Flame of Surrender by Rhiannon Paille (REVIEW + GIVEAWAY)

Genre:	Young Adult, Fantasy
Publication.Date	November 1st 2011
Pages:	260
Published By:	Coscom Entertainment |
Website	Rhiannon Paille |
	Flame of Surrender - Goodreads
My review copy:	Review copy received from the author in exchange for an honest review
Where to get:	Barnes and Noble | Amazon |

The boy who follows death meets the girl who could cause the apocalypse.

Krishani thinks he’s doomed until he meets Kaliel, the one girl on the island of Avristar who isn’t afraid of him. She’s unlike the other girls, she swims with merfolk, talks to trees and blooms flowers with her touch. What he doesn’t know is that she’s a flame, one of nine individually hand crafted weapons, hidden in the body of a seemingly harmless girl.

Nobody has fallen in love with a flame until now. She becomes Krishani’s refuge from the dreams of death and the weather abilities he can’t control. Striking down thousand year old trees with lightning isn’t something he tries to do, it just happens. When the Ferryman dies, Krishani knows that he’s the next and that a lifetime of following death is his destiny.

And Kaliel can’t come with him. The Valtanyana are hunting the flames, the safest place for her is Avristar. Krishani can’t bear to leave her, and one innocent mistake grants the Valtanyana access to their mystical island. They’re coming for Kaliel, and they won’t stop until every last living creature on Avristar is dead. She has to choose, hide, face them, or awaken the flame and potentially destroy herself.

(goodreads.com)

“He released his hold on her and she turned, and buried her face in his chest. He ran his hands along her back. “I thought about you every day,” he said as he pressed her cheek into him. She smiled against his tunic.
“And I thought about you.”
“Promise me one thing then,” he whispered as she shook.
“What?”
“That you’ll find a happy ending"

The girl was running her fingers through her knots of hair and he leaned forward to get a better look at her. She was petite, the ivory dress hugging her body in a very flattering way. She was the first thing that left him stunned and mesmerized, heart thumping and palms sweaty. 

He didn't have the courage to tell his brothers that even with all the training, when he tried to manipulate the elements, they lashed back at him and caused mass destruction to the land. 

Something curled itself around her ankle and she felt a pit in her stomach. its webbed hands stretched out on her leg and she heard a coo from merfolk a second later. She tried to relax, these merfolk were wild like the ones in Orlondir, but their home was bigger and deeper. More hands grabbed at her thighs and her forearms and she realized there was a swarm of them surrounding her.

    

     Rhiannon Paille is the J.R.R. Tolkien of today's young adult generation. She's a visionary with a phenomenal talent for words, and I just can't tell you how much I love her! I'm not in the least surprised that I enjoyed her YA debut novel so much - she wrote a beautiful story, because she herself is a wonderful person with a beautiful soul. Visually breathtaking and emotionally powerful - The Flame of Surrender will have you riveted to its pages from the opening passages to the cliffhanger ending. Starcrossed lovers, marvellous setting, magic, adventure and jaw-dropping twists - this book has everything a fantasy fan could possibly crave for.

      I won't even try to describe the plot. It's beyond me. Too epic to even try - I'm still not sure if I got everything right and I feel like I need to re-read this book ASAP. As soon as you start reading, you are drawn into the world of magic, mystery and forbidden love. Rhiannon crafted an astounding story that enthralls in scope, writing ability and creativity. She basically built everything from scratch, breathing life into her creation with her mesmerizing and evocative storytelling. This book is just as fragile as a butterfly wing, and just as sweet and addictive as a slow and soft kiss on a hot summer evening. Graceful, vibrant, fresh and absolutely charming, Flame of Surrender is made of win and epicness.

      I can't emphasize enough how much I fell in love with this story. No amount of raves, oohs and aahs can ever do this book justice. I loved everything about it, from the magnificent and fully imagined setting, well-drawn and lively characters, magical and mysterious atmosphere and deliciously forbidden romance to the heart-breaking twists and unexpected surprises.

      I admit, at the beginning I felt overwhelmed. Who wouldn't? You find yourself thrown into an entirely new world and it takes a moment to sort through all the customs, traditions, rules, places and people that you're introduced to. Rhiannon doesn't waste time explaining how everything works, the reader is basically on his/her own. But as the story progresses, everything comes together and you begin to see the big picture. It's totally worth it. You'll need to stay focused and open minded. If you do that, you'll be rewarded with something beyond a typical fantasy novel, something so epic, your eyes will pop and your head will be spinning!

      One of my favorite aspects of this book was its uniqueness and freshness. Especially when it comes to naming the characters and places. And don't even get me started on all the cool stuff the main characters could do/were burdened with, that was just out-of-this-world fantastic. Wow! It took me some time to actually memorize more than the names of the two MCs, but about half way through the book, I found myself so into this world that I felt like I could close my eyes and magically transport myself to the Island of Avristar. I can't remember last time something like that happened to me. I wanted to have a conversation with the trees, make things bloom with just a single touch or even strike things with a lightning! I wanted to visit the Elmare Castle and swim with the merfolk.. ahh.. so many fabulous, beautiful things and sceneries! I crave more!

      Flame of Surrender is hands down one of my favorite fantasy books ever. YA or not, this is just pure awesomeness and every fantasy fan should read it. It's a delectable, rich in detail, numbingly brilliant and swoon-worthy read that you can't afford to miss out on. I'm enraged that I can't have the second book, like, right now! I'd give a lot to be able to delve back into the fascinating and imaginative world of Avristar.

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Thanks to the fabulous
Rhiannon Paille

We have a paperback copy of Flame of Surrender up for grabs today!

open to: US/CANADA

Ends: January 15th

enter through Rafflecopter below:

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About the Author

Evie is the Blogger behind Bookish. She enjoys reading many different genres, especially YA, Paranormal, Contemporary Fiction and Fantasy.

She loves talking to authors and is always happy to welcome them for interviews, and guest posts. She also likes spreading the love for awesome books and  chatting with fellow book-worms.

You can find Evie here: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Shelfari | The Library Thing