I admit – this is a DRAFT. But I am publishing while I listen tot he audiobook of the second and then when I can go back and re-read the first so I don’t spoil the second here…!
Main Characters:
Zarya – Young lady who finally escapes into the City. She has special powers that are slowly discovered throughout the book.
Row – Zarya’s guardian. His magic is keeping her captive in the forrest outside the city. Also an Aazheri mage, one of a secret society of magic wielders.
Aarav – Row’s apprentice. And like an (annoying) brother to Zarya.
Rabin (the unknown presence in Zarya’s dreams)
Yasen – a royal guard (Lt.) who is also sort of like a vampire
Vikram – a royal guard (CDR.) who is also sort of like a vampire
Location(s): Dharti
Main Premise:
Important Things to Remember for Later:
Types of “beings” include Chiranjevi, Apsaras, Rakshasas, Aazheri
Review: (https://seriestracker.wordpress.com/2023/08/18/heart-of-night-and-fire/)
I loved this book!!!! I loved the characters. I loved the setting. I love the different-ness from other stories like it. I thought it was just absolutely wonderful. Thanks so much to #Netgalley for the chance to read this!
Heart of Night and Fire (#HeartofNightandFire) by Nisha Tuli appears to be the first of 4 and I am so happy that it is. But I will admit it will be a long wait for the next ones. Last book I read that left me this anxious and eager for the next was Empire of the Vampire…
Zarya here is approaching her 21st birthday but she has lived a sheltered life, not able to stray to far from home due to a magical spell that keeps her with Row (the man raising her). One day he disappears and so does the magic keeping her stuck in her little hut. She escapes and finds herself in a city where she meets the Captain of the Guard who is also a rakshasas (kind of like a vampire) and his best friend. She and Aarav, who was an apprentice to Row, end up meeting the queen and settling in the city. And that’s where the story really takes off.
There is something going on magically and the city is in danger. It wasn’t hard to guess that Zarya will be important in the grand scheme of what ever that is – otherwise, would she really be the main protagonist – but it was still a wonderful adventure to find out why.
The story was colorful, filled with rich world building, wonderful character development and descriptions that despite me not know so many of the words was a joy to read. I could not put this down. There was action, mythology, magic and because this was from a very different mythological system (one that I have not ventured into reading before)it was amazingly fresh and, well, just wonderful. The images were so vivid I felt like I was watching the scene from What Dreams May Come where Robin William’s character is walking through a painting.
Ms. Tuli was compared to Sarah Maas and that was part of why I requested this title. And while I really enjoyed the Throne of Glass series and the first 3 of the Court of Thorns and Roses, this was so very different. The distinct differences in the mythology which serves as an inspiration and the culture that influences this gives it a very unique (at least based on the things I have read before) feeling. The closest thing I have read to this type of mythology was the Priory of the Orange Tree and even that (while wonderful as well) was very different.
There is so much fodder in the culture and mythology that serves as the starting point that it was easy to picture the lush green forest, it was easy to imagine all the wonderful smells from the food, and it was easy to see the characters and their colorful costumes. All because of the wonderful story telling found on the pages of this book. Not to mention, the descriptions used here lead to the instant ability to picture vibrant scenes with characters that were easy to like – even Aarav despite his issues.
And, I will admit I was also thankful for the author’s note in the beginning. Despite my (shameful) lack of knowledge of the mythology in play here it was nice to know that there was both a basis and “just” inspiration in that. Unlike the last book I reviewed where there were terms used that had no meaning and I spent all sorts of time looking thing up to no avail, here I spent time looking up much so I could have a picture, but not only found them but found the author’s use of the basis made it possible to read without stopping every few minutes because I was still able to form a mental picture from her wonderful descriptions and then looked stuff up when I could bring myself to take a break.
I would suggest, however, that if readers like me are part of the target market that a short glossary of terms might be a helpful add. I did hit a point where I was not looking up some things – if it was obviously foo or clothes or weapons (which most of the time it was obvious so a fuzzy idea was totally ok) or even the demons/creatures (like the naga – which I easily figured was a snake, but maybe the similarity to Nagini from Harry Potter helped since JKR once explained that Nagini’s name came from the word…) I found I hit a point where I was skipping it but if there had been a glossary I might have had a better picture. Not the end of the world there isn’t one, but often in books like this, there is one to help with just this type of thing. I will note, however, that I LOVED that the words were not italicized and I would NOT change that.
Bottom line: I loved this book!
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