Review Detail

Fire, Ice, Acid & Heart was a nice novella that takes place after the events of From the Ashes, but before Kingdom Come, by the same author... neither of which have I read.
I don't necessarily feel like I missed out of things, not having previously read From the Ashes. While there is some confusion, Orsino does a splendid job of giving readers enough information to know what is going on (and why) without spoiling the previous book.

I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style. I felt like none of the characters were centuries old mature, the dialogue felt overly childish at times. There were a few times I was laughing out loud, though, at the insults or the like.
I would have enjoyed it more if I could "hear" what the dragon was saying, rather than their rider translating for me constantly.

I loved seeing how the different dragon types (fire, ice, acid) all fought and interacted with one another.
Orsino crafted, not only fae beings, but these dragons with their own unique personalities. It was interesting to see how the rider and dragon interacted as a bonded pair.

The illustrations and map were well done. I'm a huge fan of maps when it comes to fantasy worlds. I find it makes the story more immersive.
The dragon eggs hatching between chapters was a nice touch, the visual is breath taking.

In total, this was a beautiful story about honor, integrity, and friendship. I'm definitely interested in going back to read the start of the whole story.


Favorite quote: "Kali is my heart, and when I found her, I realized I was home."