Fantastic read! Review to come! 
 Update 3/8/14: 
 Actual rating 4.5 stars 
 From the author of the amazing Dante Walker series, comes an utterly fantastic start to a brand new series. Fire & Flood surprised me with how much I truly enjoyed the novel. Ms. Scott, who has become one of my favorite authors, has outdone herself in her new adventure. Her writing is fabulous, and thrusts you into the Brimstone Bleed, a race that promises its Contenders a Cure for a loved one who is sick. The story flows effortlessly, and I quickly flew through the book. The story was never slow or boring. I was enthralled throughout the story, eager to know what was going to happen next. This is the ultimate survival story, and while it was a bit similar to The Hunger Games in the beginning, it quickly took its own turn, and sped away from any similarities, becoming its own unique story. 
 The characters were great, but it was also the reason I went down a star (even though in reality it would only be 1/2 a star). While this book was very much plot driven, I wanted more from the characters. I was left pondering about all the different characters, and wanted to know more about them. Very little information was given about them, with the exception of Tella. Nevertheless, this wasn't that huge of a problem for me because the story more than makes up for it. Plus, what we did get from the characters was great. Tella was an extraordinary lead. She was hilarious, witty, and tough. However, she was also vulnerable and very relatable. I never felt like her character was fake. She reacted to the whole situation as anyone would, and that's a huge plus in my book. Guy is certainly interesting. I am borderline desperate to learn more about him, especially when it comes to his knowledge about the Race. However, what we get from him is enough to make me love him. There are many other characters that are introduced in this book that I can't wait to see more from in the next book. I also loved the Pandoras! I would love to see what they would look like in real life, because they would certainly be interesting. 
 This book is full of action, adventure, and even a bit of romance. There are many twists and turns, many that were complete surprises. Fire & Flood is extremely suspenseful, and Ms. Scott doesn't shy away from the violence. Like Tella, her book is very real. Many things are explained in this book, but there is still so much more to be revealed. I can't wait to find out what is going to happen next. I highly recommend this novel to anyone! You won't be disappointed. Happy reading :) 
 4.5 Pandora Eggs