The Fire King by Amber Jaeger Review

I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

"From the author of The Cold King comes a dark tale of passion, vengeance and redemption. 

Revenge can be its own poison…

Katiyana Nix was a princess but only wanted what every other little girl had—a mother to love and teach her and a father to care for her. Instead, she grew up lonely in the shadow of her mother’s death while her father was absent in his grief.

When she finally thought she’d found hope for herself and her father, it was in the form of her beautiful new stepmother. But Sula committed the most evil of betrayals, leaving Katiyana more lost than she had ever been. Alone and scared, she fled to the forest to live amongst the trees with other lost souls searching for their own safety.

When she crosses paths with the fiery King Lian, a man whose thirst for revenge against the evil queen has no end, her time of quiet peace is ended. His anger untamed, he aims to use the lost princess as a weapon to achieve his dark goals.

Katiyana must battle her own demons, as well as his, while she tries to save him from himself and her kingdom from the clutches of her stepmother. 

Can she succeed in ridding the world of the evil queen or will Lian’s temper cause them all to burn?"

The Fire King is, chronologically, the second book, if this book was part of a series. It isn't necessary to read the first book, The Cold King. (But I recommended it. The events of The Cold King will help readers understand The Fire King a little bit better.) The Fire King is recommended to thirteen and up, because of the suggestive language and hint-hints (no language/verbal included, just pure body language and intimate moments).

First of all, The Fire King does include some of our favorite characters. I have to mention a few (I love old characters), so if you don't want to know, skip a few lines. Drum roll, please. (You're not doing it. Get your hands off the mouse and clap.) Calia Thorn (although talked about in a fashion I disgust), The Cold King (yay! Hottie from previous book coming over!), and the horse mistress (she's a good character). That's the plus side of The Fire King.

(I'm going to start from the beginning.) Okay, the beginning of The Fire King start off, reminding me of a Snow White tale. (And The Fire King is a retelling of the tale of Snow White.) It seems promising so far, and I love it. Katiyana is "Snow White", with a name that is thankfully not Snow White. (It annoys me how authors pointlessly name their characters "Snow White." It doesn't do well since there are stories, Disney movies, plays, poems, another tale with her name, and etc. Using "Snow White" shows the author in a light that suggest unoriginality and boringness.)

The plot moves quickly, so don't play surprise if you're wondering how Katiyana starts off from Point A to Point B. (The book in told in two hundred pages, I estimate. Perhaps more or less.) 

The chemistry between Lian and Katiyana is obvious, although I wish Amber added a little more humor and kissing scenes (because I'll never get enough of it). Fire and fire burns everything until there isn't anything left to burn. (Most likely, you'll read the previous sentence without completely understanding it.) 

The ending reminds me of Snow White. (Duh, it's a Snow White retelling. Idiot.) Anyway, it's nice to see a happy ending, even though The Fire King's ending is a little bit too 'Disney.' (But I never tire of watching too many Disney movies.) 

The Fire King isn't very wonderful, though. The words and language is a little shady. The Fire King can really use a good editor and good editing. The Fire King isn't perfect, but there's plenty of room for improvement. 

Characters: 

Katiyana, or should I say Princess Katiyana, is pretty much a wild girl through and through. She's not a true Royal, and perhaps never be. (Because her wild side is too wild to be tame.) Katiyana does have a thirst for revenge, but that disappears in The Fire King for a while before flaring up again. I guess feelings never die. Katiyana is unlike Calia Thorn. 

Unlike The Cold King, The Sun King/Fire King is filled with fire. His own thirst for revenge and blood because of the brutal deaths of his beloved family. He practically oozes revenge and fire. He's the complete opposite of The Cold King. Did I mention how cute and sweet he is?

Rating: Four out of Five

The Cold King by Amber Jaeger Review

"… Not every Beast is a prince charming at heart and not every Beauty is a maiden just waiting for love…

Calia Thorn has lived her entire life in a small town sheltered by the Cold King’s mountain. Working day and night to care for her younger siblings, complete her unending chores and please her selfish, lazy mother has left her with few dreams for her own future.

But then even those meager hopes are taken from her when the Cold King comes down from his mountain to demand a new servant. Ungraceful, unladylike, undesired and unwanted by even her own family, Calia is chosen to be sent to the palace.

The Cold King has lived for three hundred years under a curse imposed by his own father. With no hope of ever breaking it, he settles for keeping his heart frozen against any pain— or hope.

When his new servant arrives, she challenges him in ways no one ever has and sparks fly. But not every Beast is a prince charming at heart and not every beauty is a maiden just waiting for love.

Sometimes happily ever after isn’t so easy…"

Whoa! Now this is a huge eye opener. I guess I did get what I wanted: death and a little more action. A much better retelling of Beauty and the Beast, than the Beauty and the Beast I read a few months ago. I definitely will recommended The Cold King to readers around...er...some inappropriate scenes...ah, yes! I recommended this book to readers around thirteen or older. Older than thirteen for sure, no one younger than that age should read The Cold King.

The Cold King is full of twist and turns. Reading the plot is like being on an hour long rollercoaster. It truly is a rollercoaster, readers. You think it's going to end, but NOOO it's not the end, yet. The conflict is great! I'm totally into and invested in The Cold King, a Young Adult novel. 

I love this retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It's so perfect and breathtaking. There are no plot holes, no loose endings, and no odd characters, who mysteriously appears only in time of great need. Of course, there are some differences. For example, in the tale, Beauty's father is alive and a merchant. In the Cold King, Beauty's father is dead. Calia's background story is very much like Cinderella's pitiful one. Unlike Cinderella, Calia's mother is the one tormenting her, not a evil stepmother--a wicked mother. 

The Cold King isn't cursed by a hateful witch. No, no. The Cold King is cursed by his own father three hundred years ago. (Harsh isn't it?) Reader's sympathy will grow until the Cold King's past is finally revealed. Then...it's up to Calia's (and reader's) decision whether or not hate him or love him. Know this: He did some pretty bad things when he was much, much younger. Like three hundred years younger. 

I only have one request for the author, Amber Jaeger. Please, please, please, and more please have more scenes of POV of His Royal Irritating Iciness Valanka, The Cold King. I really want to see him closely, in his view and thoughts. 

There isn't much chemistry between Valanka and Calia. Hell, a piece of velcro and it's pair has more chemistry than them. I don't really know how to explain it, but the chemistry just felt too...cold. (No Joke. And please don't laugh, I'm being serious.)

Characters:

Valanka, the Cold King, is a good king. Cold, yes, but a good king. He wears scary and creepy mask that covers his face, hiding his...well, I'm not going to reveal the dirty secrets. Underneath all those layers of coldness, iciness, and armor, he's a good soul. He's scarred by his past, both literally and figuratively. He's lost, but controls what little he has. He's the beast of this cold, cold, and beautiful tale.

Calia Thorn or Little Thorn is the Beauty in this story. I like her better than many other characters. She's clever and loyal to those who don't deserved her loyalty. (I hate her mother very much.) Calia is somewhat innocent in The Cold King, yet that trait starts to fade as we travel along with her horrible experiences, missteps, dreadful past, and emotional thoughts. 

Rating: Four out of Five