Book Talk Review; Mastering The Flames

I want to hug Isaac

Guilt-ridden after the massacre of his family, Isaac Salvatore turned to binge drinking to escape the pain. Now twenty-four years old, Isaac is a recovering alcoholic woefully out of practice in the magical arts, leaving his fire affinity hanging on the edge of disaster. After a month of rehab, he returns to Beacon Hill and his family, determined to remain sober, learn to control his magic, and figure out a plan for his life that doesn't involve drinking.

Constantine Batiste is the oldest, most powerful vampire in the city. Born in ancient Gaul, the bastard son of a Celtic king, his long life has been shrouded in tragedy and horrors. Recent mistakes have left him wary and determined to guard his clan from all foes. When two of his clan members fall victim to an ancient evil, he summons the Necromancer of Boston for aid. Accompanying his older brother to the Tower is the handsome young fire mage once wounded by Constantine's arrogance, and their encounter reignites an attraction that burns within both Constantine and Isaac.

The answer to who is targeting the vampires of Boston is buried in the dark, early days of Constantine's transition to an immortal life. Isaac finds himself saddled with a painful insight into the evil cutting a swath through the supernatural population of Boston. While his brother, Angel, takes over the hunt to find and stop the threat to the city, Isaac struggles to find a balance between helping his brother and finding his own purpose and place in the world, free from his brother's shadow.

Falling in love wasn’t part of his plan, but mastering the flames that burn between him and Constantine soon becomes the most important thing in his life, even as an ancient evil seeks to destroy them.

Mastering the Flames is the fourth book in The Beacon Hill Sorcerer series and is not a standalone. The series should be read in order for maximum enjoyment and understanding of the plot and characters.

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It feels like I've been waiting for this book since forever. I've been wanting Isaac and Batiste's story since their ill-fated kiss in book two. SJ Himes did not disappoint with Mastering The Flames.  

If you're a fan of The Beason Hill Sorcerer series, then you should be aware that Isaac is not his brother. He is a powerful sorcerer in his own right, however, he was not raised as a Battlemage like Angel was. After all, he was just a kid during the Blood Wars and subsequent Massacre. 

The book begins as Isaac finishes up his stay at Nevermore, where he spent the past month battling his addiction to alcohol. I teared up a few times in the beginning, y'all. I just wanted to hug Isaac. He needed so much love and support and my heart ached for him. Seeing him lost and, in his mind, broken, it hurt. Thankfully he has a great support system in his brother, best friend, and brother-in-law. 

While Isaac is readjusting to life sober, he runs into Batiste once again. There's been something brewing between them for a while, but Isaac wasn't in a place where he could go after it. Now he is. The attraction between them is just a low simmer at first, but the more time they spend together, the hotter the flames grow. 

What I was really looking forward to during this book was getting to know Batiste more. We only know what he allowed Angel and Simeon to see in the previous three books. Yes, Simeon knows more about him than anyone else in the city, but even he doesn't know everything about the City Master. Interwoven in the book are chapters that show what his early life was. They are the pivotal final moments of his human life. Getting to know a  centuries-old vampire, one as powerful as Constantine Batiste was fun. The way he thinks and feels is so different from the other characters. He quickly became one of my favorite characters. The way he cares for Isaac, even when there is nothing between them, shows how good of a person he is. Yes, he's powerful. Yes, he's arrogant. But he is also sweet and caring. 

I have to point out the difference between this book and the first three books. Like I said before, Isaac is not Angel. He doesn't think like him, doesn't fight like him. He doesn't want to be like his brother. And that is perfectly okay. So while there is danger and a bad guy that must be defeated in this book it doesn't automatically fall onto Isaac just because this is his book. Angel takes the helm when it comes to figuring out how to stop the bad guy and that's fine. Isaac has enough internal demons he needs to fight, he doesn't need to fight the real ones. 

Mastering The Flames is a slow-burn romance between Batiste and Isaac. Isaac is wounded from his guilt and addiction. He needs to discover who he is and what he wants in life. Luckily for him, he has Batiste in his corner to help him when he stumbles and to cheer him on in any decisions he makes. While Isaac does have his shining moments in the fight against the bad guy, that's not all he is. Unlike Angel and Simeon's books, this one is more relationship-based than action-based. Which it should be. Because while I love watching Angel kick ass, I also love a well-written romance, which is what you get in this book. Sure, they have to fight some monsters and defeat a bad guy on a power trip, but they also get a chance to explore what falling in love is. 

Mastering The Flames went above and beyond my expectations, answered some burning questions I had while also creating about a million more. I cannot wait to see what comes of some of the revelations in the next book. 

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"He knew he was blessed—by fate or destiny or a long-forgotten benevolent god from his mortal life, or perhaps even the goddess of death and magic, Hecate, that Angel and Isaac swore by—whatever the reason, he would treasure the gift he'd been given. And he would treasure Isaac beyond all measure." 

"Constans held him as if he were precious and every atom of his being soaked up the love and care." 

"Isaac, falling apart isn't failing—falling apart can be the fastest way to heal what ails you...You have people in your corner who love you, and if you let them, they can help you carry the pieces of your broken heart until you can put it back together." 

"Isaac felt like the floor had dropped out from beneath his feet, but that wasn't what caused the sensation of falling. No, it was his heart, in an absolute freefall, and he was past the point of no return."