Review: Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley

Review: Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley

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Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley is unlike anything I’ve read before. This book is about a group of girls who fight phantoms to save the world. The main character goes from fangirl to fighter, even if it takes time. However, the story was pretty slow and there were a few parts that seemed dry, affecting my overall enjoyment.

Review: Fate of Flames by Sarah RaughleyTitle: Fate of Flames (Effigies #1)
Series: Effigies #1
Author: Sarah Raughley
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genres: Dystopian, Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: November 22, 2016
Rating: three-stars
Series Rating: three-stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Years ago, everything changed. Phantoms, massive beasts of nightmare, began terrorizing the world. At the same time four girls, the Effigies, appeared, each with the unique power to control a classical element. Since then, they have protected the world from the Phantoms. At the death of one Effigy, another is chosen, pulled from her normal life into the never-ending battle.

When Maia unexpectedly becomes the next Fire Effigy, she resists her new calling. A quiet girl with few friends and almost no family, she was much happier to admire the Effigies from afar. Never did she imagine having to master her ability to control fire, to protect innocent citizens from the Phantoms, or to try bringing together the other three Effigies.

But with the arrival of the mysterious Saul—a man who seems to be able to control the Phantoms using the same cosmic power previously only granted to four girls at a time—Maia and the other Effigies must learn to work together in a world where their celebrity is more important than their heroism.

But the secrets Saul has, and the power he possesses, might be more than even they can handle…

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❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃


Review: Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley

This book has such an intriguing concept! Basically, there is this group of girls, called Effigies, who have to fight phantoms and save the world. I really enjoyed how all of the girls come from different countries and have very different personalities. If you are the kind of person that is interested in diverse dystopian books, Fate of Flames would be a great choice for you.

❀ Satisfying Main Character

Maia is a character so different from any other dystopian that I’ve read. She is already the ultimate Effigy fangirl before randomly becoming an Effigy herself. I found it so interesting that she went from a nobody to a warrior. It takes her a while to reach her full potential, but Maia really transforms. I am all for strong female characters, so Maia and the Effigies satisfied me.

❀ Slow-Paced

While I enjoyed the concept of Fate of Flames, the pacing bothered me at certain points. There were multiple moments that were so slow and lacked action, which was pretty disappointing. There was a lot of internal monologue as well, which was interesting at first, but got kind of annoying after a while. I would definitely prefer more excitement in this book.

❀ Plot is Flat

Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley is a book about phantom fighting that contains a group of strong women. The main character really transforms throughout the story and becomes a warrior. While I enjoyed many things in this book, the pacing was a bit slow, and the plot seemed kind of flat to me.


Book Quotes: Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley

“I deleted everything and exited the thread. Just in time-a new one had popped up mere seconds ago: Oh god, no… RIP Natalya.”

About Sarah Raughley

Sarah Raughley

Sarah Raughley grew up in Southern Ontario writing stories about freakish little girls with powers because she secretly wanted to be one. She is a huge fangirl of anything from manga to SF/F TV to Japanese Role Playing Games, but she will swear up and down that she was inspired by ~Jane Austin~ at book signings. On top of being a YA Writer, she is currently completing a PhD in English, because the sight of blood makes her queasy (which crossed Medical School off the list).

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About The Candid Cover

Olivia ❀ Canadian YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, & professional bibliophile.

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