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Rift Walker #1
Flames of Mira
Among the volcanoes beneath Mira’s frozen lands, people like Ig are forced to undergo life-threatening trials that bind chemical elements to the human body. One of Mira's most powerful elementals, Ig works in secret as an enforcer for the corrupt Magnate Sorrelo Adriann, but is cursed with binding magic — magic that will kill him at the first sign of disobedience. His days are spent hunting down anyone who would oppose the magnate, a shell of his old self who clings to old memories and his budding friendships with the magnate's son and daughter.
When Sorrelo is overthrown in a coup and the country is thrown into chaos, Ig quickly learns he can do far worse than what Sorrelo has asked from him so far. If he can’t rediscover the person he was and escape his bindings in time, he will have to kill countless innocents as Sorrelo and his allies seek to reclaim the throne, or sacrifice himself trying.
When Sorrelo is overthrown in a coup and the country is thrown into chaos, Ig quickly learns he can do far worse than what Sorrelo has asked from him so far. If he can’t rediscover the person he was and escape his bindings in time, he will have to kill countless innocents as Sorrelo and his allies seek to reclaim the throne, or sacrifice himself trying.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published July 5, 2022
About the author
Clay Harmon
2 books100 followersClay Harmon grew up outside Yosemite National Park, where he was a long-distance runner and helped lead his high school’s military program. While he was falling in love with writing on Star Wars fanfiction sites, he was trying (and failing) to earn his pilot’s license before he turned 18. As an adult he worked at Barnes & Noble and received his degree in marketing. He now works for a tech company, and in his off-time lifts weights, loses at video games, and terrorizes his cats. He lives in Utah with his wife. Find Clay on Twitter at @ClayHarmonII or http://www.clayharmonauthor.com.
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January 27, 2022This is the greatest and best book in the world...'s tribute.
July 5, 2022
Original review posted on my blog Out of This World SFF:
https://outofthisworldrev.blogspot.co...
As soon as I saw the cover of this book I was immediately attracted to it and wanted to find out more. After reading the synopsis, I was totally hooked and couldn't wait to snag an early copy. Rebellion was kind enough to provide one and with that, I eagerly jumped into this fascinating story. Part of what made this such a great read for me was the tight world-building and the uniquely cool magic system. A magic system that includes dipping your entire arm in molten lava (in the case of Ig) to smite your enemies. The results are pretty devastating and quite a firestorm to say the least. But that's just one of the super original and dazzling forms of magic that permeate throughout this book.
Getting back to the world-building, Clay Harmon has created one of the more interesting settings for FLAMES OF MIRA and it is almost a character unto itself. It's always rewarding when an author imagines a world with such depth that it becomes an integral part to the story. Those are some of my favorite stories in fact. A subterranean volcanic world that exists underneath a frozen wasteland above is about as good as it gets for me, and there were many moments that I found myself getting lost in this setting as much as I was sucked into the characters' lives and backstory.
Luckily the characters are in no way overshadowed by the off the charts world-building and magic as the intrigue and treachery are hot and heavy in this one, making for tons of tension and action. I mean, this is a book with so much going for it and the pages turn so quickly and easily. I found the pace to be pretty breakneck, this is not a novel where there are many lulls or dead spaces. In that respect it reminded me a lot of say a Jeremy Szal or Mike Shackle book, plenty of in your face fights and assassins looking to take out their targets at the easiest opportunity.
I would just like to wrap up by saying just how glad I was to be able to get a chance to read FLAMES OF MIRA. It ticked off so many boxes of things that I love in a satisfying read. The dark tone, expansive world-building, sensational magic, and characters who are defintely of the morally gray variety, this is a book and series that I feel will make some big waves. If you haven't read this one yet, I highly recommend that you do so at the first opportunity. It was so much fun (in a grimdarky kind of way). Clay Harmon is a new author on the scene, but has already given us so much in FLAMES OF MIRA. I supect he still has much much more up his sleeve and I honestly can't wait to see how this story evolves and where he takes The Rift Walker series from here.
https://outofthisworldrev.blogspot.co...
As soon as I saw the cover of this book I was immediately attracted to it and wanted to find out more. After reading the synopsis, I was totally hooked and couldn't wait to snag an early copy. Rebellion was kind enough to provide one and with that, I eagerly jumped into this fascinating story. Part of what made this such a great read for me was the tight world-building and the uniquely cool magic system. A magic system that includes dipping your entire arm in molten lava (in the case of Ig) to smite your enemies. The results are pretty devastating and quite a firestorm to say the least. But that's just one of the super original and dazzling forms of magic that permeate throughout this book.
Getting back to the world-building, Clay Harmon has created one of the more interesting settings for FLAMES OF MIRA and it is almost a character unto itself. It's always rewarding when an author imagines a world with such depth that it becomes an integral part to the story. Those are some of my favorite stories in fact. A subterranean volcanic world that exists underneath a frozen wasteland above is about as good as it gets for me, and there were many moments that I found myself getting lost in this setting as much as I was sucked into the characters' lives and backstory.
Luckily the characters are in no way overshadowed by the off the charts world-building and magic as the intrigue and treachery are hot and heavy in this one, making for tons of tension and action. I mean, this is a book with so much going for it and the pages turn so quickly and easily. I found the pace to be pretty breakneck, this is not a novel where there are many lulls or dead spaces. In that respect it reminded me a lot of say a Jeremy Szal or Mike Shackle book, plenty of in your face fights and assassins looking to take out their targets at the easiest opportunity.
I would just like to wrap up by saying just how glad I was to be able to get a chance to read FLAMES OF MIRA. It ticked off so many boxes of things that I love in a satisfying read. The dark tone, expansive world-building, sensational magic, and characters who are defintely of the morally gray variety, this is a book and series that I feel will make some big waves. If you haven't read this one yet, I highly recommend that you do so at the first opportunity. It was so much fun (in a grimdarky kind of way). Clay Harmon is a new author on the scene, but has already given us so much in FLAMES OF MIRA. I supect he still has much much more up his sleeve and I honestly can't wait to see how this story evolves and where he takes The Rift Walker series from here.
June 25, 2022
Upfront, I received an ARC of this book direct from the author, who has been a friend of mine for a while now. That said, I've read other friends' books and refrained from reviewing, because I have established a pretty firm policy of only writing Goodreads reviews for books I really love.
Which is a long way of saying I loved this book.
Flames of Mira does a lot of things well that I look for in a fantasy story. It has a unique, interesting, immersive setting (mostly inside massive volcanic fissures on a planet with an inhospitably frigid surface). It has cool, exciting, intriguing magic which connects strongly to the themes at play (which I struggle to describe without spoiling reveals and twists which really ought to be experienced unspoiled). It has a protagonist who faces impossible moral choices, who keeps getting up after the world seems determined to beat him into pulp.
This book deserves to be one of 2022s hottest debuts. Fans of epic fantasy won't want to miss out on the awesome, explosive story Harmon has crafted.
Which is a long way of saying I loved this book.
Flames of Mira does a lot of things well that I look for in a fantasy story. It has a unique, interesting, immersive setting (mostly inside massive volcanic fissures on a planet with an inhospitably frigid surface). It has cool, exciting, intriguing magic which connects strongly to the themes at play (which I struggle to describe without spoiling reveals and twists which really ought to be experienced unspoiled). It has a protagonist who faces impossible moral choices, who keeps getting up after the world seems determined to beat him into pulp.
This book deserves to be one of 2022s hottest debuts. Fans of epic fantasy won't want to miss out on the awesome, explosive story Harmon has crafted.
October 21, 2023
Mira is a world unlike any other, and it swept me away.
It would be impossible to write a review for this book without talking about the worldbuilding, and so that's where I'll begin. Honestly, I could read an entire book of Harmon describing the flora and fauna in the caves and caverns where this story takes place! Every scene is vivid and every location unique. The setting brought me back to some of my early days playing D&D, roaming through the Underdark, battling monstrous creatures, and exploring the vast tunnels and caves. Needless to say, I loved it.
The characters are where things get really interesting. I know some people won't like this book, because none of our POV characters are particularly likable. They all make poor—often cruel—decisions, and can't decide if they should feel guilty or not. I found them fascinating, and real in a way that many authors are afraid to portray.
For the plot, I'll keep this spoiler-free, but I will say that the pacing is tight, and there is never a dull moment. Oh, and if you want a happy ending, or all of your favorite people to live, you won't get that. Flames of Mira is a dark story in a dark world, with crisp writing and a spit-fire plot. What excites me most is seeing the seeds planted for a truly epic story in the making.
It would be impossible to write a review for this book without talking about the worldbuilding, and so that's where I'll begin. Honestly, I could read an entire book of Harmon describing the flora and fauna in the caves and caverns where this story takes place! Every scene is vivid and every location unique. The setting brought me back to some of my early days playing D&D, roaming through the Underdark, battling monstrous creatures, and exploring the vast tunnels and caves. Needless to say, I loved it.
The characters are where things get really interesting. I know some people won't like this book, because none of our POV characters are particularly likable. They all make poor—often cruel—decisions, and can't decide if they should feel guilty or not. I found them fascinating, and real in a way that many authors are afraid to portray.
For the plot, I'll keep this spoiler-free, but I will say that the pacing is tight, and there is never a dull moment. Oh, and if you want a happy ending, or all of your favorite people to live, you won't get that. Flames of Mira is a dark story in a dark world, with crisp writing and a spit-fire plot. What excites me most is seeing the seeds planted for a truly epic story in the making.
May 11, 2022
I received an eARC come of this book via NetGalley.
I have to say I am incredibly impressed with this book. To start my rating is actually 4.5/5. I really enjoyed the subterranean world that we explore within this novel. Additionally the magic system and what a character has to go through to obtain that power was a delight to read.
However, this book is BRUTAL dark fantasy. Not just in its violence but also it’s underlying themes of slavery, toxic relationships, rage, broken families, murder and war. If any of these topics bug you then this may not be the book for you. That said I do feel the book is excepted with care and finesse.
The characters themselves are dynamic and really entertaining to read. They are not good people and are incredibly damaged in more ways than one. Learning about Jakar, Emil, Sara, Mateo, and Efadora kept me constantly on the edge of my seat.
One of my few criticisms here is the acronym POW starts randomly appearing in later chapters and get used quite bit. This is an Arc copy so that could be addressed for the final release. Also because the characters are so damaged they struggle with who they are. What they want and what they are
Willing to do to achieve their goals. It can get a bit exhausting towards the end of the book. That’s not necessary a con more of just an observation. Overall the author has achieved something really great with this book and I cannot wait to read more from him.
I have to say I am incredibly impressed with this book. To start my rating is actually 4.5/5. I really enjoyed the subterranean world that we explore within this novel. Additionally the magic system and what a character has to go through to obtain that power was a delight to read.
However, this book is BRUTAL dark fantasy. Not just in its violence but also it’s underlying themes of slavery, toxic relationships, rage, broken families, murder and war. If any of these topics bug you then this may not be the book for you. That said I do feel the book is excepted with care and finesse.
The characters themselves are dynamic and really entertaining to read. They are not good people and are incredibly damaged in more ways than one. Learning about Jakar, Emil, Sara, Mateo, and Efadora kept me constantly on the edge of my seat.
One of my few criticisms here is the acronym POW starts randomly appearing in later chapters and get used quite bit. This is an Arc copy so that could be addressed for the final release. Also because the characters are so damaged they struggle with who they are. What they want and what they are
Willing to do to achieve their goals. It can get a bit exhausting towards the end of the book. That’s not necessary a con more of just an observation. Overall the author has achieved something really great with this book and I cannot wait to read more from him.
December 4, 2022
3.0 stars
I loved the premise of this fantasy novel, but found the actual story to be more traditional than I hoped. The story was fine but I have read so many similar narratives. I wished it had been darker or simply more fresh.
I would primarily recommend this one to avid fantasy readers who can't get enough of the genre.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
I loved the premise of this fantasy novel, but found the actual story to be more traditional than I hoped. The story was fine but I have read so many similar narratives. I wished it had been darker or simply more fresh.
I would primarily recommend this one to avid fantasy readers who can't get enough of the genre.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
January 13, 2022
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is for hard fantasy fans (think: Brandon Sanderson books) who enjoy creative world building, complex magic systems, epic (and violent) action scenes, and tough moral dilemmas that make you stop and think.
We follow two characters in this story: Ig, a servant of the noble Adriann family; and Efadora, the Adrianns' teenage daughter.
Ig has an elemental power, which lets him manipulate rock and do other awesome things in a fight: he can either exert force on the elements or draw energy through the electromagnetic field. His power is controversial, as it's considered "divine magic" by the smiths, who think Ig is basically an abomination.
But Ig's biggest curse is that he has to obey all commands from the Magnate Sorrelo Adriann, due to a mysterious and secretive “flesh binding." (There’s a super cool twist near the end of the book that explains this “flesh blinding.”)
If he disobeys a command from Magnate Sorrelo Adriann, he dies.
What makes Ig a fascinating character is that even as he's forced to commit atrocities by terrible people, he never gives up hope. He’s had a terrible life, yet he continues to want to trust people, to make friends, to see the good in everyone. This makes him both refreshing and frustrating at the same time. But seeing him discover who he is, and his own purpose among a corrupt world, is a theme worth exploring. Who are we, really, when we're left to make choices for ourselves?
The other character we follow, Efadora, is a feisty teenager on her own path to self-discovery. The youngest member of the Adriann family, we watch as she's forced to decide which path she'll choose as she observes her family's corruption.
The world building is awesome. You’ve got a city built around a giant sinkhole with the upper levels made of ice, and the lower ones having lava run through it like a river. The author makes good use of this environment in the epic action scenes, as well as the magic system involving magma and the manipulation of rock.
Even with all the cool fight scenes and world building, this book, in the end, is really about Ig having to figure out who he really is, when and if he’s ever given the chance to make his own choices and forge his own path. Pretty awesome for this debut author!
This book is for hard fantasy fans (think: Brandon Sanderson books) who enjoy creative world building, complex magic systems, epic (and violent) action scenes, and tough moral dilemmas that make you stop and think.
We follow two characters in this story: Ig, a servant of the noble Adriann family; and Efadora, the Adrianns' teenage daughter.
Ig has an elemental power, which lets him manipulate rock and do other awesome things in a fight: he can either exert force on the elements or draw energy through the electromagnetic field. His power is controversial, as it's considered "divine magic" by the smiths, who think Ig is basically an abomination.
But Ig's biggest curse is that he has to obey all commands from the Magnate Sorrelo Adriann, due to a mysterious and secretive “flesh binding." (There’s a super cool twist near the end of the book that explains this “flesh blinding.”)
If he disobeys a command from Magnate Sorrelo Adriann, he dies.
What makes Ig a fascinating character is that even as he's forced to commit atrocities by terrible people, he never gives up hope. He’s had a terrible life, yet he continues to want to trust people, to make friends, to see the good in everyone. This makes him both refreshing and frustrating at the same time. But seeing him discover who he is, and his own purpose among a corrupt world, is a theme worth exploring. Who are we, really, when we're left to make choices for ourselves?
The other character we follow, Efadora, is a feisty teenager on her own path to self-discovery. The youngest member of the Adriann family, we watch as she's forced to decide which path she'll choose as she observes her family's corruption.
The world building is awesome. You’ve got a city built around a giant sinkhole with the upper levels made of ice, and the lower ones having lava run through it like a river. The author makes good use of this environment in the epic action scenes, as well as the magic system involving magma and the manipulation of rock.
Even with all the cool fight scenes and world building, this book, in the end, is really about Ig having to figure out who he really is, when and if he’s ever given the chance to make his own choices and forge his own path. Pretty awesome for this debut author!
December 21, 2021
Trying to write without spoilers for this one!
A layered, tightly-written fantasy debut that dives deep into the costs of power.
For example, the magic system (which is unique and cool, with shades of sanderson but much darker) allows people able to bond to elements and control them - but the process for obtaining magic carries a risk of death, and a guarantee of trauma. Ig, the main character, has a lot of raw power, but consequently a lot of trauma, and using his own magic can also wound or kill himself. He has a position of some authority (as an executioner / assassin / servant of someone more powerful) but is essentially enslaved. Acting on his own initiative is dangerous and reverberates with consequences, yet taking initiative and making dofficult choices is exactly what he is required to or his life is effectively forfeit.
Exploring this dynamic between power and cost is what drives and underpins the novel, putting strong characters under intense pressure the whole way through, with few easy options and many consequences. Great fantasy debut, I think would appeal to Sanderson fans among others.
A layered, tightly-written fantasy debut that dives deep into the costs of power.
For example, the magic system (which is unique and cool, with shades of sanderson but much darker) allows people able to bond to elements and control them - but the process for obtaining magic carries a risk of death, and a guarantee of trauma. Ig, the main character, has a lot of raw power, but consequently a lot of trauma, and using his own magic can also wound or kill himself. He has a position of some authority (as an executioner / assassin / servant of someone more powerful) but is essentially enslaved. Acting on his own initiative is dangerous and reverberates with consequences, yet taking initiative and making dofficult choices is exactly what he is required to or his life is effectively forfeit.
Exploring this dynamic between power and cost is what drives and underpins the novel, putting strong characters under intense pressure the whole way through, with few easy options and many consequences. Great fantasy debut, I think would appeal to Sanderson fans among others.
August 3, 2022
If I could give this book 6 stars, I would. It is, without a doubt, the best book I've read this year.
Typically, when I analyze a book, I break it into three parts: Setting, Character, and Structure. Most books pick one of these to really lean into novelty with. In the fantasy genre, that might mean a really unique backstory to extrapolate from (Character) or a fascinating new magic system and its worldbuilding implications (Setting). A fair portion of the books that lean into one of the three usually do at least one other playful thing with another. (These are usually the five-star books for me). Maybe there are some flashbacks in a cool worldbuilding setting to give some love to structure or a novel magic system really influences a character's development (this is Sanderson's MO). Rarely, do you see someone lean hard into all three. Even more rarely do they succeed.
Before reading Flames of Mira, I was skeptical of the comparisons it was drawing to my favorite book of all time: The Fifth Season. I rationalized my hesitance in that both did something novel with geological-based worldbuilding. But the reality is that Flames of Mira did what The Fifth Season did; it leaned hard into finding something truly unique to play with in all three elements of story. AND IT DID IT WELL.
I've never read a character with Ig's conflict or read a first-person POV that had flashbacks and a second first-person POV introduced seamlessly so late in the story. I've never truly felt character arcs intersect with such toxic perfection as do those of Ig and the Adriann family members. And then there's the setting: Ra Thuzan. It's unlike anything I've read in fantasy: a blend of (tasteful) Lovecraftian horror, post-apocalypse, and traditional fantasy feudalism. It's what I always wanted from Terraria, but somehow still better.
I will recommend this book to every person I know.
Typically, when I analyze a book, I break it into three parts: Setting, Character, and Structure. Most books pick one of these to really lean into novelty with. In the fantasy genre, that might mean a really unique backstory to extrapolate from (Character) or a fascinating new magic system and its worldbuilding implications (Setting). A fair portion of the books that lean into one of the three usually do at least one other playful thing with another. (These are usually the five-star books for me). Maybe there are some flashbacks in a cool worldbuilding setting to give some love to structure or a novel magic system really influences a character's development (this is Sanderson's MO). Rarely, do you see someone lean hard into all three. Even more rarely do they succeed.
Before reading Flames of Mira, I was skeptical of the comparisons it was drawing to my favorite book of all time: The Fifth Season. I rationalized my hesitance in that both did something novel with geological-based worldbuilding. But the reality is that Flames of Mira did what The Fifth Season did; it leaned hard into finding something truly unique to play with in all three elements of story. AND IT DID IT WELL.
I've never read a character with Ig's conflict or read a first-person POV that had flashbacks and a second first-person POV introduced seamlessly so late in the story. I've never truly felt character arcs intersect with such toxic perfection as do those of Ig and the Adriann family members. And then there's the setting: Ra Thuzan. It's unlike anything I've read in fantasy: a blend of (tasteful) Lovecraftian horror, post-apocalypse, and traditional fantasy feudalism. It's what I always wanted from Terraria, but somehow still better.
I will recommend this book to every person I know.
December 22, 2021
I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Flames of Mira is a strong professional debut by Clay Harmon. He creates both a unique environment and magical system that is both exciting to read about and fun to contemplate. His characters are equally compelling; Ig steals the show, but the other point of views are worth reading about. Tackling topics as diverse as the nature of power, abusive relationships, and recovering from trauma, he weaves a narrative as deft as his vivid descriptions.
Though it can be a touch information-dense at times, I would recommend it to seasoned fantasy fans looking for something different, and those uninterested in inconsistent magic systems run by the whims of the plot. Fans of "hard" fantasy like Brandon Sanderson will love Flames of Mira, possibly more than the maestro of modern fantasy's works themselves.
Flames of Mira is a strong professional debut by Clay Harmon. He creates both a unique environment and magical system that is both exciting to read about and fun to contemplate. His characters are equally compelling; Ig steals the show, but the other point of views are worth reading about. Tackling topics as diverse as the nature of power, abusive relationships, and recovering from trauma, he weaves a narrative as deft as his vivid descriptions.
Though it can be a touch information-dense at times, I would recommend it to seasoned fantasy fans looking for something different, and those uninterested in inconsistent magic systems run by the whims of the plot. Fans of "hard" fantasy like Brandon Sanderson will love Flames of Mira, possibly more than the maestro of modern fantasy's works themselves.
May 11, 2022
4.25 stars out of 5
This was a fantastic debut. It's a fantasy book in a quite unforgiving and dark world but I wouldn't call it grimdark.
The biggest accomplishment of mr. Harmons first effort is that it feels fresh and unique. People live in a world which is built completely under the surface of earth and that darkness, helps a lot with the atmosphere. It's not a huge world (at least not the part our protagonists visit) but I expect the next books to reveal a lot more about the size of it and its history.
The characters are the book's strongest point. They feel real, their actions (like them or not) seem justified and even though many share some characteristics, each character feels unique. Especially our two main POV's are both pretty well fleshed out.
The magic system plays a big part in the story and is quite complex. It reminded me a bit of Mistborn's and The Fifth season's systems, with its abilities and the way it is based on earth. I found it interesting but I hope we get further explanation of how it works because I can't say I 100% understood it.
The few things that prevented me from rating it 5 stars(although I came pretty close to it) were mainly the lack of a better explanation of the magic mechanics and of the world's history. Both would 've helped in getting a better feel of the story but maybe in the second book those will be fixed. Also the action scenes, though not bad in any case, could have been better I think.
I'm positive that Flames of Mira will be on most people's best debuts of 2022 lists and even on some of best fantasy books of the year.
This is a remarkable debut. Mr. Harmon is one to watch..
Thanks to NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for this ARC
This was a fantastic debut. It's a fantasy book in a quite unforgiving and dark world but I wouldn't call it grimdark.
The biggest accomplishment of mr. Harmons first effort is that it feels fresh and unique. People live in a world which is built completely under the surface of earth and that darkness, helps a lot with the atmosphere. It's not a huge world (at least not the part our protagonists visit) but I expect the next books to reveal a lot more about the size of it and its history.
The characters are the book's strongest point. They feel real, their actions (like them or not) seem justified and even though many share some characteristics, each character feels unique. Especially our two main POV's are both pretty well fleshed out.
The magic system plays a big part in the story and is quite complex. It reminded me a bit of Mistborn's and The Fifth season's systems, with its abilities and the way it is based on earth. I found it interesting but I hope we get further explanation of how it works because I can't say I 100% understood it.
The few things that prevented me from rating it 5 stars(although I came pretty close to it) were mainly the lack of a better explanation of the magic mechanics and of the world's history. Both would 've helped in getting a better feel of the story but maybe in the second book those will be fixed. Also the action scenes, though not bad in any case, could have been better I think.
I'm positive that Flames of Mira will be on most people's best debuts of 2022 lists and even on some of best fantasy books of the year.
This is a remarkable debut. Mr. Harmon is one to watch..
Thanks to NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for this ARC
May 12, 2022
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Flames of Mira was a really promising debut novel from Clay Harmon. This book had a setting that is very different from those you tend to see in most fantasy novels, it was set in and around volcanoes. In my opinion the Characters and World Building really shine through in this one. My favorite perspective was Jakar, and whenever it would switch to Efadora I would try to get back to the main character's POV as soon as possible. But my biggest criticism of this book was how little the magic system is actually explained, that is fine when it is a soft magic system but when it is a hard magic system like it seems like it is in this one, I would like a more in depth exploration of it.
Flames of Mira was a really promising debut novel from Clay Harmon. This book had a setting that is very different from those you tend to see in most fantasy novels, it was set in and around volcanoes. In my opinion the Characters and World Building really shine through in this one. My favorite perspective was Jakar, and whenever it would switch to Efadora I would try to get back to the main character's POV as soon as possible. But my biggest criticism of this book was how little the magic system is actually explained, that is fine when it is a soft magic system but when it is a hard magic system like it seems like it is in this one, I would like a more in depth exploration of it.
May 9, 2022
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What a cover. The level of detail on the skin being burnt is really high plus it's a really cool cover that can be a theme across The Rift Walker series with each cover either featuring the same hand but maybe more and more damaged or potentially instead of burning, the next fist could be frozen. Lots of potential to help it stand out from the shelf and it will be interesting to see how this is done as the books are released.
When I got an arc for this book I read the first couple of pages and was immediately pulled into this new world Clay had created. Unfortunately, I had to put it off for a few months because I was busy reading some of the trilogy reads in The SFF Oasis discord and didn't want to fall behind on them. Well I finally managed to get around to it this week and I have some thoughts.
FoM primarily follows the story of a man called Ig (Igneous Rock?). Ig is a servant to the ruler of the city of Augustin and he controls Ig using word magic. If Ig disobeys a command he will eventually die from pain in his head so he is forced to do his master's bidding. That is until something goes wrong and thus kickstarts the story.
Ig isn't alone on this story as there are other characters. People like Emil, Mateo and Sara to name just a few and they each have their own chapters, personalities and goals but for me Ig was my favourite. I think because he has to follow his master's orders, and some of these involved killing people, Ig was stuck doing the dirty work. Add onto that the fact that no-one else knows about this word magic and Ig becomes an unpopular figure quickly. He actually faced so many moral dilemmas it's hard not to feel sorry for him.
I liked the roles of the other characters and each felt like they played their own part but I just found the overall character depth lacking slightly in parts, which prevented me from connecting to some of them deeply which is something I really like getting from a story. This is potentially because it's in first person and I prefer third person.
The magic in this book is definitely something I would class as magic. However, it is not magic in the sense of wands and spells. It's more raw than that and to be fair, it really fits the setting so it isn't one of the issues I had. The word magic and without spoiling anything, the Imbibing, work really well. I only wish there was a slightly clearer explanation about the Imbibing mechanics so I could fully immerse myself. It shares some mechanics with Mistborn and I felt that Mistborn had little info drops that helped. This isn't to say that Clay hasn't explained it but I found the nitty gritty specifics hard to grasp (might just be me, I do have ADHD).
The worldbuilding is where I would say that this story really sets itself apart. Set in a fully fictional world underground the planet's surface where the lower levels in Augustin are warm and for the rich, the higher, colder levels are for the poor. Don't even think about going onto the surface or you will freeze to death, literally. There is a lot of potential to have this turn into a story whereby humanity has had to move into the Earth's core over thousands of years and maybe a radioactive war on the surface has created the various creatures that feature in the story. The giant insects and other creatures were well imagined and I really enjoyed when the giant insects made their appearance as I felt it really fit the story well and provided another level of fantasy immersion.
This is a good debut by Clay Harmon but for me personally I felt that a couple of things prevented me from loving it. Firstly this is written in first person, so each chapter is a re-telling of events by the MC of their own chapter. Secondly, this is a plot driven story. The whole story revolves around an action point which generates the plot for the MC which then drives the individual characters to react and choose their personal goals. Personally I much prefer third person stories that are character driven with a small plot but big emphasis on character growth.
So, if you enjoy plot driven or first person fantasy stories, I expect you will enjoy Clay's debut. It features an underground world, giant insects, betrayal, magic, lava, sellswords and more. I'll go further and say that this feels like a hybrid of Mistborn+Red Rising+Clay Harmon so if you enjoyed either of those franchises I expect you'll enjoy this.
The book is out in July and you can pre-order this now in physical, eBook and audiobook formats.
What a cover. The level of detail on the skin being burnt is really high plus it's a really cool cover that can be a theme across The Rift Walker series with each cover either featuring the same hand but maybe more and more damaged or potentially instead of burning, the next fist could be frozen. Lots of potential to help it stand out from the shelf and it will be interesting to see how this is done as the books are released.
When I got an arc for this book I read the first couple of pages and was immediately pulled into this new world Clay had created. Unfortunately, I had to put it off for a few months because I was busy reading some of the trilogy reads in The SFF Oasis discord and didn't want to fall behind on them. Well I finally managed to get around to it this week and I have some thoughts.
FoM primarily follows the story of a man called Ig (Igneous Rock?). Ig is a servant to the ruler of the city of Augustin and he controls Ig using word magic. If Ig disobeys a command he will eventually die from pain in his head so he is forced to do his master's bidding. That is until something goes wrong and thus kickstarts the story.
Ig isn't alone on this story as there are other characters. People like Emil, Mateo and Sara to name just a few and they each have their own chapters, personalities and goals but for me Ig was my favourite. I think because he has to follow his master's orders, and some of these involved killing people, Ig was stuck doing the dirty work. Add onto that the fact that no-one else knows about this word magic and Ig becomes an unpopular figure quickly. He actually faced so many moral dilemmas it's hard not to feel sorry for him.
I liked the roles of the other characters and each felt like they played their own part but I just found the overall character depth lacking slightly in parts, which prevented me from connecting to some of them deeply which is something I really like getting from a story. This is potentially because it's in first person and I prefer third person.
The magic in this book is definitely something I would class as magic. However, it is not magic in the sense of wands and spells. It's more raw than that and to be fair, it really fits the setting so it isn't one of the issues I had. The word magic and without spoiling anything, the Imbibing, work really well. I only wish there was a slightly clearer explanation about the Imbibing mechanics so I could fully immerse myself. It shares some mechanics with Mistborn and I felt that Mistborn had little info drops that helped. This isn't to say that Clay hasn't explained it but I found the nitty gritty specifics hard to grasp (might just be me, I do have ADHD).
The worldbuilding is where I would say that this story really sets itself apart. Set in a fully fictional world underground the planet's surface where the lower levels in Augustin are warm and for the rich, the higher, colder levels are for the poor. Don't even think about going onto the surface or you will freeze to death, literally. There is a lot of potential to have this turn into a story whereby humanity has had to move into the Earth's core over thousands of years and maybe a radioactive war on the surface has created the various creatures that feature in the story. The giant insects and other creatures were well imagined and I really enjoyed when the giant insects made their appearance as I felt it really fit the story well and provided another level of fantasy immersion.
This is a good debut by Clay Harmon but for me personally I felt that a couple of things prevented me from loving it. Firstly this is written in first person, so each chapter is a re-telling of events by the MC of their own chapter. Secondly, this is a plot driven story. The whole story revolves around an action point which generates the plot for the MC which then drives the individual characters to react and choose their personal goals. Personally I much prefer third person stories that are character driven with a small plot but big emphasis on character growth.
So, if you enjoy plot driven or first person fantasy stories, I expect you will enjoy Clay's debut. It features an underground world, giant insects, betrayal, magic, lava, sellswords and more. I'll go further and say that this feels like a hybrid of Mistborn+Red Rising+Clay Harmon so if you enjoyed either of those franchises I expect you'll enjoy this.
The book is out in July and you can pre-order this now in physical, eBook and audiobook formats.
August 6, 2022
“I looked back, and it was like I was the only one who saw the beggar’s body, his bleeding mass now just another prop for the city.”
I don’t read a lot of Grimdark, and Clay Harmon’s impressive debut novel had me thinking about why. I realized it’s mostly because the often-high death count isn’t given enough meaning, at least when the deaths aren’t part of the main cast.
Flames of Mira does the opposite. Cook, guard, homeless person, major character - all deaths are treated with the same gravity because our shared humanity, (or as is the case here, a corruption of that humanity), is central to both the book and its protagonist’s struggle.
Ig, a slave in the subterranean city of Augustin, is in the heart-wrenching position of being both powerful and powerless. An ‘Elemental’ with control over rock, metals and other elements, he is bound by flesh-magic to Augustin’s ruling Magnate and forced to commit atrocity after atrocity. To disobey means an excruciatingly painful death of his physical self. To obey means the death of his psychological and spiritual self.
Ig’s navigation of his awful situation is further complicated by his relationship to the Magnate and his children. I think this is my favourite aspect of Flames of Mira. Harmon could easily have portrayed the abuser-abused relationship with clear black and white lines. Instead, he gives these relationships a nuanced complexity that produces conflicting feelings in Ig and in us.
The Magnate’s son, Prince Emil, is the only archetypally-good hero and even he needs to be on constant guard against his darker impulses. His ambitious sister Sara is less ‘good’ and her vacillation between affection and cruelty takes the story in fascinating, unpredictable directions, while allowing Harmon to explore the role of love and power in unequal relationships.
Efadora is the third of the Magnate’s children and the third of the book’s point-of-view characters. (Flames of Mira is also told from young-Ig’s point of view). Multi-pov novels can be risky when the reader doesn’t connect with all the point-of-view characters, but I was never disappointed to leave one for another and Efadora’s snarky humour is a welcome balance to the darkness in this world.
In the end though, it’s Ig who steals the show. He’s constantly warring with who he was before he was abducted and abused and who he is now. In the beginning, his new self is closer to the surface, but as the story progresses, his pre-slave self begins to break free.
Readers who like their magic systems hard but not dry, will love the geological-based magic here. I won’t delve into the mechanics too deeply, (it’s best you discover them for yourself), but I will say physics and chemistry play an integral role.
Harmon’s descriptive writing is first class. I had no trouble picturing every part of this unique world, and he definitely knows his way around action scenes. The third act is pedal to the metal and damn-near impossible to put down.
Flames of Mira is the first book in The Rift Walker Series. If the sequels are as good as this one, they won’t be easy to put down either.
*Thank-you to Netgalley and Rebellion Publishing for the opportunity to review a pre-publication copy of Flames of Mira.
I don’t read a lot of Grimdark, and Clay Harmon’s impressive debut novel had me thinking about why. I realized it’s mostly because the often-high death count isn’t given enough meaning, at least when the deaths aren’t part of the main cast.
Flames of Mira does the opposite. Cook, guard, homeless person, major character - all deaths are treated with the same gravity because our shared humanity, (or as is the case here, a corruption of that humanity), is central to both the book and its protagonist’s struggle.
Ig, a slave in the subterranean city of Augustin, is in the heart-wrenching position of being both powerful and powerless. An ‘Elemental’ with control over rock, metals and other elements, he is bound by flesh-magic to Augustin’s ruling Magnate and forced to commit atrocity after atrocity. To disobey means an excruciatingly painful death of his physical self. To obey means the death of his psychological and spiritual self.
Ig’s navigation of his awful situation is further complicated by his relationship to the Magnate and his children. I think this is my favourite aspect of Flames of Mira. Harmon could easily have portrayed the abuser-abused relationship with clear black and white lines. Instead, he gives these relationships a nuanced complexity that produces conflicting feelings in Ig and in us.
The Magnate’s son, Prince Emil, is the only archetypally-good hero and even he needs to be on constant guard against his darker impulses. His ambitious sister Sara is less ‘good’ and her vacillation between affection and cruelty takes the story in fascinating, unpredictable directions, while allowing Harmon to explore the role of love and power in unequal relationships.
Efadora is the third of the Magnate’s children and the third of the book’s point-of-view characters. (Flames of Mira is also told from young-Ig’s point of view). Multi-pov novels can be risky when the reader doesn’t connect with all the point-of-view characters, but I was never disappointed to leave one for another and Efadora’s snarky humour is a welcome balance to the darkness in this world.
In the end though, it’s Ig who steals the show. He’s constantly warring with who he was before he was abducted and abused and who he is now. In the beginning, his new self is closer to the surface, but as the story progresses, his pre-slave self begins to break free.
Readers who like their magic systems hard but not dry, will love the geological-based magic here. I won’t delve into the mechanics too deeply, (it’s best you discover them for yourself), but I will say physics and chemistry play an integral role.
Harmon’s descriptive writing is first class. I had no trouble picturing every part of this unique world, and he definitely knows his way around action scenes. The third act is pedal to the metal and damn-near impossible to put down.
Flames of Mira is the first book in The Rift Walker Series. If the sequels are as good as this one, they won’t be easy to put down either.
*Thank-you to Netgalley and Rebellion Publishing for the opportunity to review a pre-publication copy of Flames of Mira.
October 13, 2022
Flames of Mira is a great debut novel and definitely for the lovers of a more dark fantasy type of books.
I'll go straight to the point to say that I loved the magic system and the worldbuilding of this novel, literally one of the best and most intricate ones that I've read in a while. And I actually cannot wait to see more of it in the upcoming sequel.
My main issue and why I didn't give it 5 stars its because the plot, even though is not bad, it didn't make anything for me. It was pretty straight to the point, with some touches of political intrigue at first but it was quickly abandoned after a few chapters for more action packed scenes.Which is not something bad but if wasn't my favorite. Regarding the characters I didn't quite sympathize with anyone though I liked following our MC, even with his sometimes stupid decisions.
Again, Flames of Mira si worth trying just for the world building alone!
I'll go straight to the point to say that I loved the magic system and the worldbuilding of this novel, literally one of the best and most intricate ones that I've read in a while. And I actually cannot wait to see more of it in the upcoming sequel.
My main issue and why I didn't give it 5 stars its because the plot, even though is not bad, it didn't make anything for me. It was pretty straight to the point, with some touches of political intrigue at first but it was quickly abandoned after a few chapters for more action packed scenes.Which is not something bad but if wasn't my favorite. Regarding the characters I didn't quite sympathize with anyone though I liked following our MC, even with his sometimes stupid decisions.
Again, Flames of Mira si worth trying just for the world building alone!
January 4, 2023
I really do love a great fantasy. Even though this one wasn't great, it was really, really good. The pluses would be the awesome characters and the fascinating world in which they live. The book was filled with fights, magic, political intrigue, love and devotion. All the good things. The only reason I didn't give it a full 5 stars was because there were times when I was a bit confused as to what was going on. Not enough to take away from the whole story though. I think I would like to revisit this one again, especially if there is a book 2.
October 25, 2022
If you want a unique World building with a good story and the characters with who we fall in love, this is for you.
August 2, 2022
Flames of Mira is a spectacular read and I'm looking forward to book 2
March 6, 2022
This book starts off with loads of action and continues to surprise and entertain throughout its course. Harmon masterfully weaves his world building and magic into the story so you get a great picture of the world without being burdened with lengthy explanations. It skates between being sci fi and fantasy in a pleasing way like the Red Rising series, another favorite of mine. You’ll both love and hate the main character Ig/Jakar and many of the other vivid and complex personas that make up this tale. A powerful first novel. I can’t wait to read the next one!
April 29, 2023
One of my favorite subject is heirs on the run. Run my pretties! Run! And what an awesome world they are running through.
Clay Harmon's world building really pushes the reader's imagination. On top of all that world building the magical aspect of the story will keep the reader engrossed.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, so I could give an honest review.
Clay Harmon's world building really pushes the reader's imagination. On top of all that world building the magical aspect of the story will keep the reader engrossed.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, so I could give an honest review.
June 28, 2021
I was lucky enough to get a chance to read an early copy of this book, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the polished and finalized version! Clay he built a truly unique world, with a story that you never want to put down
July 4, 2022
Life got in the way and it took me way long to finish this. But damn. It is good.🧡❤🔥
CONVINCING YOU TO READ THIS IN 6 WORDS: Dark Fantasy, Morally grey characters, cool magic system, political intrigue, engaging past and thought provoking
Physical ARC provided by Rebellion Pub (Solaris)
Summary for Flames of Mira can be found here
MY THOUGHTS:
Flames of Mira by Clay Harmon is an amazing debut that has made me think about something again and again, forcing my inner nerd to write a couple essays. When you read Fantasy continuously, you sometimes notice some pattens, see things coming and at times anticipate what is happening. While I did see somethings coming, there were places where I was punched in the gut...because WTH. Let's get into details now?
Flames of Mira starts with a bang. There is lot of things going around and while you don't understand the world or powers, the action takes you and grasps you in the new world. And I love it. One of my favorite book of all time took me 1 week to reach half mark. 1 week because I wasn't sucked in the beginning. But Flames of Mira did it. So, kudos to the amazing start.
Flames of Mira is a Multi-POV story which adds more character and voice to people we meet. Multi-POV always helps me to get an insight to the characters brains and their emotions. It was same here. We witness inner working for Ig, Sara, Efadora and Jakar. That being said, I think this book was more of a plot based book rather than character based book. The plot of Flames of Mira was complex and beautiful at the same time. While, controlling metal is something we are familiar with, the twist of being able to bond with not just one but more metals is *chefs kiss* and the process. The whole process of being able to bond with that metal is traumatic. Bad. But as a reader, oh damn. Just perfect. Give me more. I want to know more about Ig's previous life. I want to know how they were trained in detail. I just want to know.!
While I enjoyed the world created, I think I was still unsure at times? The world still isn't 100% clear to me? I still have some questions but I am not even worried because you know there are books coming following this one and all the doubts that I have will be solved with the following books.
The writing of the book is really thought provoking. The topic of this book isn't rose petals. And when some sentences hit, they know just how deep wounds to cut. I really enjoyed that. I am someone who enjoys words. And when such sentences come, I just can't help but sit and contemplate everything. I am not kidding, I marked some sentences, attached one line thought to ponder later on and started to expand on the topic.
Overall, I loved the dynamics between the characters, the plot and the cool magic system. I have no doubt that I am going enjoy the Rift Walker Series. And while, I know I was fortunate enough to get an early chance to read this book and this book isn't out yet, I want to get my hand on book 2 as soon as possible, because damn...I want to know more about Jakar too.
If you enjoy my content, you can support me here
SPOILER ZONE
WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT SARA HIRING PEOPLE TO KILL SORRELO? I need more people to talk about this. I really need this conversation.
I Kind of knew Emil will die when we saw that he was ready to distance himself from Mateo but still it hurt.
JAKAR BEING FORCED TO KILL PEOPLE. THE BEST/WORST SCENE IN FLAMES OF MIRA.
It was gut wrenching as a reader. It is so wrong. His mind being there. He didn't want to. But being forced to do it either way. Sara not commenting or talking about is again so wrong.
Something funny, so, I was very busy suddenly between reading this book. And I guess I started Efadora's chapter after break. And I kept on reading the name Sara but I didn't realise it was her sister. I thought she wanted to impress someone or something like that. And when I realised it. Well, it was interesting moment for me. Nonetheless.
CONVINCING YOU TO READ THIS IN 6 WORDS: Dark Fantasy, Morally grey characters, cool magic system, political intrigue, engaging past and thought provoking
Physical ARC provided by Rebellion Pub (Solaris)
Summary for Flames of Mira can be found here
MY THOUGHTS:
Flames of Mira by Clay Harmon is an amazing debut that has made me think about something again and again, forcing my inner nerd to write a couple essays. When you read Fantasy continuously, you sometimes notice some pattens, see things coming and at times anticipate what is happening. While I did see somethings coming, there were places where I was punched in the gut...because WTH. Let's get into details now?
Flames of Mira starts with a bang. There is lot of things going around and while you don't understand the world or powers, the action takes you and grasps you in the new world. And I love it. One of my favorite book of all time took me 1 week to reach half mark. 1 week because I wasn't sucked in the beginning. But Flames of Mira did it. So, kudos to the amazing start.
Flames of Mira is a Multi-POV story which adds more character and voice to people we meet. Multi-POV always helps me to get an insight to the characters brains and their emotions. It was same here. We witness inner working for Ig, Sara, Efadora and Jakar. That being said, I think this book was more of a plot based book rather than character based book. The plot of Flames of Mira was complex and beautiful at the same time. While, controlling metal is something we are familiar with, the twist of being able to bond with not just one but more metals is *chefs kiss* and the process. The whole process of being able to bond with that metal is traumatic. Bad. But as a reader, oh damn. Just perfect. Give me more. I want to know more about Ig's previous life. I want to know how they were trained in detail. I just want to know.!
While I enjoyed the world created, I think I was still unsure at times? The world still isn't 100% clear to me? I still have some questions but I am not even worried because you know there are books coming following this one and all the doubts that I have will be solved with the following books.
The writing of the book is really thought provoking. The topic of this book isn't rose petals. And when some sentences hit, they know just how deep wounds to cut. I really enjoyed that. I am someone who enjoys words. And when such sentences come, I just can't help but sit and contemplate everything. I am not kidding, I marked some sentences, attached one line thought to ponder later on and started to expand on the topic.
Overall, I loved the dynamics between the characters, the plot and the cool magic system. I have no doubt that I am going enjoy the Rift Walker Series. And while, I know I was fortunate enough to get an early chance to read this book and this book isn't out yet, I want to get my hand on book 2 as soon as possible, because damn...I want to know more about Jakar too.
If you enjoy my content, you can support me here
SPOILER ZONE
WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT SARA HIRING PEOPLE TO KILL SORRELO? I need more people to talk about this. I really need this conversation.
I Kind of knew Emil will die when we saw that he was ready to distance himself from Mateo but still it hurt.
JAKAR BEING FORCED TO KILL PEOPLE. THE BEST/WORST SCENE IN FLAMES OF MIRA.
It was gut wrenching as a reader. It is so wrong. His mind being there. He didn't want to. But being forced to do it either way. Sara not commenting or talking about is again so wrong.
Something funny, so, I was very busy suddenly between reading this book. And I guess I started Efadora's chapter after break. And I kept on reading the name Sara but I didn't realise it was her sister. I thought she wanted to impress someone or something like that. And when I realised it. Well, it was interesting moment for me. Nonetheless.
June 22, 2022
Flames of Mira is Clay Harmon’s impressive debut fantasy, a grimdark political revolution tale with wild science fantasy worldbuilding and some very cool twists on elemental magic. But the character development is where it really shines. The protagonist Ig is not only defined by his past trauma, but also suffers trauma almost continually in order to do his job as a magically bound super-slave to the ruling family of Augustin, one of the federated kingdoms of Mira, accountable from a distance to an arch-emperor known only as the Sovereign.
There’s a bit of fridge stocking to do at the beginning, as one would expect when describing a world where everyone lives underground in massive sinkhole-cities because the planet’s surface is so cold that anyone would die shortly after going up there. Then there are the social classes to grasp, the importance of the metalsmiths, who the royal family’s rivals are, etc. You also get a taste of how Ig’s unusual upbringing gave him powers that are uncanny. Ig is a classic example of the torment involved in having power but not authority – and being forced (quite literally in this case) to use his powers for evil. (Note: If you’re looking for a book where everyone has clear boundaries and no one’s consent is violated, look elsewhere.) Flames of Mira is brutal, especially to its protagonist – but it’s brutal on an emotional and physical violence level without wallowing in gore or rape the way some grimdark authors do.
Things I loved about Flames of Mira:
- POV characters who are adjacent to power, but not in charge
- Immersive fantasy where the narrators are at odds with the world around them
- Pessimism about monarchy
- Really cool worldbuilding – magma all over, bioluminescent plants and animals, a cult of smiths, science fantasy stuff that would be spoilerific if I told you – like, seriously, fan artists need to get on it with illustrating some of this!
- Perfectly timed side courses of backstory give weight to the stakes Ig is dealing with
- A character transformation arc that becomes breathtaking by the time you reach the climax and doesn’t rely on plot beats you’ve seen a hundred times previously
- Great setup for sequels
Recommended for fans of The Complete Malazan Book of the Fallen, The Book of the New Sun, and The Broken Earth Trilogy: The Fifth Season / The Obelisk Gate / The Stone Sky
There’s a bit of fridge stocking to do at the beginning, as one would expect when describing a world where everyone lives underground in massive sinkhole-cities because the planet’s surface is so cold that anyone would die shortly after going up there. Then there are the social classes to grasp, the importance of the metalsmiths, who the royal family’s rivals are, etc. You also get a taste of how Ig’s unusual upbringing gave him powers that are uncanny. Ig is a classic example of the torment involved in having power but not authority – and being forced (quite literally in this case) to use his powers for evil. (Note: If you’re looking for a book where everyone has clear boundaries and no one’s consent is violated, look elsewhere.) Flames of Mira is brutal, especially to its protagonist – but it’s brutal on an emotional and physical violence level without wallowing in gore or rape the way some grimdark authors do.
Things I loved about Flames of Mira:
- POV characters who are adjacent to power, but not in charge
- Immersive fantasy where the narrators are at odds with the world around them
- Pessimism about monarchy
- Really cool worldbuilding – magma all over, bioluminescent plants and animals, a cult of smiths, science fantasy stuff that would be spoilerific if I told you – like, seriously, fan artists need to get on it with illustrating some of this!
- Perfectly timed side courses of backstory give weight to the stakes Ig is dealing with
- A character transformation arc that becomes breathtaking by the time you reach the climax and doesn’t rely on plot beats you’ve seen a hundred times previously
- Great setup for sequels
Recommended for fans of The Complete Malazan Book of the Fallen, The Book of the New Sun, and The Broken Earth Trilogy: The Fifth Season / The Obelisk Gate / The Stone Sky
February 23, 2022
Clay Harmon’s debut is a fantastically written dark fantasy set in a subterranean world where the cities are made in giant fissures. Surrounded by ice above and magma below Mira is a harsh world rife with grotesque monsters, morally gray characters or out right villains.
And yet with the main POV Ig a character forced to committing atrocities for his masters. The overall theme is redemption. And it asks the question can someone who’s forced to commit evil acts redeem himself.
The Flames Of Mira has some of the best world building you could ever ask to read in a fantasy series. And the magic system that Clay Harmon created is a must read for fans of hard magic systems. If you like reading writers such as Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, Nick Martell, Jeremy Greathouse and others than you’ll love reading the Flames Of Mira.
I received an ARC for an honest review and so thank you to Rebellion Publishing. Highly recommended and I can’t wait for the equal to the Rift Wars Saga.
And yet with the main POV Ig a character forced to committing atrocities for his masters. The overall theme is redemption. And it asks the question can someone who’s forced to commit evil acts redeem himself.
The Flames Of Mira has some of the best world building you could ever ask to read in a fantasy series. And the magic system that Clay Harmon created is a must read for fans of hard magic systems. If you like reading writers such as Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, Nick Martell, Jeremy Greathouse and others than you’ll love reading the Flames Of Mira.
I received an ARC for an honest review and so thank you to Rebellion Publishing. Highly recommended and I can’t wait for the equal to the Rift Wars Saga.
June 29, 2021
Powerful! I was hooked from the first terrifying scene!.
July 17, 2023
This is Clay Harmon's debut novel and a welcome addition to the high Fantasy genre.
Flames of Mira has a lot going for it. The cover is stunning, the tagline is intriguing and the opening chapter had me questioning why I'd not picked the book up sooner. Luckily there were no regrets going forward, either.
This is a multi POV story with a heavy focus on the main characters and some very interesting types of magic that the author makes a point of explaining the mechanics of without it feeling like it's overdone. There's plenty of action with the descriptions being quite graphic which I'm all for.
As I said the main characters are well developed and focused on heavily. While I certainly wouldn't personally call it grim dark there was a point where I wasn't sure who I was supposed to be rooting for.
I'll mention a couple of quick gripes here as well. It also seemed like some who were clearly utter bastards were supposed to be looked at more favourably in a very short space of time. I'm all for morally grey characters but the shift in perspective (particularly towards one character) was a bit too much for me. Also the tag line, "Death by Ash or Death by Ice?" was eye-catching but didn't actually play that big a part of the story. From what I can see this has been removed for the paperback release and a much more accurate quote from an author about exploring the costs of power (such a true statement) is in its place.
There's a very nice map on the inside cover but I honestly didn't feel that I needed to refer to it. Going forward in the series I'm sure more of the world will be explored which will make a map invaluable, I'm sure.
I'm not someone who is overly bothered about magic being a big part of a book (which is odd considering I'm a big fantasy fan) but here it was so well done. Both are used to great effect and then how the main character comes into said magic is told to perfection in some of the best flashback chapters I've ever read.
The only reason I'm not giving this 5 stars is that there were a few too many side characters to remember and when the inevitable happened during big fight scenes I wasn't moved as I probably should have been. But apart from that this was wonderful. I enjoyed the political aspects as I knew I would right from the start but what I LOVED were the morality considerations, and as for the way the flesh binding was explained... Shocking and excellent.
Well worth a read. I'm very much looking forward to reading book 2 when it comes out next year.
Flames of Mira has a lot going for it. The cover is stunning, the tagline is intriguing and the opening chapter had me questioning why I'd not picked the book up sooner. Luckily there were no regrets going forward, either.
This is a multi POV story with a heavy focus on the main characters and some very interesting types of magic that the author makes a point of explaining the mechanics of without it feeling like it's overdone. There's plenty of action with the descriptions being quite graphic which I'm all for.
As I said the main characters are well developed and focused on heavily. While I certainly wouldn't personally call it grim dark there was a point where I wasn't sure who I was supposed to be rooting for.
I'll mention a couple of quick gripes here as well. It also seemed like some who were clearly utter bastards were supposed to be looked at more favourably in a very short space of time. I'm all for morally grey characters but the shift in perspective (particularly towards one character) was a bit too much for me. Also the tag line, "Death by Ash or Death by Ice?" was eye-catching but didn't actually play that big a part of the story. From what I can see this has been removed for the paperback release and a much more accurate quote from an author about exploring the costs of power (such a true statement) is in its place.
There's a very nice map on the inside cover but I honestly didn't feel that I needed to refer to it. Going forward in the series I'm sure more of the world will be explored which will make a map invaluable, I'm sure.
I'm not someone who is overly bothered about magic being a big part of a book (which is odd considering I'm a big fantasy fan) but here it was so well done. Both are used to great effect and then how the main character comes into said magic is told to perfection in some of the best flashback chapters I've ever read.
The only reason I'm not giving this 5 stars is that there were a few too many side characters to remember and when the inevitable happened during big fight scenes I wasn't moved as I probably should have been. But apart from that this was wonderful. I enjoyed the political aspects as I knew I would right from the start but what I LOVED were the morality considerations, and as for the way the flesh binding was explained... Shocking and excellent.
Well worth a read. I'm very much looking forward to reading book 2 when it comes out next year.
December 10, 2022
A major let down. 1.7 stars.
I am not an ARC reader, nor do I know the author. Just a guy who read this book and now have something to say about it. This won't be a SparkNotes story summery like some reviews out there. Those aren't reviews. This will be how I really felt about this book.
I'm tired of reading shitty books about shitty people doing shitty things and the author expecting me to like and believe in the characters by the end. It's not fun. It's not why I read. It does not make for a good or memorable book.
This was almost a DNF. It by all rights should have been but I was already 300 pages and I said just finish it so I can give a full review. There are some spoilers ahead, trying to be vague to keep them from being outright spoilers but I gotta say what I can in order for this to make sense.
Pros.
Like most of the reviews for Flames of Mira, I will say the world building is decent on its face. Unhabitable surface so everyone and everything lives underground. Cool start. Cities built from the bottom up, alright makes sense.
Cool cover art??? Sure, trying to find pros here.
Magic system is interesting in principle.
Cons.
Buckle up.
Characters.
Every character in this book is a piece of shit and does not act how actual people will act, even in the situations they are in. Characters either go on and on about how amazing they think they or another character are when all evidence is to the contrary. A person of high standing in an organization just abandons his post for the flimsiest of reasons. Imagine your Pastor, Boss, Mayor, whatever person in charge of an organization with major responsibilities just flipping deuces one day and going I'll be back maybe someday because this acquaintance of mine asked me to, bye. And then getting little to no actual screentime except to be a source of friction for the MC. Eyerollingly bad. This is weak character building. They are the weakest part of the story and its not even close.
Examples
Jakar/Ig is your MC. He is as interesting as a fart in the breeze and is just as easily swayed. Basically, a puppet whose ownership is as easily transferred as just saying a Word (if you have read it, you know what I am talking about) The attempts to make him sympathetic fall flat on their face and is obviously there for a sense of tension and to try and keep you interested in following his story. He can control elements like some of the vague phantom others in the world that by all rights would not have let this story get off the ground if they are as powerful as the author makes them out to be. Seriously, half of the book wouldn't exist if the people with magical powers stopped things when they initially start. Why am I saying this? Because the author set up this precedent in the book itself. It's in the world's history and yet they are amazingly absent until the final FINAL few chapters and are disposed of as easily as a tissue during flu season. Jakar fights one of these with a fucking stab wound to the chest! Broken bones. And he is all just meh whateves, lets just ride this ice shelf to the bottom. There are things you think are cool, then there is this book. There are no stakes. People get away with whatever, just as long as the plot can move forward.
Efadora. Fifteen and spunky. A girl who won't be caged and can do anything and blah blah blah modern young adult fiction tropes blah blah. This is your other view into this world ladies and gentlemen. I ended up just skimming every chapter from her point of view because I just stopped caring. She idolizes her sister (Who is the weakest character in this book. We'll get to her soon.) until, you know, she doesn't even though she is aware of how terrible of a person she is but no she is also a friend of the common folk (no proof of this is given, just a nickname and hearsay) so she is good, and awesome, and cool, and she will be just like her. Yawn. Even gets a ride off into the sunset moment.
Sara. She has almost as much page time as the other MCs and you would think with that amount of time, she would be a fully fleshed out and complex and... nope. Two dimensional and this just there to be a foil for Jakar. She makes the dumbest decisions that are there to move the plot along and to give Jakar something to fight against. She is easy EASY on betrayers but can mobilize an army of sleezy underworld thugs because (checks notes) reasons. Because she is apparently the champion of the people (again this is never shown just alluded to.) She is also just as wishy washy of a character as Jakar. Does one thing, says something contrary. Has a goal, drops it like a hot plate. Wants power, does nothing with it. She is just there for the edge. She is just there.
Other characters either aren't memorable, convenient for the plot, just exist to validate the action of the mains.
Other issues.
For a world so inhospitable its also super convenient and has everything anyone could ever want as long as you live near the right lake or convenient grove of plant life. Even the big bad beasts talked about only show up for one nighttime fight.
Exposition let's begin. Exposition on a whim. While the world building is decent its not shown well enough the characters have to hold the readers hand through instead of naturally adding it to the story. Characters just mind dump or explain something that characters in that world would already know. There is an attempt at language building that is just super distracting. A translation usually follows or is said out loud right after.
The magic system, while interesting is also really boring in practice. Same with the religions of the world. Wooo, dark cultists and gods straight out of Lovecraft, wooo. A religion that is so against fighting that they literally are in every major engagement but are also so torn about it that it has to be said every time they do. But trust me, they're the good guys. They only fight the bads when it's obvious a character would just get his/her ass handed to them otherwise.
There's more but those are the main cons and I think I made my point.
I was so excited by this book. I really wanted to like. Pulled it right off the shelf at the store. Bought it shortly thereafter and started reading that night. The author's a local. I want to support my local writers. It had an interesting premise. Decent reviews. There was everything going for this book in my mind until I opened the front cover and got after.
By two hundred pages I was bored and willing to give this a three-star review. By three hundred, I was an inch away from DNF'ing. By four hundred I was skimming just to finish. Trust me, I didn't miss much. Even though I rushed the end I think the author did too. One of the weakest court scenes I have ever read. Convenient battles and characters just showing up. Every character seemed to not care anymore. It felt like the author knew he had to wrap the story up and it shows.
There will inevitably be a sequel. I won't be reading it. My local bookstore takes books in exchange for credit. Let's go get another book and try again.
I am not an ARC reader, nor do I know the author. Just a guy who read this book and now have something to say about it. This won't be a SparkNotes story summery like some reviews out there. Those aren't reviews. This will be how I really felt about this book.
I'm tired of reading shitty books about shitty people doing shitty things and the author expecting me to like and believe in the characters by the end. It's not fun. It's not why I read. It does not make for a good or memorable book.
This was almost a DNF. It by all rights should have been but I was already 300 pages and I said just finish it so I can give a full review. There are some spoilers ahead, trying to be vague to keep them from being outright spoilers but I gotta say what I can in order for this to make sense.
Pros.
Like most of the reviews for Flames of Mira, I will say the world building is decent on its face. Unhabitable surface so everyone and everything lives underground. Cool start. Cities built from the bottom up, alright makes sense.
Cool cover art??? Sure, trying to find pros here.
Magic system is interesting in principle.
Cons.
Buckle up.
Characters.
Every character in this book is a piece of shit and does not act how actual people will act, even in the situations they are in. Characters either go on and on about how amazing they think they or another character are when all evidence is to the contrary. A person of high standing in an organization just abandons his post for the flimsiest of reasons. Imagine your Pastor, Boss, Mayor, whatever person in charge of an organization with major responsibilities just flipping deuces one day and going I'll be back maybe someday because this acquaintance of mine asked me to, bye. And then getting little to no actual screentime except to be a source of friction for the MC. Eyerollingly bad. This is weak character building. They are the weakest part of the story and its not even close.
Examples
Jakar/Ig is your MC. He is as interesting as a fart in the breeze and is just as easily swayed. Basically, a puppet whose ownership is as easily transferred as just saying a Word (if you have read it, you know what I am talking about) The attempts to make him sympathetic fall flat on their face and is obviously there for a sense of tension and to try and keep you interested in following his story. He can control elements like some of the vague phantom others in the world that by all rights would not have let this story get off the ground if they are as powerful as the author makes them out to be. Seriously, half of the book wouldn't exist if the people with magical powers stopped things when they initially start. Why am I saying this? Because the author set up this precedent in the book itself. It's in the world's history and yet they are amazingly absent until the final FINAL few chapters and are disposed of as easily as a tissue during flu season. Jakar fights one of these with a fucking stab wound to the chest! Broken bones. And he is all just meh whateves, lets just ride this ice shelf to the bottom. There are things you think are cool, then there is this book. There are no stakes. People get away with whatever, just as long as the plot can move forward.
Efadora. Fifteen and spunky. A girl who won't be caged and can do anything and blah blah blah modern young adult fiction tropes blah blah. This is your other view into this world ladies and gentlemen. I ended up just skimming every chapter from her point of view because I just stopped caring. She idolizes her sister (Who is the weakest character in this book. We'll get to her soon.) until, you know, she doesn't even though she is aware of how terrible of a person she is but no she is also a friend of the common folk (no proof of this is given, just a nickname and hearsay) so she is good, and awesome, and cool, and she will be just like her. Yawn. Even gets a ride off into the sunset moment.
Sara. She has almost as much page time as the other MCs and you would think with that amount of time, she would be a fully fleshed out and complex and... nope. Two dimensional and this just there to be a foil for Jakar. She makes the dumbest decisions that are there to move the plot along and to give Jakar something to fight against. She is easy EASY on betrayers but can mobilize an army of sleezy underworld thugs because (checks notes) reasons. Because she is apparently the champion of the people (again this is never shown just alluded to.) She is also just as wishy washy of a character as Jakar. Does one thing, says something contrary. Has a goal, drops it like a hot plate. Wants power, does nothing with it. She is just there for the edge. She is just there.
Other characters either aren't memorable, convenient for the plot, just exist to validate the action of the mains.
Other issues.
For a world so inhospitable its also super convenient and has everything anyone could ever want as long as you live near the right lake or convenient grove of plant life. Even the big bad beasts talked about only show up for one nighttime fight.
Exposition let's begin. Exposition on a whim. While the world building is decent its not shown well enough the characters have to hold the readers hand through instead of naturally adding it to the story. Characters just mind dump or explain something that characters in that world would already know. There is an attempt at language building that is just super distracting. A translation usually follows or is said out loud right after.
The magic system, while interesting is also really boring in practice. Same with the religions of the world. Wooo, dark cultists and gods straight out of Lovecraft, wooo. A religion that is so against fighting that they literally are in every major engagement but are also so torn about it that it has to be said every time they do. But trust me, they're the good guys. They only fight the bads when it's obvious a character would just get his/her ass handed to them otherwise.
There's more but those are the main cons and I think I made my point.
I was so excited by this book. I really wanted to like. Pulled it right off the shelf at the store. Bought it shortly thereafter and started reading that night. The author's a local. I want to support my local writers. It had an interesting premise. Decent reviews. There was everything going for this book in my mind until I opened the front cover and got after.
By two hundred pages I was bored and willing to give this a three-star review. By three hundred, I was an inch away from DNF'ing. By four hundred I was skimming just to finish. Trust me, I didn't miss much. Even though I rushed the end I think the author did too. One of the weakest court scenes I have ever read. Convenient battles and characters just showing up. Every character seemed to not care anymore. It felt like the author knew he had to wrap the story up and it shows.
There will inevitably be a sequel. I won't be reading it. My local bookstore takes books in exchange for credit. Let's go get another book and try again.
July 14, 2023
I enjoyed the world building a lot. The setting was really cool and felt fresh and unique from other books I’ve read in this genre. I enjoyed the inclusion of the wildlife and animals etc too.
The story itself was pretty decent and interesting to follow for the most part. Lots of political elements that I didn’t expect.
The magic system was cool, but I felt it could benefit more from some clearer explanation as to how it works. I had lots of questions that I felt weren’t answered clearly, not essential to the story but just ones I had about how imbibing works exactly and such. Perhaps that’s my personal taste coming through.
The main part I didn’t feel clicked for me was the characters. I just found myself not rooting or invested in the outcome for any of them. Everyone was just an awful person in some way and didn’t have anything that I felt made me care about what happened to them.
Not a bad book, just didn’t work for me. Just never let gripped enough to read it much honestly, despite really wanting to enjoy it. I’m sure there is an audience for this book though.
The story itself was pretty decent and interesting to follow for the most part. Lots of political elements that I didn’t expect.
The magic system was cool, but I felt it could benefit more from some clearer explanation as to how it works. I had lots of questions that I felt weren’t answered clearly, not essential to the story but just ones I had about how imbibing works exactly and such. Perhaps that’s my personal taste coming through.
The main part I didn’t feel clicked for me was the characters. I just found myself not rooting or invested in the outcome for any of them. Everyone was just an awful person in some way and didn’t have anything that I felt made me care about what happened to them.
Not a bad book, just didn’t work for me. Just never let gripped enough to read it much honestly, despite really wanting to enjoy it. I’m sure there is an audience for this book though.
August 3, 2023
A new author for me and the start of a new series. This was a good read with very strong characters but there was so much going on. I felt I was being bombarded with so much information and so many characters. Do I want to read more? This reader is still on the fence.
Thanks to Netgalley for the Arc.
Thanks to Netgalley for the Arc.
Read
July 25, 2022This is good. If you're looking for a unique fantasy setting, look no further. This is set on an ice planet where most of the life is underground in lava tubes and tunnels. The magic system is elemental and also quite unique. I really enjoyed the dual first person POVs (though the first act is all from one POV).
This is the start of a series, but the first book has a very definitive ending and is really only opened up for a book two at the very end, after the events of this book are settled. Really the best kind of opening for a series, in my opinion. Very satisfying.
The writing is very good, a bit on the sparse side, not dwelling on a lot of description but with enough where you can always picture the scene. I'm a big fan of that, so it really worked for me.
This is the start of a series, but the first book has a very definitive ending and is really only opened up for a book two at the very end, after the events of this book are settled. Really the best kind of opening for a series, in my opinion. Very satisfying.
The writing is very good, a bit on the sparse side, not dwelling on a lot of description but with enough where you can always picture the scene. I'm a big fan of that, so it really worked for me.
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