Playing with Fire

by Rachael Waechter

“My past remained a mystery and the last thing I wanted was for them to get tangled up in my mess. But still, I couldn’t quite get the echo of his words out of my head. You don’t know how powerful you are.”

Bianca Williams has no idea how she ended up in Victory City. In fact, the events of the last two years are completely missing from her memory. She doesn’t recognize the strangers who have taken her into their home, nor does she know why they all have special skills unlike anything she’s ever seen. As she seeks to establish a place for herself in this new life, Bianca faces an immensely powerful supervillain, an unexpected romance, and perhaps the scariest of the secrets of her forgotten past. A story of resilience and redemption, Playing with Fire is a fast-paced saga full of twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat…

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 2, 2024

Reviews

[Hannah Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great choice for anyone looking for an engaging, and at times emotional adventure. Waechter’s characters feel honest, human, and very relatable (especially to young audiences), which is often missing in YA fantasy. I hope to see some of the side characters get more fleshed out as the series continues as there’s a lot of potential for some really interesting character development.
The main character experiences genuine emotional struggle, making it easy for readers to sympathize and root for her success. This is a story where the characters are likable, but not unrealistically perfect.
Excited to see how this story and its characters will grow and change in following books.

[Elena Henreckson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick, engaging read set in a world just like ours, except there are super heroes! There's action, unexpected plot twists, and nice, clean romance. I thought the romance was the best written part of the novel. I feel like some of the plot points could have been tighter, some character decisions didn't make sense, and the dialog that was used to move the plot forward was a bit clunky. It also could have benefitted from another close edit (I found some grammar mistakes). However, it was a fun read and set up well for the sequel. I think it would especially appeal to the target YA audience!

[Skip Kastroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb story! Just the right blend of reality, magic, fantasy, humanity, love, and enough mystery to keep you turning the page on the edge of your seat!!

[Tanja · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

I liked the general idea of this book, but I was really struggling with the main character. A lot of her actions, thoughts, and emotions just didn't seem very believable to me.

If you woke up with the last two years of your memories missing, wouldn't your first reaction be to do everything you can to figure out what happened? Contact your family, do some research on the internet, whatever. To just stay in a strange city, in a house with people that took you in but that you don't know, never once asking, hey, can I use your phone to call my parents, or your laptop to log into my emails?

The author says about herself that "in her opinion, there is nothing more exciting than a book full of twists and turns, so that’s what she’s created with her first novel."
To go within less than 30 seconds from "I've only lived with these people for a month and still don't really know them; I can't trust them because they could want to kill me" to "I love these people so much, they have been my family for the past month" doesn't feel like a plot twist to me; it feels like a character that's not well developed and inconsistent. I'm sorry, maybe it's just me, but I really can't relate to this.

Overall I think that the author does have talent, and with more time and experience these issues I had with her writing will probably get less and less, but she could have used an editor who was more honest with her, and therefore more helpful, when it comes to believable and relatable emotions and actions of her characters.

[John Hood · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if superheroes really existed in our world? How likely is it that they would use their special powers for good rather than for personal gain or to pursue some dangerous utopian dream? And how likely is it that the rest of us would react to superheroes with anything other than fear?

These are hardly unfamiliar questions. From the X-Men and Spider-Man comics of the 1960s to blockbuster films and TV series of today, artists have frequently sought to answer these and related questions. At its worst, superhero fiction is juvenile wish-fulfillment. At its best, the genre employs speculative and entertaining means for a serious end. At its best, superhuman tales explore the human condition.

Rachael Waechter’s Playing With Fire is an appealing example of the latter. What sets her debut novel apart from the standard fare is a playful approach to the material — the title has multiple meanings — along with sober insights about the temptations of power and humanity’s great capacity to rationalize our worst impulses.

The central character is Bianca Williams, who wakes up in the fictional Victory City with no memory of her immediate past. Much of the fast-moving plot relates her attempts to find new friends, rediscover old ones, and navigate the resulting conflicts. There are uncertain heroes and dastardly villains. There are battles, and revelations, and tender kisses. There are also fleeing glimpses of a superpowered world beyond Victory City, a broader canvass upon which Waechter can paint in future volumes.

In this one, she gives the reader plenty of characters to root for. I particularly enjoyed Theo. He enters the tale as a young man disdainful of his own special ability — he can make his body float on wind currents, which doesn’t really constitute “flying” in the mode of Superman or Green Lantern. With Bianca’s aid, however, Theo turns into a very different kind of hero.

For another key character, Sebastian, Bianca isn’t so much the catalyst for a surprising revelation as the audience for it. Here again, Waechter exhibits a lively and lighthearted take on a genre so often laden with heavy burdens of allegory and mythos that readers are forced to trudge their way to obvious and unsatisfactory conclusions.

That’s not what it feels like to read Playing With Fire. I much enjoyed scampering over hill and vale with Waechter and her characters, and look forward to our next excursion together.

[♡︎.ᐟજ⁀➴ Erie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Playing with Fire
by Rachael Waechter
⭐️ 4 stars
Thank you to Defiance Press for the eCopy!

🔥 “Sometimes the scariest thing you can face… is yourself.” 🔥

Playing with Fire surprised me in all the best ways — fast-paced, cinematic, and brimming with heart beneath all the chaos. Rachael Waechter crafts a superhero-meets-sci-fi mystery that’s equal parts action, redemption arc, and emotional rollercoaster.

Bianca wakes up in Victory City with no memories of the past two years and finds herself surrounded by people with extraordinary powers. She’s lost, haunted, and more dangerous than she realizes — and I love a protagonist who’s trying to piece together her identity while the world tilts around her. There’s power, there’s vulnerability, and there’s the quiet ache of someone realizing they might be the very thing they’ve been running from.

What I Loved
• ⚡ The mystery and pacing — every chapter ends with a twist that begs for one more page
• 💔 Bianca’s blend of resilience and fragility — she’s strong because she has to be, not because the plot demands it
• 🦸‍♀️ The found-family vibe of the Victory City crew — flawed, loyal, and all a little broken
• 🔥 The slow-burn romantic thread woven through danger and secrets
• 🧩 The theme of rediscovering identity after trauma — beautifully done

What Didn’t Work As Well
• ⏱️ A few transitions felt a bit rushed — I wanted more time to breathe with the emotional beats
• 💭 Some side characters faded too quickly, even though they were fascinating (fingers crossed they shine more in book two!)

TROPES / THEMES
• 🧠 Amnesia & memory loss
• 💥 Hidden powers
• ❤️‍🔥 Found family
• 💣 Slow-burn romance amid chaos
• 🦹‍♀️ Hero vs. villain blur
• 🔮 Redemption & self-acceptance

Final Thoughts
Playing with Fire blends sci-fi flair with deeply human emotion. It’s a story about what happens when the past catches up with you — and how, sometimes, losing everything is what it takes to finally find yourself. Rachael Waechter gives us action, intrigue, and heart in equal measure. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the next installment. 💫🔥

[Kelly Brewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shoot, I'm not even sure where to start with this one. Playing With Fire by that Rachael Waechter lady had me all kinds of mixed up and hooked at the same time. This gal Bianca wakes up in a place called Victory City and doesn't even know how she got there or what she has been doing for two dang years. Now I don’t know about y’all, but if I lost two whole years, I would be asking some serious questions real fast.

She meets some folks who say they got these weird powers, and she’s just trying to figure out where she fits in while everything’s going crazy around her. There’s some supervillain fella running wild and some love stuff sneaking up on her too. And lemme tell you, it gets messy in a good way like one of them TV shows you tell yourself one more episode then it’s three in the morning and you still are sitting there lookin like a fool.

The story keeps twisting and turning, and every time I thought I knew what was happening, Rachael went not today and flipped the whole thing on me. Bianca’s tough but got a lost kind of hurt inside that makes you root for her cause you just want her to figure out who she is and what the heck happened to her before she loses her mind or blows something up again.

This one’s got heart, action, and them moments that make you stop and go dang maybe I do got a little fire left in me too. I liked it a lot. Kept me reading even when my eyes was fighting to stay open.

I give it 4 outta 5 Catfish!

[Mackenzie’s TBR Shelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Rachael, the lovely author, for sending me a copy of Playing with Fire!

I originally went into this expecting a contemporary fantasy read (think a YA Crescent City) so it took me a minute to get into the sci-fi/super hero vibe with this one. That being said, it was very fast-paced and there was plenty of action so it was an easy read!

I’m not one for sci-fi books normally, so this was outside my normal zone of reading. It was well-written and the characters had interesting backstories so for all y’all super hero fans out there though, this is a fun one and I think you’ll enjoy it! (There are plenty of Avengers references to go around too). I also enjoyed the dynamic between the characters, though some of the dialogue felt a bit disjointed and at times I did feel it was a bit rushed.

Overall, I gave this one a 3.5-star rating. It was a good book, and there’s definitely an audience for it, I just wasn’t that audience. I am glad I gave it a shot though and I do think the sequel has some excellent opportunities! By the end, I was invested in the story, so I am looking forward to seeing what comes next with the sequel!

[Erin Masura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This young adult book starts off strong with an incident that Bianca wiped of her memories of the last two years. The author uses very descriptive writing that has you seeing Victory city in your mind. Playing with fire is perfect young adults that are starting their fantasy reading journey.
The relationship between Sebastian and Bianca is one of honesty and mutual understanding. When they finally admitted feelings for each other I was excited for them. The story has betrayal,memory loss, super powers, and found friendship.
I do love the banter between the characters and how despite their arguments they are truly a team.

[Kendra Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I received this book in a giveaway**

I went into this book without much for expectations. The plot sounded interesting, thus my entry into the giveaway.

I LOVED this story. It very much reminded me of the "I Am Number Four" series. Lots of adventure, hard to put down, cool powers, and characters I enjoyed.

I cannot wait to read a sequel (I really hope one is in the making) for this book eventually!

[Leafy Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book, looking forward to the next one!

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. It was reminiscent of X Men, a bit too much so at times. The characters were well written and I’d be interested to read the next book. A bit simplistic, but I’m older than the target audience so that’s probably okay.

I received this book as a goodreads giveaway.