Vanish- A Firelight Novel by Sophie Jordan

I'll admit it freely- I got this book as an ARC on NetGalley and I had not read Firelight yet.  (Feel free to boo and throw rocks.  I totally deserve it.)  But luckily, a friend of mine offered to loan me her copy of Firelight.  Once I started Firelight, I read straight through it then straight through Vanish.  I LOVE these books.  Here's the Goodreads blurb:

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever.

First off, let's get one thing straight-I am COMPLETELY TEAM WILL.  Team Will.  I think Cassian is a moron for not seeing what is right in front of him.  Tamra is so devoted to him and so in love with him and he's just blind to it.  He seems to think Jacinda doesn't know what she wants or that maybe he'll grow on her if he tries hard enough.... you know, like a fungus.  I just want to smack him.  Will is awesome though.  He's strong and courageous.  He's just a really good guy.  Love him!! And I predict that Will is just going to keep getting more awesome in the next book!  Tamra was better in this book than in Firelight.  You didn't just get to see her angry, hurt and bitter.  We see a new and better (mostly) Tamra.  In Vanish, we also get a better picture of what life is like in their tiny, closed community.  We get to see more of the council and the villagers.  All told, I loved this book and I wish Sophie Jordan was done with the third Firelight book already.  This is a great series even for people like me who aren't into dragons (they aren't REALLY dragons but they are draki which are sort of dragons). This book is a great read for anyone 14 and over.  It really reaches across the genre lines and speaks to so many different kinds of readers.

You can find out more about Sophie Jordan by checking out her website.  Be aware that Sophie also writes ADULT historial romances and ADULT paranormal romances.  So you may encounter ADULT material on her sites.  You can also follow her on Twitter.  Click here to add the Firelight Series to your Goodreads.

Vanish earns 5 Fairies for being an exciting, genre-bending read!

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

I have to say, I LOVE the feeling of accomplishment that I get when I get to cross a book off of my To Read List!  I also love my friends out there, all over the US who will loan me a book or send me a note when I'm down.  Some of my best friends are women who I've never met in Real Life.  That is how I got my hands on a copy of Sophie Jordan's Firelight.  It came from a friend of mine in Oregon who is as awesome as can be!  She lent me her copy so I could read the ARC of Vanish that I have.  That is a true friend, someone who will lend you a book they love from across the country.  Huge thanks go out to Brandi for loaning me Firelight, which I read in one day then dove right into Vanish and now has gotten me HOOKED on the Firelight books.

I'm going to give you the Goodreads blurb in an attempt to keep this spoiler free:

A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.

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.

It sounds amazing, right?  And Firelight totally delivers.  I loved every moment of it.  I loved that Jacinda has the ability to be strong and still vulnerable.  I enjoyed that even though her mom and sister had moments where I was super annoyed with them for their behavior, in the end, I couldn't hate them.  I really got annoyed with Jacinda's mom and sister, Tamra, though.  Their behavior just got to me after a while.  But that has to be due to Sophie Jordan's writing, she really made you identify with Jacinda and feel what she was feeling.  My absolute favorite character has to be Will, though.  If you've read this blog before, you know how much I love boys in books.  Will just grabbed me.  I really felt for him.  He's like Jacinda in that he's part of something that isn't what he wants but he's just so special.  Will just stole my heart.  I really want him to be happy with Jacinda and I can't wait to see how Sophie pulls it off.  I really enjoyed this book and loved that we could jump right into the story and build the world as we went without a ton of back story up front.  This book just sucks you right in and throws you into the heart of it all.  I loved this and can't wait to publish my review for it's sequel, Vanish.  I'd suggest this one for readers 14 and up as there are some violent scenes and some suggestive parts.  

You can find out more about Sophie Jordan and her Firelight books by checking out her website or following her on Twitter!

Firelight earns 5 Fairies for being an amazing start to what is sure to be a great series.