The Phoenix King

The Ravence Trilogy #1

by Aparna Verma

In a kingdom where flames hold magic and the desert hides secrets, an ancient prophecy comes for an assassin, a princess, and a king. But none are ready to face destiny—and the choices they make could burn the world.
 
“If we carry the burdens of our fathers, we’ll never know what it means to be free.”
 
For Elena Aadya Ravence, fire is yearning. She longs to feel worthy of her Phoenix god, of her ancestors who transformed the barren dunes of Sayon into a thriving kingdom. But though she knows the ways and wiles of the desert better than she knows her own skin, the secrets of the Eternal Flame elude her. And without them, she’ll never be accepted as queen.
 
For Leo Malhari Ravence, fire is control. He is not ready to give up his crown—there’s still too much work to be done to ensure his legacy remains untarnished, his family protected. But power comes with a price, and he’ll wage war with the heavens themselves to keep from paying it.
 
For Yassen Knight, fire is redemption. He dreams of shedding his past as one of Sayon’s most deadly assassins, of laying to rest the ghosts of those he has lost. If joining the court of flame and serving the royal Ravence family—the very people he once swore to eliminate—will earn him that, he’ll do it no matter what they ask of him.
 
But the Phoenix watches over all and the fire has a will of its own. It will come for all three, will come for Sayon itself….and they must either find a way to withstand the blaze or burn to ash.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Mythology, Fantasy Romance

512 pages, Paperback

First published August 29, 2023

About the author

Aparna Verma is the author of fantasy and sci-fi books, including The Ravence Trilogy. She graduated from Stanford University with Honors in the Arts and a B.A. in English. In 2021, she self-published The Boy with Fire, which was later republished by Orbit Books as The Phoenix King in 2023.

When she is not writing, Aparna likes to lift heavy (arm days are her favorite), dance to Bollywood music, and find cozy cafes to read myths from ancient worlds. You can connect with Aparna on TikTok at @aparnawrites, and Twitter and Instagram at @spirited_gal.

Reviews

[Aparna Verma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi everyone!

Since this is my book, I'm a bit biased towards the 5-star review, but I wanted to take this chance to talk more about THE BOY WITH FIRE.

I started writing this book back in 2017. It was just a spark of an idea that didn't grow into a fire until the pandemic of 2020. The world was crumbling around me. People were dying. I was stuck at home, despairing about how our leaders had failed us. And then something inside me said, the world needs your novel now. Write it.

THE BOY WITH FIRE is, at its heart, a story about madness. It shows a world teetering on the edge of war, and the people who push it over. The book gets DARK. It's written in 3 character POVs, and each character must make brutally cruel decisions that put other lives at stake. There's genocide, terrorism, vengeful gods, and man's battle against fate. For the book politics, I was largely inspired by the geopolitical tensions in India, as well as the rise of nationalistic leaders in both America and India.

In short, the book is not for the faint of heart.

But, there are lighter moments! think: a subtle romance subplot. There are also badass female warriors inspired by the Hindu goddess Kali, a BIPOC cast, and, my favorite, cloud cookies. If you're a baker and you're reading this, please make cloud cookies an actual thing!

When writing, I drew inspiration from my own heritage. I was born in India, in the desert of Rajasthan. My mom raised me on the epic tales of the Mahabharat and the Ramayana. While THE BOY WITH FIRE is not an adaptation or retelling of Hindu myths, these stories certainly influenced my world-building.

I was also inspired by so many amazing books, so THE BOY WITH FIRE is a magical conglomeration of Dune, Hindu mythology, Game of Thrones, and ATLA. If you love these comps, hopefully you'll enjoy THE BOY WITH FIRE.

Thank you for reading this. I really, really hope you fall in love with THE BOY WITH FIRE as much as I have. The characters have taken my heart. Hopefully, they'll take yours too. <3


The Boy with Fire

[SK · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a good time with this book and it's no doubt a debut well done. There is A LOT of potential in the series. BUT I am conflicted about a few things.

✔️ Sci-fi + High fantasy
✔️ Fire bending
✔️ Political intrigue
✔️ Romance is a subplot (slow burn)

A kingdom set in the desert and born out of a prophecy is ruled by the Ravence who command the eternal fire. Elena is the heir to the throne and wants to prove herself, not only to her kingdom but her father too. But she doesn't approve of the arrival of Yassen, an assassin who is to be her royal guard. War looms on the horizon and it all depends on the choices they make.

I liked the writing style. I believe it is a well written book, especially if you are looking for sci-fi vibes. I would say it's a slow paced book but at the same time not boring at all, it kept me interested and was a page turner. Also, clearly meant for adults but it reads like a YA book.

The world building is confusing. There were too many names of different groups and spies and they all seemed the same, which is one of the reasons why I was confused. For a book written so good, I would expect the world building to sweep me off my feet but it didn't. I still do not have a concrete idea about it, so will see in the next book.

Elena is a fierce warrior and princess, but she's also a hypocrite. I liked her in some parts, didn't in others. One thing she lacks is- emotions. She is clearly meant to be written as a very balanced personality but she was kinda meh. Basically, one dimensional. Yassen, assassin turned into royal guard, I LIKED him. He had an interesting backstory. He had struggles and depth to himself. He was bit of a morally grey kinda guy. I liked how open he was with Elena and how vulnerable he is.

Leo, Elena's father and king could have been more ruthless imo. He had the potential to do a lot more than he did. But at the same time I get why he was in a tough spot. This makes him the most complex character in the book. Samson, Yassen's friend was okay. Am expecting a lot from him in the next book.

This is something I had the most problem with- it is being heavily marketed as a romance. It is not romance. Romance is a subplot. The slow burn was kinda meh. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed their moments together. But if there was supposed to be pining, I didn't see it from Elena's side. I didn't see any vulnerability from her. Considering Samson's involvement, things could have been interesting but they were not. When Elena and Yassen finally kiss which is right towards the end, it does feel like a good moment but only for Yassen. Elena needs some emotions to her, desperately.

The ending was not bad. I liked the reveal a lot, it makes me look forward to the next book. Overall a decent read I enjoyed. But it wasn't anything special that blew my mind.

~•~•~
An ancient prophecy involving an assassin, a princess and a king? Count me in too🙌

[alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Boy with Fire is being traditionally published by Orbit as The Phoenix King!!!

A king whose reign is coming to an end.
An heir who can’t hold the power of the rulers.
An ex-assassin who wants to return home.
A prophecy that threatens them all.

The Boy with Fire is being traditionally published by Orbit as The Phoenix King!!!!

I don’t know how to put into words how much I loved this book. It was amazing. It’s my new favorite book. If I could give it more starts I would. It has everything that I love in it. The plot is so interesting, and I love the characters.

It has badass women. Morally grey characters. It’s a fantasy world with sci-fi elements. It’s got political plotting and enemies to lovers and slow burn romance. The magic system in this book is also so interesting. It’s also inspired by Indian Mythology which is so cool, and this world is so interesting.

The characters are all amazing. There are so many sides of them that you get to see, and it’s done on such an amazing way. They’re all so interesting. They have their own stories and character arcs. None of them are simple either. They all have different layers and parts of their characters. I love them all so much. And even when you’re like “what the heck are you doing?”, you can see what makes them who they are. Like you find yourself sympathizing even they’re doing the worst things.

I especially can't wait to see Elena's development through the series. I think that she has so much room for growth. There is just so much potential in her. I also think her ending in book one leaves so much to explore in book two. I think all the characters have so much potential but especially Elena.

“If there was one thing he could claim, it was this: that even in the darkness of death, he would know her.”

There is romance, but it definitely is not the main focus of the story. That is exactly how like my books. Especially one like this that explored so much with the politics and magic of the world. I loved how the romance was just woven into the story.

The world building is fantastic. I loved that it’s kind of entwined throughout the entire story. You don’t get an overwhelming amount of information all at once. Some of it comes from dialogue, some is just woven into the plot. I really liked that it wasn’t just thrown at us.

There are also little excerpts at the top of each chapter from different documents and books that exists in the world. That's something I loved so much while reading. Some of my favorite quotes are from those little excerpts. I would love to have actual full length copies of this historical texts. I think it would be so cool.

The book hurt me in so many ways, but it is so worth it in the end. The twist and turned and surprises are so good. It keeps you guessing the entire time. And the ending is just… I can’t even explain. It’s just amazing. I can’t wait for book two!

TW’s: Violence, torture, grief, death, fire/fire injury

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Aparna Verma for this arc in return for an honest review. All of the thoughts in this review are my own!*

[Arundhati · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have followed Aparna Verma on Tiktok for a while, and so was excited to read the ARC of The Boy With Fire. Though I read it just before release, I have held off on reviewing for a while in order to adequately collect my thoughts. I also didn't want my mixed review to cloud the excitement of release week.

I think the story of The Boy with Fire has potential. Aparna is a good writer, and her prose was gripping. To me, however, the book had several key flaws - including the way that it was marketed - that let me down.

The initial pitch of The Boy With Fire was "Dune meets The Poppy War". This has been pushed heavily by the publishers, to the point of it being the first line in the Goodreads summary. Additional marketing points: Adult SFF, morally grey characters, and political intrigue. Unfortunately, though I think the book had its positives, it did not deliver on what it had promised.

I see the superficial similarities to both Dune and the Poppy War - one of the most interesting aspects of the story was the blending of fantasy and sci-fi. However, the hallmark of these books is that they are sweeping, complex, adult political fantasies. Aside from the surface level, I do not see those hallmarks in The Boy With Fire.

Honestly, I think that for me TBWF was trying to pack too much into one book. The emphasis on religion was well-drawn, yes. But that left little space for the expansive politics, the worldbuilding, the characterization, which all suffered. It felt both rushed and bloated; though SFF often has a slower initial pace, very little actually happened in the first 70% of the story.
I can excuse slow pace if I see very carefully constructed characterization, intricate politics, or even thoughtful worldbuilding. TBWF laid the groundwork for all of these things, but many of them ended up falling flat.

I’m going to summarise my main thoughts here.

1) Religion
For me, TBWF’s greatest strength was the focus on religion. I very much had to squint to see the references to Hindu mythology, but the religion woven into the narrative was uniquely done. The inclusion of prophecies in fantasy is very much a hit or miss for me; but The Boy With Fire very much managed to include prophecy in a way that still allowed for the characters their free will and their own roles in the plot. That’s unusual for a fantasy, and I did enjoy it. The book also includes a fascinating twist on the Chosen One trope, and I’m excited to see how that plays out.

2) Characterization.
I would honestly say that Leo had the strongest characterization out of the POV characters. His goals were clearly fleshed out, and the onset of his madness, though sudden, was believable. The reasons behind what he was doing made logical sense, though the actions themselves were morally reprehensible.
Elena and Yassen however, were not given that courtesy. By the end of the novel, Elena was supposed to have experienced a moral decline; unfortunately, her initial motivations and characterisation were so unclear that it felt ingenuine, the reasoning behind her decisions flimsy at best. Elena felt, very fundamentally, like a Young Adult heroine. Her existing personality traits would have been compelling on a 16 year old, but on an adult woman naivete, daddy issues and a coming of age story arc feel almost incongruous. There’s nothing wrong with YA literature - some of my favourite books are YA fantasy - but TBWF was marketed as an adult SFF. It did not feel like one.
Yassen is a character who logically should have had a degree of moral complexity. There’s the very classic conflict in the trope of the reluctant assassin, which is always effective; the plot twist regarding Yassen’s allegiances gives it a unique flair. I do think, however, that this reveal would have been more effective had we not actually had his point of view in the novel at all. Since we did get to see his thought process throughout, it genuinely did not make sense that he has been keeping such a big secret from the audience. He’s not denying it to himself; so why doesn’t it appear in his inner monologue at all? This omission obscured key aspects of Yassen’s personality, making him feel generic as a character throughout the story and making it very difficult to feel invested in him.
The romance between Elena and Yassen also felt lackluster to me. Their romance was so slow burn that it felt nonexistent. There were practically no hints that they cared for one another by the end of the book, and their bonding moments felt almost shoehorned in. I could understand if the author wanted to develop a relationship between the characters, but I think it would have been a better fit for a sequel.
Personally, I would say that the biggest weaknesses of The Boy With Fire came with its characterisation. The characters were distinctly archetypal; other than Samson at the very end, they did not feel as though they evolved past those archetypes. It’s easy to forgive a novel’s flaws if the characters are compelling enough. Unfortunately, since I was not invested in the characters of The Boy With Fire, I found it difficult to enjoy the rest of the story.

3) Politics
The Boy With Fire packed in several different political threads. The most significant ones were domestic unrest in Ravence, tense international relations, and the increasingly fraught relationship between a monarch and his religious leaders. On paper, this should lend itself to a fascinating and rich and complex tapestry of worldbuilding.
This does not come through clearly in the novel. The bare bones are very much there, and it is absolutely possible for it to be fleshed out further in future novels. I don’t think that the novel spent the time to weave this tapestry effectively, making it hard to adequately feel the political strain that the country is under. The undercurrents were there, but at the end of the day there was simply too much going on.

Ultimately, The Boy With Fire has potential. Aparna Verma is a good writer, but I don’t think that this book was for me. I will still be buying the sequels when they release, and am continuing to support her works as I wish her every success in the future.

[Lila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big thank you to NetGalley for providing this free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I cannot believe this is a debut novel for Aparna Verma! This high fantasy, inspired by Indian myth, is a thrilling story of redemption. One of my favourite aspects is when each chapter has a quote at the beginning. These quotes happen to be some of the best I've read so far. I want to share some that I noted while reading.

"To be forgiven, one must be burned."

"And thus the Phoenix rose with eyes afire and a cry of vengeance upon Her lips."

"The night when Alabore Ravence built his kingdom, it is said that men feasted on starlight. For it was Alabore Ravence who brought the heavens closer to Sayon, who brought the power and mystique of the Phoenix into a real, solid hearth. The desert may be unforgiving, but it was spun from stardust, and to stardust it will go."

"There is no hard line between the servant and the sinner. There is only a soft blur, a delicate edge in which a man can lose himself."

The author seamlessly blends the ancient kingdom and its customs along with futuristic technology such as cameras, holopods, pulseguns, hovercars and trains etc. Even such, it doesn't feel different from any other fantasy set in an imagined kingdom.

Coming from Croatia, we don't have as big a selection of books, especially when it comes to Fantasy books. Most are with Western European folklore, and the few I've read set in India, seamed like they were written by westerners, for westerners. This book perfectly describes the charms of Ancient India. Reading it, I could feel the heat of the desert sun, smell the spices and jasmine, hear the music of the dhol drums and feel the silk of the sari as if I were wearing it.

This novel has several undertones, and the plot isn't as direct as I've gotten used to in the fantasy novels that came out in the last few years. Don't get me wrong, I love it! Books are supposed to be multilayered and complex, with twists and turns guiding us through the story, instead of being simple and direct. How is the audience supposed to engage with the story otherwise?

I would recommend this novel to everyone, especially lovers of Sci-Fi & High Fantasy and that is why I give it 5 out of 5 stars. It isn't even out yet, still I cannot wait to read the sequel! I'm practically squealing with excitement.

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Phoenix King is the first instalment of a new sci-fi fantasy trilogy loosely inspired by Indian mythology.

Elena Aadya Ravence will soon inherit the crown, but she first needs to learn how to control the Eternal Flame. Her father, Leo Ravence is not ready to step down; there are still things he needs to do to protect his daughter and maintain stability for the kingdom. And he will do whatever he deems necessary to achieve it, no matter how heinous. And then there’s Yassen Knight who wants to shed his assassin past.

This book was originally independently published but has since been picked up by Orbit.

It is slowly paced and lays the groundwork for future books. The world-building is richly detailed, from the futuristic sci-fi elements to court intrigue to the religious landscape.

While the world-building was great, the character development was a bit lacking. Leo was the most complex; his motivations, no matter how horrible, were clear. Elena and Yassen were slightly one-dimensional, their budding romance flat. And although this is targeted at adult readers for its dark and brutal content, the writing style felt YA at times.

However, the last quarter was when things really took off, and now I’m intrigued to see where the rest of the trilogy goes.

3.5 rounded down.

Thank you to Orbit for the digital and physical arc copies.

https://booksandwheels.com

[cherelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Boy With Fire, an Indian inspired fantasy pitched as Dune meets The Poppy War, without a doubt was an ambitious debut that promised a myriad of tropes many of us in the bookish community crave, as well as an #OwnVoices perspective more of us gravitate towards.

Alas, it disappointed.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
The Boy With Fire follows Elena, a young ruler ready to ascend to the throne, Yassen, an assassin on the run after an accident, as well as Leo, the current emperor of Ravence.

Perhaps it was thanks to my surreal expectations with it being compared to my favourite fantasy series of all time: the Poppy War, or perhaps it was because I read it in a few sittings and skimmed through it... whatever it was, I hardly remember anything and 50% in was resisting the temptation of a DNF.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

"The stars would come and go. Fire was eternal."

Perhaps I'm being a bit too harsh so let me start off with what I appreciated: The world-building at first seemed a little stagnant, with your typical rival nations, social class difference in each and traditions, however it soon burned brightly (pun not intended) thanks to the prophecies and mythology interwoven into the plot such that the religious aspect played a big part. The phoenix, vengeful gods, raring fire were such a force to be dealt with and truly played a huge role in heightening the tension.

"As he stared at the heap of bodies, Leo felt something integral leave him... but as he slowly rose to his feet, he knew it wasn't his fear or his remorse, but his humanity."

However, what good is brilliant world-building when you have stale and inconsistent characters? Those that you can barely remember the names of a few days later, or those that didn't even manage to reign in any bit of your heart after hundreds of pages with them? The characterisation was poor, I quickly recognised typical tropes of the royal, the terrible deed character with tragic past so on and so forth... I was expecting some life to be breathed into these tropes, but throughout the book, these characters remain rather stale, and even worse, their character suddenly shifting dramatically to suit the situation which I found rather unbelievable. With instances of death and atrocities that should have visibly change the characters, only repetitiveness and insincerity was offered.

Furthermore, the pacing of this story was terrible. I understood that fantasy books tend to take a while to set up and carefully shape the world, but come on who likes a story devoid of any true game-changing action until the 70% mark? I was bored and skimmed through the book, only to come out confused when things finally started to pick up.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

"...the power of myth. Give the people something to believe in. Make it strong enough, fearsome enough, and they would all bow."

However, my greatest disappointment in The Boy With Fire would be the lack of themes. Perhaps this is just my expectation for the book, but I felt that this adult fantasy had great potential to examine certain themes such as power, fate and equality. The world-building as well as the religious aspect, not to mention the character dilemmas set this book up beautifully for the exploration of these themes, but all The Boy With Fire did was skim surface level on them. Perhaps I'm being too harsh on a debut the first of the series, but I sorely felt that these themes of power when dealing with the gods as well as the ruling of the kingdom through constructs, fate in the different characters' trajectories as well as equality ingrained into the very model of the world, could have greatly enriched the story, giving it more meaning and purpose.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

"Someone once told me that ghosts are memories that haunt us before we can let them go."

Overall, The Boy With Fire was a terrible disappointment for me that I felt had so much more to offer. Despite the brilliant world-building, the stale characters, lack of pacing and most of all the absence of any true depth underneath the typical fantasy plotline, caused it to be an aching let-down for me.

Rating: 1.5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and New Degree Press for an e-ARC of The Boy With Fire in exchange for a sincere review.


｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
Original Reaction:
allow me to wallow in confusion and disappointment 😔
i was expecting great things from the boy with fire, especially with it pitched as dune meet the freaking poppy war...

[Keya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finally did it 😭😭 What felt like a gargantuan piece of work and lowkey torture is overrr.

Ok but wait, don't automatically add it to your 'never reading this' list. There were some plus points.
For instance,
✔️ the writing... took me a while to get used to but beautiful.
✔️ the culture representation ...so good! I deeply admired that part of the book.
✔️ the artwork in the beginning ....mwuah. Also I visited this book's page that the author made; was awestruck. The art is so beautiful jshkhggsadh
✔️ This was the author's debut so...that's pretty impressive.
✔️ The plot twist at the very end


But. This is the bad but. Half of the book, I was way too confused to actually enjoy it. At some point, it felt like a chore reading this book and I just wanted it to be over. The names of the people and places were soo confusing 😭😭

A VERY IMPORTANT TIP IF YOU DECIDE TO PICK THIS BOOK: THERE IS A GLOSSARY AT THE END. (It'll be very useful, trust me. I didn't see it. Maybe I would've liked this book a lot more if I had)

The chemistry between the characters. Ahem. If you're looking for it, don't even try. You won't find any. Not even a fizzle. There was one dance scene where her dupatta got stuck to his sleeve's button or smth (straight out of a bollywood movie 🤭) But that.was.it. WHYYYY. Give me something moreee. There were no snarky remarks or angst or playful conversations. NOTHING. He was an assassin bro, I expected much better 😭😭
I never felt connected to the characters. Like I wouldn't care if they even existed or not. The type I would probably forget by the time I am done with this review.

There was also a bonus chapter in the end, which was fine I guess. I like when books have bonus content...but i didn't care 😬

But I wouldn't say you should not read it. Give it a try. It just wasn't for me🙂

I see it's a trilogy, not sure if I'll continue but we will see....

[Darcey · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC copy provided in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changes my rating or review. And BR with some lovelies :).

This was an incredible debut rich with Indian-inspired mythology, next-generation technology and intricately-written characters, and I loved every moment.

“The past is binding, but I want to break it…if we carry the burdens of our fathers, then we’ll never know what it means to be free.”

Each character in this story had their own struggles, their own pains, their own regrets. I loved learning about the backstory of Yassen, Elena and Leo, but Yassen was the character who completely stole my heart, as I couldn’t help but fall for that dear little cinnamon roll assassin. Elena and Leo both had beautifully written and unique personalities, as one sought to control fire and accept her responsibility as future queen, and the other sought to handle the loss of his throne, and it was fascinating to read about both of their decisions and how the power of fire changed them both individually.

Samson and Ferma were two other side characters who stuck out, and I adored the relationship between Ferma and Elena. I’m honestly still not sure what to think of Samson, even after finishing the book… I guess we’ll see what happens in the next book in the series, because he’s a very I-could-either-love-or-hate-you kind of character!

“Perhaps, then, the boy he had been, the man who he wanted to be, was still here, still within him.
Waiting.”

One aspect in this book that really stood out was the prose, and the world-building. Both aspects were gorgeously done, and the prose was absolutely stunning in sections, emphasised by the life-like characters and brilliant magic system/world. The Indian-inspired world with royalty, magic and advanced technology that supersedes anything from our current world was a really interesting combination, and one that I was surprised to find worked really well. I look forward to seeing what else the author comes up with in the future!

All in all, I really enjoyed this start to a fascinating new series, and that ending was mind-blowing and completely captivating. Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC copy provided by NetGalley.

[Maria Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

UNA P*** PASADA🔥!!!
¡En serio, de lo mejor que he leído este año en cuando a fantasía✨!

🌸Es más, ni te haces una idea de lo que te vas a encontrar entre estas páginas y, es que, cuando empiezas a conocer a los protagonistas te atrapan en sus redes y ya solo puedes devorar esta historia😍!

🌸Pero recapitulemos un poco, solo un poquito...

🌸Aquí encontrarás una trama política, mucha aventura y un romance que, oh my god! cuando llega el romance...🔥🔥

🌸Vamos, ya te dijo desde ya: Prepárate en plan no voy a poder soltar este libro hasta que lo acabe, porque, entre el romance y los giros tan bestias que hay en la historia, vas a chillar de la emoción🔥😍✨!

Aquí encontrarás:

🌸Su punto de política
🌸Un slow burn de los que gritas de placer🔥
🌸Un montón de traiciones
🌸Y unos protagonistas muy pero que muy grises!

Vamos, Puro enganche, Pura adicción, ¡EL ROMANTASY QUE NO PODRÁS DEJAR DE LEER!🔥✨❤️

[Ayushi (bookwormbullet) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to New Degree Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

2021 really is the year of amazing South Asian fantasies. What first drew me into The Boy with Fire was the fact that Aparna Verma drew inspiration for one of the races of characters in her book, called the Yumi, from the female warriors the Hindu goddess Kali created (called the chandikas) after her epic battle against the demon Mahishasura. I love a good fantasy inspired by Hindu & Indian mythology and The Boy with Fire did not disappoint! I usually also stay away from Adult fantasy novels because the world-building and magic system is described in such a complex and intricate way that usually flies right over my head, but Aparna Verma did an excellent job of building a detailed world and describing it to the reader in such an effortless way that made it so easy to follow along. Overall, I’d give it 4.5 stars!

The Boy with Fire follows three separate characters: Yassen Knight, the Arohassin’s most notorious assassin now on the run from the authorities and his former employer after suffering a horrible accident; Elena Ravence, heir to the Ravence throne; and Leo Ravence; the current king and Elena’s father. Their stories intertwine and connect as Elena and Leo’s kingdom teeters on the edge of war and prophecy.

As mentioned, this story follows three characters: Yassen, Elena, and Leo. I love multi-POV books, but I was a little hesitant about how much I would enjoy reading chapters from Leo’s POV considering he’s a 60 year old man obsessed with keeping his crown. However, Leo’s chapters were still so engaging and interesting to follow. The political intrigue in this novel in general was actually really captivating--something that doesn’t normally draw me into fantasy novels. The Boy with Fire is also described as Dune meets The Poppy War, which is honestly so accurate. I love how this novel combines both sci-fi and fantasy elements, again, in an effortless manner. There are also small modern aspects (in the dialogue, articles of clothing, accessories, etc.) that added to the ambiguity of what kind of era the novel takes place in being both a sci-fi and fantasy novel.

I think my only minor issue with this book is that the relationship between Yassen and Elena felt a little unconvincing. This does feature a slowburn enemies-to-lovers relationship but the slowburn was a little too slow to the point that actually I didn’t pick up on any romance between the two during the book (I was getting major romance vibes from Elena and another character instead), nor did I believe that Yassen and Elena genuinely cared for one another at the end of the book. The last third of the book, though, was a complete rollercoaster. Everything just started going south even after everything was going so well for our characters. I was also completely shocked by the plot twist/reveal in the epilogue. I thought I had guessed the twist while reading, but turns out I was dead wrong.

Definitely consider picking this book up if you are looking for another Adult fantasy, especially one that is South Asian inspired! I can’t wait for everyone to read this book in August :)

[Shruti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will make your heart bleed and burn, and want you to have it done all over again. A must-read.

Talk about an EPIC fantasy debut. The world of Sayon is so captivating and beautiful. I want to run in the dunes of Ravence and take the holotrains through the brass cities of Jantar. Also, the cloud cookies! I want one!

The book is written in 3 distinct, character POVs: Yassen Knight, Elena Ravence, and Leo Ravence. Yassen breaks your heart, Elena inspires you to burn your enemies, and Leo just scares you. I have to say that my favorite is (surprisingly) Leo. He's such a dynamic character. You know that what he's doing is WRONG (like hello!!), but you understand WHY he goes batshit crazy.

The author said on her Twitter that her book deals with themes of historical trauma and Indian mythology and damn, it REALLY does. The book can be dark and violent at times, but so is history. Every character is drowning in a sea of grief and unbridled rage. Sometimes, I just want to give them a hug, but I'm afraid I'll get burned.

All in all, I LOVED this book. I can't wait for the rest of the trilogy. I'm going to call it now - Aparna Verma will be one of the best fantasy writers of our generation.

Disclaimer: As a a beta reader, I've read an early copy of the book. I was not asked to write a review. This is my honest opinion.

[Celine · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Grief is like that, my love, but the stars are here, and they will lend us their eyes. So that we may gaze upon each other when we are apart."

Aparna Verma has phenomenally woven a tale of love and betrayal, fear and bravery, and sacrifice and greed into this richly inspired sci-fi fantasy world. Her ability to make readers vividly conjure the world as you go through the pages is hands-down one of the best I've ever experienced. You'll see the Indian culture lavishly embodied in this story, but I think Verma has still made this story uniquely hers and hers alone.

I found myself rooting and simping for her characters, mourning alongside and for them. The character relationships anchored the love I had for this book, making me smile and breaking my heart. Their imperfections made them real and relatable, I wouldn't have it any other way.

The desires of a boy to earn his freedom, a father to impart the best for his daughter, and a future queen to fight for her kingdom.. They will drive you to stay and finish the journey with them hand-in-hand, to burn for them and with them.

I believe this is one of the best stories out there as an introductory to adult fantasy for YA readers. It's a stunning debut and I'm excited for the next installment in this trilogy~ Support indie/small pub authors! This is worth every penny imo~

[hiba · Rating 2 out of 5]

while this book wasn't for me, i'm so glad we're getting more desi inspired adult fantasies, the genre is in desperate need.

the standouts of this novel are definitely the writing and worldbuilding. the writing is straightforward yet beautiful and really easy to read. the worldbuilding is fairly well done - i just love the concept of prophecies, vengeful gods and dangerous mythological creatures. it's all written in a pretty accessible way too and i'd recommend this book to newbie fantasy readers.

however, the boy with fire was sadly a poor reading experience for me. my main issue is the fact that i simply didn't care for the characters. they felt interesting in theory but for some reason, i was never emotionally invested in them - i think they desperately needed more development. elena's pov felt really bland and repetitive to me, especially in the first half, and i wish her relationship with ferma was more fleshed out. yassen was a character that i should have liked but he turned out to be fairly generic - also, his relationship with samson felt so empty for all that they were childhood best friends. leo was the most interesting character by far but only in the context of this book.

the romance was also pretty stale for me - elena and yassen's entire relationship was dependent on them having these deep personal conversations but without any natural build up to them, so the whole thing just came off as really forced. also they had zero chemistry.

basically, the characters didn't engage me enough and the relationships all felt strangely devoid of emotion. leo and elena had the potential for an interesting parent/child dynamic but we simply didn't get enough of it.

another issue i have is the pacing. the first 50% is way too slow with hardly anything actually happening. when significant things finally start taking place in the second half, they're bogged down with boring interludes. the last 10% is when i got the most interested but for me to really enjoy a book, i need to be invested from the start, not just at the end. and the climax as a whole was pretty weak.

overall, my problems with this book are very personal; i think this author has a lot of potential and i would still recommend this book if you're interested in an indian-inspired adult fantasy with themes of war and religion.

rep: indian-coded world + cast, disabled biracial mc

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[jenny reads a lot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spent the entire book not trusting a single person, then for a millisecond I start to think, hey they aren’t so bad, only to have them rip out my heart and betray me.

What a blast to read! Expect a unique world, lots of political intrigue, and plenty of secrets & betrayals to keep you guessing and gasping.

My only complaint is that the prose was a little verbose and repetitive at times.

4.5⭐️ | IG | TikTok |

Thank you to the author and Orbit for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

[gauri · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

ambitious concept but did not live up to it for me.

i love prophecies and mythology inspired books so that aspect was definitely interesting to read about. the writing is beautifully worded to draw you into Ravence and the worldbuilding is intricately planned. particularly loved the setting of the desert brought to life by the author, like i felt the heat and the sand myself. the magic system, revolving around fire, is a unique addition and made the plot interesting. this is an indian inspired adult fantasy and i'm so happy to see books inspired by my culture! all the indian elements were included so well along with the themes of genocide and colonialism. if you like such fantasies, i'll definitely recommend it to you.

my main issue is with the characters and pacing. the first 50/60% were so slow with repetitive chapters, i considered dnf-ing it. i know it takes time to set up the world in an adult fantasy but there wasn't any significant action happening to move the story forward. the pacing and action get better later on but by that time we're near the end of the book.

i was really eager to see how the characters and the dynamics develop but i felt like we only got surface level development for them and i wasn't invested them or their backstories and motivations. this underdevelopment made me to not care about the interpersonal relationships either. the boy with fire is said to have an 'enemies to lovers romance' so i'm guessing it refers to elena and yassen's romance but there was no such vibes, especially because their shift in loyalties or beliefs were so quick. i was drawn to leo's character as he's a calculating ruler and his pov did not disappoint. ferma and samson, the characters i was actually invested in, did not get much depth.

then again, these problems could be very 'its not you its me' so i'll still recommend this one to people, especially as an indian inspired fantasy by a debut author. i do agree when people say this could easily be read as a young adult fantasy, the only difference being characters over 20. if you like themes of war, religion and politics then you should absolutely give this a shot.

thank you to the author and netgalley for the arc!

[halla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and New Degree Press for providing me with a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 2.5 / 5

This was an interesting read. The concept of this book was what made me want to read it. Prophecies and mythology are two of the things I love the most in books. I think this is a pretty solid debut, with my favorite parts being the writing and the way Aparna describes everything. The writing is direct but beautiful. It's easy to understand and yet, you can feel the emotion of it. I loved the way dialogue and action was written and the worldbuilding seemed so interesting.

The start was amazing. I loved the introduction into the worldbuilding and I was really interested in where this could go.

But I had a few issues. First of all, the pacing. The first 50% was a little too slow without anything actually happening and when significant things finally start taking place in the second half, they're slowed down with disinteresting events. The last 10% is what was most interesting to me, but it wasn't enough, sadly.

The other issue I had were the characters and dynamics. The characters or the dynamics weren't really developed enough for me to actually be invested in any of them. Elena and Leo were interesting, but their POVs felt repetitive. The rest of the cast weren't really developed enough and I felt like I only knew them on a surface level. I didn't really feel connected with the characters.

In the end, these things have to do with me than with the author. Like I said, this is a pretty solid debut and I think this author has a lot of potential and especially because the themes of this book were interesting to read about. I'm excited to see what will happen in the rest of the series.

[aashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

good soulp

[Mikayla Noel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very well written and it was so interesting to have a combo of high fantasy and sci-fi!

It fell flat when it came to the relationships to me. I feel like the chemistry was missing for every character…. Each character by themselves was so good and I feel like I would love them even more if the characters had chemistry with each other.

The ending has me curious about the next book…

[Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be forgiven, one must be burned.

When I started this book, I thought, “hey, not so bad.” Two days later, I’m lying in my bed, figuring out what to do next because this book broke me.

The Boy with Fire exceeded my expectations. The world-building was intricate that despite my mixing up of the terms used all throughout the book, I had no trouble figuring out how Verma’s world works. How she describes her places from the dunes to the Kingdom of Ravence was colorful and rich in detail. Verma did focus a little more on her world building then, which was not really a problem to me. Although three hundred pages in, that came with the thought of where was is the part that warns this is not for the faint of the heart. Just a few pages after, Verna delivers and here I am.

One thing that appalled me from the start was how the story was a mix of mythology and technology (hey, that rhymes). Badass people who wield fire and pulse guns and hoverpads? It boggles my mind all throughout at how Verma made these two work together at this devastatingly beautiful tale.

Now, my favorite, morally grey characters! Every character has an ambition of their own, that was made clear all throughout. The characters in play are a stark reminder that the ends do not justify the means. It took me two days to attach to these characters and Verma did a magnificent job of breaking my heart.

All in all, the book had ups that made me smile and more downs that kept me going all up until the epilogue. Let me add here that I am not so well-versed with Indian mythology, but this book inspired me to study more about Indian folklore. I am looking forward to its release on August 31, because this book will make you want to go to therapy.

[❋Rushna❋ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5
Has a lot of potential since it’s supposed to be a series but wheww that reveal at the end👀 It wasn’t that “slow” of a slowburn (felt rushed, considering this isn’t a standalone) and it reads more like a political intrigue to set up for the upcoming sequels. But I have no complaints about the world-building and I really loved Yassen and Elena. Can’t wait for the next book!

[Millie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, that was quite a ride!

First of all, this novel immediately gets bonus points in my eyes for having characters that have a slightly more grey moral code - it's a personal favourite of mine, and this has not one, but three main characters with dubious morals. It's amazing, I love it. Each characters motives are clear and they act in favour of their goals, whether they be material goals or personal growth, even if the path taken to achieve those goals is not necessarily the most morally good or ethical.

But enough of me rambling about morals, lets talk about the characters. Firstly we meet Yassen, an assassin turned royal bodyguard who wants freedom from his past. Despite all that he has done in the past, he is a very easy character to sympathise with, his decisions fit his charater, and he is just generally a very well written character. The second of the main three characters that we meet is Elena, future queen of Ravence, who is a strong-willed princess with plans to peacefully unite her nation and deal with the war with the neighbouring country Jantar. In my opinion, she changes the most throughout the book, and it was fascinating to watch how her attitudes developed. Third is Leo, king of Ravence, and Elena's father. Leo has such a good arc, and his loyalty to his country and Elena is admirable, even if his actions are questionable.

Plot was also a really strong point for this novel, it had unexpected twists, action-packed sequences, and those slower character moments that give the ups and downs more impact. Some parts were shocking, and some were able to be predicted, but only because they made sense for the characters to behave that way, so for me, the predictability is not a bad quality, but a testament to the level of care and detail that went into creating the characters,

I loved the worldbuiling, from the metal cities of Jantar to the deserts of Ravence, the worship of the Phoenix to the history of the Jantari, all of it was incredible. It's a world I hope to be able to read more because there is definitely so much more to see and learn. As well as this, I loved the way the language changed from one person's perspective to another without hindering the overall flow of the book.

This is defintely up there as one of my favourite reads this year!!

[Savannah (forest_reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2023 THE PHOENIX KING
I first read this book when it was called The Boy with Fire, self published by Aparna Verma, and I loved it! You can read my original review below. Now, two years later, I've found that my reading tastes have changed a little, and I can't quite say I loved rereading this book.

I still loved the fire-bending, the politics, and Leo's perspective and villain origin story. Every time Leo's chapters came up, I was on the edge of my seat ready to watch his character development. However, Elena and Yassen seemed a little vanilla to me this time. We don't really know Yassen's past, Elena is the typical naive princess, and they both don't do much during the first half of the book. I also wanted to see a little more romantic development to believe in their relationship by the end.

Overall, I still think it's an entertaining story and has a lot of potential to be a good series, but it didn't hold up for me over the years. Perhaps if it was changed to be YA it would do better.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4
Plot/Movement: 3
Character Development: 3
Overall: 3

Thank you, Orbit Books, for the arc! The Phoenix King will be released August 29, 2023.

Trigger/Content Warnings: fire wounds, battle violence and death, mass murder, electric shock torture, one vague open door


2021 THE BOY WITH FIRE
This book has everything I could ever want in a YA fantasy. It has an enemies-to-lovers romance between a princess and her guard that's wonderfully slow burn and well written. It has a fascinating POV from the morally-gray king that shows his path to tyranny and madness. And most of all, it has FIRE BENDING. This book basically fulfills my wish of a fire-bending book similar to Avatar: The Last Airbender. The world building, magic system, and religion in this book are so well developed and rich. I don't think I can say enough nice things about this book. I'll definitely be reading its sequel!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 5
Character Development: 5
Overall: 5

Thank you, Aparna Verma and NetGalley, for the ARC!

[caitlyn - kai &#x1f353;&#x1f90d; · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m mindblown 😳

The plot twists , the character development , the mystery and suspense. Everything about this debut novel was amazing. The scenery and world building was beautiful, and the essence of Indian mythology was seen easily. This book went beyond my expectations and I loved the mix of a plot driven and character driven novel. There was no room for confusion but the details were subtle and crafted/woven into the story expertly. I adore this book and every character - there was no character that you could hate because they were all complex and unique. Their histories linked in some way or another. Their pain and feelings so perfectly depicted.
How will I wait for the next book? 😭

[nihaarika · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no simple way to put it, but I absolutely loved 'The Boy With Fire'. Right from the start, I was completely pulled into the story. Aparna Verma's prose is enchanting and I could easily imagine scenes from the book playing out in front of me, like they were a movie. This book gets really dark at times; and that's one of the things that elevates it for me. It doesn't shy away from showing power and madness and how selfish desires can lead to your own destruction. The book is told in three point of views; Elena Ravence, her father and king Leo Ravence, and Yassen Knight. Each of these characters are completely distinct from each other and are complex in their own way. I loved them all, but I have to say my favorite was definitely Yassen.
And the ending? It broke me. I sort of saw what was coming, but still it was painful and it essentially pulled out my heart and ripped it into two.

It's such a fantastic debut and I'm so excited to learn what comes next!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!

[misbah :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to start off by saying that the author, Aparna, is so incredibly sweet and i love her so much! A huge thank you to her, Netgalley, and New Degree Press for the e-ARC of The Boy With Fire.

The Boy With Fire is inspired by South Asian mythology and centres around South Asian terms and beliefs. That is initially what attracted me to the book because I am South Asian myself, and seeing that representation in a new fantasy trilogy seemed so surreal. As the first book in the Ravence Trilogy, The Boy With Fire was a perfect introduction to this new universe containing villainous characters, humour and wit, badass female protagonists, charming misfits (i love you samson), and a plot twist that will blow your mind.

“If there was one thing Yassen could claim, it was this: that even in the darkness of death, he would know her.” WOW. How could you not fall in love with Aparna’s writing and want more after this?

Although I’m a sucker for a good enemies-to-lovers romance, as Elena and Yassen are, the romance in this book is, in fact, an undertone, but still so beautifully and elegantly written. (As proven in the quote above)

The plot and the complexity of each character is what kept me so hooked from the very first page. The villainous aspects of each kingdom or nation in the universe has you wondering what differentiates right from wrong, and has you teetering on the edge of the question that is: who and what defines good and evil? Who is the decider of all that is good and evil?

All in all, I genuinely cannot wait to read the rest of this trilogy, and dive more into this world that I have come so quickly to love.

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with a free earc in exchange of a honest review.

Rating: 4.5/5

Aparna Verma’s debut novel follows Elena Ravence as she prepares for her coronation and tries to figure out how to wield fire - an ability required of her as the heir to the kingdom; Leo, Elena’s father, who’s planning a battle against The Phoenix and is not interested in losing; and Yassen, who embarks in a journey with his oldest friend Samson and ends up being thrusted into the hearted Ravence.

There are a lot of things that I enjoyed in this book:

The worldbuilding and lore of Sayon, which Verma managed to blend aspect from India and SEA countries as well as futuristic technologies, the religion based around The Phoenix, the fire wielding, the yumis!!, how each kingdom presented to us had an affinity to something: Ravence with fire and Jantar with metal.

The characters, it’s fair to say that 50% of the book is spent on getting to know the POV characters, how Elena, Leo and Yassen think and rationalize their actions, it’s especially interesting to see how the events of the book actually have an effect on them.

The epilogue - does this count? Oh my god I was left speechless I need the sequel NOW

My only problem was the pacing, it took half of the book for the events leading up to the climax to happen, the action really takes off at 70% of the book and then it fizzles out up until the last 3 chapters and the epilogue.

Overall the boy with fire was a great quick read for fans of fantasy, new adult or those who want to be introduced to the genre.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Phoenix King is the start of a new sci-fantasy series inspired by Indian mythology. It has some cool world-building elements and political setups, including a complicated father-daughter relationship that has a big impact on the world. I did feel like it dragged through the middle and took a long time for things to happen sometimes, and I wanted more depth from the characters. That said, I think it's a pretty solid debut novel!

This follows multiple perspectives, but one of the main characters is Elena, heir to the throne and set to become queen soon as her father steps aside. But she must learn to control this holy fire before she can take his place and he refuses to teach her. Meanwhile there are other plots happening with an assassin, a foretold prophet, and hidden enemies. It's an interesting story and has some great scenes, though at times it got a bit convoluted and difficult to follow. To be fair, I was listening to this as an audiobook and it's possible I would have had more clarity with a physical copy. There are themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and how secrets can be harmful. Worth a look if you like political fantasy! I recieved an audio review copy of this book from NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[Deeksha Bhardwaj · Rating 3 out of 5]

“𝐈𝐟 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐰𝐞’𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞.”

𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛
In a kingdom where flames hold magic and the desert hides secrets, an ancient prophecy comes for an assassin, a princess, and a king. But none are ready to face destiny—and the choices they make could burn the world.

𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
I have been following Aparna Verma and her book The Phoenix King for a while now, and all the bits about the book were enough for me to be excited about, especially the desi representation😍

First off, the world-building was incredible. It was so complex yet beautifully intricate. I absolutely love the concept Fire Goddess and her power.. The action scenes were extremely exciting, especially the ones with the fire having its own will and acting upon it.

Plus, the desi representation is just🥹🤌🏼 I was just smiling constantly reading about the things in my life being a part of the book. The jalebis and makhane, the kurtas and lehengas, classical music and dance, everything gave me so much happiness!

And I love love, love the dance scene - it was fantastic! The K3G-type romantic scene where Elena’s dupatta gets stuck in Yassen’s button gave me butterflies🤭🤭

I really enjoyed the story and it was very eventful - action-packed and conspiracy-filled. From scheming and rebellion, power abuse and deceptions to self-discovery and justice, and making things right, this book is very heavy in world-building.

But, I feel that, the world-building was just too much. Because of it, the plot lost its charm and its focus on other aspects of the plot…

There just was too much information related to the fire goddess and her legacy. There were pages of conversations and inner monologue regarding it, which disrupted the flow. I had to skip a lot of pages to move on with the plot😔

Also characterisation wasn’t very profound. Except for a few characters, others just fell flat including the protagonists. It made me so disconnected from them that at the point of tragic moments, I didn’t care about any of the characters.

But, the book ends at an anticipatory moment setting up the base for an exciting next book. And I’ll pick up the second one because I hope things will be more thrilling in the next👀

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
Overall, this is an amazing fantasy book with incredible world-building that's complex yet intricate. Action-packed and conspiracy-filled, this has a desi representation that gave my desi heart, incredible joy. But, the world-building overpowered the rest of the plot..

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲, 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐔𝐊 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫, 𝐀𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐚 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞-𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰.

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[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Boy with Fire was a fantastic beginning to The Ravence Trilogy. Told in three different perspectives, this book captures motive and ramifications so well. Aparna Verma knows how to create a captivating world and shape fierce, intriguing characters. This journey was so good from start to finish, and I am absolutely looking forward to all of Verma’s future work and the rest of the story!

NO SPOILERS Review:
Positives:
- The world building was amazing. The blend of fantasy with sci-fi elements was perfect for this book. I could picture the desert, fire, and atmosphere so well.
- All 3 characters (Elena, Yassen, and Leo) were interesting and engaging. I enjoyed when they would interact, but I also think the author wrote their moments in solitude very well. I loved having villains as protagonists, people who made terrible decisions and had to face their consequences.
- When the plot was good, it was good! The plot twist left me in shock, screaming at what was just revealed. Sometimes I couldn't put the book down because I just needed to know what would happen next.

Negatives:
- There's a thing authors do that I call ‘the remote’. You know when you're watching a movie and you need to fast forward? As you skip through, you get the basic gist that happens, seeing the scene but not really feeling present in it. When you get to the part you want, the clip plays like normal and you're engaged once more. In books, a scene will occur rapidly or in a short amount of page time. To me it feels like getting the outline of a scene that could have had an indescribable “more”, and I got that feeling a lot during this book.
- The characters spent a lot of time trapped in their own thoughts. Yes it's great to learn about their past and the ideas behind the choices they make, but I am someone who craves banter and uninterrupted dialogue.

Overall, this was such a great read! I truly can not wait for book two!
I would love to give a special shout out to the author, Aparna Verma. Thank you so much for chatting with me and laughing with me as I read the book. You have crafted something wonderful.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishing company for this arc!