Aflame by Roseanna M. White Review

 

What an amazing story! I absolutely LOVED Aflame by Roseanna M. White. This is the second book in her fantasy series, Awakened. A world where there are some people who can be "Awakened" with "magic" or power over a specific element. Powers that come from God.

(Spoiler warning, if you haven't read the first book yet, you may not want to read the next paragraph as I mention some spoilers)

In the first book, we were in the land of Daryatla where the sea king Seidon has power over the water and it is discovered that Arden, the woman who becomes his queen, has power over the wind. In Aflame we travel to another continent in this world a hundred and fifty years later. Though we don't see King Seidon or Queen Arden, one of their children plays an important role in the story. 

In the land of Fjordlandi, there are different classes of people. The Blessed are the ones with power over the ice and snow. Then there are the Fjorders who live in the capital and can have the "important" jobs and a decent lives. Third, there are the Thanes, those who live under the domes and are treated almost as slaves, farming the land or working in the mines. And then there are those who are "cursed" and have been banished to the volcano. These handful of people have power over the lava and help keep the ring of volcanoes surrounding the land from destroying the land. 

We get to see the story from four points of view. Princess Valkyrja, or Kyrja, is the third-born child of the king and his consort. She is seen as unimportant until a tragedy arises, changing the trajectory of her life. Nikanor, or Nik, is a lowly thane who has arrived in the capital with his friend who has is a bit of a fan boy of Princess Kyrja. The same tragedy that affects the princess also completely turns his life upside down. Daemon is the first of the "cursed" daemons who had been tossed into the volcano a hundred and fifty years earlier. He's lived his life thinking the lies told about those with power over the lava are true. Now he needs to rethink everything he knows. And finally, we also get to see the point of view of Elianne, another "cursed" who has a secret she's been keeping from the other cursed daemons. 

The author really brings her characters to life, making the reader care deeply about them and what is happening to them. I love this world she has created, and loved seeing more of the world beyond Daryatla. And I love the twists that she weaves into the story creating a desire to continue reading to find out what is going to happen to our beloved characters. She also does a terrific job creating the villains in this series, in this book. There is romance, and adventure, and action, and faith. Characters who learn to trust in the Giver (known as the Triada to those in Daryatla) or grow in their faith and trust Him for their lives. 

 

I also loved how the characters worked to get rid of the class segregation and form a united Fjordlandi. 

Such a wonderful series and I can't wait for book three to release. 

I received an e-copy of this book as a member of the launch team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.

Friday Fun - February 6, 2026

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, and First Line Friday.

This week I have two books to share with you.

I'm reading Eight Seconds in Red River by Cali Black. This book released today.

I'm also starting an eARC of the third book in Elizabeth Goddard's Hidden Bay series, Deadly Currents.

        Book Beginnings on Friday    

 

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

 Eight Seconds in Red River by Cali Black:

"Silvie Shepherd leaned over the steaming, bubbling pot of tomato sauce and inhaled the delectable aroma of fresh herbs and spices."

Well, first of all, this sort of made me hungry. It also made me wonder if there was a special reason for the delectable meal. And then it reminded me of Sundays with my aunt and her standing over the stove making sauce to go with our lunch.

Hidden Currents by Elizabeth Goddard:

"'The sea never gives back what it claims. . .'"

I had to wonder what the sea might have claimed in this book.

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here are my Friday 56 selections:

Eight Seconds in Red River by Cali Black:

"She stuck her hip out with Tyler on it. 'Cane, you don't need to be in my barn. You need to be right here with your daughter. You're all she's got now. She needs you.  I can handle my own responsibilities.'

He was quiet for a moment. 'If I'm going to be here, show me how to help you. I can make things easier for you. I can help you.'"

Deadly Currents by Elizabeth Goddard:

"Evelyn stared at her empty teacup, her expression grim. Cressida was surprised she allowed herself to be so vulnerable with a stranger. She didn't know how to steer the conversation to the ghost ship, but she wouldn't push. Mrs. Monroe had shared this story for a reason. It must be connected."

Reviews:

Last week I shared one book in my Friday Fun post. Here is the link to my review:

Aflame by Roseanna M. White

Friday Fun - January 30, 2026

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, and First Line Friday.

This week I have one book to share with you.

I started reading an eARC of Aflame by Roseanna M White. This is the second book in her fantasy series, Awakened.

        Book Beginnings on Friday    

 

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here is my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selection:

 Aflame by Roseanna M. White:

"The water waited, asking to be pulled up from the springs beneath the arena, to be chilled and frozen into the icy floor beneath Valkyrja’s boots."

I wasn't quite sure what Valkyrja was supposed to be doing, but I wanted to find out.

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here is my Friday 56 selection:

Aflame by Roseanna M. White:

"He reached out, not even hesitating before resting a hand on her forearm—something no one from Reykstoll would ever do without her express permission. To purposefully touch a Blessed without invitation, without her reaching out first, was punishable by up to a year in prison. 

His gaze was so far from malicious though that she knew he either didn’t know the law or saw her only as a person just now, not a Blessed. Not a princess. 'You can stay here with them,' he said so softly she could scarcely hear him. 'If you want to. I’ll do what I can elsewhere.'"

Reviews:

Last week I shared two book in my Friday Fun post. Here are the links to my reviews:

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins 

The Royal Nanny by Melody Carlson 

The Royal Nanny by Melody Carlson Review

 

The Royal Nanny by Melody Carlson was a sweet story.

Not my first book by this author, but my first that wasn't a Christmas book. So I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. 

The romance part was actually just a small part of the story. It was mainly about Meredith and her relationship with two royal children who she ended up becoming a nanny/governess for after being scammed and losing all her belongings on the start of her summer vacation in Europe. 

I love the relationship that developed between Meredith and Kat, or Princess Katerina and Mishka, or Prince George. Kat is the heir to the throne of a small fictional European kingdom. She's also a stubborn pre-teen who of course doesn't need a nanny. So Meredith has her work cut out for her in that relationship. But Mishka took to her pretty quickly. Of course, Meredith also needed to deal with their sibling shenanigans plus doubts on whether she was up to this task. There were other issues to deal with, but I think those would be too spoilerish. 

Through it all Meredith sought God's will. I love that she was sharing her faith in small ways throughout the story. 

I really hope there is a sequel planned, because I'd love to see more of these characters. I would have loved more from the relationship between Spenser and Meredith. 

I also loved the little nods to The Sound of Music and Cinderella.

I received a copy of this book as a member of the review team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.

Friday Fun - January 23, 2026

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, and First Line Friday.

This week I have two books to share with you.

I'm finally reading Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins.

I'm also starting The Royal Nanny by Melody Carlson.

        Book Beginnings on Friday    

 

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

 Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins:

"'Happy birthday, Haymitch!'

The upside of being born on reaping day is that you can sleep late on your birthday. It's pretty much downhill from there."

I had to share more than just the first line this week. Poor Haymitch. 

The Royal Nanny by Melody Carlson:

"After two years of teaching missionary kids on a remote island in the South Pacific, Meredith Cardwell was ripe for change."

I wanted to learn more about her teaching the missionary kids and why she needed a change. 

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here are my Friday 56 selections:

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins:

"Then I get it. Around this time every year, a couple of Booker Boys take bets on the Hunger Games tributes. Like how old will the kids be, Seam or town, the number of tesserae they carry. The betting continues through the Games, with odds on deaths and districts and the ultimate victor. It should be illegal, but the Peacekeepers don't care."

The Royal Nanny by Melody Carlson:

"After dinner, Meredith asked if the children would take her on a tour of the grounds. 'The gardens look so pretty, and I noticed you have a swimming pool as well as a pond out there.'

Katerina still seemed to be studying Meredith with a dubious expression, but she agreed to take her outside. Perhaps with a diabolical plan to take her into the woods and leave her there?"

Reviews:

Last week I shared one book in my Friday Fun post. Here is the link to my review:

Braving Fiery Waters by Sarah Hanks 

Two weeks ago, I shared one book. Here's the link to my review:

Deadly Secrets by Penny Zeller

Three weeks ago, I shared two books. I already shared the link to the one review; here's the link to the other:

In Books & Battlefields by Heather Tabers

Braving Fiery Waters by Sarah Hanks Review

 

So many Godly, encouraging truths along with a fantastic time travel adventure back to the time of the St. Louis fire in the 1800s. 

I absolutely loved Braving Fiery Waters, the second book in Sarah Hanks' Time Sailors series. I loved the premise when I first learned about the series before Braving Strange Waters released a couple of years ago. And I was so excited when I learned that book two was going to be released. Though the person traveling through time was a completely new character, the original three ladies have roles in this book. 

Marina is a widowed, single mother of two teenagers. Two young people who are full of attitude, you know, teenagers. LOL. Marina wants to make some wonderful new memories with Aiden and Brinley, so she has planned a fun vacation. Unfortuately, plans go awry when she ends up time sailing to the White Cloud in 1849, leaving her teens behind. 

We get to also see the story through Aiden's POV. You can see the snarkiness and the attitude, but we also see the grief. The grief from losing their father and not being allowed to mourn. But we also see how much these siblings love each other and try to watch out for each other. But. . .they are teenagers, so that doesn't always work out. 

We also see the story through Claire's POV. Claire is one of the main characters from the first book. She and Wendy had stayed in the present while their friend Stella had time traveled. Spoiler for book 1 ahead. . . Claire had ended up marrying Bearett Duncan, a decendant of the Dr. Duncan from the past who helps those who time sail. So, she is able to help Aiden and Brinley. Or at least she tries. You remember I mentioned they are teenagers, right? LOL. 

I also wanted to mention Nevaeh as she was such an awsome character. We don't get to see the story through her POV, but she has a huge impact in the spiritual lives of the characters. 

So, there is a lot going on in both time frames. Marina needs to figure out what the mission is that she needs to accomplish so she can time sail home. Without changing the history books. And while trying to deal with her grief and wondering if her kids would just be better off without her. Aiden is struggling through a breakup while also trying to deal with the grief from his father passing away. Brinley is also struggling of course, but we only see her from the others' POV. And Claire stuggles with a lot of self doubt and just not being good enough. They are all trying to find their way.

I have to say, I completely connected with Marina's doubt and frustration with trying to deal with her teens. And Claire's feelings of unworthiness. But the truths that were shared throughout the story really helped uplift me. I highlighted so, so many passages where God's truths were shared. The Gospel story is shared along with the plan of Salvation. Prayer is an important part of their lives. I loved seeing each characters' development and growth. 

And I absolutely loved the last page of the story and learning what we have to look forward to in book three. Definitely can't wait to read that! And I highly recommend this book. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.

Deadly Secrets by Penny Zeller Review

 

Deadly Secrets is another great romantic suspense story from Penny Zeller. A great start to a new series.
The story is told from three different points of view.
Harper is a real estate agent who suddenly starts getting threatened and stalked when she begins to show a certain property
Kade is a police detective who ends up investigating her case in there small town. A town that used to be so safe.
And we also get to see the story through the eyes of the anonymous villain. In fact, the story begins with a prologue from his point of view where we learn that he does not take well to betrayal.
The suspense ramps up as the story progresses, though the reader knows when something is going to happen to Harper because we get to see the villain's plans. But this guy is quite devious and does a pretty good job staying off the detective's radar.
I have to say, I did not suspect culprit until right before it was revealed.
As usual with this author's books, faith plays an important role in the lives of the characters. They pray, attend church, read their Bibles, and put their trust in Him.
And there are some awesome side characters that help make this story awesome, and one in particular that drove me crazy. Could NOT stand this person. I do wish we had learned more about what happened to this character at the end of the book.
This book is a complete story, no cliffhangers, and I'm thinking I might know how the author is planning on continuing the series. We'll see.

I received an e-copy of this book as a member of the launch team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts