Drowning in Fire

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Alluring Angel - Kathy: *Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review Drowning In fire is the 3rd book in Hanna Martine’s The Elementals series.  Set in the lush islands of Hawaii, Drowning In Fire is the story of two elementals, Griffin, of the water welders and Keko, of the fire welders.  When these two embark on a taboo affair, both are stripped of everything.  Griffin is denied a seat with the Senatus, the elemental council.  And Keko loses her rank of general of her people.  In order to get back her honor, Keko sets out on a dangerous mission.   A mission that others want stopped.  Griffin is offered another chance for a place within the Senatus if he can stop her.   Drowning In Fire moves along slowly at times and I wanted to kick Keko in the butt sometimes.  The girl has issues.  Griffin was was the glue for this book.  Overall, this was a good read and I really enjoyed the world building and banter.   4 skulls

3.5 Stars ~Reviewed by ANGELA & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog Drowning in Fire has the best story-line out of the three books. There is more suspense and certainly more adventure added to the plot.  Having the setting in the Hawaii Islands fascinated me and the background story of the Elementals and Keko’s ancestry were very interesting.  I was easily sucked in to Ms. Martine’s out-of-this-world beings. Overall, an enjoyable read. This book was really hard to rate. While I enjoyed the premise, my opinion of the heroine went from adoration to annoyance then to respect. Kiko is first and foremost a warrior and this is ingrained down her core. And I applaud her for all her strength, accomplishments and ambitions.  However, when it comes to love or plain and simple trust, she is totally clueless.  I nearly classified her in the TSTL category. She does have a background that leads to her distrust of people and that’s understandable, but sometimes she was over the top. In the end, her goal to save her people saved my opinion of her.  I was impressed by her unselfishness and determination to save everyone she loved; a true hero in my book. Behind every great woman is a great man.  Keko is lucky to have Griffin who has the patience of a rock.  He stuck by her side and supported her despite her lack of trust.  When together, Griffin and Keko were very hot and that’s not just because of the fire Keko yielded. They did have chemistry even when fighting each other.  After Griffin’s heart break in Liquid Lies, I’m happy that he gets his happy-ever-after.  It’s overdue and well deserved. *ARC provided by publisher

Hanna Martine's Elementals series is what I would call a cross between paranormal romance and sci-fi romance. Her latest book in the series, Drowning in Fire is set in Hawaii and is very descriptive. Martine is skilled at writing dialogue and her characters are well developed and complex. Readers who are looking for a paranormal series that features more than the average vampire or werewolf titles will find this series right up their ally. Keko a fire elemental and Griffin a water elemental have a combustible chemistry and a hard road to their happy ever after, but once readers dive into this fascinating world, they won't come up for air until they've turned the last page.  What I liked: Drowning in Fire is the third novel in the series and tells the story of a man on a mission. Griffin is determined to make the lives of his people better. By earning a seat on the Senatus, the Elemental council he will be able to give his people more opportunities an choices than ever before. However, he makes a fatal mistake by having an affair with Keko, a woman who is teaching him about the Senatus and how it works.  Griffin in an honorable character who gives more of himself than he receives. He is sacrificial of nature and this affair was totally out of character for him. I thought Martine gave readers a character in Griffin that they could root for, to find happiness. He was also the total opposite to Keko's bristly personality. I liked the fact that he is finally doing something for himself here. When it becomes a choice between stopping Keko's attempt at redemption and taking the seat on the Senatus that his people so dearly needs, Griffin is forced to decide what is most important to him. It was a great struggle that I think readers will feel to their core. Martine is able to get that feeling of urgency across to her readers without seeming to overwhelm. Keko was a bit harder to love than Griffin. Her motives were different. She had a tough exterior having been trained as a warrior. She may know defensive techniques and how to kill with ease, but simple conversations and social skills are far beyond her. She comes across as fierce and determined and redeeming herself after her affair with Griffin is most important to her. I think it was a real blow to her ego and her self confidence that she was punished and lost face. Definitely a character with a chip on her shoulder, but it really worked with the whole dynamic of the fire elemental and what she stood for. What I didn't like: I had a few issues with the pacing. The middle lagged a little bit. In the beginning I was all about learning how the world worked and how the elementals interacted, and the end was exciting because it was so unclear how they would end up together. The middle was just a little slow and seemed to simmer a bit, rather than boil. The dialogue and banter between Keko and Griffin was probably the best part of the middle section of the book. Bottom Line: I was happy with this book, because it was so different than your average PNR. I liked the sci-fi elements and the elementals themselves were fascinating. I wish the middle of the book had, had a bit more bite and edge, but altogether it was an enjoyable read.