This series has kept dropping enough shattering secrets that am continually surprised thinking there couldn't be more! I love the characters, the rich world history and mythology. And now I have to wait for the next book? And will there only be one more or is this a long series? Cuz there's so many threads that are still unraveled at the end of the second book. ( )

Man, I wish I had a phoenix.

This the second book in trilogy following the Ashfire family. The second book is even larger than the first because it was filled with so much inner monologue. While reading this book, I kept thinking that they should make it a trilogy because the second book was so long. I think the book could have been edited down some.

I liked the idea of Elliot's story but it didn't go very far. He was a traitor forced to live with his decisions. Sev's story was pretty dark for a young adult book. Being a spy sounds fun, until you have to actually do something wrong to achieve your end goal.

The enthralling parts of the book far outweighed boring parts. I am pretty fuzzy on the family trees, so a lot of the big reveals at the end didn't have much weight to me.

Looking forward to the final book in the trilogy.

( )

have become very reluctant to read sequels of late because I have been disappointed so many times by the second book. However, I definitely couldn't say the same about "Heart of Flames". This was equally as good, if not better than, "Crown of Feathers".

While I still adored Veronyka and found her to be a strong, inspiring protagonist, it was Val's story I found the most intriguing and I liked that she was given a voice in Heart of Flames. I can't wait to see where the author takes her in the next book. I also loved that the phoenixes, Rex and Xephyra, played a bigger role in this instalment. The bond between Veronyka and Tristan was just as strong and sweet as it was in the first book but, thankfully, it wasn't the main storyline.

"Heart of Flames" ended with a dark sense of foreboding and now I have to wait until July for the finale. Sigh! ( )