Rating: 2.75 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
While away from the palace, Galen receives the devastating news that his father, the king, has died. As he begins his trip home, laden with grief, Galen quickly discovers that someone wants to prevent him taking the throne. Assassins from a disgruntled family member begin dogging Galen’s every step, stretching his security detail thin and making his journey a deadly race against time.
Along the way, Galen is given a mysterious scroll that brings a demon, Oso, into his employ. The demon agrees to help keep Galen safe as long the necessary price is paid. Striking deals with demons is a tricky business and Galen must guard himself around the alluring Oso. But even then the unsuspecting prince might end up finding love where he least expects it.
The Prince in Flames was something of a jumbled mess, almost as if it couldn’t decide what kind of book it wanted to be. Ultimately, it’s heavy on the erotica and light on plot, with two main characters who never feel particularly well defined.
There are lots of sexy times in The Prince in Flames, including M/F pairing. The sex reads as impersonal, almost clinical at times, and it seems wedged into the wider story. These scenes often read as sex for the sake of sex and not much else. There were also several scenes that felt borderline when it came to consent. Now this is in my opinion, and others may not view them the same way. However, in one situation, Galen wasn’t in full control of his mental faculties and in others characters were in a “do this sexual thing or else people you care for will die” scenario and those types of circumstances straddle the line of true consent for me.
Galen and Oso aren’t particularly compelling as characters. They read as rather average and only partially formed. They weren’t exactly shallow, but I never felt as though I knew who either of them truly was or what their motivations might ultimately be. They just weren’t fully realized protagonists and, as a result, it was hard to connect with them as individuals or as a couple. The same can be said for the plot. It was relatively thin and and, while it served its purpose, I was never enthralled by it.
The Prince in Flames was somewhat lacking with regards to plot and characterization. It had erotica and sex in great amount, but even those moments failed to achieve much impact. I’m afraid I’d have to recommend giving this one a pass.
