This book was super refreshing and new! I am totally into witches right now and this was such a unique story. I loved the play of light and dark and how that worked together.

Not related to the book, but I had trouble downloading it on the app so it still needs a bit of work.

ANYWAY, back to the review! I found this an easy and interesting listen. I listened to it in one sitting and I was invested in the characters throughout it. In some ways, I got Selection vibes, which is totally fine because I loved that entire series so much.

I will definitely be interested to read more by this author. The cover is fantastic and I also enjoyed the narrator!

I thought this book had an excellent concept and I really wanted to like it. Unfortunately, overall, it fell flat. I just wish there'd have been more development and it had run along with the interesting premise. If it had added something or had built the plot around it and played with it, it could've been great. However, with how it was presented, it turned into a sort of one-dimensional chosen-one story with lacking world-building.

Moreover, I couldn't really get invested in the story for two reasons. Firstly, I couldn't connect to any of the characters. Secondly, the pacing was odd for me. It was a getting from point A to point B type of story, taking place in an extended period of time, but the chapters were very short (which isn't a contradiction in itself, but in this case it didn't work). We had to follow the characters through this very long journey, but it's not like it was altroughout building up to something, or at least I didn't feel like it was. But then, if it's more of a character-driven story, I couldn't connect to them in any way. The only character that made me feel something was the one who called out the main character.

Lastly, it was enjoyable as an audiobook. I think the narrator, McKenzie Fetters, did a pretty good job despite the fact that sometimes I felt like the voices were a bit over-the-top for my liking.

Great potential but I couldn't get into it.

I enjoyed and appreciated what the author attemped. Although light/dark allegories for depression is a bit overt, it worked well for her fantasy plot.

Although there was a romance, it wasn't instant and it was not the main driving plot of the story.

As someone eho suffered depression as a teen, I appreciated the small bits of anxiety and depression 'symptoms' the characters had: not washing hair, falling asleep during stressful events. 

I give this book 4 stars

This was so good!! Especially the last 50% I couldn't put it down!! I love the story and how slowly Siria got to know her true self (is that how you write her name?) 
I love the storyline and the world building and the magic in it even though it's an already use concept of light and darkness but at least for me it was really well done! 
I truly enjoy this book and I hope we get to see more about this world of Light after 15 years of darkness.

I really enjoyed Ignite the Sun. The narrator was good but at times when excited or irritated she would get a little pitchy. This was at times off putting. I however, enjoyed her narration through  majority of the story.

I think this story had more to give. The beginning wove into this fascinating story but the ending felt a little rushed. I think this should have been a duology. It was not left open for more it ended and wrapped up. I just felt the pacing was already done so well and then the ending felt like it was very sped up. I really did enjoy this book and loved the story. I only knocked off 1 point for the quicker ending. It is definitely a book I will recommend to fantasy lovers and my students who usually prefer standalone's.

Once upon a time there was something called the sun…

In the Kingdom of Terra-Volat, ruled by an evil witch, the citizens have not seen the sun in 16 years. Siria longs to please her distant parents and to be chosen by Queen Iyzabel  and move to the Royal City. Siria's whole life is thrown upside down during the choosing ball when unimaginable truths come to light.

I can't believe how quickly I read this book. I could not put it down. Almost straight away we were thrown into the action and the pace never seemed to slow. The chapters were short and I found myself breezing through the pages.

I loved the world building and I was honesty not expecting the mythical creatures that entered this world. I loved getting to know all the different species and their unique gifts. 

It was pleasantly surprising to see such a diverse group of main characters. Unlike your usualy YA fantasy with a group of teenagers coming to the rescue, the story follows a child, two teenages, a woman and an old man, all of varying species. While it takes time for some of these characters to warm up to one another they soon form a strong bond formed on bravery and mutual respect. 

While I do love the tropes of the lost orphaned princess turned chosen one it was fresh to see that Siria waa not destined to take the throne, but instead the Crown Prince had grown up in secret, preparing for the return of his sister and the return of the sun.

While I strongly enjoyed this book, there are a few things that stopped me from giving it 5 stars.

While the action and suspense started early in the book, we never actually got to see any of it. Everytime things got tough and arrows start flying Siria suddenly passes out or is magically sent away to safety. She always walked away relatively unharmed. This really dulled the story and I almost found myself loosing interest.

I also wasn't the biggest fan of the romance. I didn't feel any sort of connection with these characters and really was not invested in their relation. 

While this was a great debut novel, there is plenty of room for the author to grow and I can't wait to read what she writes next. All in all I rather enjoyed this story and I recommend it you enjoy stories of mythical creatures and quests to save the world!

I received a free eARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Siria Nightingale has always felt a drawing to the light, the stories of the sun but in her world, this is far from reality. Siria lives in a Kingdom of Darkness. Queen Iyzabel has made the lands believe that the sun is dangerous and evil, and the darkness is their friend.
On her 16th birthday Siria finds out that she is none other than the soul surviving ‘sun child’. This scene was thrown at the reader way too quickly, I think a better foundation of the land, magic system, why the darkness is better, Siria’s fondness for the light should have been developed a little more.
Siria and her childhood bestie, (obviously who is a male… obviously she loves him, and he loves her... oh the tournament) flee the land with her grandfather and here begins their journey, to save the sun!
I am rating this as a 3-stars looking at it from a Middle Grade (MG) perspective, NOT a YA Fantasy. Siria lacks the character development and literally overcomes nothing. Everything is handed to this child on a silver platter. There was no moment in this book that I found I was in suspense, within a gripping moment, or wondering what would happen. well.
From a MG perspective, the language was well developed, the romantic side of this story was very much geared towards MG and the story was continuous – the ball kept rolling!

FYI I am totally up for the representation of a redhead with freckles. Rep-re-sent!

If I had two words to describe this book it would be adventurous and fun. It reminded me a lot of old time Disney. I liked the interesting world that it took place in and would definitely read any subsequent books.

I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in return for an honest review. 

I was immediately drawn to this book by the gorgeous cover and the synopsis. I had never read a book set in a world of complete darkness so I thought it would be a brand knew world that I would be jumping into. Sadly, as much as I liked the characters and addition of all the fantastical creatures, I felt that the character arcs and the world-building left a lot to be desired. 

For a world that sounded so intriguing, it did not feel unique at all. The first half seemed to be predominantly set in a forest, where I forgot that it was even a world with no light. Nothing really stood out to me as new. The powers were interesting, but they weren't enough to carry the story. I was close to DNFing it a few times, but pushed through, thinking the ending would be worth it. To me at least, this was not the case. 

I know some people will love this book for the whimsy, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

I enjoyed this debut! Siria was an interesting character and I enjoyed watching her develop over the course of the story. The idea of a sun child was original and kept me intrigued. The world building was also fantastic. It was interesting and Hanna Howard included just the right amount of details to keep me interest but not overwhelmed or bored. 

The book did come across as more of a middle-grade read, however.  I was bit surprised by more juvenile tone of the book, and I'm not sure if that is due to the narrator? I thought the narrator was great, she instilled good emotion into the story, but I went into this expecting a more mature, deeper story.

(8/24/2020) Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for providing an Audiobook arc! (3.5 stars rounded to 4 since I can't put half a star ratings)

Ignite the Sun was an entertaining tale about a girl seeking belonging. Siria Nightingale, the novel's protagonist, is a girl vying for a spot next to Queen Izyabel's court. The daughter of the noble Nightingales, Siria has a lot to prove. She's always been a little different, drawn to and curious about the mysterious tales about the sun. The sunlight of the previous kingdom of Luminor has been driven out of the kingdom of Terra-Volat by Queen Izyabel. She has also eliminated all but one sun-child, a seemingly (according to Izyabel) fire nymph that would have brought destruction to the lands. 

Although I found the novel overall to be entertaining, I have several qualms. 

I enjoyed Siria's character development throughout the novel. Although I found her to be a little over the top with her desire to serve Izyabel, the reasoning behind it is gradually explained. The other characters, however, mostly fall flat, except for Yarrow, an old gardener friend of Siria's. I don't think the side characters contribute enough for me to feel connected to them. I mostly found myself thinking that I don't want bad things to happen to them because I didn't want Siria to suffer rather than for them to not suffer.

The romance is one of my favorite tropes, the childhood friends to lovers. However, I think the build up didn't work for me. I think it didn't push up hill hard enough; I felt the yearning but not enough of it. That's my personal opinion though.

I felt as though not much really happened in the novel. It was mostly going from point A to B then fighting the big bad. This did allow for an exploration of the different races of the world. However, there isn't much we learn outside of Terra-Vollat. All I know is that Terra-Vollat is seeped in darkness but a place in the north is free from Izyabel's magic. I would like to know more about the rest of the world as well (are there sun children born in different continents as well? Why didn't anyone outside of Terra-Vollat do something about their plunge into darkness?)

The writing style felt very simplistic and elementary to me. That's not a criticism (this novel has a 16 year old protagonist and I get that's the intended audience!) rather an observation. 

The magic system and different races are one of my favorite parts of the novel. Howard includes some races that are usually not seen in novels (no faes thank god). However, I have to say that the characters in the novel that possess magic, have powers that are incredibly overpowered. There are several instances that characters are able to escape a difficult situation because someone uses a super enchantment and a certain character develops their powers very fast with very little training. 

Overall, I enjoyed Ignite the Sun, but I think there are things that can be improved upon for future stories. Just as a note: I also really liked the narrator of the audiobook!

This was another book from netgallery.com for review. And I have been sitting on it for a few days. Part of this is because I don’t really have anything significant to say about it, nor anything wrong. This book is all around okay, but it is also just okay. However, that maybe my age point and understanding. So, bare with me, this is a book I can see other people having quite different opinions on it than me. 
	Ignite the Sun is a young adult fantasy novel, following a young girl out of the manipulative control of the Evil Queen and her parents. It follows her to be the Hero who loves her friends. And it is, in a lot of ways, a very predictable young adult fantasy with a Chosen One at its center. If I was teaching the application of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Path, you could almost play bingo with this story. And while this isn’t a knock against it, as someone who has read a lot of these types of books and has studied in depth the Hero’s Path, it was almost too predictable. 
	Ah yes, here is “Refusal of Path” as they go through the hideous understanding that they are a sun-child – a mythical race in this world – in front of everyone. Siria has the point of meeting the mentor. There is a meeting with a child banshee for the “Tests, Challenges, and Allies” part. Returning with Elixir is the return of the sun. One thing I will say, if you want to teach a teenager about the Hero’s path, this book would be a banger for it because it’s self-evident and would be hard to miss. 
	Honestly? This isn’t bad for a lot of people, I know this. It’s just something I am personally getting sick of seeing, especially when it’s so checkpointed perfectly on the scale. Everything is perfectly aligned to Campbell’s Path – and I do think it’s an excellent point for studying stories, but it is not always the greatest for writing. 
	I did like that the romance isn’t shoe wedged in at the end. It is something established at the beginning and goes throughout. My personal taste isn’t super into the wordiness of how much the character longs for her love interest – but that’s my thing and something that I just count as a note more than a “problem” with the writing. Because at least it’s mentioned from the beginning and is brought throughout the novel and not like “surprised! The friends are really romantic pairing!” 
	This book might also be better for someone young because the main character can be a little on the whiny side at times. But like in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, everyone now gives Harry Potter a hard time – when you are fifteen, that level of complaining makes more sense, so maybe Siria is more understandable at that hyper-emotional state teenagers and pre-teens are in. Versus as a reasonable adult who is also living through a pandemic and my tolerance is a little shot. 
	So, I don’t say this is a bad book. It’s just not very memorable. There is nothing wrong with that, it’s just not going to shake up your world. It is an easy to digest book. 
	I did listen to this via audiobook and found the narration to also be more on the bland side of things. It wasn’t a bad performance, but I could also tune it out and had to bring myself back to it more than once.

I'm getting more and more into audiobooks and I really liked the narrator in this one. 

The book follows Siria, who has always felt out of place in the reign of darkness of Queen Iyzabel. She has bright red hair, a physical revulsion to the darkness, and dreams of the sun. 

I was very intrigued by the premise. I'm instantly drawn in by stories of rebels and dystopia in general, so I loved the overall worldbuilding and magic system. 

The romance was very sweet, Siria's growth strong and believable, but it all wrapped up a little too neatly for my liking.

I'd like to say a big thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me the audiobook to review.

“Once upon a time, there was something called the sun…”

And with this irresistible premise, Hanna C. Howard’s debut Ignite the Sun had my full attention (though that heart-stoppingly stunning cover didn’t hurt either). The novel’s protagonist is sixteen-year-old Siria Nightingale, who has never once in her life seen the light of the sun or felt the warmth of its rays. That’s because long ago, the kingdom’s tyrannical Queen Iyzabel decreed the sun dangerous and has since used her magical powers to shroud her entire realm in darkness, claiming to protect her subjects.

Still, despite not knowing what a life in the sun means at all, Siria somehow misses the light. Deep down, she also knows she’s different from the other girls at the uppercrust school she attends, and it’s not just because her flaming red hair and freckles make her stand out. She can’t help but be fascinated by the sun, and the only two people who seem to understand this yearning are her best friend Linden and his grandfather Yarrow, who frequently regales the children with stories of the good old sunlit days.

But then came the Choosing Ball, an opulent event in which the kingdom’s elite vie for a place on the royal court. However, what should have been Siria’s opportunity to prove herself instead turns into a night of explosions and complete disaster when she is revealed to be a long lost Sunchild, creatures of pure light magic that have been outlawed by Queen Iyzabel. At long last, Siria discovers the truth of why she’s so different, but now that her identity is out, she is marked for death. With the help of Yarrow and Linden, she manages to escape, but then receives another shock as her traveling companions admit they are not who she thinks they are. In fact, Yarrow is a mage and Linden is a wood elf, and the two of them have been watching over her all these years, waiting to help her realize her powers and return her to her true people.

Over the years I’ve read my fair share of YA fantasy, and in that time I’ve been exposed to a great number of tropes and conventions which the genre has thrown my way, and I have to say many of these can be found in Ignite the Sun. From the exiled Chosen One to the wise old wizard who guides her, much of the book reads like your classic quest narrative and hero’s journey, with very few surprises. Our adventuring party also picks up a couple extra members along the way, including a haughty water nymph and a sweet, young innocent banshee. There’s even a romance based around the tried-and-true cliché of the secret crush on the super-hot best friend, and following right on its heels, the good old “she must break his heart in order to spare him” trope. The ensuing result is this all-encompassing air of sentimental cheese and hokeyness, which I think readers will either find endearing or utterly tedious.

As for myself, I confess to falling into the former camp. Sure, Ignite the Sun might be predictable, but it’s predictable in all the ways you want it to be. The story and its characters are warm, comfortable and familiar, offering lively adventure and gentle laughs. This is the kind of novel you can fall into very easily, becoming swept up in the world, its people and their relationships. While there’s not much doubt at any point regarding the direction in which the plot is going, there are some unique elements sprinkled here and there along the way, spicing up an otherwise average fantasy setting. I found myself intrigued by the concept of a Sunchild, and enjoyed the way all manner of other mythical creatures inhabited this world and had special roles in Siria’s life.

Perhaps it’s not too surprisingly though, that it’s our protagonist’s own personal journey that shines through the most. When the book begins, Siria is a self-absorbed young woman who never questioned the reality of the way things were presented to her, even when all that was wrong was staring in her face. Her only concern was to be accepted, marching in lockstep with Queen Iyzabel’s desires like everyone else clamoring for her favor. Only when Siria has lost it all does she finally realize what truly matters. The transformation is gradual and convincing, ultimately becoming the most inspiring aspect of the novel.

At the end of the day, while I doubt Ignite the Sun will be winning any awards for originality or breaking new ground in YA fantasy, this charming and entertaining debut was nevertheless a joy to read. I believe readers will either love it or hate it depending on how they feel about certain tropes, but being able to go with the flow will surely make it easier to find comfort and a simple delight in the book’s familiar themes.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC, as well as the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review. 

All opinions are my own.

Siria Nightingale has lived in darkness her entire life, but secretly dreams of the sun. She hears stories about the sun from Lunden, her childhood friend, and his grandfather to gain any knowledge she can about the "evil" that is the sun. 
When Siria goes to the palace for a choosing ceremony, all hell breaks loose. She finds herself on the run, towards the sun, along with Lunden, his grandfather, and a few other outsiders. Siria must overcome the darkness, and "ignite the sun" in order to save the day. 

"The light will always conquer the darkness" is the main gist of this story. It is marketed as an allegorical journey of depression and anxiety. Knowing this, having read the synopsis, and seeing the GORGEOUS cover, I was extremely excited to read this book. It however, left me disappointed. 

The idea of light versus dark, using the sun, seems like a genious idea to me. This could have been so badass! The only badass part of the book was in the last 5%. During the journey to the sun, Siria is whiney, selfish, and weak. She only continues on her journey out of guilt. I am not a fan of a female main character that is weak and complaining nonstop. YOU ARE THE SUN CHILD!!   THE CHOSEN ONE!!  WHY ARE YOU CRYING??

Once Siria finally reaches the sun, she instantly becomes a different person. She sees the light, and allows it to fill her. (This is where overcoming depression comes in.) She is strong and confident. She knows what must be done. She forgives those that have wronged her on a whim. It just isn't realistic. 

As someone that has struggled with anxiety/depression most of my life, I can tell you that it doesn't work like this. Do NOT say that you just have to look towards the light. One glimpse of greatness does not make everything else go away. Yes, it is a journey, but it is not a straight line. There are detours, backtracking, and times where you just need to rest. 

I wish there would have been more details on the side characters and how they received their powers. In the end, I did enjoy the action at the end, as well as Siria using her powers to heal others (the one time she wasn't selfish). If there are other books to come, I will probably use the library, if at all.

*The following is based only on the audio portion, and not the story itself.*

The narrator did a good job when she was using her normal voice. The second she started doing fake accents, and the crying bits, I was annoyed. I debated turning the audio off, and just reading the book like normal.

So I'm giving this three stars which I give most books. I enjoyed it, but I was disappointed in this book.

This was such an interesting world and concept and even the plot itself had SO. MUCH. POTENTIAL. I think the book wasn't built up enough - I needed more. More of the world, more of Siria's life before and yet less introspection from Siria. She got better as the book went on, but she was very annoying at the beginning of the book. I also disliked how she conveniently wasn't there for any of the battles. I'm not a battle person so I wouldn't have minded it if it happened sometimes, but when it's every time it becomes too much. 

Despite all of this,  I did enjoy the book overall and I think that as a debut book, the author has a lot of potential.

The audiobook and narrator was enjoyable and I love listening to new narrators so thumbs up for that.

I received the audiobook for this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This one follows around Siria where she had no idea what would happen to her once she gets 'chosen' by the Queen. She has this immense need in herself to please her parents and wants to be chosen by the Queen, And well, it backfires a bit.
I did like the world-building and mystical creatures that were ever-present in this book.
I personally thought that Siria was quite whiny for the first half of the book and then she suddenly became so comfortable in her skin, in a matter of days. She had even mastered the powers that she was granted with in a short period of time, that I was kind of shocked.
The villain backstory really did not do much for me, and left me sourly disappointed. 
But overall, it was a decent read.

"Once upon a time, there was something called a sun." This is a fun, fantastical story about the way things used to be. About the search for light in a world of darkness. Which is very relateable actually, and a perfect escape for the current ways of the world. There is fantasy, mythology, and love, which always makes for a great story. I truly enjoyed the world that Howard built and would love to know more about the 'myths' of the old days!

Book 183 towards my goal of 280! 4/5 stars for this YA fantasy read! Great for fans of The Seventh Sun, or The Queen's Rising! Great characters, especially side characters. Unique magic system. Definitely recommend to someone who enjoys the genre! Narration was great! 
*I received this book in exchange for honest review from Netgalley*

I was not a fan of this book at all. 
The main character has o keep being told that they need her help, she is the 'chosen one'.
She just wants to go back to her cushy life and keeps complaining about everything.
The other characters are calm with her and very understanding.