Book Review: Tinderbox by W.A. Simpson

The Riven Isles. A place outside of our known world, where the characters of myth and fairy-tales exist, and their legends influence the lives of the people.

Among them is Isbet, a witch skilled in the craft. Her return home marred by the murder of the woman who raised her. The old witch’s prized possession, stolen–the Tinderbox. A common man has used it to seize a throne. The same man who conquered Prince Bram Greyward’s land and forced Bram to become his heir. When a chance encounter gives Isbet the opportunity she needs to ingratiate herself into the king’s house, she meets Bram, whose bravery and kindness impresses her.

Isbet’s goal is revenge and to retrieve the Box. For Bram, it is to free his homeland. When they receive a summons to an underground kingdom, they must set aside their personal desires as they discover an ancient source of magic, long dormant, is being brought to life by beings unnatural and it threatens to destroy the land. They have pulled Isbet and Bram into a battle not their own and struggle to locate the source of the darkness. However, Bram is caught in the aura of shadows surrounding the king and fearful of the demonic creatures within the box.

CW: attempted sexual assault, on-page sex

GENRE: E pic Fantasy

PURCHASE LINKS: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | BAM | Kobo

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Wendy has been writing since the age of five and finished her first novel at fourteen. Her debut novel, Tinderbox, is available everywhere and is receiving rave reviews. Wendy is an Associate Member of the Science-Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association. She lives in Delaware and shares her home with her brother and two diva cats. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, working in her garden, or gaming and streaming on Twitch.

Review & Recommended Listening

This novel was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's The Tinderbox, and even calls back to some of our beloved fairytales.

I was initially worried because I read some bad reviews for this book, mostly citing the lack of warnings for the above. But I've read so much worse and so much more graphic ones. (Our spice preferences vary, obviously, so some might not even find the love scenes particularly spicy or enticing. I could've done without them, since I'm not big on spice.)

I love the protagonists, though! Isbet is such a badass FMC and Bram is a total sweetheart - really, just my kind of characters right there. The villains are really good too, and there are plenty others to like and admire. An adorable kid, a talking staff, lots of awesome females all around...

I enjoyed the world too. Weaving the other fairytales into the history and lore was a brilliant move, and there's so much variety in terms of magic and character types. I can't wait for the sequel and I was hoping the epilogue would've hinted at that, which was a bit of a waste but hey, I guess I'll just have to wait and see. 😉

The sequel is apparently titled Tarotmancer, and the blurb is as follows:

Harper was barely out of diapers before the cards started speaking to her. Abandoned in a gambling den, the owner took her in and taught all about games of chance. Using her Gift, she makes a modest living, although Harper feels there must be more to her power. She befriends a thief, known only as Red, after saving him from certain death. Neither have last names or pasts. Such things do not matter in their world.

But everyone has a past.

Red’s catches up with him during a job which could set them him up for life. Now forced home to the last place Harper wants to go—Underneath. For Red is the infamous Reynard the Fox. The shape-shifting trickster wanted for crimes against the Kingdom of Vale. King Noble has been searching for him for decades, for the lives of the citizens of Vale far surpass normal humans.

Torn between fighting for Red’s life and her growing attraction to the King, Harper knows Red’s many crimes and she cannot forgive them. But there is more to the citizens of Vale seeking retribution. Red learns of the Rot and how it feeds on hatred, but they banish him to the Cesspit, leaving Harper to fight The Rot alone. But if she cannot control her own contempt, the Rot will take her and all of Vale.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommended Listening: As I mentioned in my open call for books to review, I’ll now be adding a song to my reviews! It’ll be one that either sums up the book for me, what I’d imagine in a trailer were it a movie, something that I associate with the story or one of the characters for whatever reason… or maybe even an original inspired by it 😉