Review: Firelight

Author Kristen Callihan

Format ebook

Print Length 372 pages

Publisher Forever

Published January 31, 2012

Once the flames are ignited . . . 

Miranda Ellis is a woman tormented. Plagued since birth by a strange and powerful gift, she has spent her entire life struggling to control her exceptional abilities. Yet one innocent but irreversible mistake has left her family's fortune decimated and forced her to wed London's most nefarious nobleman.

They will burn for eternity . . .

Lord Benjamin Archer is no ordinary man. Doomed to hide his disfigured face behind masks, Archer knows it's selfish to take Miranda as his bride. Yet he can't help being drawn to the flame-haired beauty whose touch sparks a passion he hasn't felt in a lifetime. When Archer is accused of a series of gruesome murders, he gives in to the beastly nature he has fought so hard to hide from the world. But the curse that haunts him cannot be denied. Now, to save his soul, Miranda will enter a world of dark magic and darker intrigue. For only she can see the man hiding behind the mask. 

My Opinion

Miranda knows she will not make a love match- it was once a possibility but after the incident there was no way. Archer is seeking revenge, as Miranda’s father destroyed the one chance he had a being cured of his affliction. While on his way to confront Hector Ellis, Archer stumbles upon Miranda. A self-sufficient gal who is holding her own against two would be criminals. He moves to help her, she counters with an expectation of him not attacking her father. Three years later, Archer makes her father an offer he can’t refuse. Both will keep secrets their secrets to themselves as the past has taught them that revealing them will cause others to flee.

Archer is a tortured soul. He is not the typical alpha male that you would expect. He is intense, irritable and full of pride. He does not fear society wrath, as a normal noble would. When he was a young adult he made some decisions that lead to him suffering more than the average male. He walks around wearing a mask to hide his burden from others.(Yeah, a little like the Phantom of the Opera.) Some would say out of shame but really he was doing society a kindness. When he is accused of murdering his old friends, he does not cowardly sulk to the dark confines of his home. Instead he walks among the ton, visiting places and attending balls. All the while his head held high, without them knowing at night he hunts the very thing committing the murders.

I felt a connection to Miranda right away (middle child, red hair) it is only natural that I would relate to her. She is passionate, lovely and resourceful. She walks around with a lot of guilt over her past mistakes. She has already tried for years to atone for them, going as far as marrying for that atonement. Life has not been kind to her and yet she can still walk around with confidence that she will make it in this world. Her attitude able all is what I can relate to- it is very much a can do attitude.

The romance was nice. Neither was mean to the other. Archer’s treatment of Miranda is well adorable. He treats her as someone to be cherished. Her reaction to him is spot on. She is warned very early on not to trust Archer as he will do anything to protect her. This of course makes for her uneasy around him. Once she figures out what is going on, instead of having a man solve the problem, she takes over. She takes command of the situation much like a general would after evaluating the scene before him/her. There was a potential for a love triangle but the author very neatly puts the would be suitor in their place.

The mystery should have been who the real killer is. That can be picked out by the reader very early on. The true mystery is what the heck happened to Archer and is there a cure. Firelight is the perfect blend of historical and paranormal romance. A shout out to Jessica@ aGreatRead for bringing this series to my attention.

My Rating 5 out of 5 stars

Favorite Quote “I feel you here, in my heart.”

Other People

Daisy- Miranda’s youngest sister

Poppy- Miranda’s oldest sister

Ian- frienemy of Archer