Flash Point

Nite Fire, Volume 1

By: C. L. Schneider

Narrated by: Cassandra King

Length: 15 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's Summary

Slated for execution, shape-shifting assassin Dahlia Nite flees her world to hide in the human realm. As payment for the shelter they unknowingly provide, Dahlia dedicates herself to protecting humans from what truly lives in the shadows. Moving from town to town, she hunts the creatures that threaten an unsuspecting human race, burying the truth that could destroy them all.   

But the shadows are shifting. The lies are adding up. When Sentinel City is threatened by a series of bizarre brutal murders, light is shed on what should never be seen. The secrets that have kept humanity in the dark for centuries are in danger of being exposed.   

Wrestling with a lifetime of her own deceptions, Dahlia investigates the killings while simultaneously working to conceal their circumstances. But with each new murder, the little bit of peace she has found in this world begins to crumble. Each new clue leads her to the one place she thought to never go again: home.   

Flash Point is the first audiobook in the Nite Fire series.

©2017 C. L. Schneider (P)2023 C.L. Schneider

Snark & fire magic - what's not to love?

What a fun and intense urban fantasy! I really enjoyed this book and had trouble putting it down. I was giving my pets a frowny face when I had to set aside my book to feed them dinner. And I love my pets, so that’s not something I say lightly.

Dahlia Nite is my kind of hero. She’s got snark, strength, smarts, and practical footwear. I love that she doesn’t have any qualms about a little breaking and entering if it means catching a bad guy. She’s already got enough weighing her conscience down; why add on some piddly little stuff like arson if it means one less predator is on the loose?

The story does start off with a smidge of high fantasy, as we first meet Dahlia in her native world of dragons and shape shifters. Events fall out so that Dahlia has to flee her home and she ends up in our world. Step forward 100 years, and you have the bulk of this story. People from her home world put in appearances and they definitely complicate her (mostly) human life.

Dahlia is working as an arson consultant with the local police. Pretty soon the series of supposedly spontaneous combustions has the police on edge. Dahlia knows it’s one of her kind, but not who and there’s no way she can explain all that to the human police.

Casey Evans eventually becomes her enthusiastic side kick. I really liked this guy. Every career-oriented lady needs a side kick like Evans. Then Detective Alex Creed was fun because he’s such a cynical curmudgeon. Dahlia has a hard time lying to him because she knows that he can tell when she’s lying and it bothers her. These two have a touching moment later and that’s when I truly let Creed in. I knew then that I wanted him on Dahlia’s team.

There’s more than 1 murderer, and more than 1 psychopath, but not all get what they deserve. It was complicated and I like complicated, messy. That’s life. Dahlia gains much from her experiences in this story, but she also loses at least one important thing. The story ends wrapping things up well for this book but with enough open for a sequel (which I look forward to very much). 5/5 stars.

The Narration: Cassandra King did some amazing things with her voice for this book. How the heck did she do that? and then that? And this other voice over here? I was very surprised by her diversity of voices. She made a very excellent angry dragon, a creepy female psycho path, an endearing snarky hero, a grumpy detective, a boxing trainer, and so much more. It was truly excellent how she portrayed this book. On the technical side, I did notice a few small sections where the volume went a little high or a little low. Other than that, excellent narration. 4.75/5 stars.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by C.L. Schneider. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Amazing

This story was amazing it pulled you in. The narrator did amazing job on all the voices can’t wait to read the next one!!!

let's be honest about this book

I read the reviews and I'm about to be real. I gave this book a100% chance to idk pick up ( maybe ) I should have returned it BUT I wanted to see what everyone was talking about, I never found it. The reader was easy to listen to, However nothing else was note worthy... I wanted to like it the idea was good smh I just wish it was

Caught in the line of fire

Our heroine is an exile trying to blend into our world. But after a while, hiding becomes a chore, so she returns to the closest thing she has to a home now. And that is when her past catches up with her.

This is book one of the series, so a good place to start.

This is an urban fantasy story with all kinds of beasties. The story is well written, easy to read and even easier to listen to. The characters are well done and diverse providing an interesting array of pieces on the board. The setting is also well done and includes lots of intriguing details that are revealed throughout the story. The plot is engaging and includes plenty of twists and turns so you are never quite sure what is going on. Overall, it was a long, but very enjoyable story and I look forward to the next book.

Highly recommended.

This review is based on the audio book version. The narration was very well done, clear and well paced, making it easy to listen to.

I received n ARC from StoryOrigin for review purposes.

AWESOME shapeshifting crime adventure fantasy!

This was a first for me...... I haven't ever listened to an Audio book, but I am so glad that I did!! This book was awesome!! If you like shapeshifting fantasies, suspenseful adventures, and thrilling crime dramas this one is for you!! Dahlia Nite is a shapeshifter who runs from her own execution into the human world. Trying to keep her world a secret, she helps protect the human world from what lurks in the dark shadows. A string of gruesome murders puts everything at risk and she must find who's to blame before her world and herself are exposed. This book had me on the edge of my seat trying to guess what would happen next. I would defiantly recommend this book and I can't wait to read/listen to the rest of the set!!

Gruesome action scenes! Very descriptive!

"Flash Point" is a story about Dahlia Nite, a shape-shifting woman from another world, who just wants to find a place she belongs. After being exiled from her home, she has come to Earth to help protect the humans from evil that comes from her old home. After gruesome murders begin to occur, she tries to hide the truth from the humans, while working alongside them to get redemption for the lost souls.

Personally, this book was hard for me to listen to in certain areas because of the descriptiveness of the demented crime scenes. However, other than that, this book was amazing. It kept me on the edge of my seat at all times. The character building is strong and always has you switching which romance to root for. The world building present in this book is phenomenal! I recommend it to anyone who can stomach some crazy crime scenes, likes suspense and piecing scenarios together, and really enjoys fantasy worlds mixing with ours.

Paranormal murder mystery

This audio book had a great narrator. She had a way of bringing you into the story. I really enjoyed this book.

Murders are piling up and are starting to gain a focus. Dahlia is the main character and has a sarcastic attitude and takes no crap from anyone. I love that no nonsense attitude in the main character. She is able to feel the ghosts of the dead as well as the trauma of the living. She is trying to crack the case of who is doing these murders. She knows it is one of her kind. She is supposed to be making sure the human police do not find out about her species. The story takes on so many twists and turns you are not left bored at any time. I would recommend this audio book to anyone who loves the paranormal mixed with a suspenseful murder mystery.

Crime and Fantasy Mixed Together

Nite Fire: Flashpoint by C.L. Schneider was a captivating tale of a young girl, Dahlia Nite, who having escaped execution, now helps to solve crimes in the human realm and protect her people from being revealed. Flashpoint follows her exciting tale as she solves brutal murders that point to much more sinister things. Flashpoint is captivating and wants to keep you listening. I felt the characters pain, love, and happiness. I found myself rooting for her and felt the shock and surprise she felt. the end left me wanting more and cannot wait for the next book in the series.

Very Good Fantasy book!

This is a very good audio. If you like dangers, dragons, mystery with a strong female character this is for you! I loved Dahlia’s snappy no nonsense attitude. She is quite bad azz! When Dahlia escapes her own execution and flees her home, she lives then among the human population. There are murders in Sentinal City and she tries to help solve them while not revealing whom she is. Love the mystery and twists in this story. The narrator is fantastic in this audio!

awesome story

I enjoyed my first audible by this author. It is full of action, mystery and suspense. I enjoyed the narrator’s voice as well as how it changed with the different characters. This story is about someone who has had to leave their home to protect their safety but when things lead back to home, things may never be the same again. One of the things I enjoy most about this author is her imagination in her books. They are fun and entertaining. Listening to this just made the story all the more fun. The narrator kept me listening and engaged. I really enjoyed this audible and highly recommend it.

Good kind of different

I feel like I should listen to this story again before writing a review. After first listen I am still kind of annoyed with the story, while fully acknowledging it is seriously good. Fantastic world building, good characters, gripping storyline, turns and twists. What did annoy me was it took me about 11 hours to find answers to most of my questions, and those 11 hours I was constantly wondering if I was wasting my time. What still annoys me is that some of my questions didn´t get answers. At the same time I can not wait to find time to listen to the rest of the series. Am wondering about the content of the story still now a few days later. A new author to me, probably will end up buying all her material on Audible.

Absolutely fantastic

Flash Point: Nite Fire Volume I Audio book by C.L. Schneider is an exciting and detailed fantasy story that I was pulled into from the start. The opening chapter of this book was so well done, I knew I wouldn’t be able to leave this book without finding out what was going to happen.
I love all the myriad of characters, it made the book so diverse. And the blending of fantasy and reality was done effortlessly.
The narrator for this book has to be my favourite by far! The enthusiasm and passion that went into her telling of the story was just amazing. I think even if the book hadn’t been exciting she would have made it so.
Everything about this book is absolutely perfect and I cannot wait to start the second.

Gritty and dark urban fantasy

A superb gritty and dark urban fantasy, with great well developed characters. The author has created a vivid entertaining narrative. An exiled Dragon hybrid ex assassin who has a mission to protect humans and shifters from each other is drawn into a series for grizzly murders. The writing is excellent and draws you into the story. I loved it. I long story but it does not feel like it. The narration really brings the story to life, the perfect combination. I have already bought the rest of the series.
I received a complementary copy via Storyorigin and am leaving a voluntary honest review

A perfect fusion of edgy and timeless

Supernatural/Human hibrids. They’re all over the place in literature and myth. Achilles. Dionysus. Helen of Troy. Supernatural father, human mother… (I won’t mention Jesus. Yes, definitely best to leave him out of this….) Human and more than human. It’s a nagging whisper of things we feel – powers we feel inside ourselves, possibilities, dangers.

I liked this modern rendition. Dahlia is the perfect fusion of edgy and timeless. The dragonworld in the backstory was the usual brutal feudalism that is the big cliché of fantasy literature, but Schneider tempers the tired traps of that, and grounds her hybrid in the sharp modernity of an American city. A recognisable place, with office blocks where people work and parks where children play. Her dragon-human heroine drinks coffee, wears cool clothes (sometimes), works out in a gym… But she also shapeshifts, and throws fire, and wrangles all manner of unhuman creatures. Between these poles she drifts between her dragon sensibilities – ruthless and carnal – and the awkward capacity for empathy and friendship that has already, at the start of the book, got her into a lot of trouble.

It’s a layered book. An action packed police procedural. A fantasy with sex and monsters. A character novel, with moments of humour. It glances at a number of very human troubles – the pains of integration, the unease of the displaced, the alienated, the misfits and those who live longer than their friends. The pace of it keeps you surfing through the plot, cresting the waves, looking for what happens. But beneath you, if you ever look down, there’s a lot going on in the water….

A Dragon cover up, so get the word out

I loved this book. I mainly like mysteries but if a blurb catches my eye then I will try something new and boy am I glad I did. This starts as a murder mystery, with the main character trying to track down the killer but at the same time protect the police assigned to the case from finding out the truth that she isn't human and neither is the killer. The story develops quickly and before you know it you are looking up the blurb for book two to see who makes it to the next book, well okay I did. You are also drawn into a world where Dragons shift and take on human form and a whole new world is created in front of your eyes. I love the way the author straddles both worlds and genres beautifully but at the same time makes it believe able or at least possible.. I really liked the characters and at points I was sat on the edge of my seat as each new twist came. There was a lot of mutilated bodies, fights scenes and action but I am off to start book two.
Shape-shifting assassin Dahlia Nite, cast out by her kind for being weak and damaged is doing her part to keep the humans of her adopted world safe from monsters, by hiding in the shadows. She has connections so when a friend gets a call asking for help on a strange and brutal case, he turns to Dahlia. Posing as a fire inspector Dahlia turns up to the crime scene and the first thing she smells is not burnt flesh but dragon. Can she track down who or what is responsible and at the same time stop the police from discovering something that could rock the world, the existence of monsters. The more the bodies pile up the hard it becomes to keep her secret. Just what do all the victims have in common? As the connection become more obvious the case becomes a lot more personal for Dahlia. So much so that she might just have to return to the world she ran away from a life time ago. To stop the killer she might just have to confront her past.
I liked the narrator and thought she really helped bring the story to life with all the different voices she used.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Well Worth a Listen

Well, this little number officially popped my audiobook cherry, having not ever been a fan of audiobooks, I have always tended towards avoiding them. I’m a bit of a picky sod and if I don’t really like the voice of the person reading it, then I will just zone out and the story is ruined. I was pleasantly surprised though; Cassandra King did a phenomenal job reading some great work by Schneider.
Flaming heck this was a mystery and a half, loved the old-timey cop feel that seemed to permeate throughout as well as the fantasy element of Dahlia being part dragon, part human, twas very interesting, and the other creatures that cropped up were cool. Some of the descriptions were fabulously gross, and they properly made my skin crawl, dumping me right in the moment. I happen to think that action sequences are some of the hardest to write, but Schneider nailed it and I mean, nailed it. All the fights left me feeling breathless, they were snappy and quick, and even though there were lots of descriptions packed into such a small moment, it in no way detracted from the urgency.
Dahlia is a fiery character, both physically and emotionally, she knows her own mind and having been around for quite a bit has seen and experienced a heck of a lot, but home always calls, her past whispering to her in weak moments, fooling her into believing that maybe one day she could return to where she came from and be welcomed by the Dragon Elders. This is foolish and in her more ‘together’ moments, she realizes this, distracting herself with mysteries in the human world. One such mystery happens to crop up, a family having fallen victim to, what looks like, spontaneous human combustion, but she knows that this is not the case, and the hunt begins to find out who of her kind perpetrated such a crime and stop them before they can hurt anyone else.
All in all, I found this an enjoyable listen, I banged it on while I was crocheting and found that it really kept me engaged, holding my breath during the fights, mouth dropping open when Schneider left an infuriating cliff hanger at the end of a chapter. A really good book, full of juicy mystery and some sizzling bits of romance. Honestly give it a go, you can’t go wrong with it.

Nite Fire

Dragon Elders oh wow they seem like vicious creatures. They are the top dog. This is a very descriptive book. The audio is done really well. You want High fantasy, shape shifting this book is for you. Dahila Nite is the main character in this book she is tough as nails. Half human half dragon what is not to love. Dahila is very hard working citizen. Casey is a very career oriented person. These two start working together on these murder cases. This audio book intiences you wanting to listen more and not stop. Am amazing girtty, dark fantasy. Some twist that I never expected as well. Nervosuly awaiting the next book.

Fire, Dragons and Other Worlds

Dahlia Nite, trained assassin from a parallel universe. Part dragon, part human, with the ability to shift between both. When she shifts into the scales of her ancestors, Dahlia can use her ability's of empathy to understand what happened at the time of the victims death. With her psychic abilities, along with her forensic skills she helps her local police force to discover who or what is on a murder spree in the town she loves.

Schneider has created a magical and realistic world leaving its scars still hurting after its final word. With plethora of interlocking characters and story lines, the reader is pulled in and taken along on Dahlia’s journey from one murder to the next.

King’s delivery was perfect, reinforcing the deep and realistic characters of Sentinal City, her warm voice and ability to breath life into the characters had me believing I was right along side Dahlia throughout all the action.

This book reminded me why I enjoy audio books, and with book two already bought, I can’t wait get book three due for release in October.