Thank you Margaret K. McElderry Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley had me completely excited, especially as it was pitched as "Pacific Rim meets Sailor Moon." Unfortunately, the title lost my interest and I did not finish the book. The concept deserves the stars for sure, but I just did not connect with the characters. This just may be a case of it's me and not you. I do think that this will appeal to younger YA as with all the Avengers and Sailor Moon popularity right now.

When the basic prremise from the author is PACIFIC RIM meets the AVENGERS with a SAILOR MOON cast, that sets a high bar! The cast was diverse, this reminded me a little bit of Melissa McCarthy's Ghostbusters, and was pretty fun overall. I do think if suffered from playing into stereotypes--each girl had one personality trait and that grated a little bit.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

The world of Fate of Flames is like our own except phantoms terrify and destroy. When the phantoms showed up, so did the Effigies, four girls who have the power to control the elements and drive back the phantoms.

Maia is a fan. She grew up following the Effigies online and speculating on their lives. She never expected to become one. Filling the shoes of the previous Fire Effigy is not easy, and when Maia meets the other Effigies she learns that they are also just girls like her. How did the fate of the world get thrust onto their young shoulders?

Sarah Raughley gives readers plenty of mystery and a different view into the world of super heroes with this one.

As the first book in a series it seemed to be more of a world building story for the next books. You find out a bit about the phantoms and effigies but get draw into the mystery of their beginning. I am intrigued to see where the series goes.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title. Unfortunately, I have lost interest in the title, partly due to trusted reviews, and will not be reviewing the title. I have, however, promoed the title through my weekly recap with links to Amazon. Thank you again, and I apologize for the inconvenience this may cause.

Fate of Flames was definitely action packed and fun to read. The concept of the Effigies and their ability to control the four elements was pretty interesting. Maia’s character is very relatable and down to earth, but her character really doesn't change much towards the end. She doesn't overcome the emotional anxiety she gets when she thinks about her family (who were killed in a house fire), nor does she really become any stronger or braver throughout the story. This causes her to be sort of useless throughout the majority of the book when fighting the phantoms.

It seems like this story was more a set-up for the next book in the series, since the backstory is weaved throughout the book - revealing a little more all the way to the end. And, even at that there are still some questions left unanswered that should have been answered in the first book - like the origins of the phantoms and Effigies. The other Effigies (Belle, Chae Rin, and Lake) are diverse and have distinct personalities of their own, and Raughley does a good job in showing how different they are compared to the other. Raughley also did a great job in humanizing these girls even though they have super powers. Their emotions and actions really do show how a normal girl- turned superhero would react to her new life and duty to fight dangerous creatures. They each have their flaws and it’s what makes them so interesting to read about - even if they can be a little frustrating, annoying, or pitiful. But, that's their character! They are suppose to make you feel that way. Hopefully these characters can show "why" they were chosen to be Effigies in the next book.

If you are looking for a Fantasy/Romance, then this book is really not for you. There is a light romance between Maia and agent Rhys, but you probably won’t see that develop into anything more until the next book. The focus really is on the four girls and the relationship they have with each other and trying to work together as a team. I’m not a big fan of cursing in dialogue, but I understand it’s used for that emotional punch. But, I especially don’t like it when “Jesus” or “Christ” is used as a curse word. I think there are plenty of curse words that could be used instead and still get the emotion across. That was something that offended/bothered me that happened more than once. Overall, it was a fun and interesting story to read. Recommended If you like Fantasy or manga/anime such as Sailor Moon that’s a little more dark. For ages 14+up

I am finally throwing in the towel. I couldn't finish this book. I had a hard time liking the main character and found my mind wandering through the many action sequences. I'm all for action but I want some story peppered in throughout it. I was sad because I really wanted to like it.

Holy moly! When they say this is a mix between Pacific Rim and Sailor Moon, they aren't kidding, and I loved every second of it.

Well, mostly ^_^

I love the idea, the concept, and the badass girls. It did seem a little cliche that of course the new girl is the important one and can't figure out her powers, but I got over it considering why she couldn't get them to work.
Another thing I really appreciated was how death is brought up and how these girls-- the Effigies, all think about fighting and dying in different ways, yet still all hate it. It makes sense and adds another depth to the novel.

Seeing memories of the past... I'm not totally sold on it [Getting an Avatar-vibe and i'd like a little more clarity], as well as the science-y stuff and "the fifth Effigie", but the action and scenes were awesome.

I should probably admit that I absolutely loved Pacific Rim and while reading this book, the theme song continuously played in my head, perhaps the Sailor Moon one would have been more accurate with the fighting and winning love-- but there is always a snag.

As a downside, I really did want more details on a few things: What does the main character look like?, How old are the Effigies?, How does one pick their soul weap-- their sword?, Why is Rhys such a popular name now?.

I loved this book, but I worry I am over hyping it. I'll have to re-read it when the next book comes out and HELL YES I will be reading it.

I recommend this book to fans of Sailor Moon (They don't start as friends either you know), monster movies, and anyone who likes reading kick ass fight scenes (while understanding the characters have realistic fears).
Looking forward to the sequel!!

An interesting series beginning. Raughley's main character is interesting although slightly annoying with her obsession with the other characters (but that's kind of the point). The concept evokes a Pacific Rim-esque future with Kaiju-like creatures wreaking havoc around the world. Now Maia's an effigy, one of the few gifted humans able to fight these "Phantoms". Its up to her to pull together a dysfunctional team to battle the next Phantom threat along with a villain who seems to battle with an Effigy equivalent of dissociative personality disorder.

The concept was definitely interesting, all those sometimes I felt like I needed to push myself to keep reading.

Concept - 4.2 stars
Execution - 3.6 stars

I'll probably read the next book to see how the story continues.

About a third of the way through reading this, I took the time to read the author’s bio, and the fact that she is into manga and JRPGS made everything about this book so much better. Things that might have irked or gotten an eye roll (the silver haired villain, for example), were given a free pass, and I started to imagine the entire story playing out in grand anime form. Seriously, do this. It will make it more enjoyable. Of course, I would have enjoyed it even without this visualization tool. I’m always down for the classic elements as magical powers, and I really like the whole Effigies as dolls metaphor. I think the story does a really good job of exploring the complexities swirling beneath the veneer of our idols. Also, the phantoms are pretty cool.

The dialogue could be a bit stilted, and there were some grammatical errors that may or may not be an intentional part of Maia’s narration. Maia gets points for being a nerdy woman of color, which is something we don't often see, and while she suffers a bit from standard YA heroine syndrome, she’s still a worthy protagonist. While many of the other characters function as walking tropes, they were still enjoyable as was the development of the Effigies’ relationships. Certain aspects of the plot and world-building could certainly use additional fleshing out, but I feel like that’s probably a job for the sequels. Over all, a good read and a good rec for any manga-loving patrons who are being "made" to read a traditional novel.

File expired before I could read it. Maybe next time let me send to Kindle so I'm not on a strict timeframe.

3.5 Stars
Pretty solid start to a series, some brief hiccups here and there, but still good. It's an intriguing fantasy with some interesting world-building, somewhat solid characters, and an action-filled plot that helps to keep the story moving along without being bogged down by the world-building explanations. The ending was pretty solid: a good fight sequence followed by some hints of what may come in the next book (and enough foreshadowing that I want to read more). Overall I liked Maia and thought she was a fun character to follow through this story; while she did become a "chosen one" she was reluctant about it and wasn't really all that good at it which is somewhat unusual in these kinds of story, a refreshing unusual at that. I liked that she was nervous and shy and awkward as one would expect a teenager to be, especially if she suddenly had to be around people she considers to be her idols.
The only things I didn't like: the sorta romance subplot. That bit just felt a little too YA cliche at times though at least it didn't actually advance as quickly as it seems to do in a lot of YA. At least all that seemed to develop was a crush between Maia and Rhys but it still felt too rushed and just a little bit off. Also I was kinda irked how pretty much all the main guys that were introduced were "hot." Maia just kind of immediately picked up and commented on their good looks as soon as she saw them (Rhys, Saul, and Vasily). Not that all three couldn't be good looking guys but it was just a little boring to have their hotness described every time one of them came on the scene, especially when it felt kind unnecessary (there was one scene where Saul grabbed Maia and she thought something to the effect that he "pulled her against his hard chest" :X why does it have to be described that way? why did you have to say "hard chest?" why not just "chest"? it just took me out of the story and made me roll my eyes when I read that). I just got a little bored with all the comments about how hot these guys were, or how beautiful the other Effigies were. It's fine that she finds them pretty or good-looking or whatever, but I as the reader really don't need it reiterated every time that character comes on the scene. It gets super redundant after a while, especially when pretty much all the main characters are aesthetically pleasing people (and it's a little unrealistic).
I also wish there had been a little more character growth over the course of the book but hopefully that was mostly due to setting up the world and characters and plot and will be addressed more in the second book.
So all in all, I enjoyed this book. It was an intriguing fantasy and I'd definitely be interested in reading the rest of the series if it keeps on its current trajectory.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Pulse for the opportunity to read and review Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley! The book opens with an excerpt from "The Fight with the Dragon" by Friedrich von Schiller, translated by Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton 1852. I found the excerpt and its implications to the story interesting. The area has been attacked by hostiles, as the warning siren is telling the city. The students and teachers at the school are heading to the shelter. Maia sees a terrified young girl under a jeep. Maia feels the need to save her, since she is now an effigy and has been for forty-eight hours. That's when an Effigy mentor died and Maia took her place. There can only be four effigies at a time. Earth, fire, ice and wind are the four effigies at a time. When Maia meets Saul, I was instantly intrigued by his silver hair and mysterious ring. There's more to Saul and his ring than Maia realizes. The Effigies are a type of super hero with flaws and attributes just like regular people. The mystery goes beyond someone just being a villain. The plot is intense, interesting and full of twists. I give 4 stars for this science fiction adventure!

Usually with first person narrative, it’s a hit and miss with me, however, I was able to enjoy the writing with Fate of Flames. The narrative had a great voice and the plot was compelling enough to keep me reading. You can really get a sense of what Maia’s personality is based on the narrative, which is a sign of good writing. I also enjoyed reading about the other main characters. I found them to be interesting, in-depth and well developed. The other characters, such as the other Effgies, felt more shallow to me. I wish there was more development on them, but seeing how this is a first in the series, there’s more chances for them to shine later on.

The magic system in this world was not described properly to me. It felt very smoke and mirrors. Lots of stuff happen with the magic, but it’s not explained and described properly so you are forced to try to imagine how the magic would work and how it would appear. Maybe this was intentional, maybe this was a sign of lack of world development. Either way, I expected the magic system to be better.

Most of this novel was an action paced exposition. That means a lot of crazy stuff happens, but there’s very little plot expansion. There was a lot of set up for future conflict, but this novel ends with no conclusion or no actual plot value. You get a feel for what the story is, but you will have to wait until the next books in the series to fully experience the story the author intended to share. I wish there was an actual full plot line in this novel rather than to be given half a plot. Not going to lie though, they did a great job building intrigue for me. I had many questions about the story, characters, and their motives, that it kept me reading further. Unfortunately, many of my questions were not answered. I guess I’ll have to wait for the next series to get them answered. If I even care for this series still.

I really really wanted to die hard love this one. But it just kept going from OMG tons of action to just meh I am board out of my ever living mind!! The book was ok for the most part. I think this is going to be one of those books where you either love or hate it. Or your like me where it was ok but nothing to write home about. The characters seemed a little flat to me and I really couldn't care a less about most of them. I did love the world that they lived in and the author did an amazing job at the world building. I just wish that the characters would have been a little better and a little more refined.

This story about four girls who save the world from these phantom things was great but the characters just didn't help move that story along. There were parts where I kept asking myself what is going on. And then I had to go back and re-read sections just to fully understand what had happened.

Other than that the book was good. I do say that you should check it out. And see for yourself how you like this one. But for me the characters kinda sucked the life out of this one.

Book in a Pinch
Only Four Girls with Special Powers Can Save The World!
Go Into This One Knowing
Fast start but slow to finish, Characters made the story drag!