Ignite the Sun

Written by Hanna Howard

Narrated by McKenzie Fetters

Once upon a time, there was something called the sun … In a kingdom ruled by a witch, the sun is just part of a legend about Light-filled days of old. But now Siria Nightingale is headed to the heart of the darkness to try and restore the Light—or lose everything trying.

Sixteen-year-old Siria Nightingale has never seen the sun. That’s because Queen Iyzabel shrouded the kingdom in shadow upon her ascent to the throne, with claims it would protect her subjects from the dangerous Light.

The Darkness has always left Siria uneasy, and part of her still longs for the stories of the Light-filled days she once listened to alongside her best friend Linden, told in secret by Linden’s grandfather. But Siria’s need to please her strict and demanding parents means embracing the dark and heading to the royal city—the very center of Queen Izybel’s power—for a chance at a coveted placement at court. And what Siria discovers at the Choosing Ball sends her on a quest toward the last vestiges of Light, alongside a ragtag group of rebels who could help her restore the sun … or doom the kingdom to shadow forever.

Ignite the Sun is:

• A YA fantasy adventure that is exciting and unique,
• An allegorical exploration of the struggle with anxiety and depression
• Perfect for listeners 13 and up
• A great gift for Christmas, birthday, or other gift giving holidays of young adult readers
• A good book club pick or cozy winter read

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blink
• Release date: Aug 18, 2020
• ISBN: 9780310734475

Hanna Howard

Hanna C. Howard started writing books in the fourth grade—and they were always about dogs. Her tastes have expanded since then, but her favorite stories still tend to have a dog in them somewhere. When she isn’t writing or reading with a pot of tea nearby, she prefers to be in her rambling cottage garden, conjuring beauty and nurturing compost. She lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with her husband, three young hobbit children, and their athletic rescue mutt.

Reviews for Ignite the Sun

[Tiara Downward · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Once upon a time there was something called the sun…

In the Kingdom of Terra-Volat, ruled by an evil witch, the citizens have not seen the sun in 16 years. Siria longs to please her distant parents and to be chosen by Queen Iyzabel and move to the Royal City. Siria's whole life is thrown upside down during the choosing ball when unimaginable truths come to light.

I can't believe how quickly I read this book. I could not put it down. Almost straight away we were thrown into the action and the pace never seemed to slow. The chapters were short and I found myself breezing through the pages.

I loved the world building and I was honesty not expecting the mythical creatures that entered this world. I loved getting to know all the different species and their unique gifts.

It was pleasantly surprising to see such a diverse group of main characters. Unlike your usualy YA fantasy with a group of teenagers coming to the rescue, the story follows a child, two teenages, a woman and an old man, all of varying species. While it takes time for some of these characters to warm up to one another they soon form a strong bond formed on bravery and mutual respect.

While I do love the tropes of the lost orphaned princess turned chosen one it was fresh to see that Siria waa not destined to take the throne, but instead the Crown Prince had grown up in secret, preparing for the return of his sister and the return of the sun.

While I strongly enjoyed this book, there are a few things that stopped me from giving it 5 stars.

While the action and suspense started early in the book, we never actually got to see any of it. Everytime things got tough and arrows start flying Siria suddenly passes out or is magically sent away to safety. She always walked away relatively unharmed. This really dulled the story and I almost found myself loosing interest.

I also wasn't the biggest fan of the romance. I didn't feel any sort of connection with these characters and really was not invested in their relation.

While this was a great debut novel, there is plenty of room for the author to grow and I can't wait to read what she writes next. All in all I rather enjoyed this story and I recommend it you enjoy stories of mythical creatures and quests to save the world!

I received a free eARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a fun YA read with a world caught in darkness and a murderous queen who is trying to keep the darkness no matter what the consequences and a girl who just might have the power to stop her.Some of it is a little simple but overall I found it charming.

[librarianryan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I listened to this audiobook courtesy of Netgalley. I quite enjoyed it. It was a nice break when you need a light hearted story to pass the time away. Now some may argue my “lighthearted” story. This is about the sources of light and darkness, good and evil. And It is very literal. The world is dark. No sun, just night. The queen of the night has been “good” to her people or so they think. But one child achieving womanhood will change all that. This child is the last Sun child. And the only magic being that can truly bring the sun to the dark evil queen’s land. So much of this book is traveling, or questing to get from one land to another. They have to get out of the dark lands, and into the North where Siria can fully develop her power, find her true family, and help defeat the evil queen Iyzabel. Of course there is a love interest. It wouldn’t be a YA book without it. And there is fear of doing the right thing, and the awkwardness of “shining you light” to be who you truly are and not just who your parents want you to be. I believe this is a standalone and I am happy with it. It doesn’t need a sequel, and I’m not sure I would read one if there was. The story did what it was meant to do, bring light to the darkness.

[hes7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Living in a kingdom of darkness (ruled by an evil queen, of course), Siria Nightingale grew up in awe of tales of the Light. On her sixteenth birthday, she discovers that she just might hold the power to restore her home to its true, light-filled state—and luckily, she has her childhood mentor and best friend to help her see it all accomplished.As Siria then embarks on a dangerous, but necessary journey, Hanna C. Howard imbues her story with creative magic and plenty of action, keeping it moving at a relatively fast pace. While I do not think I completely wrapped my head around the magic of Siria’s world, I was fascinated to see it incorporated throughout the battle between light and dark (which surprised me with its allegorical commentary on mental health). I look forward to reading more from Howard in the future.I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.