Review: Fire Watcher

Fire Watcher by Lilith Saintcrow

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A red-head with a fiery temper, say it ain't so! Anyone ever met a red head without a temper? Elise Nicholson is a bitter, immature and lonely witch. With the loss of her surrogate mother and an increase in her magical powers, it is decreasing her powers of observation and cognitive skills. Elise is a bomb waiting to explode.

Ms. Saintcrow creates a different character for this third book in the series. Elise is mad at the world and she acts out against those who love her because she is in a pity party downward spiral. I am not impressed with Elisa because what she really needs is a swift kick in the pants to get her head out of her butt. Elise's issues come across more like a drama ridden hormonal teenager than a functioning adult. This is a counterbalance to her other two witchy friends. Those two, water and earth are calm, logical and nurturing. It seems Elise embodies her fire element with destruction, rage and lack of control. This is where Remy burst into the scene.

Remy is Elise's "Watcher". He is known as the Hunter for finding powerful relics aka talismans which in the wrong hands can wreak havoc. He is an alpha male who is looking for the witch he can yield his life to. Unluckily for him, it's erratic Elise. His job is to protect and server Elise - poor bugger. I like Remy because of several things. First, he reminds me of Gambit from X-men. I've always been a fan of Gambit whose first name is also Remy. Just like Gambit, Watcher Remy is also from the Louisiana Bayou with his sexy Creole phrasing and cadence. Second, Remy is appealing because of his past and what he did to become what is today - a Watcher. He's an honourable man dealt with a bad hand and yet he continues to strive for the righteous.

The two characters do have explosive chemistry and only together does the plot move forward. The readers learn more about Circle Light and perhaps it's not as bad as Elise accusing them of being. The story is filled with action pack demon slaying with plenty of power thrown around in fire bolts and climax not too different than an angry Jean Grey as the Dark Phoenix from the Marvel X-men series. Because of the familiarity in theme, trope and characters, this book is quite enjoyable, despite my dislike of Elise. Ms. Saintcrow's writing voice is seductive and exciting. This book is a page turner and made me want to read the next book in the series. This is a quick read recommended for those who like comic books, magic and happily ever afters.

*provided by NetGalley



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