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Dance of the Elements #1
Ignited
A NOBLE DAUGHTER.
A FORMER SLAVE.
SCORCHED EARTH AND DANGEROUS GAMES.
“Jura imagined it sounded like rain.”
Juggling death is nothing new for seventeen-year-old Jura, daughter of the First of the Thirteen, successive rulers of the Republic of the Sand Sea. However, when a blood chain ensnares her father, she is thrust into the seat of power and forced to rule her elders.
“To Tylak, water had never tasted sweeter.”
Jura must track down her father’s assassin and balance a country on the verge of collapse. To find the Prince of Shadows and uncover the truth, Jura puts her trust in Tylak, a former slave accused of stealing from the Everflame—a man she once condemned to death.
In a world where water is currency and enemies lurk around every corner, Jura will use her wits or risk igniting a world war.
A FORMER SLAVE.
SCORCHED EARTH AND DANGEROUS GAMES.
“Jura imagined it sounded like rain.”
Juggling death is nothing new for seventeen-year-old Jura, daughter of the First of the Thirteen, successive rulers of the Republic of the Sand Sea. However, when a blood chain ensnares her father, she is thrust into the seat of power and forced to rule her elders.
“To Tylak, water had never tasted sweeter.”
Jura must track down her father’s assassin and balance a country on the verge of collapse. To find the Prince of Shadows and uncover the truth, Jura puts her trust in Tylak, a former slave accused of stealing from the Everflame—a man she once condemned to death.
In a world where water is currency and enemies lurk around every corner, Jura will use her wits or risk igniting a world war.
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2017
About the author
A.M. Deese
9 books332 followersAlexis Marrero Deese is an avid lover of all things fantasy. Favorite authors include Brandon Sanderson, Sabaa Tahir and Jaqueline Carey. Although a native of Tampa Florida, Alexis currently makes her home in North Georgia where she lives with her husband and three dogs.
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November 23, 2017
Actual rating: 4.2⭐️
Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When Jura’s father tries to kill her, she sees that he’s manipulated by a blood chain.
After she captures him in a cellar, she tries to find the one responsible and gets trapped in murder, intrigues and betrayal.
I loved the story and I couldn’t stop reading it. Can’t wait for the next book. 🙏🏻😊
Characters ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Kay was by far my favorite character because even though she’s small and only a child she proves to be smart and strong in her own special way.
Jura, the main character, is a teenager trying to be mature and secure the council position of her family. She’s clumsy and naive, but in her own way strong and kindhearted ♥️.
I really liked all of the characters mentioned in this book, because they all had interesting personalities.
World ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In the republic rules the council with thirteen members. Seven of the ruling kingdoms and six of the ruling merchants.
🧔🏻🧔🏼👨🏻👨🏽👱🏻♂️👩🏻👩🏼👩🏽🧑🏻👱🏼♀️👩🏾👱🏼♀️🧑🏼
There is also an arena full of fire bending dancers/fighters and dragons.
🔥🔥🐉🐲🐉🔥🔥
Next to that there is a special community called the shadow dancers, that can bend the fire and disappear into nothing. 🧛🏻♂️🧛🏼♀️
The whole magic system is so intriguing, I loved it from the start. 👏🏻👍🏻
Relationships ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
So, maybe it’s to early to say so, but I can feel a love triangle coming our way. 👱🏻♂️👩🏻🧔🏻
Jura is in love with someone, but after something happens to him and Tylak helps her with her problems, you can definitely feel the tension between them.
They support each other, which I really love, and still they’re annoying each other a lot.
It’s so funny when they fight.
Really cute. 😍
Writing style ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It was a nice, fluent writing which I really liked.
In the beginning I had some problems with the different POVs, but I got used to it.
March 3, 2018
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review.
A new YA Fantasy series for the reading community to discover. I am shameless in the fact that I chose to read this because of the stunning cover.
What's it about?:
A republic government led by the Thirteen, our main protagonist, Jura is daughter of the First and when our story opens, Jura has locked her father in the basement and taken his seat at the Council. But it isn't because she is evil, her father has a blood curse put on him and Jura is hoping she can figure it out before the rest of the Council finds out. Of course, things are going to get worse before they get better and a whole cast of different characters each have their own chapter in order to set up all that is going to happen...in the next book.
What I thought:
Writing, dialogue, all the extras at the back of the book- promising and well thought out. BUT When's the action going to start? What happened to the dude she liked? Oh she likes the criminal! Yay(sarcasm everywhere) I , for one needed another love triangle. Is it bad that as soon as a certain character was introduced I pretty much figured out they were a villian?
Verdict: I am so skeptical about the future and would I read on to the next installment? Honestly, I am not sure. But at 2 stars, I may just be the outlier.
A new YA Fantasy series for the reading community to discover. I am shameless in the fact that I chose to read this because of the stunning cover.
What's it about?:
A republic government led by the Thirteen, our main protagonist, Jura is daughter of the First and when our story opens, Jura has locked her father in the basement and taken his seat at the Council. But it isn't because she is evil, her father has a blood curse put on him and Jura is hoping she can figure it out before the rest of the Council finds out. Of course, things are going to get worse before they get better and a whole cast of different characters each have their own chapter in order to set up all that is going to happen...in the next book.
What I thought:
Writing, dialogue, all the extras at the back of the book- promising and well thought out. BUT When's the action going to start? What happened to the dude she liked? Oh she likes the criminal! Yay(sarcasm everywhere) I , for one needed another love triangle. Is it bad that as soon as a certain character was introduced I pretty much figured out they were a villian?
Verdict: I am so skeptical about the future and would I read on to the next installment? Honestly, I am not sure. But at 2 stars, I may just be the outlier.
December 18, 2017
Want more bookish posts from me, visit: Lili's Blissful Pages
*I reviewed an ARC of this book last and seeing its publication is approaching, I'm updating it. :)
When Jura's father tried to kill her, she thought he was under some ancient dark magic. As the daughter of the FIRST, ruler of The Republic of the Sand Sea, she was forced to rule in her father's stead.
Still naive in her new responsibility, she condemned a man named Tylak, who was accused of stealing fire, to death, only to seek his help later. Along with Tylak, Jura must find the Prince of the Shadow, to uncover the truth behind her father's fate. But the truth she was seeking turned out to be more dangerous.
The Republic is on the verge of collapsing, and dangerous unknown entities lurk around every corner. Jura must be careful who to trust and what to do. Because she might or might not ignite the war she is trying to stop.
This story is filled with intrigues, betrayal and secrets. It also centers on politics, which even though not really my favorite plot point on other books, this one ade it so interesting and yeah, intriguing. Imagine a politician (for that was Jura is, a politician) in a world where the water is the currency. Where there are people who can bend fire and do other things. Let's throw a bit of romance(it's only first book), friendship and family issues. And yeah DRAGONS and some other creatures we still don't know the names. It's an interesting and definitely engaging plot.
For a first book in a series, this one did a good job. Ignited makes you wanna read the next book right away, only to be disappointed that you maybe still have to wait for another year. Needless to say, the writing was okay. I don't know if this is a debut novel but if it is, it was a good one.
Though there are parts that a little cliche, overall, it wasn't predictable. The fictional world must have something to do with that. As for the Romance, I liked it. It was smooth. There were cliched conversations (more like banters) but they still make me smile and giggle.
And oh, at first the story was a little confusing, maybe because of multi POV narration. I even thought at first why on earth their POVs are needed. But it seemed like there are still so many things to be revealed to us that's why their stories are needed. And sometimes, the narration would become slow and then pick ups and everything's alright.
JURA: Naive at first. Understandable. She turned out to be smarter than I expected, thank Heavens. I say she's an interesting character and I'll sure looked out for her in the next book, especially because of that little exhibition she did in the last 20% of the story. It was something to look forward.
TYLAK: I like him more. Oh I like him. He's sweet but also a little cocky. Bound to find his brother, he's willing to do everything even help a rich bratty who is Jura.
KAY: This little kid is veeeery promising. I'm so sure she'll be badass. She already is.
The other characters are all promising. And I liked most of them.
This is a good instalment in a promising series. Not grandiose but engaging enough. I wouldn't say exactly that it's filled with action, but it's not also boring. It's not slow. It's just AVERAGE. I like this book and enjoyed it and will recommend it to anyone.
Happy Reading Guys,
*I reviewed an ARC of this book last and seeing its publication is approaching, I'm updating it. :)
When Jura's father tried to kill her, she thought he was under some ancient dark magic. As the daughter of the FIRST, ruler of The Republic of the Sand Sea, she was forced to rule in her father's stead.
Still naive in her new responsibility, she condemned a man named Tylak, who was accused of stealing fire, to death, only to seek his help later. Along with Tylak, Jura must find the Prince of the Shadow, to uncover the truth behind her father's fate. But the truth she was seeking turned out to be more dangerous.
The Republic is on the verge of collapsing, and dangerous unknown entities lurk around every corner. Jura must be careful who to trust and what to do. Because she might or might not ignite the war she is trying to stop.
This story is filled with intrigues, betrayal and secrets. It also centers on politics, which even though not really my favorite plot point on other books, this one ade it so interesting and yeah, intriguing. Imagine a politician (for that was Jura is, a politician) in a world where the water is the currency. Where there are people who can bend fire and do other things. Let's throw a bit of romance(it's only first book), friendship and family issues. And yeah DRAGONS and some other creatures we still don't know the names. It's an interesting and definitely engaging plot.
For a first book in a series, this one did a good job. Ignited makes you wanna read the next book right away, only to be disappointed that you maybe still have to wait for another year. Needless to say, the writing was okay. I don't know if this is a debut novel but if it is, it was a good one.
Though there are parts that a little cliche, overall, it wasn't predictable. The fictional world must have something to do with that. As for the Romance, I liked it. It was smooth. There were cliched conversations (more like banters) but they still make me smile and giggle.
And oh, at first the story was a little confusing, maybe because of multi POV narration. I even thought at first why on earth their POVs are needed. But it seemed like there are still so many things to be revealed to us that's why their stories are needed. And sometimes, the narration would become slow and then pick ups and everything's alright.
JURA: Naive at first. Understandable. She turned out to be smarter than I expected, thank Heavens. I say she's an interesting character and I'll sure looked out for her in the next book, especially because of that little exhibition she did in the last 20% of the story. It was something to look forward.
TYLAK: I like him more. Oh I like him. He's sweet but also a little cocky. Bound to find his brother, he's willing to do everything even help a rich bratty who is Jura.
KAY: This little kid is veeeery promising. I'm so sure she'll be badass. She already is.
The other characters are all promising. And I liked most of them.
This is a good instalment in a promising series. Not grandiose but engaging enough. I wouldn't say exactly that it's filled with action, but it's not also boring. It's not slow. It's just AVERAGE. I like this book and enjoyed it and will recommend it to anyone.
Happy Reading Guys,
June 22, 2018
This is a solid read. While I only gave it 3 stars (maybe 3.5) the reasons are not to do with plot, characters or world building. Instead it's the ending. Once you get to the end of the book you feel like you only read a prelude; not a full book. It's not that the page count is particularly short (however for fantasy it is) but more that the major plot points are not resolved AT ALL by the end. This really bothered me. Yes it will get me to read the second book but it annoys me as a reader and certainly is a huge part of why this is not a four star book.
Characters, Plot & World Building
A. M. Deese gives us characters that are all quite interesting. There is perhaps a bit of cliche and YA trope in many of them but overall I liked our lead gal. I felt compassion for her at times, and was overall cheering for her which is not always the case for me with female heroine YA books.
The sort-of romantic interest is an interesting set-up. In general the use of flirtations and feminine wile's (if you will) is exactly what one would expect the women to use in male-power society and Deese does a good job of keeping these in line with what a teenage girl (our lead gal) might know or do.
One of the major highlights for are chapters from Kay's POV. She is a younger child and her narrative is written perfectly. It feels just like the young girl is speaking to me the reader and telling me her reasons and side of the story. I adored this and couldn't help but feel like there was some true magic to Deese's ability to capture a child's thoughts and voice so well. Certainly all the characters felt like their own people but Kay's chapters really stood out to me.
The actual plot and world building of this fantasy novel are very intricate and well done. I love that water is the currency. It's going to be our future Earth currency one day (as prophesied by many sci-fi writers and scientists) and so it felt like the perfect type of trade currency. The intricate council politics and in-fighting of families is wonderfully done and feels like solid, political high fantasy to me.
Why is this YA?
This was an unusual read for me in that I wanted it to be adult fantasy and not YA. Not because I don't like YA; but because the plot, politics, hierarchy, fighting and other elements all felt like they would be amazing if written at a 'higher' level. That's not to say that YA books can't have these things (and should have them of course) but it just seemed like Deese had dumbed down some elements (like possible romances and narrative of our lead gal) in order to make it a YA book. When instead it could have easily been written at the adult level with the characters voices still representing their age. I'd be curious to know if Deese intended this to be a YA book initially or not. It seems to me that her writing style would be best served if it was elevated to a Sanderson, Martin, Goodkind level of fantasy storytelling. That said it is good reading for older teens or adults (like me!) that love YA.
A Bit Choppy
There were points in which the chapter swaps (including POV change) were a bit stilted. Now this may be because it appears my Kobo ARC was missing some pages that my Kindle app ARC was not... so forgive me in advance if this is not true in the final publication. There were times where I wanted more of a transition to remind me of who the next POV voice was. Especially near the beginning when a name wasn't necessarily enough to remind me of which character was which (there are a fair number of POVs in the book).
Overall
The biggest reason for my three stars is the sudden ending that really frustrated me.. I just wanted so much more! Now that may not seem like a bad thing; but this is such a cliffhanger with no major plot resolution and so it's not at all satisfying. It's not the kind of 'ahhh I learned things but now I want more' cliffhanger; and instead feels like it just ends in the middle of the climax. Maybe it's more that the ending is a bit rushed? I'm not sure but something about the end and it's drop off really took the enjoyment out of the whole book for me.
I am definitely going to watch for this series to continue and hope to read more from Deese. I think there is a great future in store for Deese and hope she continues to improve into the type of fantasy writing she seems to be headed towards.
For this and more of my reviews please visit my blog at: Epic Reading
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
Characters, Plot & World Building
A. M. Deese gives us characters that are all quite interesting. There is perhaps a bit of cliche and YA trope in many of them but overall I liked our lead gal. I felt compassion for her at times, and was overall cheering for her which is not always the case for me with female heroine YA books.
The sort-of romantic interest is an interesting set-up. In general the use of flirtations and feminine wile's (if you will) is exactly what one would expect the women to use in male-power society and Deese does a good job of keeping these in line with what a teenage girl (our lead gal) might know or do.
One of the major highlights for are chapters from Kay's POV. She is a younger child and her narrative is written perfectly. It feels just like the young girl is speaking to me the reader and telling me her reasons and side of the story. I adored this and couldn't help but feel like there was some true magic to Deese's ability to capture a child's thoughts and voice so well. Certainly all the characters felt like their own people but Kay's chapters really stood out to me.
The actual plot and world building of this fantasy novel are very intricate and well done. I love that water is the currency. It's going to be our future Earth currency one day (as prophesied by many sci-fi writers and scientists) and so it felt like the perfect type of trade currency. The intricate council politics and in-fighting of families is wonderfully done and feels like solid, political high fantasy to me.
Why is this YA?
This was an unusual read for me in that I wanted it to be adult fantasy and not YA. Not because I don't like YA; but because the plot, politics, hierarchy, fighting and other elements all felt like they would be amazing if written at a 'higher' level. That's not to say that YA books can't have these things (and should have them of course) but it just seemed like Deese had dumbed down some elements (like possible romances and narrative of our lead gal) in order to make it a YA book. When instead it could have easily been written at the adult level with the characters voices still representing their age. I'd be curious to know if Deese intended this to be a YA book initially or not. It seems to me that her writing style would be best served if it was elevated to a Sanderson, Martin, Goodkind level of fantasy storytelling. That said it is good reading for older teens or adults (like me!) that love YA.
A Bit Choppy
There were points in which the chapter swaps (including POV change) were a bit stilted. Now this may be because it appears my Kobo ARC was missing some pages that my Kindle app ARC was not... so forgive me in advance if this is not true in the final publication. There were times where I wanted more of a transition to remind me of who the next POV voice was. Especially near the beginning when a name wasn't necessarily enough to remind me of which character was which (there are a fair number of POVs in the book).
Overall
The biggest reason for my three stars is the sudden ending that really frustrated me.. I just wanted so much more! Now that may not seem like a bad thing; but this is such a cliffhanger with no major plot resolution and so it's not at all satisfying. It's not the kind of 'ahhh I learned things but now I want more' cliffhanger; and instead feels like it just ends in the middle of the climax. Maybe it's more that the ending is a bit rushed? I'm not sure but something about the end and it's drop off really took the enjoyment out of the whole book for me.
I am definitely going to watch for this series to continue and hope to read more from Deese. I think there is a great future in store for Deese and hope she continues to improve into the type of fantasy writing she seems to be headed towards.
For this and more of my reviews please visit my blog at: Epic Reading
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
November 25, 2017
I was given an ARC of this book by YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
Okay, I'm gonna be honest - this was pretty slow at first. I didn't really understand the story at the beginning. The multiple POVs made it even more confusing. I think I started understanding things 10% through the book? Then I started to really enjoy it.
Although the multiple POVS made me super puzzled, it definitely made the story more interesting to read. I really loved getting into the heads of so many characters and knowing their thoughts!
My favorite character is definitely Kay. She's such a special little girl + so adorable! Plus, she's friends with the dragon her dad owns. How cool is that? Spoiler: *whispers* verrrrryyyy. I LOATHED AMIRA. SHE'S SUCH A SPOILED RICH KID + I KNEW SHE'S EVIL! (It was kinda predictable (´・ω・`)) Also, I felt very sorry for Jura. She goes through a lot in the story and if I was her I wouldn't have been able to manage all that on my own! She's so tough and I admire her so much! Also she's a book lover :D
The world building is so awesome. I won't explain too much but basically it's called the Republic, ruled by something called the Thirteenth. They all have super high status + lots of water (their currency). Also there are lots and lots and lots and lots of dragons, which makes it awesomer (that isn't an actual word but hehe I like it).
3.5 stars
Okay, I'm gonna be honest - this was pretty slow at first. I didn't really understand the story at the beginning. The multiple POVs made it even more confusing. I think I started understanding things 10% through the book? Then I started to really enjoy it.
Although the multiple POVS made me super puzzled, it definitely made the story more interesting to read. I really loved getting into the heads of so many characters and knowing their thoughts!
My favorite character is definitely Kay. She's such a special little girl + so adorable! Plus, she's friends with the dragon her dad owns. How cool is that? Spoiler: *whispers* verrrrryyyy. I LOATHED AMIRA. SHE'S SUCH A SPOILED RICH KID + I KNEW SHE'S EVIL! (It was kinda predictable (´・ω・`)) Also, I felt very sorry for Jura. She goes through a lot in the story and if I was her I wouldn't have been able to manage all that on my own! She's so tough and I admire her so much! Also she's a book lover :D
The smell of books had always relaxed her. She sat heavily on her bed, longing for the days when she had hidden away from politics and lived through her books. Books were safe; books were simple. When she was caught up in a good book she could live any life she wanted.
The world building is so awesome. I won't explain too much but basically it's called the Republic, ruled by something called the Thirteenth. They all have super high status + lots of water (their currency). Also there are lots and lots and lots and lots of dragons, which makes it awesomer (that isn't an actual word but hehe I like it).
May 8, 2019
****4.25 Stars****
This was an enjoyable read and did have me guessing almost the whole time on who was behind the deaths and destruction of the Republic.
It was a bit slow in the beginning but it definitely picked up about halfway in.
Can't wait to continue reading this series!
This was an enjoyable read and did have me guessing almost the whole time on who was behind the deaths and destruction of the Republic.
It was a bit slow in the beginning but it definitely picked up about halfway in.
Can't wait to continue reading this series!
February 28, 2018
Same Review Also Posted On My Blog:Dreamy Addictions
*I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review *
This book is an exceptionally enjoyable read that left me wanting for more! I requested this book on netgalley because I liked its premise and the *cough* pretty cover *cough* but I really wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. It has an interesting story line and unique fantasy elements. It actually started as a three star read for me but eventually it became a four star read. The characters were pretty interesting and I loved the main protagonists Jura and Tylak. It has an intriguing fantasy world that seems to have a persian vibe. I loved the magical system and OMG, it also has fire breathing dragons which came as a total surprise to me. I love dragons and this book has lots of it. Although I love this book, It doesn’t mean that it was a perfect read without flaws. There were some cliched and predictable parts which can be overlooked if you enjoy the story. Anyway, it was really a solid start to a new series and I want more of it.
Seventeen Year old Jura is the daughter of the first of thirteen, successive rulers of the Republic of the Sand Sea. When her father was blood chained by an unknown enemy who can now control him like a puppet, She was forced to attend the council meetings. Jura has never been to the council meetings, but in order to save their place as the first she needs to stand in his place as the ruler without revealing her father’s condition. On the first day, she was forced to give a death sentence to a man named Tylak, a former slave who was accused for stealing everflame but later he becomes her reluctant ally. To free her father from the ancient blood chain she needs to track down the prince of shadows and Tylak is the only one who can lead her to him. To survive the council and the new threat, Jura needs to be coy and smart because no one can be trusted. With enemies lurking everywhere, Jura searches to find the answers which eventually leads her to dangerous secrets and she realizes that they’ve been facing a bigger threat that can ignite a world war.
I liked all the characters in this book but my favorite was the little girl Kay. I actually expected this book to be about Jura and Tylak but we have three more interesting characters Ash, Kay and Beshar. Jura is a strong protagonist but she’s not perfect. She’s fearless and smart but she seemed a bit naive when it comes to trusting people. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed her character. I liked how she handled every difficult situation, despite her naivety. I absolutely loved Tylak! His cocky, sweet, and smart personality totally appealed to me and I can’t wait to know more about him. The relationship between Jura and Tylak was definitely a slow burn. They haven’t realized their feelings yet but I’m so looking forward to know how their relationship develops further. Coming to the other characters, I also loved Kay. She’s seven year old fire dancer and I quite enjoyed her chapters. She’s adorable, sweet, and oh so powerful. I can’t wait to see her kicking ass. Ash and Beshar were interesting characters too and I’d love to know how they play their roles in the next book.
The plot was very intriguing and engaging throughout. This book actually has two subplots which is somehow connected to the main story It took some time for me to get into the story because of the shifting pov’s, but as the story progressed everything became clear to me and I started to enjoy the story and the characters. The story began with a slow start to get oriented with the world and everything but eventually the pace picks up speed. I liked the mystery and political intrigue in the plot. The Villain in this book is kinda predictable but the twists totally surprised me. The writing is pretty good and I liked the multiple POV’s(third person). This book has five multiple POV’s and I really enjoyed reading the story from different perspectives. At the beginning, I was a bit annoyed with so many POV’s but as I get to know them better, I started to like them because everyone has a major role in this book. The author created an interesting world filled with magic and political intrigue. The Republic of the sand sea is a desert world where water is the highest commodity. This world seemed like a mix of Persian and Indian setting. The magical system was pretty awesome in this book. I really liked the aspect of shadow dancers, fire dancers and also not to forget about the dragons. I would love to explore more of this world, magic, and the other creatures living in it.
Overall, I loved this book! It’s an entertaining fantasy read filled with magic, political intrigue, suspense, mystery, and a dash of romance. This book doesn’t have any huge cliffhanger at the end but it does conclude with a surprising twist that’ll make you desperate for the next book. So yeah, I’ll definitely look forward to the next book.
*I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review *
This book is an exceptionally enjoyable read that left me wanting for more! I requested this book on netgalley because I liked its premise and the *cough* pretty cover *cough* but I really wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. It has an interesting story line and unique fantasy elements. It actually started as a three star read for me but eventually it became a four star read. The characters were pretty interesting and I loved the main protagonists Jura and Tylak. It has an intriguing fantasy world that seems to have a persian vibe. I loved the magical system and OMG, it also has fire breathing dragons which came as a total surprise to me. I love dragons and this book has lots of it. Although I love this book, It doesn’t mean that it was a perfect read without flaws. There were some cliched and predictable parts which can be overlooked if you enjoy the story. Anyway, it was really a solid start to a new series and I want more of it.
Seventeen Year old Jura is the daughter of the first of thirteen, successive rulers of the Republic of the Sand Sea. When her father was blood chained by an unknown enemy who can now control him like a puppet, She was forced to attend the council meetings. Jura has never been to the council meetings, but in order to save their place as the first she needs to stand in his place as the ruler without revealing her father’s condition. On the first day, she was forced to give a death sentence to a man named Tylak, a former slave who was accused for stealing everflame but later he becomes her reluctant ally. To free her father from the ancient blood chain she needs to track down the prince of shadows and Tylak is the only one who can lead her to him. To survive the council and the new threat, Jura needs to be coy and smart because no one can be trusted. With enemies lurking everywhere, Jura searches to find the answers which eventually leads her to dangerous secrets and she realizes that they’ve been facing a bigger threat that can ignite a world war.
I liked all the characters in this book but my favorite was the little girl Kay. I actually expected this book to be about Jura and Tylak but we have three more interesting characters Ash, Kay and Beshar. Jura is a strong protagonist but she’s not perfect. She’s fearless and smart but she seemed a bit naive when it comes to trusting people. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed her character. I liked how she handled every difficult situation, despite her naivety. I absolutely loved Tylak! His cocky, sweet, and smart personality totally appealed to me and I can’t wait to know more about him. The relationship between Jura and Tylak was definitely a slow burn. They haven’t realized their feelings yet but I’m so looking forward to know how their relationship develops further. Coming to the other characters, I also loved Kay. She’s seven year old fire dancer and I quite enjoyed her chapters. She’s adorable, sweet, and oh so powerful. I can’t wait to see her kicking ass. Ash and Beshar were interesting characters too and I’d love to know how they play their roles in the next book.
The plot was very intriguing and engaging throughout. This book actually has two subplots which is somehow connected to the main story It took some time for me to get into the story because of the shifting pov’s, but as the story progressed everything became clear to me and I started to enjoy the story and the characters. The story began with a slow start to get oriented with the world and everything but eventually the pace picks up speed. I liked the mystery and political intrigue in the plot. The Villain in this book is kinda predictable but the twists totally surprised me. The writing is pretty good and I liked the multiple POV’s(third person). This book has five multiple POV’s and I really enjoyed reading the story from different perspectives. At the beginning, I was a bit annoyed with so many POV’s but as I get to know them better, I started to like them because everyone has a major role in this book. The author created an interesting world filled with magic and political intrigue. The Republic of the sand sea is a desert world where water is the highest commodity. This world seemed like a mix of Persian and Indian setting. The magical system was pretty awesome in this book. I really liked the aspect of shadow dancers, fire dancers and also not to forget about the dragons. I would love to explore more of this world, magic, and the other creatures living in it.
Overall, I loved this book! It’s an entertaining fantasy read filled with magic, political intrigue, suspense, mystery, and a dash of romance. This book doesn’t have any huge cliffhanger at the end but it does conclude with a surprising twist that’ll make you desperate for the next book. So yeah, I’ll definitely look forward to the next book.
November 24, 2018
Wow, oh wow! Where to begin with this book?
I absolutely love the world that A.M. Deese has laid out for us in this first book of her series. With thirteen council members, the government in the world of Ignited certainly has loads of drama. We see different aspects of this from the daughter of the third, to the daughter of the third, and the head of the tenth.
The characters were all so vividly created, and I absolutely adored the character arc involving Kay, a young fire Breather, taken in to be a cadet under the house of the tenth.
There are loads of great things to say for this series, but I don’t want to leave any spoilers. So, I’ll just say if you’re a fan of fantasy, I highly recommend this book, and I cannot wait to see where the next book takes us.
I absolutely love the world that A.M. Deese has laid out for us in this first book of her series. With thirteen council members, the government in the world of Ignited certainly has loads of drama. We see different aspects of this from the daughter of the third, to the daughter of the third, and the head of the tenth.
The characters were all so vividly created, and I absolutely adored the character arc involving Kay, a young fire Breather, taken in to be a cadet under the house of the tenth.
There are loads of great things to say for this series, but I don’t want to leave any spoilers. So, I’ll just say if you’re a fan of fantasy, I highly recommend this book, and I cannot wait to see where the next book takes us.
March 30, 2018
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Ignited is the first book in a new young adult fantasy, called the Dance of the Elements series by author A.M. Deese. I am so sick of books that start out slow and eventually build up to something interesting. It seems like that has been all I have been reading lately. But I am really happy to report that Ignited is not a book that starts out slow. It plops us right into the middle of interesting action. We start with out main character, Jura having to plow head first into a governing council meeting in her father's place. She is the daughter of the first, the highest family in the council of the Thirteen, and she has to make lots of tough decisions as she tries to unravel the mystery of what is going on with her father. While keeping the whole thing a secret. In a country that thrives on secrets. I immediately fell in love with these characters, this world and this story. Ignited is one of my favorite books of 2018!
Ignited is told in multiple perspectives. I loved Jura, Kay, Tylak and I even loved some of the less expected characters. But I really loved the world that AM Deese created. It is world filled with fire wielding magic, dragons, and plenty of political intrigue and secrets to keep you on the edge of your seat at all times. I didn't think there was a single dull moment in this book. I gobbled it up in one quick sitting and I was left wanting book two asap.
My only two gripes about the book are so minor and they didn't really detract from my overall love of this fast paced, intriguing magical adventure. First, Kay. I loved little Kay. I loved her so much. But she is 7 years old and she acted about 15. Which is fine, I prefer characters on the mature side, it just seemed a tad unrealistic how mature she actually was. But I loved her so it was only a casual observation on my part. The other is that it was pretty easy to guess who one of the bad guys was. And I didn't want it to be true for the simple fact that it was too easy to guess. But other than that, this book was tailor made for me. I love political fantasy and I really love magic and dragons and secrets. And this book had it all. I feel a love triangle coming on in the next book, so we will have to see how that plays out, but fans of politically driven fantasies with court intrigue will really love the Dance of the Elements series. I already know it is going to be a favorite of mine. Ignited is easily one of my favorite reads of 2018.This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Ignited is told in multiple perspectives. I loved Jura, Kay, Tylak and I even loved some of the less expected characters. But I really loved the world that AM Deese created. It is world filled with fire wielding magic, dragons, and plenty of political intrigue and secrets to keep you on the edge of your seat at all times. I didn't think there was a single dull moment in this book. I gobbled it up in one quick sitting and I was left wanting book two asap.
My only two gripes about the book are so minor and they didn't really detract from my overall love of this fast paced, intriguing magical adventure. First, Kay. I loved little Kay. I loved her so much. But she is 7 years old and she acted about 15. Which is fine, I prefer characters on the mature side, it just seemed a tad unrealistic how mature she actually was. But I loved her so it was only a casual observation on my part. The other is that it was pretty easy to guess who one of the bad guys was. And I didn't want it to be true for the simple fact that it was too easy to guess. But other than that, this book was tailor made for me. I love political fantasy and I really love magic and dragons and secrets. And this book had it all. I feel a love triangle coming on in the next book, so we will have to see how that plays out, but fans of politically driven fantasies with court intrigue will really love the Dance of the Elements series. I already know it is going to be a favorite of mine. Ignited is easily one of my favorite reads of 2018.This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
December 3, 2017
This book opened with an awkward teen dealing with a tricky political situation in the absence of her father, the most politically prominent man in their land. The book was set in a lavishly built fantasy world that had a bit of a Persian feel to it. The lore of the story intrigued me and kept me wanting more. This story was chock full of mystery, political intrigue, danger, magic, murder, kidnapping, dragons, and teen angst. It had some unexpected characters who ended up being some of my favorites like Beshar a middle-aged, overweight brilliant master of secrets and Kay, a powerful fire mage who also happened to be a 7 yr old. Reading from their perspectives was fun and different, especially in a YA book. I'm anxiously waiting for the next book in this exciting new series.
January 11, 2018
I really enjoyed this novel. Deese did a great job of designing a unique world and bringing in the concept of the fire dancer. I did, however, feel that the circumstances of the world were revealed a little slower than I would like, and the dialogue occasionally felt a little predictable.
That said, I very much enjoyed this book and looked forward to reading it each day. I think my students - especially fantasy lovers - will like it as well. I’m eager to see what this author does in book 2!
That said, I very much enjoyed this book and looked forward to reading it each day. I think my students - especially fantasy lovers - will like it as well. I’m eager to see what this author does in book 2!
November 21, 2017
- RECENSIONE IN ITALIANO IN FONDO!
-- Full review on/Recensione completa su www.petrichor.it
In the Republic of the Sand Sea water and informations are the current coin. This is soon discovered by Jura, the daughter of the First of the Thirteen. She is the heir to the wealthiest province of her world and, while she try to deal with what has happened to his father, she finds herself ruling out of imminent dangers and difficult choices, such as the condemn to death of Tylak. He is a former slave and the one who will help her discover the truth of her world, even if she condemned him to death.
But Jura will also have to deal with the council of the Thirteen, formed by other reigning families ready to take their place by any means, and with the mysterious Prince of Shadows. But will it be enough to find out the truth to save her life and to prevent a war?
Ignited was a really beautiful fantasy reading, a true choral novel, which reminded me of the political atmosphere that reigns in the Game of Thrones and also the series The Winner's Curse for the many intrigues and attention to detail in creating these dangerous twists.
Unlike what you might think by reading the plot, the points of view of the novel are five: Jura, Tylak, Ash, Kay and Beshar. To each of these characters a chapter is dedicated and very often they alternate in order to tell the story in a more complete way. I must say that the choice did not convince me completely, because at the beginning of the novel it confuses the reader a little. Jura and Tylak would be enough to me, maybe I would have saved the sweet little Kay, who owns the gift of the Fire Dancer.
These are the three ones I liked most.
Jura, just a seventeen years old girl, must show really strong in front of what happens to her: she takes the place of her father, not because she really wants it, but because she knows she will disappoint him if she doesn't do it.
I appreciated Tylak's very careful and intelligent mind, he looks like a smart and almost careless person, but actually he is much more.
The young Kay strikes for her sweetness and the way she was well characterized. Her adventures have kept me continually with the breath suspended from the first chapter in which she appears.
Another good part of the novel, as you can quite understood by what I said before, is the world building. I really liked what A. M. Dees created. Perhaps the idea that water is a precious commodity in what is basically a desert does not look very original. Reading the book you have the impression that the setting is not only of Arabic inspiration, but also quite Indian.
Even the shape of the government, the Republic of Thirteen, is even peculiar. Here thirteen families gather in council and determine the destiny of justice and the entire country. Everyone has a different rank, they are all ready to make war and kill to get to the next one. The contrast between the Jura's world that has always been this, though perhaps she did not know it enough, and that of Tylak, the poor and the former slave, is net. She can find pure water and he knows the "real" city: so we have a clear picture of the world around them.
Of course I have to mention the dragons! I really liked that there were dragons, but at the same time they weren't the central part of the story, as always happen in fantasy books with them.
If the initial rhythm is slow due to the numerous information given to the reader, later on, between twists and suspense, it is almost impossible not to stick to the pages of the book. Moreover, the author's style is already magnetic from the incipit.
Rating: 4/5
RECENSIONE
Nella Repubblica del Mare di Sabbia l'acqua e le informazioni sono la moneta corrente. Lo scopre presto Jura, la figlia del Primo dei Tredici. Da erede della più ricca provincia del suo mondo e messa alle strette da ciò che è accaduto al padre, la giovane si ritrova a governare districandosi tra pericoli imminenti e scelte difficili, come quella di mettere a morte Tylak. È lui, questo ex schiavo, colui che la aiuterà a scoprire la verità del suo mondo, nonostante sia proprio lei a condannarlo a morte.
Ma Jura dovrà avere a che fare con il consiglio dei Tredici, formato dalle altre famiglie regnanti pronte a prendere il suo posto con ogni mezzo, e con il misterioso Principe delle Tenebre. Ma le basterà scoprire la verità per salvare la sua vita ed evitare di far scoppiare una guerra?
Ignited è stata davvero una bella lettura fantasy, un vero romanzo corale, che mi ha ricordato a tratti l'atmosfera politica che regna in Cronache del Ghiaccio e del Fuoco e anche la serie The Winner's Curse per i numerosi intrighi e per l'attenzione al dettaglio che l'autrice mette nel creare questi intrecci pericolosi.
A differenza da ciò che si potrebbe pensare leggendo la trama, i punti di vista del romanzo sono ben cinque: Jura, Tylak, Ash, Kay e Beshar. Ad ognuno di questi personaggi viene dedicato un capitolo e molto spesso si alternano in modo da raccontare la storia in maniera più completa. Devo dire che la scelta non mi ha convinta del tutto, perché soprattutto all'inizio del romanzo confonde non poco il lettore. Jura e Tylak mi sarebbero bastati, forse avrei salvato anche la dolce e piccola Kay, che possiede il dono dei Fire Dancer.
Sono proprio questi tre quelli che mi sono piaciuti di più.
Jura, appena diciasettenne, si deve mostrare forte davanti a ciò che le capita: prende il posto del padre, non perché lo vuole davvero, ma perché sa che non facendolo lo deluderebbe.
Di Tylak ho apprezzato la sua mente molto attenta e intelligente, sembra quasi una persona calcolatrice, ma in realtà si dimostra molto di più.
La giovanissima Kay colpisce per la sua dolcezza e per il modo in cui è stata ben caratterizzata. Le sue vicende mi hanno tenuta continuamente con il fiato sospeso sin dal primo capitolo in cui appare.
Altro punto di forza del romanzo, come si è un po' capito da ciò che ho detto prima, è il world building. Mi è piaciuto tantissimo ciò che la Deese ha creato. Forse l'idea che l'acqua sia un bene di scambio prezioso in quello che è sostanzialmente un deserto non sembra molto originale, ma leggendo si ha come l'impressione che non sia solo un'ambientazione di stampo arabo, ma anche molto indiana.
È particolare persino la forma del governo, la Repubblica dei Tredici, dove tredici famiglie si riuniscono in consiglio e determinano le sorti della giustizia e del paese intero. Ognuna con un rango diverso, tutte pronte a farsi guerra e uccidersi per salire a quello successivo. Il contrasto tra il mondo di Jura che è sempre stato questo, anche se forse lei non lo conosceva abbastanza, e quello di Tylak, povero e prima schiavo, è netto. Lei sa trovare l'acqua pura e lui conosce i bassifondi della città: così abbiamo un quadro del mondo che li circonda.
Di certo non posso non menzionare i draghi! Mi è piaciuto tantissimo che si parlasse di draghi, senza renderli necessariamente la parte centrale della storia.
Se il ritmo iniziale è lento per via delle numerose informazioni date al lettore, in seguito, tra colpi di scena e suspense, è quasi impossibile non rimanere incollati alle pagine del libro. D'altronde lo stile dell'autrice è già magnetico dall'incipit.
Voto: 4/5
-- Full review on/Recensione completa su www.petrichor.it
In the Republic of the Sand Sea water and informations are the current coin. This is soon discovered by Jura, the daughter of the First of the Thirteen. She is the heir to the wealthiest province of her world and, while she try to deal with what has happened to his father, she finds herself ruling out of imminent dangers and difficult choices, such as the condemn to death of Tylak. He is a former slave and the one who will help her discover the truth of her world, even if she condemned him to death.
But Jura will also have to deal with the council of the Thirteen, formed by other reigning families ready to take their place by any means, and with the mysterious Prince of Shadows. But will it be enough to find out the truth to save her life and to prevent a war?
Ignited was a really beautiful fantasy reading, a true choral novel, which reminded me of the political atmosphere that reigns in the Game of Thrones and also the series The Winner's Curse for the many intrigues and attention to detail in creating these dangerous twists.
Unlike what you might think by reading the plot, the points of view of the novel are five: Jura, Tylak, Ash, Kay and Beshar. To each of these characters a chapter is dedicated and very often they alternate in order to tell the story in a more complete way. I must say that the choice did not convince me completely, because at the beginning of the novel it confuses the reader a little. Jura and Tylak would be enough to me, maybe I would have saved the sweet little Kay, who owns the gift of the Fire Dancer.
These are the three ones I liked most.
Jura, just a seventeen years old girl, must show really strong in front of what happens to her: she takes the place of her father, not because she really wants it, but because she knows she will disappoint him if she doesn't do it.
I appreciated Tylak's very careful and intelligent mind, he looks like a smart and almost careless person, but actually he is much more.
The young Kay strikes for her sweetness and the way she was well characterized. Her adventures have kept me continually with the breath suspended from the first chapter in which she appears.
Another good part of the novel, as you can quite understood by what I said before, is the world building. I really liked what A. M. Dees created. Perhaps the idea that water is a precious commodity in what is basically a desert does not look very original. Reading the book you have the impression that the setting is not only of Arabic inspiration, but also quite Indian.
Even the shape of the government, the Republic of Thirteen, is even peculiar. Here thirteen families gather in council and determine the destiny of justice and the entire country. Everyone has a different rank, they are all ready to make war and kill to get to the next one. The contrast between the Jura's world that has always been this, though perhaps she did not know it enough, and that of Tylak, the poor and the former slave, is net. She can find pure water and he knows the "real" city: so we have a clear picture of the world around them.
Of course I have to mention the dragons! I really liked that there were dragons, but at the same time they weren't the central part of the story, as always happen in fantasy books with them.
If the initial rhythm is slow due to the numerous information given to the reader, later on, between twists and suspense, it is almost impossible not to stick to the pages of the book. Moreover, the author's style is already magnetic from the incipit.
Rating: 4/5
RECENSIONE
Nella Repubblica del Mare di Sabbia l'acqua e le informazioni sono la moneta corrente. Lo scopre presto Jura, la figlia del Primo dei Tredici. Da erede della più ricca provincia del suo mondo e messa alle strette da ciò che è accaduto al padre, la giovane si ritrova a governare districandosi tra pericoli imminenti e scelte difficili, come quella di mettere a morte Tylak. È lui, questo ex schiavo, colui che la aiuterà a scoprire la verità del suo mondo, nonostante sia proprio lei a condannarlo a morte.
Ma Jura dovrà avere a che fare con il consiglio dei Tredici, formato dalle altre famiglie regnanti pronte a prendere il suo posto con ogni mezzo, e con il misterioso Principe delle Tenebre. Ma le basterà scoprire la verità per salvare la sua vita ed evitare di far scoppiare una guerra?
Ignited è stata davvero una bella lettura fantasy, un vero romanzo corale, che mi ha ricordato a tratti l'atmosfera politica che regna in Cronache del Ghiaccio e del Fuoco e anche la serie The Winner's Curse per i numerosi intrighi e per l'attenzione al dettaglio che l'autrice mette nel creare questi intrecci pericolosi.
A differenza da ciò che si potrebbe pensare leggendo la trama, i punti di vista del romanzo sono ben cinque: Jura, Tylak, Ash, Kay e Beshar. Ad ognuno di questi personaggi viene dedicato un capitolo e molto spesso si alternano in modo da raccontare la storia in maniera più completa. Devo dire che la scelta non mi ha convinta del tutto, perché soprattutto all'inizio del romanzo confonde non poco il lettore. Jura e Tylak mi sarebbero bastati, forse avrei salvato anche la dolce e piccola Kay, che possiede il dono dei Fire Dancer.
Sono proprio questi tre quelli che mi sono piaciuti di più.
Jura, appena diciasettenne, si deve mostrare forte davanti a ciò che le capita: prende il posto del padre, non perché lo vuole davvero, ma perché sa che non facendolo lo deluderebbe.
Di Tylak ho apprezzato la sua mente molto attenta e intelligente, sembra quasi una persona calcolatrice, ma in realtà si dimostra molto di più.
La giovanissima Kay colpisce per la sua dolcezza e per il modo in cui è stata ben caratterizzata. Le sue vicende mi hanno tenuta continuamente con il fiato sospeso sin dal primo capitolo in cui appare.
Altro punto di forza del romanzo, come si è un po' capito da ciò che ho detto prima, è il world building. Mi è piaciuto tantissimo ciò che la Deese ha creato. Forse l'idea che l'acqua sia un bene di scambio prezioso in quello che è sostanzialmente un deserto non sembra molto originale, ma leggendo si ha come l'impressione che non sia solo un'ambientazione di stampo arabo, ma anche molto indiana.
È particolare persino la forma del governo, la Repubblica dei Tredici, dove tredici famiglie si riuniscono in consiglio e determinano le sorti della giustizia e del paese intero. Ognuna con un rango diverso, tutte pronte a farsi guerra e uccidersi per salire a quello successivo. Il contrasto tra il mondo di Jura che è sempre stato questo, anche se forse lei non lo conosceva abbastanza, e quello di Tylak, povero e prima schiavo, è netto. Lei sa trovare l'acqua pura e lui conosce i bassifondi della città: così abbiamo un quadro del mondo che li circonda.
Di certo non posso non menzionare i draghi! Mi è piaciuto tantissimo che si parlasse di draghi, senza renderli necessariamente la parte centrale della storia.
Se il ritmo iniziale è lento per via delle numerose informazioni date al lettore, in seguito, tra colpi di scena e suspense, è quasi impossibile non rimanere incollati alle pagine del libro. D'altronde lo stile dell'autrice è già magnetico dall'incipit.
Voto: 4/5
March 19, 2018
So this was the very, very first book I was approved for on NetGalley, but I didn't want to read it too soon since it's only due for release next week. Now I've read it though I'm glad I waited for another reason - hopefully not as long to wait for the sequel! (Which I need, right away). If you're a fan of fantasy, dragons and magic then this is definitely a book which you need to add to your TBR! It's also only £1.49 on Amazon as an eBook which honestly having read it that is an absolute steal.
Full review on my website here.
Full review on my website here.
November 17, 2017
I received an e-ARC of this book from YA Bound Book Tours (https://yaboundbooktours.blogspot.com) in exchange for an honest review.
I love the world that the author created. It’s called the Republic and it’s a desert. Water is a precious commodity there and people fight over it and can kill for it. It’s also a commodity and people earn water.
This nation is ruled by the Thirteen. The First is the most important person who has four votes and a lot of power. Jura, the main character is the daughter of the First. When something horrible happens to her father, she takes his place at the head of the table. I liked Jura. She was very relatable. Sometimes, she acted a bit childish and sometimes, she was really dumb (her friend, Amira was a backstabbing bitch but she was too blind to see it) but she was an okay person who was just trying to help her father in any way she could.
Another major character was Tylak, a slave who was condemned to death by Jura for trying to steal the Everflame (an ever-burning ball of fire they worshipped) Tylak’s story wasn’t told till about two-thirds of the book. I didn’t really care much for him. He was okay, I guess.
Ash was another major character; a former Fire Dancer who became too old for it. Fire Dancers are slaves who can mamipulate fire and are forced to fight in arenas for the entertainment of other people. Although, Ash had retired, he refused to leave the scene and decides to train another person to become a Fire Dancer. I just felt sorry for him.
The person Ash chooses is a girl called Kay whose mother and father were killed by slavemasters who wanted to sell Kay because of her power. I loved Kay so much. She was about seven and so cute. Like the other characters, she had her own chapter POVs and it was wonderful to see the world through her eyes. When she was kidnapped, I was so sad and scared for her😭😭😭😭
“Daddy always said that if she pleaded her case like an adult, she would be treated like one.”
The last major character was Bashar, the Tenth of the Thirteen; a very fat man who was not what he seemed at all.
Amira (the backstabbing “friend”) was someone I found hard to like or hate. I like women supporting one another and I don’t like books showing jealous, evil women who try to pull others down. However, at the same time, it’s nice to see a cunning, devious mind at work and especially a woman at that(I like female villains)
I liked the plot of the story too. Sometimes, it held a bit of suspense but it was always very straightforward. I got confused about a couple of things at first but at the end of the book, the author very kindly wrote a bit about the world in the book and the different nations and people.
My only problem with this book was that the remaining people in the country; the peasants, the guards in her castle; even the servants were not shown. They barely existed. Since there are a lot of characters to focus on, this wasn’t very noticeable though.
On the overall, I really really liked this book. There were times that I would clap at a scene or run around the house screaming 😂😂😂😂 It’s a wonderful book and I want everyone to read it.
Read more of my reviews at www.stuffedshelvesite.wordpress.com
I love the world that the author created. It’s called the Republic and it’s a desert. Water is a precious commodity there and people fight over it and can kill for it. It’s also a commodity and people earn water.
This nation is ruled by the Thirteen. The First is the most important person who has four votes and a lot of power. Jura, the main character is the daughter of the First. When something horrible happens to her father, she takes his place at the head of the table. I liked Jura. She was very relatable. Sometimes, she acted a bit childish and sometimes, she was really dumb (her friend, Amira was a backstabbing bitch but she was too blind to see it) but she was an okay person who was just trying to help her father in any way she could.
Another major character was Tylak, a slave who was condemned to death by Jura for trying to steal the Everflame (an ever-burning ball of fire they worshipped) Tylak’s story wasn’t told till about two-thirds of the book. I didn’t really care much for him. He was okay, I guess.
Ash was another major character; a former Fire Dancer who became too old for it. Fire Dancers are slaves who can mamipulate fire and are forced to fight in arenas for the entertainment of other people. Although, Ash had retired, he refused to leave the scene and decides to train another person to become a Fire Dancer. I just felt sorry for him.
The person Ash chooses is a girl called Kay whose mother and father were killed by slavemasters who wanted to sell Kay because of her power. I loved Kay so much. She was about seven and so cute. Like the other characters, she had her own chapter POVs and it was wonderful to see the world through her eyes. When she was kidnapped, I was so sad and scared for her😭😭😭😭
“Daddy always said that if she pleaded her case like an adult, she would be treated like one.”
The last major character was Bashar, the Tenth of the Thirteen; a very fat man who was not what he seemed at all.
Amira (the backstabbing “friend”) was someone I found hard to like or hate. I like women supporting one another and I don’t like books showing jealous, evil women who try to pull others down. However, at the same time, it’s nice to see a cunning, devious mind at work and especially a woman at that(I like female villains)
I liked the plot of the story too. Sometimes, it held a bit of suspense but it was always very straightforward. I got confused about a couple of things at first but at the end of the book, the author very kindly wrote a bit about the world in the book and the different nations and people.
My only problem with this book was that the remaining people in the country; the peasants, the guards in her castle; even the servants were not shown. They barely existed. Since there are a lot of characters to focus on, this wasn’t very noticeable though.
On the overall, I really really liked this book. There were times that I would clap at a scene or run around the house screaming 😂😂😂😂 It’s a wonderful book and I want everyone to read it.
Read more of my reviews at www.stuffedshelvesite.wordpress.com
November 18, 2017
I received this book from net galley for an honest review. Thank you!!
This novel was a very enjoyable read. The novel has several points of view from various characters told in third person point of view. It brings together abilities using air, fire, water, earth, and blood. Several characters are keeping secrets and nothing is at it seems. Someone wants to cause war and will kill anyone who gets in their way.
Jura, daughter of the First of the Thirteen, keeps her father's "illness" from the council. He tried to kill her since he is bound by a blood chain, which puts the wearer under complete control of another person. She wants to be strong, but also has compassion and prefers to read. She becomes the interim for the First and tries to show strength by condemning a man to death even though there is no proof of his crime but rather the word of a council member. Tylak, a former slave was accused of stealing from the Everflame, sentenced to death, but Jara saved him from the prison and promised to return his birthstone to him. Tylak is able to bend light and plans to flee the Republic once he gets it back. However, he sees the situation Jara is in and decides to help her. Jara needs to save her father and makes a deal with the Prince of Shadows. However, not everyone is who they appear to be: friends are enemies and enemies become allies. When Jara's life is almost taken, she knows she must discover the truth of what is going on and prevent war between the 3 kingdoms. With Tylak, they head to Kitio to discover how to stop these blood chains and save the kingdoms. I cannot wait to see where their adventures take them in the next book!!
This novel was a very enjoyable read. The novel has several points of view from various characters told in third person point of view. It brings together abilities using air, fire, water, earth, and blood. Several characters are keeping secrets and nothing is at it seems. Someone wants to cause war and will kill anyone who gets in their way.
Jura, daughter of the First of the Thirteen, keeps her father's "illness" from the council. He tried to kill her since he is bound by a blood chain, which puts the wearer under complete control of another person. She wants to be strong, but also has compassion and prefers to read. She becomes the interim for the First and tries to show strength by condemning a man to death even though there is no proof of his crime but rather the word of a council member. Tylak, a former slave was accused of stealing from the Everflame, sentenced to death, but Jara saved him from the prison and promised to return his birthstone to him. Tylak is able to bend light and plans to flee the Republic once he gets it back. However, he sees the situation Jara is in and decides to help her. Jara needs to save her father and makes a deal with the Prince of Shadows. However, not everyone is who they appear to be: friends are enemies and enemies become allies. When Jara's life is almost taken, she knows she must discover the truth of what is going on and prevent war between the 3 kingdoms. With Tylak, they head to Kitio to discover how to stop these blood chains and save the kingdoms. I cannot wait to see where their adventures take them in the next book!!
December 2, 2017
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I truly loved this book! There’s so much to say, I love the writing and the suspense and the magic! Kay was my absolute favorite and I’m ready to find out how this magical adventure ends! If you like stories with strong world building and plots full of political intrigue then you will like this. Oh and dragons! This book has dragons and they are awesome. I can’t wait for the sequel.
I truly loved this book! There’s so much to say, I love the writing and the suspense and the magic! Kay was my absolute favorite and I’m ready to find out how this magical adventure ends! If you like stories with strong world building and plots full of political intrigue then you will like this. Oh and dragons! This book has dragons and they are awesome. I can’t wait for the sequel.
July 7, 2022
Dragons, elemental magic, political intrigue... This was a really fun start to a fantasy story with a great cast of characters from different age and class groups within the world. I'm really looking forward to reading the next in the series. It has YA GRRM vibes with a dash of ATLA too...
October 27, 2018
I got this book for my bday and omg I love it. So happy to have it crossed off my wishlist. It's one book I plan on rereading I freaking love it so much. I so hope others love this book as well. It's so good I couldn't put it down at all. It's a five star book. I love it so much.
March 20, 2018
Review in English:
I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I would like to thank NetGalley and Publisher Radiant Crown Publishing again for this incredible opportunity.
Publication date: March 27th, 2018
This book... didn't catch me. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad book. Its well written and even has an interesting premise, but I found it very tiring. But let's first go to the synopsis:
We are in a world where the republic is governed by the Thirteen: powerful men and women who make decisions about absolutely everything. The importance of each of these people is given according to their ranking among the Thirteen, that is, the First is more important than the Second and so on. And this power influences the number of votes of each of them in important decisions. This creates a lot of political tension between these people and there is a lot of risk of murder. So, for things to be as transparent as possible (literally), they all work and live in a palace made of glass.
Jura, our protagonist, is the daughter of the First. However, something happens to her father. They put kind of a spell on him that makes him completely irrational and angry, and Jura wants to find out who did it. But as she investigates, she needs to assume her father's political position and pretend everything is okay.
In this universe there are also those who can manipulate the fire. If a child manifests this kind of ability, she is immediately taken to be trained as a gladiator to fight in the arena against dragons. We have in this story also the point of view of a girl who was taken by possessing this ability.
We also have the point of view of a retired gladiator, a member of the Thirteen and a slave with a mysterious past, to whom Jura asks for help in solving her father's problem.
So... It's an interesting world with an interesting premise, but this political plot and the excess of points of view made the story drag and it was uninteresting for me. I couldn't really connect with any of the characters and there are a lot of clichés. It has a love triangle, it has an jealous friend... Seriously, it didn't work for me. But I repeat: it's not a bad book. Maybe you'll like it, but it wasn't my cup of tea.
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Resenha em português:
Recebi acesso antecipado a este livro através da NetGalley em troca da minha opinião honesta. Gostaria de agradecer novamente à NetGalley e à Editora Radiant Crown Publishing por esta incrível oportunidade.
Data de publicação: 27 de março de 2018
Esse livro... não me prendeu. Não me entendam errado, não foi um livro ruim. Ele é bem escrito e até possui uma premissa interessante, mas achei muito cansativo. Mas vamos primeiro à sinopse:
Estamos em um mundo onde a república é governada pelos Treze: homens e mulheres poderosos que tomam decisões sobre absolutamente tudo. A importância de cada uma dessas pessoas é dada de acordo com seu ranking entre os Treze, ou seja, o Primeiro é mais importante que o Segundo e assim em diante. E esse poder influencia no número de votos de cada um deles em decisões importantes. Isso cria muita tensão política entre essas pessoas e há muito riscos de assassinato. Portanto, para que as coisas sejam o mais transparentes possíveis, todos eles trabalham e vivem em um palácio feito de vidro.
Jura, nossa protagonista, é filha do Primeiro. Entretanto, algo acontece com o pai dela. Colocam uma magia nele que o deixa completamente irracional e raivoso, e Jura quer descobrir quem fez isso. Mas enquanto investiga, ela precisa assumir a posição política do pai e fingir que está tudo bem.
Nesse universo também há aqueles que conseguem manipular o fogo. Se uma criança manifesta esse tipo de habilidade, ela é imediatamente levada para ser treinada como um gladiador e lutar na arena contra dragões. Temos nessa história também o ponto de vista de uma menina que foi levada por possuir essa habilidade.
Temos também o ponto de vista de um gladiador aposentado, de um dos membros dos Treze e de um escravo com um passado misterioso, ao qual Jura pede ajuda para resolver o problema do seu pai.
Então... É um mundo interessante com uma premissa interessante, mas essa trama política e o excesso de pontos de vista fizeram com que a história se arrastasse e fosse desinteressante para mim. Não consegui realmente me conectar com nenhum dos personagens e há muitos clichês. Tem um triângulo amoroso, tem uma amiga invejosa... Sério, não deu pra mim. Repito, não é um livro ruim. Talvez você goste, mas não deu certo pra mim.
I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I would like to thank NetGalley and Publisher Radiant Crown Publishing again for this incredible opportunity.
Publication date: March 27th, 2018
This book... didn't catch me. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad book. Its well written and even has an interesting premise, but I found it very tiring. But let's first go to the synopsis:
We are in a world where the republic is governed by the Thirteen: powerful men and women who make decisions about absolutely everything. The importance of each of these people is given according to their ranking among the Thirteen, that is, the First is more important than the Second and so on. And this power influences the number of votes of each of them in important decisions. This creates a lot of political tension between these people and there is a lot of risk of murder. So, for things to be as transparent as possible (literally), they all work and live in a palace made of glass.
Jura, our protagonist, is the daughter of the First. However, something happens to her father. They put kind of a spell on him that makes him completely irrational and angry, and Jura wants to find out who did it. But as she investigates, she needs to assume her father's political position and pretend everything is okay.
In this universe there are also those who can manipulate the fire. If a child manifests this kind of ability, she is immediately taken to be trained as a gladiator to fight in the arena against dragons. We have in this story also the point of view of a girl who was taken by possessing this ability.
We also have the point of view of a retired gladiator, a member of the Thirteen and a slave with a mysterious past, to whom Jura asks for help in solving her father's problem.
So... It's an interesting world with an interesting premise, but this political plot and the excess of points of view made the story drag and it was uninteresting for me. I couldn't really connect with any of the characters and there are a lot of clichés. It has a love triangle, it has an jealous friend... Seriously, it didn't work for me. But I repeat: it's not a bad book. Maybe you'll like it, but it wasn't my cup of tea.
-----------------
Resenha em português:
Recebi acesso antecipado a este livro através da NetGalley em troca da minha opinião honesta. Gostaria de agradecer novamente à NetGalley e à Editora Radiant Crown Publishing por esta incrível oportunidade.
Data de publicação: 27 de março de 2018
Esse livro... não me prendeu. Não me entendam errado, não foi um livro ruim. Ele é bem escrito e até possui uma premissa interessante, mas achei muito cansativo. Mas vamos primeiro à sinopse:
Estamos em um mundo onde a república é governada pelos Treze: homens e mulheres poderosos que tomam decisões sobre absolutamente tudo. A importância de cada uma dessas pessoas é dada de acordo com seu ranking entre os Treze, ou seja, o Primeiro é mais importante que o Segundo e assim em diante. E esse poder influencia no número de votos de cada um deles em decisões importantes. Isso cria muita tensão política entre essas pessoas e há muito riscos de assassinato. Portanto, para que as coisas sejam o mais transparentes possíveis, todos eles trabalham e vivem em um palácio feito de vidro.
Jura, nossa protagonista, é filha do Primeiro. Entretanto, algo acontece com o pai dela. Colocam uma magia nele que o deixa completamente irracional e raivoso, e Jura quer descobrir quem fez isso. Mas enquanto investiga, ela precisa assumir a posição política do pai e fingir que está tudo bem.
Nesse universo também há aqueles que conseguem manipular o fogo. Se uma criança manifesta esse tipo de habilidade, ela é imediatamente levada para ser treinada como um gladiador e lutar na arena contra dragões. Temos nessa história também o ponto de vista de uma menina que foi levada por possuir essa habilidade.
Temos também o ponto de vista de um gladiador aposentado, de um dos membros dos Treze e de um escravo com um passado misterioso, ao qual Jura pede ajuda para resolver o problema do seu pai.
Então... É um mundo interessante com uma premissa interessante, mas essa trama política e o excesso de pontos de vista fizeram com que a história se arrastasse e fosse desinteressante para mim. Não consegui realmente me conectar com nenhum dos personagens e há muitos clichês. Tem um triângulo amoroso, tem uma amiga invejosa... Sério, não deu pra mim. Repito, não é um livro ruim. Talvez você goste, mas não deu certo pra mim.
August 21, 2020
Overall a solid book that I would recommend! Actually rating comes out to 3.4
Characterization: 4
A good cast with distinct personality. Deese was able to give here cast unique and consistent voices through perspective narration and reactions to events. She did start the book with the conflict already in swing though, and that combined with the slow build towards a late climax didn't leave a lot of opportunities for meaningful character development. I like the characters, but they would have benefited from more dynamic personalities if their nature's were challenged. Beshar comes the closest to being in conflict with his nature and is one of the strongest characters from a writing perspective because of the growth this conflict allows 4/5
Main Plot: 3
The main plot follows Jura in her blundering through court society, while simultaneously trying to find a way to free her father from an enslaving curse. A 'princess' adjacent character, who is a bit clumsy and doubts herself, is forced to solve her problems on her own. Her allies are slowly taken away and eventually she finds help from an unlikely source. If you are looking for closure in the main plot, you'll have to go on to book two. It is an engaging story, but I do have reservations about the pacing 3/5
Sub Plot: 4
The major sub Plot follows the interactions between Beshar, Kay, and Ash in the fire dancer arena. A traumatized child prodigy is sold to train and fight in an arena. I actually thought this plot was significantly better executed and paced than the main plot. I am excited to see where this story goes in book two 4/5
World building: 3
The world building is there. It exists and you can see it in the appendices but only the barebones are shown in the actual writing. A desert civilization with fire magic crafting glass towers for their nobility. Water as a currency. The institution of indentured slavery. Old blood magics. A secret society of assassins. The Tri-Alliance. The birthstone tradition. Arbe as a warrior class that is treated like objects. Burned prayers. Non voluntary drafting of fire dancers. Clay architecture for the poor. It's in-depth and consistent but there is so much more that the author set up, that wasn't worked into the narrative or culture 3/5
Writing: 2
The writing focuses heavily on character interaction and internal narratives. In the first half of the book, setting descriptions are very sparse (though this does improve as the book goes on). The writing is what publishers look for as a safe investment. It's not flowery, light on prose, and very direct/clear-cut. It delivers the story in a utilitarian fashion. There is the occasional clumsy phrasing like "she'd had" and "for them to come for" but the writing shows marked improvement over the course of the book. The writing is good but lack a unique voice 2/5
Bonus points: 4*.05
Bonus points are given for plot events, devices, or characters that I find unique, impactful, or representative.
Characterization: 4
A good cast with distinct personality. Deese was able to give here cast unique and consistent voices through perspective narration and reactions to events. She did start the book with the conflict already in swing though, and that combined with the slow build towards a late climax didn't leave a lot of opportunities for meaningful character development. I like the characters, but they would have benefited from more dynamic personalities if their nature's were challenged. Beshar comes the closest to being in conflict with his nature and is one of the strongest characters from a writing perspective because of the growth this conflict allows 4/5
Main Plot: 3
The main plot follows Jura in her blundering through court society, while simultaneously trying to find a way to free her father from an enslaving curse. A 'princess' adjacent character, who is a bit clumsy and doubts herself, is forced to solve her problems on her own. Her allies are slowly taken away and eventually she finds help from an unlikely source. If you are looking for closure in the main plot, you'll have to go on to book two. It is an engaging story, but I do have reservations about the pacing 3/5
Sub Plot: 4
The major sub Plot follows the interactions between Beshar, Kay, and Ash in the fire dancer arena. A traumatized child prodigy is sold to train and fight in an arena. I actually thought this plot was significantly better executed and paced than the main plot. I am excited to see where this story goes in book two 4/5
World building: 3
The world building is there. It exists and you can see it in the appendices but only the barebones are shown in the actual writing. A desert civilization with fire magic crafting glass towers for their nobility. Water as a currency. The institution of indentured slavery. Old blood magics. A secret society of assassins. The Tri-Alliance. The birthstone tradition. Arbe as a warrior class that is treated like objects. Burned prayers. Non voluntary drafting of fire dancers. Clay architecture for the poor. It's in-depth and consistent but there is so much more that the author set up, that wasn't worked into the narrative or culture 3/5
Writing: 2
The writing focuses heavily on character interaction and internal narratives. In the first half of the book, setting descriptions are very sparse (though this does improve as the book goes on). The writing is what publishers look for as a safe investment. It's not flowery, light on prose, and very direct/clear-cut. It delivers the story in a utilitarian fashion. There is the occasional clumsy phrasing like "she'd had" and "for them to come for" but the writing shows marked improvement over the course of the book. The writing is good but lack a unique voice 2/5
Bonus points: 4*.05
Bonus points are given for plot events, devices, or characters that I find unique, impactful, or representative.
November 16, 2017
**I received a copy of this book from YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest voluntary review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by my source.**
Overall, this was a solid start to an intricate series. The start was a little rough because we do switch POVs a lot so keeping everyone straight was a little overwhelming. I also found that this one started a little slow as it took me some time to get oriented with everything. It's a very complex world and there are a lot of subplots at play that take their time to develop.
But I loved the political intrigue. The whole situation reminds me a little of Game of Thrones where everyone wants power and you can't trust anyone. I find that very suspenseful as a reader so that kept me intrigued. I'm curious to see how everything will weave together in the future.
While I had a pretty good idea of what was actually happening in the book, there's a great unexpected twist that really shook things up for me. Now that the world is familiar and I know most of the key players, I'm hoping the sequel can take that great momentum and build on it.
Check out more spoiler-free book and series reviews on my blog SERIESousBookReviews.com as well as read book series recaps!
Full Review: https://wp.me/p7hLUw-2i7
Actual Rating: 3.5/5
Overall, this was a solid start to an intricate series. The start was a little rough because we do switch POVs a lot so keeping everyone straight was a little overwhelming. I also found that this one started a little slow as it took me some time to get oriented with everything. It's a very complex world and there are a lot of subplots at play that take their time to develop.
But I loved the political intrigue. The whole situation reminds me a little of Game of Thrones where everyone wants power and you can't trust anyone. I find that very suspenseful as a reader so that kept me intrigued. I'm curious to see how everything will weave together in the future.
While I had a pretty good idea of what was actually happening in the book, there's a great unexpected twist that really shook things up for me. Now that the world is familiar and I know most of the key players, I'm hoping the sequel can take that great momentum and build on it.
Check out more spoiler-free book and series reviews on my blog SERIESousBookReviews.com as well as read book series recaps!
Full Review: https://wp.me/p7hLUw-2i7
Actual Rating: 3.5/5
December 12, 2017
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC in exchange for my review; however all thoughts and opinions are solely my own.
This book was wonderful. The plot was intriguing and the characters were presented very well. I usually don't care for books with more than 2 perspectives because things can become very muddled and hard to track; while this was the case at first, once the characters started to interact with each other it became easier to follow. Each perspective collides with the others to create a very beautiful story.
The biggest criticism I have with this story is that there were some parts that felt too much like a filler thrown in to finish a section, almost like a student throwing together an essay minutes before its due. There are parts that are strangely thrown in and create an odd transition from sentence to sentence. While this isn't present too often, it does give a few chapters a rushed feeling.
This book was wonderful. The plot was intriguing and the characters were presented very well. I usually don't care for books with more than 2 perspectives because things can become very muddled and hard to track; while this was the case at first, once the characters started to interact with each other it became easier to follow. Each perspective collides with the others to create a very beautiful story.
The biggest criticism I have with this story is that there were some parts that felt too much like a filler thrown in to finish a section, almost like a student throwing together an essay minutes before its due. There are parts that are strangely thrown in and create an odd transition from sentence to sentence. While this isn't present too often, it does give a few chapters a rushed feeling.
March 28, 2018
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I didn’t hate this but as I was reading it, I knew I would forget most of the story pretty soon.
I finished this less than three weeks ago and turns out, I was right.
I remember having trouble getting through it though…
I found it a bit predictable and the world lacked proper building… I could barely understand the world, and I had trouble staying focused throughout the chapters.
I wish I could say more but rarely that’s kinda all I remember.
Basically, I didn’t hate it but I didn’t like it either.
I didn’t hate this but as I was reading it, I knew I would forget most of the story pretty soon.
I finished this less than three weeks ago and turns out, I was right.
I remember having trouble getting through it though…
I found it a bit predictable and the world lacked proper building… I could barely understand the world, and I had trouble staying focused throughout the chapters.
I wish I could say more but rarely that’s kinda all I remember.
Basically, I didn’t hate it but I didn’t like it either.
June 26, 2017
Ignited is an amazing new fantasy where knowledge is power, but having dragons and shadow dancers on your side certainly doesn't hurt. Deese has created a world full of magic and deceit. I can't wait for the next book!
June 17, 2022
This was such an amazing read. The world she has created is so interesting and the POV switches are flawless. It’s one of these books that you have to have book two to start immediately
January 9, 2023
This book had a lot of potential. I think the bones of the plot were intriguing and I was ready to give it up at 50% but ended up skimming until the end because I was curious on a few points. So there definitely was promise in the story.
My first issue was the number of points of view. I think five was the number. At 25% of the book I was thinking that the MC had been given 3 chapters and everyone else had been given 1 or 2. Which meant that we really were still in intro stage. By the end of the book I felt like I'd just made it through the setting up for most of the pov characters.
For example. One of the characters is 7 year old Kay and the entirety of her story for the book is
That all happens pretty quickly and there isn't really much going on besides lining her up to be revealed as a fire breather in the middle of the growing conflict.
Same thing with Ash. His pov is mostly just him wandering around bemoaning his fate. He's basically been brainwashed since he was a kid to just go in and fight in the arena and that's it. He's managed to survive and he's unhappy about it because it's not a glorious way to end(retirement). And his entire story arc is boohoo I'm alive and retired but I don't want to leave the arena. So he skulks around until the Tenth guy says hey yeah you can train someone for me and he picks an apprentice. End of story.
While there's the potential there for all of these people to have a worthwhile pov all it did was bog down the story because you're trying to tell what's currently two separate stories taking place in the same city in 5 points of view(where really only one overlaps the two stories) and it didn't allow for anyone's pov or arc to really develop.
There was a poor setup for the conflict in my opinion. Short version is there's a group that's trying to start a war between the alliance nations. But other than a short scene near the beginning where we see the Sea nation ask for aid there's nothing else about them until near the end. She spends almost no time thinking about their request or wanting to look into what they claimed. They didn't hang around in the city to have more encounters.
We also don't learn anything about the sea nation or the Kitoi? I think it is who they claim are breaking the agreement. It's hard to think to much about a conflict when you hardly have even heard the names of the other kingdoms mentioned.
Editing wasn't the worst I've seen but by the end I definitely felt like this needed someone to go over it. There were words missing, typos, and even one instance where a chapter started and I was confused because of how the last one ended so abruptly and then the following one said it was in in the same pov(Jura the MC) but had the weirdest internal dialogue for that character and didn't seem to make sense coming off the last chapter. It wasn't until I turned the page that I realized it was dialogue from another character who is talking to Jura. And the author simply forgot quotation marks at the beginning of the dialogue so it read as Jura's thoughts.
Other examples are, "He circled dome" "You're brother." "Beshar was making a risk"(instead of taking) "Perhaps should have greeted the Third." (should say Perhaps I should) a character drops his hand "from where he'd placed it at the small of back." Again missing the simple inclusion of "her" before back.
Overall there was just enough of the instances where a word was written incorrectly or a simple pronoun or the was missing that it felt like someone really needed to have one more editing pass.
I thought the one light guard inclusion was strange. We have the setup for him to be a key character but then randomly after I think we see him twice he
Tylak or whatever his name is starts the story being an angry prisoner accused of stealing and condemned to death. But he switches pretty quick and I didn't buy the shift in personality from who we see there to who is around for most of the rest of the book.
Overall the book felt too much like a setup for story than an actual story. Not much happens until the end and most of the characters(besides Jura) who have a pov have hardly had enough happen for me to feel like I know them.
My first issue was the number of points of view. I think five was the number. At 25% of the book I was thinking that the MC had been given 3 chapters and everyone else had been given 1 or 2. Which meant that we really were still in intro stage. By the end of the book I felt like I'd just made it through the setting up for most of the pov characters.
For example. One of the characters is 7 year old Kay and the entirety of her story for the book is
That all happens pretty quickly and there isn't really much going on besides lining her up to be revealed as a fire breather in the middle of the growing conflict.
Same thing with Ash. His pov is mostly just him wandering around bemoaning his fate. He's basically been brainwashed since he was a kid to just go in and fight in the arena and that's it. He's managed to survive and he's unhappy about it because it's not a glorious way to end(retirement). And his entire story arc is boohoo I'm alive and retired but I don't want to leave the arena. So he skulks around until the Tenth guy says hey yeah you can train someone for me and he picks an apprentice. End of story.
While there's the potential there for all of these people to have a worthwhile pov all it did was bog down the story because you're trying to tell what's currently two separate stories taking place in the same city in 5 points of view(where really only one overlaps the two stories) and it didn't allow for anyone's pov or arc to really develop.
There was a poor setup for the conflict in my opinion. Short version is there's a group that's trying to start a war between the alliance nations. But other than a short scene near the beginning where we see the Sea nation ask for aid there's nothing else about them until near the end. She spends almost no time thinking about their request or wanting to look into what they claimed. They didn't hang around in the city to have more encounters.
We also don't learn anything about the sea nation or the Kitoi? I think it is who they claim are breaking the agreement. It's hard to think to much about a conflict when you hardly have even heard the names of the other kingdoms mentioned.
Editing wasn't the worst I've seen but by the end I definitely felt like this needed someone to go over it. There were words missing, typos, and even one instance where a chapter started and I was confused because of how the last one ended so abruptly and then the following one said it was in in the same pov(Jura the MC) but had the weirdest internal dialogue for that character and didn't seem to make sense coming off the last chapter. It wasn't until I turned the page that I realized it was dialogue from another character who is talking to Jura. And the author simply forgot quotation marks at the beginning of the dialogue so it read as Jura's thoughts.
Other examples are, "He circled dome" "You're brother." "Beshar was making a risk"(instead of taking) "Perhaps should have greeted the Third." (should say Perhaps I should) a character drops his hand "from where he'd placed it at the small of back." Again missing the simple inclusion of "her" before back.
Overall there was just enough of the instances where a word was written incorrectly or a simple pronoun or the was missing that it felt like someone really needed to have one more editing pass.
I thought the one light guard inclusion was strange. We have the setup for him to be a key character but then randomly after I think we see him twice he
Tylak or whatever his name is starts the story being an angry prisoner accused of stealing and condemned to death. But he switches pretty quick and I didn't buy the shift in personality from who we see there to who is around for most of the rest of the book.
Overall the book felt too much like a setup for story than an actual story. Not much happens until the end and most of the characters(besides Jura) who have a pov have hardly had enough happen for me to feel like I know them.
June 15, 2022
Holy Snickers
Okay, give me a second to try and organize my thoughts. Right now, they’re everywhere.
I’m in love and can’t wait for book two. The way Deese has woven her story with so many characters is BRILLIANT. Rather than dumping them all at once, she takes the time to allow the reader to digest before moving on to the next introduction.
Something else, how she chose her characters, and who to follow to tell a full story, GENIUS. They’re from all societal levels within the world, which in turn helps to explain the world without it being as though I’m reading from a history book. Quite literally the “show don’t tell” rule, and done extremely well.
You’ve got Ash, a recently retired fire dancer. He doesn’t want to give up the fame and action of being in the ring (think bull fighting but with dragons and typically two fire dancers per match) and desires to take in a cadet (fire dancer in training).
Jura, daughter of the first (pretty much a president, or sovereign). Although she’s pretty much me in the naivety of her actions, and acts as a great person to follow for explanations, I found myself screaming at her.
Tylak - He’s my favorite out of the bunch. Although he’s introduced as a criminal, his back story is heartbreaking and I really hope he does find his brother, someday. He started off as a slave, but worked his way out, and yet mostly lives in the shadows.
Beshar (might be spelling that wrong, but it’s how I said it in my head). He is introduced as tenth in the group of thirteen. Older, larger, and understands how politics work. Definitely a dude you’d rather have on your side, rather than across from you.
Kay. She’s the daughter of a farmer/dragon tamer (depending on who asks the question), and easily my second favorite. Her viewpoint as a kid gives the whole story a different spin. Quite a sad spin at that. I can’t wait for more with her as she grows up.
Oh! Nearly forgot the best part!
While yes, this is written in third person, I SWEAR each of these characters is being shadowed by a different narrator. The writing style changes as Deese channels each one. With the adults, it’s not super noticeable, and once I picked up on it, I realized it was with every one.
Okay, give me a second to try and organize my thoughts. Right now, they’re everywhere.
I’m in love and can’t wait for book two. The way Deese has woven her story with so many characters is BRILLIANT. Rather than dumping them all at once, she takes the time to allow the reader to digest before moving on to the next introduction.
Something else, how she chose her characters, and who to follow to tell a full story, GENIUS. They’re from all societal levels within the world, which in turn helps to explain the world without it being as though I’m reading from a history book. Quite literally the “show don’t tell” rule, and done extremely well.
You’ve got Ash, a recently retired fire dancer. He doesn’t want to give up the fame and action of being in the ring (think bull fighting but with dragons and typically two fire dancers per match) and desires to take in a cadet (fire dancer in training).
Jura, daughter of the first (pretty much a president, or sovereign). Although she’s pretty much me in the naivety of her actions, and acts as a great person to follow for explanations, I found myself screaming at her.
Tylak - He’s my favorite out of the bunch. Although he’s introduced as a criminal, his back story is heartbreaking and I really hope he does find his brother, someday. He started off as a slave, but worked his way out, and yet mostly lives in the shadows.
Beshar (might be spelling that wrong, but it’s how I said it in my head). He is introduced as tenth in the group of thirteen. Older, larger, and understands how politics work. Definitely a dude you’d rather have on your side, rather than across from you.
Kay. She’s the daughter of a farmer/dragon tamer (depending on who asks the question), and easily my second favorite. Her viewpoint as a kid gives the whole story a different spin. Quite a sad spin at that. I can’t wait for more with her as she grows up.
Oh! Nearly forgot the best part!
While yes, this is written in third person, I SWEAR each of these characters is being shadowed by a different narrator. The writing style changes as Deese channels each one. With the adults, it’s not super noticeable, and once I picked up on it, I realized it was with every one.
April 5, 2018
The Republic is located in the desert and is ruled by the Thirteen. When Jura discovers a blood chain on her dad's wrist, she must protect him from himself. The owner of the blood chain can make her dad do anything they want, and as the First of the Thirteen, this could be very dangerous. For this reason, she must temporarily detain him and take his place.
The first time Jura meets Tylak, it's to sentence him to death for the crime of stealing fire from the Everflame. However, Tylak may be Jura's only hope of saving her father. As Jura gets swept away into the politics, she is bound to suffer from the betrayal and secrets that come along with it.
While Jura was the main character, there were a lot of other POVs that I thought were unnecessary. Going back and forth with so many was jolting and took from the action. I do love Kay though and the fiery personality that resides within her. She could've had her own book. I love the dragon aspect and that water is a currency. I also like the fantasy and fire "breathing" elements in IGNITED. It brought excitement to the story and I'm curious to see what the second installment holds.
Final Verdict: I would recommend this to fans of elementals, alternating POVs, politics, fantasy, dragons, and mystery.
The first time Jura meets Tylak, it's to sentence him to death for the crime of stealing fire from the Everflame. However, Tylak may be Jura's only hope of saving her father. As Jura gets swept away into the politics, she is bound to suffer from the betrayal and secrets that come along with it.
While Jura was the main character, there were a lot of other POVs that I thought were unnecessary. Going back and forth with so many was jolting and took from the action. I do love Kay though and the fiery personality that resides within her. She could've had her own book. I love the dragon aspect and that water is a currency. I also like the fantasy and fire "breathing" elements in IGNITED. It brought excitement to the story and I'm curious to see what the second installment holds.
Final Verdict: I would recommend this to fans of elementals, alternating POVs, politics, fantasy, dragons, and mystery.
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