Dana Swift

I loved this book and ended up reading it in one sitting. The worldbuilding pulled me in right away and the characters were a lot of fun. Some of them definitely lean into familiar tropes, but they’re genuinely endearing and I will always love a short king. I also really liked that the multiple villains, a bad world that makes bad people instead of just one villain.

One of the strongest parts of the story is how the dragon industry mirrors real world animal-derived product industries. It show more does a great job questioning the ethics behind exploitation and highlighting the importance of conservation. Those themes give the book real emotional weight, even within a YA framework.

This is about a 1 out of 5 on the 🌶️ scale, mostly glances and kisses. I would still only recommend it for ages 13+ unless approved by parental guidance because although the story has universal appeal, the themes could be a tad heavy for younger reader. I’m well outside the intended YA age range and still found this incredibly engaging and emotionally impactful.

This was an easy 5 star read for me. It tells a complete story while still making me excited to read more set in this world.

ARC disclaimer: I read an Advance Reader Copy that I won through a giveaway. All opinions are my own.

My only real critique is that chapters 47 and 48 felt a bit rushed and I really wanted an epilogue. Since this was an ARC, I’m expecting an epilogue in the final revision, which is why this didn’t affect my 5 star rating.

⚠️ Spoilers below for my epilogue wishes

I wanted to see confirmation that they graduated, expanded dragon behavior research and hybridization, found more gold dragons, and raised the hatchlings with the goal of repopulating gold dragons in captivity and eventually releasing them.

I also wanted to see protected dragon sanctuaries established around the world, societal divides addressed through equitable access to gold powder, and more insight into everyone’s futures. Shelly and Jeffrey had kids, and the main characters too (even if they have awful names), and that Hort and Daphne bond and raise hatchlings of their own.

Despite wanting more closure, I’m actually really glad this is a standalone. It tells a full story without feeling incomplete, while still leaving room for companion books set in the same world, which I’m very much looking forward to. show less

Literary Merit: Great
Characterization: Excellent
Recommended: Highly
Level: High School

This book was sooooooo good! Normally when praising a book, I’m much more eloquent, but I really have no other words to describe how much I enjoyed this read. I am a complete sucker for a well-written romance, and I also love the premise of this world. Though the author is white, she mentions in her Author’s Note that she wrote this book to honor her husband’s culture, as well as to make sure her show more children will see characters who look like them in fantasy in the future. I thought that was a wonderful motivation, and I also just really enjoyed this story and these characters.

Cast in Firelight is set in a fantasy universe where nine gods bless individual witches and wizards with certain powers. While some people are labeled as “Untouched,” others are given the ability to wield all nine magical abilities. For Adraa, the future maharani of a country named Belwar, magic has always been difficult. Though she excels at red magic (the magic of fire), she struggles with the others, and has marks on only one arm signifying that she has been Touched, a very unusual trait for a future ruler. At the age of eight, Adraa was betrothed to Jatin, the young son of a neighboring kingdom, and has been in fierce competition to prove herself to him ever since. Jatin, unlike Adraa, is a natural talent, one who has been training at an academy of magic for half of his life.

Upon Jatin’s return to his country, the two are set to meet again for the first time in nine years, and neither is particularly excited about it. Adraa, who has struggled to prove herself for years, has recently invented a helpful tool called firelight to help her people, and has been going undercover as a cage caster to uncover corruption and illegal drug trades in her country. Jatin, on the other hand, is returning to a father who is basically a stranger, and just hoping he can make a new first impression on the rani who he is sure can’t stand him.

When the two meet under assumed identities, however, things become more complicated, as both are fighting to stop corruption while also dealing with a mutual attraction that seems forbidden. The two future rulers will have to work together to bring peace to their kingdoms, while simultaneously facing the destiny that has bound them together since they were children.

Normally I’m not a huge fan of arranged marriage plots, as I think they’re cliche and overdone. There are also just a LOT of arranged marriage plots in YA, and I was a little nervous that this book would get annoyingly trope-y fast. As I read, however, I found that I genuinely liked both of the main characters, and thought they had real chemistry as a couple. Their budding relationship never once felt forced, and I loved seeing their cute banter and flirting throughout the book.

While the “secret identity” thing got frustrating for me at times, it was a frustration that hooked me and kept me reading to find out how and when their true identities would be revealed. Mercifully, Jatin finds out fairly quickly who Adraa is, and the plot doesn’t spend a ton of time on the inevitable “liar revealed/betrayal” moment that comes when Adraa finds out who Jatin is as well. Because the “liar revealed” plot is another trope I hate, I was glad to see that this book didn’t focus too much on it.

Like I said above, Adraa and Jatin are EXTREMELY likable protagonists, each coming with their own sets of insecurity and baggage. The two characters push one another past their comfort zones, and actually grow throughout the story because of it. Adraa is initially wary of Jatin, preferring to do things by herself, while Jatin feels an immense amount of self doubt. By working together, the two learn and acknowledge their own strengths and weaknesses, and I loved watching their (INCREDIBLY CUTE) relationship develop.

Even cooler, the plot moves beyond the “we’re both aware who the other person is and on the same page now” to MORE PLOT, which rarely happens in books like this. I like that Swift took an overdone trope and gave us more to the story, giving us more substance than the usual trope-y YA. What’s more, the two characters are actually able to develop feelings for one another, and it never feels rushed or forced. Jatin and Adraa have very real chemistry, and feel like a real couple to me, which is always good to see in a fantasy world where nothing is like it is in reality.

Good characters can really ground a story, and this book is chock full of them. I loved the relationships between the characters, not just the relationship between Adraa and Jatin. Both leads have close friends who actually serve a narrative purpose, and both have to reconcile particular familial relationships as well. For example, Jatin has to come to terms with the fact that he really doesn’t know his father that well, and must also overcome the jealousy he feels when he sees how close his father has gotten to Adraa in his absence.

Similarly, Adraa has a few great scenes with her mother and sister, the latter of whom struggles with being handed a gift she doesn’t necessarily want in the gift of healing. There is most certainly an abundance of strong female role models in this book, and I liked the inclusion of subtle feminism and girl power. It is never questioned that Adraa will be the one to rule her people, and her input is actually valued by male characters throughout the book. She also genuinely cares about ruling her people, and takes the responsibility seriously, something we don’t often see with “princesses” in fantasy.

While I genuinely enjoyed this story as a whole, I do have a few relatively minor criticisms. First, while I can feel a huge fantasy world brewing beneath the surface, this book doesn’t really explore that world the way series like Harry Potter do. I loved the information about the nine gods in the beginning of the book, and also loved the glimpses I got of other countries, some of which have serious problems with discriminating against the Untouched or certain magic users. While I loved the story Swift chose to focus on (a teenage ruler trying to save her country from corruption while unknowingly falling for her betrothed), I sensed that there is a LOT more to this world that could be explored, from the gods to the other countries to the lore behind the magic. I’m honestly sad that this is only planned to be a duology, as I think it could be a much bigger series with all of the material there is to work with.

Secondly, while I love Charlie Bowater’s beautiful cover art (I would seriously recognize it anywhere), it upset me that Adraa appears to be much lighter than she is described being in the story. She is described as having “rich dark brown skin,” but is extremely light and almost white-washed on the cover. This is, of course, not Swift’s fault, but something I wanted to point out in my review anyways. Representation is extremely important in YA literature, and I wouldn’t want a teen of color to see this cover and think it’s just another fantasy series featuring white characters. I think the cover art should reflect the ethnicity of the main characters, as Indian culture is very prevalent in the book, so that might be worth changing before the book’s official release in December.

Similarly, I would have loved to have a map and spell list in the front or back of the book, as I like to keep track of everything when I’m reading a large, sprawling fantasy. The information about the gods was wonderful, but I would’ve liked more background info I could flip to while reading. Of course, I read an uncorrected proof, so these things could very well show up in the final product.

Overall, I genuinely enjoyed this book, and will be happy to recommend it to lovers of fantasy when it comes out in December. Though the initial plot might seem cliche, Swift manages to put her own spin on things, with genuinely likable characters who have realistic and developing chemistry. I like that the heroine is fierce and stubborn, and someone who is smart and resourceful and desperately wants to help people. I think she’s a good role model for teens, and is also (and more importantly) a protagonist of color. I love to see diversity in fantasy, and it’s honestly rare to find YA based in Indian mythology and culture.

I would love to see this trend of strong, diverse characters continue in YA fantasy, which I think is doing important work. The author even acknowledges that she is speaking from the perspective of a white woman who married into this culture, and I think she treats it with a great deal of respect and dignity. I’m honestly going to have a hard time waiting until next fall for the sequel (one of the downsides of reading an ARC way before it’s release date), as this has been one of my favorite reads so far this year. I commend Swift on her debut, and can’t wait to see what she writes next! show less

Adraa is the royal heir of Belwar, a talented witch on the cusp of taking her royal ceremony test, and a girl who just wants to prove her worth to her people.

Jatin is the royal heir to Naupure, a competitive wizard who's mastered all nine colors of magic, and a boy anxious to return home for the first time since he was a child.

Together, their arranged marriage will unite two of Wickery's most powerful kingdoms. But after years of rivalry from afar, Adraa and Jatin only agree on one thing: show more their reunion will be anything but sweet.

Only, destiny has other plans and with the criminal underbelly of Belwar suddenly making a move for control, their paths cross... and neither realizes who the other is, adopting separate secret identities instead.

Between dodging deathly spells and keeping their true selves hidden, the pair must learn to put their trust in the other if either is to uncover the real threat. Now Wickery's fate is in the hands of rivals..? Fiancées..? Partners..? Whatever they are, it's complicated and bound for greatness or destruction. show less

If you didn't know, Cast in Firelight was one of my favorite reads last year. Thus, I have been eagerly anticipating this one ever since I heard about it.
Overall, it was a decent novel, but there were just a few aspects that I did not like.
Jatin and Adraa did not spend any time together in this book. Most of it was due to the plot, but since they were never together, there was no growth between them.
Secondly, this book is nonstop action. While some may prefer that, I just wished for a little show more down-time for the characters. Their exhaustion was very noticeable.
I almost forgot to mention, but that cover... :)
Yes, I am glad that I read this one but am not sure that I will read it again for some time. And on that note, I am thinking that the series will continue.

Content: kissing, some language, violence, death

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required. show less