I was not a fan of this one. The MC was overly annoying and boring. I agree with a lot of other reviewers that it felt weird for her to be the MC. The book from a different POV would have been a better read.

The book itself struggled with a mega pacing issue. Everything felt extremely slow and was a bit boring to slog through.

This also struggled with the thing where everything is solved so easily that it's hard to believe any of it is even possible.

Wow! This book was exceptional. I went into it not really expecting that much, but I was sorely mistaken. Loved it

Fireborn is Jessa Graythorne’s fabulous debut! A real page-turner, and a must-read for anyone who loves contemporary fantasy and tales about demons.

The plot had so much potential, but the execution needs a little more work. Too much tell with less show/feel. Unfortunately, I couldn't connect with the story. This was a highly anticipated book for me.

It seems to me I deviated for my days of urban fantasy, but I still love the gender AND THIS BOOKS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHY!

Good writing, good characters and interesting plot make this book an amazing and thrilling read. Thank you Jessa, for putting me back on the horse of urban fantasy! And I'm already intrigue for the next book!

I found this to be an enjoyable read, keeping me on my toes throughout. The storyline was written well and flowed seamlessly. I look forward to reading more by this author!

I love reading new authors because I have no idea where their stories will take me. This book had me on the edge of my seat!!! I kept wanting to figure things out and more than once read waaayyyyy past my bedtime. You will love the characters in this book and it's a perfect read for October because of the demons and supernatural aspects. Creative surprises galore await you.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately this book was not for me. I found the protagonist to be very unrelatable. And for someone who's 25, she was also incredibly stupid. I might have understood if she was a teenager.
This book also did too much telling and not enough showing and realizations where there was absolutely no need for the term.

DNF at 42%

his has the makings of a good book, but the execution fell somewhat flat. As others have said the pacing is off, with parts of the story dragging - particularly in the 25% or so. The story telling was nicely done but when it doesn't move the plot forward (or world build) then after a while it becomes tedious. Know what else is tedious? Azrael keeping all those secrets from Halley. How on earth is she meant to "save the world", or at least be of any use, if she's constantly kept in the dark. It's a very lazy writing technique that is probably meant to give an air of suspense but instead just gets annoying.


I did like that the author wrote a flawed heroine, one with a past and clearly used to being indulged. However I wasn't convinced that at 25 and training(?) as a doctor, one who worked in an emergency department, would have felt quite so immature - particularly in relation to her ex-boyfriend.


I'm at 42% and still have very, very little idea of what is happening or Halley's role in the book. I could tell you in two or three sentences what has happened so far and not miss anything important out. I may come back and try to finish this in a few days, but at the moment I'm shelving it as a DNF.

Excellent story! Totally engrossing!. Looking forward to reading more by this author! Could not put this down!

I read the blurb on this and thought it would definitely be up my alley. I want to start with saying that this is a dark urban fantasy with not a lot of action. The book is well-written, and it is extremely descriptive at times. The author doles out little bits of what happened in the past a tiny bit at a time I believe to build up suspense. Put all together, I wish there had been more action than there was. We learn a lot about Halley and almost nothing about Azrael, and while there were lots of description, I still feel like not much happened. Add to that, I don’t understand exactly why the information about Halley’s past were doled out in drips; nothing revealed was really relevant (what Fern made her do, her being shot at, etc.). However, I still mostly enjoyed this book, and I’d definitely read the next one. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

Give me demons, give me gore, give me the tension between the two main characters, give me well written characters, too, and a hella surprising plot and you'll have made my day.
Fireborn is a wild ride. And boy, what a ride.
I loved how each secret was buried so well it challenged my love for theories, some of which found a conformation, but always with a twist!
I can't say much without spoiling the plot, only that there are mysteries upon mysteries and you never know what you'll be facing next; it might start quite tame, just a paranormal book you see on sale, but there's so much happening, so much I still have to wrap my head around.
Halley. Hallow. Holly. Hal.
Hal.
Hal is a portent, a force of nature (but also incredibly dumb at times, gah), who takes no shit and is incredibly driven by love for the only person who never betrayed her.
It's her determination that sets her upon Azrael Falkov's path, and even when she doesn't trust him one bit, she's forced to work alongside him (and oh, the tension, y'all).
And Azrael, well, Azrael is as enigmatic as they come. He's the big question mark you can't decipher, and while I do have a theory, I've seen that nothing in this book is that simple.
By the end of the book, you're left hanging, but not in a literal cliffhanger way, more in the "there are so many unanswered questions I don't even know where to begin" way, which might be a tad more cruel than an actual cliffhanger.
Suffice to say, I will not so patiently wait for the sequel, because there is that bloody one million dollar question I need an answer for: what is Azrael Falkov?

I have been trying to get into this book for a while but I just didn't like the heroine and the way it is written.

Halley is a doctor-in-training and at the start of the book she flies to Amsterdam to visit her brother, even when her father objects and her brother has some strange warnings. When she arrives, her brother is missing.. The heroine makes several dumb decisions for such a bright person. The best part of the story was the character of Falkov. Overall this story has a lot of potential but the way it is executed was not to my taste. But that is of course only my opinion so don't let me keep you from reading this book!

We never get to choose the circumstances that finally end our childish innocence and heave us - ready or not - into adulthood. Halley Ashwood thinks she crossed that threshold years ago. She’s about to find out just how wrong she was. Alone in a foreign country, and increasingly worried for her missing brother, Halley’s strength and resourcefulness are repeatedly tested. As her circumstances grow more dire and new enemies appear from every direction, she faces the most important decision of her life - find a reserve of strength she doesn’t truly believe she has, or be destroyed.
Jessa Graythorne’s debut novel Fireborn sweeps you into a world most people aren’t willing to see - a world rife with supernatural creatures and the humans swept along in their wake. Her heroine is charming and self destructive with more than a few Daddy issues. Most readers will see a bit of themselves in Halley’s (often misguided) attempts to reconcile with her past, which swing wildly between a juvenile war of attrition with her famous father and deep altruism for the people around her. Most of the story unfolds through present day Halley’s eyes, but the occasional acerbic barb from future Halley is an endearing addition. The world Jessa Graythorne weaves for her readers is riveting, and I’m already excited for her next novel. The multidimensional characters she crafts elicit a full range of emotional responses and more than once I attempted to yell at them through the pages - utterly convinced of their realness and very present danger.
If the characters are the highlight of the book, it’s only weakness is the setting. The book attempts to invoke a strong sense of the places the characters inhabit - from a Detroit penthouse apartment to the famous cobblestone streets of Amsterdam - but ultimately misses the mark. The images portrayed are visually appealing, but they fall well short of being a truly meaningful part of the book. Ultimately, the story is so well designed that it could have taken place anywhere, and attempts to bring the settings to life feel flat.
While definitely appealing to readers of supernatural thrillers, Fireborn also belongs to fans of strong but flawed heroines, mysterious leading men, and old school detective work. It’s modern film noir flavor is jazzed up with a few terrifying specters and a big budget action flick ending.

The story follows Halley, a young doctor who visits her brother in Amsterdam only to find out he's in trouble and goes missing. Her adventures begin when she decides to find out what happened and has to rely on Azrael, a mysterious stranger.
Well-written, the prose is beautiful and dark. The story has an intriguing premise, generally good pacing, and immersive world-building. Fireborn begins slowly but after about 25% the pace picks up and it reads like a thriller. We get supernatural intrigue, adventure, revenge, and a hint of romance.
I found the main character inconsistent throughout the story. She's often portrayed as a strong, smart female lead (which I love) but she acts out of character and gets dumb when it's convenient for the narrative.
All in all, it was an enjoyable read that has a lot of potential.

I enjoyed Fire born. It has mystery, excitement, and good characters. Interesting premise that I'd not thought of before, however the main character, Halley, was dumb at times when she should have shined. That was disappointing.

Finally! If you loved KMM's Darkfever, then Fireborn is for you!

Pros:
- I've waited a long time for a similar story, and here it is. I loved the premise and the pacing. The settings in this novel are so well done; I felt I traveled with Halley to Asmterdam. Great job.
-The characters are also fleshed out. I know them and I love/hate them as I think I'm supposed to. :)
-And look at that cover!

Cons:
- My main problem was with the execution. Because I loved the story so much, there was no way I wasn't going to finish it. But there were some inconsistencies at the beginning that made me stop and think too much about them; some parts were extremely well written, but others seemed patched-up (I had no idea who talked or how they ended up doing something), and finally, -my bad- but I kept getting confused between Flynn and Fern... I wonder if there is a reason behind the author's choice for similar-sounding names. I couldn't see any in this book, and I hated the fact that I had to reread entire pages because I mistook Fern for Flynn or vice-versa, and nothing made sense. :(

Final words:
It's still worth it! Read it! :)

***Thank you, GenZ Publishing, for allowing me to read this first e-ARC by Jessa Graythorne. ***

Thank you to NetGalley and GenZ Publishing for providing the arc of Fireborn by Jessa Graythorne in exchange for my honest review.

Fireborn falls victim to telling and very little showing, which makes at least the first 25% or so moves very very slowly. Way too slowly. I had to force myself to read a chapter a night just to get to the parts that sped up, the problem is, by the time I reached that point, I didn’t care. I just never connected with the story or the characters.
The world-building takes too long and it’s all spent telling instead of showing. So many aspects of the building could have moved along if we were shown rather than told. I mean there’s a full-on question and answer scene, what?

My biggest problem with the story was the main character, Halley Ashwood. She was infuriatingly annoying – the only reason she was there was because she was a doctor…The story from Azrael Falkov’s POV would have been much more interesting - let’s tell that story and I’ll give this one another go.
Overall, the plot was great and I’d love to see it done differently. The characters and slow pace just kept me from ever getting into it.

"There are two reactions people have when they don't understand the world anymore. Half freak out.... That doesn't fly when you're a doctor."
I'm not a fan of demons' stories but this book made me realise how wrong I could be.
For everyone who liked "Kingdom of the Wicked" by Kerri Maniscalco , this book will give you the same adrenaline, mystery and revenge while also dealing with false relationships and secrets hidden in the depth of one's own family.
Brotherhood may be complicated but when you find your brother, your best friend, missing ... nothing will stop you from finding answers just like Hal does.
"... we shared a pet peeve: promises. The very word carried meaningless connotations. a vestige of a million other broken vows. We didn't make promises."
I absolutely loved each and everyone of these characters , trying to protect their good side while dealing with their dark one, suddenly arising.
For every fan of the mysterious and brooding dark male character... you will not be disappointed in this either!
I loved how the author decided to explore the complexities of familiar relationships while also following the inner development of the main character.
"The girl that opened her eyes in the corridor wasn't one I recognised. I could let this fire fuel me or I could let it consume me, and if I was going to be consumed, I'd be damned if I didn't go out in a supernova of my own."
I appreciated the fact the the book was written in first person because , given the flashback in it, it made it easier for me to follow the storyline and the plot.
In a magical picture of Amsterdam, betrayal and love unravel their secrets in front of the reader's eyes where everything is hidden and nothing is clear.
"The thing that doesn't kill us isn't what makes us stronger. The way we fight to go on is."

‘Fireborn’ is the story of Halley Ashwood, finishing up medical school and ready to start the rest of her life. To celebrate, she heads to Amsterdam to visit her brother, with whom she remains extremely close given the distant relationship they had with their father, the Governor of California. When her plane lands, she’s told by her brother to stay out and wait for him, remaining in the airport. Naturally, she ignores him, and shenanigans ensure in a city that’s not all it seems. Halley is left alone and relies on a stranger for help finding her brother, but is he really there to help?

I really tried to enjoy this book. The premise was sound, but unfortunately the execution leaves much to be desired here. Whilst Halley is seemingly intended to be a strong female protagonist, her ability to problem-solve appears to come and go dependant on the plot - when conflict is necessary, she’s dumb as a bag of rocks. This just feels contrived and artificial, and it’s not helped by just how heavy the novel is on exposition. Sadly, this exposition tells far more than it shows, making it extremely difficult to engage with. It also makes for large swathes of the book in which very little happens at all, which is difficult to accept as a reader. The author’s heart was certainly in the right place here, but a better understanding of pacing and structure, along with a character who bends to the constraints of the world rather than one who’s smart and dumb when it works for the narrative, would have made for a much better piece. As it stands, I just can’t recommend it.