Quick Facts
- Release Date: June 3, 2014
- Page Count: 176
- Publisher: Phil Stern
- Kindle Unlimited? Yes
I enjoyed the originality of the plot, but the level of attitude and drama carried by the protagonists, drawn-out and repetitive fighting scenes, and questionable character motives dampened my enjoyment to the point that I will likely pass on the next book in this installment. If readers enjoy the dramatic tone of daytime soap operas, they will likely enjoy this book.
Synopsis
Tiffany Smith, top operative for the Haven Coven of witches, returns in Earth Fire, the second in Phil Stern’s Cross-Worlds Coven Series. After single-handedly defeating Lord Gensrow, a demented sorcerer who sought to destroy the Coven, Tiffany has found a measure of freedom within the magical, all-female, group of witches. She’s sent on top missions, is revered by the younger witches, and is even permitted to have a boyfriend on Earth, the dimension where she is permanently stationed.
When said boyfriend is attacked by a mysterious witch wielding unfamiliar ruby magic, Tiffany is suddenly thrust into a new reality – her Coven aren’t the only witches out there. This new group of ruby witches seem determined to not only destroy her Coven, but Earth as well. The more Tiffany learns, the more she realizes she must decide where her loyalties lie – with her boyfriend, Blake, and her life on Earth, or with her Coven.
Review
I was excited to read Earth Fire as I enjoyed the first in the series, Witches, and wanted to see where the story would be taken. Unfortunately, this book fell flat with me.
Starting with the positive, what I did enjoy was the plot. The way in which the story progressed from Lord Gensrow in the first book to a new coven of witches in this one was appealing to me. As always, Stern’s originality in his storyline was impressive. Tiffany’s relationship with Blake introduced an interesting conflict between Tiffany and her Coven that set her apart. The first book hinted that Tiffany never really saw men in the way that the Coven did – as carriers for their magical DNA and not much more – which was why it created a particularly appealing conflict for Tiffany to hurdle.
Although the plot was promising in its originality, unfortunately, the writing style, overly-dramatic character interactions, and drawn-out fighting scenes spoiled this book for me. No one in this book felt relatable. Tiffany is described multiple times as compassionate and loving, but I instead found her to be haughty and full of attitude. In fact, the emotions of most characters seemed one-dimensional, defaulting to either anger or cavalier indifference. Vulnerability that inspires compassion truly ties me to a book; I just did not find it here.
I felt the dialogue was arduous more times than not. Characters would often start confrontations with a “My, my,” or point an accusing finger at someone. It read like an overly-dramatic soap opera, each character trying to one-up the other. Some readers may relate to this type of melodrama, but it wasn’t for me. Additionally, there were many instances of backward sentence style and repeated words and phrases that interrupted my immersion in the story. Tiffany’s supposed physical beauty was also brought up at the oddest of times, which I thought was weird and a bit distracting.
Summary
I feel this book deserves 3 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed the originality of the plot, but the level of attitude and drama carried by the protagonists, drawn-out and repetitive fighting scenes, and questionable character motives dampened my enjoyment to the point that I will likely pass on the next book in this installment. That being said, if readers enjoy the overly-dramatic tone of daytime soap operas, I feel they will likely enjoy this book.
Readers should be aware this book contains profanity and violent content. Although it can be read as a stand-alone novel, it would be better to first read Witches, as it better introduces the Coven and its politics.
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