Zarya is a great strong heroine! When we meet her she is being imprisoned in a home with her "appointed guardian". One day she makes her escape to find out who she is, where she came from,and who her parents are. Loved the adventure and discovery of these things for Zarya, of course we don't find them all out, but now we have to wait for book 2! Thank you to Netgalley for the book to listen to!

2.5 / 5 Stars. If I'm being honest, I had trouble finishing this one. For some reason, I didn't feel like I could connect with the characters or the world. This book had all the right aspects: a unique new fantasy world and magic system, some romance, a strong FMC, but it didn't work for me. It felt like a young adult read, and then there would be a random scene that was very not young adult or a very young scene with a f*** thrown in and it really threw me off. Also, I think it just took way too long for us to really get the whole story. Combine that with a queen who is a tree...it just sadly wasn't for me. My last comment is that I listened to this book as an audiobook. I was excited that the book pulled from the Indian culture. I wish the audiobook was read in an accent. I felt like the exotic setting of the book coupled with the narrators mid-west accent really threw me off as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.


DNF @37%


I (almost) always finish books that I have started. I hate not knowing what happens next in the storyline and if the characters finally reach their aims. But I just had to stop reading and let it go. Heart of Night and Fire promised to become my new dream to-go novel. Enemies to lovers? Check. Slowburn? Check. Indian mythology? Check.
Then why did I not love the book?

-what is it about?-
Zarya is kept captive in a gilded prison as Row, her guardian, is believed to keep the girl safe. However, one day the man disappears without a trace. Zarya decides to escape the place and finally find her freedom in the world waiting for her outside. When she discovers she can save the world from darkness, Zarya must start a journey to find the truth about her past and power.


-what I loved?-
→ Nisha J. Tuli used Indian mythology as a background for this story. I adore how she used folklore in the story and experimented with it. Unfortunately, she did not explore it even more (maybe then I would be even more excited to continue my journey with this novel).

-what did I not love?-
→ The writing style gave me teenage vibes from the beginning - it ruined the whole experience of enjoying the novel. I believe it was all connected to Zarya's character (she was something, believe me). I could not get invested in this storyline because of that.
→ Sloppy plot and no actual twists? I think Nisha J. Tuli wanted to make readers feel the danger Zarya had to fight with... but it was not THAT emotional. Messing with the events also did not help make me excited about what will happen next.
→ Characters that were annoying, dull and bland. Zaraya acted like that rebellious little child who would throw tantrums over nothing. If readers are to believe that she is a grown woman, then her behaviour made me think it was the other way around. I wanted to see more development of the characters' journey and how it would change their perspectives, but Nisha J. Tuli just tried to re-use repetitive tropes and descriptions to slow down the (already slow) action.

rating: 1/5 ✮
genre: fantasy, adult/new-adult
themes: enemies to lovers, slow-burn, Indian mythology, rapunzel vibes

Holy crap is this good! I need the next one right now. The world building, the magic system, the character arc all of it was almost perfect. I loved the found family and wish we had gotten a little more of the enemies to lovers. Overall this book was amazing. I can't wait for the story to continue

This will be the next big series! I have full confidence in that.

Things I loved about this book:
* Being held against will
* Main female character freeing herself
* Magic with unknowns
* great relationships
* string female character

I'm very excited for book #2!

It is clear from the first page that Tuli knows how to write, for someone who enjoys atmospheric stories this was a treats. I also loved the way indian mythology was integrated because I mainly read about greek or norse mythology before, and I really enjoyed this.
This could've even been a 5 Star book for me, however, the action picks up a little to late. While I enjoyed the care Tuli took with the worldbuilding it was also quite time consumes and therefore left little room for action. I loved that Tuli still managed to flesh out the characters and we really see Zarya's growth, and I expect this book set up the world and there will be more action in the next book.

The narrator does an incredible job bringing this story to live and I enjoyed her tone of voice and the way she picked up the pace in action scenes, her narration made the story even more gripping.

Heart of Night and Fire is a story about Zarya who has been living her life up until the age of 21 in confinement under the supervision of a 'parental figure' Row and his apprentice, Aarav. Row Keeps Zarya locked in a house that he has bound by powerful magic. The three of them have been living in isolation ever since a blight left the village stranded and most if not all inhabitants escaped to other villages and towns.
One day Zarya wakes up to the house devoid of Row and his magic binding her. She uses the opportunity to escape, using Row’s horse Ojas. Zarya soon encounters Rani Vasvi's Guards Commander Vikram and Lieutenant Yasen. They take her to Dharati along with Aarav who had set out in search of Zarya. In Dharati, Zarya learns more about her parents, her past, and about the mysterious figure that appears in her dreams, and the strange but powerful magic bubbling in her. She also encounters various mysterious beings like rakshasas, apsaras, and the immortal Aazheri mages. What transpires between these characters during Zarya’s journey and attempt to uncover details about herself and the mysterious figure she has been dreaming about forms the crux of book 1. The mysterious figure turns out to be the love interest, Rabin. The romantic tension and build-up between these two characters was done well even though Rabin shows up a little later in the story. That makes sense as the author took the time to build and establish the world for us. The world-building is done exceptionally well with the right amount of details and no info dump (Thank you!). I absolutely enjoyed the tropes used in this book including the slow burn, found family, and self-discovery of magical abilities, among others. I’m not a huge fan of the love triangle trope, but it did not bother me much in this book. The twist at the end was definitely an impactful one. I had my doubts and I’m glad it turned out this way!
I must say that I am very impressed with the usage of Indian lore and mythology. As a mythology enthusiast, this is the kind of representation I have been looking for in the Fantasy world for South Asians!
I listened to the audiobook version of the book and the narrator Shiromi Arserio did a wonderful job. I am so in love with this book that I am buying myself the physical book for my personal collection. I can’t wait for Book 2 in this series which I believe is coming in February!
I give this book 4.5 stars rounded up to 5! If you enjoy reading slow-burn fantasy romances and are a fan of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout then you’ll LOVE this book!

Thanks to Netgalley, author Nisha J. Tuli, and Bookouture Audio for providing me with the advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily and the opinions expressed in this review is my honest opinion about the book!

Thank you so much for this opportunity! I have already reviewed the book arc of this story but I loved it so much I requested the audiobook and boy did it add another depth to this slowburn romantasy with heavy south Asian influences. Ms. Areserio was perfect! She made listening to this tale an absolute treat!

This is the second book I have read by Nisha Tuli and she did not disappoint! She is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! This book truly has it all - well written fierce and loyal characters, vivid imagery, slow burn romance, family bonds and secrets, hidden powers, magical creatures, developing friendships. I enjoyed exploring this world of enchantments and possibilities and the journey of discovery oneself. It was full of action and adventure, twists and major revelations. I want to stay lost in this fantastical world and I am so excited that there is more to come - I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I am still very new to fantasy so the terms in the book were so new to me but the world building was done so well I was never confused. This book is definitely fantasy first with the romance playing in the background.

The trope of found family really worked well for the storyline. You will enjoy all the characters as much as the main character.

Definitely going to check out more from this author.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5845459527

HONAF is a slow-paced hero’s journey and a great jump into epic fantasy if you’re new. Think: farm boy trope like Luke Skywalker. Our chosen one is Zarya, a girl with starlight magic living in hiding. She’s spent her nearly 21 years magically bound to a cottage on the southern shores of Daragaab. The few villagers that lived nearby have all fled north as a magical swamp has spread across the continent. Only her guardian’s magic keeps the blight away from her home, but effectively cuts off Zarya from the world.

When her guardian goes missing and she feels her leash fade, Zarya runs for freedom and begins her journey to the capital Dharati. She fights monsters and makes friends and joins the warriors who defend the city. All the while keeping the truth of her childhood and magic a secret.

The delightful subplot is more of an angsty romantic drama. Zarya is enthralled by her handsome new companions but she’s also resistant to settling down. She is passionate about her freedom and wants to keep moving forward. But she has the mysteries of her past to settle first.

If you struggle with slow-paced adventures, let me recommend the audiobook 1000000x. The narration is excellent and she brings a lively youthfulness to Zarya that I was missing. It's a single narrator, fitting the first point pov and I absolutely loved the performance. It was entertaining and filled with emotion. I do recommend a list of keywords beforehand if you’re not reading along, because the Indian names can be hard to keep track of audibly.

The world building is beautiful. It does slow the plot and delays character growth until the second half of the book. But once it gets going, big secrets are revealed and things start to snowball. The ending will have you itching for the next book immediately! I feel like this is a return to the serial adventures we all loved as YA but in a more mature (and more spicy) world. Speaking of, the characters discuss sex openly but the action is definitely one chili pepper. I have a feeling that things will escalate though (please!).

Zarya is an altruistic lead. She doesn’t chase the recognition or moral high ground like a hero. She appreciates nuance. But she is very motivated by the good of the collective and always wants to do her part. I think it stems from never experiencing community before, which alot of us can relate to. She reminds me of Feyre in that aspect. And the fashion? The night court could take some notes! It's that good. I’m excited for the next book.

I’ve read the eARC of this book, and was so excited to also receive the audiobook!

I love the story, Nisha has built a very vibrant and rich world, I love how she’s included all sorts of Indian customs and imagery - from all the food, clothes and mythology. So good to have a fantasy world based on South Asia!

Shiromi Arserio is a brilliant narrator, she really brings this story to life and it was such a pleasure to listen to this story.

Thank you, Second Sky, Bookotoure Audio, and NetGalley for this ALC/ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Heart of Night and Fire is marketed towards fans of Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Carissa Broadbent.

This book is an epic fantasy x romance that features action, enemies to lovers, and a slow burn.

In Heart of Night and Fire we follow Zarya who has been living her whole life in isolation with her guardians: Row and Aarav. She is never allowed to leave home but one of her guardians ends up disappearing which allows her to escape and discover a whole new world, which allows her to discover her forbidden, magical gifts.

First, I want to say I have been wanting to read Nisha's books for a while now and even have a few of them on my kindle and when I saw this one pop up on NetGalley as an e-ARC and ALC, I knew I needed to request them since this sounded amazing and because the cover is beyond gorgeous.

I found Heart of Night and Fire to be mostly at a perfect pace but there were times where the pacing felt like it slowed down.

Nisha does an amazing job with her decadent descriptions of the world since it really makes you feel like you are in the world, and this allowed for really good world building. Plus, I loved that this book has South Asian Mythology and Indian World Building interwoven into this book and because of that it really strengthens the world building.

I did find myself immersed in this book and intrigued from the beginning and found myself enjoying the book in whole.

I really loved the slow burn romance as well as how Nisha wrote these characters to be likeable and feel like they are real.

This was a great romantasy read that grips you from the beginning and has some great twists in it.

Pick up Heart of Night and Fire for these reasons (I am using Nisha's infographic for some of this):
-Great magic system
-Amazing world building
-Strangers to enemies to lovers to enemies
-Only one horse
-Forced proximity
-Hidden/forbidden magic
-Mysterious stranger
-Angst
-Mysterious stranger
-Found Family
-Great action scenes
-A lot of secrets and lies
-Magical creatures
-Who did this to you?
-Sexy blood drinking Rakshasas

**Side note: I apologize if this review makes no sense in some areas or is not well written and this is due to a nasty cold I have.

This was a brilliant start to a very promising series and I am not a bit ashamed to say that I’m obsessed. First off, I love Zarya. The development of her character as she comes out of her shell was expertly done. The imagery was also incredibly well written and I found myself completely immersed within the world. The only issue that I had while reading was that some of the relationships came across as a bit forced and insincere. I think it was because Zarya was so quickly welcomed into the fold and trust sprang up so quickly amongst the main characters. She went from suspicious stranger to trusted royal confidant within a matter of what felt like days. It didn’t bother me so much towards the end, and I’m still reeling from all of the revelations. This series has so much promise and to say I’m obsessed would be an understatement.

Happy pub day to the first installment of the Nightfire Quartet. This is my first Nisha J. Tuli book, but she’s been on my radar and TBR shortlist for awhile. This new book is the first in a new South Asian-inspired fantasy series, following Zarya, a young woman who has grown up in seclusion with a Mother Gothel-type guardian named Row, and his apprentice, Aarav. When Row goes missing, Zarya makes her escape (with Aarav in tow, much to her chagrin), and when the two wind up in the city of Dharati, magic, romance, and chaos ensues.

There were distinct pros and cons to this book for me. I love diverse fantasy worlds, and having grown up in a Southeast Asian household, so many of the references made in the story were familiar to me in a way that felt warm and exciting. The world is built well, with an expansive list of magical entities with different types of abilities. While I applaud Tuli’s dedication to developing her world, there were times, particularly in the first half, where the world-building slogged, and felt like so much exposition and context to what powers everyone had, what threats there were, and what the stakes of all the conflict was. It made it difficult at points to push through to the second half of the book, but to Tuli’s credit, the second half picked up a good bit.

Zarya’s relationship with Yasen is easily the best part of this book, in my opinion, especially in the second half. The trust and honesty the two have in each other as friends is refreshing, with no need to force yet another love interest in a book that already has two. And speaking of those two love interests, Vikram and Rabin— I am excited about their potential in future books, especially Rabin, who we see even less than Vik in this first book. At times, however, I found that a lot of their allure was less palpable in direct interactions with Zarya and more present in her inner dialogue alone. I hope future installments have more time dedicated to what these guys are all about, cause right now I am just team Yasen lol.

I will likely read the second book of this series, as the end of the book leaves nearly everything unraveled, and my curiosity is piqued enough to keep going. Some parts of the plot felt extremely easy to guess, but I still appreciated the development of characters as the story went on, and South Asian fantasy rep will always earn points for me. Overall, due to some pacing issues and aspects of the book that felt underutilized and forgotten-about, I give this 3 ⭐

Side note, for those intending to listen to the audio: I believe the narrator is of South Asian descent; however, some words are pronounced in a way that made me cringe as someone familiar with the Hindi language. That might just be a personal gripe, though.

*Thank you again to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this audio-ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Summary:
Zarya, finally free from her prison seeks answers and the truth in Dharati. Amid enchantment and danger, she allies with rakshasa and Aazheri sorcerers. As dark creatures besiege the city and a seductive stranger enters her dreams, Zarya faces a life-altering decision: save Dharati with her magic or risk all she loves.

What stood out to me:
The plot, the world, Rabin and Yasen.

My thoughts:
I liked the fantasy world of this book, it was well thought through and explained well. However, I’m listening to the audiobook it did at some points come across as information dumps. Lots of new characters and demons were introduced at the same time so it was hard to know which was which. All in all I did really enjoy this world and its magic system :)

Audiobook review:
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Shiromi Arsenio. I thought she portrayed the characters and intrigue perfectly.

Source of audiobook: NetGalley and Bookouture Audio

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this ARC. In exchange, I give my honest review. This is the second book that I have read from Nisha J Tuli. I wanted to go into a second novel of hers completely open to a new world. I want to start with the positives. The story is centered around South East Asian culture and mythologies. This kind of representation is missing, and it is a joy to see the author providing representation for POC characters and lore. Unfortunately, I see in this book the same as I’ve seen in a previous book that I read by the same author. The description metaphor and simile are very prevalent from the first chapter. The author does not balance out the dialogue and movement of the story /plot with her descriptions of the setting and characters. at the same time, unfortunately, her characters, lack depth and strong personality, which makes it very difficult to root for them or really care what happens at all. There is little subtlety or complexity and a lot of description that is not integrated into the story well. It was very formulaic and repetitive.

The main characters and side characters are all very visual, but fairly empty, and lack complexity. There is a very strong reliance on the idea that the main character Zarya has been kept trapped and sheltered away from people. She is petulant and ineffectual rather than the strong and resilient badass FMC. While the story is marketed towards new adult/adult I found it very hard to get away from the youthful voice of the story. It felt like a young voice for young audiences which cannot be blamed on the naïveté of sheltered Zarya because it is universal through all the characters. It is possible the character could develop more maturity as the series progresses, but she did not make significant progress in this first installment.

Overall my review is flat. The relationship dynamics between characters is flat. The characters' interpersonal dynamics are flat, and the individual personalities feel like they lack depth. I think this book just needs more editing, and a little bit more flushing out of the personalities. There is an overall lack of complexity with the exception to the world-building which is very fleshed out (but a bit info dump)
The marketed tension in enemies to lovers really isn’t there. Additionally, the pacing is unbalanced. The first half of the book was incredibly slow. The second half of the book was definitely faster paced, but because the characters are not well developed in the first half I did not feel attachment or desire for the fmc to succeed. I will not be returning for the second installment of the series.

My review of the acting/audiobook is that it was well performed, but some of the pronunciation for foods and South East Asian words aren’t quite right. I would recommend the author provide a pronunciation guide for future narrators/future installments of the Nightfire Quartet.

Alright okay look

I'd seen this author before, thought about trying the last book, but I never ended up getting around to it. After getting through HoNaF, I may honestly go back and give her other books a whirl.

The world is lush, bright, and the characters feel dynamic and interesting, the depth of the majority of them often explored in significant, unexpected ways, especially for such a large cast. I was also repeatedly impressed by how effectively Tuli managed to do that even in such short spaces—the words used were pointed, the amount of time and space in each one working very effectively. The pace was perfect, and nothing felt rushed, even when it occurred quickly.

There were some instances of repetition—specific to language most often, but occasionally also with specific resolution beats to character relationships—as well as moments of slight inconsistency for Zarya (namely with her relationship to choosing to spill all secrets and keep others close to her chest—and then other characters' perception of her as seemingly tight-lipped despite her huge reveals right from the get-go. Granted, she IS hiding other things. Also granted, the motivations for what to reveal and what not to were wonky on the balance of emotion to logic, namely because the emotions the underscored choices to reveal were just as closely attached to the secrets that weren't revealed).

That, however, was easy to overlook. I had a moment of head tilt, light annoyance, and then I could promptly move on. The descriptions were amazing and concrete, and I didn't realize just how much I could enjoy outfit descriptions until this book. This is obviously the beginning of a series, and the only reason I have to be regretful about reading this one is because I cannot immediately devour the next.

The audiobook narrator did wonderfully as well, and thanks as always to publishers who use real people to record their books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the book.

I really have some mixed feelings about this book, but overall went for a 3 star rating because that’s how I felt about it for most of the book. It was such a slow build to the point where it got a little brining, in my opinion. There was a lot of world building, which is good, but some of the details seems unnecessary to the story and could have been omitted. Of course, the may become relevant in future novels. I wasn’t super interested in any of the love interests for Zarya, but I did love her friendship with Yasen!
I really wanted more elements of Zarya’s magic and was kind of expecting the twist at the end to be the main plot of the book, so I was a little disappointed by the lack of Zarya’s role in this story, where she is the main character, until about the last 10% of the book. I would honestly give the last 10% 5 stars through and it has me interested to see what will happen in the next book! I feel like the second will be what I was expecting in the first.

I also thought the narrator was wonderful!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for providing me with the audiobook in exchange for an honest review*

Found Family
Enemies to Lovers
Slow Burn
Indian Mythology
Spicy
Book 1 in a new series
Available on Audio

This was an exhilarating experience!

I can’t express how much I loved this book. This is a fantastic South Asian inspired fantasy that will colour your mind and take you far away on a magical journey filled with found family, steamy love interests and action.
After being hidden from the world for twenty years, Zaraya is finally free after her guardian disappears along with the magic trapping her in their cottage.

She meets two extremely handsome rakshasa men who are blood-drinking, nearly immortal soldiers who defend the city at night against demons who threaten the city. After passing her initial trials she joins them on the wall each night to defend their beloved Queen against the onslaught of evil.

Zaraya also has weird recurring dreams that feel so real to her of a handsome, mysterious man that she meets regularly in a dark magical forest. He seems dangerous but strangely enough she feels protected by him.

The narrator, Shiromi Arserio did a fantastic job with the audio. She reads with so much expression and passion and she really made the story come to life. The pacing of the audiobook was on point.

I highly recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy romance, Asian flair and secret magic.

A huge thank you to Netgalley for this advance Audio in exchange for this honest review.