Book Review: Firelight

Firelight (Firelight, book 1) by Sophie Jordan.

With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda's rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can't resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she's risking not only her life but the draki's most closely guarded secret.


Who knew young love could be so hot...and so dangerous?  Jacinda is a draki, a shapeshifter descended from dragons, and unique among her pride.  Jacinda is a fire breather, a powerful draki thought to be extinct, which makes her prized by the ruler of her pride.  When Jacinda makes a near fatal mistake she begins to learn just how sheltered she has been and discovers the dark truth behind her pride's intentions for her.  Torn from the world she has always known, a life where her draki abilities were treasured, and plunged into a human high school where she must hide her draki side is torture for Jacinda, but discovery would mean death...or worse.  Unfortunately her ability to control her human form evaporates like steam whenever she is near her classmate Will.  As if her uncontrollable manifesting were not enough reason to avoid Will she also discovers that he is a Hunter, the mortal enemy of the draki.  Can Jacinda resist the heat of temptation or will she risk her life and the safety of her family to follow her draki heart?  Firelight is a suspenseful read that will leave young adult paranormal romance fans gasping for more.

I highly recommend Firelight (Firelight, book 1) to readers of paranormal suspense, young adult, fantasy, shapeshifter fiction, urban fantasy, and especially to fans of paranormal romance.

**I recently read Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson and found many similarities between these two novels.  Readers who enjoyed reading Claire de Lune (my review here) will likely also enjoy Firelight.**

Source: This book was provided by the author or publisher for honest review.

Firelight on Amazon.
Firelight on Goodreads.

Giveaway Winners!

The winner of one signed copy of Awakened by Ednah Walters, Guardian Legacy notepad, Guardian Legacy t-shirt (size medium), and a Guardian Legacy pen is fredamans and the winner of a Guardian Legacy notepad, Guardian Legacy t-shirt (size medium), and a Guardian Legacy pen is Heather.  Thank you to all who entered the Awakened: Guardian Legacy Giveaway!

Jolene, Judy, and The Bookish Snob are each the lucky winner of a signed copy of Crimson Stained by Quinn Keitt.  Thanks to all who entered the Crimson Stained Giveaway!

Halloween Monster Giveaway winners include:

Parajunkee (She Smells the Dead Prize Pack:  signed copy of She Smells the Dead, bookmarks, postcards, and one XL "I Smell Dead People" t-shirt and She Smells the Dead tote bag).

Steph of Fangs, Wands, and Fairy Dust (Supernatural Sleuths and Paranormal Mysteries Prize Pack:  Ghost in Trouble by Carolyn Hart, She Smells the Dead by E.J. Stevens (signed), Ginger High by Melissa Burmester (signed)).

Winners of the Halloween Monster Giveaway eBooks are:

eBook #1: Just Another Paranormal Monday: Halloween Anthology, Audrey
eBook #2: She Smells the Dead by E.J. Stevens, *Jam*
eBook #3: Black Dog and Rebel Rose by Danielle D. Smith, Kulsuma
eBook #4: Justice Incarnate by Regan Black, greyz
eBook #5: Invasion of Justice by Regan Black, Daniela
eBook #6: Veil of Justice by Regan Black, Lea-Ellen
eBook #7: From the Ashes (novella) by Regan Black, elaing8
eBook #8: Dream Works (novella) by Regan Black, Sarah
eBook #9: Mystic Witch by Mark All, LCD
eBook #10: Beasts of Forever by Leanore Elliott, Lou

Additional Halloween Monster Giveaway Winners to be announced.  These were huge giveaways with multiple winners, bonus entries, and an amazing number of entries.  Thank you to all who entered!

Didn't win?  Be sure to enter our Imprinted Souls Swag Giveaway and The Dead Path International Giveaway here at From the Shadows.  Additional giveaways coming soon!

**All giveaway winners at From the Shadows are drawn using Random.org**

Guest Author Interview: Mark All

Please welcome today's guest author Mark All!  Mark is the author of Mystic Witch.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Mark:  Like most little boys, I spent a lot of time outside “playing Army” with my friends, and I’d basically ad lib our “screenplay.”  I later coaxed them into “playing House On Haunted Hill,” The Outer Limits, James Bond, etc., making up the stories as we went along.  Then in the seventh grade, my English teacher had our class write short stories.  This was my chance to more actively participate in the world of horror movies I loved.  I then began writing 007 rip-off novels, a mystery novel, and numerous horror and thriller stories, which I sent to Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine—early experience of rejections, but encouraging ones.  Then I decided to become a rock star and writing took a back seat for a long time.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Mark:   Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as I bet it did for pretty much the entire paranormal tidal wave, judging by the preponderance of “slayers” on covers.  Then my wife’s cousin’s wife introduced me to a time travel paranormal romance by Linda Howard, and I realized this was a genre where I could combine my love for horror/the supernatural, action and thriller elements, and the (hopefully) smart, hip, pop culture-informed humorous dialogue I loved in Buffy and Gilmore Girls.

EJ:  If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?

Mark:   The ability to never need to sleep, so I could write more.   J

EJ:  Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.

Mark:   Mystic Witch is a paranormal action thriller with a very strong romantic element and character-based humor.  My style is most like Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld and Kim Harrison’s Rachel Morgan / The Hollows series, and influenced by Dean Koontz.  However, the romance is a crucial and larger part of the main storyline than in typical urban fantasies;  the emphasis on the romance vs. supernatural storyline is somewhere between urban fantasies and paranormal romances.

EJ:  If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?

Mark:   When I wrote Mystic Witch, I did the picture-clipping thing to visualize the main characters, Bailey Campbell and Frank Demming.  Poppy Montgomery was all over TV Guide at the time, and she has those sexy sleepy eyes.  I never watched the show, though, so I have no clue if she’d be appropriate.  If Lauren Graham could go blond and play a snarky bitch, she’d be good with the dialogue.  The actress on Haven doesn’t look like I envisioned Bailey Campbell, but she could nail the attitude.

For Frank, Alex O’Laughlin would be ideal.  Strong and handsome but sensitive, not an overbearing caveman.  Although I was kind of picturing him as the Hero of my work in progress, The Spellcaster’s Grimoire.  And he’d have to grow his hair back out to Moonlight length.

Mystic Witch by Mark All

Bailey Campbell renounced magic after a terrifying childhood incident following her father's death. But when deadly, faceless creatures pursue the snarky ex-witch, she must call on her powers again. To control the magic, however, she'll have to master the rage that's burned within her since Bern Emmerich, a vicious sorcerer, murdered her father. In the caverns beneath the house where her father died, Emmerich has escaped imprisonment in another reality to exact revenge on Bailey and unleash Hell on Earth. Bailey battles the sorcerer with the help of Frank Demming, a powerful warlock-but does Frank's disturbing confession that he's watched her for years mean he's her savior or a stalker? Bailey and Frank pursue Emmerich through the chaos and destruction he rains on Atlanta, Georgia. But can Bailey trust her heart and her life to her mysterious mentor-and resist her own dark desire for revenge that is sure to condemn her soul forever?


Thank you Mark for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

To learn more about Mark All and his books, please visit his website.