Wicked Like a Wildfire by Lana Popovic ISBN: 9780062436856
Series: Hibiscus Daughter #1
Also in this series: Fierce Like a Firestorm
Published by HarperCollins on August 15, 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 432
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“Lush. Delicious. Bewildering. And darkly magical. Popovic has created a world that you tumble into from the very first words and wish you could stay in forever.” —Evelyn Skye, author of The Crown's Game
“Wicked Like a Wildfire was like devouring a succulent fairy fruit—it will rob your time, settle into your dreams, and leave you starving for more.” —Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen
Fans of Holly Black and Leigh Bardugo will be bewitched by Lana Popovic's debut YA fantasy novel about a bargain that binds the fates—and hearts—of twin sisters to a force larger than life.
All the women in Iris and Malina’s family have the unique magical ability or “gleam” to manipulate beauty. Iris sees flowers as fractals and turns her kaleidoscope visions into glasswork, while Malina interprets moods as music. But their mother has strict rules to keep their gifts a secret, even in their secluded sea-side town. Iris and Malina are not allowed to share their magic with anyone, and above all, they are forbidden from falling in love.
But when their mother is mysteriously attacked, the sisters will have to unearth the truth behind the quiet lives their mother has built for them. They will discover a wicked curse that haunts their family line—but will they find that the very magic that bonds them together is destined to tear them apart forever?
Wicked Like a Wildfire is the first in a two-book series. Readers will be rapt with anticipation for the sequel.
I started reading this, having totally forgotten the premise and thus having zero expectations. Which I should apparently do more often, because I found it an enjoyable read. The strength of this story is definitely in the complex dynamic between the MC, Iris, and her mother. Contentious mother/daughter relationships are so common and yet not a lot of YA stories delve into them. This one, of course, has a contemporary fantasy backdrop but the dynamic is explored from Iris’ pained point of view, balanced with her sister Malina’s sympathy. So a lot of the character development was wrapped around that foundation, and also centered around Iris’ own rebellion and deliberate emotional distance from everyone.
The setting is gorgeous- I kept pausing in the reading to research Montenegro (a country I knew nothing about when I started this book)- and the mythology and history woven through it are beautiful- they serve as a great backdrop for the story, and it blows me away that this was a debut novel.
I found Iris and Malina to be very realistic, relatable characters (including in the questionable choices they make and how they relate to each other). In a way, the entire story is about sisters and mothers/daughters- even though there are romantic relationships, the focus is on those familial bonds of love. Which I found compelling and engaging, all the way through the book. It was a little unbalanced at times in terms of pacing, but there was plenty of mystery stringing along the points of tension.
I did take one point off because, as much as I enjoy an ending with a twist, I felt like some things which should’ve been a struggle were glossed over and that made the denouement feel rushed into. I felt there would’ve been more impact in the resolution if the struggle involved hardship for Iris that was more concrete (I don’t want to get into spoiler territory, but suffice to say the way it was written did not reduce my enjoyment of the book).
I’ll be picking up the sequel, Fierce Like a Firestorm, as soon as I can- I had forgotten it was a duology and thus was unprepared for the cliffhanger ending and of course need to know what those final lines meant. Recommended for fans of contemporary fantasy, interesting takes on a system of magic that don’t require a lot of investment, and familiar dynamics.
Read for the ClearUrSht readathon.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
I am really curious about what you'll think of the sequel! I was interested in this one mostly because of the cover (whoops) but never got around to it, but I am glad to see it was a win. I like that the magic wasn't *too* complicated, because that is a sure way to lose me hah. Hope the sequel is good too!
I’m just about done with the sequel (review being posted tomorrow) and I liked it! I’ve seen some reviews complain about the florid descriptions, but the sequel was lighter on those than the first book, and the magic system is even more explained.