Bunny's Reviews: Fires of the Forsaken Review Spotlight

Welcome to the tour for Fires of the Forsaken, a sassy, adult, romantic fantasy by Stephanie E. Donohue! Preorder a copy today!

Welcome to the book tour for Fires of the Forsaken by Stephanie E. Donohue! Love a good fantasy novel with a gripping storyline, and dialogue that will have you in tears? Then you've come to the right place! Because Stephanie E. Donohue has knocked this book out of the park. Did you read "sassy" in the headliner above? Well, let me tell you something "sassy" doesn't cover what you're going to read in the pages of this novel. Try...oh I don't know...frickin' HILARIOUS! Try...HOWLING with LAUGHTER. This author is going to give you small breaks, but be prepared to either be laughing or having empathy for Addie as she navigates the world she is dropped in.

She won't be the only one you're having empathy for. While Addie gets dropped into a new world where war is ravaging the land, there is another character who has struggled with what this world has forced on her. She only has been called "Lass" after the loss of her only loved one, but the world has dealt her a cruel hand. What is the point of what has happened to her? Your heart will break as you read Lass's story, but there is hope and that is all one can cling to.

Fires of the Forsaken is a dynamo of a novel and it will keep you coming back for more. These characters are going to haunt you, so be careful when you decide to put this book down to go do a task around the house or even THINK you're going to catch a few hours of sleep. LOL!

The good news is that this is the first book in the Across Time series. Bad news? You're going to be stalking this author for book two immediately after you're done. So....ummm...Stephanie...when IS the next book coming out? Because ummm...I need it. Now. I have to know what happens next!!! Please don't make me wait forever! LOL!

Addie is a hoot. Poor thing has suffered her own traumatic experiences as a child. These events have created a bit of a breakdown in her brain-to-mouth filter. LOL! You know what I'm talking about. You THINK you're keeping your thoughts to yourself, but in reality, you're saying every thought that is crossing your mind. LOL! That's Addie in a nutshell. Can you blame her though? It's quite a lot to go from getting a pizza to being thrown into the middle of a battlefield.

The author alternates between Addie and her shenanigans to Lass and her struggle for survival. It's easy to distinguish which chapter is going to be about which character. Addie's chapters start with the image of a horse, and Lass's chapters have fire images. These characters are absolutely well done. I found Addie to be absolutely hilarious, but I will confess that she did get on my nerves a few times. I get it though. I told myself, image being thrown into a similar situation. I might handle a bit better since I'm an introvert, but boy howdy once I start talking? Yeah, I'd be a mess, too. LOL!

Looking for and hoping for some romance? Well, it's there! I love that it isn't one of those "BAM insta-romance" type scenarios. You get a nice development between the characters. Of course, when the world is a battlefield, danger lurks around every corner, and you just never know what is going to happen next.

This book is packed with tons of drama, and let me warn you right now...you're getting a cliffhanger. Hate cliffhangers? Well, TOUGH! Do you seriously want to miss out on this book because of cliffhanger hatred?! No! You don't! It's that good! I literally devoured this book! I loved the characters, I loved the storyline, I loved the fact that the author kept me coming back for more. I can't wait to find out what happens next.

I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. Grab this book! Don't miss it! Stalk the author (the appropriate way only folks!) and prepare to be on pins and needles for book two! I can't wait!

Thank you to the author, Stephanie E. Donohue, and R&R Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book! I look forward to what comes next and revisiting Addie and Lass in the next book to come!

Thank YOU for taking the time to come and visit my blog and read my thoughts on Fires of the Forsaken! I hope you come by again for there is more coming soon! Feel free to follow me on Twitter or subscribe to my blog! Be sure to check out my fellow bloggers and bookstagrammers as they share spotlights and their thoughts on this novel!

Fires of the Forsaken (Across #1)

Expected Publication Date: May 2023

Genre: Adult Fantasy/ Romantic Fantasy

Addie wanted a gosh-darn pizza.

Lass wanted to avoid being cooked over a spit.

Neither figured they’d end up with a one-way ticket to the end of days.

Addie did not have “getting plucked from the 21st century and thrown into a rudimentary fantasy world” on her “fun things to do at 30” checklist. Yet here she is, struggling to survive in the hellscape known as Sakar, a place where Wraiths flame-broil humans and Celestial armies wage war with each other over a centuries-old spat. Thankfully, Cheriour, the hunky commander of the human army, takes her under his wing—although he’s allergic to giving straight answers. And talking.

As Addie reluctantly starts to care for him, and the rest of the Sakarians, she also learns why she was sent to this world. And it’s a doozy…

The violent society of Sakar is the only home Lass has ever known, and it’s been a wretched one. She has spent her life being tormented and twisted into an inhuman hybrid by the Celestials and hunted by the humans who fear her. But she finds solace with a cocky, blue-eyed boy who comforts her, even after she accidentally slaughters innocents.

As Lass struggles to control her volatile powers, she slowly transforms into the monster the humans believe her to be. And even the boy she loves is in peril…

At the end of time, there is only fire. And neither Addie nor Lass will escape unscathed.

Pre-Order Here!

About the Author

As a child, Stephanie E. Donohue roamed Narnia with the Pevensie siblings and rode the Hogwarts Express with Harry and his friends. She never tired of discovering new and magical worlds through the pages of a book. And, when the yearning to explore still wasn’t satiated, Stephanie turned to writing. With a pen and a few sheets of paper, she learned to craft new worlds, and vibrant characters to explore with.

That passion has never died. Stephanie still enjoys writing stories that take readers on exciting, and sometimes dangerous, adventures.

When she’s not writing, Stephanie can usually be found cuddling with her two cats, obsessively re-watching The Office, or rocking out to a Pound Fitness class.

Stephanie E. Donohue