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A review by wendy327
Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift
4.0
I received a free copy from Delacorte Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Adraa, Princess of Belwar, is not thrilled about her position as the future maharani of Naupure, especially since it means entering into an arranged marriage with Jatin. As the heir to the title of maharaja of Naupure, Jatin is insufferable, constantly ratcheting up the competition between himself and Adraa that began when they first met at the age of nine. Now as Adraa’s eighteenth birthday nears, Belwar’s streets are flooded with the drug Bloodlurst and the criminal organization the Vencrin seems to have deeper designs. Adraa’s invention of firelight, a power source designed to help Belwar citizens live a better life and be sold at a cheap and fair price, is disappearing and the cost has risen so high that almost no one can afford it. Adraa adopts a secret identity to try and get to the bottom of the Vencrin’s operation, but in the process, runs into Jatin. Neither of them know the other, but Jatin decides to help Adraa in her quest. But as Adraa’s birthday creeps closer, a time when she will have to showcase her talents and prove that she has mastery over all nine types of magic, the plot thickens, secrets arise, and it becomes more difficult to tell friend from foe.
Dana Swift’s Cast in Firelight was a light and delightful tromp. Though combining a few young adult tropes, such as enemies to lovers and secret identities, these were offered to the reader in fun ways. Though not reinventing the genre, Cast in Firelight could generally be considered a young adult romance with a fantasy background. In terms of the fantasy elements, the magic system was interesting, though a bit complex. It was difficult to keep track of all nine colors and what magic was imbued in each. The gods associated with each were impossible to remember. It was also a bit unclear how individuals were blessed with various powers. The explanation provided to the reader was that some are touched by the gods and thus get their powers, particularly their Fortes, the color that is strongest in that individual. However, some are Untouched and it was unclear how this choosing occurred. As a reader, I did appreciate that Swift worked to create a magic system that was unique.
The two central characters were also well drawn. Both Adraa and Jatin were likeable and their motives were clear throughout the entire story. Additionally, the fact that they began to respect each other over time led credence to their eventual declarations of love. However, the characters around Adraa and Jatin were tougher to determine since they were a bit one dimensional. The eventual villain is a bit of a cardboard cutout and I’m hoping that that sequel will rectify this.
Overall, I would recommend this book. It was a quick, light read and the final few chapters offered a great deal that I hope will be explored in the future. I also appreciated Swift’s address to the reader noting that she was not trying to appropriate other cultures but instead create characters that look like her children.
Adraa, Princess of Belwar, is not thrilled about her position as the future maharani of Naupure, especially since it means entering into an arranged marriage with Jatin. As the heir to the title of maharaja of Naupure, Jatin is insufferable, constantly ratcheting up the competition between himself and Adraa that began when they first met at the age of nine. Now as Adraa’s eighteenth birthday nears, Belwar’s streets are flooded with the drug Bloodlurst and the criminal organization the Vencrin seems to have deeper designs. Adraa’s invention of firelight, a power source designed to help Belwar citizens live a better life and be sold at a cheap and fair price, is disappearing and the cost has risen so high that almost no one can afford it. Adraa adopts a secret identity to try and get to the bottom of the Vencrin’s operation, but in the process, runs into Jatin. Neither of them know the other, but Jatin decides to help Adraa in her quest. But as Adraa’s birthday creeps closer, a time when she will have to showcase her talents and prove that she has mastery over all nine types of magic, the plot thickens, secrets arise, and it becomes more difficult to tell friend from foe.
Dana Swift’s Cast in Firelight was a light and delightful tromp. Though combining a few young adult tropes, such as enemies to lovers and secret identities, these were offered to the reader in fun ways. Though not reinventing the genre, Cast in Firelight could generally be considered a young adult romance with a fantasy background. In terms of the fantasy elements, the magic system was interesting, though a bit complex. It was difficult to keep track of all nine colors and what magic was imbued in each. The gods associated with each were impossible to remember. It was also a bit unclear how individuals were blessed with various powers. The explanation provided to the reader was that some are touched by the gods and thus get their powers, particularly their Fortes, the color that is strongest in that individual. However, some are Untouched and it was unclear how this choosing occurred. As a reader, I did appreciate that Swift worked to create a magic system that was unique.
The two central characters were also well drawn. Both Adraa and Jatin were likeable and their motives were clear throughout the entire story. Additionally, the fact that they began to respect each other over time led credence to their eventual declarations of love. However, the characters around Adraa and Jatin were tougher to determine since they were a bit one dimensional. The eventual villain is a bit of a cardboard cutout and I’m hoping that that sequel will rectify this.
Overall, I would recommend this book. It was a quick, light read and the final few chapters offered a great deal that I hope will be explored in the future. I also appreciated Swift’s address to the reader noting that she was not trying to appropriate other cultures but instead create characters that look like her children.