A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess

Publication Date: September 20, 2016

Series: Kingdom on Fire (bk. 1)

Genera(s): Fantasy/Alternate-history

Subjects: sorcerers, magicians, magic, supernatural, abilities

Setting: London, England in Victorian times

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, past tense: Henrietta Howel

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 404 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Random House

Summary/ product description: “I am Henrietta Howel.

The first female sorcerer in hundreds of years.

The prophesied one.

Or am I?

Henrietta Howel can burst into flames.

Forced to reveal her power to save a friend, she's shocked when instead of being executed, she's invited to train as one of Her Majesty's royal sorcerers.

Thrust into the glamour of Victorian London, Henrietta is declared the chosen one, the girl who will defeat the Ancients, bloodthirsty demons terrorizing humanity. She also meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, handsome young men eager to test her power and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her.

But Henrietta Howel is not the chosen one.

As she plays a dangerous game of deception, she discovers that the sorcerers have their own secrets to protect. With battle looming, what does it mean to not be the one? And how much will she risk to save the city—and the one she loves?

Exhilarating and gripping, Jessica Cluess's spellbinding fantasy introduces a powerful, unforgettably heroine, and a world filled with magic, romance, and betrayal. Hand to fans of Libba Bray, Sarah J. Maas, and Cassandra Clare.”

My Review:  A Shadow Bright and Burning is an alternative-history fantasy set in Victorian London. Henrietta Howel has the ability to light herself on fire. She is a teacher and previous student of an all-girls school. She has a friend who is and Unclean (scarred by an Ancient) named Rook. Over a decade ago the Ancients were summoned and a great war began. The seven Ancients, include R’helm the Skinless Man, Korozoth the Shadow and Fog, On-Tez the Vulture Lady, Nemneris, the Water Spider, Zem the Great Serpent, Molochoron the Pale Destroyer, Callax the Child Eater.

A sorcerer named Cornelius Agrippa comes to the girl school that Henrietta lives at and now teaches at and he believes she might be the prophesized one. He says she’s the first female sorcerer in a long time and that she could be the key to defeating the ancients. He bring her to London to meet the other sorcerer apprentices who are all male. He has to train her by the commendation on Midsummer’s eve, the summer solstice.

The other sorcerers are all males and including the charming and flirty Julian Magnus, the brooding George Blackwood, and Arthur, Clarence, Cellini, Isaac, and Dee. She stays in the room that used to be Agrippa’s daughter Gwendolyn’s room. She’s been dead for the past years. She meets a Hobgoblin doctor named Fenswick. He maid’s named is Lilly. There’s also a magician named Hargrove who recognizes Henrietta somehow. Magicians’ magic is outlawed, but they are allowed to live, unlike the witches who used to be around.

Henrietta’s powers grow with the training, but they aren’t reliable like the other sorceress. They seem to be tied to her emotions. Henrietta may not be what she was told that she was. She feels out of place, but will do anything to be commended by the Queen and help defeat the ancients. With some romance, action and magic, a Shadow Bright and Burning is an exciting tales of dark fantasy.

I recommend this book to fans of Red Queen by Victria Aveyard, the Young Elites by Marie Lu, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, Assassin’s Heart by Sarah Aheirs, and The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows.

Cover Art Review: I love the burning rose image, but it reminds me off the book series False Memory. I like the paper used for the cover too.

Transparent by Natalie Whipple

Series: Standalone

Genera: Paranormal Romance/Alternate-world Sci-fi

Subjects: supernatural, invisibility, super-powers, psychic ability, abilities, organized crime, Arizona, runaways

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 350 pgs.

HC/PB: Paperback

List Price: $9.99

Publisher: HarperTeen

Summary/ product description: “Plenty of teenagers feel invisible. Fiona McClean actually is.
An invisible girl is a priceless weapon. Fiona’s own father has been forcing her to do his dirty work for years—everything from spying on people to stealing cars to breaking into bank vaults.
After sixteen years, Fiona’s had enough. She and her mother flee to a small town, and for the first time in her life, Fiona feels like a normal life is within reach. But Fiona’s father isn’t giving up that easily.
Of course, he should know better than anyone: never underestimate an invisible girl.”

 

My Review: I loved this book. I don’t care if people think the writing was too simple. It was clean and clear, in my opinion. It was fast and funny and exciting. I wouldn’t say it was action packed. It was more about an invisible girl excepting herself, and relationships. Finding love and friendship, and dealing with family issues. It was heartwarming. The dialogue was funny. So many great quotes. And it was also an alternate-world, sci-fi romance. It’s set in contemporary time, but back in the 50’s, people started taking a drug that cause mutations.

The main character is very unique. Her superpower/mutation is invisibility. She invisible ALL THE TIME, even to HERSELF. Which really sucks. And she was born that way, an invisible baby. Sure, there were a few recent books about invisibility, like Andrea Cremer and David Levithan’s Invisibility, and Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Both of those are very different, of course. Fiona has to wear clothes to define her shape. Kind of like the Invisible Man, except she can’t use make-up because when stuff is absorbed into her skin, it becomes invisible.

The supporting characters are very awesome and funny. They all have their own abilities, but I’m not gonna tell you for the sake of finding out for yourself. Bea and her family are very funny and do a lot of fun stuff together. Bea has a brother that hits on Fiona even though he can’t see her. It’s hilarious. Bea’s a great friend.

And there’s Brady, Bea best guy-friend, who likes Fiona sort of. And Seth, the math-loving guy who tutors Fiona. There’s no love triangle or insta-love. Fiona thinks she likes Brady, but she’s really falling for Seth. Seth is kind of a jerk at first, but he’s a jerk that really cares for Fiona.

Then there’s Fiona family. Her mom takes her to Arizona to get away from her dad, who runs a crime organization. Fiona’s dad used her as a spy and thief. Fiona has two older brothers, Graham and Miles. One’s a jerk and one’s really nice and cool.

I loved the setting because I always wanted to go to Arizona and see the desert. This is a great summer read, even if it takes place in the school year.  

I recommend this book if you liked the Curse Workers series by Holly Black, the Big Time series (adult series, Karma Girl, ect.) by Jennifer Estep, Shatter Me series, or X-Men, even.

Cover Art Review: Very colorful. I like the title type. The transparent girl is okay.