Review: Flame and Shadow

FLAME AND SHADOW by AK Nevermore

Fiction, Paranormal Romance, 322 pages

5*****

Blurb: Half-daemon Envy Starr is destined to die on Midsummer’s Eve, still a virgin, on some crappy cult’s live-stream feed. With thirty days left to live, the chance to escape her fate and get some action compels her into her absentee father’s world of beautifully cultured cruelty. Once there, she’s the object of a deadly game, slated to alter the Fae realm’s power structure. Worse, the rules keep changing, and everyone has an ulterior motive, including her dae-licious guide, Brennan. Under a geas he’s desperate to break, she can’t trust him, or herself. Stupid Stockholm syndrome. But unless she can come to terms with what lies in her heart, her unlikely survival will be a fate worse than death. For her, and the rest of Fae.

Thoughts: Wow. This was not the kind of story I usually read, but once I got started, I could not put it down. The writing is witty, snarky, and comes across as if the character is sitting there in the room with you, just telling you about what happened. The world building is exceptional — though I will admit, I got a bit confused at times with the twists and turns of the plot. But the storytelling is amazing. And that makes any confusion worthwhile. This is not a sweet type of romance. There’s a lot of nasty stuff that goes down (Come on, there are demons. What do you think is going to happen?), and the main character has some serious parental issues. But the ending definitely left a smile (okay, a wry one), but a smile on my lips. 

Recommendation: If you like your stories full of demons, fae, imps, a bit of the apocalypse, elementals, and more, definitely pick this one up. You won’t be sorry. And I can see where there will be more coming. 

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”