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It Ends in Fire
A James Patterson Presents novelOnly those from the most powerful magical families can attend Blackwater Academy, but new student Alka has them fooled. Now it's time to take down the oppressive wizard ruling class from the inside. Alka Chelrazi is on a Infiltrate Blackwater Academy2. Win the Great Game3. Burn Wizard society to the ground As a child, Alka witnessed her parents' brutal murder at the hands of Wizards before she was taken in by an underground rebel group. Now, Alka is deep undercover at the most prestigious school of magic in the Blackwater Academy, a place where status is everything, where decadent galas end in blood-splattered duels, where every student has their own agenda. To survive, Alka will have to lie, cheat, kill, and use every trick in her spy's toolkit. And for the first time in her life, the fiercely independent Alka will have to make friends in order to recruit the misfits and the outcasts into her motley rebellion.But even as she draws closer to victory—to vengeance—she sinks deeper into danger as suspicious professors and murderous rivals seek the traitor in their midst, as dark revelations unravel her resolve. Can Alka destroy the twisted game...without becoming a part of it?
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 6, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 242 reviews
July 6, 2021
Imagine if Harry Potter got real angry about his parent's death, and trained in secret to infiltrate Hogwarts and kill the headmaster. Now imagine HP was a girl hell-bent on revenge and gave zero craps and took out Draco before he got really annoying. Also, she wants to infiltrate a wizarding school and kill the headmaster. If you're rubbing your hands together manically, keep reading.
After the death of her parents, young wizard Alka teams up a rebellion alongside her younger sister. There she learns the art of magic and schemes with them on how to take down the governing wizards who had suppressed and imprisoned them for far too long. Alka agrees to pose as a female wizard and infiltrates Blackwater, a school for wizards. There she meets your Draco sorts, and your Ron sorts and soon realizes the only way to get close to completing her mission is to win a series of contests in which she'll be placed in front of the Senate as a congratulation. She plans to wreak havoc and leave chaos in her wake.
This is part one of why I love Alka's character. Firstly, she's full of fury and I love that sort of hot, fiery woman. But she also has spunk. She's a loner by nature and trusts very few, but when her walls do come down, they come down HARD. She's scheming, out of control ball of anger and I just want to eat her up. She's also queer and I love all the romances that come along with it.
Oh, and the magic system is divine. When casting, wizards slip into the Null, where time slows to a crawl. In this snail-aced void, they carve Glyphs, the art of sketching spells in the air with their Loci, or wands. Every time this occurred, I thought of Frodo when he put on the ring. THERE IS NO LIFE IN THE VOID. ONLY DEATH. I couldn't help it.
Now, you're hearing all about magic and romance and thinking, this sounds like a fun read. But this book is wicked dark. There's a no-holds-barred competition and magic that is nowhere near as frilly and whimsical as you might think. We also have a dual timeline that gave us insight into Alka's past and how it shaped her into the person she is today. Her past is heartbreaking and violent, and it will tear at your heartstrings.
Overall, I liked this book. The plot hits all the marks: feisty protagonist, fast-paced and action-packed. I did want a bit more from the people around Alka especially the romances, but that didn't truly affect my rating. I had a great time reading this book. I'm pretty sure it took me so long to finish because I didn't want it to end. :D
Thank you NOVL for the arc!
After the death of her parents, young wizard Alka teams up a rebellion alongside her younger sister. There she learns the art of magic and schemes with them on how to take down the governing wizards who had suppressed and imprisoned them for far too long. Alka agrees to pose as a female wizard and infiltrates Blackwater, a school for wizards. There she meets your Draco sorts, and your Ron sorts and soon realizes the only way to get close to completing her mission is to win a series of contests in which she'll be placed in front of the Senate as a congratulation. She plans to wreak havoc and leave chaos in her wake.
This is part one of why I love Alka's character. Firstly, she's full of fury and I love that sort of hot, fiery woman. But she also has spunk. She's a loner by nature and trusts very few, but when her walls do come down, they come down HARD. She's scheming, out of control ball of anger and I just want to eat her up. She's also queer and I love all the romances that come along with it.
Oh, and the magic system is divine. When casting, wizards slip into the Null, where time slows to a crawl. In this snail-aced void, they carve Glyphs, the art of sketching spells in the air with their Loci, or wands. Every time this occurred, I thought of Frodo when he put on the ring. THERE IS NO LIFE IN THE VOID. ONLY DEATH. I couldn't help it.
Now, you're hearing all about magic and romance and thinking, this sounds like a fun read. But this book is wicked dark. There's a no-holds-barred competition and magic that is nowhere near as frilly and whimsical as you might think. We also have a dual timeline that gave us insight into Alka's past and how it shaped her into the person she is today. Her past is heartbreaking and violent, and it will tear at your heartstrings.
Overall, I liked this book. The plot hits all the marks: feisty protagonist, fast-paced and action-packed. I did want a bit more from the people around Alka especially the romances, but that didn't truly affect my rating. I had a great time reading this book. I'm pretty sure it took me so long to finish because I didn't want it to end. :D
Thank you NOVL for the arc!
July 6, 2021
Tohle je vykrádačka Harryho Pottera, co si neúspěšně hraje na Nikdynoc.
Chcete detaily? Tak tady to máte: Svět se dělí na „wizards“ a „humbles“ (ehm mudly), borka jde studovat kouzla do Blackwater Academy (ehm Bradavic), kam s dalšími prváky dorazí na lodi (bez Hagrida), po cestě potká holku z méně významné rodiny, se kterou se populární děcka nechcou kámošit (ehm Rona). Pak k ní přistoupí trojka populárních děcek a týpek jí nabídne, že se budou kámošit, že sama přece chápe, že jsou někteří víc důležití (ehm Draco) a ona ho pošle někam, že chce zůstat s Ronem. Dorazí do školy a všechno začíná velkou hostinou a proslovem ředitele (ehm Velká síň), pak se před ní objeví černé vejce, které ji zařadí do jednoho z pěti řádů (ehm kolejí). Jaké ty řády jsou, ptáte se? Jeden příklad za všechny: Třeba Selura, modrý havran reprezentuje moudrost a trpělivost (ehm Havraspár). Jednotlivé řády mezi sebou soupeří o body (ehm Školní pohár) ve třech výzvách, z nichž jedna je začarovaný labyrint (ehm Turnaj tří kouzelníků). No a pak je tam i něco jako McGonagallová, lidská verze Dobbyho, ředitel je zlej Brumbál a do toho jdou hlášky jako „máš oči po otci (Harry)“ a „otec (Lucius) vám všem ukáže“. Je to teda malinko drsnější než Potter, ale ne atmosférou, politikařením, intrikami a podrazy, ale tím, že tam nepěkně zavraždí pár lidí. Aspoň to má dobrou LGBTQ reprezentaci, to bylo fajn. Nakonec dávám 2 hvězdy za to, že jsem to dočetla.
Chcete detaily? Tak tady to máte: Svět se dělí na „wizards“ a „humbles“ (ehm mudly), borka jde studovat kouzla do Blackwater Academy (ehm Bradavic), kam s dalšími prváky dorazí na lodi (bez Hagrida), po cestě potká holku z méně významné rodiny, se kterou se populární děcka nechcou kámošit (ehm Rona). Pak k ní přistoupí trojka populárních děcek a týpek jí nabídne, že se budou kámošit, že sama přece chápe, že jsou někteří víc důležití (ehm Draco) a ona ho pošle někam, že chce zůstat s Ronem. Dorazí do školy a všechno začíná velkou hostinou a proslovem ředitele (ehm Velká síň), pak se před ní objeví černé vejce, které ji zařadí do jednoho z pěti řádů (ehm kolejí). Jaké ty řády jsou, ptáte se? Jeden příklad za všechny: Třeba Selura, modrý havran reprezentuje moudrost a trpělivost (ehm Havraspár). Jednotlivé řády mezi sebou soupeří o body (ehm Školní pohár) ve třech výzvách, z nichž jedna je začarovaný labyrint (ehm Turnaj tří kouzelníků). No a pak je tam i něco jako McGonagallová, lidská verze Dobbyho, ředitel je zlej Brumbál a do toho jdou hlášky jako „máš oči po otci (Harry)“ a „otec (Lucius) vám všem ukáže“. Je to teda malinko drsnější než Potter, ale ne atmosférou, politikařením, intrikami a podrazy, ale tím, že tam nepěkně zavraždí pár lidí. Aspoň to má dobrou LGBTQ reprezentaci, to bylo fajn. Nakonec dávám 2 hvězdy za to, že jsem to dočetla.
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December 8, 2020A really great alternative to that famous wizard school series! If you like magic and mayhem (and heroines who aren't afraid to GO THERE), check this out.
July 25, 2021
okay why is the main character's name Alka like Alka-Seltzer
This book is a bad combination of Harry Potter, the trials from School for Good and Evil, Hunger Games/ governments that separate people into classes.
It's not horrible, a lot of it is boring and/or doesn't make sense
Why did the headmaster dude kill her parents??? I don't think we ever get a definitive answer. It's set up to be a big grand reveal but there isn't really anything.
I like that the main character ends up in a sapphic relationship but it happens way too fast.
Alka will kill people and have no remorse for it at all, like the minute they die they leave her mind. She kills Marius's best friend and doesn't think anything of it and is completely devastated when he goes and kills her best friend like girl how do you think he feels????
All the characters were so one-dimensional
It makes me so mad how unprepared Alka was for going to Blackwater, she keeps asking questions about all the standard things everybody already knows about cause she was raised by a rebel group. Like girl, if you're infiltrating the most prestigious academy you should probably know everything about how it works so YOU CAN BLEND IN bc that's what you need to do. She mentions that she'd been training/preparing for the past 3 years to go to Blackwater, girl what the fuck were you doing for those 3 years cause you were completely unprepared. Alka's running around Blackwater like Jack when he gets to Christmas town, "what's this? what's this?" SHUT UP you are supposed to be an undercover spy.
ALSO if you are a rebel group plotting to overthrow the government you need to have people on the inside, which seems like a very simple concept but Whispers, the leader of the rebels and owner of the stupidest name ever is like "we don't work with wizards they'll betray us any chance they get". but when Alka gets to Blackwater, she's surprised that other people don't like the government and would like things to be changed even though they're wizards. How fucking stupid is this rebel group???? All it took was Alka talking to this dude to find out other people don't like the government, its not that fucking hard. Jesus christ BE SMARTER
Don't even get me started on how perfect Alka was with all the games and how she was able to outsmart them all even though SHE DIDNT DO ANY WORK it was all Mariana
This book is a bad combination of Harry Potter, the trials from School for Good and Evil, Hunger Games/ governments that separate people into classes.
It's not horrible, a lot of it is boring and/or doesn't make sense
Why did the headmaster dude kill her parents??? I don't think we ever get a definitive answer. It's set up to be a big grand reveal but there isn't really anything.
I like that the main character ends up in a sapphic relationship but it happens way too fast.
Alka will kill people and have no remorse for it at all, like the minute they die they leave her mind. She kills Marius's best friend and doesn't think anything of it and is completely devastated when he goes and kills her best friend like girl how do you think he feels????
All the characters were so one-dimensional
It makes me so mad how unprepared Alka was for going to Blackwater, she keeps asking questions about all the standard things everybody already knows about cause she was raised by a rebel group. Like girl, if you're infiltrating the most prestigious academy you should probably know everything about how it works so YOU CAN BLEND IN bc that's what you need to do. She mentions that she'd been training/preparing for the past 3 years to go to Blackwater, girl what the fuck were you doing for those 3 years cause you were completely unprepared. Alka's running around Blackwater like Jack when he gets to Christmas town, "what's this? what's this?" SHUT UP you are supposed to be an undercover spy.
ALSO if you are a rebel group plotting to overthrow the government you need to have people on the inside, which seems like a very simple concept but Whispers, the leader of the rebels and owner of the stupidest name ever is like "we don't work with wizards they'll betray us any chance they get". but when Alka gets to Blackwater, she's surprised that other people don't like the government and would like things to be changed even though they're wizards. How fucking stupid is this rebel group???? All it took was Alka talking to this dude to find out other people don't like the government, its not that fucking hard. Jesus christ BE SMARTER
Don't even get me started on how perfect Alka was with all the games and how she was able to outsmart them all even though SHE DIDNT DO ANY WORK it was all Mariana
December 6, 2021
Thank you to NOVL for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review! I really, really wanted to like this book, and I was so excited about the action-packed beginning. Then... well, it just became a Harry Potter knock-off. I mean, not only were the wizard students sorted into what were essentially houses, there were four houses in total. Three of these "not" houses had amazing reputations, while one was for the misfit students, so we'll call this house "Not Hufflepuff." Every school year, the students in this houses compete against each other for points, but Not Hufflepuff never wins, how sad.
Anyway, superspy Alka needs to lead Not Hufflepuff to victory because she's part of a rebel group that wants to destroy the government (the winners get to go on a special trip to wizard parliament, so Alka wants to win and then blow the place up). They've supposedly been training her to infiltrate this wizard school, but her training was terrible because she keeps asking stupid questions that would definitely have gotten her caught in about 20 seconds if anyone had been paying attention.
I'm sad that the magic system and techniques were so cool, because the plot itself and the ending were terrible. I don't get how we're supposed to root for a main character who . Alka really gives me Mary Sue vibes, since she's this perfect, brilliant student who everyone is in love with, and everything comes easy for her. She wasn't the badass that I was shown in the first few chapters, and that was a huge letdown for me. This book went from a potential favorite to a huge flop so quickly that I got whiplash.
Anyway, superspy Alka needs to lead Not Hufflepuff to victory because she's part of a rebel group that wants to destroy the government (the winners get to go on a special trip to wizard parliament, so Alka wants to win and then blow the place up). They've supposedly been training her to infiltrate this wizard school, but her training was terrible because she keeps asking stupid questions that would definitely have gotten her caught in about 20 seconds if anyone had been paying attention.
I'm sad that the magic system and techniques were so cool, because the plot itself and the ending were terrible. I don't get how we're supposed to root for a main character who . Alka really gives me Mary Sue vibes, since she's this perfect, brilliant student who everyone is in love with, and everything comes easy for her. She wasn't the badass that I was shown in the first few chapters, and that was a huge letdown for me. This book went from a potential favorite to a huge flop so quickly that I got whiplash.
November 21, 2021
What if Harry Potter just decided he WASN’T having it: The Book.
July 6, 2021
4.5 stars rounded up to 5
It Ends in Fire was just an awesome read. There's no other way to describe it. Alka Chelrazi goes undercover to the elite Wizarding school, Blackwater Academy with a singular mission: infiltration, win the great game, and then burn it to the ground in revenge for the deaths of her family. Alka must draw upon all the magic and cunning she has just to survive this cut-throat world filled with unpredictable magic, ambitious students who will stop at nothing to maintain their social status, bloody duels and elegant galas. Alka must go up against the oppressive elites of her society, but survival at this wizarding school may just cost her everything, including those she cares for most. I had a lot of fun cheering Alka on as she goes on her quest of rebellion and vengeance. The social inequities of the world of the Republic were infuriating and seeing Alka fight for what was right and kicking butt and taking names was thrilling. You can't help but root for her and her little band of misfits as they take on the power players of their school and society. Alka's righteous fury is a driving force behind this action-filled plot. I really liked the world of Blackwater and the dark academia feel of this book. Shvarts does a great job with pacing and spinning twists on the reader that they do not see coming. At least I didn't. I was thoroughly hooked on this book from beginning to end with its brutal stakes, wonderful characters and interesting magic system. It Ends In Fire is a heart-pounding roller coaster of a book, a wizarding school for modern readers filled with intrigue, danger and romance, one where one girl takes on a system and turns it upside down.
It Ends in Fire was just an awesome read. There's no other way to describe it. Alka Chelrazi goes undercover to the elite Wizarding school, Blackwater Academy with a singular mission: infiltration, win the great game, and then burn it to the ground in revenge for the deaths of her family. Alka must draw upon all the magic and cunning she has just to survive this cut-throat world filled with unpredictable magic, ambitious students who will stop at nothing to maintain their social status, bloody duels and elegant galas. Alka must go up against the oppressive elites of her society, but survival at this wizarding school may just cost her everything, including those she cares for most. I had a lot of fun cheering Alka on as she goes on her quest of rebellion and vengeance. The social inequities of the world of the Republic were infuriating and seeing Alka fight for what was right and kicking butt and taking names was thrilling. You can't help but root for her and her little band of misfits as they take on the power players of their school and society. Alka's righteous fury is a driving force behind this action-filled plot. I really liked the world of Blackwater and the dark academia feel of this book. Shvarts does a great job with pacing and spinning twists on the reader that they do not see coming. At least I didn't. I was thoroughly hooked on this book from beginning to end with its brutal stakes, wonderful characters and interesting magic system. It Ends In Fire is a heart-pounding roller coaster of a book, a wizarding school for modern readers filled with intrigue, danger and romance, one where one girl takes on a system and turns it upside down.
September 18, 2021
Absolutely fantastic. The books has a lot of negative feedback on here, but I suspect that’s a combination of slut shaming and homophobia. It was horrible to read the reviews on here. The book would easily be ten stars for me. I typically don’t read wlw fantasy fiction. It’s very difficult for me to find books that don’t understate wlw love. I loved this book, and the intensity and steam was perfect.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 million stars.
Full review is now posted to my book blog and it would mean the world to me if you looked at it and maybe showed some love ❤️😌
http://astudyinbooks.com/2021/09/17/a... 😏❤️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 million stars.
Full review is now posted to my book blog and it would mean the world to me if you looked at it and maybe showed some love ❤️😌
http://astudyinbooks.com/2021/09/17/a... 😏❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2021
This review will contain spoilers.
This book is a pretty mediocre YA magical school and revenge fantasy. It really read like a Harry Potter fanfiction crossed with the first book in Sara Maas’ Throne of Glass Series or maybe a bit more like Kiera Cass’ The Selection.
The heroine‘s motivations and actions were all over the place, which really made me dislike her character. This is one of those books where the heroine makes really dumb decisions because of her inability to control her emotions despite having been touted as having excellent control, etc.
It makes sense in a book like Cora Carmack’s Roar - it does not make sense in this book.
The specific example that made me just absolutely throw my hands up was when instead of playing the political game and “bending the knee” as would be appropriate for a well-trained spy, She decided to go full Arya and break character to get revenge. The smart thing to do given her mission was to have ingratiated herself and become a sycophant so that she could infiltrate even higher levels of wizard society. But she didn’t because of her female emotions or whatever. The author justified it a bit more later by putting in a few things about her impatient nature, etc. but...Yuck.
There were a lot of beats that were really clearly lifted from Harry Potter. And while I don’t mind fanfic homage, I think in this case it was actually detrimental to the story that was trying to be told. There was a lot crammed into this book and I really hope it doesn’t get a sequel because there wasn’t much left at the end.
I liked that it was Hogwarts with drinking and sex and murder. So if that seems like a fun time for you go for it. Also props for the open sexuality stuff. That was great. Honestly I really wish that Tallyn had been the main character.
This book really needed a better editor. There is in fact a chapter where one of the main character’s school house is just completely wrong for the whole chapter and then it goes back to it after that like the error hadn’t been in there.
I hope the author gets another chance to write but just not this character story. There’s a lot of potential here but I don’t think I would ever read this again.
This book is a pretty mediocre YA magical school and revenge fantasy. It really read like a Harry Potter fanfiction crossed with the first book in Sara Maas’ Throne of Glass Series or maybe a bit more like Kiera Cass’ The Selection.
The heroine‘s motivations and actions were all over the place, which really made me dislike her character. This is one of those books where the heroine makes really dumb decisions because of her inability to control her emotions despite having been touted as having excellent control, etc.
It makes sense in a book like Cora Carmack’s Roar - it does not make sense in this book.
The specific example that made me just absolutely throw my hands up was when instead of playing the political game and “bending the knee” as would be appropriate for a well-trained spy, She decided to go full Arya and break character to get revenge. The smart thing to do given her mission was to have ingratiated herself and become a sycophant so that she could infiltrate even higher levels of wizard society. But she didn’t because of her female emotions or whatever. The author justified it a bit more later by putting in a few things about her impatient nature, etc. but...Yuck.
There were a lot of beats that were really clearly lifted from Harry Potter. And while I don’t mind fanfic homage, I think in this case it was actually detrimental to the story that was trying to be told. There was a lot crammed into this book and I really hope it doesn’t get a sequel because there wasn’t much left at the end.
I liked that it was Hogwarts with drinking and sex and murder. So if that seems like a fun time for you go for it. Also props for the open sexuality stuff. That was great. Honestly I really wish that Tallyn had been the main character.
This book really needed a better editor. There is in fact a chapter where one of the main character’s school house is just completely wrong for the whole chapter and then it goes back to it after that like the error hadn’t been in there.
I hope the author gets another chance to write but just not this character story. There’s a lot of potential here but I don’t think I would ever read this again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2021
I saw someone else refer to this book with the description "...If Harry Potter were a girl and wanted to burn Hogwart's down...." I chuckled when I read it because, in my opinion, it was pretty spot on. For me, that's a good thing.
It Ends in Fire follows the main character, Alka Chelrazi as she infiltrates Blackwater Academy. It's an invitation-only school for wizards. Alka intends to work her way into the school and destroy it from within. She blames wizards for the death of her parents and several others that she loves. She is part of a group of resistance fighters and the only thing she has left is her thirst for vengeance.
Of course, along the way, she becomes attached to some of the other young wizards and realizes that they aren't all heartless killers. Still, she proceeds with her plan, albeit with some modifications here and there. But when it comes time to "burn it all down," will she still want to?
This was a wonderful fantasy novel with a solid storyline. The author also gives us well thought out characters. Some that the readers will love and others that you are most certainly meant to hate. There are also a few nice little twists to keep readers on their toes.
It was definitely the right time for me to read this book. I needed a nice fantasy escape and It Ends in Fire provided just that.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.
It Ends in Fire follows the main character, Alka Chelrazi as she infiltrates Blackwater Academy. It's an invitation-only school for wizards. Alka intends to work her way into the school and destroy it from within. She blames wizards for the death of her parents and several others that she loves. She is part of a group of resistance fighters and the only thing she has left is her thirst for vengeance.
Of course, along the way, she becomes attached to some of the other young wizards and realizes that they aren't all heartless killers. Still, she proceeds with her plan, albeit with some modifications here and there. But when it comes time to "burn it all down," will she still want to?
This was a wonderful fantasy novel with a solid storyline. The author also gives us well thought out characters. Some that the readers will love and others that you are most certainly meant to hate. There are also a few nice little twists to keep readers on their toes.
It was definitely the right time for me to read this book. I needed a nice fantasy escape and It Ends in Fire provided just that.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.
July 12, 2021
3,5 ✨
I liked this book, even though it was too short and fast. I loved Alka, her strength and her need of revenge, she was probably the only character I really appreciated.
The world building is amazing and the plot, even being common, was perfect. My problem remains the length and the way the author developed some things!
I liked this book, even though it was too short and fast. I loved Alka, her strength and her need of revenge, she was probably the only character I really appreciated.
The world building is amazing and the plot, even being common, was perfect. My problem remains the length and the way the author developed some things!
July 7, 2021
Read my full CAWPILE book review here!
I have to say I'm a little disappointed in this book. It was on my most anticipated book list but it didn't live up to my expectations. It Ends in Fire makes use of a lot of telling and not a lot of showing. The flashbacks really annoyed me and they completely broke the pacing. I didn't connect to any of the characters and there just wasn't enough substance to this one.
I will say that I adored the magic system. It is really inventive and creative. If anything, read this book for the magic system.
I got a review copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I have to say I'm a little disappointed in this book. It was on my most anticipated book list but it didn't live up to my expectations. It Ends in Fire makes use of a lot of telling and not a lot of showing. The flashbacks really annoyed me and they completely broke the pacing. I didn't connect to any of the characters and there just wasn't enough substance to this one.
I will say that I adored the magic system. It is really inventive and creative. If anything, read this book for the magic system.
I got a review copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
April 16, 2021
This book had a lot of promise for me, but there were elements of the book that didn't hold up well. Throughout the book it flips to now and then and for some reason, this didn't help my reading process with the book, and I didn't care for that style. Plus, the writing seemed to be more choppy with it. I thought I would really like Alka, but she was hard for me to connect to throughout the story. Sometimes, I felt for her and other times it was baffling the decisions she was making. The story was trying to be something similar to Harry Potter with a twist of other stories here and there, the problem is that when there's such a resemblance to an incredible story, it makes you think of the other story and compare. Tried not to compare to other books, but it didn't hold up well for me. Overall, it was a book with beautiful cover art but only an ok story attached, just not for me.
Thanks to NetGalley & Edelweiss for the ARC!
Thanks to NetGalley & Edelweiss for the ARC!
March 31, 2025
At first there was an obvious amount to similarities to HP, but it quickly turned into more along the lines of Fourth Wing's Basgiath academy.
Alka's in a wizarding world & enter's a wizard school under an alias.... with the only goal being to destroy the academy and the wizard government for what they did to her parents. There's a few unexpected romances that bring up the stakes.
I'd give this a 4.5, I'm somewhat annoyed at the resolution of her alias in the ending. I guess it would've been cliche, I was just hoping it would be a bigger factor earlier in the story.
Alka's in a wizarding world & enter's a wizard school under an alias.... with the only goal being to destroy the academy and the wizard government for what they did to her parents. There's a few unexpected romances that bring up the stakes.
I'd give this a 4.5, I'm somewhat annoyed at the resolution of her alias in the ending. I guess it would've been cliche, I was just hoping it would be a bigger factor earlier in the story.
Want to read
September 3, 2020Yep need this
December 30, 2021
How is this not being talked about??? This was extremely good and I devoured it in one day! What a great way to end 2021!
It starts off similarly to HP - murder of parents, orphaned girl goes to wizard academy, sorted into Orders. But what makes this so much better is her mission and infiltration of a corrupt system that starts off with the aim of revenge but soon turns into a journey to justice. Alka’s adventure starts off with a bang and ends literally with a bang and as titled, in fire. There was never a dull moment in the story, the pacing was great and the world building with magic realism was epic.
Highly recommend to any HP fan who wanted more!!
It starts off similarly to HP - murder of parents, orphaned girl goes to wizard academy, sorted into Orders. But what makes this so much better is her mission and infiltration of a corrupt system that starts off with the aim of revenge but soon turns into a journey to justice. Alka’s adventure starts off with a bang and ends literally with a bang and as titled, in fire. There was never a dull moment in the story, the pacing was great and the world building with magic realism was epic.
Highly recommend to any HP fan who wanted more!!
November 3, 2023
Das Buch gefällt mir. Der Vibe ist düster, der Einstieg leicht, die Story gut strukturiert. Der Schreibstil hat mir auch gefallen, vor allem mochte ich aber die zeitlichen Sprünge zwischen den Kapiteln mit den Rückblicken. Dadurch hat man ein besseres Gefühl für die Protagonistin entwickelt. Die Geschichte finde ich gut, wirklich gut, aber nicht überragend. Ich mag das Magie System und die Art wie wir mehr über die Welt und ihren Aufbau erfahren. Jedoch finde ich auch dass die Möglichkeiten nicht vollkommen ausgeschöpft worden sind. Mir gefällt die Idee mit der Rebellion, den verschiedenen Hierarchien und dem Großen Spiel. Denn dadurch gab es viele interessante Momente, welche der Geschichte viel Spannung eingebracht haben. Die Charaktere haben mir auch sehr gut gefallen. Sie sind sehr spannend und besonders vielfältig. Die Protagonistin hat mir dabei am besten gefallen, da sie sowohl Stärken als auch Schwächen hat. Ich finde auch die Love Interest sehr schön ausgearbeitet. Vor allem mag ich dabei wie fließend der Übergang von Interest 1 zu Interest 2 ist. Überraschen konnte mich die Geschichte auch einige Male. Denn es kam immer wieder zu unvorhersehbaren Wendungen, welche die Geschichte sehr abwechslungsreich gestaltet haben. Das Ende ist sehr spannend und total spektakulär. Jedoch hätte ich mir mehr vom Epilog gewünscht. Dieser war nämlich sehr offen, was einerseits gut ist für die eigene Fantasie, andererseits hätte ich aber gerne noch mehr zu ihren nächsten Schritten erfahren wollen. Insgesamt betrachtet war dieses Buch sehr spannend und besonders düster, weshalb das Buch 4,5 Herzen von mir bekommt.
September 3, 2023
Mia aus Nevernight geht nach Hogwarts.
Ich liebs!
In keinem Moment hat es sich wie eine Kopie von einer der Buchreihen angefühlt sondern war eine eigenständige Geschichte.
Es ist Brutal, lustig und düster und mein Herz wurde gebrochen.
Was mich ein bisschen gestört hat sind zwei Dinge, die nicht genug erklärt wurden aber ansonsten ist es eine absolute Leseempfehlung!
Ich liebs!
In keinem Moment hat es sich wie eine Kopie von einer der Buchreihen angefühlt sondern war eine eigenständige Geschichte.
Es ist Brutal, lustig und düster und mein Herz wurde gebrochen.
Was mich ein bisschen gestört hat sind zwei Dinge, die nicht genug erklärt wurden aber ansonsten ist es eine absolute Leseempfehlung!
October 24, 2023
Das Setting des düsteren Internats, der gewalttätigen Spiele und den Charakteren von Gut und Böse erinnert einen wirklich extrem an Harry Potter, Tribute von Panem und The School for Good and Evil.
Alka empfand ich als sehr gewaltbereiten Charakter. Dennoch hatte sie öfter die Möglichkeit wirklich zu zeigen, was sie kann. Hinter ihrem großen Gerede stecken auch viele Taten.
Blackwater Academy hatte, wie andere Bücher auch, ihre Schüler in Gruppen eingeteilt. Jede Gruppe hasst sich erst mal grundsätzlich, aber muss bei bestimmten Aufgaben zusammenarbeiten. Dort war es ganz spannend, wie Alka alle Gruppen irgendwie austricksen konnte ☺️
Leider hat mich das Gefühlsdreieck von Alka ein wenig angestrengt, da gleich zu Beginn für mich relativ klar war, wer deutlich besser zu ihr passt😂
Das Ende empfand ich als sehr unzureichend, da viele Fragen offen geblieben sind. Letztendlich dachte ich auch, dass Alka noch mal einen Charakter antrifft - aber nein, leider nichts.
Das Buch kann man definitiv lesen, wenn man nicht zuuu hohe Erwartungen hat ✨🤍
Alka empfand ich als sehr gewaltbereiten Charakter. Dennoch hatte sie öfter die Möglichkeit wirklich zu zeigen, was sie kann. Hinter ihrem großen Gerede stecken auch viele Taten.
Blackwater Academy hatte, wie andere Bücher auch, ihre Schüler in Gruppen eingeteilt. Jede Gruppe hasst sich erst mal grundsätzlich, aber muss bei bestimmten Aufgaben zusammenarbeiten. Dort war es ganz spannend, wie Alka alle Gruppen irgendwie austricksen konnte ☺️
Leider hat mich das Gefühlsdreieck von Alka ein wenig angestrengt, da gleich zu Beginn für mich relativ klar war, wer deutlich besser zu ihr passt😂
Das Ende empfand ich als sehr unzureichend, da viele Fragen offen geblieben sind. Letztendlich dachte ich auch, dass Alka noch mal einen Charakter antrifft - aber nein, leider nichts.
Das Buch kann man definitiv lesen, wenn man nicht zuuu hohe Erwartungen hat ✨🤍
December 25, 2024
4⭐
Insgesamt eine sehr coole und spannende Geschichte, an manchen Stellen war es mir leider ein bisschen zu unausführlich, da hätte ich mir lieber eine Dilogie anstatt eines Einzelbandes gewünscht.
Insgesamt eine sehr coole und spannende Geschichte, an manchen Stellen war es mir leider ein bisschen zu unausführlich, da hätte ich mir lieber eine Dilogie anstatt eines Einzelbandes gewünscht.
September 21, 2021
4/5 stars. a lot of plot holes and unanswered questions, plotline was predictable, romance bordered on being insta-love...
but somehow hooked me nonetheless and i couldn't put it down. i guess i'm a sucker for angry heroines who just want to see the world burn for the sake of the girls they love.
but somehow hooked me nonetheless and i couldn't put it down. i guess i'm a sucker for angry heroines who just want to see the world burn for the sake of the girls they love.
July 1, 2021
IT ENDS IN FIRE is an engaging YA fantasy with magic, politics, and rebellion. Alka lives in the Marovian Republic, a place ruled by Wizards, where Humbles, or those without magic, live in eternal servitude at the whims of the Wizards in power. For harming a Wizard, even if by accident, they could be sentenced to death. Ever since Alka's parents were killed by a wizard when she was 7, she has been working with the Humble rebellion to find ways to destroy the current system.
Their careful planning has led to Alka killing and replacing a young woman traveling to the most elite Wizard boarding school, Blackwater Academy, where only some will survive and go on to rule the Republic. As a plant, she is sent to sow chaos and destroy as many Wizards as she can. Once on the island, she begins to see the other side of society, how the Wizards life and their infighting, as well as the way they treat the Humbles around them, born into a servitude they will never escape.
At the school, Alka begins to form her own plans for how she will take down the society that oppresses so many and killed her parents. If anyone stands in her way, Alka is prepared to destroy them.
What I loved: The world-building here was really fascinating, and I particularly loved this Wizard school (it rivals the other famous wizard school with the pageantry, designs, and classes). The school has a competition between the Orders or groupings of students that soon takes over the plot, and it is through these dangerous games that we see the cracks in the Wizard society. The politics were interesting within the Republic, as well as in the neighboring kingdom, whose prince is attending the school. Magic is not a born quality, but one that is given by the governments. This privilege and control of power is a central theme in the book.
Other themes around this power, control, and the use of magic were interesting. Magic has many rules here in terms of how it can be crafted and what it can be used for. The user must create a specific rune (and correctly) to use magic, and it is not whimsical. It boils down to training and knowledge that make a great wizard, something which can also be controlled by governments and those with power.
I found the dual timelines to be really intriguing, showing the reader her past and the things that led up to the present. We meet her sister and learn more about the rebellion through these peeks into her history. Alka has been treated as a tool in many ways, and during this time away, she also begins to develop into her own person, making this in some ways, a coming-of-age story.
This ends up being a pretty dark read. Alka has been trained as a soldier in many ways, and her mindset is to allow no lives to stand in the way of her goals. As such, her connections to others are somewhat tenuous, and there are some really difficult scenes. It does also make other characters feel more distant, and we do not get to know them as well as I would like, but this made sense with who Alka was. She is driven by a need for revenge and destruction.
What left me wanting more: A major theme is around Humbles and the way they are treated by the Wizards. Alka is seen as "different" because of her raising and as part of the Humbles rebellion. However, there is only one Humble servant (if you can call them servants) that she bothers to defend or even ask the name of. She is not so different from the others after all. She sees the suffering, but she does not directly connect or try to help (I suppose her mission would ultimately help). As a small point, the romances did not entirely speak to me, perhaps because they did not speak so much to Alka. She is busy hiding herself and unable to fully connect. Once she does connect more, I felt that I needed more on the page of the build-up to fully buy in.
Final verdict: Overall, IT ENDS IN FIRE was an intriguing YA fantasy read that will appeal to wizarding fans. Recommend for fans of CRAVE, BEYOND THE RUBY VEIL, and VAMPIRE ACADEMY.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Their careful planning has led to Alka killing and replacing a young woman traveling to the most elite Wizard boarding school, Blackwater Academy, where only some will survive and go on to rule the Republic. As a plant, she is sent to sow chaos and destroy as many Wizards as she can. Once on the island, she begins to see the other side of society, how the Wizards life and their infighting, as well as the way they treat the Humbles around them, born into a servitude they will never escape.
At the school, Alka begins to form her own plans for how she will take down the society that oppresses so many and killed her parents. If anyone stands in her way, Alka is prepared to destroy them.
What I loved: The world-building here was really fascinating, and I particularly loved this Wizard school (it rivals the other famous wizard school with the pageantry, designs, and classes). The school has a competition between the Orders or groupings of students that soon takes over the plot, and it is through these dangerous games that we see the cracks in the Wizard society. The politics were interesting within the Republic, as well as in the neighboring kingdom, whose prince is attending the school. Magic is not a born quality, but one that is given by the governments. This privilege and control of power is a central theme in the book.
Other themes around this power, control, and the use of magic were interesting. Magic has many rules here in terms of how it can be crafted and what it can be used for. The user must create a specific rune (and correctly) to use magic, and it is not whimsical. It boils down to training and knowledge that make a great wizard, something which can also be controlled by governments and those with power.
I found the dual timelines to be really intriguing, showing the reader her past and the things that led up to the present. We meet her sister and learn more about the rebellion through these peeks into her history. Alka has been treated as a tool in many ways, and during this time away, she also begins to develop into her own person, making this in some ways, a coming-of-age story.
This ends up being a pretty dark read. Alka has been trained as a soldier in many ways, and her mindset is to allow no lives to stand in the way of her goals. As such, her connections to others are somewhat tenuous, and there are some really difficult scenes. It does also make other characters feel more distant, and we do not get to know them as well as I would like, but this made sense with who Alka was. She is driven by a need for revenge and destruction.
What left me wanting more: A major theme is around Humbles and the way they are treated by the Wizards. Alka is seen as "different" because of her raising and as part of the Humbles rebellion. However, there is only one Humble servant (if you can call them servants) that she bothers to defend or even ask the name of. She is not so different from the others after all. She sees the suffering, but she does not directly connect or try to help (I suppose her mission would ultimately help). As a small point, the romances did not entirely speak to me, perhaps because they did not speak so much to Alka. She is busy hiding herself and unable to fully connect. Once she does connect more, I felt that I needed more on the page of the build-up to fully buy in.
Final verdict: Overall, IT ENDS IN FIRE was an intriguing YA fantasy read that will appeal to wizarding fans. Recommend for fans of CRAVE, BEYOND THE RUBY VEIL, and VAMPIRE ACADEMY.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
January 6, 2022
I think forgetting that you actually started something is just as good a reason as any to not actually finish it.
I had super-high hopes for this, because the concept not only seemed freaking cool, but the cover art was bomb (I knooooow don't judge me) and I'm a huge Choices app fan, which this author also writes for.
The major turn-off for this book was that it seemed more concerned with being a massive middle finger to JK Rowling and her terfism than it did with actually being an interesting and engaging story. And honestly, following Andrew Shvarts's Twitter feed, especially in the immediate aftermath of JKR's grand coming out as anti-trans, it's obvious that he was gunning for her and really wanting to stick it to her big time. Not saying it's not justified, but if you're gonna come for somebody, best come prepared with your big guns. This book is not a big gun. It's a slingshot. With a teeny tiny pebble in it.
Lest you think I'm being petty, it's conversations like the one in Chapter 5 where Alka's sexual preferences are trotted out with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer through balsa wood that make it uncomfortably obvious. I have no issues with bisexuality or homosexuality in books (I grew up reading and loving Anne Rice, ffs, though when I'm reading romance I prefer strictly the cis/hetero variety since I'm a self-inserter), but knowing that JKR caught major heat for revealing Dumbledore's secret homosexuality after the fact, and otherwise not having any overtly non-cis/hetero relationships in the series, I could practically see the gears turning in the author's head that boy oh boy, is he gonna show JKR how it's done in the 21st century. It just came off as so juvenile.
Say what you want about JKR, her terfism (I'm still not able to reconcile it with the fact that she is otherwise so publicly supportive of minority causes), her obvious homophobic tendencies (because unless you put it up on a billboard, tweet it for the world to see, or publish it in size 42 font, it's a total lie and you're pandering), but she can write, she can construct plot, and drive narrative like it is literally nobody's business. I could sit here and say til I'm blue in the face that Dumbledore's sexuality was not central to the story so why bother mentioning it (but once you find out it's so interesting to see all the other mentions of history and past click into place, which makes it obvious that, yes, she wrote him as gay the entire time), but I'd be wasting my breath, to be frank. I'm not defending her, mind you, because that does need to be mentioned, but there is a definite trend of people being unwilling to see in anything other than black and white so it's not really worth explaining.
I guess what I'm really trying to get at is that if you're going to set out to write a wizard school opus that is more inclusive and open and modern and in obvious answer to she-who-will-no-longer-be-named, then please write something better than this. Overall I found it boring, derivative, and painfully unnuanced. JKR might be a terf, but she's a terf that knows how to write and craft an engaging story. I wasn't a fan of the Simon Snow stuff, but I can acknowledge that it did things the right way (i.e. Simon was just Simon who loved Baz and not SIMON WHO IS VERY OBVIOUSLY AND OPENLY GAY).
There's better stuff out there if you're looking for something inclusive with a magical bent.
I had super-high hopes for this, because the concept not only seemed freaking cool, but the cover art was bomb (I knooooow don't judge me) and I'm a huge Choices app fan, which this author also writes for.
The major turn-off for this book was that it seemed more concerned with being a massive middle finger to JK Rowling and her terfism than it did with actually being an interesting and engaging story. And honestly, following Andrew Shvarts's Twitter feed, especially in the immediate aftermath of JKR's grand coming out as anti-trans, it's obvious that he was gunning for her and really wanting to stick it to her big time. Not saying it's not justified, but if you're gonna come for somebody, best come prepared with your big guns. This book is not a big gun. It's a slingshot. With a teeny tiny pebble in it.
Lest you think I'm being petty, it's conversations like the one in Chapter 5 where Alka's sexual preferences are trotted out with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer through balsa wood that make it uncomfortably obvious. I have no issues with bisexuality or homosexuality in books (I grew up reading and loving Anne Rice, ffs, though when I'm reading romance I prefer strictly the cis/hetero variety since I'm a self-inserter), but knowing that JKR caught major heat for revealing Dumbledore's secret homosexuality after the fact, and otherwise not having any overtly non-cis/hetero relationships in the series, I could practically see the gears turning in the author's head that boy oh boy, is he gonna show JKR how it's done in the 21st century. It just came off as so juvenile.
Say what you want about JKR, her terfism (I'm still not able to reconcile it with the fact that she is otherwise so publicly supportive of minority causes), her obvious homophobic tendencies (because unless you put it up on a billboard, tweet it for the world to see, or publish it in size 42 font, it's a total lie and you're pandering), but she can write, she can construct plot, and drive narrative like it is literally nobody's business. I could sit here and say til I'm blue in the face that Dumbledore's sexuality was not central to the story so why bother mentioning it (but once you find out it's so interesting to see all the other mentions of history and past click into place, which makes it obvious that, yes, she wrote him as gay the entire time), but I'd be wasting my breath, to be frank. I'm not defending her, mind you, because that does need to be mentioned, but there is a definite trend of people being unwilling to see in anything other than black and white so it's not really worth explaining.
I guess what I'm really trying to get at is that if you're going to set out to write a wizard school opus that is more inclusive and open and modern and in obvious answer to she-who-will-no-longer-be-named, then please write something better than this. Overall I found it boring, derivative, and painfully unnuanced. JKR might be a terf, but she's a terf that knows how to write and craft an engaging story. I wasn't a fan of the Simon Snow stuff, but I can acknowledge that it did things the right way (i.e. Simon was just Simon who loved Baz and not SIMON WHO IS VERY OBVIOUSLY AND OPENLY GAY).
There's better stuff out there if you're looking for something inclusive with a magical bent.
September 26, 2021
I had such high hopes for this book but it fell flat for me. It was ok. It really reminded me of Harry Potter and I’m already not the biggest fan of HP so that was meh. There some parallels between the two stories and that was kind of disappointing. The premise of the book was cool. But it didn’t go the way I would’ve liked it to go. I will say though that this book does have Bisexual representation through the main character. That was nice to see. Otherwise this was just an ok read.
August 1, 2021
File under: This really needed to be two books instead of one. So many good ideas left skeletal or glossed over.
September 18, 2021
I picked up this book the other day at Barnes & Noble on a whim, just based off of the desire for something new in my life. The book's casual diversity caught me off guard and I've never been happier with a random book choice in my life. That being said it did leave something to be desired, I ended the book wishing there had been more of an explanation of the magic system (don't get it twisted it was a magic system I thoroughly enjoyed) and the book skips forward in time a bit more often than I would have hoped. Really though it only makes sense that the author handled the story this way, I imagine the book would have become a bit unwieldy and had too much filler if he hadn't.
Additionally my copy of the book has a pretty severe editing error around chapter 29? Regarding the Order that a character belongs to at the school. (It's meant to say Javellos but it says Zartan, 3 or more times)
Additionally my copy of the book has a pretty severe editing error around chapter 29? Regarding the Order that a character belongs to at the school. (It's meant to say Javellos but it says Zartan, 3 or more times)
July 26, 2021
I have started this book about 4 times and I just cannot get into it. I have spent close to 5 hours reading it and I am only 130 pages in. Even after jumping ahead the book does not interest me. The premise sounded interesting and the cover drew me in but the writing was just not doing it for me. It feels very dull and the narrator is boring. There was nothing to draw me in or connect ms to the main character. I would say this was a decent idea poorly executed.
September 22, 2021
Rating: 4.8/5.0
WOAH.
To be honest, this book is probably more of a 4-star instead of a 5-star, but I highly enjoyed it and though there were a few things I wasn't sure about, I'm still adding that extra star.
Back to the WOAH.
Like a cross of Harry Potter meeting Throne of Glass (and other things, I think, but these were the main ones), It Ends in Fire presents the story of a girl whose parents are dead, was killed in front of her, she is magic, and is infiltrating a school of other Wizards to get her revenge.
I personally was a huge fan of the writing style. I liked that Alka went into Blackwater Academy almost completely blind - just like the readers were. It led to the author being able to "show" us the story and the history instead of Alka trying to "tell" us by mentally thinking up history and facts.
I wish some things were explained a little more, like the Locis or the family Houses or how things lined up in the Senate because then things would have made just a little bit more sense.
The plot was constantly in motion. It had lots of high stakes and kill-or-be-killed hunter/prey moments, and I was here for it. Alka does tend to forget herself more times than to be expected from someone trained to infiltrate this castle for most of her life, which gained a negative point from me. She has a few inconsistencies to her character - she feels remorse for some people but none for others, she likes this plan but rejects another though it's kind of the same, and she loses her cool more than she should. I understand her first slip-up in the dining hall the first night, but after that, I forget what the explanation was but she needed to chill out a few times.
Looking back, some of the characters were a little flat. Alka clearly has her motivations and her goal, as well as room for growth, but there's not much change in most of the other characters other than to keep pushing Alka forwards.
The ending wrapped up a little too neatly and a little too sweetly for me. Halfway through, I was very concerned there was a sequel and kept checking to make sure I didn't have to place anything else on hold. Now, I would have gladly waited for another book - or, honestly, just read this one but with a bunch of extra pages - so the end has the same pacing and buildup as the rest. It went too quickly, like bing-bang-boom, friends good, love interest good, Alka gooood. And I wanted more.
There are a lot of good books featuring a corrupt government with a rebel uprising, and I think It Ends in Fire was one of them. It also had a lot of lines that were good and gave me a thrill when I read them at the time.
WOAH.
To be honest, this book is probably more of a 4-star instead of a 5-star, but I highly enjoyed it and though there were a few things I wasn't sure about, I'm still adding that extra star.
Back to the WOAH.
Like a cross of Harry Potter meeting Throne of Glass (and other things, I think, but these were the main ones), It Ends in Fire presents the story of a girl whose parents are dead, was killed in front of her, she is magic, and is infiltrating a school of other Wizards to get her revenge.
I personally was a huge fan of the writing style. I liked that Alka went into Blackwater Academy almost completely blind - just like the readers were. It led to the author being able to "show" us the story and the history instead of Alka trying to "tell" us by mentally thinking up history and facts.
I wish some things were explained a little more, like the Locis or the family Houses or how things lined up in the Senate because then things would have made just a little bit more sense.
The plot was constantly in motion. It had lots of high stakes and kill-or-be-killed hunter/prey moments, and I was here for it. Alka does tend to forget herself more times than to be expected from someone trained to infiltrate this castle for most of her life, which gained a negative point from me. She has a few inconsistencies to her character - she feels remorse for some people but none for others, she likes this plan but rejects another though it's kind of the same, and she loses her cool more than she should. I understand her first slip-up in the dining hall the first night, but after that, I forget what the explanation was but she needed to chill out a few times.
Looking back, some of the characters were a little flat. Alka clearly has her motivations and her goal, as well as room for growth, but there's not much change in most of the other characters other than to keep pushing Alka forwards.
The ending wrapped up a little too neatly and a little too sweetly for me. Halfway through, I was very concerned there was a sequel and kept checking to make sure I didn't have to place anything else on hold. Now, I would have gladly waited for another book - or, honestly, just read this one but with a bunch of extra pages - so the end has the same pacing and buildup as the rest. It went too quickly, like bing-bang-boom, friends good, love interest good, Alka gooood. And I wanted more.
There are a lot of good books featuring a corrupt government with a rebel uprising, and I think It Ends in Fire was one of them. It also had a lot of lines that were good and gave me a thrill when I read them at the time.
November 1, 2022
This book was described as “if Harry Potter grew up knowing Voldemort killed his parents so he practiced magic for revenge” and that’s 100% accurate. It was also 100% very great. I give this a 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 (GOODREADS GIVE ME HALF STARS OR GIVE ME DEATH). I took off the .5 only because it wrapped up very quickly and I think this very easily could’ve been a series. The world-building was there, the action, the politics… everything was set up to become a saga. Only giving us one little book with these characters was cruel. But at the same time, thank you for giving us this book because it was fantastically entertaining.
The writing was wonderful and there was never a down moment. I was captivated by the flashbacks and the intelligence behind the scheming. The way the then/now parts came together at the end to propel Alka forward felt natural and true to character the whole way through. I recommend this to any fantasy lover because I think you’ll truly enjoy it!
Read if:
-you like the Red Rising, The Hunger Games, or Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
-enjoy a focused, murderous MC
-appreciate a setup that pans out well
**spoiler starts here
Like I said, I loved the flashbacks and how they tied in with her plotting revenge and actually following through. I love that she didn’t lose sight of her mission and stayed on course the whole time. The “I was 17 when I rigged my first game” was so great. I loved the action first and then going back to show how she set everything up. It gave me a bit of The Inheritance Games vibes as well just because of the games/riddle aspect of it.
Her affairs with Talyn and Marlena were very well written and I love that she knew when to break things off with Talyn. Their honesty in their individual schemes and saying when the time comes, they’ll be on their own was really refreshing. Then the twist that Marlena was actually the Humble that Sera saved earlier was a great twist/connection and I appreciated that she found her happiness and peace with her. Giving her something to fight FOR instead of just revenge helped lift the ending instead of making it bittersweet with her standing on a pile of ashes alone.
I absolutely want there to be a sequel because I will 100% read it!!
The writing was wonderful and there was never a down moment. I was captivated by the flashbacks and the intelligence behind the scheming. The way the then/now parts came together at the end to propel Alka forward felt natural and true to character the whole way through. I recommend this to any fantasy lover because I think you’ll truly enjoy it!
Read if:
-you like the Red Rising, The Hunger Games, or Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
-enjoy a focused, murderous MC
-appreciate a setup that pans out well
**spoiler starts here
Like I said, I loved the flashbacks and how they tied in with her plotting revenge and actually following through. I love that she didn’t lose sight of her mission and stayed on course the whole time. The “I was 17 when I rigged my first game” was so great. I loved the action first and then going back to show how she set everything up. It gave me a bit of The Inheritance Games vibes as well just because of the games/riddle aspect of it.
Her affairs with Talyn and Marlena were very well written and I love that she knew when to break things off with Talyn. Their honesty in their individual schemes and saying when the time comes, they’ll be on their own was really refreshing. Then the twist that Marlena was actually the Humble that Sera saved earlier was a great twist/connection and I appreciated that she found her happiness and peace with her. Giving her something to fight FOR instead of just revenge helped lift the ending instead of making it bittersweet with her standing on a pile of ashes alone.
I absolutely want there to be a sequel because I will 100% read it!!
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July 20, 2021“When a game is rigged, there’s only one way to win… Break the game.”
Blackwater Academy is the most exclusive school in the Republic. It’s the place where the ruling class of wizards learn their trade. Alka Chelrazi is a member of an underground rebel group that sent her on a mission to infiltrate the Blackwater Academy, gain the wizards’ trust, and burn their society to the ground. Once she arrives, Alka learns that status is everything, the students have agendas of their own, and she can no longer ignore her past. Though Alka attempts to use her rebel training to complete her goals, she discovers she can’t complete her mission alone. Self-sufficient Alka will have to let down her walls and make allies in order to start her rebellion.
Even with a beautifully written story and wonderfully complex main character, I found this book extremely disappointing. Andrew Shvarts’ unique voice was the best part of the novel. His style is both articulate and conversational, and I felt like I could hear Alka’s voice as I read. Alka’s character is funny, sharp, and feisty, and despite my issues with the story, I kept reading to discover more of her personal journey and development. Though she begins as a loner, she learns how to be vulnerable and trust those around her.
My main issue with this book was the plot. I was shocked with how similar it was to J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. The setting was a wizarding school housed in a castle, the students were sorted into houses based on personality, and the main character competes in a competition that is eerily similar to the Triwizard Tournament. I found this extremely distracting because as I read, I was counting the similarities to other YA books. Because of Shvarts’ wonderful writing skills and courageous main character, I was sad to find that the story was subpar and unoriginal.
Content Warning: Fire, character death, violence, sex, assault, and emotional abuse
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Blackwater Academy is the most exclusive school in the Republic. It’s the place where the ruling class of wizards learn their trade. Alka Chelrazi is a member of an underground rebel group that sent her on a mission to infiltrate the Blackwater Academy, gain the wizards’ trust, and burn their society to the ground. Once she arrives, Alka learns that status is everything, the students have agendas of their own, and she can no longer ignore her past. Though Alka attempts to use her rebel training to complete her goals, she discovers she can’t complete her mission alone. Self-sufficient Alka will have to let down her walls and make allies in order to start her rebellion.
Even with a beautifully written story and wonderfully complex main character, I found this book extremely disappointing. Andrew Shvarts’ unique voice was the best part of the novel. His style is both articulate and conversational, and I felt like I could hear Alka’s voice as I read. Alka’s character is funny, sharp, and feisty, and despite my issues with the story, I kept reading to discover more of her personal journey and development. Though she begins as a loner, she learns how to be vulnerable and trust those around her.
My main issue with this book was the plot. I was shocked with how similar it was to J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. The setting was a wizarding school housed in a castle, the students were sorted into houses based on personality, and the main character competes in a competition that is eerily similar to the Triwizard Tournament. I found this extremely distracting because as I read, I was counting the similarities to other YA books. Because of Shvarts’ wonderful writing skills and courageous main character, I was sad to find that the story was subpar and unoriginal.
Content Warning: Fire, character death, violence, sex, assault, and emotional abuse
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @pinereadsreview and check out our website at www.pinereadsreview.com for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!
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