Review: Shield of Fire

Reviewed by Jen
 

Ravyn has always known she was different. But the sisters in the abbey where she was raised always told her that her gifts were really a curse. She feared she was Bane... a demon. She had never seen one of the evil ones, though, until the depraved Brother Powell summons the demon Icarus to grant him a sacrifice.

Though Powell offers him another girl, Icarus is looking specifically for Ravyn. His father, the demon ruler, wants her so that he can absorb her powers. But Ravyn manages to escape and stumbles upon Rhys. He is a Bringer, a warrior who fights the demons. And it doesn't take long for them both to realize that she is a Bringer as well.

Rhys takes Ravyn under his protection. In her company, the hardened Bringer begins to have feelings he hasn't experienced in centuries. But soon he starts to question whether he can open himself up to love without sacrificing his honor as a Bringer or his ability to protect Ravyn. All this, as the Bane intensify their efforts to capture the young woman with so much untapped power.

My biggest complaint about the book was that the pacing was uneven. There were some slow parts as we approached the midway point. And I hated the unnecessary hurt Rhys causes when he takes the martyr's route in the second half. But there were a lot of things I did like too. While the setting isn't overtly spelled out, the book had an alternative-medieval feel... all that great warriors/ dragon/ swordsman stuff. And I enjoyed the love story between Rhys and Raven (despite the aforementioned detour.) You can see her bringing him back to life as he exposes her to things she never could have imagined as a sheltered girl in the abbey.

The love scenes were hot, but they also managed to include emotional intimacy without feeling cheesy. The main characters were well developed... even the villainous Icarus never fell flat. (And speaking of Icarus --there is obviously more to this demon than meets the eye. I have a feeling there are big surprises on the horizon regarding him.) We're also introduced to a great cast of supporting characters, which presumably will anchor future books in the series. My money is on Luc and Jade for book two.

I liked it. And I'm interested to see where the story goes next. 4 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

Click to purchase: Amazon

Shield of Fire

by Boone Brux

Release Date: December 6, 2011

Publisher: Entangled Publishing