Tales of the Rampant Coyote

Adventures in Indie Gaming!

Burning Bright by Melissa McShane Wins the Diamond Quill Award

Posted by Rampant Coyote on October 12, 2017

A little over a year ago, I reviewed Burning Bright by Melissa McShane. This is still (so far) my favorite book by her, although there are two more books in the series (Wondering Sight and Abounding Might) which are near the top of my very large To Read pile.

The best way to describe the book (the series, really) is a Regency Superhero story. The cover for this one is especially amusing because it’s not exactly subtle, but at first glance at a thumbnail you might think, “Regency Romance.” Truth be told, it has that element. But… if you note that the ship is on fire, and she’s got flames encircling her hand, then you might get a better idea of what the story is really about. It’s adventure on the high seas with pirates and super-powered heroes and villains changing the nature of the conflict. Wild and fun stuff!

Anyway, I’m pleased to note that I am not alone in gushing over the book. It’s proven to be a big seller on Amazon, has garnered over 250 overwhelmingly positive reviews, has been featured in a book bundle, and has otherwise proven that my tastes aren’t that weird after all. Last weekend, at the Fall Conference for the League of Utah Writers (now to be officially rebranded as the “Quills Conference” to recognize its more regional / national growth and the awards), Burning Bright won the Diamond Quill award. That is the highest honor of the Quill / LUW awards, awarded to the best book in all categories. There are some seriously talented, award-winning authors who compete for these awards, so this is quite an honor.

Anyway, I wanted to publicly offer a big congratulations to Melissa on the well-deserved award, and remind people that if you find yourself in the mood for some alternate-history Regency era action and adventure with superpowers and a touch of romance… well, Melissa is owning that category. Check these books out!


Filed Under: Books - Comments: 2 Comments to Read



  • Melissa said,

    Thanks! I think it’s great that you love this book. Finding readers who really connect…that’s so exciting.

  • Rampant Coyote said,

    I just want to support any author who writes books that mix age-of-sail action-adventure with magic and/ or superpowers. Regency Romance is icing on the cake! Congratulations on the release of the third book in the series as well.

top