PJ Review: Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance
PNR Element: Dragons
Series: Firelight #1
Order Online:  Amazon.com
Stalk the Author: Web | Blog | Twitter

Audiobook review, copy purchased from audible.com

PJ's QUICKIE POV:
Highly original concept and well-crafted writing led me to be thoroughly pleased with this read. Sophie Jordan delivered a tried and true story-line wrapped up in a very new bow and I wasn’t disappointed. I found myself enthralled with Jacinda’s plight because of the superb character crafting that Jordan wove into the story. I'm thoroughly convince that no matter how played out a plot is, wonderful characters can make a story go from mediocre to epic with one little emotional reaction...welcome to the world of Firelight.

REVIEW:
Jacinda is a rarity among a rare species. A fire-breather of the secret race of the draki, she is watched constantly by the others of her kind. All she wants though is the freedom to make her own choices, to fly, to live, to be. Yet, as she tests those waters, sneaking from her compound to make a dangerous day flight, Jacinda is caught by the ones that hunt her kind. Trapped and on the brink of death, something odd happens, one of the hunters, a boy so beautiful he takes her breath away, let’s her go. He saves her, even though he is a hunter.

When she is found by her kind, the damage is done. Her pride does not trust her. In a bold move, her mother, who has never been comfortable with her draki side, packs them up and they flee her pride. Her mother exiles her to a place where Jacinda’s draki side will eventually wither and die and she will become little more than a human. As her draki begins to fade though, something strange happens she feels it stir and she looks up to find the beautiful boy. He might be the only thing to save her draki...yet she knows getting close to him is very very dangerous.

The story-line might be a little over-done in the young adult world. Paranormal Girl, meets Human Boy. Human boy is the enemy of Paranormal Girl but they fall in love anyway. You know, Romeo & Juliet with a paranormal twist. We find it countless times in young adult and adult paranormal romances. Yet, there is a reasoning for this reoccurring theme. These epic romances, are well...epic. Nothing better than reading about a love that will conquer racial prejudices and then translate them into our own lives. So, FIRELIGHT brings that epic romance to life in the form of dragon girl and hunter boy. I always fall for these romances, if they are done correctly. And this one was done correctly. What made this one special, was the character development. I fell for both characters. They were both just perfect. I felt every nuance and emotion that Jacinda felt. I fell in love with Will all the while, wanting to kick Jacinda’s mom in the shins for doing this to her daughter, trying to kill off her draki. It was a well written story and I can not wait to read Vanish: A Firelight Novel.

You might be able to compare this novel to a lot of young adult novels out there, but if you like to be carried away in a romance, fall in love with characters and read about a very original race of beings, give this one a try.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
Romance fans, this might be a good paranormal transition, fans of Twilight Series, Need Series and The Wolves of Mercy Fall series should really enjoy.








Like this Like That

1. Nightshade: Book 1 by Andrea Cremer
2. Angelfire (Angelfire - Trilogy) by Courtney Allison Moulton

411 on the Series

1. Vanish: the second Firelight novel will be released September 6th, 2011
2. From Sophie Jordan's Web page: "Firelight MOVIE NEWS!! Firelight has been optioned for film by Mandalay Entertainment . Read the announcement in VARIETY here! The talented Nick Pustay has been hired to adapt Firelight for film" 
3. IMdB has it slotted for 2013 release but no information