This is the fourth book in the Beacon Hill series. I read the ebook when it came out but could not wait until Joel Leslie narrated it. He is a brilliant performer with an astounding array of voices and accents in his repertoire. I can’t recommend him highly enough.
The series must be read in order. These aren’t books one can pick up at will.
Mastering the Flames is Isaac and Constantine’s story. It’s quite long due to the fact that Constans has lived for about two thousand years (I think). Himes’ research illustrates the Celtic and Roman empires in ancient Gaul. While I found myself Googling various topics to understand the era even better, she does an amazing job describing historical events without being verbose or sparse. We have a new appreciation for Constantine’s fierce personality.
One of the things I loved the most was (and it’s obvious, but) that Isaac is not Angel. He is more than the struggling shadow of his brother and this was evident by both the story and Leslie’s narration. We get to understand the depth of his sadness and his self-hatred, and watch him grow into a wonderful, vibrant, kind man and mate. It’s lovely to watch.
I could gush about the series even more, but I’ll stop with the hope that we get to (finally!) read Daniel and Ruari’s love story. Daniel is another character who has grown and matured quite a lot over the four books. I highly recommend the entire series!