I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this! The setting of this book was so unique compared to the fantasy books I usually read and I loved that.

Zarya is such a badass FMC, I love that she is already capable of taking care of herself in a fight and isn't a damsel in distress.

The majority of this book is world building as Zarya discovers the city, more about the magic system and her own magic. Although there is lots of world building I didn't find it hard to follow or get through, there is lots more action near the end of the book but overall it is a great introduction to what sounds like a really exciting series.

I'm looking forward to how Zarya will continue to develop as a character as well as her heritage and new found magic.

Huge thank you to NetGalley for this advanced copy. Unfortunately life got in the way and I wasn't able to finish reading before publication, but holy cow! Once I started this book I was hooked! I scrambled to my kindle to download Nisha J Tuli's other works. I absolutely loved the setting, the fiery female protagonist, the blossoming friendships between characters (I adore the grumpy/sunshine with romance, but I've never seen it done so well with friendship), the slow burn romance, the unique magic system, ugh, love. The pacing and world building were done very well.; kept the plot moving, while giving enough info without bogging down the reader. I absolutey adored this book and cannot wait until the sequel!

This audiobook was so well done. The narrator’s voice matched with my perception of the characters. I felt fully immersed into the world being built. I loved everything about it.

Nisha J Tuli’s latest is the slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romantasy we’ve all been waiting for. In the sea of over saturation that is the genre these days, Tuli’s latest stands out thanks to her complex and compelling characters, organic world building, and unique magical and political structures present. The drawing of inspiration from Indian folklore and mythology will sit well with readers who want to branch out from British-Isles-flavoured fantasy worlds, as well as intrigue anyone who likes unique and interesting takes on mythologies and stables the world over— from vampires to fairies to tree people, and beyond. The knife’s-edge balance Tuli achieves between fantasy plot ride with large scale political intrigue, and captivating romantic plot is truly impressive; it will delight readers who prefer a healthy dose of both the fantasy and romance aspects of romantasy.

Zarya, our protagonist, is in for one hell of a Hero’s Journey, and this reader cannot wait to watch it unfold. In Zarya, Tuli has stricken the perfect balance between a capable and determined heroine, and a brash and naive. She is so likeable to me already, even though her faults and fumbles, but there is so much room for character growth that I am beyond eager to see how this journey affects Zarya and the world around her.

But descriptors aren’t kidding when they say “slow burn.” Be prepared for a little steam, a healthy dose of flirtation, some red herring love interests, and a lot of emotional tumult.

As an audiobook, narrator Shiromi Arserio brings Zarya and the world around her to life expertly. Arserio’s performance perfectly captures the absolute emotional rollercoaster upon which Zarya embarks, and infuses her personality into every word.

I am incredibly grateful to Netgalley, Bookotouture Audio, and Nisha J Tuli for the opportunity to listen to an advanced audio copy of ‘Heart of Night and Fire’ in exchange for an honest review.

‘Heart of Night and Fire’ hit shelves on September 15th, 2023. If you haven’t already, now is the perfect time to read it and listen prepare for the sequel, ‘Dance of Stars and Ashes,’ expected to be release on February 16, 2024!

An Indian mythology inspired romantasy filled with magic and mystery? Yes please!

After devouring the first two books of Nisha’s ‘Artefacts of Ouranos’ series I was so excited to delve into another one of her stories and was lucky enough to get the audio off Netgalley and the publisher. The only problem? I didn’t want to stop listening! So I did also end up purchasing the ebook so I could continue with the story even when I didn’t have the ability to listen to it 🙈😂

This book was beautifully written, the descriptions of the food, places and clothing so incredibly rich and enchanting that it made me feel like I was there (as well as making me very hungry).
I enjoyed the world created here, and even though I wasn’t the biggest fan of the main character, Zarya, I can understand why she is the way she is and am SO looking forward to seeing her grow as a character as she further learns who and what she is.
This first instalment hinted at a romance and I’m super eager to see how this element of the story unravels as it ended on a bit of a cliff hanger!

The narrator did a super job and this story was a pleasure to listen to.

This is a great young adult romantic fantasy book, which I loved listening to! The audiobook narrator was amazing, and I was kept captivated and engrossed in the adventure story.

The main character of the book is called Zarya, and she holds great magic, but she has been trapped in a prison for a while. She eventually escapes to Dharati, and she meets others who inspire her. She helps them fight against the darkness. She is amazed when passion is lit within her from a handsome stranger. Can he be trusted, and can they work together to save the city?

This is a wonderful book, which I really enjoyed, and I recommend it highly! It is a fast paced adventure, which is well written and full of adventure.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

YES! It took me a while to really feel invested. Once the plot begins to roll I couldn't put this down. I am absolutely invested in the different story lines and characters.

An Indian mythology-inspired romantasy with magic and mystery - this book shot me out of my ARC reading slump, and I loved every moment of it! The setting was rich and enchanting, and I really enjoyed the narrative voice. I can't wait to see what comes next!

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

I enjoyed the audiobook, it was fast-paced and action-packed. Zarya leaves her gilded cage after realizing the magic keeping her in vanished. She finds herself in a bustling city trying to hide from whom she believes is her captor, her guardian. She keeps to herself but still manages to get noticed. She gets invited to the palace (?), and learns to fight and defend herself, against what?
Things start to unravel when she learns about what haunts this town, its people, and the country. She discovers powers within her that she thinks could get her killed. Makes friends she can trust and learns the truth about her origins.

Tuli is becoming a favorite with her fast-paced writing.

The narrator did an amazing job. She conveyed Zarya very well. Her tone and flow helped to differentiate her emotions. I was able to tell who was talking about 90% of the time.

I received this audio copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I believe this book would appeal to a wide variety of fantasy readers who are looking for something a little different within the genre. There are story beats and tropes that are very familiar but the overall concept is refreshing.

In the beginning I did have a trouble connecting with the characters and adjusting to the pacing (the romance was a bit slow). However, near the middle and ending of the story, I could feel the flow of the story better.

I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Firm believer in Second Sky publishing can do no wrong. I always enjoy the books they publish.

Lovely audiobook. Big fan of the found family trope here & the Asian mythology. Eager for the second book.

Huge thank to Second Sky, the author, & NetGalley for a copy of the audiobook!

I am in the minority here, but I just didn't get into this one.

I was really excited by the blurb and the tagline, I love reading fantasy and fantasy romances based on mythology or fairy tales, and especially those of different cultures to mine, so I really expected to be immersed in this story, but it just didn't happen.

The romance felt kind of forced, or at least, I didn't really get to know the characters very well or their attraction, given that the tagline was "An absolutely addictive slow burn fantasy romance" I didn't find it either addictive or slow burn, especially not slow burn, unless we're talking about a different romance, the FMC, Zarya seemed pretty instantly attracted to at least one of the male characters.

"Zarya’s dreams are haunted by a mysterious stranger. Powerful, arrogant and handsome, Rabin sees through her secrets and ignites a desire she cannot resist. But can he be trusted?"
I was kind of disappointed in this sub-plot too, which was very much a sub-plot, the dream stranger was thrown in every now and then, and he only really became something more to the story towards the end, when, even then, I just felt like he was just another component to a pretty mixed set of not terribly important characters and magic stuff going on. I could see influences of ACOTAR in this, especially with the 'found family' which felt quite contrived in that it took me out of the story because it felt so deliberately added to the book.

I think my main barrier to loving this, though, was probably the main character, Zarya, who seemed pretty jumbled as a character, I couldn't get a handle on her. At some points she seems pretty worldly and confident, at others naive and childish. Her behaviour and attitudes seem pretty young teen to me most of the time, so the fact that this is an adult book is more for some of language and the sexual attraction scenes rather than the complexity of the plot, the writing style, or the experience and attitudes of the characters, so this isn't an adult fantasy in those senses. From my own personal experiences of isolation and naivety and how those things affected me and how I interacted with others as a result, I just didn't recognise that in Zarya, and so her conflicting personality traits felt messy rather than the deliberate consequence of her life experience based on what I brought to the reading of this story.

Having said that, there were a lot of things that could have made this great for me, had I been able to dive a bit deeper into the world, the politics, the position of the Queen and the mythology and magic, the world seemed packed with promise in that sense, but again I felt kind of removed from it, as I got told about a lot of it, but not in a way that made me connect or care in the way that I wanted to.

I can see that there are elements that a lot of readers would enjoy, and I'd still be interested in knowing where the story goes, but this one isn't one for my shelves, unfortunately.

In terms of the audiobook, it was ok, the narrator did a good job, but I preferred the written version, and sped up the narration to get through the story before giving up and reading the last half instead.

Loved that this is an own voices read, with diversity and lots of south asian mythology. The enemies to lovers was a little too slow. I wanted more from that. But loved the fantasy elements.

Thanks to Bookouture Audio for the copy of this book.

With a dedication of "For every brown girl who wanted to be the chosen one too", I wanted to LOVE this book. I DNFed after 40%. I'm not sure if it's just too slow of a start or what, but I just very bored (and sad I'm not loving it!). A South Asian Rapunzel retelling sounds right up my alley, but it just wasn't for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and the world it created. The plot was addictive and the world-building was utterly beautiful. I loved the characters and the depth of them - they were so well written, which is part of why this was such a great novel. The narrator was perfect for this story and gave so much emotion to the writing, they really made it come alive. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. The world is rich and colourful and the mythology is really interesting so it's an easy world to fall into. It has all the best tropes - slow burn romance, enemies to friends, enemies to lovers, found family. There is a mystery at the heart of the story, a sense of impending doom, hidden magic and a mysterious stranger. After moving along steadily these elements come together in an exciting and explosive ending which sets things up nicely for the rest of the series.

I listened to the audiobook which was fab.

Heart of Night and Fire has it all- a magic city, an enemies-to-lovers romance, and how Zarya learns about her past and her powers, coming into her own. There is so much great mythology elements contained in this book that are different than anything that I have read to date, which is saying something because I read a lot of fantasy. It is fast-paced, action-packed and there are so many big reveals that will shock you!

There were parts of this book that I just did not connect with, including the main character and her love interest. While I absolutely loved the setting and magic system, the characters are what makes a book for me so this ended up just being an average read for me. I still liked enough contained in this book that I will probably continue the series, especially since I loved the narrator and how they performed the story.

Overall, I think this is a great book for fantasy lovers that are looking for something different. The Indian myths woven into the story are probably the best features of the story. I would highly recommend this book for YA fantasy readers, as I think they will really connect with the characters and absolutely love this rich and creative world!

The audiobook is so vibrant in its reading that the foods, characters and colours within the world building are magical and a big hook. The story is a little slow with momentum impart I guess because there is such detail provided for the world building but it certainly worth it, I couldn’t believe I was coming to the end so quickly and then discovering I have a fair few months until book two’s release.
All of the characters are interesting with their owns traits, powers, magic and how they fall within the books need for hem in the plot. Yasen is a favourite of mine and although he may not appear in much of the book Rabin is the most intriguing!
Zarya is an awesome female lead who is becoming a warrior and obviously a central component to the Greta mysteries and magic centred within this book. The first secrets to fall, about Zarya come right at the end although mostly probably already figured out by most it left me feeling a little rushed in closure but I am excited for book two!

I received the audio ARC and wanted to provide my honest review

This was such a strong start to a new fantasy romance series! I loved the characters and need more of that angsty romance between the 2 MCs, I can’t wait for the next one!

This was such a strong start to a new fantasy romance series! I loved the characters and need more of that angsty romance between the 2 MCs, I can’t wait for the next one!