Book Review: Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Firelight by Sophie Jordan (Draki Book #1)

Publisher:Harper Collins

Publish Date: September 14, 2010

Hardcover, 336 pages
Young Adult Paranormal

My Review:
Why I read this: I was fascinated by the premise.  Draki are different from the typical werewolves and vampires so I wanted to see what Ms. Jordan did with this book.

How is the novel driven:  Tough call, there are events, but I think the characters and learning about Jacinda and Will and the others in their groups is what really drives the novel.

My thoughts:  Wow.  That's pretty much it in a nutshell.  I was fascinated by this book and had a hard time putting it down.  I loved seeing a new world, one inhabited by Draki.  Jacinda made a fascinating character.  She is very desired by her group to be joined with the alpha male of the group soon because of her special skills, but when she makes a mistake one day and her mother learns of what the group plans to do to her, her mother takes Jacinda and her sister and goes on the run.  Now Jacinda has to fit in at a regular high school and be a regular girl.  But she doesn't want that.  She doesn't want to lose the Draki part of her and being away from her group will do that.

Enter Will.  It's kind of like Romeo and Juliet.  Will's family hunts Jacinda's kind and though Will isn't really into it, the connection between the two of them can spell danger for Jacinda and others.

Ms. Jordan does a beautiful job of weaving the world-building with the story in this book.  I was fascinated by the characters and the Draki and the story kept moving at a great pace to keep me intrigued throughout.  The ending was satisfying, but has me looking forward to the next book.  If you are looking for something a little different in the paranormal YA fiction genre, then Firelight is the book for you.

My Rating:  4.5/5.0

About the Book:

A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.
About the Author:
Sophie Jordan grew up on a pecan farm in the Texas hill country, where she wove fantasies of dragons, warriors, and princesses. A former high school English teacher, she's also the New York Times bestselling author of Avon historical romances. She now lives in Houston with her family. When she's not writing, she spends her time overloading on caffeine (lattes and Diet cherry Coke preferred), talking plotlines with anyone who will listen (including her kids), and cramming her DVR with true-crime and reality-TV shows. Sophie also writes paranormal romances under the name Sharie Kohler.

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FTC Information: I received this book through Book It Forward Tours for review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.