Please read my book 1 review to understand where my 1-star rating stems from:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4318097986?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

I do not wish to provide my typical in-depth review for this book because, as far as I can tell, the offensive representation from book 1 carried into this one (some of these elements were unchangeable, such as the character's identities and the muddled blend of South Asian culture with made-up content).

My general take on this book (harmful content aside (but not ignored), as I do not feel I am the right person to speak here): this sequel was simply not as strong as it's processor in terms of romantic content and plot. This book was much drier, plot-heavy, and, quite frankly, disappointing. The only redeeming quality was Adraa's character growth. I found her to be the most lovable character of the cast, and I admired her strength while in an especially tough spot.

With all of the romance and action elements you loved from the first book, Swift’s Bound by Firelight is an excellent sequel and series closer.

Cast in Firelight was one of my favourite books of 2020, so it’s safe to say I had high hopes for its sequel. I’m glad to report they were all met - if not exceeded.

The rom-com elements I loved from the first book are less present here, but Adraa and Jatin’s romance still plays a key role in the story. Though due to Adraa’s imprisonment in the Dome, they spend most of the book apart, both of them spend a lot of time thinking about the other - especially with Jatin’s main focus throughout being getting Adraa out of prison (and attempting - but failing - to propose … many times). They have a few cute moments towards the end of the book, so I didn’t feel like I was being hard done by, and while it wasn’t what I expected, I’m pleased with how their story concluded.

I found Adraa’s chapters more compelling than Jatin’s in this book, largely because she spends most of it in the Dome. It was so interesting to see the inner workings of this mysterious place that was alluded to in the first book, and it introduced a few new characters into the world. My favourite of the newbies was probably Harini. I didn’t like her at first, but she definitely grew on me.

Bound by Firelight is certainly an action-heavy book, but it didn’t seem like it bogged down the pacing or story itself too much. My favourite of all the action sequences was probably the climax/final battle, as towards the end, everything really started to play out like a movie in my head.

The over-arching villain of the series, Moolek, seemed to take a bit of a backseat in this sequel, in favour of subplots (that did eventually tie into the rest of the story). Though he’s never totally forgotten about, his presence always looming over Adraa and Jatin’s heads, I did find myself wondering when he was actually going to appear on the page again. Sort of minor spoilers: don’t worry, he does show up eventually!

Overall, I really enjoyed Bound by Firelight. It served as a nice conclusion to this amazing series, and I’m eagerly awaiting whatever Dana Swift writes next!

I loved this story so much! It took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. I love when books can make me feel things, and this one is definitely one of them. I really liked watching Adraa advance and fully come into herself in this book. There were so many times when I was angry at how she was being treated, but it seemed necessary for the following things to happen. I was cheering her on the entire time and I was so happy with the ending.

Once again, I’m in love with Adraa and Jatin’s relationship. Everything about them is absolutely perfect. There were so many times where I was laughing at something Jatin was doing. He is such a funny character. And the love he has for Adraa is everything.

Overall, I recommend that everyone read this series! It’s incredible and definitely worth reading. The characters are well-thought out and the plot is very interesting.

What an amazing sequel. The character development from the first book to this one is outstanding. These characters have had to grow up soo fast, and it was done superbly. It is few and far between that I enjoy a sequel more than the first, but this is definitely one of those times. The story just kept getting progressively better. I kept thinking to myself.. wow this is so good.

This story has it all… heartbreak, betrayal, love, action… never once did I find the plot lacking out slow going. I could not put this book down, and would gladly welcome another installment to this series.

I loved this book. Dare I say it, I think I might even love it more than the first one. Everything is so much more intense and exciting. Adraa is dealing with the fallout of the big thing that happened at the end of the first book, and the consequences lead to her and Jatin being separated once more. Their journey back to each other and to saving their kingdoms is filled with lots of fighting, crazy discoveries, and unexpected alliances. I was happy to find that I liked many of the new characters that were introduced, as well as all of the twists, turns, and surprises. Here are just a few of my favorite things about this sequel.

Adraa and Jatin – These two are amazing both individually and together! In this book we really get to see Adraa's vulnerability as well as her intense strength and fight. She gets put into a situation where she's not getting out unless she truly starts to believe in her own strength. Adraa's arc throughout this book is encouraging. Jatin's is as well, as he learns to embrace his own strength as well as his goodness and gentleness. Adraa and Jatin are fire and ice, and I love them together. And don't worry, while the story separates them for a little while, it also makes sure to give readers sweet Adraa/Jatin moments that'll make the romantics out there very happy.

Sisteryly love – I also really loved Prisha, Adraa's younger sister in this book. She plays a bigger role than she did in book 1 and shows her own balance of fierceness and vulnerability. I love the way the book shows her relationship with Adraa as complicated, but the love between the sisters is real. The moments between them are some of my favorite in the entire book.

The intense stakes – This book really ups the stakes in a really great way. Without spoiling anything, I can say we've got crazy mind magic, brutal fights, crazy underground secrets, and a dangerous plot that puts Adraa's entire country at risk. Characters don't make it out of this story completely unscathed, and they are truly put through the ringer. This book kept me on my toes and there was not a moment that I wasn't completely engaged.

Overall, I have to say that Bound by Firelight is a superb sequel to Cast in Firelight. It's an exciting read that gives an even deeper look into the incredible world Dana Swift has built, and it made me fall in love with her wonderful characters all over again. It had a satisfying ending that is hopefully also the set up to an exciting third book. If you loved the first book, you definitely won't be disappointed reading this one.

Magic, romance, and a world up in flames. Picking up where the last book left off royal heir and secret vigilante Adraa is being falsely accused for masterminding the destruction of her kingdom of Belwar and is being forced to stand trial. It doesn’t help that no one will believe her and that her people see her as a monster. Her punishment is to be imprisoned in the Dome, an impenetrable, magic-infused fortressed where things will only get worse for her and she will soon learn that her being sent there wasn’t a coincidence at all and that there are darker things at play here. Jatin, the royal heir to Naupure, Adraa’s betrothed and fellow vigilante must figure out how to not only save their kingdoms but unmask the true villain behind this and help Adraa escape from prison. He will be met with someone from his past who will be an unlikely hero and soon Jatin and Adraa will both be fighting to get back to one another and finally face the true villain behind the corruption of their kingdoms. Filled with magic, friendship, romance, and family this was a beautiful ending to the duology. I have always loved Adraa’s resilience, her ability to keep striving and her determination to fight for what is right. Jatin is the perfect partner for her, he loves her for her and will do anything to get her back and support her. They make a beautiful pair and I would definitely recommend this book series!

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Although I enjoyed Adraa and Jatin's journey in the first book, I found myself highly disconnected to them in this sequel. The premise of the first book was that they were rivals to lovers, but because they are dating in this book, the tension is no longer there. As such, I found that Jatin did not go through any character development, even though Adraa does. The characters spend most of the book apart, but their motivations weren't aligned with the actual threat at the end. Ultimately, I lost interest in Jatin's POV because his singular thought was of Adraa the entire time they were apart, whereas Adraa's was of escape and fighting the villain. Even so, with the dual POV, I wasn't able to easily distinguish between which character we were following as their internal voices were so similar. I also couldn't tell you who the side characters were because there were just there to push the story forward but with no emotional depth.

The storytelling was fast paced, but because so many things were happening, I got lost in the plot. While the ending was satisfactory, I felt like there were too many hoops to go through in order to get there. I think that the author's writing was fine, but the execution of the story was just a bit lacking. Unfortunately, this story lost my interest but I look forward to the author's future works.

I’m always curious how a sequel/conclusion is going to go. Sometimes it feels like a completely different story than the first book and doesn’t always mesh well together. For this sequel/conclusion, I had no issue! It was a rollercoaster of intense plot twists and people finding their voice in a world filled with political turmoil. It was an enjoyable read.

The book is told from two point-of-views: Jatin and Adraa. This is the same as the first book and I am glad they continued on with it. It did help, especially within this book, because they are in different places a lot of the time. Each of their plot lines flowed together nicely and I liked seeing the thoughts they struggled with.

Adraa is going through a lot when it comes to her reputation and what the city will put up with when it comes to her magic. Her being the Red Woman was a way for people to see her as a different person and were kind and understanding to her cause. She is also dealing with a strained relationship with her sister. The worst is being tried for for the death of 129 citizens. It only gets worse for Adraa as the book goes on but it was good to see her resilience throughout.

Jatin is dealing with his own feelings when it comes to the city wanting revenge for what they believe Adraa did. He stands behind her but the city and those truly involved will do anything, which doesn’t make his job any easier. He really tries hard to figure out what he needs to do and the understand the situation. He wants to help Adraa, but he also want to fulfill her wishes of not coming for her. He has to make tough choices because of it.

When it comes to the romance between them, it was the sweetest. You can tell how much they care for one another. I love that even though they know who each other is now, they still have the banter between them. It’s also cool that they started backwards with an arranged marriage to actually wanting to be boyfriend and girlfriend. Sometimes relationships can be very unconventional!

There are new characters introduced and my favorite out of all of them being Harini. She has a very interesting background! I liked learning more about her and the friendship that grew between her and Adraa.

The plot is filled with a lot of political turmoil. The city is up in an outcry against Adraa’s family, the Belwars. They want change and they want a choice in who is in power. The book also does a good job of showing us how those in power abuse their power to be in power or to even gain more for themselves. You could also say that the plot dives into human trafficking, although it is minor compared to everything else. The one thing that brings it altogether is giving a voice to those who have been voiceless. You can also expect a lot of plot twists that keep you reading continuously because it’s just too good to put down.

Overall, this was a solid conclusion and one that I really liked. If you haven’t read this duology yet, I’d suggest giving it a try!

What a sequel! BOUND IN FIRELIGHT is an enthralling story of shedding self-doubt. Set in a dazzlingly vivid world, it’s packed with epic twists, breathtaking action, and fierce yet sweet romance.

3.5 stars

As always I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved Cast in Firelight, so when I got approved to read Bound By Firelight I immediately dropped everything I was reading and dove right in. I adore Adraa and Jatin! Their relationship is so sweet and I ate up all the tender moments they had in this. And since they’re separated for nearly half the story this left plenty of room for their characters to grow.

The plot…Unfortunately the plot in this sequel didn’t do much for me nor did I feel very invested in the side characters. I feel like they could’ve been fleshed out a lot better, only to make their stories have more of an emotional impact. For me, it didn’t make my feels of steel feel much. :/

Overall I still really enjoyed the story! The magic system remains an A+ in visuals. And I’ll always have a special place in my heart for Adraa and Jatin.

RATING: 4.5 STARS

Bound by Firelight by Dana Swift is one of my favorite sequels that I’ve read this year. I can’t wait for more people to read the book so I can talk about all the twists and turns of the story - the months of waiting until it is officially out in the world at the beginning of 2022 are going to be agonizing.

The story picks up where the last book left off, with Adraa and Jatin still fighting for their kingdoms and dealing with the aftermath of the volcano explosion. Adraa is being falsely accused of causing the destruction and ends up being sent to prison. Jatin must mount a rescue and they have to race to catch the actual perpetrator before it’s too late.

I loved the magic system in the first book and I love it even more in this book. The color basis is awesome, and I just envision beautiful streaks of color racing through the air when there are magic fights. I was also really amused at all the chapter titles in the book (i.e., “I Meet Up with the Love of My Life and Almost Throw Him Off a Roof”) because it got me excited about what the chapter would cover without giving anything away (Rick Riordan is another favorite author of mine who usually has amusing chapter titles in his books).

I am such a sucker for a headstrong, powerful female lead character and Ms. Swift delivers all that and more in Adraa. Despite dealing with the fallout of the volcano eruption and her people thinking she’s a villain, she’s still doing everything in her power to help them. On the other side of the story, I feel really sorry for Jatin and all of his failed proposal attempts (though I was kind of laughing at him at times as his best friend/bodyguard did). I commend him for wanting to make things “official” and give Adraa some semblance of a choice in their relationship (even though they’ve been dating for a bit and betrothed for most of their life). Overall, I completely loved the cast of the book. The loyalty, the love, the fierce determination to protect the people they care about - you can’t help but cheer for everything to work out in the end.

I would happily recommend this book to fans of young adult romance and fantasy. It is a bit darker than the first book and does feature more violence, but there’s nothing that would make me reluctant to give it to younger readers (sexual content and cursing is on a similar level to the first book). If a reader loved the first book, then this one should knock their socks off. Thank you to the author, NetGalley, Random House Children’s, and Delacorte Press for allowing me to read an early copy of this book. I appreciate the opportunity immensely.

**Review will be published January 13th, 2022 to my Instagram/Blog!**

LOVED THIS.

What a great conclusion!! My heart is happy with how things ended and I adore this duology so much. The writing captivated me. The world building was great and the magic system was unique. Add in a top notch romance and I have been smitten.

Jatin and Adraa were a power couple. Jatin was incredibly sweet and bold. All of his sweet words and soft moments with Adraa brought on the feels. I love how brave and unfailing Adraa was. Facing new avenues she might have laid down for a moment, but stood back up with even more fire in her veins. I loved them together and how this book didn’t have some dumb break-up. They worked together even when separated and WOW DO I LOVE THAT.

I wish the prison break set-up didn’t take so long because I wanted the group back together. I did think a lot of learning happened on both sides though that ultimately led towards the conclusion. The action scenes flowed well and I didn’t have glaring slow moments as I enjoyed this story.

This was a magical duo. I am really in awe this is a debut duo. I can’t wait to read Swift’s future books because I was very much wrapped up in this one.

Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy Romance
- Language: little (the use of the word Blood is the “curse” word)
- Romance: implied closed door
- Violence: blood/gore depiction, magical and physical attacks
- Trigger/Content Warnings: torture, false imprisonment, loss of a parent

Thank you to the publisher & NG for an ARC of this book!

First off, I read the first one over a year ago, and I was seriously nervous about jumping back into this one, because it’d been so long and because I hadn’t been in love with the first one. Going into this book I had low expectations of it. There were parts of it that I enjoyed, and then some of the same issues that I had with the first book.

First, I feel like the writing improved in this book. I feel like it wasn’t as stilted and overall worked better for me this time. I found it easier to read and a bit easier to become engrossed in the book. That was a plus from the first book to this one. However, saying that, the pacing in this book was still a problem.

Much of the first book was slow, and I felt parts of it were pointless. The same thing happened in this one for me. The pacing is what made it a little difficult to read. I had to resist skimming this book at points, because I felt the pacing wasn’t working for me.

The plot too, was okay, but I feel like it veered around a lot, and there wasn’t anything too consistent about it, which would be okay if I felt it was building to something. But in the end I felt it was anti-climatic at best, which was a bit disappointing.

Something else that I really enjoyed about this book over the previous one is the main relationship. Adraa and Jatin were adorable in this book, and I liked their relationship together much more. In this book they aren’t together a whole lot, as they have two separate plots (again, this was part of the issue I had I think) which join together at the end.

Overall, this series is a firm three star rating for me. Good, but not one that I absolutely adored. I think there are going to be people who either love it or hate it. I fall into the middle on it.

I was so glad to get a sequel and find out more about Jatin and Adraa. Really hoping this will be a trilogy!

Let's just begin this review by saying that Bound by Firelight destroyed me in the best way possible. It is the second book, in what I hope is a trilogy, and from the beginning to the end it had me on the edge of my seat. If you liked the magic system, the characters or the first book in general you're for sure gonna love the sequel.

This book exceeded all my expectations and in my personal opinion it's even better than the first book. Even though it's a sequel it didn't fall under the second book syndrome and it wasn't just a filler for the third book. Quite the opposite, there were just so many amazing qualities that it would take me a long while to list them all. After reading a couple really underwhelming second books this past month I was very much impressed.

Bound by Firelight continues from where the previous book ended and once again we follow the main characters Adraa and Jatin while they attempt to solve mysteries and save their kingdoms, but also themselves and their relationship. The pacing of the book was really consistent and none of the plot felt rushed. Every single second of this book was action packed and it never lacked any tension which was very enjoyable. This book was a wild ride from page one to the very last one and I was hooked the entire time. There were some plot twists that I couldn't predict and they were well thought-out. And don't get me started on that ending!!!

All of the side characters are also the highlight of the series and they were the most lovable. We are also introduced to some new ones that I personally happen to love a lot as well.

What mostly draws me to this series is all the political intrigue and countless betrayals, scheming, hidden identities and their final reveal. If you're like me and you also happen to enjoy all of this then you better pick it up right away.
Overall, the sequel was fantastic, it made me both ugly cry and laugh which is always a good thing.

I had high hopes for this one because it's supposed to give similar vibes to Sabaa Tahir, but this was a disappointment. It's got a gorgeous cover, but the book wasn't as fast-paced as I thought it was going to be.

This series was very good and I loved the main characters. The author did a great job developing the plot and characters in a way that kept me interested. Great read!

Bound by Firelight is a fast-paced conclusion to the Wickery duology. Once the story gets going it does not slow down. This series is a great recommendation for readers who like action-packed fantasy books with fun characters and good world-building.

When you pick up a book you embrace the magic that is within and hope it can take you from your world and transport you into the world that is written along those pages. Not every book takes you on an adventure like this; however, this book not only sweeps you away, but makes you wish to be part of this journey over and over. The writing is smooth and effortless and flows from page to page leaving you wanting to read this book all in one sitting!
We pick up our story right where we left off from the previous book and it jumps right into the heart of the story and from there it's an action-packed page turner! There are so many highlights to this book, but to keep it spoiler-free I'll just list a couple of the aspects I enjoyed. This book has the most amazing worldbuilding and characters. The story sweeps you off your feet and makes you feel as if you're in this gorgeous story with the characters. The pacing is different from the previous book, but epic in it's own right and so enjoyable. The suspense and action throughout this book make for such a dynamic read, and you are left on the edge of your seat excited to turn the page, yet nervous at the same time!
One of the beautiful things about a great book is not only the main characters (which I'll come back to) but also the rest of the cast/side characters. The cast and crew of this book are all amazing in different ways, from their fierceness, to their loyalty, to their passion, to their humor, it was outstanding! Now to Jatin and Aadra, they are the main characters throughout this book and completely marvelous. They each grow throughout the book in many different ways, and one of the many things I loved was how you grew to love and enjoy these characters more and more as the book went on. The courage and fierceness that they portray is so cheer-worthy, you can't help but adore them and root for them throughout this book!
The story is one of the most beautifully written books I've read in a long time, and it's intertwined with such masterful storytelling that you will want to cherish each part of this story. From moments of heartbreak to magnificent action and adventure, this book will have you laughing, crying, nervous, excited, and so many other emotions that only an incredible book can leave you with feeling!
You only get to enjoy reading a book like this for the first time once, so cherish it because you'll want to re-read this book over and over! Highest of high recommendations for this book!

Thanks to NetGalley (the publisher and author) for the ARC!