*There are no spoilers in this review besides those in the synopsis below.*

Holy. Guacamole. This sequel is absolutely amazing!!!

Goodreads synopsis:
After a magical eruption devastates the kingdom of Belwar, royal heir Adraa is falsely accused of masterminding the destruction and forced to stand trial in front of her people, who see her as a monster. Adraa's punishment? Imprisonment in the Dome, an impenetrable, magic-infused fortress filled with Belwar’s nastiest criminals—many of whom Adraa put there herself. And they want her to pay.

Jatin, the royal heir to Naupure, has been Adraa’s betrothed, nemesis, and fellow masked vigilante... but now he’s just a boy waiting to ask her the biggest question of their lives. First, though, he’s going to have to do the impossible: break Adraa out of the Dome. And he won’t be able to do it without help from the unlikeliest of sources—a girl from his past with a secret that could put them all at risk.

Time is running out, and the horrors Adraa faces in the Dome are second only to the plot to destabilize and destroy their kingdoms. But Adraa and Jatin have saved the world once already... Now, can they save themselves?

The heart-pounding sequel to Cast in Firelight, perfect for fans of epic, sweepingly romantic fantasy by Sabaa Tahir, Susan Dennard, and Mary E. Pearson.

The first book of the duology, Cast in Firelight, had all of my favorite things tied up into one fantastically-developed novel. You can find my review here, but basically, this series begins with a whirlwind of action, magic, romance, vigilantes, royalty, and secret identities upon secret identities that, when combined as they are, create an amazingly fresh and exciting story. I fell in love with all the characters; their conflicts are so well-written and I found so many of the characters inspiring my own courage and leadership. The romance is soooooo sweet, and Adraa and Jatin have easily become one of my favorite book couples. The magic system is super cool, the world is intriguing, and I just love this fantasy series.

This sequel was everything I wanted from it and more. We still have some vigilantes with a hint of secret identities, but the story moves on to even greater conflicts; our main characters explore self-doubt, grief, hopelessness, determination, and courage. They have to grow so much in these new circumstances they find themselves in, but MAN it is incredible to see!! Plus, we get to know other side characters better, like Raya, Kalyan, Prisha, and Hiren, and discover some of their motivations and abilities. There’s still a ton of action, and the romance becomes even more entrancing and precious and I love them SO MUCH, but the story grows even deeper and comes to a beautifully hopeful ending.

”He smothers me in a hug, his arms engulfing me. ‘Forget I said anything. Let me hold you.’ Then, so quietly I almost miss it, Jatin whispers, “Let me hold you forever.’”



Dana Swift girl, thank you SO MUCH for writing this story!! I connect to these characters so much and I treasure this duology. If you are looking for an action-packed fantasy romance (with jaw-dropping covers, I might add), look no further than this duology!!! You won’t regret it!!

*I received an e-arc of Bound by Firelight from Delacorte Press and Netgalley; all opinions are my own. The quote included in this review is subject to minor change upon publication, which was January 18th, 2022.*






If you enjoyed this review, you can friend/follow me here on Goodreads or on Instagram and Pinterest @ashton_reads for more bookish content (@ashton.reads on Tiktok)!! If you want, you can give this review a like or comment with your thoughts so I know you've read my review; your support means a lot to me! Happy reading!

An amazing sequel to Cast in Firelight! I loved the continuation of this story and the character’s evolution. The world building is efficient and believable. The characters are likeable while witty, and their growing romance makes you root for them. This story is filled with magic, intrigue, and political strife which places our heroine Adraa in a dangerous situation. Can Jatin rescue her in time? Read to find out and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Bound By Firelight

Author: Dana Swift

Book Series: Wickery Book 2

Rating: 3/5

Diversity: South Asian MCs and characters, Disabled side character, Mute characters and characters who experience mutism

Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, romance, South Asian inspired

Publication Date: January 18, 2022

Genre: YA Fantasy Romance

Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, gore, mass death, parental death, war, torture, sexism mentioned, grief, romance, drugs referenced, religion)

Explanation of CWs: The book has a lot of scenes of violence and gore and also shows active war/coup and mass death, including a parental death and grief. There is also torture shown in the book. There is some romance. The book also references a drug-like substance. The book has one instance of sexism mentioned and the book has a lot of scenes where the characters practice their religion and see a God.

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pages: 448

Synopsis: After a magical eruption devastates the kingdom of Belwar, royal heir Adraa is falsely accused of masterminding the destruction and forced to stand trial in front of her people, who see her as a monster. Adraa's punishment? Imprisonment in the Dome, an impenetrable, magic-infused fortress filled with Belwar’s nastiest criminals—many of whom Adraa put there herself. And they want her to pay.

Jatin, the royal heir to Naupure, has been Adraa’s betrothed, nemesis, and fellow masked vigilante... but now he’s just a boy waiting to ask her the biggest question of their lives. First, though, he’s going to have to do the impossible: break Adraa out of the Dome. And he won’t be able to do it without help from the unlikeliest of sources—a girl from his past with a secret that could put them all at risk.

Time is running out, and the horrors Adraa faces in the Dome are second only to the plot to destabilize and destroy their kingdoms. But Adraa and Jatin have saved the world once already... Now, can they save themselves?

Review: For the most part this was an ok book. The book is still reading a little young, so it’d be good for younger YA readers. The book did good with the character development and world building. I also still love the South Asian characters and inspiration into this book and I still loved seeing some of the quirks of the MCs from the first book carry over to this one.

However, there are concerns from South Asian own voice readers about the author and how she was chosen to write a story for South Asian readers instead of a South Asian writer. Some of the concerns also revolved around the incorrect terminology. Their voices are valid and should be read in full. They can be found on Goodreads, so please review their concerns. I also have concerns about the use of mutism and sign language in this book. I liked that the characters used some sign when they became mute, but I didn’t like how it quickly became “we write words above our heads instead of just learning sign”. I feel like that aspect could have been done better. I also didn’t like how mutism was treated in the book overall. While the characters were involuntarily muted as a form of torture and it fit the book, it just doesn’t feel very fair to akin being mute to being tortured. It overall gave me a bad vibe and I’d love to see Mute/Sign User ownvoice reviewers point of view on this because I might be completely wrong about this. There was also a lot of stuff to pack into this book and it got confusing very quickly. Lastly, the plot wasn’t really sound in this book and I also didn’t like the pacing.

Verdict: It’s ok, but not for me. Maybe for you!

This review will contain spoilers for the first book, as Bound by Firelight picks up right from the end of the first one. I really enjoyed this one and loved the character development from our two main characters.

Adraa is facing the aftermath of the volcano eruption as many people believe she placed her firelight in the volcano. After undergoing a very eventful trial, which goes wrong in every possible way, she is imprisoned in the Dome, with all the criminals from Belwar. Almost nobody believes Adraa is innocent, but Jatin is determined to rescue the woman he loves. There are a lot of familiar faces in this book, mainly from Jatin’s perspective, but we get to see them in a new light. Jatin, with the assistance of his friends, and Prisha, Adraa’s sister, he begins to plan how to break her free.

‘They’ve put me in here because they think I’m the most dangerous person in Wickery. And for a time I might have been. I’m not anymore. But that’s what I’m going to become.’

Meanwhile in the Dome, Adraa is subject to more fighting and the knowledge that she did not destroy the source of the bloodlurst. She meetssome new characters who teach her new ways to use and control her magic. Throughout this book, she really grows into herself and begins to understand just how powerful she is. Her relationship with Prisha is really well written also, as theirs is a typical sibling relationship, just with the added strain of magic and being royalty. I really liked how this relationship was portrayed as it was very positive, which isn’t always seen in fantasy books!

‘You’re terrifying, Adraa Belwar. And I’m so in love with you.’

In this sequel, the world of these characters is expanded and there are much higher stakes than before. After the events of Cast in Firelight, Jatin and Adraa’s abilities have grown stronger and they have really developed into interesting and more confident characters. It was really nice to see them shine in this book. Despite being apart for the majority of this book, their romance was perfect. There are so many cute moments in this book, one of which being Jatin’s failed attempt at proposing to Adraa. These scenes warmed my heart and really increased my love for these characters!

This was a great sequel, and I’m sad to see that this duology is ending already! I would happily read another book including these characters. If you love YA Fantasy then what are you waiting for, pick up this duology now!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The second book in the Wickery duology, Bound by Firelight picks up just after Adraa Belwar has saved her kingdom from a magical eruption. Despite being the hero in this situation, Adraa is somehow painted instead as the villain, and her punishment is imprisonment for life in a fortress called the Dome. As Adraa's friends figure out how to save her, Adraa digs further into the goings-on in the Dome, and every new revelation slowly but surely unravels the mystery of the plot to take the Belwar family down.

I want to start off by directing attention to criticisms of this and the first book in this duology regarding South Asian characters written by a white author, and the harmful way in which South Asian culture is manipulated and bent to create this fantasy world. The issues readers raised with book 1 inevitably carry into book 2.

Overall, I did enjoy my time with this book, as I grew invested in Adraa and Jatin in book one. However, the plot of this book moves away from the romance (naturally) and further into the political and social discord in the book's world. While politics can be interesting, they do have to be executed well, and a lot of the political mystery in this book was just plain confusing to follow. It's not that it was overly complex, although I do think it was, but rather that the intentional misdirection in the plot didn't really make a lot of sense for most of the book. It was also difficult to catch a breath as a reader -- after the plot got started, there was not a single slow or quiet moment. We didn't get to sit with the characters even once, and the characters were the primary appeal of the first installment.

Despite all of this, this magical fantasy duology was memorable and entertaining, and certainly a quick, fun read for anyone interested in a sweet romance and easy-to-understand fantasy.

Bound By Firelight (BBF) picks up pretty much right where Cast In Firelight (CIF) leaves off. There's far more political intrigue than in CIF as the Belwars deal with the fallout after the events at the end of CIF. The air is thick with the call for revolution at the expense of their Belwar rulers.

The romance between Jatin and Adraa is even sweeter in Bound By Firelight, and their banter just as witty. Dana Swift does and excellent job of continuing the world building from CIF while giving us some very interesting new characters.

I couldn't put Bound By Firelight down and I'm heartbroken it's over but there's plenty more in Wickery that can and should be written about so fingers crossed Dana Swift graces us with more.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Ddelacorte Press for the e-arc!

Picking up right after the first one, this is unique magical world to keep you hooked. The world building, plot, characters everything in this one was good. This had action, suspense and adventure taking on nonstop ride.

Adraa is being accused of mastermind destruction and everyone sees her as monster. She is sent for imprisonment in Dome but is that it? Or there is more to Dome than one can see? Jatin has to break her out even when she asked him to not come for her. Will he able to save her until it's too late? Read this to find out.

Being told from both Adraa and Jatin's perspective this showed what each of them were doing to save themselves, Belwar and Naupure. They were together a complete part, complementing each other through everything.

Jatin and Adraa have come long way in this duology with all the trials their way. The character development was really good. They are couple goals. All the character casting was well done with each having part to play.

Without saying much to reveal what happened and giving any spoilers, this talks about love, friendship, power, people and family. How each one comes together in tough times. This was a great read.

Thank you @tbrbeyondtours for having me on this tour.

Happy Release Day to Dana Swift and Bound by Firelight!

Along with the gorgeous cover, this book is filled with action, intrigue, and a great cast of characters that will keep you turning pages from start to finish.

Also, with that ending, I highly suspect there will be a third book, but we'll just have to wait and see!

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

Bound by Firelight was the perfect conclusion to this beautifully engaging duology! I absolutely loved Cast in Firelight, but this one was somehow even better. I loved seeing Adraa and Jatin’s relationship and feelings develop, even while separated. Speaking of being separated, this is usually a trope I don’t care for, however I found it very well done in this case. Since their romance was quite a whirlwind in book 1, it was nice to see them work through their feelings along the way. As with the previous book as well, the side characters were distinctive and well fleshed out with their own needs, feelings, and beliefs. The plot twists and revelations were A+ and never predictable. The world and magic system were also so well written, it is very easy to get lost in both of these books! Also, the covers are GORGEOUS.

*I received an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

There may be spoilers for book one in this review.

Bound By Firelight is the conclusion to the amazing Wickery duology. This was a really good sequel, it was fast-paced, and the new setting in the Dome was much more than I expected. There’s such an awesome magic system in this world that is further explored in this book, and lots of character development. I also loved all the twists and turns along the way!

The story picks up right after the aftermath of the volcano explosion in book one. Adraa is wrongly accused of being the mastermind behind the destruction and has to stand trial in front of the people of the kingdom of Belwar, who do not look on her favorably. Her punishment is imprisonment in the Dome, which is impenetrable, infused with magic, and full of the creme de la creme of the criminals of Belwar. Some of the prisoners Adraa put in the Dome herself, and they want her to pay.

Jatin has been waiting to ask Adraa the biggest question of their lives, but now he has the impossible task of breaking her out of the Dome. He won’t be able to do it without the help of his team, and a girl from his past with a secret that may put them all at risk.

The clock is ticking, and the atrocities that Adraa faces at the Dome are second to the plot that has been hatched to destroy and destabilize their kingdoms. Adraa and Jatin have saved the kingdom once before, now will they be able to save themselves?

Adraa is such a wonderful heroine, and I loved watching her overcome her own self doubts. Jatin also learned so much about himself on his journey. I would be remiss if I didn’t share that I wish that Jatin and Adraa had more scenes together in this book, as that’s what I really loved in the first book, their witty banter. I do understand though that due to plot they had to be separated and grow and develop as characters on their own. The ending was satisfying and wrapped everything up well, but I feel like there’s a lot more that could be explored, and I’m sad that it’s not going to be a trilogy. I’m not quite ready to say goodbye to these characters or this world.

If you read Cast in Firelight, you don’t want to miss Bound By Firelight out January 18, 2022!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

Bound by Firelight is the sequel to Cast in Firelight, so if you haven't read book 1 yet, stop reading this review so you can go pick up a copy of book 1 first and fall in love with the series too. I loved returning to Adraa and Jatin's world, and the conclusion to this duology was so satisfying. When Adraa is tried and convicted to life in prison after the events at the end of book 1, it sets off a whole chain of events and discoveries of corruption across the continent of Wickery. It was so fun to see this unravel through the story, and I could tell the author had been planting little plot seeds since the first pages of book 1. Dana Swift wields these plot twists masterfully, making each one a secret until she decides it's time for you to discover what's going on. I loved seeing Adraa and Jatin stand both on their own and together as a team, and I enjoyed getting to meet new characters and learn more about our favorite side characters from book 1 too. I highly recommend you read the Wickery duology, and I'm eagerly anticipating the next project from Dana Swift.

Buy, Borrow, or Bypass: I am so glad I bought Cast in Firelight when it came out, and I preordered a copy of Bound by Firelight to go with it. I can't wait to see both of them side by side! Charlie Bowater is the cover artist, and she does some of my favorite covers in the YA sphere. This duology is a must have for YA fantasy readers! :)

📚Book review: Bound by Firelight by Dana Swift📚

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

This is a stunning, action packed, multi POV YA fantasy with fantastic character development, world building, political intrigue, and ✨romance✨ I mean, what more could you want in a book?

This book started out fast, right where book 1 left off, and did not slow down one bit until the last page. I seriously read it in just about one sitting because I just could not stop reading. I love that we see so much individual growth from the characters we love so much (oh my GOD I love Jatin and Adraa), and we get to know several wonderful side characters/new characters even better (Prisha and Harini, forever my faves).

One of my favorite things is that the characters grew as individuals, as well as a team. Their emotional growth wasn’t just dependent on each other, and they each really do focus on finding their own version of strength. I also love that the chapters switch POV between Jatin and Adraa—so well written!

I was just beaming by the end of this book. It was such a fast and fun read, and I particularly loved Adraa’s journey. I highly recommend this book for fans of The Prison Healer or Defy the Night. I just love this series so much and you must all add it to your TBR!!!

**Thank you Netgalley and to the publisher for an eARC for an honest review!**

This book was non stop action! It was a completely different pace than book 1, where it was more of a romance. I love the new characters that were introduced here. I enjoyed this one more than the first book. The only thing I will say, the last 10% of the book felt a bit rushed. It says this is a duology, but there's a lot there for another book. I almost think this should have been a planned trilogy, or some things could have been cut and added here to wrap it up better. But this was definitely a page turner!

I really loved diving back into the world of Wickery and revisiting Adraa and Jatin! I really loved how the story picked up where Cast in Firelight left us and never lost any steam. Adraa's struggle in this story and her growth was so amazing. I really enjoyed meeting Harini and the different ways the magic can be used in this world. I continue to adore Jatin and I his growth and confidence throughout this book were amazing. The action all the way through is so gripping and the fight scenes are done very well. The climax was brilliant and I couldn't put the story down until I had finished, I was absolutely riveted. The ending was beautiful and loved the conversations with grief, so well done. I hope to see more of Adraa ad Jatin!

I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours. Special thanks to Delacorte Press for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! 3.5 stars rounded up.

Bound by Firelight is the second and final book in the Wickery Duology and it's a pretty satisfying conclusion to an exciting South Asian inspired fantasy. There will be spoilers for book one in my review so if you haven't already read it and are still planning to, I'll just say that this is so action-packed, full of incredible magic, great character development and things wrap up nicely at the end. There are lots of heart-wrenching moments as these characters go *through it* to clear their names, but their journeys are well worth following! I thought I would highlight again that this isn't an Own Voices novel, and Swift does mention her reasons for it, but I have also seen a few South Asian readers comment about how they thought Swift portrayed the cultural inspiration respectfully, and it didn't feel harmful.

The story picks up immediately in the aftermath of the great explosion in book one. Thanks to Moolek's scheming, things are looking extremely dire for Adraa as the blame has been put on her, which causes the Belwarian citizens to loathe her. As a consequence, they've also begun demanding her family step down from power. Right from the start, it's non-stop action! Just as in book one, the magic and world-building continue to take centre stage, and it was great to see it being wielded so often and in so many different and new exciting ways. There were a lot more action sequences in this sequel, with plenty of one-on-one magic fights and group battles up until the very end, and it was thrilling and so easy to picture playing out in my head! The tone does take a much darker turn as Adraa finds out just how deep the corruption goes and the truth behind Bloodlurst and the Vencrin. CW/TW: forced fighting, prison torture,

The story is told from Adraa and Jatin's perspectives and these two are accompanied by a core group of trustworthy friends and supporters who we've already met, plus a few new characters who join their "team". Both characters experience growth throughout their separate journeys, but it was Adraa's character who experienced the most significant development. As the Belwarians continue to express deep mistrust in Adraa, she bears the heavy burden of guilt on her shoulders, as well as a mountain of self-doubt that festered following the explosion which resulted in hundreds of casualties. Although she's vilified by her citizens, she still only wants the best for them and despite being thrown in the Dome for being convicted of masterminding the explosion, I loved how she remains steadfast and strong. She's such a fierce character and I admired that even with her doubts, fears and her dire situation of being magickless in prison, it didn't stop her from fighting for herself and her people. She's such a fantastic heroine!

While separated, Jatin also grows into a leadership role and it was great to see him gain confidence in his abilities as a leader. He's such a steadfast hero and a total sweetheart who's basically a simp for Adraa, and I totally get why (cos she's amazing)! That said, I thought that much of his development only occurred in echo to Adraa, and it came across like his whole purpose of being was just for her, rather than him being his own person. I feel like his arc, though not terrible, did deserve better.

One of the high points of the previous book was the snarky and banter-filled romance brewing between Adraa and Jatin, and while their love continues to strengthen here, I'm sad that we didn't get scenes with them together. They spend the majority of the book apart from each other, and while that boosted their individual character development, I wished we got to see more of the fun romance from book one. That said, I will go down with this ship—they've built such a strong foundation of trust and respect and I loved the seamless way they worked together. There was also a character introduced from Jatin's past that, I assume, was inserted into the story to form some kind of love triangle that I didn't like or understand. Jatin's loyalty to Adraa was pretty solid and it was clear to me that after everything they've been through, nothing would sway that and so this third person's feelings towards Jatin and the "tension" they brought to the story didn't work—I was annoyed more than anything because it also didn't end up going anywhere anyway.

Also, maybe it's just me, but I wished that the motivation of our villain could've been made more clear because by the time we got to the end, I wasn't entirely sure what the main motivation was. Greed? Just because he could? What was it? The unclarity made Moolek come across as flat and one-dimensional when there was potential to give him a bit more than that. Overall though, I thought that this was a great duology and a satisfying conclusion. All of the most pressing questions were answered but I also feel like this world of Wickery has so much potential, and I'm be more than thrilled to come back again and see how Adraa and Jatin and their countries fare in the aftermath of all this chaos and destruction. Highly recommended for those YA fantasy lovers who love elemental magic, action-packed scenes, a compelling story, and a swoony+banter filled romance between two strong and easy-to-root for characters!

A huge thank you to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this gem of an ARC. This was a really wonderful conclusion to Adraa and Jatin's story. Everything wrapped up beautifully in the end, and I even shed a tear. I loved Adraa's growth throughout the duology. She really learned to love and accept herself, flaws and all. The author did an excellent job including real-world topics like substance abuse and disabilities. It was overall everything I expected this final installment to be and it did not disappoint. Dana Swift is a great new YA fantasy author and I look forward to reading her future novels.

Bound by Firelight is action-packed YA fantasy that revolves around Adraa and Jatin facing the trial against Adraa that separated them, tested their relationship, and journey to find their way back to each other. The story is about corruption, manipulation, political intrigue, trauma, guilt, fear, self-doubt, loyalty, betrayal, friendship, and love.

The writing is fantastic, immersive, vivid and super fast paced just like the first book. This is written in first person narrative, alternative dual perspective from Adraa and Jatin that makes sense as for the half of the book they are separated from each other.

Book started almost 2-3 weeks after the end of the first book with people and other royalties not believing Adraa stopped the volcano. Swept under the manipulation of Raja Moolek, they think Adraa is monster, rioting and rallying against the Belwar family seeking to end the rule of royal family and elect a person to rule. Jatin and Adraa are trying to find a clue that could prove she is innocent, Jatin wants to reinstate their engagement by proposing her but trial against Adraa doesn’t help things. Somehow Moolek controlled the mind of judges panel and even Adraa making her say things that prove her guilty and is sentenced lifetime to Dome- prison of Belwar.

It was interesting to read how Mooolek controlled everyone in the court, how Adraa will prove herself innocent being in prison, what Jatin will do about it, how it will test their relationship, who will show support to Adraa, and how they are going to free her.

This is both plot and character driven. Plot, characters, romance, and the world are well balanced. If you enjoyed the first book, I think you’ll like this too as there is nothing to dislike with new characters, suspense, action, impossible obstacles that I couldn’t predict how they will be solved, and further expansion of world made it even better. But if you haven’t read first book you can’t read this as a standalone.

Adraa is amazing throughout the book. I love feisty and powerful heroine and she is nothing less. She is smart, clever, and knew how to rise again after the fall. In first book fear of not being worthy shadowed her powerful strong personality and even in this book until she entered the Dome. Being there, enduring all torture, making new friends, makes her see what was actually holding her back and it was fantastic to see how she overcome her fear and guilt and believed in herself and her power. I admired her for learning things so fast, seeking help when she needed it, helping others especially those who were weak, and not being selfish.

Jatin is great as well. I love heroes who respect their better half and admire their power and both strength and weakness. He knows Adraa is, more powerful than him and this book proved that more than once and even with competition between them he never felt insecure. I loved him for his unconditional love and trust. I liked how he faced the obstacle in their relationship that came with Fiza. It was great how he came clean about how he felt even under lots of pressure and anxiety.

I enjoyed new characters. Harini is amazing and I liked her for able to do magic even though she couldn’t speak and how she helped Adraa and taught her to get over her fears and find a connection with magic. Fiza is also great even though i felt that forced love triangle was unnecessary but it sure spiced things up and I liked her for taking things and Jatin’s feelings positively. I liked knowing Prisha more and she was involved more in story than first book. I could understand her reaction and I loved how she realized her mistake and redeemed it.

Romance is as good as first book with banter and healthy competition between Jatin and Adraa but being separated from each other for half of the book it isn’t only focus in book but I loved how unwavering their love was and how much they cared for each other. There are many lovely moments. I’m not fan of making out in middle of battle/action/tension but in this author makes it swoon-worthy and fun.

Best part of the book is the Dome setting and importance of it made much more sense when things were revealed. It was horrible to read what guards were doing with women, cage fights between prisoners who weren’t even fit to fight. Things are definitely dark in this place but most horrifying was what they did with the most powerful witches. Corruption is in every part of Wickery world and Dome is center of it. I liked what Adraa’s father used to say, “bad people always try to corrupt good things” and it was shown in many ways in this world. Prison break is best scene and I loved everything that happened around this part.

Twist and turns are amazing and unpredictable. I couldn’t see where things were going. At the beginning we get Moolek isn’t acting alone, there is another powerful man supporting him and that hidden identity arc made story most suspenseful which is only revealed in climax.

Climax was tense, tragic, and action packed. So much is happening and again Jatin and Adraa had to separate which I wasn’t expecting at this point. It was amazing how author wrapped things, how Adraa managed to prove herself innocent and everything that happened in last few chapters. End is clear cut and satisfactory but I still can’t believe this was the end and this is a duology. Is there anyone else who feel the same?

Overall, Bound by Firelight is immersive, action packed, suspenseful, and fast paced YA Fantasy with amazing dark setting but no sex scenes or gory details.

I highly recommend this if you like,
Alternative perspective
fast pace
non-stop action and lots of twist and turns
political intrigue
minor love triangle (definitely didn’t bother me)
headstrong powerful heroine
Hidden identity of villian
Great friendship and sister relationship
lovely romance

When readers last left Adraa and Jatin, Mount Gandhak had erupted and neighboring ruler Maharaja Moolek proved to be a threat to the welfare of Naupure and Belwar. As if these challenges weren’t tough enough, Adraa failed her test, proving that she is unable to manifest all nine types of magic, and has been deemed the villain behind the eruption of the volcano.

Bound by Firelight took a darker and more violent turn, but given that Adraa was investigating the source of the drug Bloodlurst and Vencrin violence, it made sense that she would discover some devastating secrets. In addition to the change in tone, there was much to praise. The magic system is cemented and I understood how it worked. The gods of each color were still difficult to remember, though there were several, such as Erif, Dloc, Htrea, and Laeh, who were easier to pinpoint given repeated mentions. The confusing aspect of this novel was the making of Bloodlurst. As a reader, I believe I understand the idea behind the making of the drug, but there could have been additional clarity on this aspect.

The secondary characters also receive more page time and this benefits this installment. While the first novel rightly focused on Adraa and Jatin’s relationship, the interests and motivations of many of those surrounding them receive more attention in this installment, specifically Riya, Prisha, Kalyan, and Hiren. Fiza, a royal of Agsa and fellow student of Jatin’s from the academy, is also added to the mix. As a character, Fiza is fascinatingly complex and I would follow her into a spin-off if she had one. What pleased me the most about the addition of Fiza was that Dana Swift did not turn her into the third point of a love triangle.

In terms of the baddies, Moolek features more heavily, but as a reader, I still felt he was a bit of a cardboard cutout villain. His motivations were somewhat unclear. Power, I guess? What interested me more was the plot twist of a secondary bad guy. While I did guess the eventual reveal, this provided multiple points of attack to the core group of characters and it caused them to pivot on several occasions. The takedown of the villains was, however, well orchestrated and had me quickly turning pages to determine the outcome of my favorite characters. Make no mistake. When things get darker, the stakes are raised and not everyone makes it through this installment.

My favorite part of the novel was the evolution of Adraa and Jatin’s relationship and the continued character development of each of them individually. It’s important to note that during much of the novel these characters are apart, which provides ample time for character growth. Swift does not waste this opportunity and Jatin grows into a leader while Adraa leans into her smarts and continues to be scrappy and resourceful. Most impressive was that Adraa learns to check some of her impulsivity and think before acting. When the two eventually come back together they have learned a great deal about themselves. This was evident when Jatin found ways to elevate Adraa and even cede the spotlight to her on multiple occasions. I found this to be a great depiction of how modern relationships can honor both individuals without getting hung up on what might traditionally be considered masculine and feminine roles.

Any criticism I have floats around two contentious plot points. Magic can be complicated to use in a fantasy novel. Early in the novel, Adraa’s voice is forcefully ripped away from her through magic, which felt like a violation of her body. Adraa must deal with this trauma and find a way to cope, eventually learning to communicate by a form of sign language. However, the resolution to this plot point also involved magic and the restoration of her voice. In many ways, I felt this cheapened some of Adraa’s growth because she had learned a great deal about herself through this experience. Part of this feeling stemmed from the fact that Adraa was a whole person despite her added disability, but the ableist assumption that she could not be complete without removing or negating this disability seemed like the wrong direction to take for the novel and the character. So to summarize, the way this situation is dealt with is challenging because of the forced voice removal and the magical healing of the disability since both seem like a violation of the character.

However, Bound by Firelight was a fun, quick read with real stakes for the characters in this world. Additionally, while this seemed to be the completion of the series, I would return for a third novel that shows Adraa and Jatin ruling their kingdoms, managing their relationship, ensuring Moolek gets his comeuppance, and finding themselves thrown into new adventures.

3.5 stars!

South Asian fantasy is probably going to be the death of me. Just look at this cover!

Most fantasy novels I’ve read have always had roots in other parts of the world — from spells cast in Latin, to made up languages — but not many that have taken the richness of South Asian culture, and formed a high fantasy universe around it. They are definitely coming up in popularity though, and I’m all the more excited for it! (Have I mentioned the cover, yet?)

As a South Asian reader, I was hesitant to pick these books up because it is not an OwnVoices novel. However, Dana Swift's respect for South Asian culture shines through these novels. Although not wholly accurate (and this may be because Wickery is not South Asia, only inspired by it), none of it felt to me like it was judgement against South Asian culture, which made me feel better about reading this.

The first book in this series left us in the aftermath of an explosion that makes Adraa Belwar answerable to her whole country for the lives taken. This book follows Adraa, Jatin and their friends as they work to undo the corrupted magic bleeding through Wickery.

The wrongly-imprisoned theme in fantasy novels just does something to me, and this book revolved around it. Just like the first book, the political intrigue follows us into the trials where Adraa is sentenced, into Jatin’s fearless maneuvers to rescue her, and into the future of Wickery. I enjoyed seeing the plot twists, and how the author uses every single element at her disposal to twist it into a new farce — it gives a new meaning to being two-faced!

Most of the characters felt more relatable in this sequel, because you could see the different motivations tugging at them, and the choices they had to make to follow a single path. By the end, all the paths lead back to the same point at the apex of the book, where it all comes to a head, but that’s not to say that they don’t face the consequences of each choice along the way.

Adraa was beyond strong in this. The first book had an off-beat mention of mind-casting, but this book took it and gave her a new level that had nothing to do with her Touch. Combined with the allies she met on the way, and her refusal to serve the throne above the people, her strength is the firelight of this novel.

Jatin was as steadfast as always, completely sure in his love for Adraa. Although he is now pushed into power, and that should lead to a certain amount of development, I felt that it fell flat for Jatin. Most of his choices reverberated with only Adraa’s name — which may have been the point, but we don’t get to see him grow confident into his role as Maharaja of Naupure. It just seems to pop up that he can now alter his tone depending on his audience, and he can be Maharaja because he has the strength and willpower, but we don't see him develop much of that. Given that we do get his POV, I had higher hopes for this!

Similarly, many of the fight scenes felt very short and cut-off, lacking details that would enhance each element. I found myself struggling to follow all the colors, fortes and magic spells — especially because every other chapter was a new battle. It all blurred into another, and the plot was very fast paced. If the scenes were slowed down with a few more fillers, this speed may have worked to the author's advantage in the sense that time is not on their side and they have to find the root of the problem as soon as possible.

Conversely, established relationships tend to slow the romantic pace down. Jatin and Adraa were very, very cute throughout this novel, and their relationship stayed true to what we know of them. However, it did feel rather stagnant, which may be because of the quick ending. Plot-wise, I can't think of many loose strings, but character-wise, there are quite a few. Although appropriate, I do find myself wishing that we’d gotten to see at least an epilogue further.

This book was a scintillating read, and it was a good YA fantasy series for the weekend!

4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5)

I received an ARC of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

*Spoilers for book one ahead*

After saving her kingdom, Adraa is falsely accused of causing all of the destruction. Found guilty of her crimes, she is sentenced to life in the Dome, Belwar's highest-level prison. Meanwhile, Jatin has been trying (and failing) at proposing. Things get even more complicated when Adraa is thrown in prison. Determined to get her back, Jatin begins plotting a dangerous rescue mission.

I think I'm in the minority, but I actually liked this sequel more than book 1! It had a lot of action and high stakes, so I was very intrigued by the story!

I absolutely adore Adraa and Jatin's relationship! They really balance each other out. Their scenes together tend to be my favorites!

I also want to point out that this book, like the first, has chapter titles! These days, most books have done away with chapter titles. I miss seeing them, so I was glad that book 2 still had them!

As I already said, this book was action-packed! However, there were a few things that bothered me. I hate the trope where the lovers are separated for most of the book! That's a personal preference, but I wish Adraa and Jatin had more time together. There was also a very fleeting and pointless love triangle (if it can even be called that...) which was just unnecessary.

The ending of this book was satisfying and conclusive enough to keep me happy, but it felt a little rushed and abrupt. I'm not sure if there will be a book three, but I feel like I need a little more closure.

Overall, this book was enjoyable and I had a hard time putting it down! I had a few issues with it, but I still liked it! Fans of the first book should give this one a shot! I'd recommend this series to YA fantasy romance fans who enjoy the arranged marriage trope and lots of action/magical battles.

Content: violence, torture, bloodletting, no sex scenes but some kissing, no actual swearing outside of fictional swear words, death