Weekend Reads: Burn by J.M. Hackman (Laurie)

I tried to think of a Christmas-themed fantasy story for this week's post, but I apparently haven't read any lately! (Last year I posted a review of Christmas Fiction off the Beaten Path, an anthology with a variety of genres - including my fantasy story, "Return to Callidora"- which you can find here!)

Instead, I'm excited to share my thoughts on Burn, the last book in J.M. Hackman's Firebrand Chronicles! Burn released earlier this year, and the full Firebrand Chronicles box set will be published on January 11, 2021! It's even going to include four new stories from the Firebrand Chronicles fantasy world - I can't wait! Since Burn is the third book in the series, a spoiler-free synopsis will be tough, but I'll do my best!

Brenna James is a teenage girl with ADHD whose ordinary life was disrupted when she discovered she has the power to create fire and that part of her heritage comes from Linneah, an alternity where she's the one destined to fulfill an ancient prophecy. After rescuing her mom, recovering a sacred relic, and saving her best friend from a disastrous marriage, Brenna has made a major enemy of Rune, a dangerous man determined to take control of the alternity by force no matter the cost.

Now Brenna and her family have been forced to evacuate their home, and Brenna's boyfriend, Baldwin, has been affected by Rune's dark power. Brenna should be training to improve her skills as a firebrand, but her talent won't respond to her. When a prophecy suggests she might be able to find a staff that has the ability to cut and mend space itself, she finds new purpose but also a new level of danger. And even if she finds the staff, how can she fight Rune and his growing army when her firebrand gift won't cooperate?

As you can probably tell, Burn was an action-packed, thought-provoking finale to the Firebrand Chronicles! I missed Brenna's spunk during the sections when she was feeling lost and discouraged, but her reactions to her circumstances were realistic and made for a stronger journey of growth by the end of the book. As the author discussed in this post, Burn definitely went a little darker than the earlier books in the series, but I appreciated that it was handled tastefully and integrated well into the story. While some of the emotions and themes went darker, there were also many moments of light and hope, especially leading up to the very satisfying conclusion! As always, I had a great time re-visiting this vivid, creative fantasy world and fun characters like Arvandus and Tiny. The conflict felt like it resolved a little quickly considering the enormity of the build-up, but it was interesting to see how everything came together in the end and the roles various characters got to play.

I couldn't wait to read this book after the suspenseful ending to Flare, and I'm so glad I completed this journey! Brenna was a great character to root for even in her hardest moments, and the ending put a smile on my face, making a strong case for the power of light to overcome any darkness. Start with Spark and Flare, then you'll definitely want to see this series to its inspiring conclusion!

Have you finished any series recently? Were you satisfied with the ending?

Thanks for reading!

Laurie

Going Dark by Special Guest J.M. Hackman (Burn Blog Tour)

We are so excited to welcome friend and former Lands Uncharted contributor J.M. Hackman to the blog today to celebrate the FINAL book in The Firebrand Chronicles!! Burn just released yesterday, and Jill stopped by to share an inside look at the conclusion of her trilogy!

Take it away, Jill!

Going Dark

The opening scene for Burn was something I’d thought and prayed about, and my mind kept conjuring a scene with the main character at her lowest point. It was a struggle to know whether readers would still pull for her when it was obvious she’d made a mistake. You know, the kind where you cover your eyes and yell at the book? No? Maybe that’s just me then.

Brenna James isn’t perfect. She struggles with ADHD, has no filter, and regularly makes impulsive decisions. But with this story I wanted to add another problem, a pretty big error in judgement. I’d done research to see how ADHD kids handled stressors and discovered kids with ADHD used alcohol more often and earlier than their neurotypical peers. With everything that had happened to Brenna in Flare, I knew there’d be a breaking point—she’d either handle the stress in a healthy way or make a mistake.

In Christian fiction, regardless of genre, there’s often a resistance to the characters going dark. Don’t show depression, the dirty messes, the ways people screw up. And be careful writing about the big mistakes like addiction, self-harm, or any of the other dozens of things people do to hurt themselves. Only recently have writers begun to bravely tackle these issues.

I understand that avoidance. As Christians, we shouldn’t glorify or dwell on the negative. And as a Christian parent, I don’t want my kids to read stuff with a moral compass pointing in a different direction from what we’ve taught them.

Despite this, I kept circling back around to how I thought she’d behave, especially without a lot of parental supervision. After more prayer and discussions with those smarter than me, Burn became a story where she battled herself, learned, and then made better choices.

The Firebrand Chronicles has always been about second chances, something all of us need. In Burn, I hope instead of darkness, the reader sees light emerging from the dark, beauty growing from ashes, a kind of redemption rising from past mistakes.

I so appreciate this open, honest approach to writing, and it makes me even more excited to read Burn! Here's a little more about the book:

Life: 1. Brenna James: 0.

An AWOL talent, an enemy-occupied hometown, and a Life Shade boyfriend—Brenna James just wants something to go right. Although her family has been given sanctuary in Syeira, Brenna will never be safe as long as Rune is hunting down and killing Firebrands. 

Can someone please wake her up already?

When a prophecy sends Brenna and Baldwin on a confusing quest, they aren’t sure where to begin. They must find the Caelestis Staff, a powerful object that both cuts and mends space itself. Rune wants it too, and he’ll use any lethal tactics necessary to obtain it.

Yeah, nightmare material right there.

A traveling oasis, plenty of man-eating mermaids, and one Skeleton King later, Brenna
seriously doubts she has the edge she needs to confront Rune. When Brenna’s faced with
the biggest test of her life, will she burn like the Firebrand she is? Or will she burn out?

Eeeek, I can't wait! You can find order links for Burn HERE. And here's a little more about the author:

J. M. Hackman loves thunderstorms, bookstores, and happy endings. She’s never met a reading nook she didn’t like and prefers soul talk to small talk. When she’s not writing, she spends time with her two munchkins and her handsome husband who supports her in this crazy profession. Her days are filled with writing stories, consuming massive quantities of dark chocolate, and looking for portals to other worlds. 

You can connect with her on her website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Amazon. Thank you so much for stopping by to share with us today, Jill, and congratulations on your new release!

The Top 3 Differences Between Writing Spark and Flare (Flare Blog Tour)

We are so excited to welcome special guest (and Lands Uncharted alumna!) J.M. Hackman to the blog today as part of her Flare blog tour! Flare, the second book in Jill's Firebrand Chronicles, just released on February 26th. We'll share more about it below, but first Jill is going to tell us about the top three differences between writing Spark (The Firebrand Chronicles, Book One) and Flare. Enjoy!

Writing is a tough job, but there are certain instances where the job is more difficult than expected. The differences I encountered with Spark’s sequel were surprising, especially since I knew Flare’s plot. After all, that’s all a writer really needs to know, right? Um, maybe not.

1.) Time: I wrote Spark in six leisurely years—although I’m a turtle writer, I indulged in lots of world building, played with point of view, and changed the major story arc. If I didn’t feel like writing, I didn’t. But with Flare, I felt the urge to finish...yesterday.

2.) Continuity: Spark was finished and into the wild. Flare was in process, and book three (now titled Burn) was a twinkling gem of unexplored opportunity. I needed to link Spark’s storyline to that sparkling possibility with an amazing story. And I wanted it done seamlessly. Instead, it was kind of like herding cats, as I checked and rechecked details on characters’ backstories, timelines, and the culture of my world.

3.) Expectations: My publisher didn’t ask me to complete Flare in a certain time frame; I did that to myself, although I knew sooner was better. Plus, I feared disappointing my readers with a lackluster sophomore effort. So some of my writing time was tainted with self-doubt. I finally locked away the critic and focused on just telling the story. I hope you enjoy the final product!

I'm sure we will, thank you so much for sharing with us today, Jill! In case you missed Spark, here's the back cover blurb (and gorgeous cover!!):

Brenna James wants three things for her sixteenth birthday: to find her history notes before the test, to have her mother return from her business trip, and to stop creating fire with her bare hands.

Yeah, that’s so not happening. Unfortunately.

When Brenna learns her mother is missing in an alternate reality called Linneah, she travels through a portal to find her. Against her will. Who knew portals even existed? But Brenna’s arrival in Linneah begins the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy, including a royal murder and the theft of Linneah’s most powerful relic: the Sacred Veil.

Hold up. Can everything just slow down for a sec?

Unwilling yet left with no other choice, Brenna and her new friend Baldwin (Um, hello, Hottie!) pursue the thief into the dangerous woods of Silvastamen and beyond. Exactly what Brenna wanted to do for her sixteenth birthday. Exactly. When they spy an army marching toward Linneah, Brenna is horrified. Can she find the veil, save her mother, and warn Linneah in time?

And more importantly, why on earth doesn’t this alternity have Belgian waffles?

And HERE are the amazing cover and back cover blurb for Jill's newest release, Flare! 

Brenna travels to Linneah via portal to visit her boyfriend Baldwin, only to find heartbreak. Betrayal. A serious case of never, ever wanting to see him again. Worst summer vacation ever. 

So when her best friend Tiny invites her on a road trip to meet Tiny’s fiancé, Brenna jumps at the chance. Even if her mother disapproves. Even if it’s through a dangerous travel portal. Even if Tiny has never met this fiancé handpicked by her dad. Anything’s better than staying in Linneah. 

But the trip disintegrates into disaster. The two friends are separated, Brenna is kidnapped, and not only are Brenna’s Firebrand skills tested to the limit, she must participate in the dangerous event, Starfall . . . or go home. Broke. Alone. With a shattered heart. So not fun. 

And then as if that’s not bad enough? Brenna discovers a plot that could spell disaster for everyone she holds dear. And no one believes her. 

Can she prevent a bloody government takeover? And what will become of Brenna’s broken heart?

You can find purchase links for Spark here and Flare here. Now a little more about the lovely author herself:

J. M. Hackman loves thunderstorms, bookstores, and happy endings. She’s never met a reading nook she didn’t like and prefers soul talk to small talk. When she’s not writing, she spends time with her two munchkins and her handsome husband who supports her in this crazy profession. Her days are filled with writing stories, consuming massive quantities of dark chocolate, and looking for portals to other worlds.

You can connect with Jill on her website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Amazon. Thanks again for stopping by today, Jill, and congratulations on your new release!

Make sure to catch the other stops on the Flare Blog Tour! Here's a list of all the posts:

• Monday, Feb. 25th, Review of Flare, Rachel R. Lopez, www.rachelrlopez.com
• Tuesday, Feb. 26th, Release-Day Feature, J.M Hackman, www.jmhackman.com
• Wednesday, Feb. 27th, Visual Post, Jannette Fuller, www.jannetterfuller.wixsite.com/healthyhousewife
• Thursday, Feb. 28th, Release-Party Feature, Michele Israel Harper, www.MicheleIsraelHarper.com
• Friday, March 1st, Interview with Author J.M. Hackman, Tressa Sherman, www.wishfulendings.com
• Saturday, March 2nd, Top 3 Post, Laurie Lucking, www.landsuncharted.com
• Sunday, March 3rd, Visual Post, Laura A. Grace, www.unicornquester.com
• Monday, March 4th, Guest Post, Laura L. Zimmerman, www.lauralzimmerman.com
• Tuesday, March 5th, Behind-the-Scenes Feature, Pam Halter, www.PamHalter.com
• Wednesday, March 6th, Review of Flare, K.A. Cummins, www.authorkacummins.com