Firelight (Darkest London) [Kindle Edition]

Kristen Callihan (Author)

Book 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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Callihan has a great talent for sexual tension and jaw-dropping plots that weave together brilliantly in the end." (Diana Gabaldon, New York Times bestselling author)

"Compulsively readable...a compelling Victorian paranormal with heart and soul." (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

"Top Pick! Like moths to a flame, readers will be drawn to the flickering Firelight and get entangled in the first of the Dark London series. Combining Stephen King's Carrie and Beauty and the Beast, Callihan crafts a taut tale filled with sexual tension. This is one of the finest debuts of the season." (RT Book Reviews )

About the Author

Kristen Callihan is a child of the eighties, which means she's worn neon skirts, black lace gloves, and combat boots (although never all at once) and can quote John Hughes movies with the best of them. A lifelong daydreamer, she finally realized that the characters in her head needed a proper home and thus hit the keyboard. She believes that falling in love is one of the headiest experiences a person can have, so naturally she writes romance. Her love of superheroes, action movies, and history led her to write historical paranormals. She lives in the Washington, D.C., area and, when not writing, looks after two children, one husband, and a dog-the fish can fend for themselves.

You can learn more at:
KristenCallihan.com
Twitter @Kris10Callihan
Facebook.com/KristenCallihan

Product Details

• File Size: 582 KB
• Print Length: 390 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1455508594
• Publisher: Forever; Reprint edition (February 1, 2012)
• Sold by: Hachette Book Group
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0052AI09Q
• Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,426 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it! February 2, 2012

By Amber I @ AwesomeSauce

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Firelight was such a different read. I was instantly glued to the pages and when I wasn't reading it, I was sitting there thinking about it. Archer hides behind a mask so we never really get to see him through the whole book but somehow the author had me totally swooning over him still. The romance in this book was just perfect, it was slow build but not frustrating. Archer is sort of the beast and Miranda the beauty. Archer hides his disease so we are not to sure most of the time what if wrong with him, and Miranda is obviously beautiful.

I loved being in historical London, but what really had me glued was Archer and Miranda. Both have their secrets but you see them both falling for one another throughout the book. Miranda really is Archers light in his world. You totally fall for this couple.The chemistry with them is amazing, their banter was fun, I could honestly read these 2 talking to each other all day. I can not tell you how beautiful the relationship building was. Finding out what is exactly going on with Archer was like slowly building a puzzle, it took us some time to do it but once all the pieces were together it was so worth the patience.

There are also murders happening and it looks like Archer is being set up. He keeps trying to keep Miranda out of this part of his world but she isn't one to hide. Plus she has her own secrets that will help her out.

You get a little paranormal and historical romance in this book. I don't want to go too much into the plot but I definitely think everyone should read this. It was such a beautiful, sexy, dark, mysterious, adventurous, romantic, suspenseful and intriguing book that you are going to want to pick this up. Firelight is just one of those books once you read you will be thinking about it for a while.... I don't even feel like starting another book yet, I just want to bask in the awesomeness of this book for a little while longer. I can not wait for the next book!

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31 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark, gothic... amazing January 23, 2012

By Jen TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Mass Market Paperback

This book doesn't fit in one simple category. It's historical... with elements of the paranormal. It's gothic, dark, dangerous and romantic. It was completely enthralling and I absolutely could not put it down.

It's been three years since the mysterious Lord Archer first met Miranda. She captivated him with her fearlessness and fiery disposition. Now he has made arrangements with her father to marry her. Miranda doesn't realize that Archer is the same man she encountered that night in the alley all those years ago. He is simply an imposing man, who wears a mask covering his entire face.

No one knows what lies beneath Archer's mask. But Miranda falls for the man underneath the disguise. And he falls for her. The love story is only the beginning, though. Archer is working tirelessly to find a cure for his disfigurement. He's part of a mysterious organization of immortality questers. Someone is gruesomely killing off his associates and framing him for the crimes. Archer is full of secrets, which are slowly revealed over the course of the book.

The slow unraveling of Archer's story is amazing. It's second only to the phenomenal love story between him and Miranda. Kristen Callihan takes sexual tension to an entirely new level. I have never hungered for a single kiss between two characters as much as I did in this book. Every tiny piece of Archer that is unveiled was like a small victory. Every touch, every emotional connection between him and Miranda was a gift for my greedy eyes. And believe me, I felt greedy... for every crumb. In most books, I would frustrated or annoyed at how long it took for the couple to get together, but here, it's done so well, it's like magic....

I did have a little trouble keeping all the men straight in Archer's club, especially when we were dealing with fathers & sons and courtesy titles mingled with real names. But it wasn't too overwhelming. The villain, once revealed, was not a huge surprise... but the "why" part of it was something I didn't see coming.

Archer is a fantastic tortured hero. Miranda is the one happiness he has found in so many long, miserable years. And she is a worthy and loyal heroine. She has secrets and strengths of her own, like an ability to wield a sword and to control fire.

The book is really quite extraordinary. It's different... something shining, sparkling, and unique in a sea of familiar and predictable paranormal and historical romances out there. I loved it. 5 stars. Read more ›

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The most amazing Gothic Romance I have ever read..... February 5, 2012

By erin

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Absolutely fantastic. I am absolutely stunned by this book. I am shocked that this is Ms. Callihan's debut because it read like it was written by a seasoned author. I raced through this book. I was absolutely spellbound and hooked by this book. I loved Miranda and Ben and their chemistry leapt off the pages. Their exchanges were witty and poignant and romantic and when they finally confessed their love, I was all atwitter. I *loved* this Beauty and the Beast retelling. The twists and turns were so original and believable. I *fell* into this world and I didn't want to leave. *This* is what I want whenever I pick up a book. Real Characters, believable tropes, world building so believable I feel like I'm *watching* not reading and a romance that I desperately want to have an HEA.

*exhales* I feel like I've raced up a mountain only to find treasure and a gorgeous guy in a kilt waiting to feed me grapes and champagne.

This is the type of book that I will be raving about to all my friends and family. I will make them read this book. I will tell random strangers and any one who will listen to read this book. It was that good. Really.... REALLY!!!!

I can't wait for the next book by this author. I've gone to Amazon and pre-ordered. And...I...CANT...WAIT....

Thank you Ms. Callihan for such a wonderful, wonderful book.

36 of 41 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Just Didn't Cut It April 6, 2012

By somethingsweet

Format:Kindle Edition

This novel unfortunately managed to encompass most of the things I really hate in a romance novel. *Some spoilers below.*
1. Heroine with Unexplained Awesome Magical Superpower. In addition to being incredibly beautiful AND some kind of master swords-woman AND connections to/friends on the streets, our heroine also harnesses the power of fire... in a world where people don't have superpowers. Random superpower. And THEN, she doesn't even use it for cool things! She wants to be normal. Mostly she only has this superpower so she can save the hero at the end. The End.
2. The hero and heroine lie to each other right through the end of the book. It's a little bit to protect each other, but mostly to protect themselves. They get around to physical intimacy but never really emotional intimacy.
3. This isn't really a most-hated for me, but just to mention - the world-building is also very shallow. Alley, alley, ballroom, alley, cave. Fog.
Overall, it managed to push most of my annoyance buttons, and really didn't have much subtlety to it.

More About the Author

Kristen Callihan is a child of the 80's, which means she's worn neon skirts, black-lace gloves, and combat boots (although never all at once) and can quote John Hughes movies with the best of them. A life long daydreamer, she finally realized that the characters in her head needed a proper home and thus hit the keyboard. She believes that falling in love is one of the headiest experiences a person can have, so naturally she writes romance. Her love of superheroes, action movies, and history led her to write historical paranormals. She lives in the Washington D.C. area and, when not writing, looks after two children, one husband, and a dog -- the fish can fend for themselves.