The Firelight of Maalda by Melissa Douthit

Book Description:
The Firelight of Maalda: A story that unites the real with the fantastical and turns science into magic …
Chalice and her group leave Barenthren to travel to Portalis. There she and her friends discover the beautiful city, its people, its history, and its secret that has been kept hidden for thousands of years. During their stay, they learn that Dar’Maalda has the Firestone and that he plans to use it.
What is the Firestone and what does Dar’Maalda plan to do with it? What are the Naezzi? What does the title, The Firelight of Maalda, really mean? And … what is the secret of Portalis, the secret that has been guarded so jealously for so long – so jealously, that many have given their lives to protect it?
In The Firelight of Maalda, the second novel of the trilogy, The Legend of the Raie’Chaelia, you find out. It is a tale of intrigue and wonder where two opposite worlds collide in an explosive journey that leads Chalice and her friends to the dark islands lurking just beyond the horizon of Ielieria, where the Firelight of Maalda sits … and waits.

My Thoughts:
Chalice's journey continues!  She and all the villagers they rescued travel to the new city.  Chalice and her friends discover what a rift there is between the two classes.  Now that she is 'royalty' and they are not of her family, she cannot associate with them.  When a quest is required, the upper-class will realize just how stubborn and determined their Princess is to save all of them and to do it her way.  She just may not realize the cost.
Oh how the author catches you up in this story!  Chalice and Jeremiah are still close and so in love but it becomes obvious to both that it just isn't done because their classes are so drastically different.  I love the growth in the characters.  We don't see as much of Chalice's friends in this one but we meet a lot of new, amazing characters.  Jeremiah is still my favorite and I do love Ben as well.  I cannot wait to read the next book in this series!
I rate this a 5/5.  It was a wonderful continuation of the Raie'Chaelia story!

Thank you to the author for the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.