Into the Flame

Firebird Wilder is a rarity, a female born into a family where only males have been born for many, many years. She's also different in the fact that she has no paranormal ability where her brothers are loaded with it, due to the fact an ancestor made a deal with the devil promising his soul, and the souls of his descendents, to Lucifer. Cop Douglas Black is an orphan dealing with an ability that he keeps hidden. He meets Firebird while she is in college. There is an instant attraction and she's about to tell him they're going to become parents when she discovers a secret that makes her leave him before imparting her secret. Doug is devastated by her loss. In pain, he does something that helps fulfill a prophecy, and learns more about himself, and Firebird. Can the two lovers get past his betrayal and overcome a battle against their sworn enemies and live to reunite? Or will they go up in flames? Into the Flame is the fourth book in Ms. Dodd's Darkness Chosen series. Like the others in the series, this one centers around the Wilder family and their battle to break an ancient curse. I have to tell you that I love this series and the set-up for it. The Wilder family is a great deal of fun to read, and I enjoy their closeness and the way they interact with each other. Firebird is her own person, strong and able to stand on her own. I loved the way she and Doug fit together, and the way they take their place in the family history. Doug's remorse over his actions only endeared him to me, since I understood the feelings he had over Firebird's flight away from him. When the two come back together it is explosive. The final battle reads like the war it is, and provided great closure at the end. If you haven't read this series, start at the first. I've enjoyed them all, and Into the Flame was a great addition to the Wilder family saga Amelia Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Once again Dodd came through! What a WONDERFUL ending! I cried at the end, not because it was over, but because it ended so well. Doug and Firebird were the PERFECT match. Dodd told their story without rehashing previous stories over much. There wasn't as much sex in this book either, but that doesn't detract from the story in the least. Doug is the most sensitive of all the brothers in my opinion. Not as harsh, but still as intense. While reading this series I felt as if I became part of the Wilder family. I loved how CD handled each male hero. Each brother had a soft side, and showed it. Yet they didn't come off as being wimpy. I especially loved the scenes where the brothers would harass each other. The series came to a complete conclusion. Unlike some series books, I was not left with wanting more. I could read these books over and over and never get bored with them. It was a roller coaster ride from the first book to the last one. If you like paranormal romances, I encourage you to read these books. You won't be disappointed.

'ROAMING THE RUSSIAN STEPPES A THOUSAND YEARS AGO, A BRUTAL WARRIOR STRUCK A TERRIFYING DEAL. IN EXCHANGE FOR THE ABILITY TO TRANSFORM INTO A HEARTLESS PREDATOR, HE PROMISED HIS SOUL- AND THE SOULS OF HIS DESCENDANTS- TO THE DEVIL'. Thus began this truly wonderfully creative quadrilogy by Christina Dodd, culminating in this final Book 4 that, if anything, is more spell-binding than the other three, all of which I could not 'tear' myself from very easily. This book is different from the other three because in it we are not searching for the fourth image of the holy icon (a single painting divided into four images of the Madonna). This book focuses on the finding of the fourth son (as stated in the prophecy): the four sons of Konstantine and Zorana will find their true love, who will locate one of the images. When they are all put together the evil Varanskis will be defeated. Firebird, the 'daugher' unknowingly falls in love with a cop name of Doug Black, who is actually the 4th son unbeknownst to him or to Firebird; and he already has the 4th image, but is not aware of its value. The story goes on via many VERY intriguing routes, but WHAT A STORY!!!!! It would be prudent to read the first 3 books leading to this ending; believe me it will not be a chore, and many probably have already done this. This is one of the BEST series I have ever read in my MANY years of reading.

Christina Dodd's Into the Flame is a gorgeous follow-on to Into the Shadow. Her lead characters are vastly different from one book to another, with completely different dynamics in entirely different situations, making the books wonderfully separate. I'm not so fond of series where each book feels like a rehash of the previous. We get to see a different portion of the Varinski family as the family goes on the offensive. Doug and Firebird make a fantastic couple for this sort of book. They have enough of a history that we don't waste the climactic novel of the series watching the introductory dance-steps of a relationship. Instead, we watch them try to deal with the fallout of what came before and how they handled it (or failed to). Ms. Dodd has a particular couple of strengths as a writer that eliminate some of the plot frustrations that are often present in novels. She doesn't artificially prolong the keeping of a secret, and she doesn't force the characters to be artificially stupid in order to keep them from realizing something important and acting on it. She acknowledges that the characters have brains and will use them, and goes with it. Any misunderstandings that occur between her characters make sense for those characters and are resolved in their proper time---they aren't blown out of proportion or, again, prolonged artificially. One of my favorite aspects of the Darkness Chosen series is the lack of black-and-white answers to everything. The series deals with a literal pact with the devil, yet it doesn't seek to turn every decision into a hard-edged black-and-white thing. Sometimes justice is harsh. Sometimes triumphing over evil requires killing. And just because someone has done wrong doesn't mean he or she cannot be redeemed. Doug and Firebird's reunion isn't easy, but it is beautiful. The climactic battle of this series is suitably destructive and kept me glued to the pages. I highly recommend checking out Ms. Dodd's work if you haven't already. [Usual adult material warning: moderately explicit sex scenes.]

I had the honor to be able to read Into The Flame early. I read it back to back with Into The Shadow - which is the only way to read the two, since Flame picks up right after Shadow ends. Into The Flame is the much anticipated story of the Wilder's daughter and single mother Firebird. I rarely read book excerpts posted on websites - but I HAD to read the one on author's site for this book. Firebird so intrigued me in the first two books, I had to know more about her. The excerpt on Dodd's site only left me wanting more. I fear that reviews for this book might give too much away. Secrets and truths will be revealed, but I dare not ruin them for the reader. Into the Flame is a fantastic end to Darkness Chosen series! As sad as I am about seeing the great series come to a close, it was perfect end to a great series. I am a big fan of Dodd, and she has not disappointed me at all with this series and its final chapter.