this was a great start to a series, the characters were great and this book was a great introduction to the world. I look forward to more in this series.

Cast in Firelight was one of my most anticipated releases of 2020 (now, unfortunately, 2021) and I’m overjoyed to say that it didn’t disappoint. A wonderful combination of ‘angsty teen rom-com’ and ‘superhero-esque fantasy adventure’, it’s easily a 5-star read, and a book that should be on everyone's radar.

Cast in Firelight takes place in a world where individuals can cast up to nine different types of magic, with their colours representing different deities. Those who are Touched – have magic – will have a forte, a type of magic they are most skilled at casting. The worldbuilding in this book is amazing! Swift’s settings are rich and vibrant, and the kingdom of Belwar was especially well-developed ¬– you could easily envision yourself wandering the markets or visiting the Underground for a cage-casting fight. Due to the plot, the book mostly took place in Belwar, but I hope that the events of the sequel will allow Adraa and Jatin (and us readers!) to visit neighbouring kingdoms like Naupure (for more than a brief visit) or Moolek. I enjoyed how original the magic system was too. I’ve read a lot of YA Fantasy in the last few years (it’s near enough all I read), and so I’d say I’ve seen most forms a magic system can take, but Cast in Firelight was a pleasant surprise. Sure enough, it’s got elements most fantasy readers will be familiar with (the ability to control – or cast, in this case – water and fire and so on), but the inclusion of healing (pink), speed and strength (orange), illusion (black) and battle (purple) magic made it feel refreshing and new.

I loved the book’s main characters, Adraa and Jatin. They’re both headstrong and determined to lead their countries as best as they can. Adraa is feisty and can be a little hot-headed, but would do anything for her people and her family, even going as far as putting herself in danger to uncover nefarious plots within Belwar. Jatin, on the other hand, is similarly kind-hearted and brave, but spent many years away from home training and trying to gain his father’s love. The pair don’t get off to the best start when they first meet as children and begin to develop a rivalry as teens through letters, trying to best the other with their achievements. They don’t meet again in person until shortly before Adraa’s 18th birthday, where they have a meet cute, but don’t realise who the other person is. True to my earlier rom-com description, their scenes together from then on were both equally humorous and frustrating – after all, you know their identities and they don’t! As the plot progresses, they begin to fall for who they believe to be not their betrothed and must learn to trust each other in order to survive and solve crimes (superhero-style!).

The romance between Adraa and Jatin was so swoony! It’s definitely a slow burn (the two of them don’t kiss until late in the book), which makes it all the more torturous, but it was by far my favourite part. I adored their banter during the time where they didn’t know who the other was, and the angst they felt believing they were falling in love with someone they shouldn’t! It’s more of a rivals-to-lovers romance than an enemies-to-lovers one, but fans of the latter trope should still definitely enjoy this one. I’m hoping for more of it in the sequel!

Over the course of their relationship, Adraa and Jatin begin working together – under aliases, of course – to unearth a dark, criminal plot within Belwar involving Adraa’s invention, firelight, and Bloodlurst, a dangerous drug with the ability to permanently take away a person’s Touch. Cast in Firelight has many a plot twist, and I was consistently surprised (in a good way!) at the course the story was taking. Swift is certainly skilled at keeping her readers guessing (which somewhat worries me for the sequel)! This is a book best read if you know nothing going in, but readers should know that it’s definitely full of surprises which will leave you turning the page at speed. Cast in Firelight ends on a slight cliff-hanger, setting itself up nicely for the sequel (which I need as soon as humanly possible!!!!).

All in all, Cast in Firelight is an absolutely wonderful debut that I would recommend to anyone (but especially fans of witty banter, and the forbidden romance and rivals-to-lovers/enemies-to-lovers tropes). I adored this book and wholeheartedly hope many other readers do too!

This book was SO surprising and breathtaking! I was sold reading it had an arranged marriage plot line but THIS BOOK. I read it within 24 hours and have so many great things to say about it. Not only do we have an awesome edgy magic fighting female lead but also a magic cinnamon roll of a love interest that isn’t afraid of a woman’s cycle and not being stronger than a woman. Every time I thought this book would follow normal trope parallels (I love tropes don’t get me wrong) it would totally go a way I didn’t see coming! This is one of my favorite 2021 reads so far!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for giving me the chance to read and review this E-ARC. I will publish this review on my blog (A Bookish Star), Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Instagram (@ABookishStar) closer to the publication date. This review will also be posted to my Goodreads account.

My favourite aspect of Cast in Firelight is the main characters. This story alternates between Jatin's and Adraa's point of view. Their voices come alive through their perspectives.

I instantly fell in love with Jatin's and Adraa's personality. Adraa is a strong female lead in this novel. I enjoyed her interactions with her younger sister. The romance is also well done in this book. I felt the romance developed at a reasonable pace. It wasn't too fast, and it wasn't too slow. Throughout the book, I was rooting for their relationship. Jatin was so kind and I enjoyed the banter he and Adraa shared throughout the story.

Swift took this novel in a direction I wasn't expecting. I enjoyed how Cast in Firelight unfolded. The magic system is well explained and easy to follow. I liked how the magic system is connected to the Gods and various colours. I like how you know which magic a person is using by the colour that appears. I could easily visualize the fights, in this novel, with all these different colours swirling about the scene. I seriously want this book to be adapted to film or television, so I can see it come alive on the screen. It kind of reminded me of Avatar The Last Airbender. In ATLA, the fights are very visual with water flowing about or rocks or fire being thrown at targets. Whereas in this book you imagine all these colours being thrown about the scene.

I thought the world-building and plot was well done. Swift's fantasy world easily came alive through her words. I thought the plot went at a reasonable pace. It wasn't difficult to figure out who the antagonist was in this story. I have a feeling that was a bit intentional. However, the ending was not something I had originally predicted, so I was pleasantly surprised. I'm excited to see where book two will take the plot and these characters.

My only critique of this novel is that I felt some of the side characters could have been better fleshed out. I think they weren't given enough page time. I wanted to get to know characters like Zara, Riya, Kalyan and even Hiren better.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Cast in Firelight. I'm excited about the second novel in The Wickery Series. I thought the magic system was unique, and the romance was cute. I loved the main characters and their banter. This is a book I would certainly recommend.

I will admit, this book was hard for me to get into at first.
But, that could be solely because I was in a reading funk and nothing sounded good. The background information in the beginning was a bit much for me at the time, so I wasn’t hooked until the two main protagonists met up and the secret identities began.
Once that happened.. I LOVED it!

Adraa is such a great female lead character. She’s strong, wants to rule, but really wants to make a difference when she does. So many times we read about a princess who doesn’t want to be one.. and Adraa isn’t that way. She has self doubts and the only thing she wants is to be able to help her people. It’s inspiring.

Jadin is swoon worthy once we get to know him. I love that his best friend is his personal guard and I hope we get some more back ground information on their relationship in book two, because what we did see was super sweet!

The story did keep me guessing, especially with their tricky plot twists in the middle. And I love how the ending very obviously hinted at more without being a horribly gut wrenching cliff hanger.


*I do want to say too, I’ve seen complaints about this author not being a part of #ownvoices and if that’s you, I recommend you read the authors note at the end of the book. It explains my feelings and thoughts on it and what my take on it was too. While own voices is EXTREMELY important, this authors perspective and what she wants for her children is very admirable as well.

Exciting new YA fantasy novel! It is unique enough to be different from what is already on the shelves, but have enough in common with other YA fantasy that readers will eat it up!

I really enjoyed this new series! I thought the magic was interesting and enjoyed the chemistry between the two main characters. Will definitely be picking up the sequel!

The beginning was a little slow but the story did pick up and transported you into a Indian-inspired high fantasy world. The magic and world building were well done, they weren't bogged down with to much info dumping but I did feel that they did need to be more developed.
Adraa and Jatin's relationship throughout the whole book was a spiral. They had a secret identities they were "hiding" from each other, even though the other the person knew who they really were. Wouldn't say this was insta-love but it does put off that vibe.
This book does end in a cliffhanger and makes you want to read the next book right away.

Kay I ended up enjoying this book more than I expected! It wasn't perfect but it was enjoyabl.e. The plot kept moving forward and the main characters are pretty likeable. The issues I had were with the writing for the most part. Some of the dialogue felt like a way for the author to insert things in the story that she didn't want to explain in other ways. Like it felt very tell instead of show in some ways. Also, I feel like she introduced minor characters that were super interesting but then they fell away for the majority of the story, only coming in at the end when it was convenient. I feel like having more supporting characters that were actually present would have been better. Also, I feel like some things were so obvious and the characters were so oblivious (I can't say much without spoiling). I think the world building could use some more fleshing out. It was vague and losse and again felt like the author just pulled some things in at the end because it was convenient but there wasn't enough set up throughout the story for it to seem natural. Overall though, it was an enjoyable book. 3.5 stars

I had very high hopes for this book after several customers recommend I get my hands on it immediately, and I just really struggled to actively enjoy it. While it was not a bad read by any stretch, it did not stick out to me as something special.

Because this was so highly recommended by several people that I usually share tastes with, I did not go into it reading the synopsis. This is a mistake on my part as I would have seen the mistaken identities portion of the synopsis and chosen to pass. While I do not believe all tropes are bad by any stretch, the mistaken/secret identities and communication issues are two I do not usually enjoy - and this book is based on both of those.

This book comes with two POVs - Adraa and Jatin. Two royal heirs trapped in an arranged marriage from a young age. These two have not seen each other since they were betrothed, but have continued to have an extremely competitive relationship via letters as they've grown up. Jatin is off receiving training, while Adraa is at home helping with royal duties and assisting in her mom's clinic. Outside of her duties, Adraa has also used her strong fire magic to create something called 'firelight' which is a magical sphere containing fire that can be used for months at a time to provide light. While both of our main characters are Touched (meaning they can do magic), Adraa cannot do all types of magic while Jatin can - a point of contention for Adraa.

Their character banter was fun to read and I enjoyed their strong personalities. Adraa in particular is a no-nonsense, strong, female lead and I appreciate those types of characters in YA. Jatin is also extremely strong and could hold his own, but at the same time was always very respectful to Adraa, her talents, and her wishes - which is refreshing to see in a male character.

I also liked the magic system of the book. It is mostly element-based and comes across as having almost a scientific twist which I felt was a very unique take. The world of Wickery is separated into the 'Touched' and the 'Untouched' which is people who possess the ability to do magic and those who cannot.

Although the stakes of the book are extremely high and culminate in an 'end of the world' scenario at the climax of the book, I don't feel like that was accurately communicated throughout the book. The storyline revolves around Adraa discovering that her firelight is being illegally seized and removed or sold at a much higher price than she intended without her permission. Instead of it being a resource for the less wealthy of Wickery, it's being used as a means against them. She decides to investigate this and Jatin (who is under the guise of being one of his own elite guards and NOT Jatin) tags along to help. The stakes of the situation seemed very 'let's play detective and try to solve a mystery' and ended up being a little childish for my taste. The storyline just felt a tad flat to me and I did not get invested.

Overall, it just was not a favorite read of mine. It fell somewhere in the middle of the pack for 2020 reads for me and I'm sure it is one that with time I will probably lose some of the details since it did not make a strong impression. I may continue this series, but am really unsure at this time.

Review posted on Goodreads (September 22, 2020)
Review linked.

4/5 stars!

Before my review I just wanted to say that I personally cannot speak on how the POC representation was written. So, I really recommend looking at own voice reviews on GoodReads or other platforms.

Here is a review that I read before I wrote my own review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3397441913?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1


One, this cover is super pretty and I love it! Two, this book was really fun to read!

I really loved the entire idea behind this book, and I absolutely loved the romance. We all know by now that I love a good Hate-To-Love romance, and this one was no exception. I think that the characters had so much chemistry together and I loved seeing how both of them and their relationship developed throughout the story.

I also really enjoyed the plot. I found that the pacing in this story, especially at the beginning was a bit slow, but around halfway through, the pacing picked up for me and I ended up really loving the book. The author did a great job of creating a really beautiful and intriguing world that I just want to learn more and more about. I think that this book's plot was really interesting to me because it was a complete story that could really stand on its own, but also left some ideas open in order to continue the series. I really ended up liking how complete the story felt, especially with the romance, at the end of this book.

In the end, if you love YA Fantasy, I do really recommend picking up this book! It was a super fun read!

Thanks for reading,
Caden

There are some books that you just absolutely need in your life, and Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift is one of them. I could never have expected that I'd be as in love with this book as I am, and I cannot wait for everyone to read this book and become as obsessed with Adraa's and Jatin's story as I am! I loved the immersive world and culture of Wickery, the intruiging plot, the incredible characters. I liked that this story felt really unique. The magic system created didn't seem like anything I had read before, which I find impressive with the amount of YA fantasy out there. The plot was engaging, with lots of action, secret underground activities, political corruption and more. I wouldn't say there were any crazy plot twists or anything, but I don't think this story really needed that, and there were some small reveals that kept things interesting. Cast in Firelight is the type of book I didn't want to put down, and I can truthfully say I enjoyed every bit of it.

My favorite part of any book is the characters, and Cast in Firelight did not disappoint. I'm in love with both Adraa and Jatin! Individually they are both great characters who are fierce, care so much for their kingdoms, and have all the relatable fears and feelings. The two of them together? It's pure magic. I haven't read a lot of secret identity tropes when it comes to romance, so that felt fresh and fun, and the banter between the two of them is awesome. Also, I won't spoil anything, but Jatin does something for Adraa I can honestly say I've never seen a guy do in a book, but I'm pretty sure it's the most romantic thing a man can ever do for a woman. Jatin is definitely boyfriend goals.

Then there's the cultural element of this book. I love that it's a book featuring brown characters, in a South Asian-inspired world. I definitely love seeing more of that in fantasy, and I loved Dana's author's note towards the end explaining that, even though she is a White author, her future children will look like Adraa and Jatin, and it was important for her to write a story that would represent them. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the second book!

I really liked this story. It was fairly fast paced with an interesting magic system and intriguing characters. I was pulled in from the start and had a hard time putting it down.

This was a solid YA fantasy story, not my favorite, but from a critical angle, good for the audience it’s intended for. Before I get into the book, this is a reminder that this book is NOT an #OwnVoices story, but it has South Asian characters and culture integrated within it. Usually when it comes to non POC writing POC stories it bothers me, however, Dana acknowledges this and alludes to the fact that her husband is South Asian, thus creating a story that her children can see themselves in. As a South Asian person myself in this situation I found the representation to be acceptable because it didn’t come off as cultural appropriation or knowing about POC struggles, but rather creating characters and showcasing South Asian culture in a subtle but kind way. I don’t think many if any authors can do this, but I think that Dana Swift did a pretty good job. I also appreciate that sometimes there has to be POC in books and no deep rooted reason as to explain why. Just seeing a brown character in a book would have made me happy as a kid and having Dana Swift write a YA fantasy with these characters is again something I appreciate.

Moving on to the actual book, I found the concept of this book really intriguing. I love a good YA fantasy with witches and wizards and this concept of controlling different colors that are linked to these Gods was just fascinating. My biggest problem as a reader with this book was the underdevelopment or rather not as thorough development of the magic system as I would have liked. There were many times in the book I was confused on terms, what spells were being cast, etc. I wish the world building had been in a more clear cut way rather than being muddled.

I found Adraa and Jatin’s characters to be relatable and funny at times. As I mentioned, for a younger audience I think this book would be perfect! I’d probably have rated this higher if I had read it when I was in middle or high school. Adraa was a fierce independent and strong headed woman and definitely got herself into trouble sometimes even with the best intentions. Jatin was a mix of arrogant and sweet which made the banter between the characters amusing. I don’t think that these two characters’ personalities were so much different than others I’ve read in books, so even though they were written well, I wasn’t a die hard fan of either.

I read this book in a lot of chunks so it was nice to just pick up and continue reading from where I left off. It gave me comfort read vibes which I really appreciated. With that being said, I did pick up and put this book down a lot because it was intriguing at times, but not so intriguing at others. I wanted to feel more invested in the book than I was.

However, I still think this is a book that so many people will enjoy and I still recommend you all check it out and see for yourself if you enjoy this world as much as I did. It’s a pretty cool world and concept trust me. I’ll be continuing on with this series because the ending although not a cliff hanger left me curious on where the story would eventually go from the end.

Characters: 7/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Plot: 7/10
Intrigue: 7/10
Logic: 6/10
Enjoyment: 6/10

Rating: 6.71 or 4 stars (critically, maybe more of a 3.75)

**Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

“...she has no clue what lies between Jatin and me is not romance. It’s fierce competition.”

Oh, this gorgeous, wonderful book! Cast in Firelight is by far, the best debut novel I’ve read in a long, LONG time! There wasn’t a single about it that I didn’t like! Dana created such a lush, imaginative world, with a super cool magic system. The characters were perfect, the pacing was flawless, and the romance was adorable! The one thing I would have liked more of was the relationship between religion and magic! I would love to know more about the gods, but I have a feeling that will be touched on in subsequent books so I’m not upset it was not covered in depth here. I am DYING to read more about Adraa and Jatin, so if anyone needs me, I’ll be over here hugging my kindle while I wait for book 2!!

A fun rivals-lovers, unique magic system, exciting plot, and intriguing world. Unfortunately at times overshadowed by writing that at times sounded...young. Not saying it was bad writing by any means, just that the language, dialogue and inner thoughts often came off juvenile. At times the language felt out of place and too modern for the setting I felt we were supposed to be in. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the book! It was a fun fast paced read that I believe fans of YA will enjoy. Also, what a stunning cover!

This is a really good book, and I'm eager to read the next book in the series. My one complaint is that more description could be used to really engage the reader into the story.

I’ve been afraid to start this one because I didn’t want the hype to let me down. Plus, the cover is amazing and I want to be able to stare at it’s beauty while it sits on my shelf. It did have it’s rocky moments but the pay off was worth it!

The book has two point-of-views: Adraa and Jatin. We are introduced to them from a young age and of their first encounter. It’s one that is awkward because of the arranged marriage that has been discussed between them. I can only recall one book I have read where it dealt with arranged marriage and it was good but this one was a bit different when it came to the characters feelings.

Adraa is courageous, strong, and doesn’t want anyone to view her as less because of her gender. From the first encounter she had with Jatin I knew I’d like her, haha. It was literally something I would do and can recall doing something similar in elementary school.

Jatin is strong in his powers but I don’t think he tries to show off. He is just genuinely him. This could be because he doesn’t feel like he has to prove anything. Even though he has his own PoV, I don’t think his development was as strong but where as Adraa sees him as cocky, we get to see the softer side of him.

From the beginning, I wasn’t sure where the relationship would go. Will they put their competitive nature aside to get along? Will one of them find someone else and call it off? What actually happened, I was not expecting!

Spoilers!
Mistaken identity is a glorious trope and I was here for it. One figures it out more quickly than the other but I’m glad there wasn’t a long and drawn out fight because of it. They realized their feelings outside of the arrangement and found love where they least expected it to be. You could say that the relationship moves rather quickly and Jatin was smitten from the beginning but I still enjoyed it all.

End of Spoilers!
The plot has magic, gods/goddesses, and cage fighting (those were some of my favorite scenes!). Books about goods/goddess always get on my tbr because I love mythology but I am also hesitant to start them because they can be hit or miss. Even though they don’t play a huge role until closer to the end, I liked what we got and I am hoping for more in the next book. The author also does a good job of creating a magic system that is exciting to read about. In ways it reminds me of Avatar: The Last Airbender but some of the people are able to control more than one type.

The pacing can be a bit slow at times but once it ramps up, it’s worth it. The last big cliffhanger had me hooked and I am so ready for the next book. Some of the smaller plot twists were easy to see coming but it didn’t stop me from immersing myself in this book.

Overall, I enjoyed this book! Although it started off a bit slow, this book took me by surprise and the author creates an intriguing world full of magic and a romance you can’t help but swoon over.

4.5/5 stars - To Be Released November 2020.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

In Wickery, there are Touched and Untouched - those who have magical powers and those who do not. Some are blessed with one or two types of magic, but royal can control all nine. Adraa is destined to be the heir of Belwar. She is Touched, but only on one arm - an oddity in Wickery. At age eight, her parents arrange a marriage to Jatin, the heir of Naupure. Neither is happy about the situation. They grow up in different areas of the country and the only exchange is their love letters, which are actually letters boasting about their skills and try to best each other. Destined to be married but rivals at heart, Adraa and Jatin band together to expose a mystery that threatens all of Wickery. But there's a catch - both lie about their true identities when they accidentally meet upon Jatin's return from school.

Cast in Firelight creates a unique and magical world. There are nine gods, nine types of magic to conquer, and people are literally marked by their power on their arms. The book is told from both Adraa's and Jatin's perspectives which provides an entertaining look at the deception they try to hide from one another. A play of the enemies-to-lovers trope, the novel has a playful writing style that allows Adraa and Jatin to be relatable and feel as if you are hearing a story from a friend. The romance does not feel rushed but instead feels quite genuine. Cast in Firelight was a quick but super fun read and definitely in the top ten books I have read this year. The only thing that i felt was lacking (or almost forced) was the villain. Other than that, it is perfect for anyone who enjoys young adult fantasy.

Alright, alright, alright… this novel is quite promising.

Secret identities, world-building, superb magic system, royal arranged marriages, steady semi slow-burn romance, and diverse characters. What more can a reader ask for? And despite the instant love *gag*, minor scenes between Adraa and Jatin that made me want to pull my hair out, and the somewhat slow pacing that made this a dragful read (maybe it’s just me?)—this was an incredible debut and a must read for 2020.

So will I read the sequel? Hell yeah. Adraa and Jatin, the hero and the villain of Belwar that choose to stand and be together, will rise again and I am more than ready to ride along and see where their journey takes us.