Dawn of the Dancers is a wonderful YA read that has possibly the most beautiful/intriguing magical system I have ever read.

Dawn of the Dancers follows a young girl, Aasira, a flame-wielder, along with a small group of girls who also possess magical powers, from the ability to induce nightmares, manifest snakes, or obtain truths.

The book follows the end of their experience at the training sanctuary they have lived at most of their lives, and then continues to unfold in the landscape of life after the sanctuary.

For me the idea that their magic is used whilst they danced, felt like a no brainer. Who doesn’t want to read about beautiful dancers who’s magic comes to life as they dance? The dance and magic are an integral part of the book, working as a backbone for the beautiful and conflicting aspects of this read. I did find that towards the back end of the book the dancing does become less prominent, and it is more about the strength they have developed within their magic. Regardless of the drop off in dance/magic combination, the magic is still beautifully articulated and wonderful to read.

The constant sense of impending conflict keeps you on your toes, however I was hoping for a little more detail in terms of why there was a conflict and why the scenes at the villages they had visited had been described the way they were. The lack of insight does draw all the attention to the emotions and conflicts of main character in those moments. But as you leave the scene, you’re kind of left questioning why it was like that in the first place.

This book highlights, social expectations, pressure from institutions and authoritarians, loss, longing, hope, and betrayal.

I am excited to continue the series and see where the story goes.

I absolutely loved this, it is super unique. I LOVED the concept of the dance magic, such a cool method of magic. I also really enjoyed the world building, the descriptions of the outfits and the routines, as well as the build up of anticipation for a romance.

This is a beautifully written book and a very exciting debut. Highly recommend to fantasy fans, particularly those with rich detail, unique magic and addictive characters.

“Dancer…you should call me by my true name. I’m an executioner.”

Dancers of the Dawn by Zulekhá A. Afzal follows Aasira, a young girl whose flame-wielding magic shows itself through the medium of dance. We follow her story as she uncovers the mystery of her mother, a woman who has been branded a traitor by her country, and tries to find her own place within her Queen’s empire.

This was such a refreshing read. The fantasy landscape has become saturated by novels that use European historical backdrops for their stories, so it was a nice surprise to find myself immersed in the deserts and cities of Amaar. The setting combined with the use of dance magic, and how beautifully the author has described their gowns and routines (the author has a background in ballet), has created a very visually pleasing story for the reader.
Our FMC Aasira is certainly a young woman readers can root for as she struggles to make sense of her own tangled past and how this affects her place within her own kingdom. The depiction of friendship was also a highlight, as Dancers of the Dawn has an array of wonderful characters each with their own unique past and story to tell. The way the girls rely on one another to overcome their insecurities, to help cope with their fears, and to celebrate their successes with one another was lovingly done.

In terms of romance, there was very little. Towards the end of the novel we are introduced to a potential romantic interest and it seems hinted that he will become a much larger part of the story come book two. If you are hoping for a romantasy novel, I’d say to temper your expectations here.

The only downside to this wonderful debut was that at times some of the links from plot point to plot point felt weak. This really only begins to show itself in the last third of the book, where it feels as though the story is being rushed out and the audience is being told some of the plot connections rather than being shown. Considering this novel is aimed at a younger audience, this is a bit more forgivable, but it did leave me feeling a little let down at times.

Overall, Dancers of the Dawn is a diverse, actionpacked, engaging, young adult fantasy read. Any reader who picks this up is for sure going to receive an enjoyable read.

Thank you to the publisher Rock the Boat and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Reviews will be posted publicly to my Instagram, Goodreads, and StoryGraph pages on the 21st of May 2024 (two weeks before release date as requested).

Dancers of Dawn was a story with an interesting premise which caught my interest right from the start. It drew on many familiar themes and tropes but gave them a fresh twist. Meanwhile, Aasira was a character I could really get behind and whose story I was keen to follow throughout. This is the first book in a planned duology. There's not much on the romance side in this first book, but it looks like some more is meant to follow on that front in book two. I would certainly be happy to read on and to see how the story ends. I am giving this book four stars.

My review will go live on my blog and Goodreads at the links below on 27 May 2023. I will then also share on social media.