–Synopsis–

Out of the pages, he comes.
Into the pages, she must go.

Seventeen-year-old Lia Corvine supports her fracturing family, no matter the cost. It’s irrelevant that her father’s absence eats away at her false smiles and reassurances, that insecurities plague her mind. Lia’s only reprieve is writing stories with her grandfather, where she can escape as a ranger to a floating kingdom with roguish Prince Kayce.

But everything crumbles when her grandfather suddenly passes away. As grief unleashes her barely-bound anxiety, it also unlocks Lia’s slumbering magic-and drags Kayce into reality.

However, when barriers fray and dreams come true, so do nightmares. Monsters lurk in the streets. Envious societies hunger for power. And Lia finds herself in the center of a nefarious plot. With ancient orders governing the magic her family never told her about, it seems her grandfather’s death was no accident. Only Lia can retrace his steps for answers. But even with Kayce by her side, can Lia embrace who she’s only allowed herself to be in fantasy?

For her kingdom’s sake, she must face the darkness within and without…before there are no stories left to tell.

–Review–

This book has been in my TBR for months at this point and man, I was sleeping on this amazing story for far too long.

The authors are another husband-and-wife duo which adds a nice layer to the overall writing, I think. This is the first book in the Flameheart Chronicles series, the sequel set to release in July of this year. Needless to say, I am anxiously awaiting its publication!

The book follows the sole perspective of Lia Corvine as she finds herself embedded in this portal fantasy world. A world in which dreams and nightmares become a reality and the old age story of good versus evil becomes front and center in her American teenage life.

The portal fantasy genre fits this book very well. In the beginning, it is believed the world Lia created with her grandfather was nothing but a made-up place of escape for her anxieties and traumas. However, as the book goes on, the truth is revealed that this place is as real as her current home in Seattle, Washington. Not only that, but there are countless other worlds that were all conceived through the imagination and subconscious minds of others everywhere. Once the reality sets in for Lia, she finds herself suspended in the ‘hub’ full of these portals. These scenes are some of my favorites in the book as you truly get a sense of the absolute magnitude of what is truly going on.

I do not want to go into too much detail about the other worlds, as I think people should experience them for themselves. Just think Studio Ghibli meets Folk Lore meets Disney!

The magic system was another great aspect to this world I enjoyed the most. The saying the pen is mightier than the sword, is further personified in this book. It reminded me of when Percy Jackson is first given his own pen. Speaking of Percy Jackson, there are several mentions of real-world authors, movies and myths that added another element to the world building that I greatly enjoyed.

Lia Corvine is a typical teenager who has cleaved to the creative outlet of writing for pretty much her whole life. Anytime she needed an escape from reality, she would create a new adventure involving her alter ego Aurelia and the youngest prince, Kayce. As it turns out, Lia has quite a bit of emotional baggage she has struggled lugging around. Her absent father has forced her to fulfill the role of the tough and steady one in her family. She is the last one to ask for help but the first one to break her back for others. Needless to say, the voice of her anxiety tends to overwhelm and rule her life. She believes the brave and steadfast Aurelia is the preferred character, not realizing Lia and Aurelia are two sides of the same coin.

Kayce Weatherstone is the youngest prince of the royal family that rules the floating kingdom of Norenth. He was created as a sort of rock for Lia to cleave to and continued to build upon that foundation through this book. He was always ready and rearing to jump into whatever shenanigans Lia had in store, as well as the more perilous circumstances that were not planned. Kayce not only believed in Lia’s true capabilities, but he was also able to see through the masks she was putting up for everyone. It was ultimately Kayce that truly brought Lia out of her comfort zone, allowing her to manifest her powers to her fuller capacity.

Lia’s and Kayce’s relationship was so tastefully done, they have become one of my favorite power couples. Since Lia ‘created’ him when she was but a young child, we get to experience a bit of the sibling rivalry of the two as they grow and mature together. It isn’t until they are both young adults that their feelings for each other begin to shift into something more romantic. Having grown up with such a strong friendship, it was beautiful to feel the immense genuine connection between the two. Slow burn is very much the theme for them. I am most excited to see where their relationship goes in the sequel.

All in all, this was a fantastic read as it has been my first 5-star review in a while. As mentioned, the sequel Ashfall is set to release on Kindle July 14,2026. If you are a fan of heavier fantasy with mythical creatures, and magic that bleeds into the real world, I HIGHLY recommend this book!

-About the Authors-