BOOK ONE: SCATTERLINGS OF FATE
Conn has spent his life as a weapon of the Iron Thorn, trained to track down warlocks and burn out heresy wherever it festers. He believes in order. He believes in duty. He believes the gods of old are dead.
He is wrong.
When a captured warlock dies whispering of ancient relics and a rising power, Conn is sent beyond the empire’s borders to stop a threat that should not exist. Instead, he finds Garyn.
Garyn’s home has been razed to ash. Enslaved and torn from everything he loves, he carries a secret buried in his bloodline. An old god is waking, and it has chosen him.
Forced into an uneasy alliance, hunter and fugitive must cross wastelands, evade imperial soldiers, and descend into a ruined temple where something vast waits beneath stone and bone. Behind them, the empire closes in. Ahead lies a ritual that could shatter the world.
Faith will be tested. Empires will fall. And when the fire is finally called, neither of them will walk away unchanged.
Call the Fire by Nerine Dorman was a surprisingly easygoing read for me. I often have challenges with world building. Sometimes I get confused or lose my way around the story, but the world here felt quite mystical and immersive. At some point, it felt like I was traversing the landscape with Conn and Garyn, especially in Chapter 15 (IYKYK).
The magic system and political structure felt easy to understand, even though I feel like I've probably missed some easter eggs or connections because I was so eager to get to the action. The beginning did feel a little scary because of the detail and explanation, but from the middle onwards, I was hooked.
I loved the character development for Conn and Garyn, especially in Chapter 15 (wink, wink). I think it really helped with understanding their motivations and behaviour. I did, however, think Garyn seemed more human than Yala at times, and those instances threw me off. For example, the use of certain words he spoke made me think it would come from us as human scum, rather than Yala. Nonetheless, I loved both characters. Even Rotter won my heart.
One thing I particularly loved was how Nerine writes characters and storylines in a way that really feels outside of familiar contexts. I find it so difficult to get sucked into a good story when authors over-rely on cultural references to make it “rich”, and then it reads more like realism. Call the Fire didn't feel that way at all. There were many cultural and mythical references, of course, but they weren't overbearing to the point that they stifled the narrative. The world felt like its own thing, and I really appreciated that.
Now that I've covered that bit, can we just talk about Chapter 15 please?
My heart is in that chapter.
I was not expecting it. I was not ready. I have not fully recovered.
I want to read it again and again because yes, I am human scum and sometimes I like spice in my books...sue me! And then there's that final chapter. I cannot wait for the next book. I need to know what happens next and how the final chapter fits into the plot because it left me feeling like I was being edged. I said what I said.
Overall, Call the Fire gave me a mystical world that was easy to settle into, characters I genuinely cared about, and a Chapter 15 that has apparently taken up permanent residence in my brain. I went in expecting a cool adventure read, but I wasn't expecting to become this invested in Conn and Garyn’s personal business. Needless to say, I will be reading the next book and you should pick this up. Do it for Chapter 15.
‘Then, to my absolute astonishment, small stones recessed in the walls at regular intervals light up. No flame - nothing - only a blue-green illumination that paints our faces in ghoulish hues.
“Magic,” Conn says, barely breathing the word.
“No shit.”’
So I just finished Call The Fire by Nerine Dorman, and what an absolute great read it was.
We witness the events of the novel through a dual PoV. We follow Conn, who is a Hound for Paladins that hunt down and eliminate magic users for their religion. We also follow Garyn, a trainee priest who likes to smoke too much ragleave but whose life changes when raiders raid and destroy his village, enslaving him and others as well. Events happen to make these characters meet, and an old god awakens, changing the world forever.
This is my 5th Nerine Dorman book I have read, and I genuinely think it might be my favourite so far, and that it has the best character work I have seen from her. Even the pony, Rotter, who is just a simple beast of burden is beaming with a memorable personality. I fucking have a soft spot for that grumpy pony. The fact I can even remember his name is a testament to how well just a freaking pony was written. It is also just a genuinely fun book.
In terms of prose, Nerine was flexing. The novel is a dual pov, which often is done badly, but here it is genuinely strong. Each perspective is so rich with that character's voice, and personality. Garyn, the ragleave smoking catboy was my favourite Pov and character because the dude is honestly a vibe. I wish I liked Conn and his pov more. The dialogue between characters is absolutely superb.
Nerine also uses this novel to show off her world building skills. The world feels rich and old. Locations are filled with as much personality as the characters.
Call The Fire is a fantastic start to a series, a fascinating world, great characters and an intriguing world changing event that leaves us wanting more.
If anything bad happens to Rotter I riot.
I am in total awe of Nerine Dorman.
Not only have I now read three of her novels (plus some short stories), with two more sitting on my shelf and several more lurking in my cart, but I’ve also read plenty of novels she’s edited—and you can absolutely feel her touch on those books.
What I love most about her writing is how different each story feels. Call The Fire is an adventure: open, fast-paced and full of movement, with a very different atmosphere from the gothic darkness of The Company of Birds. Same author, completely different voice, pacing and vibe—and I bloody love that.
And then there are Conn and Garyn. Nerine calls them her “delightful idiots”, and honestly? Accurate.
Conn is a human paladin who has spent his entire life being told what to believe and who to be. Garyn is a Yala thief, son of his tribe’s high priestess and destined for a life he absolutely does not want. Together, these two are just… precious. They need protecting. Immediately. At all costs.
And yes, there’s romance. But it’s exactly the kind I like in fantasy: a subplot that develops naturally alongside the adventure, without pages and pages of yearning or taking over the entire story. Their relationship is beautiful, tender and wonderfully understated, and I cannot WAIT to see where these two go next.
Because this is only Book One.
I love this story. I adore these characters. And I am already impatient for more.
Rating: 5 “protect the delightful idiots at all costs” stars.