Nisha Tuli is such an amazing story teller! The story was a bit slow for me at first but very quickly became enthralling. I love everything I’ve read from Nisha Tuli and this is no exception!

I need book two ASAP, please! It's really easy book to get into. The premise is intriguing and there is a good mix of action and character development. The ending pushed this up from 4 stars to 5. A ton of excitement in the last 30% and the climax was (chefs kiss emoji). Lot's of great tropes here: chosen one, found family, enemies to friends, sibling rivalry, and I can see the enemies to lovers coming in book 2.

Zarya is just such a good main character. She may be naive because of her upbringing but she is so adaptable and quick on her feet. She is not too angsty/complaining. And she never makes decisions that leave you asking why would you do that. I loved that she held the men in her life accountable while also being understanding of their own difficult choices (i.e. I loved when she punched Row!).

The elements of Indian and South Asian lore and culture were really excellent. I loved how unique the world was.

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for providing an eARC of this book.

I really wanted to love this one but sadly I think it just didn’t deliver for me. There are some interesting ideas here, that’s for sure, but I found that the time it took to execute them let it down. The slower pace of the book/plot in the whole made it more difficult for me to stay engaged and interested in the story. While this particular book wasn’t for me, I would still read more from this author.

Zarya has been kept in hiding from her father figure, Row. She wants to get out and explore and experience the world but his magic keeps her trapped. He, along with his apprentice Aarav, train Zarya in the art of fighting in order to keep herself protected. She has not been trained in any magic and therefore feels she has no great gift. Then one day Row is gone and so is his magical bond keeping her there in her prison. She runs away and quickly learns that the world definitely the dangerous place that Row was trying to keep her from. After being taking to the palace city, she falls in love with it and soon wants to join the fight to protect it. During one of the biggest fights for survival, her magic reveals itself, and not only amazes and confuses her but everyone in the powerful magical circle she has become part of. Will her magic bring forth the end of times as they know it or will it be their saving grace?

Wow! 4.5 stars! And the only reason it is not a 5 star is because there are places where it really slows down and sees to drag a bit and then the last few chapters are complete heart-pounders with so much action packed in! In the synopsis for this book, it mentions enemies to lovers - well it didn't really get that vibe as much as with other books. Zarya definitely had real chemistry with several characters but then the reader learns that there will be nothing with those for multiple reasons. But you root for them. Definitely enemies to friends though and it's great to watch those friendships and that loyalty develop as the story goes on. There is so much going on in this book, I couldn't include it all. Demon fighting, family secrets, missing parents, royalty and thirst for power. Definite cliff hanger ending and wish I could go ahead and put the next on my list, but I couldn't find any upcoming dates for its release (maybe it's too soon).

I am fairly new to the fantasy genre, but I would suspect anyone that is a Sarah J Maas or Jennifer Armentrout fan would enjoy this book. Also, in the author's note, she states this is inspired by Indian and South Asian lore and culture, so would definitely recommend to anyone that enjoys books based on lore/mythology.

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky Books for this digital ARC in return for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advance copy to read.

Description
A city of magic. A passion born in dreams. A secret that will set their world aflame.

Packed with enemies-to-lovers tension, heart-pounding action and devastating twists, The Nightfire Quartet is an epic fantasy romance that begins with a slow burn and builds in intensity. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout and Carissa Broadbent.

This was a truly epic adventure and a great start to the series. I adored the main character Zayra. She was brave, funny, kind and brilliant. After living in a cottage with magic to prevent her leaving she finally manages to escape.

The story is that of found family, forbidden lust and hidden secrets.

If you enjoy Sarah J Maas this will not disappoint.

The world building is depicted in such a brilliant way, with great depth and action. The characters are all perfectly developed, allowing more to come out in future books.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and am now desperate to read the next installment.

4.5 stars.

I really enjoyed this first instalment in the nightfire quartet. There were so many different stories coming together and secrets that I was kept intrigued the whole way through. Nisha has really set the scene for what I believe is gonna be an amazing series.



I’m ashamed to say this is my first time reading Nisha’s work but rule of the aurora king is on my tbr. This is a slow burn, strangers to enemies to lovers, magic filled story full of secrets and if you liked fourth wing and the serpent and the wings of night, then you need to read this.

Heart of Night and Fire follows the story of Zarya and her adventures in breaking free from the cage she has been trapped in. As she is leaving, she crosses paths with two rakshasas who take her to the city of Dharati, where her life really begins!
This was my first Nisha J. Tuli book, and it did not disappoint! This was also my first fantasy book about South Asian mythology, which was such a cool aspect. The beginning was a little bit slow and took me a second to get into, but about half way through I was really hooked (I'm also a "mood reader," so I had to take a break until I was ready to really dive into a fantasy book). The last 5 chapters of the book make the whole book worth it on their own. There were so many plot twists that I didn't expect.
The romance aspect of the book is not very prominent and there's very little spice. While the romance might have been a small part, the friendships were not. The found family trope in this book works so well!
I do wish that I would've annotated/taken notes on the book while I was reading it. I would definitely advise future readers to take notes on some of the terms used in the beginning of the book because I found myself getting names and character species confused.
Overall, I think this is a great set-up for the rest of the series and I'm looking forward to reading the other books! I can't wait to read about the rest of Zarya's story. I'm very grateful to have been able to read this ARC!

Heart of Night and Fire is the first book in the Nightfire Quartet series. I absolutely loved reading this book. It's such a unique fantasy slow burn romance filled with an epic adventure. Nisha's fantastic writing infused with rich detail brought the characters and this mythical world to life. Zarya, the FMC is a lowly human trying to find herself and discovering the outside world after breaking free from her magical cage. I absolutely loved that she is a strong FMC (personality and a warrior). I can't wait to read the next book in the series. I highly recommend this book.

This story follows Zarya, a girl who has been living with a “parental figure” who, for her safety, keeps her hidden and confined from the outside world via a magical barrier, for most of her life. This parental figure also has an apprentice who knows about her but, unlike her, he is allowed to leave the cottage. While she is secluded, the rest of the country is dealing with a blight, which causes destruction from various demon-like creatures. One day, Zarya wakes up to find the magical barrier down and her captor mysteriously gone. She then takes it upon herself to run away to the nearest city where she experiences found family, learns more about her mysterious past, and experiences weird dream-like “visions” that contain a mysterious and handsome man. The book then takes off from there as the city is dealing with the blight and Zarya is trying to figure out her past, as well as where her captor disappeared to.

I really loved the world-building and the magic system in this book, especially as we are learning about it through Zarya as she is experiencing it for the first time. She is a badass main character who has no problem wielding a sword and holding her own against trained soldiers. One thing I wish we had (and my hope is that it is included in the final version) was a glossary or something listing the different types of magic wielders. It was easy to forget who did what and what type of creature used what type of magic. A guide would have been helpful to return to as I was learning about the world and all of the different magic users.

The relationships in this book were clearly thought out and each relationship had it’s own unique depth or “flavor” to it. We saw as characters were able to logically think through conflict rather than letting misunderstandings get in the way. My favorite relationship was Zarya and Yesen (I mean, the banter was adorable plus Yesen had the whole “really scary but secretly a teddy bear” vibe going for him). I also appreciated how Zarya was able to empathize with characters who wronged her or kept secrets from her. While she experienced the initial hurt, she was able to empathize and experience the nuance of the other without being controlled solely by her emotions.

The ending leaves me impatiently needing book 2 and soon! Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting fantasy book with a romance subplot!

I really liked this story and I’m giving it a solid 4 star review. The premise is really interesting and although the pacing is a bit slow at the beginning, it picks up in the middle and you get engrossed in the story. I loved the FMC, she’s strong and I enjoyed watching her growth and budding relationships with other characters (the found family trope is very well done!).

The romance is definitely a slow-burn so not a lot happens in that department but that is my favourite type so I can’t wait to see it explored in the sequel!

A really great read for all fans of fantasy.

Heart of Night and Fire is inspired by Indian and South Asian culture, this creates a beautiful backdrop to a fun romantasy adventure. The plot is great and packed full of family secrets, training, trials, creatures of darkness, vampires, magic welding, romance and royal family ties.
There are two things that stood out the most for me. Firstly the found family vibes in this book are heartwarming and better than the romance! The second has to be the vivid food descriptions, my mouth was watering at points and I loved it!
The romance is good as well, the FMC is naive and loves to read romance so her approach to love is rose-tinted. I think book two is going to be so much fun, enemies to lovers incoming! This is my first book by Nisha J. Tuli and it is certainly not going to be my last! Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

thank you to netgalley and second sky for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

the world was imaginative and i could find myself immediately captivated. i loved the indian lore and mythology. it was just impossible to look away from the well-paced plot, unique setting, and fantastic characterization. the chemistry between the characters are palpable, and their banter is often humorous and enjoyable. the twist had me clutching at my pearls for dear life. definitely can’t wait for The Nightfire Quartet #2

What a book. The last 15% of it was a WHIRLWIND. There was a plot twist that I was not expecting (which, looking back, it could have possibly been expected but it definitely wasn’t for me), and I screamed when it happened.

This is my first Indian mythology-inspired book AND my first Nisha J. Tuli book. It was so interesting to become immersed in an unfamiliar culture (to me) in the realm of fantasy, and I loved every second of it. The world-building was confusing at first, but honestly I normally expect that with fantasy books so it’s not a huge deal for me….. but it could be overwhelming at times. The first half of the book was a bit slow, but that ending definitely made up for it.

Even though some things were resolved, that ending left a LOT of unanswered questions. I understand this first book was more of the setup/world-building portion to the rest of the series, BUT I literally need the second book now and I can’t wait to see Zarya’s growth. And I NEED more Rabin content!!!

And finally - thank you so much to NetGalley and Second Sky for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Nisha J. Tuli has had books on my TBR for most of this year, so I was extremely excited when I was approved for an Advanced Readers Copy by Net Galley and Second Sky. This book promised to deliver on some of my favourite tropes, all in a gorgeous universe based on Indian and South Asian lore and culture, and it well and truly did.

Heart of Night and Fire was a fantastic fantasy romance. There was so much to love and it was compulsively readable. The setting for the book was beautifully detailed, and I felt like Tuli painted a stunning picture of a landscape that felt Indian/South Asian, but with magical twists that illuminated a thriving and complicated society full of magic wielders, politics, and varying degrees of duty and oppression. The world-building felt seamless and uncomplicated while still forming a richly detailed foundation.

I loved the female main character Zayra right from the start. She initially comes across as all fire and fury, a little stunted emotionally from her two decades imprisoned, but I found she quickly grew once she escaped the seaside cottage and had to interact with other people. Seeing her process her captivity, particularly in the more vulnerable ways that she does later in the book, adds so much depth to her beyond the rage. Towards the end, she’s compassionate and kind and she leads her actions through empathy. It’s a satisfying arc to see unfold.

The plot in this book was also perfectly paced. There’s a fair bit of build and development, but there’s a significant amount of tension and action from the beginning all the way through to the final pages that keep you hooked and turning pages. Everything moves at a medium to fast cadence and things are unfolding frequently enough that I was consistently wondering where Tuli would take things next and what was in store for my favourite characters.

I think this is such a promising start to a fantasy series. I’m extremely invested in the characters and the world, and there are so many places that Tuli can go based on the varying levels of complexity that she integrated alongside the main plot. If you’re a fan of fantasy and fantasy romances, like an extremely slow-burn romance, want to see a unique elemental magic system, and think a beautifully defined Indian/South Asian style setting sounds appealing, pick this book up immediately. An easy 4.5 stars for me.

Compelling world, unique characters, and a cool spin on magic Nisha J. Tuli creates a world of wonder! From the first chapter you are captivated in a world where you want to keep reading! Although a slow burn on romance, the action and story keeping will ensure there are no slow chapters. At moments the characters emotions and scenes could have been dove deeper into and additional details described, but Tuli still provides a glimpse into the inner workings of the characters and locations. Cannot wait to continue in this magical world!

Editing a SECOND TIME BECAUSE I AM STILL THINKING ABOUT THIS. The book gets five stars now. I need the second one.

EDITING TO ADD: "Don't be charming- I almost died." Is now one of my favorite book quotes of all time. I ugly laughed.

"But freedom beckoned. Zarya tasted it in the air, sweeter than the ripest fruit. More tempting that the rarest treasure. And right now, nothing else mattered."

Overall this read was a solid 3.75 star slow burn fantasy with a clearly constructed world. The plot moves quickly from the very beginning and is propelled forward by magic and action, steeped in Indian folklore and mythology, and a coming-of-age sense of finding one's self for Zarya and her friends.

First and foremost, anyone who loves Sarah J Maas should grab this book. The action sequences were well written and followed that "whirlwind in the last 75 pages" construction that high fantasy readers know and love.
While many parts of the "twists" were predictable (and my annotated guesses throughout had me chuckling when I went back to review them) some managed to catch me off guard. Others still haven't been resolved, providing further proof that this book was simply the setup for what I can only hope will be a spectacular new fantasy world. The relationship that developed between Yasen and Zarya was my absolute favorite and I genuinely adore their friendship and banter. I hope the next installment makes good on all the groundwork laid in this book because so many of the characters grew on me in those last few pages.

The found family trope doesn't truly solidify for me until that last part of the story either, but it leaves me SO excited for the second book. And listen: I don't want to spoil anything, but I have to say HOW DARE YOU leave me on that cliffhanger?! I need the second book in this series immediately for that reason alone. I hope that the next book reveals more about Row as well and helps to redeem him because I was so rooting for him to make a better comeback. Tuli is wonderful at writing in that morally grey realm with ambiguity and intrigue so I'm excited to see what else she has in store for Zarya and her little band of heroes. Also, Rabin? I NEED MORE, NISHA.

At times this book lacked a bit of the nuance that builds suspense for readers to cling to until the big reveal because the symbolism and foreshadowing were a bit blatant for my tastes, but I can only hope that it was to prepare us for what's to come. It certainly wouldn't be the first time I fell more in love with a romantacy the farther I got into the series. In the future installments I would just love to see the development of the characters' personalities more and let the scenes develop and unfold over a longer stretch of time. This is one of the few books I've read craving more pages rather than feeling like it should have been edited down.

I was provided a free advanced copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Wow, what a start to a fantasy series! Inspired by Indian mythology, Heart of Night and Fire gripped me from the start, wanting to know more about our FMC, Zarya, and why she has been locked away for all of her life.

'Sometimes our destiny is not what we would have chosen. We can either seek to change it or learn to live with it'.

𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀
Zarya hasn't known a normal life, since she was little, she has been hidden away and unable to leave her home. Being constantly under supervision by Row and his apprentice, Aarav, she feels like she's in a cage.

'Rage and loneliness were her only loyal friends. The only constants she could remember'.

But one day, that changes - Row doesn't return home and the magic boundary surrounding the house is gone. Not wasting a moment, Zarya does what she has always wished to - leave this cage and fly free.

From here, Zarya starts to learn more about herself, meet new people - something she hasn't been able to before - and perhaps have a chance of romance. But there's someone who lurks in her dreams, a mysterious man who awakens her hidden powers.

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
I flew through this, what a start to the series. I loved The Trial of the Sun Queen series by Nisha, so had high hopes for this - it did not disappoint!

I loved the found family trope we see, it was so heartwarming to see Zarya meet new people who she becomes close with after being sheltered her whole life.

There also seems to be a hint of enemies to lovers on the horizon, but will have to wait for the next book for that! The intrigue between Zarya and the mysterious man had me hooked, but also her relationship with another character in the book..

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky books for this copy. This review is voluntary

What can I tell you about this book? It surprised me a lot, I didn't think I was going to get so hooked and now I confess that I need the second book. RIGHT NOW.

Here we move to a totally different world, the way the world was presented to us, the magic system and everything that happens in the story in relation to fantasy is incredibly light and well explained. I never felt bored or that the information made the reading dense.

There were some situations that seemed predictable to me (but this does not mean that it is bad), the romance that we see in this book did not convince me much and that is why I cannot give it 5 stars completely. But it's a solid 4.5. Believe me.

The beginning is slow, and little by little one becomes intrigued about what is going to happen and why our protagonist had to live locked up all her life. I feel that the next book is going to have a lot of interesting things and that it could far surpass the first one. I have a lot of faith in Nisha and the story.

I hope it can be published in Spanish, I see a lot of potential in it.

Thanks Second Sky for the ARC I read on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. -the review will also be published on Instagram (magui.world)-

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with this ARC.

This is my first book that I've read by Nisha and i am utterly obsessed with her incredible writing.

Whilst i found some of the language and words a learning curve i was fully invested in the story. I'd say i did get a little confused personally at times with the many different 'demons' and creatures but as the story went on It did become clearer!

The first half i'd say i did find a little slow and quite big on the world building, HOWEVER... the second half sped up the pace and i could not put it down. Learning about all the different characters and guessing what was really being hidden from Zarya. Seeing the character developments and the friendships made my heart happy.

I'd say my favourite character has to be Yasen! I love the grumpy-ness and his big heart

THE ENDING... what?! I need the next book nowww!! I need to know what happens next!

tropes;
- strangers to enemies to lovers to friends?
- forced proximity
- hidden magic
- grumpy sunshine friendship <3
- slow burn

ARC review of Heart of Night and Fire by Nisha J. Tuli (Book 1 in the Nightfire Quartet) -

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars 
🌶️🌶️/5 spice 

First of all, let me state that this was my first encounter with Nisha J. Tuli's books, and I had a great time delving into the universe and characters that she has developed for her upcoming book. Furthermore, I was so intrigued by the blurb and cover of the book that I quickly requested an ARC, as I wanted to dive myself into her magical setting.

The fact that Nisha included and portrayed Indian mythology and culture throughout the course of the narrative further drew me in and kept me reading her book. Through her work, readers like myself were able to learn new vocabulary rooted in Indian mythology and culture while also engaging with a new culture. In addition, the world building and character development can be seen as the story starts to increase its pace slowly, though you get to see glimpses of the characters changes throughout chapters.

Additionally, the story starts off really intriguingly in the first couple of sentences of Chapter 1. Though, personally, I had to re-read chapter 1 to get the lay of the story that Nisha wanted to put forward to me as a reader. Moreover, after that re-read of Chapter 1, I started to feel part of the story, and from there on, it got really interesting. However, one thing that I would like to point out is that Nisha's language is easy to get into and follow while one is reading.

Zarya, the story's main protagonist, was one of my favourite characters in book 1. Zarya and I share several traits in common, such as our willingness to put others' needs ahead of our own. That reveals a lot about Zarya's personality and how slowly she began to change from the time we first met her until the conclusion of Book 1. Yasen was yet another character I enjoyed but had a love-hate connection with. But in the end, he was also changing as the plot progressed, as were his interactions with other characters.

In the first book of the Nightfire Quartet, Nisha J. Tuli did give us a little spice between Zarya and another character along the road. Though I'm anticipating more to come in book 2, as with how the ending of book 1 concluded in the final few pages of Heart of Night and Fire.

As a now fan of Nisha J. Tuli's work, I'm excited and looking forward to reading book 2 since it will continue where book 1 left off, but I'm sure she will drop more plot twists. I'm sure that this will continue Zarya's journey in Daaragab with the other characters she met in book 1, as well. Thank you to Second Sky Books, Nisha J. Tuli, and Netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review of Heart of Night and Fire by Nisha J. Tuli can be found on my Goodreads profile and bookstagram account (summie_bookstagram).