Dara Ruminor is a serious young duelist in the mountaintop kingdom of Vertigon, a land of dramatic cliffs and misty peaks where mysterious Fire magic runs through the stones like blood. The secluded kingdom has been peaceful for a hundred years. Swords are used for sport, and successful athletes live like kings as long as the crowds love them.
Eighteen-year-old Dara needs to find a wealthy … a wealthy patron in order to duel professionally and avoid a lifetime working in her parents’ Fire Lantern shop. Her efforts are disrupted when her coach asks her to train with Prince Siv, an infuriating—if handsome—young man who refuses to take the sport as seriously as she does. But the prince’s life may be in danger, and soon Dara will discover that Vertigon isn’t as peaceful as she thought.
As threats emerge from the shadows, Dara will have to raise her sword to protect Siv—if he doesn’t irritate her so much that she decides to run him through herself.
From the author of the Seabound Chronicles comes a new fantasy series about sword fighting, cur-dragons, molten Fire magic, and one young woman’s effort to prove herself.
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I really enjoyed this YA fantasy! It’s well written and while the first half is a lot of set up, it gets really exciting in the second half. I read this book in 3 days which is the fastest I’ve read a book since I had my daughter 2 months ago! I really liked Dara. She has a goal – to become a pro duelist – and she’s been training for years to win the Vertigon cup. She’s focused and dedicated. I enjoyed seeing her grow during this story as she makes new friends and tries to make a name for herself to earn a patron and make her own way in life. Then there’s Prince Sivarrion. He’s a typical prince – handsome and just looking for fun, but he loves his sisters and his family so much and he is willing to do his duty even if it isn’t what he wants most. Plus he’s really swoon-worthy and the banter between him and Dara is fabulous! One of my favourite parts of this book is the “rivalry” between Dara and Vine. It’s really fun and I loved seeing them work together to benefit each other even though they are competitors. I also found the Fireworking magic to be intriguing and I hope to learn more about in future books! I did guess where the plot was going but I still found the story very enjoyable and exciting and there’s a lot of things I still want to find out so I’m definitely going to read the rest of the series!
All in all this was a really fun book to read and I can’t wait to continue the series!
Fire. In Vertigon, it begins to take on a life of its own. To one young swordswoman, Dara, the word fire is a painful reminder of her family’s loss, a grief that remains before them daily. Then each time her parents’ eyes fall on her, she remembers her own inadequacy and reads the disappointment in their faces. She doesn’t have the fire rushing through her veins as they do… to wield the element anyway. Unfortunately, it’s the only thing that seems to matter to them. Sometimes she wonders if they even see her as their daughter. Can’t they see a different fire goes through her veins, a different passion? It is the one of the duelist, and the chance to finally live her dream is within her grasp… just a win away. She’s determined no one will her stop her.
Yet there’s an unseen fire brewing in Vertigon, hiding under a cloak of pretended tranquility. At first, when Dara is instructed to give Prince Siv lessons, she’s sure it’s a waste of time. Her teacher must be paranoid, because nothing happens in Vertigon, and no one would really want to hurt the prince. Certainly, Dara encounters many moments at the start that he tries her patience when he treats the practice as a joke, but that’s different. Then as they spent more time together, a flame emerges between them. Suddenly, Dara is not just the swordswoman trainer to Prince Siv, but even as the fire begins to burn brighter, he’s still a prince. Duty constrains him, something he desperately yearns to toss aside for the promise of another world he sees in Dara’s eyes. His existence is reduced to a piece on a chess board to make the most favorable alliance for a stronger realm, not his own happiness. It’s the agony of a wished life that he can only hope for, but he’s told by those closest to him the flame must be extinguished before it can find life. However, not all flames will be extinguished even though it would be better if they were. The fiery unrest that has stayed silent in Vertigon will be unveiled. It will spread. It will consume, and it has the fuel to destroy an entire kingdom. Who will be left standing in this inferno? Will Dara and Prince Siv have enough to stop it when the smoke clears, or will they be among the ashes?
To be fair, I struggled until about halfway. The writing is good, the characters are easy enough to follow. Strong female lead, snarky banter, great elements as far as that goes. I truly believe the swordplay just didn’t grab me. I am sure that happens. The tale itself is good along with a good lead to the next book. Swordplay is probably a wonderful thing for many readers but I can’t fault a book just because it didn’t interest me. I believe this book has many elements that are wonderful in reads as I stated above. I can’t downrate a chef just because he cooks liver nor can I down rate a well written book .
I must thank the people at Indie Fantasy Addicts for recommending Duel of Fire to this humble reader. It had a fiery duelist, twisty court intrigue, dog-sized dragons, and an angsty prince who we were all required to swoon over. I enjoyed listening to the audio book immensely, and if I had not already committed myself to sorting through MILLIONS of wimpy dark fantasy titles for my next read, I would already be continuing with the next one.
Jordan Rivet is one of the best YA fantasy authors writing today. Her world-building and characters are second to none and her Steel of Fire series showcases her work brilliantly, expanding the world and intrigue with each new addition to the series.
If you liked Throne of Glass or Six of Crows, snatch this book up…and quickly!! Because OMG, it’ll sweep you off your feet, take you on a wild ride, and leave you breathless! This was beyond phenomenal, one of those books that becomes an instant favorite! I cannot stop talking about this book!! It’s just one of those books that I have to rave about to everyone because I loved it sooo much! The magic system, the dueling, the world building . . . There are not many books that I instantly love (and obsess over) but this definitely shot up to my top 5 all time favorites!!!!!!!!!!!!
A unique setting and story-line make this a wonderful book for any fantasy lovers!
A hidden gem of a book. I would venture to say that the sequels are even better than the first book. Characters are realistic, relatable, and well-developed.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am definitely on to book two. I just hope that the necessary revelations will not be too drawn out. Hoping for lots more significant interactions between Siv and Dara, leading to the answers they need for Siv to succeed as king.