Well I kinda of ventured out of my normal reading choices to give this one a try and I was just turned off from the beginning. Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book. I did like the spunk of the FMC given her fight for cancer but I just did not really like anything else.

This book had the potential to be great with all the different creatures and realms. The dialogue was terrible and immature. All the characters felt one dimensional. The dialogue in the steamy scenes was cringe worthy.
I could not get invested in the characters and the story. I do love a good Paranormal romance but this book was not it.

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this book for an honest review.

Oh wow great read! This author knows how to capture your interest and keep it. When Rein is forged to bring a human into his world, has he bitten off more then he can chew. She’s sassy, strong and all woman, but is she woman enough for Rein.

I I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced, the action scenes were good, and I loved the chemistry between Rein and Braelyn. There was good sexual tension/buildup between the two until they finally gave into their feelings for each other. Did Rein get on my nerves because he was so stubborn? Yes, but I love that Braelyn held her own against him and was as equally as stubborn as he was.

Definitely looking forward to reading the other books to come in the series.

Quick Summary: A novel tri-world sci-fi mythology read

My Review: The Firebrand by T.M. Smith was book one of what I imagine will be a new series. This particular volume had a lot of moving parts. While it is being billed as a romance, it actually came across more so as an action/drama that had romance in it.

About the Book:

Truth be told, I found this supernatural creature mythology to be interesting. I liked the interlinking three-world concept. I liked the aspect of there being cross-species. I liked that both leads were coming to know the full potential and reach of their powers throughout the story. I liked that there was a diverse and complex cast of characters. I even liked the storylines and takedowns of the multiple antagonists. I think the aforementioned aspects were done well enough to grab my attention.

About the Characters:

In terms of the romance and chemistry between Braelyn and Rein, I found it to be up and down (more up than down). The actual tension they shared prior to their coupling was so much better than their initial and ongoing consummation. (However, I can say that the vampiric Ceremony was well done and that it was extremely revealing.)

I didn't always care for the way Rein spoke to or treated Brae. He could be insensitive. The way he acted couldn't all be chalked up to ignorance. Still, she gave as good as she got. She was not afraid to voice what she desired of him. At the end of the day, both characters had endured hardships that not only shaped them, but also added to their strength, depth, and individual motivations.

My Final Say: The Firebrand gets a mixed bag, red light rating. It was intense, solid, and very detailed. The mythology was fresh and peculiar. The darker aspects of the story were quite brutal and incredibly raw. Readers will certainly need to camp out with this read.

Other: I have to be honest and say that this book had such a vast amount to digest, which is often the case with new world building books. At times, I kept thinking that it was simply too much. Too much detail and superfluous commentary. I found myself getting lost by the multiplicity of it all at some points. Still, the story was creative, the world building was captivating, and the leads were layered, which made them intriguing.

Rating: 3.4/5
Recommend: +/- Yes
Audience: A
Status/Level: 🚨
Series: Yes
Triggers: Sexual Assault/Rape, Violence, MDK

I voluntarily read this title via NetGalley. The words I have shared are my own. Thanks to the author and to the publisher for granting access to this title in exchange for an honest review.

This was a little different and outside the box, which I totally loved. The characters and storyline were well written and just slightly off the beaten path. Their banter was fun and sexy and I totally enjoyed their chemistry. Supporting characters were just as interesting and I will definitely look for more from this author.

Rich, complex, and steamy. Oh so fun to read. Strong protectors fall for strong heroines. Add a few twists and couple turns. A witch, a vampire mix, love and maybe a bit more drama as worlds collide. I'm excited for more of this series. A mix of JR Ward and Kresley Cole. You will love this. I may have tried to read this in one sitting. It was that good.

This book was a really interesting read. I would agree with other reviewers, in that the dialogue felt very high school despite the characters supposedly being hundreds of years old. The dialogue made sense for the main character, Braelyn, since she’s in her early twenties but the hundreds year old vampire speaking like a high schooler was pretty jarring. The world building was decent but I felt that there wasn’t a lot of culture. Just smut. Which I mean…I would say though that the pacing was off. The beginning started slow, the middle was the best, and the end felt rushed. I think the characters deserved more time connecting and getting to know each other before making such a big commitment.
Overall, I think it was a good start to what I think will be a series. I will watch out for the next book!

This required more jumping into an already established universe than was readily accessible for someone not familiar with the series. Having said that, I did do my research and this does appear to be the first book in a series, I assume it’s a spin off, but it doesn’t appear to, making it just plain confusing info dump at the beginning.

I enjoyed Braelyn a lot and her story was easy to follow, but when it switched to Rein there was a serious adjustment period.

The romance was a little juvenile for how old the characters are supposed to be. Again, here I enjoyed Braelyn who is supposed to be 25 but a little sheltered due to being ill during her early adulthood, but Rein is hundreds of years old.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Evernight Publishing for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I actually liked this book. It is a little different and sort of odd but interesting. The characters were totally likeable. Braelyn is so upbeat for all her medical problems. Rein is quite the character. 3.5 stars Well worth the read, although a little confusing.

THE FIREBRAND is the first instalment in TM Smith’s contemporary, adult THE BLOOD COVEN erotic, paranormal / fantasy series. This is human Braelyn James and vampire/incubus/Warlock hybrid Rein’s story line.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

SOME BACKGROUND: Thousands of years earlier, a powerful group of witches and warlocks, in an effort to protect the human race, divided the world creating three realms: Earth, Scath and Darque. The Blood Coven series focuses on the fight to keep the worlds separated in the face of some powerful people hoping to destroy the people of earth.

Told from third person perspective THE FIREBRAND follows the building relationship between human Braelyn James’ and vampire/incubus/Warlock hybrid Rein. Braelyn James is a reporter for the online paranormal tabloid Strange But True, and as such our heroine is about to witness that which she has been hired to investigate. Rein is a vampire/incubus/Warlock hybrid, trained as one of the realms Firebrand Warriors, and as such is hunting one of the many Breeds that has crossed onto Earth, using an illegal portal jumper but Rein never expected his actions to be witnessed, and his inability to wipe the mind of the human witness, forces Rein to bring her back to his realm. Braelyn James quickly realizes the world as she knows it, is something more, something more dangerous, powerful and confusing, a world in which she will come face to face with her destiny. At every turn, every move and every opportunity, Braelyn is targeted, by a Scath controlled human trafficking ring that is focusing on some of the people of Earth, a focus that is centering on history and blood. What ensues is the building relationship between Rein and Braelyn, and the potential fall-out as Braelyn is a valuable prize in a war between the worlds.

The relationship between Braelyn and Rein is one of fated mates but Rein refuses to accept the woman with whom he will fall in love as the mating ritual of a Firebrand Vampire is dangerous, dark and deadly. Braelyn is a human whose life expectancy may be shorter than most but Braelyn’s blood holds a secret, and the longer she remains on Scath, the more valuable and important she will become. Braelyn is determined to prove Scath is worthy of her love but Scath fears destroying the woman that calls to his blood. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic, aggressive and intense.

There is an enormous ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters of creatures and breeds: vampires, harpies, nymphs, Amazons, witches, warlocks, shifters, beserkers, demons, satyrs and djinn. The Aeternals are the overarching collection of breeds and supernatural species that inhabit the Scath realm, and the Alliance are the group of humans that monitor all supernatural activity on Earth. We are introduced to Rein’s parents Alarik and Castia, andhis sister Elisabeta;Braelyn’s father George: Firebrands Chay, Dax, Brak, Logan, Kole, Bounty, Ram, Tyr, Sabine, Jezzi and Galena, as well as Rein’s Aunt Indigo, a powerful witch who is able to read the ‘signs’. The requisite evil has many faces.

THE FIREBRAND is a complex, detailed and compounded story line that follows several pathways between the present and the past, good vs evil, Earth, Scath and Darque. The premise is comprehensive and meticulous; the characters are numerous, energetic, powerful and strong; the romance is contentious, quarrelsome and fated. THE FIREBRAND ends on a bit of a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

THE READING CAFÉ: http://www.thereadingcafe.com/the-firebrand-the-blood-coven-1-by-tm-smith-a-review/


GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5283243507


AMAZON CA: https://www.amazon.ca/review/R1IX5DX33T0BQQ/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8

My struggle was with the main character is in her 20s and the male lead hundreds of years old, speaking like they were in high school. Maybe I'm getting too old, but I found it annoying and it detracted from the story. I found myself skipping chunks of dialogue. I liked the story premise and wonder what will happen with the other women, prophecy, and bad guys.

Thank you to NetGalley, Evernight Publishing, and T.M. Smith for the ARC.

This seemed needlessly long to me. I can't really explain exactly why though. The story and the progression all makes sense, but it always felt like it took forever to get anywhere with it. While the battles were detailed, they were also kind of boring. Maybe because they were overly detailed. And I really don't care how well side characters are fairing in a fight unless it directly affects the main character. Though I will say that I was pleased with how the author didn't shy away from the violence and horrors happening here because it made it that much more believable.

At first, I hated Braelyn. I absolutely cannot stand female characters that will do the exact opposite of what someone has told/asked them to do solely because they don't like to be told what to do even when they have no goddamn clue what's going on. And boy was she that character. And my gawd, she never shut up either. At some point though, she either got better or was no longer put into that situation because I found myself not hating her so much anymore.

Rein was an exceedingly frustrating character. He was born a mix of 3 different breeds and at a certain age he gets to choose which one he wants to have the powers of. He has knows his whole childhood he wanted to embrace the mage in him, but a betrayal by his own mother forces the vampire part to take control. Since then he has had major trust and control issues. His control something he could pride himself on until this tiny human shows up and shatters his well ordered life.

When Braelyn witnesses something she shouldn't have, and Rein is unable to wipe her memory, he does the only thing he can think of. He takes her back to his own world. Which causes all sorts of complications on it's own, but there is an undeniable attraction between the two of them that he refuses to act on. His success with that varies. Turns out though that bringing Braelyn back with him was not such a mistake afterall. There's a bad guy out there hunting down humans with a specific marker in their DNA and Braelyn is one of them. To protect her, she's been staying with Rein in his world and the changes that she has been going thru are clear for anyone to see. And it's not just her that's changing. Rein knows exactly what Braelyn is to him and despite his best efforts, he's changing too. Now he just needs the right shove to really claim what is his.

The ending with this particular bad guy was kind of anti-climatic considering the buildup done to his character and what he had been up to. His last move seemed impulsive and it didn't fit. I also expected him to be stronger than he turned out to be. The very end with the real baddie doesn't give much away and makes it clear this is only the beginning. Hard to say if I'd be interested in reading more of this series. While I mostly enjoyed this, it also dragged on for me. So I guess we'll see.

Blown away!! The Firebrand is thrilling, exciting, hair-raising, and he made me laugh (go figure). I've got it bad for this bad boy, his daringness, his intenseness, his hotness sizzled my kindle and I just want more!!

Action packed and snarky urban fantasy adventure! Prepare for immersion into an alternate realm, one of three - the human realm co-existing yet mainly unaware. Witches, vampires, shifters, nymphs, and other supernaturals protect and party, and hunt the evil. Of course, a very steamy burn doesn't hurt. All leading to a satisfying end, that can lead to more.

This is a fast, action filled read. I loved Braelyn and her determination to live and seduce Rein. The ebb and flow of this book kept me guessing.