Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Ignite the Sun

Author: Hanna Howard

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3.5/5

Recommended For...: fantasy, chosen ones

Publication Date: August 18, 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 16+ (slight violence and gore, romance)

Publisher: Blink

Pages: 352

Synopsis: 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 even than her fear of the dark. So she heads to the royal city--the very center of the darkness--for a chance at a place in Queen Iyzabel's court.

But what Siria discovers at the Choosing Ball sends her on a quest toward the last vestiges of the sun with a ragtag group of rebels who could help her bring back the Light ... or doom the kingdom to shadow forever.

Review: Overall, I really liked the book. The plot was intriguing and the book engaged me from beginning to end. The book was paced right and I really liked the world building that was done as well. The book is definitely rememberable and worth the read.

However, I did have a problem with the characters. There were a lot of problems for me. Some weren’t detailed enough, the romance felt forced, some characters did some things that were questionable and the constant questioning from our main character was really annoying to be honest. I think it would have been better if the author took time to develop the characters and have them grow.

Verdict: Worth the read!

Although it took me awhile to finish this book, Ignite the Sun included several elements that I rather enjoyed, leading me to give it a solid 3 stars.

My favorite part of this book was by far the worldbuildling. Going into the story, I didn’t know Terra-Volat was inhabited by nymphs, elves, dwarves, naiads, banshees, and more. When these mystical creatures appeared on the page, I was pleasantly surprised and excited to see what roles they would play in Siria’s story. This made for an incredibly interesting cast of characters with different magical abilities that rendered the world unique among so many other YA Fantasies of late.

The magic system is equally as enchanting, from Siria’s sunchild powers to Yarrow’s ingenious Runepiece. There are wood elves capable of controlling plants, naiads who can manipulate water, and an evil queen who weaponizes darkness. The magic system is very soft, with each ability seeming to have a wide range of powers, but it worked in this case.

Tropes/Clichés I think this book did well:

Light vs. Darkness. Light and darkness literally fight one another in this book, a fun twist on this trope.

The Chosen One. Siria is the last living sunchild in Terra-Volat after the evil Queen Ysabel covered the land in darkness. Siria is fated to bring back the light by using her powers to ignite the sun.

Childhood Friends to Lovers. Siria and Linden sweetly crushed on one another for awhile, creating a slow-burn before they revealed their true feelings. And, not a single love triangle in sight!

Old Wizard Mentor. Siria and Yarrow’s relationship felt authentic and sincere since he was a grandfather figure to her long before becoming her magical mentor.

Another factor I really appreciated is that most of the named side characters introduced early in the story end up coming back later and playing a part in the finale. Personally, I don’t like when authors throw in named characters as plot devices or to keep track of who does/says what in a scene. I appreciated that Howard had a role for all of her named characters and gave them significance throughout the book.

Now, what didn’t work for me…

So much of this book is showing rather than telling, which unfortunately made it quite boring and difficult to get through. While most books consist of “tell” scenes broken up by expositional “show” moments, Ignite the Sun felt like the exact opposite. Much of the story was centered in heavy exposition where we are told what the characters are doing or told what Siria is thinking and feeling. Scenes with dialogue, which typically allow the reader to connect with characters and understand their relationships, were short and sparse. On top of this, there were multiple scenes I wanted to see play out on page, but instead they were explained in two to three sentences or, even worse, skipped completely. Although this lessened at the end of the story, it still made the rest of the book difficult to get through.

Tropes/Clichés this book did not do well:

Light vs. Darkness. I also listed this in the positive tropes, but at times it felt heavy-handed, especially with the quotes from other books thrown in at the beginning of each section. Queen Ysabel loves darkness and black and suffering, and her subpar backstory wasn’t enough for me to classify her as more than a caricature SuperEvil™ villain.

Undiscovered/Untested Powers. Siria has grown up unaware of her sunchild abilities. She is able to master her powers in a short period of time before facing Iysabel, a powerful Witch who has been studying magic her entire life. It felt a bit unbelievable.

Lastly, regarding representation, there are BIPOC characters in this book, but unfortunately there are not any LGBTQ+ characters.

Based on the info I can find online, it looks like Ignite the Sun will be a standalone novel. While this debut definitely has its flaws, I think it shows that Hanna Howard has a lot of potential to grow in her work and she is an author to keep on your YA Fantasy radar.

Thank you to Blink via Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Imagine a world in which anyone younger than the age of 15 has never seen the sun. The world is covered in Darkness thanks to an evil witch who has so much power and influence over others that any sense of rebellion can only be found in the regions furthest from the royal city. Enter 16-year-old Siria Nightingale, a young girl who wants nothing more than to fit in yet has no choice but to accept her role in bringing the sun back to her people.

Siria has never seen the sun but has a particular fascination with it. Even so, she cannot openly express this fascination because everyone has been led to believe that the sun is evil and Queen Iyzabel shrouded everything in darkness to protect them - which includes destroying anything or anyone that connects to the sun i.e. the sunchildren, or other beings who might have any power to overthrow her some day.

With the help of her lifelong friends AKA the gardener Yarrow and his "grandson" Linden Sira escapes the royal city and begins a very long and dangerous journey north to reach the rebel group, work on a plan to overthrow Queen Iyzabel, and bring back the sun - all while having to adjust and learn how to control her new powers. This gives her plenty of time to get caught up with the truth of how the queen came to power, how everything she has been taught to believe is in fact a lie to keep her in power, and how she is the only one who can defeat her (or die trying, of course).

I wanted to like this book more, but unfortunately it was pretty predictable and filled with stereotypes we’ve seen in young adult fiction before. Although, I will give credit to Hanna Howard for her creativity in her world-building and magic system; for example, how magic can be manipulated for evil outcomes (i.e. to take life rather than heal) and the process involved in taking magic from someone else. Even so, many moments and descriptions felt like they could have been fleshed out a bit; I was left wanting more.

On the other hand, I appreciated Howard’s descriptions of the sun and the effect it had on life (or the effect without it). The citizens were weak and depressed, lands needed artificial sun to grow crops, and Siria becomes a different person (literally and figuratively) once exposed to it. Siria’s struggle to accept who she is, and the effect her powers could have on those she loves if she does not learn how to master them, adds more depth to her character and gives the reader insight as to the complications of possessing this magic.

Siria’s journey is exciting at times, but I feel like Howard could have gone into more detail with backstories and character development. Siria does grow as a character, but that is almost expected since this is her story. We get a lot of action and more reveals at the end, but again they were almost predictable. Nevertheless, since this is Howard’s debut novel, I can see that she has potential to flourish as an author and improve her craft.

I received this book in exchange for a review from NetGalley.

Wow, this book was quite a ride. It had its ups and downs, but overall I enjoyed it.

The world building in this book is phenomenal. Hands down one of the best and well thought of worlds I read in a long time. I could easily see her world and how it worked so well. The magic was believable and the different magical species was amazing.

The only reason I had to knock it down a level was the character development. It was a bit off for the main character Siria. Yarrow, Linden and Elegy I could easily see their character and understand them quite well. Linden and Yarrow were the best built and well thought out characters.

Yet Siria was just a bit too melodramatic for my taste. There were so many instances she overreacted to that I just rolled my eyes. We all know she is a teenager, but jeez louise was she dramatic.

Also her development was lacking. Her motivation was on point. I could feel her desperate need to please her parents and prove she wasn’t a failure, but her development was just bleh.

For instance, one character slapped her across her face, told her she was being a brat, then a page later she was no longer a brat. She self actualized in one day.

Unfortunately, this is not a one time occurrence. There were numerous times when a character would tell her something about herself and she would change within the next page.

It was really unbelievable.

There were so many opportunities to show her growth, and one instance she did, instead of simply telling us. Yet it just kept falling short.

Another reason I had to deduct a star was the plot. The pacing was a bit off, but the plot was well built. I just felt like this story should have been like three books into one. Like Siria went from learning something radically different from her world, learning about herself, and used the new knowledge within the span of one book.

I wish I could say more, but I would ruin the book. I will just say that she grew so accustomed to this new world so quickly that it made my head spin. Don’t get me wrong, the author wrote that it the story took place over the course of months, but it doesn’t feel like it. I can’t put my finger on why, but it feels like weeks.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book. It has its flaws, but I did enjoy it and look forward to reading more by this author. I can’t wait to revisit this world.

I really enjoyed Ignite the Sun! The concept was super interesting and while I felt as though certain parts could have been explained more, overall, it was executed pretty well and this was a book that I can definitely see lots of people enjoying! It had one of my favorite tropes (only one bed in a room in an inn) and I loved Linden and Seria together. The idea of sunchildren and the way that witches get their magic was really cool and I feel like I haven’t seen that kind of a magic system in too, too many books. I liked all of the magical elements within this book a lot honestly! I think it’s really cool that human parents can have a magical child and normally that’s something to celebrate (before Iyzabel took over anyway).
There were definitely some parts towards the middle that I thought moved a little slowly, but in the grand scheme of things they didn’t take away from the story at all. I’m a very plot driven reader and I still felt like I always knew where the plot was going and how the scenes were driving the plot. I definitely think that if y’all like YA fantasy, you should for sure check out Ignite the Sun!

I received an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Siria Nightingale has been at a boarding/finishing school for the last few years in preparation for being presented to the queen in hopes of becoming part of her court. Though she hopes to win the queen's favor and finally be accepted by her parents, she knows that her unique appearance-bright coppery hair in a sea of brunettes and black hair-does not lend itself to getting her wish. The night prior to the Queen's ball, Siria is whisked away with other girls and receives special attention to her hair and attire, so her hopes start to rise. However, during the presentation, Siria transforms-into the kingdom's last sunchild and the daughter of the King and Queen that the current Queen slaughtered years ago. With the help of various other magical beings, Siria flees the palace and begins to learn about her true family and the rule of the kingdom.
The premise of this book was interesting, yet I found myself being bored with the overall story. Siria was not a strong enough character to keep my attention-the supporting characters were much more interesting. I also became frustrated with the will they/won't they between her and Linden-even though it was pretty much set up from the beginning. And-*SPOILER ALERT* as this is a YA book, one of the supporting major character's almost death bothered me. I think that him dying would have helped the book be a bit stronger and the ending be just a tad more realistic.

Ignite The Sun had one of the most unique worlds I’ve read about in a long time. Siria lives in a kingdom where the queen has created a darkness to block out the sun because it is “dangerous.” For fifteen years, the kingdom has been in complete darkness. I have never read a book with this kind of atmosphere,
There were a few things I really liked about this book. One of them was how one of the main plot points was Siria being radicalized against her government. The symbolism there really spoke to me on a deep level. It's incredible what can happen to a person's thought process when they are removed from their home and exposed to the other side of the story. Watching Siria have to use her critical thinking skills and come to terms that maybe things aren’t really the way she had always seen them was really cool and I think Hanna Howard did a really good job of putting that down on the page.
I loved the idea of the sun-children. I thought it was kind of funny that sun children have red hair because I have red hair and the sun and I do not get along. But I can relate to the yearning that they feel for the sun. The sun may not like me but I love the sun.
This book had found family and childhood friends to lovers which was really fun to read about. The writing itself felt a little underdeveloped, but it didn’t take away from the story very much.
I felt kind of bad for Siria and how they treated her at certain parts of the book. Her whole life kind of gets turned upside down and they don’t give her the space to really process and instead get mad at her. Merrell especially was really horrible to Siria in the beginning for things that were in no way Siria’s fault and no one stepped in really to help her. It was really the only gripe I had with the book.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story. The ending brought closure because this was a standalone fantasy novel. There were no open endings or loose strings. Everything was tied up in a nice little bow and handed over. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that is looking for that straightforward fantasy set in a new and unique world.

I did like some parts of this book. Interesting story. The characters were likable. I had a hard time grasping the world and I wish the writing had a little more depth.

The beginning and the ending were too fast for my liking and many things happened in a short amount of time. The pacing for those parts seemes a bit off. I also felt like there wasn't enough character depth to really understand their motives and desires. I would also liked that we got more history behind the witch, because she was a villian with practically no background. The whole book really has potential and an interesting magic system with different species, but I think it could've been more explored. I really wanted more sibling relationships! And it ends so abruptly that I feel like it was supposed to have an epilogue to explain what happens after.

I really wound up loving this read. It been awhile since i read a book with a "chosen" one myth. I also really loved the main romance in this book was a my favorite type of romance ever. A slow burn romance since childhood. I also really liked how this world was built with so many different creatures and how it made the world so magical. I really liked how the author tackled the 'darknesss" as a enemy and found it be prefect analogy for anxiety and depression. I also really liked the rag tag bunch of characters that had to save the world. This was a solid standalone but one that could be expanded if needed.

I think the narrative would've been better served from multiple perspectives.

The long bits of dialogue divulging important history and lore is just boring to read, frankly. It's so much telling and not enough showing and made it difficult to both process and get invested into the world - which is definitely interesting. There's not really much to say about the story beyond the progression and pacing being a bit off, and the concept itself needing a little more work; there's a lot of potential, but it either doesn't feel fully realized or just seems to be thrown around only when it's convenient for the plot. There's so much happening in such a narrow window and only filtered through one perspective, and the world building suffers because of it. There's also so much exposition; I love a good road story, but the genuine battle only happens in the last like, 10%, and everything leading up to it doesn't really seem to be... much. There's quite a bit of buildup to the plot that fizzles out and is then forgotten in favor of building a really unnecessary (in my opinion) romance; I love YA and will fiercely defend it, but the relationship the main character has is such a painful, boring stereotype. The only saving grace is that it's not a love triangle.

I think making a series would've been better; the plot spread out into maybe a trilogy, so that there could be a natural introduction to the world, showcasing the varying species and magic and setting up for the battle rather than attempting to shove everything into a single book. The lore is so rich that being confined as it is only kills the potential.

I gave this book a 3.5 stars.

I was very interested in the plot to this book and it didn't disappoint!
Quick and fun read.

Siria Nightingale lives in a world ruled by a Queen who brought darkness to the kingdom. Siria has always been fascinated by the sun she's never seen, but now must forget all that if she wants to do her family proud, to be apart of the Queen's court. But at the choosing ceremony, she discovers the truth, and her life has forever changed.

I honestly liked this book a lot. It was a little predictable at some parts, and at other parts I was surprised. I found the characters interesting, but I feel like we weren't given enough of them and their abilities. One character I found pretty pointless, that they only brought her into the story to make Siria look like a better character, make her look good.
I loved the friendship turned relationship between Siria and Linden but craved more, which isn't a bad thing. Found myself looking forward to them being together in the story.
I felt like Siria's character growth was extremely fast while reading, but now looking back on it, I understand how it was necessary and understand why the author did it.

I was actually really excited to be reading this, and would find myself excited to be able to continue on with the story.
It was definitely a fun read and I liked it.

This story was paced rather well, however, there were many times I wished it was a trilogy rather than a standalone. As a standalone, the journey to making Siria safe is extensive, whereas the fight to take down the queen is rather immediate. Of course, it peaked really well in a sensible way, but I almost would have liked this to be dragged out a little more.

The side characters didn’t get much depth other than Yarrow. Even the love interest mentions his story on the offhand, and...that’s it. No one other than Siria really has any growth as they already know their mission and journey. Why give these characters names and backgrounds if we don’t see development?

Overall though, the world was fleshed out incredibly well. The mythology in the story was well thought out, and was fun to read. I had a hard time putting this book down, and enjoyed it immensely. I cannot wait for its release and to hear about others experiencing this world too!

Full review: August 3rd, 2020

Ignite the Sun was a decent debut fantasy, but I had some problems with the plot/storytelling.

Pros: Well-developed and mostly likable characters, and a unique concept.

Cons: Under-developed world-building, some very meh writing, and an underwhelming conclusion. But far and away my biggest issue with this story was how the day was always saved in some deus ex machina-like way whenever some opposition presented itself.

Overall, I think that Hanna Howard had a great idea for a story, but it just fell flat in the execution. I think Ignite the Sun would have benefited from some more time in the editing stage, where the world could've been further developed and the writing could've been perfected.

A fast paced, entertaining and engrossing novel that kept me hooked.
I liked the world building and the character development. The plot flows and it never bores.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Ignite the Sun is a delightful debut novel from Hanna Howard all about the battle between light and the dark. I enjoyed the idea in the plot that the sun had effectively been 'cancelled' by the witch-queen Iyzabel (you can tell I've been spending a little too much time on Twitter recently) and the land of Terra-Volat had been plunged into a darkness reminiscent of those places at the extremes of Earth where some days never see a sunrise or sunset. It also reminded me a little of those grey days in Britain where you know the sun is up there somewhere but it just doesn't make an appearance - I could definitely relate to that!

This concept tied in nicely with the fables and history of Luminor and Terra-Volat. These little nuggets of the past were exciting parts of the story and helped me to understand the wider world-building of the setting and the motivations of many of the characters. It added an original dimension to a storyline which is essentially the main thread of many fantasy stories being the battle of good against evil. Howard's take on how a witch becomes a witch and what attributes/items creatures relied upon to use their magic was really interesting.

I have to admit, I found the main character Siria slightly annoying towards the start of the novel - she came across as very pampered and whiny however it seems this is part of the character journey that she is meant to go through - if that's what the author meant to do then it was certainly a credit to her character writing! Without giving away spoilers, Siria does undergo a fairly hefty transformation and towards the last third of the novel she gains a purpose, determination and resilience which made me warm to her a lot more. What I will say for that first part of Siria's character is: thank god for Merrall! She is the perfect yin to Siria's yang and nicely balances out the more naive and immature parts of Siria's nature!

The 'ragtag group of rebels' and the relationships between them are what truly made this novel shine and is probably my favourite part of the whole story. Comprising of nymphs, naiads, banshees, elves and mages, this cast of characters gave the story classical fantasy/folklore vibes and helped to highlight the mantra that our differences are what make us all special and it is only through coming together that we can truly win against the shadows of darkness.

I always like to see the aftermath of finale events but it seemed that a majority of the novel was spent on the run and the ending came about incredibly rapidly. At times, Ignite the Sun was a little trope-tastic in some places. There was the one bed trope, dead parents trope, disguised as a male trope and on-the-run trope in various guises and forms... due to this, it became slightly predictable in places, but that may be because I read an awful lot of fantasy fiction nowadays. Not all of my predictions came off, or happened in ways I expected, however the overall plot kept me interested and invested in finding out what was going to happen to the characters I was growing to like more and more throughout the story.

Why Should I Read This?
For the brilliant assortment of characters and creatures straight out of a folklore compendium.
For an interesting and inventive plot-line which literally pits light against dark.
For the refreshing yet classical twist that this debut YA fantasy standalone presents.
If you love the more traditional elements of fantasy fiction then you're bound to find something to enjoy and love in Ignite the Sun.

The concept of this book was really interesting. A world where the sun has effectively been taken out of commission by a great darkness after a coup by the current queen, Iyzabel, who has forced all the magical creatures she can find into giving up their magic in exchange for their lives. Siria, a red headed schoolgirl at a boarding school, with emotionally disconnected parents, is readying herself for her presentation to the queen, knowing that being chosen will lead to (perhaps) a level of acceptance from her parents. To say things don’t go to plan at the choosing ball is an understatement, leading Siria to flee for her life with a magic wielder and two nymphs (picking up a banshee on the way). Effectively Siria is the last hope for the country to see the sun again as the last surviving sun child. She must travel to the edges of the land, where the darkness is weakest, to tap into the power of the sun in the hope that she can use its power to break through the darkness and free the land.

A good pace to the story, maybe a little fast at times as Yarrow transporting Siria out of danger meant there wasn’t always a satisfactory resolution to their dangers. The main characters are a bit up and down as a group, with Siria particularly finding it hard to trust the others, but it was nice to see them grow together over the course of the tale. I likes that they weren’t typical hero species (naiads and banshees tend not to take centre stage). It would have been good to delve a bit deeper into the characters, and to find out more about the villains, especially the queen, whose perspective and story aren’t really told. Overall an engaging book which shows promise for future offerings.

“Once upon a time, the was something called the sun...”

This was a much-anticipated release for me and I am so thankful to have received this copy. I went into this book not knowing much about it. The blurb intrigued me and with the magic, mythology and premise, it held on tight.

A kingdom shrouded in darkness and under the rule of an evil Witch Queen, who despises and fears the sun and light-filled ways of old, seeks to destroy all who thrive in it, deeming them a threat to her regime. The last sunchild especially. The world created seemed grand and lush, I just wish that there were more descriptions to really immerse yourself in it. Some descriptions fell flat or were half-finished, and lacked a certain luster that would have added to the richness of the story. I did like that the darkness that enveloped the land, had varying layers, where the sun could peak in and allow crops to still grow but the further away from the kingdom you went, the darkness was stretched thin and you could feel real warmth.

Siria Nightingale is an ordinary girl living in that kingdom of darkness. Never having seen the sun in her 16 years of life but always feeling a pull towards it. Unbeknownst to her, she is the last living sunchild. A nymph who wields fiery powers like the sun and is prophesized to end the darkness and bring back the light. She is someone I started off not really caring for, she was very whiny and naïve BUT by the end of the story, she learned to accept herself, and her powers. I ended up liking her quite a lot. The other characters felt like they were just there. The dialogue seemed forced or superficial. I did not particularly care for one of the other characters, Merrall, because she was bitchy (a peeve of mine) in like 85% of the book. I didn’t understand why she was that way to Siria, it didn’t seem necessary to the overall story. Also, Sira’s romance with Linden felt underwhelming, as she is mainly caught up in his looks and not what makes him a good man, their dialogue lacks a certain depth and I felt it overshadowed her journey of self-acceptance.

The story itself was enjoyable. I had a very hard time putting the book (Kindle) down because I wanted to know what happened next. A lot of the writing was not exactly my favorite but it did flow nicely. There were a lot of fade-to-black scenes, especially around the main character. It was also over-saturated with tropes, like the Chosen One, Best Friends turn Lovers, and this last one isn’t exactly a standard “trope” but it’s where the two main girls hate each other. Why can’t the girls be friends and help one another? This is something that needs to be normalized within the YA world.

Overall, I found the writing style fairly basic but I think this is a good debut novel. As the plot developed, the writing developed with it, letting this book end better than it started. It delivered some important and powerful messages of self-acceptance, self-love, and confidence. I feel this book would be well received among younger YA readers.

I would recommend this book for fantasy lovers looking for something different, if you can look past overdone clichés.

Ignite the Sun was a quick fun read. I loved the idea of a kingdom shrouded in darkness and controlled by an evil witch. Siria has been raised to fear the sun and the light. Siria has also been an outcast because of her unusual red hair.

I had an issue with the character development in this story. They lacked depth and motivations that would've made me care about them more. The magic system in this story seemed to be lacking and the story would've benefited with more of the nitty gritty of the magic. I did love the world-building and lore that the world had though. The pacing was off in this story, but I realized that it was a standalone rather than the beginning of a series. It's not quite a bad thing. I feel that there are too many series now-a-days, I can appreciate a standalone. I

Overall, this was a quick read for me. I definitely recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a pretty interesting story, all about a queen who covered the land in Darkness to save the people there from the vile sun, but in reality she is a witch who twisted it all for her own ends. The only hope is a sun child, the last sun child (someone who is born exactly at dawn) who doesn't even know who she is. For being in the dark (forgive the pun) about it all, Siria does a fairly good job of handling the sudden appearance of her powers as well as learning the truth about herself and her friends. I found the pace to be pretty good, though I think if it were longer and went into more detail about the lore of the island and even more about the queen and her tragic backstory, I would like it even better. I thought the different species were fascinating (the various nymphs and mages and such). Maybe a companion book set in the past, to explain the whole story about Iyzabel and her sister and how the darkness came to be? I would read that!

I definitely would not want to live in a world with no sun, even though I sunburn fairly easily. And it was fun to think I could possibly have some sun child in me too, since I have freckles and red hair too. :) The was a fun book.