| Genre | Gay / Urban Fantasy / Shifters / Magic / Elves/Fairies/Sidhe / Wizards, Witches, and Mages / Mythological Creatures / Interspecies / Romance / Action/Adventure |
| Reviewed by | Serena Yates on 02-August-2016 |
Cop-turned-bounty-hunter Gabe Dominguez is hired to capture firestarter Nat Wyatt. For a dragon-shifter like Gabe, apprehending Nat is easy, but transporting him involves more time, energy, and blood loss than he envisioned. An attack from a band of fairies, an out-of-control forest fire, and a showdown at an auction don’t faze Gabe, but Nat’s innocence might stop him entirely.
Since discovering his abilities, Nat’s lost a best friend, a boyfriend, and trust in his brother. Only his love of concerts and card games get him through life without a home. Rumors of the Judge, a giant dragon who once destroyed half of Canada avenging those he loved, provide Nat with hope of vindication. When Nat discovers his captor is the Judge, he thinks he’s finally caught a break. Through late-night conversations and a shared love of music, Nat tries to convince Gabe he’s not guilty.
Can Gabe continue his cutthroat lifestyle, or will he run away with his dragon hoard like he’s always longed to do? Can Nat escape his legacy, or will his be another spark snuffed out by people who don’t understand? The Oracle, the most powerful wizard in Canada, might be the only one who can provide answers.
A world full of supernaturals of every kind imaginable and then some? A cop turned bounty hunter with an agenda and more secrets in his life than he is aware of? A firestarter accused of destruction he never caused and a need for justice he believes he will never receive? Sign me up! ‘Never Lose Your Flames’ is an urban fantasy of the best kind with very imaginative world building, a cast of fascinating characters, and a plot that kept me guessing until it was almost too late. I loved the developing relationship between Nat and Gabe as much as the dark machinations in the background. If you’re looking for an action/adventure with a major mystery at its heart, topped off with a great love story, this is a book you can’t afford to miss.
Gabe is a dragon shifter, and in this version of an alternate Earth he has some incredible powers. Yes, he is strong and fast, but he also has an innate sense of justice and a very dark past. Gabe wants justice to prevail, and for quite a while I wondered how that fits with being a bounty hunter – one who does what his boss tells him to do rather than the type who is more of a free-spirited mercenary who chooses his own assignments. This fundamental conflict is part of what drives him and what he has to solve if he wants to move on from thinking he has to pay a debt so an ideal balance can be kept. Gabe comes closer to the truth as the story develops, and the revelations about him and the man he works for were not at all what I expected.
Nat is a firestarter of considerable ability, and it has made his life a very lonely one. It has also made him a hunted man, and even though he insists he is innocent and has not started all the fires he’s been accused of, the evidence looks pretty convincing. Even his brother is out to capture him, but from the outset it is clear there is far more going on between the two brothers than anyone but Nat knows. Nat hopes that Gabe will help him find justice – but with Gabe so convinced he is a bad guy, Nat has very little hope unless he can make Gabe see the truth. After all, he has already managed to control his ability, he has got to try to make Gabe understand what is all about.
If you like stories with supernatural characters out in the open and dealing with all kinds of problems, if you want to find out more about two men who are meant for each other but have to overcome their natures as well as several external obstacles, and if you’re looking for an action-packed read that is as suspenseful as it is multilayered, then you will probably like this novel as much as I did. My breathing is still trying to return to normal.
DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.
| Format | ebook, print and audio |
| Length | Novel, 310 pages/104222 words |
| Heat Level | |
| Publication Date | 01-August-2016 |
| Price | $6.99 ebook, $17.99 paperback, $17.99 bundle, $19.95 audiobook |
| Buy Link | https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/never-lose-your-flames-by-francis-gideon-7338-b |
