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

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.

A Beauty and the Beast kind of story.

A regency romance with a bit of paranormal tinge. I liked this story but I didn't love it. It does have a unique paranormal twist which I enjoyed, but I would have liked a bit more details on the back ground of what was happening to Archer. I really liked Miranda and her fiery spirit, but also that she realized when she was being a ninny too. My biggest problem with the book is how they keep saying how they never tell a lie and that they are straight forward, but then lie and avoid the truth with the important parts of their lives. The redeeming part is they call each other on it and eventually get past it. I also guessed who the bad guy was almost immediately and never strayed from my conclusion. I will read the next book in the series, but I will probably wait until there is a sale. The narrator was decent in the sound of her voice, but needs a little more work on the distinctiveness of each character.

Fantastic book

Any additional comments?

I found this book in my library and had forgotten i had it. I have just finished listening to this amazing author and narrator. The story has everything, suspense, excitement, love, lust, danger and much more. I thoroughly enjoyed this story so much i must say it is the best book i have read for a long time. Defiantly in my top 10. So very GOOD :)

Doesn't do the print version justice

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would probably NOT recommend this audiobook to a friend-- I'd tell them to just go out and buy the print or e-copy. For me, the narrator totally missed the mark on this. Her voice is largely monotone and most of her characters sound similar, which takes away from the beautiful tone of the story itself and how different all the characters are.

What did you like best about this story?

The story itself. Kristen Callihan is relatively new on the scene and her story is lush, complemented by the stage she sets in both mystery and setting. It's a brilliant combination of historical and paranormal elements.

How could the performance have been better?

After being so uninspired by the narrator, the only way to improve on the performance-- again, for me-- would be to have someone else do the reading. I was such a fan of this book that I bought the audiobook automatically without giving a listen to the sample first. I won't be making the same mistake again.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The moving parts of the story weren't done justice by this narrator. There are some particularly tense scenes that weren't given the emphasis and tension they deserved.

A really good start to the series

I really liked this book. I thought the author's creation of immortals was pretty unique. You don't read about too many people who can set fire to things. The narration was really good as well.
I got the second book right away and listened to it as well.

Entertaining

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this victorian /paranormal /romance mash up. Thought the idea was original enough to warrant purchasing the 2nd book as well. Kept me interested to the end.

Thought the reader was great also. Will look for more books read by her.

No character development

I’ve got three hours left in this book and I still don’t understand why or how the two main characters fell in love??? They still lie to each other at every turn or just don’t discuss things that matter and yet they’re madly in love??? We still don’t know what’s up with Archer at all and Miranda hasn’t told him (or the reader) the ins and outs of her fire power. How can they be so committed to each other when they literally know zip about one another? This book is overly dramatic and the romance is forced. Blah!

Superb! Most enjoyable.

Would you listen to Firelight again? Why?

Yes. I like the plot. Very well written. Moira Quirk narrated beautifully. I Ike the strong character that Kristen Callihan gave her heroine. Very, very good. Will definitely purchase the next book from Audible.

What did you like best about this story?

The secret of the face behind the mask. Couldn't guess correctly!

Which character – as performed by Moira Quirk – was your favorite?

Both Miranda and Archer.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

-

Any additional comments?

Will continue the series.

Second time around

Oh yeah, I really enjoyed this story. For the longest time (since middle school) I avoided paranormal anything. However, I got this one a while back - probably on sale -and I enjoyed it. I was too lazy at the time to write a review. No wait, I was busy reading the second in the series. I just listened to it again, and have the second ready to go. One of the things I liked about this was that the characters didn't annoy me. Also, the plot was believable in a paranormal kind of way, and the mystery/suspense was good. I also liked the narrator. There are some books I'd like to listen to, but the narrator irritates me half to death. Oh, I also like the Victorian setting (please someone message me the titles of other romances set in this era, but not narrated by someone irritating).