Firebrand

Rebel Angels, Book #1

By Gillian Philip

ISBN# 9780765333223

Author’s Website:  http://www.gillianphilip.com

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Dawn

Synopsis:

At the end of the sixteenth century, religious upheaval brings fear, superstition, and doubt to the lives of mortals. Yet unbeknownst to them, another world lies just beyond the Veil: the realm of the Sithe, a fierce and beautiful people for whom a full-mortal life is but the blink of an eye. The Veil protects and hides their world…but it is fraying at the edges, and not all think it should be repaired.

Discarded by his mother and ignored by his father, sixteen-year-old Seth MacGregor has grown up half wild in his father’s fortress, with only his idolized older brother, Conal, for family. When Conal quarrels with the Sithe queen and is forced into exile in the full-mortal world, Seth volunteers to go with him.

But life beyond the Veil is even more dangerous than they expected, and Seth and Conal soon find themselves embroiled in a witch-hunt—in which they are the quarry. Trapped between the queen’s machinations at home and the superstitious violence of the otherworld, Seth must act before both of them are fed to the witch-hunters’ fires…

Review:

Firebrand is simply a great book. Philip introduces us to the world of the Sithe. She created a race unknown to mortals and an intricate world full of politics to go with it. Firebrand is a perfect example of how to introduce a new world with unknown characters without overwhelming the reader.

Firebrand is told from Seth’s perspective. Seth seems like a hard-ass annoying trouble-maker. But there’s so much more than meets the eye. He is jaded, way too mature for his age. I loved his view of the issues/people surrounding him.  His character is deeply satisfying because we journey with him; we learn and grow as he does. Seth takes us back to the beginning from his birth. We go with him as he finds love and endures great heartache. My heart broke for him a few times during the book.

Seth has some very interesting colloquialisms. Piece of Piss was my favorite. I laughed every time he said it.

Conal is Seth’s half brother. Conal melted my heart when he took Seth under his wing. Conal became a brother, father, best friend to Seth. And Seth deserved that as he went mostly ignored and unloved until Conal came along. He gave Seth unconditional love and acceptance.

Philip has a gift for conveying multifaceted characters. I felt like I knew them personally. Conal’s mother Leonora remained a mystery to me. I am fascinated by her and hope to get to know her better in the next installment.

Kate, blech! What can I say about her? She is a nasty woman. Kate enjoys being cruel; she enjoys harming others painfully. I hate how she treated Conal and Seth. I hope to see her get her comeuppance. Maybe Leonora will be Kate’s downfall? I just hope Seth gets to repay her in kind.

I recommend the book to all – men, women, young adults. The book has something for everyone. Men will especially enjoy being in Seth’s head.