Review: The Crimson Fire by Abel Montero
Blurb:
Gods walk among men, but the empire they have forged is on the brink of collapse.
As whispers of rebellion grow louder, Ensin Andik uncovers a sinister plot that threatens the very foundation of the divine reign. Every discovery pulls him deeper into a dangerous web, forcing him to confront truths that could shatter his unshakeable loyalty.
On the other side, Eshfen, a ruthless rebel with a cunning mind and a thirst for chaos, stokes the flames of dissent. He sows doubt in the hearts of the people, challenging the gods' right to rule and sparking a dangerous game of shadows that could bring down empires.
Caught between loyalty and self-discovery, Shadi, a young noblewoman, grapples with the weight of family honor and the desire for independence. With her fiercely devoted bodyguard, Darjin, by her side, Shadi must navigate the treacherous waters of loyalty, love, and betrayal, where every choice could be their last.
As destinies intertwine and alliances shift, these four must face the gods themselves — or watch the world they know crumble to ashes.
In THE CRIMSON FIRE, loyalties will be tested, truths will be unmasked, and power will be up for grabs. Will the gods’ reign endure, or is the age of mortals ready to rise?
THE CRIMSON FIRE is a sweeping tale of rebellion, sacrifice, and the unrelenting clash between power and destiny. Packed with gripping political intrigue, high-stakes action, and unforgettable characters, it’s a saga that will ignite your imagination and keep you turning pages late into the night.
Review:
This is a book I’ve had on my radar for a while now. I was lucky enough to get my hands on ARC and read it early, and boy did it not disappoint. Abel, in case you didn’t know, is one of the best souls the indie book community has to offer, and here he makes an argument likewise as a writer.
Firstly, The Crimson Fire is the entry to what will undoubtedly be a very epic epic-fantasy series. We are in a very unique world drawing elements from what appears to be arabia/persia, something not overly common in a genre dominated by stories focusing on western europe, or at least drawing inspiration from such kingdoms and ages.
We follow four POVs, Eshfen, Shadi, Darjin, and Andik. All of them vastly different from the others, each with their own very compelling backstories and arcs that we get to experience right alongside them. We start off with Eshfen, stealing something from a powerful Ensin (kind of like a lord). An artefact of ages past, for littered throughout the world are such objects created by the gods and their children, the beings that rule the mortals.
Here’s where the fun starts; the mortals get a chance to marry said gods and their children, and thus begins the plight of Shadi, the daughter of an Ensin, one primed to attend the trials where she might be judged worthy to be wed. Except she doesn’t want to, for all manner of reasons. It's frightening, it's intimidating, and, more importantly, it's not what she wants. Her story is closely related to Darjin’s, who serves as the girl’s Dagger, i.e. her personal guard. She has her own history with the gods and their children, but for spoiler’s sake, I won’t go into that.
And lastly is Andik, an Ensin in his own right and a very powerful man. He is forced to investigate a series of murders in a city across the continent, wondering who did it and for what purpose.
As the pages turn, we see the characters come together. Namely, Shadi goes off for these trials and… I cannot say, as that would spoil much of the book. But conspiracies and plots are abound in this debut novel, full of intrigue that keep the reader heavily invested. These conspiracies are at the core of the story, dictating the fates of all our characters. The question is, can they survive them?
It’s hard for me to pick a favorite character, perhaps Darjin. I always love assassins and shadowy guards, which is essentially what she is. She did not disappoint, and we get quite the entertaining fight scenes from her POV littered throughout The Crimson Fire.
The atmosphere at all times was done wonderfully, and I was never left wondering where we were or what the scenery/environment looked like. Pair that with, as I said, a unique setting and it was just *chef’s kiss*. Moreover, add in a bit of really well thought out, well developed, and fascinating worldbuilding and we’re left with a story that feels truly lived in.
The prose from Abel was one of this story’s strongest points. Very seldom do debut authors knock it out of the park so quickly, but here is a very strong example and I believe it's only up from here for Abel and this series.
Moreover, the pacing was very good in all aspects except for one, which I have a very minor gripe with. Eshfen’s story is what we are met with. He’s mid heist, stealing holy artifacts and doing something very daring and then… We don’t see him again for a long time. Like until the final 2/3s of the book and then a little bit after. I would have liked to read more from his perspective, especially about what he was doing, his purpose, and what exactly happened with the stolen goods. We’ll probably have all this cleared up in book two, which is fine, but yeah, that’s about the only negative I can think of in a book full of positives.
Now, I always try to point out what didn’t work for me in all books I read. I almost NEVER have a book without anything of that nature, and so when people read my reviews, I sometimes worry that they only walk away with those few things. Please, I implore you, do not. I loved this story, and eagerly await the next entries and whatever else Abel puts out there. This is one of the best debut’s I’ve read to date, and probably the best I’ve had the luxury of reading this year.
Also, I always try to make some comps, but that might not be the easiest thing to do here given how unique the setting is. I will try all the same, and forgive me if somebody thinks of one I couldn’t (oops). For fans of the heist/conspiracy and strong FMC aspects of Mistborn, as well as fans of stories with prevalent gods and their children, The Crimson Fire will be an absolute smash hit. That much I can guarantee.
