The purpose of Thrifty Thursday is to read a book which was free (at some point).
Kindle freebie on April 12, 2020 (currently $4.99 at Amazon and Barnes & Noble as of writing this post)
Overall rating 4.02 with 26,498 ratings and 2,052 reviews
A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter Series: Elemental Mysteries #1
Published by Self-Published on October 18, 2011
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 398
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble
A phone call from an old friend sets Dr. Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mystery he'd abandoned years before. He never expected a young librarian could hold the key to the search, nor could he have expected the danger she would attract. Now he and Beatrice De Novo will follow a twisted maze that leads from the archives of a university library, through the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a confrontation they never could have predicted.
I’ve read some compelling reviews for this author’s books and sampled a novella in an anthology so when I got the chance to pick up this first in series as a freebie, I grabbed it. Alas, it took me a couple of years to pull it down off the shelf and enjoy it for an exciting reading challenge buddy read.
A Hidden Fire introduces readers to a supernatural world through the eyes of an immortal being on the hunt for a literary artifact and an intrepid human library archive researcher. Her past and his hunt make their lives intersect and put them on a dangerous mission together to find her father and figure out what one of his past connections is up by teasing him with Italian Renaissance era letters.
Giovanni Vecchio is an old, powerful and well-established being who stays detached from much that modern life has to offer, but brushes with a lively and intelligent young human woman, Beatrice, brings his old soul back to life and makes him feel his isolation and problematic desire.
Beatrice ‘call me B’ De Novo has seen her fair share of loss and struggle in her young life and had the strength to end a downward destructive spiral of her teen self to now focus hard on her education and career goals. Her work at the university archives makes her curious about one of the visitors and learn there is a whole shadowy world of immortals in plain sight. And, that world now knows of her existence and one of it’s darker souls wants her to use as leverage against another in hiding. She is smart and aware while having the vulnerabilities of a young woman out of her depth.
A Hidden Fire took a bit to capture my interest. I liked it, but didn’t love it until about half way when it picked up the pace on the action and gave some good reveals. Up until that point, the romance was so-so and I was more interested in the hinted- at mysteries in the background. But then, it was full color and an exciting rush across all the elements. It ends in a good spot, but there is much more to be told in Gio and B’s story and many other threads in the plot.
This was one with a slow building description of the world that still has places that need further filling in and there was a fabulous cast of side characters who had solid development around the central figures. My favorite was Carwyn and the winter romance of B’s grandma and Gio’s human assistant. This is all what helps make up a good urban fantasy series for me and I can’t wait to pick up book two and see what comes next.
COYER Community Readathon/Buddy Read with Lenore of Celebrity Readers and Brandee of UnConventional Bookworm blog. We all gave it 4.5 stars.
About Elizabeth Hunter
Elizabeth Hunter is a contemporary fantasy and romance author. She is a graduate of the University of Houston Honors College and a former English teacher.
She currently lives in Central California with her husband, son, very ineffective canine assistants, and a pitifully empty fish tank.
ELIZABETH HUNTER is a ten-time USA Today and international best-selling author of romance, contemporary fantasy, and paranormal mystery. Based in both Central California and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, she travels extensively to write fantasy fiction exploring world mythologies, history, and the universal bonds of love, friendship, and family.
She has published over forty works of fiction and sold over a million books worldwide. She is the author of the Glimmer Lake series, Love Stories on 7th and Main, the Elemental Legacy series, the Irin Chronicles, the Cambio Springs Mysteries, and other works of fiction.
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
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Nice review, Sophia. I like that once the book took off, you really enjoyed it.
Thanks, Wendy! I was curious about lots of things even in the beginning, but I was also impatient so, yes, well worth the slow build. 🙂
I have loved everything I’ve listened to by this author and really need to pick up more. Glad this one paid off.
I’ve seen how much several bookpals loved her stuff so I was glad to finally pick this one up and see how good her books are. 🙂
I did read this series awhile ago and enjoyed them but it’s been a while since I haven’t read a book by the author. I should!
Yes, you need to have a reunion with her books. I need to keep reading some more from her, too.
Sometimes book one in a series does take a little bit to get into. Great that it took off after that and that you’re really looking forward to the next one. Great deal when it’s a 4.5 star book!
Yes, you nailed it, Rachel. This one took a bit to get going, but then it really took off. Brandee and Lenore said it only gets better since they have read more of the series.