BOOK REVIEW: FLUX FLAME BY K.J. JACKSON

Title: Flux Flame

Author: K.J. Jackson

Genre: Fantasy, romance

Published on: October 28, 2013 by AWD Publishing

A dark path is calling, and though she fights it, Skye soon finds herself lost in the most important battle of her life. A fight for control over her very own soul.

Watching his wife crumble from the inside out, Aiden is forced into the hardest decisions of his life. Decisions that will either save or damn Skye.

While Aiden and Skye fight the darkness within, Charlotte and Triaten find themselves swept up by an outside force that is determined to end their bond.

Fate and the flame moon threaten them all, and the four friends must find a way to band together against the evil that threatens all of humanity.

The Flame Moon series is intended for mature audiences. There is violence, sexual situations, and harsh language.

I thought the first two books in the Flame Moon series ender a bit too quick. Maybe that’s because I enjoyed them so much. I usually am not fond of “unoriginal” fantasy (like using Atlantis or, in this novel’s case, basing the characters on Greek deities). Despite that, these books were really well done. The main characters are Skye, Aiden, Triaten, Charlotte, and Shiv. They’re Panthenites, a semi-magical race that humans used to view as gods. The Panthenites have their opposites, known as Malefics. Neither of them look any different from humans, so they’re able to coexist.

Once again, Flux Flame picks up at the exact point the previous book left off. As you’ll remember if you read Triple Infinity, Skye has landed in huge personal trouble. After she and Shiv got caught in a surprise attack, they underwent a transformation. This comes as a shock to Skye, who thought that her sister Shiv was human and died in the attack. The latter appears jubilant with her second chance at life. And Skye couldn’t be happier to have her sister back—even with what Shiv has become. Aiden wasn’t fond of Shiv in the first place, so it’s a wonder how things will turn out.

BOOK REVIEW: TRIPLE INFINITY BY K.J. JACKSON

Title: Triple Infinity

Author: K.J. Jackson

Genre: Fantasy, romance

Published on: April 25, 2013 by AWD Publishing

A quiet, unremarkable peace.

That was the state of life Charlotte was living in before Skye came into their mountain town, and exploded everything. Her life. Triaten's life.

And Charlotte and Triaten go down a path that never should have been breached. A path that tears their friendships apart.

As Aiden continues to train Skye against the threats of the flame moon, Triaten and Charlotte must find a way to come back from their worst mistake.

To prove that explosions aren't always bad. And that fate, and destiny, are maybe worth paying attention to.

This is the second installment of the Flame Moon trilogy. It picks up right after the first book. A war has begun, heralded by the flame moon that Skye, Aiden, Triaten, and Charlotte saw. In the lore of the Panthenites (their magical race), a flame moon is a sign of an imbalance between good and evil. It almost always precedes a significant war, either in the magical or the human worlds. Also, everyone now knows that Skye can wind back time. This gift is powerful enough that it can bring back dead people...most of them, at least. Aiden killed several Malefics (the opposites of the Panthenites) before Skye rewound time. A few of them didn't make it back alive.

For most of the beginning of this book, Skye and Aiden are absent, traveling the Orient. They are visiting old Panthenite masters so Skye can train with them. This isn’t shown, so the main characters are now Triaten (Aiden’s best friend) and Shiv (Skye’s younger sister). The latter has just arrived at the mountain, looking for Skye. Triaten, as a mind reader, is able to find out what Shiv wants with Skye. Shiv agrees to wait after Triaten tells her Skye won’t be back for a few weeks.

BOOK REVIEW: FLAME MOON BY K.J. JACKSON

Title: Flame Moon

Author: K.J. Jackson

Genre: Fantasy, romance

Published on: August 3, 2012 by AWD Publishing

Skye Walters thought waking up on the side of a river with no memory was her biggest problem. She had no idea that the man who had saved her from drowning, the man she now depended on, Aiden, was more than mere mortal. A warrior of ancient.

No memory, nowhere to go, Skye stays in the mountain town, only to discover she herself, has unexplained powers. Her life, her destiny, are soon out of her control, as are her feelings for Aiden. The deeper Skye gets sucked into Aiden’s hidden world, the more the past, and who she really is, threatens her future, her love, her sanity.

I am quite fond of compelling, imaginative fantasy novels. Flame Moon is one of those. I greatly enjoyed it from the start. The book’s main protagonist is Skye Walters. Her story begins with intrigue right away, as Skye wakes up in the woods, amnesiac. The first person she meets upon coming to is Aiden. He is initially bemused when Skye appears not to remember him. Aiden explains that he took her on a kayaking trip, at her request. It was clear that Skye had never been in the water, and she had an accident. Aiden was able to rescue her.

As Skye doesn’t know who she is or where she comes from, Aiden takes her to a nearby ranch. Mary, the motherly owner, takes it upon herself to care for Skye. The latter stays there for a few days, recovering. Skye also meets Triaten and Charlotte, Aiden’s best friends. Skye doesn’t like to be a burden, and so she offers to help. Soon after, Aiden and Skye go to a nearby trail to clean it up. There are fallen trees and rockslides to clear. After a tragic incident, Skye inexplicably displays a rare gift not seen in many years. After demanding answers, Aiden reveals that they are both Panthenites. Humans call them gods, even though they are mortal. Panthenites gain special powers when they are baptized in the river where Skye fell. To prove his story, Aiden grabs a huge boulder and throws it into the river, displaying his extreme strength.