Chaos & Flame
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4.5 • 2 Ratings
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
From New York Times bestselling author Justina Ireland and Tessa Gratton comes the first book in a ferocious YA fantasy duology featuring ancient magic, warring factions, and a romance between the two people in the world with the most cause to hate one another.
Darling Seabreak cannot remember anything before the murder of her family at the hands of House Dragon, but she knows she owes her life to both the power of her Chaos Boon and House Kraken for liberating her from the sewers where she spent her childhood. So when her adoptive Kraken father is captured in battle, Darling vows to save him—even if that means killing each and every last member of House Dragon.
Talon Goldhoard has always been a dutiful War Prince for House Dragon, bravely leading the elite troops of his brother, the High Prince Regent. But lately his brother’s erratic rule threatens to undo a hundred years of House Dragon’s hard work, and factions are turning to Talon to unseat him. Talon resists, until he’s ambushed by a fierce girl who looks exactly like the one his brother has painted obsessively, repeatedly, for years, and Talon knows she’s the key to everything.
Together, Darling and Talon must navigate the treacherous waters of House politics, caught up in the complicated game the High Prince Regent is playing against everyone. The unlikeliest of allies, they’ll have to stop fighting each other long enough to learn to fight together in order to survive the fiery prophecies and ancient blood magic threatening to devastate their entire world.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Gratton (Moon Dark Smile) and Ireland (Rust in the Root) team up to deliver a gripping fantasy about betrayal, forgiveness, loss, and loyalty amid a magical war. Seventeen-year-old Darling Seabreak cannot remember anything about her childhood before being adopted by the regent of House Kraken. She is raised as a mercenary in House Kraken's war against House Dragon until she is captured by House Dragon's War Prince, 18-year-old Talon Goldhoard. Unbeknownst to Darling, she has been the subject of a lifetime of murals painted by Talon's older brother, "Mad Dragon Prince Regent" Caspian Goldhoard. Through these murals, Darling learns that she is the last remaining Sphinx, a member of the house that Talon's father massacred at the beginning of the war. When Caspian announces his intentions to reinstate the Sphinxes to their former glory on a reparations tour, Darling and Talon cautiously follow, hoping this could be the first step toward a peaceful future. Through standard tropes, familiar worldbuilding, and Darling and Talon's alternating narratives, the authors gradually employ myriad political and social perspectives that capably flesh out the novel's compelling war-torn landscape. Characters are described as having varying skin tones. Ages 14–up.
Customer Reviews
Dragons vs Krakens
Cassian Goldhoard has visions of the future—almost exclusively featuring a girl that he paints with no eyes. As the High Prince Regent of House Dragon, his mercurial moods put him in danger of being proclaimed mad and removed from the throne. His brother, Talon, the War Prince, does everything in his power to protect his brother and his House. Darling Seabreak is an assassin for her adopted House, Kraken. She was adopted by the House Regent after House Dragon murdered her entire House, Sphinx. She spent years living in the sewers, which damaged her eyesight, requiring her to wear special goggles. After Darling is captured by Talon during an attempted rescue of her adopted father, Cassian presents an enigmatic solution for peace between the Houses. Together, Cassian, Talon, and Darling work toward trusting each other and peace for their country.
I enjoyed this book tremendously. The characters, though immature, were believable and interesting. The immaturity worked, though, because the book is YA fiction. I enjoyed that the ending of the book wasn’t immediately evident to me either, despite Cassian leaving clues as to what he was plotting. The romance between Talon and Darling was enjoyable but it felt a little rushed. But, again, as they were teenagers, I think the immaturity of the romance works. I also think that it is something that will be further developed in book 2.
I think that this is a great addition to the YA diaspora. Gratton and Ireland did a great job of encapsulating everything essential to a good YA book. The strong, female protagonist and the enemies-to-lovers romance are classic YA tropes—for good reason—that were very well employed in this store. I think that teenagers will relate to Darling and fall for Talon. Adults looking for a fun and easy read, will also love this book, but anyone looking for more mature and intricate characters and relationships will be disappointed with it.
Overall, I’m so happy that I read this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a good YA fantasy. I’m really looking forward to finding out what happens to Darling, Talon, and Cassian in book 2!