Review/ Firelight by Sophie Jordan

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.

Steam rises and sparks fly in Sophie Jordan’s new take on the world of dragons, Firelight. If you are like me and love dragons and dragon lore, Firelight will captivate you with its plot and characterization.

Jordan’s plot is quite original because Jacinda and those like her are draki, dragons, who over time have learned to manifest from dragon to human form in order to survive. Several conflicts propel the story forward. First, because Jacinda is the only draki with fire-breathing abilities, her pride wants to control her for their own purposes. This forces her mother to take Jacinda and her twin sister, Tamra (who never manifested) away from the pride and relocate the family in the desert, where her mother hopes Jacinda’s draki nature will die. Add to this dilemna, a forbidden love with a boy whose family hunts dragons and sells their blood, skin and any other part that bring profit, and you have an exciting mix of problems that definitely made for a very fiery climax.

As always characterization is a major factor in how much I enjoy a book, and I loved the different personalities that Jordan created.  I especially related to Jacinda’s rebellious attitude and her fierce need to keep her draki nature alive. It was this overwhelming desire to remain true to herself that formed the bond between her and Will. While Will’s need to be with Jacinda was not as clear, I think Jordan was purposefully holding back some important facts that will become more clear as the series continues, and this obscurity added suspense and helped drive the story forward.  Jacinda’s relationship with her twin sister was also an intriguing aspect of the story. Tamra, not being able to manifest made her despise being a part of the draki society and created conflict between her and Jacinda. Like Jacinda, there were times that I didn’t like Tamra, but I did understand her actions. Xander, Will’s cousin, made the perfect antagonist. He was cruel and ruthless, but charismatic. Finally, Cassian, the young draki prince was enough of an enigma that I am anxious to see how his character will round out in Jordan’s next installment.

Firelight has everything I love in a good fantasy: original world building, well-paced and suspenseful plot, and finely constructed characters that breathe fire into the story. I am extremely excited about this series and anticipating a terrific sequel in 2011.

Source: ARC copy from  We Love YA Tours