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azrah786's review
fast-paced
3.75
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I was provided with copy of the book by Penguin Books UK for a blog tour with The Write Reads Tours in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, injury, death, death of parent (off page), murder, suicide/suicide ideation, addiction, immolation, self harm, confinement, emotional and physical abuse, child abuse
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With Fire In Their Blood is a dark and decadent small town tale that will draw you in like a dream.
When her estranged father acquires a new job opportunity Lilly Deluca has no choice but to move to Castello, a secluded small town in the mountains of Italy. A town split in half, it is a place with a bloody history of waring clans that have in more recent times been brought to order through superstition and the rules of the venerated General against a common enemy – Saints. Witches with dark magic in their blood who once brought about havoc and are now purged from society.
Despite finding herself allured by certain individuals she has met Lilly can’t help but feel unnerved by the towns way of life, but as more and more pieces of Castello’s past are revealed to her she finds that there is more truth to what she presumed was delusion, and that her connection to the town is deeper than she originally thought.
**I was provided with copy of the book by Penguin Books UK for a blog tour with The Write Reads Tours in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, injury, death, death of parent (off page), murder, suicide/suicide ideation, addiction, immolation, self harm, confinement, emotional and physical abuse, child abuse
--
With Fire In Their Blood is a dark and decadent small town tale that will draw you in like a dream.
When her estranged father acquires a new job opportunity Lilly Deluca has no choice but to move to Castello, a secluded small town in the mountains of Italy. A town split in half, it is a place with a bloody history of waring clans that have in more recent times been brought to order through superstition and the rules of the venerated General against a common enemy – Saints. Witches with dark magic in their blood who once brought about havoc and are now purged from society.
Despite finding herself allured by certain individuals she has met Lilly can’t help but feel unnerved by the towns way of life, but as more and more pieces of Castello’s past are revealed to her she finds that there is more truth to what she presumed was delusion, and that her connection to the town is deeper than she originally thought.
"...the past is vicious. It doesn't die so easily. You have to kill it yourself."
I’ve got to start by saying that Delacorte’s writing is so atmospheric that I was absolutely captivated from the first page. The gothic vibe of the town with its dystopic edge was something that I was immediately able to picture in my mind. There were moments in the story that reminded me of some of the classic YA dystopian books however, the fast moving, explosive storyline here is totally fresh and exciting.
Now just as dramatic as the plot are our main character’s self preservation skills, Lilly is the type of protagonist that you love or you hate. She has an impulsive and very gullible nature and I have to admit I was facepalming at her tendency to constantly dive straight into things without much forethought. That aside, the chain of events that pulled her along and the air of mystery that this story has were so addictive to follow and there were some great twists. Though I did catch on to some of the reveals that came by, how the history and lore were woven into the overarching plot was really well done.
"It's funny, isn't it? Everyone who's meant to take care of you - keep you safe - they mess it up one way or another. People like us can't rely on anyone but ourselves."
Being a predominantly plot based story and with a pace that really keeps you on your toes I did find myself wishing the narrative could slow down at times at more character focused moments. The already established relationships were really well written but the scenes that involved Lilly and each of the love interests seemed too fleeting. Hence for me the romance side of things did seem to come around a little too fast.. The relationship that I actually found to be the most developed and believable was the one between Lilly and Alex because I felt like there was more page time showing them bonding.
Not to say that Eliza, Christian and Nico weren’t great characters themselves because their individual personalities and backgrounds made them an intriguing bunch. I’m looking forward to seeing more from them in the sequel and to know what is in store for Lilly and Castello next!
A must read if you enjoy eerie small town settings and stories with whispers of unnatural magic and rebellion!
Final Rating – 3.75/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, and Self harm
Moderate: Suicide and Death of parent
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