3.5 stars. Amazing worldbuilding but not a ton else that appealed to me.

What I liked:
- magical sentient machines
- accurate portrayal of sibling relationships
- I don't think I've ever read a YA fantasy set in India. I've read lots of worlds inspired by various aspects of Indian culture, but I really appreciated that this one took place in the future of our world.

What I didn't like:
- Dsouza (the love interest) was trying to hard to be a brooding tragic past antihero
- The characters in general weren't overly compelling
- Everyone is constantly getting hurt; there is a ton of description of pain

This was all the elements of an epic fantasy but trimmed down to make it more accessible to a YA audience. This is set 400 years after an asteroid hits Earth and wipes out all technology and redistributed the power and energy that it held in the form of magic. Most of this magic is in reserves known as infinity wells that have countries fighting to gain control over them. In this book we see England trying to conquer India in order to gain control of its infinity wells and other magic sources, including Adya our 17 year old female protagonist who has the power to bring technology back to life. Throughout the book we follow Adya as she tries to save her family while also trying to save herself and her country from the corrupt and ruthless rulers that would love to use her and her magic as a pawn in their war games.

This book was fast paced and full of adventure. Following the blueprint for an epic fantasy it had a host of characters and different settings, but all of this was described succinctly and never felt overwhelming. I loved the overall setting of India in this book as it is not something you often see in fantasy, and it was nice to see the culture and folklore woven in throughout the book. I enjoyed that Adya stayed strong and resourceful throughout the book, never once weakened or diminished by her gender. The magic system was unique and easy to follow which was also a plus.

A Magic Fierce and Bright by Hemant Nayak is an interesting and unique dystopian type YA fantasy that centers around Adya, who is a technomancer, and her journey to find her sister. The uniqueness of the story is what originally drew me into reading this book but unfortunately, after several attempts to finish reading this book, it was a DNF at 40% for me. I tried to get drawn into the world, magic, and story but the writing style just wasn't for me. What I read of the book was decent enough that I believe it will be a great book for some it just didn't hit the mark for me.


I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for providing me with the ARC ebook.

"A Magic Fierce and Bright" by Hemant Nayak is a fun and unique YA fantasy novel that blends elements of Indian mythology with a futuristic setting. The premise of this book is so unique as the setting is in the future but it’s a version of Earth where technology fails and magic resurfaces. I have never read a book like this, especially one that made me emotional about a sentient motorbike, but I absolutely loved the plot and the world that Nayak created.

The story follows Adya, a young technomancer with a rare ability to awaken electric machines, as she navigates through political intrigue and personal challenges in her quest to save her sister, Priya. This book has the found family troupe, which I always adore, as well as some unique heist moments while also focusing on the politics of this unique world. Also, there is a cat in this book named Useless who I loved and was incredibly invested in even though Useless was just a minor character. In my heart, Useless was the star of the slow (I love the name!).

From the very start, Nayak's writing style draws you in with its gorgeous prose, creating a vivid world filled with unique characters and unexpected twists. Despite facing constant pressure to use her powers for political gain, Adya remains determined to reunite with her sister and protect her family, showcasing her strength and resilience throughout the story. Her drive to reunite with her sister is the foundation of the book, and I loved how Adya never gave up no matter what happened, even a specific traumatic incident about halfway through the book.

One of the other highlights of the book is the dynamic between Adya and her love interest. Their partnership adds depth to the story, as they embark on a thrilling adventure filled with bickering and a tinge of romance that only grows as the plot progresses. Additionally, the inclusion of sentient beings such as a motorbike adds a touch of whimsy. As stated earlier, going into the book, I wasn’t expecting to become attached to a motorbike, but I think the motorbike ended up being my favorite character (behind Useless the cat).

While the pacing may feel rushed at times, especially when important details are glossed over, the overall storytelling remains compelling, keeping you engaged from beginning to end. Overall, "A Magic Fierce and Bright" is a spellbinding tale with such a unique premise that I hope to continue reading about this world as well as other stories that Nayak creates.

I couldn't put this book down! it's a mix of horror and fantasy as a thief tries to save her sister. Will he be able to? What will she have to sacrifice to save her? Join Ayda as she races against time and magic to try to save her sister.

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for a chance at reading this.

25% into this book I had to DNF it. The characters are absolutely flat. The world building started off pretty awesome with the introduction of the meteorite that came and changed the world (our world). Then, 400 years into the future, and that's were we got so much 'telling' and no world building.

I vaguely grasped what the main character could do, but the author did not build it up enough to make me understand the character. It felt like pieces of the plot were just there to make her 'seem' bad-ass. When her grandmother and her village were attacked, I felt no sympathy. Because we never met them, we never got to see the main character interact with them. Then, her brother appears, and he too felt under-developed.

Everything just seemed to be conveniently 'there' for the plot.

A Magic fierce and bright by Hemant Nayak was a unique and fascinating read. The book stars grumpy but talented Adya, and her irrepressible brother Mohan, who are looking for their missing sister who disappeared a while back. The rest of the cast of characters are delights, and I will let the reader discover them on his own. The world building is fantastic and the book takes place in India, where magic calls technomancy (which Adya is frantic to learn to help her find her sister), the magic of speaking to machines. Quickly, she and her brother are separated, and Adya is stuck alone to fend for herself. This is the moment where the book gets unfortunately bogged down in a side plot with a gangster, and I urge the reader to stick through the 30 percent point where suddenly everything turns around with the discovery of a magic motorcycle (who steals every scene he is in), and a bunch of twists and turns I was not expecting. A strong effort by Nayak in his first traditionally published novel.