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Going Down in Flames (A Going Down in Flames Novel) Paperback – July 17, 2014

by Chris Cannon (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,358 ratings
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If her love life is going down in flames, she might as well spark a revolution.

Finding out on your sixteenth birthday you're a shape-shifting dragon is tough to swallow. Being hauled off to an elite boarding school is enough to choke on.

Since Bryn is the only crossbreed at the Institute for Excellence, all eyes are on her, but it's a particular black dragon, Zavien, who catches her attention.

Zavien is tired of the Directorate's rules. Segregated clans, being told who to love, and close-minded leaders make freedom of choice almost impossible. The new girl with the striped hair is a breath of fresh air, and with Bryn's help, they may be able to change the rules.

At the Institute, old grudges, new crushes, and death threats are all part of a normal day for Bryn. She'll need to learn to control her dragon powers if she wants to make it through her first year at school. But even focusing on staying alive is difficult when you're falling for someone you can't have.

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  1. Book 1 of 5
    Going Down in Flames
  2. Print length
    410 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    July 17, 2014
  5. Grade level
    7 - 9
  6. Dimensions
    5 x 0.93 x 8 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1500553174
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1500553173
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (July 17, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 410 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1500553174
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1500553173
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.16 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.93 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,358 ratings

About the author

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Chris Cannon

Chris Cannon

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Chris Cannon is a speech therapist by day and the award-winning author of the Going Down In Flames series, the Boyfriend Chronicles, the Dating Dilemma series, the Demon Bound series, and Mysteries of Mystic Hills series by night.

She lives in Southern Illinois with her husband and several furry beasts. She believes coffee is the Elixir of Life. Most evenings after work, you can find her sipping coffee and writing fire-breathing urban fantasies, sweet snarky romantic comedies, or paranormal cozy mysteries. You can check out her website at www.chriscannonauthor.com.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
1,358 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Juliann L Caveny
5.0 out of 5 stars A great fantasy YA-read! A strong protagonist and cast-full of friends that will draw you into their world and keep you reading!
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2014
Verified Purchase
I have to admit, I'm not normally keen on books that are marketed as "dragon" stories. (The last dragon I liked was Falkor.) But this one caught my attention. Shape-shifting? Humans to dragons? and romance?! Alright then...I took the bait...

Holy dragons, damsels and knights! (Oh, my!) Yes, there be dragons, but Chris Cannon has created something much more than a mere "dragon" story!

Let me start with relationships. At the heart of this story are relationships. The main character, Bryn, has to immediately accept the concept that she's a shape-shifting dragon and so does the reader. (We're thrust into the concept from the very beginning.) But the reality is that she has to cope with the drama of leaving her comfort-zone behind and trade it in for the awkwardness of being the new-kid at a school for kids like her--dragons.

Despite the fantasy of Bryn's dragon lineage, her world is completely believable and realistic.

She's a typical 16 year old and luckily, she has a supportive nuclear family. Her mom is strong and pensive; her dad, protective and proud. Bryn likes quirky clothes and has a tendency to be impulsive. But like most teens, it's the relationships that are difficult. Bryn's greatest struggle is having to figure out whom she can trust.

I especially love that there are plenty of friends and potential boyfriends for Bryn to choose in this fantasy world! Ms. Cannon has crafted a wonderful list of characters that are obviously much more than appearances alone can explain. The dragon clans, red, blue, green, black and orange, separate the characters initially, but as the story progresses, I found myself picking my own favorites and aligning characters based on more than merely their dragon forms. (And which clan would I want to be a part of?) I believe this is the point. (And did I mention knights? Swoon...I LOVE knights!)

Appearances can be deceiving; whereas, actions and words are not so easy to hide behind.

It's an exciting, entertaining and fast-paced read. But be forewarned...Bryn is a pig! Nope, she doesn't shift into a squealing Wilber, but her eating habits will bring on the munchies. (Make sure you read on a full stomach.) I was thrilled to read about a teenage protagonist who wasn't constantly concerned about her slim reflection in a mirror. This gal eats and exercises, but best of all, you won't read about her complaining that a dress doesn't fit. She's confident. (Kudos to the author!)

If you liked the factions of Divergent, the boarding school world of Harry Potter and the romantic magic and tension of Twilight (with, of course, DRAGONS!) then you've got a winner with Going Down in Flames by Chris Cannon. (I can't wait for a sequel!)
2 people found this helpful
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The Road Not Taken
4.0 out of 5 stars Good first book in the series
Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2020
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This review is hard for me to write. If I base it on this book alone, it would be 5 stars. I'm impressed by the author's creativity, the storyline, the characters, and the descriptive writing. I was really getting into the story. But after reading the second book, I lost my interest in the series.

*Spoilers*
I became attached to one love interest in the first book, and he practically disappears in the second book. His behavior went from hot to cold, and I was hoping it was because he was trying to protect her, but he gets pretty much written off as though he was never a great guy from the start. Almost like the author was heading in one direction and then scrapped that idea and changed her mind but left what was already written. I didn't like getting attached to someone and waiting to find out what his motivations were only to be told at the end of an entire book that he's just a jerk. The whole second book I was waiting for his redemption, and it never came. Two other potential love interests are presented, and I never found either one believable. I became worried that I wasn't going to like the trajectory of the story, so I read some reviews for later books in the series. My fears were confirmed, so I decided not to invest any more time or money in this series.

If you're like me and you want to see the lead character focus on one love interest, this series isn't for you.
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Toni L
5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE this book! I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2014
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Going Down in Flames was so much fun to read! I’m becoming a huge fan of contemporary fantasy. I’d never read a book about any kind of shifters before, unless you count The Twilight Saga. I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. Nothing about wolves or dragons or any of the other kinds of shifters I frequently hear about, but that’s about to change. I’m totally enthralled by the idea, and after reading this book, I may be addicted to the whole dragon shifter theme.

The story doesn’t take long to shift from a story about Bryn, a normal teenage girl in an average neighborhood going to a regular old school — to Bryn, the sixteen-year-old dragon shifter with a sordid family history that gets shipped off to The Institute of Excellence. I loved every character in this book, even the ones I couldn’t stand. There were a lot of characters, but it wasn’t difficult to keep them all straight. Each was introduced at the perfect time, and each had a very distinct personality and voice. They couldn’t have been written any better. The pacing of the story was also exceptional, and it had just the right amount of mystery and action to keep it interesting. Oh, and Zavien. He was quite…interesting. In a super hot, tattooed, spikey-haired black dragon type of way. Whaaat? He’s nineteen.. totally legal. Ok, not really, but for the sixteen-year-old girl inside of me he was!

The author takes pride in the details that give the story vast amounts of depth. She’s also going to owe me a membership at Weight Watchers because the amount of yummy food described in this book was far beyond what I had the willpower to resist. At one point while reading, I actually got out of bed for a midnight snack. Technically it was after one in the morning, but my point is… not an ideal time to be chowing down.

The tagline is a bit misleading. I’m not so sure that what Bryn did could be considered a revolution, but she did manage to ruffle a lot of scales. I really enjoyed this book and I’m DYING to know what happens next. If I had the next book in my hands right now, I would already be reading it. I could see this book being turned into a movie.

I recommend Going Down in Flames to all fans of light-hearted contemporary fantasy with loads of action and a realistic, simmering romance!
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Top reviews from other countries

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Longtime bike rider
5.0 out of 5 stars Even a wrinkly can enjoy this
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 27, 2020
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Five stars is quite rare for me, but the story held together, the characters developed nicely ( the real nasty is a bit of a charicature) and I enjoyed the ride. Looking forward to the next book.
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Brad
5.0 out of 5 stars I Loved this book Chris really makes you feel for Bryn ...
Reviewed in Australia on March 20, 2017
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I Loved this book Chris really makes you feel for Bryn and the difficulties she goes through being not only different but also the new kid on the block and that practically everyone hates you from the start then death threats and then a crush on a guy she can't have but is also the only one she feels she can trust all I can say is that this book leaves you wanting more.
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Merle
5.0 out of 5 stars Macht grossen Spass
Reviewed in Germany on April 20, 2015
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Freches YA-Abenteuer, das in einer interessanten Welt der Menschen-Drachen spielt.

Die 16-jährige Bryn McKenna erfährt urplötzlich, dass sie kein normaler Teenager ist, sondern das Produkt zweier verschiedener Drachen mit deren magischen Fähigkeiten. Zu dumm, dass sie mit diesem Wissen und diesen Fähigkeiten in die Schule der Drachen fliegen muss, um die Regeln richtig anzuwenden. Und noch unangenehmer ist, dass sie als Tochter Ausgestossener nun selber eine Paria ist. Daneben, dass sie gemobbt wird, wird auch ihr Leben bedroht.

Die Geschichte ist gut geschrieben, langweilig wird es nie, die freche Schnauze von Bryn unterhält. Diese neue Welt ist spannend, man lebt mit, auch wenn man manchmal die Haare raufen muss.
Allerdings: Spoiler: Wie ein einzelner Drache die Sicherheitsvorkehrungen durchbrechen konnte, wird gar nicht erklärt und ist nicht logisch. Aber insgesamt. Sehr empfehlenswert für Junge.
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Highlander
4.0 out of 5 stars Young adult fantasy about a strong girl finding her way
Reviewed in Germany on February 23, 2017
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This is a young adult fantasy. The protagonist is a young girl that gets learns she a dragon shifter.

The girl is well characterized with a strong personality that help her weather the storm of the problems of her new life. The story is well written, the supporting characters have interesting individual characteristics. The love story brings across the feelings of a young love well and also the insecurities that one has in such situations.

Overall this is an above average story in this genre and I can unconditionally recommend it to all readers.
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David
4.0 out of 5 stars Very good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2015
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I am not into reviews but I enjoyed this book and really enjoyed the second book is the series.....if this trend continues then i REALLY can wait for the next book....!!!
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