Consort of Fire

In this series opener, Rocha (“Beyond” series), a pseudonym for duo Donna Herren and Bree Bridges, offers a novel full of barely restrained passions amid an epic conflict between mortals and gods. The dramatic story makes the choice of narrators interesting, as Will Thorne, who performs the part of the Dragon god, is all restraint. His delivery is excellent for a fantasy novel—crisp, direct, easy to follow through exposition—but this is also a romance novel. Because of this, narrators Victoria Mei and Caitlin Elizabeth perform much of the emotional labor for the relationship. Unfortunately, this means that listeners miss the full force of the Dragon’s fierce and tender emotions. He isn’t a tropey brooding hero but rather someone who tries to thoughtfully navigate politics and power imbalances. Mei and Elizabeth voice the counterpoints to his millennia of experience—Sashi, the Dragon’s 31st consort, and her handmaiden Zanya—skillfully depicting their dawning knowledge that love and trust could be the most dangerous weapons of all. The audiobook ends with an epilogue voiced by Adenrele Ojo, presumably hinting at a larger cast of characters for the next book.