I received a copy through Netgalley.

We meet a girl, whose forever set apart from those that took her in, but charged with the most sacred of duties. Protecting the Prince of her kingdom of Garlin.
Vala, found as a small child, covered in skin like cooling rock, her identity, the truth about her origins hidden. Thought to be cursed by magic, she is lovingly raised by someone close to the Royal Family. Trained for battle and fighting she is a member of The Guard.
On the night before a High Princess and her mother the High Queen are due to visit their small island kingdom, and attempt is made on the Prince's life, one of those assailants has skin just like her own.

Everything from this point on, Vala's life begins to unravel. She begins to question everything she knows, and the motives of those around her.

Vala is a strong, dutiful, stubborn young woman. For all the privilege she should have as the Main Guard over the Prince's detail she is still treated with fear and suspicion by those around her. And with the entrance of this stranger so much like herself, she begins to wonder if she's even human at all, or if a curse even exists.
I did enjoy this one, but it felt more like a prequel to a much larger story with Vala, we just barely scrape the surface of who and what she really is and what else exists beyond the small realm she knows. I'm looking forward to seeing where Vala and Xavyn go next on their journey.

This was book one in the Fallen Flame series, and it was a decent start to this new world. It wasn't very original in concept, but Miller does a good job in making it her own. Miller does an excellent job of world building on the little island that the entire book takes place on. However, it was a little confusing when they talked about other places in relation to where they were located. Eventually, I figured it out when it kept getting repeated (and maybe looking at the map in the beginning of the book helped out a lot as well). 

Vala is the main protagonist in this story, and I enjoyed learning more about her throughout the book. I just wish that the pacing was a little bit faster, I didn't really enjoy the book until about 80% in. We are told that Vala is different from everyone and that she was cursed when she was born. There is a lot of mystery surrounding that time, and Vala never really questions it until she meets an assassin who looks just like her. Ever since this assassin shows up, Vala starts to question everything about her life and who she really is. Which I thought was more interesting than what was going on in her life as a guard to the prince and eventually princess. 

Plotwise, it didn't seem to be much of one until the mystery of Vala's past comes up near the end. And then it just seemed as if it was only placed there to set up the next book. Majority of the book was Vala and the guards trailing behind the royals and trying to keep assassins from killing the prince. When Vala is accused of murder, is when the plot really picks up and questions sort of start to get answered. 

One aspects of the book that I had a major problem with was the relationship between the prince and Vala. It was always mentioned that Vala has gotten too close to the prince, and vice versa. When Vala is accused of murder, it was like that relationship never existed. He tortured her with water knowing how much pain it causes her, and he wouldn't even listen to her. I'm glad that she finally realized that he was not someone she needed to give up her life for in order for him to live just because he is the prince. 

Overall, this wasn't a bad book. It set up the world building nicely, introduced the characters very well, and left us with a mystery that just started to be solved near the end. I just wish the pace was a little bit faster.