Available: NOW Amazon/ Barnes and Noble/ Borders
Type: YA Novel
Publisher: HarperCollins
My Copy: Library
A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.
Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.
Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will’s dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She’ll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.
Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.
Jacinda’s life is mapped out for her. Even if she doesn’t agree with the direction. As the only fire-breathing Draki in her clan she is destined to be with the kings son, Cassian. Marriage seems like a far off option until she takes things to far one morning, breaking the rules and flying in the sun. It isn’t long before the hunters spot her and her life changes forever. Will has never seen a Draki up close and he is amazed. The being is so beautiful, so unique. Not bearing to hurt it he lets it go instead of capturing it as his hunter training demands.
At the threat of clipping her wings Jacinda’s mother whisks her and her twin sister Tamra who never fully became Draki away into the desert. The goal is to let Jacinda’s Draki wither from unuse regardless of what Jacinda herself wants. When she runs into Will at her new high school she feels alive, her Draki lives again within her. How far is she willing to go to save a part of herself? What is she willing to risk? Everything.
I got about 4 chapters into Firelight before I started regretting reading it so close to Nightshade by Andrea Cremer. The stories were just so similar to me and I think that because I had just finished Nightshade and loved it so much, that my judgment was clouded. I tried really hard to like Firelight, but I never fully committed to the characters. After the first few chapters I wanted something to happen….anything to happen. The book dragged massively for me.
Jacinda was a decently complex character but I found her to be slightly annoying. I wanted to tell her to suck it up and either deal with the move her mother had forced on her, or flee home with her intended mate. She thinks about going home all the time and yet when the opportunity is upon her and Cassian shows up, she balks again and again. I also wanted her to make up her mind about Will. It seemed like she was constantly arguing with herself over whether or not she wanted to be with him. I understand him being a hunter of her kind was dangerous for her but the sensation of being alive while near him hard to ignore. However I got tired of the back and forth quite quickly.
I don’t have much to say about Will. I’m at a loss for him. I liked his character all right but he failed to ever truly make me feel… He has a sucky family and I could totally understand how much he wanted to break free of them but feared them hunting him down as well and dragging him back. His cousins are just downright creepy.
Jacinda’s twin sister, Tamra, totally rubbed me the wrong way. I kept thinking…wow what a bitch LOL. I got that she never transitioned and was merely human. I understood that she was jealous and lonely and all that. But it constantly felt like she LIKED shoving her sister down to the level she had been at. Different. An Outsider. The tables were turned in a town of humans. And I think Tamra liked it. Even with danger afoot she was still screeching at her sister. Blaming her for everything. Even after SAVING A LIFE. I only hope in the next book Tamra gets to take a long hard look at herself. And perhaps gets taken down a peg or two.
I loved the dragon aspect. I haven’t read many dragon books and so that was nice to experience. Sophie does a great job at descriptions. Especially that of the surrounding environment. I loved the flying sequences. The vividness of the colors she describes are breathtaking. The cover of Firelight is also magnificent.
I will still pick up the second book most likely when it comes out. I don’t believe there is a release date as of yet.I’m upset because I tried….really tried…. to love Firelight, sadly I just….didn’t.
I give Firelight by Sophie Jordan 2.75 stars!
