Fate Of Flames by Sarah Raughley

Author: Sarah Raughley Publisher: Simon Pulse Publication date: November 22, 2016

Pages: 368 Format: ARC My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Purchase Links: [Chapters/Indigo] [Amazon]

*I received this book from an Indigo preview event*

Goodreads Synopsis:

Four girls with the power to control the elements and save the world from a terrible evil must come together in the first epic novel in a brand-new series. When Phantoms—massive beasts made from nightmares and darkness—suddenly appeared and began terrorizing the world, four girls, the Effigies, each gained a unique power to control one of the classical elements: earth, air, fire, and water. Since then, four girls across the world have continually fought against the Phantoms, fulfilling their cosmic duty. And when one Effigy dies, another girl gains her power as a replacement. But now, with technologies in place to protect the world’s major cities from Phantom attacks, the Effigies have stopped defending humanity and, instead, have become international celebrities, with their heroic feats ranked, televised, and talked about in online fandoms. Until the day that New York City’s protection against the Phantoms fails, a man seems to be able to control them by sheer force of will, and Maia, a high school student, unexpectedly becomes the Fire Effigy. Now Maia has been thrown into battle with three girls who want nothing to do with one another. But with the first human villain that the girls have ever faced, and an army of Phantoms preparing for attack, there isn’t much time for the Effigies to learn how to work together. Can the girls take control of their destinies before the world is destroyed forever?

Review:

Some people tell me why read books when you can watch a movie in two hours. No.

Movies are great, and it’s amazing if you can fit in a whole story in two hours, but books are something very special. It’s like a thought in your brain you have to keep going, and it’s such a good thought you can’t let go of it.

The minute I started reading Fate of Flames I couldn't put it down. Which goes back to my point on thought. Even when I was dead tired, and my brain was nearly going to shut down, I kept pushing myself for one more chapter.

I know it’s hard for writers to keep their readers interested but with this book, every chapter had me bewildered. It was like there was no room in brain being left out. I did find some parts predictable but when my predictions came true I was still shocked! I couldn't believe what was happening. It was one horrid thing after another. I found myself constantly thinking that these poor girls can't catch a break!

One day monsters called Phantoms started terrorizing the world. Phantoms are dark beasts that can take different forms from a wolf to a giant serpent. At the same time four girls emerged. Each with a power of the elements: earth, water, air and fire. These girls are called Effigies. They can also be considered heroines in the story.

They fight Phantoms to save as many humans as they can. Raughley has accomplished an amazing job of capturing how much a someone is willing to fight. With these characters I really felt their will and emotion coming through. Especially since they battled with Phantoms until their dying breath, and once an Effigy dies their power transfers over to another girl who will come to take their place. It’s just this continuous cycle.

The Fate of Flames starts out with these main characters:

Maia - Fire Effigy

Belle - Water Effigy

Chae Rin - Earth Effigy

Lake - Air Effigy

These are the girls that the world is counting on to save them.

I found that I was learning a lot about Maia and her journey. Most importantly I learned how hard it is to discover that your heroes are not who you want them to be, and that if your in need of one, be the hero of your own story.

People see the Effigies as heroes born to save them. Effigies are humans too. They never chose this life. Fate chose it for them. And as we begin to learn this, we become understanding of the people we look up to in our own lives. This book also teaches its readers how to humanize the girls. Yes they are heroes but what happens behind the curtains is what’s most important.

Fate of Flames is a thrilling and action-packed fantasy dystopian book. It’s pretty gruesome. So prepare yourself for many unpleasant deaths, but nonetheless, still a book worth reading.

#youngadults #4stars #SarahRaughley #FateofFlames