Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Genre: Dragons

Hardcover: 323 Pages

Published: September 7, 2010

Series: Firelight

            1. Firelight

            2. Vanish

            3. Hidden

Rating: ★★★★★

 

Goodreads Synopsis:

 A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.

            Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki, a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

            Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away;if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

My Review:

            As a huge fan of dragons, the summary of this book sounded fascinating. It was something different from werewolves and angels while still lingering in the paranormal zone. Curled up on the couch for a couple of hours, I was able to read this novel in one sitting (kind of crazy, I know). My attention was fully focused on the amazing world Jordan had created. Its about dragons! How cool is that? I loved the concept of draki, descendants of dragons, morphing into humans. I also loved how Jordan was able to create these beautiful creatures and their history. However, I wish the author had included more darki customs and their on going feud with the dragon hunters. The way Jordan described the dragons morphing into humans was creative. I was able to imagine how it would look unfolding in front of my eyes.

            The characters were lacking in development except for Jucinda. She was strong and adamant in her ways. She wished to be free and not be bound to the customs of her pride. She has a lot riding on her shoulders (she is the first fire-breather in a long time) and I understand her need to get away. But at some point I thought she needed to suck it up. At times I found her to be boring, but as the story continued I like her selfless, unpretentious qualities. She tolerates her irritating family members and her pride. When I read some other reviews I saw they were accusing Jucinda of being selfish and constantly complaining about her situation that her mother puts her in. However, I would probably act similarly if my mother tried to take away my soul,*gasp* as Jucind's mother tries to rip away her darki.

            Though some of the characters are under developed, I really liked the idea of this book and that's why I rated it four stars. I have finished the series (and haven't gotten to the reviews of those books yet. SMH) and I can say the story gets better and better. The characters are more developed in the second and third books and the story has more cliffhangers. I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for something new and interesting to read. Or if you just love dragons then its a quick read!