A Fiery Spirit, in some ways, feels so different from A Bright Heart. And not in a bad way! The characters and story is really allowed to blossom here. Keep reading this book review of A Fiery Spirit for my full thoughts.
Summary
Even after defeating her murderer, Prince Ren, Mingshin has no time to rest. The youngest prince’s shocking death leaves the royal family shaken, and Mingshin is determined to get answers. She soon discovers that Wen was killed by a magical olfactory-delivered poison that drove him to suicide.
But which dark sorcerer is responsible? The Night Dragon, Ren’s shadowy master, has yet to show his face. Mingshin knows it is only a matter of time before he discovers that she carries the immensely powerful Divine Stone. She already used the stone once to change the world’s timeline and cannot imagine what will happen if he uses it to gain power.
As the Night Dragon closes in, Mingshin must decide whether she trusts her friends enough to share the secrets of the powerful stone she is fated to protect. Will Jieh, who has been raised to loathe the use of magic, continue loving her after he learns she’s becoming a mage? Mingshin must find the courage to unveil her true powers to her friends to stop the Night Dragon from destroying this timeline once and for all.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Let’s start with my favorite elements, I appreciated how Chenli explores the world in A Fiery Spirit. A theme that is explored is the prejudice against magicians. With the intense hatred and fear of magicians, what will happen when someone we love is revealed to be a magician? And how can we make change to these deep rooted fears? In A Fiery Spirit it’s up to Mingshin not only to figure out how to save her friends, family, and the world, but also how to accept herself. This theme of self-acceptance and connecting it to her magic is one of my favorite themes. In this sequel, which feels so different from A Bright Heart, Mingshin comes into her own as a powerful figure with intention.
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This was certainly the strongest themes and elements. Not to mention, I listened to the audiobook narrated by my favorite narrator – Natalie Naudus – which just made the experience even better! That being said, while A Fiery Spirit is full of action – with additional themes of friendship – some of the events felt rushed. It’s somewhat of a blink and you’ll miss it. There are some decisions which I wish rang a bit more dangerous or even serious if they had a bit more space. Additionally, the time magic took the back seat here, which is fine, it was just super fun in A Bright Heart. I had a fun time with this sequel and had the best time with the themes! Find A Fiery Spirit on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.