Hi Olivia, thank you so much for chatting with us! Firstly, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hello! Thank you so much for having me. I’ve spent twenty-five years with myself and my mind still goes blank whenever anyone asks that. I was born and raised in New York and spent a lot of time growing up in Vermont, which fueled my love for the outdoors and hiking! I was a self-published author but my debut novel Fear the Flames was picked up by Delacorte in September of last year and is now coming out in September of this year. Aside from writing I love to bake, garden, and spend time with my loved ones.

How did your love of writing and books come about?

I’ve loved writing and reading for as long as I can remember. I fell in love with Lord of the Rings at a very young age and fell down the rabithole of fantasy which led to me finding other books to obsess over and to have the urge to create my own! I’ve always wanted to be able to gift someone the experience of diving into a new world if they ever needed to escape their current one.

Your latest novel, Fear the Flames, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Tension. Banter. Whimsical. Sexy. (This should be the new FTF blurb)

What sets Fear the Flames apart from other romantasy and paranormal romance novels?

I’m a huge romantasy lover and I’m often drawn to enemies to lovers books, but something I really love about Elowen and Cayden is that they’re partners in crime! They share a common enemy and their partnership revolves around them finding a way to work together to accomplish their goals despite their conflicting motives. They don’t take to their situation with much grace, and are reluctant in their own ways, but that just adds to the fun.

Did you have a favourite scene or chapter in Fear the Flames that you really enjoyed writing? Tell us about it!

Sometimes I feel like this is asking me to pick a favorite child. I love them all for different reasons, however I’d definetly say that one of my favorites is close to the beginning of the book where you see the Band of Thieves together for the first time! They’re dress shopping, going to a tavern, and of course there’s loads of romantic tension and banter within. It’s the chapter that I reread and wish I could be part of this little found family.

How did you come up with or what was the inspiration behind Elowen’s dragon’s names (Sorin, Basilius, Venatrix, Calithea, and Delmira)?

I wish I had a better answer, but I just genuinely love the way the names sound! I went through so many potential names but once I heard these, it was like finding the perfect answer to a question that was burning in my mind.

Did you have in mind any celebs whilst establishing Elowen and Cayden’s characters? *crosses fingers for an adaptation*

I don’t! I’ve had some beautiful art created for the characters, but I unfortunately don’t have faceclaims. I think a large part of why people fall in love with fictional characters is the aura they give off and the presence they bring to the page, and for me, it’s hard to look at someone in real life and say they look like my character when I don’t know who they are.

What’s next for you? Can you tease any information about Fear the Flames book two or other future releases?

Wrath of the Dragons is well underway and coming out in 2025! I’m currently working on draft two and am having so much fun being back with my characters and following them on new adventures. One thing I love about WOTD is how all of the kingdoms in Ravaryn play a role in the looming war and connecting all their motives like a gigantic spiderweb. I’ve also loved writing in Cayden’s point of view since we don’t get that in Fear the Flames.

Lastly, what are some new or upcoming book releases that are on your fall TBR list?

I’m in the mood for something spooky so Phantasma by Kaylie Smith is very high on my TBR!

Will you be picking up Fear the Flames? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Olivia Rose Darling, Author of ‘Fear The Flames’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Fear the Flames is an “enemies to lovers” fantasy romance featuring the boy obsessed, “touch her and you die”, forced proximity, and found family tropes. The characters, dragons, plot, and overall vibe in Fear the Flames were reminiscent of Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, Alpha’s Burden by Luna Lark, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, and King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair; so if you like any of these romantasy books, you should definitely check out Fear the Flames! Some themes and topics present in Fear the Flames include betrayal and revenge, quest for power, war and sacrifice, escape, love and heartbreak, family and found family, childhood trauma and abuse, abandonment, death and loss, heists and quests, secrets and lies, and court intrigue.

I added Fear the Flames to my TBR list after the author, Olivia Rose Darling, shared fan art of the main characters, Elowen and Cayden, shopping in a bookstore while carrying a huge stack of books; unfortunately, this is not an actual scene in Fear the Flames (although I think it would be awesome if Elowen and Cayden went book shopping in a future Fear the Flames book!), but Elowen is a huge bookworm. As such, there were some great bookish quotes throughout Fear the Flames, which fellow bookworms will love.

I appreciated that the story was only told from one viewpoint (Elowen’s) and the plot was relatively easy for me to follow as sometimes I find it’s hard to keep track of all the varying characters and plot lines in fantasy novels. Additionally, even though there was inevitably some violence throughout Fear the Flames, it wasn’t overly gory. It was also great that Fear the Flames didn’t really end in a cliffhanger, like a lot of other romantasy novels seem to do, as cliffhangers can often be stressful when the series is still being released. Elowen and Cayden’s spicy “enemies to lovers” chemistry was very addicting, and I loved the fun-loving dynamic in their found family friend group. Lastly, I found the heisting and adventure aspects of the plot to be very engaging and, since I loved Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, the addition of dragons was a definite plus for me.

There wasn’t much about this book that I didn’t like, but I will say that it was a tad predictable; I didn’t think that it had any unexpected twists and turns that tend to be common in other romantasy novels, which could be a disappointment to some readers.

Overall, I really enjoyed Fear the Flames and would highly recommend it to fans of bookworm main characters, spicy “enemies to lovers” romances, loveable found families, dragons, and heist plots! Since Fear the Flames didn’t really end in a cliffhanger, I’m very intrigued to see what’s going to happen in book two and have already added it to my TBR list.

Fear the Flames is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of September 17th 2024.

Will you be picking up Fear the Flames? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

An exiled princess teams up with the last man she thought she could trust in the start of a dazzling and unforgettable epic fantasy romance series.

As a child, Elowen Atarah was ripped away from her dragons and imprisoned by her father, King Garrick of Imirath. Years later, Elowen is now a woman determined to free her dragons. Having established a secret kingdom of her own called Aestilian, she’s ready to do what’s necessary to save her people and seek vengeance. Even if that means having to align herself with the Commander of Vareveth, Cayden Veles, the most feared and dangerous man in all the kingdoms of Ravaryn.

Cayden is ruthless, lethal, and secretive, promising to help Elowen if she will stand with him and all of Vareveth in the pending war against Imirath. Despite their contrasting motives, Elowen can’t ignore their undeniable attraction as they combine their efforts and plot to infiltrate the impenetrable castle of Imirath to steal back her dragons and seek revenge on their common enemy.

As the world tries to keep them apart, the pull between Elowen and Cayden becomes impossible to resist. Working together with their crew over clandestine schemes, the threat of war looms, making the imminent heist to free her dragons their most dangerous adventure yet. But for Elowen, her vengeance is a promise signed in blood, and she’ll stop at nothing to see that promise through.

An immersive fantasy filled with a sizzling reluctant-allies-to-lovers romance, a world to get lost in, dangerous quests, dragon bonds, and an entertaining band of characters to root for, Fear the Flames marks the stunning debut of Olivia Rose Darling.

The post Review: Fear the Flames by Olivia Rose Darling appeared first on The Nerd Daily.