Between Flames and Deceit by M. A. Frick | A Review

If your favorite fantasy trope is “this is a terrible idea… but what if?” then congratulations…………..you’ve wandered into the right book review.

Because apparently falling for your fiancé is far too mainstream. Falling for his father tho? Now that’s the kind of emotionally catastrophic decision fantasy romance authors wake up inspired to write.

As someone who lives for morally inconvenient feelings, slow-burning chemistry, and fantasy worlds where one poor decision can start a war, I couldn’t resist picking up Between Flames and Deceit. So, was this another dragon romance destined to soar—or did it get burned by its own ambitions? Let’s talk about it.

Blurb

She wasn’t allowed to fall in love.

Least of all with the father of her betrothed.

When Nienna, the Dragon’s Heart, sails to Radaan, she knows she’s bound for a marriage to a prince she’s never met. No stranger to duty, she welcomes the alliance as any princess should.

But the prince is not what she expected.

Kallias, king of Radaan, has spent a lifetime fighting. A treaty ends the war between Radaan and Vellos, but it hinges upon the marriage of his son. If their betrothal ends, the tentative peace will crumble. Yet Nienna is more than he expected. Forged of fire and steel, her responsibility to kingdom mirrors his own.

Nienna needs to feed her people. Kallias needs her dragons.

Promises were made. But when duty conflicts with her heart will Nienna be strong enough to resist?

Kallias signed a blood oath. Bound by honor and the threat of dragonfire will he be able to stand by and watch her marry someone else?

Between Flames and Deceit is a forbidden love, age gap romance. Perfect for lovers of Fourth Wing and Mariana Zapata!

Genre

Romanatasy

Tropes

Forbidden Romance
Slow-Burn
Age Gap
He is her Father-in-law
Dragons and Magic
She is bethrothed to one cruel prince

My Review

There are forbidden romances… and then there’s “accidentally falling for the father of your future husband while trying to prevent another war.” Safe to say, this one doesn’t exactly believe in taking the easy route. Between Flames and Deceit, the first book in The Dragon’s Heart Trilogy, delivers everything the blurb promises: dragons, political intrigue, impossible choices, aching slow-burn tension, and a romance that somehow manages to be both wildly inappropriate and surprisingly convincing.

Princess Nienna has spent her entire life preparing to put her kingdom before herself. Her marriage to a foreign prince isn’t about love, it’s about peace. Her people need food. Another kingdom needs dragons. Everyone has something to lose if the alliance falls apart. Then she meets King Kallias. The problem isn’t just that he’s older. Or that he’s already sworn a blood oath. Or that he’s the father of the man she’s supposed to marry. The problem is that they understand each other far too well. What follows is a story where duty constantly collides with desire, and every stolen glance feels like another crack forming in a fragile peace treaty… aka the world’s slowest and agonising slow burn…!!!

Kallias was also a pleasant surprise. He could have easily become another brooding fantasy king with little personality beyond being attractive and emotionally unavailable. Instead, he’s honorable, patient, protective without becoming overbearing, and constantly caught between duty and desire. Their emotional conflict often felt stronger than the external conflict, which, for a romance reader, is never a bad thing.

Now let’s talk about dragons……because dragons are important for me as a fantasy reader….in the book the dragons are woven into the politics, economy, and survival of the kingdoms rather than existing solely as fantasy wallpaper. They’re powerful without completely overshadowing the human story, which made the world feel more believable. I only wish we’d spent even more time exploring dragon lore.