Bound in Flame takes place in the time after the American takeover of Hawaii and the fall of the Hawaiian monarchy. The members of the royal family are still important to the native Hawaiians and in the society that has developed among the planters but they are not completely trusted to not be plotting to try and regain control of the Islands.

As the reader enters into this complex political setting he/she is introduced to Letty Lang, a goddaughter to the Princess who is returning from school in San Francisco. She is a young woman of remarkable intelligence and passion and it’s that passion that caused her to be sent away. It was in the hope that she would learn to temper her responses to situations. Alas, it is not to be as on her arrival at Hilo Harbor she leaps into the bay to save a horse and then berate its owner. Little does she know how these two actions will impact her future.

Letty is also one of a long line with ancient powers. She has long felt the presence of her “flames” but did not understand what they were, where they came from or what they could do. The Princess soon notices that Letty is manifesting magic and gathers help to tell her but Letty does not want to believe it. She is a woman who wants to go back to school and become a veterinarian – how can this be happening. But it is and soon she learns to live with and work with her power.

I enjoyed this trip back into Hawaii’s history. It’s a place that I know well and love. There is magic there. I also enjoy a book that takes me out of reality now and then and this book does it quite well. The characters were all believable and likable – except of course, for the bad guys. There is never any liking of the bad guys. The plot was a good one with a mix of history, romance, family, friendship, and fantasy to keep you turning the pages. It’s the first of hopefully many installments in the Hawaiian Ladies Riding Society Series. ( )

The year is 1909 and Letty is returning to her Hawaiian home after being sent to boarding school in San Francisco where she was sent to learn to tame her temper. She returns with a love of animals, a desire to be an independent woman and a plan to be a veterinarian. Along with her plans for her life, she is a mākāhā, a Gate to the healing fires of the land, her beloved ‘aina. Letty must fight to harness the ancient power that lives within her, fueled by her connection to the islands. In other words, she is MAGIC. She has to learn to handle the fire within her in her life to be able to find love and a life of freedom. Will she learn to control her magic so that she is able to have a successful life and find love?

To be totally honest, I enjoy historical fiction but do not like magical realism - or magic of any kind in my books so I had a difficult time reading this. However, if you enjoy books with magic in them, you will love this book - the characters are well written, the setting in Hawaii is beautiful and the plot line is very well done. And most importantly there is a lot of information about the culture and history of Hawaii that I never knew and found very interesting to learn. ( )