Guilt-ridden after the massacre of his family, Isaac Salvatore turned to binge drinking to escape the pain. Now twenty-four years old, Isaac is a recovering alcoholic woefully out of practice in the magical arts, leaving his fire affinity hanging on the edge of disaster. After a month of rehab, he returns to Beacon Hill and his family, determined to remain sober, learn to control his magic, and figure out a plan for his life that doesn’t involve drinking.

Constantine Batiste is the oldest, most powerful vampire in the city. Born in ancient Gaul, the bastard son of a Celtic king, his long life has been shrouded in tragedy and horrors. Recent mistakes have left him wary and determined to guard his clan from all foes. When two of his clan members fall victim to an ancient evil, he summons the Necromancer of Boston for aid. Accompanying his older brother to the Tower is the handsome young fire mage once wounded by Constantine’s arrogance, and their encounter reignites an attraction that burns within both Constantine and Isaac.

The answer to who is targeting the vampires of Boston is buried in the dark, early days of Constantine’s transition to an immortal life. Isaac finds himself saddled with a painful insight into the evil cutting a swath through the supernatural population of Boston. While his brother, Angel, takes over the hunt to find and stop the threat to the city, Isaac struggles to find a balance between helping his brother and finding his own purpose and place in the world, free from his brother’s shadow.

Falling in love wasn’t part of his plan, but mastering the flames that burn between him and Constantine soon becomes the most important thing in his life, even as an ancient evil seeks to destroy them.

Mastering the Flames is the fourth book in The Beacon Hill Sorcerer series and is not a standalone. The series should be read in order for maximum enjoyment and understanding of the plot and characters. 

How was it?

Finally! We had hints that Isaac and Constantine were attracted to each other but the circumstances weren’t right. 

I have to admit that it was jarring at first. I know that Isaac and Angelus are two different characters, with distinct personalities but for some reason I expected the book to have the same tone. I’ve spent so much time with Angelus that I still wanted Mastering the Flames to have Angel’s essence, be in the same vein as the other three books.
Ironically enough this book is kind of the same as the others, there’s a threat, romance, and a badass sorcerer saving the day but Himes makes Isaac’s voice so specific that it doesn’t feel the same, which can make it difficult to get into.

Once I slapped myself and got rid of my Angelus expectations, I started to enjoy Mastering The Flames a lot more. I even went back to the beginning to start again. The story is not rushed and given who Isaac is, and what he went through, it makes sense. Turns out book four is kind of an introductory novel. It’s telling us more about characters that we’ve known for quite a while, shifting the focus more on them without neglecting the other characters.

We still get some of that Angel hot-headedness, that little dragon cuteness, and all the good stuff these characters bring. Like I said earlier Isaac and Constantine are different people, they have different personalities and different ways to deal with the problem at hand compared to Angelus and Simeon, but that doesn’t make them less interesting. I liked that Issac’s mental health and addiction were dealt with sensibly in this book. It informed a lot of what happened, and it grounded the story even if it seemed to have less action. It didn’t. There was just as much action as in the other books but here we have more of the emotional weight these events have on the focus of this novel.

This book has a special place in my heart. The pace is more measured, the characters’ dynamics are changed, they keep evolving, and the story feels way more emotional.

Mastering the Flames is available on The Book Depository, Amazon, Audible, and other book retailers near you.

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