The next installment in a viking inspired epic fantasy series follwing the stories of five sisters who may have saved their kingdom and healed their father, but broke the bonds between them.

Pretty good sequel, though there is a lot of traveling for four of these five different, fascinating sisters. Larger plotlines are starting to come together, new complications and old foes emerge. Each woman is distinct and dimensional but Ash remains most interesting of the lot. ★★★½

I could not seem to get back into this world. Even after reading the first in the series. The characters seemed more...disconnected this time around. While I enjoyed the development, and world. I did not enjoy the time line as it sat in this book. I will rate this book at 3/5 stars, because I absolutely adore this Author, and prior works! I am hoping there will be more with this story in the future!

Four years have passed since the five royal sisters—daughters of the king—worked together to restore their father to health and to the throne while fracturing the bonds among themselves almost irreparably. Only Bluebell remains at home, dutifully serving as heir to her father’s kingdom. Rose has been cast aside by her former husband and hides in exile with her aunt, separated forever from her beloved daughter, Rowan. Ash wanders the distant wastes with her teacher, learning magic and hunting dragons, determined that the dread fate she has foreseen for herself and her loved ones never comes to pass. Ivy rules over a prosperous seaport, married to an aged husband she hates yet finding delight in her two young sons and a handsome captain of the guard. And as for Willow, she hides the most dangerous secret of all—one that could destroy all that the sisters once sought to save.
This was a pretty decent story. I realize this was the second book in a series so I didn’t read the first book beforehand. I also had to adjust to the bouncing between sisters, but once I adjusted I did enjoy it. I will most likely go back and read the first book as I prepare for the next one. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

When push comes to shove, I enjoyed this second installment in the series *much more* than I did the first, and in typical reviewer fashion I have no idea if that's because *I* changed or because the text itself did something differently. Many of the more annoying sisters only get a few pages here and there, which helps, and the book focuses largely on Rowan, Rose's daughter and Bluebell's niece. Between these three characters—Rowan, Rose, and Bluebell—the series finds both its heart and its groove, and taps successfully into both the quest narrative and the coming-of-age tale, with a hearty dollop of tortured-mother-figure sentiment on the side. Within constraints, all three of these are welcome story lines. It just so happens that they're often abused or overused, and there's a great deal of pressure on the author of any fantasy narrative not to slip into the easy ruts that such overuse can generate. It also doesn't hurt that, by and large, the toxic woman-on-woman competitive phase of the first book is mostly over and done with, because we've seen plenty of that encouraged in the real world as a way to keep women down by egging them on to keep each *other* down.

No thank you, satan.

Wilkins' style also seems to have matured here, with a tighter control of both the larger story arc and the sentence-level minutiae. With a good hot cuppa and a brick of digestives on hand, this is a great rainy-day read.

Fantasy literature seems to have entered an age of multi-volume series that either demand the reader be familiar with all the previous books or else inundate the reader with backstory. It requires skill and subtlety to create a sequel that works just as well as a stand-alone book. Kim Wilkins is such an author and Sisters of the Fire is such a book.

Australian Kim Wilkins is one of the best writers of fantasy today. I adored her The Autumn Castle for its rich, complex characters and a setting that was familiar enough so I was never confused and startlingly innovative enough to hold my interest at every turn. So it was no accident that even without reading Daughters of the Storm, I found Sisters of the Fire every bit as entrancing, dramatic, and rewarding.

Almost immediately I found myself immersed in a world reminiscent of Arthurian England. An island is divided into small kingdoms, some of them so marginal but it is not worth the trouble to conquer them. Of course, there are stronger kingdoms, and one of these is ruled by an aging monarch whose grown daughters have made their own ways through the world. Ash has followed her dream to become a magician by apprenticing herself to a strange, ultimately villainous man. Lovely Rose has fled an unhappy marriage at the cost of exile from her young daughter and her beloved. Ambitious Ivy, married to a man she does not love for the sake of a political alliance, plays a dangerous game that threatens the safety of not only her kingdom, but her father’s as well. Willow’s hatred of the old religion leads her to a perilous alliance with the head of the Viking-like northern raiders. And my favorite: Bluebell who despite the whimsy of her name is a fierce warrior and intrepid leader, more than capable of taking over for her aging father.

This story moves from moments of tenderness to passion to intrigue to breathtaking action. Never did I feel at a loss because I had not read the first book. Nevertheless, I was delighted to learn that that this will not be the end of the sisters’ adventures. I look forward with great anticipation to seeing where Wilkins will take the story, and while I am waiting I will go in search of the first volume

I need book 3 and there’s no US release date yet, ahhhhh.

This is such an excellent trilogy, especially for fans of Norse-inspired fantasy, female-driven fantasy, and looking for something to fill that Game of Thrones shaped hole in their life. Longer review to come but I was so surprised, pleasantly so, at how the story unfolded. And I love how different each sister is and that we get POVs from all five of them

This is the second book in this series. Although I have not read the first, I was able to catch up thanks to the author’s great storytelling. This is the story of sisters that are pulled in several different directions. One is still serving their father, one is hunting a dragon, one married and poisoning her husband... you get the picture. The author’s character and world building are absolutely wonderful. I do believe that I will be picking up the first book in the series, and will be anxiously awaiting the next.

Sisters of the Fire and Kim Wilkins, the author are new to me. This is not the first book of the series, but I was able to keep up as the backstory was included in the story. Five sisters who have not seen each other in four years. It is the story of the journeys of each sister. There is a warrior, a magician, a lover, a zealot and a gossip. Each is a Princess who helped restore their father back to the throne.During this time, the relationship of the sisters bond broke. Will it be repaired? Each has their on quest. Bluebell is home with her father, Rose is with her aunt in exile, Ash is with her teacher learning magic, Ivy owns a successful seaport and Willow is hiding something that could destroy everything they have worked for. When invaders come into the kingdom, Bluebell must find the rest of her sisters to save everything. Each chapter is about a different sister, but they all come together in an action packed book. I loved this book and I will be buying the first one to fill out any gaps and things I may have missed. I received this book from Net Galley and Random House/Ballentine for a honest review.

Kim Wilkins continues her world building series with Sisters of the Fire. These five sisters could give Henry VIII a run for history. The author has woven a complete backstory around the sisters that now must be challenged. Her excellent writing lets the reader visualize each of the sister's lives and keeps you wondering where their paths will next meet. As each one travels their destiny, we're left wondering if any of them will survive their kinship's plans. As the second book in the series, you will benefit from reading the first one but it's not totally necessary to follow the story line. As I read, I thought I knew what would happen next but my imagination was not up to the task. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book!

I enjoyed this second book in the series. The story is a little more spread out. In book one, there was a clear, unifying story thread. This one is all over the map, literally, but all the threads are being pulled toward one another. I enjoyed watching how the sisters continue to develop - in both good and not-so-good ways. And I enjoyed Rowan's expanded role in this book. I am eager to read book 3. (Language, sex, violence)

Dragon Quest

Massive and complex as the story is, I found the threads carefully woven to include references to previous events so one can get by starting with this tale--but the saga is, like most, best read in order for the fullest enjoyment and understanding. The mindset of the people is far removed from modern sensibilities, and thought processes can be frustrating because one wants to shake the characters into our own understanding, forgetting we have the advantage of oversight of the many strands and the education of centuries of peace and warfare. As in the previous volume, the instant action is resolved and the active weft tied off--with enticing silken and woolen flutters of ongoing lives and potential for more saga-building tapestries as the next generation moves to the forefront. Should I talk more about the plot? The blurb does a good job. I'll just say that if you enjoy dark ages fantasy with a gritty edge, read on!

Five sisters and four years have passed. Rose is exiled, Bluebell is dutifully serving her father, Ash is on the hunt for a dragon, Ivy is married slowly killing her husband and Willow is training to kill her sister. There is drama, magic, betrayal and action in this story. It is the 2nd book in the series and it doesn't disappoint, I enjoyed reading it and wonder how this series will end. Be ready to take a trip in this families life. You thought your family had issues read up on the sisters and let me know who you are rooting for? I recommend that you add this book to your to read pile it won't disappoint and keep you entertained till Games of Throne comes back on.

SPOILERS FOR DAUGHTERS OF THE STORM!

I was given an e-Advanced Reader Copy of this novel through Netgalley. Many thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to do so!


Sisters of the Fire by Kim Wilkins is the second installment of the Blood and Gold series. Wilkins again delivers a novel with diverse characters, scheming sisters, conspiracy and of course magic. She delves deeper into her world and builds upon it in and even explores new regions.
Wilkins’ again manages to keep the sisters separated from each other, which is important in a book that has five sisters that all reoccur. Bluebell must learn to take her father’s place on the throne. Ash seeks out a dragon in hopes of changing her Becoming, teaming up with Unweder. Ivy must recover from her mistakes to avoid a rebellion against her rule. Rose has been banished from her home after her infidelity is discovered and has to live with her choice giving up her daughter, Rowan, for her lover, Heath. Willow, armed with the Kinslayer gathers an army under Mavaa’s name to kill her heathen sister, Bluebell. The five of them interweave together, making for a story of reconciliation, fear, love and hate.
I appreciate that Wilkins brings Rowan into her novel. She has been taken care of by Snowy for the last four years, with occasional visits from Wengest. She struggles with who she should call father, which is a side effect that I didn't consider. She lives with Snowy who is her fatherly figure. While she also has Wengest and Heath, one her biological father and the other who believe that he is. This internal conflict is interesting to see, but not only that Rowan has become willful and strong, preferring hunt and explore over learning how to cook and embroider. Rowan reminds me a lot of Bluebell, though she is a lot less focused on violence. So here is another female character that is still differentiated from the other five.
When I finished Daughters of the Storm I was a little nervous about where the series was going to go. Now this isn’t inherently a bad thing because I was still really excited for it. My main concern was keeping the Sisters’ stories all interesting and different from each other. I found more drawn to Ash, Rowan and Bluebell in this book, but I still found the others interesting in their own right. Ivy and Willow both drove me nuts though. Willow is off on her religious escipages and Ivy refuses to take anyone’s advice and it comes back to bite her, hardcore.
I’m so glad that this novel held up to the first one. By the end of this edition everything has come together for a satisfying ending but still leavings you with enough mystery to want continue to read the series. I wish I didn't have to wait Queens of the Sea!

This second book in the Blood and Gold series is even better than the first. The setting (northern European-ish) and world-building are as good as before, but I thought the writing itself was a bit smoother. Mainly, the character development was better than in the first book. The likable characters were more likable, though still flawed; other characters sunk further into their selfishness and became less likable--although sometimes more interesting! Either way, we got to know them better, which for me makes for a better book. I really like how the author follows the five very different sisters: we see how each perceives and deals with her circumstances. A good fantasy with lots of action and intrigue and a bit of magic!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a free e-ARC of this book.

Review will be posted on 2/21/19

This book took me a while to get into but that may be partly my fault as it's the 2nd book of the series and I hadn't read the first one so I found it a little tough to connect with all the characters at first. That being said, I honestly think you don't really need to read the first book to pick up this one, enough background information and context is given throughout so that it's easy enough to piece together previous events. So, if like me, you want to dive headlong into the story starting with this book, I don't really foresee many hardships as far as being able to follow along with the story itself.

Sisters of the Fire isn't really a single story, but rather several different stories as we follow the lives of five royal sisters who are leading very different lives. For various reasons they're mostly separated and don't spend much time with each other, some of them not having seen each other for years.

I thought things were great as far as character development, each of the sisters experiences some growth although some more than others. I really appreciated Bluebell's journey, especially. At the beginning she's stubborn to a fault and such a tough nut to crack. She obviously does care about people but she finds it hard to be vulnerable. A lot of that changes by the end of this volume as she learns that sometimes loving others can give you strength instead of making you weak.

I also really appreciated that the character arcs were not always positive ones. The stories of Ivy and Willow were definitely fascinating ones. They weren't characters I wanted to root for, but you at least understood what their motivations were and they both had arcs that put their characters into downward spirals. The thing that I loved most about the characters is that the author showcased women in many different kinds of roles--as warriors, lovers, mothers, sorcerers, fanatics...I loved seeing these varied women and thought each of them was written with a great depth of character.

I have some mixed feelings about the plot(s). On the one hand, things started out extremely slow and more slice of life as we got to see what each of the sisters was up to, now that it's four years since we've last visited them. It took a long time for each story to get going and because of that the pace felt glacial at times. It wasn't until near the last quarter of the book that things started coming together. The end is where the book really shines, as each separate thread of the story coalesces into an epic finale. I have to say that I really loved the way the author brought everything together and looking back you can see all the threads laid out from the beginning. I appreciate that attention to detail, just wish the pacing had been better in the start of the book.

I liked this book overall, and while I really appreciate what the author did with the end of the book, it was so much of a slog for me to get to that brilliant ending that it wasn't a very enjoyable read for me most of the way through. Still, I may consider picking up the next one at some point when it comes out to see how things end up. 3 stars.

This is the second book in the series. In the first one, the five sisters were trying to save their father who was enchanted. They succeeded. IN the second book, the eldest of the sisters, Bluebell, learns about a prophecy that one of her sisters has a sword made specifically to kill her. Bluebell goes around the kingdom to find out who it is and why they want to kill her. We learn more about the world, and about the sisters and some about their children. It is a good adventure book, but it suffers from the same problem as the first book - the ending is really hasty, all the bad guys got knocked on the head, the good guys marry or whatever else was going to make them happy, and half good/half bad guys are suspended in not knowing what will happen to them next. Sounds like the author once again found that it was time to finish the book before it was ready. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book, and would want to find out what happens next.

I received a free digital copy of the book from NetGalley

Sisters of the Fire is book two in the Blood and Gold series and a fantastic read! I have to admit I haven't read the first book but the author explained the background so I wasn't lost. I still plan on buying book one so I can reread this series again. The main characters are complex and so different but together they helped their father regain his health and his throne. Four years have past and the sisters have gone their separate ways. This book has so much going on and I loved every twist along the way. I can't wait to read the next book in the series to find out what happens next.

3.5 stars

You can read all of my book reviews at https://NerdGirlLovesBooks.wordpress.com

This is the second book in the series. I was at a disadvantage reading this book because I have not read the first book in the series. While there was plenty of back story in the book to let me understand what was going on with the characters, I probably would have liked it more if I'd read the first book. That's on me, not the author.

The book follows the story of five royal sisters that have splintered away from each other to fulfill their own quests. Only Bluebell, the heir of the King, remains in contact with home and works to keep her land safe from invaders. She travels across the land, trying to find her sisters and bring them home. When she is told that one of her sisters is in possession of a magical blade that will kill her, her search becomes more urgent.

Rose is in exile after being cast aside by her husband. Rose's young daughter Rowan was taken away from her. Rowan is being hidden away and cared for by a hunter that treats her like his own daughter. But Rowan's parentage is not as it seems, and learning where she came from has dire consequences.

Ash is on a desperate quest with her teacher to find a dragon and kill it. She is adamant that doing so will save her from her cursed future. While Willow, a religious fanatic, is on her own dangerous quest.

Each chapter of the book is written about a different sister, and they alternate throughout the book. The book is well written, although it was a bit too long. The sister's story unfolded too slow for me. It annoyed me that some of the characters were stuck too long and didn't make any progress, especially Ash and Willow. Overall, I think it was a good book, but I suggest you read book 1 before you read this one.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There are 5 sisters: Bluebell, Ash, Rose, Willow, and Ivy. Each is facing a challenge in their lives. The overall unifying challenge though is Bluebell's. She has heard that one of her sisters has a sword that has been magicked to kill her - a kinslayer. So, Bluebell goes around looking for her sisters and questioning if they have the sword and in turn gets caught up in their challenges.

The one thing that really stood out to me right away, was that I had forgotten how much I disliked the sister named Willow. She is a religious fanatic and mentally unstable. My favorite sisters are Ash and Bluebell. Bluebell is a warrior. Ash is a magic user of sorts. Rose is nice, but doesn't draw me as strongly as the other two. And Ivy is dangerously self-centered. I liked Rowan, Rose's daughter, as well and I'm hoping there will be more about her in the third book. And I liked the character of Snowy, Rowan's foster father. He is both kind and capable.

The book moves along at a good pace. The actions of the sisters keep the plot moving. In the end, there is plenty of conflict of different sorts to bring the book to a climax. Only one sister was really left as a loose end. All the others had their plots tied up more or less. I'm wondering where book three will go - what new conflicts will arise and what might carry over from this book to the next.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It has interesting characters. It moves along at a good pace. And the conflicts and challenges are interesting. I liked that the ending wasn't really a cliffhanger, but was still left open to what will happen next. If you enjoyed book one, you will like this one as well. If you enjoy Norse based fantasy, you will enjoy this series, but I recommend starting with book one.

Sisters of the Fire by Kim Wilkins was published Janurary 8th, 2019 by Del Rey.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.