Cast in Firelight, written by Dana Swift, is a truly amazing book. I read for eight hours straight and finished this gem of a book in one day. It was entertaining, enjoyable, and throughly inspiring. This is definitely a book I will be buying a hard copy of for my bookshelf. And I don’t do that for just any old book.

Adraa and Jatin are brilliant, incredibly competent magic wielders and future rulers of their countries. Jatin is the ice to Adraa’s fire, and their skills and personalities complement each other’s nicely. They were also incredibly well-rounded protagonists. Adraa was constantly belittled on the basis of her physical appearance and the fact that she is a woman. It was very impowering to watch her overcome her self-doubt and others preconceived notions of what she should do with her life and her power. Jatin’s icy arrogance also thawed, and he came to accept Adraa for who she is. I think he became a better person for it.

The diversity and world building that this book contains is staggering. Swift created an entirely new religious and cultural system that was positively teeming in its richness. From what I could tell, almost every one of the characters was a person of color, and Adraa’s closest friend was also briefly hinted at as being a lesbian. The inclusion of minorities and people from the LGBTQIA+ community was a great addition to the story, and I liked that Swift didn’t overdo it by trying to make a point about today’s culture. Instead, she subtly wove it into her story in a way that inhanced Adraa and Jatin’s crime fighting adventure instead of overbearing it.

The plotline of this story was also very engaging and enjoyable. It wasn’t crammed into the span of a few days, and it wasn’t drawn out over the course of a year. Swift masterly found the middle ground. There were several twists that I didn’t see coming, and I absolutely cannot wait to read the second book in this enchanting duology. Dana Swift is definitely an author you need to watch!

I received an ARC of this book curtesy of Netgalley and Delacorte Press. All opinions and statements expressed in my review are my own.

Adraa and Jatin are everything that I didn't even know that I needed right now. This story was just so magical and fun.

In this debut novel, Mrs. Swift captured my attention by giving me a bold and headstrong FMC that was also flawed and insecure. No Mary Sue here you guys. Adraa is prone to say the wrong thing and she absolutely HATES Jatin with a passion. Until she unwittingly realizes that she doesn't. Going undercover and assuming an alt persona, Adraa mixes with the underground and miscreants of her area to try and discover where the corruption that is slowly spreading in her territory is stemming from.

She gets an unbidden partner in the palace guard that helped to save her during an unfortunate accident. An accident that brought her face to face with her loathsome betrothed, Jatin. A betrothed in whom she hasn't seen in over 9 years, and would have happily gone another 9 if given the chance. Or so she thinks.

In a whirlwind of magic, intrigue, and rising attraction, Adraa finds herself playing a game that she never knew was happening. Told in alternating perspectives--Adraa's and Jatin's--Cast in Firelight was so much more than I hoped for or even anticipated. Book one does not end on a cliffhanger, per se, but it definitely opens the door to a whole host of questions and serious potential. I cannot wait for book 2!

This was a good debut. For a cover with Charlie bow after I expected less honestly. Lately books with her art have fallen flat for me, but needless to say this was one gripping YA fantasy! I’m glad I read it.

This book has a beautiful cover, I can't say I was blown away by this book but I did enjoy the idea of hidden identities, the magic system and the sizzling romance that is a steady burn.

The author did an incredible job of making the magic and the world complex yet accessible. I want to know so much more about the magic, but readers were given a lot to work with and explore right off the bat.

I appreciated how diverse the characters are and a lot of specific cultural elements were incorporated into the story. The characters were relatable and I felt invested in their storyline the entire way through the book. Everything felt authentic and well-researched.

The ending has a good cliffhanger that will make you want to pick up the sequel

This book was delightful! It was a joy to read and delve into an amazing story with strong characters, beautiful world building, and an amazing storyline. At a time where I’ve not been able to find a good book, this one comes along and sweeps me off my feet. The characters were rich and lush, they were real and they grew and were more and more complex as the story went on, I loved the twists and turns plus the depth of the writing of each main and side character was intricate and beautiful. The story was woven beautifully and the different worlds were special and outstanding. The cover art drew me in but the story made me read into all hours of the morning. This author is a new favorite and what an incredible debut! Loved this book, can’t wait for the next one and would highly recommend to anyone who loves a good story with vivid and outstanding characters. Also, the author’s note was moving and heartfelt, something about the way she writes is honest and lovely. This book was a favorite and highly recommend! I’m going to miss the characters and can’t wait to buy this one when it becomes available. Also can’t wait for the next book(s)!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC!

#CastinFirelight #NetGalley
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley. I really enjoyed the adventure and characters. I cannot wait for my young adult fantasy readers to check it out.

This was such an enjoyable book! The writing style was fun and easy to read, and the characters incredibly likable. The summary might make this book sound like an enemies to lovers book, but it is more of a rivals to lovers book, and filled with adventure and mistaken identities. The progression of their relationship was a joy to read.

One complaint that I see often with past YA books is that they don’t think it’s believable that the characters would be doing what they’re doing, that they’re acting like adults. That’s not the case at all here, it is believable that the characters would take on the responsibilities that they do due to their positions. At the same time, they tease each other and still act like teenagers, so it was the perfect blend of responsibility and fun. That being said, everyone sounded the same regardless of their role in the world, grownups and children and servants and royalty sounded similar.

The world building here was very unique, though I would have loved to learn more about it. I can’t wait to see how everything develops in future books!

I enjoyed this book , Cast in Firelight
by Dana Swift.
A good YA selection. .

Absolutely loved this book! All the action and romance, I could not put it down! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes an interesting, exciting, young adult romance.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this early!

Things I liked about this debut novel:
1. The colorful magic system was a lot of fun. There are 9 types of magic based on different elements, and each magic type has an associated color: fire=red, healing=pink, war=purple, etc. The majority of the people in this world can access multiple branches of magic via the Touch - a tattoo-like design that swirls up one or both arms.
2. There was some interesting commentary on the different ways people are marginalized based on various factors: skin color, gender, how many branches of magic they can control, and the types of magic they can control (elemental magic being treated as superior to healing, war, shadow, cold, inner capability). I'm looking forward to exploring more of those issues in the next book!
3.The underground cage casting was SO FUN. More of that, please.
4. I loved our main protagonist, Adraa. She came across as such a relatable character. She deals with childhood insecurities that still influence her decisions years later. She's not whiny, though, and she also doesn't overcome her flaws within the space of a few pages, which I loathe. There's actual character development.
5. I also loved the other main protagonist, Jatin! Like Adraa, he has insecurities that manifest in different ways. I loved the second half of the book when they were investigating the disappearing firelight as their vigilante alter-egos. They worked so well together because they brought out the best in each other, albeit hidden in teasing comments and light competition.

Things I didn't like:
1. The overall voice of the characters was not very diverse. Another reviewer mentioned it and was absolutely right - every single one of the characters (including gods!) sounds exactly the same. Royalty sounded like peasants sounded like teenagers sounded like the antagonist sounded like ADRAA. Even the decisions certain characters made didn't seem unique to those characters. Like, I could >insert random character name here< and that wouldn't change a thing.
2. The antagonist was so distant for most of the story that when he's finally introduced as this terrifying, all-powerful, super cunning, evil being, it seems a little unearned. HOWEVER, the setup at the end was very well done and I'm eager to see how the rest of the story plays out in the next book.

3 1/2 stars!

I really enjoyed this book and all of the characters. It was a fast paced book with an intriguing plot line. I was never bored with it and I read it in like a day. I will be purchasing it for my libraries YA collection.

The settings, magic and characters of this story were compelling. and at times, utterly unique. But while the writing was good, the dialogue had little variety. I am all for characters communicating in a familiar, non-stiff way. But here, each voice seemed to be the same, as if the author poured only her writing voice into each character's words instead of giving them distinction. Made some of the older characters hard to take seriously.

Still, will be interested to see what happens. And that cover!! Definitely a fav.