Flare by J.M. Hackman, book two of The Firebrand Chronicles
Summary
Brenna travels to Linneah via portal to visit her boyfriend Baldwin, only to find heartbreak. Betrayal. A serious case of never, ever wanting to see him again. Worst summer vacation ever.
So when her best friend Tiny invites her on a road trip to meet Tiny’s fiancé, Brenna jumps at the chance. Even if her mother disapproves. Even if it’s through a dangerous travel portal. Even if Tiny has never met this fiancé handpicked by her dad. Anything’s better than staying in Linneah.
But the trip disintegrates into disaster. The two friends are separated, Brenna is kidnapped, and not only are Brenna’s Firebrand skills tested to the limit, she must participate in the dangerous event, Starfall . . . or go home. Broke. Alone. With a shattered heart. So not fun.
And then as if that’s not bad enough? Brenna discovers a plot that could spell disaster for everyone she holds dear. And no one believes her.
Can she prevent a bloody government takeover? And what will become of Brenna’s broken heart?
Review
(Spoilers ahead)
1. Plot
Like the first book, there’s a strong beginning. Flare doesn’t waste time getting to the point and dives right back into the world of Linneah. There’s a hint of Rune’s presence and Tiny being worried about something, eventually revealed to be her upcoming marriage.
The series conflict is Brenna trying to stop Rune from taking over the Jasper Territory, and the individual conflicts are Rune trying to obtain one of the three Sacred Objects of Power, which were mentioned in the first book. Book one is centered around the Sacred Veil, book two is about the Stones of the Spring, and book three is presumably about the Caelestis Staff. The books feel connected as a series so far, and important plot elements are foreshadowed.
However, the plot in Flare is too easily resolved. The Avanti (a group of feminists) have protested for citizenship for over three decades and made little progress, but once Brenna gets involved, the town of Ginselwyn practically changes overnight. Storm, the mayor’s son, says that such a radical change is political suicide, but the new law is accepted with barely any resistance. That being said, I was impressed by the third act. Linneah falls, Brenna loses her Firebrand ability, and her boyfriend Baldwin becomes possessed. All of this truly raises the stakes.
2.Character
There’s a lot going on in the romantic subplot. The fact that Brenna and Baldwin live in different alternities puts a strain on their relationship, which is realistic and can make for good conflict. However, this is glossed over in favor for Brenna’s reaction to Baldwin kissing Gari, and once Baldwin explains that Gari had manipulated him through magic, they act as if their relationship is good again. All they have to do solve the problem is talk. In retrospect, the whole thing just feels melodramatic.
Flare also features a love triangle with Brenna “choosing” between Baldwin and Storm, but there’s just no tension in it. Brenna decides not to pursue a romance with Storm early on and rejects his advances repeatedly: “You seem like a great guy. But I don’t know you. And the way you’ve been acting– like we’ve known each other forever and are the closest of friends– makes me uncomfortable.” But Storm keeps flirting with her, kisses her, and even proposes to her. Not only does this make Storm look like a jerk who doesn’t take no for an answer, but it also drags out the “love triangle” in an unnecessary way.
Rune finally makes an appearance, but he lacks motivation. He wants to take over the Jasper Territory because he wants power, which is pretty vague, and a lot of his actions in this book simply don’t make sense. In the opening scene, Brenna meets Rune outside the portal to Linneah. They share a conversation and he vanishes. There’s no reason why he doesn’t just kill her while she’s alone and not expecting an attack. He steals Brenna’s Jasper while she’s asleep, but he still doesn’t attempt to kill her.
He falls flat compared to the minor antagonist Kefira, one of the Avanti. She wants power for a very specific reason: “No man will ever enslave me or make me afraid again.” Coming from a twelve-year-old girl who grew up without any rights, Kefira’s motivation makes sense.
3.Worldbuilding
Kefira is interesting for another reason, this one related to worldbuilding. In my Spark review, I mentioned in this fantasy world, everyone seems to believe the same things and worship the same way. The only exception is Kefira. This would be a good opportunity to expand the world more, but not much is revealed about this other religion besides that it condones stealing: Kefira shrugged. “My god doesn’t have a problem with it. Can’t help it if yours does.”
Recommendation
Once again, I found this book to be average. The main conflict seemed over too quickly and the love triangle felt unnecessary. However, the last third of Flare was exciting and gives it one more star than the first book.
Luna Swift 