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readingchristine's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
adenhoy's review against another edition
5.0
This book was insane. The twists and turns that it had were so amazing and all the plot twists were crazy. The worldbuilding and characters were so interesting, and the plot was amazing. Def read!
_camk_'s review against another edition
3.0
I nearly thought about giving up this book at Chapter 9 but kept going because so many reviews were positive. It isn't until about 3/4 of the way through the book does the story really get going and I do intend to read the sequel.
+There was an interesting world; but it wasn't utilised very well. A lot of the book is set in a palace that there is little to no description about.
-Ren. Ren as a character falls flat a bit. Because she is carrying other peoples memories, she herself has little to her no personality. I got very sick of eternal pity party monologues about 10% of the way in.
+There was an interesting world; but it wasn't utilised very well. A lot of the book is set in a palace that there is little to no description about.
-Ren. Ren as a character falls flat a bit. Because she is carrying other peoples memories, she herself has little to her no personality. I got very sick of eternal pity party monologues about 10% of the way in.
brittrivera's review against another edition
5.0
I want to write a coherent review of this book, but I know I can't because I just loved it so much!! It has everything I require in a story: magic, world building, a Messy Female MC Who Really Just Needs A Hug, a fun group of friends(ish), If Bad Why Hot Villain.
Then there were those moments when I thought, "Is this a Reylo??" especially knowing what I do about the author from following her on social media and they were just so fun and so well used and I enjoyed the parallels.
"People consume each other when they're afraid, don't they? But I know this is real."
"She knew all the colors that made up a person’s soul—star-white hope, mud-green envy, pomegranate love. But when she focused on the prince, she could only see a faint, muted gray."
"I will take his trinket. I will soften when I should be sharp edges and steel."
Then there were those moments when I thought, "Is this a Reylo??" especially knowing what I do about the author from following her on social media and they were just so fun and so well used and I enjoyed the parallels.
"People consume each other when they're afraid, don't they? But I know this is real."
"She knew all the colors that made up a person’s soul—star-white hope, mud-green envy, pomegranate love. But when she focused on the prince, she could only see a faint, muted gray."
"I will take his trinket. I will soften when I should be sharp edges and steel."
kaybethbookish's review against another edition
4.0
It's refreshing when a series has characters already in an established relationship, which Dev and Renata are. It's even more refreshing when those characters have a HEALTHY established relationship. Though it's clear Dev is protective of Renata, he doesn't do it in a toxic way, nor does she act defenceless when he is around. They support each other, and they encourage each other. It was a nice change to the regular YA relationships I've seen. All of the relationships in this book were written well, even the ones that blur the line between love and hate.
Even though magic was present, it didn't dominate the book, most of the story more focused on the politics and worldbuilding of the land. I really liked the unique use of magic in this series, particularly how certain metals enhance the abilities of the user.
I had a few minor issues with the story, mostly that it was quite a slow burn after the first few chapters flew by. Even after the big adrenaline rush towards the start of the book, I felt the rest of the book never quite reached that same level of excitement. I did struggle to stay interested and had to put it down a few times. I was left intrigued by the ending, however, and will definitely check out the next in the series!
Even though magic was present, it didn't dominate the book, most of the story more focused on the politics and worldbuilding of the land. I really liked the unique use of magic in this series, particularly how certain metals enhance the abilities of the user.
I had a few minor issues with the story, mostly that it was quite a slow burn after the first few chapters flew by. Even after the big adrenaline rush towards the start of the book, I felt the rest of the book never quite reached that same level of excitement. I did struggle to stay interested and had to put it down a few times. I was left intrigued by the ending, however, and will definitely check out the next in the series!
luckies_universe's review against another edition
5.0
I don't have enough words to praise this book! If you're looking for adventure, mystery, political intrigue and magic, you've come to the right place.
The writing is on the older side of YA, which I appreciated because although I've accepted that I am no longer at the age that Young Adult novels are targeted toward, I still like to read a YA book that's more suited to my adult reading level every now and then, you know? And I'm aware that New Adult exists but often times it's just spice with bare minimum plot and that's unfortunately not my personal cup of tea.
There were plot twists littered throughout (that I didn't see coming). I was making faces the entire time--face palming, gasping in shock, fighting the urge to punch some of the characters in the face! There's a little bit of romance in the beginning of the story, and it's cute and all, but most of the book is plot-focused, which I enjoyed. The ending does, however, hint at future relationship conflict, so I'm kind of excited about that.
The main character, Renata, is brave and intelligent, and as the novel progresses she shows great ability for self-reflection, which is something you don't often see in books, especially YA. Usually, the main character is bullied or excluded, and then by the end of the book the mean characters realise that they misjudged the MC, or they meet a tragic end. However, in Incendiary, both the MC and the meaner characters seem to accept that the reason their relationships are so strained is due to both sides making valid mistakes.
This was a well-rounded, enjoyable fantasy novel and I am so excited to read the sequel!
The writing is on the older side of YA, which I appreciated because although I've accepted that I am no longer at the age that Young Adult novels are targeted toward, I still like to read a YA book that's more suited to my adult reading level every now and then, you know? And I'm aware that New Adult exists but often times it's just spice with bare minimum plot and that's unfortunately not my personal cup of tea.
There were plot twists littered throughout (that I didn't see coming). I was making faces the entire time--face palming, gasping in shock, fighting the urge to punch some of the characters in the face! There's a little bit of romance in the beginning of the story, and it's cute and all, but most of the book is plot-focused, which I enjoyed. The ending does, however, hint at future relationship conflict, so I'm kind of excited about that.
The main character, Renata, is brave and intelligent, and as the novel progresses she shows great ability for self-reflection, which is something you don't often see in books, especially YA. Usually, the main character is bullied or excluded, and then by the end of the book the mean characters realise that they misjudged the MC, or they meet a tragic end. However, in Incendiary, both the MC and the meaner characters seem to accept that the reason their relationships are so strained is due to both sides making valid mistakes.
This was a well-rounded, enjoyable fantasy novel and I am so excited to read the sequel!