I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Delfia was your typical teenager, or so she thought. With her sixteenth birthday coming up, she wants what every teen does, a driver's permit and a car. Unfortunately, her birthday brings more tragedy and heartache than she can bear. Her adopted parents have been murdered, and people are trying to kill her. As her father is dying she hears a cryptic message in her head telling her to find Alec, that she can trust him. He takes her to meet Cassandra, the woman that has written the prophecy of the Bright Fire.

This was a great fantasy novel, it was fast paced and quite a page turner. I'm not sure how Delfia was able to function after witnessing her parents' murder. Then to be told that your biological parents are mythological beings. I'm not sure how she wrapped her head around that as quickly as she did. This is a wonderful clean read that expands your imagination. ( )

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It caught my attention straight from the get go. The first 30% or so was the best part in my opinion. Through it, you really don't know what is going on. Everything is an interesting new discovery.

It begins on Dell's 16th birthday. She is just a normal high school girl with overprotective parents. Then everything changes. She discovers that she is so much more. Soon several new characters come into the picture. There's a lot of Greek mythology. She's dealing with tragedy and coming of age while also facing love and adventure.

I mean really what do you say to your soulmate before you head into the Underworld.

It has a great Epilogue that totally makes the reader want the next book. If your desire is an adult read, this isn't for you. If you're looking for YA fantasy, you should give Bright Fire a try. In the synopsis, it is compare to the Percy Jackson series and Need series. I have not read Need, but this is like the Percy Jackson books. It also reminded me a little of Beautiful Creatures. Some parts weren't as good from an adult standpoint, but I think all of it is awesome for teens and preteens.

3.75 stars





***Copy given in exchange for an honest review***





toni





FangirlMoments and My Two Cents








FULL REVIEW CAN BE FOUND AT http://fangirlmomentsandmytwocents.blogspot.com/2015/02/bright-fire-by-mj-austin... ( )

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

(Spoilers within)

I received a mobi file for this book that didn't work and ad to read a PDF file instead(definitely not preferred). That should have been a bad sign from the beginning. If you send a book for someone to read, please make sure the file works.

This book is written in first person present tense, which right away made it a more difficult read. It's very hard to do right, and I can't say it's used well here.

There are many other problems in the writing, too.

"...Am I staring at my locker without really seeing it."

"What was that about?" my mother asks as I shut the car door. "I'm not sure."

As you can see, it switches speakers without making a new paragraph and even puts words in the wrong order or leaves out words sometimes. It's full of errors. The writing also didn't invoke emotions. There was one time when it got close, but I'll address that later.

The premise of this book has a difficult one to build on right away. It makes Hades the villain, which is an unfortunate problem with modern day literature. The book references "Hell" and "the Devil" many times, confusing Hades for someone like Satan when they couldn't be more different.

Hades isn't only far more reasonable and not very villainous, but he's tame compared to the other Greek gods. Extremely tame. Just compare the things he does to what Zeus does, including the way he treats women/his wife. Kidnapping his wife is obviously bad, but the myth needs to be taken in context of the times and "kidnapping whoever you like" wasn't exactly uncommon in any the myths. This is a culture where "ritual abduction" was a thing, so it wouldn't be right to take it exactly the same as you would from a modern day viewpoint.

So, right from the start it lacks research because it confuses Hades for Satan. Hades is not Satan. He is nothing like Satan. As a friend told me, "Hades isn't any more the devil than Zeus is the Christian God."

When she goes to see Alec after her parents are murdered mysteriously and there's obviously something supernatural involved she slaps him for suggesting something unusual. It was bizarre. She heard her dad's voice in her head and everything that happened to her parents, then acts like Alec isn't only weird but physically assaults him. I could understand disbelief, or even still having a hard time accepting it, but after she just told a bizarre story she gets offended when he gives her a bizarre answer.

The book informs us of many things instead of showing us.

"Is that so?" She looks at him like he is cow dung on her shoe. I can tell she's the brains of the duo; that means the guy was the braun.

She hasn't done anything to show this, nor does she ever show this. We're just told it.

Then there is a huge problem setting them up as the 'heroes' of the story. They bump into a homeless guy who starts ranting at her. Alec breaks his hands. And then they leave.

When he's mentioned not long after by her she says:

"Yeah, that's it!" I jump up. "Oh! Do you think? But no that guy was just a homeless man."

Read the rest here. ( )

4 ½ of 5 Stars

Delfia Marie Stryker grew up thinking she was human, only to discover that she is the daughter of the gods Persephone and Hades. To make matters more intense she is named in a prophecy where she frees her mother and defeats her father.

Bright Fire is an exceptional novel. It is a very clever tale that kept me thoroughly engaged.

I enjoyed Dell’s character. She discovers a lot about herself in a short amount of time and shows a lot of growth throughout the novel. She is a likeable character that acts in a believable manner.

I love her relationship with Alec Hales. He is a mysterious and intriguing hero whom I could not help but like. They share a great chemistry, and I enjoyed their conversations.

Lyla Browning is a great friend to Dell. She is brave, especially considering she is a human among immortals.

M. J. Austin does a great job with her descriptions, particularly of the Underworld. She created a stimulating and credible world.

I love contemporary mythology novels and was impressed by this story. Bright Fire has a great take on the classic gods in a modern setting.

Bright Fire ends in a cliff hanger. I am anxious to see what M. J. Austin comes up with next.

Complimentary copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review. ( )