Bound by Firelight | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Bound by Firelight (Wickery, #2)

Author: Dana Swift

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 1/18/22

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Magic

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Delacorte Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

After a magical eruption devastates the kingdom of Belwar, royal heir Adraa is falsely accused of masterminding the destruction and forced to stand trial in front of her people, who see her as a monster. Adraa’s punishment? Imprisonment in the Dome, an impenetrable, magic-infused fortress filled with Belwar’s nastiest criminals—many of whom Adraa put there herself. And they want her to pay.

Jatin, the royal heir to Naupure, has been Adraa’s betrothed, nemesis, and fellow masked vigilante… but now he’s just a boy waiting to ask her the biggest question of their lives. First, though, he’s going to have to do the impossible: break Adraa out of the Dome. And he won’t be able to do it without help from the unlikeliest of sources—a girl from his past with a secret that could put them all at risk.

Time is running out, and the horrors Adraa faces in the Dome are second only to the plot to destabilize and destroy their kingdoms. But Adraa and Jatin have saved the world once already… Now, can they save themselves?

Content Warning: violence

Book two of the Wickery series picks up immediately after the major event that happened in the first book. Adraa is pegged as an enemy and imprisoned. The amazing world building and magic is back. Jatin and the crew are going around town reminding me of the Avengers. It was nice to see the old crew back.

The story is told between Adraa and Jatin’s perspectives but I think the one with more of a journey and lots of growth is Adraa because she is separated from the group and thrown in prison. She faces many challenges and fights, literally – to the death. We see Adraa out of her comfort zone fighting in prison without her magic and we see her try to relearn how to make magic with some help.

What I found fun about the first book was Adraa and Jatin’s friends helping them on their missions and becoming a group of superheroes. They are back in this sequel, doing what they do best!

I think one thing I missed about the first book was Adraa and Jatin’s enemies to lovers romance because of course, now they are together with no qualms about their love for one another. And they were kept apart for most of the story so I did miss them interacting with one another.

Why you should read it:

• a solid duology with lots of magic and romance (mostly in book one)
• Adraa goes through a lot of challenges and growth
• magic wielding superheroes and lots of action

Why you might not want to read it:

• not a lot of romance
• couple was spent apart for most of the book

My Thoughts:

Although not my favorite between the two books in this duology because I miss all the romance, I think this was a solid conclusion to this series. I enjoyed all the world building, magic and camaraderie between Jatin and his friends. Adraa goes through a lot in this sequel shows but she rises to the challenge which is very inspiring.

📚 ~ Yolanda