Escape can embolden your soul – or destroy it. Val Masterson created Vigdis in order to escape the drudgery of her life. Instead, Vigdis starts living it.Val and Karl’s house is destroyed by a hurricane and her husband reveals he can’t have children. These catalysts inspire her to write a historical romance novel set in Iceland, rife with sorcery, sexy Vikings, a big family, and a volcano. Val’s … and a volcano. Val’s dreams reveal historical details she can’t possibly know, details which prove to be factual, which both frightens and intrigues her.
Her obsession with writing puts a strain on her already troubled marriage, but she’s terrified of being on her own. In her novel, Val becomes Vigdis. She evades two amorous brothers and their sorcerous, drunken father. The brothers fight a duel, forcing her to make a very public choice between them. Their father refuses to bide by her choice and tries to use black magic to enchant her. A volcanic eruption throws their entire world into ash and fire.
The line between past and present grow blurred as Vigdis lives everything Val dreams of – true love, children, and family. An attractive Icelandic professor of history helps Val investigate the history behind her visions, but her husband draws the line – give up her writing or he’ll leave. Val must decide whether to resurrect the shambles of her marriage or take her chance in Iceland to discover if her dreams truly do come from the past.
Can she find vicarious solace and satisfaction in her fictional creation? Or will the escape take over and subsume her?
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Past Storm and Fire
By: Christy Nicholas
5 out of 5 stars
The story Past Storm and Fire by Christy Nicholas is a wonderful book to read. It drew me in from the very beginning and I found myself not wanting to put it down until I had finished the last page. I loved reading about the character of Val. She is a woman who is responsible. Her life is not going the way that she had hoped and is inspired to writing a romance novel set in Iceland. The novel opens up a world which she can escape to. What will happen when the lines between her writing and her real life begin to cross? What does the future hold for Val? Read this book to find out. I also loved reading about the character of Vigdis that Val creates. She is a hard-worker, independent, and strong. I liked that so much detail is given to the story. I felt like I was right there with the characters. This is also a book that is emotional and mine went up and down. I grew to care about Val and Vigdis with each chapter that I read. Don’t miss out on a journey that had me thinking about it even after I had finished the book. Recommended reading.
5 Star
Past Storm and Fire by Christy Nicholas
Past Storm and Fire by Christy Nicholas is a wonderfully written book filled with mystery adventure, romance and even some black magic. I was drawn in from the beginning and doesn’t let go till the end. Val is a responsible woman whose life isn’t going the way she had hoped and sets out to write a romance novel that’s set in Iceland .The more she gets into it her real life and her writing cross. What happens when those lines are crossed? Find out what happens next. I highly recommend reading this book. I look forward to reading more from this Author.
Past Storm And Fire by Christy Nicholas
5-stars
Past Storm And Fire was a creative and interesting novel. It seemed very realistic and was descriptive. The storyline featured many interesting characters. Main character Val was interesting to follow as she created her novel which in turn seemed to realistic and sets out to determine if it was. She was so creative and strong. I disliked her husband Karl at the start of the novel and it seemed to stick as I finished reading. She deserved better than him. His character really shined through at the start right after the Hurricane. This novel was definitely a fun an interesting read.
Past Storm and Fire was a good 4 star read. I was pulled right in by the authors writing.
We get mystery, romance, adventure and so much more.
We start during a hurricane where we meet Val and Karl and see that things are not perfect for them. We bounce from past to present with Val. She has visions of Iceland and starts to write a story that spans a thousand years. Val loses herself in her story to get away from her troubles at home.
All of the characters were great. The detail was amazing and my emotions were all over the place. This is my first read from Christy, she makes me want to write a book to get away from my reality as well, but I’m sure it wouldn’t be as great as this one was. If you’re looking for a great book, 1-click and get started today.
Past Storm and Fire by Christy Nicholas is the story of Val Masterson. Val is a woman who is dealing with many issues, hurricane Andrew and its destruction of the life she once knew, a husband who leaves a lot to be desired. Val has an “active” imagination which she uses to her best ability in order to get through the rough days she is experiencing. What happens when her imagined story starts to become based in reality?
This was the first book I have read by this author, I liked it but I did find it to be a little confusing at times. Will I read something else by Ms. Nichols, I probably will since I was going through her back library, I found some that interest me. So, if you are looking for an interesting concept in a story pick up Past Storm and Fire.
I give Past Storm and Fire by Christy Nicholas, 5 stars.
Val has been dealing with a lot in her life — a devastating hurricane, a failing marriage, and a boss she cannot stand. To escape, she decides to write a historical romance set in past times in Iceland. The more she gets into, the more she enjoys — it’s her escape. But is it really good for her or is it destroying her real life? Follow the stories of both Val’s real life and the characters and life she created in one wonderful book!
I didn’t know what to expect from this book. I have loved previous books by this author but am not too big on the jumping back in time thing. The more I got into this book, the more I enjoyed it. The parts set back in Iceland pulled me in immediately and I could not wait to get back to these parts of the book. The modern day time frame (set in the 90s) took me a little while to get into. Personally I found the characters annoying. That being said, I believe that is the point — it shows us just how much Val is not enjoying her life. The book within a book is a great concept to me, too. I would readily read this type of book again. Let’s face it, the author has basically given us two books in one, and has managed to do a superb job at telling both stories.
I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction, romance, and lovers of really good stories.
Past Storm and Fire by Christy Nicholas was a riveting read that will embark upon the realms of expectation and more. The imagery was remarkably well done and I loved how the Val’s writing takes on a life of its own while her own life begins shifting further. This story draws the reader into its pages while Val and her own character(s) embark upon their own journeys. The writing was on point and the emotional attributes hit at the pivotal moments, right where they should. Chapter to chapter, you will drawn further into the story until you crest into the final chapter(s). Truly addictive with passionately written characters with aspects between the past and present that were amazing. Recommend this book!
This book had me hooked just by reading the synopsis! It sounded so different than anything Ive read before so this was a must read!
Val was such an amazing character. She’s hitting a rough patch in her life and she’s turned to writing a romance novel that takes place in Iceland. This is her escape. She was able to create a world in which she can escape the issues in her life but all of a sudden the lines between her world and the fictional one she’s made up start to cross each other.
The story was straight up brilliant. It gave you all the feels and left me with a slight book hangover!
Past Storm and Fire by Christy Nicholas is a mindblowing read filled with adventure, romance, black magic and mystery that spans a thousand years! It is weird how at some point I started hearing Christina Perri’s A Thousand Years at the back of my head (like a soundtrack to the story unfolding!) It was my first read by this writer and I was happy to see that I had made a right decision by picking it up! I hope that there will be another book like the main character is told at the end of the book!
We have Val whose life if falling into pieces amongst the damage from the hurricane Andrew and her husband’s deceit. She finds relief from daily grind by starting to write a novel based in Iceland over thousand years ago … she gets lost in the world where the past and the present and the future collide … I studied Islandic back at university so I took special delight in the story and the attention to the detail that the writer is luring us in … I truly hope that there is another book bringing us deeper into the story!
I’ve read and enjoyed this author’s “Druid’s Brooch” series so I blindly went into PAST STORM AND FIRE based on her name alone. I wasn’t sure that I could write anything about this book without writing spoilers so I went back and looked at the blurb. OHHHH NOW it makes sense.
This book is told in past and present tense, dream and reality, and has a story within the story. It’s a complex tale that at times I had a hard time following. The historical portion of the story appears to have been well researched. There are certain situations that are written in the story that serve as background for why the protagonist is the way she is. At times I liked her and other times I felt like she was just so passive in what she wanted. Then I would warm up to her again.
There is a common arch that ties all of the parts of the story together. It took me a little bit to get into the rhythm of it because I wasn’t quite sure what was going on. It has a very clear beginning, middle, and end and while it is not my favorite by this author, I did find it enjoyable.
Past Storm and Fire by Christy Nicholas is original and engaging and the author wove real life into fantasy as she wrote this story. It is a quick and fluid read that was intriguing and definitely takes you on a journey to remember. The fantasy, the mystery and the past and present collide. Captivating and refreshing is how I would describe this tale that shows a woman who is unsure of her marriage who finds herself immersed in a world that is not known if it is real or not.
Past Storm and Fire by Christy Nicholas was an original, engaging detail read, that had me hooked.
Not my first read by this author, so I new going in that this book was going to be something otherworldly and fantastical. And I was not disappointed. This book was hooking right from the start. Opening with that storm, it not only set the stage for the mood, but it showed us right away the cracks in Val’s and Karl’s marriage. It was a heavy hitter from there, and once that fantasy plot got underway, there was no turning back for me. I loved the play on fact or fiction, and the way the author had Val escape into her writing. It was a unique twist and it made this story stand out.
Overall this book gets my super high recommendation and my stamp of approval.
Happy Reading
-E.A. Walsh
Past Storm and Fire
By Christy Nicholas
Past Storm and Fire is yet another exciting and well written story by Christy Nicholas. Just love the cover of this book. I found this book to be a nice quick read, the book also flowed nicely, and the story has a nice pace to it as well. If Christy, you are a fan then this book is going to grab your attention from the start as I did with me. If you are now just finding Christy after reading this book you will want to read more of her wonderful work. You will find Past Storm and Fire has such detail to it you wont want to put the book down, and since this book has a lot of detail it will have you feeling you are on the same journey with Val and the characters of the book. Definitely a five-star read.
Past Storm and Fire is a story by Christy Nicholas and I am sure that it will great like her other stories. I was not disappointed. Nicholas writes in a way that grips you in a way like you are in a spider web and do not even realize it. The way she can start the story with Hurricane Andrew and take you back to historic Iceland is mind blowing. Val is the main female character and she is living with Karl, her husband but is she truly happy. She has visions that take her to Iceland. There is another story that is brought to her in visions. As the story grows so does the love I have for Val and Vigdis. Who is Vigdis and what is his role? You will have to read this story and fall in love yourself.
Past Storm and Fire
By Christy Nicholas
5 stars
Past Storm and Fire was a fantastic and exciting 5 star read by Christy Nicholas and I story that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. The level of detail that the author put into the story was just amazing; I was completely captivated by what I was reading. I could tell that the author really had taken the time to research what she writing about and this made a he difference to me as a reader. I have read quite a few books by this author now and I have to say I think that this one is definitely my favourite so far, it was just one of those stories that you find really difficult to put down. I loved the main character Val, she was such a strong person and I really felt like I was living her journey with her.
A fantastic 5 star read that I highly recommend!
Another fantastic book from Nicholas! She is a master storyteller and few can match her ability to create new worlds that leave you breathless with their newness yet they are still relatable. I loved this book from start to finish and found myself transported once again to the world created. Fantastic book.
Past Storm and Fire by Christy Nicholas
4 Stars!!!!
This is once again a great read. I have read other books by this author and I was not let down. I found that she has a unique way of bringing her characters to life and drawing the reader in. I really found this book to be refreshing.
I love the way that the main character Val is both a part of the present world and the past. I really got into how the past life she experienced comes to her as a book idea. I love how she is drawn to the past through her work in the future. The way that the book draws the reader in just had me glued to the pages. I really enjoyed how she gets to tie all the characters in her book to the past and gets a new beginning for her in the present. I really liked the chemistry between her and Havaldr. I definitely will be reading more from this author in the future.
I found this book enjoyable and hard to put down as it also made me feel as if I was part of the story. It is well written and the author’s attention to detail especially the historical parts are great. Val’s life seems to be falling apart between the damage from the hurricane to her husband’s deceit. Inspired, she finds herself writing a novel based in Iceland. What will happen when her present and past collide? Strong characters that are connectable. I highly recommend this book