Format: Hardcover, 512 pages
Release Date: October 1, 2024
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Dark Fantasy
In Fantome, a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering
lamplight, beautiful buildings, and secret catacombs, Shade-magic is a
scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy guilds: the Cloaks
and the Daggers—the thieves and the assassins. On the night of her
mother’s murder, eighteen-year-old Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking
sanctuary with the Cloaks, Sera’s heart is set on revenge. But are her
secret abilities a match for the dark-haired boy whose quicksilver eyes
follow her around the city?
Nothing can prepare Sera for the
moment she finally comes face-to-face with Ransom, heir to the Order of
Daggers. And Ransom is shocked to discover that this unassuming farm
girl wields a strange and blazing magic he has never seen before. As the
Cloaks and the Daggers grapple for control of Fantome’s underworld,
Sera and Ransom are consumed by the push and pull of their magic…and the
deadly spark and terrible vengeance that keeps drawing them back
together.
The Dagger and the Flame, by Catherine Doyle, is the first installment in the author's City of Fantome series. In the dark underbelly of a beautiful city, two rival assassins are pitted against each other in a deadly game of revenge, where the most dangerous mistake of all is falling in love. Key Characters: Seraphine Marchant, and Ransom Hale. On the night of her mother’s murder by an assassin, Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking sanctuary within House Armand & the Cloaks, Sera’s heart is set on revenge. But are her secret abilities a match for the dark-haired boy whose quicksilver eyes follow her around the city?
In Fantome, a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering lamplight, beautiful buildings, and secret catacombs, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy guilds: the Cloaks and the Daggers; the thieves and the assassins. The Daggers consumed shade magic turning bodies into deadly weapons. Daggers are lead by Gaspard Dufort who, for some reason, wanted Sera and her mother, who was a smuggler, dead. Cloaks wear shade magic to blend in with the night. Cloaks are led by Madame Cordelia.
Cordelia grudgingly agrees to allow Sera to stay until she can learn how to be a Cloak. What Sera doesn't know is that Ransom, heir to the Order of Daggers, has been told that he must kill Sera. Nothing can prepare Sera for the moment she finally comes face-to-face with Ransom and she stabs him. Ransom is shocked to discover that this unassuming farm girl wields a strange and blazing magic he has never seen before and soon begins a game of cat and mouse with Sera. As the Cloaks and the Daggers grapple for control of Fantome’s underworld, there is trouble brewing when people start turning up dead, and it appears the city is being overrun by monsters of some sort.
There are, obviously, issues that I had while reading this book thus the rating like the discombobulated pacing. There was a particular scene where they are battling monsters who have been infected with corrupted shade and instead of focusing on the battle, Sera and Ransom waste time doing other things. One of the other things is that Sera joins the Cloaks and then does basically nothing for them despite getting paid to be there. What's that all about? Also, there is a surprise which you can pretty much figure out yourself once a certain character is told that he must kill Sera if Ransom can't. This book is obviously setting the stage for what is to come next.
Hmm...interesting. I got this book in a book box recently and kept it in my save pile. It sounded intriguing enough! Hopefully the pacing won't bog me down. Glad you liked it enough for the most part! Nice review!
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