Flame and Crystal Thorns

Kay L. Moody

May 2022 · Fae and Crystal Thorns Book 1 · Marten Press

About this ebook

Return to Kay L. Moody’s magical world of Bitter Thorn in this first book in a brand new series featuring a mortal girl, a fae warrior, and a fight that could kill everyone she loves.

She vowed she'd never return to Faerie...but vows were made to be broken.

As a human girl, Chloe is perfectly happy being back in the mortal realm where she belongs. She's even become the town apothecary. When a fae from her past shows up begging her to return to Faerie, she utterly refuses.

But then she finds out an angry group of mortals are using iron to hold an entire castle full of fae hostage. And of course, the hostages include Chloe's older sister and her sister's beloved.

Reluctantly, Chloe packs a bag for what is supposed to be a short trip to Faerie.

But the mortals are more powerful than she expected. They have weapons, flames, and revenge to fuel them. They won't stop until they control every court in Faerie.

With the help of a new and mysterious magic and a devastatingly handsome fae companion, Chloe has to save Faerie before her sister and the other fae are killed.

Flame and Crystal Thorns is the first book in a new YA fae fantasy series. This is a spin off of The Fae of Bitter Thorn series by Kay L. Moody. It features a few appearances and minor spoilers from The Fae of Bitter Thorn, but it also stands alone as its own series. It can be read without any prior knowledge or reading of The Fae of Bitter Thorn.

Ratings and reviews

An amazing book, as expected from one of my favourite authors. Chloe and Quintus are the lead roles in this one, and as much as I loved Elora and Brannick, I also enjoyed this book just as much. The story is so heartbreaking, it pulls on your emotions in the most painful way. I can't say much more on that without spoiling anything, but I will say that one of the things I love about K L Moody's writing, is how she really captures the emotions of her characters. Everything is described with such detail, you can picture it in your mind. I honestly wish I could physically jump into the Fae world in this book, it's all fascinating. The storyline is extremely interesting, the lore is really good. My favourite thing is the characters, it's very easy to become attached to them all. Can't wait for book 2, I'm looking forward to more from our very loveable pair.

Absolutely phenomenal… I am in love. With the characters, the world building, the interactions, absolutely everything. I couldn’t put it down. From the moment I started reading, I was stuck with my kindle until I was on the last page. Which I mean the last readable page... From the beginning, I was dragged in with the all or nothing selflessness of Chloe towards her townspeople. Knowing how she never wanted to go back to the world she got away from, she knew she had to just for the act of helping both worlds. She constantly put her own feelings aside, regardless of how it triggered her. Chloe and Quintus’ relationship is the perfect slow burn. The obvious tension, the desire to fight what she knows she shouldn’t have…we can feel it as we’re reading. His dedication to Chloe in the moment with Portia…I wish she could have reflected more on that, because that moment was everything. Ludo seems like he is the perfect character that shows the selfishness of the fae, and I think that was so necessary. We hear a lot about the mortal “rebels” and how selflessness is the only thing that sets them apart from the fae, but I don’t think that’s true. Maybe Quintus’ actions were selfish of him due to his obvious feelings to Chloe, but he made so many sacrifices along the way that (to me), showed how selfless the fae can be. There were so many moments towards the end that I was just laughing at, but in the best way possible. I knew it was serious, and I knew of course I shouldn’t be laughing, but COME ON! How can you not! I kept on wanting to scream at Quintus, Just look and see!! I knew the cliffhanger was coming, we were warned. I’m glad it happened in the way that it did. There’s these huge questions of what will Mishti do, will she become a part of the team, or has Portia successfully manipulated her again. The totality of everything that was occurring in Faerie ALMOST made me forget about Grace. Remembering the state Chloe left everyone in, makes me so much more worried now after that ending. Here’s to hoping that saving Faerie will save her mortal world and everyone in it… I received an ARC for free, in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great book, while I am glad to know you wouldn't have had to read the first Bitter Court series, I absolutely love that I have read it and can get the references that are contained within this novel. I enjoyed reading this new perspective that is also a kind of continuation from the other series. I had been interested to know what the sisters were up to. I can't wait for the next novel and see what this series has in store and how it will play out. The book is all focused on Chloe and her thoughts and journey years after she had left her eldest sister in Faerie. She swore she would never return but now Quintus has come and told her there was an issue within Faerie. She has some decisions ahead of her in the book, and what happens as a result of the choices shall be up to you to read and find out. ^_^ I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

About the author

Kay L. Moody is the YA fantasy author of COURT OF BITTER THORN and THE ELEMENTS OF THE CROWN. Her books feature rich world building, slow burn romance, mythical creatures, and twisty plots.

As a lover of strong female characters, books, and the color pink, she enjoys diving into magical worlds where characters can overcome even their darkest struggles. She lives in the western United States with her husband and four sons. Connect with Kay directly when you follow her on social media @kaylmoody

Visit her website to learn more. KayLMoody.com