This was one of my most anticipated reads of the first half of the year and I'm so happy that it lived up to my expectations. I was already invested in the plotting and betrayal that we see in just the blurb alone, and there was a lot of it - also 'brutal, enigmatic prince', I'm there for it.

I thought the way the world and the magic system were written was so interesting, the magic system especially. The fact that those with power are the ones that are hunted (literal witch hunt), and I liked the different types of magic that differen people have - Ren's powers are especially interesting as she can take memories from people with just a touch. I'm hoping we get more information about the different types of magic in the next book as it was my favourite thing about it (apart from that brutal, enigmatic prince I mentioned earlier - honestly I have a type okay). And there's a few twists which for once I saw coming, but I don't think everyone did because not many people guessed it on the Fairyloot readalong I joined in on. Which is a big deal for me because I never figure things out in books until just before they happen so I'm proud of this one. But regardless I'm excited to see how this twist continues into the second book.

So I really loved the wide range of characters, even thouhg the book is only told from Ren's perspective, there are so many different characters and they're all pretty distinguishable; whether that's by them being Moria (mnagical) or not, what power they have if they are Moria, their relationship with Ren, and generally just their actions and voices. If you haven't got my not so subtle hints by now, Prince Castian is my favourite character, which is terrible I know because he's literally the person the main character wants to kill, but nope he's my favourite. I love how we get to know him more aswell, through certain events that take place, which I cannot actually say more on.

I’m going to be honest – I didn’t think I was going to like this book when I started. It seemed to fit all the tropes I’d seen before, and I thought I could see exactly where it was going – silly now that I re-read the synopsis! I should have realized the twists the story would take, but I didn’t check it before starting, as I try to avoid refreshing my memory of books I requested ages ago, to go in with no expectations. Rather than rebels on the run, this story turns into a political intrigue and subterfuge, which I adored. After so many books that follow either plot line, I was very pleased with this combination of both. I distinctly the moment in the book I realized that the stakes were higher than I had thought before, and I was so there for that ride. I wasn’t sold on the magic system straight away – it reminded me of an odd blend of Allomancy from Mistborn and the Grisha magics, and it hovered on that fine line, where I wasn’t sure if it would be distinct enough to not annoy me. Luckily, it landed on the right side, and as the story wove on it stopped bothering me. I saw part of the bigger twists coming but that didn’t stop them from being entertaining and learning exactly what was going on, and there were a few that caught me completely by surprise!

This book ended up being a fun romp using some familiar ideas and tropes but twisting them just enough to be fresh and entertaining nonetheless. I’m very keen to see where this story goes, and was delighted when I found a finished copy with a stunning cover and artwork in my FairyLoot box!

I really enjoyed this book, it was a really interesting world and magic system, though it did annoy me that the Moria seemed to dislike one of their own because of the power they had. I felt that was a little unfair but I did really like Renata. The storyline was strong and I really liked the twists and turns. A very enjoyable fantasy whose sequel I am looking forward to.

I enjoyed the writing and the magic system in this one but the world building could have been developed more. The plot was also slow and the characters felt somewhat flat. The ending did make me interested in picking up the second book in the series though.

I am a shadow, I am a drop of ink. Vengeance in the night.
I’m a Robári.

Reading this book was like riding an elevator. For the first third of the story I was “meh”, then the second third “ooooh this is getting interesting” and then the last third of the story I just couldn’t stop reading and I was so disappointed in me when I had to put the book down because I needed to sleep. So this was definitely getting better and better as I read it even though I’m still a little confused about the magic system and all? I mean at the beginning I was “what are you talking about I don’t understand anything” and now I can say that I could explain it to someone else but there still are parts where I’m ??? Especially about Renata and Robáris. She can take memories out of people and they will forget them but at some point it seemed to me that they still kind of remembered the memory she took? Anyways I hope this will be better explained in book 2 since I sense we’re going to get a loooooot more about Robári powers and all. And the reluctant alliance? Oh gods I can’t wait!

“We are a flame that will never burn out.”

Unpopular Opinion

It was a struggle to get through this.

I didn't like Renata, the MC. She's a whiny teenager who thinks everyone and their grandmother is against her and everything that ever happened is because of her.

There were secondary characters, but they felt not really fleshed out. They seemed to either belong to the friendly foes, the villainous villains, or were plot tools.

The setting was interesting, but again, not really fleshed out. A bit more background information on Puerto Leones and Memoria would have been nice.

The same goes for the magic system, it might have been explained a little more, but this might have caused information dump.

The story features the usual YA tropes and hence is pretty predictable. I knew what the plot twist was before we even got close to it. Actually, that's what kept me reading, I wanted to see how many hints the author would drop along the way and how long the penny would stay suspended in mid-air before it eventually dropped for the protagonist.

**I was provided with a copy of the book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Taking place in a Spanish Inquisition-era inspired fantasy world, Incendiary follows a girl who possesses the rare (and feared) power of stealing memories with just the touch of her hand. As a child she was kidnapped and used as a weapon by the crown in their quest for power. However, she was rescued by a network of rebels and has spent years working with them to help others with magical abilities (Moira) to escape the kingdom. Though her power in particular means that next to no one has ever been able to fully trust her.

When there is a mishap on a particular rescue mission she is forced to dive back into the world of her past in order to save the future of her people, with only her own supressed memories and those she has stolen from other lives circling in her mind to accompany her.

Now I’m still a little on the fence about how I feel about this one.

Córdova’s writing and storytelling is beautiful. The beginning immediately draws you into the thick of the rebel movement the story centres on and introduces you to a world with a fascinating magic system. Renata is a protagonist you both feel and root for, yet something just wasn’t clicking for me with the story as a whole.

Memories play a massive part in the narrative and I absolutely loved how this shaped Renata’s character for us as well as the world and people around her. The various twists and secrets embedded in the story, though occasionally predictable, really keep you reading. However, I found that at times I was confused due to missing information – particularly when it came to connecting and understanding the actions and motivations of the various other characters in the book. Some of the reveals happened a bit too abruptly and without much previous explanation… Hence I found that I was not enjoying the book as much as I expected to.

I do plan on picking up the sequel though!
Final Rating – 3.5/5 Stars

Sometimes you anticipate a book so much, you're sure it'll get all your stars but then you read it and unfortunately, it gets the most average rating so now you simply wanna die cry. I won't say this doesn't have an interesting world or magics or a great writing but it definitely did not bring any character to life, for me, and that's a sure disappointment. The only two characters I found interesting got the least screen page time and I'll be reading the sequel for them.

Incendiary was... okay? Some aspects were more interesting than others, but I didn't feel captivated enough to care about the characters. It's just... I've already seen in other books this kind of story, so it didn't stand out as an original one. I also predicted some twists... Just saying. Maybe a reader younger than me could enjoy it more. It wasn't bad, just plain.

Incendiary was one of my most anticipated books of the year but sadly it ended up being a bit of a letdown. After a promising start, it soon becomes a mix of every YA fantasy trope you can ever imagine. Everything, from plot to characters, feels generic and, honestly, quite bland. I also found the world building to be a bit confusing and the plot twists totally predictable (if you've dabbled in this genre before, you can guess the ending pretty soon). The writing was fine so, though this didn't live up to my expectations, I'm sure I'll try another books from this author.

2.5/5

My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the e-ARC of this novel!

I have been very excited to read this book for a long time, I have seen so many people on Twitter absolutely loving it, so I was excited to start!

This is a YA fantasy novel, we meet our main character Renata who is part of a group of rebels trying to defeat the Royal Family and allow magic and its users to live in peace and stop being hunted through the land. Renata herself has the power to remove memories from others’ heads and make them totally forget the memory. Other powers in this world include the power to create illusions and the power to draw feelings out of people. I love the magic system and the world that Cordova has created. It is well thought out and developed, and the magical powers are intriguing.

This novel is non-stop action. It is a breathless, racing novel, and once you pick it up it is impossible not to become fully absorbed into the narrative. It has so many twists and turns too, I really had no idea what was going to happen next and I was very worried for the characters throughout!

One of the reasons I was so worried for them was because I loved all the characters. They are a wonderfully diverse group, they all have distinct and individual personalities, which the author did an excellent job of creating and consistently developing throughout the novel. Even the villains were multi-faceted characters who were nuanced and although not exactly sympathetic to them, I could understand some of their decisions and actions.

Overall I really enjoyed this novel! It is an excellent start to a new and exciting YA fantasy series, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book!!

This was an unexpected gem! I fell in love with the world-building and the main character. The writer did an amazing job at characterization and the magic system.
Definitely recommended if you're a fantasy lover.

Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

As we all know I like a good magical book especially when magic has a price and the the magic system here was fantastic and original. The way in which Renata can take memories from other people was very interesting and that it came with a price.

But the story was hard to follow and without much world building you kind of just got thrown in to the mix and it was annoying

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I wasn't sure what to make of this book at first and it took me a little while to get into the writing style, but it was worth it. The story was pleasingly unpredictable and Ren was an engaging character. I could have done with a bit more worldbuilding and exposition about the Moria and their history but presumably this will be provided in subsequent books. A solid start to a series, and it was particularly nice to have Latinx representation in the fantasy genre.

Having never read anything by this author before, I really didn't know what to expect from this book, but I could never have imagined just how deeply I would find myself invested in these characters, the story, and this world. I haven't read a whole lot of Latinx inspired fantasy, but I was obsessed with the Spanish Inquisition-era world, the magic, and the cultural nuances that Zoraida Córdova included.

Renata's magic is possibly the most fascinating thing about this book, in all honesty, and that's saying something considering how interesting this entire world and cast of characters really are. Her ability to rip away your memories is absolutely terrifying, but her fear of taking too much and making more hollow souls prevents her from truly taking advantage of this strange power. No one trusts her, most also fear her. She feels as though she has no place in the world, and a lack of her own memories makes her feel even more alone. But that doesn't mean she wallows in it. She'll do anything to prove she's not a monster, even return to the place that tried to turn her into one. That takes incredible strength and courage, and Renata has those in spades.

Though this book starts off slow in a lot of ways, the pacing ramps up soon enough. There's a lot of build up, but the explosive conclusion makes it all worth it. Though the worldbuilding is superb, it's really the characters and the unique magic system that truly make this book stand out. Though it took me a while to understand the magic, everything about it fascinated me, from the various abilities to the different metals that can be worn to enhance specific powers. Though we focus mainly on Renata's abilities, the other Moria characters added a deeper layer to the magic system as a whole.

I absolutely adored this story from start to finish, and the ending just blew my mind. This book is filled with magic, betrayal, and repressed memories that tell the real story, and every single part of it was just fascinating. Though it's true that there were a lot of tropes, in my opinion, they were done right, and the emotional rollercoaster that Córdova takes you on is just spectacular. This was a fascinating first book, and I can't wait to explore the rest of the series as it's released!

Incendiary is an unputdownable historical fantasy set during the Spanish Inquisition. The prose is outstanding. The plot is original and filled with twists that keep readers glued to their seats. The magic system is fascinating and well-crafted. And the world-building is strong and vivid. Highly recommended to readers who are looking for something fresh in fantasy.

Throwing us into the middle of a battle that has been waging for a long time, the very start of Incendiary means that there will be no rest during this high stakes read.  This honestly started with a bang and it did not slow down. From the very beginning you have to keep up with the narrative. And I have to be honest, it was incredibly easy to do so.

Luckily, we follow Ren, she is flawed in her beliefs. Not only about herself but also about those around her and her cause. She is our anchor through all the chaos and through her we learn more about her world and what it actually means to weld magic. We learn about the structure of society and the place magic welders hold. And as more and more secrets are revealed you will have the same opinion Ren has. 

Filled with adventure, anticipation and shocking moments, Incendiary will sweep you off you feet and will not relent until every last moment is revealed. There are shocks, revelations and unexpected moments that will cause you to stop reading, gasp and make you beg for more.

One thing that did annoy me, was with so many reveals some of the questions I have have gone unanswered. I presume that this will be resolved in the next book. And, I didn't really think about my unanswered question until after I had finished reading and started writing this review. 

Incendiary  was not the book that I was expecting it to be. I don't know what I was after but this incredible book was so much more. And for that reason it makes it impossible to describe. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book, but I am already eagerly counting down the days.

Incendiary was giving me a lot of good vibes: Spain, Inquisition, so many possibly macabre and gothic chances.

And with that single line of premise, I will firstly list down what it didn’t work for me and why I didn’t give it five stars. Part of the premise is also another part, a part of the reason why I felt like few things were missing.

So, when they say this book was loosely based on Inquisition and company, I must say there it’s right to put emphasis on the “loose”. To be fair, this is not the first book that touches some aspects of Europe but just not as deep as I wish. I’m not casting any judgement here like I would do if I saw something of my culture (Italian), but I feel few things were absent.

More food, more architecture…. Something like that. But mind you that I read an e-Arc, so it’s possible that by now there were changed or little addictions. Still, it remains a bit of an issue for me.
Just like the religious aspects. In the novel, some names and legends are dropped around but never had the chance to know them with a little more depth. Probably it will happen in the next novel, as the story seems to promise to go deeper into the world of the Moria.

Turning back to the positive side of the review… sure this is not a book with no surprises. Okay, at a point I got the truth about some characters relationships, but it was still entertaining. Because, while one revelation seemed oblivious, other weren’t so much.

I think many of you could like this book, especially if the love having a Games of Thrones moves throw in their face. While this happen pretty early in the story, I’m keeping my mouth shut about what and whom it’s about.

Majority of the story happens in the castle, so don’t expect any major travelling around. It’s also very Renata – centric, as we follow her pretty much everywhere and the whole story it’s narrated from her point of view.

I must say…. I’m not sure I like Renata but I don’t dislike her. It’s a thing that happen pretty much to me most of the time (not so many book characters I deeply feel for about), but I angered for her.
During the novel, Renata deals with a lot of stuff. She blames herself pretty often, she takes the blame the best she can (usually with not so brilliant results) and she’s used to be… chased away?

The big example of that are the Whispers. Renata is supposed to have a new home with them, but she keeps being pushed away. I never understood, through the whole book, why only two people ever trusted her and I guess some things… I should have seen them coming. But no, this isn’t a tale of a found family but more about finding allies in unpexcted people.

Another thing I absolutely need to give a pat on the shoulder to the author: thank you, for the missing redemption arc of the violent boy.
I’ve already enough of them in real life, without actual redemption, and we already got plenty of books in which the focus (mostly by readers themselves) get to the awful white boy of the situation, and Cordova did a good job working on that part and don’t fall into a trashy cliché.

In the end, I’m pretty satisfied with my read and I can only hope the second book will only do better and let me read a good adventure. There’s so much as stake.

Book Review: Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova
Genre: Sci-fi, fantasy
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
Release Date: 28th April, 2020

If you could erase any memory what would you choose to remove? It still happened, but you just don't remember it. Well, that is Renata's power as a Robari in Incendiary. However, if she goes too far; taking all of your memories, you become a hollow.

I really enjoyed this book!

The story, the characters, the world! It was just what I needed. It's a well written fantasy that keeps you guessing. Having read a lot of fantasy books (it's my favourite genre) I am familiar with a lot of the tropes but I never, one hundred percent, felt like I knew what was going to happen in this story. That's something that really keeps me hooked in a book; hints and clues that lead you certain ways, yet always being uncertain if things will play out the way you think.

It reminded me a lot of Throne of Glass, which is definitely not a bad thing. There's an evil king with an even more sinister 'right hand man': the justice, and a son whose loyalties are always questioned. The protagonist, Ren, was kidnapped as a child and used as a weapon by the king and his justice. After being rescued, and then losing everything she loved, she goes back to the palace to seek her revenge. Yet, as always, things are not necessarily what they seem.

One of my favourite things about the book was the way Ren's ability to take memories from people was used to slowly reveal key details from the past. I was piecing together the history as Ren collected memories. It also makes Ren a very interesting main character as she is not exactly reliable. Her mind is confused and muddled due to the mass of memories she holds, as well as the fact that she has repressed a lot of her own along with ones she has taken.

Furthermore, the supporting characters are just as well developed. My favourites include Nuria: a royal badass (who I hope we see a lot more of in the sequel) and Leo, who reminded me of Cinna from The Hunger Games for his styling skills and the friendship he offered Ren.

Even though I felt that the book was slow to start, it became everything I want a fantasy book to be. I really enjoyed Cordova's writing style and will check out some of her other books (apparently she's penned 13!) while I wait for the sequel.




Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for allowing me to read and review an e-arc.

I received a free digital copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is my first book from the author and I can tell you with certainty, it won’t be the last. Firstly, because I am definitely committed to this series and secondly her writing style is absolutely amazing.

Honestly, it didn’t took me long to get into the story, that’s how good I found the plot. I was facing a really hectic rhythm as the action is constantly changing. But it wasn’t difficult to follow or chaotic at all. If anything, you could feel the rush from the pages and get even more invested in Renata and her story. The book starts as you’re thrown into the action and all the explanations and worldbuilding go towards keeping this dynamism.

As the author has said the book was inspired in the 15th century Spanish Inquisition and it does not disappoint. Some humans have abilities considered magic by the rest and they are feared and prosecuted for that. Until they manage to turn those abilities against their own kind turning it into a weapon. As a Spaniard it was really cool seeing all the character names and places have a Spanish root and turn toward something different.

I really liked the plot. As I’ve said, it has a really good flow and I should warn you about the plot twists. Some of them I saw coming, but others made my jaw drop in sheer shock. To my delight, as it is one of my favourite things, at one point you get a lot of political intrigues. And just like Renata, you are not entirely sure of who is good, what are other people intentions and if you are acting by your own will or following someone’s else plan.

Renata, our main character, is a very interesting character. She is very stubborn, at times I could see myself shouting at her at frustration, but again, inside the story it makes perfect sense. It does however relay in some elements of the plot being a bit repetitive for my likeness.

I am left wanting more and I will definitely read the next books in the series as soon as they come out. One I will be absolutely recommending in the future!