BOOK REVIEW: Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift
Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift
Author: Dana Swift
Published by: January 19th, 2021 by Delacorte Press
Rating: ★★★★
Genre: Young Adult // Fantasy
SYNOPSIS
Adraa is the royal heir of Belwar, a talented witch on the cusp of taking her royal ceremony test, and a girl who just wants to prove her worth to her people.
Jatin is the royal heir to Naupure, a competitive wizard who's mastered all nine colors of magic, and a boy anxious to return home for the first time since he was a child.
Together, their arranged marriage will unite two of Wickery's most powerful kingdoms. But after years of rivalry from afar, Adraa and Jatin only agree on one thing: their reunion will be anything but sweet.
Only, destiny has other plans and with the criminal underbelly of Belwar suddenly making a move for control, their paths cross...and neither realizes who the other is, adopting separate secret identities instead.
Between dodging deathly spells and keeping their true selves hidden, the pair must learn to put their trust in the other if either is to uncover the real threat. Now Wickery's fate is in the hands of rivals..? Fiancées..? Partners..? Whatever they are, it's complicated and bound for greatness or destruction.
The first book in an epic, heart-pounding fantasy duology about two royal heirs betrothed to be married, but whose loyalties are torn, and a ruthless enemy who threatens their world, perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Susan Dennard, and Mary E. Pearson.
Okay, I got to admit what attracted me to this book was the gorgeous cover at first and then I saw arranged marriage and enemies to lovers trope and I immediately preordered it lol.
And this book was sooooo good! It's faced-paced, fun, full of action, and of course, there is romance.
Characters:
I liked the dual perspective in this book; I thought it was done very well. Usually, when reading dual perspective, I tend to favor one character's perspective over the other, but for this one, I truly enjoyed reading from both Adra and Jatin's points of view.
Adra is strong, fierce, and such a badass, She will do anything to protect her kingdom and the people she loves. Jatin is so sweet! You would expect he's the brooding type but he cares for Adra and wants to join her mission and protect her.
As for the side characters, I really liked them but unfortunately, we weren't given enough information about them to feel connected to them. I wanted to know more about Raja and Kalyan since they were two of my favorite side characters. Hopefully, we get to know them more in the next book.
Romance:
For me, the romance was just perfect and did not feel rushed at all. I like how they started from enemies to friends to lovers. It. was. perfection. It also felt realistic, not insta love or they just spent a few hours together and BAM they're in love.
Plot & Magic System:
Though a bit thin at times (sorry), the plot was still, overall, very engaging and riveting! I really liked though the action scenes and how interesting they were. It moves along swiftly and gives an opportunity for some interesting suspense keeping the reader guessing as to what will happen next.
What I adored the most about this novel was the concept of magic. It's so unique, I don't think I read anything like it. It centers around 9 gods and each god/goddess gives you powers (wind, air, water, fire, earth, healing, strength & more!) Also, so glad there was a glossary because without it I would have been s confused lol.
so the summary is:
Addictive; easy writing
Enemies-to-lovers
Marriage of convenience
Slow burn
Intricate magical system
Morally grey character
If you're looking for a fast fantasy read with a great plot and good character development, then this is the book for you! I loved the main characters, plots, and their banter. This is a book I would certainly recommend.
Have you read Cast in firelight yet?
if not, are you going to read it?
happy reading
