I don’t even know where to begin this review! Illusions of Fire by Nisha Sharma was like a rollercoaster that only went up—and I loved every minute of it. This was my first time reading one of Nisha’s books, and let me tell you, it did not let me down.

This is easily one of my favorite 5-star reads of the year. It has everything I adore in a YA fantasy: enemies-to-lovers tension, rich and accessible Hindu mythology, a badass female protagonist who grows stronger with every chapter, and an electrifying plot that keeps you hooked from start to finish.

Sharma’s writing is so smooth and fast-paced that it felt like I was right there, standing beside Laila as she trained, fought, and unraveled the secrets of her destiny. Every action scene crackled with energy, and the dialogue had me grinning and gasping in equal measure.

One of my favorite aspects was the way the mythology was explained. This was my first time diving into a YA book featuring Hindu mythology, and it was presented in such a consistent, easy-to-follow, and utterly captivating way that I never felt lost. The world-building is rich, vibrant, and inclusive, bringing ancient stories into a modern context that feels both authentic and fresh.

The relationship between Laila and Karan had me swooning. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic was everything I hoped for, with sparks flying from their first meeting. Laila’s growth—from a hesitant, unsure heroine to a fierce warrior ready to embrace her destiny—was so satisfying to watch.

This is a book especially for fans of mythology, action-packed stories in the Percy Jackson vein, and enemies-to-lovers romance that keeps you guessing. If you loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, or Legendborn, you’ll find Illusions of Fire is the perfect next adventure.

Nisha delivers an unforgettable, heart-pounding, mythologically rich fantasy that deserves every bit of praise. With its fierce heroine, swoon-worthy romance, and thrilling action, Illusions of Fire is a must-read that belongs at the top of your TBR.

2.5 stars rounded up.

I would love to give this book more stars because I actually liked the characters and the story. However, it was written in a way that I didn't find myself enjoying.

Pros
- Well thought out. I can tell the Author either knows these mythos well, or did her due diligence to find the information.
- Believable romance. I actually really enjoyed these two together even though the fated mates trope isn't typically one I like. Nothing about their circumstances seemed to force them together., which I really appreciate. I also love the way Karan talks to Liana.
- Interesting characters. At first I wasn't sold on the FMC because she seemed to just be really rude, but after a few chapters that fades off. The MMC is a sweet boy with very golden retriever energy for someone who hunts monsters for a living. However, the side characters are where it's at in this story. Pretty much every single character besides the two leads and the big bad have so much charm.
- I was really fascinated with the mythology. I spent a lot of time while reading this looking up different words and deep diving into parts of the history to get a better understanding of the story, which to me is something that I enjoy in a book. It taught me something.

- Cons.
- Writing style feels juvenile and disjointed in the early chapters. I'm not sure if I adjusted to it by the end or if it corrected itself, but I only found myself noticing it for the first 5 chapters or so.
- Information given at very random moments that stand stark instead of being told as part of the story. (IE. "had a bloodline from a mythological being. A bloodline that required her to have a child before her 25th birthday." This line was put in her introducing herself to the reader, and had zero follow up or explanation. Sure the story filled you in eventually but it felt like such a strange out of place statement with no clarifications.)
- My biggest pet peeve in reading was done multiple times in this book. Repeating plot points, Multiple times throughout the book, when the POV swap happened, we would get a repeat of what just happened in the previous chapter, simply because it was a new POV. Unless there is something from their POV that was needed for us to see (IE when Karan left to go outside while Gopal was upstairs with Laila.) However, it's often just them mentally going back over the events and how they feel about them, and that takes up a good portion of each chapter. Then you have the repeating of world building details in a way that makes it seem like the author believes the reader is not smart enough to remember something from a few chapters ago. (IE. Explaining that there was a place from only the gods, and then the gods and the demons, and then the gods, the demons, and the humans more than once.) The book is too short to need constant reminders.
- Inconsistent character traits. (IE. - Laila feels like an outsider and othered through the entire first half of the book and then the book says "but because her aunts' business was well respected, no one ever made her feel like she didn't belong.") It happened a few times but I only highlighted this because it was the most confusing. Was she made to feel like an outsider or not, because you'd made it seem so for 50% of the book and then said she didn't.
- Karan being called "Deepak" only once in the book?
- A lot of grammatical errors. Added in words or missing words. Spelling mistakes. Formatting issues. (This may have just been on the Epub version I had sent to my kindle, because I checked the first few pages to see why my kindle version had a ton of random flame pictures for 6-7 pages, and the version inside of the netgalley reader didn't have that issue, but there were also a ton of instances where 2-3 words were crammed together with no spacing, I was unable to check the netgalley reader to compare that.)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
I enjoyed this book. As someone who has been exposed to aspects of Hinduism their whole life and has a hearty appreciation for the culture, this really warmed my heart to see a South Asian fantasy book because they are so rare. That being said I found the characters every two dimensional and think the book was too short. I felt like it needed more time to explore the characters, magic system, world and the romance. Overall it was a solid read and I want to see where this goes from here, I think it has potential to be great.

This was a refreshing YA Contemporary Fantasy. I think the use of South Asian mythology and folklore was incredible. I myself who was not familiar with these topics, found it very fascinating.

A lot of fantasy books will recycle and reuse the “chosen one” type tropes, but I feel like this did that in a much more unique and interesting way.

Laila was a badass and I loved her character, I also loved Boo as well. The story was thrilling, fun, and emotional. I had an absolute blast reading this. I dropped a star because I wasn’t 100% sold on the romance and sometimes the pacing was a little off, but regardless, I would definitely recommend this book.

I’ve also been wanting to read this book for a while, I thought it was supposed to come out in February of 2025, and it may have in some regions? But when I look it up now it has an October 2025 release date. So make sure to pick it up this fall!

Thank you NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for this ARC!

I have never read anything similar to this and had no introduction whatsoever to south Asian mythology and Folklore but it made this whole experience more compelling and entertaining. It's new, fresh, draws you in like you might have never been before, is beginner reader friendly, and has everything you need! Laila, Karan, Gopal, Boo, and everyone you'll meet WILL make you feel a lot of different things (good, sometimes sad) at times, but (and) you'll love it!

Would I 1000% recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and Union Square and Co. for this E-arc!
3.5 stars!
Illusions of fire is a young adult fantasy romance set in our world, but is rich with legends and lore from Hindu Mythology. Our main character, Laila, is raised by her aunts, who are demons. they protect her and train her to prepare for her destiny..
Then we have Karan who hunts demons, trained by his father and uncle, to keep the balance between good and evil. Soon Laila and Karans path cross and they end up butting heads before they realize they might have more in common than they think....
As for my thoughts, there was a lot I enjoyed and a lot that I didn't. One pro was, of course, the Hindu mythology, this was the strongest part of the book for me. From the magical creatures to the lore of the descendants, it gave an extra layer and depth to the narrative. Another pro, was the side characters. Boo gave a lighthearted feel while also contributing to the plot because of her intelligence and Gopal, had an aura of mystery and kept the story moving.
Now for the things I didnt love as much. firstly, I wish we spent more time with Laila's aunts because I think they could have added an interesting insight considering their history. but it seemed they were essentially, cut out for most of the story. another con was that at one point, a secret was revealed and I felt like it was swept under the rug and brushed away. I wish we had some more time with it and had it discussed because it was a big part of the book.
in conclusion, I did, overall, enjoy my time and I think people should give this a chance when it releases. if you like characters like Buffy and South Asian rep. this is for you. I'm intrigued for her other works and whatever else she ends up releasing!

This book was a lovely read, I particularly enjoyed the descriptive language used in it, and how well everything was always explained from everything to clothes to the smells that could be smelt. It felt I credibly immersive which I absolutely adored.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publishing company for allowing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the myth0logy elements in the story. They were used in interesting ways and I loved how the characters used their individual inherited traits. The story was fun and I liked the characters. It was a good YA book. The writing isn't the best and there is a lot of basic editing needed to make this ready to publish.

I’m not well-versed on Hindu mythology and folklore, so when I saw this ARC was available on NetGalley, I scrambled to request it! Descendants of Hindu gods and goddesses? An FMC that’s had combat and weapons training since she was practically a toddler? SIGN ME UP.
Laila is a strong (literally and metaphorically) FMC, and I could relate to her wanting her own agency, and wanting to create her own destiny and identity. Karan’s own journey parallels hers in a lot of ways.
Boo and Gopal are fun side characters, and I hope we see more of them in this fresh new potential series.
Word of caution: this book gets VERY dark towards the end with a creepy, extremely dangerous villain. Outcome was satisfactory, but it left me wanting more. I can’t wait to read the next installation in this series!

A stunning YA high fantasy debut novel steeped in South Asian mythology, badass archery and fighting scenes, mysterious fire powers and lore, and loving and loyal families dynamics. This was such an incredible read; it was fast-paced, irreverent and emotional, with enough mystery to the plot moving. The South Asian lore was highly intriguing and I felt like the author did a good job with explaining the important elements while letting us know where stories diverged.
Our young heroes are incredible: equally strong and brilliant, and complement each other with their wit, unwavering support, and chemistry. I love the underlying theme of taking fate into your own hands and straying from predetermined expectations.
The third act didn’t feel as big and epic as I might have hoped, but it laid some groundwork for potential future threads— I already cannot wait for a book two! I’m so excited knowing that this will definitely be one of the next big generational YA reads, and it was so meaningful to learn about the journey Illusions of Fire had to overcome in order to come alive on the page today.
Posted on goodreads

This was so fun! I love a book that's easy-reading, but also has so much going on without it being overwhelming for the reader.

And Laila has such a fantastic voice.

I am living for this wave of strong, young, black female characters. Laila is no exception to that. She isa smart, strong, and quite frankly a force to be reckoned with. I also love a good telling of different theological stories. I feel like I learn in more ways than one reading books like this. There are a few darker scenarios in this book revolving around death and planning assault, but don't let that stop you!

Laila and Karan were not supposed to meet. Both being descendant of different gods, their encounter triggers a profesy no one is ready for.

I am all in for a book with a bad*ss main character with quite a lot of female rage, which made me love Laila from the first page. Karan seems to have a gentle soul from the beginning, but he is maybe too trusting.

Although I quite liked this book, I had to remember myself they are "kids" and they take stupid irracional decisions some times, which made me disconnect at some points of the book, some of these actions seem to be there just for the sake of things happening even. I would have also liked to see more of Laila and Karan interaction and some more of them in a general sense; it looked like we only see scenes focused on the main theme of the book, there is no secondary communications, or if there are, they are too brief.

Mythology may be the strongest point of the book, I love reading books with religions I am not familiar with. It feels like a new world being discovered.

Finally, I want to thank Nisha Sharma, Union Square & Co, and Netgalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review. I am super intrigued to see what Nisha Sharma will come up with next.

This book was really good! It was incredibly fast paced, I loved the plot, I loved the character development and I loved the visual imagery the author gave! This book was definitely worth reading, and I’m incredibly grateful I did! Honestly 10/10 would recommend

Every morning Laila Bansal wakes up before dawnhours before her job at the family winery—and trains in hand-to-hand combat with her adopted aunts who, when not tending to their thriving vineyard, are immortal demons sworn to protect Laila’s mythological bloodline. just taht synopsis alone had me intrigued to pick this book up

Really enjoyed the book. Very different to what is available on the romantasy market at present. I loved that is based on Hindu mythology and found that really interesting. It was a little slow at first but once it got going I struggled to put it down! I can’t wait to see how the story progresses.

Rated: 4.5/5

✨ Key Themes
*characters: Descendants of Draupadi's (Mahabharata) legendary figures.
°Hindu Mythology Meets Modernity twist
°A Strong Baddy Female Protagonist
°Slow-burn romance *coughing forbidden*
°Action-Packed Adventure
°Demon possession
°Funny conversations

🔥 Plot Overview

The story follows Laila Bansal, a teenager living in upstate New York. Laila's mornings begin with hand-to-hand combat training under the guidance of her Rakshasi (demons) aunts devoted to protecting her.  Because Laila is not just any normal teenager, she is a descendant of Draupadi, a central figure from the Mahabharata, and her lineage is infused with magic and guarded secrets entrusted by Lord Krishna.

Laila's seemingly peaceful and hardworking life takes a dramatic turn when Karan, a mysterious new archer in town, attempts to kill her (the occasion was really not the time for such an attemp *not spoiling dw*), mistaking her for a demon.  Karan is a descendant of Karna and is on a mission to save his parents guided by his uughh stupid ass 'uncle'. But unknowingly he brings with him a surge of immortal and mortal beings poised to wreak havoc. Which causes Laila aunts to disappear. Now that Laila and Karan paths have intertwined, they must navigate their fated connection, uncover hidden truths, and confront dark forces threatening to destroy the world. 

I swear that this book is everything that I was looking for in a book. I love mythology themed books, I will read any mythology. The only issue was that I didn't really care about the side characters that died because I didn't really feel the connection between the FMC and them. They were mentioned briefly but any death is sad obviously. Besides that, this book is amazing and I highly recommend it.

The cover and the blurb drew me in but the story didn't let me go! I haven't read many books with Indian mythology so that was very interesting to me. The story was very fastpaced and I really liked the worldbuilding. Laila was very easy to like and I liked that she didn't just let Karan rescue her. I would have loved to see a lot more of the aunties. The lovestory is very sweet.
I really hope there will be a next book in this universe!

If you like YA reads with mythological aspects tied in this is an amazing read. Luckily for me, I love those sorts of stories. I know very little about Hindu gods, but it was so lovely to read a story involving them, and get a glimpse into that sort of world. It touches on darker topics while still being a good read for its age group.

This book grips you by the shoulders and doesn't let go! A brilliant YA novel that encompasses family, friendships, enemies, magic and mythology. Following dynamic characters such as Laila & Ahvi and their adventure from strangers to enemies to the only ones each other can trust. These characters are so involving and consuming, with personalities that jump out from the page to embed themselves into your thoughts. Going into this book I was initially attracted by the character art on the cover and the synopsis but otherwise had never really heard of it, the complexities of a modern world, with so called 'modern issues' intertwined with Hindu lore, demi-gods, magical creatures and demons was done so without difficulty and the ending was albeit slightly predictable, very well suited to the story and fitted in very well. The romance didn't take away from the other parts of the story and diminish other important plot points but enhanced them. It's lovely to see more novels with powerful young woman who have individual struggles and do find life difficult just as other young people but allowing her to overcome and be powerful in her own story really sold this book for me.