Anticipation. I could feel it immediately in those first few chapters. You can feel the world and story being built around you. The tension, worldbuilding, and characters are nothing short of outstanding.

This Indian-inspired novel checked so many boxes: fantasy with a hint of sci-fi, complex characters, insanely well developed setting, with touches of magic, prophecies, mythology, slow burning, twisting plot. Yeah, this book delivered. Alternating POVs between the notorious assassin Yassen, heir to the throne Elena, and the king of Ravence Leo. Each of the characters I found to be engaging and enjoyed what each of their POVs brought to the book. The setting is rich and so vividly painted you can feel the wind blowing across the sand or the heat from the fire warming your hands. All of this beautiful writing with a hint of mystery looming over the whole story that flows so well.

While the tech, terms, and countries/people were very well described, easy to decipher, and comprehend, there is a handy glossary of terms at the end of the book which I always appreciate.

This was a book I was tremendously excited for! It had everything I could want- high fantasy, enemies-to-lovers, arranged marriage, morally-grey characters, and slow burn romances. Unfortunately, this book didn't do it for me. Let me start by saying what I did enjoy:
-I loved Yassen and Elena. I actually really enjoyed their arcs. While their romance was abrupt, it was hinted at, and I appreciated.
-Samson. I still don't know if I trust him, but he was definitely an interesting and compelling character
-The plot twist ending. The only part I actually loved.
-The magic! While a little confusing, it was definitely intriguing.
-Yassen's backstory! He was easily the most compelling character and I loved how complex he was.
Now for the things that made me dislike the story:
-The pacing of the book really was all over the place. Some parts were incredibly slow and boring, while others picked up. While some of the fast-paced parts of the book were interesting, too many were too confusing to understand. For example, the end was far too fast paced, and left me very confused.
-Leo. Every chapter of his was very boring for me. It drew me out of the story, and it took me a while to get back into it.
-The plot. While parts of the plot were interesting, the pacing often threw the plot off and made it difficult to be engaged with.

Overall, I'll still read the sequel, but this book was not as amazing as I'd hoped.

A king whose reign is coming to an end.
An heir who can’t hold the power of the rulers.
An ex assassin who desires freedom.
A prophecy that threatens them all.

I don’t know how to put into words how much I loved this book. It was amazing. It’s my new favorite book. If I could give it more starts I would. It has everything that I love in it.

It has strong women and morally grey characters. It’s a fantasy world with sci-fi elements. It’s got political plotting and enemies to lovers and slow burn romance. The magic system in this books is also so interesting.

The characters are all amazing. There are so many sides of them that you get to see and it’s done on such an amazing way. They’re all so interesting. They have their own stories and character arcs. None them are simple either they all have different layers and parts of their characters. I love them all so much.

"If there was one thing he could claim, it was this: that even in the darkness of death, he would know her.”

The world building is fantastic. I loved that it’s kind of entwined throughout the entire story. You don’t get an overwhelming amount of information all at once.

The twist and turned and surprises are so good. It keeps you guessing the entire time.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Aparna Verma for this arc in return for an honest review. All of the thoughts in this review are my own!*

A world on the edge of war, a prophecy of old can either tear it all down or bring the peace it needs, depending on who you ask...

The premise of this world and story had great potential (mixing sci-fi and fantasy is something I always want to see more of) but this book was let down by lackluster worldbuilding, an often jarring narrative structure and two dimensional characters.
By the time I was halfway through, I still had very little idea of what it was building towards or what the stakes were, as nothing seemed to be happening. At all.
The prose was overrun with ineffective, and often unecessary, similes and metaphors. The narrative structure had very little sense of unity, often jumping from scene to scene, location to location with no real rhyme or reason, making it difficult to form a clear sense of the story it was trying to build.
The characters largely felt like placeholders in the text, I struggled to get a feel for any of their motivations or desires, and character development was essentially non-existant. It failed to nurture any sort of connection with the majority of the characters and the story failed to keep me invested for any significant period of time.

Overall, it felt like a drawn-out prelude to action that we don't get to see, with an anti-climactic and fairly predictable ending.

Thank you NetGalley and New Degree Press for the e-arc of this title, received in exchange for an honest review.

I may have been swayed by the Book Twitter hype... That’s the only reason I requested this book. To be honest, the summary did not appeal to me at all — and I still think the book is more interesting than the overly complex description makes it out to be. However, it still isn’t for me.

This is 100% Adult Fantasy in its style: epic worldbuilding, languid pace, multi pov with a large cast, a slowburn political plot. But as someone who prefers the YA fantasy style, it quickly bored me. The first chunk of this novel is pure worldbuilding and introduction to the characters.

It didn’t help that the only one I liked was Yassen, so his storyline was the only one I cared for. It reached the point where I was skimming entire chapters just to read more of him.

But the strength, yes, is in its worldbuilding. I actually thought it had a really strong opening, everything from then on just slowed too much for my liking. The Dune vibes are strong in this one, but imagine Dune being written by an actual woman of color and with a more diverse cast of characters. As for its other comp: no, this has NOTHING in common with The Poppy War except for the fact that both authors are Asian WOC. It’s 100% different in terms of writing style, plot, characters, and themes.

I can sense this book will appeal to the traditional adult fantasy crowd. But the more I read, the less interested I became. I think you can also really tell that this is a debut. The author’s writing is awkwardly formal at times, and the plot is familiar. The romance is kinda mehhh... I do forgive it because it’s an indie novel, so let me reiterate that this is personal taste.

So sucks that I did not enjoy this. It’s not bad, but it’s not particularly great. But I hope the author keeps writing.

<i>Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.</i>

The moment I saw that this was a desi-inspired fantasy novel I had to read it immediately and let me tell you it did not disappoint me. The writing and oh my god the worldbuilding was so, so beautiful, I was hooked in from the start because of it. I actually went in thinking it would a historical fantasy but I was surprised to find that it was futuristic instead. Each and every character here was so intriguing that it made the story even more engrossing than it already was and also because of course I love me some morally grey characters, but I must admit it would've been better if the pacing was not so slow, but nonetheless, I think Aparna Verma did a fantastic job and it was a great start for a trilogy. I am really looking forward to read the other books, especially after that ending jhksgs.

The Boy With Fire is a wonderful south indian-inspired story with unique morally-grey characters that you can't help but love. Worldbuilding? Spectacular. Plot? Thrilling and jaw-dropping. Characters? GAH I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. And the slowburn with this is REAL, The moment you're waiting for finally happens and all you can do is squeal and dance around your room. Recommend this book to everyone!

This was a fantastic debut novel! This indian inspired fantasy novel has all then tropes like morally grey characters and enemies to lovers that will have you hooked and waiting for more! The plot was good but I felt as if it was a bit undeveloped and not as direct as it could be. Overall, a great story.

Very fun and very compelling! This book was full of adventures and likeable characters. I enjoyed the writing style and the plot a lot

DNF at 25%

Try as I might, I simply could not get into this one. I was intrigued by the world and the characters, and I wanted to learn more about their motivations, but the writing simply did not grip and me and every time I thought about picking this book up, I felt this severe lack of motivation to do so. I’m sure there’s an audience for this, I just don’t believe I’m the person for it.

I loved this book so much. The characters, the composition, the sentiment and most the amazing indian portrayal. I straightforwardly can't sit tight for the following book.

ARC copy provided in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changes my rating or review.

This was an incredible debut from who I’m sure will become a well-known and widely read author, Aparna Verma. The Boy with Fire was rich with Indian-inspired mythology, next-generation technology and intricately-written characters, and I loved every moment of the book.

“The past is binding, but I want to break it…if we carry the burdens of our fathers, then we’ll never know what it means to be free.”
(This quote may not be in the published version of this novel, it was copied from the advanced reader’s copy.)

Each character in this story had their own struggles, their own pains, their own regrets. I loved learning about the backstory of Yassen, Elena and Leo, but Yassen was the character who completely stole my heart, as I couldn’t help but fall for that dear little cinnamon bun assassin. Elena and Leo both had beautifully written and solely unique personalities, as one sought to control fire and accept her responsibility as future queen, and the other sought to handle the loss of his throne, and it was fascinating to read about both of their decisions and how the power of fire changed them both individually. Samson and Ferma were two other side characters who stuck out, and I really loved the relationship between Ferma and Elena, because hell yeah, girl power! I’m honestly still not sure what to think of Samson, even after finishing the book… I guess we’ll see what happens in the next book in the series, because he’s a very I-could-either-love-or-hate-you kind of character!

“Perhaps, then, the boy he had been, the man who he wanted to be, was still here, still within him.
Waiting.”
(This quote may not be in the published version of this novel, it was copied from the advanced reader’s copy.)

One aspect in this book that really stood out was the prose, and the world-building. Both aspects were gorgeously done, and the prose was absolutely stunning in sections, emphasised by the life-like characters and brilliant magic system/world. The Indian-inspired world with royalty, magic and advanced technology that supersedes anything from our current world was a really interesting combination, and one that I was surprised to find worked really well. I look forward to seeing what else the author comes up with in the future!

All in all, I really enjoyed this start to a fascinating new series, and that ending was mind-blowing and completely captivating! Thank you to the dear Discord Book Club Server for buddy reading this with me, and thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC copy provided by NetGalley!

Pitched as Dune meets The Poppy War, The Boy with Fire certainly held a lot of promise and potential to be one of the greats, and it was. However, my overall stance on this book is very conflicting.

This novel was definitely ambitious - it has elements inspired by two very reputed novels, but puts an Indian twist to deliver a very unique story. The writing was everything I wanted and hoped it would be with intricate world building and a great plot overall.

Unfortunately, for me the issue was with mostly with the pacing. typically in a fantasy novel, I prefer a regular paced novel that’s a little toward the slower side, so that I can connect with the overall plot and characters better. This felt very dragged out. The characters also did not live up to their potential. I was unable to connect with them and because of that, it got to the point where I really just couldn’t care less if anyone of them died. They didn’t develop much throughout the book and they lacked depth (Leo is the exception, of course).

Personally, I also felt that this book failed to deliver a romance that I could be invested in/obsess over and I was very disappointed by that. I think what did save this book from being a total disappointment was the writing, which was absolutely stunning, and the plot related elements in this book.

So, even though I wasn’t the biggest fan of this book, I will still recommend reading it for those redeeming qualities.

DNF 50%

Yep, I can't do it!

I tried, I really did. I had requested this book on a whim because 1. oh my God revenge plot? 2. supposedly morally grey characters and 3. dilf in the official art. What else was I supposed to do?

Not request it, apparently.

I want to be as nice as possible, I really do, but it's not like I have much to insult this book for anyway. Its problem isn't that it's egregiously bad or offensive, it's just boring. Every time I took a break in between reading (because I've got school and an actual life) I would come back and have no idea what was happening. I mean, my memory isn't this bad. It's just that nothing happened. I even tried giving it a fair shot by waiting until the halfway mark, because I understand it takes a while to pick up sometimes, but /seriously/ nothing happened.

Maybe it miraculously speeds up afterward and has some glorious ending I'll be sad to miss because of my impatience, but this book is too slow-paced and I'm too busy with work to be able to continue. I really do hope other people are able to enjoy it more than I have.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy.

The Boy with Fire is a desi-inspired high fantasy with morally grey main characters. Ravence is about to have a new queen, Elena, but between threats of the Arohassin and the fact that she cannot withhold fire, her father fears she’s not ready. Samson, the Landless King, is promised to marry Elena if he swears to protect Ravence during these trying times with his growing army. He comes with Yassen, an ex-murderer for the Arohassin. Nobody trust him, especially not Elena. Will they realize they may have more in common than they’d like to admit? And will Leo, king of Ravence be able to find the Phoenix, who’s threatening to destroy his entire kindgom? If that didn’t already convinced you, it’s beautifully written and the characters have depth. Strong healthy relationships between women and between a father and his daughter, indian folklore and a cliffhanger that will make you want to have the sequel in your hands right away.

The Boy with Fire (The Ravence Trilogy: Book One) by Aparna Verma

📓Genre: Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Fiction
Star: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 (3.5 rounded to 4 stars)

🔖 Like the title suggests, this is the first book of the Ravence Trilogy.
Told through multiple POVs (in third person narrative though), the story slowly unravels a fantasy world that's full of both beauty & horror.
🔖With this being the first in the series, there were several characters and new elements which needed to be introduced and at times explained. It did slow down the pace at places, but I liked the world-building. Also, the clever mix of mythology has added more depth to the story.
🔖I liked Elena Ravence and Yassen, and felt they both demonstrated strong and determined personalities. But that is how they both start off at the very beginning of the story, leaving little scope of much growth as the story progresses. Anyway, I guess the future installments will possibly reveal more about these two characters.
🔖Overall, it was a good book and a fantasy lover should definitely give it read!

🔸Final Verdict: Good
🔸Book Cover: Eye-catching
🔸Writing Style: Engaging
🔸Character Development: Not much, with this being the series starter.

✨Many thanks to New Degree Press (Publisher) and Netgalley for sending me the ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

#TheBoywithFire #NetGalley #arc #bookreview

The Boy with Fire was excellent! The characters felt so real, and their struggles were believable and poignant. Their character arcs were wonderfully developed. I grew so attached to them, especially Elena and Yassen.

The beginning of the book was a little slow because there was a lot of worldbuilding. However, it wasn’t overwhelming. The worldbuilding was done in such a way that it created suspense and revealed aspects of the plot at just the right times. The blend of sci-fi and fantasy elements was interesting and occasionally jarring, but I got more used to it the further I got in the book. The plot was brilliantly and intricately woven. It was so suspenseful, and I’m dying for the sequel! Aparna Verma has real talent, and I’m looking forward to reading everything else that she will write!

Go preorder an eBook of The Boy with Fire on Amazon or preorder a signed paperback from Aparna Verma’s website! Alternatively, you can buy it when it comes out on August 31, 2021 from other booksellers or request it from your library!

For some reason I went into this book thinking it was an epic fantasy - in a way, it still was. Instead this was very delightful romp into a very original science fantasy world crafted by Verma. Finding science fantasy books is rare and finding GOOD ones even more so. Luckily, I'm glad to say that I really enjoyed this novel.

The novel is told from three different POV's - Elena, the heir of Ravance; Leo, her father and current king; and Yassen, an assassin on the run from his sins. Each brings something unique to the story, fleshing out facets of the world in a very natural and organic way. There is very interesting lore and worldbuilding, and the overall aesthetics (futuristic fantasy mingled with South Asian influences) felt fresh and original from anything I've read in a while.

Verma is an expert in description and paints the world vividly through her amazing metaphors. I could never get tired of all the ways she managed to tie fire, deserts and dunes into the character's situations and emotions. The main trio are also great with excellent motivations and storylines (some more heartbreaking than others), and a few side characters were great (Ferma, Samson) while most others were forgettable.

My only issue in this book, the one thing that kept this from being a five star read for me, was the pacing shift around the 70% mark. Up until then the pacing was excellent and I couldn't wait to read on. But after what felt like the climax of the book, there was still 30% left to go and this part unfortunately dragged a bit for me. Nothing really interesting happens and I was just reading to find out the answer to one of the central mysteries of the novel - who is the Prophet?

All in all, excellent book that I would definitely recommend to anyone who is a fan of fantasy, science fantasy, or even just intriguing and original plots.

This book was so good! The plot and character development were amazing and I fell in love with the characters. I love the desi vibes in it. I am a big fan of fantasy and sci fi and this had all of the elements of a great series!

Yassen Knight was the Arohassin’s most notorious assassin until a horrible accident. Now, he’s on the run from the authorities and his former employer. But when Yassen seeks refuge with an old friend, he’s offered an irresistible deal: defend the heir of Ravence from the Arohassin, and earn his freedom.

Elena Ravence prepares to ascend the throne. Trained since birth in statecraft, warfare, and the desert ways, Elena knows she is ready. She only lacks one thing: the ability to hold Fire. With the coronation only weeks away, she must learn quickly or lose her kingdom.

Leo Ravence is not ready to give up the crown. There’s still too much work to be done, too many battles to be won. But when an ancient prophecy threatens to undo his lifetime of work, Leo wages war on the heavens themselves to protect his legacy.

This book reminds me of The Poppy War and The Jasmine Throne, it is an epic Indian-inspired fantasy with questionable characters that you can't help but root for.
The world is dark at the brink of war, the characters are all fighting for something they want and will all do whatever it takes to get there, no matter the cost.
The female characters in this book were a real highlight, they are powerful and caring they can still be beautiful whilst holding immense power and destroying everything in their path.
The 3 points of view work together so well and I was never waiting to get back to another character. Particularly with Leo and Elena's points of view the seeing from both sides that will never understand each other is amazing, both believe they are doing the right thing for the kingdom.
The world and the fire beliefs are beautifully detailed and I loved the melding of sci-fi and fantasy with the holopods and the Jantari metal.
I do feel that some of the other characters lacked characterisation and a romance subplot that came out of no where but overall it was a great read
The writing is amazing, despite it being slow at some points and the book flows so well, I was fascinated by most of the characters, can't wait for the rest of the series!