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booklvrkat's review
5.0
This was like a historical romance. But with added extras. I'm very happy to have picked this one to read from the AAD list .... BB has built a world around The Bringers and The Bane. Special powers go with the flow in this story, and there are dragons (my personal all time favorite) and even a fire bird. Cannot wait to read the next.
alexiachantel's review
3.0
Demons, hidden magical talents, and an incredibly handsome man willing to shield you from danger. Not too bad of a deal, Ravyn manages to make the best of it at any rate.
Ravyn’s story begins with her fleeing her home, which also happens to be an abbey run by a very corrupt man. So you think it is a good idea to run. Until she is outside the abbey walls and a demon tries to fly off with her. And then you are introduced to Rhys and the story is instantly more attractive.... um, interesting.
Rhys and Ravyn are rare and special people, and now that they have found each other the feel that they are meant to be together. Sort of what people the world over are looking for, that special someone you click with. Of course most people will not be depending on the others talents to battle demons.
Brux has created an interesting world and makes you feel connected to not only Ravyn and Rhys but also the secondary characters and even some demons. You know how it goes; you love to hate the bad guys. The pace of the book seems a little slow at times but the end is well written and sets up for book two nicely.
Ravyn’s story begins with her fleeing her home, which also happens to be an abbey run by a very corrupt man. So you think it is a good idea to run. Until she is outside the abbey walls and a demon tries to fly off with her. And then you are introduced to Rhys and the story is instantly more attractive.... um, interesting.
Rhys and Ravyn are rare and special people, and now that they have found each other the feel that they are meant to be together. Sort of what people the world over are looking for, that special someone you click with. Of course most people will not be depending on the others talents to battle demons.
Brux has created an interesting world and makes you feel connected to not only Ravyn and Rhys but also the secondary characters and even some demons. You know how it goes; you love to hate the bad guys. The pace of the book seems a little slow at times but the end is well written and sets up for book two nicely.
miss_moonshine's review
4.0
Originally posted at http://www.bookchickcity.com/2013/02/review-shield-of-fire-by-boone-brux.html
Shield of Fire begins in the middle of the action: at an abbey where Ravyn is being attacked by the Bane of the title, but we are not bombarded with information which might be confusing. On the contrary, in many ways it is a story we’ve all read before: Ravyn is, at least at first, the damsel in distress who needs the big, brave man to come and save her.
Ravyn’s character develops pretty quickly in the process of the novel, but this doesn’t feel rushed: she just seamlessly adapts from a sheltered, child-like girl into a mature woman who is in charge of her own destiny. In the end, I am happy to say that, in between having to be saved by the hero and saving a ship-load of men almost single handed, Ravyn becomes a pretty kick-arse heroine.
Other characters are interesting as well: although Ravyn is the focus of the story, we get to see into other characters’ heads. Icarus, for example, who is a villain of the piece (we find that out pretty quickly so it’s not a spoiler, don’t worry) is really thought-provoking. He is a typical villain in many ways, but his ability to empathise is one we more often see in heroines/heroes, so it was a change to see a ‘bad guy’ with the skill and that, along with other things, definitely made me want to find out more about the character. Luc, the heroes best friend, is charming and drives the romantic plot of Shield of Fire along, but it’s obvious that his main function is being set up as the hero in the next book in the series.
And now we come to Rhys, our hero. You would perhaps think that he is one of the first people I would like to talk about but, alas, he is one of the aspects of the story that falls victim to cliché. He is handsome, brave and there is not much else to say about him apart from that he has an annoying propensity to hold Ravyn at arms length to ‘protect’ her. There is a bit of a reveal about him towards the end of the book, but I hadn’t really worked up the connection with him to make me care about it. I might even go so far as to say that Rhys is there mainly to help Ravyn develop into herself. They have a good flow of banter between them.
‘Are you trying to comfort or torment me?’
‘Sweet talk has always eluded me.’
and things that Rhys says often influence Ravyn to do something she wouldn’t otherwise have done.
The plot, although it was nothing startlingly new, kept me turning pages until the end. One of the things I found most interesting about the story was the world it took place in. I often find world-building bogs me down in a book, but in Shield of Fire we were offered just the right amount of information to prevent us from being confused. I do, however, have one issue with the world-building, which may be more my fault than the author’s. Although the novel has historical aspects, there were many instances in which the speech contained modern Americanisms including ‘Upside your head’, ‘crush’ and reference to ‘cent’. This could be explained by the fact that the novel is also fantasy, but I have to admit that the mixture of modern America and what appeared to be medieval Europe didn’t really work for me, personally.
VERDICT:
I was pleasantly surprised by Shield of Fire. The story sounded interesting from the start but I was somewhat worried about how it would be delivered: my fears were mostly unfounded however. Although there were elements of the novel that were slightly clichéd, the author kept it fresh by implementing a fantasy world that is well-explained, and – for the most part – credible. The only real complaint I have with the world-building is the frequent use of modern Americanisms in what is described as a ‘Historical fantasy romance’. I will definitely be reading the next in the series, as the author has already piqued my interest with her depictions of the characters. Overall, this was an enjoyable, quick read that refreshes an old story successfully. I enjoyed the fact that Ravyn was not ruled by any romantic feelings she might have had for the hero and made her own decisions and her own destiny.
Shield of Fire begins in the middle of the action: at an abbey where Ravyn is being attacked by the Bane of the title, but we are not bombarded with information which might be confusing. On the contrary, in many ways it is a story we’ve all read before: Ravyn is, at least at first, the damsel in distress who needs the big, brave man to come and save her.
Ravyn’s character develops pretty quickly in the process of the novel, but this doesn’t feel rushed: she just seamlessly adapts from a sheltered, child-like girl into a mature woman who is in charge of her own destiny. In the end, I am happy to say that, in between having to be saved by the hero and saving a ship-load of men almost single handed, Ravyn becomes a pretty kick-arse heroine.
Other characters are interesting as well: although Ravyn is the focus of the story, we get to see into other characters’ heads. Icarus, for example, who is a villain of the piece (we find that out pretty quickly so it’s not a spoiler, don’t worry) is really thought-provoking. He is a typical villain in many ways, but his ability to empathise is one we more often see in heroines/heroes, so it was a change to see a ‘bad guy’ with the skill and that, along with other things, definitely made me want to find out more about the character. Luc, the heroes best friend, is charming and drives the romantic plot of Shield of Fire along, but it’s obvious that his main function is being set up as the hero in the next book in the series.
And now we come to Rhys, our hero. You would perhaps think that he is one of the first people I would like to talk about but, alas, he is one of the aspects of the story that falls victim to cliché. He is handsome, brave and there is not much else to say about him apart from that he has an annoying propensity to hold Ravyn at arms length to ‘protect’ her. There is a bit of a reveal about him towards the end of the book, but I hadn’t really worked up the connection with him to make me care about it. I might even go so far as to say that Rhys is there mainly to help Ravyn develop into herself. They have a good flow of banter between them.
‘Are you trying to comfort or torment me?’
‘Sweet talk has always eluded me.’
and things that Rhys says often influence Ravyn to do something she wouldn’t otherwise have done.
The plot, although it was nothing startlingly new, kept me turning pages until the end. One of the things I found most interesting about the story was the world it took place in. I often find world-building bogs me down in a book, but in Shield of Fire we were offered just the right amount of information to prevent us from being confused. I do, however, have one issue with the world-building, which may be more my fault than the author’s. Although the novel has historical aspects, there were many instances in which the speech contained modern Americanisms including ‘Upside your head’, ‘crush’ and reference to ‘cent’. This could be explained by the fact that the novel is also fantasy, but I have to admit that the mixture of modern America and what appeared to be medieval Europe didn’t really work for me, personally.
VERDICT:
I was pleasantly surprised by Shield of Fire. The story sounded interesting from the start but I was somewhat worried about how it would be delivered: my fears were mostly unfounded however. Although there were elements of the novel that were slightly clichéd, the author kept it fresh by implementing a fantasy world that is well-explained, and – for the most part – credible. The only real complaint I have with the world-building is the frequent use of modern Americanisms in what is described as a ‘Historical fantasy romance’. I will definitely be reading the next in the series, as the author has already piqued my interest with her depictions of the characters. Overall, this was an enjoyable, quick read that refreshes an old story successfully. I enjoyed the fact that Ravyn was not ruled by any romantic feelings she might have had for the hero and made her own decisions and her own destiny.
missmoonshine's review
4.0
Originally posted at http://www.bookchickcity.com/2013/02/review-shield-of-fire-by-boone-brux.html
Shield of Fire begins in the middle of the action: at an abbey where Ravyn is being attacked by the Bane of the title, but we are not bombarded with information which might be confusing. On the contrary, in many ways it is a story we’ve all read before: Ravyn is, at least at first, the damsel in distress who needs the big, brave man to come and save her.
Ravyn’s character develops pretty quickly in the process of the novel, but this doesn’t feel rushed: she just seamlessly adapts from a sheltered, child-like girl into a mature woman who is in charge of her own destiny. In the end, I am happy to say that, in between having to be saved by the hero and saving a ship-load of men almost single handed, Ravyn becomes a pretty kick-arse heroine.
Other characters are interesting as well: although Ravyn is the focus of the story, we get to see into other characters’ heads. Icarus, for example, who is a villain of the piece (we find that out pretty quickly so it’s not a spoiler, don’t worry) is really thought-provoking. He is a typical villain in many ways, but his ability to empathise is one we more often see in heroines/heroes, so it was a change to see a ‘bad guy’ with the skill and that, along with other things, definitely made me want to find out more about the character. Luc, the heroes best friend, is charming and drives the romantic plot of Shield of Fire along, but it’s obvious that his main function is being set up as the hero in the next book in the series.
And now we come to Rhys, our hero. You would perhaps think that he is one of the first people I would like to talk about but, alas, he is one of the aspects of the story that falls victim to cliché. He is handsome, brave and there is not much else to say about him apart from that he has an annoying propensity to hold Ravyn at arms length to ‘protect’ her. There is a bit of a reveal about him towards the end of the book, but I hadn’t really worked up the connection with him to make me care about it. I might even go so far as to say that Rhys is there mainly to help Ravyn develop into herself. They have a good flow of banter between them.
‘Are you trying to comfort or torment me?’
‘Sweet talk has always eluded me.’
and things that Rhys says often influence Ravyn to do something she wouldn’t otherwise have done.
The plot, although it was nothing startlingly new, kept me turning pages until the end. One of the things I found most interesting about the story was the world it took place in. I often find world-building bogs me down in a book, but in Shield of Fire we were offered just the right amount of information to prevent us from being confused. I do, however, have one issue with the world-building, which may be more my fault than the author’s. Although the novel has historical aspects, there were many instances in which the speech contained modern Americanisms including ‘Upside your head’, ‘crush’ and reference to ‘cent’. This could be explained by the fact that the novel is also fantasy, but I have to admit that the mixture of modern America and what appeared to be medieval Europe didn’t really work for me, personally.
VERDICT:
I was pleasantly surprised by Shield of Fire. The story sounded interesting from the start but I was somewhat worried about how it would be delivered: my fears were mostly unfounded however. Although there were elements of the novel that were slightly clichéd, the author kept it fresh by implementing a fantasy world that is well-explained, and – for the most part – credible. The only real complaint I have with the world-building is the frequent use of modern Americanisms in what is described as a ‘Historical fantasy romance’. I will definitely be reading the next in the series, as the author has already piqued my interest with her depictions of the characters. Overall, this was an enjoyable, quick read that refreshes an old story successfully. I enjoyed the fact that Ravyn was not ruled by any romantic feelings she might have had for the hero and made her own decisions and her own destiny.
Shield of Fire begins in the middle of the action: at an abbey where Ravyn is being attacked by the Bane of the title, but we are not bombarded with information which might be confusing. On the contrary, in many ways it is a story we’ve all read before: Ravyn is, at least at first, the damsel in distress who needs the big, brave man to come and save her.
Ravyn’s character develops pretty quickly in the process of the novel, but this doesn’t feel rushed: she just seamlessly adapts from a sheltered, child-like girl into a mature woman who is in charge of her own destiny. In the end, I am happy to say that, in between having to be saved by the hero and saving a ship-load of men almost single handed, Ravyn becomes a pretty kick-arse heroine.
Other characters are interesting as well: although Ravyn is the focus of the story, we get to see into other characters’ heads. Icarus, for example, who is a villain of the piece (we find that out pretty quickly so it’s not a spoiler, don’t worry) is really thought-provoking. He is a typical villain in many ways, but his ability to empathise is one we more often see in heroines/heroes, so it was a change to see a ‘bad guy’ with the skill and that, along with other things, definitely made me want to find out more about the character. Luc, the heroes best friend, is charming and drives the romantic plot of Shield of Fire along, but it’s obvious that his main function is being set up as the hero in the next book in the series.
And now we come to Rhys, our hero. You would perhaps think that he is one of the first people I would like to talk about but, alas, he is one of the aspects of the story that falls victim to cliché. He is handsome, brave and there is not much else to say about him apart from that he has an annoying propensity to hold Ravyn at arms length to ‘protect’ her. There is a bit of a reveal about him towards the end of the book, but I hadn’t really worked up the connection with him to make me care about it. I might even go so far as to say that Rhys is there mainly to help Ravyn develop into herself. They have a good flow of banter between them.
‘Are you trying to comfort or torment me?’
‘Sweet talk has always eluded me.’
and things that Rhys says often influence Ravyn to do something she wouldn’t otherwise have done.
The plot, although it was nothing startlingly new, kept me turning pages until the end. One of the things I found most interesting about the story was the world it took place in. I often find world-building bogs me down in a book, but in Shield of Fire we were offered just the right amount of information to prevent us from being confused. I do, however, have one issue with the world-building, which may be more my fault than the author’s. Although the novel has historical aspects, there were many instances in which the speech contained modern Americanisms including ‘Upside your head’, ‘crush’ and reference to ‘cent’. This could be explained by the fact that the novel is also fantasy, but I have to admit that the mixture of modern America and what appeared to be medieval Europe didn’t really work for me, personally.
VERDICT:
I was pleasantly surprised by Shield of Fire. The story sounded interesting from the start but I was somewhat worried about how it would be delivered: my fears were mostly unfounded however. Although there were elements of the novel that were slightly clichéd, the author kept it fresh by implementing a fantasy world that is well-explained, and – for the most part – credible. The only real complaint I have with the world-building is the frequent use of modern Americanisms in what is described as a ‘Historical fantasy romance’. I will definitely be reading the next in the series, as the author has already piqued my interest with her depictions of the characters. Overall, this was an enjoyable, quick read that refreshes an old story successfully. I enjoyed the fact that Ravyn was not ruled by any romantic feelings she might have had for the hero and made her own decisions and her own destiny.
seeingnight's review
4.0
GENRE: Fantasy
THEME: Paranormal/Romance
RECEIVED: Swap
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
Shield of Fire follows Ravyn, a young woman who has grown up living in the Abbey with the sisters on a safe and guarded land. She grew up being told she was cursed, knowing she was different Ravyn tried to hide in the shadows amongst the sisters. Until a brother in Abbey tries to give her to a demon, one that she didn’t think existed and is now running for her life. Lucky for her she runs into a warrior who is known as a Bringer and is like her and ready to fight the demon who is after Ravyn, for more reasons now that he met her.
Ravyn is an innocent young woman who hasn’t really been in the outside world. When she escapes from the Abbey she learns about herself and that she isn’t the only one who is different. I liked her spunk, she was timid and scared when the readers first meet her in the Abbey but later she expresses her independence. When she meets Rhys, the warrior who saves her, Ravyn learns more about her abilities and that she’s a lot more powerful than anyone he’s ever met or heard of. In the end the readers will enjoy Ravyn’s development. Not only does she mature but also she has one interesting background that I had no idea was coming.
Rhys is a powerful warrior right when he’s introduced, fighting off a demon and saving a “damsel” in distress. Though he doesn’t expect Rayvn, she really connects with him and he instinctively gets protective of her. I loved how he changed through out the book; usually battling alone he gets to teach Ravyn about her heritage, which he believes his similar to him. He opens up to her, even if he is trying so hard not to give in to what his heart clearly wants. The readers also get to take a journey to him home, which I absolutely loved learning about the people living with him.
What is a Bringer? I loved how Brux created a group of people that have a unique ability and purpose. There is a lot of history that is crafted nicely into Ravyn and Rhys’ story. The power development was my favorite part, just to see what Rhys could do and what more Ravyn had inside her. What is the Bane? I don’t want to give away too much but the Bane but that he is a Demon, the super creepy Incarus is the first Demon the readers meet and he is horrible right off the bat. The world of the demons was focused on mostly with Incarus, who is someone who seems to be on his own quest for something. I’m interested to see what he has up his sleeves.
Romance, the pace was perfect for this type of story. I like when the characters feel that spark but don’t act on it right away. There is lots of tension, fun moments and of course some steamy moments. I enjoyed watching their love grow and in the end how everything turned out.
Overall this was a great start to a new paranormal series, the leads take the readers on a great journey, with some action, discovery, and wonderful romance. I do however wish I new more about the time this story was set was in, I felt a medieval vibe with warriors, monsters and hope to get more details in the second book. The secondary character brought some light and a lot of humor half way through the book that I was thrilled about. I can’t wait to see how Ravyn and Rhys develop in the next book with the focus on Luc and Jade who have a whole lot of love and hate.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult novel with mature sexual content. Fans of Alyssa Day’s Warrior of Poseidon series and Gena Showalter Lords of the Underworld series will love Boone Brux’s Shield of Fire.
THEME: Paranormal/Romance
RECEIVED: Swap
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
Shield of Fire follows Ravyn, a young woman who has grown up living in the Abbey with the sisters on a safe and guarded land. She grew up being told she was cursed, knowing she was different Ravyn tried to hide in the shadows amongst the sisters. Until a brother in Abbey tries to give her to a demon, one that she didn’t think existed and is now running for her life. Lucky for her she runs into a warrior who is known as a Bringer and is like her and ready to fight the demon who is after Ravyn, for more reasons now that he met her.
Ravyn is an innocent young woman who hasn’t really been in the outside world. When she escapes from the Abbey she learns about herself and that she isn’t the only one who is different. I liked her spunk, she was timid and scared when the readers first meet her in the Abbey but later she expresses her independence. When she meets Rhys, the warrior who saves her, Ravyn learns more about her abilities and that she’s a lot more powerful than anyone he’s ever met or heard of. In the end the readers will enjoy Ravyn’s development. Not only does she mature but also she has one interesting background that I had no idea was coming.
Rhys is a powerful warrior right when he’s introduced, fighting off a demon and saving a “damsel” in distress. Though he doesn’t expect Rayvn, she really connects with him and he instinctively gets protective of her. I loved how he changed through out the book; usually battling alone he gets to teach Ravyn about her heritage, which he believes his similar to him. He opens up to her, even if he is trying so hard not to give in to what his heart clearly wants. The readers also get to take a journey to him home, which I absolutely loved learning about the people living with him.
What is a Bringer? I loved how Brux created a group of people that have a unique ability and purpose. There is a lot of history that is crafted nicely into Ravyn and Rhys’ story. The power development was my favorite part, just to see what Rhys could do and what more Ravyn had inside her. What is the Bane? I don’t want to give away too much but the Bane but that he is a Demon, the super creepy Incarus is the first Demon the readers meet and he is horrible right off the bat. The world of the demons was focused on mostly with Incarus, who is someone who seems to be on his own quest for something. I’m interested to see what he has up his sleeves.
Romance, the pace was perfect for this type of story. I like when the characters feel that spark but don’t act on it right away. There is lots of tension, fun moments and of course some steamy moments. I enjoyed watching their love grow and in the end how everything turned out.
Overall this was a great start to a new paranormal series, the leads take the readers on a great journey, with some action, discovery, and wonderful romance. I do however wish I new more about the time this story was set was in, I felt a medieval vibe with warriors, monsters and hope to get more details in the second book. The secondary character brought some light and a lot of humor half way through the book that I was thrilled about. I can’t wait to see how Ravyn and Rhys develop in the next book with the focus on Luc and Jade who have a whole lot of love and hate.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult novel with mature sexual content. Fans of Alyssa Day’s Warrior of Poseidon series and Gena Showalter Lords of the Underworld series will love Boone Brux’s Shield of Fire.
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