Customer Reviews

Red Fire: A Gods of Midnight Novel

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I wanted to love this book. The concept of non-werewolf-vampire heroes or heroes based in historical period other than the medieval Scottish highlands was intriguing. Don't get me wrong I love all the werewolf-vampire-highlander stuff but the draw of this new arena of hunky hero Spartan warriors was thrilling. An unyet explored area of history. Unfortunately Ms Knight first book in the genre fell flat for me.

My biggest top 5 biggest beefs with this book:

1. Did everyone have a nickname? Jax, Shay, Mace, Ari, Leo? Why give names to characters if you are only going to shorten them. It is hard enough to remember who is who in the beginning of a series without making the constant switch between names.

2. Shayanna`s constant twang and often vulgar turn of phrase. Don`t get me wrong I LOVE a southern drawl.(See Karen Marie Moning and Darkfever for the true southern lady turned tough) But when writing for a universal audience the use of proper laguage atleast 90% of the time is essential so that we can understand the story and keep our head in the game so to speak. This story had tons of gratuitous phrasing which slowed pacing and lent nothing to character (see Kresley Cole`s use of South African in Dark Deeds After Dusk for exposure to this concept done WELL). Shay sounded like stupid hick and a 12 year old one at that!(`Dude. Dude you really dig my name` pg 102) Not a strong sophisticated southern woman.

3. Ajax`s difficulty remaining in human form to be intimate with Shay was a bit weird. He had been a shapeshifter for thousands of years and still couldnèt keep it together? I have read my share of animal/shifter stories and sometimes men in romanctic fiction ARE animalistic (isn't that the point?)but the talons, and feathers on his genitals were uncomfortably unfamiliar and not erotic in any way. Even the screeching was disturbing. Especially when Shay got in on the act. EEEK!

4. The transition between points of view were rough and often jolting. I felt tossed around like so much garbage. The transitions would often take effect at odd points in an interaction and for what would seem like no purpose. Often to introduce interactions between secondary characters. In addition, Ms. Knight tried very hard to make the secondary characters likeable but they fell short and aside from a few notables (Leo and the Oracle); they were stiff and unendearing. I could hardly remianed focussed after a few turns through the ringer!

5 Finally and most importantly , the primary characters did not connect to the reader in my opinion. Jax was obsessive and uncontrolled. Heroes in this genre are desireable because of their difficulty in controlling their desires and pain but here Jax just seemed weak and patronising. Shay, as mentioned, seemed whiny and immature. A recipe for disaster especially when the love scenes are weird and flat.

I like to think that an experienced and well loved writer like Ms. Knight intended this book to be more character driven that it actually was. Perhaps some editor is to blame for the lack of cohesiveness as there certainly were some areas you can see where Ms. Knight ALMOST made a sincere connection between her characters.(see Leo and The ORacle again for the minor bits of shining light and sweetness)
Perhaps Ms. Knight could study such great character writers as Gena Showalter, J.R. Ward and Karen Marie Moning in the paranormal genre to see how great character, the use of dialogue and even humour is essential to a story about love and sex.

I will not be continuing with this series and will not be lending it to friends.

Genre: Fantasy Romance; My Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Ajax Petrakos is one of seven Spartan warriors that have been made immortal by Ares. Two thousand years have passed and Ajax is struggling to fight boredom and find any satisfaction in his continued immortality. His only relief and hope is found in the prophesy that someday he will find his true mate, Shay Angel. Ajax is sent by his King and the Oracle to Savanna, Georgia to face a demon threat and respond to the latest prophesy. He arrives to discover the threat is his old enemy Sable who schemed to take away his loved ones right after Ajax became immortal and received his unusual immortal shape. Ajax jumps into battle against Sable to protect a human female. Soon he discovers that the human is his Shay Angel.

Shay is part of a demon hunting family. Her parents and brothers have always tried to protect her and refused to train her to fight. But Shay has started to see the demons all around and she has been studying some family records in secret to try to teach herself some means of defense. She still wants to fight the demons but finds herself very grateful to be protected by the warrior and his friend, River.

The attraction between Ajax and Shay becomes pretty irresistible as they keep getting thrown together trying to fight off Sable and his lesser demon pals. Ajax and Shay learn that she has to play a very important part in the latest prophesies, as well as being the fulfillment of his promised prophesy - if only for a short time as their lives and time together are threatened by Sable and an interfering Ares.

Ajax and Shay are wonderful characters and there is plenty of fighting action and steamy sex to keep this a fast, interesting read. This is the first in a series and begins the story of River, Ajax's servant and immortal friend who was turned into a weapon that can be used for killing or healing. There is also a very nice story developing between King Leonidas and the Oracle! I'm looking forward to more good reads about these hunky Spartans.

This just might be the hottest first book of series ever. I loved Ms. Knight's Parallel books, but Greek gods and immortal Spartan warriors? Sign me up!! Shay and Jax burn up the pages, and I totally fell for the Spartan band, especially King Leo and his feisty Oracle, and my absolute favorite, River. I cannot wait for his book! Hurry up, RED KISS: June 2nd can't come fast enough for me!

RED FIRE is not only my introduction to the Gods of Midnight series, but to Deidre Knight's work as well. The story created centers around a Spartan warrior, Ajax Petrakos, who was given immortality when a deal was made with Ares, the god of war. Ajax along with his slave, King Leonidas, and four warriors drank from the River Styx binding their immortality and their vow to protect mankind from the Djinn demons.

Set in present day, Ajax has finally met his destined mate, Shay Angel, the one foretold by the Oracle. Unfortunately, Ajax's nemesis finds her first. Together they will have to fight against evil to fulfill a prophecy that could extinguish Ajax's immortal soul.

Not only were the heroes created for this series fascinating, but so were the heroines. Shay Angel's true lineage will not be exposed until the end. The ending like the story itself is a powerful one. Great characters plus an equally electrifying story equals one awe-inspiring read!

Okay, so I never saw the movie `300' but I've heard enough about the courageous Spartan warriors that I found author Knight's concept for Red Fire intriguing. Spartan Captain Ajax, Ajax's slave River, King Leonidas and four other of their fellow fallen Spartan warriors were intercepted on their way to the Elysian Fields by the war god Ares, who offered a them eternal life in exchange for their vow to serve as protectors of mankind.

Though the concept was interesting and there were parts of the book that I liked, the actual execution of Red Fire was really mixed. Even though I loved Knight's Parallel series, this book had pacing problems that made it hard to finish and it ending up being just okay. I realize that first book of a new paranormal romance series always has the challenge of introducing the cast, and explaining the mythos of the story's world, in addition to developing the relationship between the leads. But the romance between the leads, Ajax and Shay, was the least interesting part of the story and in between the battles their page time really slogs along. Shay has some real potential with her emerging `huntress' powers along with her hidden legacy, but it isn't really explored or exploited here - maybe in future books? The whole business about Ajax being unable to keep from shifting into his inhuman hawk form when he was aroused added an odd bent to the love scenes, I wouldn't have had problems with him manifesting just the wings, but the talons, down-covered nether regions, and the hawkish shreiking was just a bit too much.

Far better developed, or maybe just more appealing, was the setup for the future romance of King Leonidas and the blue-haired pixish Oracle who has longingly watched the King for years unseen and unseeable and who, now at long last, is able to touch and talk to him. Also showing potential for future books is the achingly lonely former slave River, who even after thousands of years, feels like he doesn't truly belong to the Spartan gang, especially - and I found this quite weird - since he shapeshifts into weapons when the other guys get to be cool hawkmen. And an additional glimer of promise for the future books, Knight is weaving relationships between the members of the rest of her Spartan cast including two of Ajax's brothers and another warrior who has some issues with River.

The bottom line is that, even though I had quite a few issues with Red Fire, I will probably give Knight's Spartans one more try when River's book comes out - there is still hope for the series if Knight can work past her series' birthing pains.

As much as I wanted to love this book with its wonderful premise, and as much as certain parts of it did at times grab hold of me and suck me in, just as often it left me with a sense of things not being quite right.

The way in which Shayanna was kept ignorant of her heritage felt utterly artificial. I might be able to accept it initially, but it's taken well past the point where it makes NO sense whatsoever. This is a plot device pure and simple. The idea that her mother was in on the plot to leave her ignorant also makes no sense given later revelations---she more than anyone should have seen the necessity of teaching Shay to use her gifts.

Sure, it's perfectly possible to have a strong female character that's also feminine and even girlishly Southern, who at times fails and needs to be rescued or helped, but I don't think Ms. Knight accomplished that with Shay. For all that we're told over and over that Shay is a strong female character, I can't quite buy it.

Action scenes contained too much over-thinking of what was happening. Dialogue scenes contained too much over-talking. It caused the pacing to be erratic and at times inappropriate.

In addition, I wasn't entirely satisfied with how the author handled the use of visions and prophecy in Red Fire. It's possible to use such things in a plot without having them feel like arbitrary plot devices or deus ex machina, but it's difficult, and I don't think Ms. Knight entirely achieved that.

As for the adult material details, again the pacing was a bit off, which interfered with immersion. And some of the details were of narrow enough appeal that they'll shut out parts of the potential audience (I hope you get a charge out of feathers...).

I rated this book as highly as I did because the story and premise really are fascinating, and there are some interesting characters and events in here. In particular the Delphic Oracle is a refreshing and fascinating character that single-handedly makes the prophecy end of things halfway reasonable. But there are too many aspects of the writing and characterization that didn't sit well with me, and too many plot aspects that felt arbitrary, random, or all-too-convenient for the author.

I have read all of the Parallel books and loved them. This book however, I could not get into. I liked the lead female character Shay and the concept of the Spartan warriors, but "little mortal" made me gag! Ajax is ready to defend Shay against the evil Sable and we get several paragraphs of all he wants to do is bed her. Too much icky romance. I didn't care for it and I love paranormal romance.

Thousands of years ago, Sparta's greatest warriors gathered at the narrow pass at Thermopylae to face down throngs of Persian invaders. Selflessly battling to their deaths to buy time for their vulnerable country, Ajax Petrakos and his fallen Spartan brothers wake at the banks of the River Styx, prepared to cross to their rewards in the Elysium Fields. Instead, the war god, Ares offers Ajax and his comrades Immortality in exchange for their agreement to protect mortal souls from evil for all Eternity.

When an Immortal Ajax returns Earth, he rushes home to Sparta to see his beloved wife and sons. But the Djinn Demon, Sable, has beaten Ajax home and worked a curse that prevents Ajax's family from recognizing or remembering him. An enraged Ajax battles Sable, and strips him of the one thing he loves--his glittering wings. With Sable banished to the underworld, Ajax turns his back on Sparta forever, alone, heartbroken, and not at all sure that living forever is such a good thing if he must do it without the ones he loves.

Ajax flees to London, where he has spent centuries spending the time he's not battling demons medicating his loneliness with ale and women.

When his friend, the Oracle tells Ajax that the "highest god of all" has asked her to send him to Savannah, Georgia to battle an evil that could lead to his death, he really isn't concerned whether he lives or not. Honestly, death would be a better fate than living forever for a cause he has lost the heart for. Ares has grown in increasingly fickle in his demands of the Spartans. With rumors of this new god, he's not at all sure where his loyalties should lie. At least in death, Ajax could return to the family who waits for him in Elysium. At least there, they would know him, love him. Forever.

When Ajax arrives in a Savannah graveyard, he finds a beautiful woman in a heated battle with Sable, who has escaped banishment. Only after rescuing her and taking her to safety does he realize that this woman is Shayanna Angel, the one promised to him.

But Shayanna isn't quite the demure, helpless lass he'd expected. A demon huntress in her own right, Shay is just now learning the limits of her own power, and she isn't all that sure Ajax is one of the good guys. But neither can deny that the passion growing between them could well destroy them. As the pair battles an evil that threatens to devour every pure soul in its path, they find themselves drawn into a love they are helpless to deny.

But what good is losing his heart to Shayanna Angel when death will only steal her away? She is, after all, a mortal. And he is sworn to live forever.

Deidre Knight pushed the boudaries of urban fantasy with this deeply spiritual story of good vs. evil. The lush southern backdrop makes for a sensual background and Knight works it to the hilt, creating an erotic, heroic passion that burns larger than life itself.

Highly recommended by Writers Gone Wild.

I absolutely adore this book - and the whole series! It is true that this book is typical of most firsts in a series, in that it gets a little lost in the world building, etc. But it is still really, really good. I loved the concept of the seven Spartan warriors - their abilities, their history, their relationships. The storyline kept me interested and entertained, and the relationship between the two characters kept me smiling. I would normally give it 4 stars, but I am here to tell you that I have read the rest of the series so far, and it gets so so SO GOOD!! So maybe that has influenced me, but I hope it will definitely influence you :). No joke, Deidre Knight is now on my favorite authors list along with Gena Showalter, Lara Adrian, and the like. I would definitely recommend this book and this series to fellow paranormal romance fans! Happy reading!

Very good book. Will there be a next one and when will the next one be out?