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Cast in Firelight (Wickery) Paperback – January 4, 2022
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Adraa and Jatin are heirs to the thrones of neighboring kindoms and each extraordinarily talented in the nine colors of magic. Their arranged marriage will unite much of Wickery's fractured world but, after years of rivalry from afar, they only agree on one thing: their reunion will be anything but sweet.
Except destiny has other plans and with the criminal underbelly of Belwar making a move for control, their paths cross...and neither realizes who the other is, each of them having adopted a secret identity. Amidst dodging deathly spells, Adraa and Jatin must learn to put their trust in the other if either is to uncover the real threat. Now Wickery's fate is in the hands of rivals..? Fiancées? Partners? Whatever they are, it's complicated and bound for greatness or destruction.
- Reading age12 - 17 years
- Print length464 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Grade level7 - 9
- Lexile measureHL650L
- Dimensions5.56 x 0.93 x 8.25 inches
- PublisherEmber
- Publication dateJanuary 4, 2022
- ISBN-100593124243
- ISBN-13978-0593124246
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“An enchanting adventure full of fast-paced action and fantastic characters. Set in a richly imagined fantasy world, Cast in Firelight delights on every level.”—ROSEMARY CLEMENT-MOORE, author of Texas Gothic and Spirit and Dust
“I was hooked from beginning to end. The romance and adventure unfolded brilliantly, and the world and its characters swept me away. I enthusiastically recommend it!”—KATHRYN PURDIE, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Burning Glass and Bone Crier’s Moon
“Cast in Firelight sparks with quick humor and crystal prose, a vivid elemental magic system, a burning romance, and a heroine whose courage and wit light up the pages. A fantasy with a fresh voice equal-parts fun, romance, and action.”—AMELIE WEN ZHAO, author of the Blood Heir series
“Absorbing, perfectly plotted, and heartfelt, Cast in Firelight will have you turning pages and rooting for Dana Swift’s fierce, original heroine.”—LESLIE LUTZ, author of Fractured Tide
“A spell-binding debut with cage-fighting witches, vigilante heroism, and an intoxicating slow-burn romance. Fans of Serpent & Dove’s smart-alecky Lou and The Wrath and the Dawn’s cunning Sharhzard should prepare themselves to fall head over heels for the fiery Adraa.”—KELLY COON, author of the Gravedmaidens duology
“A satisfying romantic fantasy with a badass heroine and memorable setting….[Perfect for] fans of Susan Dennard and Roshani Chokshi.”—SLJ
“The intricate world with magic-fueled, action-packed fight scenes and snarky, colloquial banter is loosely infused with Asian Indian cultural references…will appeal to fans of fast-moving fantasy adventures.”—Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter One
An Unromantic Love Letter
Adraa
It is morning when I hear the news I have been dreading for nine years. I’m eating upma, my mouth and heart functioning properly when my father trips them both with a single question.
“Did you know Jatin is coming back home today?” He glances up from the mounds of reports that fan out in circular stacks like a topographical map of the northern rice fields. Refusing to choke, my mouth revolts, and I eject the porridge instead of breathing it in.
My sister, Prisha, drops her spoon into her bowl and it clangs. “Ew.”
Mother’s face tilts in disgust. “Adraa.”
I place a hand over my mouth to create a barrier so nothing else can escape as I cough. It feels like various organs have arisen in a coup. My heart, the leader, lurches, trying to make a break for it or at least to rip off the surrounding ropes of my arteries.
My father’s eyes seize mine as they hum with insinuation. “I’m guessing that’s a no.”
Nine words, one for each year I had not seen him; that’s all it takes to wash away my peace. After all this time, Jatin is coming home.
The sun has decided it’s going to play peekaboo with the clouds, so in cyclical intervals the dining room glistens with warmth and then dampens into gray hues. Of course, it would be during a piercing blaze that the consistency of my life breaks apart. My mind tries to pick up each individual word my father uttered, but drops them like a clumsy toddler.
Jatin.
Coming.
Back.
Today.
“Today? As in like a few hours from now?” I cough.
“Yes, that is what today means.” Father sets aside a large report without looking at me.
“Maharaja Naupure didn’t tell you last time you visited?” Mother asks, clearly satisfied I won’t ruin the finely embroidered tablecloth.
“No,” I say. “I mean, he might have . . .” Since that first night years ago, Maharaja Naupure and I have developed a friendly relationship, beyond the role of future father- and daughter-in-law. It is upheld by my monthly deliveries of firelight, which we both use as an excuse to discuss everything--politics, economics, a special project I’m working on--anything besides his son. Sometimes he slips up and I then pretend my brain has slipped up. But I couldn’t have truly skimmed over this news, right? I’d be impressed with myself if anxiety wasn’t drowning out all other emotions. Ignoring the idea of Jatin and being his wife is a second job.
“Oh, Adraa,” Mother sighs.
“What? I haven’t been summoned or anything and I’m not scheduled to send my firelight today, so . . . so I’m not going.” I wrap my voice in confidence so maybe they won’t push me. An unpleasant shiver runs down my spine. Going to the palace, being part of a welcome home parade I’m sure all of Naupure will attend, seeing the boy who would one day be my husband. My heart gags, one more tremor to note it isn’t done freaking out. After nine years of me being here, in Belwar, and Jatin a hundred miles away training at a fancy prep school in Agsa, the engagement was finally . . . real. Now only Mount Gandhak would separate us.
“That’s fine,” Father says.
Mother frowns. “Don’t you think she should at least make an appearance? After all, he’s coming through Belwar to show his support. Half the city will be there.”
Father looks up from his reports at last and shrugs. “If Maharaja Naupure did not summon her, I’ll leave this one up to Adraa.”
Mother grabs a slice of naan and rips it in half, her crooked nose flaring. When Father makes sense and advocates for freedom of choice, Mother really can’t argue. Victory soars through me.
“I think Adraa should go!” Prisha exclaims, head buried in her spell book. But I can spot the smirk nestled in her tone. The little . . .
“We’ll leave this one up to Adraa,” Father reiterates, and a thick silence slides around us indicating the matter has been concluded. I look at my breakfast, able to breathe again. I wouldn’t have to face him today. And tonight I’ll craft better excuses. Though I’ve been running through all the good ones lately.
Father shuffles some more paperwork. “Did you also know he stopped an avalanche on his way home?”
This fact, unfortunately, I do know. “Yeah, a small avalanche. Whoop-de-do.” I spin my spoon into the upma, pushing the vegetables around, appetite officially lost. Prisha grins at her spell book. There is nothing amusing about the logistics of witchcraft, especially in fifteenth year. She just loves this, loves when I can be proved wrong, when I can be outdone in magic. And Jatin is always there to prove that.
“Stopping an avalanche of any size is impressive, Adraa. It saved half a village,” Mother interjects.
“I’m glad people are safe.” I relent. It’s just . . . did it have to be Mr. Arrogant, Jatin Naupure who did it?
“That boy is very proficient at snow spells--exceptionally so, in fact. I heard during his royal ceremony Dloc threw a blizzard at him and he took it down in seconds.”
White magic is his forte, Dad. Is he supposed to be bad at them? That’s like being impressed that, as a red forte, I can start fires. I almost remind my parents of the stable inferno I stopped last year, or even, dear Gods, what I do when I sneak out at night, but I hold my tongue. Because that needs to remain secret. And who was I to talk, really? I have never saved so many people. And I have yet to battle through my own royal ceremony and prove myself capable in all nine types of magic.
The next moment, Willona bursts into the dining room holding a bowl of mangoes and sets it on the table. Our oldest and dearest servant runs her hands over her apron and I just know she is contemplating something. Why does she look so . . .
Oh no! Wide-eyed, I pivot fully in her direction and wave my hands, but it’s too late, the words are already spewing out of her. “What did his letter say, Lady Belwar? I know everyone in the kitchen has been dying to hear.”
I cover my face. That is--I mean was--supposed to be our secret. Do I need to start bribing the palace staff? But even that might not work. I cannot trust anyone when it comes to Jatin. Our engagement is common knowledge, too public in the palace to try to rein in the rumors.
Mother sits up straighter. She is such a sucker for romance. Except, she has no clue what lies between Jatin and me is not romance. It’s fierce competition. And it can only end in disaster.
“He sent you something again?”
“Um, no,” I lie.
“Adraa?”
Prisha smiles from across the table, daring me to lie again. How can someone who looks so young and innocent in all other features have such a mischievous mouth?
The note burns hot in my pocket. I had just gotten it this morning and had not felt like opening it. I know about the avalanche. He is going to rub it in my face.
I sigh. “What? Should I read it aloud?”
“That would be lovely.”
Willona brims with excitement and then claps. “I’ll get the kitchen staff.”
“No, Willona, don’t!” The door swishes into place behind her retreating form as I’m completely ignored. I tear the letter out from its useless hiding spot. The sun sinks behind a cloud once again, casting the room into dusky light. How fitting. I peel apart the seal and scan the contents to make sure nothing is too disturbing to say in front of everyone. The letter is short, but still gag-worthy, as always. “Really? You guys are going to let this happen . . . again?”
“Let them have their fun,” Father says while signing something important.
“Yeah, Adraa, let us have our fun.” Prisha looks me square in the eye.
“Fun?” This was my love life, or lack thereof. It should not be . . . fun, especially for our entire household, staff included.
It takes only four minutes for a quarter of the witches who work in the palace to tumble into the dining hall. They all appear giddy to the point of combustion. I might feel the same if I believed one word of Jatin’s nonsense.
“Okay, everyone ready? I’m only reading this once. Zara? I’m looking at you.” My maid rolls her eyes and then nods for me to proceed.
“Dearest,” I begin. The women sigh in one heaving breath. Oh please! I give them a stern stare over the parchment and start over.
Dearest,
If you haven’t already heard, I am in Alps of Alconea, where a terrible avalanche nearly destroyed the village of Alkin. I was able to stop the destruction and hopefully further solidify my honor in your eyes. For one note of appreciation from you is all I’ll ever seek in this world. One day I hope we can walk side by side on these beautiful mountains. How I long to be near you again! My heart punches in anticipation.
Wishing you my love,
Jatin
It is a complete farce. I have not seen the boy since that night I “punched” him in the face. Thinking back, what I did should be categorized under a shove or a slap, not a punch. I barely grazed him. But details get exaggerated with time. Or better put, Jatin likes to exaggerate. In reality, we don’t like each other. And we certainly don’t love each other.
Glancing up, I watch the kitchen staff hanging off each other and melting into the rugs. “Really, every time, guys?”
“He is so passionate and romantic,” our cook, Meeta, says.
Zara croons, “Read the part again about appreciation in your eyes is all he seeks.”
I push off the table and turn to go. Most of my audience heeds the signal and slips back to work in their designated parts of the house. Only Willona and Zara stay behind, probably to talk to Mother or Father about some chore or other.
“Where are you off to? Aren’t you going to help me in the clinic today?” Mother asks, annoyed at my rudeness. “And you need to deliver firelight to the East Village, right?”
I swivel back. “Um, I need another hour to get the firelight ready for the East Village.”
Her fingers full of upma stop midair. “You didn’t finish last night?”
“Ah yes, that is what I’m saying. Didn’t finish.”
“Oh, Adraa.” She releases her frown, the signature one. “That’s the fourth time in the past two months you have been behind.”
“Training first, then one hour of work, and I’ll be right on schedule.” I put on my best “it’s no problem” face.
She sees right through me. “Training first? Adraa, no. Basu expects a thousand firelights by midday.”
I shove at the swinging door, desiring escape. If Mother pushes about why I didn’t get the firelight done, she might start to piece together what I really do at night. I can’t let that happen.
Willona saves me, with a joke at my own expense. “Oh, Miss Belwar gets so enthusiastic for training after getting one of Jatin’s love letters.” She grins and places one hand near her heart.
“Probably to burn off that blush.” Zara fans herself and giggles.
I gesture to my face. “I’m not blushing.” Although it might be hard to tell even if I were. After Mother I’m the darkest in the room, sometimes in the entire palace.
“Oh, guess you aren’t,” Zara says, sounding way too disappointed. A blush lies over her own cheeks, however, which makes me smile. She will surely sneak out for the festivities and I could ask her later how Jatin’s parade went. Then I could ask about more than just the parade; I could ask about him. Did he look kind? Did he look nice? Did he look as powerful as he must be?
Ah, why do I even care about the jerk? Walk side by side on the Alps of Alconea? He knows I’ve never truly traveled, didn’t join him at the academy a year after he started. I’m the oddity with a one-armed Touch and thus have been bound to this part of the world to preserve the Belwar reputation. Can’t have the heir to the throne running off to the academy, a place to showcase the next great leaders of our generation, and embarrassing herself. I push at the door again, thinking about training. Maybe I am an embarrassment. Unlike Jatin, who at nine could cast all nine types of magic, my white magic casting is bloody awful. If Alkin had had to rely on me, that village wouldn’t have survived.
“Fine, one hour to train, one hour to make the firelight, and then you are getting down to the East Village,” Mother says.
“Thank you. You’re the best, Mom!” I call.
Father looks up from his reports and raises both his arms. “I’m still here, you know.”
“You are the best too, Dad.” And he was, for getting me out of seeing Jatin today.
“Can I go to the parade, then?” Prisha asks. “If Adraa doesn’t want to see Jatin, I do.”
I hold my breath. In no way was that a good idea.
“Prisha, you have an exam,” Mother argues.
Thank Gods. I could take Zara’s giddy reconnaissance, but Prisha would deliver me lies or half-truths and I would be left to decipher them. Or even worse, she would walk right up to Jatin and introduce herself. Then I would have to explain my absence was due to fear and annoyance, not obligation to other duties.
I push through the door, glad to leave my sister’s protests behind. Once alone in the hallway and on my way to the training yard, I whisper and touch my fingertips to Jatin’s letter. “Gharmaerif!” A warm red glow spreads across the page and one icy clear word in Jatin’s messy script, for my eyes only, unfreezes and steams into life. “Winning.”
Blood. It’s true.
Chapter Two
Homeward Bound and Hating It
Jatin
Up. High up, where clouds start to flirt with the sun, Kalyan and I fly. It is a freedom like no other. My skyglider, whiter than bone, glides under my control toward home. I am heading home. Huh, I thought I would get used to thinking that after the eighth hour of travel or so. But it’s not like I have ever escaped the cage of my name and title. School had been only an extended prison, reaching out hundreds of miles from the palace to confine my heart and bind me to ambition. Learn and train, you must, because one day you will rule. Messing up or giving up means not only personal failure but also your country’s demise.
Product details
- Publisher : Ember (January 4, 2022)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 464 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0593124243
- ISBN-13 : 978-0593124246
- Reading age : 12 - 17 years
- Lexile measure : HL650L
- Grade level : 7 - 9
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.56 x 0.93 x 8.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,221,541 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,364 in Teen & Young Adult Fantasy Romance
- #2,870 in Teen & Young Adult Sword & Sorcery Fantasy
- #3,234 in Teen & Young Adult Epic Fantasy
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Dana Swift graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and is an active member of the DFW Writers' Workshop. She lives in Miami, Florida with her husband and goldendoodle puppy. Cast in Firelight is her debut novel.
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Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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Plot
The plot of CiF was so driven, as Adraa and Jatin are teamed up to expose a massive criminal plot involving Adraa's invention Firelight. There are plenty of action scenes in which they're fighting as vigilantes or as cage fighters in the underground. The pair had a clear goal--to discover what is happening to the stolen firelight--but there were also many subplots along the way, most notably would they discover each other's true identities? I'm always down for a good enemies-to-lovers and hidden identities tropes, and this book did both wonderfully.
World-building
I was slightly apprehensive when I learned there would be 9 different types of magic in the book. Sometimes authors go a little over their heads trying to make their world-building complex. Rather than confuse the reader and making the world difficult to understand, Swift created a wonderfully simple system of magic. This almost never happens, but after a few chapters she could just say the color and I immediately knew which power she was talking about. Beyond the magic, the actual setting of the story was well done. Adraa and Jatin are royals from neighboring countries. While the political intrigue was not particularly strong in this book, readers were still given a glimpse into the politics of each country, some of which included segregation by the Touched (magic users) and Untouched. I'm sure the world of Wickery will continue to be developed in the sequel, Bound by Firelight.
Characters
I attended Dana Swift's virtual book talk and she explained how she wanted the female character to introduce the male character to the vigilante world. I absolutely loved this! Adraa was a strong, female lead, who was not weakened by having emotions or *gasp* a period! Anything that may have been noted as a weakness in another book only made me love Adraa more. I especially appreciated her development, from an insecure witch to a powerful and confident one ready to sacrifice everything for her country.
While I loved Jatin, it was more in his relationship with Adraa than as an individual. He was attractive and funny, which while nice, doesn't really set him apart from other male leads. What did make him unique were the "love letters" he sent to Adraa and his ability to not look down on a woman for being powerful (sad that this isn't more normal). I enjoyed reading his POV and look forward to seeing how their story continues.
Would recommend this book for lovers of Renee Ahdieh, Alwyn Hamilton, and the enemies-to-lovers trope.
Cast in Firelight actually reminds me a lot of the Dark Caravan Cycle by Heather Demetrios and the show Avatar: The Last Airbender. There’s a lot of color magic based on the four elements or similar concepts. Like the Dark Caravan books, this one has an atmospheric setting with a world full of those unique magic users. Although, I do have to say that the magic system is pretty loose in terms of what limitations people have. It’s not a major complaint, as Swift does a good job of moving the plot along in a way that has me focusing on the coming events versus how high someone’s power level is. It’s very similar to Avatar in that way.
The main characters and narrators of the book are Adraa and Jatin, and both are magic users. The two are childhood nemeses put in an arranged marriage by their parents. A recipe for a tension-filled romance. Adraa, the heroine, starts the story as a somewhat mediocre character. In fact the beginning had me believing all of the characters were super naïve and that this book would read as more of a younger, early teens YA. You start believing Adraa’s like every other YA fantasy heroine because of the narrative tone, but that’s because as a reader you don’t know all her secrets yet. And boy, those secrets really drive the storyline somewhere I didn’t expect. Adraa is a full-fledged bada$$.
As for Jatin, he seemed like that arrogant prince set up in every other YA novel as well, but he really just wants to be loved. Aww… The dynamic between these two characters through the entire middle of the book was so fun and simultaneously frustrating. I very much enjoyed all the angst, and I wish it could have gone on longer and not been resolved so easily. Though both characters had good heads on their shoulders and didn’t blow things out of proportion when major secrets were revealed. Good for them.
The side characters were also interesting. However, I was hoping there would be more page-time for them. There were glimpses of other characters’ relationships with Adraa and Jatin, but it would have been nice to get a little more interaction, especially with the two guards, Riya and Kalyan.
Tying into the side characters, is the ending of the story. There’s isn’t really a cliffhanger to this first duology installment, which I feel was a bit of a mistake—the final pages could have been stronger if it had cut off more abruptly. Yet even so, there are some important conversations between family members that did give the story a bit of a boost. It also made me happy to see living parents who love their kids. We don’t get a lot of that in YA fantasy these days.
All in all, Cast in Firelight is a super fun time. It has a fascinating magic system with two complex characters who I very much want to see succeed. I’m definitely looking forward to book two!
4/5 stars
*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.
Top reviews from other countries
Reviewed in Brazil on October 18, 2022
I can’t wait for the sequel!
*
Adraa is the heir of Belwar, a very powerful witch waiting to turn eighteen and take her royal ceremony. Jatin is the heir to neighbouring country Naupure and already a master of all nine colours of magic. Their marriage has been arranged for over a decade but the only thing both royals agree on is that they wish it wasn't happening. In an attempt to cure Belwar of its dangerous criminal underworld, Adraa finds herself paired with Jatin. But, with secret identities thrown in the mix, neither realises who the other is. While dodging death spells and drug lords, the two begin to build a partnership of trust which soon gives way to love. But what happens when they find out they have fallen in love with their betrothed?
*
"Why is darkness so much easier to swallow than light..."
*
Cast in Firelight has it all! Like seriously, it ticks all the boxes - a kickass heroine, an action packed plot, an entricate magic system, a swoon-worthy romance, excellent representation and a male hero who respects women (so much so he even tracks her menstrual cycle)! Honestly, I was hooked throughout this story - from arranged marriages, to hidden identities, from elemental magic to a cage casting arenas and a criminal underworld - I just devoured it all. I loved that the book gave dual POV so we got to see Adraa's thoughts and events through Jatin's eyes too. And that ending! I'm so glad I won a copy of book two so that I can jump right in to see what happens next! Bound in Firelight is being released on 18th January so preorder now. Let's just talk about those Charlie Bowater covers too! Wow!
*
"There is only choice, not destiny..."
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 6, 2022
*
Adraa is the heir of Belwar, a very powerful witch waiting to turn eighteen and take her royal ceremony. Jatin is the heir to neighbouring country Naupure and already a master of all nine colours of magic. Their marriage has been arranged for over a decade but the only thing both royals agree on is that they wish it wasn't happening. In an attempt to cure Belwar of its dangerous criminal underworld, Adraa finds herself paired with Jatin. But, with secret identities thrown in the mix, neither realises who the other is. While dodging death spells and drug lords, the two begin to build a partnership of trust which soon gives way to love. But what happens when they find out they have fallen in love with their betrothed?
*
"Why is darkness so much easier to swallow than light..."
*
Cast in Firelight has it all! Like seriously, it ticks all the boxes - a kickass heroine, an action packed plot, an entricate magic system, a swoon-worthy romance, excellent representation and a male hero who respects women (so much so he even tracks her menstrual cycle)! Honestly, I was hooked throughout this story - from arranged marriages, to hidden identities, from elemental magic to a cage casting arenas and a criminal underworld - I just devoured it all. I loved that the book gave dual POV so we got to see Adraa's thoughts and events through Jatin's eyes too. And that ending! I'm so glad I won a copy of book two so that I can jump right in to see what happens next! Bound in Firelight is being released on 18th January so preorder now. Let's just talk about those Charlie Bowater covers too! Wow!
*
"There is only choice, not destiny..."
That quote alone should make you want to read this NOW, and I mean NOW.
I picked up Cast in Firelight mainly because of two things: I saw arranged marriage somewhere in the summary; and the cover is stunning.
Arranged marriage is one of my favorite literary tropes and of course I expected banter and snarky attitude but other than that I didn’t know what else to expect which made it more intriguing.
The magic system in Cast in Firelight is by far the most colorful I have ever encountered and I loved it! Every magic spell is equivalent to a color that made my mind whirl in the most vivid way. The story touched a lot of topics about stigma, stereotypes, culture, politics, unfair treatment towards women and other modern day issues - the story was so relatable it provided me a glimpse of what the author wanted her book to promote which was equality and fairness. And the tropes! Oh the tropes, I thought it stops at arranged marriage but no! Secret and mistaken identities, rivals to lovers, vigilantes, badass heroine - it’s a lovely collection of tropes with Asian-Indian cultural references.
Written in the POVs of Jatin and Adraa, where would I start? Just thinking of these two makes me giggle like an idiot. Jatin, the heir of Naupure, a wizard who mastered all nine colors of magic was competitive and arrogant in Adraa’s eyes. Adraa, the heir of Belwar, who was in constant judgement because she’s different from being a “normal” witch. These two are so adorable! Their little competition, the love letters, their lines were endearingly cheesy. The character development was spot on considering this is just the first book, they started as corny teenagers to characters making hard decisions and making sacrifices for the good of all.
The only thing that stopped me from giving this a solid five star rating was because one of the minor conflicts/the big secret (which was a constant topic for more than twenty chapters) was revealed and was resolved too quickly for my liking. I expected a bit more drama but that does not mean I did not like it because I did, I just wished it was longer. I also wished that the names of the Deities were a bit more creative and not just the elements spelled backwards.
I enjoyed reading Cast in Firelight and would recommend this to anyone who loves a fun and colorful magic system, royalties, badass heroines and elemental magic. A solid debut hands down, Congratulations Dana Swift!