Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC of Heart of Night and Fire.
This book was phenomenal. I loved the setting and the world-building. I really felt at home. We got to explore the world with Zarya and learn more about the vast world in which this story is set.
I really can't wait to get more of Zarya and Rabin.

This story was such a delight to read! From the world building to the characters. I really enjoyed my time spent reading this book. I thought the author did a wonderful job of creating an intriguing world of magic, danger and secrets. All of which I couldn’t wait to see revealed.

I thought Zarya was such a strong character, she had her faults but this made her even more realistic. Her life had been very sheltered and to suddenly find herself in very new and dangerous situations made for an engaging read. I also have to say that all the minor characters brought something to the story. My favourite has to be Yasen though. I loved how his character developed and every interaction he had with Zarya made me smile. The found family trope is one of my new favourites and in this book it was a brilliant example of why I like it so much.

The plot moved at a steady pace but it is often tricky in the first book to get everything right. Such as introducing characters, getting to know them and create a detailed story. I thought all in all it was the right balance to keep the reader intrigued. Heart of Night and Fire was a stunning introduction to engaging characters. I loved the magic, the danger and the hint of romance too. Everything was brought to life in such a great way and now I can’t wait for book two!

Heart of night and fire is the first book in The Nightfire Quartet. It is a new adult fantasy romance that follows the perspective of Zarya. I thought that this book was slow going at the beginning while we were getting worldbuilding, history and introduction to quite a few characters. I was fine with having this slow build. It gave time to get to know Zarya, her backstory but especially world development and magic, while not feeling completely info dumped on. There were a couple of weak points in the plot that did not make sense to me, some of magical aspects for instance, but did not take a whole lot away from the story.
The writing was ok, and I did love the descriptions of clothing and the city. Some of the details about the dark creature seemed vague at times and events happening in the city. There were quite a few characters that were introduced, and I had a hard time not getting some of them mixed up, some of them I did not get enough info on, so they faded into the background for me. I was not really feeling the romance that was starting to develop it was a combination of who the love interest is and insta love that was happening, but I Do love the mystery man and I am getting a lot of enemies to lover's vibes coming from him and Zarya, so I am really excited to see where things go. One thing I did find very confusing had to do with the queen, mostly surrounding her magic, protecting the city, husband and how the next queen is picked.
I did like a number of aspects from this story that I do want to continue to find out where it is going but I did have a couple of issues throughout the story, which is why I only gave it a three star.
I received an advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.

This read consists of a few of my favorite tropes:
-Forbidden magic
-Enemies to lovers
-Found Family
-Hidden Secrets
-Love Triangle
-Slow Burn

I'll just said this read exceeded my expectations, the synopsis doesn't justified how good the plot will be. The author perfectly blended some South East Asian elements while curating a unique magic system.

I admire Zarya's character as she's a determined and strong woman despite going through all the hardships. She was bound and trapped in a place by her guardian without knowing why she's being cut off from the outside world. When she saw the opportunity to escape, she grasped the chance and bolt for freedom. The plot dive deeper into discovering  Zarya's power and the truth of why she's hidden from the outside world. 

Can't wait to read the sequel!

This book was the perfect mix of Fantasy and slow burn romance for me.
The world building was great and the plot was set at a fairly fast pace which I didn’t mind.
The magic system in the book was really
Unique and I enjoyed reading and learning out it.
The characters were great and I enjoyed seeing the development of each character throughout the book. The side characters at times had me more invested that the main characters.
Ahh the romance which is a slow burn was actually pretty slow and at times I wanted it to speed up as I felt it did drag after a while.
I enjoyed the authors writing style and found it easy to follow.

Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and the Publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Second Sky for the copy of this book.

With a dedication of "For every brown girl who wanted to be the chosen one too", I wanted to LOVE this book. I DNFed after 40%. I'm not sure if it's just too slow of a start or what, but I just very bored (and sad I'm not loving it!). A South Asian Rapunzel retelling sounds right up my alley, but it just wasn't for me.

Wow!! I really enjoyed this! Such an entertaining fantasy book filled with angst and tension! The slow burn was incredible!! Loved this!

An exciting fantasy romance!

When Zarya escapes the guilded prison she has always lived in, she finally discovers what life has to offer: romance, adventure, friendship... But Rabin, a mysterious, powerful and handsome stranger, haunts her dreams and Zarya can't help but be attracted to him. Can she trust him despite the secrets he keeps? With her new home in danger, Zarya doesn't know what to do: she will either save or destroy everything she loves.

I really enjoyed this book. The world was quite interesting and I liked discovering more about how the magic and the politics worked throughout the story. Even if the first part of the book was sometimes a bit slow and frustrating, the intense and fast-paced ending made up for it. Past some point, I just couldn't stop reading because of how excited I was to see what was coming. The characters are very intriguing and mysterious, which I really liked and Zarya has an interesting development throughout the story. The writing was quite addictive and beautiful, with dynamic dialogues that were swoon-worthy. Some of the twists and turns really surprised me and I'm really excited to see what's next in this series!

I recommend if you like slow burn fantasy romance with secrets and mystery!

"After a lifetime of loneliness, Zarya had suddenly never felt so alone in her life."

TW: violence, blood, assault, abuse, sexual content

a wonderfully written romantasy novel ; following protagonist Zarya as she escapes the house she's been confined in her whole life, and following her as she grapples with the outside world. She travels to one of the largest cities in her country, finding things she never knew existed, friends she never thought she'd make; and learning more about the mysterious earthly sickness threatening her land.

I absolutely Adored this book, and if I hadn't gotten sick I do think I would've finished it in one sitting. It was absolutely incredible, fantastic worldbuilding, immediately lovable yet complex characters and the description was genuinely so rich and detailed i really felt I was there. This book was inspired by various aspects of Indian mythology and I loved it! I've never encountered any of this mythology before so being introduced to it through this book was so fun! I'm definitely going to try and find some more books with these types of monsters and inspirations as I really really enjoyed all the descriptions and different aspects included within it! The ending absolutely gobsmacked me and I cannot wait for the rest in the series! so hoping I get picked for arcs of those as well 🫶

I really enjoyed this book. I particularly loved how the relationship dynamics between the characters changed. Without giving any spoilers, I did see everything coming with this one, which was a shame as I think the intention was there were supposed to be plot twists, but it made it no less enjoyable. Would very much like to read the next installment to see what comes of Zarya and Rabin. Fans of ACOTAR and Fourth Wing would like this book, and I would recommend it.

I received a copy of this ebook for free on NetGalley in return for an honest review.

✨BOOK REVIEW✨

📚 Heart of Night and Fire - Nisha J. Tuli 📚

I have read Nisha’s Artefacts of Ouranos series and it was just so good that I had to pick this one up! Heart of Night and Fire is the first book in The Nightfire Quartet series. It is a seductive, epic romantasy with aspects of Indian and South Asian mythology. It is full of mystery, intrigue, plot twists, and that slow-burn..ooft, it is a killer! Nisha really is the queen of the slow-burn 🙈🥵

I feel like the characters could have been explored a little more, and the world building definitely gets me with fantasy books haha but I know it is all worth it in the end, so that’s just a me thing and I know so many of you will love that aspect of the story 😜

What you can expect:
❤️‍🔥 Slow-burn romance
❤️‍🔥 Indian and South Asian mythology
❤️‍🔥 Strangers to enemies to lovers to enemies 🙈
❤️‍🔥 So much angst and tension!

I did find this one a little slow to get into but once I did, I was hooked and binge read the rest of the book in one sitting. I am so excited to see where the rest of this series takes us! 😍

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you so much to @netgalley @bookouture @secondskybooks and @nishajtwrites for sending me this to review 🙏🏻

#lizzieslittlelibrary #heartofnightandfire #heartofnightandfirebook #nishajtuli #secondsky #bookoutureaudio #netgalley #bookworm #readmorebooks #aussiebookworm #bookreview #booklover #bookstagram #aussiebookstagram #booksofinstagram #booksofinsta #booksofig #bookaholic #igreads #book #books

Fast paced, action, adventure, a fearless female MC, magic, demons and so much more! This world has so much potential and I’m excited to see where the story goes from here.

This is the story of Zarya, a girl who has been held captive her whole life by a man claiming to protect her. When Zarya gets a taste of freedom, she doesn’t want to waste it and jumps at the opportunity to seek some answers about her magic and why she was kept a secret from the world.

I really enjoyed the book and I can’t wait for the rest of the series.
While I enjoy fast paced books, I think that this one was maybe too fast? It needed a lot more world building, explanations and descriptions. Too much was happening in too little pages. I honestly would have loved if the book was twice as long, so we could really immerse ourselves in the story and be more connected to the characters.
It also reads like a YA book at times. Zarya often seemed 15 years old to me.
I know she’s been sheltered, but did she have to be attracted to literally everyone? For that reason I didn’t really care for the romance in this book.

I recommend this book for any fantasy lover that want to discover a new world with a lot of action and cool magic.

𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗘
𝗣𝘂𝗯. 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: September 15, 2023
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Epic Fantasy Romance, Indian Myth referenced

This was a rollercoaster for sure. I haven't read as many Indian myth as I would've liked but safe to say, I was a given a glimpse in a wonderful way thru this book.

This is a story about a girl with untapped powers who took shelter to a city plagued with night horrors. Mysterious allies, like rakshasas and Aazheri sorcerers, enrich the plot with intrigue.The impending darkness forces Zarya to confront a perilous choice: reveal her magic to save Dharati or risk losing everything.

With a compelling mix of mystery, romance, and impending doom keeps readers hooked until the final, fateful decision.

More more more! I LOVED this book, I just want more :) ! Heart of Night and Fire is a stunning entry to the world of Dharati and the Nightfire Quartet series. Cliffhanger ending but the next book will make it all so worth it! The world building is excellent and Nisha Tuli is taking great care to create this story. Romance is a SLOW burn (spice for this book was maybe 1 🌶️ ?) but I feel it in my bones that this series is going to pay off big time. Forecast looks like 100% chance of angsty romance and steam 😍 Fans of Sarah J Maas will love this book. Beautiful world creation, Zarya's story is so compelling and I absolutely adore the cast of characters. Cannot wait to read more!

This is the first book of the new The Nightfire Quartet series and what a great way to start a new series. Magic, passion, dreams and secrets, this book will take you on a journey through a twisty, action packed fantasy about Zarya and her freedom.

The Indian culture shines through in this fantasy and it works well within this story. Starting slowly this story builds with the turn of each page. It has eveything you want from a thrilling fantasy and is entertaining and enjoyable to read. This book has it all. Looking forward to seeing what comes next.

Thank you NetGalley and Second Sky for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I love the inspirations and culture behind this book and it really added an extra layer of depth. A POC main character, south asian mythology, found family, and enemies to lovers. This book had it all and it should be proud of that and much more widely known!
The characters development, from prisoner to personal power was amazing. And the banter and rapport between the characters who become the found family was just. Beautiful. It felt so natural and not pushed or manufactured at all.
This book deserves all the hype it gets and it should have more really. We even had an amazing plot throughout that was so well paced it just flowed!

I absolutely loved the eastern influence on the typical fantasy lore! This was such a refreshing read where Nisha took slow burn to a whole new level (I usually hate slow burn, but now im realising I just havent read a good one).

This honestly felt like a cozy but high stakes romantasy, and I'm not even sure if I've labeled it right, but it was the best book ive read in a while.

Thank you to Netgalley and Second Sky for the ARC of Heart of Night and Fire. A Heart of Night and Fire is a thrilling fantasy (light) romance story filled with tension, action, and surprises. It starts slowly and becomes more intense. Zarya has been trapped in a luxurious prison for years, and her magical powers are a forbidden secret that no one will explain. Now, she's determined to break free and uncover the truth. This was a stunning world inspired by Indian mythology. I enjoyed the novel (to me) setting, creatures and plot. I am very much looking forward to the next book.

Heart of Night and Fire was a fun read, the perfect palate cleanser between the other books I have been reading. It features an all POC cast and is inspired by Indian mythology. I can see how some people might find Zarya to be more of a YA character than adult, but to me her rashness, and what might be seen as childish behaviour, made sense in context. Imagine being forced to live in isolation with no explanation as to why, no knowledge about your past, with only two men for company - one of whom has put a magical barrier in place to stop you from escaping. With only her romance books for company, her naivety and curiosity made sense. While I will say that she frustrated me at times, she also grew on me as not only did she develop but her relationship with the other characters developed.

The world was interesting and featured Rakshasa, who are basically vampire like creatures. I love vampires so that was a nice surprise. In terms of the Indian inspiration, the familiar clothes and food such as Kaju katli, gulab jamun, and aloo paratha was a treat to see in a fantasy setting.

There is a love triangle of sorts. However, by the end of the book her relationship with one of the love interests all but comes to an end and the other one we're teased with. It was obvious from the moment she started having dreams of Rabin that he was being set up to be the true love interest. Zarya doesn't actually met him for real until the towards the end of the book, and I have to say from what little we do see of Rabin I was not a fan of. He came across as a hot headed alpha male.

On the other hand, Zarya's relationship with Yasen was cute. I love a good platonic relationship, and while theirs was great I have to admit they had more chemistry than the actual love interests. It was giving hate to love.

With three more books to follow this was a solid introduction.

I wanted to like this but I really struggled to get into it. The premise was interesting, as was the Indian influence to the story. However, pages would drag on and on with nothing happening to advance the plot and Zarya's origins were hidden from the reader in a way that was just confusing rather than mysterious. There was a lot of showing not telling, and often groups of characters would be introduced all at once and without giving enough explanation for who they were to differentiate between them. Finally, I found expressions very overdone, there was a lot more "character's eyes widened" "character grinned" "character winked" than actual plot happening at some points.