Review: Firelight by Kristen Callihan

Title: Firelight
Author: Kristen Callihan
Series: Book One in the Darkest London Series (also a prequel out)
Published By: Grand Central Publishing (Jan. 31, 2012)
Source: ARC Copy Netgalley
Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy
My Rating: 4 Stars

Goodreads Description:

 London, 1881
Once the flames are ignited . . .
Miranda Ellis is a woman tormented. Plagued since birth by a strange and powerful gift, she has spent her entire life struggling to control her exceptional abilities. Yet one innocent but irreversible mistake has left her family's fortune decimated and forced her to wed London's most nefarious nobleman.

They will burn for eternity . . . Lord Benjamin Archer is no ordinary man. Doomed to hide his disfigured face behind masks, Archer knows it's selfish to take Miranda as his bride. Yet he can't help being drawn to the flame-haired beauty whose touch sparks a passion he hasn't felt in a lifetime. When Archer is accused of a series of gruesome murders, he gives in to the beastly nature he has fought so hard to hide from the world. But the curse that haunts him cannot be denied. Now, to save his soul, Miranda will enter a world of dark magic and darker intrigue. For only she can see the man hiding behind the mask.

My Review:

This is one of those books that is just really hard to review because there were just so many elements to it and it was so unique and charged, this book was on fire.

Truly this was a really great read. I loved that it took place in London during the late 1800's. It actually takes place over a series of years, around three to be exact. In fact, there is a prequel out, Ember that I highly suggest you read before starting this one. It has a lot of background in it on how Miranda and Archer met and about both of their lives. It explains a lot about what happened to Miranda as a little girl and where and why she is where she is when Firelight starts as well as reveal a little of Archer's mysterious past.

Gah where to start with this book! It is one of the best urban fantasy books I have read in awhile. It definitely is an adult read though, there are some pretty spicy scenes between Archer and Miranda and lots of sexual tension, but honestly that just adds to the story. Their attraction was delicious and definitely not one of your normal circumstances. it was kind of like Phantom of the Opera meets the paranormal world and then some.

Throw in a little mystery and intrigue and curses and cults and what you end up with is a whole lot of page turning action and suspense.

This was so well written that I felt like I was in 19th century London with all of its harsh smells and fog and darkness. I could picture the cobblestone streets and horses and carriages, the street vendors, buildings and grand houses.

I don't want to give anything away which is making this a hard review to write honestly, but truly if you want something different and fun, full of lots of tension (sexual and otherwise) this is the story for you.

I really look forward to seeing where Callihan takes the next book and I am hoping that althogh the main characters will be different that we will still get glimpses of Archer and Miranda and where they are as well.