Ignite the Sun by Hanna Howard
Publication date: 18th August 2020
Rating: 4/5 stars
(I received a free arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review contains SPOILERS.)

Sixteen-year-old Siria Nightingale has never seen the sun. The light is dangerous, according to Queen Iyzabel, an evil witch who has shrouded the kingdom in shadow.
Siria has always hated the darkness and revels in the stories of the light-filled old days that she hears from her best friend and his grandfather. Besides them, nobody else understands her fascination with the sun, especially not her strict and demanding parents. Siria’s need to please them is greater than her fear of the dark, and so she heads to the royal city—the very centre of the darkness—for a chance at a place in Queen Iyzabel’s court.
But what Siria discovers at the Choosing Ball will send her on a quest that could bring back the Light—or doom the kingdom to shadow forever. Accompanied by a ragtag group of rebels, she sets her course for the North, toward the last vestiges of the sun.

I honestly have no idea where to begin. Having just finished it, in only two sittings (i had to sleep, otherwise I wouldn't have dared put it down.), it's hard to take a step back to put my thoughts into coherent sentences.

First of all, I love the cover. it's beautiful and matches the theme of the book. It was one of the things that drew me to the arc before I'd even read what it was about.

The classic 'childhood best friends to loves' trope, which is often used to death, was spun in a much different light. Linden was determined to hate her, but still protect her, even before he met her, and Siria immediately decided they were to be best friends, and they have been, for ten years before the story starts. Instead of spending most of the book awkwardly pining after unrequited love, they stayed friends, and kept up their friendly banter right up to the reveal, and even beyond, which I think was a nice touch, because so many versions of this trope change the characters attitudes to each other so much that instead of being best friends, they become lovers, and nothing more. No more friendly banter, which in my opinion, is the best part.

It was so interesting to read because the main character has never seen the sun. We know what its like, but reading from Siria's point of view, you begin to think maybe you take it for granted, being able to see the sun and the light every day.
The magic system was also very interesting to me. Sunchildren, nymphs, pixies, banshees, elves, dwarves, witches, mages, it was explained so well, and I love that sunchildren really were sunchildren. Everything about them, even their appearance had to do with the sun (ie freckles).

We were thrust into the story fairly quickly, with a little exposition on the world, and the people, before Siria's big reveal, and the action really begins. Some people might say that the pacing was off, or they didn't like how fast it moved at times, and how slow it seemed at others, but I loved it. I love that balance of fast and slow, action, and plot, so to me, it was preferable.

Once we got to the rebels and everyone was complacent with letting the Witch Queen continue the way she had been for 14 years, I knew everything was going to go wrong, and with so little left of the book, it was honestly terrifying. I thought for sure Yarrow was dead.
It turns out Siria didn't even need to wait for the equinox to see the sun for the first time, but I can't help but wonder, how much stronger would she have been if she had stuck to the original plan? if all our beloved characters' lives weren't on the line?

And while we're doing hypothetical questions, would any of this had happened if Izyabel's twin sister hadn't been a sunchild? Sunchildren are loved by everyone, as part of their magic, so naturally, Izyabel would have been pushed to the side, abandoned, neglected compared to her sister. She might have still done it, with other outside influences like Lormac, but she probably wouldn't have hated sunchildren as much. It's an interesting thing to consider, that indirectly, sunchildren can have a negative effect on their siblings and family.

I have no idea if this is part of a series or a standalone, but I would love more books with Siria, Linden, Elegy, and Yarrow.

I wouldn't say it was one of the best books I've ever read because I have read a lot of books, but it's definitely in the top ten of this year, and definitely, at the time of writing this, the best arc I've read so far.

I would recommend this book to fans of Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes, and anyone who enjoys young adult fantasy.

I cannot wait to see this cover in real life. I have a feeling that all the goldy bits are going to be shiny, and it's going to be amazing.

It's a fitting match for the story, which is really, really good.

It's fast paced, exciting, the world building is amazing and the characters are great. I love Elegy and Eamon, but all the side characters are wonderful. I would happily read more about them, although this seems to be a one and done book. If we're really lucky, Hanna will write a side story or sequel later on.

I didn't think much of the villain, though. Everything is from Siria's point of view, of course, but the backstory we get for the villain just falls a little flat, for me.
Her mother liked her sister better, and her boyfriend/husband died in a war *she* started.

Still, as we couldn't get it from her point of view, this is the best we could do, and it's not a deal breaker for me. Just a little odd.

The ads for this book say that it's a metaphor for depression. If so, it's a very subtle one; I didn't pick up on it at all, and I didn't feel that events were being forced into shape to meet a metaphor the author wanted to address.

I really enjoyed reading this, and I'll be watching out for more by Hanna. Even if they're not set in this world, I think they'll be worth reading.

What a fabulous debut from an author I will definitely be following for future books, this was just an amazing read. From the very beginning I was just enthralled and intrigued to see what was going to happen. This is beautifully written, the world building is fantastic, the characters well rounded and with real development, I loved Siria so much, the themes of family toy find for yourself, hope, love and acceptance are always my favourites but particularly well done here. My only criticism is I would have liked more, an epilogue or maybe a bit less here and a second book, but that’s all and I only say that because I really just wanted more of the characters, the story and well everything. Fantastic !


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I voluntarily read this book as part of the blog tour with TBR & Beyond Tours. Thanks to TBR & Beyond Tours, the author and Netgalley for providing the eARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. 3 stars

Ignite the Sun is a fast paced YA fantasy that's set in a unique world that once was filled with light but for the last 15 years has been engulfed by darkness. This was a pretty "easy" fantasy to read and one that I would recommend to newbie fantasy readers as the world building and magical system isn't complex and the story follows a linear plot. There aren't any major surprises and it's full of many tropes you'd find in YA fantasy and although there were some things that I wish had been done better, overall it was an enjoyable read.

My favourite part of the story was the rag-tag team of rebels because of those found family vibes. I loved that they were a good mix of ages and also the various magical beings that can be found in this world such as mages, naiads, elves, and banshees to name a few. A big chunk of the book is filled with traveling scenes as the rebels make their way north on foot over a 'two month' period and while not that much really happens, you do get to know the world, the magic and the characters a bit more. That said, I wished the world building (including the magic) and character development had been done better because I felt that a lot of it was just "surface" level and didn't go into much depth.

Siria Nightingale is our MC and on her sixteenth birthday, she learns of a life-altering secret at the Choosing Ball that completely throws everything she thought she knew upside down. I struggled with her initially because she came across as a very petulant, spoiled young woman, and there was a strong "reluctant hero" quality to her when secrets are revealed. But there's no doubt that throughout the journey her character experiences a tremendous amount of growth. However, as the story is very much focused on Siria's experience, I feel that the side characters were sadly underdeveloped and while I liked what little we saw and learned about them, they're just there as filler for the plot and MC's story. There's a bit of a sweet 'friends-to-lovers' romance in the story but it's very PG and thankfully doesn't take over the plot, which I appreciated. The villain herself was a little underwhelming.

There was and wasn't a lot of action in this book (if that makes sense). We're thrown into the thick of it from the beginning and with the story broken up into short and easy to read chapters, it kept the story moving at a good pace that seemed full of action but was actually just one big travel/training/exploring montage. As soon as there was some fighting, the MC would conveniently black out and she'd wake up once the action over. This happened every time and it honestly started to get frustrating because it felt too easy. Thankfully the final showdown wasn't a black out scene because it really kept the tension up until the end.

TL;DR: Although there weren't any major surprises and the story didn't bring anything new to the YA fantasy genre, this was still an enjoyable and fast paced read. I think this would be perfect for YA fantasy newbies or even for those that enjoy stories full of fantasy tropes that have a unique setting, many travel/training montages, and a good dose of found family vibes.

I was so excited to read this book when it first came up as a possibility, based on the immediate strong cover and the truly unique storyline that the summary offers. It really is a wonderfully individual tale, taking the childhood fear of the dark to the most extreme; an evil witch, capable of blocking out the sun, so that for fifteen years, no one has seen it. It's an entrancing - and terrifying - idea.

Siria has been scared of the dark and encouraged to be ashamed of her red hair since she can remember, and as a fellow red head who is scared of the dark, I was immediately inclined to be sympathetic towards the character. Linden and Yarrow, who we meet from page one are endearing characters that capture your heart straight away, and all the more so as you follow their adventures throughout the journey of the book. Siria is forced to reconsider everything she has ever known, and ever been taught, and the journey she goes on as a person from what is considered a normal sixteen year old to being who she truly was born to be is one that anyone can fall in love with.

There is always a power in journeys of self discovery, and this is an extreme version of that. Beautiful, powerful, and terrifying, this novel takes you through the fear of being someone different, to the pride of being who you are.

Though I did have mixed feelings on the book, my overall impression was still definitely a favorable one. Howard has crafted an engaging fantasy universe full of Things We Love To See, like elemental magic, multiple varieties of magical creatures (including things that resemble dragons, mermaids, and banshees, among others), and a resistance movement against a straight-up evil queen. There is a classic light-versus-darkness battle, with the added dimension that comes from considering the impact of darkness on a population–problematic conditions for growing crops, paler skin, less-vibrant wildlife, and so on. And all of this is illuminated by Howard’s highly visual writing style, with attention to color and detail that paints a vivid picture of this universe for the reader to enjoy, from the eerie black/purple/green palette of Iyzabel’s court to the bright, shimmering colors of nymphs using their magic.

I was also pleased with the way the romance in this book played out–a classic in-love-with-my-best-friend deal, with no weird love triangle or toxic, seductive bad boy sweeping in out of nowhere. Instead, the tension between them stemmed from personal difficulties and insecurities, making for a believable relationship that is understandable even to those of us who aren’t literally trying to save the world. All the romance was very PG, nothing beyond kissing and intense feelings, if that sort of thing matters to you.

Thematically, I liked the places this book was willing to go. A lot of emphasis was placed on the concept of choice, about how your actions determine what sort of a person you are, and how fear only makes you a coward if you won’t fight it. Siria undergoes a good amount of growth as she faces her fear that what makes her different could make her a monster. Through a variety of side characters, different reactions to grief and struggle are also represented, from rage and rebellion to learned helplessness to numbing by distance, all the while pointing out that there is no “correct” way to deal with emotional damage–and the only incorrect way is to allow your actions to endanger others. That part, at least, it touched on from all sorts of angles, including when loyalty becomes conflicted between ideology and family, or between your own safety and someone else’s.

All that said, I did have some hangups with this book. For one, despite the amount of conflict and talk of war in it, it was very light on action. The main character does very little fighting and is (more than once) literally teleported away during major action scenes, so we are cut off from what could have been epic moments and instead just get “before” and “after.” Even beyond those moments, there were just a lot of “plot conveniences”–not plot holes, but just weirdly convenient things that happened to work out perfectly to keep the story going. The story as a whole, actually, was pretty predictable, no major twists, and all conflicts very quickly and neatly resolved.

I also was not a huge fan of the side characters–while Siria herself was relatively interesting, I feel like her companions all came across as one-dimensional, mostly there to fulfill specific roles for the plot but otherwise not doing anything to warrant emotional attachment to them (example: a death that probably should have been upsetting to me was instead rather “meh”). One of the most interesting characters, a banished banshee, felt painfully under-utilized (maybe we can get a spinoff about her?). The dialogue was largely stilted and inorganic. And finally, the ending was just too fast–there wasn’t really any time for the story to settle down, which seemed out of place given the way the rest of the narrative had proceeded. A couple revelations were also dropped near the end, ostensibly to help give context to a certain character, but the way they were presented was rushed and confusing instead of clarifying.

All that said: though not overwhelmingly original or mind-blowing, this was still a decent read that plays nicely into some old favorite formulas of the YA fantasy genre. Given the nature of the story and the lower maturity level (in terms of profanity, violence, etc., it is very minimal), it is a great choice for younger YA fans especially.

This was good! It is YA fantasy and is mainly about Siria who discovers that she could have a big pet in overthrowing the witch queen as she realises her birthright.

It’s fast paced and enjoyable, I hope it’s part of a series but it also works excellently as a stand-alone.

A cliche concept/trope with a twist…

Once upon a time, there was something called the sun…The moment I read this in the blurb, I was sold. 1.) because of its similarity to my previous manuscript and 2.) The light vs. darkness trope might be cliche, but it’s still one of my favorite tropes of all time. Especially, if the author manages to put a twist in it. In Ignite The Sun, light and dark literally fight each other, so it’s not your typical light vs. darkness, which of course, symbolizes good and evil. Most importantly, I love the fact that the protagonist has to take a journey to bring back the sun in a kingdom that hasn’t seen it, the light, for years.

Likeable characters…but lacking depths

Siria, the protagonist, grew on me. At first, she’s a brat and whines a lot. Someone called her out for that though, and that’s great because Siria needed to wake up and grow up. And she did. On the other note, Siria’s character is an exact representation of the chosen one, undergoing everything you might expect a chosen one undergoes physically, mentally, etc.

The side characters though, or at least the ones who journeyed with Siria, I found unique as a group. In Ignite the Sun, you won’t find a group of teenagers to save the world – the saving is Siria’s job alone, because chosen one – but rather, Siria’s group is composed of a love interest, an indifferent middle-aged woman, a 12-year old girl and an old man who serves as Siria’s father/grandfather figure and mentor. Aside from their different ages, each of them is part of different species, which makes their group even more interesting. The author did great in this aspect. But I think individually, the characters need more depths and development. Sure, I connected with them but I would’ve liked to see some changes in them (in and out) by the end of the story. As interesting as they are, they should’ve given more time to shine, using their magic.

A MILD magical world with all the interesting creatures…

The absence of the sun is not the only fascinating aspect of the fictional world, Terra-Volat, it is also filled with all the interesting creatures. Most of them we can find in faery world such as nymphs, elves, dwarves, naiads, banshees, etc. Siria herself is a kind of nymph. She is a sun-child and I found sun-children really interesting, especially in a world where people really believe that light, the sun is the enemy and that a dark witch, like Queen Iyzabel, is the hero.

It’s really interesting to learn more about each creature, the things they can do and can’t, but overall, the magic system is just mild. It’s very easy to understand and really nowhere near complex.

A very cliche villain

I think of all the books and movies about good vs. evil that I’ve read and watched, and for sure, I’ve met this villain before. Even Queen Iyzabel’s back story didn’t interest me. There’s nothing new to it, nothing intriguing and compelling enough to make her an interesting character.

Good pacing BUT…

The pacing is really good. There’s always something happening. It was really eventful and made the book unputdownable (is this really a word?) My issue lies with the too-convenient moments that resolves the conflicts the characters have faced. Too often, the characters are saved during fade-to-black moments, which means the most important and most interesting parts of the scenes are not on the pages. It makes me question the author’s ability to write such intricate scenes, like fight scenes or war. Too often, the dangerous scenes are cut, either by Siria fainting or being knocked out. And then suddenly, I am being told what happened during the danger, whether they survived or not. So yeah, there’s an issue of tell vs. show in the book as well.

My favorite romance trope but not in this one…

It’s a friends-to-lovers trope. Siria and Linden, one of her companions in her journey, have known each other for ten years and their friendship is amazing. But as for the romance, it’s not terrible but it lacks tension and development, so it ended up as bland. I guess the author just didn’t want to focus on romance but still…

Overall, this book is perfect for those who are looking for a fast-paced story, and not so much into the technical aspects. Also, I enjoyed reading it despite its flaws.

Title: Ignite the Sun
Author: Hanna Howard
Pub. Date: August 18, 2020
Rating: 3.5

This will be a spoiler free review. Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I wish this book had been longer or split into two.
I wanted more.
I wanted more time in the world. More time with the characters. And more time with the final confrontation/battle. The ending felt a tad rushed and left me wanting more…

Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of both The Bone Charmer and Shielded – two books I thoroughly loved this year. This book had a similar atmosphere to The Bone Charmer and I really loved that. As for Shielded, I’m not entirely sure why it reminds of me of it, but it did, and I’m not complaining.

I really liked the characters, the world, pretty much everything about it. Even though I wished it had been longer, more drawn out, the pace a little slower, the story Hanna crafted is wholly enjoyable and keeps you turning the page. If I had been able, I probably would have knocked this book out in one sitting. I was legit so invested.
I love Linden. Like, he’s probably my favorite character in this book. He’s just kind of goofy, dorky, and unapologetically himself and I love him.

I also really liked Siria. I thought her character arc was really good, but again, I wish it had been more drawn out. For having her world ripped out from under her, she handles it pretty well…she could have handled it a lot worse.
I loved the rest of their group as well!

I really don’t have any complaints with the characters or the world – which came to life in my mind. I had no problems visualizing the world Hannah created. I kind of kept picturing villages from The Witcher on Netflix, just bathed in darkness. The harshness and grittiness of that world just reminded me of this one Hanna created.
I think my biggest complaint is the pacing. It comes from a place of really enjoying this book but feeling like things were just slightly too rushed. I wanted more, I wanted to spend more time with the characters. I think Siria’s arc would have been even stronger, if there had been more time. I think her and Linden’s relationship would have been more impactful, if we’d gotten to see how conflicted she is, due to her powers. Those moment between them, where Siria denied herself Linden, in fear of hurting him, be still my beating heart. I’m 100% a sucker for those kinds of self-sacrificing moments. Not that I want them to suffer, but it adds this dramatic dynamic between the two of them and I’m here for it.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book. I don’t think it’s going to disappoint and it’s a pretty solid YA fantasy. Siria is amazing and her journey keeps you interested and rooting for her. Ignite the Sun is out August 18, so make sure you grab your copy!

I actually quit this book because I wasn't in the right mood for it at the time.

I don't have any issues, and intend to give it another try in the very near future!

Full review to come!

t’s been a while since I read a sizzling YA fantasy, and “Ignite the Sun” did not disappoint!

I loved the way the story is told. Although there are many chapters, each one is short with something new. The author wrote the plot so well! I was at the edge of my seat when Siria lights up in front of the Queen, or when Night Wyrm attacks the group. As the group progresses to their destination before the Equinox, they face many adventures, which makes the story so exciting.

Siria is great as the main character. She has no idea what is happening, but goes along with the plan because of her love for Linden and Yarrow. I also loved the scenes where she is alone and practices her powers. All the other characters are wonderful too, whether it be Linden, Yarrow, Elegy, Merrall, or Bronya. I adored Linden and Siria’s romance. They share such a charming history, and I really enjoyed how they try to move to the next step of their friendship.

Perhaps the only thing I felt could be improved was the character history. At times, it felt like the author just touched on the character’s history, but we really did not get to know them really well. This might make the story lengthy, but I would have loved more details about the Queen’s past, like her relationship with her sister, or more scenes with Siria and Eamon? Perhaps this is the first book in the series? In that case, I can’t wait to see how it continues.

Overall, “Ignite the Sun” is a wonderful novel and made me realize how much I missed reading this genre.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to TBR & Beyond Tours, Netgalley, and Blink for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Could you imagine not living in the sun for 15 years? So for me, since I’m older than that 15 year period, I don’t know how I would feel going from the Light to straight up Darkness all over. But that’s also because we are naturally used to the sun, right? We benefit from the sun in different ways, and it helps us go through our day. Our main character Siria Nightingale is nearly 16, so she has never lived in a world where the sun was around. That’s all she knows, and yet for some reason, her body keeps reacting super negatively to the Darkness…

While the synopsis does say that she discovers something at the Choosing Ball, it doesn’t say what she discovers so I won’t say anything since that would be a spoiler. But let’s just say that really, the Choosing Ball and the events that take place during that time are really what set off this journey into something that Siria never dreamed of. It’s very interesting too to see the kind of reasoning that goes behind the Choosing Ball and why Queen Iyzabel picked the people that she did for the “guests of honor” at the Ball.

One of the things that I thought was interesting was that despite Siria and her childhood best friend Linden having some sort of weird falling out while she was training to be on the Queen’s Court, all that needs to be either set aside or dealt with between them because they are stuck together for life. Or, at least into the end of the book, right? I thought it was a little sad though, that for some reason they had that weird falling out because of how close they were when they were younger. I mean, Siria never wanted to be a proper lady of the court. She wanted to be a gardener. She loved working with her hands and getting dirty in the garden and being with her best friend Linden and Yarrow, hearing stories about when the Sun existed and the creatures that lived in the Sun. The Sunchildren, I believe their names were?

Oh yeah, in case the synopsis wasn’t clear, there are a lot of different paranormal creatures in this world, like nymphs, mages, etc. Which I guess would make sense since it was Queen Iyzabel that somehow blocked the Sun and created this suffocating Darkness that everyone seems to like. I don’t know if they really do though, since it’s clear in the way that Siria describes other people that she deals with that they are severely Vitamin D deficient. They have sallow skin, and are just super pale, and it just doesn’t seem healthy at all. But I guess it makes sense when there is no source of Vitamin D anywhere, and that’s all they know. Would you really want to be super pale that you’re almost translucent? I don’t know.

I will also say that I personally didn’t like how self-deprecating that Siria was in the beginning. Honestly it just really bothered me, even though I understand why she was like that. Like, I absolutely hated how her parents treat her and even at the Choosing Ball, at that scene and I was like YOU SUCK AS A PARENT but again I can’t really say much about it because that would be spoilers. But Siria was always putting herself down compared to everyone else and it was so damn tiring. Yes, I get that you have red hair versus everyone else’s brunette or black hair, but damn chica that doesn’t mean that you’re ugly! Or that something’s wrong with you! Or that you’re less than everyone else!

Anyway.

For the most part I thought that this was enjoyable except for those instances. I get that the girls weren’t all going to be able to be part of the Queen’s Court, but the teasing and stuff was not cool for me. I don’t like girl on girl hate, and this one just felt unnecessary as well. Not unnecessary to the story because I get it, but just… why do they have to talk crap, you know? Ya feel?

But the rest of the story was good! I love the dynamic between Siria and Linden, and being able to have them deal with others as a “ragtag” kind of group to save the world from eternal darkness was super intriguing. I had a lot of fun with it, and I’m curious to know if there may be additional stories in this world because I’d love to hear about them one day.

The overall premise of IGNITE THE SUN caught my eye (along with the cover) and I liked the idea of a world shrouded in darkness. The writing moves quickly and made it a quick read, if nothing else, but I can't say I was truly invested in the story. Siria is your typical Chosen One and a lot of the moments with her that could have created tension ended up falling flat, either resolved too quickly to make an impact or brought upon by some convenient plot device. I also wasn't buying the romance but I think a lot of that had to do with the writing style and the way it was presented. For a character-focused story, I didn't have enough interest in Siria. She wasn't all that interesting, nor were the side characters.

IGNITE THE SUN wasn't a bad book by any means but I felt like it could have used a bit more time. Will keep an eye out on Howard's future books.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a surprisingly quick read, despite being more than 300 pages long. It was fast-paced (but not too much) and I really enjoyed the plot even though I found it a little bit too predictable at times and most problems seemed to be too easily solved.

I LOVED the setting and the world-building! I appreciated how the author included some mythical creatures that I've rarely seen in books such as a banshee (who was my favourite character). I would love to learn more about this world, the creatures that inhabit it, their magic and their myths.

Unfortunately the characters lacked depth and I wasn't able to connect to any of them. In the first half of the book I hated the main character, Siria: she was constantly whining and complaining. I really appreciated her character development in the second part of the book though.

I believe that the villain had a lot of potential which was unfortunately wasted. She could have been developed so much more and I would have loved her to appear in the book more than a couple times.

Overall it was a good read, especially considering that it was the author's first novel. However I think that it could have been at least a duology, in order to give space to a little more development.

Thank you to NegGalley! I received an e arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting as well as the magic system. It was evenly paced and believable in the fantasy world. Siria grew into her own along with the support of both known and unknown acquaintances. The romance (which wasn't the main focus of the story) was believable for two teenagers who didn't know how to tell each other how they truly felt for each other. Their journey was filled with surprises and danger with twists along the way. Great read!

unfortunately didnt like this one. I think it was the writing because it sounded right up my alley! Was also confused most of the time. Dnf.

I loved this book! It is an adventurous story with great character development and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Siria is an amazing character; at first I wasn’t sure about her, but I understood why she was acting the way she was, and her character arc is masterfully done! The author did a great job at putting the reader in the scene and letting them feel the emotions of the characters as well.

I stayed up way too late trying to finish it, only to get up early so I could actually finish it before the kids woke up. This book is really hard to put down because it is such a compelling read!

I highly recommend this book and I’m looking forward to reading future releases by this author!

Content:
Mild swearing
Sweet romance

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Ignite the Sun is a YA fantasy with an intriguing concept. And one of the major positives of this book is the world building. I love its unique take on both literal light and darkness, with some receiving power through the sun, and an evil power, Witch Queen, Iyzabel, rising up to try to snuff that out.

And I love that it includes the less common magical creatures, creating a more diverse group of creatures than you often see in fantasy, with naiads, wood nymphs, and banshees, to name a few. It makes the story stand out amidst the many that include dragons or fae.

However, while the plot was fairly engaging, I found myself struggling to become fully invested in the characters, as there wasn’t much depth or development to keep me interested in them.

However, I understand this is a debut, and with a bit of growth, there is a lot of potential for a great story. I also get that I may not be the right audience for it. If you like YA fantasy and are looking for a fresh take on the genre, I recommend giving this one a try.

This book took me longer than expected the finish. Nothing at all to do with the book, I think it was just a reading slump that I was going through.

I actually really enjoyed this book, a lot more than I expected going in! I think the world building in the book is what stood out to me the most. It’s probably one of the best systems that I have seen in a book of this genre. Terra-Volat is full of mystical creatures that I want to meet. This book left me wanting to be a part of this world!

The magic system was just as good. Whilst at first I was fairly confused by it. Eventually once I had gotten to grips with it I found myself enchanted by it. I feel like there was a lot going on, and I could have been explained more in places but overall I did really like it.

Now this book did have the chosen one trope which is something I don’t normally like. Mainly because I never see it done very well. This book changed my mind, I really liked it. It was probably my favourite trope of the book. Whilst there is romance, it’s not too prevalent which suits my needs and tastes perfectly.

I would recommend this book!

Living two different lives and not knowing which one is real and which is fantasy. That can make life pretty hard on Siria. The world building is the best part by far. I really enjoyed all the information.
Siria did annoy me a bit in regards to questioning everyone around her due to lies from the past. I kind of felt like it was redundant. An outcast at school Siria must learn to keep her head up and push forward.

As a debut this needs a little work but I look forward to what is next for Howard.