A Violet Fire by Kelsey Quick is ideal for those seeking a new and unique story about vampires, with a poignant journey to freedom. Wavorly has one last chance to escape over the wall and into a life of freedom but when she's caught she's officially a supply unit for Lord Zein, the vampire that saved her as a child. Now living at his estate, Wavorly refuses to give up on her plans of escape despite the comforts of her new life. As she gets to know Zein, she starts to see a different side to him but she can't stop wondering if everything he says and every kind gesture is a lie. The discovery of a secret room, the revelation of a prophecy, and hidden dangers lead Wavorly to a shocking discovery about her past.

Kelsey Quick delivers a powerful opening that sets the tone for the rest of the story. This sets up her intense drive to obtain her freedom away from the vampires, no matter the risk to her own life, and she is willing to do whatever it takes. The world places vampires in charge, having taken full control and leaving humans to being relegated to little more than cattle. Fear and enslavement is the only thing that the humans have in this society which Quick uses to explore concepts that run deep. The vampires are immediately viewed as cruel and heartless creatures, and for several that's true, but Wavorly meets others who have gentle compassion about them. This directly leads to the idea of good versus evil as Wavorly is faced with conflicting emotions in her new life under the vampire who controls her. Zein is a character that is both untrustworthy and alluring with his contrasting nature of gentle and cruel, often confusing Wavorly as well as frightening her and seducing her.

The main theme of A Violet Fire is freedom which Quick weaves throughout a story that's poignant, emotional, and thought-provoking. Wavorly's journey explores the concept of what freedom is while it also encourages others to stand up and speak out for what they believe in, even if no one else seems to be standing with you. Quick does include a magical element through the violet wall that no one else seems to notice and a room no one seems to know about, which delves into a deeper mystery and explores a bigger question about Wavorly's past. Romance also plays a role as Wavorly explores a surprising connection, a forbidden relationship, and a deep desire. This is in conflict with her ideals of trust and loyalty, which leads her to wonder if her feelings and her freedom can co-exist. A Violet Fire is a unique vampire tale about freedom, passion, desire, betrayal, and trust with a strong female lead striving to find her voice and acquire her place in a society controlled by vampires.

A Violet Fire by Kelsey Quick is a young adult paranormal book that would appeal most to an audience of young adults who enjoy reading about the supernatural and who do not mind some language, mild sexual situations, and mild levels of violence. The Vampire Stratocracy of Cain has been dealing with a shortage of human blood; for centuries, humans have been bred and enslaved as blood supply units for the rich. Eighteen-year-old Wavorly Sterling is unique in that she was not bred in Cain; in fact, she has known freedom and she longs for the return of it even if it means her death. Yet, as her master, Anton Zein, slowly wins her respect and admiration her hatred of all things vampire and her desire for freedom begins to slowly abate. Wavorly Sterling might just have what it takes to change things, but will she be able to face her fears to do so or will they swallow her whole?

A Violet Fire by Kelsey Quick is a well-written vampire story that is so much better than the Twilight series as the vampires actually feel like vampires. The characters all had a fleshed-out feel to them that make them feel like real people worth connecting with. I could not help but love Wavorly Sterling as she was thrown into the deep end, yet she managed to swim instead of sink amongst the many challenges she was confronted with. My favorite aspect of the main character was her ability to stay true to herself, yet she was flexible enough to alter her beliefs based on her experiences. Overall, I really loved this book and I hope the author decides to write more vampire books in the future!

In the YA paranormal novel A Violet Fire by Kelsey Quick, humans are close to extinction because vampires are feeding on them without restraint. So as not to lose their supply of real blood, vampires have started breeding human supply units, i.e. human slaves that are only valuable as long as their blood is tasty - and as long as they do not cause too much trouble. Wavorly was not bred by vampires but ended up as a supply unit anyway. It is her destiny to serve a vampire called Zein for the rest of her life. But Wavorly is not one of those meek supply units who think it is an honor to be called to their master to be fed upon. Oh no, Wavorly seems to cause Zein more trouble than she is worth. Many wonder why he keeps her around and seems to favor her. But just as Wavorly thinks that Zein might be one of the good vampires, the truth of her past surfaces - and Wavorly learns a secret that might change everything.

I enjoyed the wild variety of the characters in A Violet Fire by Kelsey Quick. Some were quirky, some dark, some naïve, some weak, some strong, some lovable, some not so much. While the story is totally different, the variety of characters reminded me of the Hunger Games novels, which I also enjoyed because of the interesting people living - and dying - on the pages. I hardly ever pick up vampire books these days because I grew up with the classics of vampire literature and find modern novels often quite lacking. It's hard to compare Kelsey Quick with the classics and that is a GOOD thing because authors who try to write the next Dracula or Interview with a Vampire usually fail miserably and just annoy readers like me. Fortunately, this novel has its own path. I liked the idea of a dystopia with vampires as the mostly cruel overlords. I think this is one of the few vampire series of which I'd read the second part!

A Violet Fire by Kelsey Quick is a young adult paranormal novel that revolves around the life of 18-year-old Wavorly Sterling as she is trying to navigate and find her way in a world that she does not belong to. In a world that is ruled by vampires, human blood is so scarce that the vampires have to breed humans to become their blood slaves. Wavorly is one of the supply units and she is now officially the slave of Lord Anton Zein. She is now bound to feed her blood to her “master” and she loathes this destiny. While at first she hated the ever-mysterious Lord Anton Zein, there is something about the man that draws her to him. He is kind one moment and evil the next, and this dichotomy makes her hate and love him. She just wants to get away from him and this world, but she can’t, especially when she finds out things are not as they seem. Some mysterious things happening around her and some prophecies may or may not affect her. What is she going to do? Should she continue defying Zein and face death or accept her fate?

This novel turned out to be darker and more dystopian than I thought. It was surprisingly different from the other young adult novels that all seem to revolve around the same theme and the same storyline. The pace was slow in the beginning, but as I read on, I realized how necessary that was. The plot itself is quite original; you can tell that the author spent some time developing and creating a world that is believable and relatable. Although I don’t have any strong connection with Zein, I became very much invested in Wavorly and her dramatic life. I wanted her to fight on and make the best decisions. I almost screamed at her sometimes because I was that much invested. I have high hopes for this series!

Captivating! Great job.