Review: Fallen Flame by J.M. Miller

Fallen Flame

Author: J.M. Miller

Release Date: June 19, 2017

Publisher: Self-Published

Fallen Flame Book #1

ASIN:  B072KNSWZD

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Review Copy Source: NetGalley

Nineteen years ago, on the island kingdom of Garlin, a girl was born. With charred skin as rough as rock, Vala was instantly feared. For how could one be scorched by magic when it had perished ages before?
Recognizing an asset, the royal family welcomed her on their Guard. Her detail: the prince.
To watch. To protect. She has grown with him, lives her life for him.
When the high kingdom’s princess comes to assess the prince, assassins of rival courtiers come to claim his life. One nearly succeeds in his mission. But with shadowy movements and charred skin like her own, Vala knows he is not like the rest.
As threats to the prince continue and questions about Vala’s life begin to rise, she faces a fear worse than fire or water, worse even than losing him.
She fears finding out who she truly is.

I picked up FALLEN FLAME from Netgalley on a complete whim and I'm so glad I did. The story was easy to follow, the pace was nice and the characters and their development kept me reading.

I loved Vala. She is a mystery to those in Gala and even to herself, but she has made a good life for herself and lives to protect the prince. I found Vala to be strong, loyal and willing to get her hands dirty to protect those that needed protecting.

There are a two love interests in FALLEN FLAME. I liked prince Caulden when he was introduced and was rooting for things to work out between Vala and him, but I slowly lost respect for him as the book went on and by the end knew that even if they could have been something, they weren't right for each other. Xavyn was a huge mystery when he was introduced, but was very open with Vala and really opened her eyes to the world outside of Garlin and how she could fit into it. Although nothing happened romantically between them in FALLEN FLAME, I look forward to the time when something does.

The plot was interesting. Some things were predictable, but I still very much enjoyed the way things were revealed. The mystery surrounding Vala and her birth was very intriguing and made the plot even more exciting. Vala is a true fighter and I enjoyed the action throughout FALLEN FLAME. There is zero doubt in my mind that I will be grabbing a copy of book two when it is out. In fact, I am stalking the author's pages in hope that there will be information about it soon.

I gave it 4/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.