Firelight by Sophie Jordan Review

Reading Level: YA
Paperback: 323 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (September 7, 2010)

Book Summary: Descended from dragons, the draki's ability to appear human protects them from hunters. Jacinda lives with her pride in the Cascades, but she chafes under her special status as the only fire-breather in hundreds of years. Recklessly breaking the “no-fly” rule, she attracts hunters; mercifully, one hunter, a beautiful boy who looks upon her with wonder, lets her escape. After this, the pride intends to hobble her rebelliousness, and Jacinda is forced to flee. But while twin sister Tamra, who never manifested and was shunned, is happy with the move, Jacinda feels only anguish within Nevada's desert climate. Then she meets Will and, despite recognizing him as the same draki hunter, feels herself come alive. Jordan's compelling addition to the supernatural star-crossed lovers theme is equal parts taut suspense and sensuous romance, with visceral writing and believable relationships among characters, particularly among Jacinda's family. A foreshadowed twist and a thrilling confrontation in the end pages leave Jacinda heartbroken and in trouble, and readers will howl for more.

My Review: I have seen many books out there that focus around dragon-like creatures. However, in author Sophie Jordan’s world, dragons aren’t good enough. Thus, the Draki were created. Draki are humans that have the ability to manifest into Dragons with distinct powers as they please – cool, right?!

Throughout her whole life, Jacinda has lived with her mom and twin sister, Tamra, in their house in The Pride, a community made up of Draki. However, when The Pride wants to take advantage of Jacinda’s unique fire breathing ability for birthing purposes, her mother makes the decision to flee their home in the safety of her daughter.

This choice dramatically alters the fate of the family, as they are forced to live in the human world. Since Tamra never developed the ability to manifest, she has always been the odd one out in The Pride, while Jacinda was always the main focus. Now, the roles have been reversed and Jacinda is the odd one with the weird powers, and Tamra is the one who easily fits into the social scene.

The only thing that keeps Jacinda from escaping back to her home Pride, is Will. From the second she lays her eyes on him, Jacinda feels a powerful force luring her to Will, which even alerts her whenever he is within close proximity to her location. Jacinda’s relationship with Will takes up the main focus of a majority of the novel, and the chemistry between the two is phenomenal.

My only concern is that I thought that Sophie Jordan could have perhaps evolved more on the Draki world. It seemed like I was just getting used to the way Draki live when Jacinda and her family suddenly leave their home. Aside from that, FIRELIGHT is an AWESOME read that provides something fresh and different in the supernatural genre! When the last page is turned, the story has only just begun!

Rating: +++1/2

Favorite Excerpt:"  (Page 258, ARC edition)

     “You know. You’ve seen it,” I rasp. “It changes. The color becomes–”

     “Like fire.” His gaze lifts from my wrist and he says that word he said so long ago surrounded in cold mists, tucked on a ledge above a whispering pool of water. “Beautiful.”

     “You said that before. In the mountains.”

     “I meant it. Still do.”

      I laugh weakly. “I guess this means you’re not mad at me.”

     “I would be mad, if I could.” He frowns. “I should be.” He inches closer to me on the couch. We sink deeper into the tired cushions. “This is impossible.”

Cover Comment: I think the cover looks great! It communicates to the reader that no matter how much Jacinda tries to fit in, she can never rid of her instincts as a Draki.

Book Source: Traveling ARC Tours