Review: Aflame by N.M. Bello

Title: Aflame
Author: N.M. Bello
Series: Standalone
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Matador
Publication Date: January 29th, 2015
Edition: Kindle Edition, 187 pages
Source: NetGalley
Purchase: B.A.M






Synopsis:

     Zara is the princess of Garimu, a kingdom where the people can absorb the elements and wield them as they please. Strong-willed yet naive, she is the strongest wielder to be born in generations. 

     Johar is the solemn and responsible prince of Birin. He is engaged to be married and is preparing to ascend to the throne of his kingdom. 

     Through a twist of fate, these two very different people are brought together as the survival of both of their kingdoms hangs in the balance. Can Zara and Johar put their differences aside in order to save their homes from the catastrophe that is about to befall them? 

     Aflame is a thrilling story of love, sacrifice and growing up. The book is the perfect read for young adults, who will enjoy watching the characters change and grow with their experiences.

I liked this book, it was an enjoyable read. I had fun reading it, the world was interesting. But... I really didn't care for the characters.

I found Zara to be very one-dimensional, always going on about how beautiful she was, and how she never planned ahead for anything. How she just didn't understand why people thought she should be humble. It really bothered me, she is supposed to be a heroine, but all I saw was a shallow little girl who was very selfish. She also always looks at herself in mirrors, and brags about how she is the "strongest wielder in the land", yet she doesn't seem to know how to use this amazing ability to fight.

Johar wasn't any better. I think he was supposed to come across as stoic, but really he was also just a kid who was trying to be what he thought he was supposed to be. He was awkward and unsure of himself and those around him. I liked him more than Zara, but neither character was very strong characters. 

The masked villain who is going to cause all the problems was just that. He was unnamed for most of the book, and still had no face and he wasn't really a threat until the end of the book and that barely lasted a chapter. The rest of the book was about the two kids "falling in love". There was too much time with them not making plans on what to do or how to possibly stop the unnamed villain. I didn't buy their love or the romance. 

I might continue this series, I just hope future books have more depth to them. This book could have been amazing, but I was let down with having naive kids, instead of awesome heroes.