Hello Blogging World!

Jonny

Hi I’m Jonny, and I wanna know where my augmenting serum is! Having no superpowers is such a bummer. Help me help you, Melaina!

Misty

Hi everyone, my name is Misty and I have to agree with Jonny here. I could really use that augmenting serum!! Although I don’t have any powers so I wonder what power it would end up giving me. Hopefully a good one!! 🤞🏻

This buddy read and rant is for Shadow Flames (Shadow Walker #3) by Jina Bazzar.

Blurb:

Melaina’s escape plan fell by the wayside. She’s entrapped in the tenacious clutches of the very people she’s been running from.
Yet, when she finds the opportunity to damn the Resistance and set herself free, she withholds vital information. Deep in her heart, she believes in their cause.
Torn between a life on the run, the Resistance, and helping the Houses prevent a war, Melaina finally makes a choice . . . but it’s much too late.
The lives of loved ones are on the line. And now, to save them all, she must surrender to the beast within–even if it means losing herself.

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***Brief disclosure***

Jonny is an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate and earn a tiny commission for purchases made through the links in this post. It’s a great way to help him keep things running on his blog if you’re already intrigued enough to make a purchase. 

Buddy Read Book Rant:

Misty

Ok Jonny so what are your thoughts on this one? Did you enjoy it? At this point I’m kind of feeling like the same thing keeps happening in Bernard over again just under different circumstances. The only thing that has progressed in this book is the romance which I love but the other stuff is kind of lacking to me. Don’t get me wrong I’m still having a good time reading it and I’m enjoying it I just feel like we should have made a little headway with the main plot at this point.

Jonny

I actually really liked this one. The whole book felt really fast-paced, and I got so caught up in all the superpowered shenanigans that I didn’t really consider what you pointed out. Typical me and my tunnel vision lol! That being said, the next one’s the last book in the series, so we should get some really great endings to the chaotic story.

Speaking of the romance, I really enjoyed that part of things and that Bradley isn’t as much of a pushover as he was before. We get to see a bit more of his side of things and that rounded him out a bit more. He’s not quite the lovestruck guy following Mel around as I first thought.

Misty

Yes all of the action makes for a very fast paced book which I really enjoyed. I guess my point is that Mel keeps making decisions to meet up with people or break in somewhere they get caught they fight they escape and then rinse and repeat. To me it didn’t need to be a 4 book series. I think it would have been better as a duology.

Yes the romance was my favorite part of this one and I’m so glad that Bradley is literally voicing what he wants. The communication is amazing. At least on Bradley’s side. Mel needs to get on board now.

Jonny

Okay, I see what you mean. It does follow something of a pattern.

What I think is beginning to irk me is Mel’s martyr complex when it comes to others. Like with Brad, she’s like “I can’t let you do that” and tries to take the weight onto her shoulders. I like that Brad isn’t accepting that anymore, but that kind of thinking just hurts Mel in the long run and others let her do this a bit too often.

I’m going to be a little cryptic here so I don’t spoil anything, but there’s a change in Mel that happens in this book that I really enjoyed. It made things a bit fresher with her narrative.

Misty

Yeah that bugs me too. Like who are you to decide what others do. I can understand her reasoning with her brother but everyone else is old enough to make their own decisions.

I think I know what you’re talking about and I agree.

Jonny

I’ll admit, it does cause a lot of tension and that can be good sometimes, but when she’s talking to prominent House figures I’m surprised they let her get away with it. Then again, she does get into a lot of fights lol.

Is it just me or was this the shortest one so far? Maybe I just blazed it so fast that it feels that way.

Misty

I just checked my stats and it is the shortest so far. Each one has been a little shorter than the last. I actually ended up listening to this one at 3x speed which made it go by even faster.

Jonny

Okay, so I’m not crazy, hooray! I’ve really got to start listening to audiobooks again.

If you had to pick, what was your favorite part about this book?

Any predictions for what you think will happen next?

Misty

I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have audiobooks.

The romance was hands down my favorite part especially the part where Bradley plainly states his thoughts and feelings.

I predict everything will end happily ever after. Ok I don’t know if that’s actually true or not but that’s what I always hope for.

Jonny

It would be nice to have a narrator read to me for a change. Maybe I’ll switch it up the next time I see one’s available at my library.

I’ve gotta say, I agree with you! Their relationship has really risen to the top of things I like in the series.

Aw, I love that! I think they will get some kind of happy ever after, even if it’s not all good. Okay, so you know how there’s the Houses, the Resistance, and The Coalition? I think all of these organizations will end up falling and there will one day be some kind of integrated society where mundanes and breed cohabitate peacefully. I also think there’s gonna be some crazy summoning of Valderex and they’ll figure out a way to stop it, but honestly anything could happen.

Misty

I hope you find some that work for you.

I could definitely see all of that potentially happening. I think Mel will be a big part of how it all comes to an end as well

Jonny

Me too!

Oh, for sure! Mel will definitely be a deciding factor, and I think that change we were talking about could make a difference in how it all goes down. Mel’s definitely been holding back a bit, but I think she’ll have to throw that aside if she wants to survive.

Thanks for giving this one a go with me, bestie. We’ll have to start thinking about our next bookish obsession soon!

Misty

Yeah I definitely she will have to let go but I don’t think it will go the way she’s expecting it to like in the old days. I think it will be better. Hopefully that makes sense.

I’ve had fun reading this whole series together. Are you up for reading the final book soon?

Jonny

That’s what I’m thinking too. Hopefully she’ll just be able to move on with her life without fear of constantly being hunted down for what she is.

Yeah, I should be up to read the final one next if you want. We can just binge it out!

Misty

That’s what I’m hoping as well. With everything they’ve been through in the past 3 books they deserve to be happy and left alone.

I’m down for finishing it. I’m working on finish one now. I should be finished with it either today or tomorrow and then I can start this one.

Jonny

Right. I’m crossing my fingers for at least a semi-good ending. They’ve earned at least that.

Okay, cool! I’m in between books so that’s perfect for me. Ooo, I can’t wait to see how things turn out!

Misty

Ok sounds good. I can’t wait either and this will be a series I can mark off my ongoing series list.

Jonny

Yeah, this far in we’ve just gotta see it through. Thanks again, friend!

Misty

Of course. Thank you for suggesting this series in the first place!!

That’s A Wrap!

Thanks for joining us on our buddy read and rant of Shadow Flames! We had a lot of fun, and hope you did too! We will definitely be doing some more buddy reads in the future, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, why not check out Misty and Jonny’s other fun buddy reads?

Buddy Read: Shadow Pawn

Buddy Read: Shadow Walker

Buddy Read: Slewfoot

Buddy Read: Cemetery Boys

Buddy Read: Ravensong

Buddy Read: Wolfsong

Buddy Read: Magic Bites

Buddy Read: The First to Die at the End

Buddy Read: They Both Die at the End

Buddy Read: Under the Whispering Door

Buddy Read: The Burning World

Buddy Read: Warm Bodies

Buddy Read: The Wicked Deep

Buddy Read: The Locke & Key Series

Buddy Read: Dark Lover

Buddy Read: Please Don’t Tell My Parents I’m a Supervillain

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