I've read Flames of Mira by Clay Harmon, and I've really enjoyed it!

I've had this book on my tbr for ages and when I've seen it on Netgalley, I've snatched it 😅 @libraryofhades also made me want to read it! And I'm so glad I had!

In this book we follow a man that is a servant to another. He is bound by magic and cannot disobey.
The plot gets more twisted and broad pretty fast. I've enjoyed the pacing and we also get to observe it through the eyes of other characters. I've liked all of the POVs and I feel like the motivations of all of the people were really easy to understand, if not always moral.

The thing that is so unique and outstanding here is the worldbuilding and magic system. The world is really cold and there are lava rivers that provide heat to some places. We get unique fauna and flora. The magic system is very scientifically described and you can almost believe it's possible in real life. I really enjoyed such take on it.

The deep dive into character's traumas and thoughts was really well done in my opinion.

I can't wait for the sequel and would dive right into it if it was available! The ending was really good and when it wasn't a cliffhanger, it was really intriguing. I can't wait to get back into this world.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for granting me access to an e-arc.

Clay Harmon tells of a country with a polar climate and heavy volcanic activity, leading it’s people to live underground. The magical elements come from binding to elements like iron, and calcium. It’s a deadly process that many don’t survive. A cult captured Jakar as a child, where they forced binding with eight elements, and then a skin bonding to assure obedience to a master. Most of the children didn’t survive. Jaker was rescued by Magnate Sorrelo Adriann who uses him to keep his city under control. Unfortunately the Flames of Mira (hard from Rebellion Publishing Ltd) by treason as Sorrelo is overthrown, barely escaping the city with the help of Jakar. Only his children, Emil, Sara, and Efadora survive his death at the hands of bandits, and they, with the help of Jakar, soon plot to retake their city. Jakar is caught between the obedience he has no choice to follow. This is a very interesting world, and greed and violence drive these cavern dwellers to horrible acts. I look forward to the next part of the tale, and hope this finds it’s way to some award.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Solaris for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: death, violence, body manipulation, mind control, injury, slavery, trauma, major character death, genocide

“Flames of Mira” is the first part in an epic fantasy series telling the story of Ig, a man who was once forced to undergo trials that allowed him to control chemical elements, as he serves as a magical enforcer for an influential man in the land of Mira where everyone lives beside underground volcanoes to avoid the cold. However, Ig has no freedom- his every move and thought is dictated to him by his employer, Magnate Sorrelo Adriann, who controls Ig via “flesh-binding magic”. Any attempt to disobey him will lead to incredible pain, and eventually, agonising death. After Sorrelo is overthrown, Ig’s loyalty to Emil and Sara, Sorrelo’s children, is challenged and he has to confront the things he’s done in his past, particularly how he was made and how many innocents he’s killed, in order to decide where he’ll go next. At the same time, Emil and Sara’s sister Efadora fights to discover what she’ll be after all her family’s corruption comes to light; she was hidden away some time ago and wants nothing more than to be independent even in the midst of multiple assassination attempts.

This is a powerful and dark fantasy that focuses a lot on the importance of autonomy inside a world with a dense magic system. The book jumps straight in, taking the reader through the tight claustrophobic tunnels of Mira and into an environment where no-one (especially not Ig) feels safe. The magical system and worldbuilding is gorgeous and fascinating, and the side characters all feel genuine. Ig’s relationship with Sorrelo’s children was my favourite part of this book, because it defines so much of his development in the midst of a country in crisis. He is their protector and friend but also essentially their slave, with both of the children capable of controlling him with a word. I enjoyed this book a lot, the mixture of first person and second person perspective was used so well and it added to the twists throughout the book. For anyone who loves a detailed, immersive world with fascinating characters and the exploration of important themes like consent, “Flames of Mira” is perfect for them.

I enjoyed the world building a lot. The setting was really cool and felt fresh and unique from other books I’ve read in this genre. I enjoyed the inclusion of the wildlife and animals etc too.

The story itself was pretty decent and interesting to follow for the most part. Lots of political elements that I didn’t expect.

The magic system was cool, but I felt it could benefit more from some clearer explanation as to how it works. I had lots of questions that I felt weren’t answered clearly, not essential to the story but just ones I had about how imbibing works exactly and such. Perhaps that’s my personal taste coming through.

The main part I didn’t feel clicked for me was the characters. I just found myself not rooting or invested in the outcome for any of them. Everyone was just an awful person in some way and didn’t have anything that I felt made me care about what happened to them.

Not a bad book, just didn’t work for me.

Fantastic book! Really enjoyed the fast pace nature and couldn't get enough. Excited to see what the author does next.

Morally grey characters, underground world with magma, stones and gigantic centipedes. Add some mind control, elemental magic, and overthrowing the thone, what else could you want.

I absolutely enjoyed this book. First, the world is really different, with people living underground all the time. Given that the planet makes living on it quite inhospitable, it gave me slightly The Fifth Season vibes. And the animals, they are different and also very creepy.
On the people, themselves, it reminded me 50 Shades of Gray, but in a good way. All the characters you will meet in this book and varying shades of grey (morally) and also they will evolve (to which side, you will see). When you think somebody is very evil, you might discover that he/she has also a softer side; and vice versa. The things people will do and reason it away, will amaze you.

We have two main characters, Ig (our very powerful elemental, who is basically a slave) and Efedora (a 15 year old teenager and a princess). With Ig, I found his story very interesting, he also gave me a lot of bipolar vibes. Especially at the latter half of the book. I really liked him at the beginning but did not fully vibe with him by the end. Efedora is annoy me absolutely, hated reading her POVs. She's 15, entitled, high opinion of herself, etc. But then again, I am over 30, so that might have been a factor, also she did seem very teenager with her actions. However, the growth she goes through this book, I started to enjoy her more-and-more.

The 4 stars might be because I am verging in a reading slump and the first half of the book was somewhat hard for me to get through. But also, I felt something was missing. I didnt fully understand the world and all the politics ("god-ish" characters), but also motivation behind the actions of some of the characters were not fully understandable. We didnt get the reason why some people did what they did (Sara for example).

So, what can I say, this book has it all.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an arc.

I really wanted to enjoy this, but unfortunately it just didn't hit the right spot with me. That isn't to say the book was bad, it wasn't, it just seemed to drag a lot for me personally.

So I got one word for this book AMAZING. I've been in a slump lately, I've been reading books but everything that I've read just doesn't have that thing that makes me continue to rea, this book had all that and more in spades.
The world is very dark the surface is Frozen and iced over so everyone lives underground so they live in lava tubes but there's major cities so this isn't just a small world one of the main reasons that I continued to read this book was to find out more about this world so interesting
The characters the main protagonist his name is Ig, and he's one of the other reasons that I loved this book,the guy is broken and a slave and some of the things that he puts up with and and continues to be loyal you will see when you read it there's a lot more going on no spoilers for me very interesting there's a couple of other side characters that have chapters also that are all pretty interesting but the main plot moves around Ig and the family that he is bound to.
Now the main reason that I loved this book was the pacing and the pretty much Non-Stop action that is melded into this very brutal violent world sometimes you just have to hold your breath and let it happen. This is White Knuckle stuff here. I haven't been this excited reading a book since reading some John Gwynne books.
There it is,if you're looking for a dark brutal world some characters that are morally gray but wanting to do the right thing and a book that has pacing and action like no other read this book more people need to be reading it. This is a Breakout Hit of the Year, 5 Chaotic Stars.Thank you to Netgalley and Rebellion publishing for allowing me an ARC for an honest and unbiased review it has been an Honor

I have tried to start this book three times, and unfortunately I just haven't been able to sink into it. I think that's more an indication of my reading mood than anything about the book--it seems like a solid fantasy debut from the chapter or two I've been able to read. Unfortunately, with NetGalley archiving this one soon, I don't have the time to try it again but will review on Goodreads if I do end up finishing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

Thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this e-Arc! I have a planned review of this on my Instagram and will also review on Goodreads once I get to this read. This is one of my most anticipated reads of this year! Until then, I am giving a star rating as a placeholder on Netgalley. Stay tuned for my in depth review on all my social media platforms!

First and foremost, I LOVED the world building in this novel. That was by far the highlight of the book for me,

However, the characters were also fairly good, I especially liked Ig from the beginning. His predicament is heart breaking, He wants to be a good man, wants his freedom, but doesn't at the same time. Seeing how that played out through the plot was interesting

The religions, politictial maneuvering wasn't done poorly, but it wasn't especially gripping.

My only real complaint was the plot itself, it didn't really go anywhere that treads new grounds. That being said, it was a solid enough story, with stellar world building and magic system that I will absolutely be reading book two in this series when it comes out.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of this!

No! I am sorry, this one just isn't for me. I could tell with the introductory fifty pages or so that I was struggling with this one, and I should have listened to that inner voice on this occasion.

I had a hard time engaging with the characters. Unfortunately, I couldn't get that spark of investment in them, which subsequent impeded my ability to connect with the plot. In addition to that, there were times where the pacing of the book also impacted upon me and there were many times I wanted to quit.

It's not that there was anything inherently wrong with Clay Harmon's writing, it's just that I missed the mark on this one.

Oh well, not every book is for everyone.

I’m landing on three stars for this one because I had such high-highs and low-lows while reading this book. There were moments where I was so invested and then others where I wanted to DNF it.

The beginning is such a visceral look into the brutality and gruesomeness of the political unrest occuring in the story world. I was immediately hooked.

Then the first few chapters had me really lost. I was confused about things as there weren’t really clear explanations for some of the world-building concepts and language. I even double checked that this was the first book in the series. It was really difficult for me to get grounded into the world because of this. I needed a better understanding of the state of the world, the politics, the magic system, etc. I did get my answers, however, so if you are feeling the same way at first just stick with it and all will be better revealed within the first quarter of the book.

The elemental magic is so freaking cool and I was so intrigued with the scientific workings behind it. This part was very intricate and believable and I loved it. By

Once events started picking up and the action became more harrowing I was becoming more and more engaged with this story. The plot was thickening and I was so interested in what was happening. Ig is a badass. The world is complex and immersive. The lore and history of the world is so rich and well-developed. It was definitely worth sticking with it once things started to click into place for me.

Annnnnnd then it lost me again about halfway through. I think the pacing is probably my primary issue. I got bored again and started to not really care anymore. I needed something more at the core of the story to really drive me and keep me turning the pages. And the “romance” (if it can be called that) scene was one of the most awkward things I’ve ever read. It was so random with zero buildup. I just truly didn’t understand the purpose of it. It felt weird and out of place.

My other biggest issue is that it is written in first person past tense. Something about it just reads very clunky to me. It doesn’t flow well and it kept pulling me out of the story. I would’ve preferred either third person past or first person present.

By about 60% I was so torn. There were moments that really shined for me and I wanted to see Ig’s character really come into his own. But there were also moments that bogged down the reading. It just wasn’t exciting me enough. The vibes and urgency weren’t there. I’m undecided if I will continue this series or not.

I still think there is definitely an audience out there for this one. It is a decent debut and I’d be interested in seeing what else this author has in store for us in the future. He has a great mind for crafting unique fantasy worlds and magic systems, even if the characters weren’t as captivating. For now, this one just didn’t do it for me like I’d hoped it would.

A new author for me and the start of a new series. This was a good read with very strong characters but this book was so busy. The reader just gets to know the main characters then even more are added. It soon became confusing at times. As I said a good read but do I want to read more? This reader is still on the fence.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Thank you to @netgalley and @rebellion for this eARC.

The premise of the book was intriguing and sounded different, and I was very keen to give it a try. While it was ok and readable, I was discontented. The magic system was enjoyable and somewhat unique. It certainly had potential but felt like it missed the mark. Not sure if it was in the execution or in the writing. I didn't really gel with the writing style and for me, it didn't feel like it flowed well. The characters and character development could also have been improved, although, this may evolve with future books in the series.

Fantastic beginning to a new series. This story has an engaging story, world and plot. Highly recommend

The two things that I’ve seen most frequently mentioned by people reviewing Flames of Mira are the setting and the magic system, and while both merit mention, neither are why you ought to read this book. For all of the gritty, brutal, evocative action, the story is one that explores the nature of how pursuit of ends can lead to justifying the use of fundamentally corrupt means, and more to the point how a person with “no choice” but to be complicit in those fundamentally corrupt means may, in fact, always have a choice (if, of course, that choice comes at a cost that one might not willingly pay). So, while you absolutely will revel in the magic and the action (read on, oh ho, read on) and the setting is a spectacular break from the standard SFF fare, the soul of the book is deeper, and more satisfying, and absolutely worth your time.

Clay Harmon gives us the story of a powerful “elemental,” Ig, who is in the service of the ruler of a city state. In many ways, this story feels in some ways like it would be right at home on the streets of New York City when (at least their Hollywood versions) mafia bosses establish territory and feud for control. But, unlike watching the scions of the Corleone family engaging in power politics from someone on the inside, Flames of Mira gives us Ig, an enforcer whose free will is somewhat uncertain. From Ig’s perspective, we delve into his free will, his complicity with evil, and where a soldier’s breaking point on “just following orders” might lie.

Additionally, we observe and explore the steps that “good” people take on a path as they set out for justice, and like the dark and murky depths of the setting, they don’t see the pitfalls along the way.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the setting. This is no jaunt across the Merry old England of Errol Flynn’s dreams, this is the hardscrabble effort of humanity clinging desperately to life in a world that is Jules Verne’s Voyage to the Center of the Earth crossed with Hieronymus Bosch and Dante Alighieri in the midst of a bad bout of ergot poisoning. The world we explore is a shattered, cavernous, subterranean environment of wildly fluctuating temperature extremes (the surface is frozen, and veins of magma flow everywhere, giving the basis for the tag line “Death by ash, or death by ice”). Bioluminescence, forests of fungi, mammoth and horrifying insects, and more populate a place as hostile to the human characters as any I can recall, and sets the dark tone of the story from the first page.

The magic system is also something that gets positive press for being unique (characters bind to and control elements, as in elements from the periodic table) and which is put to use to clever and interesting uses. But more (and more to my personal preferences), it never feels pedantic or formulaic. Interesting characters push their powers in interesting directions and use it do accomplish fantastic and exciting things. Besides, who doesn’t want to see someone get punched in the face with lava?

Do yourself a favor and don’t sleep on this one.

“Tonight I would put an innocent man to death.”
Hands down one of the most interesting opening sentences I’ve read in a while.

I found that as I continued, unfortunately it felt heavy on exposition for me and I wasn’t feeling the intensity of the action that I wanted to feel. I did my best to focus and pushed through to the end of chapter 4, but it just wasn’t keeping me gripped.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion for the ARC.

As soon as I saw the cover of this book I was immediately attracted to it and wanted to find out more. After reading the synopsis, I was totally hooked and couldn't wait to snag an early copy. Rebellion was kind enough to provide one and with that, I eagerly jumped into this fascinating story. Part of what made this such a great read for me was the tight world-building and the uniquely cool magic system. A magic system that includes dipping your entire arm in molten lava (in the case of Ig) to smite your enemies. The results are pretty devastating and quite a firestorm to say the least. But that's just one of the super original and dazzling forms of magic that permeate throughout this book.

Getting back to the world-building, Clay Harmon has created one of the more interesting settings for FLAMES OF MIRA and it is almost a character unto itself. It's always rewarding when an author imagines a world with such depth that it becomes an integral part to the story. Those are some of my favorite stories in fact. A subterranean volcanic world that exists underneath a frozen wasteland above is about as good as it gets for me, and there were many moments that I found myself getting lost in this setting as much as I was sucked into the characters' lives and backstory.

Luckily the characters are in no way overshadowed by the off the charts world-building and magic as the intrigue and treachery are hot and heavy in this one, making for tons of tension and action. I mean, this is a book with so much going for it and the pages turn so quickly and easily. I found the pace to be pretty breakneck, this is not a novel where there are many lulls or dead spaces. In that respect it reminded me a lot of say a Jeremy Szal or Mike Shackle book, plenty of in your face fights and assassins looking to take out their targets at the easiest opportunity.

I would just like to wrap up by saying just how glad I was to be able to get a chance to read FLAMES OF MIRA. It ticked off so many boxes of things that I love in a satisfying read. The dark tone, expansive world-building, sensational magic, and characters who are defintely of the morally gray variety, this is a book and series that I feel will make some big waves. If you haven't read this one yet, I highly recommend that you do so at the first opportunity. It was so much fun (in a grimdarky kind of way). Clay Harmon is a new author on the scene, but has already given us so much in FLAMES OF MIRA. I supect he still has much much more up his sleeve and I honestly can't wait to see how this story evolves and where he takes The Rift Walker series from here.

I was drawn to this one by its interesting premise and it's an interesting idea that didn't really work for me in its execution. Rather than leave a negative review as it wasn't a terrible book, just not for me I'm not sharing a review for this one.