I will admit that this book was the slow start but once itgot going it really got going! I will admit that I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book just because at the beginning it seemed like a typical ya Saturday and with similar characters to ones you've already read a million times but the authors were able to change flip all of that into an interesting and dynamic story. I would like to see more character development from our two main characters because they have very similar plot motivations and personality. Once I got into the story it was a fairly quick read and the cliffhanger ending is annoying but I totally understand that they need to hook you in for the next book. I like the cover it stands out nicely on my bookshelf and I'm excited to see what the sequel looks like. I would recommend this to YA fantasy readers, because it's really plot driven rather than character driven which I think is something most people look for in an adult fantasy ( )

Trigger Warnings: Misgendering, genocide (off page, but discussed), poison, knife violence, blood & gore, graphic violence, war, death

Written in the alternating points of views of Darling Seabreak and Talon Goldhoard, Chaos & Flame tells the story of the two navigating House politics while also being caught up in the High Prince Regent’s unknown scheme as they tour around the kingdom to the other Houses.

This book took me a while to get into it - it’s slow to start, but by the end of it, I was invested in what was happening with the characters, so I will be picking up the second book in this duology. I'm very curious to see how the authors are planning on bringing out more with the boons and if those will change with what could be happening in the second book.

I was really interested in Caspian’s character and wish I knew more about what was going on in his head since everyone just marked him as “being mad” when in fact, he just had a whole other agenda.

I do wish we had more history of the world. The world building was fantastic but I felt like 100 years isn’t a whole lot to have passed since the last phoenix was alive and that even with that, there should still be people around who were alive back then - wouldn’t they know more and have maybe some insight?

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the insta-love between Darling and Talon, but it is YA and that’s typical YA romance so I’m not complaining all too much to be honest with you.

Overall, it was a slow build up to a good read and that I’m excited to continue reading when the next book in the series comes out (please don’t be too long!).

*Thank you Razorbill and BookishFirst for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ( )

This is the sort of book I feast on. Great characters, intriguing world and lots of intrigue...Then I got to the end and it was like running into a brick wall. I hope there's something beyond it and that I can see it. ( )

This was really average.
Caspian was the only character I liked - he had a very mad hatter/howl vibe to him.
The romance had no spark and nothing really stood out as unique or interesting in this book. ( )

I enjoyed this book. It’s a standard, fun YA fantasy with a headstrong heroine, magic bloodlines, and some political machinations. There are some cool details that made this book feel interesting and original.

I thought the writing was great, fast paced, and kept me interested and wanting to read more. I was seriously hooked by the introduction: it feels like a legend is playing out: a boy who obsessively paints the same hollow eyed girl over and over; his younger brother who grows up under the shadow of this obsession, determined to protect his family; and the girl herself who survived in hiding for years, even when everyone else was gone.

The rest of the book unfolds with two narrators: Darling, the girl from the paintings, and Talon, the younger brother. Each is trying to protect their own family and each views the other as an enemy. But they’ll end up reluctant allies as they try to navigate dangerous political intrigue.

I really enjoyed all of the characters. Especially Caspian, Talons brother and the High Prince Regent.

I think the best thing about this book is the fast paced writing. I felt like a lot happens in the plot and it really keeps your attention (which is amazing imo for a book by two different authors). I also loved the cliffhanger. It didn’t feel forced and dramatic - rather I felt like we had been building towards something epic the whole time. Very cool ( )