V. K. Dixon’s Fire & Night (Warriors & Mages #1)
Description
When everything you’ve tried doesn’t work, how far will you go?
Evylin is the middle daughter of the Glaas family, her two older sisters are already married and her two younger sisters are bound to be married before her, the war having taken all suitors her age. But even if it hadn’t, she wouldn’t be interested. She longs to be out – out of her small town, out of societal expectations, out into a life of adventure, knights, and mythical mages. But she’s been trying to get out for years and nothing has worked.
Captain Deckard has been climbing in the military ranks since he volunteered to fight in the Centurial war. His first assignment as Captain is to recruit more volunteers from the same villages that the draft ravaged only years before. Determined to serve his country and complete his near-impossible assignment, he’ll sign up every man he can get.
When Captain Deckard’s recruiting brings him to Evylin’s village, opportunity seems to have introduced them. But how can she get him more soldiers to fight for their nation when all the men are already soldiers? And how can he get her a life of adventure, when the fantastical adventure she longs for includes things that aren’t real? If by some magic they are able to help each other, will it lead to all that they each hope for?
Disclosure
I received this ARC for free from the author, my reviewing it was encouraged but not required. This does not affect my opinion of the book, or the content of my review; the following review is unbiased and all opinions are my own
Note: this review is based on my reading of an Advance Reader Copy (ARC), therefore some content of the book may change between my reading it and its publication. Any quotes taken from an ARC may not match publication.
Review – Spoiler Free
I happened upon a post of V. K. Dixon’s that offered a free digital copy of Fire & Night (the edition she put out via Substack). Her description of it as a Jane-Austen-meets-Skyrim romantic fantasy had me hesitant. I did not have the patience for the societal drama in Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but fantasy is easily my favorite genre.
The story immediately drew me in. I read through it and signed up to receive the ARC (a further edited edition that is closest to what the published book will be, and what this review is based on), which I read a month later. As someone who doesn’t get to read much and hardly ever rereads books, my reading its Substack and ARC editions back-to-back is a testament of just how good Fire & Night is.
The first half of Fire & Night is definitely has those Jane Austen romance vibes. Evylin’s hometown is a quaint little village, and her family is close and loving. Her father is the magistrate, her uncle the blacksmith, and her sisters are happily absorbed with their husband or in their search for one. Evylin however, throws all that she is into learning swordsmanship from and working with her Uncle.
From the beginning, the relationship between Evylin and Deckard is full of witty banter that I love. Unfortunately it is also rife with a lack of open conversation which leads to misunderstandings that I don’t love. Despite the drama-causing-communication, this part of the story didn’t drag for me, since characters were well fleshed out and each one was a joy to meet.
Where the first half developed the characters in a way that readers can invest in and care for, the second half develops the world: the true conflict of the story comes to light, the relationship between the two nations is fleshed out, and the magic system is introduced. This is where the Skyrim fantasy vibes surface beautifully and come into their own, whisking the story along in a pace I’m more familiar with and really enjoy.
I loved Dixon’s pacing in Fire & Night, the character heavy first half could have easily dragged for me, but she kept it moving along and swept it naturally into the plot heavy second half, weaving continued character development into the increasing action. This is where Evylin and Deckard’s relationship really starts to flesh out as their motives and internal struggles become clearer to both each other and to the reader.
Fire & Night is the first book in Dixon’s Warriors & Mages trilogy, and it lays a wonderful beginning for the rest of the series. At the end of Fire & Night, I was invested in the characters and looking to see them succeed, and I was interested in where the story was going next. While it has a very open ending, it isn’t a cliff hanger and doesn’t leave off with a lot of questions, rather it ties up one important part of the storyline which launches some characters along on their journey and pulls at the readers emotions.
One more thing to note: Fire & Night is a romantic fantasy, so at its heart is a strong romantic storyline. Dixon describes is as having no to low spice, which can mean completely different things to two different people – to someone familiar with heavier romance reads, this description could mean it only goes as far as kissing, but to someone who reads no romance or avoids heavier romance, this description could mean it only goes as far as hand holding. Fire & Night lands near the first description: romantic scenes are clearly described and some have an intensity to them, but it only goes as far as kissing
Overall, I absolutely loved V. K. Dixon’s Fire & Night. It introduced some really great characters and an increasingly interesting story that I will happily follow through two more books. I would recommend Fire & Night to readers who enjoy both cozy and epic fantasy and those looking for a slower paced adventure fantasy. I would also recommend it to readers looking for a sweet, slow burn romance, but not to those who avoid descriptive romantic scenes.
Quote
The modest and reserved society of Ephria didn’t have a place for a woman like her. One who preferred adventure novels over romance, spending her time outdoors rather than in a dance hall, and who could wield a sword better than the average soldier.
Fire & Night, V. K. Dixon
Ratings
- Quality of Writing – 5
- Plot – 4
- World Building – 5
- Characters – 5
- Ease of Reading – 5
- Overall Enjoyment – 5
- Final Rating – 5 (Actual: 4.8) – It Was Amazing
Want to learn more about the numbers I use for rating, and the qualities I’m thinking about when writing a book review? Check out my post How I Rate and Review.