Alright, Curious One. If you are still with me for my discussions on the Elemental Origins Series, I am impressed! I have just finished the second book of the series by A.L. Knorr, titled Born of Fire. Again, the author has impressed me! I will admit to you that even though this one made me cry for a moment, I enjoyed the first book a bit more.
(I will be discussing each book in the series. Skip down to the Release Schedule!)
Born of Fire’s Beginning
To start with, this is the beginning of Saxony’s journey. She was hired as an au pair (which in simpler, English terms is the equivalent to a nanny) in Italy for the summer. She is in charge of two little boys.
When she gets there, it is revealed that the younger of the two boys, Isaia, isn’t healthy. The family doesn’t know what he has or why he is hot all the time, but they worry. It was never revealed exactly why they didn’t include his ‘sickness’ in the job description, to me that seems like an important detail. Especially since he was mute as well. I wouldn’t want someone who couldn’t handle a less than perfectly healthy child to take care of them for a few months, but Saxony took it in strides in a, once again I will say it, realistic manner.
Isaia is always really hot and Saxony was warned to make sure he has plenty of water, due to dehydration. I was a bit confused for a moment as to how she would gain her elemental powers, especially from a child whose parents are clueless. I mean, obviously, you can connect the title of the books to their elemental powers, so just happening to be the au pair for a boy who had literal fire inside his belly; I made the assumption that she would be getting her powers from him or a scenario that involved him.
I loved the realistic way that the fire showed itself too. Isaia was hot all the time, had a glowing belly when too hot, his eyes would burn dark red when overwhelmed and drinking water was the only way to tamp down the heat. I mean, really, if you think of a fire in a milky, fireproof bag, which mirrors exactly what it would look like. Glowing in the middle, hot to touch, red ember peep holes and water would be the only thing able to combat the fire. I loved it!
Born of Fire’s Saxony’s Extroverted Lifestyle
So, getting back to Saxony. I struggled a bit connecting with her personality. She was very outgoing; willing to hang in massively crowded areas, was totally into boys and had a temper that flared to life. I loved her character and she still seemed very real and connectable; I just personally had that disconnect because I am none of those things and don’t really know anyone who is.
By chapter 6 she had a date with Rafael and by chapter 10 she had chemistry with Dante (he turned out to be a big mistake). By chapter 11, Saxony was transferred the power. It was a slow build, but then it whacked you upside the head and took you for a ride. It was a beautiful contrast to the first novel.
In order for Isaia to transfer his power to Saxony, he had to be dying. So, real quick, let me clue you in on how that happened. Saxony was called by Isaia’s mother to watch him for a few hours. They decided to go get some gelato and on the way they encountered a robbery. A guy in a green sweater ran from a shop and Saxony, being an amazing girl, decided to check on what had happened. She walked into the shop to find the owner wounded and bleeding on the floor. She asked Isaia to stay across the palazzo to keep safe while she went to help the owner.
He of course didn’t listen, I mean, he’s 6. He was probably scared and wanted to help and feel safe with her; so he followed her in and the fire that was in the back of the shop started to get out of control. There were fireworks going off and smoke coming out in waves. Saxony was trying to help the owner move closer to the entrance of the shop (which it was secured by one of those metal-type garage door covers which had fallen down and couldn’t be opened from the inside).
She yelled for help and after a few moments a couple gentlemen from farther down the palazzo came to investigate. At that time, Isaia had breathed too much smoke and being weak from the fire within already, he grasped Saxony’s hand; at which point the fire power was transferred to her.
I will say I wish there was a bit less of an instinctual power grasp on how to handle it, but it worked out in the end (for the most part). Saxony was able to stop the fire from spreading even more with her new power and saved both the owner of the shop and Isaia.
Of course, there was a moment when it became too much and she blacked out from dehydration, but after she got back to the house even more was revealed in Born of Fire!
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Born of Fire’s Fiery Affair
The mother of Isaia had known what was wrong with him the whole time! She had a couple week affair (you have to read Born of Fire to get that information!) with a man who was a fire magus which resulted in the birth of Isaia and she had been hiding it from her husband. So, Saxony was finally able to get some answers after awhile, but it was too late to keep her secret from Dante (remember me mentioning him earlier? Yeah, he is a baaaaaaaaaad dude…), who wanted to use her to usurp his father who was a “business man with a long reach.”
A bit of drama later and she is pulled into a trap where he was trying to get her to reveal her power in front of other people. He began punching her and kicking her until the other people stopped him and started to leave. Dante became furious and (with unwanted help from his cousin Fed) forced her down into a dungeon-like room with an ultimatum. Either stay with him and join his family and be his “inferno” and get anything she wanted or to be dehydrated, forcing her to transfer her power to him in her dying moments in exchange for water.
Bravely, she chose dehydration. During her stay in the dungeon (which she only had a maximum of 16 hours before dying) she was able to use her power to break the lock on the metal door keeping her in. But in doing so, it cost her life and she blacked out.
She woke to distant voices and water being thrown on her. It was Fed and Rafael, come to get her out. Rafael carried her up the stairs and snuck her out with the help of Fed (the girl who was forced to help trap Saxony in the first place). She came back and decided to talk to Dante’s father.
Her appearance has officially changed a bit, mostly in her eyes, but I do wish that her red hair had grown more luminescent. It would have been a really cool contrast and inclusion to her eyes. Her voice was the biggest thing that changed, becoming more gravelly and deep from the fire within. I loved how that was her big change. Totally fitting!
Getting back to Dante’s father…
He had done a favor for Isaia’s mother, resulting in her owing him a favor. He was going to wait until Isaia had grown and call on him to serve him as his favor. Saxony went there to exchange information and take on the favor herself in order to save Isaia from that fate.
So, she gets to Dante’s father and a deal is struck. She is also informed that few magi survive what they call the burning. The burning creates a more powerful, controllable, painless fire power. He directs her to a collective of magi which is where she gets thrilled that she is actually not alone. The business card stays with her for the remainder of the book. You don’t get to witness her calling the number on the card and I cannot wait until that part is done.
A lot of different avenues can be done with these books and I am secretly thrilled to find out what happens!
So, in the end, Isaia is safe and becomes a normal, happy young boy again, Saxony becomes an elemental and strikes a deal with a powerful man in Italy and she takes on the challenge of love with Rafael.
Really quick, I would like to say that I wanted to call her a phoenix. I mean, she literally was reborn from internal fire to become stronger and better and in total control. Isaia also clued us in on this tidbit with his choices for a bedtime story closer to the beginning. I decided to wait for my opinion on that until the end of my discussion only because she was never referred to as a phoenix in the story. I just love the idea that she could be a phoenix. It would blend beautifully with the first novel, don’t you think??!
So, in the end, Born of Fire finishes off with her at the airport waiting for her trip back home to Canada; the magi business card in her pocket.
Final Thought on Born of Fire
I was completely thrilled with Born of Fire, Curious One. I loved the description of Italy, the adventure that was pretty realistic and the focus being entirely on Saxony and her responses to her actions. It means a lot to me, in my current state, to be able to relax a bit and read a refreshing series that literally allows me to escape. I couldn’t have picked a better series to start off my relationship with A.L. Knorr’s writing. I will definitely be looking more of her books up as I conclude this collection.
I hope to see you again, Curious One, as you continue to follow me on the adventure of the Elemental Origins series! Until then…I already have another book…
Curiosity Release Schedule for Elemental Origins Series
Book 1: Born of Water – August 30th, 2020
Novella 1: The Wreck of Sybellen – September 1st, 2020
Book 2: Born of Fire – September 4th, 2020
Novella 2: Pyro: A Fire Novella – September 6th, 2020
Book 3: Born of Earth – September 9th, 2020
Book 4: Born of Aether – September 12th, 2020
Book 5: Born of Air – September 15th, 2020
Book 6: The Elementals – September 18th, 2020
I really hope you follow me along my journey of curiosity with the Elemental Series by A.L Knorr. I loved it and I hope to see some other curious faces visit my thoughts.
Make sure to visit A.L. Knorr’s website or her Twitter @ALKnorrBooks!
My next discussion will begin with the first novella of the Elemental Origins Series, “The Wreck of Sybellen”.
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