I am not okay.

This book was such a perfect continuation of Zarya’s story. It was emotional and fast paced. Nisha’s command of detail is just exquisite to be honest. The culture and world building are so rich and colorful. Yasen continues to be my spirit animal and I loved seeing their friendship evolve more. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Nisha J. Tuli's "Dance of Stars and Ashes" is a masterful tale of passion, magic, and fate that completely enthralled me. Tuli skillfully crafts an engrossing story that takes readers to a universe where emotions and stars dance together in a beautiful waltz from the first page onward.

The story traces the journey of Ava, a complex character who comes alive in each chapter. Through her deft narrative, Tuli creates a vivid image of a society on the verge of transformation, full of complex political machinations, supernatural powers, and a love that knows no bounds to time or place. The author's ability to generate emotion through words is truly captivating, and her style is poetic.

"Dance of Stars and Ashes" has a complex and engrossing world-building that skillfully combines the fantastical with the everyday. A memorable reading experience is provided by the author's creation of a universe in which readers can lose themselves and find themselves captured in vivid descriptions of characters, landscapes, and the dancing stars overhead.

The characters' complex emotional dance is what really makes this tale unique. The story is replete with themes of love, sacrifice, and the unbreakable human spirit, making it an incredibly poignant and thought-provoking read.

The most remarkable aspect of Nisha J. Tuli's tale is how she skillfully ties the characters' destinies to the heavenly dance of the stars. The story takes unexpected turns that had me gripping the edge of my seat in anticipation of discovering the next chapter in this exquisitely designed tapestry.

"Dance of Stars and Ashes" is an immersive experience that stays with you long after the last page is turned. It's more than just a book. Nisha J. Tuli’s masterwork is a must-read if you’re looking for an engrossing adventure in a universe where magic, love, and fate collide. A heavenly symphony of masterful narrative!

I really enjoyed book one so I was really looking forward to reading the second installment of The Nightfire Quartet. Dance of Stars and Ashes is a fantastic sequel and I was completely sucked in by the rich mythology, the incredible world building and wonderful writing style. I really enjoyed the romance in this book; fans of romantasy will love this series.

I was so excited to return to the city of Dharati, and to see where Zarya’s story was heading and this did not disappoint. This story was full of action, angst, secrets, betrayal and heart wrenching sadness. The plot twists towards the end have me questioning everything and although the story ended on a lighter note, I’m interested to see what happens to Zarya. Although this story was a bit of a slower pace, I still think it was action packed.

The tension between Zarya and Rabin was EVERYTHING. The dream forest scenes were so good and I found myself waiting for them. The secrets and slow burn in this story were SO GOOD. The friendships are so warm and delightful.

I can’t say too much about how I felt without giving a lot of plot points away, but I will say that if you enjoyed the first book, you will love the second!

Thank you to Nisha J. Tuli, NetGalley and Second Sky for the eARC of Dance of Stars and Ashes, available February 16th!

If the first book set the tone, the second book brought the rage and fire!

We continue on the journey with Zarya as she navigates her way around life as an Aazheri, learning more about her identity and fine-tuning her magic; those five natural elements and the secret that she harbours, the rare sixth she hasn't told anyone else about - darkness. With Amrita establishing herself as a new Queen, and the blight and demons getting stronger with each passing day, can Zarya learn how to channel her powers, become an asset and assist the Chiranjevi and fight off the threat? With the darkness that swirls within her, the cage that contains that sixth element tempting to break free, is there a lesson of self control Zarya needs to learn first before it takes everyone with her, not just herself? What about her attraction to Rabin? With his return to the kingdom, will they finally get to the bottom of their initial meetings in the blossoming forest that exists beyond the realms of their consciousness? Dance of Stars and Ashes is the second book in the Nightfire Quartet.

This series has me hooked!! The anticipation that had built up after I finished reading the first book was re-ignited as soon as I started reading Dance of Stars and Ashes. We see Zarya's relationships developing in this book - her animosity to camaraderie to close bonding /friendship with Yasen is heartwarming and one to watch out for (everyone needs a best friend like Yasen in their support system), the chemistry with Rabin just burns through the page and the character/story development is so seamless. With a well written strong narrative, I was invested in learning about the ghost/dark army like it was taking shape before my very eyes and the trepidation and fear of the unknown with the Chiranjevi plotting on how to resist the blight and strengthen their forces. That battle in the last few chapters was powerful! Definitely a page turner and I could not put the book down at all in the last 20%. From a first person narrative, the reader can empathise with Zarya whether it is how she develops the new relationships she has (which is difficult given she was brought up in hiding/isolation) or how she can help her new found family - it is easy to relate to. Zarya is super likeable as a FMC shes a strong, resilient and fierce FMC and you are rooting for her to win in the book. I was so engrossed with knowing more about this fantasy world - major round of applause and heartfelt appreciation for the POC representation/Indian mythology inspired themes which add all the extra points to this book, I LOVE IT SO MUCH and can't get enough! It is so refreshing to read this series, I feel a sense of belonging and so cosy when I get into them. The only thing I was abit confused about (without giving spoilers) was a lack of sensitivity in the last couple chapters and it felt abit rushed to the end, rather than soaking up moments and in hindsight it felt like the first half and second half were two different stories - I can imagine more will be revealed as we go on so I still highly recommended this book. These point do not take away from the overall fun and thrill this book was! Thank you @secondskybooks and @netgalley for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest unedited review! Eagerly awaiting book 3!

I loved book 1, and book 2 was just as amazing. Definitely some spice in book 2 with Rabin and Zarya, thank goodness. Amrita is taking over as Queen, but the blight is still a huge problem. How will they get rid of it? They think Dhawan has the answers, but he’s a double crossing old geezer. I hated him from the start, so I’m glad I had good instincts.
I KNEW that something with Rabin would break Zayra’s heart, and of course, it has to be a connection to her scary sperm donor. I believe he’ll make it up to her, but I was so sad when it happened. Can’t wait for book 3!

She did this again.. Nisha slayed another book. Am I suprised? Aboslutely not. I loved every page of Dance of Stara and Ashes, but again, I am 100% a fan of Nisha’s writing.

What I did not expect was the amount of spice we received in this book - amazing!

Let’s start with Zarya:

„He was still the most insufferable, most overconfident, most cocksure man she’d ever meet. And she couldn’t stand him.”

I love her sassiness, I love how she grew up as a person. I love her relationship with Yasen, her selfless attempt to help Amrita with her fate. I loved how she stood up when Vik was trying to tame her into relationship, I loved how she solved her problems with Row, and how mature she was when they finally had to talk. And finally, I love her relationship with Rabin. It was the best romance I have read in looong time, really. She became one of my favorite characters 🥰.

Yasen:

„I’m right. I know that look. Trust me. He’s ready to name his sword after you, and I didn’t mean the one on his back”

This guy is the best side chatacter in that book. He really cares about Zarya, which is sweet, since he is also involved in friendship with Vikram.

Rabin 🥵
„- (…) I realized I’ve been a complete and utter fool.
-And an ass.
-That too.
-And a dick.
-I’m everything you want me to be.”🫠

Ok, after Nadir, I never thought I would never find someone who can compare.. And again, I was so wrong. The ending was heartbreaking, but I still belive everything will be fixed - IT HAS TO!

To sum this review up, all I have to say is - READ DANCE OF STARS AND AHES!

You won’t regret any minute with this book.

I’ve been looking forward to jumping back into this series and I wasn’t disappointed. It was great to see the tension between Rabin and Zarya grow in this book, although their relationship does develop somewhat as the story progresses - though perhaps not in the ways you expect! There was plenty of action continuing through this, with the dangers facing the city and their queen. Vik and Amrita step into their new roles and things are definitely changing… and perhaps not for the best. Lives are at risk, strange things are happening, and betrayals are afoot.

The friendship between Zarya and Yasen is so interesting to read. They could almost be siblings with their banter interwoven with their genuine care for each other, and how they’ll share all the details of their lives so honestly. When they first met you never would have expected it but that makes it all the more brilliant. It was also great to see Amandeep make an appearance and hopefully we’ll see him again in future books. I’ll definitely be picking up the next book in the series when it’s out to see where Zarya’s life leads next.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

For some reason, it look me a lot longer to read this than I was expecting, but I blame my upcoming trip and grading for making me slow down my reading train. 🫤

This was a great continuation of Zarya’s journey in understanding who she is as well as her tumultuous kindling relationships. 🫢

This book continues a few days after the ending event of book one. I thought Zarya matured a lot in this one which was nice to see for character development, though she’s still reckless in my opinion. Her budding relationship with Rabin was definitely something I enjoyed, though like my thoughts on steamy sex scenes in A Fate Inked in Blood. . . I felt like a nosey little fly on the wall. 🫣

Zarya’s growing friendships with Aarav, Row, and Yasen were really sweet in my opinion. I like that Row and Aarav acknowledge their past mistakes and are actively trying to make up for them in their own way. It was rather sad to see the deterioration of her friendships with Amrita and Vikram, but it follows the same trajectory as real life friendships. 😮‍💨

All in all, I thought it was a good sequel, and the developments in the plot are definitely making me interested in continuing the series. Big thank you goes out to Second Sky Books for reaching out and asking if I would like to read the sequel, to NetGalley for being the site to provide it, and to the author for making Zarya’s story so enticing! This was done on my own time and not influenced by the gift of this eARC.

Publication date: February 16!

Overall: 4/5 ⭐️ (3.75 for the first 2/3 and 4.25 for the last third)

This is one of the best books I've read in a long while. It was so immersive and engaging! I was wonderfully invested in these characters.

I love how rich the culture and magic is. Each character has a distinct personality and you see each one grow and develop throughout the series.

Rabin is TOP TIER.

I love how complex the FMC, Zarya is so far. The struggle she experiences with her past trauma and her need to feel accepted and worthy is so realistic to me. She wants desperately to trust and love but she's deep in a world of complicated politics and prejudice. It's honestly not like anything I've ever read.

I will not stop singing the praises of this book. It's quite literally magical.

Thank you so much to the author, Second Sky and Netgalley for allowing me to experience this beautiful work.

I received this book as an ARC and I'm leaving my review freely.

Epic fantasy adventure, as the fight against darkness rages on! Action packed to the very end - secrets, betrayal, and battles rage to subdud evil players and push back the blight. Ends on a soft cliff, some battles end while others are just beginning. A bit of heat just adds to the fun ...

4 Stars

Overall I liked this second installment much more than the first book. The first one was a lot of setup as expected, but the characters were a little annoying for most scenes except for the ones with Rabin. In this second book, some of the characters I disliked the most in the first are not really present in this book and it focuses on my three favorite. Rabin, Zarya, and Yas.

For me Rabin being more prominent in this story really brought a different life to it. He is broody and interesting. I kind of wish there was a bit more at stakes for the enemy part as it seemed to resolve itself fairly quickly. Its still kind of slow burn, but not in way I typically love. It's pretty obvious right away that they both are lusting and have feelings for each other and Zarya is just pushing off the inevitable vs building up to those feelings again. However, I did really like their relationship and I enjoyed their interactions.

I continue to find the world building and magic system interesting, with just enough information to keep the story going but not too much to drag down this fantasy romance. I appreciated that this helped make this for a very quick read and I had it completed in day.

I am looking forward to see where this progresses in book 3. The second book really delivered in moving the story along and setting up some interesting stakes for the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for this advanced ready copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

Nisha J. Tuli has quickly become a one click buy for me! I love the stories, characters, banter, true angst (not angst for angst sake), and the introduction to the mythology of different cultures not explored as much in fantasy. The beginning of this second installment in the Nightfire Quartet was a little bit slow, but really picked up by the end. The found family, enemies-to-lovers, and adventure are all top tier. And who doesn't love dragons!

Zarya's journey continues in the second book of this incredible series. After falling for the man who helps unlock her power within her dreams, Zarya is reeling from the truth of who is and the sensations he makes her feel, even if she wishes she could forget them. With events converging at the same time to protect Dharati and its people, Zarya remains focused on her friends, protecting the city she now calls home, and figuring out the origin of the piece of magic she keeps hidden. But everything keeps drawing her and Rabin together again and again.

This series does not quit! Between the incredible banter between Rabin and Zarya and all of the events converging at the same time, I could not put this book down. Zarya is a force of nature in this book as she dives deeper into herself and research to discover more about her past and magic. The grouchy and deadly Rabin was a nice addition to the crew, and I loved learning more about who he is. I fell for him hard. Per usual, Yasen is my favorite, and the friendship between him and Zarya continues to grow.

Nisha is incredibly skilled at building and immersing readers in the worlds she creates. The way she weaves the story is spellbinding. The twists and turns in this second book had me on the edge of my seat. I cannot wait to see where the road leads Zarya in the next book!

I’m really enjoying the pace of this story. Zarya at times seems immature but with how little she has had to socialize with other people it’s to be expected. I’m glad she’s trying to work through her relationship with Row- it’ shows a lot of growth for her to tell him she’s angry but she is tying to forgive him. And Aarav!!! I so wish we got more of him and Zarya!! Besides Rabin- THAT arc is fantastic!- Zarya and Aarav had some really good moments.

*Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

I love where the sequel picks up right with Zarya being a good friend, it fit with her personality so well and was a joy to see her start off her adventure in this book. I really enjoyed this book and how it fits into this series. I was enthralled the whole time while reading and needed to know more! I love Rabin, and I cannot wait to see where the rest of this series goes!

Nisha Tuli does is again. This follow up to Heart of Night and Fire is even better than book 1! The plot picks up just days after the events of book 1 and the excitement does not let up. Tuli provides a glossary at the beginning with a reminder of the characters, places, and other important world-specific terms. This was incredibly helpful as a summary and helped get right back into the world.

I love the characters in this series but I wish we got to see more of the other members of the Chiranjivi. Zarya is beginning to see them as family and I want to see it instead of being told it. I am hoping that comes in the next books! Yasen and Amrita are great friends/side characters. I am hoping that Amrita is able to be released from the Jai Tree in the future. I want the best for her. This book is much more focused on the relationship between Zarya and Rabin. And it is therefore much spicier than the first book. I absolutely loved it.

I am really excited to see what comes next, especially with Zarya and the Chiranjivi leaving Daragaab. I think this is a great opportunity for Tuli to do some serious world building. I will be waiting at the ends of my seat for news of book 3.

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for providing an eARC of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

This book kicks off where the first of the series ended and continues on in the world built throughout the last book. If you've forgotten anything, Nisha has included a handy description of characters, creatures and locations at the beginning of the book to keep you right! It's an easy world to fall back into though.

This series is continuing with the easy, dreamy, cosy fantasy reading and I would say it's perfect if you're a beginner to the genre or just want a break from complex worlds. This series is easy to follow, quick to read with lovable characters and interesting magic!

I said in my review for book one in the quartet that I was invested in Zarya's story and that hasn't changed, if anything I'm more invested. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Again, please don't make us wait too long for the next book!

I read the first in this series and was blown away by Nisha's imagination in creating such a breathtaking world, and her beautiful writing. This second book didn't disappoint, engaging characters, wonderful imaginary and I love the relationship between Zarya and Yasen, such a wonderful friendship, and the building romance between Zaya and Rabin. This book had it all, love, loss, adventure, betrayal, magic and friendship. Nishi is a skilled storyteller.

I liked this book more than the first one. But I didn’t love it. I don’t feel anything for any of the main characters, expect Yasen he deserves the world! Thank you NetGalley for the arc