I just finished Crown of Fire. It was pretty good and can be a stand alone read as it was for me but helps if you read the the first book Spellfire, to add depth and background. I did not because it is also a stand alone book in the Harper series, though I could have used the background on the characters from the first book to make bit more sense of it.

This book is also part of the Shandril's Saga, even though it is in the harpers series too? The author published this book years after the first and he addresses concerns and the multitude of themes and plots in his afterwards.. There are a lot of other characters going in and out from other books to include dark agencies but the main antagonists are the Zhentarium. Honestly though, I liked it. The author puts you right into action and even has a favored character get killed :(

If you are a fan of Ed Greenwood books but missed this one, you will love it! ;)

Shandril is plagued with what she sees as a curse called Spellfire. It's powerful energy she can use to destroy whatever she wants, from what it seems. The good-entities, want to make sure she is just passing through while evil-entities want her for her power but if they cannot have it, they want her dead. A hearty dwarf and a somewhat fumbling boyfriend do what they can to guard her from others while they find interesting allies along the way. Ultimately however, she releases her Spellfire!

My favorite Character was the hearty dwarf accompanying Shandril. ( )

I really enjoyed Spellfire, the first book in this series, but I didn't enjoy this one as much. This continues the story of a young woman with a unique magic power who is pursued by a number of nefarious forces out to control that power. This one is a bit too action-heavy. ( )

This is a sequel to Spellfire, which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately this sequel did not live up to expectations. I found the pacing of the plot too hectic - the entire book is basically Shandril and her allies running from one dangerous situation to the next. ( )

THE HARPERS