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

Kristen CALLIHAN doesn’t disappoint

Love it! Very different from where I found her, the football series (not the actual title), but “Firelight” was equally fabulous! Now to find book 2! The reading of Moira Quirk was perfect!

"A fun, mysterious adventure!"

This book is very well written and read! The story was well paced and revealed just enough detail to keep the mind wondering about the rest of the mystery. The narrator was fantastic and actually enhanced the story with different accents and speech patterns that were very well done. Her interpretation of male voices was seamless and believable.

Excellent book.

I totally enjoyed this book. The narrator is excellent. The story was great, the characters are great. I have already read the second book and it was good too. I like the different paranormal in the 1700's London setting. Totally worth the credits and/or dollars. I am looking forward to the third book, I hope it shows up soon on audible.

Flawless

Regency paranormal romance is a hard niche to do well, partly because different listeners prefer different ratios of paranormal to romance, action to horror, and steampunk to historical. This series perfectly matches my ideal ratios.

Steampunk vs. historical accuracy:
The steampunk in this first book is more on the mad-science/monstrous creation end rather than gears and automatons. It blends credibly with actual Victorian settings, mythology, and culture.

Action to horror:
This books weaves a dark and stormy night, almost gothic tale of blood and monsters. Both the action and horror build steadily as the book progresses, with lots body parts and body counts.

Paranormal to romance:
As much as I love regency romances, if there is a paranormal element, then I demand a good dose of mystery and a decent amount of dark thrills. I’d rather have a great paranormal mystery at the expense of more bodice ripping or balls and courting. It takes 9 hours for our couple to seal the deal, and that’s the only time they both get satisfaction. But, there was enough hot chemistry and domineering naughtiness along the way to keep me engaged.

Best of all, this series features my favorite kinds of men and women. I like my men dark and dangerous and I like my women feminine and fierce. This author delivers great characters and bucks expectations without sacrificing one bit of romance. I even liked the dueling secrets plot that normally exasperates me. Bravo.

⚙️If you need your paranormal romance to be cleaner than Julia Quinn’s Bridgertons, stick with the Parasol Protectorate series. Personally, I found that to be a little too juvenile anime and focused on the look (rather than science) of steampunk.

⚙️If you want more steampunk than paranormal in your regency romance, and some LGBTQ friendly plots, go with the Iron Duke series. While I liked that series, those books are more inconsistent in tone and storytelling (books 1 and 2 standing out).

⚙️If fantastic steampunk adventure is your priority, go with Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher. Romance is just a side dish, but the swashbuckling epic is phenomenal.

Fiery Start to a New Series

Would you consider the audio edition of Firelight to be better than the print version?

I prefer audio books to reading so I don't know

What did you like best about this story?

The interesting paranormal creatures

What about Moira Quirk’s performance did you like?

She was okay, I think she did a good job with Miranda's voice, but needs to work on the emotional undertones of the characters in the story. So she is not bad but she could do better.

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

I thought the story was well written or told It keeps you engaged throughout. The romantic connection between the two main characters, but it also leads you to want to know more about their world and the people who in habit it.

A fun, mysterious adventure!

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

Yes! Very well written and read! The story was well paced and revealed just enough detail to keep the mind wondering about the rest of the mystery. The narrator was fantastic and actually enhanced the story with different accents and speech patterns that were very well done. Her interpretation of male voices was seamless and believable.

What other book might you compare Firelight to and why?

It is kind of a fairy tale. I wouldn't compare it to a single one--though it clearly has La Belle et la Bete overtones--because this story gives strength and power to the female lead. It was fun!

Have you listened to any of Moira Quirk’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Nope. This was my first one. Wouldn't hesitate to listen to her again though! One of my new favorites!

NIce Story

This was a nice pleasant pass time. I choose books like these when I don't have time or focus to put into huge epics, which are my favorites. Light beach reading, wasn't boring.

speechless... in a very good way!

Where does Firelight rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

In my very top favorites. All the happily bestowed 5 star ratings leave me without a way to express this ones value... a 10!

What did you like best about this story?

The way the story is told... it's hypnotic... The almost end had tears silently flowing softly for a long time while I listened... heart in throat as the many threads of this tale wove together towards the multi dimensional end...

Have you listened to any of Moira Quirk’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I can't recall. I think so.... but this was so enchanting and hypnotic that it is absolutely a stand alone performance. .. total perfection...In the beginning I was aware that the male voices were not as adistinct as some. .. but I quickly forgot and now realize that I would have to listen again to be truly certain as I know each character and their personas so well that I don't remember the narrative but just the individuals.

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

A bit of fantasy fiction woven into a london lord and lady romance with the perfect touch of erotica and the magnetic pull of a mystery slash thriller...

Any additional comments?

I was in the midst of a regency London romance obsession when I stumbled on this book... it was such a pleasant surprise. Even for the romance only listener the twist of the fantasy fiction and mystery make it well worth it. Worth the credit... yeah... or the money... yes!

Interesting but fractured

What did you like best about Firelight? What did you like least?

There is always an appeal for me regarding mystery/magic/fantasy when merged with the Victorian era. However, while the premise of the story pulled at me, this was a bumpy ride. It was difficult to see the story at points because as the reader, you were allowed peaks inside the world and characters and once you just got comfortably immersed, the transition to the next scene was jarring...and not in a pleasant or exciting way. I don't always need or even want such a smooth transition but I found myself craving it in this case.
My star scale listed above is based on the following: *Dreadful _ **poor _ ***Eh Good _ ****Very Good _ *****Excellent!.
This story was Eh Good but left me dissatisfied.

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

....Yes? As stated above, there is potential in her storytelling.

Which scene was your favorite?

Hmmmm...hard to place. Probably when Miranda forced the issue of trust by turning on the lights...by doing it the way she did....lets just say that the scene was layered enough for me :).

What would have made this romance irresistible?

A more complete and comprehensive picture. The colors, plots, worldbuilding and characters were very interesting but the ride as I said above was bumpy and hard to see.

Any additional comments?

One major point in this stories favor was the narration. Very well done. Moira Quirk did a very good job of telling and conveying the feel of this story. Technically, I would have given her a five star but that is reserved for narrators that can top five or more voice characters that are believable in my opinion. She came very close to it though.

Good start but went downhill for me.

At the beginning I thought this was going to be a great read but towards the middle of the book it lost its momentum and my appreciation for it.