SAVING THE WORLD FROM EVIL
What a series! Secrets in The Flames by Ellie Jay delivers a solid ending to an entertaining 3-book series; this one’s book 3, and it works great as a standalone novel as well. The coolest part about the story is that it’s basically like Nadezhda Moroz vs Vasily Volkov Round 2, the last battle of the 20-year war. If you’ve read the series thus far, you’ll love how book 3 brings some major characters back into the fold. One of the most heartwarming, memorable, cheer-inducing factors was—oops, no spoilers! Honestly, it’s such a significant detail; I’m dying to write about it because it was a fantastic curveball, and a very contemporary point of view.
As always, my in-depth review will have no spoilers to honor the author’s hard work and to not mess up the reading experience like a person watching a movie next to you who can’t stop telling you the best parts before they happen. What I can tell you is, the ominousness making it a page-turner starts immediately, and only increases as the story unfolds.
WOOSAH. WOOSAH. WOOSAH!
Like the other books in The Secret Series, Jay creates a foreboding aura from the start. This is evident when the third person omniscient narrator introduces the opening scene at a wedding, narrating that Nadezhda’s “last few weeks had been stressful, with ghosts from her past popping up all over the place” (2). To increase the foreboding effect, the narrator shows Nadezhda convincing herself that “today was going to be a perfect day…with as much optimism as she could handle. Her police training, her past experiences and her general lack of recent sleep had sucked most of her positivity out of her, but she tried” (2). Jay also uses this opening paragraph to give you a sense of who Nadezhda has become, as you can see with the details about her police training. This first page of the book is so packed with information, you’ll know the setting is five years after book 2, Family Secrets, so if you’ve read the second book, you’d realize she must be 21, and if you haven’t read it, the narrator simultaneously helps you understand the complexities of her current situation by explaining Nadezhda “was anxious because, five years ago, she had risked everything, charging into the arms of a sinister mob, because of her family” (2). Together, all of this creates an ominous tone while simultaneously giving you a three-dimensional view of 21-year-old Nadezhda.
BREAKING NEWS
By page four, the narrator gives you a sense of relief, showing the wedding turned out as the protagonist had hoped. However, by the bottom of page 4, the narrator uses a flashback making the ominousness come back while becoming heightened because “Maria, her new Aunt, had called [Nadezhda] with some frightening news” (4). And since I was reading a paperback, the effect of having to turn the page to learn what this news means created a foreboding feeling for what’s coming. So, when the news is revealed, it’s meticulously delivered like drops of water to quench your thirst. At first, the aunt brings up the Volkovs, setting off fire alarms of memories for the readers of the series, but for readers starting with book 3, it will make you immensely curious about the Volkovs; and just in case you don’t have this reaction, the next paragraph fills you in with just enough information, you’ll have an idea regarding the magnitude of danger related to the Volkov name. Then the news comes out: “Vladimir’s dead, and Diana’s on the run” (5). Whether or not you’ve read the series, this news will sound foreboding, especially when the narrator fills you in regarding who these two Volkovs are and why it’s important for Nadezhda to know about their current status.
WHO IS THE GOTH LADY?
Now that you have this ominous feeling and foreboding news, an innocent tap on the shoulder that happens on page four, which Nadezhda ignores in the moment, becomes ominous and foreboding after Sof, Nadezhda’s bestie, describes the lady who tapped Nadezhda’s shoulder as being “the goth one… all in black, great big hat over her face” (7-8). For those who’ve read the series up to this point, you’ll remember this is how the women in the Volkov family dress, so you’ll definitely be thinking, uh oh. As for those who’ve not read the series, you’ll be thinking relatively the same thing since it’s a wedding and the mysterious lady is dressed like she’s at a funeral. The narrator intensifies this effect by showing the mysterious woman “leaning against a tree, away from all the other guests, but facing towards the wedding party. Specifically, directly…towards Nadezhda… She stood out among the colourfully dressed crowd” (8). Next, as Nadezhda’s family and Sof start to examine the mysterious woman, Nadezhda actually protests by saying, “Forget it! She’s not doing any harm. This is a wedding! A happy occasion!” (9). However, Sof wants to confront the mysterious woman, resulting in Nadezhda telling her not to do anything. “But it didn’t help. The woman in black had noticed them anyway, and she was coming over” (9). And the best part is, that’s just chapter one! As a result, I was majorly compelled to figure out the identity of this goth woman, since I had my own guesses from reading the previous books. Honestly, it was awesome seeing this character in book 3 since she plays such a big role in the other books, with or without actually being in them.
FINALLY
With that said, I’ll stop after chapter one to not ruin the surprise of the goth woman’s identity. However, you should know there are many Easter eggs placed throughout the novel, so people who’ve read the series will have a heightened reading experience. I even read one customer’s review saying they wished they had read the books in order, and I agree because I read them in order and enjoyed the effect, so definitely read them in order!
The way this book weaves the other two books’ stories into itself is one of the most intriguing parts since it’s like a reward for being a fan of The Secrets Series, plus you’ll be able to understand the series on a deeper level. There’s also this really cool unexpected romantic twist you’ll never see coming, especially since it adds fuel to the unputdownable quality of the overall story. This book also takes you deeper into the family dynamic of the Volkovs, and it is fascinating since it creates a full sense of the inner workings of their mafia family. The way one member confesses their truth and then changes is one of the best, beautiful, and heartbreaking twists of the novel. Considering the science fiction element, it’s turned up to a 10 in this book; it’s great seeing the progression, but to get into this would require a spoiler warning since it’s a huge part of the plot. It’s also a plot continuation from books 1 and 2.
If you enjoyed the writing style that’s carried throughout the first two books, you’ll be happy to know this one is no exception, making it a fun read, especially for those who’ve read the series up to this point. Therefore, once the action starts in this book, it doesn’t end until the denouement. Secrets in The Flames by Ellie Jay is an easy read and enjoyable escape into Nadezhda’s heroine journey because the blistering pace Jay uses to unfold the story makes it compelling by keeping your mind immersed in the story’s world.
Thank you for reading our in-depth book review about Secrets in The Flames by Ellie Jay. We are not affiliated with the publisher, but here’s the link to pick up a copy.
If you’d like to find out more about The Secrets Series, here’s the link to our in-depth review about book 1, Secrets of the Volkovs, and here’s the link to our in-depth review about book 2, Family Secrets.
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E. R. Sanchez is the author of Fried Potato Press’ first young adult thriller, Petaco Dreams, which will be released in 2025 after the rewrite, new title, and new cover. He also has poems and stories published online and in print. If you’d like to read his work that was published online, please click here to go to his Stories and Poetry Section.