Cast in Firelight is an action packed YA fantasy with an arranged marriage romance and a deep mystery running throughout the story.

I loved the magic system in this book, I could clearly see it as well fleshed out system with so much color! I really hope this gets a movie adaptation for many reasons, but the magic would be beautiful to see! The idea of Untouchables without magic and the other countries that were rooted in segregation made for compelling world-building and a mission that our heroine was fighting for, as the future leader of her country.

Adraa is a strong, sarcastic lead, though she deals with self-doubt she never stands down. Her belief in equality and willingness to fight for those that cannot fight for themselves makes her a glorious lead. I also love Jatin, though his unwillingness to tell Adraa the truth got annoying after awhile, but I love how Adraa responded, and their chemistry and banter is fantastic!!

This book draws from Indian cultures and traditions, and while this is not an #ownvoices book, the author is in an interracial marriage, and wanted to create a book with characters that look like her children.

Cast in Firelight is a phenomenal YA fantasy, with an engaging romance and lots of magical action! This is one of the best books I've read this year, and can't wait for the sequel!

Thanks to Netgalley for supplying this ebook arc in exchange for an honest review.

Swifts story is a wonderful addition to YA fantasy.

What really set this story apart for me was the voice. It felt like a more modern contemporary voice but as a fantasy. I loved it.

The story builds its momentum by constantly playing up a hidden identities trope, and it plays the trope well and in a way that leaves the reader guessing. It carries tension through the story very well, including into the last few chapters.

It had a thrilling conclusion and I cant wait to hear about the next book!

Cast in Firelight was such a refreshing and fun read. Adraa is the royal heir of Belwar, and a witch. Jatin is the royal heir to Naupure, and a wizard. Both are in an arranged marriage that will unite both kingdoms. They haven’t seen each other in around 9 years though.

The story is told from both Adraa and Jatin’s perspectives. I loved that there was a “secret identities” storyline. I haven’t really been exposed to that being the foundation of the story before, but I loved how both Adraa and Jatin were falling for each other despite not really knowing who the other person was. The world and magic system is interesting. There are 9 different elements that correspond to colors/deities. The only issue that I have is that this book is projected to be a series, when it would’ve felt better and more complete as a standalone.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the eARC of this book!

Cast in Firelight is the story of Adraa, the Royal Heir of Belwar, and Jatin, the Royal Heir of Naupure. Their marriage has been arranged since they were children, and they've both come to resent the forced alliance. Adraa is close to her royal ceremony, in which she'll have to prove to the kingdom that she's a powerful witch, but she'd rather be using her secret identity to try and stop the criminal organizations in Belward from destabilizing the Kingdom and making victims of its people. When Jatin, who has been away at school since childhood, and Adraa meet they have no idea who the other is. Both with secret identities in play, they work together to try and save the country which is headed for sure destruction, and so are they.

This was a strong debut from Dana Swift. The story is captivating, and the magic system is interesting. There are different colors representing a different god or goddess and royalty is expected to be able to cast all 9 colors effectively. The world-building was well done and each Kingdom had its own personality.

I liked both Adraa and Jatin as characters. Adraa is determined and stubborn, but there's a layer of insecurity under it that colors her personality. She worries about not being good enough and not being able to perform duties that will help the kingdom, instead of just being reduced to a figurehead wife. Jatin is charming and funny, but also comes home to a father and country he barely knows and is expected to one day rule. When they come together without knowing each other, the pretense is dropped and they're able to connect where they wouldn't have been able to before. The build-up was well done and it spanned over months, so the organic growth of their relationship is a joy to read.

The side characters were interesting and likable, but I think I would've liked to see a bit more from them and see them fleshed out. Hopefully, we see that in the next book. There's a lot of story left to tell and an increasingly evil bad guy, so I'm excited to read the next book!

One note not plot-related worth mentioning: this is not an own voices book, despite being very heavily influenced by Indian culture. The author includes a note with the book acknowledging this and explaining that this is her husband's culture, and she wrote the book for her children. I'm not Indian so I can't speak to the rep here, but just something of note to anyone interested.

Overall, a fantastic and engaging debut!

I love books with main characters who learn to trust and appreciate themselves and their many facets, and Cast in Firelight does this so well! In addition, it has such beautiful prose! What else? Secret identities! Arranged royal marriage! Families! Magic! Love it!

I assumed I would enjoy this story based on the premise — but boy, did it surpass any expectation. Thank you to NetGalley, Dana Swift, and Delacorte Press for allowing me to enter this world before most. Adraa is a strong heroine with sass, insecurities, and a power she fails to recognize until the very end. She does what is needed for her country, as any future queen would. The back-and-forth between these two betrothed characters who have no idea they're actually falling for the people they're supposed to marry is beyond cute. I am very excited for the culmination of this duology. Well done!

Incredible book, I honestly think this is one worth getting multiple copies of for the classroom library. And those are my favorite genres. The multiple copies genre.

While I'm in love with the cultural representation, which is much needed in fantasy magic novels, there were several distracting and awkward plot moments and character development that led this to be a not as impactful novel. The first of these was the way the magical gods were described. I was so excited at these innovative and creative naming conventions until I realized that the god Erif was just Fire backwards....and Retaw was just water backwards...Not that it's lazy writing, but with so much other world building and magic system inclusion, one just expects a bit more effort and detail in how the gods are named, even if it's just Latin translations. The second of these was once I'd spent a bit more time with the book and realized it was repeating a lot of the same events. The characters, in a moment of extremely blunt honesty and awareness, bond over Adraa teaching Jatin how to make a female's monthly period elixir to relieve pain. While I get that things like that might happen, it just seems out of place and a little awkward, especially since he doesn't like and isn't good at pink magic.

It's my honest opinion that this proposed trilogy could have instead been one 500 page book because this plot had a lot of intricacies that could have been dealt with further. Instead, it dwells on fighting scenes and unknown identity stories that get tired as the book goes on. I fell in love with the pace and sass in the first 30%, but after that, the novel fizzled out slowly to me until I wanted to just read the major scenes and be done with it. I'm a sucker for kisses and, when we finally got kisses, they just weren't as enjoyable as they should have been. I'll give the sequels a chance, but just go into this one with an open mind and enjoy it for what it is. I believe I hyped this one up a little much because it was a Charlie Bowater cover.

This was so great!!!

What a vibrant, engaging story! The enemies-to-lovers trope was top notch, the narrative was interesting and supported by a very interesting magic system and fleshed out, likable characters. I can't wait to read the sequel!

Cast in Firelight is a YA fantasy adventure that follow Adraa and Jatin. They have been placed in an arranged marriage since the ages of 8 and 9 and from then were there to out do each other. Adraa is not a character that I liked or even started to like during the book, there was something about her constant need for approval and to be the best that just rubbed me the wrong way. I love a good strong character but her whiny head games drove me crazy. Jatin was a strong hero and had to work through is own issues but I feel like he progressed faster and in such a better way than Adraa. I was also annoying that the hidden identity when on for so long, I would have liked to seen them work together more as who they really were then there other personas. Am I going to read the next one? More than likely but I hope I hope I have a better attitude about Adraa and don't find her so annoying. I also absolutely loved the eye catching cover art.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. All spelling and grammar errors are totally my own.

Arranged marriages, unique fantasy magic, and an enemies-to-lovers romance? Yes, please! Cast in Firelight is perfect for YA fans who want more fictional lands and sassy characters in their lives.

Cast in Firelight actually reminds me a lot of the Dark Caravan Cycle by Heather Demetrios and the show Avatar: The Last Airbender. There’s a lot of color magic based on the four elements or similar concepts. Like the Dark Caravan books, this one has an atmospheric setting with a world full of those unique magic users. Although, I do have to say that the magic system is pretty loose in terms of what limitations people have. It’s not a major complaint, as Swift does a good job of moving the plot along in a way that has me focusing on the coming events versus how high someone’s power level is. It’s very similar to Avatar in that way.

The main characters and narrators of the book are Adraa and Jatin, and both are magic users. The two are childhood nemeses put in an arranged marriage by their parents. A recipe for a tension-filled romance. Adraa, the heroine, starts the story as a somewhat mediocre character. In fact the beginning had me believing all of the characters were super naïve and that this book would read as more of a younger, early teens YA. You start believing Adraa’s like every other YA fantasy heroine because of the narrative tone, but that’s because as a reader you don’t know all her secrets yet. And boy, those secrets really drive the storyline somewhere I didn’t expect. Adraa is a full-fledged bada$$.

As for Jatin, he seemed like that arrogant prince set up in every other YA novel as well, but he really just wants to be loved. Aww… The dynamic between these two characters through the entire middle of the book was so fun and simultaneously frustrating. I very much enjoyed all the angst, and I wish it could have gone on longer and not been resolved so easily. Though both characters had good heads on their shoulders and didn’t blow things out of proportion when major secrets were revealed. Good for them.

The side characters were also interesting. However, I was hoping there would be more page-time for them. There were glimpses of other characters’ relationships with Adraa and Jatin, but it would have been nice to get a little more interaction, especially with the two guards, Riya and Kalyan.

Tying into the side characters, is the ending of the story. There’s isn’t really a cliffhanger to this first duology installment, which I feel was a bit of a mistake—the final pages could have been stronger if it had cut off more abruptly. Yet even so, there are some important conversations between family members that did give the story a bit of a boost. It also made me happy to see living parents who love their kids. We don’t get a lot of that in YA fantasy these days.

All in all, Cast in Firelight is a super fun time. It has a fascinating magic system with two complex characters who I very much want to see succeed. I’m definitely looking forward to book two!

4/5 stars

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Sadly I will not be able to get to this before the Archive Date. I am very interested, and will try to pick it up in the future.

Huge thank you to Netgalley for providing me an arc in exchange for my honest review.

I flew through this book. I started it yesterday evening and finished it this morning! I probably would have finished it last night but my poor iPad died and it takes forever to recharge.

We’ve probably all read a book with mistaken identity and usually the first meeting is flimsy at best for the characters not to know who the other is. But oh no, Dana Swift expertly crafts a tangled web of intrigue and it makes perfect sense that the characters don’t recognize each other. It made for so much angst! Adraa and Jatin are betrothed to one another but have no idea who they’re interacting with so every time they thought, “what’s wrong with me?” when they noticed how attractive the other was, flirted, admired their strength of character etc etc ... I was cackling. I seriously enjoyed the unnecessary torture they were subjecting themselves too. Far to much if I’m honest lol

I loved the power structure, politics, and even the layout of the land. I can’t complement Dana Swift enough for crafting such a complex and amazing story!

“To think she is as undone as I am.”

100% recommend this book if you love angst, slow ish burn romance, fantasy, and unique power structures!

I loved this book so much that I finished it in a day. I was drawn in by the promise of rivals to lovers with some identity shenanigans thrown in for fun and I was not disappointed in the slightest. The magic system was really cool and the plot kept me on the edge of my seat but it was Adraa and Jatin that really had me hooked. I could tell right away they were perfect for each other, even if they didn't know it yet, and watching them struggle to get there was so fun. I would totally recommend this book for any YA fantasy fan and I can't wait for the sequel!

I'm not sure how this ended up on my NetGalley list to be honest. I think I read the blurb and thought it would be interesting back when I was a bit less judicious with what I requested. Based solely on the cover art, I was pretty sure this wasn't going to be a hit for me.

BOY WAS I WRONG. This book is one of the best books I've requested from NetGalley, which includes new releases from authors I have cherished for years. I'm going to reread this. I'm going to buy this. I'm going to recommend it to everyone I know.

Adraa and Jatin are both royals destined to marry and one day rule together in order to unite their two nations of Belwar and Naupure. Adraa is desperate to prove herself being born with her magic Touch only on one arm (when the norm is to have it appear on both arms) and feeling like a failure after getting a late start to magic. Jatin, on the other hand, is a natural wizard, easily mastery all nine types of magic expected of royalty at a young age. After only meeting once at a young age, these two future rulers meet again, don't recognize each other, have a pretty romantic meet-cute, and continue to keep their identities secret. With a little parental intervention, the two find themselves on a quest to uncover what's going on in the seedy underbelly of Adraa's nation, fighting crime and learning more about each other.

This story is filled with action, romance, and mystery. Swift's decision to conceal their identities from each other was masterful, and kept me turning the pages quickly to read what happens when they finally realize who they have been partnering with all this time. The characters had clear motives with unique and interesting voices. And that romance plot line. Y'all...it was amazing and swoon-worthy, and made the entire book worth reading.

The only drawback for me was getting used to the magic system. The use of long words for spells pulled me out of the story a little, and made the fight scenes a little clunky. Perhaps keeping the incantations shorter or choosing a different casting technique would have made it a little more streamlined. But after awhile, I did get used to them and they didn't impede my appreciation for the story.

If you are a lover of YA fantasy with a romantic subplot, you're going to love this. Buy it immediately.

Fantastic! The world is shaping up really well, and the characters garner the readers investment. I loved that this is more of a new ya topic as far as many of the tropes for this genre go. It was really well written.

I loved this book. I had a great time diving into it-- excellent pacing, a solid balance between character and plot, intriguing worldbuilding, and a swoonworthy romance! I loved the mistaken/hidden identity element of the plot, and was cheering on the two protagonists. We get to hear the story from both of their first-person perspectives, and I really enjoyed the back-and-forth. Great dialogue, too. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable read.

I appreciated the author's note about the cultural influences in her worldbuilding for this book-- I have to admit, I wondered, since she is white-presenting and the setting seems to be inspired by South Asian cultures. As a white woman married into a different culture, I felt like I understood her perspective when I read her author's note.

This was a strong debut that makes me eager for the sequel!

I've never related to any character as much as I've related to Adraa. She's intelligent, fierce, independent, and hilarious. Her inner voice sounds exactly like the thing I think to myself as I go about my own day. The rivalry between her and Jatin is so entertaining! These two are well matched. Their interactions and bond provided a sweet romance that underlies the rest of the story. I also appreciated the details that the author put into crafting such a fascinating system of magic, much different from anything I've seen before. We get just enough information to understand how it's being used, without being overwhelmed by the system. The worldbuilding here is fantastic: I care about everything and everyone and want to know more!

I couldn't put this book down. I read it all in one day and put off grocery shopping to finish. I can't wait for the sequel!

The cover art caught my attention right away, but the romance and fantasy world were also amazing. The multiple abilities and how they were shown among people was an interesting magic system. This is one of the few arranged marriage plots I don't mind since the flirting and tension between the two more than made up for any overdone troupes. The plot also really scales up which was fun to read.

I absolutely loved this title so much! The characters are well flushed out and, though I'm not usually a fan of alternating perspective, I actually really enjoyed how the author did it for this story. Adraa is an amazing protagonist and I was rooting for her the whole time. Jatin is adorable and I truly loved his character. I was initially concerned about the romance going in because I'm not a fan of hidden identities, but they way the author handled it and the reveal was brilliant and I couldn't have been happier with where it ended up. The world building is so well done and the magic system is unlike any other I've read before, which was a lot of fun. The pacing of this story in non-stop in the best possible way and I loved all the action scenes! I was initially concerned, going into the story, about it not being an #OwnVoices author handling these characters but then her authors note addressed this head on at the end and it made me love this story even more. I cannot wait for the sequel to come out next year!