Cast in firelight by Dana Swift- Book Tour by TBR and Beyond Tours

Hello and Welcome to my stop for the Cast in firelight Book Tour, organized by TBR and beyond Tours. Thank you so much for this opportunity!

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publishing date: January 19th, 2021

The first book in an epic, heart-pounding fantasy duology about two royal heirs betrothed to be married, but whose loyalties are torn, and a ruthless enemy who threatens their world, perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Hafsah Faizal, and Renée Ahdieh.

Adraa is the royal heir of Belwar, a talented witch on the cusp of taking her royal ceremony test, and a girl who just wants to prove her worth to her people.

Jatin is the royal heir to Naupure, a competitive wizard who’s mastered all nine colors of magic, and a boy anxious to return home for the first time since he was a child.

Together, their arranged marriage will unite two of Wickery’s most powerful kingdoms. But after years of rivalry from afar, Adraa and Jatin only agree on one thing: their reunion will be anything but sweet.

Only, destiny has other plans and with the criminal underbelly of Belwar suddenly making a move for control, their paths cross…and neither realizes who the other is, adopting separate secret identities instead.

Between dodging deathly spells and keeping their true selves hidden, the pair must learn to put their trust in the other if either is to uncover the real threat. Now Wickery’s fate is in the hands of rivals..? Fiancées..? Partners..? Whatever they are, it’s complicated and bound for greatness or destruction.

Thank you so much, Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review of my most anticipated books in 2021!

Adraa is the royal heir of Belwar, she’s a talented witch and she will take her royal cerimony test before all the nine Gods to become a rani. She’s engaged, since she was a child, to Jatin, the royal heir to Naupure, a competitive wizard, able to use all nine colors of magic.
Their relationship isn’t the best. They lived separated, since Jatin was sent abroad to study and Adraa tutored at home, their relationship is made of taunting and competitions and neither of them is enthusiastic to see one other, when, at the start of the book, Jatin comes home.
But while investigating the criminal underground, their paths cross and neither of them realize who the other is, since they are using secret identities. Between magic fights, deadly spells, both Adraa and Jatin keep their real identities secret, but their relationship become more and more intense and important and they will have to trust one other to uncover their truths and a dangerous threat, ready to destroy everything they care for.

Cast in firelight is the first book of a intense and heart-pounding fantasy duology, about two royal heirs betrothed to be married and a ruthless enemy, willing to use and destroy their world.
This book is unbelievably amazing and the worldbuilding is wonderfully crafted. Set in a fantasy world, where people believe in nine gods and some are blessed by their powers, so they can use healing magic, or fighting magic, fire, water, ice and so on. They can cast in nine different colors, each connected to a type of magic and a deity. Jatin can use all kind of magic and Adraa is training to be a worthy leader for her country, by mastering all nine types.
The political situation is pretty complex, since each country has its own beliefs about gods and goddesses, their worth and the people’s worth, causing discriminations and problems. In Belwar and Naupure our main characters have to fight against a dangerous drug, lies and subterfuges and more manipulations, too.

The story is told by Adraa’s and Jatin’s POVs and they are amazing main characters, complex and well written. Adraa is a brilliant young woman, a powerful witch determined to prove her worth to her family and country (and to herself). She’s strong-willed and passionate about the things and people she loves and she’s anxious about her ceremony and to prove herself.
Jatin is a strong wizard, seen by Adraa as an arrogant and cold young man, the truth is much more complex and he’s anxious to return to home after being away for so many years to study, uncertain about his relationship with his own father and confused about that with Adraa. Their relationship is complex, since it was made of taunts and competitions, fighting to surpass one other while they were growing up. Now that they are both adults everything is different and it won’t be easy to get past their first assumptions about one other.

I really loved the way they get to know one other, throught their secret identities, investigating the criminal underworld, fighting with deadly spells, risking their own lives, building their trust. The criminal underground is really intriguing, with its complexity, the magic fights, drugs and mysteries. Wonderful. A mystery woven into a romance and a fantasy novel.

Cast in firelight is full of plot twists, well written main and side characters. I absolutely loved Kalyan, Riya and Prisha and Maharaja Naupure, whose relationship with Adraa is build on trust and affection and the plot touches important themes like discrimination, addiction, drugs, war, murder, violence and lies.

It’s not a “simple” story about two heir, forced into an arranged marriage, but a story about fighting to discover the truth, protect their countries, prove his and her own worth, trust, family and friendship.
I loved reading Cast in firelight and I devoured it in less than a day! The story is intriguing, the characters’ interactions are brilliant and funny and the way they slowly get to know one other is fantastic.

I recommend this book to those who love romance, mystery, wonderfully crafted worldbuilding, new kinds of magic, love, friendship and family.

“Society tell us that as women we need a man to be something. We don’t.”

“Yeah, the sky only turns orange when it’s at peace.”

“Maybe we would be great together- pushing each other to be better in magic and life. Or…we might argue all the time about everything. I can’t tell, and that’s what petrifies me.”

“You’ll be telling me what to do. You love that, Smoke.”

“We are a team. The best team.”

Dana Swift started making up fantasy worlds when she was eleven years old and hasn’t stopped since. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned degrees in English and Advertising. While in college, Dana competed as a saber fencer and learned a thing or two about fighting, parrying and how it feels to fall in love with your sparring partner. She currently lives with said husband in Miami, Florida.

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