Fireborn

Arthur's riveting Souls of Fire series launch introduces Emberly Pearson, a phoenix reluctantly investigating her boss's murder and assigned to find his missing research for curing the red plague, a disease that creates the vampire-like Red Cloaks. Emberly, who dies and is reborn every 100 years, lives in Melbourne, Australia, with Rory, a phoenix she doesn't love but is physiologically required to have sex with. Her love in this particular life cycle is Sam, but he thinks she's unfaithful, misunderstanding her existential need for pyrotechnic physical intimacy with Rory. Sam works undercover for the Paranormal Investigations Team and fears that Emberly's investigation will interfere with his efforts to end the plague outbreak. Their conflicts heighten after Emberly joins forces with Jackson, a fire fae PI, and becomes a target for the sindicati, the vampire mafia. Arthur's well-crafted world and fiery paranormal imagery leave just the right amount of room for emotional relationships and their inherent complications and conflicts. (July)