The Dagger and the Flame
Catherine Doyle || Publication Date - 02.10.2024
Seraphine witnesses her mothers murder, over a commodity believed shouldn't exist...
Fantasy | Romance
On the night of her mother's murder, 17-year-old Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking sanctuary with the Cloaks, her heart is set on revenge. Nothing can prepare Sera for the moment she finally comes face-to-face with Ransom, heir to the Order of Daggers. Ransom is shocked to discover that this unassuming farmgirl wields a strange and blazing magic he has never seen before...
As the Cloaks and the Daggers grapple for control of Fantome's underworld, Sera and Ransom are consumed by the push and pull of their magic, and the deadly spark that keeps drawing them back together...
For a young adult fantasy novel, I was surprised that I had found myself really enjoying the story. It's definitely not a genre I actively seek out much anymore as I am no longer the target demographic, however, sometimes something like this comes along and it truly is a gem.
It is definitely playing off the age old 'Romeo & Juliet' style enemies to lovers trope. Two factions, both fighting for control and distinctly do not like one another. Seraphine is a Cloak, one of the thieves and Ransom is a Dagger, an assassin. Both are forced into investigating an insurgence of monsters plaguing the city of Fantome and eventually end up fighting an enemy no one had seen coming.
What I loved was how easy it was to read, and the 500 pages felt like absolutely nothing at all. Catherine's ability to world build and draw in atmosphere was what sold me to continue reading the series. It had everything I would have expected for a novel towing the line between typical enemies to lovers and deep underground crime influences shaping the way these characters see and interact with each other. There's a history of bad blood between the two factions and you can see this being played out even as the main protagonists know there is something far deeper going on than a simple gang feud.
Overall Thoughts
It took me a while to get into this book, however, once I hit that tipping point I loved it. I enjoyed the story, and the characters were compelling. Most of all though, I enjoyed the descriptive writing that Catherine brought to the table. The scenes and events within the book were beautifully written and I thoroughly applaud Catherine for her ability to set the atmosphere. It really made immersing myself in the world a lot easier and most of the time I truly felt like a fly on the wall.
I look forward to reading future novels by Catherine, as I'm very excited to see what comes next!
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