Flamecaster: Shattered Realms

Cinda Williams Chima just broke my heart!I didn't much read the blurb to the book and I skimmed reviews so I never really knew what was going to happen in this book. I just knew that Chima wrote it and I wanted it so I got it. I thought that the Seven Realms series was over and I was happy and then they weren't (in a sense) and the beginning of this book destroyed me =( ***MILD SPOILERS***And at first I blamed the person that blamed them self in the book for what happened. But I knew I just had to read the book and not think about the beginning.Also, there are people out there that think book readers are crazy to get so invested in their books. I have to say that people like us, the bookaholics, book geeks, book nerds, book dragons, worms - whatever you want to call us - have a great passion for the world of books and there is not a thing wrong with being invested in anything that you love. The only harm that comes from this is maybe, too much crying, too much yelling, not enough sleep. Now let us begin!Adrian (Ash) sul'Han is a healer and he goes off to the school his mom and dad went to so he can learn more. Then after some time someone is trying to kill him so that doesn't work out. Ash meets a girl named Lila Barrowhill that saves his life and tries to get him back home to his mom and sister. But, he doesn't want to go THERE, he wants to kill the king. That rat b•••••d who destroys lives and everything in it! I wanted to see him burn. <--- Hehe, I just, nevermind.So Ash ends up in the stables of the good ole King arsehat, I mean, King Montaigne, where he helps the animals and finally makes his way into the palace. And of course he meets Lila there because she is Lila and she is good and OMG she is connected to the old books. Anyhoo . . .We get to meet Jenna Bandelow in the beginning of the book too. That part made me mad too. I just loathed that King through-out the whole book. I mean, loathed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Jenna has a mage mark on the back of her neck and all of the sudden some Empress Celestine across the way wants her. This puts old King Montaigne on her trail because she must be worth something if the Empress wants her. The twat puts her in the dungeon and things are found out, slowly but surely. I mean Jenna didn't know much of anything about her past, only that she was adopted and her parents didn't know much either. OH, but she is so much more and when I found out I got me some chills! Lord have mercy, I can't wait to read more about her and Flamecaster =)I was so happy at the ending of this book. I did a little couch dance and I laughed and cried. It's so freaking amazing!There is some love in the book but it doesn't really have time to manifest, but I just thought I would mention it.I can only hope there are good things on the horizon for this little group I have grown to love. And the new edition as well! ♥But we all know how Chima likes to break our hearts so I should probably start hating everyone and everything right now!

Like many others, my expectations were extremely high for this novel, and for the most part, Cinda Williams Chima is successful in her continuation of the story. From the outset, it is clear that while the setting has changed, a generation has passed; attentive readers will note the subtle shifts in culture, as the world belongs to the new faces of the next generation. This shift, however, may disappoint fans of the series, as little time was spent detailing the 25 years of events that happened since the conclusion of The Crimson Crown. If you are looking to reconnect with with former favorite characters, you will be disappointed, but such a shift allows for more independence for each of the main characters, which is no bad thing.Chima's primary strength lies in her ability to create compelling characters, and here she succeeds with high marks, although certain pacing issues made the experience less immediate than usual – these pacing issues will be discussed shortly. The primary male and female protagonists are delightful mixes of good with a healthy splash of evil, and supporting characters are no less intriguing. Settings are wonderfully detailed, befitting of the high fantasy genre. Plot lines are up to the high standard that Chima has set for herself, and intersect each other with perfection. Chima skillfully has given each important character his or her own agenda with varying amounts of scope, very well done!All of this being said, although I recommend Flamecaster, it is not without reservations. The new book has lost a bit of the je-ne-sais-quoi that made the first four books of the series so special. But, I think I know what is missing. Chima's pacing is different in this book, she seems a bit rushed compared to the earlier books. Here are several examples: the first major plot event happens in the second chapter. Readers would have richly benefited from more backstory before this event happened, and would have made it much more powerful. To try to summarize the missing story by saying “And with it, Adrian's childhood” merely calls attention to this omission. The readers want to know more so we can empathize more. Was it a good childhood? A sad one? Was Adrian spoiled? What was his relationship with his older sister like? Knowing the answers to these sorts of questions would have gone a long way toward creating the empathy that I have become accustomed to when reading a Chima novel. A second, similar example can be found in the progression of a certain romantic relationship; again, it comes across as rushed, and a bit unbelievable as a result. As mentioned earlier, these pacing issues caused a bit of a delay in my ability to connect with the characters. By the end of the book, I had a very good connection with the protagonists, however this connection took a bit longer when compared to some of Chima's other novels.I am going to speculate. I suspect that the primary reason for this shift in pacing is that Chima is trying her best to squeeze a richly nuanced story into the space of only 2 books.(UPDATE, see end of paragraph) From what I understand, Flamecaster will be followed by Shadowcaster. Two books is simply not enough space for Chima to accomplish her goals. While Flamecaster is well-edited and concise, the resulting change in Chima's writing style is noticeable. Chima is at her best when she has space to work with; even in her Heir Series, the first three books as a set were stronger than the next two. So to the fine folks at HarperCollins, I hope that you can give my favorite best selling author free reign to continue the amazing work that she continues to produce, it will only get better. In all, Flamecaster is certainly recommended, and I very much look forward to what's next from Cinda Williams Chima. UPDATE!! There will be at least 3 books in the series, Shadowcaster will be followed by Stormcaster!

This is a very well written novel! If you like classic fantasy but still want something that feels new, captivating, and has a good pace, this is a perfect read for you!

Começo parece meio devagar, mas depois que a história te prende é impossível parar de ler!A autora mais uma vez consegue nos prender em uma nova história incrível, trazendo novamente personagens importantes da saga anterior mas que não é necessário conhecimento prévio para a nova leitura

Llego con unos pequeños detalles esteticos, nada muy importante, y por lo que me costó, pues esta bien, supongo, decia q era el último disponible en ese momento, el libro esta Increíble, es una historia que te atrapa desde el principio!

Blog: irenadams.comCaution, mild spoilers ahead."We don't protect them because they're weak. We protect them because they are strong, and strong people make enemies."This was one of the books that I got to pass the time while I was on my 20-day trip. I rarely read so many books, so fast and one after another. I read fast, but normally I don’t have enough time for it.I have not read Seven Realms series and maybe I missed something, I think all the fans of C. W. Chima will tell me that of course, I did. But I came in green and I found it as a good start for the YA series Shattered Realms, even though it is clearly meant to be a part of a larger story.Flamecaster… I still don’t understand why this was the name of this book… Well, technically one of the main characters was called this way and C. W. Chima tells us why, but I didn’t feel like it was enough. The explanation certainly didn’t satisfy me.There is a lot of work done on character development. They all have their problems, their stakes in the conflict and its resolution. They all have a different point of view which is understandable since they all have a different background. We can easily relate to all of the characters in the book.I liked the writing, it was sharp, concise, showing enough of the world to leave the rest to my imagination. The characters were attractive, keeping me turning the pages to figure out what is going to happen to them, to discover who they are.But what I don’t like about some books is when there is a need to show a scene or a few from the point of view of a secondary character to avoid any future plot-holes. Such is the case for the part of the book narrated from Destin and Lila. I think the author easily switched from one character to another, showing the world through their eyes, each with his or her own view. But the constant change in the narrator kept me wondering who were the real protagonists of the book.And the same went for the story arc. I understand that this is a part of a series, but even though I had trouble figuring out the conflict for a long time. I mean, yes, it is kind of obvious, but with so many different protagonists I had too many doubts. I still don’t understand the reason for the presence of the St Malthus Priests in the book, except to cause tension in the moments when it is much needed. I guess the explanation will follow in the next books in the series, but for me, it will rest a mystery.

very easy to follow and read. really good story.. I have bought all the books of shattered realms