I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Leah Bailey and the Fire Demon
by Kate Viola
Series: Elementals #1
Series Rating:
on April 23, 2017`
Genres: YA Historical Fantasy
Pages: 275
Format: Kindle
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Book Depository
Leah Bailey and the Fire Demon is about a young woman named Leah Bailey. Leah was born and raised in London, England in the late 17th century. After her father’s death, she and her family move to New Ashford, a Puritan colony in The New World. Her aunt and uncle are established members of the community and welcome the Bailey family to the town. Leah has some difficulties adjusting to her new life, but she makes friends, which include a young Native American woman from the Abenaki tribe, named Pouguas, and establishes herself as a good citizen. Just as Leah and her family settle in, several incidences occur that challenge the peaceful little town. It begins with the death of a wolf and escalates to the murder of two Abenaki natives and one New Ashford citizen. The mysterious deaths correlate with an Abenaki legend about giants and demons. It would seem someone, or a group of people, are trying to start a war between New Ashford and the Abenaki.
Excerpt:
Cold wind swirled around Leah. It was the same bone-chilling air that she felt earlier in the day. It was such an unusual sensation; warm summer air mixed with winter wind. She pulled her letter opener from her satchel and held it in front of her. There wasn’t anyone about this time of night, just nocturnal animals such as skunks, raccoons and opossums, which would be more scared of her than she of them. There were wolves, but she didn’t hear any howls. They must be far away, she hoped. Leah was about halfway to New Ashford when she turned the sharp bend in the path. This was the place where she and Pouguas saw the willow wisps. As she neared the small clearing a faint glow emerged from the soft, swaying plants. Leah took a closer look. They weren’t glowing; the tips of the wisps were on fire. The fire did not burn down the rest of the plant, but stayed secure at the tops. Leah trembled with fear. She had never seen anything like it. It defied all logic. The willow whips swayed in the cool breeze, dancing in unison. A huge gust of wind blew through the clearing, directly into Leah. The wind was strong enough to make Leah take a step back, but it did not blow out the burning plants. They burned brighter.
Can Leah figure out who is committing these murders?
Leah Bailey and the Fire Demon by Kate Viola is definitely a bit different than what I thought it was going to be. A lot is going on in this book, but the story is good.
Leah Bailey
Leah Bailey is the main character, and the story revolves around her along with her Native American friend, Pouguas. This is because these two are best friends, and they are the ones who need to stop whatever is happening.
At first, Leah irked me a bit by being snobby and standoffish as she goes through the day to day activities of coming from London to a Puritan village. But, as the story goes on, Leah’s character matures and becomes a better person. Then toward she changes more once she is on the quest.
The story encompasses different cultures: the Puritans, Native Americans, and the Vikings, at times, there is a lot of information, but it is fascinating. My favorite of the cultures were the Viking’s rock people.
The Evil
We have the killer of the two Native Americans and the one Puritan to find along with Leah. It was during the time of trying to solve these three crimes that the Fire Demon gets loose. Leah and her friends that she gathers along the way have to figure out all of what happened. However, doing this is tricky as they don’t want to be called out for witchcraft. They also don’t want whoever set the fire demon lose to figure out what they are doing.
Leah Bailey and the Fire Demon is Three Stars
Leah Bailey and the Fire Demon by Kate Viola is a different book than anything I have read thus far. I am rating this book with three stars. Ms. Viola did an excellent job for her first novel, but I felt there was an information overload that spoiled parts of the story for me. I am recommending this book to those of you who like historical fiction with a fantasy element.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Leah Bailey and the Fire Demon by Kate Viola.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
About Kate Viola
Kate is a prolific writer and artist who has varied and unique portfolios for both her writing and art. She has a wide array of interests that span from realism to the fantastic. Her writings include short stories, flash fiction, internet content and novels. In 2010, Katharine graduated from New York University with a Master of Arts degree in visual culture: costume studies. She uses her experience and knowledge from her degree in many of her works. Her artwork has won awards and has appeared in several prestigious shows throughout the United States. Additionally her art has appeared in such literary publications such as The Rag Lit Magazine, The Horror Zine and The Future Fire. Furthermore she has designed book covers for numerous novels including her own works.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2019 Goodreads Reading Challenge
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