Cover Image: Cast in Firelight

Cast in Firelight

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Member Reviews

Cast in Firelight: Fantasies Don’t Have To Be Violent

Despite the title of this review, Cast in Firelight does have a healthy dose of violence involved but I promise you, this isn’t some form of clickbait! And, I will get to that in a bit but first, I have to say I was incredibly delighted with Cast in Firelight despite my misgivings about it. After all, seeing a white author’s name attached to a book that is clearly about Indian culture and characters is rather frustrating and I was completely prepared to obliterate the book. But after a quick Google search, Swift has addressed these concerns in a Goodreads post which I truly appreciated and now completely blame Delacorte Press for not being more upfront with their marketing — it isn’t that hard to mention that Swift wrote these books for her children!

Plot, Prose & Pacing: It Grows On You!

Cast in Firelight drew me in instantly with the cutest chapter title, “I Meet the Love of My Life and Slap Him in the Face” and we haven’t seem chapter titles in a long time. (All of the chapter titles are all so fun and so witty!) But, I did feel that there was a bit of a slow moment in the beginning as readers try to gain their bearings and immerse themselves in the world. I’m a little biased as I was busy fuming over what I believed was cultural appropriation but once we hit meat of the plot, it gets very intense, very quickly. And this also applies to Adraa and Jatin’s slow-burn relationship!

Told from a dual first person point of view of Adraa and Jatin, Cast in Firelight is more than a story of mistaken identities and romantic shenanigans. Although they have been engaged since childhood, the two deemed the other a rival despite having never met since the fateful day of their engagement and, are not looking forward to marriage. In a series of fortunate circumstances and mistaken identity, Adraa and Jatin are thrown together to investigate the case of missing firelight, Adraa’s invention, which takes them deeper and deeper into the dark, seedy underbelly of Belwar. As the investigation becomes more dangerous, it also becomes harder for the two to protect their royal identities from the criminals as well as each other. But, the people they are up against are determined at all costs to protect their cause and Adraa and Jatin have no choice but to trust each other, despite the web of lies the other has woven. At the same time, Adraa and Jatin are battling their own internal conflicts with their own magic and royal heritage.

The book blurb does not do Cast in Firelight any justice because there is so much depth and detail to the book! The banter is incredibly witty and natural and while mistaken identities is not my favourite trope, their romance is believable and rather enderaring. I loved every second of it. Everything made sense!

But, what I loved the most about Cast in Firelight is just how light and fun it is for a YA fantasy. Like the blog title suggests, there is a marked lack of violence for gratification and cruelty even though the book deals with darker subjects including drugs, illegal fighting and torture. But, it all felt necessary and part of the story, even though I felt some of the fight scenes got a tad bit long and overly descriptive. But too many YA fantasies these days find a need to make their books as bloody, gory, triggering that Cast in Firelight felt so whimsical, colourful and such a delight to immerse myself into.

Worldbuilding: Colour and Whimsy

Colour plays a big role in Cast in Firelight as the magic system is based off a rainbow of colours that took a little getting used to such as red for a fire affinity, white for a snow affinity and pink for a healing affinity. But despite experiencing a little difficulty remembering what colour goes with what powers, it didn’t detract from enjoying the book. Clothes, buildings and even food are given beautiful and vivid descriptions of colour, allowing readers to fit themselves into the shoes of the character.

However, I found it a little disconcerting that magical practitioners are called wizards and witches which tended to bring me out of the immersion as these are rather Eurocentric words and did not rather fit with an Indian/South Asian setting.

But underneath this whimsy is a more complex association with colour as depending on the country like Belwar and Naupure, colour also denotes your rank in society depending on how many of the colour affinities one could master. This also ties in to the concept of Touch which are the god-bestowed marks that a witch or wizard wears on both their arms, marking how many colours they have mastered. For example, Adraa and Jatin both wear marks showing them having mastered nine colours which only a rani/raja is able to do. This leads to having those without any magic called the Untouched and while I loved this magic system, it felt very much like a caste system whereby the lowest caste in Indian culture are colloquially referred to as Undesirables. It was the only thing that bothered me.

Characters: A Labour of Love

Swift’s intentions to write the Wickery series for her children proves itself in how easy it is to love these characters; in fact, they almost seemed too perfect with surface-level flaws! But, it added to the fun, whimsy and fantastical nature of the book. Contrary to popular belief, Swift would not classify Adraa and Jatin as enemies-to-lovers and neither would I! To be an enemy is to know someone enough to classify them as the enemy but having never met each other since the day of their engagement, Adraa and Jatin do not know enough about each other to be enemies. Rather, they are rivals but is there even such a trope as rivals-to-lovers? Perhaps, we should create one for them!

Adraa is tough-as-nails and incredibly take-no-nonsense. As the royal heir, she is incredibly serious about the role she has to play in protecting her family and her people. At the same time, she is badass and incredibly Mary Sue-level powerful, demonstrating prowess beyond her years but befitting her status as a future rani. This seems a little bit too unbelievable, considering she’s demonstrated poor ability in her childhood and we did not see a “montage” of her getting better. Despite this, Adraa lacks confidence and has not been able to master the white element yet.

Jatin, on the other hand, is incredibly kind and generous, with his emotions and his selflessness. In fact, one of his biggest personality traits is that he wants to be out in the world, doing good with his abilities, but being the only royal heir stands in his way of putting himself in danger. After all, he has mastered all nine colours and is an all-powerful wizard.

It’s hard to find any sort of moral grey when it comes to Adraa and Jatin which in this case, I love because it just makes the book so hopeful and charming. You’re constantly rooting for the both of them, you never have to pick a side because there are no other romantic interests introduced (like, can we have more of these kinds of stories, please!) and their tension and banter is so, for lack of a better word, cute!

Themes: Social Justice and Inequality

I touched on this a little in the WORLDBUILDING section but I want to raise it briefly in its own section. A large underlying part of the worldbuilding is rooted in social systems. Adraa’s country, Belwar, accepts the Untouched as part of the society and colour mastery doesn’t play a big role in their society while Jatin’s country, Naupure, still puts a lot of worth into how many colours one can master and determines their rank in society based on that.

While it is not overt, Adraa and Jatin are driven by a need to see their people equal. Adraa created firelight and sells is extremely cheap to her people so that everyone can afford to have much-needed light and warmth in their homes. As Adraa also supplies firelight to Naupure, the same can be said for Jatin as they work together to uncover the darkness of the criminal world.

After all, it is not morally right to write a story based on Indian/South Asian culture and completely ignore the archaic caste system still in place as this is a real reality lived by Indians and South Asians all over the world. I only wish Swift didn’t call them Untouched.

To sum it all up, I cannot wait for book two! Cast in Firelight is both complex and simple, a rather difficult feat to achieve for a YA fantasy book! I hope it continues in this tone because this is all I could ever ask for in a YA fantasy!

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Cast in Firelight felt like a book that was well developed and thought of in depth in the author's mind, but didn't really carry that over to the page and the execution just felt a little underwhelming. It seemed like it was going to be a complex and compelling world with dynamic main characters, but that just didn't quite come across for me.

My main issue was the world building. There were clearly supposed to be Indian influences, but it didn't feel inspired by Indian culture so much as the author had an idea of what she thought the inspiration was, but it didn't end up being anywhere near what the intention was. It felt a lot like a pick-and-mix, which unfortunately didn't work for me. Writing another culture's influence into a fantasy world doesn't often work. The magic system was a big component of the world, and it did seem intriguing. There was a color system and corresponding gods, with a guide at the beginning, that seem cool initially, but this didn't quite carry through and it ended up quite confusing. I feel like it would have been better if the magic had been developed from scratch instead of loosely modelled on chakra, because it really could have been interesting.

The main relationship was clearly supposed to be complicated and 'forbidden' for lack of a better word, but it lacked the spark necessary for me to find it compelling. This was partly due to the main characters, who didn't really click for me. I found them hard to root for, and while Adraa was an interesting character at the beginning, this didn't quite carry through the rest of the book and I didn't feel compelled to cheer the characters on. I also couldn't quite get the whole hidden identities plot element, which had potential but the execution made it seem like it was just there to keep the main relationship from being fully realised, which just didn't work for me.

I'm sure this book will find the readers that love it and that enjoy what I didn't, but it wasn't really for me. I found it an alright read while I was reading it, but nothing particularly stuck out for me, and it felt a little bit like eating something light and fluffy that doesn't make you feel any more full. There were some parts that felt clunky and could have been handled better, but overall, while I didn't hate it by any means, I also didn't love it.

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This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a non spoiler review, because you as reader need to read this book. Also, I feel sometimes I have in the past gave away to much of the plot line. This has diminished the pleasure for would be readers

Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift has a vast magical system, vigilantes, secret identities, enemies to lovers.
A captivating tale with an arranged marriage twist, makes for a fast paced enjoyable read.

Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift is the first installment in the Wickery duology, a fantasy series about two young royals whose have been betrothed to each other from an early age. Unfortunately they are rivals that have never seemed to be able to able to get along. Corresponding to each other through letters, they come to the conclusion that they are not right for each other and A marriage would be disastrous undertaking. Because of there extensive time away from each other, they have no idea what each other looks like.

Jatin is the royal heir to Naupure, a neighboring kingdom that possesses more magic. He is a highly competitive wizard who’s mastered all nine colors of magic at an academy. Who has been gone from his home since a young child, who has been out of touch with the realities of what it takes to be ruler of a kingdom.

Adraa is the royal heir of Belwar, she is a talented witch on the verge of taking her royal ceremony test. A bold girl who wants nothing more than her people to see her worth.

These two fiercely competitive love interests happen to come together under a series of events. Only their true identities have been withheld from each other.

The authors writing was superb, she kept the intricate magical system easy to comprehend. The characters are well developed and I enjoy to do more POV‘s between the two main characters. The unique magical system stands out with its i nine different elements that correspond to color /deities

This was a riveting addictive read. I loved the complex, color-based magical system, along with the diverse culture with two kingdoms.

CAST IN FIRELIGHT by Dana Swift is the story of young royal casters, arranged marriages, secrets identities along with enemies-to-lovers romance!

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I thought this was an own voices book but it turns out the author is married to someone of South Asian descent, so I thought other readers and reviewers might want to know that.

I loved Adraa and Jatin as characters. The plot was fast paced. But the gods names were just so goofy I couldn’t get past it. Other than that it’s a solid YA fantasy that will appeal to readers of Bone Criers Moon and Throne of Glass

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Cast in Firelight is one of the best fantasy books I've read within the last few months. It is an action packed, quick and easy read story with a hint of Indian culture. The author did a great job with world building and character development. I felt that I was able to easily understand what was happening. When the characters are casting, I was able to visualize it thanks to her vivid storytelling. It has a slow-burn, rivals to lovers romance that is woven into the larger plot. I enjoyed the banter between Adraa and Jatin and looked forward to the alternating chapters between their viewpoints. I look forward to continuing the story in the next book!

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Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours and author Dana Swift for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Cast in Firelight definitely sets the tone perfectly at the beginning of the book. We learn that Adraa and Jatin are going to have an arranged marriage once they come of age and as this scene unfolds we get a perfect glimpse of each of the main character’s personalities that flow really well into the rest of the book. As far as MCs go, both of them were wonderful to read about. There were never any dull inner monologue moments that seemed to last forever and it was pretty nice being able to fully delve into their minds while they were on their journey to save their lands.

The story itself was deeply original and the magic system is definitely something that catches your attention in the book. Recently, I have read so many books with unique and different magic systems and Cast in Firelight is no different. The gods and their names were a nice touch to this creativity as well. As the story progresses author Dana Swift does an immaculate job of world-building without huge info dumps. All the information presented was relevant to our MCs and the situation they were currently in. The pacing of this book also allowed for long reading sessions that I low key did not want to end. I can definitely say that this series is going to bingeable whenever Swift has released all of the books and yes I will be reading them again when this happens.

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At age nine, Adraa Belwar’s entire life is planned out for her. When she turns eighteen, she will go through a royal ceremony whereby the nine Gods may or may not bless her after reviewing her magic. She will then marry Jatin, the future Raja of Naupure and become Rani, helping the people of her kingdom and caring for them.

When Jatin goes to school to study magic with other royals, Adraa stays in Belwar, overseeing matters taking place there, and making firelight – her own invention – to sell to people in Wickery. Nine years later, Jatin returns. But neither of them recognize each other, having been apart for so long.

Adraa and Jatin are in constant competition and always want to one-up each other. But when Jatin returns and he and Adraa meet, both of them think the other person is someone else. Jatin thinks Adraa is Jaya Smoke, a servant of Adraa, and Adraa thinks Jatin is Kalyan, one of Jatin’s royal guards.

The two of them work together to expose a gang of drug-dealers known as the Vencrin, neither knowing who the other is and ultimately catching feelings for each other. Both of them know their feelings aren’t allowed, thinking that they are breaking the existing engagement between Adraa and Jatin, but neither of them are able to control them.

But there are bigger problems. Someone is stealing and hoarding Adraa’s firelight alongside the drugs. Adraa and Jatin know its the Vencrin but have yet to discover who their leader is, and why they need firelight.

Side by side, they fight, working well together, and learning each other’s techniques. All the while, both of them are aware of the impending ceremony and the existing engagement between Adraa and Jatin, which both of them think they are cheating.

The premise and plot of the fictional universe the author created was fascinating and gripping. The idea of nine types of magic, each controlled by nine Gods was creative and interesting. The storyline and the characters were well-developed and excellently constructed.

Something I always like in books is when a feeling of restlessness is endowed on the reader, rendering them excited and immensely impatient. Cast in Firelight did exactly that, willing me to grow curious and restless, waiting for certain events to transpire. The element of surprise was incorporated wonderfully, creating excellent moments of shock and excitement.

The presence of brown characters in a fantasy story was a great combination, especially when the characters performed magic and fought in kurtas and lehengas. There was no stereotyping and the representation was smooth and pleasing.

I really enjoyed the way the characters were written. They were fascinating, multi-dimensional, and flawed, creating an image of reality and enabling the reader to relate to them. The romance was well done and wonderful to read about.

Through-out, the author kept me guessing, not wanting to wait for reveals and answers. The side plots were entertaining, too, creating a universe that the reader can grow to love and feel a part of.

If you like to read fantasy stories with badass women and good representation, I don’t see why you shouldn’t give this a go.

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Adraa has been betrothed to Jatin since she was a little girl to unite their two nations, which will be made official in just a few short months when she comes of age. To say she is reluctant is an understatement, instead she loathes Jatin and wants nothing more but to ignore him now that he has returned home from years away at school and continue her investigation into a darker problem with her people. Jatin is not thrilled with his upcoming wedding either, but is resigned to his duty- that is until a heroic and foolhardy woman saves a child at her own risk. Now both heirs have missions of their own, but their paths will cross sooner than they expected.

This review will be short and to the point because I finished the book a week ago and am still here fangirling over it. I don't really know what to say that will sound coherent except for the fact that this is currently my favorite book of 2021 (yes I am aware it is only January, but I read a LOT) and definitely in my favorite fantasies in general.

The world building was well developed and incredibly unique, introducing me to something I am not even a little bit familiar with, which instantly elevated this story to something remarkable to me since so many books blend together anymore. The magic was fantastic, described so well and detailed that I felt like I could see the characters performing all the types of magic. The romance was the perfect slow burn, enemies to lovers, secret identities- basically all my favorite romance tropes smooshed together to create the most romantic and sweet relationship (FYI romance was not the main focus of the story but it is always one of my favorite parts of a book and it was so well executed here). The plot was twisty, full of hidden dangers and court intrigue, as well as an underlying mystery. AND that brings me to my favorite part of the story- which completely surprised me since I did not know it was in here- the amazing battles and action! I mean seriously, the main character Adraa is a cage fighter, and cage fighting in this world involves fists and magic and was spectacular to read about.

Ok, enough fangirl rambling, just know I adored this story and will gladly throw my monies at the next book in the series as soon as it is available- yes this is a series, and no the ending did not really wrap anything up so anticipate no resolution. I want to force all YA fantasy fans to pick this up because it was something new, fun and exciting and completely worth the lack of sleep to keep reading.
PS make sure to read the author note to see her connection to the world and the culture to help understand her decision to write the book.

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Cast in Firelight first drew my attention because of the cover. And then I read the synopsis and was completely sold. Cast in Firelight’s magic system reminds me of Avatar the Last Airbender, with different types of elemental magic and only rare individuals being able to wield all of the types. But this book also had secret identities and fight clubs.

Although the pacing was a bit off sometimes and the world-building could have been expanded, I mostly enjoyed this one. It was fun seeing how both the romance and the secret identities storyline played out. I also enjoyed seeing the main characters connect without the trappings of court.

If you’re a fan of YA fantasy, consider checking this one out. Also, I will note that this book isn’t own voices (despite the comp books being all own voices) and that the author’s note says that she wrote it for her children.

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A very fun and magical read! It's so nice to see fantasies set outside of a fictional medieval Europe, populated with just a ton of white people. I wish the dialogue had been a little less American sounding - it kind of took me out of the book a few times. I think at times it felt a little juvenile, but I am maybe not 100% the target audience. Overall it was a fun read, and definitely a good addition to the YA fantasy canon.

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Cast in Firelight follows the point of views of two royal heirs who are arranged to be married, Adraa and Jatin. For nine years, they've built up a rivalry, trying to outdo the other, but when they reunite after years of not seeing each other, they mistake each other for someone else.
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I'm so in love with this book! Although this isn't an #ownvoices book, she has written the book beautifully for her kids, and I say beautifully because I know this for a fact since I'm an Indian 🇮🇳 and this book is as #Desi as a book can get. The Indian elements here where represented so amazingly, I felt like I was transported to one of my grandmother's bedtime stories about a King and His Queen and how they defeat the evil together.
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The story was warm and comfortable, and I never once got bored. The romance was slow burn and it reminded me of how all Indian parents who got married according to their Parent's wishes tell us their love story. How they became friends first, and began to fall in love with each other then. I think many people might not like Arranged Marriage trope, but in this story, and this setting, Arranged Marriage was perfect. You see, in the ages of Indian Kings, the princes seldom married according to their wishes. Arranged Marriage was the only option. So this trope, according to me, was very accurate here.
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The plot was good, especially towards the end, and I literally cannot wait for book two to come! As a Indian reader, I'm very much satisfied with this book and it's elements! I think it was very sweet of her to write a book which would make her children included, and even though it wasn't an #ownvoices book, I was very happy with her execution of the Indian culture and everything surrounding it.

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Let's just take a moment to stare at this absolutely stunning cover, as it is completely swoon worthy!

I'm just going to come out and say it, you need to read this book! From the very first chapter I was instantly sucked into this magical world the author built. The characters were interesting, the world building was richly detailed, the magic system was unique and the of course, the romance! There were so many different elements in this book that I honestly was impressed by how well Dana wove them together in a seamless manor that didn’t leave the reader absolutely confused. You have an arranged marriage, mistaken identities, an underground drug ring, and so much more to look forward to with this book.

If you are looking for a story filled with magic, romance, adventure, a strong female character, or just some witty banter than I highly recommend this book! I cannot wait for the next installment to see what comes next.

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Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift was my first read of 2021 and I'm so glad it was! With an amazingly unique magic system, characters you can't help but fall in love with, and twists and turns that keep the action coming, I can't wait to purchase a physical copy of this book for my collection. I love a good ratio of action, magic, and romance and Dana Swift hit the nail on the head. I'm really looking forward to reading more from this author!

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REVIEW: Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift

Plot: Adraa, the royal heir of Belwar, and Jatin, the royal heir of Naupure, have been known almost their whole lives they were arranged to be married and unite two of Wickery’s most powerful kingdoms. After a disastrous first meeting, the two kept up and fierce rivalry from a distance through letters. However, they meet again almost a decade later under two hidden identities that make the perfect team in unraveling a hidden crime scheme that may be larger than the entire kingdom. They begin to trust each other, and develop feelings they must repress knowing they are secretly betrothed already while working to save all of Wickery.

My thoughts: Firstly I want to say I was surprised to discover after finishing the book set in a South Asian setting through the authors note that this story is not #OwnVoices. The author explains she created the characters with the idea that her children would be able to see themselves in the story, and I respect that, but feel the need to disclaim it regarding the representation. I cannot comment on the accuracy or handling of the representation myself and I HIGHLY suggest you read the reviews of South Asian reviewers before reading the book! This is highly important to hold the story accountable, and I do not agree with the publishers marketing strategy here. With that being said I did really enjoy this novel. I thought the magic system was unique to any I’ve previously read, and still easy to grasp. I immensely enjoyed the dynamic of Adraa and Jatin’s rivalry, especially when they were interacting without knowing it. Their banter and bond was so good. I thought the author wrote fight scenes very authentically and it really kept the story high in energy and tension. The development of how they infiltrated the crime ring in Belwar was so interesting and engaging. I remember thinking while reading that I hadn’t felt this invested in a romantic fantasy plot in a LONG time. The pacing was really good as well, and the ending while open for more to come, left me satisfied and hopeful.

RATING: ★★★★.5/5

***Thank you to the author and TBRBeyondTours for providing my eARC to participate in the tour. Check out their website for the rest of the tour schedule and giveaway info!!!! All opinions are my own.

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This book took me by storm and blew me away! The dynamic between the two betrothed was addicting to read and I adored watching the growth of the characters. It was interesting to see the gods bless and give abilities to individuals and at times they end up being pawns in something greater. I am so excited for the sequel to come.

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My heart literally can’t stop beating. This book literally left me as if I’d just (barely) survived a war: breathless, in pain but still with some kind of adrenaline rushing through me. I already need the sequel.

Dana Swift has such a nice writing style. It made me laugh at some points (seriously, this book’s banter is just…yes) but in moments of action it made my heart beat faster. The book also generally just has a really good vibe.

Now, how do I start to talk about characters and plot? See, most books are either have me screaming more about characters than plot or vice versa. But this one, however…both just blew my mind. I fell head over heels in love with both Adraa and Jatin. Oh, and the two of them together.

The funny thing is that a month ago I said in a post that I’d never read a book that made an arranged marriage trope work for me and then this book is like…hi!!! It didn’t feel forced at all and because of the world and the plot it actually made sense. I’m so happy to have finally found one I didn’t think was toxic or anything near problematic!

The plot is truly mind-blowing though. My heart was raising so I credibly fast that at one point I literally got…scared for my own health. But either way, I also cried! More specifically, I’m an absolute mess right now!

And yes, the characters. Their relationship evolves pretty fast and I’m gonna say something I never thought I’d say: I didn’t mind! I’m all here for slow-burn but this just felt…natural.

I’m also gonna make a comparison I will really, really regret later on but for my Miraculous: tales of Ladybug and Cat noir lovers…I definitely recommend this.

To really describe my love for this book: I finished it a few minutes ago and I’m on my way to pre-order it. I’m so, so, so in love with this book and ugh, give me the sequel already! As you can tell I’m an absolute mess so this deserves nothing less than five stars!

Thank you to Delacorte Press and TBR and beyond tours for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

*this is not an own voices book but i hope this won’t make anyone turn down this book. as the author herself said: “You may wonder why I tried to craft a fantasy in which none of the main characters look like me. And for me the answer is simple: because these characters will look like my children.”

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Cast in Firelight is a book that I stumbled upon by chance and I am so glad that I did. I hadn't heard of this book at all, but when I saw it and read the blurb and discovered that there were 9 types of color magic I knew I would probably enjoy this book. It grabbed my attention instantly and I found myself absolutely loving this story and these characters. I am so impressed that this is a debut novel and am psyched that it is going to be a series. Cast in Firelight is a read that you won't want to miss!

I really loved these characters. Adraa and Jatin's romance was so much fun to read about and I couldn't help but root for them. Adraa is determined to hate her fiance Jatin when she meets him, but they meet when they are both pretending to be different people. They wind up having the opportunity to get to know each other without the pressure of their titles. Their romance was flirty, fun and full of sarcasm and banter. It is a slow burn romance that was written the best way and it really felt like true love, not just a lusty attraction like in most books lately.

This world felt so incredibly unique. I am a sucker for an interesting magic system and the one built in this book was amazing. There were 9 gods, each represented by a color and a power. People could have all 9 powers, or a few, or even none at all. Those who had multiple colors of magic have one color that they specialize in, The politics around the magic in different countries were fascinating and I believe that the sequel will expand upon how different beliefs about magic can be divisive.

The plot was amazing. While the romance is at the center of the book it never took away from the plot. Cast in Firelight was action packed and had so much going for it. There were undercover missions and a classic fight against evil. There was so much packed into this novel that I never wanted to set it down. It was hard for me to find a lull in the action just so I could get some sleep.

I can't believe that Cast in Firelight is a debut because it was just so incredible. It had all the makings of an amazing fantasy, there were characters that you rooted for and were incredibly well developed, a unique magic system that was incredibly fascinating and a plot that kept me flipping the pages late into the night. Cast in Firelight deserves all the hype and I can't wait for others to read it. I am so excited that this is going to be a series and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book. Dana Swift is an incredible new voice in the YA fantasy scene and I expect great things from anything she writes.

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Como vocês já sabem, essa resenha é em parceria com a Random House Internacional, de quem recebemos esse eARC (Advance reading copy: algo como “uma cópia de leitura avançada, ou seja, o livro ainda pode sofrer alterações antes de ser publicado). Também lembrando que essa resenha terá um formato diferente: por ser um ARC, não haverão quotes, já como os livros podem sofrer mudanças em seu texto antes de serem comercializados. Gostaríamos de agradecer profundamente a Editora pela oportunidade de parceria.

Assim que li essa sinopse, eu quis ler “Cast in Firelight”, 1º livro de uma duologia. Há esse movimento dentro dos livros Young Adults que eu simplesmente adoro e faço questão de dar total apoio: a diversidade da cultura. Enquanto no começo muito se vira de cultura Europeia e norte-americana, agora os livros de fantasia YA trazem outras influências em suas páginas, o que, para mim, é algo a se reverenciar. Sempre que vejo qualquer livro de fantasia com elementos de outras culturas, corro para ler porque é meu jeito de viajar o mundo dentro de um dos meus gêneros literários favoritos.

“Cast in Firelight” é inspirado na cultura indiana com diversos outros elementos, criando um universo de magia simplesmente delicioso de se ler sobre. Preciso deixar isso muito, muito claro porque é mesmo o ponto forte do livro: pra mim, se você vai falar sobre magia, você precisa construir suas regras e deixá-las claras para o leitor, e a autora aqui consegue isso maravilhosamente bem. De cara entendemos que os agraciados com magia são mais raros no reino de Belwar, fazendo Adraa ser uma das poucas bruxas. Já no reino de Naupure, do qual Jatin é o herdeiro, a magia corre mais forte. Entre os dois reinos, os que tem magia tem uma marca em suas mãos, e Adraa, incrivelmente, tem somente em uma mão.

Os pais de ambos decidem que um casamento entre os dois seria de ótima valia para os reinos e, ainda criança, os apresentam – e aqui temos o começo do livro em uma introdução deliciosa demais de ler. Adraa é uma garotinha com muita, muita personalidade e já mostra desde sempre que não vai aceitar nada do tão metido e convencido Jatin. É um começo que fica claro que os dois vão naquele relacionamento de gato e rato até se casarem, só que o livro ai tem um salto de 8 anos, já trazendo os personagens adolescentes para o começo real da trama.

Levados por motivos diversos, Adraa encontra Jatin, mas vê o guarda dele usando suas roupas (para segurança do herdeiro) e acredita que o outro é Jatin, que não reconhece Adraa. Cada um mentindo sobre sua identidade enquanto um mal maior começa a surgir, os dois precisam, cada um dentro do seu disfarce, juntarem seus poderes para poder conter esse mal maior, que pode estar muito mais próximo deles do que pensam.

Pra começar, eu quero falar, mais uma vez, da construção da magia e do universo que a autora criou aqui: baseada em cores e em Deuses, cada um dos elementos é capaz de dar “poderes” aos seus usuários, além de invocar outros elementos também. Toda ambientação do livro é magnífica porque lembra e muito templos hindus, tudo bastante perfeito e que te transporta para o mundo de Wickery. Todas as cenas de magia são bem escritas e te prendem, exatamente como eu pensei. Mas… sim, tem um mas gigantesco aqui: o romance.

Adraa sozinha funciona muito, muito bem. Ela é o tipo de mocinha que amamos: forte, corajosa, com um intenso senso de justiça e capacidade de não desistir nunca, pecando por ser um pouquinho teimosa demais e que domina a maior parte dos ponto de vistas do livro (que tem o ponto de vista dos dois, mas Adraa tem mais alguns do que Jatin). Jatin também funciona muito, muito bem – em parte mimado, em parte inseguro, em parte convencido, em parte inseguro, ele é o tipo de mocinho que te faz torcer por ele, principalmente porque ele é o que se apaixona antes e começa a tentar lutar pela garota que ele acredita ser a certa pra ele.

E aonde está o problema, você se pergunta? No romance. O romance passou um pouco do ponto nessa trama de gato-e-rato que somos jogados entre os dois. Pela sinopse sabemos que um engana o outro dizendo ser outra pessoa, e é assim que eles começam a se apaixonar por quem deveriam sem saber. O problema é o tamanho e a insistência nessa trama. Talvez, se ela tivesse terminado antes, eu teria shippado mais o casal porque eles tem química, eles fazem o leitor querer os dois juntos, mas… faltou algo que eu não soube precisar. Pareceu tudo grande demais para ficar preso em um romance que poderia ter sido bem facilmente resolvido se eles conversassem.

O que eu quero deixar claro é que “Cast in Firelight” é um livro delicioso de se ler, uma fantasia rápida e leve, mas que se perde em criar um mundo tão intenso e grande com base em um romance que sabemos claramente aonde vai terminar. Não pude deixar de sentir uma certa decepção quando terminei de ler, mas não deixo de torcer para o livro chegar no Brasil e vocês lerem mais sobre a magia de Wickery e como tudo lá funciona. É um livro que merece ser lido e ter seus rumos corrigidos para sua continuação, a qual certamente eu lerei e espero que seja invocada a magia do romance no ponto certo.

Thanks for the free book, Penguin Random House International.

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I really loved this so much! The characters were amazing, and the plot kept my attention. I also LOVED the magic system! It was so cool and well developed! I cannot wait to see more from this world. Absolutely highly recommend, especially to those that love magic - and the complication of secret identities!

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I am very sad to review this book, and I actually put it off so many times because it was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021 and I was over the moon when I got my hand on an ARC at the end of last year.
Sadly, while the idea was interesting and the characters pretty fun (I ended up laughing out loud at this one more than once) the flaws overtook my joy.
First of all, was the overwhelming telling not showing. There were many instances in which we were spoon-fed feelings and experiences, I saw many debut authors doing this mistake and I feel like they don´t trust the readers to get those feelings from the action and feel the need to spell them out.
Second, the world and magic were highly underdeveloped. I had no idea what was going on, Adraa and Jatin were part of different kingdoms (maybe?!) but one could easily fly from one palace to the other.
I did found the main characters very fun and likable, the bickering was enjoyable and all the shenanigans that came with the mistaken identities were exactly what I expected.
Adraa was probably my favorite character, she´s a strong females character that knows what she wants and she´s not afraid to take it. the only problem I had with her was that I did found the language she was using weirdly modern at times.
One last thing that didn`t really make sense were moments in which the characters will realize something, or know something with no clues. One of the instances was when Jatin speaks with a guy and with no prior knowledge he just realizes "yeah, this must be X". Like how?? There were no hints, no info. I, as the reader with way more knowledge of the situation, had no idea who that was.
Overall the book was ok, I had fun reading it and will probably read the sequel, but the low rating is due to the obscene amount of times I rolled my eyes in frustration during this read.

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