Once I began "Ignite the Sun," I couldn't put it down. Howard quenched that classic fantasy adventure structure I'm always thirsty for, but can never seem to find. This story checks all the boxes, including: a mid journey joyful scene around the campfire, training to control powers, a slow burn romance, characters who are not what they seem, along with a myriad of magical creatures that support Siria on her journey to overcome the evil queen and being the light back to power.
This book kept me hooked from the beginning anticipation the catalyst "Choosing Ball," through the characters' travels to join the rebels up north, all the way to the climatic battle back in the castle where it all began. This debut sparkled. ~ Reviewed by Mia Nassivera

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I love discovering new authors. This is wonderful debut novel. Imagine living in a world where sun filled days are things of legends. Siria has a obsessing with finding away to bring light back to the world. There are very few in her life that understand and she has this fear of the dark. Queen Iyzabel tells the people that the light is bad for them. Siria travel to the royal city to the heart of the darkness to find a place among the court. She meets others who are willing to help her try to find away to bring back the light. It is so intense and I enjoyed it.

Interesting premise. Likable/hated characters. Cool plot. I would recommend this story to others. Some spots I found that didn't hold my attention, but overall, I still liked it.

I really enjoyed this book. The concept of the world, without a sun, is fascinating to me, which is why I got hooked by this title. YA Fantasy is also one of my all-time favorite genres. I really liked that the stakes of the book were ramped up very quickly in the book, I didn't need to wait around long for something to get exciting, but then it just took off! I felt like the main character's development throughout the book was well done, she was pretty entitled when you meet her, and throughout the journey, she comes a bit more full circle to be someone you want to succeed. Honestly, the world and the premise was one of my favorite parts of this book, and I would love a prequel book to give us even more into how this queen really took the power. But overall, unique premise, great book, good characters, and the only downside is that I don't feel like Siria went through enough struggles before the end of the book, multiple times instead of having to save herself, someone stepped in at the last minute, and to me, I would've liked a little more of her saving herself and becoming who she was meant to be in that manner, but overall, great story, and I hope there's more!

Wonderful, clean YA fantasy! Wonderful descriptions of the fantasy world and a very unique story. Thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to high school students.

It’s time for another glorious book review and there’s a particular irony with this one. As I hide from the desert sun and the searing heat waves that burn my vampire skin, I read about the opposite. Of another kingdom, far, far, away, where a young girl and a group of rebels fight the Dark to bring back the Light.

We first meet Siria through a brief glimpse into her childhood. Her best friend is the family gardener’s grandson, and he tells both children fairy tales about the kingdom before darkness shrouded the sky.

But those stories are lies. They come from a time before Queen Iyzabel covered the kingdom in shadows. Now everyone knows, Light is dangerous. Light is destructive. And it’s only by the protection of the Queen, that the kingdom is safe.

Siria has always been afraid of the darkness. And though she revels in these stories of a time before, she craves her parents approval more. She shuns the stories and turns her back on her best friend, hoping to be chosen by Queen Iyzabel during the Choosing Ball, where she will serve Her Majesty in a place of honor for the rest of her life.

And that’s where things fall apart…

So fall apart may be putting it lightly, but, you know. Spoilers.

Siria ends up leaving the city with the very people she thought she knew her entire life. But, as with most things, she really had no idea. Her life depends on finding the sun and bringing the Light back. Or her life, and the kingdom, will be shrouded in Darkness forever.

There’s a TON to love about this book. The world is imaginative. The magic creative. There’s rebels and secrets and all kinds of delicious tension. And of course, a lot of little betrayals sprinkled throughout the journey, keeping us readers on the tips of our toes.

It was interesting learning about the magic of this world with Siria. These added complexities and hidden in plain sight secrets kept the pace steady throughout the book. But one thing I really liked is how real Siria’s reactions felt. And how some of her companions reacted to her reactions.

In a lot of YA, we get a protagonist who discovers they have some great thing that will help them do the big thing to save their world. And often, this shocking discovery is accepted and embraced. Sometimes with little fanfare or internal reflection to really make it believable.

Not with Siria. She did not take the news lightly. In fact, she responds in pure terror. Which makes sense! I mean, if you were told the thing you were and the people you were with would destroy you and everything you ever loved or believed, wouldn’t you freak the F out?! Yes. Yes you would. So I love that it takes Siria some time to process all the things.

I also love how a certain rebel handles her. There are no kid gloves here. This rebel suffers no fools. Siria included. Which again! REAL!!! In fact, the character development on all levels is gorgeously woven throughout this book. These are more than characters, these are people. With complicated pasts and uncertain futures. They fight and make up, they deal with insecurities and trauma, they learn how to adapt and believe in each other.

And of course, there’s an adorable romance. But like everything in this book, it wasn’t insta-love and it wasn’t sugar sweet or cliche. It developed in a satisfying thread, with lots of missteps and miscommunications along the way. Which I loved. Because, hello, they’re sixteen. It was the exact right blend of awkward and adorable.

Ignite The Sun is a binge-addicting book. It’s fast-paced and intriguing. The scenes are so vivid I kept imagining how they would play out as a Netflix show. Same with the characters. I am not a fan-casting type of reader, but they are so dynamic and real, I found myself wondering who would play each one. I read it in almost a single sitting, it was that enjoyable.

Four stabby stars!

I truly enjoyed this amazing tale. It had an amazing heroine and engaging worldbuilding. The writing style was also outstanding, I still cant belive this is a debut. I will surely check more of this author's works in the future.

Ignite the Sun by Hanna C. Howard is like sliced bread.

You know what they say about sliced bread.

XYZ is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Whatever you decide to put in the blank, it’s probably better than Ignite the Sun. But that’s not to say that Ignite the Sun is bad.

Quite the contrary.

Sliced bread is pretty great, isn’t it? After all, that’s where the phrase came from. It implies that sliced bread is a pretty great thing, there’s just something out there better.

That pretty much sums up my experience with Ignite the Sun.

Ignite the Sun Review

Ignite the Sun is a middle of the road comfort read for those looking for a solid YA Fantasy that follows all the familiar tropes.

There’s nothing earth-shattering about Ignite the Sun. It doesn’t rock the boat and buck societal norms. It’s just what you’d expect it to be.

A typical YA Fantasy that’s a good romp and a delightfully entertaining read.

It has its downsides, but they are easily ignored in light of the larger journey.

I can’t really even describe the book to you without spoiling things, but it’s about bringing the sun back to a land that’s been covered in darkness for fifteen years.

The darkness is magical, and a creation of the antagonist. I can’t really say more.

The Tropes

There’s so many tropes, I don’t really know where to start.

There’s the Chosen One, which means that only one person is capable of doing anything to stop the big bad. Oh, and it happens to be our oblivious main character, Siria.

Which is the second trope, and that’s (minor spoiler, but not really) that she has magic powers, but she doesn’t know it. Surprise!

Then there’s the cringeworthy awkward romance, which is better than a love triangle, I’ll give you that.

And of course there’s a lot more going on here, like an antagonist that does terrible things to acquire power and then pursues their own happiness at the expense of every other living person, but they’re never able to achieve said happiness because they’re evil.

That was a mouth full.

Tropes aren’t bad, though! There’s a reason I like YA Fantasy, and it’s the common tropes found within the genre.

What Ignite the Sun does well

I really like Siria and our supporting cast. I felt like Howard did a great job fleshing them out, giving them history, and making them live and breath.

I love the magic system within the world, and while parts of it felt a little odd, it was pretty neat.

It gave me serious Captain Planet vibes toward the end which was a blast from the past.

There were just enough action in the story so that I wasn’t getting bored and the pace was quick and energetic.

I hate slow books.

But Ignite the Sun is anything but slow. The chapters are nice and short, making me feel like I’m blowing through the book. I despise long chapters (I’m looking at you Brandon Sanderson!), but Howard did a great job.

What didn't work for me

I really only had one major disappointment and a second minor niggle if you’ll humor me.

The minor annoyance was a point toward the end of the book where burning a pile of ashes is meant to be a significant blow in the story. But a pile of ashes is already the result of something being burned.

So how can burning it more be destructive? It’s already been burned so hot it turned to a pile of ash.

Yeah, sorry, that ruined a moment for me.

The bigger problem, though, is that there are no twists in Ignite the Sun.

Absolutely nothing was surprising, and I kept waiting for the moment where an action was prevented or diverted, or something clever occurred out of left field (with proper foreshadowing of course).

But it didn’t.

The story progresses exactly how you’d expect it to from start to finish.

Which is great if that’s the sort of thing you want. That’s why I called it a comfort read. It’s good for the reader who needs a pretty from mental Olympics and wants a fast-paced wholesome story.

The Verdict

Ignite the Sun is a solid 3.5/5 stars.

I don’t think there’s a sequel. The story is pretty well over after that. I could see room for another book, but there’s nothing on the news waves, so I’m calling this one a standalone.

I’d recommend it if you’re in a reading slump or not got anything else you’re dying to read first.

First off, the amazing cover art is what drew me in. Second, the author did some great world building that setup the story. I enjoyed this book and look forward to more by this author.

5/5 ⭐️ to Ignite the Sun by Hanna Howard

Firstly, I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for early access to the ebook! I did end up listening to this book on audiobook, which I highly recommend! And I soon bought my own copy of the book :) The writing, characters, and story was just 👌

The book starts off with a young noble girl who is attending boarding school when she is called to a ball so she can present herself to be a candidate for the Queens next attendant. Soon, though, everything changes when she finds out everything she knew about herself and the few people she is closest to is wrong. She then finds herself on a dangerous journey as she is the only hope to save her kingdom and people from a danger they didn’t realize.

I think for me it was the magical aspect and the characters that made me fall I love with this book! There was such a unique magic system which included some very cool magical beings such as nymphs and a Sunchild. I adored our main cast of characters, especially our MC Siria who is bright, fiery, sweet, and determined! I also thought our main villain was very effective for the storyline and believable.

I look forward to what Hanna Howard will write next, and I would highly recommend this book to fans of YA fantasy!

I do love my YA fantasy and this was perfect. There is something very special about reading about idealistic young heroes, bravely falling in love and defending what they see as right.

This book definitely falls into the category of classic YA fantasy and ticks all the boxes that come with the genre. However, the idea of it somehow manages to stay fresh and relevant. It is not the tired fae romance, disguised as fantasy, and instead offers readers something new.

A solid debut! I enjoyed the world-building and I liked the characters. The plot was incredibly fast-paced and gripping and I flew right through it.

Ignite the Sun follows our protagonist, Siria, as she goes to the royal city for reasons unknown. However, once she finds out what the Queen really wanted, Siria is forced to go on a life-changing quest.

The premise of a world being decrepit of the sun sounded so fascinating that I had to read this. Especially if it was set in a vivid fantasy world. I really enjoyed the magic system and the world-building fascinated me. However, I wished there was more development in terms of the plot. It was lacking something and there were too many coincidences that felt rather contrived.
Siria was also an interesting character and I enjoyed her journey. She was slightly annoying but did get some character development.

Overall, a good debut! If Howard were to write another book set in this world, I would definitely check it out.

🌞Siria had never seen something called sun in her whole life, Sun existed in the past of Tetra-Volta. She lives in a kindom ruled by a witch Queen Izyabel who can control darkness & claims that brightness is dangerous for all. But siria just can't ever get over the curiousity to find more about sun.

🌞For gaining more knowledge about sun & the kingdom Luminor, which ruled Tetra-Volta before darkness there are only 2 people in this whole world for her help Yarrow and his grandson+Siria's bff Linden.

🌞Her own very strict parents cared very less about about what she wants & always diapproves her living in company of Yarrow & Linden. The only thing they care about her getting placed in Queen's court so they can get some authority in the eyes of the queen & unfortunately Siria have to obey them.

🌞After she turns 16 she's supposed to be present in Queen's court to be selected by the Queen. But when she presents herself in court what happens there will change her life & her knowledge about this kingdom.

🌞I really loved the whole world making in this story. Sun nevers shines there. Siria's sunchild power of controlling sun, yarrow's runpiece taking shape of anything, wood elves can control plants, naniads who can manipulate water & banshees who cries for death.

🌞The turn off was the story making, it was too slow. I guess half or more of story was them wandering/running away from the queen. There was more telling than happening.

🌞 Character growth was great for almost everyone but very less of Siria except for that suddenly she gets control over her powers in a very short time which in a way was more weird.

A decent debut - somewhere between 3 and 4 stars.

This is a nice YA fantasy. Nothing too innovative. The writing style is simplistic but not dull, which makes reading this book a quick task. The style reminds me a bit of Shadow And Bone trilogy - not that it takes inspiration from it, it just has some similar vibes. I did like it. It almost felt nostalgic, as if I was reading a tale I used to love.

Ignite the Sun's blurb sounded so promising. Prepare for an unpopular opinion.

The world-building and magic system were good. They were both well fleshed out and believable.

Unfortunately, the characters and plot fell very flat.
The MC, Siria, learns that she is a sunchild and because no other sunchildren are around, she has to figure out how her magic works within two months. Then she manages to slay the evil Queen, who had killed all other sunchildren before Siria's birth. Sorry, that's just not believable at all.
By the way, we are being told that the Queen is evil, because she got her witchcraft by eating a sunchild's heart, Now she screams a lot and wields her knife for emphasis. She reminded me of the Queen of Hearts.

The plot was boringly predictable with too many conveniences/coincidences. Lots of possible conflict situations and plot twists were neatly resolved by adding a sprinkle of magic and a lucky coincidence.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really didn't have many expectations going into this book, so after finishing it my main feeling was "ehhh". It's fine, the writing is okay, the premise is interesting but undersold (after reading the synopsis I thought it might be similar to Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy with the conflict between the sun-summoner and the Darkling; that's not what this is).

Mostly I felt like the characters were a bit underdeveloped, particularly the villain, and that things were just too convenient for the main character. Any hardship she encounters, the solution just falls into her lap.

So overall, it was fine. Not memorable but not a total waste of time.

I was really intrigued by the sound of this plot going in and so I did initially have quite high hopes; I won't say it was a let down as such but I felt the pacing of the book was my main issue.

I did like the overall world itself; the different nymphs and mages that existed in this world were well explained and it was easy to keep track of who was who and what this meant for their powers. I also liked the inclusion of banshees (although wish we got a little bit more about their backstory as they did feel a bit shoved in at the side). It was also a very easy read that I was able to fly through.

I think my problem with it is that, for the majority of the book, absolutely nothing happens. I noted that from around 25% to roughly 60% all we experience is the group walking... and walking... and more walking through the woods. Every now and again there might be a paragraph or two of action, but god forbid we actually get to see it - let's instead just knock the MC out so we wake up after all the action has taken place. And then... when they finally get where they're going, instead of really doing much they have a bit of a party, and then the walk back to where they've been starts again. I just found it a bit boring at times because there was so much wasted pages on them walking around; there was also a bit too much romance whilst apparently running for your lives. If this had been cut down by a good 10% it would have made the book much better and better paced.

I also found the MC a difficult character to get on with at times; we barely get to know her before we find out she's the "chosen one" and not just the chosen one but the lost princess, last of her kind, saviour of the world. It was a bit too many tropes in one for me with our MC in this book and her attitude was honestly quite annoying at times. She just whined so damn much I wanted to shake her. She then suddenly masters her powers with little help or input... again another trope that I don't love.

I just felt there was too much wandering through woods and not enough character development; it suffered from telling and not showing and just ended up falling a bit flat for me. I didn't hate it at all but I just didn't completely love it.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an eARC of NetGalley.

So throughout my booktube "career", I’ve read my fair share of YA fantasy, and in that time I’ve been exposed to a great number of tropes and conventions which the genre has thrown my way, and I have to say many of these can be found in Ignite the Sun. From the exiled Chosen One to the wise old wizard who guides her, much of the book reads like your classic quest narrative and hero’s journey, with very few surprises. Our adventuring party also picks up a couple extra members along the way, including a haughty water nymph and a sweet, young innocent banshee. There’s even a romance based around the tried-and-true cliché of the secret crush on the super-hot best friend, and following right on its heels, the good old “she must break his heart in order to spare him” trope. The ensuing result is this all-encompassing air of sentimental cheese and hokeyness, which I think readers will either find endearing or utterly tedious.

As for myself, I confess to falling into the former camp. Sure, Ignite the Sun might be predictable, but it’s predictable in all the ways you want it to be. The story and its characters are warm, comfortable and familiar, offering lively adventure and gentle laughs. This is the kind of novel you can fall into very easily, becoming swept up in the world, its people and their relationships. While there’s not much doubt at any point regarding the direction in which the plot is going, there are some unique elements sprinkled here and there along the way, spicing up an otherwise average fantasy setting. I found myself intrigued by the concept of a Sunchild, and enjoyed the way all manner of other mythical creatures inhabited this world

This book. This F–KING book. Ignite the Sun by Hanna C. Howard was amazing. When I first started this I was unsure. The writing felt clunky, but the world building was amazing. My God, it was so great. The world and culture and subsequent magic system was amazing. It was all so well written and built in such a way that it made me love the world that much more. The magic really made this world and was new and the fact that it had it’s limitations made me love it all that much. That being said, there were moments where this deviated away from that, but I could ignore that mostly because of how much I loved the characters. Each nymph and magical species had their own strengths or weaknesses and I was here for it.

The characters were also pretty wonderful and varied. There was definitely a degree of found family here which is another of my favorite tropes. The romance was always enjoyable to read and I was rooting for them to be together from the start.

The plot was believable and woven in a way where it felt real. Nothing there felt like it was out of the norm for the world and I was having a really good time while reading it. I did have to suspend my sense of belief alot more than I usually do in fantasies, but this was a wonderful book filled with magic, hope and found families and the power of friendship and light.

The one thing that kind of detracted from my enjoyment of this was that the formatting for the e-book that I received was not good. I had a hard time reading it at times due to the formatting. This is probably just a me thing and is not something that affects the finished copy! (I checked with Amazon’s e-book preview.

Once upon a time, there was something called the sun … In a kingdom ruled by a witch, the sun is just part of a legend about Light-filled days of old. But now Siria Nightingale is headed to the heart of the darkness to try and restore the Light—or lose everything trying.

Gorgeous cover and gorgeous story. It was such an interesting read. Highly enjoyed it!