Red mirrored scales race up my arms as the haze of pain blurs my vision. My
bones crack, breaking to realign. I scream. It is then that the realization of
my unavoidable fate sinks in; I am of a dying race. I am dragon.
Aurora
Megalos, orphaned and teetering on the edge of adulthood, thought finding her
past would curb the sting of being an outcast. Having no memories of the time
before she awoke on her foster mother’s doorstep, she yearns for the emptiness
inside her to be filled. With her fellow orphaned best friend, Fenn, by her
side, she has nothing to lose and everything to gain. But something powerful
stirred within her that she couldn’t explain. Something wanted out.
In
the dark of night, a crazed Seer, dubbed Mr.Creepy, erases everything she’s ever
known with an impending prophecy. She now faces two paths. Return to her true
home to protect a dying race against a growing evil, or stay hidden in the
safety of our realm with a shot at a true love. With a vengeful Arch Enemy
stopping at nothing to see her dead, she’s running out of time; a decision must
be made. What would you choose? *amazon.com*
What a fantastic departure from the norm. From the very first page Knoebel begins weaving her fantastical tale... Aurora is a dragon, the progeny of a dying race sent to our world for her protection. This is where our story begins.
What we have is a unique and fresh new story to capture our attention! As we turn the pages we learn more and more about our heroine, Rory (Aurora) and her best friend Fenn. Neither one having any memory of their life until they found each other, they struggle to maintain balance and a "normal" life Rory longs for. Neither one knowing that their past holds the key to their future.
The character development throughout this book is engrossing. Rory is a smart, independent young women in search of her past, but insecure and slightly withdrawn due to incident's that have plagued her through her youth. Fenn is steadfast and protective, having secrets of his own but fiercely loyal to Rory and dedicated to finding out the truth about who they are, and where they came from.
Intriguing secondary characters add depth like Mr. Creepy, appearing out of nowhere and superbly living up to his name, he adds the (for lack of a better word) creep factor. Zordon the ultimate bad guy and his son Zane, every book should have a character you love to hate, enter Zordon. Lexi, a protector sent to Rory from her realm adds that best friend aspect, and she's a kick ass side kick!
But time is running out for Rory and Fenn, will they find the keys they need to unlock their elusive past and find their way home? When the time comes, what choice will Rory make?
I give this book 5/5, if you're a Sophie Jordan fan you will LOVE this book! And not a moment too soon I might add, as our final book in the Firelight trilogy is out this week, Knoebel gives us something to fill that void.
Here is my Author Interview with the brilliant mind behind my new favorite book; Candace Knoebel (contest details to follow).
*Tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi
Tammy and thanks for having me!
I
guess I should start with the most important thing about myself; I am a
stay-at-home mom to two little ones-Logan (my five-year-old) and Scarlett (my
19-month-old). They make the world go round. J I love music, art, dancing, laughing,
good food, scary movies, midnight premiers, lace, Pinterest, Tobuscus, 30
Seconds to Mars…typical normal stuff I suppose. I have a very short attention
span and become bored quite easily…sometimes to the point of being a bit
annoying. *shrugs* Writing seems to be the only real thing that I think I’ve
seen all the way through. I own a pair of Heely’s that I love to roll around in
and I have a fetish with dying my hair. It’s currently pink….and now I digress.
*Where were you born and
where do you call home?
I
was born in West Palm Beach, Florida and I reside in Davenport, Florida. My thoughts
on living in Florida…ehh. The heat is almost always unbearable and ridiculous.
I swear we should all be paper thin. And
the worst part is, we don’t really have seasons here. I didn’t even realize
that September meant fall. I thought it was still summer. The only plus is
Harry Potter is a 15 minute drive away from me and the ocean is an hour.
*What was your inspiration
for Born in Flames ?
I’ve
always loved anything mythical and magical. When I first thought up the idea, I
wanted to create something original. At the time when I started the novel, Vampires
had taken over EVERYTHING. Don’t get me wrong, I am a Twilight fanatic (midnight
premiers and merchandise bought), but I needed a break from it. So I just sat
down one night and started typing for the hell of it and it just kind of kept
going until those two final words: the end. After a long pow-wow with the
bestie, I knew where my life needed to go as opposed to the rut it was in (working
in Purgatory-literally). But as far as inspiration goes: music, magic, images,
good reading…it’s in everything really. Anything that touches my soul.
*For those who are unfamiliar
with your novel; Born in Flames, how would you introduce it?
I’d
share my book trailer first and foremost:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu5qbaMXxh0.
I put quite a bit of time into it and am pretty proud considering I
walked into the project clueless. I still wake up wondering how I figured it
out. But it’s a YA Fantasy about a girl who discovers she is not only a part of
a prophecy that binds our two worlds together, but also part dragon. It’s a
fast-paced novel set in first person that leaves you on the edge of your seat,
praying that she will make the right choice. Not to mention that her Arch
Enemy, Zordon, is also bound to her by The Fates. Their fates tie into one
another so she must figure out a way to destroy him without destroying herself.
This of course, is stretched throughout the Trilogy.
*What are the Pro’s and
Con’s to being an Indie Author?
My
publisher, 48fourteen, makes it pretty easy for me. Besides having to approve the
edits when they are sent to me, I spend most of my time finishing and worrying over
the next novel. Juanita (the head of 48fourteen) is fantastically wonderful to
work with. Back to the point (I tend to ramble) the pro’s are the satisfaction
of knowing that your work is out there for the world to see and that you have
made. You are published! I haven’t
really found any cons so far.
*What has been the most
interesting comment (or review) about your book?
I
haven’t received any as of yet. But I’m hoping they will all be good. A girl
has to dream…right?
*Whom in your life would you
say has influenced you the most?
You
know, I get asked this a lot, and every answer ends up a little different. I don’t
think there is any one person or one thing that holds the majority of my inspiration.
For me, it varies day to day. A song on my ipod, a good chapter in a novel, my
bestie kicking ideas around with me. Inspirations strikes me randomly and
usually when I least expect it.
*Who is YOUR favorite Author?
Now
this answer will always be the same. J.K. Rowling. I started her first novel
around the same age as Harry was in the book. So I impatiently waited year
after endless year for each new novel to come to print. I don’t think anyone
could match her genius in what she has created. It is timeless and will forever
fill children with wonder and magic. I’ve already started the first with my
son. He’s so cute when he laughs at the silly remarks Hagrid makes.
*What are you reading right
now?
Right
now I am reading Eternal Eden…but I am a very slow reader. I also find it hard to
get pulled into books… which is odd considering, but it’s the truth. If the book
doesn’t suck me in right off the bat, it’s usually a long stretch to the finish
from there. I’m hoping to fix this issue, especially now that I have discovered
the brilliance of Goodreads. All these beautiful books are out there, just
waiting for me to devour them.
*Tell us your latest news.
My
latest news…my son went a whole week without a note from his teacher in his planner
pertaining to his jabber mouth (he gets it honest). *grin*
No,
seriously, my latest news is that I’ve finished my second installment to the trilogy,
Embracing the Flames. I am doing my final read-through before I send it off to
my lovely publisher, Juanita. All the while secretly hoping that I make it to
print (but that’s just between us) ;) I am hoping to be finished with my edits
by the end of September and then the road to being published begins again. For
that, I can’t wait!
Thank
you again for having me. This was such a fun chat!
Thank you Candace for taking the time to answer my questions and sharing on the blog. I wish you much success with the series and can't wait for book 2!
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