Red as Flame: A YA Romantic Fantasy

Anthea Sharp

Feb 2022 · The Darkwood Trilogy Book 3 · Fiddlehead Press

About this ebook

Two worlds. A princess in exile. And the sorcerous flames that will consume everything...

Rose Valrois thought she'd sacrificed everything to save those she loves, and her entire world - but fate has other ideas. Now that the red priests have arrived, hidden truths are revealed that force Rose to make yet another impossible choice.

With her sister trapped in the magical land of the Dark Elves, and her heart given to the guardian of the Darkwood, Rose must travel to the heart of enemy territory to discover her own powerful magic, and find the answers she so desperately needs.

The final, anticipated book in the Darkwood Trilogy from USA Today bestselling author Anthea Sharp. A fantasy fairy-tale weaving elements of Snow White & Rose Red with romance, magic, and dangerous secrets that will destroy a kingdom.

KEYWORDS: Fairy tale, Snow White and Rose Red, Naomi Novik, YA Fantasy, Clean, Epic Adventure, Dark Elves, Hidden Magic, Sisters, Love, Romance, Destiny, Sylvia Mercedes, Alisha Klapheke, Elise Kova, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Complete Series, Fairytale Retelling, Shari Tapscott

Ratings and reviews

I first met Anthea Sharp in the exciting Feyland series, which was a wonderful LitRPG series. The Darkwood series has an entirely different feeling. Its language and vocabulary are reminiscent of classics (maybe Jane Austen or Charles Dickens) but with a supernatural fantasy setting and characters. There is unrequited love, self-sacrifice for the greater good, jealousy between sisters, arranged marriages, and a male-dominated culture. It’s a Romance as well as an Adventure. For the greatest enjoyment and understanding, read “Heart of the Forest”, “White as Frost” and “Black as Night” first, in sequence, and finally ”Red as Flame”. The complete series is best binge-read to keep straight the many characters, several realms and worlds, the complicated relationships, and to understand the characters' changing motivations and interactions. In this final book, we learn why Warder Galtus Celcio has come to Raine in a surprise announcement that shocks everyone. Rose must make an extremely difficult decision. She chooses to sacrifice herself to protect Raine and the Darkwood. In Parnese, training with the Red Priests, she has a series of very difficult choices to make. Many mysteries from the first books are finally revealed. Rose has many nagging conversations with her inner voice. The marriage of Neeve to Kian brings her back to Raine, to her great joy, and she reconnects with Thorne. But her trials take on an even greater intensity as the exciting conclusion brings the series to a surprising and gratifying conclusion.

The final book comes together well and I have to say is probably my favorite of the three. Don’t get me wrong Rose still annoyed me but I have to give kudos to the narrator for that. She definitely matured in this book and I love the bond that Neeve and Rose create over the course of the series. I also enjoyed that the main focus was on that bond and not just romantic interests even though there was a little. There was more action this time around and Rose learning to master her power was fun.

I was totally enthralled by this book and all three books in this trilogy. It is a treat for anyone who loves fairy tales and magic