Review: An intricate new world to explore
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 30, 2013
"Burn With Me" by R.G. Alexander is the intriguing start to the urban fantasy `Fireborne' series which centers around the exotic creature Aziza Jane Stewart as she starts learning more about her heritage and discovers that there are more facets to her than she ever knew and that she is more than just a mixed-race human with a photographic memory. The curse that has followed her seems to strike every two years and she fears that her upcoming birthday will be auspicious but never imagines that the males who threaten to disrupt her life entirely see her as the nexus of an age-old struggle which has its share of fatalities. The sensual connection she feels for these males who are overt enemies of one another is complicated even more by her tie to the one constant in her life, Gregory Prophet, who apparently has his own role to play in the struggle. As her powers start manifesting, the problems she faces increase exponentially and she fears that she and those she loves may not survive to see her metamorphosis into the full role of that rarest of creatures, a Fireborne.This urban fantasy story is full of very imaginative elements which provide the framework for a very complex struggle. There are impressive word portraits which conjure up vivid images but an overall somewhat dark tone that permeates the story and colors the very sensual relationships that the heroine is involved in. I was a bit overwhelmed by the increasingly complex struggle that is revealed and saddened by the losses that are part of the heroine's life. The powers that she is developing are inventive but a little too conveniently presented for me and I am troubled by the dynamics of her relationship between the various males in her life but hope that things will get a little more clear-cut as the series progresses. I love getting Aziza's perspective (e.g. "Kids reminded her of cats. you always had the sneaking suspicion that they knew something you didn't and they believed it made them superior.") and look forward to having some of the mysteries explained in future additions to the series. Night Owl ReviewsI received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.