Of Flame and Fury

I was excited to read the next book on the CBCA Notables list, Of Flame and Fury, by Mikayla Bridge, who is a local (Thornbury) author who I might have passed in Psarakos fruit and veg shop. This is high fantasy, set in a world where phoenixes are raced in high stakes, sometimes lethal, competitions. Kelyn is the tamer of her beloved phoenix Savita, and when she's forced to team up with arrogant rider Warren 'Coup' Coupers, sparks fly. But if phoenixes, shrouded in flame, are dangerous, that's nothing to the powerful businessman, Canen Cristo, who dominates the racing industry but also has other, darker plans, involving phoenix immortality.

It's a super idea to use phoenix mythology as the foundation for a gripping fantasy/romance (though I found it hard to take 'Warren' seriously as a romantic hero's name -- to me, it's a name for a problematic brother-in-law) -- the phoenix races are genuinely exciting and tense, and Kel's racing crew are well drawn characters who anyone would want to hang out with. The world of Salta, with its different islands and forms of magic, is begging for sequels.

But.

Of Flame and Fury is sadly let down by poor editing. Bridge thanks three editors across different time zones, and I can't help wondering if some things slipped between the cracks. There is some awkward grammar and occasional clumsy word choices that pulled me out of the narrative -- honing in instead of homing in, aircrafts for aircraft, a single bird moving at unholy speeds. I feel like a grumpy nana pointing out these lapses, and probably some of these choices are acceptable to younger generations, but they did spoil my enjoyment of an otherwise terrific novel.