Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for allowing me to read an eARC of Incendiary. Let's just acknowledge this amazing cover for a moment shall we, I honestly can't decide which edition cover I love more - the UK or US version?!

This is one extremely intense book; i've rated a few book five stars lately but this was a different kind of five stars for me. It sunk into my bones and probably for the last 40% of this book I felt incredibly stressed and tense and was on tenterhooks about what was going to happen next and whether Ren was going to get caught. It's no lie when I say my heart was in my throat. This is probably one of my favourite first installments of a series for a while; there is something so easy about Zoraida's writing that you just can't help but feel enchanted by it.

The pacing is so well done with this book; the first 30% or so is a bit slower to build up the story and the narrative but once the story gets going it never stops. I honestly couldn't put it down when I read the last 60% and was reading it at any chance I could get. There is so much going on but it never feels confusing or bogged down; some books don't handle fast pacing well and it all becomes confusing but that definitely wasn't the case with Incendiary. I think Zoraida handled the world-building really well too; it's very clear how the world is defined and the different powers that people hold are clearly explained and they make sense. Not like other fantasy books i've read recently where your constantly scratching your head trying to figure out who is who and what their power does.

I loved the plot of this book; it's not the most unique and there are some plot aspects which are quite obvious, but there's just something about the world and the writing which means that doesn't bother me. I had guessed that Dez was still alive (and boy is that gonna have some repercussions in book two) and that Dez and Cas were brothers, but I honestly did not see Cas being a Moira coming. I feel like there is so much going on that distracts you, you aren't going to guess everything and this is what makes it so good. It never felt contrived or boring and I just devoured it as fast as I could. I adore her writing and the way she weaves the plot together.

I haven't even touched on the characters!! Where do I even start here? Every character manages to be complex and multi-layered. You can never feel quite comfortable with a characters motivations because you never know whats going to happen. I adored Ren. I thought she was such an amazing character and I felt such pain for her with everything she went through and the way she was treated. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time she was in the castle terrified she was going to get caught. The side characters are also brilliant; Dez, Cas, Margo, Leo.... and all the others, they really build up the tension in the book and really help to develop Ren as a character but also the world around them. I haven't really made up my mind on most of these characters yet because I just don't know who to trust!!

I cannot wait until we unlock more from Ren's past and I imagine there's going to be a few more twists to keep us going. The only thing I am dreading is the very likely love triangle... please do this well and don't make me cringe!!

This book is insanely good and I cannot highly recommend this enough; it is a fast-paced intense fantasy world that is easy to follow, with some badass female characters!!

And here it is: the new fantasy series I just got addicted to. Set in a world that reminds of the Spanish Inquisition, there is a cruel king who wants to rid the country of those with magic, his son who does the dirty work for him, a group of rebels who fights against the kingdom and protect those who possess magic, a secret weapon, and a heroine who can erase memories from one’s mind and is still looking for a place in the world.

Incendiary is a fantastic read. The heroine, Ren, doesn’t know where she belongs. She is part of an army of rebels who doesn’t trust her, she goes back to the place she escaped when she was a child where everyone is now suspicious of her, she can see and erase people’s memories, but her own memories of her past are not really clear. Ren is looking for answers and she is looking for revenge and she won’t stop until she gets them.

With a incredible world-building that captured me from the beginning, terrific characters, beautiful writing that makes you fly through the story, and a brilliant ending full of surprises and revelations that I didn’t see coming, Incendiary is a novel full of romance, magic, and revenge that enchanted me from the first to the very last word and I really can’t wait to see how it progresses. Highly recommended to all fantasy lovers and non!!!

Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova is a gorgeous, high-stakes and vivid story of magic, revolution and identity that I absolutely adored.
The writing was exceptional - it flowed beautifully and was simple but lyrical, full of emotion and heart and reflecting Renata’s personality well.
I loved Renata. She was a complex main character with flaws, troubles and insecurities, but she was also badass, resilient, fierce and strong. I loved watching her slowly grow and become more of herself, as the story centres around her self discovery and finding her independence and freedom from the expectations and experiences that have shaped her life. I really liked her character arc, and this was a very powerful part of the story.
Renata’s character and growth were at the centre of this story, but the plot was also full of rebellion, court scheming and friendship, combining to make a heartfelt and exciting storyline that had me totally hooked. The first few chapters of the book felt a little slower, but I soon got lost in the story - the plot was well-paced, a good mix of action, adventure, and character development. There were some plot twists in Incendiary that made me gasp and reevaluate the whole story so far- it was full of exciting twists and turns, mystery and action. When I thought I knew where the story was going, I was proved wrong, right up until the ending that left me absolutely shocked, amazed and in desperate need of book two.
The storyline is also so powerful in that it is inspired by historic Spain, and while in Incendiary it is those with magic that are persecuted, it reflects the real-life persecution of Jews and Muslims that happened during the Spanish Inquisition, making the themes of hope and keeping our identities throughout tough times all the more important.
The magic system was unique and gorgeous. I was so intrigued by the different types of magic and how they worked, especially by Renata’s own power of stealing memories, which there is more to than even Renata knows, mysteries of her magic that have not all been unveiled yet.
Incendiary was a story about hope, a rebellion rising from the ashes, a story of how identity, culture and magic are interlinked. I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait for the sequel. Incendiary is the rebellion and politics of Woven in Moonlight meets the character-focused plot and explosive ending of The Midnight Lie and the magic and power dynamics of Blood Heir - if you love high fantasy, you are sure to love this book.

Incendiary is the first instalment in the proposed Hollow Crown series and showcases Zoraida Cordova’s prowess in crafting compelling and richly-imagined young adult fantasy fiction. Set against the backdrop of fifteenth-century Spain during the Inquisition era we are introduced to Renata “Ren” Convida, a Robari who has the power to elicit memories from others with merely a touch leaving them a shell of their former selve. As a valid part of the Moria (those who possess magic) she is feared and shunned by the people/wider society. As magic is banned across the kingdom most practitioners have either been captured by the crown and imprisoned or are in hiding but a clandestine band of rebels, known as The Whispers, are actively working to ensure that those who hold magic powers don’t become extinct and disappear from the make-up of the kingdom entirely.

Ren has an intriguing yet less-than-ideal backstory in that she was kidnapped from her parents as a youngster and shipped to the Royal palace where she was forced to use her magic in a way that was beneficial to the King until she was rescued by The enigmatic Whispers, or, maybe more accurately, by the noble Dez. However, the group are wary and conflicted as to whether they can trust her given her past serving the cruel King who doesn’t think twice about persecuting them. As Ren struggles to reconcile her past actions, under duress or through bribery, with her true feelings about the Royals she must undergo a dangerous mission to infiltrate the palace she once knew as home in order to save Dez, the boy she loves, from a fate she once knew as her own.

This is a captivating fantasy I feel all ages can enjoy despite the YA categorisation, and although it begins in quite a pedestrian manner the pace soon lifts as events kick in. Written in beautiful, flowing and expressive prose, it’s really easy to fly through the pages once you have been introduced to both the world and cast of characters and the Latinx-influenced world is unique and riveting. The worldbuilding is incredibly well done but it’s both the magic system and the characters that make this story as superb as it is; there is more than one method of magic making the whole tale refreshingly original and the characters come alive on the page before your very eyes. Our protagonist Ren is a complex soul who yearns to fit in with her peers but before they will accept her she needs to accept herself and make peace with her past in order to move forward into the future.

I found the whole tale engaging from start to finish and appreciated the original elements Cordova brought to her book which really sets it apart from other fantasies. The action gets going pretty much immediately which allows your attention to be captured from early on yet the story doesn’t lack plot or character development either despite throwing you in at the deep end. The twists that are interspersed throughout are well thought out with some of them really taking me by surprise and there is also an emotional side to it all. A compulsive and fascinating opening instalment has me lusting after the sophomore offering already. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC.

There are some really fascinating elements to this book, but ultimately, I found it hard to connect to the story and the pacing was too slow for me. It tells the story of Renata, a young woman who has lived as a member of the Whispers, a secret band of rebels trying to protect the magical Moria from the King.

The Positives: I thought the magic system here was fantastic and original. The way in which Renata can take memories from other people was very interesting and I liked the fact that there was a cost to using the magic. I also enjoyed the machinations of the courtiers and I really enjoyed Leo as a character.

The Negatives: I found it really hard to get invested in the action because I felt a real disconnect to the main character. I understood her motivations, but I felt that at times, her behaviour was a bit confusing. I also thought that a lot of the peripheral characters behaved in pretty extreme ways that just didn't quite ring true with how the world had been set up. Finally, I found the plot to be pretty slow overall. It took a long time for the action to really get going, and even then, there was still a sense of things unfolding slowly, which was just a bit frustrating for me.

Overall, I think that this was a good book and a really well drawn world, but it didn't grab my attention enough for me to want to continue in the series.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Well, Incendiary was quite the wild ride! I'll admit when I first started reading this novel, I wasn't hooked instantly, honestly I was confused. This novel comes with quite a lengthy synopsis which managed to create all sorts of confusion in my head, so I'd recommend just diving straight into this book rather than trying to figure out the meaning of the blurb. As with most new fantasy novels as the story progressed I learnt more about the world and the magic system and once I was a few chapters in, I couldn't bear to put the book down!

Zoraida Córdova has proven how brilliant her writing skills by writing a novel steeped in secrets! Although I might have figured out a twist or two on my own halfway through the story there were plenty more surprises in store before I reached the last page. I particularly loved reading about the different kinds of magic that some characters possessed, and how the magic was used, our main character Renata's magic is the main focus of majority of the novel.

The author has created a wealth of fascinating characters from a range of kingdoms and empires, I couldn't pick a favourite if I tried! I'm very pleased that my gut instinct about a certain character turned out to be correct, I won't give any spoilers away but this novel is well worth reading for the characters alone. It's a very character driven novel, with Renata steering the plot towards revenge and destruction.

I thought the story was paced very well, it started off relatively slow as we learnt about the characters, the magic and the world we were immersed in and then began to pick up speed until the ending came crashing down within minutes! There was a rather shocking scene in the ninth chapter that I was not expecting in the slightest, my shock showed how quickly I had become invested in the characters. There was a small amount of romance within Incendiary and it was refreshing to read such a rich fantasy novel that didn't fully depend on a love story to reach its potential.

Incendiary will most definitely be a 2020 fantasy novel I'll be recommending to all my friends. I've already added the Zoraida Córdova's other books to my wishlist!

A completely unique and original book, I don’t think I’ve read YA fantasy fiction based on the Spanish Inquisition before, this was enthralling from the first paragraph and I didn’t want to put it down. This is the kind of book you stay up later to read just one more chapter and it turns into five. This book is full of action, magic, emotion and strength. I loved Ren, she is such a well developed, well written character, not flawless, just real and honestly relatable. The world building and magic systems in this are well done, not overly complex and you slip into the world seamlessly. It’s a thrilling and breathtaking read, a work of beautifully written art.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This was such a unique, well-crafted fantasy and I felt utterly immersed in Renata's story. I loved the way that the story was slowly unraveled, showing the build up and allowing us as readers to piece together different plot threads to reveal the bigger picture.

I loved Córdova's evocative, rich style of writing so much.The book feels intoxicating with endlessly beautiful language and creative touches that really bring this intricate world to life. It's lyrical and magical, with gorgeous word choices but without losing focus, as flowery prose can do if used by the wrong hands. It's such a deceptive book, with so many secrets and twists and turns. Every time you think you know where it's going to go, Córdova unleashes yet another excellent twist.

Renata herself cannot remember everything, hiding a lot of her childhood trauma within the Gray, which blocks out her own memories. As she slowly regains these memories, the many layers of the plot shift and change along her own personal development. I really enjoyed this blend of action with character growth and the way that Renata truly was the driving force of the story. Córdova builds up action in subtle moments in the background, but her focus is always on our complex and intriguing heroine, who I am excited to see grow even more in the sequel.

With Renata, Córdova gives voice to those who have ever felt ostracised, as she is perpetually sidelined and mistrusted. She sees herself and many others share her viewpoint as only being a weapon to be utilised, a loose cannon whose fuse is burning up. As she slowly begins to grasp her own identity, which is a precarious journey based on smoke-like memories and images, we utterly relate to her struggles and that idea of not knowing your true self rings so vividly.

Incendiary is a ticking time bomb of a book that hones in on its endlessly interesting protagonist before unveiling a barrage of excellent plot twists and an ending that left me craving more.

I couldn't put Incendiary down! A gripping fantasy with an enviable historic twist, this kept me reading until the very last word

This books was marvelous! It captivated me until the end. The author did a really good job creating a plot full of action and twists.

The main character, Renata, is strong and demonstrate that being powerful doesn't mean to be harmful. Ren fight for what she believes and always show kindness to others. I really liked her and wanted her happiness.

I also fell in love with the worldbuilding. We have a story based on the Spain Inquisition, where the people of Moria are executed by King Fernando of Puerto Leones. The Moria have powers: the Robari can steal memories; the Persuari manipulates emotions; the Illusionari create illusions; and the Ventari read minds.

I highly recommend this book for everyone looking for an addictive story full of plot twists!

Thanks to Netgalley and Hooder & Stoughton for providing me this ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with this book.
"Because I have more stolen memories than ones of my own making. Because I have lived hundreds of stolen lives, and I'm afraid to live my own."
4,5/5
I loved this book ! I was hooked and captivated from page number 1. It was well-written, well-paced and intricate.
I loved Renata, the author did so well in relating her emotions. I felt for her. Her position is so complex. She is strong and strong-willed but she doubts herself from time to time, she is extremely determined and driven.
"I am shadow, I am a drop of ink. Vengeance in the night I"m Robàri"
I loved the others characters as well and I hope I'll discover more about them in the sequel, (Leo <3).
I found the Moria magic system intriguing and interesting but never too complex to understand. The story has a lot of twists and I was never bored.

I can't wait for the next book, the way it ended got me wanting for more !

The first half of the book has slow pacing and the world-building is a bit vague, which is fine, but it really picks up about 49%, I couldn't put it down after that!

This is plot-driven versus character-driven, which is fine for me, but sometimes that can be an issue for someone. Our MC is intricate and you can tell there is so much to her personality but it doesn't surface in this book just yet, we're cracking barriers though and making headway.

This was set up more like a stepping stone to the story, which is why I say it took up to the 49% mark for me to really hit its stride. We're getting a glimpse into the world and I'm so excited to see more of it.

The romance is done nicely and the characters are all intriguing though Leo was definitely my favorite! I did have such a hard time liking the Lynx unit, so, I don't know how I'll feel about any of them later on, but I am curious to see what happens next!

Fun read, great pacing the second half and lovely flowing writing style!

Will this be the book that cures my fantasy slump?

I've been having a really bad fantasy slump lately, and I'm so sad about it, because fantasy used to be my favourite genre. Starting this though, I was drawn in right away. It always helps a lot, I think, when the book starts in the middle of the action, and that's definitely what happens here.

The writing style is absolutely exceptional as well. I thought this was so well written. And the book really took me by surprise a couple of times. There were twists that made me do a double take, and there was a twist that made me cry that I absolutely did not see coming. I just want a sequel now!

CWs: poisoning, burning, suicide, murder, descriptions of wounds and stitches

DNF @ 16%

There was nothing wrong with this book in particular. The prose was excellent and well-written, and I think the world is interesting with a lot of potential. I like the powers and the way that they're used, but I couldn't personally connect with the characters and found it difficult to engage in the story. I fully believe that this book probably has lots of very interesting things to come, and lots of readers will absolutely and rightfully love it, but it wasn't for me.

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for a review copy of this book, it has not affected my honest opinions.

I cannot even put into words how sad I am that I didn't enjoy this book. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and perhaps that's why I didn't end up loving it - my expectations that were just too high.
From the beginning of the story, I had a very hard time connecting to any of the characters - more so our protagonist Renata than the others, but it was just...there was this distance between her and the reader that just left me flailing. I couldn't relate to her at any point.
Secondly, the world building is fantastic, sure. It's a rich world but at points, the writing and world building became so repetitive that I found myself skimming entire paragraphs of descriptions because while the writing was beautiful, I didn't take in any of the information that was in it.
Lastly, the pacing. Maybe this, again, was my fault because I believed this to be a standalone, but the pace was just so slow. There were chapters where nothing happened and when the action actually started showing up, it would end after a few sentences instead of creating tension.

Altogether, this was definitely a "it's me, not you" issue. I can see why so many readers love this book but to me, it just wasn't it.

Where do I begin? Seriously, I was lucky enough to receive a Netgalley eARC and I had no idea what this book was about and funny enough, it made it so much more exciting to read. Though I'm guessing if you're here already, you know its inspired by the Spanish Inquisition and that it follows Renata Convida, who I would do almost anything for.

The story is gripping from the very beginning and theres so much mystery that Zoraida weaves so beautifully, which keeps you wanting more and having almost as many questions as dear Ren. Despite the betrayals, heartbreak, endless tears this book elicited, the real tear jerker was witnessing Ren come into collision with her multiple identities - as a Robari, a Whisper and a girl. She goes through this difficult journey of self-love and her survivors guilt (and guilt over her past) is her biggest enemy. Shes not the type to carry herself with ease and that's okay. She is, however, very courageous and one of the smartest YA characters I've come across in a while. Her brain works wonders, attempting to discover the weapon that can destroy the Whispers.

One of the lines that hurt me was when she says:

“Because I have more stolen memories than ones of my own making. Because I have lived hundreds of stolen lives, and I’m afraid to live my own.”
Who is Renata Convida?

Suffice to say, I'm excited to see where her journey takes her next especially with her new friend ***. This is a series that will live in my heart and I'm so grateful that I got to read about Renata and fall for her.

Welcome to the Kingdom of Puerto Leones, ruled by the ruthless King Fernando. King Fernando has a vendetta against anyone with ‘unnatural magics’ or Moria. He all but exterminates them to bring ‘peace and safety’ to the kingdom.

Renata Convida is a Moria, gifted or cursed with a special type of magic. Renata is a Robari, meaning she has the ability to steal memories from anyone with a touch. She also has the ability to create ‘hollows’ when she takes too many memories and leaves the person with nothing of who they were.

Robari and not trusted because of this ability. The other threads of magic within the Moria include Illusionári (illusion weavers), Persuári (can enhance emotions to get their way, soothe etc) and Ventári (mind reading). Ren isn’t trusted so when she retrieved an Alman stone which is used to record memories which can only be accessed by Robári, she has to have a Ventári verify what she is viewing so they can confirm the truth.

Ren is part of a rebellion movement called the Whispers. They are trying to save any Moria from King Fernando. Ren herself was raised in the palace, used because of her powers and freed when the palace was set alight.

Ren lives her life untrusted and as such she struggles to trust others. All of the memories she has taken, plagues her so she banishes them to a creation in her mind called ‘the grey’. She doesn’t really know who she is which lends itself to the way this book is written. You feel a bit confused, like you’re dropped into the story but this lends itself well.

It mirrors Ren’s life in that you don’t know who to trust yourself. Motives are muddled and just when you think you’ve got things figured out, the rug is pulled from beneath your feet.

I loved this book.

I feel so much for Ren, having a power which is shown by others to be something to fear and having to come to terms with that on her own. She learns to trust, only to have that trust thrown back in her face. It breaks your heart how much she is trying.

The end chapter was quite something! So punchy and I cannot wait for the next instalment. Utterly wonderful, creative and original - a must read!

This is the first book by Córdova that I’ve read but I will definitely be looking into the other books. She has a beautiful way of writing and gives such presence to each character.

The good - the world building was strong, but there was quite a bit of repetition to the core components.

I enjoyed the first fifth of the novel a lot.

The very end was well done and even though I had guessed (I mean there are a lot of hints) most of it I was still happy with the execution.

Will I read book two? I'm not sure. There was a lot of wheel spinning in the middle of this book. A lot of pages where nothing important happened and I'm not sure I felt a deep enough connection to Renata to be moved by her plight during this section.

Maybe it'll age better in my mind and I'll be gung ho for book two in the future. But for now, I'm not sure.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is hands down one of the best books I’ve unread in 2020. Which is pretty amazing seeing as with the quarantine I’ve had nothing to do but read.

I have fallen in love with these characters, and am not sure I can wait for the sequel. It was a fantastic ride that has made me laugh and cry. I did not want this story to end, and can’t wait for the next book.

I highly highly recommend this read!

Renata is a Robari; she has the power to take memories away from people. She is currently with the Whispers, the rebel group of the Moira who are fighting to get their land back. I like how her magic is portrayed. I found it interesting that while she takes memories, she has her own blocked in the ‘Grey’ and I was desperate to find out what she had locked up.

The description of the world was stunning. You are thrown into the story, so you are having to piece together what the current situation is in the novel and the conflict between the royal family and the Moria. I hope we get to see the different Moira magic ( Illusionari, Robari, Ventari and Persuari) explored further in the next book.

The characters are interesting, and their relationships are intertwined and complicated. I was actually really interested in Castian and felt there was more to him than what we saw through Ren’s eyes, I am glad that we began to see more to him and I look forward to the next book which I am sure we delve deeper into his character. I loved how different Ren and Dez were, but they fit together so beautifully, and I was rooting for them from the very beginning. I did want to see more of Esteban, Margo and Sayida, I hope that we see more of them in the next novel and how they are coping with what happened to them during this novel.

Cordova did a great job creating despicable villains. I hated them with a passion. This novel has twists and turns that keeps you wanting to read more, and piece together the puzzle. I look forward to the next instalment of this series, and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book.