Glow of the Fireflies is a young adult standalone magic fantasy by Lindsey Duga. Lindsey Duga wrote one of my favorite books of last year- Kiss of the Royal, so to say I was excited about her next book was an understatement. And I am happy to report that I really loved Glow of the Fireflies. I still think Kiss of the Royal is my favorite book of hers, but her writing is so magical that it is hard not to completely fall in love with her characters and her stories. She is one of my newest favorite authors. Next, I think I would love for her to write an epic fantasy romance series.

In Glow of the Fireflies wee meet our main character Briony. Briony sets out on a magical adventure to rescue her mother. I think Glow of the Fireflies is a mixture of magical realism and fantasy, which is a genre I have not read too much of. The magical realism aspect comes in from the books setting. Glow of the Fireflies takes place in Firefly valley, deep within the Smokey Mountains. But then we also have some parallel universe action happening. It was really well done.

I also loved the cast of characters Lindsey created. Briony is fantastic, but her best friend Izzie also stole the show in my opinion. They have a wonderful friendship, which you know I am always a fan of in books. I like seeing healthy friendships depicted because I think far too often we see toxic relationships and awful friends in books. But Izzie is loyal and her personality is infectious. I loved her. Briony, Izzie And Alder set off to figure out what happened to her mom, and along the way they learn about magic energies, astral planes, and there are plenty of twists, turns and surprises to keep the reader engaged until the very last page. I thoroughly enjoyed Briony’s journey and I was really happy with the way everything wrapped up. If you are looking for a delightful story that is well written with great characters, you have to try a book by Lindsey Duga. She is an excellent author, and Glow of the Fireflies is a great standalone fantasy. I loved it.

This cover immediately caught my eye. It is beyond gorgeous!! Glow of the Fireflies started out with potential to be a great book. A young teen girl whose mother ran off and never heard from again. So teen girl must navigate growing up without a mother. Briony gets sent to help her injured grandma and then her life is completely turned upside down.

I enjoyed the beginning of Glow of the Fireflies when we started getting bits and pieces to try to put together and solve what happened. Then once Briony started on her journey to save her mother the book just kind of lost my attention. That’s generally when the book is supposed to get really good and suck you in and I dont feel this book had that.

🌟🌟🌟 (3 out of 5 stars) This book had an interest concept and I feel it could have been so much better than what it was. I am really indifferent with this book. I had higher expectations and was a bit let down. I do think it is more marketed for YA readers and I think it will do much better with that demographic.

What a magical story!

So many elements of this novel allow you to create such a vivid imagination of what it would be like to live within Briony’s world.

I found it really interesting how the aspects of Briony’s love story, the land that she inhabited, and the idea that her mother could still be alive fit together into a puzzle that shaped her journey.

This novel has just the right amount of mystery and magic that it makes it hard to end your reading without just having to get to the next page or chapter.

The magical themes rooted deep throughout the story gives it a light-hearted texture that has the ability to transport you back to when you were a child and remind you of the beauty of having a creative mind.

I really appreciate DUGA’s fantastical writing style which gave me the ability to relax and engross myself into a world where anything was possible.

This book is so worth the read and I encourage all dreamers to pick this gem up and make it one of your next favorites!

This is the first time in reading this author with the story catching my eye. This one has a proper sitting that carries its own magic. The character Briony takes you into her world where her story unfolds and takes a turn. The moment when she goes back is when I really sat up and this had me good. The puzzle she puts together is what will catch your interest also with answers to some of the questions that pop. The writing of this stands out so that you find it hard to leave and the places are not blurry. As a child we loved to chase fireflies with watching them not to long ago. That made this even more special while reading. You are urgently right there with her when things begin to happen and the danger reaches heights that have you holding your breath. A good discovery in magic with reading.

Glow of the Fireflies takes a stab at examining the message of environment protection but in an entirely different way.

Briony was a very young girl when, all at once, she lost her mother, memories and her childhood home. Now, six years later, Briony and her best friend Izzie returns to the scene of the past. (Starts singing the soundtrack of Anastasia)

As it turns out, Firefly Valley is more than it appears. This amazing book is wonderfully whimsical and perfectly deep. It takes giant “One person cannot change the world” problems and makes it so one person can change the city or town they live in.

Lindsey Duga had a way with words, describing the scenery and the magic that happens in Glow

The whole storyline was captivating and the whole pace of the book moved rather quickly.

The feelings between Alder and Briony was catching. I loved their relationship and I need more.

Briony is a girl who is looking for closure more than anything else. She is back at the place where she lost everything including her childhood memories. She hopes that she will discover the mystery of her past somewhere in the Firefly Valley. This place holds too many secrets but she is here now and she plans to relive her past as much as she can.
This is a very well-written fantasy novel. I enjoyed every second of it. The story is both intriguing and interesting. It's told in an entertaining way and the characters are amazing. I think that the way the author has introduced her characters is simply brilliant. It has enough twists and turns to keep readers on their toes. I'd definitely recommend it to all fantasy lovers, especially if you like YA novels then this is a must-read for you.

I had the best time reading this book.
Briony and Izzie come across as mostly realistic teenagers, although they're slightly too good to be true. In a wonderful, good, wholesome way that is. It was like I fell in love with Firefly Valley again, feeling the nostalgia, together with Briony. The book has action and a fast-paced plot, but room for this nostalgic feeling as well.

Glow of the Fireflies is the story of 16-year old Briony Redwrell. 6 years ago, an unexplained fire left Briony with amnesia & scars on her back. Shortly after, her mother disappeared without a trace, and her father moved them to Knoxville to start over. When her maternal grandmother needs a caretaker, she is tasked by her father with returning to the Smoky Mountains to take care of her over the summer. Curiously, Briony is joined on her trip by her swimming best friend Isabelle Jennison who refuses to be left behind.

Good thing too. Isabelle is truly a fun character and it would have been sad to have left her behind. Upon arrival with Isabelle, Briony is drawn to her former home which is about to be bulldozed hoping to uncover hidden memories and information as to where her mother disappeared. It is here she meets Alder. As Briony explores this magical valley with Alder, she comes across shocking and alarming news. Alder was her childhood friend but doesn't seem at all eager to renew their friendship. In fact, he's eager for her to go away. Briony could care less what Alder says.

In order to save her mom, Briony will have to piece her past together and finally accept the person she has always been. She demands answers, and nobody is going to stand in her way. Her Valley holds energy that allows spirits to dwell here. Earth, Fire, Water, and Air elementals stand watch at gates between this world and the next. And, to top it off, she might actually find answers as to what really happened to her mother. All she has to do is find (4) keys, unlock each gate, and deal with the curiosities surrounding not only Alder, but an emissary that holds even more mysteries and suspense.

In all seriousness, this could easily be a (4) star rating for me. I loved the setting. It's very realistic. I loved that the romance didn't overshadow the mystery about what really happened to Briony, her mother, and Briony's connection to Alder and the Valley. Alder is an interesting character, but it appeared as though he was trying to carry the world on his shoulders for sins he committed in the past. The star of this book may very well be Izzie. While Briony displays tons of bravery throughout her journey, Izzie is the stoic best friend who doesn't scream and run back home the first signs of trouble. She stays in the thick of things and even helps when danger threatens the Valley.

It took a little bit for me to get into this book, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. The plot is unlike any other book I have read. The characters became people you rooted for. This book doesn't fit into the types of books I normally read, but the blurb intrigued me. I am so glad I read this book. It was my first book by this author, however I can honestly say it won't be the last.

Hello everyone! Welcome back to The Reading Corner for All.



Today I'm thrilled to be featuring Lindsey Duga's latest work Glow of the Fireflies. We also had the chance to interview the author! From sharing memorable moments from Glow of the Fireflies to discussing her writing process, Lindsey's interview was truly delightful and you definitely won't want to miss it!




At the beginning of Glow of the Fireflies a reader can find themselves settled in the middle of a forest clearing. The words of the woods creak with well known verses and the scent of adventure lingers in the air.



"From across the meadow I heard a few gleeful shouts of some local kids, calling in delight as they saw the first fireflies of the evening."



As Brye takes you through the motions of her life, a path unfolds between the woods. Step by step, the pages unfurl their words at you like leaves brushing against your face. Firefly Valley's spirits and Smoky Mountains are brought to life through Duga's vivid descriptions. Like Katherine Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia, in Glow of the Fireflies we cross a landscape of magical realism that parallels our own sense of reality.



"This valley was ours, and we cherished it as much as these gods did. If we could give this same connection back to the fire god, then we could always anchor him here."



The references to our contemporary culture were cleverly interwoven within the story in a manner that will certainly appeal to YA readers. To follow up on this point, I see Glow of the Fireflies as a modern fairy tale that interpreted the essence of magic and channeled its transformative abilities to strengthen the ethereal parallel world the characters preside in. By doing so, a timeless tale arises where we cross into an unseen world with Brye and see how magic arrives in so many forms - be it wondrous creatures, forgotten memories, or a first love.



In Glow of the Fireflies, Duga wrote, "There are places in the world that are special." I believe this line aptly encompasses the feeling of finishing this work.

Duga's Glow of the Fireflies is a magical tale of nature's wonder, and the true connectedness underlying all things. When Briony's Gran breaks her leg, Briony ends up returning to her childhood home in the quaint Firefly Valley to care for her. It is a place Briony doesn't remember, thanks to retro-grade amnesia after an accident that also leaves her phobic of fire. Her friend Izzie goes along to help with moral support. However, Briony isn't prepared for the emotions the valley brings. And when she meets Alder, the confusion only grows. She (re)learns just how special the valley is and learns how to restore perhaps the greatest loss of all, if only she can pay the price.

This may seem like a straightforward quest tale with teen romance. However, I found so much under the surface. It delves into the spiritual notion of layered existence, looking at not just our physical realm, but the energetic layered realms of which the physical is the last and densest. This thinking is part and parcel to my spiritual beliefs, and jibes with what physicists are slowly learning about quantum mechanics.

Interacting with the spirit realm was neat. The ethereal bridging realm to the pure energy astral was so cool. It mirrors our own but contains wonderful critters, and fantastical plants. The region also contains energy gates to the elemental realms. Each has a kick-ass guardian. Briony's tasks to find keys to the gates so made me want to go play one of my Final Fantasy games!

I loved Ashka, the spirit cougar! I felt for her, and her pain at the destruction humans had wrought on the Smokies and on her physical world counterparts. I'm a sucker for big cats of any flavour. We have mountain lions on the mountain abutting our tiny village, and sometimes they come down off the mountain. It is mentioned that this is just one of many points where the spirit realms are strengthened. I'd love to see others, in other countries, with the different spirits that must surely be there. I'd have to also guess that each area has its own gates and guardians and links to its own culture specific elemental deities. (I could be overthinking this -_-)

Briony and Alder were pretty cool characters. Each is hurting, missing something precious. Loss is a big theme in this story. Loss and longing. The need everyone has to feel connected and valued, as they are. I can so grok the sentiments. I really felt for one major special character whose disconnect was just so sad because it seemed mainly due to fear on others' parts.

However, I found her friend Izzie my favourite, followed by Bruley. Izzie is just so bubbly, and so willing to help and trust her friend. Bruley was a spirit black bear. It was so funny that he pretended to be unable to talk for a long time. Briony ended up telling him all kinds of personal things, thinking he was a sprite and not a spirit. Briony's Gran was cool too. She was more in sync with the nature of the valley than most. Then there was Raysh. He actually annoyed me. The spirit fox was to be Briony's guide to finding the keys, but ended up with his own deadly agenda.

Highly recommended!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing/ EntangledTeen for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Reviewed for the FFBC blog tour.

Glow of the Fireflies is a fast-paced and character driven story. Briony wants to uncover the childhood she can no longer remember and also figure out why her mother left her and her father.

“Falling through the mist, I expected to feel wet, or at the very least, damp, but I stayed dry. I also expected to die.”

Briony is a strong and determined main character, especially after she goes back home to take care of her estranged grandmother and stumbles upon an impossible magic valley. A magical valley she feels deeply connected to. I really enjoyed watching her develop throughout this story; as she pieced her past together, she discovered a new part about herself, which really came full circle for her as a person. She knew there was always a part missing from her and that it was hidden in her past, so seeing Briony discover that was great.

One of my favorite parts of Glow of the Fireflies was the magical valley. I thought it was unique and wonderfully described. I knew that the valley would be a place I would definitely have to visit, if I could. The nature spirits in this valley were really cool; the imagination flowed off the pages and made me feel like this valley and the stunning spirits could really exist, and it makes me wish I had the ability to visit them. But I did feel like I was visiting the valley through Briony and Alder, which was a great reader experience.

“Maybe he was more like heat lightning. A storm off in the distance, where the thunder was too far to hear and the summer lightning would flash against high clouds on the horizon, illuminating the sky. He had all the mystery and wonder of a storm, but none of its destruction.”

Alder was such a great character. He’s thoughtful, protective, loving, and, of course, gorgeous. He was Briony’s closest childhood friend but now keeps his distance for unknown reasons. Alder was definitely part of some of my favorite scenes, especially when little pieces about who (and what) he is comes together. The connection between Briony and Alder felt natural and I really loved their shared moments

“It shouldn’t have hurt as bad as it had. Had I even loved her yet? Maybe not then, but I’d trusted her. Trusted her to be there for me, to help me navigate a world without memories, without a past. Without an identity. And she’d failed me.”

The relationship between Briony and her mom is fragile and almost nonexistent. Briony believes her mom left her behind to start a new life. But as Briony explores this magical valley with Alder, she comes across shocking and alarming news: her mom never wanted to leave her behind, but had to to keep her safe. And if Briony wants her mom back, she will have to go against gods and guardians to retrieve her spirit and body. But, of course, nothing is ever that easy. In order to save her mom, Briony will have to piece her past together and finally accept the person she has always been.

Overall, Lindsey Duga’s sophmore novel was beautiful and well-written. Duga does a great job of capturing character moments and describing intense and romantic scenes. If you like fast-paced books with a captivating fantasy element and dashing characters, then I recommend reading Glow of the Fireflies!

3.5 Stars rounded to 4

Glow of the Fireflies by Lindsey Duga is an imaginative and spellbinding tale that captivated me until the very last page. It’s fascinating, atmospheric, thrilling and absolutely wonderful.

I've read one other book by Duga, The Kiss of the Royal, and absolutely loved that so I was really looking forward to reading this. While I didn't completely fall head over heels in love with this book, I think Duga has created a magical and unique story that is charming, surprising, and a lot of fun. It's enticing in its own way, entertaining enough, and definitely shines.

Duga’s mesmerizing storytelling effortlessly transport readers into an enchanting and fantastical world that is filled with magic, mystery, and adventure. Reading this story was such an interesting, unique, and delightfully fun experience. I felt like I was part of the narrative as one of the characters and I really enjoyed it. The prose is absolutely beautiful and the concept is so creative. The world-building is fabulous and I loved the detailed and lush descriptions of the setting and sceneries. It honestly felt like I was there at Firefly Valley exploring the Smoky Mountains, hiking the trials, and going on a fun adventure. I think Duga perfectly mixes intrigue, suspense, action, light drama, humor, and romance. The pacing is smooth and the plot is engaging and has quite a few twists and surprises. The ending feels just right, but I definitely expected an epilogue.

With their own charm and quirks, the characters undeniably captured my heart. I thought they’re well-rounded, relatable, and realistic. Briony is a fantastic heroine. She’s caring, determined and does not give up so easily. Alder is sweet, brave, and will do anything to protect Briony. I adore them both as individuals and swooned over their heartwarming and cute romance. Izzie is a wonderful best friend and I love her feisty personality, loyalty, and protective nature. The mythical creatures are really fascinating and I enjoyed meeting them all. I do have a favorite, but I don’t want to spoil anything so I’m just going to say that some of those creatures are quite impressive. Duga’s imagination and talent is simply remarkable and this magical story truly comes alive.

Lindsey Duga takes readers on an exciting journey in this dazzling fantasy romance story. Glow of the Fireflies is beautifully written, engrossing, and wildly imaginative. With breathtaking imagery, lovely setting, loveable characters, magnificent creatures, a sweet romance, and an engaging plot with plenty of fun surprises, this uniquely enthralling tale satisfies, thrills, and is a delight to read. Definitely recommend you add this book on your TBR.

I received an advance reader copy from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review and for participating in a blog tour hosted by The Fantastic Flying Book Club. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of Glow of the Fireflies.

It breaks my heart to say this: Glow of the Fireflies didn't work for me. Which devastates me especially, because Duga's Kiss of the Royal was one of the few books I gave 5 stars last year.

After picking Glow of the Fireflies up and putting it down a couple times, I completely stopped reading it about 1/3 of the way through. I just couldn't connect with the characters, and the story felt a little been-there-done-that.

I definitely think it's a case of "it's me, not you" because I know Duga to be a great writer, and I believe that this book could work for other readers. It just didn't work for me.

I was excited to read GLOW OF THE FIREFLIES because it sounded so different from what I am used to reading. I adore fantasy, yes, but this book has more of a magical realism feeling than what we traditionally think of as fantasy, similar Sarah Addison Allen’s books, for example. I have only read a few of this type of book before, and I really enjoyed Ms. Duga’s take on it! While reading, I kept getting vibes similar to THE EPIC CRUSH OF GENIE LO by F.C. Yee -- yes, the place and mythology are very different, but both have that girl-fighting-mythological-spirits thing going.

Briony is the star here, of course, and together with Alder she must work together to free her mother from the ethereal plane, a world parallel to our own in which nature spirits dwell. I enjoyed getting to know Briony and following on her journey to find out what really happened in the fire that gave her amnesia and led to her mother leaving. But I have to say, Briony’s best friend Izzie is my favorite character. She is just full of life, loyal to the end, and seriously the kind of best friend I would have loved to have had growing up. She is adorable, and I love the friendship between her and Briony. Briony displays tons of bravery throughout her journey, and I think she is a great role model, especially for younger girls who may be reading. Also, while this is YA, I think it’s perfectly appropriate for middle grade readers, too, which can be hard to find in YA books.

Overall, I really enjoyed this magical realism story of nature spirits and different planes of existence. It was in some ways a call to action, too, for all of us to get more involved in protecting this beautiful earth we have been given. Let’s all be as brave as Briony in trying to save our world!

RATING: 3.5 stars!

**Disclosure: I received an early e-copy of his book from the publisher for purposes of this blog tour. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review of the book.

I've been really trying to move out of the contemporary romance bubble I tend to live in when reading. Magical realism is always fascinating to me and this book feels like it's more along those lines than fantasy, because the main character discovers some magic in her hometown when she returns for the summer. I'll backtrack a little bit: this story is about Briony, who was moved to Knoxville by her father after a fire and the disappearance of her mother. Her grandmother, years later, needs help for the summer, and she returns to Firefly Valley with her best friend Izzy in tow. She meets her childhood friend, Alder, that she doesn't remember, and a lot of ~*magical things*~ happen from there!

The main point of the story is that Briony discovers her mother didn't abandon their family - she's trapped in-between our world and the spirit world. The story escalates fairly quickly... the moment she arrives to Firefly Valley, she's learning ALL the things about how magical this place is. The action started quickly and somehow she came to terms with it fairly easily? There were some interesting additions to the story in the second half, so things picked up exactly where I needed them to.

The magical system and general premise of the story was pretty darn interesting, albeit a bit confusing. I'm not sure if it's just because I'm fairly inexperienced with fantasy, though. There were a lot of neat elements (literally!) involved with the magic in this book, which was cool. It was definitely unique!

One of my main "complaints" about this story is that most of the references will be outdated in a few years. There were a lot of pop culture (musicians, broadway shows, etc.) name-dropped that work now in 2019 but will be an issue even a few years from now. The word "mana" was used to describe some magical energy and for some reason I got super sick of reading that word and I have no idea why. This is a personal thing, I'm sure, but it still annoyed me a bit. (My fiance has informed me that mana is a real world and not a made-up one by the author, but my feelings remain!)

I wish there was another chapter at the end; it didn't feel complete. There could have been a lot more closure with a few of the characters. Overall, this was a super unique fantasy story with a lot of fun magical elements I've never seen before. I would totally live in Firefly Valley, TBH.

I love books which can take me out of my physical being into the unknown.

The author Lindsey Duga with the power of her imagination not only showed me the earthly realm but also transported me deeper into the astral plane. She just needed the spark of her belief to show me the beauty of the world where beings existed as energies, the mana. Where the ethereal world connected earth to the astral plane. Close your eyes and imagine pure energy, and you would get the spirit if this book.

But Briony had forgotten it all. A fire and her mother leaving the family was what was remnant in the shards of her memories. A grandmother who needed her help brought Brye back to her childhood home and her forgotten friend, Alder, the boy who could travel the three realms. A sudden transgression led her to her lost mother where Briony received her quest to save her from the clutches of the villain.

The writing was clean and crisp, the planes well explained, and seemed to flow into a smooth coalescence. The stretches of Lindsey's imagination were beautifully penned as scenes in the book. Each was well placed and captured my heart with the uniqueness of it.

The entire atmosphere felt magical as if it were really occurring in the three-dimensional slice of space where time ceased to exist. The world of the fireflies was enchanting, their glow gave the book a special sparkle. The characters were wholesome and believable, their bond palpable. Best friend Izzie needed a special mention as there was a vibe of pure acceptance between them, mark of true friendship.

And the action grasped me with an inner excitement. It sure wasn't easy for Briony to fight at all levels to open the gates and free her mother. The magic of the mana was well engraved in the plot giving it a spectral radiance.

Likable, well rounded characters, a plot which was entrancing, and twists in the story with the action and magic made this an irrestible afternoon read. I still needed to come out of my book high!!

This was a very unique story that I could not put down! There is no way I am going to be able to talk about this book without giving major spoilers. So this one had a wonder magical system that I just can't stop thinking about. I you are looking for something new and fresh in the age of young adult then check this one out!!

The writing and pacing worked very well. I was never lost and I just could not read this fast enough. The story, characters, and that cover were all just gorgeous!!!

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Entangled: Teen!

Glow of the Fireflies is Lindsey Duga’s third book and tells the story of Briony and Alder.

Glow of the Fireflies is the first book I’ve read by Lindsey Duga and I liked it. The story was really original and unique and Briony, Alder and Izzie were enjoyable characters! I’ve never read anything by Lindsey Duga, so I didn’t have any expectations, but I really like a lot of books by Entangled Publishing, so I knew that I was going to like this one too.

I don’t really read that many Young Adult Fantasy books, or just Young Adult books in general, anymore because I really like reading books where the characters are a bit older. I did, however, like the characters and the story. The characters were really realistic and I liked that Briony struggled with her amnesia. You don’t always read about characters with amnesia. Alder was an interesting guy and I knew that I was going to like him from the beginning of the book.

Glow of the Fireflies was a good YA Fantasy book with a stunning cover! I cannot wait to check out Lindsey Duga’s other books.

I love love love this author! I adored "Kiss of the Royal" so I knew this one's going to be good! The plot was so magical and the writing was breathtakingly beautiful. I'll definitely suggest this book to our readers. I highly recommend it!