YA Fantasy? Dragons? Representation of bisexuality and mental health topics? Yes please! Fire with Fire by Destiny Soria has everything that I’m looking for in a book!

Fire with Fire

Fire with Fire tells the story of two sisters who are part of a family of famous dragon slayers. The eldest of the two, Eden, has dedicated her entire life to become the best dragon slayer. Her younger sister Dani, however, continues to best her at most aspects without even trying. This fuels Eden’s natural tendency for anxiety even further, bringing the sisters continuously at odds with each other. But when Dani accidently forges a soul bond with a dragon, the two suddenly find themselves on the opposite end of a war. Eden is willing to do whatever it takes to bring her sister back to the teachings of her family, even if it means accepting help from questionable sorcerers…

An interesting tale of family, trust, and following your beliefs

As of the start, I was drawn into the story. Both main characters feel very “real”. I felt especially close with Eden, as her perfectionism and anxiety really struck home with me. I also loved the switching point of view. I had not expected that when I read the first chapter, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the narrative shifts between the two sisters. It helped a lot to get to know and empathise with both Eden and Dani, and it also lets you explore the changing power dynamics between the two in more depth. Really nice choice!

The characters are also very diverse and a lot of interesting topics are addressed like mixed heritages, bisexuality, anxiety etc. I also LOVED that one of the love interests in the novel is described as “pretty and fat”. Being a larger girl myself, I applaud any and all positive representation of “non-supermodel sized” characters. But what touched me the most, was this citation regarding mental health (spoilers removed):

There was still an empty space inside her, a dark, cold center that sometimes threatened to swallow up the light. But she was learning how to live with it, to summon love and compassion and kindness in spite of it, […]. She still had panic attacks sometimes. She still found herself spiraling into helplessness or obsessively checking scrapes and bruises for signs that they were really something much worse. Sometimes she still woke up in the dead of night, torn from a nightmare of darkness and dragonfire […]. […] hadn’t fixed her, but only because she wasn’t broken. She had her demons, just like everyone else. And just like everyone else, she was learning how to live with them. That was the best she could do, and most days it was enough.

And then there’s the Dragon. God I love myself a good dragon, especially one that is as sarcastic and as rude as this one. *chef’s kiss* He gave the story distinct Merlin vibes, which is still, according to me anyway, one of the best Arthurian retellings available. The dragon concept used in this book is very interesting, as they are described to have all the knowledge of their entire species. I know I’ve come across that idea before, but I cannot remember where. Furthermore, the human-dragon relationship as well as the source of all magic are very cool concepts that are well written and described. Nicely done.

Like for many young adult novels, “finding your own place in life” is one of the main themes and thanks to the changing point of view, the reader gets to explore this from different angles. And then there’s Aunt Frankie, a colourful supporting character who embodies this theme to the fullest as she stepped away from the family profession…and is still very much accepted. Frankie is everything I wish I could be:

But halfway through university, Frankie had announced to the family that she was dropping out to pursue her passions. Those passions had varied throughout the years. She’d backpacked through South America, taught yoga in Bali, worked on a self-sufficient eco farm in New Zeeland, and published three steamy romance novels under the pseudonym Ruby Rochester. […] Currently she was in the business of selling crocheted baby toys in the shape of mythical creatures – her specialty, of course, being dragons.

And last but not least, I also appreciated the intertextuality interwoven in this story. For example, there’s a very funny reference to the “Vampire!” scene in Twilight.

All in all an entertaining tale, with a lot of interesting character development and important themes. Therefore, I give it three out of five gemstones. Why not more, you say? I don’t have any points of critique, only that I didn’t fall in love with any of the characters in a long-term sort of way, which is usually what I would require to attribute more gemstones. So a very well deserved three gemstones and a lovely spot in my special editions collection:

The edition I own is the beautiful Fairyloot edition with an exclusive cover, sprayed yellow edges, artwork on the reverse of the dust jacket and foil embossing on the case by @icandrawthingz, and is signed by the author. If you are into special editions, I would definitely recommend this one!

Age Category: Young adults, also suitable for an older audience

Representation: Main character with anxiety. Bisexual main character.

Trigger Warnings (click here, may contain spoilers)

Very mild. Warnings for torture and anxiety attacks.

Do you want to discover more?

If my review inspired you to pick up the book, don’t hesitate to check it out at Goodreads or at the below online stores. If you decide to buy it via one of the following links, I will receive a small percentage at no extra charge for you!

Amazon.nl: Hardcover edition

Similar to this

As I’ve greatly enjoyed Fire with Fire, I’ve also put Destiny Soria’s Iron Cast on my TBR-list. This book takes place at an early 20th century nightclub and tells the tale of an unlikely pair: an intrepid daughter of immigrants and a devil-may-care  heiress. Both are able to weave magical illusions and they use their skillset to con the city’s elite in an attempt to keep the club afloat. I don’t know about you, but I’m getting  delicious Six of Crows vibes!

In 2023,Thief Liar Lady, Destiny Soria‘s first adult fantasy novel will be published. This will be a Cinderella retelling with con-artists and political intrigue. I’m so looking forward to it!

While the story of Fire with Fire brought to mind the The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini, there were also several elements that made me think of Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett. I recently published my review of this amazing duology (I think it deserves way more credit than it is getting) but I can already tell you now that there are some things that are similar, like the difficult sister relationship (though I HATED one of the two in Fawcett’s work and that was not at all the case in this book), the quest for finding out who you are, questionable love interests, and magical beings. Highly recommended series!