New Release Review: Cursed by Fire (Immortal Brothers #1) by Jacquelyn Frank

[Eva Millien]

What the book has to say:

From New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Frank comes the scorching hot first book in a thrilling new series featuring four warrior brothers who have the power—and the curse—of immortality.
 
For centuries, Dethan has been trapped in a fiery inferno for defying the gods and snatching the power of immortality. Condemned to have his battle-hardened body licked by flames only to regenerate and be consumed all over again, Dethan has lost all hope—until the Goddess of Conflict appears. She will release him from torment—if he’ll use his power and strength as a warrior to raise an army and defeat a fierce enemy faction of gods.
 
Free to live as a man once again, Dethan meets Selinda—heir to the throne of Hexis—and his thoughts quickly turn from the conquest of cities to the conquest of this headstrong beauty. Betrothed to a cruel, calculating powermonger, Selinda needs a champion, and so Dethan enters into another bargain: If she will share her bed—and her body—with him, Dethan will save her city from destructive forces within and without. As the lovers ignite a searing passion, Dethan will risk all—even the wrath of the Goddess of Conflict—for a chance to make Selinda his forever.

What I have to say:

After centuries of being trapped in fire, Dethan agrees to serve the Goddess of Conflict in return for being released from the torment but he will risk it all to make a headstrong beauty his forever in this fascinating paranormal fantasy romance.

Selinda, the heir to throne of Hexis had been betrothed to an evil manipulative man who wants the throne for himself so what she needs is a champion and Dethan quickly decides conquering Selinda may be just what he needs in order to serve his Goddess. The reader can’t help but get caught up in the intriguing and complex world as the compelling characters grab reader’s attention and don’t let go and the steady to fast paced plot keeps readers hovering in expectation.

 The romance between Selinda and Dethan progresses at a steady rate throughout the story as Dethan wins her trust and promises her a future free of the evil tyrant but in order to do that Dethan must first free the kingdom of the enemy at the gates and win over the King’s trust. Spine tingling excitement builds as the danger to Selinda and her family escalates and time begins to run out for Dethan to keep his promise. The well written scenes and details capture the imagination and bring the story to life while the well orchestrated events ensure that the reader has to know every last detail.

I have to say the author created a very complex world with some unique and interesting elements but it seemed that some of the world building overshadowed the story a bit to begin with, but once it even out a bit, I quickly became more enamored of the characters and their story and enjoyed it to the very end and I am looking forward to reading the next one.

Purchase Links:

A: http://www.amazon.com/Cursed-Fire-Immortal-Jacquelyn-Frank/dp/03455...

BAM: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Cursed-Fire/Jacquelyn-Frank/97803455...

BB: http://www.randomhouse.com/book/218427/cursed-by-fire-by-jacquelyn-...

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cursed-by-fire-jacquelyn-frank/1121...

BD: http://www.bookdepository.com/Cursed-by-Fire-Jacquelyn-Frank/978034...

K: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/cursed-by-fire-1

 Ballantine Books, February 24 2015, 352 pages, ebook & print

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22042788-cursed-by-fire?ac=1

Series Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/series/127868-immortal-brothers

Introducing Jacquelyn Frank:

Hey all,

Here we are, a new year, a new bio. Life truly is dynamic so I have to keep updating this thing constantly.

What hasn’t changed? I am a native New Yorker, was born there and have lived a major portion of my life there. I was born on Lawn Guyland (that’s how we say it, I swear) but have resided in several places. I love animals, specifically cats, to a point of insanity (I actually bought a ‘Crazy Cat Lady’ action figure from a fan with a humor shop!) I love my boys like I would honest to goodness children. I am still writing, the muse taking me all over creation. (I was recently accused of having series ADD) But not to fear, I feel things coming full circle and we will be in the Nightwalker world again! I’m still living in Western North Carolina, a happy Asheville resident. My foster daughter, Bianca, still visits with me at least twice a year and is very much a part of my life.

That brings me to what has changed. I recently lost two of my boys. Damien and Magellan. All of you who know me know my cats are like my children, and these losses were utterly devastating to me. They were both very young and their deaths coming so close to each other was particularly painful. Also, my Nicodemous (named after the wise old rat in Nimh…but far too sweet to the inspiration for Nico my vampire villain) was diagnosed with kidney failure and I have to anticipate another departure soon. But my family has grown as well adding two new boys, Pierre and Sake. My rescue efforts have continued, and I find myself working with Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, Animal Compassion Network, and now T.A.A.G, another local group. We had a particularly huge kitten season in WNC this year and I was bursting at the seams with ferals the whole gang participated in socializing them making them suitable for finding new forever homes.

The whole gang consists of my new assistant, Natalie Justice and my housekeeper Donna. It’s a gorgeous triad of women that works so beautifully together, all of us knowing each others’ strengths and weaknesses and somehow all of us fitting so well that things get done and I get to write!

Other than this, I can only tell you that media is my life’s blood. Books, movies, music…I thrive on all of it. I can cross almost every genre, but I have my favorites so here goes: Female vocalists, like Evanescence’s Amy Lee, Lady Gaga, Rhianna, Katie Perry, Ke$ha and about a hundred other women artists who can get me moving and motivated with their voices are my preference at the moment. Books? Honestly, I find it hard to make time to read anymore, and when I do read it completely off genre and off my Kindle. I never thought I’d say it, but I don’t even like holding a book anymore!

As for movies, I admit it, I love disaster flicks. Something about the raw honesty in the end of the human race as we know it…or the charge of romance in impossible moments of desperation…but mostly I think it’s a tie between watching people bite the dust for being arrogant and doofy (my cynical side) and watching the human race persevere through the worst of situations because of their best qualities (and there’s the optimist aka romantic).
And I bet you thought I was going to say romance movies. AS IF! Pretty Woman? Bed of Roses? Titanic? (ooo…combo disaster and romance!) The Matrix? (Oh, it IS TOO a romance! Love saves Neo’s life!) It’s not as though I haven’t seen all of the above a hundred times over and STILL cry when I am supposed to! Do I seem that sappy to you? Do I?! Huh?!

This from the gal who bawls when she watches her Buffy because she and Angel are the next best tragic pair of lovers since Romeo and Juliet.

Okay, other than that…I am a former ASL interpreter, I have a degree and everything. Had to quit due to health issues conflicting with the work. If anyone tells you interpreting for the deaf is easy, tell them to hold their arms in the air and wave them around for an hour and a half straight without stopping. I’ve also done a few other things like substitute teaching, health aide, things like that, but I have wanted to be an author since I was barely into puberty. It was those sexy teen romances where the first kiss was as far as they went. Heh. I thought that was the be all and end all…then I got my hands on an introductory copy for a new series launching (ok, showing my age for those who are in the know) calledLoveswept and got my first taste of sizzle. I’ve been writing it and gobbling it up ever since! (You can assume I mean through reading if you like). I just found out Loveswept is coming back and I’m thrilled! I SO want to write for them. Even if just for fun!

Pet projects? Animals (yes, cats especially), we have too many of them. Spaying and neutering is crucial to population control, and population control means hundreds less feral creatures starving in streets and in barns everywhere. There are so many programs that will help with the cost of this, even trap and release programs of fixing ferals, if you seek it out. And if you can possibly pay it forward, the ACN, Friends 2 Ferals, BWAR and hundreds of other animal rescue outfits depend on our generosity. Please, make certain it is a legitimate association and that your gifts are going to the right place. Also, animal cruelty is one of the most horrifying epidemics in this nation. People think that because they are just animals that it’s okay to dump them by the roadside when kittens grow up and are no longer so adorable and sweet. Or that they can kick them around or ignore their responsibility to their health and safety needs. North Carolina has yet to outlaw the use of the gas chamber when euthanizing animals. This is something that should be protested by writing to the representatives of the state, whether you are a resident or not. I could go on forever about this. And maybe you’re thinking there is so much HUMAN angst to worry about, why waste time on animals? I guess because we’re all connected to the same earth, the same creative karma and, perhaps, the same pool of souls. If we fail one, we hurt all of us. If we save one, we heal us all. Even the tiniest, purring creature can teach us more about ourselves and our ability to love than we might ever imagine. Who wouldn’t want to save that?

Jacquelyn likes to hang out at:

http://www.jacquelynfrank.com/main.html

http://www.jacquelynfrank.com/blog.html

http://www.myspace.com/jacquelynfrank

http://www.facebook.com/authorjacquelynfrank

http://twitter.com/JacquelynFrank

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/64364.Jacquelyn_Frank

For more books by Jacquelyn:

http://www.jacquelynfrank.com/books/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/64364.Jacquelyn_Frank