Fire Falling (Air Awakens #2)

Some people were disappointed with this next installment of the Air Awakens series, and I suppose I can understand why even if I don\’t share the sentiment. From the way things were set up in book #1 and the way the cover and blurb were set up, it seemed like this book would bring us into the war and fighting and all that stuff and start getting a faster, action-packed pace. Instead, the pace in book #2 is much like that of book #1 in the sense that the author is taking the time to use the events occurring during the army\’s march to the North to give substance to the story with lots of scenes and details added in, building up the story with content that draws in readers for a more immersing, intense experience instead of just jumping from one major plot event to the next. This is something I personally like because I always chose content over rapid-fire pacing. I\’d much rather have time with the characters to grow to care about them than to get into a series that smooths over this stuff just to move quickly ahead with the major plot developments, so I think this slower pace soaked with information and character development and all that good stuff is commendable and works very well for me as a reader. The author also really focuses on Vhalla and Aldrick as people and their relationship in this book, which I personally really wanted to read about a lot since book #1 just touched on this and didn\’t give me the fully satisfactory relationship developments I wanted. There\’s also ample time dedicated to the side characters, which is nice, because while I would love constant Vhalla + Aldrick time to sate the sappy romantic in me, it\’s the mark of a good writer to be able to breathe life into secondary characters and allow them time to exist for more than just ultra-convenient purposes and I can appreciate this. I wouldn\’t call book #2 a set up book like #1 was, but you definitely are seeing a build up to the actual war and Vhalla coming face-to-face with fighting on a true war front. There\’s training and marching and dealing with the rift between sorcerers and non-sorcerers, for example, and a good amount of time is dedicated to Vhalla dealing with the effects of her trauma and experiences, her nightmares and feelings and internal turmoil. As I\’m sure you can tell, part of why I loved this book was all the time dedicated to Vhalla and Aldrick; there\’s tension and turmoil and doubt and lots of feelings and both of them struggling with stuff but eventually coming together and trying to get a handle on what it means to love one another and be together all while Aldrick is the crown prince and Vhalla is a war-tool that belongs to the crown. It\’s an interesting insight into Aldrick to be in all these scenes with Vhalla, you get a sense that he understands well that he needs to put on a mask as a crown prince, but he drops this in front of Vhalla to reveal to her his regrets and sorrows and loneliness and all those soft, secret feelings he could show and share with no one out of fear he\’d be rejected or misunderstood or have someone use them against him somehow. It\’s also interesting to watch Vhalla deal with all this and enter into a world where she has to be secretive and quiet about her affections and deal with separation and denial and tell lies because of the vulnerability she creates within Aldrick and the wrath of the emperor they could bring down upon themselves for their mutual love and respect. I\’m actually really liking how this all unfolds because we\’re not hit with \”instant love\” that\’s more or less just extreme physical attraction and we\’re not presented with a perfect relationship: they both struggle and doubt and feel sadness and hurt and jealousy and shock and they\’re floundering, trying to find their barrings in an emotional territory neither of them has ever been through before, but the sincerity and feelings are all there. I prefer to read about this kind of romance because it feels natural and gives me enough time to believe through their scenes together that this is genuine. Also, one big kicker that I\’m sure saddened or enraged many was the abrupt and intense cliffhanger. It was brutal to be honest. But since I cleverly waited until all the books were released, this isn\’t really an issue for me since I have book #3 sitting right next to me ready to be opened and read as soon as I finish typing my review for book #2. All in all, this is my favorite book so far. I enjoyed reading it and polished it off in a single sitting, though at times I had to take a break to let things sink in for a moment before continuing. I think this was a worthwhile installment in the story and it generally felt pretty whole too; some big conflicts were resolved, we had a nice climax, and now book #3 will take us into the next arc which I\’m assuming is the true, full blown war effort. The cliffhanger doesn\’t give you a nice wrapped up ending looking towards the next book, but I think from that period on you can fully say Aldrick and Vhalla are in the midst of a war and will be dealing with a new slew of problems that come along with being important figures in said war. I\’m excited for book #3, but also a little nervous because I can\’t help but fear that there will be more turmoil and conflict before there\’s smooth sailing and any sign of a happy ending in sight.

This book could have used a bit more concrete action to frame the intimate moments. I did want a bit more plot development, and while I thought Vhalla and Aldrick\’s relationship grew into something really special, I wanted to see more variety in their interactions. I was disappointed at the way Vhalla cheated her way into great fighting skills because it removed an element of danger and tension, and I wanted to see her and Aldrick interacting when they were sore, tired, hungry, irritated as hell, and generally stripped down to their ugly reactions. Is that messed up? I\’m not saying I wanted them to verbally abuse each other, but I wanted to see how they handled each other in that situation. I kind of tuned out a little after Vhalla had her breakdown near the end of the book. She starts acting really out of character (wink, nudge), but not in a way that I liked. She seriously toed a moral line with me, though. With where she was in her relationship with Aldrick, like some of the thoughts coming out of her were just dumb dumb dumb. Also, I\’m pretty sure the author uses \”awe\” to describe \”admiration\” multiple times (ex. \”He looked at her in awe\” instead of \”He looked at her with admiration\”). That was a bit jarring for me. But gosh, I am a sucker for a story about two people figuring out the way to love each otherlike the real kind of love, not the dirty naked fun bits that come when you rub two hot people together to make fire. It\’s fun to watch Aldrick and Vhalla change how they make choices and communicate. Aldrick is figuring out how to be kind while Vhalla is struggling to stand up for what she wants.

Warning: Do not start reading this book, or Air Awakens, if you have things that need done or need to be up for work in the morning! Obviously I had trouble putting either book down and it left me short on sleep! These books are amazing! The characters are well-rounded, obviously well thought out and well written. They are also human with all the foibles, failures and joys we go through. It is very difficult to believe the author is just starting her career! To understand everything going on you need to read the books in order, which means starting with \”Air Awakens\”. Be prepared, however; Book three won\’t be out until Feb \’16 and you may have a hard time waiting patiently for the next book. I know I will be waiting anxiously and impatiently for Feb. I\’ll just have to keep re-reading books 1 & 2!

This is going to be a short review, because I really need to read the next book now. Wow what a cliffhanger ending! I loved the book, I love the way that Vhalla is growing and changing as person, the way her powers are developing and the new things she is discovering she can do. I don\’t think we have seen her full potential yet and I think that she is really going to blow our socks off in the next book. I love Aldrik, he is a complex character, but I do always seem to find myself more attracted to those who have a dark side. I really hope that there is a happy end f ok r him and Vhalla, but I\’m really not sure that there can be. Baldair is growing on me and I hope he still has a big part to play in the rest of the books, I also like Daniel too but the Emperor I despise and do not trust. It was a great second book, really kept the action up as sometimes second books in a series can fall a bit flat, but there was none of that with Fire Falling. I\’m so glad I don\’t have to wait to read the next book in the series, Earth\’s End as I don\’t think my nerves could take it. I\’m now off to read that whilst hopefully you read this one and enjoy as much as I did.

I really enjoyed this book. The characterisations are brilliant- complex characters and relationships with depth. Alot of these books can be formulaic but, while this series so far does have some of the tropes, the execution elevates it- and it is hard to predict what happens next; not because of chracters acting randomly, but because there are so many layers. Also, an important point for these books, the relationships are touching and sweep me up with them. Dying to see the 3rd installment.

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