Review: Firelight by Kristen Callihan

Firelight
(Darkest London #1)
By: Kristen Callihan
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: Feb 1, 2012
Genre: Paranormal/Historical Romance
Rating:

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

London, 1881
Once the flames are ignited . . .
Miranda Ellis is a woman tormented. Plagued since birth by a strange and powerful gift, she has spent her entire life struggling to control her exceptional abilities. Yet one innocent but irreversible mistake has left her family’s fortune decimated and forced her to wed London’s most nefarious nobleman.

They will burn for eternity . . .
Lord Benjamin Archer is no ordinary man. Doomed to hide his disfigured face behind masks, Archer knows it’s selfish to take Miranda as his bride. Yet he can’t help being drawn to the flame-haired beauty whose touch sparks a passion he hasn’t felt in a lifetime. When Archer is accused of a series of gruesome murders, he gives in to the beastly nature he has fought so hard to hide from the world. But the curse that haunts him cannot be denied. Now, to save his soul, Miranda will enter a world of dark magic and darker intrigue. For only she can see the man hiding behind the mask.

 

 

When Lord Archer stumbles across two young boys at the end of a mock sword fight he decides to secretly follow the little one to make sure that he gets home safely. However, when the boy is stopped by a group of trouble makers he is soon revealed as a she, Miranda “Pan” Ellis. Archer is taken back by her and when it looks like she is backed into a corner, he steps in and sends the boys running. However, Miranda is positive she could have handled those miscreants herself and is non too pleased that this man whom hides in the shadows thinks she is incapable of taking care of herself. Now three years later Miranda still thinks of that man but little does she know that not only has he been thinking of her as well but is non other than Lord Archer, the man who has taken her hand in marriage.

Lord Archer is dark, mysterious and down right fascinating. He keeps himself apart from society and hides behind his mask. However, here comes this fiery little thing who see’s right through the mask to the man hiding behind it. She isn’t afraid of him like everyone else, she actually is quite protective of the way people treat him. These two characters are written so well that you could picture them so easily in your mind. The flow of the book never seemed rushed or dragging but rather has a stead flow to it. I really did enjoy reading this book a lot.

For being a debut author, Kristen Callihan has hit the nail on the head with this one. She doesn’t just give us a one layered story but rather mixes and molds various genres into her own creation. There is so much wrapped into this book. I am always gravitated towards the romance in books but this one had more elements to it than that. It had mystery, what is Archer hiding behind the mask and why? Murder, men are showing up dead and all fingers point to Archer as the suspect. But then Miranda turns into the latest target and Archer is hellbent on doing whatever he can to keep her safe. Oh and let’s not leave out the paranormal aspect of this novel either.

After their fist encounter 3 years ago Miranda is no fool and refuses to turn her back on Archer and insists on checking him for weapons before she allows him to leave.
“Slowly, her slim hand smoothed over the swell of his buttock, lingering there. A shocked laugh choked his throat, the sound muddled by a stifled groan that her intrigued touch elicited. The saucy little sneak thief was copping a feel. He felt inclined to turn around and let her get a handful.”