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susannah_h's review against another edition
4.0
In the end I throughly enjoyed this book. However, I felt like it lacked some of the magic of the first book. The plot of the first book was mostly focused on Adraa and Jatin's relationship and interpersonal struggles, while this book was more action and plot based. Part of what made the first book so good was the characters, the plot was nothing absolutely spectacular, but served well to support the stronger part of the story (the characters). Since this book moved away from that, I found it less enjoyable.
A big beef I had with it (and why it took me so long to finish this book) was that the beginning of the book largely was based around miscommunication. This is my BIGGEST book beef. I know later on, it is explained (kind of?) and so I understand why it was that way, but it just bugged me so much.
Swift didn't much expand on the world building that she started in the first book, which undercut the main plot of this story.
I still love that Adraa and Jatin's relationship is very healthy. Not many YA and fantasy writers make relationships so peaceful. It's a breath of fresh air just like in the first book.
Overall, a good solid read, but lacking some of what made me love the first book so much
A big beef I had with it (and why it took me so long to finish this book) was that the beginning of the book largely was based around miscommunication. This is my BIGGEST book beef. I know later on, it is explained (kind of?) and so I understand why it was that way, but it just bugged me so much.
Swift didn't much expand on the world building that she started in the first book, which undercut the main plot of this story.
I still love that Adraa and Jatin's relationship is very healthy. Not many YA and fantasy writers make relationships so peaceful. It's a breath of fresh air just like in the first book.
Overall, a good solid read, but lacking some of what made me love the first book so much
lillanaa's review against another edition
3.0
How is this only a duology. This magic system feels like it's just getting its due, the story feels like it's just ramping up, and we're finally getting to the interesting parts of the romance. I understand there's a good ending, but something feels lacking about it, like there should be way more to it. This feels so dissatifying with how good the rest of the book was, there's so much buildup to what almost feels like a cliffhanger. I enjoyed it a lot, especially the direct continuation from the first book, but this is either the most open ended duology ever or there's plans for another book at some point.
Other than that, though, this was phenomenal. The twists and turns feel real, the characters are still just as fantastic as the first, and I know I mentioned it earlier but this magic system is so interesting. The romance didn't feel overwhelming to me, despite it being the thing marketed, and it felt believable, not taking away from the fantasy elements. This is strong, I just wish it didn't take such a dissatifying nosedive.
Other than that, though, this was phenomenal. The twists and turns feel real, the characters are still just as fantastic as the first, and I know I mentioned it earlier but this magic system is so interesting. The romance didn't feel overwhelming to me, despite it being the thing marketed, and it felt believable, not taking away from the fantasy elements. This is strong, I just wish it didn't take such a dissatifying nosedive.
books4susie's review against another edition
5.0
When Adraa is falsely accused of the Mount Gandhak eruption, she is sent to the Dome. Devastated, Jatin is determined to free her and prove her innocence. I usually don't like stories where our main characters are separated and trying to work their way back to each other but it works really well for the story. Adraa soon discovers that the Dome isn't what it seems and the problems facing her kingdom are larger than she ever thought possible. Even though the story is a duology, I would have liked to have read more of the story.
sharknato's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
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
rachelbookdragon's review against another edition
5.0
Standing ovation, cheers, and fireworks, this series is so much fun! We have two books that have kept me up way past my bedtime because I couldn’t put down the book. Moments that made me squee because of the central romance were frequent. Ultimately I cannot recommend this enough to other readers. If there were countless more books in the series, I would obviously read them all for more Adraa and Jatin content.
This book was a wild ride of the fallout of the first book. The truth isn’t enough to save Adraa when magic is afoot, and the claustrophobic silence of her situation is hard to bear witness to, but the people she meets and secrets she uncovers are essential to understanding and tying up the mystery of Bloodlurst and who is behind the Vencrin, both of which I did not see coming.
I loved the additional romance between Prisha and Hiren, but Adraa and Jatin remain couple goals. All their moments together and sass remain top tier.
The book wrapped up well, with so much character growth, but I cannot help but want more with the war starting, Moolek gone, new magics to explore, and the challenges between dating Ranis and Rajas. Crossing my fingers that another book is going to happen, and in the meantime I’m this series’s biggest hype woman.
This book was a wild ride of the fallout of the first book. The truth isn’t enough to save Adraa when magic is afoot, and the claustrophobic silence of her situation is hard to bear witness to, but the people she meets and secrets she uncovers are essential to understanding and tying up the mystery of Bloodlurst and who is behind the Vencrin, both of which I did not see coming.
I loved the additional romance between Prisha and Hiren, but Adraa and Jatin remain couple goals. All their moments together and sass remain top tier.
The book wrapped up well, with so much character growth, but I cannot help but want more with the war starting, Moolek gone, new magics to explore, and the challenges between dating Ranis and Rajas. Crossing my fingers that another book is going to happen, and in the meantime I’m this series’s biggest hype woman.
wendy327's review against another edition
5.0
I received a free copy from Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review.
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.
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.
dlpeterson's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5