Review: Flames On The Sky

Madison Evans inherits a turquoise locket, travels to New Mexico, and discovers the stone dates back to the Chacoan Anasazi. When she’s attacked, parks ranger Lonan Stone, of Chacoan ancestry, fears Madison’s turquoise is a missing twin of the revered Fallen Skystone, an egg size piece of turquoise on display in Albuquerque. The mystical stone is missing two slivers – one’s in Madison’s necklace, the others whereabouts unknown, but if united by evil they can destroy.

Madison and Lonan are part of a 1000 year old prophecy to save Chaco Canyon. Thrust back in time, they meet a witch, solve a murder, fall in love, and imprison a 1000 year old evil spirit. Their mission complete, can these two people from different cultures blend their lives as the prophecy predicted?

Flames on the Skey – Linda LaRoque

Paranormal Romance

October 23, 2009

Wild Rose Press

Book was provided by author

Flames on the Sky is the second book in the Turquoise Legacy, but it can be read as a stand alone.

For the past six months, Madison has been having the same continuous dream involving people and events from a previous time. At that same time, she inherited a necklace with a turquoise pendent and a journal documenting the pendent and its powers over centuries. She can only conclude that her strange dreams and the necklace are related in some manner.

On a whim, she travels to Mesa Verde where the stone originated to get some answers. Once there she takes it to a jeweler who says he thinks the stone originated around 1000AD. Stunned, Madison leaves to regroup in her hotel. After dinner, she gets back to her hotel and it has been ransacked. The police and the local park ranger shows up , Lanon Stone and he immediately feels a connection with her.

The next day, while on a hike, Madison rubs her necklace and poof, she is in the same spot, but she realizes she is not in the same time period. In this new time, she is seeing people from her dreams. Shortly later, she rubs her necklace and is back in present day. The time travel did not shock her completely, already being outlined in the journal. She shares all of this with Lonan, who was sick with worry over where she had gone. Lonan takes her to his grandmother’s house, a known spirit talker and she tells the both of a prophecy that will change their lives forever.

Flames On The Sky was a bit disappointing for me. First, I felt Madison was a cookie cutter heroine. Too smart and way too accepting of all the events going on around her. She gets told her necklace is made in 1000AD and although surprised she just continues on her way. Then she time travels, and although her journal had described this as one of its powers, she travels back to present day and doesn’t flip out. At one point after the time travel she even says she is just an average girl. I don’t understand how she can feel that way after she performs something supernatural and has a continuous dream every night.

I also had a problem with the internal dialogue of both Madison and Lonan. Their thoughts and even some things they said didn’t seem always natural. For example, after Madison goes missing during her hike (when she time travels) Lonan goes out to search for and shortly after he starts he thinks:

Lonan knew it was odd, but feared the chief would send him home if he voiced his honest opinion.He wasn’t sure he even believed it himself. Time travel. He felt stupid just considering the possibility. But what else could have happened?

A lot of else could have happened!! Madison is out alone in the wilderness. The tour guide saw her fall and now she is missing, but that doesn’t naturally mean she time traveled. I had a hard time wondering if superstition was prevalent in this world, or if supernatural things happen, so maybe time travel would not be that out of the question. I know the Native American culture has a lot of lore and superstition. Maybe a better understanding of the rules of this world would have helped me cope with some of Madison and Lonan’s actions.

The actual plot was interesting, with a lot of legend about the Native American culture. The villain was a pretty bad dude which I always enjoy and I have to say, Lonan was pretty hot in bed and the romance scenes were done well. However, my issues with the characters did not allow me to enjoy this book as much as I could have.

Rating: Two Stars

Linda LaRoque’s website

Comments

Cecile says

October 21, 2009 at 10:51 am

Aw Mandi, I am sorry that you did not get to enjoy the book. But I do love a very honest review and you know how to give it to me!
Thanks honey! I hope you have a great day!

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Blodeuedd says

October 21, 2009 at 10:52 am

Good honest review Mandi,
It does sound promising, but yes if I did all that I would not just go along and think like that

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Linda LaRoque says

October 21, 2009 at 11:54 am

Thank you for the review, Mandi. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy Flames. I guess part of the problem is having been to Chaco Canyon and the spot she disappeared I knew there was no place she could have disappeared to so quickly but should have made my readers aware of that fact.

On the time travel, just rubbing her necklace didn't do it. She had to be at the cliff drawings and part of her ability to time travel was possible due to ley lines and movements of the sun and moon the Native Americans used when planning their roads. Again, maybe I didn't make this clear.

Regardless, thank you again.

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Mandi says

October 21, 2009 at 12:36 pm

Hi Linda!

Oh yes, the drawings were part of her disappearance – I should have made that more clear.

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Donna [Fantasy Dreamer's Ramblings] says

October 21, 2009 at 11:58 pm

I'm never heard of this book. The premises looks interesting, too bad it didn't work out for you. But I understand why. As always, thanks for the honest review. :)

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heidenkind says

October 22, 2009 at 2:06 am

Er, yeah. As soon as I saw Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde in there, I was like, No.

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