Monday, August 5, 2013

BLOG TOUR: Embracing the Flames by Candace Knoebel

Hi everyone! Welcome to our stop on the Embracing the Flames blog tour!!
We are excited to bring you this book and series and hope you enjoy our reviews...PLUS...make sure you enter the GIVEAWAY!!!
The Stone of Immortality has always been kept under the watch of the Draconta. That is, until the betrayal of a Fate. Now everything is about to change.
Aurora Megalos accepted her destiny without blinking-even if it meant succumbing to her dragon side. Deemed the Progeny, she left the ordinary life she knew and has done everything in her power to learn the ways of her new realm and what it means to be part dragon. But when her mentor, Astral, suddenly disappears, she is forced to take the reins.
With war on the brink, she sets out on an epic journey to not only find her mentor, but to stop her Arch Enemy, Zordon, from obtaining the Stone of Immortality. But what she discovers about him along the way is far worse than she could’ve ever imagined. She will be tested and pushed to the limit. Lives will be lost, love will be questioned, and a battle will begin.


Candace Knoebel had dreamed of being a dancer ever since she could remember. With a love of all things art, she saw herself moving to New York and pursuing her passion as an artist. But all that changed on October 10th, 2002 when she met the love of her life. Her dreams diverged and after marrying her high school sweetheart and having two beautiful children, she realized she missed her creative side.
Growing up alongside the Harry Potter series, Candace found herself missing the epicosity of a story that pulls you in and won’t let you go. In 2009, she began dreaming up characters that would mold her first novel. Through lunch breaks and late nights, after putting her kids to bed, she built a world where she could escape the ever-pressing days of an eight to five Purgatory. She found her calling in life and knew this was more than dancing could’ve ever meant to her.
Once complete in 2010, she began the grueling process of finding a publisher. With relentless determination, she was finally able to realize her dream in December of 2011 when 48fourteen offered her a publishing contract. With a HUGE yes and a happy dance, she continues her Trilogy.
Let me start off by saying I absolutely LOVED BORN in FLAMES. Candace's world building was fantastic. She detailed just enough for you to create your own image of both Aurora's human and magical worlds. And we jumped right into them. The characters were quite likeable. Fenn was loyal and charming, even swoon-worthy. Aurora, discovering who and what she really was, endured drastic changes, met many challenges, and grew all along her journey. I was pretty captivated and intrigued throughout the book. But the second book started out much slower. Much, much slower. And though EMBRACING the FLAMES picked up right where BORN in FLAMES left off, I lost my connection to Aurora and it took me a very long time to get it back.
So was EtH a disappointment? Oh, no. Definitely not. It was actually LOADED with action, suspense and mystery- and a touch of romance. I found it very enjoyable once I got past Aurora's confusion and the circles Astral, the Council, the  Fates and Zordon had us running around in. It was indeed complicated and slow, but there was so much to cover. So much speculation. And deceit. And rewriting of history. The lengths Aurora had to go to in order to make any progress were painstaking and often treacherous. Not only is Aurora tasked with fulfilling the prophecy- stopping Zordon, protecting the Stone of Immortality- and thus preventing an all out war, she has to deal with discovering the rest of her family's history, Fenn's heritage and the many mysteries of the realms... and preserving it all. It's just a bit overwhelming. And pretty fascinating. So, along with Aurora, I, heart in my throat, proceeded.
Aurora makes a lot of mistakes- many because of rash and emotional decisions. She faces deception, manipulation and betrayal at the hands of her enemies and those she thought she could trust. She has choices to make (quickly) that can change the course of the future. She's being influenced and pushed from all sides. And every decision brings it's own consequences and victims. Intriguing, right?
As I said, the tale begins slowly- honestly for me it dragged for a good portion of the book. Much of that was my annoyance with Aurora and her erratic behavior. At times she drove me batty and had me wanting to throw my kindle. It was tiring and frustrating. But as I continued, the story built- and built- and built. The tension and anxiety mounted with each action. The stakes constantly and instantly raised higher. Each discovery brought about a new challenge. And a new threat. The distress was palpable. The outlook discouraging... And still our heroes never give up or give in. Aurora and Fenn vowed fight to the end for what they believe in and those they love. And for that loyalty and tenacity I also vowed to persevere and see their story through. And I was well rewarded.
What's amazing is the short period of time this all takes place in. The amount of treachery and scheming. The destruction and fatalities. The heartbreak, pain and strife. When you stop and reflect on all of that for a moment, you realize how much Aurora and Fenn have indeed grown. How much they've risked and sacrificed for something they're only beginning to understand. How incredibly brave they are. How strong their bond is- together and apart. And in thereby embracing their fortitude and strength, you begin again to see how amazing this world they are so desperate to save really is.

Embracing the Flames will have have you constantly second guessing. Questioning the Fates and destiny. Clutching your chest in heartbreak and disbelief. Shouting at Aurora to see beyond her heart and the moment. Praying that goodness prevails. And gasping, as once again we're left hanging in the balance as Aurora and Fenn's world teeters precariously on it's axis.

I was really excited about getting back to Aurora and Fenn in the the sequel to Born in Flames.  I thoroughly enjoyed book one and knew that book 2 would whisk me away to that magical world filled with sorcery and of course the magical beings of dragons.  
So, I am now back in Embracing the Flames and of course it picks up where we left off and we are finding out what Aurora and Fenn have been up to since arriving back in their realm.  
With so much riding on Aurora and her being the Progeny, we see struggles within her to accept what has been laid before her.  I like Aurora.  Throughout this book we see her make some difficult decisions and although there are times I could slap her for her hair brain choices, I also felt that she grew so much on this journey.  And she didn't do this all on her own.  Fenn is still by her side and now as her soul mate, the connection for these two keeps getting stronger and stronger.  I loved watching these two come together and get better.  Getting to know Zane was another bonus and I found myself really liking the person he is becoming.
Yet, with all the good things I found, there are some dark and sad moments....I was thrown some surprises within the twists that Candace Knoebel created and as I reached the end of this roller coaster, I knew my mouth was hanging wide open in disbelief.
Filled with lots of action and adventure, I cannot wait for what I will find in book three...

Don't forget to check out Book 1...Born in Flames
Red mirrored scales race up my arms as the haze of pain blurs my vision. My bones crack, breaking to realign. I scream. It is then that the realization of my unavoidable fate sinks in; I am of a dying race. I am dragon.
Aurora Megalos, orphaned and teetering on the edge of adulthood, thought finding her past would curb the sting of being an outcast. Having no memories of the time before she awoke on her foster mother’s doorstep, she yearns for the emptiness inside her to be filled. With her fellow orphaned best friend, Fenn, by her side, she has nothing to lose and everything to gain. But something powerful stirred within her that she couldn’t explain. Something wanted out.


In the dark of night, a crazed Seer, dubbed Mr.Creepy, erases everything she’s ever known with an impending prophecy. She now faces two paths. Return to her true home to protect a dying race against a growing evil, or stay hidden in the safety of our realm with a shot at a true love. With a vengeful Arch Enemy stopping at nothing to see her dead, she’s running out of time; a decision must be made. What would you choose?

1 Ebook Copy of ‘Born in Flames’ & ‘Embracing the Flames’
four bookmarks
a necklace
a keychain

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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