Rating: /10

Synopsis

Among boiling volcanoes under Mira’s frozen lands, people like Ig are forced to undergo life-threatening trials that bind chemical elements to the human body. One of Mira’s most powerful elementals, Ig serves as an enforcer for Magnate Sorrelo Adriann, but is cursed with flesh binding magic that will kill him at the first sign of disobedience.

When Sorrelo is overthrown, Ig quickly learns he can do far worse than what has been asked of him so far. If he can’t escape the flesh binding in time, he will have to kill friend and foe alike to stop his master reclaiming the throne, or sacrifice himself trying.

Quick Review

The Adrianns have lost their seat of power, and their servant Ig is caught in the center of it all. The Flames of Mira is a wildly fun and often grim story set in one of the most unique fantasy worlds I’ve read.

Full Review

The Flames of Mira is a story about a political coup and succession crisis. At the same time, one of our main characters is a slave, and deals with themes of freedom and (during times when being set free seems distant) escape. We’ll break all that down in a moment, but first, I need to share how much I love the world this book is set in.

Ra Thuzan is perhaps one of my favorite fantasy settings in recent memory. It’s a frozen world where people shelter in the depths of the planet’s crust where geothermal heat and magma keep things habitable. The higher levels of society burrow deeper, where it is warmer. The upper crust is a space for the lower class and criminals.

Despite the fact that 99% of the story takes place underground there is still a great variety in scenes. Different cities feel unique from one another, there’s plenty of flora and fauna, and those rare trips to the surface feel like ascending into an icy alien world. My one issue with all of this is simply that I wish we got more of it. It takes some time for Harmon to assemble all the pieces and really communicate what Ra Thuzan is like—though I understand it is hard to balance describing such a unique world vs. telling the story you came to tell.

So, how is that story? The Flames of Mira primarily focuses on Ig, a servant to Magnate Sorrelo Adriann. Ig is cursed with a flesh binding that physically pains him—and could eventually kill him—if he disobeys an order from the person he’s bound to serve. After the Adrianns are ousted from the city, he helps them escape and work to regain their power. Without spoiling too much, I’ll just say that he plays a vital role in that. Ig is a skilled fighter, and his mastery over multiple elements, whereas elementals only have mastery over one or two, make him a force to be reckoned with. 

It’s a crude comparison, but I’ve heard it said that in A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin that the Targaryens’ dragons are like nuclear weapons. Ig is the Adriann’s dragon.

As time goes on Ig clashes more against the Adrianns and we see a theme of rebellion rise up through him. I think Harmon pulls this off really well. However, there are some very dark scenes where Ig is forced to do something cruel or violent against his will. A few of these moments felt a bit excessive for my personal taste. However, they’re important scenes for his emotional journey, and anyone who regularly enjoys dark fantasy might find those parts to be their favorite.

At times we venture away from Ig’s perspective to see other members of the Adriann family, most of these scenes centered around Efadora, the youngest sibling. She doesn’t appear until Part II of the book, and spends many of her early chapters trying desperately to be more like her older sister, Sara. This changes over time as Efadora takes a more active role in helping her family return to power, and she grows to become her own person. 

I didn’t care for her chapters at first, but her growth was a really fun part of the book, and her perspective helped shine a light on places where Ig couldn’t be.I recommend The Flames of Mira. The story doesn’t feel particularly new, but it’s set in such a unique setting and told so well that I had a great time with it. The book ends with a pretty clear resolution to the coup storyline, but there’s also a door left open for the sequel, Into the Rift. I don’t think I’ll jump right into that, but it’s definitely getting added to my TBR.