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A review by johannajournaled
Spark to Shadow by Atima Kim
3.5
IG: @JohsJournal
A YA fantasy romance with Thai and Korean influences about witches, the novel follows main character Fang, a Miangese witch, future matron of her coven, and the first of the new generation of witches to fulfill a long-ago made pact by the witches of the East to bring peace to the region. Hosted by the Sun coven of the mountain kingdom of Anda, Fang must choose a consort among the young eligible lords of the ruby clan.
Fun and fast-paced, I was immediately sucked into this story. I was so caught up in the series of events that finds Fang entangled in secrets, politics, and a dangerous weapon, making her question her Andan allies — that I almost forgot this novel was a fantasy romance. Fang’s chance encounter with a would-be rarity, a young male shadow witch, changes everything and leads Fang down a rabbit hole.
This is the first time I’ve seen a Thai main character in a fantasy novel, and I enjoyed the Thai and Korean references (e.g. clothing, food, appearance of war elephants). Anda seems to be inspired by the Japanese occupation of Korea (confirmed in the Author’s Note — which is a must read), and while I’m not a history expert, I appreciated how all of these aspects were infused into the world and story.
The discoveries of the going-ons in Anda were left too open-ended for me, and I was left with more questions. However, this novel is ultimately a romance, and who Fang chooses as her escort was predictable.
I thought this was solid for an indie YA fantasy novel. As someone who isn’t a fan of insta-love, I appreciated the build-up to the romance and how we see Fang struggle with who and what she wants. If you’re a YA fantasy fan, I’d give this one a go!
Other reasons to read this:
• Non-Europeancentric
A YA fantasy romance with Thai and Korean influences about witches, the novel follows main character Fang, a Miangese witch, future matron of her coven, and the first of the new generation of witches to fulfill a long-ago made pact by the witches of the East to bring peace to the region. Hosted by the Sun coven of the mountain kingdom of Anda, Fang must choose a consort among the young eligible lords of the ruby clan.
Fun and fast-paced, I was immediately sucked into this story. I was so caught up in the series of events that finds Fang entangled in secrets, politics, and a dangerous weapon, making her question her Andan allies — that I almost forgot this novel was a fantasy romance. Fang’s chance encounter with a would-be rarity, a young male shadow witch, changes everything and leads Fang down a rabbit hole.
This is the first time I’ve seen a Thai main character in a fantasy novel, and I enjoyed the Thai and Korean references (e.g. clothing, food, appearance of war elephants). Anda seems to be inspired by the Japanese occupation of Korea (confirmed in the Author’s Note — which is a must read), and while I’m not a history expert, I appreciated how all of these aspects were infused into the world and story.
The discoveries of the going-ons in Anda were left too open-ended for me, and I was left with more questions. However, this novel is ultimately a romance, and who Fang chooses as her escort was predictable.
I thought this was solid for an indie YA fantasy novel. As someone who isn’t a fan of insta-love, I appreciated the build-up to the romance and how we see Fang struggle with who and what she wants. If you’re a YA fantasy fan, I’d give this one a go!
Other reasons to read this:
• Non-Europeancentric