Bunny's Reviews: The Fires of Aileryan Review Spotlight

To celebrate the release of the second book in The Fires of Aileryan series, Heart of Flame, we are sharing both gorgeous books with you all! Read on for more info and treat yourself to an epic fantasy journey.

The world has been reshaped, fire magic is outlawed and is feared by those who don't understand it. Fire users are rare, but the ones that are found tend to be "removed" from this world for fear of their powers and how unpredictable they are. So, when a young girl manifests the powers of fire, her life changes forever. Her secret exposed, and now...one will seek to exploit her and use her for their own gain.

Shadow of Fire is absolutely one of those books that the minute you pick this book up you better be prepared to clear your schedule and devour this book. Ash, the main character, has a secret, and one that she's held on to for a long time. She fears people's reaction to her powers, and rightfully so. Fire drips out of her when her emotions get the best of her. There is no one to teach her how to control them. One of her friends, took the blame for a fire accident, and now she's one down.

There is a lot at play and just in the first few chapters of this book! You're going to be absolutely blown away and it's just book one! There's more to come!! You're literally going to be wanting to yell at the characters are certain ones are going to show themselves as two-faced. You can't trust them and they are working behind the scenes towards their own end-game. What that is exactly? Well, you're just going to have to read to find that out!

Ash is an interesting character, but it's really nice to know that she has friends in her corner. They may not always be able to be there at her side, but they are there. You're going to be curious about the friend who took the fall for Ash, but just hang in there. I know I kept worrying that something really bad had happened to him, but I was able to breathe easy after awhile. LOL!

If you're looking for some good books to check out then I highly recommend this series. There is so much good stuff going on and you're literally going to grab book one, devour it and repeat with book two. Trust me, book two isn't going to just sit there after you read book one. Book two is going to whisper to you and demand that you continue forward and keep you begging for more.

I'm rating this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to the author, Kate Shumacher, and R&R Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book(s).

Read on for more about these books and be sure to check out my fellow bloggers as they share their thoughts and opinions on these books! See you next time!

Shadow of Fire

Publication Date: May 5th, 2022

Genre: Fantasy/ Multiple POV

Length: 370 pages

A potent power is about to be unleashed.

Forbidden and forged in flame.

Control over the elements is a gift from the Gods, but since the creation of the Rift, fire magic has been outlawed in Merawuld. The Rift is a source of mystery, fear, and, for some, a tempting source of power.

Ash is a fire caster who has spent years hiding her magic, but when her explosive powers reveal themselves she is imprisoned by the Mage Council. Ash’s powers are coveted by the High Mage, who seeks to use her as a pawn against not only his enemies, but his allies as well.

With the Bone Mother’s winter fast approaching, the fae Princess vows to fight against the corrupting influence of power, forming an alliance whose success rests on a human man’s desire for peace; a man who must decide if he will play the game he’s inherited or begin one of his own.

But in Aileryan, the Gods have their own plans. As the Mother of All turns the wheel of the year, the land is brought to the edge of war. Loyalty and courage will be sorely tested as paths intertwine and Fate plays her hand.

If Ash can’t learn to control her magic, the scheming of gods and mortals could spell doom for them all.

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Excerpt

Laeli jumped as the sound of steel striking steel cut through the night. She slipped into a crouch, buckling on her scabbard, sliding the twin swords against her back and crept to the opening of the cairn.

Bran shouted a single word. Run.

As wings of light fluttered across the dark pit of the sky, Laeli saw him, his lithe body ducking and weaving around a sword wielded by a tall man in a cloak of fur. Two dead men lay on the ground, Bran’s dagger protruding from a chest. As Laeli watched, Bran’s opponent crouched and swept his leg wide, catching Bran off guard. Her companion tumbled to the ground and, before he could get to his feet, a sword swung through the air in a precise arc.

Laeli stared in horror as Bran’s head was swiftly sliced from his body. Slowly, so slowly, it fell, toppling to the ground to bounce and roll away. Laeli’s dinner rose like a snake and she turned to the side and vomited.

The sky opened, and as veins of light cracked the black canvas of night, the man in furs looked up and saw her. His sword glinted as he approached, blood dripping hypnotically to the ground.

Bran’s blood; fae blood.

Without another thought, Laeli sprang from the cairn and sprinted for the safety of the forest. The trees reached for her, inviting her in; she bent her head and dove between their trunks, taking shelter in their branches, in the roots that snaked from the earth and the rocks and soft grass that spread across the forest floor. The sky ripped apart again, illuminating the trees, the forest bending and swaying in the fierce wind as the storm intensified.

She pushed on, running at a reckless pace that no human could match, until her lungs burned and she fell to her knees in a puddle of dirty water, her breath coming in pants that shook her to the bone. She was still a long way from the border, from safety.

Laeli took a deep breath, preparing to run again, but the point of a sword pressed into her spine.

‘Get up, Witch.’ The voice was low, husky, his breathing quick.

Available on Amazon

Heart of Flame

Publication Date: November 14th, 2022

Genre: Fantasy/ Multiple POV

Length: 536 pages

Fires that curse, fires that heal,
And all the while, so turns the wheel…

With the Queen of Merawuld confined to her bed and the city of Tyllcarric in the iron grasp of the High Mage, war is closing in on all horizons for Ash and Senan. Hellbent on eliminating any threats to the fae throne, Kiarda of Veshlir has raised an army to claim her prize — and she will not be stopped.

Meanwhile, across the border, change is afoot in Estilleon.

Thalion’s men are ready for rebellion, but when the first rush of power ends, he finds himself forced to toe the line between strength and brutality. By his side, Laeli is a stranger in the human world — caught between love and loyalty in a land that stifles her voice.

As conflict escalates across the land of Aileryan, those with power clash amidst a sea of ideals, dreams and greed, forcing the most battle-scarred to overcome their demons and prove they are a force to be reckoned with.

For that which has been dormant for so long is about to burst forth, and when the winter solstice arrives, all will be at the mercy of the Gods…

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Excerpt

Fires that curse, fires that heal,

And all the while, so turns the wheel...

Meanwhile, across the border, change is afoot in Estilleon.

For that which has been dormant for so long is about to burst forth, and when the winter solstice arrives, all will be at the mercy of the Gods...

Available on Amazon

About the Author

KATE SCHUMACHER is a writer, mother and teacher. When she isn’t writing, she is reading her way through an ever-growing TBR pile. Kate has wanted to be an author since she was a child, and finds time to write in the in-between moments of life.

Kate completed a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and Journalism, and an Honours degree in Screenwriting, followed by a Graduate Diploma in Education.

She lives in Northern NSW, Australia, with her partner, two children and three very spoiled cats. Heart of Flame is the second book in The Fires of Aileryan series.

Follow her on Instagram and TikTok @kate.schumacher.writer or visit her website kateschumacherauthor.com