While I haven't read the other books by Nisha yet, Heart of Night and Fire is the type of book to make me want to go buy an author's entire catalogue!!! Described as an epic fantasy romance with slow burn and enemies to lovers- it did not disappoint. Full of beautiful descriptions of the food, clothings, and beings inspired by Indian culture and mythology, you are immersed in a whole new world! (if you aren't as familiar with Indian culture like I was, get google ready but its worth it)

The main character Zarya has been sheltered (aka trapped) her whole life with no explanation and told to hide her small bit of magic from others. When her father figure/warden/keeper, Row, disappears and she is finally able to escape- there is a whole world of magic, creatures, and conflict she couldn't have imagined.

Followed by her brother-like, pain in the butt, Aarav, they run into two rakshasa (think vampire) Yasen and Vikram who bring them to city of Dharati. There, she learns that the small demon problem she was aware of back home is much worse than she thought. Joining them in the fight to protect the city and its queen, Zarya begins to find friends (or maybe more...) and experience all that she's been missing.

As Zarya attempts to learn more about her magic and her past, she finds herself meeting a mysterious stranger in her dreams, Rabin. Who is Rabin? Can she trust him? Where did Row go and what was he keeping from her? Who are/were her parents? Can she tell anyone about her magic? Will she ever get to experience love like she's read about in books?

other things I loved:
Strong FMC
found family
nicknames :)
magical creatures
who did this to you
perfect amount of spice that I'm sure will get hotter in the rest of the books
not one, but TWO offers of "do you want me to kill him?"
twists and turns for DAYS, I was not expecting the ending at all

Thank you to NetGalley, Second Sky and Nisha J. Tuli for the ARC xo

I'm certainly in my fantasy era at the moment & Heart of Night & Fire was a pacy read full of action & intrigue.

The tale is full of secrets & I felt like I was constantly waiting for them to be revealed or discovered depending on which of the numerous hidden elements the story was covering.

My favourite character was Yasen & I hope there's a lot more of him to come in the next book, but I do worry for him as the sense of threat in the story is so high.
I didn't feel very connected to Zarya, but it didn't detract from the story, I just felt her blasé attitude to Row & her secret keeping didn't make her a very relatable character.
There is a bit of focus given to descriptions of dress & food, which I ended up really enjoying (I don't normally) & the book has a really strong sense of place.

I'll definitely be picking up the next in the series when it comes out.

This book was so unique and I found myself hooked after the first few chapters! After that, I didn’t want to put it down!

Zarya has been trapped for nearly 20 years (most of her life) in a small coastline with her guardian and his apprentice. She is never told what happened to her parents, or even who they were. So she only trains each day with her sword, reads romance novels, and playing with the drop of magic she contains, while dreaming of what life on the outside would be like.
One day her guardian disappears along with the magic keeping her inclosed. Taking advantage of the situation, Zarya packs the essentials and sets out on her own. Not after long she encounters two handsome Rakshasas, a nearly immortal humanoid species known for drinking blood. She saves them.. Or they save her from attacking naga, which plague the swamp land she lives near.
She is taken to the city, what she has always dreamed. But the mystery of her missing guardian still plagues her. All while the city also is under attack by demonic beings.
This Romance Fantasy is another 5 star book by Nisha J. Tuli. She brings to life an intricate world full of magic, demons and politics. The twists and the slow burn romance are really captivating. Don’t sleep on this book!
Thank you Nisha, NetGalley and Second Sky for this eArc!

Good world building but too much focus on terms and aesthetics- lots of descriptions of food
The main characters lacked depth and emotion
Their meeting and initial interaction seemed forced
Zarya’s need for intimacy made it seem like she had a “crush” on almost every male character she meets- thinking others are jealous of her relationship with Vikram; who she JUST met while also being super attracted to Rabin
Zarya is perceived as a strong female lead but needs help constantly and doubts herself/ Row’s decisions to try to keep her safe
The second half is MUCH better than the first with some character development and better action scenes

I heard so many things about Nisha but this was my first book written by her. And this book full of Indian mythology, gorgeous clothing and delicious food was a great start.
While the world that she constructed is gorgeous, I found it a little bit lengthy and at times I just wanted to jump right into action.
I fell in love with the characters and their interactions. I loved that Zarya was a strong character right from the start and she just grew more from there. Yasen was one of my favorite! I loved how close they become and also how they would defend each other. Same thoughts about Aarav, and I’m sure he will be more close to Zarya in book 2. When Rabin came into picture, I was wondering how he will fit in. But Nisha twisted the plot and just ended the book making you feel bad that you got the chance to read the book in advance, meaning you will have to wait more for the next one!
A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC! All thoughts in this review are honest and my own.

This book constantly talks about "almost" 21 year old Zarya and her secret past. This among other things, hints that the book is meant for New Adult readers. However, it reads as very young adult with frequent cringey phrasing and an overly petulant main character. I felt like I was reading fanfiction back in the early 2000's but I didn't know what the source material was. Now, I did give some stars for the world building. There's a solid set up for a lot of great lore ... Aside from the unfortunate use of the word "taint" as a noun (both spreading and being felt). This book could use at least 2 more rounds of edits to remove the repetitive sections and age up the character and storytelling techniques. For example, Zaryas "rage" and saying things were "implied" less than a page after they were outright said. Again, I was interested in reading the story and learning about the world but there's still plenty of work to be done for it to be appropriate for the target audience.

Thank you to Net Galley for the advance copy.

I was so excited for this because of the whole desi/south asian vibes and I was ready to dive in but it very quickly became too much.

The first half of the book feels very confusing. Every other page is a description page of what each and every character is wearing and what they're eating. I know Tuli is trying to show all the south asian things ( shalwar, talwar, chana, etc), but it felt like she was doing too much. It didn't feel natural in the story, it felt forced. I've read her Sun Queen Trial books as well and that also has brown characters but she did it better in that book because it didn't feel like it was being forced on you.

Now let's move on to the FMC. Zarya is suppose to be a grown adult (20/21) but I swear she acts like shes 13. That one scene where she just comes out and asks these two men who she JUST met 24 hours ago if they use their teeth or eating or other things. Like WTF 😬 . To me she came off as a confused character who just watches things happen. I didn't like her with Vikram because for some reason to me he came off a lot older, like an uncle. I liked her chemistry with Yesen but that went nowhere and I'm like what was the whole point of that at all. Then comes our MMC who isn't even in this to be of any value

Over all this was a let down

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book. I absolutely loved it. Loved the characters, loved the plot, loved the story. I read this book in two sittings such a great fascinating quick read.

This feels more an instant attraction romance then enemies to lovers, but it’s an exciting tale and also shows the heroine what’s going on in her society

Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for the eARC!

First off I really loved seeing so much Indian culture throughout the entire book. From the food to the clothes! The beginning starts out a bit slow but gets to a better pace halfway through. Some of the scenes felt rushed and I was wishing for some events to take longer. If you prefer a super fast paced read this would be a great book for you!

I also was found the romance lacking. I wished there was more of it and I had a hard time connecting to the enemy to lovers aspect that I normally love to read. I’m hoping the second book will have much more development in that area.

Overall it was a solid 3 star read.

Oooh this one was GOOD! It’s your typical romantasy with a badass FMC who goes through a life altering journey in this book. She lives in a world with magic, creatures, and a blight that might end the world. Throughout her journey, she seeks to find out who she really is, all while making friends for the first time, finding love, and unraveling mysteries. It was enticing and easy to read.
The culture in this book was lush and descriptive. I really appreciated the aspect of this book.
My favorite character is Yasen. He gives the same vibes of Kieran in FBAA! I am also dying to know more about Rabin. He’s giving Rhysand vibes if you know what I mean. If you enjoy romantasy, you will 100% enjoy this book. I would def recommend it to the community.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The second half is way better than the first. Because I was about to give up; the main character was very unlikeable and had actions that made no rational sense for a 20 year old no matter how sheltered.

But the second half picks up, there's some character growth, plot development and answers although the main mystery of what ails this land is still confusing.

Now that it's found its footing, the next installment should price to be good.

3.5 stars⭐️!

Heart of Night and Fire was a super enjoyable read. If you’re a fan of found family and political fantasy then this book is for you! I loved reading about Indian mythology and found Zayra’s journey to be truly empowering.

Thank you NetGalley and Second Sky for this arc in return for an honest review. <3

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a fun and exciting start to what I am sure will be an epic fantasy series. There's so much cool mythology and folklore, dangerous creatures, deep secrets, political scheming, extremely handsome and slightly grumpy immortals, and a fast-paced plot that had me hooked.

I loved Zarya's character - she was determined and headstrong, and even though she had a tendency to be a little naïve at times (understandable considering she was raised in isolation), she was really fun to read about. The supporting cast was pretty vast, which at the beginning had me a bit confused with so many names, fantastical species and magical powers, but I quickly got to know them all very well. I did guess a few plot points, but this is typical of me when reading any fantasy nowadays so it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story - in fact, it gave me some smug moments where I was all "ha, knew it!"

The love interest... well, I won't say too much because I don't want to spoil anything BUT they're extremely swoon-worthy and you're going to fall for them immediately.

I will absolutely be keeping an eye out for the rest of this series, and anything else by the author!

I admit, the cover made me select this book, me love a nice cover, plus the plot seemed interesting. The story grabbed me from the beginning and the world building was beautiful.

4 stars

~ I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own ~

Thank you to net galley and Second Sky for this opportunity to read rate and review this arc which will be available sept 15,2023!

Oh how I dug the story! Let me count the ways

1.) slow burn
2.) intense plot
3.) magic and monsters
4.) enemies to lovers trope

Check, check, check and check. Also Indian mythology? Yes please and thank you

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

This book! I am officially a fan of Nisha j. Tuli and The Nightfire Series. After reading the ACOTAR series followed by The Fourth Wing, I was in a rut! I needed fantasy, suspense, a heroine who kicked ass, and some romantic tension. I tired a few of the TikTok recommendations and none really filled that gap. Enter Heart of Night and Fire! This is exactly what I needed to fill the void! This entire series is going to be a wild ride. Zarya is the heroine I needed. She's fierce and smart and I'm eagerly awaiting to see where her journey goes. I would absolutely recommend this series to anyone who loves world building and descriptive story telling without the slow burn. This book gets right to the story and I'm here for it!

Thank you Netgalley, Second Sky, and Nisha J. Tuli for an arc of 'Heart of Night and Fire' in exchange for an honest review.

Things I did enjoy: Indian mythology, the descriptions of food and clothing, and the overall atmosphere was reminiscent of one of my favourite duologies 'We Hunt the Flame'.

Unfortunately I DNF'd this book at 31%. I was quite excited for this one knowing it's rich with Indian mythology but that was all that had me trying to push through. I can't justify giving this book a 1 star because I didn't get far enough in to personally determine if it's worthy of that rating, so I'm giving it a bump up to 2 stars.

This book is labelled at adult/new adult but it struggled to break free of a YA narrative/voice. I know many people enjoy these types of books - if you enjoyed the writing style in Fourth Wing you might enjoy this book - but it's just not for me. I'm not looking for YA when I pick up an adult novel. I've seen some reviews state that the narrative does improve but that's not enough for me to try and continue.

The main character Zarya is understandably angry at her situation in the beginning, she has spent her entire life trapped within a magic barrier, but it consumes her entire character to the point where it was just boring and tiring to read about... I didn't get far enough into the book to speak on any romance, but the other relationships and meetings within this book felt forced. They were just all conveniently there. The only character I was truly interested in disappears in the beginning of the book.

The foreshadowing in this book is also pretty heavy handed, I don't know that I need to finish it to understand where everything is going.

I loved this Indian inspired fantasy. Zarya has been kept a prisoner her whole life, and when her guardian mysteriously disappears, she takes her chance at freedom. In a city plagued by a growing blight of demons, Zarya finds friendship and more as she helps defend the city. But why was she kept hidden all this time, and why was she told to keep her magic a secret? I loved the ending and can’t wait to read more.


This was such a fun read for me. Zarya is a down to earth character who is craving love, friendship, family, and most importantly answers. I love the friendships she makes and definitely can’t wait to read more about Rabin! Plenty of action means the story is quite fast paced and entertaining. My only criticism is that the world building and magic system wasn’t as fully explained as I would like, but I’m sure there will be more on this in future books.


You will like this book is you’re a fan of:
- [ ] Found family
- [ ] Elemental magic
- [ ] Hidden secrets
- [ ] Indian inspired mythology