I’m an outcast and a loner, named for death itself. Fate wasn’t supposed to have plans for me.But then she came back–the girl I once kissed in a thorn-covered chapel in the woods. She came back, and I could no more resist her than I could pry out my own heart. And by some trick of fate, she wants me as much as I want her. The only problem? She also wants the man who owns Thornchapel, Auden Guest. Auden Guest.
And so do I.
Eight years ago, I did something to Auden, something terrible. He hurt me back the only way he knew how, and so here we are: our hatred seasoned with pain and my loneliness seasoned with longing. The only thing we can agree on is Proserpina Markham, and she wants us to find a way to be together–all three of us.
If Auden wants to earn her as his submissive, then he has to earn me as well.
But with the discovery of bones behind the altar and the carnal revel of Beltane fast approaching, it’s becoming clear that Thornchapel’s secrets are much deeper and older than any of us could have ever guessed. And no matter how bright and merry a feast of sparks may be, it’s always followed by ashes.
And darkness.
Feast of Sparks is Book Two in the Thornchapel series.
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An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Okay, hi. Sierra. Girl. You have me shooketh. I first met you during Sinner. I went on a journey with you during New Camelot. And now I am here to bow at your feet after reading the second book of the Thornchapel series. Yes, seriously.
A Feast of Sparks picks up right where A Lesson in Thorns leaves us, with a mystery discovered in the thorn chapel that shakes all six of our characters to the core. (Proserpina especially.)
We are treated to possibly one of the most beautiful depictions of masochism I have ever read within the first 10% of the book and we watch as Auden, St. Sebastian, Proserpina, Rebecca, Father Beckett, and Delphine deal with what happened during Imbolc in the last book. We watch them grow, we finally find out what drove Saint and Auden to hate each other, and we see them do an entirely new ritual, Beltane.
Sierra said during her live video intro to this that FOS was extremely difficult to write because it’s so hard to juggle six main characters. I didn’t feel her struggle at all while reading it. I found that I lapped up Saint and Proserpina’s POVs without ever feeling like I was missing out on the other four (which we will get in the last two books). Her words painted the pictures so vividly in my mind that at times I felt like I was there in Thornchapel with the six of them.
This novel is mystical, angsty, and erotic. Thornchapel holds many secrets and as we watch them unfold, you can’t help but just hang on for the ride and brace for impact. The ending. The ending killed me and even though it was foreshadowed a couple times throughout the book and I pretty much knew the twist was coming, I still lost my marbles when it was revealed.
Automatic, no-brainer 5 star read for me. I will be anxiously awaiting Harvest of Sighs while rereading this a few times to quench my thirst.
4.5
Feast of Sparks is the second book in the Thornchappel series. As with all of Ms. Simone’s characters, they are complicated. This book is no different. The story continues with the five friends and their relationship to each other. There is a lot going on, mysteries, many questions with no answers, and many ancient rituals and beliefs. I keep expecting a spirit or two to pop up at any time. The story is not a light and easy reading but it’s so worth it. As with the first book, this story ends in a cliffhanger which had me thinking, AY CARAMBA!
Feast of Sparks is superbly additive, complex and unique, erotic yet romantic, mysterious with twists of suspense that are woven together with religion and mythology that make this story such a fascinating and fabulous addition to the series. Sierra Simone knows how to write an intense and intriguing story that keep her readers hooked from the start and go thru the very last page of the book.
This is the 2nd installment in a 4 book series; we got more of St Sebastian POV in this book and wow does this installment get interesting, intense and intimate. I enjoyed getting reading about all the key players and after all that’s taken place in the story and that cliffy ending, I totally can’t wait for book 3!!!
My Rating: 4.8 stars ******
4.5 STARS
NO SPOILERS!
OH. MY. GOSH! Mind totally BLOWN! What did I just read?! Feast of Sparks was unlike any book I’ve read before, and it took me on a wild ride I didn’t completely expect. I honestly can’t wrap my mind around everything that transpired in the pages of this story. I have so many thoughts, feelings, and emotions, I don’t know how to process all of them. Sierra Simone once again blew me away with the intricate and intriguing plot, lovable and slightly complex characters, and her beautiful prose. The story that Simone has woven so far in the Thornchapel series is almost indescribable, and you really have to read it for yourself to fully understand what I’m talking about. Feast of Sparks was book two in the Thornchapel series, and while it answered some of the questions I had in book one, A Lesson in Thorns, it still left me with a lot more unanswered. The ending, though I had a suspicion of it beforehand, left me absolutely speechless, and I can’t wait to see where Simone takes Auden, Proserpina, Saint, Becket, Delphine, and Rebecca’s story in Harvest of Sighs.
There is so much to say, but I find myself tonguetied and lacking words to describe this story. Here’s a hint, the circle of six experiences yet another ceremony, May Day! Sierra Simone’s writing is like watching a porn movie that has a plot and makes sense and awakens the senses. Amazing!
“It’s here. It’s us. It’s Thornchapel.”
I used to say I rarely enjoy kink in books. I’ve tried some and although the writing was good, I seldom enjoy the kink scenes. Now, I say I rarely enjoy kink in books unless it’s written by Sierra Simone. Just like J.R. Ward is my exception to paranormal romance, Sierra Simone is my exception to kink in romance.
“I’m kissing a god now, and he won’t let me forget it.”
The best of this book is the vulnerability of each character. You feel the hurt, pain, love (because love makes us most vulnerable of all), insecurities, indecisions. I may have put St. Sebastian on the pedestal of suffering at the end of A Lesson in Thorns but know that throughout the series, Sierra Simone shows you every character’s thoughts at some point. To me, this adds rich layers to the story.
“It always felt like thorns.”
The sensuality and intelligence of Sierra Simone’s writing is so understated. You start reading one of her books hoping for a good romance and you end up with a fulfilling reading experience. Come lose yourself in her magic.
“Let me belong to the wild god forever.”
Sierra Simone introduced you to the hexad of characters in this series in A Lesson in Thorns and continues their story here, so if you haven’t read that book and hate spoilers, stop reading this review right now, go get a copy of A Lesson in Thorns, and then come back.
Most of Feast of Sparks is told from St. Sebastian’s perspective, which is a very, VERY good thing. He is a fascinating character, one you wanted to know better after reading A Lesson in Thorns. Sierra Simone develops him with vibrant color, making him spring alive. You will believe that you can reach out and hold him, protect him. One chapter in particular makes you wish you could.
In choosing to highlight St. Sebastian, Simone further reveals, however, the weakness of Proserpina. She is a character without agency in this book, and when she shows up, the story sort of wilts. (She’s not the only one: Delphine is, I regret to say, useless.) Auden and Becket are far more compelling, as is Rebecca. Poe is just sort of uninteresting in comparison.
The cliffhanger should not shock you. For reals. If you can’t see that coming, then you aren’t paying attention. But I like that it isn’t some big Moment. (It is for the character involved, very much so.) I like that you can sense this revelation building and building, which makes some scenes exceptionally crushing.
Some lines in this book feel like music.
Why does he have to be so handsome? Why does he have to have eyes the color of every ache I’ve ever had?
I feel … tilled. Like soil. Loose and turned up. Broken, but not withered or stale.
That’s what I want right now. Not to talk. Not to confront the obsidian wall of Auden’s hatred again after bruising myself against it so many times over the years.
Gorgeous, non? You can hear the rhythm, rise, and fall of those words.
For all its beauty, however–and this book has considerable beauty– the pacing of Feast of Sparks seems occasionally untethered. Long, long passages are spent informing you about the mythology and mysticism surrounding the various pagan and religious ceremonies St. Sebastian and the gang pursue. There were times I felt like I was in a class, and I half expected Sierra Simone to burst through the pages and tell me I needed to take notes.
There are also–gasp!–too many sex scenes.
I know.
I KNOW.
I never thought I would say that about any book, but when the sex scenes don’t seem to have a purpose, they bog down the pacing. Like Poe, some of the sex scenes lack agency. It’s as if Sierra Simone seeks shock value over story development. I asked myself several times if I would be as bothered by the glut of sex if this were written by anyone else, and I think the answer might be no. Sierra Simone can WRITE. She puts words together, to continue the simile, like notes for a symphony. St. Sebastian is beautifully written. He is heartbreaking and glorious as he grabs your heart and squeezes everything out of it. So when you read a sex scene that feels sort of added as opposed to needed, it throws off the exquisiteness of Simone’s story.
Many will disagree with me. Many will find this book flawless. I’d love to know your thoughts, so please hit up the comments and let me know.
Simone never disappoints with her beautiful writing, layered plots, and deep characters. Feast of Sparks is no exception! The plot takes twists and turns with each chapter. The characters worm their way under your skin and into your heart. The writing is the best!
Everything about book 2 will leave you begging for book three.
Sierra Simone is an enchantress. She wielded her magic pen and cast the most intense, intoxicating and captivating spell ever in Feast of Sparks. Thornchapel with it’s deviant worshippers of pain and pleasure is singing in my veins and owns my heart and soul. It was a dream of love, lust and passion. It was a nightmare of secrets, heartbreak and misunderstandings. It was an undeniable and unparalleled high that is still making me dizzy and breathless.
Feast of Spark begins where A Lesson In Thorns ended. Again, not really. This story narration is not linear. It moves across time, place and person. A collage of flashbacks are spread throughout the book along with chapters from multiple PoV and Third person PoV. But rather than being disorienting and confusing, it was enriching and intriguing. The story may be about three principal characters and their three friends. But for me Thornchapel is the seventh character in this book with it’s dark secrets, deadly sins and unique atmosphere. The sinners are digging through the history and strange rituals of Thornchapel. But their own relationships are vulnerable and on a precipice. The skeletons are rattling in the closets and few are already out. You will have so many “Oh My God, what is happening” and “She did not do that” and “This is mindfuck at it’s best” moments that you will stop counting. This should be a leap in darkness so do not worry about the storyline. And let me know if you survive the heart attack at the end.
I can write a new dictionary but it won’t be enough praise for the writing. The story is a living breathing thing. And it is absolutely insane and weird but I feel so jealous of these fictional people and the intensity of their connections. I want Auden’s calm storm and subtle yet sure dominance. I want Poe’s ability to crave pain, endure pain, break in the intensity and the attention she has from each lover. I want to erase St. Sebastian’s guilt, shame and angst filled emptiness. I want to stand in the church with Becket and pray for absolution. I want to be in middle of Rebecca’s painful self imposed restriction and Delphine’s insecurity. I want to be the one standing in the ruin in the fire and feel this strange energy flowing through my body and heart. It was unbearably real. Like I can smell the suffocating library or the lavender bush or the fire. Like i can hear the drums. It is almost like I will close my eyes and when I open them, I will be standing in Thornchapel with all these fucked up, twisted, deviant and unapologetically kinky characters.
Very rarely a story affects me as deeply, resolutely and wickedly as Feast of Sparks by Sierra Simone did. It was beauty in darkness. It was redemption in sin. It was forgiveness in debauchery. Sierra Simone stripped me bare and raw till I was left with nothing but longing, craving and sensory overload. This is one of those stories I live to read and read to live.
Received ARC for Honest Review
5 Stars
Holy wow! If you’ve ever read a Sierra Simone you know you’re going to have one rollercoaster of a ride, and Feast of Sparks is definitely that. This story is nothing short of hot, intense and extremely steamy. The dynamics between St. Sebastian, Prosperina (Poe), and Auden is amazing. I don’t want to give too much away, so just be prepared for a wild ride. It’s totally worth it.
Angela – Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
***5 ‘The Hurt I Choose’ Stars***
UGH…Whyyyyy?
Yes, I know that this is a four book series and the first three books will end in cliffy’s.
I KNOW this, but even with this knowledge, I still can’t believe that THIS is where this one ends…especially since I have to wait until next year to see how this little tidbit plays out….but I also knew this going in so #practicingpatience it is.
But on to the review…
My review of A Lesson in Thorns was quite vague, but necessary since it was only just the beginning of the journey for the characters in the book. I was fascinated by them all, but I didn’t have a true grasp of who they were and who they could possibly become..yet. But after reading this one, I definitely have a better feel for them all and can honestly say that, as a whole, I really like each of them. They all bring a different piece and unique piece of the puzzle to the table and I loved watching how the constantly changing dynamics of their relationships with each other affect the group as a whole. Auden and Saint are definitely my favs, but the others are not far behind.
Now, the main focus as far as romance goes does fall on Auden, Poe and Saint ~ though Rebecca, Delphine and Beckett have their own things going on as well ~ and I really liked where things are going with them. There is a lot of hurt and anger between Auden and Saint and it was heartbreaking and frustrating to watch as they constantly butted heads, but I liked how Poe was that…force…that enigma that made them truly think about what they wanted and it was actually quite sweet and heartwarming to watch what transpired between them as they worked to earn their hearts desires.
Feast of Sparks was definitely an experience. The smexy was HOT and I love the open, no holds barred nature of the relationship between all the characters. True, it’s not conventional, but what they are going through isn’t either. While a few secrets have been exposed, there are many more to uncover and I’m really looking forward to seeing what is coming up next and how they will affect all of these characters in the end.
~ Copy provided by Candi Kane PR & voluntarily reviewed ~
Sierra Simone has an amazing ability of writing that pulls you so deep into the story you feel it is real. Feast of Sparks is the continuation of Thornchapel. You must read A Lesson in Thorns before opening this up.
When I finished A Lesson in Thorns, knowing I had to wait for Feast I’d Sparks was torture but I would do it in a heartbeat.
Auden, St. Sebastian, Poe, Rebecca, Delphine, and Becket opened Pandora’s Box with the ceremony in A Lesson of Thorns and their need for more has grown. Pleasure and pain are two sides of the same coin. I want so much for them all to love and live happily together but one big secret could tear it all apart.
This book is filled with myths, rituals, truths, love, and steamy scenes Sierra is known for. I could not put it down and now I’m counting down the days until Harvest of Sighs.
5 stars for – Feast of Sparks – book two in the Thornchapel series by Sierra Simone. Book one – Lesson In Thorns – must be read prior to reading this as the storyline is one continuous arc. This book contains sex of all different varieties including MM / FF / group and even BDSM too so please go in with an open mind and prepare to have it blown away!
FOS picks up right after the ending in book one and will hold you captive until the final page. Sierra has been totally transparent with the fact that all but the final book will end in cliffhangers so prepare yourself for one heck of a hangover with this one.
This story literally has everything sexy and sinful you never thought to ask for all rolled into one. With so many feels between all the characters that send you reeling. Seriously don’t know where this is all going but can’t wait to see where Sierra takes us next!
4.5 Feasting Stars
Sierra Simone’s Feast of Sparks is undefinable. The second installment in the four book Thornchapel series (yes, you read that right, four books) was so very worth the wait. It ran the gamut of emotions – heartbreak, sorrow, lust, love, sensuality, jealousy and I could go on. So.Many.Emotions. And I have to remind myself to let some of that go. To remember to step out of my comfort zone and just enjoy, take it all in.
My assumption was that with each book we’d get to know the characters more deeply with a focus on one or two. Never assume with a Sierra Simone story. I’ve definitely come to better understand Auden, St Sebastian and Proserpina on a much more intimate level. It doesn’t mean that the others don’t have intricate involvement – because they certainly do. They all play a significant part to the movement of the story. I find myself highlighting way more than usual. I find myself making all kinds of notes. I don’t want to forget anything.
Again, I’m treading that comfort zone. The storytelling is exquisite with a sharp edge. The ending caused me to suck in a breath. Sierra Simone has, undoubtedly, a unique brand that leaves my mind racing and many, many questions. I hope I find them in Harvest of Sighs.
Book 2 – MUST read book 1 first!
Feast of Sparks is what Sierra Simone does best. Tells beautifully filthy stories in such a way that you simply can’t look away.
This one focuses more on St. Sebastian – we get his back story and the reason his relationship with Auden is the way it is. How will he, Auden and Poe make things work? At times it seems impossible! It’s a complicated tale and I was hooked. We get to see everyone grow and evolve as their relationships change and more secrets are revealed just as more questions are raised. This one is a complex tale!
This story had me hooked. It was intriguing on lots of levels – the kink, the emotions and the underlying mythical/religious aspects. I found myself regularly pausing to think on chapters & their “other” meanings – A LOT.
It’s not an easy read, but gosh it’s a beautiful one. I simply CANNOT wait for book 3 in this series!
Cliffhanger status for this one is BRUTAL!!!
“Maybe Thornchapel is a magic place, but it isn’t a safe place.”
Reading this book is not just as simple as it sounds. It’s the experience like no other. It’s like you’re getting into completely different world, where normal rules and morals don’t apply. Sierra Simone enters the reader’s mind and spreads magic dust with her beautiful words. There was no other world for me outside this book. Thornchapel consumed me, just like it did with the characters of this story.
Feast of Sparks begins, where A Lesson in Thorns ended and big part of this book focuses on St. Sebastian. We get the insight into his conflict with Auden and we learn a lot about his past. We can also feel the shift in the relationship between Saint, Auden, Poe and the rest of the characters. The lust, need, passion and carnal desire are palpable. And the longing? We can feel it deep to the bones. But most importantly- we get to know more about mysterious Thornchapel, the place that’s filled with mystery, magic and spiritual presence.
This story pushes all the boundaries. It challenges your moral compass. But it also gets you under the spell, because Sierra Simone’s words are simply magical. She sells the kink and unrealistic situations in such a way, that you actually feel like the eyewitness for all the events taking place in this story. But you’re not disgusted or grossed out, quite the opposite. You’re enchanted and captivated. For the half of this book I was completely ensnared and stunned and nothing else existed outside of this tale. This is the finest mix of sexuality, religion, magic and mystery. It’s definitely not for all. But I hope that most of the readers will give it a chance, because this book is extraordinary.
Thornchapel will leave you mesmerized & breathless! Elizabeth @ Carolina Chic’s Read
Feast of Sparks is mainly centered around St. Sebastian but revolves around the six lives at Thornchapel! You will get answers to all the questions and then new questions will be revealed and leave you breathless for answers.
It took me one night to finish this book as I couldn’t put it down. Totally in love with this unique story!
5 Feast of Sparks Stars
Complex love that captures 6 friends in a web of champagne filled excessive life, heartbreak laced with pain, lust that binds with thorns. Sierra creates MAGIC and enraptures your senses till you see through her eyes this fantastic tale which is sprinkled with Diamante of Myths and A pearly sheen of Paranormal otherworldliness. She makes you a believer in all things legendary and fantastical till you are transported in the Craggy moors of Devon, over the altar lit by lanterns, thorns binding you and Auden and Saint de-virginising you. It’s a head trip of ecstatic proportions
“Holy shit. This is what I’ve been chasing all these years. Not the leather, not the munches, not the delightful but predictable croon of Maynard James Keenan laid over some bass-heavy track. And this isn’t even just the combination of sex and kink. This is here. This is Thornchapel. This is them—Auden and Saint, and also Rebecca and Delphine and Becket. I’ve been needing to fuse pain and delight in this place, with these people. I’ve needed to become the bride by thorns.”
This starts a philosophical journey into a kinky world of 6 close friends, Indulgent merrymen who have orgies galore
This book delves a bit deeper into the background of Saint and Auden. Why they are at logger heads and how Proserpina is caught between them, figuratively and literally.
I think it’s safe to say that Sierra is like a professor of kink. She carefully embellished philosophy in her stories right next to sensual and carnal scenes. She indulges freely in describing IN DETAIL the placements, the desires, the thoughts, the feelings and aftermath of guilt. It’s like she’s exploring it LIVE and writing alongside. I’d dunno why that thought conjures up
That’s a testament to the talent of Sierra, she puts life in her words till they breathe and pulse With passions like an organism
It’s a decadent rich buffet of hedonism with hefty doses of angst. Each character evolves and matures from their original placement
” we left the Chapel. But chapel didn’t leave us”
Thornchapel is in them like they’re ordained with magic. They tore down the curtain, ripped the veil
Of the characters I’m leaning heavily towards Saint, his stature reeks of pride and power and yet I could almost tough his soft, vulnerable, wounded heart inside
“It was a record of every ache, every angry longing he’d had for Proserpina Markham and Auden Guest that day, and St. Sebastian wasn’t sure he was proud of those aches. Nor how he’d memorialized them in playlist form.”
Auden is the quintessential prince. Regal, brooding and pensive. His inner thoughts intrigued me the most, his battles with his own self is what I was looking most forward to decipher
“If I could rearrange the world for you, I would,” he says.
“I’d rearrange everything.”
Proserpina is a dominant’s wet dream come true. Beautiful, unapologetically submissive and her hunger for pain would drive any Dom insane with jealousy
“But it’s wonderful. Sometimes pain drives me in, in, in, sending me into a place inside myself that’s still and quiet and calm, a place much like the feeling of being inside under a blanket when the wind howls outside and the sky hurls rain and thunder against the windows.”
I’m waiting to uncover more mysteries cause this one ended on a cliffhanger and the next one is far away into next year
Done with Imbolc on to Beltane…
Then Lammas, Samhain…a Full Celtics Circle
Sierra skillfully makes us a devotee of her carnal religion, it may sound debauchery but it works. I soaked up every word, I felt every touch, I was cut open with every thorn and lash of the Flogger
I cried and smiled and basked in the sunshine of the ever loving gaze of Auden and saint
I became Prosepina Markham!!
“Thornchapel planted a flag in me and it said:Mine.”
the sexuality borders on worship and silkiness of the sentiments captivates you immobile in their delicate threads
I couldn’t put the book down as if i was under a hypnotic spell. I will keep looking forward to all their stories, however long it takes
“MAY I” give 4.5 stars for Wild God and Thorn King
There is so much to say about this book and I have so few words…I was left feeling bereft, confused, enthralled and so very completely in love with every single character in this story (except maybe Ralph). Sierra Simone has this ability to weave myth, fact, lore, past, and present into a story that will absolutely grip you from beginning to end. Not to be read as a standalone and not complete yet with this story, it is still worth every minute you spend reading it. Yes it has the absolutely amazing sexy, steamy scenes that Sierra is known for, but it also has so much depth. As I was reading, I couldn’t tell if I was in the past or in the present and not because her writing wasn’t clear enough. It was because she was able to describe the scene, the scenery in such a beautiful way that you imagine yourself there. You imagine yourself in the scene, dancing, singing, researching, praying and everything else that this story entails. She alone has this way of bringing you there, and not wanting to come back. These six main characters will bring you their pain, their peace, their everything.
Gah!! I’m not even sure where to begin with writing this……guess I could start by saying it was absolutely spectacular!! It was steamy and enchanting. I found it very difficult to stop because I had to know what was going to happen but at the same time I wasn’t ready for it to end. The author weaved a very unique and magical story. I wasn’t quite expecting it to end like that but it really has me salivating for the next one.