Calor by J.J. Fischer: One Minute Book Review

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Calor by J.J. Fischer is the first book in The Nightingale Trilogy. The book is advertised as a fantasy transformation of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Nightingale,” with a little smidge of Hades and Persephone thrown in.

I’ll say that I have never read the original Nightingale tale, but having read and enjoyed the entire book, I think I will put it on my TBR (To Be Read) list! I certainly love a good Hades and Persephone retelling, but there isn’t a lot of that in Calor.

I’ve noticed that the book is by an author of Christian Fiction – if that usually turns you off, I’d still give this book a read if you like good fantasy. I had no idea the author wrote Christian fiction until I looked her up later. The book doesn’t touch on religion nor is it appropriate for little kids.

One Minute Book Review ….. GO!

Calor is set in a fantasy world a generation or two past an apocalypse. In this world there are humans with special abilities, called “alters” that have some type of magical superpower. The main character, Sephone, is an enslaved alter who has been held in captivity for almost her entire life. She is forced to use her power – memory manipulation – to relieve anguish or induce euphoria at the behest of her captor.

This superpower is how she comes to meet a nobleman known as Lord Adomo. Lord Adomo is tied to her past, but not in the way that one might expect. He sought Sephone out so that she would erase the memory of his late wife and daughter, who he loved very much. He witnessed their deaths and his current existence is fraught with anguish and grief and pain, and he believes that if she removes his memories of them that he will be better able to avenge their deaths.

Sephone will not – cannot – manipulate or erase memories borne of love. Dorian steals her from her captor and promises freedom if she will help him search for an ancient relic that has the power to eradicate his memory – she agrees to the task in the hope of escaping her lot as enslaved to a brutal master.

Almost from the moment they leave on the journey, they are followed and attacked by the man who was responsible for the deaths of Dorian’s family. The book is a well written hero’s journey, but without much of the angst that can sometimes makes young adult fantasy novels annoying. I recommend that you read the book, even if you are just mildly interested in fantasy. It’s a great first book in a trilogy and I can’t wait to read books 2 and 3.

Note: I listened to this book for FREE using my library card and the Libby App. The narrator of Calor, Stacey Glembosky, is a fantastic narrator. I’m not sure if it’s on audible, but you can check your library or find it on audio CD here.

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Publisher’s Summary

What if you could edit memories with a single touch?

The world-that-was is gone, lost to everything except living memory . . . but remembering comes at a terrible price. Sixty-two years after the apocalypse, a new society has emerged from the ashes of the old world where highly valued memories are traded and nostalgia is worth dying—and even killing—for.

Enslaved by a cruel master, Sephone Winter is forced to use her rare ability to manipulate memories to numb the darkest secrets of the ruling aristocracy.

Then Lord Adamo appears, speaking of a powerful relic capable of permanently erasing memories and recovering Sephone’s own lost childhood. But not everything about the young lord is as it seems, and soon Sephone must choose between helping Lord Adamo forget his past or journeying deep into the land of Lethe, where the truth about who she really is might finally be revealed . . . and a long desired future restored.

Calor Branded

Alternate Cover Art

This alternate cover art was found at the authors website and I encourage you to check it out! : ARTICLES | J. J. Fischer Author (jjfischer.com)

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