Little Fire

Warriors of the Five Realms, Book 1

De: Hollee Mands

Narrado por: Allie Shae, James Cavenaugh

She's broken from a past she can't remember. He's scarred from a past he can't forget.

Declan can kill with a blink of his eye. Jaded and cold, he rules his kingdom the same way he does his heart—with ruthless pragmatism. So why does he risk all to protect a little mortal during a slave-trade uprising? Now stranded in the demon realm, the loss of his powers is the least of his troubles. The woman may have a frustratingly tender heart, but she has enough fire in her soul to thaw the ice in his veins.

He could take her by right, but he wants more than acceptance. He wants her willing surrender . . .

Evangeline is chained by a past she can't remember. Her fractured memories keep her shy and single. When she is thrust into a savage world in the arms of a deadly archmage, he becomes her only chance of survival. But soon she realizes her unnerving protector may not be as callous as he appears, and her heart may be as much at risk as her life.

His desire for her is no secret, but she wants more than scalding lust. She wants his icy heart . . .

Can they survive the nightmarish realm long enough to break down each other's walls?

Contains mature themes.

©2021 Hollee Mands (P)2022 Tantor

Five solid stars

Goodness I loved this book. I’ve listened to my fair share of fantasy romances but this is once of my favorites, primarily because of the MMC. I was surprised by some of the darker subject matter but I appreciated the sensitive way in which it was addressed. 2/5 for spice. Highly recommend.

Nice romance book, but TRIGGER warnings.

“Little Fire” was recommended to me on social media. I started listening to it thinking it would be a YA fantasy romance. Nope! This is a fairly spicy book (18+ only) and does contain lots of trigger warnings—including sexual abuse, blood, cursing, and PTSD/trauma reliving.

However, I did enjoy the storyline, partly because I’m a sucker for a “touch her and you die” book trope. ALOT of the book is dedicated to the MCs “getting to know each other” in bed and it got a little annoying as there wasn’t much action for a few chapters. The author did manage to weave a nice little world and a sweet redemptive romance, but I was really surprised at how prevalent the MCs traumatic history played into the story.
The magic in this universe is interesting, but nothing too special. Male MC is the typical “all powerful” man and female is “strong but still relies on him”. I personally enjoy these kinds of books, but I know not everyone does.

The narrators (both male and female) were pretty good—although I prefer the males voice without the accent. Just a preference, I’m sure everyone’s different.

I did purchase the sequel and will be listening to it. Overall, it was an interesting story, but it may not be for everyone.

Wonderful Start!

If only this had been performed in duet style! Both Allie Shae and James Cavenaugh still did a phenomenal job in bringing this story to life. I also enjoyed the world building and the deep character development in this first installment of the series.

5 starz - worthy of a repeat listen

Little Fire is BIG FIRE!

This is officially in my top 5 of all time. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. This story pulled me into it so far I would have to think a bit to reorient myself when I put the book down. It’s that good! The characters draw you in. It’s one of those books where even when the end is happy, you still cry because it’s over. Those are my favorite.