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 ~

Thank you to net galley and Second Sky for this opportunity to read rate and review this arc which will be available sept 15,2023!

Oh how I dug the story! Let me count the ways

1.) slow burn
2.) intense plot
3.) magic and monsters
4.) enemies to lovers trope

Check, check, check and check. Also Indian mythology? Yes please and thank you

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

This book! I am officially a fan of Nisha j. Tuli and The Nightfire Series. After reading the ACOTAR series followed by The Fourth Wing, I was in a rut! I needed fantasy, suspense, a heroine who kicked ass, and some romantic tension. I tired a few of the TikTok recommendations and none really filled that gap. Enter Heart of Night and Fire! This is exactly what I needed to fill the void! This entire series is going to be a wild ride. Zarya is the heroine I needed. She's fierce and smart and I'm eagerly awaiting to see where her journey goes. I would absolutely recommend this series to anyone who loves world building and descriptive story telling without the slow burn. This book gets right to the story and I'm here for it!

Thank you Netgalley, Second Sky, and Nisha J. Tuli for an arc of 'Heart of Night and Fire' in exchange for an honest review.

Things I did enjoy: Indian mythology, the descriptions of food and clothing, and the overall atmosphere was reminiscent of one of my favourite duologies 'We Hunt the Flame'.

Unfortunately I DNF'd this book at 31%. I was quite excited for this one knowing it's rich with Indian mythology but that was all that had me trying to push through. I can't justify giving this book a 1 star because I didn't get far enough in to personally determine if it's worthy of that rating, so I'm giving it a bump up to 2 stars.

This book is labelled at adult/new adult but it struggled to break free of a YA narrative/voice. I know many people enjoy these types of books - if you enjoyed the writing style in Fourth Wing you might enjoy this book - but it's just not for me. I'm not looking for YA when I pick up an adult novel. I've seen some reviews state that the narrative does improve but that's not enough for me to try and continue.

The main character Zarya is understandably angry at her situation in the beginning, she has spent her entire life trapped within a magic barrier, but it consumes her entire character to the point where it was just boring and tiring to read about... I didn't get far enough into the book to speak on any romance, but the other relationships and meetings within this book felt forced. They were just all conveniently there. The only character I was truly interested in disappears in the beginning of the book.

The foreshadowing in this book is also pretty heavy handed, I don't know that I need to finish it to understand where everything is going.

I loved this Indian inspired fantasy. Zarya has been kept a prisoner her whole life, and when her guardian mysteriously disappears, she takes her chance at freedom. In a city plagued by a growing blight of demons, Zarya finds friendship and more as she helps defend the city. But why was she kept hidden all this time, and why was she told to keep her magic a secret? I loved the ending and can’t wait to read more.


This was such a fun read for me. Zarya is a down to earth character who is craving love, friendship, family, and most importantly answers. I love the friendships she makes and definitely can’t wait to read more about Rabin! Plenty of action means the story is quite fast paced and entertaining. My only criticism is that the world building and magic system wasn’t as fully explained as I would like, but I’m sure there will be more on this in future books.


You will like this book is you’re a fan of:
- [ ] Found family
- [ ] Elemental magic
- [ ] Hidden secrets
- [ ] Indian inspired mythology

5 🌟 I was HOOOOOKED by the first chapter! The plot twists, the representation, the magic and world building, the history, the banter!!! It was all phenomenally done, I'm a forever fan now and I'll be buying all your books

Oh my goodness, I had high hopes going into this book because I LOVED Trial of the Sun Queen and Rule of the Aurora King and I was not disappointed!!!

First of all, I’d like to thank NetGalley and Second Sky for the ARC!

This book was so much fun to read. I was absolutely enthralled by all the Indian and South Asian inspired lore and culture. I loved it! From the clothing to the food to the buildings and cities, it painted a beautiful and colorful picture of the world they live in. The world building was so well done, and I could easily see it all unfolding in my mind. There were so many unique elements to the story and setting, and I really enjoyed that!

The characters were all so well written. Zarya, the FMC is so likable. She’s witty, curious, smart, so thoughtful and mature for someone who grew up in isolation, and just an all around baddie. She was raised in the swamps, far from society by a man who kept her bound to their cottage and the surrounding area. He taught her to fight and defend herself, but never taught her about her past or why she was never allowed to leave.

One day, the man mysteriously disappears and Zarya finds that the magical wards that have kept her trapped have vanished and she sets off on an epic adventure in search of the life she’s always dreamed of and answers about who she really is. Along the way she meets 2 men, Yasen and Vikram, who will turn her world upside down and help her along her journey of discovering things about love, friendship, her past, her abilities and who she really is.

I loved Zarya’s journey, and the found family aspect of this story. Each character was so interesting and I loved their own individual journeys as well. There are handsome warriors, magical beings in political power, a powerful tree queen, a growing blight that is attacking their world, and twists and turns and challenges around everyone corner and it easily kept me on my toes. You’ll find family secrets, hidden powers, unknown identities and a dark and mysterious MMC that get introduced at the end that I NEED to learn more about! After that ending, I’m hoping book two will be coming in the near future because I’m dying to see what happens next!

Rating: ☆☆☆

Firstly, I need to appreciate the Indian cultural representation in this entire book. From the costumes to the food, every detail was phenomenal and relatable as an Indian myself. I could vividly imagine the splash of colours, the aroma of food, sparkling fashion and the hierarchical architecture. This felt like a story in MY universe with the dedication hitting right at home.

|| "For every brown girl who wanted to be the chosen one too." ||

•~•~•~•~• Plot •~•~•~•~•
This book revolves around a girl, who has been isolated her entire life, escaping into the world only to find that her existence beholds so much more than she can understand. Hidden away behind secrets, Zarya is on a mission to find her identity and the truth which her guardian had taken so many years to suppress. She is also in a land that fights against magic so dark and violent, whose key to safety might also lay in her hands. The book leads us into the journey of Zarya.
•~•~•~•~• ◇◇◇ •~•~•~•~•

This book had so much potential but the writing was a bit let down for me in terms of how the events were threaded through. I felt the author took me to a cliff as so many scenes had great intensity but then pushed me right down when the scene ends. The events seemed too predictable and basic. It was a book where you can suspect an event miles away making it devoid of the surprise element in most cases. However, the ending was really good with intense fight scenes, magic, dragon and plot reveals (yep, the only place where I was actually surprised).

I was also expecting a slow-burn romance here and ended up with nothing. The initial romance subplot which confused me so much (until ahem ahem turned out to be ahem ahem) had me rolling my eyes, to be honest. Where was the angst? Where was the enemies-to-lovers plot here? I barely saw the MMC and I wanted more of their scenes. I can see how it's gonna turn out to be, so I am waiting for it because I am sure all this angst is gonna be packed up in book 2 and Nisha, I am craving for it pleaseeee😭❤

I am so much hopeful for the second book and mainly on the romance subplot too, because all that I missed out on this, need to be there! (*underlining the word 'need' here). The fact that this book actually has so much story but it did not hit the right notes because of a basic flow, is pretty sad for me. However, I am looking forward to Zarya's story hoping at least the next one has more depth.

I thank Netgally, Second Sky and Nisha J Tuli for the eARC.

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

OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was so delicious and addictive that I have no words except OMFG!!!

Zarya has become one of my most beloved and favorite characters ever. She's so real and relatable. She has been yearning for connection, love, and real family bonds her entire life, and she doesn't see it as a weakness. She's incredible, for a lack of a better word. Fearless and determined to forge her own path. Her comebacks and attitude are so delightful. She has sass but not too much to be overbearing or feeling like the author is trying too much. Zarya is so full of life and emotions. In this book, she literally feels everything.

Yasen, dear goodness, I'll go anywhere for you and with you. I'll protect you with my life. Zarya said at one point that his laugh is precious, and I couldn't agree more. He's grown up in such a hard way, with only Vikram to hold onto. He may be everyone's favorite trainer but he's so lonely at the end of the day, forced to wear an armor of aloofness and distance. His friendship with Zarya was absolutely beautiful, from start to finish. So pure and beguiling. Also, don't leave these two together at a bar 😂 Or rather, please do. We can all ogle tall, dark, and handsome men 😂

Vikram...I didn't like what he did *not saying more because this is spoiler-free* so I have a hard time to say something positive. I do understand him and I do feel for him, and I'm sure I'll pity him even more in the second and other books in the series, but damn, his action didn't sit with me. It's good that Zarya is thick-skinned.

The world-building was mesmerizing. The author did an amazing job at describing things without explaining them, especially not in long, dense paragraphs. I loved the Indian influences.

All in all, the author did everything right and deliciously! The romance scenes were delightful, and the chemistry between characters felt true and sizzling *friendships, romance, and rivalry relationships*. I really have to commend the author for that. Every relationship, every scene between characters felt so true and natural as if everyone was a real person. The magic was amazing!!!! It's original and authentic and very smart! The plot didn't let you breathe, and the writing was beautiful without being dense! Tight pacing, no plot holes, excellent character arcs!

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!! SO ADDICTIVE! I LITERALLY DON'T KNOW HOW I'LL SURVIVE THE WAIT FOR BOOK 2 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Nisha J. Tuli is a phenomenal writer, and I want to devour her other books like I devoured this one. I couldn't put it down and now I fear for my sanity.... Book two, please come now 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Tuli has created a vibrant world filled with magic, mythology and wonder, taking inspiration from India and South Asia. You can feel the heat and humidity, and smell the food and spices wafting in the air.

However, as successful as Tuli’s world building is, I felt it might have been at the expense of her character development. She gives a lot of attention to aesthetics, but there was unfortunately, I felt, a lack of depth to their personalities, which came across as a little too two dimensional.

The main character is initially portrayed as a strong female lead, however throughout the book she continually needs saving by strapping handsome men. After reading many other fantasy books with genuinely strong female leads, it was disappointing to see one that relied so heavily on her male counterparts.

That said, it is by no means a bad book. Tuli writes action and adventure that draws you in and keeps you guessing. It’s fast paced and easy to read. I think this would suit anyone looking for something in between Young Adult and Adult Fantasy. It feels like a nice crossover.

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So grateful to Netgalley for sending me this arc.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and can’t wait for the next book to come out. It was my first time reading Nisha’s books and I will definitely be reading more. The ending was so so good!

Thanks for Netgalley and Second Sky for providing me with the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5
An enjoyable read! Loved the MFC. I liked how Indian culture was used in this story. I liked that I learned about the culture while I read. The world building was so good. The slow burn romance was good as well but I felt the chemistry between the two could have been better. I would be willing to read the next book.

Zarya is 20 years old and is being guarded on the southern coastline of Rahajhan. The cottage on the beach is her own personal prison. Her guardian, Row, set a magical border to keep her in and the demons out. Waking one morning, she finds Row missing and the boundaries of her confinement gone. She is free. But who can she trust? Where can she go? She has so many questions and no one to answer them.

This is the first book in the Night Fire Quartet and I think Tuli did a great job capturing my interest! The world building was great and I’m new to fantasy so I felt like I had to reread some things to make sure I was getting it right. Tuli has a way with words and her descriptions of the world make you feel like you are right there with the characters.

I did feel like it took a bit to get the love interest introduced in the book but I think it’s definitely setting up for the next book. It does end on a slight cliffhanger and I can’t wait to see what the characters do in the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and Second Sky for an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.