Prince of Fire

If you like fantasy that involves magic this book (second in a trilogy) is great. Characters have great talents and responsibilities. It follows the lives of witches, wizards and demon. Follows the Witch series

This second book by Linda Winstead Jones in the 'Prince Trilogy' or 'Children of the Sun Trilogy' was by far my favorite. In Prince of Fire the plot from Prince of Magic continues but is now focused on Keelia, the daugher of the Queen Mother of the Anwyn Juliet Fyne and Queen of the Anywn in her own right. As the Red Queen that was prophesied about a long time ago (in the Fyne Sisters Trilogy) Keelia is supposed to take a Caradon lover (a species that is different from her own in that on the full moon they turn into panther-like cats and not wolf-type creatures like the Anwyn) and unite their peoples. Keelia doesn't see this a likely possiblity since her people are already at peace. Even though Keelia is a psychic she just didn't see him coming. Literally. Joryn is Caradon (naturally) and has gifts and talents of his own. Aside from the panther he can shift into at the full moon, Joryn commands fire that can open the spirtual doors between worlds(and make normal campfires I suppose). Joryn kidnaps the Anywn Red Queen and holds her prisoner for several days as he tries to determine why she would have put a curse on his people that when bitten cause them to turn into soul-less half beasts at the full moon, unable to shift fully into man or panther. Keelia is suprised by his assumption that she has cursed his people and steadfastly denies any such power. After days of watching her Joryn has to agree that she is incapable of such maliciousness even if their separate species have been unfriendly in the past. After a time it becomes necessary to move on and face the real perpetrator of the curse on his people and Keelia is determined to help him. They strike an uneasy truce; a partnership and they have a hard time keeping their hands off of each other. After awhile Keelia tries to convince Joryn that they are mates because all the signs are there. He adamantly denies any such assumption (stupid, stubborn man). Unknowningly Keelia has a part to play in the firstborn prophecy and must betray love for victory. She is kidnapped (again! You would think being psychic would really cut down on her odds of getting captured in plain sight) and taken to the wizard responsible for the Caradon curse. The wizard wants to take her for his wife and create with her a baby according to the will of the Isen Demon. Joryn immediately goes after her but is himself captured when Keelia reveals to the wizard his exact location and when he would be resting. When Joryn is brought to her, he can see that she is not herself and that her will has been sapped by a talisman so all the hurtful things she says to him can be dismissed as she wasn't in her right mind etc. Of course it all works out in the end for Joryn and Keelia but Ciro and the Isen Demon are not defeated yet and there is one more person left to fulfill the prophecy and put an end to the fighting. I really loved how absolutely stubborn these two characters were. Keelia is imperious and absolute

I was captivated with each word in this book. It is my favorite so far. Each character was so well developed that I actually dreamed about them when I fell asleep. The maddening Grandfather was a hilarious character, I found myself picturing this hunch backed, gray haired, mumbling man. I loved him! My only complaint on this book was that it was not long enough! I wanted more!

The second book in the Prophesy of the Firstborn trilogy is my favorite by far. Queen Keelia and Prince Joryn's story is very imaginative and very well put together. I couldnt put it down. While I reccomend that you read the books in order this can be read alone. I finished all three books in a matter of days. I would love to see more of Queen Keelia and the Caradon and Anwyn people in future books. Queen Keelia is just learning what her and Joryn's people can do and be like in this book and I feel strongly that it is an unfinished tale. Hint Hint Ms Jones. I really enjoyed this book and feel anyone that is interested in paranormal romance would also.

easy read, not to stressful and has a very imaginative flavor. Great summer reading if you like books that include magic exct.

The Red Queen of Anwyn, Keelia expects her people's natural enemy Joryn the Caradon to kill her, but so far he has only threatened to harm her since he abducted her after heeding the advice of his people's witch woman Grandmother. Joryn demands Keelia lift the curse she put on his people that turn them into monsters, but she insists she did not do this and that an evil is coming to harm her wolf-people and his mountain cat-people unless they join forces. She knows he is her soulmate that she has made love with in her dreams; he finds himself making love to his prisoner in his dreams. As they agree to a truce and begin a trek to Grandmother for further guidance, Keelia knows that in order for the Prophesy of the Firstborn to successfully complete phase two (see PRINCE OF MAGIC for the first phase), she will have to sacrifice love, which she assumes means betraying Joryn even perhaps killing him. Book two of the Children of the Sun trilogy is a Fyne tale that can be read alone as it contains its own romantic fantasy, but also enhances the overall saga as begun in the opening novel. Sub-genre readers will appreciate the twist that the Anwyn and Caradon peoples are shapeshifters, just different animals. The action is driven by the lead couple from the start as the haughty courageous Queen knows her jailer has been the star of her fantasies for years and the desperate bewildered hero cannot understand how his prisoner "breeched" his defenses starting with his dreams, then his needs, and finally his heart. This is a superb entry that will have readers anxiously waiting for the third Fyne offspring confrontation with the Demon (see PRINCE OF SWORDS). Harriet Klausner