Review: Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Book: Firelight by Sophie Jordan
Published: HarperTeen, 2010
Genre: YA/ Paranormal Romance/ Fantasy
Pages:  323 pages
Where I got it: got a copy for my Nook
Buy It: Amazon

Summary (from Goodreads): Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.
Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.
Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

My thoughts: Opening with an action packed chase scene between Jacinda, a descendant of dragons, and a group of hunters, I expected Firelight to capture my attention and hold it until the very end. Unfortunately, I was unimpressed with the first book of this series. I'm still fairly new to reading the paranormal romance/ fantasy genre, so there are certain things that I still find a little out there sometimes. I could not get on board with the draki. I found myself thinking it was too weird of a premise for me to get very invested in. As a draki, Jacinda can take on human form. When her draki side is released, she sprouts wings and her skin turns shimmery. What separates Jacinda from other draki is her ability to breath fire, which causes the people of her pride to worship her to the point that she no longer has a choice for what her future will hold.

The love story is believable and romantic in a star-crossed lover kind of way. I had trouble finding many of the characters likable, though. In particular, Jacinda's mother and sister seemed like horrible people to have for family. They were trying to force her to be someone she wasn't and forget about her past. Her mom made the argument that it was all in Jacinda's best interests, but I was still very annoyed by her character. Her twin sister Tamra came off incredibly annoying and self-centered. Definitely my least favorite character in the book.

I know that this is just the first book of a series, but I thought that it ended too abruptly. Firelight is a fast paced novel, packed with suspenseful moments. I was surprised when I only had a few pages left; I had a feeling there was going to be a big cliffhanger. The cliffhanger might have me curious enough to pick up the second book when it's released in hopes that it will get better. I get so bummed out when I don't enjoy a book, especially when it gets such high ratings on Goodreads and Amazon. While I've said this was out of my comfort zone as far as the paranormal is concerned, if you are looking for a unique storyline, this book may be for you.


My rating: 2 stars