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bberry89's review
5.0
This book was beyond amazing. I can’t wait for the sequel.
Updated review:
This book was fantastic! It had rom com you’ve got mail feel with action packed fantasy. I love the magic system in this book. It also has banter. Omg you guys, *chefs kiss* It has a lot of Indian influences also which I find awesome. I love when an author brings in other cultures. Especially Indian. Their food, fashion, dance, and customs are so amazing. I love learning all about it. That being said even if you know nothing of the Indian culture, you can absolutely still read this and completely enjoy it. For food or fashion references, a quick google search is all you need. Then you’re like ah... ok. Back to book now.
I’m so looking forward to the the next book. I’m not so patiently waiting. Lol. The good thing is the second book is rumored to be coming out January ‘22. The good thing about this book is it didn’t leave you on a cliff hanger. It left it open enough for a second book but you still felt like it was a good stopping point.
So don’t waste any time if you need an escape. This right here will be a little mini vacation from reality. This author is one I will always follow. I can’t believe this is debut novel!
Side note for parents: there are some fighting scenes but nothing too crazy. Kissing a few times is the only thing physical I remember. Maybe some hugs? As far as cussing there wasn’t any in the traditional sense. The curse would that was used was blood. So nothing bad. Also there is one instance where one of the main characters has her period. I hardly ever see this mentioned in books and I read a lot of YA. As a woman now, I’m thinking all the time why isn’t it mentioned? It’s a monthly thing, we hurt, it’s a big part of our life. Especially in the ages that YA is geared to. I was diagnosed at 12 with Endometriosis which made my periods 1000 times worse. It would have been nice to read about someone my age or a little older dealing with those pains and still managing to save the world at the end of the day on top of it.
Updated review:
This book was fantastic! It had rom com you’ve got mail feel with action packed fantasy. I love the magic system in this book. It also has banter. Omg you guys, *chefs kiss* It has a lot of Indian influences also which I find awesome. I love when an author brings in other cultures. Especially Indian. Their food, fashion, dance, and customs are so amazing. I love learning all about it. That being said even if you know nothing of the Indian culture, you can absolutely still read this and completely enjoy it. For food or fashion references, a quick google search is all you need. Then you’re like ah... ok. Back to book now.
I’m so looking forward to the the next book. I’m not so patiently waiting. Lol. The good thing is the second book is rumored to be coming out January ‘22. The good thing about this book is it didn’t leave you on a cliff hanger. It left it open enough for a second book but you still felt like it was a good stopping point.
So don’t waste any time if you need an escape. This right here will be a little mini vacation from reality. This author is one I will always follow. I can’t believe this is debut novel!
Side note for parents: there are some fighting scenes but nothing too crazy. Kissing a few times is the only thing physical I remember. Maybe some hugs? As far as cussing there wasn’t any in the traditional sense. The curse would that was used was blood. So nothing bad. Also there is one instance where one of the main characters has her period. I hardly ever see this mentioned in books and I read a lot of YA. As a woman now, I’m thinking all the time why isn’t it mentioned? It’s a monthly thing, we hurt, it’s a big part of our life. Especially in the ages that YA is geared to. I was diagnosed at 12 with Endometriosis which made my periods 1000 times worse. It would have been nice to read about someone my age or a little older dealing with those pains and still managing to save the world at the end of the day on top of it.
votesforwomen's review
2.0
*loooooong sigh*
Things I still need to learn: a brilliant concept doesn't always make a brilliant story
The tropes of arranged marriage and enemies to lovers are two of my favorites, but the problem, I found, was that those tropes themselves were the only things present. The characters weren't developed outside of them, and neither was the plot, really. Except for the presence of my single least favorite fantasy trope: common people are being denied magic, and only our intrepid protagonist girl (usually a royal) can save them.
I'M SURE IT CAN BE DONE WELL BUT THE LAST TIME I READ IT BEING DONE WELL WAS LIKE IDEK 2008
Also there was magical cage fighting and just...please, fantasy genre, can we PLEASE move past that please *sobs*
There were things to like--the magic system was very cool, and so was most of the side cast. Overall, not my cup of tea, which makes me SO sad because oh my GOSH I wanted so much to love it.
Things I still need to learn: a brilliant concept doesn't always make a brilliant story
The tropes of arranged marriage and enemies to lovers are two of my favorites, but the problem, I found, was that those tropes themselves were the only things present. The characters weren't developed outside of them, and neither was the plot, really. Except for the presence of my single least favorite fantasy trope: common people are being denied magic, and only our intrepid protagonist girl (usually a royal) can save them.
I'M SURE IT CAN BE DONE WELL BUT THE LAST TIME I READ IT BEING DONE WELL WAS LIKE IDEK 2008
Also there was magical cage fighting and just...please, fantasy genre, can we PLEASE move past that please *sobs*
There were things to like--the magic system was very cool, and so was most of the side cast. Overall, not my cup of tea, which makes me SO sad because oh my GOSH I wanted so much to love it.
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review
5.0
I'm not entirely sure why I added the book to my wishlist once upon a time and why I just had to pre-order it, but I assume that the arranged marriage combined with a world full of magic is one of the reasons. I'm one of those fangirls who loves tropes. Not just in fanfic, but also in my printed books. And although I had to wait some time before the book was available for me, I was quite excited to get started and to meet this world and these characters.
And this book was literally everything I had hoped it would be and so much more! I love how Swift doesn't lose herself in info-dumps, even though there's quite some mythology to be explained. At first that was a little confusing, since all those terms and colors were being used without us knowing exactly what it meant, but the more I saw from the world, the more I fell in love with it. It's a lot more layered and a lot more complicated than it seems at first!
The same can be said about the characters. The characters were probably my favorite part of this story. I'm not someone who has a lot of OTP's, but Adraa and Jatin have quickly become one! And that's mostly because they balance each other perfectly. They challenge each other, make each other better people and better with magic, but they are most of all an amazing team, despite the banter, the sarcasm and the competition. I can't wait to see what kinda trouble they will end up in in the next book!
There was one slight moment in this book where I was afraid that a deus ex machina would kinda ruin it. Nothing against Gods, but saving the day shouldn't be part of their job description. However, I let out a very relieved sigh when it turned out we had more of a Trojan war on our hands. All the politics, all the scheming and plotting and planning became way more interesting in that moment, because the stakes, at the end of the first book, are now higher than ever.
And now the long wait for the sequel begins...
And this book was literally everything I had hoped it would be and so much more! I love how Swift doesn't lose herself in info-dumps, even though there's quite some mythology to be explained. At first that was a little confusing, since all those terms and colors were being used without us knowing exactly what it meant, but the more I saw from the world, the more I fell in love with it. It's a lot more layered and a lot more complicated than it seems at first!
The same can be said about the characters. The characters were probably my favorite part of this story. I'm not someone who has a lot of OTP's, but Adraa and Jatin have quickly become one! And that's mostly because they balance each other perfectly. They challenge each other, make each other better people and better with magic, but they are most of all an amazing team, despite the banter, the sarcasm and the competition. I can't wait to see what kinda trouble they will end up in in the next book!
There was one slight moment in this book where I was afraid that a deus ex machina would kinda ruin it. Nothing against Gods, but saving the day shouldn't be part of their job description. However, I let out a very relieved sigh when it turned out we had more of a Trojan war on our hands. All the politics, all the scheming and plotting and planning became way more interesting in that moment, because the stakes, at the end of the first book, are now higher than ever.
And now the long wait for the sequel begins...
colo's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Absolutely loved it!!! It was a little slow for me to get into but there was a point where I got hooked and finished the entire book in a couple of hours.
The premise is good. The villain is good. The plot is good.
Jatin and Aadra, mi familia y'all are soooo loved 🫶🏾🫶🏾. I actually really enjoyed their love story and the whole secret identity thing was cute and fun! I wasn’t into it at first because duh! It’s gonna cause a rift for a little bit between the two but I’m glad that their little rift wasn’t dragged out because they were BOTH lying to each other and they each had a reason so oh well.
Towards the beginning, it’s hinted that Aadra’s firelight could be used for bad and I like how that followed through with the volcano arch. I love it when authors sneak in stuff and actually follow it through…
The ending was a little rushed than usual which I didn’t really appreciate but it wasn’t that serious that it would change my rating. I just hope the second book fleshes it out more
The premise is good. The villain is good. The plot is good.
Jatin and Aadra, mi familia y'all are soooo loved 🫶🏾🫶🏾. I actually really enjoyed their love story and the whole secret identity thing was cute and fun! I wasn’t into it at first because duh! It’s gonna cause a rift for a little bit between the two but I’m glad that their little rift wasn’t dragged out because they were BOTH lying to each other and they each had a reason so oh well.
Towards the beginning, it’s hinted that Aadra’s firelight could be used for bad and I like how that followed through with the volcano arch. I love it when authors sneak in stuff and actually follow it through…
The ending was a little rushed than usual which I didn’t really appreciate but it wasn’t that serious that it would change my rating. I just hope the second book fleshes it out more
aceupmysleeve's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
kaiatoast's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review
DNF
the magic system wasn't my favorite, also thought it was slow
the magic system wasn't my favorite, also thought it was slow
pabea's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
gweste's review
5.0
I really liked this one! The romance is Aladdin-esque, and at times the dramatic irony was KILLING me. But overall Adraa and Jatin are lovable characters in a well-built world. I'm excited to read the sequel!