Firelight

Author: Sophie Jordan
Publisher: Harper
Released: September 7, 2010
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Series: Firelight #1
Source: Library
Challenge: Speculative Romance, YA/MG Fantasy

Jacinda is a member of the draki, a species descended from dragons who can transform from human form to dragon form. But when she breaks one of the pride's most sacred rules, she is forced into the human world and is helpless against the dying of her inner draki - until she meets Will, the beautiful boy who had saved her life, and who now is the only one who awakens her inner draki. Staying near Will is dangerous, because he is a hunter, a member of the family who kills draki. And every moment she spends with him risks exposure of her secret and endangering her family. But how can she stay away when he keeps her alive?

At the beginning of the book, I was captivated. The struggle between Jacinda and her mother and sister, Tamra, and her problems with the pride, and then her attraction to the dangerous Will - it was all set up nicely and made me interested in how it would turn out.

But as the story progressed, I got more and more frustrated with Jacinda. She doesn't actually do anything. She waits for things to happen, mad about her situation but not forming a plan to save her draki while she watches it die slowly. She moves into action at one point to protect her secret, but there's no payout from that, no result.

Mostly she just wavers between wanting Will and thinking of protecting herself - and she wavers all too much. One or two big changes would be great at portraying her confusion, but she changes her mind just about every chapter, which makes me wonder why Will, who doesn't know her secret, would put up with her hot-n-cold.

Her relationship with Will left me wanting also. I like to see interactions, dialogue, something to show me how they get along. Jacinda and Will just kiss and awake Jacinda'a draki. There is some interaction, of course, but it's always plot-driven, and it doesn't characterize their relationship, so the whole thing felt flat to me.

I didn't not like the book. But I think I cared more about Tamra than Jacinda and Will, which is not a good thing.