A Shadow Bright and Burning (Kingdom on Fire #1)

Cluess takes familiar tropes and turns them into something new and exciting in this Lovecraft-meets-Austen adventure. It’s great to see a book play with tropes instead of just mindlessly repeating them. As a bonus, this is an exciting, fast-paced story full of really strong characters. I particularly enjoyed the monsters, which are proper, horrifying, supernatural creatures. If you’re looking for a book that takes the court-intrigue, chosen-one, and fantasy-romance genres of YA and tears them apart with eldritch tentacles, look no further.

If you aren’t looking for that kind of book…maybe think about your life choices?

This review was posted on As the Book Ends (asthebookends.com)

My Rating: 4 Stars

Thus far, the month of December has been good to me! I havent read a single book that I didnt enjoy. A Shadow Bright and Burning was no exception. While there were a couple of things that I didnt love, as a whole I found the book to be a fantastic start to a series I look forward to continuing.

Henrietta is a great heroine she is confident in herself without being cocky, strong willed without being rude, and her inner-dialogue has a way of endearing her to her readers. I felt as though the story were being told to me by a good friend with a gift for words. While I liked her as a narrator, the book was really made for me by the supporting characters.

As I wrote in the last review I posted, I have a weakness for men named Magnus the Magnus in this book is certainly no exception. Although Henrietta may have found Magnus annoying upon their first meeting, I was immediately smitten. He is a light and witty character and acted as much needed comedic relief. As the book progressed, he also proved himself to be a dedicated warrior and a fiercely loyal friend. He may not have been my favorite secondary character, but he was definitely a close second.

Henriettas introduction to Blackwood may not have been ideal, (alright, it was about as far from ideal as humanly possible) but, I liked the way that Cluess wrote their relationship progression. He certainly didnt start out as my favorite character, but by the end of the book, I found myself wishing that he were Henriettas romantic interest. I also loved not only his relationship with his sister, but her relationship with Henrietta. Compared to the tightly laced Blackwood, she was a breath of fresh air.

I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 for a couple of different reasons. It was clear from the beginning of the book that Rook was a major part of Henriettas life and would play a large part in her story as well. However, I felt as though he didnt get enough actually time in the story. He and Henrietta had such a deep, and loving relationship, but I never quite got to see how it developed. There was only one flashback to their childhood and it was at the end of the book. Their other interactions were rife with tension that seemed to come from out of nowhere. I understood why Rook began to pull away, but where did Henriettas sudden feelings come from? At the start of the book, before they go to London, their friendship seems so normal. As soon as they reach London BAM tension. It made sense that Rook felt disconnected or not good enough for Henrietta given the change in her station, but there was never any indication of romantic feelings between them before they made the trip.And what kind of love does Henrietta feel for him? Friend love? Family love? Romantic love? I couldnt tell, and the author never clarified.

The only other part of the book that gave me pause, was the betrayal. The character by whom Henrietta was betrayed didnt even seem to be a major part of her life. He was mentioned only in passing a few times, with no noteworthy interactions prior to his betrayal. I was expecting one of her inner circle to be the person to turn against her and was honestly surprised at how small a part it played in the overall plot (especially given its mention in the books blurb).

My Takeaway: As a whole, A Shadow Bright and Burning was a fast read with an original premise. With the exception of a few minor details, I found the plot to be well thought out, the characters endearing, and the narration by Henrietta well done. I look forward to the next book in the series!

This book introduces us to Henrietta Howell as well as several other characters. Henrietta is a teacher at a local all female School slash Orphanage like Jane Eyre. She is discovered to have magical powers by a Local sorcerer named Agrippa. Agrippa is in search of the Prophet to end a war, that’s been going on for centuries between Sorcerers and Demons. Agrippa takes Henrietta to London, to train to be the only female sorcerer. Along the way, Henrietta cares for a friend who she believes she loves. She also finds out many secrets and keeps many secrets that may have to do with the prophecy. She may not be who she thinks she will become. But in order to find out if everything turns out great for Henrietta, you need to go buy this book. Now onto my final thoughts about the book.

I rated this book four stars out of five. I love the description of the Demons in this book, they reminded me of something from Dante’s Inferno. Henrietta life description really felt like a retelling of Jane Eyre. But the magic was epic in this book. When it came to the magical beings, you really didn’t know who was a sorcerer or a magician. There was evil at every turn and you were so unsure of who you could trust. Henrietta herself was a very modern girl for the Victorian Age. She stood up against injustice, tried to always protect those who could not protect themselves and look for the good in everyone. She was a strong female character. I also felt like Jessica as an author included a lot of diversity in her characters. This book had great magical scenes of fighting like Harry Potter and the half blood prince. Best of all Henrietta didn’t need any man to save her, even though she was surrounded by her fair share. Even though this book is rated for middle grade, I believe everyone will love this book, just like they did Harry Potter. To me, this book just had everything in it and it was so well written. Also even though this book was descriptive, it didn’t put things in, just to make the book longer. I am so happy with how well this story fit together, and I felt like nothing needed to be cut from the book. I will honestly recommend this book to everyone to read.

***I received the ARC eBook from the publisher through Sunday Street Team in exchange for an honest review***

Ask me what my new favourite book is and straight away, Id say A Shadow Bright and Burning. The beautifully crafted story unfolds like a rich tapestry, with every element well done and connected to form a wonderful picture. The plot was intricate, time period fitting, magic captivating, characters complex and friendships unforgettable.

The main character, Henrietta, is easy to love for having the strength to protect both friends and strangers, despite the many obstacles thrown in her path. I instantly connected with her and experienced first-hand the rollercoaster of emotions that was her life. Shes surrounded by an almost all male cast of people who want something or other from her and with impossible decisions being made throughout the novel by these characters, it was difficult to determine friend or foe until a big reveal.

The romance was just as murky/complicated with no obvious love interest(s) since I saw many of the boys vying for Henrietta as friends only. Im sure clarification will occur in the sequel and I have my fingers crossed for the underdog (that might not even be a ship, but Ill root for it anyway!) In the meantime Ill continue appreciating the strong friendships between the sorcerers.

All the characters, particularly Henrietta, grow and develop throughout the novel. Combine this with a thrilling plot that contains terrifying enemies, and you can understand why Im excited for more! As you can imagine Ill be among the first buying both a finished copy (I need that beautiful cover in my hands) and its sequel (immediately after release no doubt). So its safe to say that Id recommend this brilliant book!

Posted on Enchanted by YA: […]

Started off a little boring, but then almost immediately picked up.
It’s a good self contained story, just need to wait for the sequel to come out.

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