Rating: 5 🌈
It’s been almost a year since I finished Tide of Tricks (Shadows of London #2), which left Nash’s incredible characters and tightly woven storylines in a bit of a cliffhanger. Ok a major one.
So the minute I saw this was released, I grabbed it up and started reading, diving back into Nash’s wildly addictive urban fantasy world of people with latent talents, governments who both fear them and want them, as well as those who strive to possess power and knowledge for goals unknown. The layers for the storylines and the characters the author’s has crafted feel both familiar and absolutely imaginative, the magical and ghastly soaring to creative levels that engage both our hearts, and our minds.
In Trials By Fire we get to see characters we’ve grown to love expand personally in their ability to love, become more vulnerable and make commitments yet also place themselves at greater risk. It’s Alexander Kempthorne’s time to reveal more of himself, his past history, as well as his ability to love. If I didn’t already feel deeply connected to Alex, this book will let Alex ‘s powerful personality open up , become even more layered and fascinating then before.
John “Dom” Domenici is in enormous danger when the story opens. He’s been the heart and key to Alex and the series, or so I thought. This book really has me rethinking several of the theories I had drafted in my own mind about where Nash was taking this and the couple. Dom is such a extraordinary character. He’s complex, immensely “talented latent”. His past history with his criminal king father and military training just further the complexity to his personality. And with all that, he still manages to have a huge forgiving heart.
The other characters are extremely well written and actions that occur are complicated, fast paced, and highly suspenseful. You’ll be tightly gripping whatever device you’re reading on much of the time, trust me!
We end , yet again, on a smaller cliffhanger. But the overall storyline has been satisfactorily resolved. But not without some truly pain filled, traumatic moments, and times of heartbreaking loss.
Shadows of London is a outstanding urban fantasy series and Trials By Fire is a magnificent installment!
I’m ready for Truth or Dare, the forth book on the series. It’s coming soon!
Until then, if you’re not familiar with this series, start at the beginning. They should be read in the order they are written so you can understand the relationships and the situational development.
I’m highly recommending them all.
Shadows of London Series reading order:
Twisted Pretty Things #1
Tide of Tricks #2
Trial by Fire #3
Truth or Dare #4 – coming April 22,2022
Without a Trace #5
https://www.goodreads.com › showTrial by Fire (Shadows of London, #3) by Ariana Nash – Goodreads
Synopsis:
It’s not just Alexander Kempthorne’s secrets bubbling to the surface of London’s streets…
Time is running out for John “Dom” Domenici.
Outmanoeuvred at every turn by the figure known as “M”, only Kempthorne can free Dom, but juggling the horrors of his own past, containing a rising preternatural threat and the twisted machinations of “M” might just be too much, even for Kempthorne. Can Kage Mitchell be trusted to help?
Alexander Kempthorne lost an agent before. He’ll not lose another. He’ll do anything to save Dom, and if that means revealing who and what he truly is, then his time has come.
***
Trial by Fire is the mid-series finale, in this action-packed all-new Shadows of London urban fantasy series. Action, mystery, and gay romance combine in this fast-paced adventure from the author who brought you the award-winning Prince’s Assassin series.
Content warning: mention of past mental and physical abuse.
Please note the Shadows of London series is set in London and the characters are all British (so is the author). Although the series has been edited in US English for the US market, to include US spelling and grammar, many English slang words and spelling remain as part of the character of the work.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 