Forged in Flame and Shadow

Fated to the Sun and Stars, Book 2

By: Zara Storm

Narrated by: Jessie Elwyn, Christopher Andrews

He tore her world apart. Now he may be the only one who can help her save it.

Ana has spent her life as a pawn—used, betrayed, and hunted. But no more.

As the rightful heir to Trova’s blood-soaked throne, she’s ready to rise—ruthless, unyielding, and armed with the celestial magic awakening inside her.

But power always has a price, and Ana is already burning beneath the weight of it.

To control the force threatening to consume her, Ana must ally with the man who once left her for dead.

Leon stole her away, shattered her heart, and turned her world to ash.

Now, he needs her magic to save his brother—and she needs his help to control it before it destroys her.

Enemies close in. A zealot hunts her from the shadows. And with every glance, every touch, the bond between Ana and Leon deepens—twisting into something fierce, forbidden, and impossible to ignore.

But in a realm built on blood and lies, love is a fatal weakness.

And surrendering to him again could cost her everything.

©2025 Relay Publishing (P)2025 Relay Publishing

immensely dark fantasy

I liked this audiobook, but I didn’t love it. The story was interesting enough to keep me listening, but it didn’t fully pull me in.

The female narrator was great and fit the character well. However, I didn’t enjoy the male narrator as much because he sounded older than the character, which made it harder to stay immersed.

I recommend this audiobook to fans of dark fantasy romance who don’t mind mixed narration styles.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Ana gains an unexpected sidekick ;)

The banter that I loved in book 1 did not miss a step here in book 2! As we dove more into this world it was interesting to see all the powers in play between the religious group, rebels and fae. Alister still remains my favorite character, but a certain furry friend is a close second.

If you’re reading this, you’ve already read book 1 and book 2 is definitely worth it. But…this book does end on a cliffhanger.

The dual narration was great, as both narrators have so much range with their voices.

action and heat

Dual Narration.

Book two.

I really enjoyed the narrators. They had such unique voices. It was easy to get lost in the world.

The story is never boring. The action and intrigue take you on a wild ride. The characters are layered and the world is beautifully built. Their chemistry is natural and the heat is strong. The twists and build up keep you on your toes. I enjoyed getting to know the characters better. I can't wait to see what's next!

Forged in Flame and Shadow

This picks up at almost the exact point we left off in book 1 and adds extra layers to the political intrigue. I however didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I did book 1 which was somewhat disappointing.

We get to see Ana grow in her magic and her confidence which is great and a change of pace from the typically readymade badass heroines we often see. The added insights into Leon’s motivations and how he got his reputation also went a long way to endearing him to me. The aspects of found family, choice, independence and the unique magic system were well executed.

However, even with everything going on, this one still felt slower than the first which did affect my enjoyment of the book. The suspense and politics of this world still have me interested and I will be continuing with the series to see how it’s all resolved.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

not duet-style narration

Great second book in this series. I felt the pacing in this book was better than book 2 without all of world building