Bunny's Reviews: Sky of Ancient Fire Review Spotlight

Fans of A Song of Ice and Fire, The Lord of the Rings and The Witcher. Read on for more details!

Sky of Ancient Fire is the first book in the Ancient Fire series by T.C. Emerys, and this book is a gripping fantasy novel that will pull you from the beginning. The characters are engaging and intriguing and will leave you wondering - where are things headed from here?

Sky of Ancient Fire begins with the aftermath of a battle. An attempted assassination attack on the new queen and her fire mage. They've managed to survive the attack, but at what cost? The tactics of the enemy are changing. Where the Red Stripes were known for their ferocity and dangerous attacks, they have upped the ante. They've introduced a new element, and it's one that is difficult to fight off as the window of time to act is limited. Annowre is the latest victim of this in defense of her queen. How long can she survive? Is there hope that someone new can help her? Or will she eventually succumb to what plagues her?

Then prepare to meet Cadwgan. He's an older apothecary living in a small village. He's on a quest to discover something new. He just wants a better life for himself. The villagers are hard-pressed to eek out a life for themselves, but they balk at his prices for the potions he offers. On one hand, it's understandable, but on the other, as an apothecary, you'd think that maybe they would understand his own plight. They work each day and earn something. He is only called upon when needed, and that's not a daily thing.

But things change for Cadwgan when his apprentice brings back a plant that grows near the edge of the dangerous forest that all avoid. He begins to experiment with it and when he does, he discovers something amazing but dangerous at the same time. Now, it could change the dynamics of the political climate in the kingdoms. He never thought he'd find himself in the presence of the Regent and the royal family, but after a certain display...that is where he ends up. How long can he keep up this ruse before he's exposed?

This book is engaging and a serious page-turner the deeper you go. Questions are going to abound as you read wondering what exactly is going to happen next. Annowre has enough on her plate with trying to get her strength back, but with the poison destroying her body with each passing minute, she draws closer and closer to leaving her charge exposed to the dangers of the world. And trust me, there are a lot! Especially when the queen is so naive that she turns a blind eye to the fact that many will look to abuse her naivety for their own purposes.

Then there is the danger that keeps coming in the form of the Red Stripes. Readers are going to like how the story alternates "perspectives" in that you get Annowre, and then you get Cadwgan. Of course, this book is told from the third person perspective, but that does not detract from the storyline. But you get to see from a Northern Court character's viewpoint and then a reluctant Southern Court character's perspective. They both have a lot to lose, but one more so than the other.

The intrigue builds and builds and before you know it...BAM! The book is over and you find yourself having to wait for book two! Okay, okay the book doesn't just end out of nowhere. LOL! I will warn you of this...the final chapters in this book...things get crazy. So prepare to be lighting the pages on fire as the author throws crazy twists and surprises at you. It's going to be a wild ride, but it's one that will be sure to keep this book on your mind. Hopefully for the months it will be necessary to wait for book two. LOL!

All in all, this debut novel...for this reader...is a hit. I'm looking forward to what comes next for the myriad of characters I met in this book.

5 out of 5 stars

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

Sky of Ancient Fire

Publication Date: March 2023

Genre: Dark Epic Fantasy

And when the ancient fire fell to embers,
The goddesses of old wept at the destruction wrought,
And the price paid for its beautiful terror.

Magic in Albion is born, not made.

And yet, as a dark and ancient foe makes its move across the continent, apothecary and physician Cadwgan stumbles into creating a power that never should have surfaced. His discovery throws him into the dangerous world of the Southern court, fighting to keep up the ruse of being a natural-born mage.

Meanwhile, fearsome fire mage Annowre is trying to keep her charge, the newly coronated young Queen of the North, alive amidst political strife and assassination attempts when she herself is gravely wounded by an attacker’s incurable poison. When she wakes up in an infirmary, she finds that her queen has sought the help of the South to save her magical protector’s life. But peace between their countries is recent and tenuous, and Annowre will need her full strength again if she is to protect the naive monarch from the re-emerging powers swarming across the horizon.

Now the North and South are thrown together to face a new common enemy, and find out what happens when twisted arts combine to create the uncreatable.

To create magic.

Fans of A Song of Ice and Fire, The Lord of the Rings and The Witcher will love the first installment in this dark, epic fantasy quadrology inspired by Arthurian and Welsh mythology from debut author T. C. Emerys.

Free on KU and Available in Paperback