Fire & Metal #1
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Want all the juicy details of Brynn and Acker’s story? Read the Spoiler Report.
Even though she’s not one of them, Brynn has spent her life among the Alaha, training to be a guard and waiting for the chance to attend the annual market hosted by the Kenta – the very same people who exiled her adopted community to a life at sea. Going to the market is sa rite of passage eagerly anticipated by all young guards, but Brynn does not anticipate breaking a century-long peace treaty while there. Nor does she plan for the intense encounter with an enemy soldier that now threatens to unwind the fragile coexistence between their people – and everything Brynn once believed about herself to be true.
Brynn’s loyalty to the Alaha is tested when the truth of her identity I brought to light by this soldier who’s taken an oath to bring her back to where she belongs. Narrowly escaping death on the violent high seas, Brynn’s connection to the Alaha is further tested when she learns about the world of magic she’s been denied. She was once certain of her fate and where she belonged, but the dark, knowing eyes of this stranger have her questioning everything, including her heart.
I went into this knowing almost nothing about it. Except that there was some hype surrounding it as it was making its way around social media.
Not sure what I was expecting, this wasn’t it. After reading it, I was surprised this was not marketed as a YA novel. While I don’t think there should be anything more than kissing in YA (unpopular opinion?), I’ve read Sarah J Mass and other like hers that have Metal Slinger level of spice and are being passed off as YA.
About 80% of the way through and I was into this novel. For a foundation-setting-world-building beginning to a series it was pretty good. But then I began to worry. We were approaching the end and nothing had really happened. Either this would end on a cliffhanger that was so ridiculous you wouldn’t care to continue the series, or there was a rush to get to the end in a hurried spew of words and events.
Well, none of that happened.
Since there was no lead up to anything that would warrant and ending, something had to come out of left field. And boy did it ever.
No spoiler warning here, I will try my best to convey what transpired without giving it away.
There were hints along the way, foreshadowing and a few wink-wink moments. But I quickly dismissed them because it just didn’t fit or make sense.
Here’s my biggest problem with the ending, and it began on the first page. The point of telling a story in first person is for the reader to experience the journey alongside the character. Also to give an almost omnipotent look into their feelings and inner thtoughts.
With the ending being what it is, too many things don’t add up unless of course, Jovie/Brynn is so convinced with her role she is flat out lying to herself and the readers.
It was almost like the author knew what the general outcome would be, but didn’t know which character would play which role until she was writing it. By then it didn’t matter the details, she just went for shock value. It was a huge disappointment which really sucks. I was enjoying the story until the end which put a huge damper on the whole thing for me.
Brynn’s actions and thoughts are all supposed to be ‘explained’ away by a random chapter that takes us back in time. Bridging the gap and showing how the ending is possible. It didn’t and it doesn’t. It’s a chapter that seems like it was thrown in a day before it went to be printed, tying the whole story together – fail.
Usually with plot-twist ending, you can go back and pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place. Everything just makes sense. Here, it is the exact opposite. Nothing makes sense and it brings about so many questions that will probably never be answered or explained. Unless, off course, the next book spends half the time explaining Brynn’s actions and thought process in this book.
To say everything in this book is a lie still wouldn’t make sense.
The concept is such a great one. The characters and the writing style are great. If the ending was just approached differently this could have easily been a 5-star instead of 3.
If you have read this, let me know what you think.
