Fire and Fate Review

Title: Fire and Fate
Author: Simone Pond
Series: Dragons of Galicia #1
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Date: 5 November 2017
Source: Silver Dagger Tours
Format: E-book
Pages: 129
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reading Timeline: 29 November 2017

Goodreads Synopsis:

Unknowing descendant of a legendary dragon slayer, Evelyn is convinced that getting out of her quaint yhamlet is the answer to finding true love and happiness. But she seems destined to work on her mother’s farm, while the other girls present themselves before the gallant Prince Kieran in his quest to find a lady-in-waiting.

When the prince finally takes notice of Evelyn, he’s smitten and chooses her above all the others. Evelyn is elated about living in Verubri Castle and the possibility of marriage. But her happiness is quickly squelched when the prince invites Evelyn’s arch rival, Ciara, to join them.

Before traveling north, Evelyn discovers her dragon slayer ancestry, something she knows must be concealed from Prince Kieran who would consider it treason against his kingdom. But the only way to survive the treacherous journey is to expose herself and possibly ruin her future and even end her life.

The Dragons of Galicia series is set in a world inspired by Celtic legends. Fire and Fate leads directly into the next book in the series, Fire and Chains. 

Book Review:

Pre-reading Thoughts:

I have heard nothing but amazing things about Simone Pond's Books, so when I saw that Silver Dagger Tours was hosting a tour for her new series I just had to jump at the chance! I am excited to see if her books live up to the hype, but I am also just really excited for this interesting book.

Thank you to Silver Dagger Tours for providing me with a copy of this book! I cannot wait to jump into this book. Just a small little disclaimer for those reading this review. I have received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Please note that this does not affect my opinion in any way. All thoughts are my own.

Writing Thoughts:

The writing in this book threw me off a little bit. I wasn't expecting for there to be such a big contrast between the previous book I read and this book. This book has a lot more detail in the writing, but the dialogue felt a little off. It didn't quite seem natural, it felt stiff and awkward at times.

Plot Thoughts:

Personally, I thought that the first chapter was completely unnecessary, it was a random chapter that felt like it came out of nowhere. Whilst it did provide some information and background, I felt like the information could have been inserted anywhere else. However, that being said, it was quite an interesting and quick way to start a new series. There were definitely some interesting parts.

Character Thoughts:

I didn't connect with any of the characters, but I liked them just fine. They all had a purpose. I didn't like Ciara. She was rude and sometimes really contradictory. I also found some of the relationships to be weird.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, this wasn't a bad start to the series. I did expect a lot more from the author. I thought the writing was fine, but the dialogue was a bit stiff and awkward, the plot was interesting and it went by quite quickly. I didn't connect with the characters, but I definitely felt like Ciara constantly contradicting herself.  Thank you so much to Silver Dagger Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

Yours in Reading,

Melleny Smith