and wit in addition to her striking beauty catches the eye of Lord Archer and she is forced by her father and her circumstances to marry the mysterious, masked man.

This story was so much fun to read. The dialogue between the main characters and the tension throughout the tale ensnared me and had me plugged in until the very end. Miranda is brave and fierce in her loyalty to Archer and I loved the evolution of their romance. Archer was gentle and kind and I adored how he immediately embraced Miranda into his life, treating her like a partner and not like a wife with wifely duties. The paranormal aspect in this tale is superb and the way Callihan writes it, you can't help but eat up the pages quickly so you can find out what happens next. There is also a great supporting cast that are in subsequent stories and are/will be strong characters in unwrapping the world Callihan created.

This story is a must read for any paranormal romance fan and historical romance fan and if you are like me and happen to be a fan of both genres, well then the combination provides a synergistic effect.

Narration
Narrator: Moira Quirk
Performance: 4/5
Quirk does a fantastic job with the accents. The characters in the tale having a proper British and a cockney accent. I listened to this read in a 1.25x the normal setting and the pace was perfect and her tone and inflections right on.

Not my usual genre...but

I am probably one of the few romance lovers that avoid all the vampire, werewolve, etc. books. I like the steamy love scenes in those books, but I find there often seems to be a hint (or more!) of violence and some out and out S&M. I am not a fan of S&M, so I avoid them.

The first love scene between the two protagonists made me think this was going to be another S&M, but it wasn't. It was a great love story!

If you like kind of hoaky "beauty and the beast" books with strong female protagonists (which I do) you will enjoy this book. I will read more books by this author!

The narrator was absolutely wonderful. I have listened to other books narrated by Ms.Quirk, and she always manages to make me forget she is doing all the voices, each character has his/her own voice and personality. Spot on!

Slow moving, but somewhat original.

Would you try another book from Kristen Callihan and/or Moira Quirk?

Unlikely

Would you be willing to try another book from Kristen Callihan? Why or why not?

Maybe, it would depend on the topic. Probably not another paranormal, at any rate.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

It was fair, but I would have preferred more inflection to convey mood and tone of each scene.

Do you think Firelight needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No. It felt finished to me...I know it's the first of a series, but I won't be reading any more of them.

not so much paranormal, but very much romance

What made the experience of listening to Firelight the most enjoyable?

aah... British English... sooo aristocratic!

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

It was enjoyable enough

What does Moira Quirk bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

definitely, the wonderful accent! I could listen to Ms. Quirk reading a recipe book and still enjoy it!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Victorian romance with a twist

Awesome Romance Story with a Hint of Magic...

This is an awesome romance story with a bit of magic thrown in. I love historical romance novels but sometimes it gets boring. This book, however, is not boring and throwing the magic into the story keeps the listener hooked and then becomes a fantasy/historical/romance story! The love story is not typical or boring and it keeps you entralled to finish it all at once. I hated to pause this story in because it was so good. The narrator is good as well. Overall a must add to your library. Can't wait to hear the next book.