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

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!

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. 

alexys <3

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!

lily

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

The Dagger and the Flame

Reviews

Highlights