Ignite the Sun felt way too convenient. Every character ended up having just the right skill to face each problem, and that made this book feel lacking of suspense and tension. Also, the "there's no sun, we live in darkness" feels jaded, but I think it was a decent remake of an overused trope. Overall, the writing was decent, but the plot and characters just weren't it for me.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Siria Nightingale has spent her entire life in darkness.

And no, she wasn't locked up in a cold cellar. Her entire world is literally shrouded in darkness.

Queen Iyzabel always told her people that the light is dangerous and has hidden her kingdom for protection...and while Siria can't quite put her finger on it...something is off. Very off.

On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, she's called into the royal city along with a handful of similarly aged girls.

The night was dreamy - suspiciously so - and soon Siria (and the rest of the girls) fall under the Queen's spell.

But when the Queen announces her plan to kill the sunchild hidden among the girls...let's just say things get a little dodgy.

Siria flees her only home with her best friend and hid grandfather. They must trek their way across hazardous terrain, flee bespelled guards and fight bloodthirsty creatures to try to find the sun.

But the longer she goes without, the more she doubts that their small party could hold a candle to the evil Queen's army.

So.

This one started pretty darn good.

I LOVED the world-building and most of the magic system.

I feel like the whole world-doesn't-have-sun has been done so many times but this if the first time I've found myself nodding along and going, "yup. this makes sense."

I was also really intrigued by the way Siria developed her powers.

But what ultimately threw me out of the book is the sheer amount of coincidences.

The situation gets too tough? Siria passes out, scene fades to black, she wakes up (relatively) unharmed.

The situation requires powers beyond her current level? Siria looks within herself, and then snaps her fingers and the powers come out.

The situations seems hopeless in every way, shape and form? Here's a couple of conveniently placed characters who literally have the exact skill set and/or personal connections needed to this situation.

When I read books, I want desperation. I want knife-edge tension. But halfway through, I figured out that there truly was no real danger cause whatever the main character needs will be given to her.

Other than that, this one was rather well-written and I did enjoy the characters. The plot was just completely tension-less.

Ignite The Sun is really a wonderful book about a girl who abruptly forced into a reality and it's her journey along the way. From the beginning, the book had me hooked. It was fast paced and and action-packed and that's exactly how all books should start. The characters in this book were all very lovable and I grew fond of Siria and her crew. Also, the story had some of my favorite tropes (ex: Found Family, only one bed), so I was loving that! The story was well-written. I enjoyed the world-building, I only wish it was a bit longer, as some scenes felt a bit rushed. But overall, it was a great ride.

* I received this ARC from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

When I first saw this book no Netgalley, the cover drew me in. The bright, but simplistic cover was an aesthetic that I have been gravitating towards. Read the synopsis and it sounded even more up my alley! Ragtag group of rebels – yes please! Evil witch – yes! The premise that was unique that made me decide I had to read this book was the ‘there is no sun’ aspect. I have never heard of a book taking place where the sun is considered to be legend – I had so many questions that I needed answers to.

Siria was an interesting character. She seemed to act to things rather realistically. Found out that there was a huge secret relating to her, freaked out. Found out the people she loved and trusted had kept that secret – freaked out. I was reading it and had expected the immediate forgiveness, but the author went a different route and had Siria require time to heal and trust. Mind you, this time seemed to go rather quickly, but still wasn’t instant and I liked that. Siria constantly felt like she was being weak and fearful, but there were many instances where she proved herself brave -braver than I would ever be. She was always worried about her friends/found family’s safety and would do anything to make sure the were safe.

Her found family was so perfect. Each character played a valuable role that helped Siria grow. But she also played her own part in their lives. The dynamics of this found family group felt natural, like every piece of the puzzle was accounted for.

The plot had its ups and downs. I found that I would be interested in parts, but then others would drag. There was a fair amount of time between goals in this story and moments where I had wished there was a faster way – or even skimmed passed. I had wished though that the ending had a little more time. It felt like the final part of the book was done in just a few pages, where the getting there was extended longer than necessary. I’m not saying I didn’t like the book, but that the pacing had its moments and I had wished other parts had more of a focus. This could have benefited from being a duology just so we had a little more time in the later half of the book so we felt the weight of it.

That being said, I enjoyed Hanna’s writing and plan on reading more of her work. She brings interesting ideas to the table, changing up the standard trope just enough that it feels new. I highly recommend this book for those who love the chosen one, found family, or outcasts tropes.

In a world where the sun has been obliterated by magic so that the darkness can reign and fuel the powers of a dark Queen sixteen year old Siria Nightingale has her world turned upside down at the Choosing Ball where the Queen chooses new members for her court and Where she discovers that her whole life up until her life has been a lie. She failed to love the darkness that she instead fears, and chose to love those who society deemed below her. What results is an emotional twisty adventure where Siria must learn to love the truth about herself, as well as fight to bring back the sun she has never seen to her kingdom.

For me this book was another fun, light, YA fantasy adventure whose loveable characters reminded me a bit of the casts of Havenfall or The Black Witch Chronicles, great for a bit of escapism from our real world if you love the genre.

While I’m not sure I enjoyed the magic system in this book, I loved the sections of writing describing when people who have never seen sunlight, or a forest that has not been starved or sunshine see what to us seems pretty normal, but is actually quite majestic when you think about it for the first time.

Flipping through a few of my recent reads that are similar, I think you’ll enjoy Ignite The Sun if you enjoyed Havenfall or Garden of Thorns. Also, do follow @hannachoward on Instagram as I’ve really been enjoying her behind the scenes of the writing process posts in the build up to publication!

You know what I should have done? I should have listened to that little voice at the back of my head—the one I NEVER listen to—that whispered, "DNF it."

I have been deceived by that downright stunning cover. While the premise of a world deprived of sunlight was what immediately grabbed my interest, I found it to be poorly executed. The world-building felt ... incomplete. I struggled to absorb the details. Worse, I found it difficult to remember that this is a world of pure darkness. Literally the premise that drew me in, and it didn't click well for me. I was surprised to find that this was a world of nymphs, witches, banshees and the like. It was an interesting twist! The villain I found to be rather weak, who basically hates the sun and doesn't want anyone else to have magic.

I knew this would be rather wholesome given the imprint, but I didn't expect such a cringe-worthy and tropey book. This was not a good Chosen One trope. I usually don't have a problem with those stories, but I want the main character to be more, "What? Oh, sh*t, sweet. Let's do this." Instead, Siria served a lot of whining. I really stopped caring toward the end, but in the beginning, my understanding of the plan for her to save the world was to travel across the country and be yeeted into the middle of the ocean where direct sunlight was. The romance was not one for me to be a fan of, and I didn't think it really added anything to the story.

Even though the Chosen One trope was rough, I could have dealt with it had it not been for the main character. We are given very little opportunity to meet her before BAM! You are the one who will save us all. She lost my support pretty quick once I realized how properly whiny and snobbish she is. "You only care about me because I'm the Sun Child. I don't want to walk across the country. My parents don't love me. I can't touch anyone ever again because I have no desire to learn to contain my new powers." Wah.

I wish I had more better to say, but all in all, this was disappointing and not for me.

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. Sixteen-year-old Siria Nightingale has never seen the sun. That’s because Queen Iyzabel shrouded the kingdom in shadow upon her ascent to the throne, with claims it would protect her subjects from the dangerous Light.

The Darkness has always left Siria uneasy, and part of her still longs for the stories of the Light-filled days she once listened to alongside her best friend Linden, told in secret by Linden’s grandfather. But Siria’s need to please her strict and demanding parents means embracing the dark and heading to the royal city—the very centre of Queen Izybel’s power—for a chance at a coveted placement at court. And what Siria discovers at the Choosing Ball sends her on a quest toward the last vestiges of Light, alongside a ragtag group of rebels who could help her restore the sun … or doom the kingdom to shadow forever.

Ignite the Sun is a compelling young adult high fantasy novel and very much follows the style of traditional, lyrical fantasies. The world is so lush and richly-imagined that becoming immersed in it is effortless and the beguiling magic system is creative, engaging and completely enchanting. This fresh-feeling debut strikes the same vein as old school fairytales and is complete with nymphs, banshees and witches. The cast of characters is superbly wrought and so vivid that I found they came alive on the page.

It moves at a perfect pace with the author weaving mental health issues into the narrative; these are dotted throughout but the author never strays into becoming preachy or letting such issues take over the story. The light and darkness of the narrative are metaphors for the light/dark times experienced by those suffering from mental health issues, and especially depression. It's the perfect escape for these troubling times and I'm sure readers will adore it as much as I did. There is mythology woven throughout adding a fascinating depth to it all. Siria is a great protagonist and ultimately this is her journey of self-discovery. Many thanks to Blink for an ARC.

Ignite the Sun is one of those stories that’s unique and easily captivating. It’s brimming with bursts of beautiful prose and extravagant worldbuilding. The chapters end in a way that grasps your attention and guides you to the start of the next chapter. It was hard to put this story down, mainly for the fact that I needed to know what happened next. Ignite the Sun is a YA fantasy debut that someone could finish reading in two days, if not one. It’s the first book in a while that I’ve been able to devour in less than two days.

Siria could easily be described as a delicate flower, in my opinion. It takes her most of the book to develop a hard shell, to understand that she’s not the weak girl she was made out to be. It also took her awhile to become acquainted with her new life and the powers hidden deep inside her. Siria does grow constantly throughout the story, but it’s only her growth I saw through the pages. The secondary characters, her companions, are not illustrated as strongly, but still represent the important roles they play in Siria’s life. My only big downfall with Siria was her constant questioning of everything and everyone. She’s uprooted from the only life she’s ever known and in an instant, she’s painted as the kingdom’s number one enemy, and must flee with those that kept her true heritage hidden from her. I understood her frustrations and why she questioned them, but it took awhile for her to come to peace with their choices and her lineage.

One thing I will say about Siria is that she is wholeheartedly devoted to her friends and newfound family. Originally, she’s devoted to the Queen and her kingdom, but her journey proves that those closest to her are more worthy of her heart. She’s definitely one of those characters that thinks with her heart, which is what made this story more personal. I could tell the author poured her heart and soul into this story and into Siria. It’s one of the parts that made this story so interesting.

Queen Iyzabel is a worthy opponent and villain. Like most villains, there’s a reason for their villainess ways, which they use to justify their actions. Iyzabel is no different. But in the beginning of her reign, she failed to wipe out the one bit of light that could defeat her: Siria. Some of my favorite scenes were finding out the backstory about Iyzabel, so I could better understand her character and actions. She’s encased the kingdom in complete darkness and almost has everyone brainwashed to believe her horror stories about sunlight. Iyzabel is a villain that knows how to manipulate those around her, even without using magic. She’s deadly and not afraid to go after what she wants and what she believes she deserves. And all those qualities make for a woman destined to be a great villain.

The story itself was interesting enjoyable. I really liked the premise and I thought the storyline was unique and well executed. It’s a fast paced fantasy read that I was able to finish in days. Howard’s writing is well-developed and charming. Her writing effortlessly captures your attention and leaves you enthralled. That’s one of the main reasons I kept reading: I really enjoyed Howard’s writing and how beautifully she brought this story together. Each scene flowed well into the next that I never felt there were breaks or rough patches between the chapters. Howard wonderfully brought the world to life with vivid descriptions and lush prose, and that right there is one of the reasons why I’ll pick up her next book.

Ultimately, Ignite the Sun is a great story, with a unique and strong plot, but needed tighter character development. Even with the lack of some elements, I found Ignite the Sun to be a strong debut that I believe many readers will be able to read and enjoy in one sitting.

Ignite the Sun follows a Siria Nightingale a girl who has never seen the sun!

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

Siria lives in a kingdom that only knows darkness, the Witch Queen keeps the light away to 'protect' her kingdom from the dangers of the sun. But Siria has always been obsessed with story's of the sun, even though they were forbidden.

When Siria travels from her school to the Queens's court she soon discovers she is not who she has been forced to believe she is.
She questions everything about her life, her parents, her friends and everything she's ever been told about the sun.
Now she must discover who she really is and try to control an unwanted power to try bring together a bunch of rebels and bring the light back to her kingdom!

I seriously could not put this book down, I loved the premise of the story the first time I read the blurb and knew I had to get a copy of this. It's been a while since I've read a really good standalone book. I'm very happy I had the chance to read this.

I think my favorite thing about this book was the world building, it was so well done. I loved the fact that we got see a variety of different beings, including Nymphs, Witches and Banshees. The different magical abilities made the world feel really unique and interesting.

I'm usually not a fan of 'Friends to Lovers' troupe, its probably one of my least favorite, but I actually enjoyed it in this story, it felt really genuine and I was routing for them beginning to end.

I liked that Siria eventually came to terms with the fact that she had this rare magic ability, she became this strong independent young woman towards the back end of the book and I'm all here for that!

After loving Hanna C Howard's debut I'm keen to see what she does next.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review.

Ignite the Sun by Hanna Howard
Publication date: 18th August 2020
Rating: 4/5 stars
(I received a free arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review contains SPOILERS.)

Sixteen-year-old Siria Nightingale has never seen the sun. The light is dangerous, according to Queen Iyzabel, an evil witch who has shrouded the kingdom in shadow.
Siria has always hated the darkness and revels in the stories of the light-filled old days that she hears from her best friend and his grandfather. Besides them, nobody else understands her fascination with the sun, especially not her strict and demanding parents. Siria’s need to please them is greater than her fear of the dark, and so she heads to the royal city—the very centre of the darkness—for a chance at a place in Queen Iyzabel’s court.
But what Siria discovers at the Choosing Ball will send her on a quest that could bring back the Light—or doom the kingdom to shadow forever. Accompanied by a ragtag group of rebels, she sets her course for the North, toward the last vestiges of the sun.

I honestly have no idea where to begin. Having just finished it, in only two sittings (i had to sleep, otherwise I wouldn't have dared put it down.), it's hard to take a step back to put my thoughts into coherent sentences.

First of all, I love the cover. it's beautiful and matches the theme of the book. It was one of the things that drew me to the arc before I'd even read what it was about.

The classic 'childhood best friends to loves' trope, which is often used to death, was spun in a much different light. Linden was determined to hate her, but still protect her, even before he met her, and Siria immediately decided they were to be best friends, and they have been, for ten years before the story starts. Instead of spending most of the book awkwardly pining after unrequited love, they stayed friends, and kept up their friendly banter right up to the reveal, and even beyond, which I think was a nice touch, because so many versions of this trope change the characters attitudes to each other so much that instead of being best friends, they become lovers, and nothing more. No more friendly banter, which in my opinion, is the best part.

It was so interesting to read because the main character has never seen the sun. We know what its like, but reading from Siria's point of view, you begin to think maybe you take it for granted, being able to see the sun and the light every day.
The magic system was also very interesting to me. Sunchildren, nymphs, pixies, banshees, elves, dwarves, witches, mages, it was explained so well, and I love that sunchildren really were sunchildren. Everything about them, even their appearance had to do with the sun (ie freckles).

We were thrust into the story fairly quickly, with a little exposition on the world, and the people, before Siria's big reveal, and the action really begins. Some people might say that the pacing was off, or they didn't like how fast it moved at times, and how slow it seemed at others, but I loved it. I love that balance of fast and slow, action, and plot, so to me, it was preferable.

Once we got to the rebels and everyone was complacent with letting the Witch Queen continue the way she had been for 14 years, I knew everything was going to go wrong, and with so little left of the book, it was honestly terrifying. I thought for sure Yarrow was dead.
It turns out Siria didn't even need to wait for the equinox to see the sun for the first time, but I can't help but wonder, how much stronger would she have been if she had stuck to the original plan? if all our beloved characters' lives weren't on the line?

And while we're doing hypothetical questions, would any of this had happened if Izyabel's twin sister hadn't been a sunchild? Sunchildren are loved by everyone, as part of their magic, so naturally, Izyabel would have been pushed to the side, abandoned, neglected compared to her sister. She might have still done it, with other outside influences like Lormac, but she probably wouldn't have hated sunchildren as much. It's an interesting thing to consider, that indirectly, sunchildren can have a negative effect on their siblings and family.

I have no idea if this is part of a series or a standalone, but I would love more books with Siria, Linden, Elegy, and Yarrow.

I wouldn't say it was one of the best books I've ever read because I have read a lot of books, but it's definitely in the top ten of this year, and definitely, at the time of writing this, the best arc I've read so far.

I would recommend this book to fans of Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes, and anyone who enjoys young adult fantasy.

I cannot wait to see this cover in real life. I have a feeling that all the goldy bits are going to be shiny, and it's going to be amazing.

It's a fitting match for the story, which is really, really good.

It's fast paced, exciting, the world building is amazing and the characters are great. I love Elegy and Eamon, but all the side characters are wonderful. I would happily read more about them, although this seems to be a one and done book. If we're really lucky, Hanna will write a side story or sequel later on.

I didn't think much of the villain, though. Everything is from Siria's point of view, of course, but the backstory we get for the villain just falls a little flat, for me.
Her mother liked her sister better, and her boyfriend/husband died in a war *she* started.

Still, as we couldn't get it from her point of view, this is the best we could do, and it's not a deal breaker for me. Just a little odd.

The ads for this book say that it's a metaphor for depression. If so, it's a very subtle one; I didn't pick up on it at all, and I didn't feel that events were being forced into shape to meet a metaphor the author wanted to address.

I really enjoyed reading this, and I'll be watching out for more by Hanna. Even if they're not set in this world, I think they'll be worth reading.

What a fabulous debut from an author I will definitely be following for future books, this was just an amazing read. From the very beginning I was just enthralled and intrigued to see what was going to happen. This is beautifully written, the world building is fantastic, the characters well rounded and with real development, I loved Siria so much, the themes of family toy find for yourself, hope, love and acceptance are always my favourites but particularly well done here. My only criticism is I would have liked more, an epilogue or maybe a bit less here and a second book, but that’s all and I only say that because I really just wanted more of the characters, the story and well everything. Fantastic !


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I voluntarily read this book as part of the blog tour with TBR & Beyond Tours. Thanks to TBR & Beyond Tours, the author and Netgalley for providing the eARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. 3 stars

Ignite the Sun is a fast paced YA fantasy that's set in a unique world that once was filled with light but for the last 15 years has been engulfed by darkness. This was a pretty "easy" fantasy to read and one that I would recommend to newbie fantasy readers as the world building and magical system isn't complex and the story follows a linear plot. There aren't any major surprises and it's full of many tropes you'd find in YA fantasy and although there were some things that I wish had been done better, overall it was an enjoyable read.

My favourite part of the story was the rag-tag team of rebels because of those found family vibes. I loved that they were a good mix of ages and also the various magical beings that can be found in this world such as mages, naiads, elves, and banshees to name a few. A big chunk of the book is filled with traveling scenes as the rebels make their way north on foot over a 'two month' period and while not that much really happens, you do get to know the world, the magic and the characters a bit more. That said, I wished the world building (including the magic) and character development had been done better because I felt that a lot of it was just "surface" level and didn't go into much depth.

Siria Nightingale is our MC and on her sixteenth birthday, she learns of a life-altering secret at the Choosing Ball that completely throws everything she thought she knew upside down. I struggled with her initially because she came across as a very petulant, spoiled young woman, and there was a strong "reluctant hero" quality to her when secrets are revealed. But there's no doubt that throughout the journey her character experiences a tremendous amount of growth. However, as the story is very much focused on Siria's experience, I feel that the side characters were sadly underdeveloped and while I liked what little we saw and learned about them, they're just there as filler for the plot and MC's story. There's a bit of a sweet 'friends-to-lovers' romance in the story but it's very PG and thankfully doesn't take over the plot, which I appreciated. The villain herself was a little underwhelming.

There was and wasn't a lot of action in this book (if that makes sense). We're thrown into the thick of it from the beginning and with the story broken up into short and easy to read chapters, it kept the story moving at a good pace that seemed full of action but was actually just one big travel/training/exploring montage. As soon as there was some fighting, the MC would conveniently black out and she'd wake up once the action over. This happened every time and it honestly started to get frustrating because it felt too easy. Thankfully the final showdown wasn't a black out scene because it really kept the tension up until the end.

TL;DR: Although there weren't any major surprises and the story didn't bring anything new to the YA fantasy genre, this was still an enjoyable and fast paced read. I think this would be perfect for YA fantasy newbies or even for those that enjoy stories full of fantasy tropes that have a unique setting, many travel/training montages, and a good dose of found family vibes.

I was so excited to read this book when it first came up as a possibility, based on the immediate strong cover and the truly unique storyline that the summary offers. It really is a wonderfully individual tale, taking the childhood fear of the dark to the most extreme; an evil witch, capable of blocking out the sun, so that for fifteen years, no one has seen it. It's an entrancing - and terrifying - idea.

Siria has been scared of the dark and encouraged to be ashamed of her red hair since she can remember, and as a fellow red head who is scared of the dark, I was immediately inclined to be sympathetic towards the character. Linden and Yarrow, who we meet from page one are endearing characters that capture your heart straight away, and all the more so as you follow their adventures throughout the journey of the book. Siria is forced to reconsider everything she has ever known, and ever been taught, and the journey she goes on as a person from what is considered a normal sixteen year old to being who she truly was born to be is one that anyone can fall in love with.

There is always a power in journeys of self discovery, and this is an extreme version of that. Beautiful, powerful, and terrifying, this novel takes you through the fear of being someone different, to the pride of being who you are.

Though I did have mixed feelings on the book, my overall impression was still definitely a favorable one. Howard has crafted an engaging fantasy universe full of Things We Love To See, like elemental magic, multiple varieties of magical creatures (including things that resemble dragons, mermaids, and banshees, among others), and a resistance movement against a straight-up evil queen. There is a classic light-versus-darkness battle, with the added dimension that comes from considering the impact of darkness on a population–problematic conditions for growing crops, paler skin, less-vibrant wildlife, and so on. And all of this is illuminated by Howard’s highly visual writing style, with attention to color and detail that paints a vivid picture of this universe for the reader to enjoy, from the eerie black/purple/green palette of Iyzabel’s court to the bright, shimmering colors of nymphs using their magic.

I was also pleased with the way the romance in this book played out–a classic in-love-with-my-best-friend deal, with no weird love triangle or toxic, seductive bad boy sweeping in out of nowhere. Instead, the tension between them stemmed from personal difficulties and insecurities, making for a believable relationship that is understandable even to those of us who aren’t literally trying to save the world. All the romance was very PG, nothing beyond kissing and intense feelings, if that sort of thing matters to you.

Thematically, I liked the places this book was willing to go. A lot of emphasis was placed on the concept of choice, about how your actions determine what sort of a person you are, and how fear only makes you a coward if you won’t fight it. Siria undergoes a good amount of growth as she faces her fear that what makes her different could make her a monster. Through a variety of side characters, different reactions to grief and struggle are also represented, from rage and rebellion to learned helplessness to numbing by distance, all the while pointing out that there is no “correct” way to deal with emotional damage–and the only incorrect way is to allow your actions to endanger others. That part, at least, it touched on from all sorts of angles, including when loyalty becomes conflicted between ideology and family, or between your own safety and someone else’s.

All that said, I did have some hangups with this book. For one, despite the amount of conflict and talk of war in it, it was very light on action. The main character does very little fighting and is (more than once) literally teleported away during major action scenes, so we are cut off from what could have been epic moments and instead just get “before” and “after.” Even beyond those moments, there were just a lot of “plot conveniences”–not plot holes, but just weirdly convenient things that happened to work out perfectly to keep the story going. The story as a whole, actually, was pretty predictable, no major twists, and all conflicts very quickly and neatly resolved.

I also was not a huge fan of the side characters–while Siria herself was relatively interesting, I feel like her companions all came across as one-dimensional, mostly there to fulfill specific roles for the plot but otherwise not doing anything to warrant emotional attachment to them (example: a death that probably should have been upsetting to me was instead rather “meh”). One of the most interesting characters, a banished banshee, felt painfully under-utilized (maybe we can get a spinoff about her?). The dialogue was largely stilted and inorganic. And finally, the ending was just too fast–there wasn’t really any time for the story to settle down, which seemed out of place given the way the rest of the narrative had proceeded. A couple revelations were also dropped near the end, ostensibly to help give context to a certain character, but the way they were presented was rushed and confusing instead of clarifying.

All that said: though not overwhelmingly original or mind-blowing, this was still a decent read that plays nicely into some old favorite formulas of the YA fantasy genre. Given the nature of the story and the lower maturity level (in terms of profanity, violence, etc., it is very minimal), it is a great choice for younger YA fans especially.

This was good! It is YA fantasy and is mainly about Siria who discovers that she could have a big pet in overthrowing the witch queen as she realises her birthright.

It’s fast paced and enjoyable, I hope it’s part of a series but it also works excellently as a stand-alone.

A cliche concept/trope with a twist…

Once upon a time, there was something called the sun…The moment I read this in the blurb, I was sold. 1.) because of its similarity to my previous manuscript and 2.) The light vs. darkness trope might be cliche, but it’s still one of my favorite tropes of all time. Especially, if the author manages to put a twist in it. In Ignite The Sun, light and dark literally fight each other, so it’s not your typical light vs. darkness, which of course, symbolizes good and evil. Most importantly, I love the fact that the protagonist has to take a journey to bring back the sun in a kingdom that hasn’t seen it, the light, for years.

Likeable characters…but lacking depths

Siria, the protagonist, grew on me. At first, she’s a brat and whines a lot. Someone called her out for that though, and that’s great because Siria needed to wake up and grow up. And she did. On the other note, Siria’s character is an exact representation of the chosen one, undergoing everything you might expect a chosen one undergoes physically, mentally, etc.

The side characters though, or at least the ones who journeyed with Siria, I found unique as a group. In Ignite the Sun, you won’t find a group of teenagers to save the world – the saving is Siria’s job alone, because chosen one – but rather, Siria’s group is composed of a love interest, an indifferent middle-aged woman, a 12-year old girl and an old man who serves as Siria’s father/grandfather figure and mentor. Aside from their different ages, each of them is part of different species, which makes their group even more interesting. The author did great in this aspect. But I think individually, the characters need more depths and development. Sure, I connected with them but I would’ve liked to see some changes in them (in and out) by the end of the story. As interesting as they are, they should’ve given more time to shine, using their magic.

A MILD magical world with all the interesting creatures…

The absence of the sun is not the only fascinating aspect of the fictional world, Terra-Volat, it is also filled with all the interesting creatures. Most of them we can find in faery world such as nymphs, elves, dwarves, naiads, banshees, etc. Siria herself is a kind of nymph. She is a sun-child and I found sun-children really interesting, especially in a world where people really believe that light, the sun is the enemy and that a dark witch, like Queen Iyzabel, is the hero.

It’s really interesting to learn more about each creature, the things they can do and can’t, but overall, the magic system is just mild. It’s very easy to understand and really nowhere near complex.

A very cliche villain

I think of all the books and movies about good vs. evil that I’ve read and watched, and for sure, I’ve met this villain before. Even Queen Iyzabel’s back story didn’t interest me. There’s nothing new to it, nothing intriguing and compelling enough to make her an interesting character.

Good pacing BUT…

The pacing is really good. There’s always something happening. It was really eventful and made the book unputdownable (is this really a word?) My issue lies with the too-convenient moments that resolves the conflicts the characters have faced. Too often, the characters are saved during fade-to-black moments, which means the most important and most interesting parts of the scenes are not on the pages. It makes me question the author’s ability to write such intricate scenes, like fight scenes or war. Too often, the dangerous scenes are cut, either by Siria fainting or being knocked out. And then suddenly, I am being told what happened during the danger, whether they survived or not. So yeah, there’s an issue of tell vs. show in the book as well.

My favorite romance trope but not in this one…

It’s a friends-to-lovers trope. Siria and Linden, one of her companions in her journey, have known each other for ten years and their friendship is amazing. But as for the romance, it’s not terrible but it lacks tension and development, so it ended up as bland. I guess the author just didn’t want to focus on romance but still…

Overall, this book is perfect for those who are looking for a fast-paced story, and not so much into the technical aspects. Also, I enjoyed reading it despite its flaws.

Title: Ignite the Sun
Author: Hanna Howard
Pub. Date: August 18, 2020
Rating: 3.5

This will be a spoiler free review. Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I wish this book had been longer or split into two.
I wanted more.
I wanted more time in the world. More time with the characters. And more time with the final confrontation/battle. The ending felt a tad rushed and left me wanting more…

Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of both The Bone Charmer and Shielded – two books I thoroughly loved this year. This book had a similar atmosphere to The Bone Charmer and I really loved that. As for Shielded, I’m not entirely sure why it reminds of me of it, but it did, and I’m not complaining.

I really liked the characters, the world, pretty much everything about it. Even though I wished it had been longer, more drawn out, the pace a little slower, the story Hanna crafted is wholly enjoyable and keeps you turning the page. If I had been able, I probably would have knocked this book out in one sitting. I was legit so invested.
I love Linden. Like, he’s probably my favorite character in this book. He’s just kind of goofy, dorky, and unapologetically himself and I love him.

I also really liked Siria. I thought her character arc was really good, but again, I wish it had been more drawn out. For having her world ripped out from under her, she handles it pretty well…she could have handled it a lot worse.
I loved the rest of their group as well!

I really don’t have any complaints with the characters or the world – which came to life in my mind. I had no problems visualizing the world Hannah created. I kind of kept picturing villages from The Witcher on Netflix, just bathed in darkness. The harshness and grittiness of that world just reminded me of this one Hanna created.
I think my biggest complaint is the pacing. It comes from a place of really enjoying this book but feeling like things were just slightly too rushed. I wanted more, I wanted to spend more time with the characters. I think Siria’s arc would have been even stronger, if there had been more time. I think her and Linden’s relationship would have been more impactful, if we’d gotten to see how conflicted she is, due to her powers. Those moment between them, where Siria denied herself Linden, in fear of hurting him, be still my beating heart. I’m 100% a sucker for those kinds of self-sacrificing moments. Not that I want them to suffer, but it adds this dramatic dynamic between the two of them and I’m here for it.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book. I don’t think it’s going to disappoint and it’s a pretty solid YA fantasy. Siria is amazing and her journey keeps you interested and rooting for her. Ignite the Sun is out August 18, so make sure you grab your copy!

I actually quit this book because I wasn't in the right mood for it at the time.

I don't have any issues, and intend to give it another try in the very near future!

Full review to come!

t’s been a while since I read a sizzling YA fantasy, and “Ignite the Sun” did not disappoint!

I loved the way the story is told. Although there are many chapters, each one is short with something new. The author wrote the plot so well! I was at the edge of my seat when Siria lights up in front of the Queen, or when Night Wyrm attacks the group. As the group progresses to their destination before the Equinox, they face many adventures, which makes the story so exciting.

Siria is great as the main character. She has no idea what is happening, but goes along with the plan because of her love for Linden and Yarrow. I also loved the scenes where she is alone and practices her powers. All the other characters are wonderful too, whether it be Linden, Yarrow, Elegy, Merrall, or Bronya. I adored Linden and Siria’s romance. They share such a charming history, and I really enjoyed how they try to move to the next step of their friendship.

Perhaps the only thing I felt could be improved was the character history. At times, it felt like the author just touched on the character’s history, but we really did not get to know them really well. This might make the story lengthy, but I would have loved more details about the Queen’s past, like her relationship with her sister, or more scenes with Siria and Eamon? Perhaps this is the first book in the series? In that case, I can’t wait to see how it continues.

Overall, “Ignite the Sun” is a wonderful novel and made me realize how much I missed reading this genre.