Fire Angels

Rating:
Summary: A great sequal to MAGE HEART
Review: After what she just went through (see MAGE HEART), mage Dion Holyhands decides it is time to go back to her homeland of Moira to quietly settle down as a healer. Once in Moira, Dion has the opportunity to meet her biological family, whom she had not seen in years. However, the childhood memory and the reality of her native land is not the same. Instead of a haven of domestic tranquillity, Moira is being overrun by witch hunters and FIRE ANGELS.

Though she prefers to stay out of the upcoming battle, Dion knows that she cannot sit idly by and watch her country be destroyed. As she finds love, Dion dives head first into a stagnated court filled with plots and counter-plots, and duels with demons and a necromancer who wants her to be his queen.

In her second novel, FIRE ANGELS, Jane Routley proves that she is rapily becoming one of the best writers of fantasy stories on the market today. Jane is a mage with heart, making it a sure bet that readers will love her. The support cast adds an authenticity that feels as if sixteenth century Europe was filled with magic. However, what turns this novel and the series into a classic reading experience is the different laws from country to country that criminalizes various types of magic (similar to drug laws).

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: A page-turner, but not mentally stimulating.
Review: Although I enjoyed the basic story Routly presents in FIRE ANGELS, I felt that the plot and character development is lost amid wordy "magical" descriptions,vague political intrigue, and fantasy cliches. I also found the first-person narration to be rather tedious. Dion comes across as more of a sex-starved middle-aged widow, than a vibrant twenty-two year old woman. At times, the novel also employs minor vulgarity which seems out of place for the story's setting. I wanted to see more action in the middle of the book, instead of political drama.

Rating:
Summary: Pleasant but not as compelling as Mage Heart
Review: Dion, the most powerful mage in Moria is back and is as insecure in her self-worth as ever. For those of you expecting round two of Dion resisting Andre/Beddazer, you will be disappointed. The book begins with Dion being convinced to track down an unknown Necromancer but this battle gets delayed to the final few chapter of the book. Inbetween is a typical story of court intrigue as several parties make a bid for the throne. Having rich political intrigue does not work well when all of the action is told from one person's view point and as a result the story boggs down in the middle of the book. While Mage Heart dealt with Dion's very personal struggle with a demon, the bulk of this book is taken up with Dion's boring romance with a boring man who saddly appears destined to be the love of her life. This part of the story would have comfortably fit into any typical romance book. Interspersed with her many sex scenes with him is a parade of friends, family and aquintances, too numerous to be fully developed. By the end of the book many threads were left unresolved and the endings of the storylines that took up most the book were glossed over. The so called Epilogue was a shameless setup for the next book in the series. Despite all of this the book is still very readable. Most commendable was the way Routly skillfully weaves in summeries of the first book into this one so that this book stands just fine on its own. This is a rare accomplishment. Let's hope that the next installment returns to the theme that made the first book so compelling, Good Girl Mage being tempted by Nasty Old Demon. And for heavens sake, grow-up Dion!

Rating:
Summary: Fire Angels not as satisfying as Mage Heart
Review: I bought Fire angels shortly after having finished Mage heart. I found the book slow going in spots and found it did not focus as closely on Dion and her development as a person. Other characters in the book, I felt, also did not support character development as much as Kitten did in Mage heart. My recommendation, read Mage heart and wait abit before picking up fire angels.

Rating:
Summary: erotic and suspensful
Review: I found this book to be a delightful fantasy about forbidden and unrequited love. The tale is filled with many delicious scenes of passionate lovemaking which transported me to another time and place. However, despite these highpoints, the story left me cold.

Rating:
Summary: enjoyable, but not destined to be a classic
Review: I have to agree with the preceding review from the Baltimore reader, there were a few things in this book that just did not work well: the shallowness of the main character, the vulgarity mixed in with all the "magical" descriptions. Actually, I found the supporting characters to be much more interesting and sympathetic. The storyline was intriguing; the different religions, magic and necromancy, the political fight for power.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it for a good read on the beach.

Rating:
Summary: this is a beautiful and exciting follow-up to MAGE HEART
Review: i purchased this book two days after i finished reading MAGE HEART because i was enthralled by the characteres Routley created. this story flows just as beautifully from one page to the next as the first book. but like MAGE HEART the last 30 or 40 pages seemed like Routley was trying to wrap up the story quickly. but unlike MAGE HEART this story is more intricate and exciting, i could not find the strength to put it down. i look forward to seeing more of Routleys books in the future

Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: The sequel to Mage Heart still contains very interesting characters that the reader is drawn to. But the pacing of the story line is very slow and as another reviewer mentioned, the ending is rushed especially when compared to the bulk of the story. Never the less I do enjoy Jane Routley's writing skill and her characters interactions with each other. So if you enjoyed the book Mage Heart I would recommend Fire Angels but don't anticipate too much. Perhaps the next book in the series will have better pacing I am sure I will read it to find out.

Rating:
Summary: A satisfactory sequel but had anticipated excellance.
Review: The sequel to Mage Heart still contains very interesting characters that the reader is drawn to. But the pacing of the story line is very slow and as another reviewer mentioned, the ending is rushed especially when compared to the bulk of the story. Never the less I do enjoy Jane Routley's writing skill and her characters interactions with each other. So if you enjoyed the book Mage Heart I would recommend Fire Angels but don't anticipate too much. Perhaps the next book in the series will have better pacing I am sure I will read it to find out.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: This book is GREAT! Not just your normal run-of-the-mill fantasy. I couldn't put it down! And I can't wait for the next one. Well done to the Author!