Chains of Fire by Christina Dodd

Chains of Fire by Christina Dodd
My rating: 4.25 of 5 stars

It's been a long time since I read the other books in this series, so I was a little lost at first. However, it came back to me pretty fast. This series really found its stride after a shaky start. Samuel and Isabelle isn't my favorite couple, but Dodd writes their romance passionately and evocatively. They've been in each others' lives for a long time and never felt a connection like the one they share with anyone else.

Samuel is a complicated person. He's not nice or honorable or kind. But he has deep principles that carry him through. And he's defined by his steadfast love for Isabelle, although he's not done a good job of showing it.

Isabelle is complex in a different way. She had the power of healing. As an empath, her gift can lead to self-trauma, so every time she heals someone, it's an act of self-sacrifice. When she first meets Samuel, she heals an emotionally broken part of him, and from that moment, they will be connected for the rest of their life. But it doesn't promise a quick and lasting happy ending.

Through circumstances beyond their control, they both end up working for the Gypsy Travel Agency, a group that was formed to rescue abandoned children called Chosen Ones. Their organization is nearly destroyed, leaving very few Chosen Ones alive. Isabelle and Samuel have an uneasy working relationship, and on one cold winter night in the Swiss Alps, everything comes to a head, and they can no longer ignore their lifelong bond.

Some parts of this book felt a little awkward, but Dodd is such an engaging writer that I am more than willing to ignore what doesn't work in this novel for what works splendidly. I loved the sense of companionship between Isabelle and Samuel (when they aren't fighting) and the other Chosen Ones. It was so much fun to revisit the past couples, and made me want to reread Aaron and Rosamund and John and Ginny's books (my two favorites). I'm excited to read Aleksandr's long awaited story, but I'm deeply worried about what's going to happen. I can't wait to see how things evolve between him and Charisma. At the same time, sorry to know that Wilder will be the last in the series.

Not a perfect book, but very enjoyable. Thus the 4.25/5.0 star rating.

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