Book Review: Of Fire and Ash and Of Sea and Smoke

Here we are with the second book review on Of Horses and Heroes! I really love these books, and can’t wait to tell you about them. Of Fire and Ash and Of Sea and Smoke are the first two books in Gillian Bronte Adams’s Fireborn Epic, and I’m dying waiting for the third one! I know it’s gonna be great, but on to the review. For this review, since it’s about two fantasy books, I’ll be rating it in several categories: characters, writing, plot, worldbuilding, and, of course, overall.

Characters – 5/5

The characters from these books are awesome! They’re so deep, well-developed, nuanced, and just real. None are the same, but each are unique, and each stand on their own as individual characters – even minor side characters. And each has an impact, and a purpose for being there. The main characters are especially close to my heart, and they are all so raw and real and relatable (at least in some aspects; can’t say that I’ve ever ridden a fire-breathing horse). Jakim, I’ll admit, wasn’t my very favorite character in the first book, but that’s just because I loved Ceridwen and Rafi more (and Finnian, don’t ever forget Finnian), but he seriously grew on me during the second book to sneak onto my list of favorite characters. I love his compassion, Rafi’s humor, Ceridwen’s fierceness, Finnian’s loyalty, Markham’s determination, and the way that each character does seem human – they have flaws, but they’re working to get better and improve. The characters are so, so great.

Writing – 5/5

Oh, the writing in these books. The descriptions are vivid without dragging on, and the dialogue perfectly portrays each character and is so fun to read! I love the sense of humor that often appears, especially in the dialogue. The writing draws you in immediately and keeps you there. Once I got sucked into these books, I wasn’t coming back. And the suspense is handled perfectly! The battles are exciting, and urgency and every other emotion is definitely felt by the reader along with the characters. Overall, the writing, like everything else, is wonderful.

Plot – 5/5

The plot of these books is so great! It kept me in its grip the whole way through, and everything weaves together perfectly – you’ll see how if you read them! Not knowing if certain characters are going to be reunited or if they’re even going to survive had me hardly being able to wait to see what would happen! There was one point, when the second book had just released and I was in the middle of reading it, when I couldn’t help it and looked up whether a pair of characters got reunited by the end. Now, I didn’t find anything, of course (because who would give such spoilers?), but that was probably for the best anyway. That just goes to show how good the plot is, and I absolutely loved it the whole way through both books.

Worldbuilding – 4/5

The worldbuilding in these two books is great! The horses are vivid and realistic, and I can see the world and the landscapes in my head as I read. Each continent/area is different and I really like how the jungle especially is described. The cultures of each place are apparent, and shown nicely through the writing rather than just saying that the characters are in different places. For instance, sayings vary depending on the character and setting – Ceridwen has different phrases and ways of saying things than Rafi does, as an example. The only thing I’m not a huge fan of is how there are multiple “religions”. I’m fine with it, though, because it becomes more and more clear which one is the good, Christianity-based one, which I like a lot and appreciate.

Overall – 5/5

I can’t say enough good things about these books! They are my favorite books ever, and they’re by my favorite author ever, which is an awesome combination any day. They have everything I could want from books. Let me know in the comments if you’ve read them, have any questions, or have a book you want to be reviewed!