Dance of Stars and Ashes by Nisha J. Tuli is the second book in The Nightfire Quarter. Zarya’s story continues as she and her friends prepare for an important ceremony that will help save their city from the encroaching blight that has been terrorizing them. Along the way, Zarya continues to learn more about herself and the origin of her magic.

I *loved loved loved* this book and couldn’t put it down! It was full of adventure, friendship, and more of the “will they, won’t they” romance that the first book had as well. It was an emotional roller coaster with some stressful and sad moments but also some really heartwarming ones. Similar to the first book, I appreciated the Indian culture and mythology that was woven into the story, as I feel that’s not very common in mainstream fantasy novels. Also the art on the cover is beautiful as well!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for granting me an eARC in return for an honest review. This book is expected to be published on 2/16/24.

I was so thrilled when I received an email granting me immediate access to the book!
The beginning was quite slow but the end gripped me with its faster pace, leaving me yearning for the sequel.
Although the romance didn’t initially captivate me, the end makes me think that I will definitely like it more in the next book!
Just like in the first book, my favorite aspect is the friendship between Zarya and Yasen. Their relationship is so genuine and uncomplicated, it really is the highlight of the book to me.
I eagerly anticipate the release of the sequel!

Thank you to Second Sky and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of the second book in the Nightfire Quartet series.

Nisha J. Tuli did it again - she wrote a book that I absolutely couldn't put down. I genuinly don't know what is in her books but everytime I jsut get sucked in and am unable to escape. There is just something about her writing that I find so appealing and that simply works for me.

I am ever so grateful I got to read the second book in this series and once again I was not disappointed. As we were delving further into the world and especially into the romance aspect this was a real page turner for me and the romantic tension was just unparalelled. It really worked for me. I would have liked to see more about the specificalities of the magic especially from the side characters and more of the world building but I felt immersed all the way through and found this fast paced read entirely up my avenue.

The characters and the world really have grown on me and I couldn't help myself rooting for them but the thing that won me over the most was the slow burn - good god I have not read this amazingly well done slow burn in absolute ages. I am enthralled and I need more immediately.

I cannot believe that I am now suspended in waiting in 2 Nisha J Tuli series when all I need is more of her writing and worlds. I am counting down the days until her next releases and since I discovered her worlds and through this last installment she will remain a firm auto-buy author for me.

>> Review also posted on Goodreads.

I would have given this 5 stars except that the miscommunication trope was used and it really didn’t need to happen. I’m very unhappy it was used because there could have been a better way to convey this without having the character go through unnecessary and uncomfortable betrayal and miscommunication - especially when it was teased that the male interest was trying to talk.

Outside of that, the sequel was just as phenomenal as the first book and I’m interested to see where the other book goes. I do feel like the ending of this was a bit rushed in the way of it suddenly all came together and magically fixed with just a bit of magic they suddenly figure out.

Thank you Bookouture I Second Sky for the ARC. After reading the first book in the quartet I was hooked and was so excited to get an advance copy of this book.
Firstly, I think I might like this book even more than the first one.
The spice is perfect. I find sometimes the spicy takes away from the overall story but that was definitely not the case for this book.
The characters go through so much growth and they break our hearts a little bit.
New mysteries keep popping up throughout the book and while some get solved there are some continuing into the next book which puts it high on my list to read when it is out.
I also loved the cast of characters and other details at the beginning of the book. It was a great refresher and a good guide to check back.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and didn't want to put it down. I really enjoy Zarya and she just feels so real to me.

First up, if you like spice it's in this book. I tend to skip those pages (not the least of all bc the main female lead is a young adult and she's with folks 100+ yrs old and I can't reconcile that). Zarya is a very frustrating lead and makes so many odd choices throughout the book. Its tough when a 17 year old is making decisions for everyone that is 8x her age. This story wraps up the first section of the saga while setting the stage for the next quest. There's some betrayals, a sad ending and more than a few times you'll roll your eyes but it's a good installment that kept up the momentum while also doing some exposition.

This book is just as amazing as the first in the series. I absolutely loved this book. The story picks right up where the first book ended and continues to follow Zarya and the Chiranjivi as they continue their quest to end the blight. I felt so many feelings throughout the course of the novel. About halfway through I started getting a feeling about something that I feared was going to be unveiled only to learn that it was in fact truth in the end. I laughed, I yelled, I teared up, I sighed. I ran the full gamut of emotions. Highly recommend this book to any fantasy readers. SO good

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. I enjoyed this book, but I didn't love it the way I did the first. The romance seemed a little.. forced? Nicknames were overused, and the overall timeline felt a little rushed. It was still a great read, but I can't say that I was as compelled to read it as I was the first. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

The plot twist at the end was a little predictable and I didn't like how quickly Rabin switched up. But all in all it was really good and I'll definitely read the next one

I loved every second of this book. Yasen is my absolute favorite, I love friendships like that. The emotional roller coaster I was on during this book isn’t even funny. I was so angry, I laughed, cried, swooned and melted my way through this entire book. Zarya has definitely grown since she left her seaside prison even though she still has a lot to learn about herself and the world. She could have made Rabin grovel more and despite everything he’s definitely end game. Because that spice was ✨chefs kiss✨ The ending was ominous and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

“I can still taste you,” he said in a low voice that carried softly over the space between them. “And, fuck, the way it felt to have my fingers inside you. I’ll carry that to the end of my days.”

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This book picked up right where Heart of Night and Fire left off. Zarya has just revealed her magic to her friends, Rabin has returned to Dharati, and the Queendom is still fighting attacks from the darkness.

Now, I loved the first book. I thought the world building was great, the characters were very likable, and the storyline was interesting. I also really loved the ending/plot twist and how Rabin was such a mystery until the end.

I did really enjoy this book. Zarya shows character growth (or at least she’s trying) and there was still a little plot twist that I (kinda) didn’t see coming.

Here’s some things that brought my rating down & just simply frustrated the crap out of me on the romance side of the story:

-the spice seemed very forced & I just didn’t enjoy it.

-I wanted to love Rabin so much and I was so excited to finally read about him and Zarya together & they were just.. okay. They hardly said anything meaningful to one another, maybe twice. The rest was just very icky dirty talk that, again, felt forced and out of place at times.

-His nickname overuse (spitfire) ….. a nickname is fine, but I would much rather see it used in more memorable, quote worthy lines and not every time he talks to her.

Again, I still enjoyed it! I will continue to read the series as it comes out. I want to know what Zarya uncovers on her new journey and I’m really hoping and crossing my fingers that the romance gets better!!

I personally liked the writing style of this one more than some of her other books. I think her fans will be pleased. It reads easier and feels more mature and feels better paced. I stopped at the 6% mark.

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for the ARC.

This books starts right after where book 1 left off. Zarya's power was freed by Rabin- a warrior prince. She doesn't want anything to do with him after finding out his history.

I like Zarya and Rabin. Their chemistry is terrific. I love their tension. Lots of actions and plot twists. Really enjoy it. Another powerful ending.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

The second book in Tuli’s Nightfire Quartet, Dance of Stars and Ashes takes everything you loved about it’s predecessor and triples it. Second book syndrome who? We don’t know her here. Tuli’s writing is absolutely brilliant, easily transporting you to the world this series takes place in and expertly weaving the personal relationships of the characters with a captivating and thrilling story. Secrets will be revealed, loyalties will be tested, and the SPICE will be out of this world. This book will be released on February 16th, giving you the perfect chance to catch up before it comes out! Tuli is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to fantasy romance- this is a series you will not want to miss.

I was so excited to see I got this arc after the way the first book ended. It was such a fun and non stop action read. Tuli really shines in her second books.

Content Warning: violence

+ I really wanted to read this book after the ending of book one: Heart of Night and Fire, mostly because what happens at the end of the book when Rabin makes an appearance. Rabin is Vikram’s brother and the guy who Zarya has been seeing in her dream forest (in her dreams). The tension between them was enticing and I wanted to see where it took them in book two. It’s a continuous slow burn, with lots of tension but we get rewarded with some steamy action by the end of the book – so I’m glad we didn’t have to wait until book three. There is some drama again between Rabin and Zarya at the end, so we will see what happens there in the next book.

+ I still find this world-building so fascinating especially with Amrita’s position as queen and basically the tree of life. I’m still very curious about her and Vikram and their special roles and rituals they have to do to keep the kingdom thriving. This story is filled with monsters and magic!

+ I absolutely love Zarya’s platonic relationship with Yasen. It’s become one of my favorite parts of this series! Yasen and Zarya have become best friends and with her past of growing up isolated from the world, you can tell their relationship is special to her. They also bring humor to the story because their exchanges are so funny.

~ There is still more drama Rabin and Zarya have to work through because of what is revealed, even though they are finally together. I believe in the next book we get to learn more about her father. There is a lot still that we don’t know about Zarya’s family background so it’s going to be very interesting I think!

My Thoughts:

This was a great sequel and I think I liked this book better than the first one because Zarya and Rabin get to interact in real life. There are a lot of steamy moments between them after the initial slow burn in the first half of the book. Also, I just love the friendship between Yasen and Zarya. Will definitely be reading book three to see if we learn more about Zarya’s father.

This book is a non-stop ride! Zarya and Rabin return after the massive clifffhangers of book one. With the future of the kingdom at stake and Rabin’s identity unearthed, Zarya comes into her own in this book.

The found family is wonderful— Yansen and Zarya’s friendship takes root and Row’s return enables her to put some things to rest.

Overall a solid sequel— and I'll definitely be picking up book 3.

Found Family
Enemies to Lovers to Enemies
Spicy
Indian Mythology
Dragon shifter love interest
Betrayal
Who did that to you?
Book 2 in a new series

Absolutely fantastic!

I could not and would not put this book down. It was an amazing adventure filled with colour and flavours I am dying to experience for myself. The world building was fantastic, the way the author built this amazing bright, floral world with exotic scents and flavours had me craving Chai tea the entire time.

The spice was absolutely toe curling. The relationship between Zaraya and Rabin is so cute, nothing will keep him from his little ‘Spitfire’ and he is just a perfect specimen of a dragon shifter.

The growth between Zaraya and Aarav is so heart-warming, I love the fact that they have come to mean something to each other in a sibling sort of way.

This adventure had me in a chokehold. It had all the ingredients for a truly magical epic series. This will be one of the greats as far as I am concerned. It is the kind of series I will read again and again and never get bored.

Please be warned that your heart will be ripped apart and left in tatters. I still feel numb after the betrayal.

I can’t wait for book 3 and I highly recommend this to people who enjoy fast paced adult fantasy romances. I am now a Nisha J. Tuli fan for life.

A huge thank you to Netgalley, Second Sky and the Author for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for this honest review. My heart is filled with gratitude for the invitation to read this amazing book.

Fun read, love the unique take on magic powers. Unfortunately the characters fell a bit trope-y in this second installment and it felt very predictable. Any potential adversary was quickly overcome with little fuss. I would still recommend the book though!

Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor...

I devoured this book. Nisha J Tuli manages to transport me into a world full of beautiful culture, magic and one painful slow burn spicy romance. It has been a long time since I read a book and forgot where I was.

This book has power, betrayal and super hot characters. I mean, who can say no to something like that? And the grovelling 👀 Ya'll are not ready for it.
And at the end, Tuli throws us with yet another curveball and I need the next book now 😭.

*Thank you to the author, Second Sky Books and Netgalley for an ARC for my honest opinion*