Name: Moth and Spark
ISBN: 9780670015702

Anne Leonard

While Prince Corin struggles to free the dragons from their bondage to the Empire to save the country from a brewing war, doctor's daughter Tam discovers her powers as a Seer and inadvertently captures Corin's heart in spite of edicts that would forbid their union.

Moth and Spark

Jess

Read this review on my blog! --&gt; <a href="http://gonewiththewords.com/2014/03/review-moth-and-spark-by-anne-leonard.html" rel="nofollow noopener">Review: Moth and Spark by Anne Leonard</a> Moth and Spark was a different kind of read for me. I don’t read as much fantasy as I should. Especially since I enjoy it lots and lots. Moth and Spark is adult fantasy and I’ve yet to venture into that much but I’m totally game now! I loved that the love story was so central to this fantasy story because it’s definitely what kept me glued to the end. I loved the main characters, Prince Corin and Tam, and immensely enjoyed their fast and intense courtship. They were so well matched and I found it refreshing that, even though he was a prince and she a commoner, things didn’t go badly for them. I expected lots of heartbreak for those two but was happy it didn’t turn out that way in the end. There are dragons in this book, but maybe not so much as some may anticipate or want. They play a central role in the plot, but since it’s also about Corin, we see them mostly in the beginning and end. The war is also a big part of the story, but it’s not in the forefront of the story. I was ok with both of these things because I was so invested in seeing Corin and Tam being together and fighting to be together. Don’t expect a fast pace book in Moth and Spark. It took me longer to finish than most books this length, but it was because I wanted to absorb all the details and imagery. The world-building was also really intricate and interesting. After a while it became pretty unputdownable for me though, and then we were moving right along. I really enjoyed Anne Leonard’s writing and I hope I can read more soon.

b.andherbooks

Forget the glossy, beautiful hardcover; this should have been published as a mass market paperback in the romance section.

I was cautiously optimistic when I cracked this supposedly epic fantasy novel and found (yay) a map! But, when the author frequently mentions cities, countries, and other geographical features that I could not even find on said map what, really, is the point? 

Frustrating.

Tepid world building, some dragons, some sort of magic, nothing really well explained, and of course a hot prince who falls insta-in-love with the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. 

Prince Corin, most eligible bachelor, is caught up in a struggle between the Emperor that rules his country, some dragons who no one really knows too much about, some wizards, and an invading barbarian horde. 

Corin is hot stuff and he knows it. 
"The table-maid appeared a few minutes later and refilled the glass. his fingers brushed against hers as he took it...their eyes met. He thought she would not slap his hand away. He wondered if she knew who he was. He was tempted, but she was too young and too ignorant. It would not be fair."
Gag.

He also has had a bevy of lovers, including his current (married) mistress, but he quickly ousts her when he sees the most beautiful woman in the whole wide world, a girl who turns out to be a "commoner" (in fact a wealthy daughter of a doctor, just not a noble). Tam of course is unaware of her extreme charm and besides being gorgeous is a paragon of virtue and talent. Cue romance, balls, dresses squeeee, and long talks and smoochies. Tam falls desperately in love, and she can barely restrain herself from bonin' the brains out of Corin. So they don't wait very long. Honor and country be damned (don't worry it will all work out in the end).

Oh wait, what about the dragons? Apparently after getting the hots for each other, both Tam and Corin find out they have POWERS. Cue epic battles, lots of love making, worries about the future, and oh now the king says we can be married, yay happily ever after.

What just happened? I'm still not sure.

Christian Huss

A prince with a quest, a beautiful commoner with mysterious powers, and dragons who demand to be freed—at any cost Filled with the potent mix of the supernatural and romance that made A Discovery of Witches a runaway success, Moth and Spark introduces readers to a vibrant world—and a love story they won’t soon forget. Prince Corin has been chosen to free the dragons from their bondage to the power Mycenean Empire, but dragons aren’t big on directions. They have given him some of their power, but none of their knowledge. No one, not the dragons nor their riders, is even sure what keeps the dragons in the Empire’s control. Tam, sensible daughter of a well-respected doctor, had no idea before she arrived in Caithenor that she is a Seer, gifted with visions. When the two run into each other (quite literally) in the library, sparks fly and Corin impulsively asks Tam to dinner. But it’s not all happily ever after. Never mind that the prince isn’t allowed to marry a commoner: war is coming. Torn between his quest to free the dragons and his duty to his country, Tam and Corin must both figure out how to master their powers in order to save Caithen. With a little help from a village of secret wizards and rogue dragonrider, they just might pull it off.

Moth and Spark

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