Review of A
SHADOW BRIGHT AND BURNING by JESSICA CLUESS
(first in the
KINGDOM ON FIRE series, review based on an advance reading copy)
Henrietta has
long hid her magical powers, terrified of the repercussions if the wrong person
discovers a woman with these gifts. Then she learns of a prophecy that a female
sorcerer will save her land from the demons tormenting it and suddenly her
shameful secret uplifts her status and becomes something to celebrate. There’s
a major catch, though. Henrietta suspects she’s likely not the woman of the
prophecy…but if she admits that then everything she’s
longed for will be taken away again.
This is a fast
paced, fun novel with a strong emphasis on romantic tension. Henrietta enters a
world dominated by males, which means she has a lot of male attention directed
her way. I liked how the author showcases so many different types of
relationships and attraction. I found Magnus in particular a very believable
hypocrite. Having been raised primarily by women, he’s a proud feminist and
woman’s advocate and yet at the same time he’s a shameless womanizer who often
diminishes women to objects of attraction.
The magic system
sometimes felt a little too arbitrary for my taste. Why does it work one way
for some people and another for other people? Fingers crossed that further
books in this series flesh out the inner workings a bit more, but as it is from
this first book I often found the magic felt a little too limitless and out of
control. Checks and balances usually make for a better magic system, especially
when there’s a clear cost for every gain.
All in all,
though, a fabulous, addictive first book and I look forward to reading on in
the series.
A panel at a writing conference made me think of something this book is doing different and doing well. Often in fantasy hetero romantic relationships the female grapples significantly with her power and skills while, if the man has magic, it's something that comes naturally, no grappling required. In this book, both the female and male love interest have their independent arcs grappling with their individual powers.
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