I thought this book was pretty good. My main issue was that it was so stereotypical. Girl finds out about her magical powers, somehow her childhood best friend (who coincidentally got hot in the past few years) is involved, and they have to overthrow a monarchy prejudiced against the protagonist’s powers. However, I did think it was good. There was a lot of character development and a great fantasy world built up throughout the story. I don’t love books that use this same trope over and over, but overall good execution. I wouldn’t buy this book, but I think I would get it from the library and recommend it to a friend or peer.

I would say to read this book if you liked Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo. Hanna Howard’s book to me was a different version of the same story. They have a lot of differences, but I do think that they’re similar enough that fans of one would enjoy the other. This is very much a classic(ish) fantasy tale that I think pleases readers of many types who enjoy the genre

Just finished this tonight and thoroughly enjoyed it. Siria grows up with emotionally distant parents but the gardener and his son provide her with affection and companionship. They live in a world where the sun has been banished by their Queen to protect them from it's burning, evil power. On her 16th birthday, everything changes and Siria discovers even her name is a lie. Can she resolve her new reality with everything she had grown up believing to be true? As the story unfolds, we meet a growing cast of support in whom you become more and more invested. The book ends satisfactorily so if it is a one-off you are not going to be annoyed at questions left unanswered etc but equally the ending does give potential for a second book - and if so, I will definitely be reading it.
#ignitethesun

Any enjoyable fantasy read.
Hopefully there are going to be more books set in this universe, interesting fantasy world that is ready for further exploration.

Pros:
Interesting world & well built.
Decent pacing, plot always pulled me to read on

Cons:
Weak characters & character building
Ending was very sudden, could have done with a longer epilogue.

A pretty decent debut novel, but it's not without its flaws.

All of my concerns have to do with the writing/storytelling. The writing is perhaps a tad too simplistic and the storytelling is a little too convenient for my personal preferences. When ‘opposition’ is present, something random saves the day or the MC passes out, so there really is no tension for the reader to experience. And although the concept and characters are unique, there is no depth or development or any kind of world-building. Which leads to unconnected characters and an underwhelming conclusion.

Overall, there is a lot of room for the author to grow, but it's a good starting point.

I thought the plot line of this book was super unique and different. I decided because of that to give it a try and it did not disappoint! I was never bored reading this book and the characters were very interesting. I will be looking out for more books written by this author.

I very much enjoyed this book, a perfect escapist tale to read during the current lockdown.

The world of Umbraz/Luminor is explained well without too much exposition pulling you away from the main story and the characters.

I found it quite compelling and was eager to finish the story.

Ignite the Sun takes place in a world covered in darkness, where the sun is a myth. This world has mages, nymphs, and fae type creatures. We follow Siria, who is just turning sixteen and is trying to gain the favour of the queen. When she becomes an honoured guest at the Choosing Ball, she discovers not everything is as it seems, and she may be the key to bringing the sun back to the kingdom.

Let’s start with characters, Siria is your typical chosen one. She doesn’t particularly stand out, and she very much does not want to be the chosen one and doesn’t believe she’s capable enough and is a brat about it. The side characters are pretty lacklustre as well and I wish they had been more fleshed out. At times it felt like some characters were introduced solely for the sake of having more characters in the story. The villain of Ignite the Sun really doesn't have too large a roll and could have benefitted from more page time because she seems like more of a way to drive the story forward than like an actual character.

The dialogue also leaves much to be desired. Siria’s interactions with the other characters come across as forced and the banter between her and her love interest, Linden, is lacking in the charms required for me to root for them together. When we meet the two we already know they have crushes on each other and are the best of friends, but I find none of this believable through their interactions. Siria’s also a bit too focused on Linden’s looks and that’s something I never enjoy in regards to romance.

My biggest gripe with this novel is that I thought the writing was lazy. The main character conveniently keeps blacking out during the height of tension, the plot is predictable, there were many info dumpy moments, especially in regards to the backstory of characters, and there are some very convenient magical elements thrown into the story, some in regards to those backstories, that do not make for an engaging narrative. I think Howard has potential as a writer, her style is easy to digest and the story concept is great, but her potential wasn’t fully reached with this debut.

Something else that does not sit quite right with me is that the “chosen-ones” of the story are all red-haired or blond while, and correct me if I’m wrong, the other characters are dark haired. I understand what the author is trying to do here, and that the hair is meant to represent the sun, but the execution could have been better.

This is bloody brilliant. I've always been enjoyed light and darkness at play against each other in fantasy, but to see it literally done has been a treat I've long searched for, and this fit the bill so well!

Well written, unique, inspiring in so many ways, Ignite the Sun is a story I will return to over and over again (and that's pretty rare).

Look forward to more by this author.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters, the magic and the plot were just fantastic. I would have liked a little bit more world building but that is my only negative about this book.

~ I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~

Darkness overwhelms the kingdom of Umbraz that is ruled by an evil witch queen, who despises and fears the light-filled ways of the old. She deems the sun, and those who thrive within it, as evil and seeks to destroy anything that is a threat to her regime – including the last sunchild, a nymph with the ability to harness the powers of the sun.

Generally I enjoyed this story, particularly the mythology as it included some non-typical creatures and some fascinating lore; the most intriguing was that of witches, as their ability to steal powers and twist them into a sinister juxtaposition was undoubtedly horrifying yet exciting. Honestly, I’d love to have had more information on witches and ultimately, I would have liked to have seen more of the villains’ perspective throughout the text, as I believe it would have added more variety and depth that was missing in places. I simply felt that I misunderstood the motives and this addition would have made the character feel less two dimensional.

Often, I found that to be the problem with the majority of the characters – they lacked depth. This meant I didn’t gain a connection with them and therefore didn’t particularly care about their contribution to the story, because it felt like the narrative could have been accomplished even if they were absent.

In terms of the romantic side, it felt forced and uncomfortable, and overall just didn’t sit right with me. It wasn’t a gradual build up or discovery of emotions, Siria appeared to be obsessed with Linden straight away, with no obvious indication that the feelings were mutual, which created this stiff awkwardness. If perhaps this relationship had more development behind it, I would have been more interested in Linden as a character, it would have created more complexity.

Unfortunately the lack of depth of characters strongly influenced my enjoyment and rating; connecting to the figures within a text is exceptionally important and I just didn’t find myself strongly caring about them like I should. However, it was still eventful and exciting, and whilst not everyone grew as individuals, Siria went from being quite an irritating, whiny child, to a powerful and inspirational nymph, which I can say I took great pleasure in witnessing.

This was such an amazing book!!! Siria was just so lost but in a way not really. She had a solid foundation to be great and she certainly lived up to expectations.

Ignite the Sun has lovely, fascinating characters and I really loved their descriptions and how their magic worked. I was captivated by the idea of a Sunchild, a special kind of being, and how the dark Queen was afraid of it.

And while there are many great characters and an amazing idea, I sadly wasn't fully invested in the story. There was action, there was magic, there was character development, but the spark did not fully jump over.
There were bright moments, where the story managed to truly shine, but I also found myself skipping parts because I couldn't make myself care enough.

Overall, I think this book is better suited for younger readers, like middle grade and a few years up.
I still enjoyed it though, and would recommend it for young readers searching for a fantasy adventure and a tale of good vs evil.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book grabbed my attention from the beginning and I was completely drawn into this unique fantasy world. A world where a dangerous witch, Queen Iyzabel, has cast a spell on the kingdom shrouding it in darkness. Our main protagonist, Siria Nightingale, embarks on a perilous journey to bring back the sun. We encounter lots of colourful characters along the way and it’s bursting with magical beings of every conceivable kind. Admittedly, Siria’s character did frustrate me a little at first, with her naivety and constant self-doubting, but she transforms completely in the last few chapters and it’s wonderful to see her gutsy new character emerge.

The pacing is consistent and there is enough happening in every chapter to keep me fully invested in the story. There are some great action-packed scenes as well as some more gentle and tender moments. We learn a lot about the background of the world in the conversations between Siria and Yarrow and there is some great attention detail. The underlying romance in the story is okay, it’s kept very innocent, and although I do love a good romance, I would prefer a bit more sizzling chemistry. There are some beautiful descriptions of the scenery and the kingdom and I love the scene towards the end where Siria was on the cliff top overlooking the sea, that was a magical moment.

All in all a wonderful debut novel. The book is perfect for YA readers, maybe erring more towards younger YA readers. However, as an adult I did in fact thoroughly enjoy reading it too. There is a great cast of characters, wonderful world building and it’s the perfect escapism. I have to also mention the cover looks absolutely beautiful, and I look forward to seeing a physical copy in the shops when it goes on sale in August.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy. I will also be posting a review on my blog and Goodreads in due course.

5/5 stars.

Siria Nightingale longs to be chosen by Queen Iyzabel to be a member of her court.  The queen is loved by all and reigns over a kingdom completely shrouded in a never-ending night.  The sun is deemed evil and any connection the light, as well as the magic of mages, elf, and nymphs, is diminished or placed under the Queen's control.  On the night of the Choosing Ball, Siria discovers exactly why everyone is enamored with the queen and begins a journey against everything she has every been taught or believed.  

After reading the first few chapters of this book, I was completely hooked.  If I had one word to describe this book it would simply be "excellent".  The author did a fantastic job with world building and developing an enticing pace that consistently kept my interest. The character's and their connection to magic was very unique, especially witches and their power. In fact, I would love to hear more about witches and their motivations on why they choose to gain their power - sounds like a great idea for a book from the "bad guys" perspective!

Overall, this was one of the best books I have read so far this year. I could barely put it down and the book has very few lulls in the story line. This is Hanna Howard's debut novel and she as a, forgive the pun, bright future as an author. I look forward to reading her future novels.

While “Ignite the Sun” shares basic commonalities with other YA fantasy-type stories, I appreciated the world-building involved in this novel. The story is set in a world covered by the Darkness, which began after an evil queen conquered the Light fifteen years earlier. Siria, the heroine, must regain her powers and lead a group of rebels in a final showdown against the queen if she wants to save her people. I enjoyed the fast-paced story telling and the non-stop action, however the ”romance” was a little forced and obvious – of course Siria is in love with her childhood friend. The story would’ve been just as engaging without the love interest; there was plenty of action to hold the reader without the added weight of romantic confusion. Overall, I would recommend this book to middle school and early high school readers, especially if they’ve enjoyed similar books that deal with fairies, magic and rebellions, such as The Cruel Prince trilogy and the Throne of Glass series.