Firelight (Firelight, #1) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Jun 17, 2010 Literary Ames rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, weres-shifters, dragons, kindle, 1st-in-series, read-in-2011, cheap-reads, series-abandoned, kindle-sale, love-triangle

My utter disappointment has driven me to give this a pitiful 2 stars. Some would argue it deserves more and up to about 15% in I would’ve agreed with them. In just a small amount of time an original species and history had been born with an adrenaline pumping opening scene but as soon as Jacinda, her sister and mother left the draki community it fell off a cliff.

Not only did it turn into Evernight with Jacinda inexplicably falling for her hunter but her mother and sister were unbelievably harsh. My utter disappointment has driven me to give this a pitiful 2 stars. Some would argue it deserves more and up to about 15% in I would’ve agreed with them. In just a small amount of time an original species and history had been born with an adrenaline pumping opening scene but as soon as Jacinda, her sister and mother left the draki community it fell off a cliff.

Not only did it turn into Evernight with Jacinda inexplicably falling for her hunter but her mother and sister were unbelievably harsh. They showed little sympathy for her and at times were downright cruel. I could almost understand this from the sister’s point of view having to live as an outcast for the past few years due to her inability to shift but the mother’s? For someone who claimed to love her daughter and did this risky thing to protect her, she refused to see how much she was hurting Jacinda with her words and actions. ~~Telling~~ Asking her to kill her draki when Jacinda had come to love that part of her and then travelling to a place where the choice would be taken away was monsterous.

However, this wasn’t my only gripe. The romance. What romance? Jacinda, draki girl meets Will, human hunter and an instant yet powerful connection is formed. Ugh. Although the connection was later explained, and being around Will reinvigorates her draki, their constant yearning for each other was supremely annoying.

And why did Jacinda always put him before her family and their safety? She made dangerously unwise decisions, took risks she shouldn’t all because of her passion for this boy whose hunter family (who’d most likely murdered her father), if they found out about her nature, would turn around and kill her and hunt down her mother and sister. A heavy price to pay to keep her draki alive.

'Can't she understand? What good is safety if you're dead inside.'

'To keep that part of me alive, I have to be close to that which kills it.'

'A sad realization. To know the ones you love will be better off without you around.'

And then Cassian arrives on the scene, ready to drag Jacinda home, even offering to let her family stay. At first I saw him through Jacinda’s eyes, an arrogant heir pursuing her for her rare ability to breathe fire, to own her instead of loving her for who she is, but then as he spoke, I came to cheer him on.

A Blood and Chocolate ending would be the best I could hope for, which would mean picking Cassian over the human…and oh no, it’s a trilogy. We’re left wondering how she’ll fare with Cassian after a dramatic incident.

"You did this!"
"Not on purpose. But I am glad I ruined your little romance with that murderer? Hell yeah. You bet."

No doubt Vanish will be full of pining for her lost human love and glowering at the intriguing Cassian despite his best efforts to help her and of course, woo her. And if we’re really lucky as the third book is being written we’ll hear this trilogy has turned into a series.

And yet…and yet, I’ll probably continue reading. Despite my pessimism I’ll hope for the best now that she’s away from what I see as the negative influences in her new “human” life: Will and her family. ...more

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Jul 09, 2010 Sarah Dizon rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, read-in-2011, 4-stars

The exceptional thing about Firelight by Sophie Jordan is that it is so different from all the other paranormal romances that bombard Young Adult shelves. The world that is created is unique and mesmerizing. I would love to be a Draki. It sounds way fun, and dangerous.

Jacinda is a Draki, and she has a twin sister who never gained the ability to manifest. After certain events Jacinda, her mom and sister move away from the Pride. While there Jacinda encounters Will, who awakens her Draki like no ...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Paula Phillips rated it really liked it

I've had Firelight on my TBR List for a wee while and I finally got around this weekend to reading it and I enjoyed it. I didn't really have a full idea what it was about but I did have some thoughts that it may be a supernatural type novel with a hint of a love story.
Firelight is the first in a series for teens written by Sophie Jordan and focuses mainly on Jacinda who is what is called a "draki" , they are dragons which have the power to morph into human form. Jacinda's father was a draki and ...more

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Oct 12, 2010 Lara rated it it was amazing

Didn't expect this one would be such a page turner! I absolutely loved it and could not put it down! It sort of reminded me a bit of "Twilight" with the whole romance situation - but although I liked Twilight, I never LOVED it and thought Edward was.....ummmmm....let's just say, "less than". I also didn't like how they just instantly were do or die in love and felt the story lacked giving them that build up connection I enjoy. I felt Jordan did a wonderful job of matching Jacinda and Will and it ...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Kalynn rated it really liked it

3.5-4 stars

More detailed review may follow. I really liked this book, though it had a little too much whining and too little action for me. It's a Romeo and Juliet type story. It reminded me most strongly of Andrea Cremer's Witches War books. I'm looking forward to book 2, though I'm very worried it's going to introduce the bane of YA middle books (for me), some sort of love triangle. ...more

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