It has been so long that I have read a book and liked it too much. I usually liked a series of
books that revolves around mysteries and thrillers but this fantasy was so good that I can not
wait to read its sequence. What a funny and delightful book this is.

Adraa and Jatin are betrothed. Each was royal to their kingdom and only met once when they
were still little. Their first meet was not even pleasant at all because Adraa had just slap Jatin in
the face for offending her witchcraft. After that, they just communicate through letters and did
not know what the other looks like as they are now older, wiser, and stronger. That was just the
tip of the story you were going to unfold if you read this book. And to be honest, even after
finishing this one I still think that I just barely scratched this wonderful world of magic and
fantasy. That there are more beautiful things to learn and know about this book.

I can say that both Adraa and Jatin can be a great leader and hero for their kingdom. And what I
liked the most is their story full of action and romance. Their identities were a secret to each
other as they solve the dangerous criminal underground. They were even rivals but turn to be
lovers. For some, they will think that their affair was too quick-witted but I will tell you that it was
the perfect setting for the story to come.

I can only say a few more words and that is I can not wait for its sequel.

Cast in Firelight comes out next this week, and I could not be more excited. If you haven't yet pre-ordered your copy of Cast in Firelight, here are five reasons why you should cherish this book and add it to your bookshelf.

Cover lust. ❤️ I'm pretty sure this is a very good reason to admire this book and want to have a copy of your own, right? RIGHT?!

A perfect built romance. Cast in Firelight brings together two of my favourite romance tropes: hate-to-love and arranged marriage. Adraa's and Jatin's first meeting does not go well -- there might have been a punch or a slap. It depends on whom tells the story. Since then, the two developed a very competitive relationship -- "whatever you can do, I can do it better." All in all, they pretty much push each other to be better -- as well as they push each other buttons. It was great to follow their rivalry and then see it blossoming into love.

Secret identities. Who does not like a good deceiving game? After almost a decade without seeing each other, Adraa and Jatin have no clue of how each other looks. When their paths finally cross, they do not recognize each other. With no knowledge of their true identity, Adraa and Jatin start working together (and they start trusting each other) under a different identity to save Belwar from drug lords and thieves.

Wickery. Before I ramble about what I enjoyed about the world-building, there are some pertinent issues, which have been raised, that must be addressed. Although Cast in Firelight is strongly inspired by Indian culture, Dana Swift isn't POC -- her husband is. As she wrote in a note, she wrote this story for their future children. Nevertheless, I'm not sure if there are inadequacies regarding the world-building resulting from Orientalism (even though her husband and his family did seem to have had a saying on the story). Please, read own-voices reviews to be sure that there is nothing wrong regarding representation -- these reviewers will be able to point out if their culture is correctly depicted.

All of this said, while I cannot discuss if the representation is done correctly, I want to say that I did enjoy this colour-based magic system. Every kind of magic and God/Goddess has a colour. Those who can do magic are marked -- they are marked with the "touch" by the Gods and Goddesses. Of course, in Adraa's situation, she is only marked by Erif, Goddess of Fire (and more I cannot say). Moreover, I was caught up by the criminal underworld of Belwater, the political intrigue and the royal trials.

The ending. Do not worry that I will not be spoiling the end of Cast in Firelight. 😋 I absolutely loved how it didn't break my heart. Also, I loved that there was not a major cliffhanger (there was still a cliffhanger), and yet I can't wait to read the next book in this duology. I must know what comes next in Adraa's and Jatin's journey!

Thanks for the free book [aka my first ever physical ARC] @PRHGlobal/@prhinternational in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley for the free Arc

I really enjoyed this story and thought it was well written, fast-paced, and fun.

The "enemies" to lovers with an arranged marriage was so well done. It was never "enemies" to a point I hated either one, but more of rivals/distrust to lovers.

It has some really fun secret identity moments where both lead characters are concealing who they really are. The magic is really cool as well with it being elemental and having magic users being blessed by the gods.

There is also a moment in the story where the main female has her period and it is shown as just, normal. She mentions cramps and the male lead basically just goes, oh okay and makes her the magical Midol potion to help her. No " that's gross", I liked that little moment that broke the stigma.

The ending is really well done and while we solve one thing, we are set up for more to come in the story which I am excited about.

In some ways I really enjoyed this book, but in others I found it rather lacking. Part of this could be that I read an arc, but I feel like some of the ideas were sort of half-baked. First there would be talk of Jatin being 'the' Raja of Naupure, and then there would be talk of some other random raja or rani and then poof there's only one again? The familial ties between the royal families were a bit confused as well. The magic system, while interesting, also seemed to suffer - the names of the Gods were just... their power spelled backwards? Ice magic is Dloc (cold), fire magic is Erif (fire), healing magic is Leah (heal)... There were also several places where I wished the writing were tighter or where I ended up confused.

But at the same time, I loved the enemies to lovers -- and not just enemies to lovers, but betrothed enemies to mistaken identity lovers! -- and Andraa and Jatin's love for their people and wish to help them. The magic system (aside from the names) is cool and makes for very satisfying battles. And the chemistry between Andraa and Jatin is real, despite their false identities.

Going with three stars as I'm wavering between the good and bad points. I will be interested to see what happens in the sequel but I might not seek it out immediately.

I was provided an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This may be one of the most talked about YA books in 2021.

Cast in Firelight has everything a YA fantasy should have. The magic system makes sense, and it's easy to follow. The stakes are high, but they come at a pace that keeps the reader engaged throughout the entire book. The two leads are interesting, flawed, and easy to root for.

At times, the book falls into well-known tropes and cliches, but they're used in a way that does not feel like you're reading the same story for the 5th time.

The books ends in a way that is satisfying but still sets up the plot for book two, but the reader won't be left angry or overly anxious. Instead, it feels like part one wraps up as intended so the wait for part two isn't quite as painful.

4 STARS

Adraa and Jatin have not met in nine years, but their arranged marriage looms, along with a new threat to their kingdoms, and a new facet to their relationship.

For nine years, Adraa and Jatin have exchanged letters as a betrothed couple. Hiding in those letters, though, have been hints of magical competition, each trying to outdo the other's magical achievements while simultaneously avoiding the pending marriage their parents set up for them as children. Their competitive streaks run high, and when they finally meet again, it's under false names in a bid to make Belwar a safer place.

In trying to secure the kingdom and do right by the people, Adraa and Jatin must face powerful spellcasters, a threat that runs deeper than anticipated, and worst of all, their own securities. And they must do all of this while trying to resist falling in love outside the bounds of the marriage they are expected to complete soon.

Of course, this is a YA fantasy novel with headstrong leads and magic in spades. I don't think I have to tell you that nothing goes quite according to plan!


In a word, Cast in Firelight is energetic!

From the start, I actually loved the tone of the book. In some ways, the fast-paced narration and personal chapter titles reminded me of Percy Jackson. While not quite as oddball and witty as PJO, they have a sort of fire and life to them that reminds you this story is about a couple of eighteen year old kids trying to shoulder the responsibilities of whole countries. They're in over their heads and doing their best, and they've also got some pretty strong feelings to grapple with at the same time. It's a recipe for confusion, especially on an emotional level.

But it also makes it fun! While I'm not normally a fan of things that seem to fall under the category of insta-love, Adraa and Jatin's relationship was still a blast. Masquerading as Jaya and Kalyan, they meet as equals with shared purpose, and interact outside of societal expectations in a way that feels genuine. That feeling is freeing for both of them, and results in some fun banter and closeness that made their stories enjoyable.

Of course, I could have done without some of the intentional miscommunication. You can only drag out lying about your identity for so long.

And this fast, lively narration also seemed to do the world-building a disservice. As much as I loved the characterization, I feel like we lost a lot in terms of the world. The kingdoms are apparently close enough that flying between them takes an hour for a skilled magic-user? The gods' blessing is the source of magic, which comes in nine varieties? Only royalty can master all nine varieties of magic?

(The gods' names are all English words spelled backwards? I admit I rolled my eyes at this.)

Basically, I think there's a lot more of Wickery that I'd like to see. There's a lot we missed because of how close and personal the narration is, and how much it centers on Adraa and Jatin in relation to each other, without a deeper look at their friends and families. Gain one thing and lose another, in essence.


I expect some folks will be concerned that this is not an OwnVoices story, though, which is understandable.

The author is white, and fully acknowledges that. However, she also married into an Indian-American family, and says in her acknowledgements that the world of Wickery is meant to be a world her future children can see themselves in. That's not to say it's perfect representation (I'm not Indian, so I can't speak to the quality of Indian culture that Cast in Firelight features), but it strikes me as coming from a more sincere and respectful place than just selecting a South Asian source of cultural inspiration on a whim. Stories by Indian authors still deserve front and center attention, that is entirely true, but this does not feel as exploitative as people might assume from just looking at Dana Swift's author photo.

I figured this was worth mentioning, particularly for anyone who was under the impression that this book was an OwnVoices title. I also hope publishing realizes that marketing this as a title comparable to books like We Hunt the Flame and An Ember in the Ashes takes advantage of the work of authors of color to prop up a white woman's book, which I am less thrilled with than Dana Swift writing a book featuring a culture she has close personal ties with.


Cast in Firelight is a fun, speedy read, and a solid debut!

It releases this coming Tuesday, January 19th, and if you're a fan of PJO or rivals to lovers stories, this might just be a read you need to check out! It's enjoyable and a quick read, two qualities that gave it the power to break my reading slump. For that alone, I think, I have to commend it. Reading slumps are tricky things to shake!

Slump talk aside, I do think Cast in Firelight is a bright addition to shelves, and I hope it receives some love as it releases. Sometimes, I think enjoyable goes a long way beyond perfect, and this is a splendid case of that.


CW: loss of a loved one, drug use, addiction, violence, animal death, gore, sexual harassment


[This review will go live on Hail & Well Read at 10am EST on 1/16/21.]

I would like to thank TBR and Beyond Tours, Netgalley & Dana Swift for providing me with a review copy for the promotional tour!

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book from the beginning and I was constantly wanting to read chapter after chapter! The chapter titles were witty which made diving into each of them much more enjoyable. I felt a bit stupid in the beginning when I was trying to memorize the Gods’ names so that I wouldn’t be confused throughout the story only to realize that it was just their powers written in reverse and I don’t know if it’s for the readers’ benefit so it would be easy to remember or just lazy writing 🙈

The story picked up immediately! Adraa and Jatin’s alternating POVs were easy to follow and I loved reading from both their perspectives! I wasn’t expecting so much tropes to be involved in their relationship alone since we had rivals-to-lovers, mistaken identities and arranged marriage but all of those worked so well together to make the friendship turned romance such a delight to read! I loved Adraa so much and most of the time I was cheering her on to stop selling herself short bc of the insecurities she had but every time she would showcase her skills, I was blown away by how much of a powerful witch she was! Also with Jatin, though he was an established wizard, I liked seeing him working on the parts of himself that still needed improvement and I felt that those scenes showed how human they are despite the positions they were destined to inherit.

I quite enjoyed the colorful magic system they had especially with the 9 types of powers corresponding to a certain color! It was such a smart way to keep readers invested in the magic despite being many.

As for the plot, it was quite fast paced! In the beginning as we see Adraa and Jatin’s first meeting then immediately fast forwarding to the future and seeing the both kingdoms in Adraa’s eyes was so captivating! I liked seeing the progress she had with her magic skills especially when we dove into the cage casting plot and to them getting in the bottom of the issue with the Vencrim and Bloodlurst. I loved that with this, we see more of the world and development between characters! Besides the main characters, I also love their relationships with their individual close friends and families! Though towards the end, it felt a bit lackluster. I was expecting a more explosive scene from when they unraveled the secret regarding their identities but it felt anticlimactic. More so when it was followed by insta-lovey scenes. Then there’s the whole bit with the Gods and the villain which felt rushed and not as intense as I wished so by the end of it, I was just glad it was over 🙈

Overall, this was a nice YA fantasy to get into and I highly recommend it to fans of that genre! I can’t say much about accuracy of the South Asian influence but I liked that there was diversity in the characters! With that said, I’m excited to read the next installment in the Wickery series!

Loved this story quite a bit, it was romantic, with two brashly competitive love interests. I loved the plot and I honestly can't wait to see what is going to happen in the next book. The magic system was fascinating and clever, and added a complex layer to the storyline. It was uncomplicated enough that I feel like readers can catch on well, but not so simple that it's really obvious. Definitely reccommend!

Cast in Firelight took a few chapters to suck me in, but by the time we get Jatin's perspective, I'm sold. It was chapter four when I was calling my mom to gush about my newest book boyfriend. Loyal, sweet, soul that he is.
Based off the description, I was expecting totally different than what I got, which I think made me appreciate the way the story unfolds even more. Not one, not two, but three mistaken identities? A would be love triangle condensed into a straight line? Powerful wholesome lovely characters? It was a great quick read.
I was easily lead by both characters and found myself excited to get both of their perspectives throughout the story, But Jatin with his wholesome heart was definitely my favorite character to live through.
Ultimately, I give this book a 3.5 stars. I enjoyed it. I even cried. I will definitely read the second one when it comes out. But, the story didn't divert me in the same way other books sometimes capture me.

Thank you Penguin Teen Canada for the copy of this book!
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A fantastic YA fantasy that I was completely engrossed in. We have Adraa and Jatin, who have been betrothed since they were younger. Their union with combine both their kingdoms, which will make them strong. But they aren’t sure if they really want to marry each other. Adraa things Jatin is arrogant, and Jatin thinks Adraa believes herself to be too good for him. But when they join forces to route out evil in the kingdom, they start to learn a bit more about each other!
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I loved Adraa as the main character! She’s strong and funny and wants to do everything she can to make her kingdom better! She’s also a powerful witch and I really enjoyed reading about how she practices and uses her magic for good! There are lots of things happening in this book that make it interesting, and if you like YA fantasy, then you should definitely check this one out!
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CW: some violence, death of a loved one.

Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift stands out among the various fantasy titles floating around the YA shelves today. Swift's world is unique and imaginative, the relationship between Adraa and Jatin (both as themselves and as the false identities they take on with one another) is entertaining and certain to give readers all of the feels. Fans of enemies to lovers will love the dynamic between the two royals!

I really enjoyed reading this book! It was a fun, quick fantasy romance with great characters, a super interesting magic system, and so many great bits of Indian culture, from the food to the clothing. Anytime Adraa was talking about wearing a sari or a lengha, I was like ahhh! I have those (it makes me ridiculously happy every time I see anything Indian in a book because there were like no books with anything Indian in them when I was a teenager). The plot was interesting- I liked that Adraa had created the firelight and that she was selling it for pennies so that everyone had access to it. I love that she was a spy. It was a little weird to me that she was closer to her intended fiance's dad than she was to her own family and she would go to him for advice, but to each their own. I love that both her and Jatin were pretending to be someone else when they met each other and just kept going along with that. The pacing was great- I never felt bored or that things were moving too fast or slow. Overall, I was a big fan of everything about Cast in Firelight and I can't wait to read book two when it comes out!

Link to review to come on 1/18

I thought perhaps it would have a slow start like Shielded which shared the same sort of Fiancé element which I ended up really enjoying. But I think I wasn’t really okay with the lies between this set of ‘set-up’ lovers, I think perhaps because it felt like their reasonings were weak for how long the charade may have continued in the ‘I’m not so and so, I’m so and so, and you’re so-and-so.’ After a while it felt more like page filler than an actual plot point.

It was a decent read, I was disappointed because I thought it would be a bit more than that for me, but it wasn’t horrible, I wouldn’t say no to it, and I think it’ll really appeal to a lot of people.

If you like Shielded or The City of Veils, I think this would be worth adding to your TBR. Thanks so much to PRH International and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a truly delightful tale. More of a dislike to like than enemies to lovers, but still one of my favorite tropes.
The characters are relatable and likable. Their adventures together are action filled and exciting. This whole book had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.
I found this to be a very easy read and a good “get out of a reading slump” book.

Looking forward to more from this world!

I received an advanced copy of Cast in Firelight as a host for TBR and Beyond Tours so that I could share my review with you!

Magic comes in nine forms, each represented by a different color and claimed by a different God or Goddess. Few people can control more than a few of the colors, but Adraa and Jatin can control eight and nine respectively. Adraa and Jatin are engaged to be married, but they haven’t seen each other in person since they were children. In those years apart, they developed a steady rivalry by constantly competing with each other’s achievements. Magic comes in nine forms, each represented by a different color and claimed by a different God or Goddess. Few people can control more than a few of the colors, but Adraa and Jatin can control eight and nine respectively. Adraa, the royal heir to Belwar, has created a revolutionary new use for red magic, her forte, but she feels as though even that is not enough to outmatch Jatin, who has skill in all nine types of magic. Jatin, for his part, isn’t sure what his homecoming will hold. After spending so many years away learning to master his magical crafts, does he really have any business becoming a ruler? Their first time meeting as adults approaches, along with countless challenges in their kingdoms. Without a doubt, this meeting of heirs will shake their kingdoms to their cores, but who will be left standing at the end of the day?

You can get your copy of Cast in Firelight on January 19th from Delacorte Press!

My favorite part of Cast in Firelight was the system of magic Dana Swift developed! The way that each of the colors of magic had a different capacity was extremely interesting to read about. I’m so excited for more information on the conclusion of this duology, because I can’t wait for the next book!

My Recommendation-
If you love the use of mistaken identities in stories, you should definitely check out Cast in Firelight! This book would be a good pick for those who enjoy well-developed systems of magic with fierce characters!

“Society tells us that as women we need a man to be something. We don’t.”

That quote alone should make you want to read this NOW, and I mean NOW.

I picked up Cast in Firelight mainly because of two things: I saw arranged marriage somewhere in the summary; and the cover is stunning.

Arranged marriage is one of my favorite literary tropes and of course I expected banter and snarky attitude but other than that I didn’t know what else to expect which made it more intriguing.

The magic system in Cast in Firelight is by far the most colorful I have ever encountered and I loved it! Every magic spell is equivalent to a color that made my mind whirl in the most vivid way. The story touched a lot of topics about stigma, stereotypes, culture, politics, unfair treatment towards women and other modern day issues - the story was so relatable it provided me a glimpse of what the author wanted her book to promote which was equality and fairness. And the tropes! Oh the tropes, I thought it stops at arranged marriage but no! Secret and mistaken identities, rivals to lovers, vigilantes, badass heroine - it’s a lovely collection of tropes with Asian-Indian cultural references.

Written in the POVs of Jatin and Adraa, where would I start? Just thinking of these two makes me giggle like an idiot. Jatin, the heir of Naupure, a wizard who mastered all nine colors of magic was competitive and arrogant in Adraa’s eyes. Adraa, the heir of Belwar, who was in constant judgement because she’s different from being a “normal” witch. These two are so adorable! Their little competition, the love letters, their lines were endearingly cheesy. The character development was spot on considering this is just the first book, they started as corny teenagers to characters making hard decisions and making sacrifices for the good of all.

The only thing that stopped me from giving this a solid five star rating was because one of the minor conflicts/the big secret (which was a constant topic for more than twenty chapters) was revealed and was resolved too quickly for my liking. I expected a bit more drama but that does not mean I did not like it because I did, I just wished it was longer. I also wished that the names of the Deities were a bit more creative and not just the elements spelled backwards.

I enjoyed reading cast in Firelight and would recommend this to anyone who loves a fun and colorful magic system, royalties, badass heroines and elemental magic. A solid debut hands down, Congratulations Dana Swift!

This was such a great read to start off the year! The characters, the romance, the tropes, the twists and turns, the magic system… all of it was just so much fun!

Cast in Firelight is told in dual 1st-person POV between Adraa and Jatin, two royal heirs who have been engaged since their youth. However, they haven’t seen one another since they were children, so their impressions of one another haven’t changed since one unfortunate incident. They’ve developed a long-distance rivalry over the years, and therefore neither of them is looking forward to marrying. Unbeknownst to them, they’re brought together in a case of mistaken identities to investigate the criminal underbelly of the city. As they find themselves falling deeper in love, they become caught up in a dark plot that’s more complicated than they could have ever imagined. The external conflict meshes perfectly with the internal conflicts surrounding Adraa’s and Jatin’s powers and duties, creating a compelling and high-stakes story. Their witty banter is endearing and funny without coming off as stilted, and the development of their romance is believable and so tension-filled that I couldn’t wait for them to finally be together!

While I can’t speak to the Indian/ South Asian inspiration fused into this book, I absolutely loved the complex, color-based magic system. It made the visuals for the world and even the battles extremely vivid and unique, while also adding an extra layer of awe to this already fantastical world. In addition, the usage of bright colors throughout the story made it feel more light-hearted than many YA fantasies of late. While the plot definitely had its dark moments, the romance combined with the rainbows of color throughout provided a much needed mood-boosting read during the difficult months of late.

Dana Swift packs a healthy number of plot elements into this book, and they are woven together so well that it was easy to keep them all in order. I found myself constantly wondering what would happen next! Not only did the rivals-to-lovers plus the arranged marriage plus the mistaken identities tropes make for a refreshing take, but this book also contained elements of vigilante/superhero justice, a complex system of gods and goddesses, family drama, underground cage fighting, a criminal drug ring, and a mystery factor surrounding the true villain. Lastly, this novel offers poignant commentary on equality and social justice, and it handles each of these aspects incredibly well.

With that said, I’m so excited for the second book! I hope it continues to play on the dynamic elements of book #1 while building on the well-established characters and world. Goodreads says this series will be a duology, but based on some of the comments it sounds like it might be a trilogy? Either way, I absolutely cannot wait!

Thank you to Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press and Dana Swift via Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Cast in Firelight takes us to the fantasy world of Wickery. In it, there's a fun and easy-to-understand magic system based on nine colors. Each is blessed by a particular god/dess in the pantheon. Witches and wizards have a forte in a particular type but can have abilities for any number of them, with the most powerful rulers accessing all nine.

Rani Adraa has been betrothed to Raja Jatin since childhood. Academic rivals, they write fake love letters to one another that appease their families but hide a secret tally as they try to one up each other with magic. Except for one brief (and disastrous) introduction as children, they haven't been around one another in person. So when they meet wearing false identities, it's the perfect opportunity for them to bond without their arranged marriage and battle for magical supremacy coming between them. The two team up to investigate a gang threatening Adraa's country, fighting undercover in magical underground cage fights (think LOK pro-bending but fewer rules) and running around as masked vigilantes.

I enjoyed the story's magic system and the growing affection between our two leads that doesn't rely on typical angsty ya tropes. When Jatin makes Adraa a potion for her period cramps, it is truly the epitome of romance and open communication (it's a low bar until you consider how rare this is in books). It's almost like this is a normal, non-embarrassing biological process *side-eyes society.* The plot is a bit predictable and I would've liked to know the characters in greater depth, but it is an enjoyable story and a credit to the genre.

It makes me really uncomfortable that the publishers market this book as OwnVoices by comparing it to works written by ACTUAL OwnVoices authors (For example: Sabaa Tahir). Let's get one thing straight: This is NOT an OwnVoices novel. This book is written by a white author, and it is not her story to tell. From what I've heard, the author "took inspiration" from her husband's culture, but what kind of excuse is that? A pretty bad one, if you ask me. This book is deeply problematic, and I feel bad for innocent readers who go into it thinking it's an OwnVoices story, when that couldn't be further from the truth.