A Kingdom of Flame and Fury: The Four Kingdoms, Book 1

"I knew I was dangerous, and sometimes I feared the ferocity of my magic. It was deep-rooted and old. I wasn't sure how I knew that, but I could feel it."⠀⠀Whitney Dean, A Kingdom of Flame and Fury⠀⠀⠀⠀A Kingdom of Flame and Fury by Whitney Dean is a fantastic fantasy that has more twists, turns, and reveals than I knew what to do with. Like seriously, I'm still processing and it's been hours since I put the book down. Well, I actually didn't put the book down because I immediately started on book two! ⠀⠀The world building drew me in immediatey with the lore of the four kingdoms and the conflicted opinions on magic. I loved the descriptions of the dark woods and the kingdom so much! It made me think of beauty and the beast. ⠀⠀Raven and Zeke are magical together but they are also great characters on their own. Raven's abilities were epic but her kindness and love for her people sets her apart from other similar leading ladies. She has just as much light as she does darkness and I think that is authentic and beautiful. Zeke instantly became one of the morally gray men that I will forever think about. He also has his soft spots but it's the protective, possessive side of him that I enjoyed reading the most. And of course them together blew my mind.⠀⠀The book has its fair share of sexy scenes and they were HOT! I didn't feel like they overwhelmed the plot however, and I think they added a nice dark spiciness to the story. This is a dark fantasy so I would recommend checking the triggers before reading. Bon Appetit!

I dig it but it’s lacking something. I just don’t know what. I feel like the story needs more oomph

If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be frustrating. I loved the characters that Whitney Dean created (even the supporting characters were well-developed and complex), and just wanted more from them.Raven is our female main character with a mysterious past and even more mysterious powers. While this was explored, it was relatively ignored in the whole middle of the book to focus on her relationships with two men who she can not function without. The love triangle was drawn out to the point where it was cringey, and I was so fed up with all three of them by the end of the book.What this lacks the most is balance. While the love triangle was given too much focus, there was so much potential for more political nuance and we barely got any. The middle of the book is very slow, and it could have ended about 2/3 of the way through if the main characters just communicated. As a reader, the dual POVS let us know where they were both coming from, but they were so immature in their relationship that it was dragged on for so much longer than it needed to be and was never really resolved.This ended on a cliffhanger, but I’m just not sure that I care about any of the characters enough to read the next book.

My heart is pounding 😧, what did I just finish reading? I had so many emotions in the last 40%, screaming WHAT? NO! and on the verge of tears. My heart is in pieces and I can’t wait to read more.Raven, is an orphan, who was willed a kingdom to rule for unknown reasons. But she has a secret, she wields dark magic…and has a slight taste for blood. She has been the ruler of her kingdom for the past 15 years, protecting her kingdom from devious people, all while hiding her true self until a mysterious man comes to Seolia.He has infiltrated her every thought…and her heart until he leaves one day. She begins having dreams that are trying to unlock her past and unravel all of the secrets kept from her. She must solve the puzzle of what all these clues mean in order to protect those she treasures most and her kingdom. Will she find out where she comes from? Will the mysterious man return? Will she protect her kingdom?Buckle up for a wild ride and find out in The Kingdom of Flame and Fury (Whitney’s Version)Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Wow! Lots of twists and turns.Not spoiler free…I really enjoyed this different take on magic in the fantasy realm, I feel like a lot of books stay to same layout for magic. I liked Raven a lot, I can’t wait to see her grow into a more independent woman, she spent so much of her time relaying on others. Now, she is forced to do it herself. I loved Zeke, even though I’m struggling with why he was keeping so many secrets. I’ll have to see why he was in the next book.I loved Raven and Zeke’s relationship, I’m a sucker for fated-mates!! And they were perfectly matched. Now if they would stick to the truth and be on the same page, they would be unstoppable. This a super spicy book, just an FYI.Also, hate me some Cade! My heart hurts for all that Raven has been through and is continuing to go through…everyone better watch out that she doesn’t start to light people on fire…like I can’t wait to see her start to be like f*** you all, I mean she is a dark witch who has a taste for blood. I really hope in the next book she starts let Blaze out for a bit of fun and retribution 😉Nicely done Whitney Dean! Really enjoyed this world and characters!

The hold this book had on me!! I couldn’t put it down! This one was a good reminder on why fantasy is my favourite genre of all time.This was so well done, and a great introduction to the magic system, the world building and our main characters.This kept me wanting more and I immediately started the second book and I don’t want this to ever end. I can’t wait to see where this goes!

The best of all the series

This was so friggin good!! Perfect for fans of from blood and ash!AKOFAF is the first book in a steamy romanfantasy series with morally gray characters, dark elemental magic and possessive males. This book crawled it's way to become one of my favorite reads of the year.Some elements that I loved:- the characters are older, in their 20s-30s- the female lead is also morally gray- the instant-attraction between Rowan and Zeke, they can't keep their hands off each other- reminds me of Snow white and the huntsman!!!!- the "if you touch her I'll kill you" trope!- the shape shifting side of Rowans magic- the steam was sooo good 🔥🥵

Despite its size, A KINGDOM OF FLAME AND FURY is a very quick and steamy read, perfect for readers of fantasy romance that burns very hot very often! The plot counts on a brewing rebellion, an interesting take on magic (elemental magic and shape shifting in particular) and a great political drama unfolding in the background, which are some of my favorite elements in a compelling fantasy read. I really enjoyed the way the author wove it together while also expanding on the mystery of Raven’s past little by little. I did have some suspicions about where the story was going, but many of the twists took me completely by surprise!At its heart, however, the plot is only a frame. A Kingdom of Flame and Fury is a character driven story, and the relationships and interactions make up most of it—especially the romantic drama. The endgame couple is pretty clear from early on, but there is a love triangle that made me question who I am as a person, which is a compliment to the author’s character development! Individually, all three characters are very layered and morally gray—my favorite kind!—which made it all the more fun when the triangle began to shape up. The triangle counts on some of my favorite tropes: insta-lust and fated lovers for Zeke and Raven, and friends-to-lovers for Raven and Cade. I was very intrigued by both, but unfortunately for me, one man held my interest more than the other…and it wasn’t the one that had Raven in a spell. While I did enjoy Raven and Zeke’s interactions, the transition from lust to love happened a bit too quickly, and it didn’t fully convince me. On the other hand, there’s a lot of history between Raven and Cade, which brings with it years of pining and angst. And that, my friends, hit me hard. I couldn’t help but root for him, no matter how hard Raven tried to convince me otherwise, and in spite of a slightly too convenient twist.Overall, this was a very enjoyable read, and I believe the best is yet to come! Can’t wait to see the plot thicken in the next one.

The blurb didn’t lie! So many twists and turns to keep you hooked from the beginning. A story of love, cruelty, steamy moments and the right amount of violence. You will fall in love with characters and scream at others. Cannot believe this is just book one!