Fire in the Blood by Dale Ibitz

By: Anonymous on Friday, January 11, 2013

Title:  Fire in the Blood

Author:  Dale Ibitz

Series:  Last Moon Rising Series #1

Published:  July 11th 2011 by CreateSpace (first published 2011)

Page Count:  236

Genre:  Young Adult Fantasy

Shelf:  Review Copy

Rating:  ★★★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Global warming is playing havoc on Earth, and when 17 year-old Haley tumbles to a parallel world, she discovers that Earth’s issues stem from a war between the Eyids, the gods of nature. Because her necklace is a stone that holds the power of the Air Eyid, Haley is called upon to stop the war

But Haley has a problem. Actually, two problems. One named Tuggin, and one named Ian.

Both lie to her. Both have secrets. And neither are who they say they are. With her stone of power, Haley’s forced to make a choice that will decide the fate of all the worlds. But who should she trust, who should she fight, and who is the one with fire in his blood bent on betraying them all?

My Review:

Holy Cow!!! I can’t believe how caught up I was in this book. I admit that at the beginning I had a chapter or two wondering where this novel was headed, but then I could not put the book down. Ibitz has a writing style that immerses you into the action of the story. I wanted to run out and help the characters with their various trials. His descriptions make all of the different areas of the realm seem so real. Everything flows together to create a dynamic reading experience for his audience.

There is an entirely new mythology developed with this story. It comes complete with gods and demi-gods vying for power. Each god has their own realm within the world that is not only symbolic. The lands ruled by these gods each has distinctive features marking them. Ibitz’s very interesting explanation of global warming definitely gives you something to think about.

I absolutely loved the characters. They are all well developed and seem like real people. Oh, some of them are mysterious, not giving away too many details, but they are not flat characters. Ibitz also manages to develop characters that give off a definite creepy vibe. His characters face real world dilemmas while on their very interesting journeys. The main character is constantly fighting against a feeling of not belonging anywhere, which is something faced by so many teens. She also learns that being yourself and staying true to your beliefs is more important than being accepted by the so-called “popular” crowd. I definitely felt for her when she was rejected by one of the “hall gods”, but was still left wondering if maybe, just maybe, they might get together in a future novel. The dialogue was also very appropriate for the various characters. I absolutely loved the fact that each of the Eyidoran races have their own distinctive speech patterns.

I cannot believe how well put together this novel was. Ibitz is an amazing storyteller and I thoroughly enjoyed each and every page. I cannot wait to read the next installment. Strong Blood, here I come.

Buy your copy online here today!