Guard Against Your Fate • Destiny's Fire

Destiny's Fire by Trisha Wolfe
Series: Kythan Guardians #1
Publisher: Omnific Publishing
Publication Date: January 10, 2012
Source: Author (Thanks) || e-galley

[I received this book from Trisha Wolfe This in no way affects the contents of my review.]

Destiny Harkly is one of the last of the Kythan, a race of shape-shifters descended from the guardians of the Egyptian pharoahs. Her life, her friends and family and her secret are threatened when an enemy race, the Narcolym, is allowed into the Shythe home sanctuary - and a discovery she makes will lead to a truth that changes everything.

Destiny's Fire was a fresh, interesting read that combined steampunk and paranormal elements all into one charming novel. Though there were moments when the book would lose my attention, something (a plot twist, a beautifully written line, an intriguing description) would always manage to pull me right back into the world Trisha Wolfe has created.

The main character in the novel is Destiny, affectionately known as Dez to just about everyone. I'm actually, surprisingly, on the fence about how I feel about Dez. There are moments when I can really empathize with the difficulty of her situation, and I can definitely understand her need to protect everyone that she loves. But there were just moments in particular when I felt like I wanted to knock just a teensy bit more sense into her head. She is, however, your typical teenaged heroine in the end, dealing with the harrowing process of growing up and learning what her place in the world is, which makes her mix of reactions a bit more understandable.

Then, there are the two boys in Dez' life - a typical love triangle. Reese is the mysterious new guy, who appears to be strong, handsome and quite conflicted. I found that there were times I loved him and times I didn't like him all that much - but in the end, I was definitely Team Reese!

Jace, on the other hand, is the best friend, one of the people Dez has known forever. He really gives off the protective big brother vibe, but it's really hard not to like him as well, since he's so earnest, and so good, and just the best friend you could ever have. Though I'm Team Reese at the moment, Jace definitely gives Reese a run for his money.

There are a few more significant characters that deserve to be highlighted: Lana (Destiny's supportive best friend and Jace's sister), Destiny's mother (who cares a lot about her daughter and keeping her safe), and Mr. Liam (one of Destiny's teachers). I think I really ended up caring about these three because they were always around to support Destiny.

The Story

What really held the entire book together for me was the interesting mythology Trisha created. I found myself intrigued by the idea of the Kythan, as well as the two factions the Shythe and the Narcolym. There is so much more going on beneath the surface, as we discover towards the last few chapters, and I can't wait to find out what comes next for Dez and her friends.

As for the love story, it was interesting enough for me to read, though slightly choppy. I especially loved the Reese-Dez scenes, but Trisha definitely managed to make it hard for me to decide if I liked Jace or Reese more! I can't wait to see how that moves along in the next novel (and I really hope there's going to be a next one!).

The Writing

I thought the novel was pretty well-written, since we get to find out a lot of the important things about the races and mythology in a matter that's more "show" than tell (and I admire that ability!). I do enjoy reading the fascinating descriptions with a steampunk edge (like the description of Cogs, for instance).

Personally, I say you should...

... pick up this novel if you've never read steampunk or if you're a fan of series like The Mortal Instruments. It definitely has an interesting mythology, a love triangle where you'll find it difficult to decide who you like more and an ending that will leave you going, "We need more!"

Check back tomorrow for a book excerpt and a giveaway!