Firelight - Review

Firelight (Firelight, # 1)

By: Sophie Jordan

Published: September 7th 2010 by HarperTeen

326 pages

Source: Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads description--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.

First off, isn't this a beautiful cover. I put this book on my wish list like 2 years ago just because it has a beautiful cover, but then I saw a couple of people talk about how much they loved it. And so thus I was sold on checking it out. And I wasn't disappointed.

I read Firelight in a day pretty much. I don't know how but I've gotten several reads done in a day a piece lately--must be because of the weather and holiday break mixed with some really good books. (I'm writing this review just after New Year's. This was my last read of 2012.) But anytime I can get a book finished in a day either means it's just that good, or I just have the time to read. Firelight fits both categories.

I do love my paranormal/supernatural YA fiction, but let's just be honest...sometimes this genre is very repetitive. But I've never seen a twist on a paranormal creature quite like Firelight, and that alone is reason enough to read this book. Dragons people...dragons. Why are there not more dragon stories like this?

Sophie Jordan's writing was more lyrical and flowing than I expected, and so I really appreciated that and will most definitely be on the look out for other books by her.

Without getting into too much detail, I truly felt (and still feel--reading book 2, Vanish) sorry for Jacinda. It truly seems to me and to her that she can do nothing right. She's truly been trapped in a lose, lose situation. She can't stay, she can't go. She can't be happy. She can't be herself. Her twin sister resents her. And her mother doesn't accept her for who she is. Though I've wanted to hate these characters for being this way, I also truly felt for Jacinda's mother and Tamra, her twin sister, because Sophie Jordan did such a good job writing them in a way that you completely understand their actions and feelings despite each of these characters not being the main character. I guess that stems from Jacinda understanding how they feel and why. I truly wanted to hate Tamra because she can be a brat, but I found that I just couldn't. She's been through too much and gotten the short end of the stick so many times. She's been hurt and she's been bitter, and while that makes for a particularly nasty combination at times, I can understand it.

And then there's Will and Cassian. Of course a love triangle that's not a huge love triangle because Jacinda seems pretty decided on her feelings. Will is a reflection of her. He can relate to her feelings of being alone, being trapped, having a parent that doesn't accept you for who you are and what you want, plus having lost one parent at the same time, not being what everyone around you expects and wants from you. Plus they have this connection. But he's human. He's a hunter. Cassian represents everything Jacinda is running away from. He's what has been chosen for her. She thinks he's only intrigued by her talent and no more. But he can keep her safe in ways that Will can't. Plus he's draki, same as her. And I believe he reaches parts of her that I'm just not convinced Will can reach. So at this point, I'm torn. I know who I feel like she's going to choose. I know the one that she leans more toward, but I also know that there might just be more there than we're seeing from the other at this point. We'll have to see how it plays out.

Firelight was really good and kept me entranced until I completed it and moved straight into book 2, Vanish. Firelight gets 4.5 stars from me. Have you read Firelight? If so, what did you think? Let me know!