Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE: Dark Fate

SERIES:  Flame Born Book 2

AUTHOR: Kat Silver

PUBLISHER: Self-published

RELEASE DATE: November 12, 2021

LENGTH: 413 pages

BLURB: 

“And if I am a monster? Will you want me then?”

Ten days after the battle at Blackriver, Michael struggles with new forbidden desires, with his rampant Flame, and a deepening relationship with the taciturn werewolf, Commander Gabriel Flanagan.

Feeling responsible for their loss, Michael longs to rescue the students stolen by the manipulative vampire prince, Alexei Vasiliev. But the High Council refuses to free Michael from his chains. They fear the Whisperer — the half-breed who decimated an entire company of soldiers and came back from the dead. Yet, Michael still yearns for a future among the Guardians. For a place beside his Finnish, silver-eyed giant. For a home within the crazy supernatural world he’s now bound to.

But does Michael still have a future? He’s a descendent of the Warlock — from a bloodline that produces only monsters. If discovered, not even his protective lover can save him from certain execution. He may not want to.

Dark Fate is the second book in the Flame Born series. This MM urban fantasy/paranormal romance is action packed, featuring steaming hot scenes, a hunk of an alpha love interest, a chocolate-scented snarky vampire prince, a clever best friend who can kill a man with her little finger, and one too many shady characters to count. There is content some readers may find distressing. Meant for mature audiences only. See inside for trigger warnings on both books.

REVIEW: 

Stop here if you haven’t read Kat Silver’s Dark Flame, Book One of her Flame Born series.  Do not pass Go.  Proceed straight to that book and start reading there.  If you have read Dark Flame, then please keep reading.  😉

Dark Fate is the second exciting entry in Ms. Silver’s Flame Born series, and it builds upon the foundation laid in Dark Flame. I think it’s better than the first book because so many delicious layers of mystery, deception, attraction, love, and friendship are woven through the story here.  We get more “romance” than the first book, too, although I use that term loosely because, at heart, this is an urban fantasy, paranormal action/mystery.  It’s a mashup of a bunch of genres, but it works quite well.

The raw sexual energy of Dark Flame is amped up to the nth degree in Dark Fate as we see Michael Blakeley stubbornly fight against his captivity as well as his own blood, which calls to him via Prince Alexei, unrelentingly.  Michael’s identity and destiny are both mysteries to him, ones that’s he trying to puzzle through while also trying to control his growing powers.  All of this is against a tableau of mistrust and prevarication.

His relationship with Commander Flanagan (Gabriel) escalates here as well, and it’s hawt AF. But there’s also relationship complexity and a bit of a triangle (potentially quadrangle) of connections to parse between Michael, Gabriel, Alexei, and Radomir.  

This series, and Dark Fate, in particular, is an intense read.  Everything is loud and outsized and OTT.  I found the raw, gritty, at times disturbing content (heed the trigger warnings) to be uncomfortably overpowering.  There is absolutely nothing soft, easy, sweet, warm or fluffy about this story. Nope, nada, none of that. At all.  This is hardcore blood lust, violence, and carnal sexual desires.

Dark Fate does give us some answers to questions left open at the end of Dark Flame, but then creates just as many new questions.  The story certainly doesn’t end here.  

What Ms. Silver does best in this series is the rich, vivid, intricate world-building, full of creativity and a diverse, fascinating cast of characters, including supernaturals of all kinds, such as vampires, witches, werewolves, and other shifters as well.  If you have the mettle for the supercharged storyline, it’s worth it to hang out within the book’s pages to absorb the details and texture of this magical world Ms. Silver has brought to life.

If Dark Flame engrossed you, Dark Fate will also, and then some.  The story is pure unadulterated escapism, plain and simple.  You’ll be pulled in and then left desperately wanting, waiting for the next book to arrive.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon