• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
FanFiAddict

FanFiAddict

A gaggle of nerds talking about Fantasy, Science Fiction, and everything in-between. They also occasionally write reviews about said books. 2x Stabby Award-Nominated and home to the Stabby Award-Winning TBRCon.

  • Home
  • About
    • Reviewers
    • Review Policy
    • Stance on AI
    • Contact
    • Friends of FFA
  • Blog
    • Reviews
      • Children’s / Middle Grade Books
      • Comics / Graphic Novels
      • Fantasy
        • Alt History
        • Epic Fantasy
        • Fairy Tales
        • Grimdark
        • Heroic Fantasy
        • LitRPG
        • Paranormal Fantasy
        • Romantic Fantasy
        • Steampunk
        • Superheroes
        • Sword and Sorcery
        • Urban Fantasy
      • Fear For All
        • Demons
        • Ghosts
        • Gothic
        • Lovecraftian
        • Monsters
        • Occult
        • Psychological
        • Slasher
        • Vampires
        • Werewolves
        • Witches
        • Zombies
      • Fiction
      • Science Fiction
        • Aliens
        • Artificial Intelligence
        • Alt History
        • Cyberpunk
        • Dystopian
        • Hard SciFi
        • Mechs/Robots
        • Military SF
        • Space Opera
        • Steampunk
        • Time Travel
      • Thriller
    • Neurodivergence in Fiction
    • Interviews
      • Book Tube
      • Authorly Writing Advice
  • SFF Addicts
    • SFF Addicts Clips
    • SFF Addicts (Episode Archive)
  • TBRCon
    • TBRCon2025
    • TBRCon2024
    • TBRCon2023
    • TBRCon2022
  • FFA Book Club
  • FFA TBR Toppers
    • Advertise Your Book on FFA!
  • Writer Resources
    • Artists
    • Cartographers
    • Editing/Formatting/Proofing

An Inkling of Flame by Z.B. Steele

January 30, 2025 by Pippin Took, the shire hobbit Leave a Comment

Rating: 10/10

Synopsis

Tell me how it happened…

Layne was a soldier, conscripted to fight under the Fox in a vengeance fueled march. He, and his friends, were due for a fated confrontation, one that has ended in blood and loss. Now, the inquisitors want to hear every detail of his conscription, his training, and the duel against the assassin in grey.

A backwards narrative full of banter and blood Z.B. Steele presents An Inkling of Flame, a Song of the Damned novella.

Review

“They’ll never say it to your face, but they do. Don’t underestimate the value of one tenacious person. If you give up that fire, they’ll be doused too. This is war, Layne. If we don’t want to live, we won’t.” 

I loved this one. I started reading this on Kindle Unlimited but before I reached 50% I knew I would be getting the physical copy for my shelf. It has been a while since I read a book with a found family in it. I absolutely loved the rag tag group of friends coming together and sticking together in this story. In fact, till the reveal at the end my highlight of the book was the banter. Plus I don’t know how the author heard my plea for bringing back songs in epic fantasies but he did and this one has a song – a libelous, friendly, and hilarious one. You will laugh out loud. 

I generally love indie fantasy epic novellas and this was no different. It does everything right that a prequel novella should do- introduce characters, make the readers invested in them, be brutal to them to draw emotional pain from the readers (okay maybe not that one, but the authors are the one doing it, not me) and offer a glimpse of the world and magic systems. This novella goes a step further and also sets up events and character motivations that are going to shape the whole world in the future books. I know this is the second time I’m mentioning it but the reveal at the ending sets up the next book masterfully. I am seated, my kindle is scared of me and is asking me to leave because the book is not out yet but I am simply too seated. 

The writing also is phenomenal. It uses a dual timeline narrative with the MC telling the story from a prison – WItcher 2 game style. The scenes chosen by the author to show the whole backstory – which scenes to be displayed overtly in the scene and which parts to be displayed covertly in the background is excellent. I read it in a single sitting because I couldn’t get out of the book at all – the pacing, prose, and story were all so good. 

Overall this book is just a treat to all epic fantasy and grimdark fans. I cannot wait for book 1 to come out. Z.B. Steele has arrived and I’m so stoked. 

Filed Under: Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Grimdark, Reviews Tagged With: Book Review, Fantasy, Self Published

About Pippin Took, the shire hobbit

Ganesh SA (a.k.a Pippin Took in most social media platforms) is a 5G Engineer in Seattle. If you’re in the PNW and your mobile data doesn’t work properly, there’s a fair to certain chance it’s his fault. Either he was thinking about a second breakfast or sneak reading fantasy books in the office. Outside of work you can find him at a Seattle public library or at Lumen Field if OL Reign are playing. Gateway to fantasy was Cornelia Funke and Christopher Paolini and because of that, he hasn’t mastered the art of entering and leaving a bookstore without buying a book with a dragon on the cover. Full time FIFA/Tea addict.

Other Reviews You Might Like

Review: A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

Review: Becoming a Druid (Protectors of Pretanni 1) by Mike Mollman

Review: Exodus — The Archimedes Engine (Book #1 of the Archimedes Engine Duology) by Peter F. Hamilton

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Sponsored By

Use Discount Code FANFI For 5% Off!

FFA Newsletter!

Sign up for updates and get FREE stories from Michael R. Fletcher and Richard Ford!

What Would You Like To See?(Required)
Please select the type of content you want to receive from FanFi Addict. You can even mix and match if you want!

FFA Author Hub

Read A.J. Calvin
Read Andy Peloquin
Read C.J. Daily
Read C.M. Caplan
Read D.A. Smith
Read DB Rook
Read Francisca Liliana
Read Frasier Armitage
Read Josh Hanson
Read Krystle Matar
Read M.J. Kuhn

Recent Reviews

Recent Comments

  1. Mark Matthews on COVER REVEAL: To Those Willing to Drown by Mark MatthewsJanuary 7, 2025
  2. Basra Myeba on Worth reading Jack Reacher books by Lee Child?January 5, 2025
  3. Ali on Review: Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory by Yaroslav BarsukovJanuary 5, 2025
  4. Carter on So you want to start reading Warhammer 40,000? Here’s where to start!January 4, 2025
  5. M. Zaugg on Bender’s Best LitRPG reads of 2024January 3, 2025

Archive

Copyright © 2025 · Powered by ModFarm Sites · Log In