A Heart of Crimson Flames: A Novel

Rating: 4 ⭐️ Spice: 🌶️ A.K. Mulford did an excellent job of wrapping up this series in this final book of the Golden Court series. This book is an excellent mash-up of fantasy and romantasy. The magic system that was used in this series was well done and the character growth that finished up in this book was good as well. The culminating battle scene at the end was well done. Pros The character development and character arcs that took place were well developed and the MC’s dealt with some personal demons that plagued them throughout the series. I loved the diversity of the characters throughout the story. The 3 main female characters were vastly different with varying perspectives throughout the story. Two of our female main characters were twins and I loved how the author wrote them as very different people. Calla was a fighter from the get-go and strong-willed; where Briar was more meek and timid. However, at the end, Briar found strength and power with the help of her mate. Out of the 3, her arc was the best. I also liked that there was a clear closing. The conclusion of the story was wrapped up nicely and the story was well-paced. It didn’t drag on too long. Cons The only negative that I had for this story was the placement of the steamy parts. I felt like they were just thrown in there to be in there. There were a few times that one popped up and I didn’t feel like it needed to be there. Overall, this story had an engaging finish, richly imagined worlds,…

First off, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me snag both the audio and ebook versions. I did an immersive read for this one, and if you don’t do that often—wow, it’s an experience. I’m honestly teetering between 2.5 and 3 stars here. I read the first two books right before starting this one, so everything was fresh in my mind. Book 3 did a great job tying up the loose ends, but it really felt like the plot started running thin, and the story shifted into being very sex-heavy. And don’t get me wrong—I love a good smutty read—but something about it just felt off or out of flow. Almost like the story would hit a lull, and then boom, another sex scene to fill the space. I hate giving lower reviews, but I ARC read to give honest opinions, and this one just didn’t fully land for me the way I hoped it would.