Brimstone

Let me start by saying this: not every book in a series is going to land with the same impact as the first, and that’s okay. This is only book two, and there’s still room for the world and characters to grow. And I do know that. I also want to say upfront that this book is beautifully written. I adore Callie Hart, always will, and I’ll absolutely be continuing this series. She’s an author that when I see a book it will always be an auto buy because she’s excellent!That being said… Brimstone was a tougher read for me. I went into it wanting to love it, to shout about it from the rooftops the way I did with Quicksilver. But I have to be honest, this one wasn’t my favorite. And that’s OKAY!The plot felt very confusing, layered, and at times overwhelming. There was so much happening all at once that it felt like someone handed me a puzzle where all the pieces were there but scattered, and I kept trying to figure out how they connected but I just couldn’t quite get the full picture. I often found myself confused about who was where, what was happening, and why new conflicts were being introduced before previous ones had settled.That said, there were things I really loved.✨ Særis’s development in her alchemy and power was incredible! One of the best parts of the book.✨ The entire plot with finding Kingfishers real name, a masterpiece!!! Loved this so much!✨ Loved the inclusions of the past with Fisher connecting to the future with Saeris (keeping this vague so no spoilers)✨ The fast-paced action scenes were vivid and exciting. There were so many scenes with my jaw on the floor.✨ And Kingfisher and Carrion? Their moments were some of my absolute favorites. Their interactions had so much spark and depth.It wasn’t a bad book by any means, it just didn’t hit as hard for me as Quicksilver did. I devoured book one immediately, but Brimstone left me feeling a bit lost and unsure of what direction things are headed next. I do love this world, I do love these characters, and I’m absolutely planning to continue the series. I’m hopeful book three will pull all these threads together in a way that makes everything click!Lastly, one thing I have to absolutely rave about: the audiobook. It is PHENOMENAL. The voice actors are incredible, their chemistry is so good, and the production is beautifully done. If you haven’t listened yet, it’s worth it for the performance alone.Overall: a mixed experience, but still a world and group of characters I’m invested in. And I can’t wait to see what comes next!

It makes me sad to even write this. As someone who LOVED Quicksilver I had high hopes for Brimstone and with the exception of the last 25% this book the rest mostly fell flat for me.The writing was clunky. The pacing was off. The plot was murky. I think Callie tried to do too many things inside these 700 pages. Half the time I was confused on where we were and what was happening. Saeris just seemed to be spinning her wheels for most of the book until she finally found her fire and her purpose towards the end. Fisher was all over the map. Literally. The majority of the book just felt like a long giant breath we were holding until FINALLY somewhere along the way we found an interesting plot. The parts that should have been made a focus weren’t. A huge swath of this book was about a court that basically doesn’t exist by the end so what was the point of spending 500 pages talking about it? This was too long of a book for very little to actually happen which can unfortunately be the case with a lot of second books in a trilogy. Had it not ended the way it did it probably would have been 3 stars but she has at least set us up for what I hope will be a good book 3.The romance between Saeris and Fisher was still there and still hot so that at least helped. Fisher’s mouth is probably still the best thing about it. Carrion, bless him, brought the comic relief and the only character development in this rag tag group. He and Taladiaus were the more interesting of the side characters. Oh and Onyx. Save the fox at all costs.This wasn’t a bad book. There were still parts that had me in its grip but overall just feeling massively disappointed. But I love the world and I love the characters so for that it’s 4 stars and I hope for more in the next book.

I can’t breathe!What was that ending??So good. I need 2-4 business days to process my emotions and thoughts on this.I will come back for a full review soon.*******************************************************UPDATE!Okay, now that it has been a few days. I am still so giddy over this.My review won’t be long winded (hopefully), but here are just a few thoughts and highlights.I loved this, however, I liked Quicksilver more. 2 things about this book that weren’t my particular favorite, but they are minor. One) the middle of this book felt slow and drawn out. However, not as much as some other “middle books.” Two) I think having Kingfisher’s POV when he was with or around Saeris, detracted from the yearning that was present in Quicksilver.However, I LOVED GETTING KINGFISHER’S POV WHEN HE WAS WITH CARRION! That was magical and their dynamic together is so much gold!Seeing “dead” people anyone? Carrion pushing his luck when it comes to his feelings for Saeris around Kingfisher?In this book, there is much more in battle action, much more vampire politics, much more backstory on Kingfisher and his friends, much more depth to his relationship with Saeris (which I freaking LOVED), much more roundedness about Saeris’s past, and also we get more softness from Kingfisher… the Kingfisher of the past, before the quicksilver made him crazy. Plus, his deep and true love for Saeris made his willingness to accept and appreciate Onyx, that much more sweet.Pinecone anyone 😍🥰?Again, I don’t want to go too much in depth with my review but this book just cemented why I fell so in love with Quicksilver.Pick this up for Kingfisher, Carrion, Onyx and Saeris, alone!

***SOME SPOILERS AHEAD***I believe i said this in my last review, but Hart's writing is so refreshing. Going from other fantasy books (won't name names, but IYKYK), where the writing was sloppy, slow, full of fillers and clearly not well thought out, this series has so far delivered.The character building is on point. The storyline makes sense and has very little fluff. I truly love and appreciate. The fact that our heroines in this book are mature and are not arguing over pointless things every other chapter. The love, respect, and trust that these characters have in one another is so great. I must say, Carrion continues to be my favorite character. He is the perfect comic relief. It seems so genuine and is so perfectly timed, without it feeling like it's being overdone. There were s few times that he literally made me laugh so hard that my eyes teared up!So you must be wondering why the 4 starts instead of 5?There are a few things about this book that really, really, bothered me. Total eye roll moments.For one, Saeris' powers. She's skilled, she's tough, she's resilient, all characteristics i enjoy. However, the fact that she was able to pick up on some of her powers so quickly were "oh, come on!" moments for me. I get that she is capable and ask that, but she went from human, to fae, to vampire, and suddenly knows how to navigate those powers? Sure. Prime example for me was her bringing Onyx back to life. I mean, come on! I honestly cried my eyes out when he died, but I think the fact that she managed to do something that is considered impossible was frustrating. As much as I loved that little fox, her reviving him killed that part of the book for me and what sacrifice he made for her.Then there's the ending. Um... what?! Im so confused. So Fisher, Kayden, is half-God? Son of a God? I'm so confused. And if he had those abilities to break free of the hold from Crave and the other guy, how was he not able to kill Belikan or avoid being trapped in that tree?*sigh* just a bit confusing and frustrating, but overall, still a really good read that i would recommend! I cannot wait for book 3!

Because I loved Quicksilver so much, I was really worried about the second book. It seems like it's always the ones where expectations and hopes are the highest that let you down the most. Callie did not disappoint with the second book! It was honestly just about perfect.I saw a couple reviews calling this book "filler." I honestly have no idea why or what they would have liked to see from a second book instead. I suspect that maybe the focus not being on the romance aspect was a let down for some people. I'm not one of those people. In book 2, Saeris and Fisher are just together and the exciting story continues. There's no angst or pointless fighting between the main couple. I'm so grateful for that. It's such a mistake when authors do that. I've given up on series over it. Callie tells a crazy story in the world she's created and there's still mystery and things unfold unexpectedly. There's humor, action, feels. It's the whole package. Never a dull moment.We meet new characters and see new places. I suspect one or two of the new characters will get a spin-off series. There's a whole new monster to fight. Callie really keeps the reader hooked. She was born to write fantasy! Nothing about it felt stale or overdone. Carrion is so funny and likeable. I like the amount of page time that he got.And of course, like the first book there were some "WTF" moments. And if anyone says it was predictable or they saw it coming, they're lying. Callie weaves a masterful story. It's going to be one heck of a movie!!!!! Can't wait for book 3!!!!

Brimstone Review 4 ⭐️ I really liked Brimstone. I liked it more than Quicksilver. The dual POVs elevated Brimstone and I think would've done the same for Quicksilver, if maybe started about halfway through. KF POV brought a depth to the worldbuilding that Searis POV isn't able to do. We understand what's happening in Brimstone far more because of KF. The dialogue is improved. There's less cussing, which I don't have a problem with, it's just there so much of it in QS that's it's distracting from the story. Cussing should like exclamation points. In Brimstone, I feel it's used more appropriately, and the overall dialogue is tighter and more on point. There's less rambling in conversations. In QS, there were several conversations that seemed to loop for the sake of looping. It starts off slow and it took me until about 30% to really get into it. I wasn't sure I'd be able to read it at first because I was having a hard time connecting to the story and KF and Searis, but then it finally grabbed me during KFs POV and I was in the story. The middle is far more interesting because we get some more backstory and characterizations fleshed out. The end speeds up to the point I felt like I missed a scene. There's a point I had to go back and check, nope, I didn't miss anything. It was jarring to go from details, details, details to a huge jump in location. Still not sure how I feel about that. Plot device? Overall, I good read, entertaining, would I reread... I don't think so. Will I read the next book, oh definitely.

Okay, after such a lengthy wait for this book, I didn’t want to read it when I saw that there is a third book coming out! I respect the author’s need for a break after completing the first book. It’s still annoying to wait for the rest of the story. When I dared to look at the release for book 3, I wanted to whine and sulk! Book 3 has a release date of a year from now! Now, let’s get into it! The whole vamp/fae mashup known as Saeris Fane was drawn out to the point of wanting to make this book a DNF. To have her figuring out how the two halves of her will work out, while trying to stay alive, is enough of to fill a book. Then there are so many moving parts to this story that it can get confusing. I love Kingfisher! He’s strong, physically and mentally. He loves, and adores Saeris to no end! He’s also loyal to those who he loves. He’s extremely intelligent, and detail oriented. He doesn’t miss the small details that Saeris may miss. He’s truly a helpmate to her. There are too many people after power. It seems that Kingfisher’s mom has a major part to play in this series. Her journal has answers to many problems they come upon, and gives them a bit of direction. The cliffhanger is just mean to the readers. It’s a wtf moment, lol. The author gets the last laugh at the end, because she knew it would drive us bonkers!!! It’s a good follow up. It’s just a lot to take in, and sort out! A second read is going to be needed for me to flesh out some conversations. As well as the journal entries.

Five stars, because I'm certain on my second reading once I'm savoring, and annotating all the things, this will earn that rating. I rushed through just to discover all the things and now I need to let the tale have its way with me slowly, this time.I'd read some weird rumors before beginning Brimstone that it contains a love triangle and I'd like to say that is not true. So there's no need to hold your breath there.I've read a few scathing reviews as well. Saeris seems to earn a lot of disgust for her seemingly unsympathetic no clueary in certain situations. I don't think that's the entire case here. She's had to survive since the moment of her birth and a deeply ingrained elemental of that is not thinking about how others have been affected by a horrible event until you're confronted by it. Now, if it's one of the central beings in her life, her mind won't be able to quiet. But Danya has given the poor girl nothing but grief, I can't find fault with the survival mechanism to not think about how Danya was affected by the certain event. Did she need to ask such an indelicate question, perhaps not, but I'm not going to throw shade at her for it.Now, the repeated usage of the word "mate" didn't bother me. That's what they are, the same as saying husband or wife... maybe they could've referred to each as my "my love" or some other silly term, but that would've changed the entire theme of their relationship and I don't think they were ready for that yet.I loved the foreshadowing! I think Callie Hart did a fantastic job of giving us hints before we got to some of the more pivotal scenes. This was not predictable in the least when you look at the total landscape. The ending alone was frustratingly phenomenal and took me a few minutes to calm down from. I need book three like I need my next breath!! Questions, I have so many questions! And I don't see plot holes in Brimstone, I see possibilities for book three and beyond, and I am here for each spectacular one! I've still got goosebumps from that very last page.Kingfisher had some unforgettable lines that I can't wait to read again. He's every bit as delicious and enticing as book one.I will say that the scene with Onyx toward the end gutted me, but not quite enough. The emotions could've been deeper, to really give me the feelings that my heart needed to sell the event as undoable. I absolutely knew that it wasn't going to end the way the book was portraying it. Hooray to me for knowing it wasn't the conclusion. I genuinely would've cried bucketfuls of tears.I wasn't worried about Ren, I knew he was where he needed to be and I couldn't wait to find out where that was. I loved the reunion, and what he's been doing, and think he's absolutely worthy, but I'm sad for what this means for his future as well. Mixed emotions there. I need so many things for him in order to be satisfied with his story arc.The bromance between Fisher and Carrion had me flying through the first half of the book. The moment where Kingfisher decides to lay the past to rest and appreciate Carrion for who he really is melted my heart.Can anyone be more invested in the fates of Onyx, Carrion and Ren?! Bravo to the author for making us love each one so very much!!Brimstone was unputdownable for me and I will rate this series as a god tier forevermore.

What can I said that has not been said already? This book did not suffer from the 'middle book in a trilogy' dip that some stories do. Callie Hart hit the ground running and never once stopped throughout the course of this installment.The Kingfisher and Carrion adventure back to the human realm absolutely delivered as the buddy comedy we didn't know we needed, with plenty of action, snark, and bonding that I was hoping for. It was worth the time alone to get more insight into Carrion as a character, and seeing Fisher start to understand the man beneath the charismatic joker played out perfectly. (If you want to see more into Carrion's heart, do yourself a favor and search for the Target bonus chapter.)I also loved getting a good chunk of the book from Kingfisher's POV. Seeing both sides of the story from him and Saeris advanced the story in a way that was more well rounded than if had it had only been from the viewpoint of our alchemist FMC.Saeris herself grew a great deal in this story, while still staying true to who she is as a person. There are sometimes when the FMC has a whole personality change when given a little boost of power, but that didn't happen here. She faced her new form and powers, along with her acceptance of the mate bond with Fisher, and new connection with Taledeus while still retaining the fundamental parts of herself. Not losing herself actually played out on page and I loved that.Side note: I need more of Tal in the next book or a spin off novel. His character, from his past to wherever he is going, has so much potential. I'd eat that up like candy.And the end of the book....I re-read the last two or three chapters at least four times. Then sat there staring at the wall for awhile trying to absorb it all. I won't say more, if you've read it, you know what I am talking about. Holy hell.All that said, I think this was a great second installment in the series and am relieved the next book has a publish date - even if it is a year out.(And if you saw that glaring error in chapter 14 - no you didn't. Mistakes happen, let it go and just enjoy the damn ride.)

I loved it.It had everything I love in a book. It had a few errors but that didn’t bother me and didn’t mess with the overall book. I loved the story, it kept me interested and I loved the characters. I’m so glad Hart didn’t do anything crazy to break my trust as the reader that would make me want to throw the series out (Fourth Wing), if anything she helped build this beautiful world and story that I wish I could live in forever.It had 10/10 🌶️, a plot that kept me on my toes, and depth.I can’t wait for the next one.I also loved the voice actors. I loved how we had both POV!My physical copy is also beautiful.

I loved it.It had everything I love in a book. It had a few errors but that didn’t bother me and didn’t mess with the overall book. I loved the story, it kept me interested and I loved the characters. I’m so glad Hart didn’t do anything crazy to break my trust as the reader that would make me want to throw the series out (Fourth Wing), if anything she helped build this beautiful world and story that I wish I could live in forever.It had 10/10 🌶️, a plot that kept me on my toes, and depth.I can’t wait for the next one.I also loved the voice actors. I loved how we had both POV!My physical copy is also beautiful.

4.5 ⭐️Well good gods - there is so much to unpack here.I went into this book with such high expectations because I devoured Quicksilver (twice) in less than 2 days. Brimstone, not so much. Honestly, this book was so darn slow moving for me. The last 10-15% is what did it for me in this book. Besides Carrion and his hilarious banter, it was the best part of the book for me!However, I did really enjoy this book. I giggled, I teared up, I blushed and said What The Heck on so many occasions. Saeris, Kingfisher, Carrion and Onyx all get 5 stars!! Their characters are so well thought out, IMO. I truly believe that Carrion carries a lot of this book. Saeris is truly a force of a female and so full of snark. Kingfisher, he may be broody and v!0lent but he is just a lush teddy bear when it comes to his mate. And Onyx, omg, he is seriously the best animal sidekick ever!!The immersive, lush detail, and vibrancy of this world is so amazing. It’s dark and full of so many dangers. And the lore, it was incredible; and while it tended to drag on at times, its importance to the story is clear. There are a lot of moving pieces in this book that will need to be tied up in the final installment so I’m anxious to see how it all plays out.But let’s talk about that ending for a moment, shall we. I’m usually pretty decent at pinpointing the Easter eggs and figuring out some twists; but this one…nope! Don’t see that coming with a 20 ft pole!! But, so many things make so much more sense now!! Now we must ponder over all of this and anxiously await book 3.

Brimstone is the second book in the Fae and Alchemy series, and it did not disappoint. We got to see Saeris and Fisher as a couple, and their relationship stayed fun and interesting. Saeris struggled with her new role, and the problems kept piling up. There wasn't a chance to get bored with everything that was going on and the new information revealed throughout the story. I really enjoyed the side characters. I think Carrion makes the book, and I would love to see more of him. In book three, I would love it if he had his own POV, or he needs a novella. Finally, I just love all the elements that make this a romantasy: the spice, banter, found family, tragic backstories, and more! I did think the ending was a bit much. There was a lot thrown at the reader in the last part of the book, but Callie Hart really likes her dramatic endings. So many things to come in book 3... storylines left dangling and questions to be answered. I can't wait, and this is a 5-star book!

Normally after I finish a 600+ page whopper, I sit with my thoughts for a little bit. But I figured I would just let my thoughts flow out, because I have some very specific opinions on Book 2 of the Fae and Alchemy series.📕 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Brimstone by Callie Hart📙 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: Fae and Alchemy series. Book 2.📗 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀: E-book on Kindle.📘 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Fantasy romance🌟 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: The second book of romantasy trilogies is always a complicated one. They feel long and short at the same time. They often have a lot of answers, but also bring about plenty of more questions. They aren't (usually) beloved. And that's kind of how I felt about Brimstone.Let's start with what I appreciated. The story moved along really well. For a 600-page book, it was paced quickly enough that I didn't feel weighed down. The plot was interesting, still, and I thought the world-building continued to be inventive. I love all of the characters around Saeris and Fisher as well, which makes reading so much better.It did definitely have it's issues though. I'm just going to be "that girl" and say that composition wise, it definitely had its issues. I didn't love the dual POV like I thought I would - I think because Kingfisher's thoughts were way different that Saeris had billed him in book 1. I would have liked to have kept something of an edge to him. I didn't love that Saeris and Fisher's relationship didn't progress much - from a romance side nothing really deep happened there, though there were definitely some swoony and spicy moments I liked.There was also a writing choice I didn't love - more than once, Callie Hart would have a character tell Saeris something (something important to the plot) and then not detail it on the page. It left the reader in the dark, and then Saeris or Fisher would reveal what was said later in the book. Once was fine, but the amount of times it happened became annoying really quickly - and predictable, because you knew the answer you needed as a reader was going to be revealed at the end of the book.I am also not a fan of bonus chapters - that can be found online or in specific editions - being this important to a storyline. And yes, I am sure you've heard, but there's a very glaring editorial mistake that got left in. I didn't look at spoilers, but I certainly did notice it.I wouldn't say I left this book feeling like I absolutely loved it. I definitely still really like the series, and will continue through to the next book. But I didn't shut the book and battle a book hangover. I didn't need a minute with where it left off. I'm intrigued, and glad I took notes so I don't have to go through a reread next year.𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹: 3.5/5 🌶🌶🌶

Ok before I begin with my review can I just say I found the pronunciations in the beginning to be hilarious because as an eyeball reader I was obviously pronouncing everything wrong… did it take away from my reading? No it didn’t. Will I probably still continue to pronounce things wrong? Yes I will but it did make me chuckle because I don’t think I’ve seen two pronunciation pages before. Anyway, I feel like it to me years to finish this book with all the stopping and starting I had to do because of life in November that I almost wish I didn’t read it until things were less crazy so I could really dive in. That being said, I did really enjoy it. We got way more spicy scenes which was a nice surprise I hadn’t expected, and I continued to meet new lovable side characters. The fighting was less intense in the book than I was expecting and it was very plot heavy- as in lots of plotting from the characters regarding what to do, where to go and how to do things. I enjoyed the secret book that saeris got from her would be MIL and enjoyed discovering all of her powers and transformations. The scene with little Archer had me in tears because I just picture him as like the baby teacup from beauty and the beast only like fire and technically an adult but he gives that sweet adorable energy. Then on the flip side the last scene with Onyx had me rolling my eyes because I mean honestly what a wasted use of a skill that would’ve helped soooo many others. In the end I didn’t realize the series was more books so the cliffhanger took me by surprise. Hopefully book three comes out soon because if it’s a whole year before we get more I’ll probably have forgotten the story and idk if it’s so yet another reread 🫠RomantasyDual povSpice level yes

(Review with NO spoilers)Easily both a 5-star book and 5-star audiobookWords can’t do this justice, but I’m going to try anyway. I loved Quicksilver, and devoured it in one sitting. Brimstone was different. Brimstone was savored, taken in slower but no less delightfully.There were points where I needed to or wanted to put the book down and reflect on something that made me think about something in my life, or think back to something else in its or Quicksilver’s storylines or character details, or something similar. Just places where I wanted to pause and breathe and not rip through the book at such breakneck speed that I might miss details within it or that linked back to Quicksilver or that caused me to think about bigger picture things within my own life.I know other reviewer have gone into more plot details and character details, so I won’t focus on that here. There are some themes that are worth mentioning- particularly that of found family, for both Kingfisher and Saeris, both individually and with each other. Honestly I think this is one of the most important themes in the book, carried over from Quicksilver, and worth paying attention to, aside from the masterful world building, storytelling, and character development, all of which get more amazing depth to them from what we see in book 1.I’m also appreciative of the way the book ends. (No spoilers, I promise!). Just like Quicksilver, while these are clearly parts of a whole, individual books with a full trilogy, the books end with well-wrapped-up storylines and not on super dramatic cliffhangers.While Brimstone’s ending is a little more of a cliffhanger than Quicksilver’s was, it is still a satisfying ending for me. Clearly there are plot lines left undone, and waiting for resolution that lead into book 3. But I feel, and pardon the repetition of words here but I can’t think of a different one that conveys the same thing, satisfied with the way the book ends- enough wrapped up to feel complete, yet enough still lingering on the palate to be eagerly waiting for more, while not so much so that there’s a devastating cliffhanger effect that is so common with books within romantasy or even broader fantasy series.I was very happy that Brimstone has Whispersync between Audible and Kindle- it’s my favorite way to read/listen right now, plus I can switchover to Audible-only for in the car or whatever for a time, and then back to the synced Audible/Kindle and pick back up at the updated location.For the Audible portion of the book review, the narrators, Anthony Palmini and Stella Bloom, are both absolutely amazing. I was particularly impressed with the dynamic range of Anthony Palmini across such a diverse cast of male characters and creatures. I should have expected no less from him, given his performances in Quicksilver and in the Audible-exclusive Kingfisher POV chapters, but he really shines in Brimstone. If you ever get a chance to do the audiobooks for these books or any other by Palmini, you won’t be disappointed.On the technical side, no issues with the Kindle edition, nor with the Whispersync of the audiobook to the ebook.