Harmony of Fire

Brian Feehan’s debut novel, Harmony of Fire is an intense paranormal romantic suspense novel with plenty of action, thrills, and edginess. It is the first book in the Alice & Owen series and is mainly set in Miami, Florida.

Owen and Alice are humans born with magic who are targets for beings that walk among humans called the We. When Alice was nine years old, she was tied to a powerful and evil member of the We against her will. After escaping from him, she is trying to break the bond between them. Owen is a musician trying to keep his friends safe until a group of hunters crosses their path. He decides to return home and seek protection. When Alice and Owen meet, their survival is at stake.

While Owen comes across as very likeable, Alice took this reader some time to warm up to. Owen is a musician, cares for others, and is a risk-taker while Alice is a warrior single-mindedly focused on breaking the bond to the We Kerogen. The chemistry between Owen and Alice creates an unusual dynamic through most of their difficulties.

The author’s creativity and great world-building stand out in this novel. However, it took a little while before I was fully engrossed in the story. The beginning sixteen chapters not only switch back and forth between the two main characters, but also move backwards and forwards in time ranging from years before they meet to hours before this significant event. While this interrupted the initial flow, these backstories gave great insight into their thoughts, behaviors, and actions.

The plot is solid and absorbing with both heartrending and pulse pounding moments. It kept me hooked and enabled me to empathize with the characters as they encountered struggle after struggle. This action-packed and suspenseful story kept me turning the pages. There was always something exciting about to happen. The story arc combines broken protagonists with themes of trust, protection, romance, selflessness, magic, family, racism, friendship, music, and much more. Written with skill in a way that blends magic with the inner lives of the characters, it’s an excellent start to what I hope will be a long series that meshes paranormal romance and suspense in an urban fantasy novel.

Overall, the story was engrossing, unique, and beautifully executed. If you enjoy contemporary paranormal romantic suspense and urban fantasy novels, then this author may be one you will enjoy as much as I do. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Berkley Publishing Group and Brian Feehan provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for June 28, 2022.