A review by slc333
Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani

4.0

A quick, fast paced read with a sympathetic and likable heroine. This fantasy novella was short but it is a complete story with plenty going on and fully developed characters. I really, really liked Hitomi. She is not perfect and doesn't succeed at everything but she also doesn't give up and does her best to save herself and others around her. Hitomi assists the underground rebellion - the Shadow League - with their fight against the corrupt and powerful mage who is the power behind the the throne and killing everyone who may oppose his power. The League arrange to spirit away one such victim and his family but things don't go according to plan and Hitomi finds herself going from bad to worse it terms of her situation but this takes the story in interesting directions that I would not have predicted based on the beginning. As instead of a battle with the mage, Hitomi finds herself far from home in life-threatening danger making an alliance with an even more dangerous individual for survival. The relationship (friendship not romance) that develops between Tomi and her new ally is awesome and I hope that we see Val in future books. And yes there are future books which is great because while this story is complete in and of itself there is still a lot left unfinished such as what is going on back in Tomi's home, what happened to the children of the family that she rescued and her League friends. And when & how will the evil mage gets his comeuppeance and how exactly does Tomi's mother fit into it all. And I want to know!