It’s time for another glorious book review and there’s a particular irony with this one. As I hide from the desert sun and the searing heat waves that burn my vampire skin, I read about the opposite. Of another kingdom, far, far, away, where a young girl and a group of rebels fight the Dark to bring back the Light.

We first meet Siria through a brief glimpse into her childhood. Her best friend is the family gardener’s grandson, and he tells both children fairy tales about the kingdom before darkness shrouded the sky.

But those stories are lies. They come from a time before Queen Iyzabel covered the kingdom in shadows. Now everyone knows, Light is dangerous. Light is destructive. And it’s only by the protection of the Queen, that the kingdom is safe.

Siria has always been afraid of the darkness. And though she revels in these stories of a time before, she craves her parents approval more. She shuns the stories and turns her back on her best friend, hoping to be chosen by Queen Iyzabel during the Choosing Ball, where she will serve Her Majesty in a place of honor for the rest of her life.

And that’s where things fall apart…

So fall apart may be putting it lightly, but, you know. Spoilers.

Siria ends up leaving the city with the very people she thought she knew her entire life. But, as with most things, she really had no idea. Her life depends on finding the sun and bringing the Light back. Or her life, and the kingdom, will be shrouded in Darkness forever.

There’s a TON to love about this book. The world is imaginative. The magic creative. There’s rebels and secrets and all kinds of delicious tension. And of course, a lot of little betrayals sprinkled throughout the journey, keeping us readers on the tips of our toes.

It was interesting learning about the magic of this world with Siria. These added complexities and hidden in plain sight secrets kept the pace steady throughout the book. But one thing I really liked is how real Siria’s reactions felt. And how some of her companions reacted to her reactions.

In a lot of YA, we get a protagonist who discovers they have some great thing that will help them do the big thing to save their world. And often, this shocking discovery is accepted and embraced. Sometimes with little fanfare or internal reflection to really make it believable.

Not with Siria. She did not take the news lightly. In fact, she responds in pure terror. Which makes sense! I mean, if you were told the thing you were and the people you were with would destroy you and everything you ever loved or believed, wouldn’t you freak the F out?! Yes. Yes you would. So I love that it takes Siria some time to process all the things.

I also love how a certain rebel handles her. There are no kid gloves here. This rebel suffers no fools. Siria included. Which again! REAL!!! In fact, the character development on all levels is gorgeously woven throughout this book. These are more than characters, these are people. With complicated pasts and uncertain futures. They fight and make up, they deal with insecurities and trauma, they learn how to adapt and believe in each other.

And of course, there’s an adorable romance. But like everything in this book, it wasn’t insta-love and it wasn’t sugar sweet or cliche. It developed in a satisfying thread, with lots of missteps and miscommunications along the way. Which I loved. Because, hello, they’re sixteen. It was the exact right blend of awkward and adorable.

Ignite The Sun is a binge-addicting book. It’s fast-paced and intriguing. The scenes are so vivid I kept imagining how they would play out as a Netflix show. Same with the characters. I am not a fan-casting type of reader, but they are so dynamic and real, I found myself wondering who would play each one. I read it in almost a single sitting, it was that enjoyable.

Four stabby stars!

Thank you TBR & Beyond Book Tours and Blink YA for sending me a copy and including me on this tour!

Be sure to check out the rest of the tour stops HERE for mood boards, playlists, reviews, and more chances to win an awesome prize pack!!!

Once upon a time, there was something called the sun… In a kingdom ruled by an evil witch, the sun is just part of a legend about light-filled days of old. Luckily for everybody in the kingdom, Siria Nightingale is headed to the heart of the darkness to try and restore the light–or she will lose everything trying.

Sixteen year-old Siria Nightingale has never seen the sun. The light is dangerous, according to Queen Iyzabel, an evil witch who has shrouded the kingdom in shadow.

Siria has always hated the darkness and revels in the stories of the light-filled old days that she hears from her best friend and his grandfather. Besides them, nobody else understands her fascination with the sun, especially not her strict and demanding parents. Siria’s need to please them is greater even than her fear of the dark. So she heads to the royal city–the very center of the darkness–for a chance at a place in Queen Iyzabel’s court.

But what Siria discovers at the Choosing Ball sends her on a quest toward the last vestiges of the sun with a ragtag group of rebels who could help her bring back the Light … or doom the kingdom to shadow forever.

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Hanna C. Howard spent most of her childhood wondering how she might avoid growing up, and eventually solved the conundrum by becoming an artist and a writer. She considers tea an essential food group, has more books than shelf space, and thinks the ultimate geek triumvirate is Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Doctor Who. She lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with her husband and son, their Disreputable Dog, and a cat skilled in the martial arts.

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Giveaway ends August 18!