Name: The Dagger and the Flame
Rating: 4.166666666666667 (15 reviews)
ISBN: 9781665955126

Catherine Doyle

In the kingdom of Fantome, where shade-magic is controlled by rival guilds, Seraphine seeks revenge for her mother's murder while navigating her forbidden attraction to Ransom, heir to the enemy guild, as they become embroiled in a power struggle for control of the city's underworld.

The Dagger and the Flame

alexys <3

Seraphine was a spitfire. And Ransom wanted to burn. 

lily

Aimee :)

The light crept in through Seraphine's window and danced along the pages of her book, and for a moment, she imagined the curious moon was reading over her shoulder. She turned a page, the words blurring as her eyelids grew heavy. She should be asleep but she couldn't rest at such a crucial point in the story. Even if she had read it eight times already. Even if, at seventeen years old, she was too old for fairy tales.

She hugged the column, the shock on her face quickly blooming into horror. He almost felt sorry for her. But this was war, and she had drawn first blood. He had thirty-six stitches in his side to prove it.

So he dragged a finger across his neck, and mouthed, I'm going to fucking kill you.

He had thought of Mama, sewing her own cuts closed over the sink too many times to count, and in that moment, as he towered over Seraphine Marchant, he didn't feel like a Dagger. He felt like his father.

Shade was the dust that lost golden age had left behind. A volatile substance that bent shadows to the will of man. For those skilled in the art of dark magic and trained by the Orders, Shade could be used to steal. To spy. To kill. To avenge. To survive.

He grinned, sweeping his hair back. The chase was his favorite part of a job. It turned Fantome into his own personal playground, every building a ladder, every shadow a slide.

Ransom stiffened before he could help it. The thought of Seraphine Marchant dead in his arms was a whole new level of horror he couldn’t afford to imagine. Not after tonight. Not after the fountain and what had followed.

and she felt nothing from this statement?!! wdym. 

"How can a person taste like sunshine and feel like the finest silk"? he murmured against her lips.

And so, the Order was returning to work. It was time ror Seraphine to don her cloak and earn her place at House Armand.

Ransom rolled his neck, sinking into the game. "Me," he said, with a feral smile.

"That's better," she said, on a long sigh.

"Thank you." He flashed a grin. "I’m always happy to help you undress." 

She wept until the little bead at her throat pulsed, its quiet warmth kissing the space above her heart until Sera remembered why she had come here. Until she remembered that she must go on. 

He would have taken ten trowels to the face over another minute of those deep, gasping sobs.

Careful, Dagger. I might burn you again. 

He saw that fear—knew it as intimately as his own. And he wanted to take it from her. To shoulder it, until she could breathe again.

sera and val’s friendship makes my heart happy 

“I’m glad you came to House Armand, farmgirl. For however long, for whatever reason. It was getting boring around here. I reckon we needed a bit of excitement."

"Don't hide it," she said, quiely. "Let me see you." 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. "Im so sorry. I know that life you lived. That brand of fear is worse than any shadow. Stronger than any magic. I’m sorry for all of it. For my part in it.”

Super competent YA fantasy that holds up well even with older readers (like myself). A couple of moments where I thought YA has definitely gotten racier than when I was in its target group but there is a whole discussion here about marketing and reading group statistics.

Still has a couple of the pitfalls of its genre that I am no longer interested in excusing (such as the relatively limited world-building - for example, I never really got a sense of what the city is like outside of what is pretty much gang rivalry); so I cannot give this a higher rating, though the story is still enjoyable and entertaining. Half a star was always going to be taken away for the name "Ransom" breaking my immersion every time it was mentioned in a Very Serious™ situation / conversation / etc. (I said this before - I don't care it is explained in the novel, it is still a little bit too silly).

Super competent YA fantasy that holds up well even with older readers (like myself). A couple of moments where I thought YA has definitely gotten racier than when I was in its target group but there is a whole discussion here about marketing and reading group statistics.

Still has a couple of the pitfalls of its genre that I am no longer interested in excusing (such as the relatively limited world-building - for example, I never really got a sense of what the city is like outside of what is pretty much gang rivalry); so I cannot give this a higher rating, though the story is still enjoyable and entertaining. Half a star was always going to be taken away for the name "Ransom" breaking my immersion every time it was mentioned in a Very Serious™ situation / conversation / etc. (I said this before - I don't care it is explained in the novel, it is still a little bit too silly).

 In Fantome, a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering lamplight, beautiful buildings, and secret catacombs, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy guilds: the Cloaks and the Daggers - the thieves and the assassins. On the night of her mother's murder, 17-year-old Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking sanctuary with the Cloaks, Sera's heart is set on revenge. But are her secret abilities a match for the dark-haired boy whose quicksilver eyes follow her around the city? Nothing can prepare Sera for the moment she finally comes face-to-face with Ransom, heir to the Order of Daggers. And Ransom is shocked to discover that this unassuming farmgirl wields a strange and blazing magic he has never seen before... As the Cloaks and the Daggers grapple for control of Fantome's underworld, Sera and Ransom are consumed by the push and pull of their magic, and the deadly spark and terrible vengeance that keeps drawing them back together...
In the dark underbelly of a beautiful city, two rival assassins are pitted against each other in a deadly game of revenge, where the most dangerous mistake of all is falling in love...

𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓪𝓰𝓰𝓮𝓻 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓵𝓪𝓶𝓮

this feels like a great start to a ya romantasy series! this was a proper enemies to lovers which i find is rarer these days, sera and random wanted to kill each other, not just a small hatred for each other, which was soo enjoyable to read. the found family in this book was so beautiful, watching those friendships strengthen throughout the book all the way till the end. i loved val and bibi so much, id defs be besties with them 🥹

the storyline with the two different orders (cloaks and daggers) was so intriguing and not like anything I had read before. I really enjoyed it but wish it had delved into the two orders a bit more. the magical elements in the book were also so intriguing, and the way it was used differently by the two orders.

I found the start of the book a touch slow, which meant it took me a bit longer to feel invested in the characters, however the second half of the book definitely picked up in pace and action.

the ending left me wanting book 2 immediately, and i’ve since read and enjoyed that too!

Larissa Kirchberger

𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓪𝓰𝓰𝓮𝓻 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓵𝓪𝓶𝓮

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

this feels like a great start to a ya romantasy series! this was a proper enemies to lovers which i find is rarer these days, sera and random wanted to kill each other, not just a small hatred for each other, which was soo enjoyable to read. the found family in this book was so beautiful, watching those friendships strengthen throughout the book all the way till the end. i loved val and bibi so much, id defs be besties with them 🥹

the storyline with the two different orders (cloaks and daggers) was so intriguing and not like anything I had read before. I really enjoyed it but wish it had delved into the two orders a bit more. the magical elements in the book were also so intriguing, and the way it was used differently by the two orders.

I found the start of the book a touch slow, which meant it took me a bit longer to feel invested in the characters, however the second half of the book definitely picked up in pace and action.

the ending left me wanting book 2 immediately, and i’ve since read and enjoyed that too!

Voto complessivo: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tropes and vibes: romantasy - enemies to lovers - magic

Quattro stelle perché sono di buon umore, dato che ci sono diverse cose che non mi hanno convinto fino in fondo.

La prima e più importante: basta orfane arrabbiate in cerca di vendetta. Ormai il tropo è sempre il medesimo, e ho perso il conto del numero di romantasy in cui ricorre: l’eroina è sempre una giovane donna (di solito 19 anni) che ha appena perso la madre, disposta a rischiare il tutto per tutto per uccidere il suo assassino. Il padre è una figura ignota/assente/malvagia. La mia ormai è una supplica: possiamo dare alla protagonista un background e delle motivazioni diverse?

Abbiamo poi un plot twist davvero troppo telefonato, intuibile al tempo zero. Se ho una caratterizzazione stereotipata, per lo meno cerca di essere originale nell’intreccio.

Il protagonista maschile ha l’innamoramento facile, ma su questo si può chiudere un occhio, considerato che per lo meno l’enemies to lovers è un po’ più sostanzioso rispetto alla media.

È uno Young Adult, per cui non sorprende una certa semplicità di fondo, che possiamo far rientrare tra i mali minori; ci sono però alcune cose che non quadrano anche volendo essere di manica larga. Praticamente tutto quello fatto da Sylvie Marchant non ha senso: il suo piano fa acqua da tutte le parti, e alla figlia raccogliere i cocci. Meno male che è una studiosa geniale! Senza le “ingenuità” di Sylvie, però, non avremmo una storia.

Per lo meno è un libro che si legge tutto d’un fiato e il romance ha il suo perché.

Sicuramente continuerò a leggere la serie, ma avrei sperato in qualcosa di più.

Ilaria Emme

Voto complessivo: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dramma: 💧💧

Sugar: 🧁🧁

Spice: 0.5 🌶️

Tropes and vibes: romantasy - enemies to lovers - magic

Quattro stelle perché sono di buon umore, dato che ci sono diverse cose che non mi hanno convinto fino in fondo.

La prima e più importante: basta orfane arrabbiate in cerca di vendetta. Ormai il tropo è sempre il medesimo, e ho perso il conto del numero di romantasy in cui ricorre: l’eroina è sempre una giovane donna (di solito 19 anni) che ha appena perso la madre, disposta a rischiare il tutto per tutto per uccidere il suo assassino. Il padre è una figura ignota/assente/malvagia. La mia ormai è una supplica: possiamo dare alla protagonista un background e delle motivazioni diverse?

Abbiamo poi un plot twist davvero troppo telefonato, intuibile al tempo zero. Se ho una caratterizzazione stereotipata, per lo meno cerca di essere originale nell’intreccio.

Il protagonista maschile ha l’innamoramento facile, ma su questo si può chiudere un occhio, considerato che per lo meno l’enemies to lovers è un po’ più sostanzioso rispetto alla media.

È uno Young Adult, per cui non sorprende una certa semplicità di fondo, che possiamo far rientrare tra i mali minori; ci sono però alcune cose che non quadrano anche volendo essere di manica larga. Praticamente tutto quello fatto da Sylvie Marchant non ha senso: il suo piano fa acqua da tutte le parti, e alla figlia raccogliere i cocci. Meno male che è una studiosa geniale! Senza le “ingenuità” di Sylvie, però, non avremmo una storia.

Per lo meno è un libro che si legge tutto d’un fiato e il romance ha il suo perché.

Sicuramente continuerò a leggere la serie, ma avrei sperato in qualcosa di più.

oh my god. at first i was like how did anyone enjoy this book, but while the writing was a little less than what i would’ve like, the characters, the BANTER was amazing. 

WHERE. DO. I. BEGIN. characters 10/10 plot 10/10 world building 10/10 and chef's kiss everything about this book was so intriguing even the romance was so good which I genuinely didn't expect after my last couple of recommendations from tiktok. This is definitely one of the more underrated books that I've read ,would definitely recommend to anyone who loved six of crows, this book constantly reminded me of the six of crows duology, from the characters to the world in general. I also LOVED the concept of the magic that the author played with and really can't wait to see it futher explored.

Salma

I loved that the world building and magic system was easy to follow. It did take a bit to get into (I struggle with third person books) but once I got into it, definitely couldn’t stop reading. I did wish there was a bit more bickering and maybe even a bit more into their feelings for each other but overall still liked their enemies to lovers sequence. 

Also, listened to the audio version in between tasks and definitely recommend it!

I loved that the world building and magic system was easy to follow. It did take a bit to get into (I struggle with third person books) but once I got into it, definitely couldn’t stop reading. I did wish there was a bit more bickering and maybe even a bit more into their feelings for each other but overall still liked their enemies to lovers sequence. 

Also, listened to the audio version in between tasks and definitely recommend it!

it should be a crime that the story started picking up in its last 3 chapters… can’t wait for the next one

I’ve been sitting here wondering where to begin with this review. How do i explain how this book made me feel? I don’t think it’s something i’ll get over for a while. My heart hurts so much because i feel for these characters and the story. I loved everything about it. I seriously need the next book right now, i don’t know how i’ll manage to cope waiting for it. It’s definitely one of my favourite books of all time. However i will say the one big major plot twist didn’t surprise me 

 since i already guessed who her father was 

 but that did not make it any less enjoyable.

I’ve been sitting here wondering where to begin with this review. How do i explain how this book made me feel? I don’t think it’s something i’ll get over for a while. My heart hurts so much because i feel for these characters and the story. I loved everything about it. I seriously need the next book right now, i don’t know how i’ll manage to cope waiting for it. It’s definitely one of my favourite books of all time. However i will say the one big major plot twist didn’t surprise me spoilers since i already guessed who her father was no spoilers but that did not make it any less enjoyable.

The Dagger and the Flame

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