Name: Of Blood and Fire
Rating: 4.3 (15 reviews)
ISBN: 9781838381806

Ryan Cahill

Of Blood and Fire is a classic Epic Fantasy adventure. It takes all the familiar fantasy tropes - elves, dwarves, giants, and dragons - and adds a fresh, contemporary twist.

Of Blood and Fire

Adeline

A classic fantasy tale but very well written, good world building and engaging characters. Looking forward to read the next book !

C. J. Daley 

I have seen this all over bookstagram of course, and many of my friends have sent it to me as a phenomenal indie. After giving the audible audio a sample, I decided to go with it, and Derek Perkins did a good job with it. 

I do feel like I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention this, especially with it being an all-time favorite of mine. I read other reviews of this, and I’d have to agree with some of it, at least on the surface. In the beginning of the novel especially, the lore and world building can read as very formulaic or cookie cutter to Christopher Paolini’s Eragon. I was afraid that this would read as a negative (and overall I do wish that there were some wider gaps in the similarities), but I found some of the super harsh reviews to be kind of closed minded? Do we not remember the wave of people bashing Paolini for being unoriginal? (I have quite a lengthy review in defense of him). When you’re dealing with dragon eggs, dragon riders, young underdog heroes, evil tyrants, it tends to mesh a bit. 

What I found to be the most enjoyable were the parts that differed from it. Although it’s similar, it also tells its own tale, with lore and world building and beings all its own. As a fellow reader Nat recently said to me, “if it’s cookie cutter, at least it’s my favorite brand of cookie.” I would agree. The author distances himself from others like him by focusing on the traits he’s pulled from, and fleshing them out on his own. 

I’ve also heard that the sequel does an even better job of distancing the two. At this point, I will absolutely move onto a second book. I’m actually listening to the prequel right now. 

Worth your time, effort, or money to read.

- Fantasy adventure, I'd say in the same vein as Eragon. With elements reminiscent of Harry Potter. Maybe even Game of Thrones, without the adult content or viciousness. Mind you, I've only seen the show, not read the books of GoT. 

- The story follows a boy, Calen, and his two friends as they discover their world is bigger than they realized.

What Did I Like or Dislike About This Book? aka Pros and Cons

- Great character development. The three main protagonists felt young maturity wise for their age at the start, but that left room for them to grow. Throughout the story as events happen, they do have self realizations and do work on themselves. 

- Positive male role models. Calen's father was very supportive and kind. It was nice to see this sort of parenting written into a story.

- Vast world building. Even though the author used common tropes of the fantasy adventure category, the world of Epheria feels like his. There is a developed history hinted at that pushes the plot forward and gives the story a personality. 

- Story has depth. Characters are compelling, their dilemmas are interesting, giving the story layers. Descriptions are easy to follow, and the pacing works for the bigger picture. 

- Does not have a self contained plot, so I wouldn't recommend reading on its own. Enough happens that the book is satisfying, however, there is no main big baddy that is defeated or really any conclusion. 

- A better question would be: Would I read the rest of the series? The answer is YES! Most definitely.

Ariel Johnson

Why Did I Pick Up This Book?
- I saw it had dragons, enough said.

What Is This Book About?
- Fantasy adventure, I'd say in the same vein as Eragon. With elements reminiscent of Harry Potter. Maybe even Game of Thrones, without the adult content or viciousness. Mind you, I've only seen the show, not read the books of GoT. 
- The story follows a boy, Calen, and his two friends as they discover their world is bigger than they realized.

What Did I Like or Dislike About This Book? aka Pros and Cons

Pros:
- Great character development. The three main protagonists felt young maturity wise for their age at the start, but that left room for them to grow. Throughout the story as events happen, they do have self realizations and do work on themselves. 
- Positive male role models. Calen's father was very supportive and kind. It was nice to see this sort of parenting written into a story.
- Vast world building. Even though the author used common tropes of the fantasy adventure category, the world of Epheria feels like his. There is a developed history hinted at that pushes the plot forward and gives the story a personality. 
- Story has depth. Characters are compelling, their dilemmas are interesting, giving the story layers. Descriptions are easy to follow, and the pacing works for the bigger picture. 
- Did I mention dragons?

Cons: 
- Does not have a self contained plot, so I wouldn't recommend reading on its own. Enough happens that the book is satisfying, however, there is no main big baddy that is defeated or really any conclusion. 

Would I Read the Book Again?
- A better question would be: Would I read the rest of the series? The answer is YES! Most definitely.

Sahi K

It’s been a while since I read the prequel novella The Fall which was pretty impressive and I’ve been waiting to read this debut novel since. And just at the time I thought I was falling into a slump, I picked this up and I’m glad it was the right decision. 

There are just some books which pull you in from the first page and this was definitely one of them. But I was expecting that because I really enjoyed The Fall and was looking forward to more exciting adventures in this one. And it was both surprising and not at the same time. I’m not used to reading classic fantasy much, so it was nice to see that I can still enjoy it. And this had all the those old school fantasy tropes done well - human, elves, dwarves, Mages practicing elemental magic even if the magic system is slightly different, the always popular farmboy trope, and the best thing of them all - dragons and their riders. The pacing is perfect and I never felt like putting it down. It’s been a while since I’ve read a fantasy with predominately a journey, so the sense of adventure with high stakes was quite fun. The author managed to create a world with familiar beats and infused it with more unique elements, making it a very entertaining read while also evoking some sense of nostalgia. 

Calen is an interesting protagonist because I saw my feelings about him fluctuate pretty frequently. He could be arrogant and reckless and impulsive at times which frustrated me, but he was also a young brave man who was thrust into situations he never expected, and was tested for his mettle and strength of heart. He is aptly supported by his two bffs Rist and Dann who are equally brave even if their strengths are different, but also provide some of the levity in this otherwise tense story. Their banter was definitely very entertaining and endearing and I kept wishing that nothing would happen to this trio. 

We also have a huge cast of characters, ranging from people of various races fighting against the cruel emperor, who put their trust in and decide to mentor our main character in his newly discovered destiny. They are all mysterious with each one having their own backstories and it was cool the way the author peeled the layers of their personalities slowly, while also leaving some mystery left for the upcoming books and maintaining our anticipation for discovering more. I’m particularly excited to know more about Aseon and Therin, as well as see where Ella’s story is going. And ofcourse, Valerys is amazing and I can only wish to see more of him. 

Lastly, I can only say this was an unexpectedly delightful read with a fascinating ensemble cast of characters, a unique world with familiar elements, and a fantasy book that reminds us of old classics with its generous use of popular tropes executed well. I really enjoyed the author’s own take on the themes we know so well, and I’m very excited to see where this story is going. All I hope is to see many more dragons in the sequel.

Of Blood and Fire

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