Guilt-ridden after the massacre of his family, Isaac Salvatore turned to binge drinking to escape the pain. Now twenty-four years old, Isaac is a recovering alcoholic woefully out of practice in the magical arts, leaving his fire affinity hanging on the edge of disaster. After a month of rehab, he returns to Beacon Hill and his family, determined to remain sober, learn to control his magic, and … and figure out a plan for his life that doesn’t involve drinking.
Constantine Batiste is the oldest, most powerful vampire in the city. Born in ancient Gaul, the bastard son of a Celtic king, his long life has been shrouded in tragedy and horrors. Recent mistakes have left him wary and determined to guard his clan from all foes. When two of his clan members fall victim to an ancient evil, he summons the Necromancer of Boston for aid. Accompanying his older brother to the Tower is the handsome young fire mage once wounded by Constantine’s arrogance, and their encounter reignites an attraction that burns within both Constantine and Isaac.
The answer to who is targeting the vampires of Boston is buried in the dark, early days of Constantine’s transition to an immortal life. Isaac finds himself saddled with a painful insight into the evil cutting a swath through the supernatural population of Boston. While his brother, Angel, takes over the hunt to find and stop the threat to the city, Isaac struggles to find a balance between helping his brother and finding his own purpose and place in the world, free from his brother’s shadow.
Falling in love wasn’t part of his plan, but mastering the flames that burn between him and Constantine soon becomes the most important thing in his life, even as an ancient evil seeks to destroy them.
Mastering the Flames is the fourth book in The Beacon Hill Sorcerer series and is not a standalone. The series should be read in order for maximum enjoyment and understanding of the plot and characters. The Content Advisory is on the Copyright Page and can be seen by downloading a sample or using the Look Inside feature. 130k words.
more
4.5 Stars!
If you’re planning on reading/listening to Mastering the Flames as a standalone, please don’t. Not only did we meet Isaac and Constans in the previous books, but there’s a lot of world-building and recurring characters.
The first time I read it, I felt the book started a bit slow, although I thought it was better the second time around. The flashbacks, which I hate with the fire of a thousand suns, didn’t help matters even if they were needed, but after the 25% mark the book picked up the pace, and from then, I found it very difficult to put it down.
While there are several characters and a lot was happening, Ms. Himes managed to keep the main focus on this being Isaac and Constans’ story. Perhaps how their relationship progressed was a tad fast, but they’d been flirting from the moment they met, so it wasn’t that farfetched that they both wanted to be together. Plus, they had great chemistry and brought the best out of each other. Constans was all mysterious before, so it was great learning more about him, he was sweet and supportive to Isaac and seeing him stand up to Angel was a highpoint for me. I really felt for all Isaac had to go through as he worked through his guilt and his addiction. I wanted to hug him and make it all better and it made me so happy to see that Constans was willing to do whatever he needed to help him.
The whole thing with the blood mage was so interesting! While it wasn’t that difficult to figure out who the bad guy was, it was still an engaging, action-packed case with many twists and turns that made for a very entertaining read.
Joel Leslie is just perfect for this kind of book and for this series, and it really added to the experience to listen to him narrate it. I enjoyed it so much, that I’ll say that having read the book and listened to it, if you have a chance, just pick the audiobook. I promise you won’t regret it.
A wonderful addition to the series! I really loved reading more about the characters and enjoyed the new perspective! I can’t wait to read more from the series and discover what happens to each of the characters.
A couple of pages into this story and I remembered why I love this series and these characters so much. I love the title. It’s a very clever play on words about Isaac and Constans.
The world building is fabulous, with a rich history, and described in such detail that I had strong visuals as I was reading. I love the vampire mythos, and in particular the way their culture works. It’s obvious that a lot of thought has gone into how magic and everything related works in this world.
Nevermore is a brilliant name for an addiction clinic. I also liked the idea of the blood magic addicts. That part of the plot plays out very cleverly.
The wonderful thing about reading a series is that each new book is like revisiting old friends, and making new ones. I was very happy to see Angel and Simeon again, and Eroch needs a special mention. He’s so adorable and yet I wouldn’t want to get on his wrong side by threatening those he cares about as he’s fiercely protective of his family. And he has a hoarde! That made me very happy. I loved how Scáth, Simeon’s hellhound, is treated like, and acts like the family pet, yet is still very formidable. I liked seeing Daniel and Rory again too, and am already looking forward to Daniel’s book, which is the next in the series. I thought Daniel’s ability was very cool, and I want to learn more about Rory. Milly is wonderful as usual. Ellora rocks, and so does Beryl. I hope we’re going to see more of both of them.
I really felt for Isaac in this story, with his painful journey back to sobriety, and him constantly wondering why Constans would love him, as he’s convinced he’s broken. Poor Isaac doesn’t get a break. He’s barely home, and is already under attack. I totally approve. I thought his addiction was very realistically and sensitively written. It felt very real, especially his reaction to alcohol, and his continuing therapy sessions. It comes across as a continuing process, which is how it would be.
I loved how Constans’ story was told in flashbacks as it really gave insight into who he is, plus had the added bonus of having that part of the plot tie into the main storyline. The historical part of the story was obviously well researched and felt very real. I also liked that as Isaac gets to know Constans, he gets glimpses of the 26-year-old mortal he was before he was Turned.
Isaac’s ability is very cool, and he is just as powerful as his brother, but in a different way. I loved how he slowly came into his own with his ability and magic, and also as a person. I really like him and Constans together as I thought they complemented each other well. Their romance is sweet, and it’s obvious how much they care about each other.
Angel is going to take some time to get used to having to tone back his overprotectiveness of his younger brother. I love the sibling relationship between him and Isaac, with their banter, and obvious love for each other, against the backdrop of their growing family. I love the various relationships and friendships in this series.
The final showdown with the bad guy made me happy, and I liked the hint of what might be coming in the series.
I’d highly recommend this story to readers who enjoy urban fantasy/paranormal stories with fabulous world building and layered characters. I own all of the series so far in paperback, and will be adding this one to my collection in that format too.
This book was worth the wait.
Mastering the Flames is book 4 in The Beacon Hill Sorcerer. It can’t be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading this series in order.
Isaac Salvatore is the young brother of the famous and scary necromancer Angel Salvatore. After the massacre of their family, Isaac and Angel are the only survivors. While Angel was busy trying to raise is brother without losing himself in his grief, Isaac was consumed by pain, grief and guilt after this awful night. He found refuge in alcohol until it was too much, and Isaac must fight his addiction.
Constantine Baptiste is the master vampire of the city. His elder, Simeon is mate with Angel, and Constantine is attracted by Isaac, but the young sorcerer is broken. Constantine is over 2 thousand years, patience is one of his gifts, and he’s ready to wait patiently until Isaac find his path.
Mastering the Flames is about Isaac since the moment he leaves Nevermor (the rehab center). We follow how step by step, day by day he tries to find himself, to be who he’s meant to be.
I adored this book. It was a heartbreaking and painful, it was beautiful and pure.
Isaac is a tortured soul, the loss of his family hunted him for years and the only way for him to face it was to lose himself in alcohol. Constantine had his share of lost and pain. He recognized Isaac for who he is, a broken man… a beautiful broken man, and he’s ready to do everything to help him in the path of recovery.
They were awesome, beautiful and complementary.
The author took her time to describe all the phases of Isaac. All his pain, self-recrimination and guilt. She described perfectly the difficult path of recovery and how hard it is. She talked about depression and addiction with modesty and respect.
I was completely hooked in the book; the characters were awesome and the plot captivating. Behind Isaac recovery and love story with Constantine, another plot was there with a new enemy ready to strike against the Salvatore clan.
It was great, and the end fabulous with open doors for more…
this series is fabulous, and I highly recommend reading it.
This is one of the most amazing books i have ever read. I didnt think any could top BH#3 but this blew it out of the water! It was so riveting! The growth that Issac made in this book? The maturity? That journey was so fantatsic. To be able to see that? SJ Himes did a fantastic job with those details. Also, to see Constantine show some true emotion and let go of the arrogance for a while. That was so refreshing. I will be re-reading this for sure. I cant wait to see what else is in store!
I loved this, so much. It was sweet and hot and romantic, heart-wrenching at times and action packed too. I’ve always wanted to know a little more about both Constantine and Isaac: it was an absolute pleasure to read about them, their story and painful pasts, the sizzling chemistry between them, the sweetness and romance, the care they had for one another. I have to admit, I kind of missed being in Angel’s head, but Isaac slowly but surely getting better, getting more and more himself back after years of alcohol addiction, becoming who he was always meant to be was gut-wrenching and lovely to see at the same time. Constantine was the perfect match for him: he was sweet and gentle, cocky and arrogant and the care he showed Isaac (and also, the vampires and humans under his protection) made me nearly cry.
I’m so so so looking forward to reading about Daniel and Rory. And I know that S.J. Himes will not disappoint
Himes handles very difficult subjects with a delicate touch. Isaac is fortunate to have such a strong support group while he deals with some tough life challenges.
Isaac and Angel’s relationship is very familiar too me. I can relate to their situation on several levels. Sometimes, I feel like a part of the family.
I don’t usually appreciate flashbacks that last throughout a book, but Himes handles them so well that I am reconsidering my stance. Batiste has an interesting history.
This series is more engaging with every new addition. Although a few major issues have been resolved, the groundwork for a new story has been laid out, and I can’t wait for the next book and the next audiobook.
This book is my favorite out of the 4 (so far) books in The Beacon Hill Sorcerer series. The amount of research that Sheena had to have put into developing Constantine’s character is mind boggling to say the least.
This book brings us into the relationship between Constantine Batiste and Isaac Salvatore. We get to read about a newly sober Isaac learning to navigate the world around him and find out who he truly is without the alcohol induced haze he’s lived in for the past 10+ years. At the same time he decides to get back in touch with his sorcerer affinity, which is fire, as opposed to his brother Angel who is a necromancer. As if that wasn’t enough he finds himself falling in love with the city of Boston Master Vampire Constantine Batiste. As he does all of this he learns there’s someone out to kill him and he enlists the help of his brother, Angel Salvatore from the first 3 books in the series, Constantine, and other characters from the series to find this killer before more newborn vamps or even himself gets killed. Oh, and there’s a certain wee beastie dragon that brings much fierceness and humor to each and every book so far. I HIGHLY recommend this book, and series, to everyone who likes awesome vamps, fierce sorcerers, a cute baby dragon, and various other paranormal characters in their stories. It’s fun, exciting, hilarious, and even has some sad moments that do come with trigger warnings. An incredible book that remains in my top 5 MM romances of all time!
I love the magic in this series and the character dynamics. The cases are super intriguing and kept me entertained. This book had me the most invested. Definitely a binge-worthy series. I cannot wait for the next one!
It was absolutely worth the wait, we are back in Beacon Hill again but this time our MC’s are Isaac Salvatore and Constantine Batiste the Master of the City in Boston. Poor Isaac is at Nevermore trying to rehab because of his addiction, drinking to get rid of his guilt. Recently out he doesn’t know how to be himself he thinks he is broken but with the support of his family and certain city master he is gaining little by little the confidence to become a better person, Constantine can’t forget Isaac and that kiss and want to help him. I love them together, Isaac and Constants are made for each other. The slow romance between them, the insight of his previous life as a mortal men and the power Constantine possesses know helps us with the story underneath, is so interesting and helps us reveal some interesting things about the blood wars than killed almost all the Salvatore Clan. This whole series is worth your time!
Can’t wait for the next book! Congrats SJ Himes this book is awesome!!!