CRIMSON FLAMES (The Crimson Series Book 2) by Ashley Robertson – Paranormal Romance, New Adult and College Romance, Vampire Romance

Newly-turned vampire Abigail Tate desperately wants to protect her human boyfriend, Tyler, in Ashley Robertson’s second book in The Crimson Series, Crimson Flames.

Tyler has been accused of helping the Resistance, a rogue band of vampires who want to bring down the Council, but Abby believes in Tyler’s innocence and refuses to hand him over as the law requires. Since being turned, Abby has gained unbelievable pyrokinesis powers thanks to her mother, the powerful sorceress, and counselor to the High Council. With her burgeoning ability and the promise of much more to come, the Council agrees to give her time in exchange for her tentative help in fighting Lars, the Resistance leader and a vampire capable of harnessing the powers of darkness and death.

Abby’s loyalty to Tyler is tested when she meets Trace, a member of the High Council.

The handsome, ancient vampire can’t control his feelings for Abby, and the more she learns about Tyler’s treachery, the less convinced she becomes that he is truly innocent, making her more and more willing to give Trace a chance. As the war between the Council and the Resistance intensifies, Abby discovers truths she isn’t sure she wants to know. As her powers increase, she’s driven to connect with the spirit of her sorceress mother. But doing so leads her closer to a clash with her destiny. Will she be powerful enough to defeat the darkness?

The strength of this novel lies in the development of the main character, Abby.

Abby is part-vampire, part-sorceress, and all hero. While learning the extent of her pyrokinesis, the ability to call up an internal fire hot enough to bring down not only her vampire enemies but also entire buildings, she must also learn how to control it. As the novel progresses, so does her power. Elliot, arguably the strongest member of the High Council, has the ability to communicate with the dead, allowing them to inhabit his earthly body, and in Abby’s case, pass on much-needed information and help. When Elliot calls forth Madelaine, Abby’s deceased biological mother, he fulfills Abby’s strong desire to know the woman who passed on her unbelievable abilities. Having been raised by a human blood donor whom Abby believed to be her birth mother for most of her life, Abby’s reunion with her mother creates joy but uncertainty. This uncertainty creates the more human element of the character, showing that ultimate power doesn’t necessarily bring ultimate fulfillment.

Still, Abby is a consummate hero.

Even when it could mean her death, Abby refuses to leave anyone behind. She sees herself as a “monster” with the responsibility to care for the race to which she recently belonged. To Abby, mercy and second chances seem almost second nature. In fact, she refuses to allow anyone to harm Tyler, even though he betrayed her, until she gives him another opportunity to make things right and explain his strange behavior. She stands against the most powerful vampires in her world as long as righteousness and justice remain her goals.

A clear theme issue within the novel is trust.

Surrounded by betrayal, Abby must learn whom she can truly trust. The biggest betrayal happens, in part, before the novel’s action begins. In book one, her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend, Tyler, plays a part in the murder of Abby’s father. Though he claims not to have been aware of his treachery, everyone believes him to be duplicitous. It isn’t until later that Abby will learn the full truth, a much more complicated story than she would have ever guessed, and come to terms with all that that means in her life.

The issue of helping the High Council presents yet another trust situation. Though the Council offers the chance to “meet” the mother she didn’t know existed before her transformation, she must submit to their expectations and demands, putting herself fully within their hands and possibly committing acts she cannot reconcile with her own beliefs. When she does meet Madelaine, she once again doesn’t know how much to allow herself to trust. She repeatedly questions her mother’s motives, whether she wants to help her daughter or help the Council.

Most importantly, Abby must learn to trust herself and her new powers. It isn’t until she begins to trust in her own strength that she becomes strong enough to defeat the ultimate darkness. That confidence in oneself remains the hardest to earn and comes with the highest cost. Crimson Flame won 1st Place in the CIBAs 2013 Chatelaine Awards for Paranormal Romance books.