3 ⭐️ overall but I’d say the last quarter of the book was worth a bit more.

Zarya’s story intrigued me from the get go, being secluded away with no real understanding of who she is, where she’s from and why she’s there. The author does constantly remind us that she’s 20/21, which I see more as the character needing to reaffirm it to herself. Her thoughts and actions very much feel in line with her given age including the need to prove herself, the thought that she might know better than everyone around her, the need to remind everyone she’s so “grown up” and her impulsive and sometimes insecure behavior. However, on the flip side we see some lovely moments of maturity and self reflection, of acceptance of herself and others and accountability for her past thoughts, feelings and actions.

The relationships and emotions of the characters definitely took on a more “told vs shown” quality to them and I wasn’t passionately attached to anyone throughout the majority of the story to be honest. I absolutely wouldn’t consider this anywhere in the realm of “enemies to lovers” that I’ve seen a couple of other reviews mention. There is a bit of tame romance splashed here or there but wasn’t the main focus even though it did help move the plot and character development forward. The slow burn here is probably some of the slowest smoldering of embers I’ve read recently but you can tell that the burn is coming. When the (predictable but not in a bad way) relationship reveals come into play in the last half of the story it leaves a lot more room to explore those interesting past/present/future dynamics in the next books.

The plot for the first half of the book felt a bit meandering, and I wasn’t quite sure exactly what the overall arc was going to be or where the author was hoping to lead us and leave us. I loved the rich cultural imagery and often found myself researching the food and clothing names I wasn’t familiar with. The world of Rahajhan is exciting and full of a diverse range of magic wielders and countless demonic creatures and I’m excited to see where the adventures and politics take this series in the future. The first half of this book felt more prequel-like than I had originally anticipated but the stakes, the tension and the character’s relationships really came to play for the last quarter of the book. The higher stakes and the revelations at the end will have me coming back for book 2.

I breezed through Heart of Night and Fire, a testament towards how interesting I found the world and characters that Nisha J. Tuli created.

I adored the characters in Heart of Night and Fire. I found Zarya to be very relatable and smart. All of the choices that she made are things that I could see myself doing (if I were maybe braver and more socially adept). Her relationships with Yasen and Vikram were lovely and left me wanting more with every chapter. The spicy chapters were just enough where it didn't feel too rushed, left me vaguely satisfied and yet also wanting more. Perfect for those that enjoy the slow burn and hate insta love but also need a little bit of something. I'm not sure when the next book in the Nightfire Quartet will come out, but I cannot wait to read more about these characters (especially a certain new character ;) ).

I found Heart of Night and Fire to be a breath of fresh air after reading NA fantasy books that were all different shades of the same thing. I loved how Tuli incorporated Indian culture and mythology into every paragraph. I feel like I learned so much while also having a lot of fun.

The only eh thing (and the reason for one missing star) is that the magic system was nothing new. It felt very much like something I have read in at least 5 other fantasy novels within the last 3 years. That being said, the creatures and mythology kind of made up for the lack of originality with the magic system, so I'm not too mad.

I am very much looking forward to the next installment in this series. I recommend to readers who like a bit of spice but also solid and original storytelling with a relatable and enjoyable main character. 4/5 stars.

Thank you Nisha J. Tuli and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Second Sky publishing for sending me an e-ARC for my honest review!

This book held so much promise; hidden magic, far away cities, and demonic monsters? All things I usually love in books. But with “Heart of Night and Fire,” the execution simply wasn’t there. The story starts off well enough: readers follow Zarya, a bitter and resentful girl who’s been locked away her whole life, looking to finally break free from the chains that bind her to her cottage in the woods. When her guardians disappear and she ventures out on her own for the first time, she discovers far more than she expected in secretive strangers and new sights.

For all my misgivings, the story is not without its merits. The plotline hook is wildly compelling, Zarya is easy to empathize with at first. The world-building has a solid foundation in Indian culture and mythos, invoking images of a bright, rich culture full of a wide cast of characters. Honestly, I think fans that liked the Shadow & Bone series but found the white-savior complex and cringey love triangle off putting would very much like this series.

But there were too many things that didn’t work for me that leaves me reluctant to continue the series. The story structure and character development is immensely juvenile; there is no struggle, there is no building of suspense, there is no character growth...there are simply black and white characterizations of “going from point A to point B.” The overly saturated usage of similes and metaphors is grating and heavily overloads the text with useless descriptors. The political structure and magic system of the world is pretty vague and ramshackle, none of it seems very well thought out. The combat scenes have jarring plot holes and injuries that are forgotten within the turn of a page.

Not to mention Zarya, who feels like a fully self actualized and static character with absolutely zero room for growth. Wow, she knows how to fight and can learn everything by reading? Where are her flaws? How can this character grow over the course of FOUR books? Her plot armor is so thick there’s no stakes whenever she’s in danger; why should she feel bad for lying to everyone who’s keeping her safe? Why should she hesitate before leaping headfirst into danger? She’ll never be in any real danger!

For the first book in fantasy series to contain such large plot holes and distinctly flawed characterization, leaves me ample room to place some serious doubts as to the execution of the rest of the books, and I highly doubt I’ll be picking up the sequel.

While I haven't read the other books by Nisha yet, Heart of Night and Fire is the type of book to make me want to go buy an author's entire catalogue!!! Described as an epic fantasy romance with slow burn and enemies to lovers- it did not disappoint. Full of beautiful descriptions of the food, clothings, and beings inspired by Indian culture and mythology, you are immersed in a whole new world! (if you aren't as familiar with Indian culture like I was, get google ready but its worth it)

The main character Zarya has been sheltered (aka trapped) her whole life with no explanation and told to hide her small bit of magic from others. When her father figure/warden/keeper, Row, disappears and she is finally able to escape- there is a whole world of magic, creatures, and conflict she couldn't have imagined.

Followed by her brother-like, pain in the butt, Aarav, they run into two rakshasa (think vampire) Yasen and Vikram who bring them to city of Dharati. There, she learns that the small demon problem she was aware of back home is much worse than she thought. Joining them in the fight to protect the city and its queen, Zarya begins to find friends (or maybe more...) and experience all that she's been missing.

As Zarya attempts to learn more about her magic and her past, she finds herself meeting a mysterious stranger in her dreams, Rabin. Who is Rabin? Can she trust him? Where did Row go and what was he keeping from her? Who are/were her parents? Can she tell anyone about her magic? Will she ever get to experience love like she's read about in books?

other things I loved:
Strong FMC
found family
nicknames :)
magical creatures
who did this to you
perfect amount of spice that I'm sure will get hotter in the rest of the books
not one, but TWO offers of "do you want me to kill him?"
twists and turns for DAYS, I was not expecting the ending at all

Thank you to NetGalley, Second Sky and Nisha J. Tuli for the ARC xo

I'm certainly in my fantasy era at the moment & Heart of Night & Fire was a pacy read full of action & intrigue.

The tale is full of secrets & I felt like I was constantly waiting for them to be revealed or discovered depending on which of the numerous hidden elements the story was covering.

My favourite character was Yasen & I hope there's a lot more of him to come in the next book, but I do worry for him as the sense of threat in the story is so high.
I didn't feel very connected to Zarya, but it didn't detract from the story, I just felt her blasé attitude to Row & her secret keeping didn't make her a very relatable character.
There is a bit of focus given to descriptions of dress & food, which I ended up really enjoying (I don't normally) & the book has a really strong sense of place.

I'll definitely be picking up the next in the series when it comes out.

This book was so unique and I found myself hooked after the first few chapters! After that, I didn’t want to put it down!

Zarya has been trapped for nearly 20 years (most of her life) in a small coastline with her guardian and his apprentice. She is never told what happened to her parents, or even who they were. So she only trains each day with her sword, reads romance novels, and playing with the drop of magic she contains, while dreaming of what life on the outside would be like.
One day her guardian disappears along with the magic keeping her inclosed. Taking advantage of the situation, Zarya packs the essentials and sets out on her own. Not after long she encounters two handsome Rakshasas, a nearly immortal humanoid species known for drinking blood. She saves them.. Or they save her from attacking naga, which plague the swamp land she lives near.
She is taken to the city, what she has always dreamed. But the mystery of her missing guardian still plagues her. All while the city also is under attack by demonic beings.
This Romance Fantasy is another 5 star book by Nisha J. Tuli. She brings to life an intricate world full of magic, demons and politics. The twists and the slow burn romance are really captivating. Don’t sleep on this book!
Thank you Nisha, NetGalley and Second Sky for this eArc!

Good world building but too much focus on terms and aesthetics- lots of descriptions of food
The main characters lacked depth and emotion
Their meeting and initial interaction seemed forced
Zarya’s need for intimacy made it seem like she had a “crush” on almost every male character she meets- thinking others are jealous of her relationship with Vikram; who she JUST met while also being super attracted to Rabin
Zarya is perceived as a strong female lead but needs help constantly and doubts herself/ Row’s decisions to try to keep her safe
The second half is MUCH better than the first with some character development and better action scenes

I heard so many things about Nisha but this was my first book written by her. And this book full of Indian mythology, gorgeous clothing and delicious food was a great start.
While the world that she constructed is gorgeous, I found it a little bit lengthy and at times I just wanted to jump right into action.
I fell in love with the characters and their interactions. I loved that Zarya was a strong character right from the start and she just grew more from there. Yasen was one of my favorite! I loved how close they become and also how they would defend each other. Same thoughts about Aarav, and I’m sure he will be more close to Zarya in book 2. When Rabin came into picture, I was wondering how he will fit in. But Nisha twisted the plot and just ended the book making you feel bad that you got the chance to read the book in advance, meaning you will have to wait more for the next one!
A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC! All thoughts in this review are honest and my own.

This book constantly talks about "almost" 21 year old Zarya and her secret past. This among other things, hints that the book is meant for New Adult readers. However, it reads as very young adult with frequent cringey phrasing and an overly petulant main character. I felt like I was reading fanfiction back in the early 2000's but I didn't know what the source material was. Now, I did give some stars for the world building. There's a solid set up for a lot of great lore ... Aside from the unfortunate use of the word "taint" as a noun (both spreading and being felt). This book could use at least 2 more rounds of edits to remove the repetitive sections and age up the character and storytelling techniques. For example, Zaryas "rage" and saying things were "implied" less than a page after they were outright said. Again, I was interested in reading the story and learning about the world but there's still plenty of work to be done for it to be appropriate for the target audience.

Zarya is imprisoned for over 20 years by two men who swear they are protecting her, but they never tell Zarya what they are protecting her from. Zarya manages to escape and starts building a life for herself in the city of Dharati. The city comes under siege and Zarya joins the fight to protect Dharati and the new life she has built there.

‘Did you just call me your second best friend right to my face?’

Im not even sure where to start with this book, I loved everything about it!. The main characters are all amazing and the friendships Zarya makes within the story are endearing and feel genuine. The worldbuilding is good and detailed enough to be able to really picture the scenes in your head. It’s a slow burn with the main love Interest for Zarya not being introduced until much later on in the book - their relationship doesn’t get chance to develop as much as you hope it would. It just makes you wish book 2 was already available so you can see where that goes though.
There is lots of mystery, a well thought out plot twist and the ending is detailed enough that it doesn’t truly feel like a cliff hanger.


Thank you to Netgalley, Second Sky and Nisha J Tuli for the ARC.

Publication Date - 15th September 2023

Thank you to Net Galley for the advance copy.

I was so excited for this because of the whole desi/south asian vibes and I was ready to dive in but it very quickly became too much.

The first half of the book feels very confusing. Every other page is a description page of what each and every character is wearing and what they're eating. I know Tuli is trying to show all the south asian things ( shalwar, talwar, chana, etc), but it felt like she was doing too much. It didn't feel natural in the story, it felt forced. I've read her Sun Queen Trial books as well and that also has brown characters but she did it better in that book because it didn't feel like it was being forced on you.

Now let's move on to the FMC. Zarya is suppose to be a grown adult (20/21) but I swear she acts like shes 13. That one scene where she just comes out and asks these two men who she JUST met 24 hours ago if they use their teeth or eating or other things. Like WTF 😬 . To me she came off as a confused character who just watches things happen. I didn't like her with Vikram because for some reason to me he came off a lot older, like an uncle. I liked her chemistry with Yesen but that went nowhere and I'm like what was the whole point of that at all. Then comes our MMC who isn't even in this to be of any value

Over all this was a let down

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book. I absolutely loved it. Loved the characters, loved the plot, loved the story. I read this book in two sittings such a great fascinating quick read.

This feels more an instant attraction romance then enemies to lovers, but it’s an exciting tale and also shows the heroine what’s going on in her society

Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for the eARC!

First off I really loved seeing so much Indian culture throughout the entire book. From the food to the clothes! The beginning starts out a bit slow but gets to a better pace halfway through. Some of the scenes felt rushed and I was wishing for some events to take longer. If you prefer a super fast paced read this would be a great book for you!

I also was found the romance lacking. I wished there was more of it and I had a hard time connecting to the enemy to lovers aspect that I normally love to read. I’m hoping the second book will have much more development in that area.

Overall it was a solid 3 star read.

Oooh this one was GOOD! It’s your typical romantasy with a badass FMC who goes through a life altering journey in this book. She lives in a world with magic, creatures, and a blight that might end the world. Throughout her journey, she seeks to find out who she really is, all while making friends for the first time, finding love, and unraveling mysteries. It was enticing and easy to read.
The culture in this book was lush and descriptive. I really appreciated the aspect of this book.
My favorite character is Yasen. He gives the same vibes of Kieran in FBAA! I am also dying to know more about Rabin. He’s giving Rhysand vibes if you know what I mean. If you enjoy romantasy, you will 100% enjoy this book. I would def recommend it to the community.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The second half is way better than the first. Because I was about to give up; the main character was very unlikeable and had actions that made no rational sense for a 20 year old no matter how sheltered.

But the second half picks up, there's some character growth, plot development and answers although the main mystery of what ails this land is still confusing.

Now that it's found its footing, the next installment should price to be good.

3.5 stars⭐️!

Heart of Night and Fire was a super enjoyable read. If you’re a fan of found family and political fantasy then this book is for you! I loved reading about Indian mythology and found Zayra’s journey to be truly empowering.

Thank you NetGalley and Second Sky for this arc in return for an honest review. <3

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a fun and exciting start to what I am sure will be an epic fantasy series. There's so much cool mythology and folklore, dangerous creatures, deep secrets, political scheming, extremely handsome and slightly grumpy immortals, and a fast-paced plot that had me hooked.

I loved Zarya's character - she was determined and headstrong, and even though she had a tendency to be a little naïve at times (understandable considering she was raised in isolation), she was really fun to read about. The supporting cast was pretty vast, which at the beginning had me a bit confused with so many names, fantastical species and magical powers, but I quickly got to know them all very well. I did guess a few plot points, but this is typical of me when reading any fantasy nowadays so it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story - in fact, it gave me some smug moments where I was all "ha, knew it!"

The love interest... well, I won't say too much because I don't want to spoil anything BUT they're extremely swoon-worthy and you're going to fall for them immediately.

I will absolutely be keeping an eye out for the rest of this series, and anything else by the author!

I admit, the cover made me select this book, me love a nice cover, plus the plot seemed interesting. The story grabbed me from the beginning and the world building was beautiful.

4 stars

~ I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own ~