Release Day Blitz & Review: Trial By Fire
by Chris Cannon

Today is release day for Chris Canon’s Trial by Fire, the third book in her Going Down in Flames series! Trial by Fire has been one of my most eagerly anticipated reads since I finished its predecessor, Bridges Burned. I couldn’t wait to get some answers about several questions that Ms. Cannon asked in Bridges Burned. Read on for my review!

 

Trial by Fire by Chris Cannon

Series: Going Down in Flames #3
Category: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publication: April 4th, 2016; Entangled Teen
Purchase: Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Kobo

Bryn’s hopes for a peaceful new semester at school go up in smoke when someone tries to kill her—again. She’s not sure which is scarier, facing the radicals who want to sacrifice her for their cause, or her impending nightmare of a Directorate-arranged marriage to her nemesis, Jaxon.

The one bright spot in her life is Valmont, her smoking-hot knight who is assigned to watch over her twenty-four hours a day. Is what she feels for him real or just a side effect of the dragon-knight bond? At this point, stopping the impending civil war might be easier than figuring out her love life.

She may have to live in their world, but she doesn’t have to play by their rules.

Check out the first two books in the series on Amazon & Goodreads!

Review:

[book rating=4/5]

 

I’m just going to start off by saying that I flove Chris Cannon. I follow her on Facebook (stalk? Some might say stalk.), and am continuously entertained by her snarky posts, most of which pertain to her necessity for caffeine before dealing with humans. I love that she translates her snark into Bryn, who is one of my favorite YA heroines. Trial by Fire pretty much picks up right where Bridges Burned ended; the events of this book, though, are limited strictly to the school’s campus, as everyone is on lockdown from the recent attacks.

I actually thought that this was the end of the series and I was so into the book that when it ended I was like, “Wait. What just happened? How is it over?” Instead of having questions answered, Chris Cannon just asked more!

There wasn’t as much action as in the previous two books; instead, the focus is on Bryn’s attempt to figure out her relationship with Valmont (BTW, Chris Cannon—you have her end up with Jaxon and you’ll be in big trouble!), so there is a prevalence of teenage romance angst that wasn’t present in Going Down in Flames or Bridges Burned. I wanted to shake her a few times and say, “Knock it off! Go make out with your knight!” I mean, that’s not what I would tell my own daughter but that’s what I personally would have wanted to do as a teenager.

Bryn’s friends are far more involved in this story, and many of the scenes took place in Bryn’s new dorm room, with the group trying to figure out what had happened and what was currently happening. I adore Clint and Ivy, who are pretty adorable, and am glad they are finally involved in what is happening.

There were a few instances where Bryn relied on her grandmother’s influence to get things done and, while I love that Bryn is now close with her grandmother (who is one of my very favorite characters in this series), I thought that this was too convenient (and, honestly a departure from her character, though, once again, I’m glad that she and her grandmother are very close). There were also a few heartwarming scenes with Bryn’s grandfather and by the end of the story I was very happy with her relationship with her grandparents. I can’t wait to see how they are involved in the final book.

And Jaxon. What to say about Jaxon. I love him. He’s totally an asshat, as Bryn calls him, but I love that the two of them are finally reaching an understanding of one another. I also still greatly admire Jaxon’s commitment to Rhianna. Bryn and Jaxon are going to be a forth to be reckoned with in the next installment, and Jaxon’s father is going to be in for a rude awakening—I totally can’t wait for him to get his comeuppance.

Overall, this is a solid 4-star read, and I am anxiously awaiting the final book!

 

Author Bio: Chris Cannon

Award winning author Chris Cannon lives in Southern Illinois with her husband and her three dogs, Pete the shih tzu who sleeps on her desk while she writes, Molly the ever-shedding yellow lab, and Tyson the sandwich-stealing German Shepherd Beagle. She believes coffee is the Elixir of Life. Most evenings after work, you can find her sucking down caffeine and writing fire-breathing paranormal adventures and snarky contemporary romance.

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