Review: Fallen Flame by J.M Miller

Fallen Flame by J.M. Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Buoni Amici Press, LLC and Netgalley for providing me an advanced reader copy.

I loved Fallen Flame, fantasy is one of my favorite genres and I loved that this one was fairly unique. I loved that it kept me interested from the first page until the last. The writing was excellent as was the pace of the story. I also like that this is a series and the book itself stands alone, there's no major cliffhanger, the book closes nicely with the promise of a new adventure in the next book. I'll definitely be back for book 2.  This is my first J.M Miller book and I'll definitely be checking out more of her books.  I really enjoyed her writing style.

Now onto the book itself, Fallen Flame follows main character Vala, who is not like other people. Her skin is like that of cooling lava, hard on the outside, hot to the touch, and a burning ember underneath. Because of her "affliction", most of the townspeople are afraid of her and she has to hide her appearance, but Vala has found a place by dedicating her life as a guard for the royal family. She is the lead guard for the prince, and she and Prince Caulden have grown up together and have developed a close friendship. As the story progresses their friendship is challenged, and quite possibly broken as Vala begins to learn the secrets of where she came from and what she truly is. Vala’s story is wraught with magic and myth, and there are many secrets to be revealed. The story focuses on the suspicious events that occur with the arrival of Queen Meirin and Princess Anja on the island of Garlin. They are there to arrange a marriage with the prince in an attempt to strengthen relations between the island of Garlin and the main land of Islain. Prior to his impending engagement, Caulden’s friends take him out for Prince’s Night, a bachelor party style event with drinking, physical challenges, and mischief. During Caulden’s night of fun, there is an assassination attempt during which Vala meets another person who might be like her. This newcomer, Xavyn, turns out not to be a true enemy, however he knows about magic and that the Queen and Princess are up to something other than planning a wedding. As the plot unfolds, Vala isn’t quite sure who to trust, but she does decide that she is done hiding her true nature and that she is tired of hiding on Garlin when there is more out there that may tell her true story. As her lifelong friendships are challenged and secrets revealed, Vala learns a piece of her story, who she can really trust, and a lot about herself. I can’t wait to see where the next piece of her story takes us.