Iron Bound Flames by Melanie K. Moschella: A Review

This time we're talking about a wonderful advanced reader copy I managed to get my hands on. As a blogger, sometimes I have a few free weeks where I'm not bound to any other ARC commitments and I take advantage of those moments to look through NetGalley. This time it was ‘Iron Bound Flames’ that caught my eye and I am so glad that it did because it is an absolutely stunning read.

Iron Bound Flames is the debut book for Melanie K. Moschella and the first in The Raek Rider series. Iron Bound Flames follows the story of Meera and how she navigates her life after volunteering to take care of the king’s captured raek. It's a beautiful story that discusses right and wrong and how sometimes there's no clear path to doing moral good. 

This is one of those books where there isn't much action but there is so much vivid description and character work to compensate that you don’t even notice. Moschella’s writing is so vivid and real that Meera’s character feels so human and relatable; it's honestly refreshing to see a character be vulnerable and flawed in small moments that are narrated despite her being alone in that moment. 

I really loved reading this to see Meera’s character grow and her relationships blossom with all of the side characters. One thing that I appreciated was that one moment where she stopped to consider what a life with Linus would be like and see her navigating that relationship/friendship. 

Everything element about this book is complex in its own way and so well thought out. It's a nice fluid read perfect for curling up in the evening. I'm definitely going to be recommending this to more than a few of my friends.

Happy reading,

Mei