Chaos & Flame

Chaos and Flame is exactly what it sounds like, if I’m being honest. It’s chaotic and intriguing with a host of characters filled with their own kind of fire and determination.This book started pretty slow. I was also pretty confused the first two chapters. It just threw you into a world where nothing quite made sense.BUT, with that being said, following the first couple of chapters, the pace increases and starts to really draw you in. There’s adventure, and betrayal. Politics, and war. A mix of intense moments and witty banter. And, by the end, it had me gripped and begging for more.I loved seeing each character grow and twist and change throughout the story. I thought it was interesting to see how magic or “chaos” worked its way into people and manifested differently. Caspian, the Prince Regent, was a great example of this and seeing how his charter could go from madness and insanity in one scene, but be nearly sober and logical in the next? It was written incredibly well.I think that there was a lot of good world building here, but it could have been a little more in depth. I’m hoping and excited for the second book to dive deeper into a the world and the houses that make it up.Darling is a war orphan, the last of her house, and the Prince Regent of the Dragon House had been dreaming of her his whole life. She is the key, but to what no one truly knows but him. She has not had an easy life, but that won’t keep her from pushing forward and showing the world that she is anything but weak.The War Prince, Talon, has never wanted war. He has only ever wanted to protect his brother and his house. When he sees Darling for the first time, he’s shocked to find his brothers paintings were of a real girl, and not only that - but she was more beautiful and interesting than he thought possible.In case you couldn’t tell? This has some great enemies to lovers moments. Talon and Darling have no idea what is in store for them, but that’s what makes their story so much better.If you’re a fan of fantasy/romantasy - I definitely recommend picking up with book!

”I had a dream about the dark. Not the night,which has stars and the moon to cast shadows,but an all consuming dark, one that devoured and twisted and changed a girl into something else, something defiant and monstrous”ok wow that ending! this one was good and surprisingly a quick read for an epic, high fantasy.Chaos & Flame didn't waste time with plunging into some stunning action scenes right off the bat, what really intrigued me is the boon magic the individuals in the world possess,Their boons are like gifts from Chaos (hoping we will be delving deep into it more in the next part). The pacing is quick for the most part, the magic system is what makes this book set apart from any recent YA fantasy books. It took a while for me to find my footing because the magic system is unique and a bit overwhelming initially but once I understood the workings of it, it wasn't a problem.The first chapter made me sit up and pay attention, it describes Caspian the High Prince Regent of Pyrlanum having visions of a girl he never met.His boon is painting, he paints ONLY about a girl in several scenarios, some of them even being from the future.He comes off a little unhinged and mad hatter-ish and thanks to him the plot remains intriguing until the very end, I absolutely adored his character and wished there is more of his perspective. Talon his brother carries the weight of the house politics while keeping Caspian's "madness" under cover, he captures Darling, who is a kin of enemy house during an attack. Turns out Darling is the girl from the paintings! I KNOW RIGHT? and thus enfolds a true enemies to lovers trope.I enjoy a good political intrigue and this book is great in that aspect along with warring factions, the world of Chaos and Flame has various houses but they are ruled by House Dragon, it also has ancient lore about dragons and Phoenix's (yasss!cue the GoT music). I loved that I had absolutely no clue whats happening until the very end other other than the fact some kind of foul play is afoot, all credits to Caspian and his incoherent mumblings and unpredictable behavior. The last quarter was just unhinged and the cliffhanger made me clench my jaw lolMy only complaint is pacing and and insta lust, pacing is off at times where things go super fast when you want them to slow down and explain and then at times it dragged when I was eager to move on from a scene. The Insta lust is just a personal preference tbh, I just was taken aback with how Talon and Darling pine for each other immediately for being on the opposite sides of warring factions. Overall I really enjoyed the refreshing plot and am eager for book 2 in the duology , if you love House of dragon, Game of Thrones, Shadow and Bone- you will devour thisWhat to expect-Epic/High fantasy but YA-True enemies to lovers-lot of Political intrigue, ruling houses and warring factions-Interesting magic system-Ancient lores, prophecies, blood magic-A bit of chosen one trope-DRAGONS & PHEONIXS

Rating: Loved It, 4.5 starsI am honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I thought the premise was phenomenal, but after a really strong prologue to start, the beginning seemed to suggest that it was going to be a bit cliche and tropey. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I think that the world is a really interesting one that sets up some good political intrigue. We have houses at war, vanishing magic, and lots of myths and legends.We follow Talon, the scion of the reigning Dragon house, and Darling, an adopted member of the Kraken house. While I love the dual POV, they are both in first person, which I kind of hate, BUT I liked everything else so much about this book that I didn't even really mind it.So while it had the feel of a very trope-filled read at first, I think that the pacing really evened out as the book progressed and the plot just took off. I think that the star character was Caspian, the high prince, and Talon's older brother. Talon and Darling weren't bad characters, they just weren't as well fleshed out as I'd like. I enjoyed the angst though that ran through their relationship. The enemies to lovers wasn't annoying, even if it did have that insta-love tendency that I find happens with all relationships set up like that. I enjoyed the political intrigue and the mystery that Caspian posed to both Darling and Talon.By the end I was very drawn in and invested in the story and where everything would go. It ends on quite the cliffhanger, and I definitely am looking forward to the next book. I thought it was well-written and a really interesting world.I highly recommend this if any of those things sound good to you. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for an early review copy. All opinions are my own.

It would be easy to say that this is like Game Of Thrones for kids, given the feuding families, the politics, the setting, and the lore. It goes a little deeper into the magic and fantasy than GOT does, and of course there is a lot less sex and violence. Don't worry, kids; it isn't entirely tame and there are plenty of naughty words, but more importantly it creates a wide and interesting world, fills it with warring characters who are out for revenge, blood, and glory.Like any good fantasy series, we have a hook to draw us in and a world we can imagine ourselves living in. A young assassin's family is killed and she swears to wipe out the family responsible - the powerful members of House Dragon. Protector and member of that house, Talon Goldhoard is tasked with blocking and destroying any threat, setting him on a collision course with the young assassin, Darling. Naturally, politics, other threats, other characters, and young lust collide to generate a wider plot which threatens to tear their entire world apart.Romance is often the scourge of the YA genre. That genre is a much larger beast than when I would have been part of its target audience in the 90s, but even back then the love stories between characters always felt contrived - or I simply wasn't invested in them. Here, it's your fairly standard tale of enemies thrown together and discovering confusing feelings, but it's written engagingly enough that readers who do like their forbidden romance will get a kick out of it. The wide array of characters and intertwining shenanigans are interesting and help to create a convincing fantasy world, and the different threads of stories overlap and disperse ensuring that there will be additional books in the series should this prove popular enough. It's a good introduction for new fans of the genre, but experienced readers will be very familiar with everything on offer.

A great development of characters and storyline. The story is vibrant with character arcs and a journey and adventure. It’s an easy read, well written by the author. There are parts that keep you guessing and wanting to read on. Some character developments didn’t feel real and felt very cheesy, but I forgive that. It doesn’t ruin the story but just makes me shake my head.Overall this is a great read, but not one that will leave a legacy. A great book to get children started on when they want their first story to read.

Chaos & Flame is a great start to a new YA fantasy series and I really enjoyed it.The book is a collaboration between fantasy author Tessa Gratton and author of graphic novels Justina Ireland. It’s beautifully written and there’s no noticeable change of writing style at any point to make it obvious that there was more than one author.With houses at war, it’s very reminiscent of Game of Thrones but with added magic in the form of gifts that are particular to each person, ranging from prophecy to invisibility. Caspian, the Prince Regent of House Dragon, has been compelled to paint images of an eyeless girl since he was a young boy. Now Caspian is about to meet Darling in real life, as she has been captured by his brother Talon, but Darling is on a mission to destroy House Dragon.With chapters written from the points of view of the three main characters, Chaos & Flame is absolutely riveting and completely unpredictable; I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the page. The story ends quite neatly and satisfyingly whilst at the same time leading nicely on to book two, which I am most eager to read.

Hadnt heard of this before I got it, but quiet enjoyable. It's a well written story , with plenty of twists and turns. It does take a bit of time to get going, but that’s due to the characters set up. Once it got going I got thro it in 2 days, which of late is great for me at 48, just getting my 15yr old into it now

A decent new fantasy offering -albeit one that offers little in the way of original twists to the genre. Ancient feuding houses? Check. Magic? Check. Romance? Check. Warrior after revenge on behalf of family? Check. Kidnapping? Check. Politics. Check. Eleva... you get the idea. I wouldn't call it a Song of Ice and Fire cash-in, since that's just an example itself and a very long way indeed from being original, but it's lurking within similar territory, so if you like this sub-genre, you'll probably like this, although it seems to be aimed at a younger audience. Like several others, I can't say I'm overly fond of some of the character names, but that's a matter of taste, so your mileage, as ever, may vary.Pacing is sensible -a slow start not atypical for the genre that, with a few spikes and dips, generally increases as you move through the book. Characterisation is fairly standard, but reasonably well-drawn, and the world itself is interesting enough to hold attention in itself. Overall, this shows promise for the series & certainly worth a read if you enjoy similar works.