Publishers Lunch 2019 Buzz Books selection. Recommended by Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Library Journal. Winner of the 2020 (Canadian SF&F) Aurora Award.Bursts of Fire begins an epic political fantasy of revenge, addictions, and redemption in an empire where magic has become suspect and where love and loyalty—for one’s lover, one’s family, one’s country—are tested. If Heaven desires the … family, one’s country—are tested. If Heaven desires the very earth be burned, what place can those below hope for, when the flames come for them?
To survive. To fight. To restore balance.
The Falkyn sisters bear a burden and a legacy. Their mother, the imperial magiel of the kingdom of Orumon, protects her people from the horrors of the afterlife by calling upon the Gods with a precious Prayer Stone. But war among the kingdoms has brought fire and destruction to their sheltered world. When a mad king’s desire to destroy the Prayer Stones shatters their family, the three girls are scattered to the wilderness, relying on their wits and powers they don’t yet master.
Assassin. Battle tactician. Magic wielder. Driven by different ambitions, Meg, Janat, and Rennika are destined to become all these and more. To reclaim their birth right, they must overcome doubtful loyalties within a rising rebellion; more, they must challenge a dogma-driven chancellor’s influence on the prince raised to inherit his father’s war: a prince struggling to unravel the mystery of his brother’s addiction to Heaven.
Praise for Bursts of Fire
Publishers Lunch Buzz Books 2019 selection
“An emotional story of familial love, tension, and mistrust among three sisters and three brothers. Readers who relish adventure mingled with a message will be engrossed in the plights of the two sets of siblings.”—Publishers Weekly
“Forest depicts strong female characters, with varying motivations and personalities adding plenty of action in daring raids, battles with war machines, and magical time walking, though equal attention is given to exploring relationships between the sisters and their allies. This exciting new series will have fantasy fans eagerly awaiting the next installment.”—Library Journal
“The first book in the Addicted to Heaven series promises an exciting political fantasy with realistic representation of mental illness and addiction and is sure to entertain fans of epic adventures.”—Booklist
“Themes of religious and democratic freedoms; magic-based time travel’s addictive, almost hallucinogenic, qualities . . . readers can hope for more in future installments.”—Kirkus Reviews
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Actual rating 3.75 rounded to 4
Unique and imaginative, Bursts of Fire by Susan Forest is an entertaining and riveting fantasy story.
This book is an interesting and fun read, but I did struggle with it in the beginning. That being said, once the story picks up, I found myself really intrigued by story and the characters. Meg, Janat, and Rennika are complex and fantastic heroines and I enjoyed seeing them grow and mature in their own ways. The world building is magnificent and so mesmeric. I love the different kingdoms, the magical aspects, the political parts, and everything else in between. The plot is slow at times, but still entertaining and engaging enough to keep me reading until the end. While there are certain aspects of this book that definitely could have been explained better or improved, I think Forest created a wonderful fantasy story that will have readers racing to the end to find out if the sisters can restore peace and balance to their world.
The characters are far from perfect, but they’re quite fascinating, likeable and realistic. Even though I never fully connected with the sisters, I enjoyed getting to know them and seeing each of them work through their own issues and problems. They definitely have some sibling rivalry and jealousy, but I love the bond the sisters share and how they come together to be there for each other.
Susan Forest has created a captivating fantasy adventure that burns into something quite amazing. This book is a story about power, loss, heartbreak, religious beliefs, loyalty, forgiveness, love and so much more. Even though not everything worked out for me, I enjoyed the majority of this novel and I think Forest’s imaginative storytelling is worth the read. I also love the emotional depth and how Forest tackles sensitive real life problems and issues. Bursts of Fire definitely has enough intrigue, action, and thrill that will appeal to plenty of readers and I’m excited to see what happens next.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from the author and publisher via Netgalley for participating in a Blog Tour hosted by TLC Book Tours and in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This turned out to be an amazing story in spite of hot mess at the beginning. Yes that’s right I thought that initially the writing was terribly fractured as it jumped about giving multiple points of view which meant I had to read sentences again to work out which character the author or her editor had jumped to. Thankfully I persevered and got well and truly sucked into this amazing world although it didn’t quite end the way I’d thought.
Essentially we have a society that worship several Gods and also a small faction who want to worship just the one God. In order to go to heaven when you die a person of royal blood and a Magiel ( someone who can perform magic and also travel in time ) must journey to heaven and appeal for tokens enabling the wearer to pass on into heaven and not remain a ghost.
We meet three sisters who are charged with the task of meeting up at a certain point in time in order to change cataclysmic events. What I found ironic was that the author also introduces three brothers whose lives impact on the girls although I hasten to add that essentially it’s the sisters who rightly dominate this story. My favourite character was without a doubt Meg as she’s brave and resourceful. Plus there’s sibling rivalry although these girls are very young and their innocence and naivety all plays a part.
It’s a brutal war fought out on these pages and all because of something that isn’t explained until the end. Sadly the one person behind all the atrocities doesn’t really appear much until the final few chapters. However it’s left in such a way that I’m left wondering if just perhaps Meg and a certain brother will become entwined. Yes I admit I’m a hopeless romantic and this fantasy with its unique take on time travel has left me wanting more.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair