Hands of Flame by C.E. Murphy
The fate of the vampires, the lineage of the dragons, and the life of one human caught in the middle are determined in the third installation of the Negotiator series, Hands of Flame
After clearing a gargoyle’s name of murder, saving a dragonlord, and surviving the ministrations of the selkies and djinn, Margrit Knight thinks she is up for anything. What she doesn’t expect is an outright war between the Old Races which she may have caused that spills into the human world after the races vie for prime territory.
Now Margrit, dubbed the Negotiator, must face her most terrifying foe: a gargoyle tribunal assembled to determine the fate of Alban, her gargoyle lover. The ramifications of what the tribunal uncovers affects all the races, revealing secrets long kept and stirring a rivalry amongst two powerful men.
Never before has a series hooked me so completely that upon reading the last line of the book I yelled, “This can’t be the end! There has to be more!” With every previous question answered in this novel, three more are left open. Unlike most novels where the reader feels cheated by the lack of finality, this novel leaves a smile on the face and the feeling of hope that maybe a happily ever after will, when the time is right, be possible.
I didn’t think C.E. Murphy would be able to top the first two books in the series, but this is by far the best. As the inhabitants of this world have grown, I have made assumptions about their character, how they would react in certain situations, and what boundaries they would refuse to cross. All preconceived notions about any and all characters were blown away, leaving a beautiful disaster of success and loss, love and betrayal, life and death.
Book Stats:
- Paperback: 416 pages
- Publisher: Luna (September 1, 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0373802706
- ISBN-13: 978-0373802708
To purchase a print copy of Hands of Flame click here
Books in the Negotiator Trilogy in the order they should be read:
Heart of Stone
House of Cards
Hands of Flame
To visit the author’s website go here.
To visit the author’s blog go here.
Never before has a series hooked me so completely that upon reading the last line of the book I yelled,
You just made my day! I’ve officially collapsed into a heap of fangirl. : )
*laughs* Oh dear. *picks you up, laughing* *steadies you on your feet*