Friday, April 26, 2013

Review - Dancing in the Flame by Ann Gimpel





4 out of 5 Stars
Dancing in the Flame By Ann Gimpel

Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
ISBN: 978-1-93176-191-8
Release Date: 4/22/13
Genre: Paranormal Romance


In a world where humans have died out because of a war between sidhe and were, Keira was left with few options. Daughter of a were hooker, Keira ended up in a debt bondage to the were’s and now follow in her mother’s footsteps. In a world where magic means everything she has too little, and none of the magical realms wants to claim her and save her. The few times that she can escape her servitude life, she ends up at a magical store run by a sidhe Barrett. Her longing for him grows to fascination and he occupies her dreams constantly, but she can do nothing but fantasize about him. As a were servant her life was of no means. That is until he calls for her one night.

She learns that she is the next Queen of the sidhe and that he was about to rescue her from her life. If she doesn’t master her powers before her 21st birthday, the were bracelet keeping her to service will collide with her powers and kill her.

She is thrown into a world where she must learn to control her magic in time to become queen. But her longing for Barett is undeniable and she can’t help but lust after him. Would he love her back, or was she just a job to complete?

Keira is feisty and full of surprises. She embraces her new role in the sidhe world, but doesn’t feel the same about her herself as a prize for Barette. Barrett character was strong and confident. Centuries old he holds grace and wisdom, however this wisdom disintegrates around Keira leaving him utterly foolish. Renn was the star of the moment in many cases, spunky little fairy we have here.

I found the plot interesting and fascinating and kept wondering when the two of them would get it that there is so much more than just duties involved. I loved that a new magical world was created out of a doomed earth, and the parts magical beings played in them. If this would have been turned into a full novel the world created could have been so much more. Amy’s writing style is easy going and professionally delivered. I hope to see more novels with this post-apocalyptic world created by her and also from more from some of the other characters.

My favorite quote: “We coexisted with those bastards for thousands of years. The minute they got a whiff they weren’t the only ones on the planet, they overreacted,”

Blurb –

Life in a were bordello is all Keira has ever known. Because of her mixed blood, none of the magicians’ guilds want her, or protested when the Weres bound her as an indentured hooker. Mired in the hopelessness of her dreams, Keira longs for more.

Barrett, one of the Daoine Sidhe, runs a magician supply shop in what’s left of Seattle. No one is more surprised than he when the Sidhe leader commands him to extricate Keira from the weres.

Magic and intrigue throw Keira and Barrett into one another’s arms. Convinced they have a job to do, they struggle against the heat of the passion between them. Until it gets way too hot to handle.

Book Links –






About the Author-




Bio:

Ann Gimpel is a mountaineer at heart. Recently retired from a long career as a psychologist, she remembers many hours at her desk where her body may have been stuck inside four walls, but her soul was planning yet one more trip to the backcountry. Around the turn of the last century (that would be 2000, not 1900!), she managed to finagle moving to the Eastern Sierra, a mecca for those in love with the mountains. It was during long backcountry treks that Ann’s writing evolved. Unlike some who see the backcountry as an excuse to drag friends and relatives along, Ann prefers her solitude. Stories always ran around in her head on those journeys, sometimes as a hedge against abject terror when challenging conditions made her fear for her life, sometimes for company. Eventually, she returned from a trip and sat down at the computer. Three months later, a five hundred page novel emerged. Oh, it wasn’t very good, but it was a beginning. And, she learned a lot between writing that novel and its sequel.

Around that time, a friend of hers suggested she try her hand at short stories. It didn’t take long before that first story found its way into print and they’ve been accepted pretty regularly since then. One of Ann’s passions has always been ecology, so her tales often have a green twist.

In addition to writing, Ann enjoys wilderness photography. She lugs pounds of camera equipment in her backpack to distant locales every year. A standing joke is that over ten percent of her pack weight is camera gear which means someone else has to carry the food! That someone is her husband. They’ve shared a life together for a very long time. Children, grandchildren and three wolf hybrids round out their family.

Media Links –
Twitter - @AnnGimpel 

2 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for hosting me, Janine. It's a pleasure to be on your blog. Also, many thanks for the stellar review for Dancing in the Flame. Even though this wasn't a "series" book, you may well see more of this world and of Barrett and Keira as well, right alongside Renn and Caelin.

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  2. Thnx Ann. I would really love to see more of this world. Can't wait :)

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