Harmony of Fire by Brian Feehan-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 28, 2022

The We walk among us–beings who existed long before humans ever did, filled with powerful magic. Owen and Alice are both Etherealist, rare humans born with magic and a target for those We that wish to take it from them. At nine years old and against her will, Alice’s soul was tied to one such powerful and evil We. She escaped and was trained as a weapon so she might one day break the bond and safely return home. Owen is a musician who is trying to outrun his past while keeping those around him safe in an increasingly dangerous world. Only through finding each other do either Alice or Owen have a chance of survival.

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Sandy’s Review:  HARMONY OF FIRE is the first instalment in Brian Feehan’s contemporary, adult, ALICE AND OWEN urban fantasy, romance series focusing on musician/gatekeeper/Etherialist Owen Brown, and twenty-six year old, Etherialist/ hunter Alice.

SOME BACKGROUND: The We have been around since the dawn of time. With seven levels of power, the We walk among the people of Earth but a war between Heaven and H*ll forced the We to choose sides, be it angel or demon, Heaven or H*ll. Etherialists are humans born with ethereal magic, magic that can be used and abused by someone else.

Told from third person perspective following several time lines HARMONY OF FIRE focuses on twenty-six year old Alice as she hunts down the demon that controls her life. At the age of nine, Alice found herself ‘bonded’ to a man named Kerogen, who was using our heroine as his source for power. As a member of the We, Kerogen is a demon, one of the strongest of his kind, and Kerogen is determined to reclaim that which was lost. Alice is on the run, hunting for the creature that took away her free will but Alice is determined to destroy every demon that crosses her path, or has the unfortunate luck to be caught in her sights. Alice never expected to meet Owen Brown, a man she considers just as evil, but a man who can control the gates between Heaven and H*ll. Trying to prevent further destruction, Alice is imprisoned by Owen and his ‘people’, people who have power unlike anything Alice has seen before. What ensues is the building relationship between Owen and Alice, as Owen’s people make plans to take down the man who has bonded himself to our story line heroine.

We are introduced to a large cast of secondary and supporting characters, many of whom are a part of Owen Brown’s life, a life spent in service protecting the gates to the beyond.

HARMONY OF FIRE is a slow building but detailed, complex and focused story of angels and demons, power and abuse, magic and mayhem, Heaven and H*ll. There is an inordinate amount of ‘info dumping’ as the author’s world building introduces the premise, some of the backstory and details as to the who, how and why. Owen Brown is a man whose darkness pulls at his soul, a need to tread the fine line between good and evil, as our hero performs music to relieve the fire that burns from within.

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Barb’s Review:
Harmony of Fire by Brian Feehan is the first book in his Alice & Owen series. The We walk among us, beings who existed long before humans ever did, filled with powerful magic. Owen and Alice, who are the main characters in this story, are Etherealist, rare humans who also have magical abilities.  We meet Alice, whose soul was bonded to an evil We, when she was nine years old; with the help of a priest, Alice was able to escape.  Over the years, she learned how to use her powers, and spends her time to find and kill the man who did this to her; especially since he continues to look for her.

Owen is a musician, who has ability to use his music to reach into the souls of those who listen; he is able to go into the dark roads to heaven and hell.  Owen has a wonderful band of young people (I loved most the members, but especially Clover), he is very protective and loyal too; always leaving where they play, when threats are lurking and hunters are too close.  One of his band members is underage, and needs protection from others, until she is unbonded when she reaches 18 years old.   Owen will take his group to an old friend, where they will be safe; we get to meet some amazing friends of the past, such as Mara, Damon, Cornelius, just to name a few.

Alice, who has become a weapon, enters the bar, where Owen, Mara and others are, and attempts to attack them, thinking they are demons, like the man who forced the bonding on her.  They manage to stop Alice, from her attack, controlling her powers, as they imprison her in the basement, until they can prove to her, they are not demons.  Owen tries to spend time with Alice, to show her how she was taught wrong, and most of the We are good people, who were being killed by Hunters.  In a short time, his attraction to Alice escalates, and slowly she opens up to him, intrigued by his gentle kindness; she too will fall hard for Owen, and learn more about his magical music.  When Mara, Damon and Cornelius explain that they might be able to break the bond, Alice begins to open herself up to other possibilities. 

I will say that early on, the story was a bit slow and confusing, which in first books of fantasy, is usually normal; by the second half it was very exciting and intriguing.  I really loved the chemistry between Owen and Alice.  I also loved most of the secondary characters, as Mara, Damon and Cornelius had amazing powers. To say too much more would be spoilers, as you really need to read this, in order to understand.  Harmony of Fire is very well written by Brian Feehan, and I look forward to the next book, Harmony of Lies.

Copies provided by Publisher

Excerpted from Harmony of Fire by Brian Feehan Copyright © 2022 by Brian Feehan. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Brian Feehan is a 2nd generation author, son to #1 New York Times Bestselling author Christine Feehan. He lives in a small coastal town in Mendocino County Ca with his son and the love of his life Michelle. He loves spending time with family, playing tennis, cooking, reading, and of course writing.

Brian Feehan’s publisher Berkley Romance is graciously offering a paper copy of HARMONY OF FIRE to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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9. Giveaway open to USA only

10. Giveaway runs from June 28-July 2, 2022