Fantasy

Bound by Firelight

Bound by Firelight

  • Downloads：5879
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-03-17 08:51:48
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Dana Swift
  • ISBN：0593124251
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

After a magical eruption devastates the kingdom of Belwar， royal heir Adraa is falsely accused of masterminding the destruction and forced to stand trial in front of her people， who see her as a monster。 Adraa's punishment？ Imprisonment in the Dome， an impenetrable， magic-infused fortress filled with Belwar’s nastiest criminals—many of whom Adraa put there herself。 And they want her to pay。

Jatin， the royal heir to Naupure， has been Adraa’s betrothed， nemesis， and fellow masked vigilante。。。 but now he’s just a boy waiting to ask her the biggest question of their lives。 First， though， he’s going to have to do the impossible: break Adraa out of the Dome。 And he won’t be able to do it without help from the unlikeliest of sources—a girl from his past with a secret that could put them all at risk。

Time is running out， and the horrors Adraa faces in the Dome are second only to the plot to destabilize and destroy their kingdoms。 But Adraa and Jatin have saved the world once already。。。 Now， can they save themselves？

The heart-pounding sequel to Cast in Firelight， perfect for fans of epic， sweepingly romantic fantasy by Sabaa Tahir， Susan Dennard， and Mary E。 Pearson。

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Reviews

Littlefoot Reader ，

Duologies can be hit or miss for me， but I was pleasantly surprised by how well everything wrapped up。 I loved the couple in this book。 Jatin and Adraa had a relationship that I loved。 They meshed so well together and separately， the character writing and arc were delightful to watch！The action and intrigue in this second novel proved to be just as interesting and immersive as the first， if not more so。 The writing and overall direction of the story were a bit darker than the first， so please ch Duologies can be hit or miss for me， but I was pleasantly surprised by how well everything wrapped up。 I loved the couple in this book。 Jatin and Adraa had a relationship that I loved。 They meshed so well together and separately， the character writing and arc were delightful to watch！The action and intrigue in this second novel proved to be just as interesting and immersive as the first， if not more so。 The writing and overall direction of the story were a bit darker than the first， so please check the trigger warnings。 Some themes include violence and drug abuse （although done in a fantasy setting）。 The plot was not rushed and the pacing was consistent and honestly， left me looking for a third book！Overall， if you enjoy a well-done magic system and want to fall in love with the characters and relationships， I'd highly recommend it。 Add in the well-developed plot with action and intrigue， it is a recipe for a well-rounded， enjoyable read！ 。。。more

Saanvi ，

I meann it was a great ride to hop on！

Rebekah Gonzalez ，

Stars: 3。5

Lara （larainsidebooks） ，

This has potentional to be expanded into a trilogy and honestly I would love that。 This does wrap up the story that started in the first book， but as for the romance， I would love more！ Loved the magic and the banter in this one again。 The chapter titles are so funny， especially that first one。I liked the first book a bit better， but I'm still giving this one 4 stars for the whole duology。 This has potentional to be expanded into a trilogy and honestly I would love that。 This does wrap up the story that started in the first book， but as for the romance， I would love more！ Loved the magic and the banter in this one again。 The chapter titles are so funny， especially that first one。I liked the first book a bit better， but I'm still giving this one 4 stars for the whole duology。 。。。more

nora⁷ ，

3。8/5 ☆TW//（view spoiler）[fantasy-related violence in fight scenes， blood/gore， torture， false imprisonment， loss of a parent， talk of drugs and drug addiction （though it’s a made-up fantasy substance）。 （hide spoiler）]DISCLAIMER: I received a DRC from Netgalley and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts are my own。Bound by Firelight starts off right after the events of Cast in Firelight， where our main characters Adraa and Jatin uncover dark secrets and betrayals of 3。8/5 ☆TW//（view spoiler）[fantasy-related violence in fight scenes， blood/gore， torture， false imprisonment， loss of a parent， talk of drugs and drug addiction （though it’s a made-up fantasy substance）。 （hide spoiler）]DISCLAIMER: I received a DRC from Netgalley and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts are my own。Bound by Firelight starts off right after the events of Cast in Firelight， where our main characters Adraa and Jatin uncover dark secrets and betrayals of those around them， as well as the politics of being heirs in a blooming war。 It's a light read following intriguing two main characters and how they face different obstacles。 The author is not afraid of putting them in difficult situations， which makes us more familiar with them and their personalities。 The world of Wickery is vivid and colourful with its magic system， which I appreciate。 My only complaint is how the plot did fall a bit short in the middle， where the pace kind of disappeared， but the author quickly picked up the pace after and led me to a very interesting part 2 of the book。 Yet it still feels kind of like a filler book 2， even when it does have important events which will play out in （hopefully） later books。 Book 1 is my favourite so far， but I'm curious to see where the next installment will lead me。Over & out。 -Nora <3 。。。more

Sreenidhi C。 ，

I LOVE LOVE LOVED THIS SERIES！！！ So sad it is over but can’t wait for the new book she is releasing！！ This is definitely in my read again books！

Sara （bookishfairytales） ，

An amazing ending to a beautiful duology。 I loved this enemies to lovers tale with an amazing couple that loves to banter。 What more could you ask for？ The world building and story line were well written and kept me going the entire time。 I couldn’t put this story down！

Nicole ，

4 stars

Kristen ，

In the aftermath of the volcanic eruption that claimed hundreds of lives and damaged the homes of many more， Belwar seeks justice。 Who better to point the finger at than the creator of firelight itself: Adraa Belwar。 As Adraa goes on trial for endangering and murdering thousands， Moolek begins unveiling his political machinations， as he vies for control of more countries and more power。 As always， good old Jatin stays right by Adraa's side despite her recent political ruin。 When Adraa unexpected In the aftermath of the volcanic eruption that claimed hundreds of lives and damaged the homes of many more， Belwar seeks justice。 Who better to point the finger at than the creator of firelight itself: Adraa Belwar。 As Adraa goes on trial for endangering and murdering thousands， Moolek begins unveiling his political machinations， as he vies for control of more countries and more power。 As always， good old Jatin stays right by Adraa's side despite her recent political ruin。 When Adraa unexpectedly confesses on the stand， Jatin and the gang from book one trust in her innocence， fighting to release her from prison and getting to the bottom of who is really to blame。I LOVED "Cast in Firelight"。 The cage casting premise was delightful， and I was all for a strong female character who didn't need protecting。 The relationship between Jatin and Adraa with the gradual transition from arranged marriage to bitter rivals to guilty love connections to actually in love with the person they're supposed to marry in the first place was adorable and well written。 The banter between then made my reading experience so enjoyable。While the first aspect is obviously absent from this book for the most part （given the plot necessity）， the second is still there in some capacity。 The stakes are higher， and they have to spend time apart， but the reader is still given a few great moments between the pair。 The best part about the second book in this series， however， is the new way Adraa has found to manipulate magic。 I felt like this was earned and a great plot device （although predictable） to use in future chapters。 I found myself captivated in the action scenes， as I was in the first book， but this time on a larger more drastic scale。But this book wasn't exactly my cup of tea。 Yes， I'm bitter that the Jatin/Adraa match had lost its spark， and I will say that if there is a book three （since that was left open ended）， that relationship will have fizzled out for readers to the point where it'll read boring。 But there were a few things that made this book a three star review for me。 Minor characters from book one pop up out of nowhere for no other reason than to make an appearance。 Moolek's abilities within the magic system Swift established made no sense。 And Moolek's motivations seem shallow and unexplored。 Ultimately， how the plot unfolded and the ending， but there were too many parts that felt clunky， awkwardly written， or elided over。 I wish instead of two （or three？） books that this could have been one longer book。 I still enjoyed book one immensely and know my students who enjoy the fantasy-romance genre will love this pairing as much as I did。 Still worth it if for the romance alone！ 。。。more

Jessica Reads It ，

Bound by Firelight picks up shortly after the end of Cast in Firelight where we see our main characters fighting not only for justice for themselves but for their respective countries。 I enjoyed the magical system and the focus on detail as the author wove a magical world that immerses readers。 I adored the Asian influence and how the cultural practices were incorporated。 The sub-characters added depth to the novel which I enjoyed but I wished the main characters had more scenes within the novel Bound by Firelight picks up shortly after the end of Cast in Firelight where we see our main characters fighting not only for justice for themselves but for their respective countries。 I enjoyed the magical system and the focus on detail as the author wove a magical world that immerses readers。 I adored the Asian influence and how the cultural practices were incorporated。 The sub-characters added depth to the novel which I enjoyed but I wished the main characters had more scenes within the novel。 There was decent character development and a riveting plotline but I felt certain scenes could have been trimmed and less focus should have been given to clearing her name and more on the subplot of the villain's grand plans。 Lots of things felt slightly unclear and the ending was definitely rushed。 The winner for me is definitely Jatin and Adraas emotional connection and relationship。 Their scenes though few and far really endeared me to them。 Thank you to the author and Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Tessa ，

Can I please have another one？ Pretty please 🙏

Zarah Larsson ♡ ⋆｡˚ ❀ ，

i feel the same about this as the first book！ i really enjoyed it and it was really nice to get all the answers to different questios！ and i loved the ending。 SO MUCH。 i was a sobbing wreck tbh。

Modern Miss Granger ，

This was a good one！ I love these characters and this world so very much。 The romance is all the things and this story is everything I love in a fantasy novel。 My complaint was that there was too much separation in this one and I needed more from the end。

Susan ，

When Adraa is falsely accused of the Mount Gandhak eruption， she is sent to the Dome。 Devastated， Jatin is determined to free her and prove her innocence。 I usually don't like stories where our main characters are separated and trying to work their way back to each other but it works really well for the story。 Adraa soon discovers that the Dome isn't what it seems and the problems facing her kingdom are larger than she ever thought possible。 Even though the story is a duology， I would have liked When Adraa is falsely accused of the Mount Gandhak eruption， she is sent to the Dome。 Devastated， Jatin is determined to free her and prove her innocence。 I usually don't like stories where our main characters are separated and trying to work their way back to each other but it works really well for the story。 Adraa soon discovers that the Dome isn't what it seems and the problems facing her kingdom are larger than she ever thought possible。 Even though the story is a duology， I would have liked to have read more of the story。 。。。more

Savannah （forest_reader） ，

The plot moved a little too slowly for my liking in this book， but I loved the development of Adraa and the development of the plot。 All in all， a great fantasy duology！！

aly ☆彡 ，

"Blame is so easy to pass around， but it's also hard to get rid of" Have you ever experienced this， where you're back from an outing with friends and home to feeling like the loneliest person in the world？ Well， that's what it feels like to finish this。 This sequel is almost perfect and I'm sad it's a goodbye for now。 Bound by Firelight picks up what was left previously where Adraa is put on a trial after being wrongly accused of being the villain in the fatal eruption of Mount Gandha "Blame is so easy to pass around， but it's also hard to get rid of" Have you ever experienced this， where you're back from an outing with friends and home to feeling like the loneliest person in the world？ Well， that's what it feels like to finish this。 This sequel is almost perfect and I'm sad it's a goodbye for now。 Bound by Firelight picks up what was left previously where Adraa is put on a trial after being wrongly accused of being the villain in the fatal eruption of Mount Gandhak。 This leads to her people losing faith in her as an heir and in her family as rulers。 The catch？ She was imprisoned in the Dome。 I wouldn't say the plot is anything interesting， especially when Adraa and Jatin are separated for most of the story。 It's pretty much running of the mill and a little predictable。 Swift did not take up the full potential in using the political satire for this novel which was such a crestfallen。 I was expecting more focus would be channeled on taking down Moolek and uncovering his motive， than making a rescue mission its entire plot。 However， the inimitable writing helps to make readers more engaged。 It was well-written and at times， suspenseful to keep my attention and interest throughout the piece。 There was a plot twist I didn't see coming， a betrayal， death — and it makes me feel all sorts of emotions。 I'm laughing， I'm crying， and did a dramatic gasp every time。 On a side note， I did mention in my previous review the interesting chapter names as one of the book's strongest points。 But for some reason， it wasn't as alluring as before。 Perhaps， the chapter's name itself is not as compelling or the tension is too good that I bypassed it every time。 Not like it was any of importance， though I wished Swift would keep the momentum。 "I will always be happy if Adraa Belwar chooses me" Adraa and Jatin just made it to my fav YA couples， which I could probably count with fingers on who I have on my list。 Even when they were not together most of the time， you can feel the love running between them in their POVs， making the romance a top-notch。 Not to mention， their trademark of doing the inconvenience amid a battle — last time it was them professing love， and now we have （view spoiler）[Jatin proposing and kissing Adraa。 （hide spoiler）] Other times， I would be making faces because it was so untimely， but this works。 I love it if they make it their thing。 Adraa and Jatin continue to be the amazing character they are; seeing how far they were progressing from the last book。 Especially Adraa， given the phenomenal and riveting it was reading her chapters。 Hands down， my favorite part of the book。 Readers were also introduced to new characters， which brings the book into another light。 I love to get to know Harini and how her presence impacted the plot。 The rest of the side characters were also given ample scrutiny to a point that they were less forgettable， and I liked that about the book this time。 Nevertheless， I still couldn't comprehend the significance of Fiza as a potential lover and didn't appreciate the attempt to insert a love triangle in Adraa and Jatin's love story。 Notably， when you realized her character could've been given a little introduction and cameo in the previous book if she were to be Jatin's admirer who bugged him while they attended the school together as Jatin mentioned。 But nope， not even a word during the exchanging letter where it was an ideal time to do so， considering how competitive Adraa and Jatin were。 He could've made a point about having someone liking him to boast， hence why I failed to catch its purpose。 I don't know what it serves to the plot and to an extent， it feels unnecessary。 The trope itself is not on my good side， and now you're writing a poor bid of it。 Yeah， -1 rating just for that。 I feel like there is a probable sequel to this and if it does， I'm delighted that Bound by Firelight does not suffer from a middle book syndrome。 It was flawed but still wouldn't take the enjoyment of reading this。 With the powerful message of family and love， and the magic system， this novel remains excellent in visuals。 I would recommend the series to anyone who's in for a thrilling YA book。 。。。more

Winterstar ，

The story picks up close to where it left off with Adraa accused of orchestrating the eruption。 The book doesn't take a lot of time to remind the reader what happened before， but rather jumps right on in which is a good and perhaps not so good thing。 It's nice because the reader can just keep going with the story。 The downside is， if it's been a while， it might take the reader a little bit to remember just what happened， or rather what the characters are up to now and who is who when it comes to The story picks up close to where it left off with Adraa accused of orchestrating the eruption。 The book doesn't take a lot of time to remind the reader what happened before， but rather jumps right on in which is a good and perhaps not so good thing。 It's nice because the reader can just keep going with the story。 The downside is， if it's been a while， it might take the reader a little bit to remember just what happened， or rather what the characters are up to now and who is who when it comes to some of the minor characters。 The action and arc flows at a good pace and the plot twists around quite lovely。 New characters are introduced and some old ones come back into play。 The characters begin to change and grow。 The characters themselves even notice what they would have done in the past and contrast it with the current time。 It's interesting to see them notice their own growth and come to terms with their own weaknesses while beginning to realize and capitalize on their own strengths。 A few of the characters seem to take a backstage and it would have been interesting to see them developed a bit more like Hiren， and Kaylan， while present， doesn't seem to have much presence even though he does do a lot。 Still， the other characters reactions are believable and understandable。A bit more is learned about the magic of this world and how it works and more of the world is explored。 The setting and scenery were pretty well done。 It was easy to visualize where a character was and how they were moving。 It was fun that author remembered the fight going on around the characters while the characters had a more serious discussion。 It was also nice to see how much of what is learned in book 1 is intertwined with what happens in this book and how Adraa solves the problem of the new Bloodlurst- a very nice way of incorporating and weaving the occurrences of the first book into the second。 There are some losses in this book and the characters are understandably affected by it。 There was one small aspect that seemed a little off。 While the plot and storyline were nicely thought out， set at a good pace and had some lovely twists and turns- some expected， some unexpected with some good foreshadowing- it seemed odd that the characters didn't realize what Moolek had done or could have done in the courtroom。 This is considering what we already know of Moolek from book 1- that he can influence people's minds， so why didn't any of the characters pick up on it until it was ten times too late？ It should have been obvious， yet not one of the characters mentions it， except Adraa who finally figures out what might have happened。 Of course it comes out at the end， but it seems this should have been an obvious thing to the main characters by now。 All in all though， it was a smooth read， with lots of action， fun twists and unexpected turns and a nice conclusion。 The characters are fun and grow。 Their motivations for the most part are understandable and even when they're frustrating， they're fun。 The conclusion wraps up everything nicely and does finish the story， but leaves it open for if the author decides to revisit this world。 If so， it will be interesting to see more of the world fleshed out and where the writer would decide to take it。 。。。more

Kaitlynne ，

10 out of 10 would recommend this series if you're looking for a book filled with lots of magic， and action， and twists and turns。 Loved the strong cast of characters and the relationships they all had with each other。 If you're a fan of Throne Of Glass I think you would like this one。 My long and rambling review will be live on my blog Randomly Kait on 2/18/2022 10 out of 10 would recommend this series if you're looking for a book filled with lots of magic， and action， and twists and turns。 Loved the strong cast of characters and the relationships they all had with each other。 If you're a fan of Throne Of Glass I think you would like this one。 My long and rambling review will be live on my blog Randomly Kait on 2/18/2022 。。。more

amara 。ೃ ，

WHERE CAN I GET THE FRICKING PAPERBACK VERSION OF THIS？？？？？？？？

Dani McBride ，

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me this arc in exchange for an honest review！After reading Cast in Firelight， I fell in love with the world and characters and could not wait to read more about them。 And boy did this book start off with a bang！I devoured the first 20 chapters or so！ We were given twists， turns， and action at almost every corner。 However， after that the book started to drag a bit。 Thankfully， the drag didn't last till the end and the story finished off strong。 The end brought tears Thanks to NetGalley for giving me this arc in exchange for an honest review！After reading Cast in Firelight， I fell in love with the world and characters and could not wait to read more about them。 And boy did this book start off with a bang！I devoured the first 20 chapters or so！ We were given twists， turns， and action at almost every corner。 However， after that the book started to drag a bit。 Thankfully， the drag didn't last till the end and the story finished off strong。 The end brought tears to my eyes！ It was a sweet and emotional ending that also left room for more。 It wasn't a cliffhanger by any means， but I wouldn't be mad if Dana wrote another book LOL Overall， this world is colorful and fun。 The book is filled with amazing characters that you can't help but fall for。 Even the classic good guy Jatin， that typically isn't my type lolol 。。。more

Shishi Spencer Loves to read ，

Still disappointing。。。。🙄

Madison ，

What a great conclusion to a wonderful duology。 I think I liked the first one more， but it was mostly because （view spoiler）[ Jatin and Adraa got more time together in that one， （hide spoiler）] not becasse I thought the plot or book was bad。 I liked seeing the characters come together to fight for a common goal， and enjoyed seeing how the complex issue played out。 I'm excited to see other books Swift writes！ What a great conclusion to a wonderful duology。 I think I liked the first one more， but it was mostly because （view spoiler）[ Jatin and Adraa got more time together in that one， （hide spoiler）] not becasse I thought the plot or book was bad。 I liked seeing the characters come together to fight for a common goal， and enjoyed seeing how the complex issue played out。 I'm excited to see other books Swift writes！ 。。。more

Leona ，

"I’ve never been powerless。 And I certainly have never been voiceless。 Until now。。。"*Following on from the events of Cast in Firelight， we see Adraa being wrongly accused and put on trial by her people for an explosion that left Belwar devastated。 The verdict leaves Adraa sentenced to life imprisonment in the Dome， an impenetrable magic-infused fortress。 Jatin， her betrothed， will stop at nothing to rescue Adraa from her captivity and prove her innocence to the people of Belwar。 But not everythi "I’ve never been powerless。 And I certainly have never been voiceless。 Until now。。。"*Following on from the events of Cast in Firelight， we see Adraa being wrongly accused and put on trial by her people for an explosion that left Belwar devastated。 The verdict leaves Adraa sentenced to life imprisonment in the Dome， an impenetrable magic-infused fortress。 Jatin， her betrothed， will stop at nothing to rescue Adraa from her captivity and prove her innocence to the people of Belwar。 But not everything is as it seems - dark forces are pulling the strings and there is a bigger threat at play。 Will Adraa and Jatin figure it out in time to save their countries and the people they love？ *"Bad people are always trying to corrupt good things。。。"*I loved this series completely and I'm so sad to be leaving Wickery！ I'd jump at the chance to read more about Adraa and Jatin。 This duology was perfect - it had action， cute romance and lots of empowering moments， magic and self-esteem wise。 We got to see the introduction of some new characters， like Harini and Fiza， two very strong witches in their own right。 The plot twists were fantastic and there was one I did not see coming so the shock factor was high！ I know the plot needed the main characters to be separated but I felt the dual POV helped see both sides of the story until they found their way back to each other。 I loved Adraa and Jatin's reunion！ As well as that ending - it tied it all up with little hints about what their futures hold。 I for one would love a return to Wickery someday。。。I was lucky to win an eARC of this book so thank you to the author， Delacorte Press and NetGalley。 I also preordered my own hardcopy because that cover is so gorgeous and it needed to be on my shelf！ *"Grief never really disappears， just changes， becomes manageable。。。" 。。。more

Diana Luu ，

I AM STILL CRYING OVER THIS BOOK AND I FINISHED IT TEN MINUTES AGO。 I am so emotionally invested for these characters。 JATIN is so underrated and he is the ultimate simp baby for Adraa。 “So you don’t forget I’ll always be your other arm。” 😭💗 I LOVE HIS CHARACTER so much。 Let me start a new line for Adraa， because she deserves it。 Adraa needs to be compared to Aelin from TOG， I would love for them to meet and discover each other。 “You did not make me stronger 。 This trauma did not make me stronge I AM STILL CRYING OVER THIS BOOK AND I FINISHED IT TEN MINUTES AGO。 I am so emotionally invested for these characters。 JATIN is so underrated and he is the ultimate simp baby for Adraa。 “So you don’t forget I’ll always be your other arm。” 😭💗 I LOVE HIS CHARACTER so much。 Let me start a new line for Adraa， because she deserves it。 Adraa needs to be compared to Aelin from TOG， I would love for them to meet and discover each other。 “You did not make me stronger 。 This trauma did not make me stronger。 I was already strong。” THE WAY THAT I SCREAMED AT MY BOOK AND RE READ THIS SENTENCE AND APPLIED IT TO MY OWN LIFE。 Adraa is PHENOMENAL。 Her diligence， loyalty， and grace that she has consistently throughout the book overwhelms me。 Dana Swift has also incorporated SIGN LANGUAGE。 WHO DOES THAT！？ IN A BOOK！？ I CRIED。 Thank you for encouraging that aspect into a book。 Thank you for this amazing journey， This book is an incredible 5 STAR reads for me。 I am in love with the characters， grateful for my chuckles while reading， and embarrassed about me shouting at my book at 5 am because of this story。 。。。more

Katherine Paschal ，

Keep in mind this is a sequel and needs to be read in order for anything to make sense （there is really no rehashing the story， we just jump right in）。 Bound by Firelight picks up a few months after the events from the previous book， with Adraa being hated for her actions that led to the death of many of her people， even though the actions are not her fault。 This was a very busy complicated plot， with both the main characters involved in their own issues and battles， it was interesting to see ho Keep in mind this is a sequel and needs to be read in order for anything to make sense （there is really no rehashing the story， we just jump right in）。 Bound by Firelight picks up a few months after the events from the previous book， with Adraa being hated for her actions that led to the death of many of her people， even though the actions are not her fault。 This was a very busy complicated plot， with both the main characters involved in their own issues and battles， it was interesting to see how everything would come together。I liked the story overall for the most part， but I will admit that I missed the banter and flirting between the two main characters （which was my favorite part of the first book） since they spent 75% of the book apart。 Also， while this was action packed， it was a different kind of action then the first book and I missed the cool over the top fighting/ cage battles that dominated the pages in the first book。This was a very solid sequel and wrapped the world and issue up pretty nicely （the romance has more hiccups thrown in the way but the overall world has a solid ending）。 I think that this is a duology only and the main issues were resolved but there is enough hinted at that there could be another book or even a spin off with a certain misunderstood girl。 Either way this was a really enjoyable series that I highly recommend to anyone who likes books with romance， magic， big reveals， angst and heartbreak and where the girl saves herself。 。。。more

Lisa ，

There are not enough words to describe how crazy awesome this sequel was。 I've never taken so long to read the last couple chapters just to make it last。 It was so worth the wait。Thank you。 There are not enough words to describe how crazy awesome this sequel was。 I've never taken so long to read the last couple chapters just to make it last。 It was so worth the wait。Thank you。 。。。more

cherry ，

so。。。this was better than the first， i guess？i feel a bit guilty giving this book only three stars， because i don't really know why i didn't like it。 it did feel less， for lack of a better word， juvenile， than the the first， which was certainly an improvement。 i think， that because i didn't truly enjoy book one， i never really connected to the characters enough to care。 i did like adraa's character development anymore。 while reading this， i was rushing to finish it because life， and i basically so。。。this was better than the first， i guess？i feel a bit guilty giving this book only three stars， because i don't really know why i didn't like it。 it did feel less， for lack of a better word， juvenile， than the the first， which was certainly an improvement。 i think， that because i didn't truly enjoy book one， i never really connected to the characters enough to care。 i did like adraa's character development anymore。 while reading this， i was rushing to finish it because life， and i basically just skimmed through the ending， but i don't i will go back to reread it。 and， once again， the lackluster representation was terrible。 although， i do suppose it says something that i was， at first at least， more happy to see any representation at all than angry at the fact that it was done so terribly。 it quickly became the opposite though。2。5 stars。 。。。more

Teresa ，

Thank you to NetGalley， Random House Children's， Delacorte Press， and Dana Swift for the opportunity to read Bound by Firelight in exchange for an honest review。This is the second novel in the Wickery duology， preceded by Cast in Firelight， and picks up nearly right where the first novel left off。After saving Belwar from a rigged volcanic eruption， Adraa is accused of being the cause of the eruption， as well as the deaths of 129 people。 During her trial， a truth spell is cast， but it seems her t Thank you to NetGalley， Random House Children's， Delacorte Press， and Dana Swift for the opportunity to read Bound by Firelight in exchange for an honest review。This is the second novel in the Wickery duology， preceded by Cast in Firelight， and picks up nearly right where the first novel left off。After saving Belwar from a rigged volcanic eruption， Adraa is accused of being the cause of the eruption， as well as the deaths of 129 people。 During her trial， a truth spell is cast， but it seems her trial is manipulated， as she says the very untruth that everyone else percieves as the truth。 Instead of the Belwarian death sentence for such a crime， she is sent to an isolated prison where a spell is used to silence prisoners so they cannot cast magic。 But Adraa soon learns from her cellmate that one does not need a voice to use their forte。Meanwhile， Jatin knows he must help Adraa escape the prison， despite her telling him not to。 He's not the only one eager to get Adraa out and clear her name。 Her sister and her guard， as well as her best friend and Jatin's guard all team up to help in Adraa's escape plan。 What Jatin doesn't expect is the involvement of a girl from school， the Lady of Agsa， who also happens to seek Jatin's hand in marriage。 But Jatin only has eyes for one， and he is set on saving her。In the prison， the girls are set up as brawlers， similar to the underground forte fighting， though without their fortes to help them。 Through these fights， Adraa learns something more sinister must be at work in the prison。 Why else would she be set up to go there instead of the death sentence？ Hopefully she can make her way out or have Jatin save her before everything goes up in flames！When I first started this novel， it didn't quite have the same feel as the first one。 I liked the aspect of the first book in which Jatin and Adraa were getting to know each other， but their identities were also hidden。 There was an aspect of old rivalry and friendship regarding their frist meeting and continual letters。 This book takes their relationship further and develops the idea of how far they would go for each other。 I like the new relationship feel more， but once I got into this novel， I found there was really a lot to the plot and its progression。 Certain aspects did seem to take a while， but one of my favorite elements was the characters learning to tap into their forte without the use of voice。 I also liked some of the new characters that were added in; not too many， just right， and they were developed well。 I also like that the supporting characetrs from the first novel get their chance to be a part of the action and are likewise developed further in a great way that doesn't have the need to dig too deep。I find that duologies are becoming more and more common， and I likewise find I enjoy reading duologies more than trilogies or series with even more books。 I think a two-book series might just be the new magic number！ The two in this series felt like each book had its own main agenda， but also had a conclusive wrap-up that felt wholesome  and well-attained。 A well-worthwhile series for any young adult fantasy romance fan。 。。。more

Nicole ，

Actual rating is more like a high 3。5/5。I feel a bit torn about this one。 On one hand， I did enjoy it。 Dana Swift's characters are interesting， and her world is fun to exist in。 But。。。There are a couple issues that drag it down。 Let's get into it。 The Good: - I really like the world of Wickery。 There's a whimsical quality to the world， making it feel light in spite of the darker subject matter in the plot。 I really like how colourful the whole thing feels。- I enjoy the chemistry of Adraa and Jat Actual rating is more like a high 3。5/5。I feel a bit torn about this one。 On one hand， I did enjoy it。 Dana Swift's characters are interesting， and her world is fun to exist in。 But。。。There are a couple issues that drag it down。 Let's get into it。 The Good: - I really like the world of Wickery。 There's a whimsical quality to the world， making it feel light in spite of the darker subject matter in the plot。 I really like how colourful the whole thing feels。- I enjoy the chemistry of Adraa and Jatin。 They're just plain cute。 Part of me liked them a little better in book one， just because their rivalry played a bigger role， but I still found them fun in this one。- The plot （for the most part） was solid and complex enough to please me。 I like that it got into some darker subject matter。 The Not-so-Good: - There were some concepts that came out of nowhere， but were treated as though they had been well-established as though we， the reader， were supposed to be just as amazed as the characters。 （view spoiler）[ The scene that comes to mind is when Adraa mind-casts in the final fight， and her sister is amazed。 But。。。when has this ever been something to aspire to？ The silent casting was a big deal because we know that words are required， so it was cool to see another form of language used。 However， the silent casting wasn't treated as a big deal while mind casting was。。。and yet it was never said that mind casting was so legendary or seen as such a big deal。 I was really thrown off by that， though it wouldn't have been a big deal to me if the characters didn't treat it as such a big revelation。 （hide spoiler）]- The villain was very 'meh' for me。 While Moolek and the Vencrin had a lot of potential as villains， I felt like they didn't have enough page time for me to really care about them。 This was a problem in book one， as well， but it was bigger here， since this was the finale of the duology。 The reveal of who the leader of the Vencrin also fell flat for me。 There just wasn't enough of a presence from the character they were revealed to be for me to feel the impact I think Dana was going for。- The pacing at the end of the book went from 0-100 REALLY fast。 It was like trial。。。prison。。。politics。。。WAR！ BATTLE！ DUEL！ DEATH！ DUEL！。。。finale。 I really feel like this story needed a third book。 There were a lot of questions left unanswered， making it feel like the story is unfinished， but as far as I'm aware this is a duology， so。。。is there going to be another series or something？ I don't know。 （view spoiler）[ If this had been a trilogy， it would have been neat to see it end with Jatin being captured by Moolek and Adraa going into hiding with her family， then the third book being the big showdown against Moolek。 That way we get more Moolek and more explanation of the gods？ I dunno。 Just throwing out thoughts， here。 It just felt too rushed to me at the end of this one。 （hide spoiler）]- As cool as it was， there were a couple points where the magic system felt like it broke from the rules established earlier。 （view spoiler）[ For example， wouldn't it make more sense if the spell to cause the women to go mute was caused by pink magic， since it would be a healing spell used to cause harm？ Why would wind be the thing to make someone go mute？ Is it yellow magic wrapped around the vocal chords？ In that case， why wouldn't it be easily reversible？ Also。。。how would a truth spell and mind spells work？ There isn't a god of the mind。 What magic combination is being used here？ It's little magic system details and small oversights like these that I find draw me out of the narrative。 （hide spoiler）] I'm sure these issues would be considered nitpicks to most readers， but they just grabbed my attention。 If you just want a fun fantasy read to dive into， I highly recommend this duology。 For the most part， for a YA series， this is pretty good and gives me a flicker of hope for the genre's future。Overall， I quite enjoyed this and hope to see more stories written in the world of Wickery to fill out more of the lore and answer the questions I still have。 I'd definitely be interested in seeing what Dana writes next， and seeing her grow as a writer。 。。。more

Diana ，

I loved getting to see Adraa and company， and seeing what they got into in this second book！！！ There's new characters， new plots， and so much more！！！My video review will be up on February 16， 2022 here https://youtu。be/K8Su2GbVxpM I loved getting to see Adraa and company， and seeing what they got into in this second book！！！ There's new characters， new plots， and so much more！！！My video review will be up on February 16， 2022 here https://youtu。be/K8Su2GbVxpM 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Bound by Firelight

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Bound by Firelight&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Bound by Firelight&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0