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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
slow-paced
I really enjoyed this, and I’m noticing a theme with Nisha’s series is that book 1 is good but I book 2 is better, so cannot wait for book 2!!
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
This book somehow kept my attention but also felt too slow??? It's very confusing to me haha. I liked the writing and the characters (mainly Zarya, Yasen and lowkey Rabin as well) I was quite confused about the world building ngl, e.g the queen being in a tree??, all the different kinds of people/magic users, and the politics/world in general (would've loved a map!!). I still had a fun time tho and might pick up the sequel simply bc the ending revealed many things that I think have potential for a good plot. Thee focus on Zarya's loneliness was quite sad but also moving especially her finally being free and forming relationships. (She has better social skills than me, it's embarrassing haha)
2.5 stars. To be honest this book was a miss for me. I never felt connected to the characters, and it felt kind of drawn out, long and a little aimless? I contemplated not finishing. I didn’t enjoy anything except for the East Indian inspired mythology and alllll of the food!! But I absolutely loved the Trial of the Sun Queen series, so I pushed through finishing. I also have an arc of book two, and I’m hopeful I’ll enjoy it more.
Enjoyable read. Fast paced and full of action. Extremely easy to read and didn’t feel like I had to force myself to push passed the slower parts. I enjoyed the whole concept of the races and magic. Channelling 5 elements and having a 6th to be mysterious and rare. The world building was unique and refreshing after reading so many fantasy books that are too similar.
Some parts were hard to understand in the sense of hidden points or moments that were forgotten and never mentioned again. Wasn’t a huge fan of the fact she was kept in the dark for 20+ years when she’s in danger of so many things.
The romances had a lot to be desired. I wasn’t a massive fan of Vikram..he gave me red flags so hoping she ends up with her dream lover instead. Although he’s also a red flag currently, especially with the cliffhanger.
Yasen is my fav <3 Literally get platonic soulmates from him and Zarya. I loved their development.
Looking forward to the next book to see how everything progresses after the ending!
Some parts were hard to understand in the sense of hidden points or moments that were forgotten and never mentioned again. Wasn’t a huge fan of the fact she was kept in the dark for 20+ years when she’s in danger of so many things.
The romances had a lot to be desired. I wasn’t a massive fan of Vikram..he gave me red flags so hoping she ends up with her dream lover instead. Although he’s also a red flag currently, especially with the cliffhanger.
Yasen is my fav <3 Literally get platonic soulmates from him and Zarya. I loved their development.
Looking forward to the next book to see how everything progresses after the ending!
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I feel like this book is what I hope is a great starting point for the rest of the series. It starts slow and there’s a lot of time spent in the dark, I wish there was just a bit more plot told throughout. The world building was very unique and interesting though having it based on Indian myths and culture. Excited to see what book 2 brings.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I literally devoured this book. It was an honest mistake on my part: I got the ARC for Book 2, not realizing it was Book 2, when I hadn't even read Book 1.
Overall Plot
The beginning was great, promising. A bit heavy on the world building, but that's to be expected for the first book of a series.
The middle part was a touch too dragging, like it was struggling to get to the point, which forced the ending to become one revelation after another. I especially couldn't wrap my mind around why everyone instantly accepted Zarya into the mix, letting her learn about them, their secrets, and even train amongst them. I would understand if they become more accepting after she admitted to being Row's disciple/captive, but before? It was always bugging me at the back of my mind, which may be the main reason why I couldn't rate this higher.
One plot twist I totally did not see coming, but should have, bumped this up half a star.
Characters
I like Zarya, though for a 20-year-old, she could be naive and too trusting at times - something I could excuse due to her awfully sheltered life.
Vikram... well, he is nice, perhaps too nice, which is why I never trusted him fully.His "betrayal" was definitely something brewing waiting to be revealed, and I wasn't surprised, though of course, I couldn't get the reason right.
The other characters... I like enough. Aarav, the annoying brother characte who I come to like. Amrata... whom I wish had more time on the pages; I wanted to learn more about her.
But my most favorite character has to be Yasen; his and Zarya's friendship - and even his nickname to her - reminds me a lot of Juliette and Kenji, and I love that so much.
And last but not least, Rabin, I cannot decide yet how I feel about him, or his relationship with Zarya.
Overall Plot
The beginning was great, promising. A bit heavy on the world building, but that's to be expected for the first book of a series.
The middle part was a touch too dragging, like it was struggling to get to the point, which forced the ending to become one revelation after another. I especially couldn't wrap my mind around why everyone instantly accepted Zarya into the mix, letting her learn about them, their secrets, and even train amongst them. I would understand if they become more accepting after she admitted to being Row's disciple/captive, but before? It was always bugging me at the back of my mind, which may be the main reason why I couldn't rate this higher.
One plot twist I totally did not see coming, but should have, bumped this up half a star.
Characters
I like Zarya, though for a 20-year-old, she could be naive and too trusting at times - something I could excuse due to her awfully sheltered life.
Vikram... well, he is nice, perhaps too nice, which is why I never trusted him fully.
The other characters... I like enough. Aarav, the annoying brother characte who I come to like. Amrata... whom I wish had more time on the pages; I wanted to learn more about her.
But my most favorite character has to be Yasen; his and Zarya's friendship - and even his nickname to her - reminds me a lot of Juliette and Kenji, and I love that so much.
And last but not least, Rabin, I cannot decide yet how I feel about him, or his relationship with Zarya.
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
Heart of Night and Fire is my favorite read of the year so far. I have not read a romantic fantasy like this ever before!
There are high fantasy and South Asian folklore elements to this that are so compelling and gripping. This was intriguing and her writing was exciting and interesting and fresh. And then the author was so strategic and deliberate about the delivery of her storylines, which had me in the edge of my seat.
Tuli is a master of creating a unique magic system and drawing on real life cultural elements that bring vividness and relatability to the narrative. The main characters are so likeable. And within the first 100 pages, I was connected and invested in their incredible stories! I would gladly pick up books from the side character’s perspectives.
I really took my time with this book and learned a lot about a completely different culture than my own. I am so excited to dig in to book 2 of the series, and I truly hope that she builds upon this world for many books to come.
There are high fantasy and South Asian folklore elements to this that are so compelling and gripping. This was intriguing and her writing was exciting and interesting and fresh. And then the author was so strategic and deliberate about the delivery of her storylines, which had me in the edge of my seat.
Tuli is a master of creating a unique magic system and drawing on real life cultural elements that bring vividness and relatability to the narrative. The main characters are so likeable. And within the first 100 pages, I was connected and invested in their incredible stories! I would gladly pick up books from the side character’s perspectives.
I really took my time with this book and learned a lot about a completely different culture than my own. I am so excited to dig in to book 2 of the series, and I truly hope that she builds upon this world for many books to come.
3.75 Stars rounded up to 4.
Heart of Night and Fire is the beginning of a series following Zarya, a 20 year old woman who has been kept secret and hidden from the world, and living on the outskirts of the kingdom with her captor/caregiver Row.
What I loved:
Indian-inspired Fantasy Setting
Cool and unique magic system
Found Family
Interesting Characters
Overall review: Fun premise, lots of promise for an interesting world and action-packed plot line, an FMC who can take care of herself, thank you!, and some slight pacing issues early on that improve a lot over the course of the book.
I don’t think I’ve ever said this about a book before, but I think there should have been more of this one. Most authors seem to struggle to edit out unnecessary filler that bogs a story down but this book could have benefitted from a little more added into it! The beginning of the story suffered from ‘first book’ issues a bit, but in a different way than I’m used to. The beginning is so action packed that- while definitely not boring- I felt as though I didn’t get much time to sit with Zarya and thus connect with her character. The pacing is just a bit off in the beginning, but I can happily say that the rest of it has much better pacing and I did get to understand the characters better later on.
This book is clearly a lot of set up for what promises to be a great series. That being said, if you’re looking for enemies to lovers romance you’re going to have to wait for book 2. If it’s with the character it seems like it will be with, it sounds fun but as of right now I’m not entirely certain who Zarya’s enemy is supposed to be. There is some romance in here, but it’s more forbidden than enemies, and I have no doubt that we’ll get a lot more of that in book 2.
I hope that we get to see Zarya’s character evolve as well. For being 20 she is pretty naive and love-starved, seeming to cling to anyone who will show her any kindness. I suppose that makes sense for her character given that she’s been cut off from any contact with the outside world her whole life, but it’s still a bit off-putting to read and prevented me from really connecting with her during the beginning of the book.
But despite these issues Heart of Night and Fire was a fun read, and I look forward to continuing the series and seeing these characters evolve and the story unfold!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
Heart of Night and Fire is the beginning of a series following Zarya, a 20 year old woman who has been kept secret and hidden from the world, and living on the outskirts of the kingdom with her captor/caregiver Row.
What I loved:
Indian-inspired Fantasy Setting
Cool and unique magic system
Found Family
Interesting Characters
Overall review: Fun premise, lots of promise for an interesting world and action-packed plot line, an FMC who can take care of herself, thank you!, and some slight pacing issues early on that improve a lot over the course of the book.
I don’t think I’ve ever said this about a book before, but I think there should have been more of this one. Most authors seem to struggle to edit out unnecessary filler that bogs a story down but this book could have benefitted from a little more added into it! The beginning of the story suffered from ‘first book’ issues a bit, but in a different way than I’m used to. The beginning is so action packed that- while definitely not boring- I felt as though I didn’t get much time to sit with Zarya and thus connect with her character. The pacing is just a bit off in the beginning, but I can happily say that the rest of it has much better pacing and I did get to understand the characters better later on.
This book is clearly a lot of set up for what promises to be a great series. That being said, if you’re looking for enemies to lovers romance you’re going to have to wait for book 2. If it’s with the character it seems like it will be with, it sounds fun but as of right now I’m not entirely certain who Zarya’s enemy is supposed to be. There is some romance in here, but it’s more forbidden than enemies, and I have no doubt that we’ll get a lot more of that in book 2.
I hope that we get to see Zarya’s character evolve as well. For being 20 she is pretty naive and love-starved, seeming to cling to anyone who will show her any kindness. I suppose that makes sense for her character given that she’s been cut off from any contact with the outside world her whole life, but it’s still a bit off-putting to read and prevented me from really connecting with her during the beginning of the book.
But despite these issues Heart of Night and Fire was a fun read, and I look forward to continuing the series and seeing these characters evolve and the story unfold!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!