Bunny's Reviews: Of Darkness and Fire Review Spotlight

We're thrilled to share Of Darkness and Fire with you all today! This beauty is the first in a now completed and available trilogy!

Of Darkness and Fire are the first book in Amber Palmer's epic trilogy and this book will grab you from the beginning and keep you page-turning. Yes, there will be moments where the story will let you loose for a minute, but it won't be long before it grabs you again. So brace yourself! This book has some epically good moments that will have you screaming for more!

Of Darkness and Fire is the first book that I have read by Amber Palmer, but I have already added the other book(s) in this series to my wishlist. I have to know what happens next and so I am eagerly anticipating getting my claws on those books. LOL!

Of Darkness and Fire starts off with an intensity-driven scene playing out. It is a scene from the past, but it is one that has stuck with the main character since the moment she witnessed it. The death of her mother. It's understandable that this moment haunts her. It is tragic, dramatic, and heartbreaking. It's something that she holds herself responsible for. Can she ever move past it? Only time will tell.

Some heat threatens to spill onto the pages early on, but the author feels that it's a little too soon so we miss out on THAT particular moment. LOL! Don't despair though. More to come later in the story and it is delicious!

Now, as you know this is a fantasy novel. These characters are fae. You don't initially know that, so when you find out that Eva has been alive for 300 years, that's when the shock hits you. LOL! It's good though. There are a couple of confusing elements, but as the story progresses everything gets ironed out so that it all makes sense.

As this story unfolds you're going to find Eva is a complex character. She has some juvenile attributes - eye-rolling, mentally demeaning towards her younger sister, and some anger issues. But she's not a bad character. It's disappointing concerning her attitude toward her sister especially since it stems from a moment of intense jealousy. The back and forth in her head concerning her relationship with Damien is another bone of contention. She knows what she wants, and she knows what he wants. Yet, she comes off as wishy-washy. One minute she puts up boundaries, and then she lets those boundaries crumble because - honestly, he's good in bed. Come on girl!

Now, let's be real. Damien is part of the problem as well, but he's not the main character of this story. He does play a big part though! You'll feel empathy for him - to an extent, but don't go crazy. LOL! Leave that to Luka. Luka...you're an ass. Sorry, not sorry. LOL! When you read and get to know a bit more about Luka, you'll understand...probably to an extent, but don't let Eva take all the blame for Damien's behavior.

This book gets interesting FAST! Especially during the ball. Things go left, right, center, and off in another direction that will pull you to the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen next! A new character is being introduced and he fully intends to shake things up. I was here for ALL of it!! Just watch out for that one creepy guy...ugh! LOL!

There is a lot of back and forth and drama throughout this book. Eva has quite the problems on her hands. She's the heir, but is she willing to put her heart aside for what duty? Or will she be able to have everything that she wants in the end? I'm absolutely looking forward to the next book in this series. You just know that it's going to be something epic.

I am rating this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. There is a lot to love in this book, there really is. I didn't like how Eva views/describes her sister simply because she's the opposite. I wasn't a fan of the wishy-washy manner Eva deals with Damien and how quickly she flips, but it all works in the end.

Thank you to the author, Amber Palmer, and R&R Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book. I look forward to what comes next!

Don't forget to check out my fellow bloggers/bookstagrammers as they share their thoughts and reviews on this book! Thank you for stopping by and be sure to come back soon as more content is coming!

Of Darkness and Fire #1

Publication Date: February 28th, 2022

Genre: Fantasy/ Romantic Fantasy

Over 100 years ago, Aethion was thrown in the middle of what would forever be known as The Great War. Kingdoms were torn apart, countless innocent lives lost because of the greed and lust for power of one man – Lachlan Roarke. His band of misfits called themselves The Horde. Which was fitting, seeing as they tended to overrun and eradicate everything in their path.

He’s the reason I lost my mother. The reason I can’t sleep at night without constant nightmares plaguing my mind. Every time I close my eyes, all I can see is her. Everything I am today is because of her and the night I was forced to stand by and watch as she was murdered.

Now, as the time draws near when I must fulfill my destiny as queen of Helia, we find ourselves on the brink of war once again. The Horde is back, although with someone unknown at their helm as leader.

The time for revenge is now, and I know it’ll be the sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted. It’s my duty to save my kingdom. Not only do I owe it to my people, whom I love and swore to protect, but also to make good on the promise I made myself the night I saw the light fade from my mother’s eyes.

I will destroy all those who seek to destroy me. I only hope it won’t be the last thing I do.

Author Note: This book contains explicit content and darker elements, including mature language, violence, and sexual content. It is not not intended for anyone under 18 years of age.

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Excerpt

You won’t make it. You’re going to be too late.

The voices in my head continued to torment and taunt me as I raced through the gilded halls of the palace. My home. I slipped around the corner of a corridor, chancing a glance briefly at the sentries standing guard by an archway. They reached out for me, tried to stop me, but their shouts fell on deaf ears; I didn’t have time to stop and explain. I was racing against an invisible clock, counting down the seconds until my life was altered—changed so irrevocably, I didn’t know how I would move on.

Their footsteps echoed off of the stone walls behind me. My heart was racing, aching as I pushed myself further, harder than I ever had before. Decades of training should have prepared me for this type of situation, but I was royally fucked. No amount of killing or training could prepare me for this. The cost of my failure would be far too great if I didn’t make it in time. Dark corridors seemed to stretch on indefinitely, drifting into a never-ending time loop.

The screams of my people rang off the palace walls. Pure, unbridled chaos from the world outside these walls continued to reign around me. Helia was under attack. There wasn’t a damn thing I could do to stop it from happening. They were here, The Horde, and they delighted in the torturing of my people. I was a simple fool to believe we could’ve stopped this from happening. My heart seemed to fracture. One particular scream sounded out above the rest into the chilly night air, the only one that mattered in this moment.

No. No. No.

My head was pounding, aching as my magic coiled underneath the surface of my skin. It begged to be set free, physically hurting me to keep it restrained. But I required every single last drop to do what I needed to do.

The door to the throne room came into view as I rounded the last corner, the golden archway contorting into tight vines above the entry. I kicked open the doors, my breathing erratic as I took in the scene in front of me. My mother was lying in the middle of the room. Her body was broken and battered, but her face remained masked in steely defiance. She was beautiful, even as she laid before me. A masked assailant was the only force holding her body up, one hand solidly gripping her hair. My eyes frantically searched my mother’s, instantly realizing my worst fears were coming to fruition. She had accepted her fate. I was too late. She lifted her neck, meeting my gaze, and I nearly gasped. Her eyes were blazing, two beacons calling to me on the darkest of nights. They held within them a promise Fato guide and haunt me until the end of my days.

“I love you, sweet girl. Never stop fighting,” she whispered to me, right as a blade plunged into her chest and pierced her heart.

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About the Author

Amber Palmer is an American fantasy romance author. She was born in Arizona, but raised in Texas. She is the proud parent of three (evil) cats and one puppy dog, and when she isn’t nose deep in a spicy fantasy novel, she’s listening to her bookish Spotify playlists and making notes for her next project! A passionate advocate for mental health, Amber features characters processing various traumas in her work. She is an unapologetic lover of anything spicy, while also making time to game with her husband.

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