Burning Hope by Kathryn Ann Kingsley
Nero is a madman and a murderer…and now Hope belongs to him.
Hope's life as an enslaved priestess in the Temple of Hera is all she has ever known. Born to slavery and the golden chain she wears around her neck, very little ever came as a surprise. But when she meets Nero, the only thing she can trust is that everything is about to change. Bought by a man who is unpredictable at best and a madman at worst, she has to be careful not to get burned.
Having been spurned by the woman he thought he loved, Nero Finch, Cardinal of the South Wind Dominion, believed he had lost all hope. Rejected, he decides to do the one thing he never does—pray. But the gods are fickle, and the priestess at the temple is frustratingly immune to his usual charms.
Now, they can only pray that love really is blind.
Available on KU!
Loved Nero and Hope's story in this one! I'd been waiting for this ever since I read Steel Rose and it was definitely worth the wait! Though this can be read as a standalone, I'd definitely urge you to read book one because it will be more enjoyable for you!
Burning Hope wasn't as dark as the author's other books and that was quite unique! But, that doesn't mean that Nero is a normal hero! Lol! ;)
If you've read Kathryn Ann Kingsley's books you'll know what I'm talking about. Nero is just as crazy as everyone thinks he is, but there are other sides to him too, and I loved discovering that along with Hope!
Hope is a priestess at the temple of Hera and she is blind. Nero and Hope's first meeting is quite serendipitous when she comes across him loudly swearing while praying to Hera in the temple. And she rebukes him without knowing that he's the Cardinal(totally loved that scene!).
For Nero it's almost love at first sight except for the fact that she can't see him(sorry bad joke lol). But on the other hand she's also an exception to his powers as he can't hypnotize her(as she can't look into his eyes). So, Nero makes an impulsive decision to take her away from the temple and it's pretty easy to do so as she's a born slave. Like he says, everyone has a price.🤷🏻♀️
And he begins the campaign for Hope's heart!But it's not as easy as he thinks because Hope is wary and pragmatic. Hope was the perfect match for him in all ways! She's strong, clever and sarcastic! I loved how they balanced each other out! Nero is playful, crazy and incorrigible but Hope manages to keep him in check and in turn he also manages to break down her walls and shows her that there's a lot to look forward to in life. I loved watching these two get together and the chemistry between them was amazing!
I'd also been waiting to find out more about this world and the origins of the Cardinal's powers and I'm glad that we got to to find out more about it in this one! We get to see the other Cardinals - Viktor, Hugo and Morten once again and we get to read more about the relationship between them and how they got their powers. Nero's backstory is also revealed and the different facets of his personality make even more sense after that and I loved it.
There's also a tiny subplot about the slavery which is a part of their society and Hope's role in it as a born slave. I would have loved to read more about this and was a tad bit disappointed that we couldn't see Hope taking an active part in all of this. That alone felt a little rushed to me because Nero had no intention of making any changes to the system, when suddenly he decides to do an about-turn(which is actually so like him because he's an impulsive madman 😂). But I'd love to have seen more about this from his point of view!
I think Hugo's book is next and I actually feel a little sorry for that guy! Morten won't even let him retire! I can't wait to see the direction his story will go in! And speaking of Morten, I'm so curious to find out more about him! There's so much more to him than meets the eye and I really want to read his story soon!
You can also find my review for the previous book in the series here :
*I was provided with an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Kat has always been a storyteller. With ten years in script-writing for
performances on both the stage and for tourism, she has always been writing
in one form or another. When she isn’t penning down fiction, she works as
Creative Director for a company that designs and builds large-scale
interactive adventure games. There, she is the lead concept designer,
handling everything from game and set design, to audio and lighting, to
illustration and script writing. Also on her list of skills are artistic
direction, scenic painting and props, special effects, and electronics. A
graduate of Boston University with a BFA in Theatre Design, she has a
passion for unique, creative, and unconventional experiences. In her spare
time, she builds animatronics and takes trapeze classes.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads | Bookbub
Comments
Post a Comment