Bottom Drawer Publications is proud to present Through the Fire, book one in the New Adult Paranormal series Daughter of Fire, by Michelle Irwin
Ever since Clay, a soldier for an organization tasked with ridding the world of non-humans, stumbled upon the secret of her birth, Evie’s been on the run. Now he’s back, and she’s unprepared as he forces his way into her heart.
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance
Evie Meyers’ life is one spent on the run. Every minute of every day, her life is in danger if anyone should suspect the truth about her ancestry. Her father was willing to risk everything to keep the truth hidden, even from her, but the lies he fabricated were exposed when her high school crush, Clay Jacobs, inadvertently stumbled upon her secret. His discovery puts Evie at risk from a secret organization tasked with washing the world clean of nonhumans—and Clay is one of its deadliest soldiers. Forced into a war she doesn’t understand, all because of what she is, Evie is left with no choice but to flee with her father to escape persecution.
When Clay reappears in her life, battle scarred and mysterious, Evie is unprepared and terrified as he forces his way back into her heart. When the battle catches up with her, and a tragic accident tears apart the peace she discovered, she finds herself alone and without the protection of her father, or her lover. Now, she needs to keep her secrets hidden and learn to survive on her own in a world that wants her dead, all while searching for the missing piece of her heart.
I have to say, I have been anticipating this book for awhile now. I knew it was being written, but didn’t quite understand what it would be about! For a first time author, Michelle has proved to herself, and her readers, that she is a force to be reckoned with.
Through the Fire is the first in a series, and although I’m not a huge fan of starting a series knowing that other books aren’t complete, or have a set release, this was an exciting book on my to be read list! It’s set in a paranormal world, which in my opinion can be a tricky thing to do. Being the first in a series, there are snippets of characters introduced, that I am very keen to understand further in future books, I certainly hoped they’re developed further! I also think the interactions between the “Rain family” was too brief, but I’m sure that’s coming… Paranormal worlds can often come off as being a bit complicated and messy, however, Michelle has managed to create a world the reader can immerse themselves into, without confusion.
She weaves in the legends of the old-timers, such as the fae, that we all know, as well as creating her own world, involving non-humans, with the ability to create fire (You’ll get it once you start reading), and an elite group of people, known as “The Rain” who hunt down all the paranormal creatures of the world, believing they are all evil. The heart of the book is the Romeo and Juliet relationship between Evie (a phoenix) and Clay (The Rain). They meet as teens, but then, we don’t see any interaction until they are older, Evie having fled under instructions from her 
protective father. Their relationship starts where they left off, however a tragedy soon tears them apart. Throughout their time apart, instead of thriving, we see the main character struggle with her identity, ability to develop relationships, and life-as something other than ‘normal’. I really appreciated the fact that the author showed these struggles and lead the reader through a timeline that wasn’t hurried, nor too slow. 
The author has blended in enough action, romance, and mystery to make this a brilliant read. The push and pull of the relationship between the main characters, along with the timeline of events, is cleverly composed and smoothly executed. Warning – the ending “may” cause you to throw the book and cuss the author…but in a really good way! GO, read it and tell me what you think!
Read this book if you’re after a new world to immerse yourself into. A story of a girl who’s lost and struggling with a power inside her, and of a boy who could be her saviour, if only he wasn’t her sworn enemy.
I can’t wait to read the next installment.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Michelle Irwin has been many things in her life: a hobbit taking a precious item to a fiery 
mountain; a young child stepping through the back of a wardrobe into another land; the last human stranded not-quite-alone in space three million years in the future; a young girl willing to fight for the love of a vampire; and a time-travelling madman in a box. She achieved all of these feats and many more through her voracious reading habit. Eventually, so much reading had to have an effect and the cast of characters inside her mind took over and spilled out onto the page.
Michelle lives in sunny Queensland in the land down under with her surprisingly patient husband and ever-intriguing daughter, carving out precious moments of writing and reading time around her accounts-based day job. A lover of love and overcoming the odds, she primarily writes paranormal and fantasy romance.
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