The Boy with Fire is the first book in a new adult fantasy trilogy. This story is told from three different perspectives: Yassen Knight, an assassin who defected; Elena, heir to the crown; and Leo, the king. The beginning of the story had a lot to take in. There’s a lot of political backstory and an entire magic system to understand. There are a lot of nuances between the people of this world too. Overall, the first few chapters I found myself slowing down and rereading a lot in order to make sure I understood exactly what was going on in the story. The pacing does pick up, and the info dump lessens as the story progresses though.

Thank you to NetGalley and New Degree Press for providing me with a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5
A solid start to a new sci fi/fantasy series, perfect for fans of Brent Weeks.

The real joy of this book is in the worldbuilding. This novel is set in a new universe with advanced technology, but also the presence of ancient magic and monsters. The flora and fauna are a satisfying mix of familiar and alien, real-world flowers and birds sharing the page with fantastical trees and creatures. There’s a real sense of a history to this world, that there are legacies and legends and stories that don’t get covered in the narrative but still inform the culture and history of the societies and characters, which is terribly impressive and satisfying to read.

There are three point of view characters, and I found all of their PoV chapters fairly equally interesting. However, I didn’t grow deeply invested in any of them in a way I would have hoped to with a point of view character. I was more interested in the macro story than their individual growths, though I appreciated the way that their individual stories interwove with everything else going on. I found that the middle 50% of the book was a little slower-paced than I think was necessary.

I think this would be an excellent book for someone transitioning from YA to adult fantasy. The subject matter is certainly adult, and the book leans into some standard YA aspects in order to later question and twist them, which I think will be fun for someone straddling those groups in their reading.

To a certain extent, the flavor of the writing and worldbuilding, the interest in a complicated and morally grey world with fantastical and futuristic elements where everyone has underlying motives, remind me a great deal of Brent Weeks. Fans of Weeks’ works will probably have a great time with Aparna Verma.

Overall, the book was very good, if not my favorite new fantasy debut. The world is exciting and fresh, the socio-political tensions are high, and I think that the following books in the trilogy are likely to excite me more. I certainly plan to read the sequel when it arrives, and look forward to reading more from this author.

2.5★

the boy with fire is a bold, ambitious debut novel pitched as dune meets the poppy war in a world inspired by indian mythology.

i was so ready to love this book—and i did in fact, but only for the first 30% or so.



what i liked:

• world — the indian-inspired setting instantly pulled me in, the vibes served until the other issues kicked in, but it really kept my imagery vivid while reading. i liked the aura and the atmosphere of the world a lot.

• lore — fire magic system! the concept of the prophet and the phoenix was intriguing and really showed a lot of potential of where the story could go. i found there were a few plot holes and confusing limitations and inconsistencies with the magic system.

• prose — the writing was beautiful, which helped for when i was invested at the start. it was direct without being blunt and pretty without veering towards purple prose. but i did feel like there were a few “ya-esque” sentences just thrown in there to make it quotable, which took me out of the story sometimes.




what ruined it for me:

• pacing — i don’t really mind slow-paced beginnings because i know it all serves a purpose and i love getting to know the characters all in favor of rooting for them later (which was ruined by the next point) and also in favor of a grand finale when the pace does pick up, in this case, the last 10% (which i also couldn’t care for).

• underdevelopment — of the characters, therefore their dynamics, their ships, their stories and everything in-between. you can see how this affected my enjoyment of the book seeing as it is mostly character-driven. i needed more depth to them.

• characters — i loved yassen, elena and leo at first. but in the end i only found leo have the most interesting arc out of the three but it still felt like weak characterization. the other two were surface-level characterization, their arcs and the emotional attachment building depended on them having conversations about their past, which was forced and unrealistic.

• romance — so there was supposed to be enemies-to-lovers trope which,, where? i couldn’t tell you because i couldn’t become attached to the characters, let alone the romance. my love for both yassen and elena quickly plummeted when the book’s flaws really shown. both felt underdeveloped, the shift in their dynamic and especially the switch in beliefs was too quick to be realistic. so as a result, it came off forced and i naturally lost interest.



all in all, i think this book could’ve had a better execution of the interesting themes it proposed, reading it i felt like the author had a checklist of great things to include but unfortunately the delivery was just not that great, at least for me. nonetheless, it does have great potential to be an epic fantasy series, maybe my issues will be resolved in the next books but i’m not sure if i’ll carry on.

i feel like this could be an enjoyable book for young adult readers looking to get into adult fantasy! tbwf pretty much reads like YA, very easy and accessible writing and protagonist, but has adult characters in their twenties. it does deal with dark topics but not as dark as the poppy war or the descent of the drowned.

content warnings: war themes, immolation, self-immolation, death of loved ones.

— digital arc provided via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

the writing is great, the characters are OK, the setting is wonderful, and the lore is detailed. i liked the blend of sci-fi and Indian culture and mythology. i also liked the phoenix lore and the fire magic, but i had some minor issues with it that affected my enjoyment:

1. romance - i was led to believe that the romance is enemies-to-lovers but i feel like i've been lied to. the romance was underdeveloped, so even with the enemies-to-lovers hint, i was shocked to see how attached they were to each other. a few conversations about the past does not make for a good development. there was no chemistry between them, so i was so surprised to read the intimacy on page.

2. pacing - i can forgive nothing happening in the first half of the book, because we need build up and context for the climax after all, but my patience was not rewarded. the "intense climax" did not make me feel a thing. i did not feel the stakes. it all felt shallow to me.

3. characters - i know i said the characters are OK, but that is all they will ever be. unfortunately, i did not feel an emotional attachment to any of the three. Elena's character fell flat for me. she did not differ from the typical protagonists in books. Yassen's character was decent, but i feel like his motivations remained vague to me. Leo's character was maybe the best developed out of the three, and his plot is probably the most interesting out of the three POVs, but it was still kinda weak to me. i feel like the POVs should be reduced to two characters to improve the pacing and characterization.

i feel like i'd enjoy it more had i not been in a slump :( the book has a lot of potential though and i'm interested to see where the author will take the story. so overall, it's a decent adult fantasy debut!

I really liked this book; the story is gripping and well-written, the characters fleshed out and interesting (if not relatable). I wasn’t an overeager fan of the writing, but got used to it eventually. Overall 4/5 stars!

Thank you so much to New Degree Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

2021 really is the year of amazing South Asian fantasies. What first drew me into The Boy with Fire was the fact that Aparna Verma drew inspiration for one of the races of characters in her book, called the Yumi, from the female warriors the Hindu goddess Kali created (called the chandikas) after her epic battle against the demon Mahishasura. I love a good fantasy inspired by Hindu & Indian mythology and The Boy with Fire did not disappoint! I usually also stay away from Adult fantasy novels because the world-building and magic system is described in such a complex and intricate way that usually flies right over my head, but Aparna Verma did an excellent job of building a detailed world and describing it to the reader in such an effortless way that made it so easy to follow along. Overall, I’d give it 4.5 stars!

The Boy with Fire follows three separate characters: Yassen Knight, the Arohassin’s most notorious assassin now on the run from the authorities and his former employer after suffering a horrible accident; Elena Ravence, heir to the Ravence throne; and Leo Ravence; the current king and Elena’s father. Their stories intertwine and connect as Elena and Leo’s kingdom teeters on the edge of war and prophecy.

As mentioned, this story follows three characters: Yassen, Elena, and Leo. I love multi-POV books, but I was a little hesitant about how much I would enjoy reading chapters from Leo’s POV considering he’s a 60 year old man obsessed with keeping his crown. However, Leo’s chapters were still so engaging and interesting to follow. The political intrigue in this novel in general was actually really captivating--something that doesn’t normally draw me into fantasy novels. The Boy with Fire is also described as Dune meets The Poppy War, which is honestly so accurate. I love how this novel combines both sci-fi and fantasy elements, again, in an effortless manner. There are also small modern aspects (in the dialogue, articles of clothing, accessories, etc.) that added to the ambiguity of what kind of era the novel being both a sci-fi and fantasy novel.

I think my only issue with this book is that the relationship between Yassen and Elena felt a little unconvincing. This does feature a slowburn enemies-to-lovers relationship but the slowburn was a little too slow to the point that I didn’t really pick up on any romance between the two during the book, nor did I believe that Yassen and Elena actually cared for one another at the end of the book. The last third of the book, though, was a complete rollercoaster. Everything just started going south even after everything was going so well for our characters. I was also completely shocked by the plot twist/reveal in the epilogue. I thought I had guessed the twist while reading, but turns out I was dead wrong.

Definitely consider picking this book up if you are looking for another Adult fantasy, especially one that is South Asian inspired! I can’t wait for everyone to read this book in August :)

rating: 3.5
Thank you netgalley for providing me with the ARC of this book. I heard about tbwf from twitter and i have to say it did not disappoint. It’s beautifully written with complex characters and betrayal and a crazy twist at the end (so excited for book 2!!!) Elena is a baddie, the world building was super fun. this book definitely had a slow start, which made the first few chapters hard to get through but it really picks up half way through and you can’t help loving and getting attached to the characters.

i rounded up for mad king leo’s fine self, talkin’ ‘bout some “He was the sun that beat down from the heavens; he was the twin moons that helped Alabore build his kingdom. He was leo, the king of Ravence...” IKTR!!! neva eva wrong!

First things first, I'm in love with Samson Kytuu.

Now that we've established that, let me mention some of the other things I loved about this novel: the intricate world the author spun, the prose, the twists (I very dramatically slapped my mouth at least a couple of times), and the rest of the cast. From fierce and loyal Ferma, to conflicted Yassen, stubborn and disciplined Elena, and, the driving force of the book, completely unhinged king Leo; I cared about all of the characters and, moreover, understood their motivations. One of my "things" with multiple POV books is that there's always I character whose POV I don't care much for, but in the case of this book it didn't really happen. The world of Sayon is a beautiful mix between Hindu mythology and science fiction, and I really liked it. From it's cities full of technology, to the power of fire.

I do think the pacing could be improved. Sometimes it got a bit slow, mainly focusing on world and character building, but then it would speed up and brush over plot points and points in the characters' development that could've been more poignant had we spent a bit more time in them. This is true also for the relationships, especially the romance.

All in all, though, I think this is a solid debut and I'm super excited to get to see more of this world, the cast and their shenanigans in the sequel!

"To be forgiven, one must be burned"

I really liked this book, it has similar vibe as The Poppy War, but it is really slow at first, so I kinda struggle to get through this, but it was worth it, the world building is amazing and the morally grey characters are ✨chef's kiss ✨
4/5⭐

Thank you NetGalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

More of a 3.5 but I’m rounding up.

CW: burning of people, reference to past suicide(sacrifice)

I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book since the first time it showed up on my Twitter tl, because I’m always excited for a desi author debut and the cover with my favorite color was very enticing. And it turned out to be quite fun.

The writing of this book was quite easy to get into, though finding myself grounded in the world took a bit of time. The author is pretty good at descriptions, and I particularly gasped at the feeling of the desert heat and sand dunes, as well as the painful nature of fire. It took me a while to see where the story was going but I never guessed the most important twists and betrayals, so that was quite fun. But the one surprise which took me a while to get over was realizing that this is a technologically advanced fantasy world - with both hoverpods and tanks and pulse guns, as well as staunch belief in gods and prophecies and Fire magic - I don’t always encounter such worlds and I’m still not sure if I’m completely in love with it, but the author made the blend of the two feel seamless which was pretty cool.

Wow is this a book where I don’t know what to feel about the characters, but not exactly in a bad way. All three of the main POVs really skirt the line between black and white and it’s upto us as readers to decide what we feel about them. One is a king who probably wants his daughter to have a better kingdom to rule, but he is also consumed by his need for power and control and can’t accept that his actions maybe wrong. The Princess and Queen to be loves her people and wants everlasting peace, but worries more about mastering the fire until she realizes this power is all she has left if she wants to fight for her people’s survival. And finally we have a traitor, an assassin, a broken man torn between two homes both of which never accepted him, who yearns to be free but truly doesn’t know what it means. There were a couple of very memorable side characters whom I really enjoyed getting to know, but don’t want to spoil anything by talking more about them. The romance element is barely there but I was glad for it because the circumstances of the story didn’t make for ideal conditions for love to bloom, but I’m sure we’ll get more of it in the sequel.

On the whole, this was an entertaining story with compelling characters and an underlying theme of the greedy nature of power and what it can lead to. I will be very honest, I’m not sure this is something I will wanna reread, but I definitely wanna know what happens next and will look forward to the next installment.

This book was so much fun, exactly as described! I loved getting to know each and every character, and can’t wait until the official release!

Big thank you to NetGalley for providing this free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I cannot believe this is a debut novel for Aparna Verma! This high fantasy, inspired by Indian myth, is a thrilling story of redemption. One of my favourite aspects is when each chapter has a quote at the beginning. These quotes happen to be some of the best I've read so far. I want to share some that I noted while reading.

"To be forgiven, one must be burned."

"And thus the Phoenix rose with eyes afire and a cry of vengeance upon Her lips."

"The night when Alabore Ravence built his kingdom, it is said that men feasted on starlight. For it was Alabore Ravence who brought the heavens closer to Sayon, who brought the power and mystique of the Phoenix into a real, solid hearth. The desert may be unforgiving, but it was spun from stardust, and to stardust it will go."

"There is no hard line between the servant and the sinner. There is only a soft blur, a delicate edge in which a man can lose himself."

The author seamlessly blends the ancient kingdom and its customs along with futuristic technology such as cameras, holopods, pulseguns, hovercars and trains etc. Even such, it doesn't feel different from any other fantasy set in an imagined kingdom.

Coming from Croatia, we don't have as big a selection of books, especially when it comes to Fantasy books. Most are with Western European folklore, and the few I've read set in India, seamed like they were written by westerners, for westerners. This book perfectly describes the charms of Ancient India. Reading it, I could feel the heat of the desert sun, smell the spices and jasmine, hear the music of the dhol drums and feel the silk of the sari as if I were wearing it.

This novel has several undertones, and the plot isn't as direct as I've gotten used to in the fantasy novels that came out in the last few years. Don't get me wrong, I love it! Books are supposed to be multilayered and complex, with twists and turns guiding us through the story, instead of being simple and direct. How is the audience supposed to engage with the story otherwise?

I would recommend this novel to everyone, especially lovers of Sci-Fi & High Fantasy and that is why I give it 5 out of 5 stars. It isn't even out yet, still I cannot wait to read the sequel! I'm practically squealing with excitement.

I've been trying to read this book for almost a few weeks, and it kept dragging on and losing my interest. I reached 59%. I guess this is just not for me!!

e-arc provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

"to be forgiven, one must be burned."

this has got to be one of the most well-crafted debut novels i've ever read. everything from the cast of characters -a future queen on a warpath, a sorrowful ex-assassin, and an increasingly unhinged dilf- to the world and its politics, felt as real and fleshed out as if this was the seventh book in a series.

the recent heat wave certainly helped, but the way the author writes just transports you right to the middle of a desert. the prose is simple enough not to get mixed up in, but at times so beautiful and lyrical i had to reread a passage thrice and write it down. and while the glossary may seem intimidating at first, i don't think this book would be as good as it was if it took place on Earth... But Magic™. i might not be fully clear on what a brenni looks like, but i want one.

i won't regurgitate the plot summary you've probably read, but i will say that it surprised me how the three different plotlines wove together and even ran parallel at times. it made for an exciting read, and seeing an event from multiple perspectives (while not just rehashing information i already have) definitely helped me get into the story a lot more than if it had been just one pov. that said, leo's perspective was definitely my favourite. not that i liked 95% of what he did, but it was fun to read about, in a 'detective trying to figure out the crime' kind of way.

the worldbuilding could be a bit heavy-handed at times, but i find that's the case with most fantasy books, anyway. my only real gripe was with the pacing, which could be inconsistent at times, but the last 15% of the book more than made up for it. and, of course, the epilogue chapter, which i read with a hand up to my mouth from shock alone. gonna have to start campaigning for a sequel first thing tomorrow. read 'the boy with fire', join the fight

Thank you to NetGalley and New Degree Press for the eARC!

The Boy With Fire was a great start to the Ravence Trilogy. The worldbuilding was stunning — a blend of the fantastical and the futuristic, set to the backdrop of the desert dunes and winds — and helped immerse the readers within the story easily. The characters were another plus; each of the main POV characters (as well as significant side characters) were developed with their own wants, needs, and moral compasses that, while not always pointing in the best direction, gave their actions depth.

I wish the pacing of this story had been a little better, as it started and ended strong, but dragged a lot in the middle. The characters helped keep the plot moving, but a bit too slowly for my tastes. Additionally, the romance that we all saw coming felt cliche and crammed in at the wrong time, and it distracted from the fiery stakes that the characters faced.

Finally, the plot twists absolutely ruined my week in the best way. I don't suppose I can ask for a book 2 before the first even releases, can I?

Final Rating: 4/5
+ Pros:
— diverse world and culture
— strong characters
— great worldbuilding
— plot twists !


+ Cons
— slow pace
— iffy main romance

Overall, I liked this book. The world building is unique and I especially liked how the character motivations were believable across their spectrum of high and low points. I am definitely curious as to where the story will go next, especially with the prophesy and the truth that was revealed.
Thank you for the e-ARC! I look forward to the next instalment.

"Belief is stronger than a god, more fragile than a feather."

This is my first (yay!) Indian mythology inspired read and it is extremely well-written. The three POVs did a great job in delivering the story, while the world building was interesting. I was impressed by the technology that they used because I initially thought that it'd have a historical setting. Although I have to admit that the first half of the book felt quite slow to me but the second half was absolutely amazing, I wasn't able to stop reading.

Elena's character development was brilliant, you really can't help but root for her the entire time. Yassen is just plain heartbreaking, while Leo..... He's really something else, that's for sure. I love how the characters (not just limited to these three) are morally grey, which makes it even more realistic considering the world that they live in.

There's a lot more left to unravel and I will be keeping an eye out for the sequels. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An amazing debut, with compelling characters, thrilling plot and thoroughly engrossing world building. This is a novel everyone should read if they love fantasy. Aparna's imagination is limitless, and I can't wait for what she cooks up for future installments!!

Arc provided by Netgalley for an honest review.
The Boy With Fire is advertised as a mix of Dune and The Poppy War with morally grey characters that fight a divine salvation in order to maintain power (each of which has a different definition of power) and it did not disappoint in that.

Elena is the princess and heir to the throne, soon to be coronated as queen but she is unable to wield fire— which is a skill that is viewed as proof that her family has the divine right to rule. Yassen an ex-assassin finds himself back at home while being on the run from both his former employees and well the ruling family. But his childhood friend Samson, has arranged to have him pardoned if they join the court of the Ravence family with Yassen as Elena’s bodyguard.

As the story moves forward we learn more about the court politics and conflict that looms over the entire story as well as the intricately written world. Aparna Verma pulls from Indian mythology for several of her characters and world building aspects but her world is so uniquely written. I loved how all the POVs had such big personalities, which you generally find to be lacking in books that have more than three POVs. I loved the relationships between the characters especially Elena and Ferma’s, you can clearly see how devoted they are to one another and how drastic their actions become when they are not on the same side of an argument.

The main setbacks for me were the plot, the ending, and the romantic relationship. The very weird pacing just didn’t work quite well with the plot which is why at times it could be a hit or miss. Some POVs were very fast paced and filled with information while others were slow and filler chapters and with a complex world building, it just did not work very well. Again, my issue with the ending had to do with the strange pacing. Everything happened really fast and then it felt like there was a big stop and went back to being fast paced. I’m not someone who really gets invested in romantic relationships so this wasn’t a big setback for me but it seemed as though the relationship was written better when they were being developed. The switch in beliefs was just very quick which made the relationship seem rushed.

I know some reviewers have said that even though The Boy With Fire is said to be an adult fantasy, that they would categorise it as a young adult fantasy. The youngest character is twenty-five years old and does deal with darker topics which is what I would define as adult fantasy but I know that adult fantasy is generally viewed as dark topics with usually some triggering content which definitely plays into the whole issue with book ratings. In comparison to The Poppy War or The Descent of the Drowned I would say that it is much lighter but still deals with similar dark topics, just in a more nuanced way.

Elena and Verma were my favourites and an absolute joy to read, I can’t wait to read them in the rest of the trilogy.

Would recommend The Boy With Fire to anyone who is a fan of morally grey characters, wrathful gods and women, and descent to madness arcs.

TWs: War themes, Immolation, Self-Immolation, Death of loved ones

3.75 stars

Dune meets The Poppy War is the most accurate possible description of Verma's debut novel The Boy With Fire. The novel follows three characters in a gritty world: Yassen Knight, an assassin who only wants freedom from a life of brutality and violence, Elena Ravence, the heir to Ravence who will either learn to hold fire and ascend to the throne or have everything torn from her, and Leo Ravence, my personal favourite perspective. The current king of Ravence, haunted by a prophecy that declares his family's reign will soon be over with the arrival of their Phoenix God's chosen Prophet, is willing is to go extreme lengths to retain power in his family, even if it means giving up salvation.

Between the three, there is never a dull moment, and Verma paints the setting in vivid colour, masterfully weaving imagery throughout to create an extremely immersive experience. It is extremely interesting to see how well modern technology was integrated into an epic fantasy based on Indian mythology. Although the plot doesn't truly pick up until after the halfway point, it wasn't an unenjoyable experience. The only thing I thought that could use more development were the characters. I could understand their decisions and how they came to it, and while people are a sum of their choices and I understood fundamentally who they were, I would have enjoyed seeing more of their personality, to give the book an emotional and personal edge. I feel like the climax would have been much more impactful had I been more attached to the characters and actively rooted for their success rather than being a passive bystander to everything that unfolded.