When I started reading Ignite the stars by Hanna Howard I was really excited to start reading it but for some reason I just couldn’t get into the story line or connect with the characters, this was through no fault of the author and I believe if I ever tried again to read it ( which I intend to do in the future) that I might actually be able to connect with the story and the characters in this book.

I want to say thanks to the publishers , author and netgalley for allowing me to read this story.

I'll be honest, I was immediately drawn to Ignite the Sun because of the cover, but I'm so glad I was. I really enjoyed the story, and I loved the unique world the characters inhabited. Worlds that are dim or dark have always fascinated me, and I thought it was particularly well done here. The pacing was also excellent. I was pulled right through the book and I found that I never wanted to put it down. I also want to add the author's writing style was lovely, and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ignite the Sun caught my attention through an amazing concept - a world where the sun was stolen and darkness reigned. It was easy to get lost in the world and the characters and their relationships to one another. Through the whole story there was a clear goal (even if it changed as ‘problems’ arose) and a fight to achieve it. There were never places where the story lagged or felt unnecessary. I will state that the author tends to use long sentences filled with wonderful imagery and while it is a tone I love, others may find it too detailed or complicated. Either way I highly recommend diving into this world!

Ignite The Sun
Semi Spoiler free review

A brilliant debut book by Hanna Howard.
I absolutely loved the plot of the book. How dark and mysterious it felt that a kingdom lived in darkness with no sun.

Synopsis
Once upon a time, there was something called the sun ... In a kingdom ruled by a witch, the sun is just part of a legend about Light-filled days of old. But now Siria Nightingale is headed to the heart of the darkness to try and restore the Light--or lose everything trying.

I was so intrigued by this book and I could not put it down!

The characters were fantastic and I absolutely loved the chemistry between two certain characters. As for the world the book is set in. I felt there could have been more and wished we could have seen more creatures and magic. I would have liked to have seen Siria do more training etc.

I also felt that we should have seen just how wicked the queen truly is before the last quarter of the book. She seemed partially absent but then again the book is in first person.

Having said that, I really enjoyed this book and I hope others do too.

I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

Thank you to Hanna Howard, Blink and Netgalley for my free copy of Ignite The Sun for an honest review.
#ignitethesun #netgalley

**I received an ARC for free, in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, the cover is so pretty. That’s what initially drew me in, I love unique looking covers. The premise of the book is also unique, and very interesting - with mythological type undertones, and magic, that’s a winner for me.
I would have liked more info and depth into these different creatures though, especially the witches. The take on witches that we did get was really fresh and interesting.

The world building was very well done, as is the writing style - I was drawn in and didn’t struggle to read the book at all.
Our main character is VERY annoying however. She is so whiny and self centered; arguing repeatedly over answers she’s been given, without taking a moment to think them through. She definitely gets better as the story goes on though.

The romance was a bit forced, as was the pining, but it was 2nd to the story and more subtle than other books, so not too much of a problem.
There were many cliche tropes, such as “pretty girl thinks she’s plain” and so on, as well as being able to get results pretty fast with her new powers.

The pace was a bit strange - moving forward extremely fast, but simultaneously being slow. Each character was different and unique, which is nice, but we don’t really get to know them, which makes certain scenes not have the impact it wanted.

Overall, a fun, interesting read that definitely held my attention!

⁣In this YA Fantasy debut, we enter a world where the sun is considered the root of all evil. It has been banished by a queen who embodies darkness and Siria Nightingale has to hide her fascination with the bright star from all but her childhood friend and his grandpa. But when Siria turns 16, something happens that not not only explains her feelings about the sun, but might just change the course of her world forever.⁣
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This book hits all the points expected in this type of novel. It has an evil queen, an incandescent heroine who is unsure of herself, a motley band of rebels, an epic journey, and a sweet romance.⁣
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As with most tales set in a fantasy realm, world building is a vital part of the story. If done well, the world comes alive in the reader’s imagination and is the perfect backdrop to the drama that unfolds. If done poorly, it feels like a one dimensional stage setting made of cardboard and cheap paint. Luckily, the author here does a great job creating a rich fantasy domain for her characters. And those characters are multi dimensional enough to make them relatable and exciting to read. The story itself follows a predictable and natural progression. There are not really any surprises in this book, but the plot moves well and the world and characters are interesting, and it’s not a mystery novel, so a little predictability in the storyline is fine with me.⁣
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𝙄𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙪𝙣 is a quick and highly enjoyable read, and the author is definitely one to watch for in the future.⁣

2.5

Ignite the Sun isn't a bad book. I just couldn't feel a connection to any of the characters. I couldn't bring myself to care about their plight. Story-wise, it could have been much better than this. I think the biggest issue for me was the villain. Her true motivation and the reason behind it wasn't revealed until the end. I think she could have been more rounded instead of being very cardboardy.

Others will like the book. There's no spark here for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC!

I really wish I liked this more; I just didnt connect to the characters or story unfortunately. That's not to say its badly written; in fact, I found the world building fairly engaging. I just didnt get anything more than that from this novel.

This book had an shy opening,but suddenly it turns into something very brave . Siria is a very fierce character despite her fight to always please her grandfather. This books reminded me of Red Queen saga and has an amazing cast of characters (and how stunning this cover is ? I was like,omg !) But I think the history turns predictable next to the end. All the praizes for queen lyzabel,I love how spooky she was.

The synopsis was so interesting, so I expected A LOT. Unfortunately the plot was not so well handled and I did not empathize with the protagonist, she was....kind of boring to read. She has a little evolution, but if this had happened earlier it would have been better and would have significantly improved the whole plot.

On the other hand, if you are looking for something to read in a chill afternoon, this is a good option because it is kind of enterteining though and it is not dense.

This book was entertaining and enjoyable, but also kind of predictable and forgettable after I finished it. It’s not bad or anything, but it’s not a book that I see myself ever want to read again.
I did enjoy the magic system though, which is always a plus. Just found certain parts difficult or boring.

Once I got into the plot of Ignite the Sun, I was ever so pulled into its world. The kingdom is shroud in darkness for as long as many can remember. Though, there are still a few citizens left that can recall a time before darkness. The premise of the book is a prophecy stating that there will be a sunchild born who can end the reign of darkness that Queen Iyzabel has built. The main character Siria, is a girl who knows little of her background, but is ever so interested in the stories that revel in the light-filled days. She and a few others that are close to her go on a epic adventure to make that prophecy come true. Read on to find out how Siria escapes the mundane and becomes her true self.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

The premise for this novel, a world shrouded in darkness and ruled by a witch queen who is in love with the darkness and a revolution to bring back the light, was so original in execution. While the idea was exciting and entertaining on its own, other aspects took away from my enjoyment of this novel.

Let's start with the characters. There was a total disconnect from the main character and I was irritated by Merrall as well as Siria (our MC). The character development is great in the last half of the story but the first half was hard to get through because of how annoying the characters were.

This was a very cliche book that includes the "chosen one" troupe as well as an underdeveloped "friends to lovers" troupe (among others). Due to these underwhelming inclusions, the writing quality and my enjoyment plummeted.

It was honestly incredibly predictable in several aspects and I was excepting a lot more from this. I did manage to finish the book, after struggling through the beginning, and it was enjoyable and entertaining once I got passed the cliches and tried to pretend like I didn't have a clue how it would end. (Some aspects of the ending were a genuine surprise but...not much).

Overall, it was fresh and exciting but the characters didn’t click with me and some troupes could have been left out to preserve the quality of the story..

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book. This book was great, I was very intrigued when I read the premise of this book and it didn’t disappoint the characters and the plot are well written and I could really get behind the characters, the writing in this book is also great. Definitely recommend this book. 4 stars

While the premise of this book was interesting, the writing was weak and the characters were so bland that it makes it hard for readers to even care about what is going. On top of that, the plot itself was flimsy, predictable, and full of loopholes. In summary, this is a book that had a lot of potential but did not live up to it in the end due to poor execution. I wouldn't recommend this.

*I received an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

4.5/5

I was intrigued by this book from the beginning and I wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen next! I absolutely enjoyed the world this was set in, and the magic and mythology that was woven in. In this story, the kingdom of Luminor reigned and then was taken over by an evil queen who covered the whole kingdom in darkness. The main character, Siria always hated the darkness and would ask her best friend Linden, and his grandfather Yarrow to tell her the tales about the sun. Her parents never understood her fascination with the sun, but she yearns to please them. So, she heads to the royal city of Terra-Volat, the center of all the darkness, to find a place in Queen Iyzabel’s court. What she discover’s there sends her on a quest with a group of rebels.

Siria joins Linden, Yarrow, a spirited naiad, and a banshee on an epic journey to lead the rebellion as she tries to defeat the darkness and restore the light to the kingdom. It’s all or nothing, because if they fail, Terra-Volat will be sucked into the never ending darkness. I enjoyed getting to know Siria and the whole cast of characters on this magical journey. I love the friendships that Siria makes along the way, and there’s even a dash of romance. We watch as Siria grows from a spoiled girl to a strong young woman. The ending of the book was satisfying, and I can see it being a standalone, but I felt as though there should have been an epilogue to wrap up a few things that I still was left wondering about.

An overall wonderful debut about light vs darkness that I could totally get behind! I hope that we get more from this wonderful world in the future. I would absolutely love a sequel!

This was a lot of fun to read - I've been slowly getting more into young adult fantasy and I really liked the characters and story telling.

Creative YA fantasy tale with various magical creatures and a missing Princess. Lots to love in this tale!

3.5/5

I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Once upon a time, there was something called the sun.

Siria Nightingale has only ever know shades of Darkness. Since Queen Iyzabel started her reign, it has been clouded in Darkness to save the citizens from the evil that is the sun. Or so, that's what the Queen would like you to believe. On her sixteenth birthday, Siria learns she is the last sunchild and that she must stop the Queen and bring back the light.

Siria must first travel north to the resistance and master her sun powers. Luckily, she has the help of her childhood friends Linden and Yarrow, as well as a reluctant naiad Merall. I enjoyed the world building, and liked how the different magics correlated to a species of nymph. I also liked the explanations about witchcraft and how Iyzabel got her powers.

The characters weren't my favorite. I did come to love them eventually, namely Siria. At the beginning, it was really hard to relate to her. I get that she was brainwashed to think a certain way, but you'd think being faced with death would speed the process up a little bit. I did love the family bond between her, Linden and Yarrow.

The romance was fun as well, even if I didn't always ship Linden and Siria. I didn't realize this was a stand-alone so several times I thought the pacing was fast for a series lmao. I would've loved to see this expand. There's so much I'm curious about and I would've loved to see more magic training on Siria's part.

One thing I did love was how Siria eventually came to terms with the fact that she had magic and she had to learn how to control it. And she did! She accepted it and the fact that it could be dangerous. She told her magic F you, I am in charge. I am all for boss bitches!

In this world, Light is dangerous and the Darkness rules everything. The story begins with a prologue where a gardener called Yarrow tells Siria the story of the Sun before she is sent to a finishing school called Gildenbrook. The aesthetic of the school definitely gives off steampunk/gothic vibes (makes me think of the Japanese lolita fashion movement).

While the premise is intriguing and the magic system has a lot of potential, I struggled to enjoy the story as the characters felt underdeveloped all the way through. There is a lot of information I'm supposed to take for granted, e.g. Siria is weirdly obsessed with Linden (related to Yarrow), and although this could be put down to teenage love, there's no explanation as to why she's so into him. Readers are just expected to accept that she yearns for Linden All. The. Time.

Siria's fate is connected to the mythical 'monstrous' sunchildren that were massacred by the Queen many years back, and while I know we are supposed to sympathise with her and be on her team, I struggled. I fully understand that she is betrayed by everyone and so cannot trust what people say (believe me, I would be the same), but it gets tedious. Maybe I missed a few points where she grows as a character, and if so, they weren't clear enough for me.

The last thing I wanted to comment on: Pacing. For some reason the pacing feels off. It's pretty fast from the beginning, which isn't a problem as it brings a vivacity to the plot, but the chapters seem really short and don't really develop from one to the next - in that, I think there are a few places where the chapters could be compressed to become one instead of two, if that makes sense. I read about 25% of the eARC before jotting down my initial thoughts, and at that point in the story I still felt no tension even though the stakes were high (Siria is being hunted down, she needs to escape the Queen). There are several parts where I feel the world building would have benefitted from more descriptions of the magic system as again, we're supposed to just accept things with no explanation. As an avid fantasy reader, I don't particularly need an in-depth exposition, but some contextualising would be nice.

My one favourite thing about the book is the character Merrall. I loved her because she would said what I thought about Siria and wasn't afraid to slap some sense into the girl on the odd occasion.