[ARC Review] The Phantom Flame by T.M. Ledvina

PUBLISHER'S SYNOPSIS: Four years after losing Cassian to the Hells, Kellan Manchester is fighting demons day in and day out. His grief and anger threaten to consume him, and even though he has friends to keep him grounded, nothing seems to ease the sting of loss. When new information about Cassian resurfaces, Kellan is determined to break the shackles that keep him bound to the Legion and Spiral City.

Cassian is alive, but stuck. He finds himself in the Hells and in a pact with a demon named Zalmelloth. Although his power has grown significantly, all he can think of is getting back to the material plane, and back to Kellan. As his knowledge of the Hells grows, Cassian realizes there is much more to the other planes than he’d originally anticipated.

Secrets await both of them in their quests for freedom, secrets that can change everything they know about Ileron and the Empire. Their journeys will lead them to revelations that will rip apart the very fabric that holds their worlds together.  

MY THOUGHTS: Ledvina has done it again! The Phantom Flame was everything I could've hoped for and all I wanted in the continuation of Cassian and Kellan's story. Picking up four years after the end of Of Blood, Bones, and Truth, a lot has changed in the world Cass and Kellan once knew. Struggling in a world without Cassian, Kellan and Vaida make some desperate moves to not only save themselves, but possibly all of the resistance. But when Kellan is reunited with not one, but two people from his past, one thing is perfectly clear despite all the unknowns and secrets: Kellan won't let Cassian go again. 

I love a good rebellion story, but for me, The Phantom Flame was all about the characters. With a good mix of new and returning characters, Ledvina paints every scene and every character in such vivid detail. It's rare for me to not have a character I gravitate towards and like more than the others, but the cast of this book was just so fantastic and engaging that I cannot simply highlight one over the others. I sort of just want to keep them all safe and give them all a big hug. 

Of course, all these wonderful characters needed something to do, and Ledvina spun such a detailed tale that it was easy to envision every high and low the characters encountered. This second book took readers out of the city and into a more rural setting, and I loved seeing Cassian, Kellan, and Vaida's world expand beyond what they thought were their limits. 

As a reader, it was clear that Ledvina takes great care with her words; nothing felt rushed and everything from the action scenes to the quieter moments were done with great detail. This was, overall, a well-written story with intriguing characters and a unique plot that kept leading me into unknown directions. But for Kellan and Cassian - and their happiness - I would gladly follow wherever Ledvina wants to lead. 

[A huge thank you to the author for providing an advanced review copy of The Phantom Flame via BookSirens. All opinions are my own.]

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Release date: 3/26/24

Format: eARC

eARC provided via: BookSirens