Book Review: A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess

I am Henrietta Howel. The first female sorcerer. The prophesied one. Or am I?

Henrietta Howel can burst into flames. When she is brought to London to train with Her Majesty's sorcerers, she meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, young men eager to test her powers and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her. As Henrietta discovers the secrets hiding behind the glamour of sorcerer life, she begins to doubt that she's the true prophesied one. With battle looming, how much will she risk to save the city--and the one she loves? ...

Why did I pick it up: The description sounded intriguing 

Genre: YA Fantasy

Favorite Character: Henrietta - all girl power that one

Suggested Age Range: 7th grade and up

Diversity Represented: Henrietta is described as "dark skinned"

Romance: You want there to be, but mostly no. 

I'm shipping: Henrietta and Blackwell ... obviously. I mean, he is like Mr. Darcy (yep, you read that right).

The Good:  I love this story. It was so unexpectedly good. Henrietta is such an awesome girl-power protagonist. There were times when I was yelling at her through the book, but I still thought she was fantastic. It was a great storyline, sorcerers and warlocks, magical powers that are totally normal, training and lots of boys. Not really romance-y, a little, but really not the point of the book (which is refreshing for a YA Fantasy novel).

The Bad: Sometimes Henrietta frustrated me with her bad decision making - but I think that actually made her a more believable character. I didn't like the character of Rook at any point throughout the story. So, hopefully he isn't the authors' favorite ship. 

The Bitter Truth: You don't know who to trust or who to believe or who will come out on top. The story never drags or falters. I didn't get bored, rather I tore through it in two days. Great read. 

How much did I like it?  *****

Book Bingo: Book with a Black Cover

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