Book Review: Light My Pyre by Kat Kinney

About the Book:

Title: Light My Pyre

Author: Kat Kinney

Series: Everwood Falls #1

Publication Date: April 11, 2023

Synopsis: EVERWOOD FALLS… a small supernatural community tucked up in the Colorado Rockies where witches, werewolves and vampires can live without fear of discovery, and those with curses they can’t control are sent to keep the existence of magic from being revealed to Mundanes.

As a prince of the fae High Court, Asher Heath has always been caught between two worlds—the kingdom of faerie where his fire magic is unparalleled and the human realm where he works as a firefighter. But two months ago, he lost control of a blaze his fae magic was supposed to contain, with tragic results. With his magic poisoned by a demon curse, he can’t risk getting close to anyone… including Gwyn, the fierce and beautiful dragon shifter he encounters out in a thunderstorm in the woods. But trouble has followed Asher to Everwood Falls. An arsonist is setting fires around town using demon magic to possess their victims—and their targets get bigger every time.

Gwyneth Drake doesn’t need a prince to save her. She shifts into a twenty-foot fire-breathing dragon who can fight her own battles. A fierce advocate for the dragon community, she was forced into hiding when an ex tried to sear her dragon from the skies. Now dragon blood has been found at one of the arson sites and she and Asher will have to work together to stop the arsonist before they strike again. Someone from Gwyn’s past may have followed her to Everwood Falls, and they’re too close to the case for comfort…

With a herd of enchanted elk, carnivorous spruce trees, and sentient pumpkins that stalk the local landscaping, Everwood Falls is a quirky mountain town where fangs and fur mean found family.

LINKS:   Goodreads   |    Amazon

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My Review:

Light My Pyre is the first book in Kat Kinsey’s new paranormal romance series Everwood Falls. Kat Kinney writes such fantastic paranormal romances, and I’m grateful to have received an advanced copy of the book. The world Kinney created is so interesting, and I enjoyed learning about the social hierarchy and the contrasting cultures and traditions of different supernatural beings. I’m also really intrigued by Everwood Falls and its variety of citizens who struggle to control their power. The town is hidden from the human world, so the witches, vampires, fae, and werewolves with unpredictable or difficult-to-control magic can live without worrying about being discovered. It’s a unique community, and you never know what to expect between the carnivorous trees, enchanted elks, and other magical happenings.

Protection could start to feel a lot like control when you didn’t do what someone wanted.

Ash is everything I love in a male protagonist. Prince of the fae High Court, he is also a firefighter in Everwood Falls, and he sounds super swoon-worthy. He’s smart, honorable, and brave, and he’s well-respected in the community. And he falls so hard for Gwyn! I loved that! With a curse on him, Ash doesn’t want to get close to her and put her life at risk, but Gwyn proves she can take care of herself. She’s as strong, smart, and courageous as Ash, and it’s awesome to see Ash acknowledge and accept that even when he wants to protect her.

Gwyn and Ash have a great love story that develops while they work together to investigate arsons across Everwood Falls. They have an instant connection and great chemistry, though they both struggle to let each other in. They have secrets in their pasts that still haunt and threaten them in the present, so neither wants to put the other in even more danger than they’re already in. But their resistance is futile, and the more time they sled together the more they struggle to resist their feelings. I love them together. They make such a great team, and their banter is great. You can really feel the connection between them both when they tease each other and when they have more serious moments.

“Weren’t you forced to watch after school specials as a child?”

“I was a child ten thousand years ago. Goats were our after school special.”

And one of my favorite tropes is in the story! I always enjoy a great found family, and that’s so prevalent, especially as Gwyn becomes more ingratiated into the community. Gwyn is hiding from a dangerous man and an abusive situation, so she barely communicates with her family, but she finds a new family in Everwood Falls.

With Ash’s curse, Gwyn’s troubles, and an arsonist plaguing the city, the plot is rife with action, intrigue, and suspense. The secondary characters are great too, and I’m eager to learn more about Lucien. He’s an enigmatic character who hinted at a past loss that broke his heart. I need to know more! Lol Hopefully, we’ll learn more in future books in the series. Also, can I just say how much I love the title? Considering Gwyn is a dragon, and Ash has fire magic, the title is perfect! I always get a kick out of a book title that’s inspired by a song title. lol Special thanks to Kat Kinney for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

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Rating:

Favorite Parts:

• The romance
• Everwood Falls
• The suspense and intrigue

Favorite Lines:

There was magic in seeing a controlled flame consume wood. There was a sense of peace in watching the moment glowing orange embers faded to ash and finally went dormant. Fire called to the deepest part of his fae blood, lived in his bones like a quiet, flickering flame.

“Animals are family. We have too little time together not to spend every moment of it showing them all the kindness we can.”

“Fire has the power to burn. It also has the strength to forge elements into something new. Only you can decide if you will be weakened by what happened to you, or rise like a phoenix from the ashes.” Gwyn traced the cover of the book.

“What happened wasn’t my choice.”

“Ah, but what happens to you now is.”