Fire Baptized by Kenya Wright
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
So, I received a free copy for review…
I really wanted to like this book. As a matter of fact, I believe it deserves a 2.5 rating versus just a 2 because it was a decent read.
I’m a fan of urban fantasy. The world Wright creates is intriguing, and I see the parallels to our history’s past. The problem is that it’s not enough. The book glosses over this world giving little hints and pieces. Supernaturals are branded and relegated to habitats, but why this was done isn’t explained. Mixed breeds are hated but again, there’s no explanation as to why. I’m guessing this will be explained in the next books, but it comes off as lazy story-telling.
The book seems more focused on the romance, and it’s horrible. We’re supposed to feel perplexed over who Lanore should choose. Hulking and beautiful MeShack, or hulking and beautiful Zulu. Their skin-color is the only characteristic that really tells them apart, but even that changes. These men are alpha males, misogynistic, brutish, and boring, but the heroine soaks it all up. I hated them, and I could not stand Lanore. One second she’s all tough and determined, and the next she’s unrealistically skittish and cowardly. It’s lazy writing meant to please the romance freaks. Sorry, I just don’t do poorly written romance.
Like I said, it’s a nifty world. Some of the plot points were intriguing, but at less than 300 pages long, it’s not that great.