Format: ebook
Published: June 6th, 2024
Age: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4/5 Stars
As part of an elite trope, Aasira trains to harness her magic. Accessing their magic via dance, the group practice and fight together, edging closer to the day when they will finish their training and head out into the world, to use their abilities to serve their country and their queen. Aasira has more to prove than the others – the daughter of a traitor, she knows she has to strive harder just to be trusted.
This is marketed as “the first in a slow burning YA romantasy”, which, honestly, I think is a mistake. There’s no romance here. There’s possibly the introduction of a romance, but nothing really beyond that. Instead, it’s a great Fantasy novel that deserves to be labelled as such, and which readers shouldn’t go in expecting something with more romance.
I really liked the magic system here – Aasira has a rare talent as she can control flames, but other characters have different abilities. Some can see a person’s truth, while others have skills with music or clothing. It’s a good variety, and Afzal introduces these ideas well without it feeling muddled.
The biggest ‘flaw’ – and, really, it’s more a personal peeve of mine – is the amount of characters with similar names. It gets a little confusing in a couple of scenes, especially more tense ones where things start moving faster. I had to reread things a few times to check which character was doing what. It also got a bit confusing in general during the climatic scenes towards the end, and tighter editing could have gone a long way to rectify this and introduce more clarity.
I did appreciate that things weren’t always clearcut in terms of the war between the countries. We’re kept away from the intricacies by Aasira’s limited point of view, and it works well. There’s mystery around her mother, especially when it becomes apparent Aasira doesn’t have the full story. I really liked her as a character, and there’s a coming-of-age sense to the events, as Aasira learns and questions more.
This is a solid YA Fantasy and an excellent debut from the author, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Reading Challenge (2025)
Musicals Reading Challenge 2025
Prompt: An American in Paris – I Got Rhythm
Progress: 17/24
Unwrapping Words 