Book Review: The Dagger and The Flame by Catherine Doyle
Title: The Dagger and The Flame
Release Date: October 2nd 2024
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
RRP: $24.99
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Synopsis:
In Fantome, a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering lamplight, beautiful buildings, and secret catacombs, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy the Cloaks and the Daggers – the thieves and the assassins. On the night of her mother’s murder, 17-year-old Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking sanctuary with the Cloaks, Sera’s heart is set on revenge. But are her secret abilities a match for the dark-haired boy whose quicksilver eyes follow her around the city?
Nothing can prepare Sera for the moment she finally comes face-to-face with Ransom, heir to the Order of Daggers. And Ransom is shocked to discover that this unassuming farmgirl wields a strange and blazing magic he has never seen before… Among rumours of monsters stalking the streets and the rival guilds grappling for control of Fantome’s underworld, Sera and Ransom are drawn together by something more than just magic and must face a deadly choice - forgiveness or vengeance? Kiss or kill? Dagger or Flame?
Review:
This was excellent! It was so much fun and super reminiscent of the kind of YA novel I’d read as a teenager. I was going back and forth between the physical book and the audiobook because I enjoyed both mediums so much! The audiobook was narrated by Emily Carey and Freddy Carter, and I’m a huuuge fan of the latter, so imagine my surprise when his voice came on as Ransom! 🥰 I loved the personality in both voices and it made the reading experience so much better! I do think the audiobook sounds a lot more mature than it reads as a physical book, probably because I know both actors are adults (21+ years old).
At times, I thought the dialogues and banter in the physical book were a little cheesy. But I didn’t mind them at all in the audiobook, so it was a very interesting comparison. There were also a couple of explicit scenes in the book that I thoight really didn’t need to be included! The cat and mouse chase and tension were done very well already from the start and required nothing further to fuel it. But that’s just my opinion! I’m not the biggest fan of spice, especially when the book is being marketed as YA!
I liked getting to know the characters! I love the friendship between the MCs and their dagger / cloak peers. I love that there was a huge twist and so much depth to the world of Fantome. I LOVED the chemistry between the two. 😍 The slow burn was perfectionnnnn. I kept wanting to pick it back up straight after putting it down! I was reading this during my commutes to work and it was unbearable to have to go through 8 hours before picking it up again. 🥹
Overall — LOVED this. I just had minor issues with the explicit scenes! But that ending?!?! Miss Catherine Doyle! I need the sequel asap. I have a feeling we’re going to have more tension and slow burn in the next book and I’m soooo ready for it! I loved the way it ended actually, which is so rare for me for a first book in the series! *Chef’s Kiss*. This was SO MUCH FUN. Love it! 🤍🤍
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the beautiful finished copy! Now I’m eagerly waiting for book 2!!! 😍😍
