A Shadow Bright and Burning (Kingdom on Fire, Book One)

By: Jessica Cluess

Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham

"Vivid characters, terrifying monsters, and world building as deep and dark as the ocean."
--Victoria Aveyard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Red Queen

I am Henrietta Howel.
The first female sorcerer in hundreds of years.
The prophesied one.
Or am I?

Henrietta Howel can burst into flames.
Forced to reveal her power to save a friend, she's shocked when instead of being executed, she's invited to train as one of Her Majesty's royal sorcerers.

Thrust into the glamour of Victorian London, Henrietta is declared the chosen one, the girl who will defeat the Ancients, bloodthirsty demons terrorizing humanity. She also meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, handsome young men eager to test her power and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her.

But Henrietta Howel is not the chosen one.
As she plays a dangerous game of deception, she discovers that the sorcerers have their own secrets to protect. With battle looming, what does it mean to not be the one? And how much will she risk to save the city—and the one she loves?

Exhilarating and gripping, Jessica Cluess's spellbinding fantasy introduces a powerful, unforgettably heroine, and a world filled with magic, romance, and betrayal. Hand to fans of Libba Bray, Sarah J. Maas, and Cassandra Clare.

"The magic! The intrigue! The guys! We were sucked into this monster-ridden, alternative England from page one. Henrietta is literally a 'girl on fire' and this team of sorcerers training for battle had a pinch of Potter blended with a drop of [Cassandra Clare's] Infernal Devices."
--Justine Magazine

"Cluess gamely turns the chosen-one trope upside down in this smashing dark fantasy."
--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"Unputdownable. I loved the monsters, the magic, and the teen warriors who are their world's best hope! Jessica Cluess is an awesome storyteller!"
--Tamora Pierce, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"A fun, inventive fantasy. I totally have a book crush on Rook."
--Sarah Rees Brennan, New York Times bestselling author

"Pure enchantment. I love how Cluess turned the 'chosen one' archetype on its head. With the emotional intensity of my favorite fantasy books, this is the kind of story that makes you forget yourself."
--Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen

"A glorious, fast-paced romp of an adventure. Jessica Cluess has built her story out of my favorite ingredients: sorcery, demons, romance, and danger."
--Kelly Link, author of Pretty Monsters

Critic reviews

"Is it clear that Cluess adores the Harry Potter series and Jane Eyre? Yes. So do you. So does everyone. What matters is that her voice is her own. . . . A Shadow Bright and Burning delivers on the promise of its title. This is a novel that gives off light and heat."
—The New York Times

"Henrietta is pragmatic and bitingly funny, and she more than holds her own in a man’s world. Cluess gamely turns the chosen-one trope upside down in this smashing dark fantasy."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Jessica Cluess manages to hook the reader on the very first page. . . . The pages turn quickly and this first installment in the story is over before the reader will want it to be. The ending is perfect, too. Just enough of a conclusion to be satisfying, but also enough mystery to make readers anxious to see the next installment. Lovely debut novel by a talented writer."
—Huffington Post

Definitely has potential...

Any additional comments?

I liked the overall concept of this story although sometimes the characters annoyed me. I think I like one of them and then they go and do something stupid and have to redeem themselves. It was really up and down throughout the entire book but I think it has a lot of potential to become a great series.

Good

I really like this story, the narrator has a good voice and is easy to understand. In occasion, though, the sound quality changes a bit, like maybe it was edited in with a part recorded on a lower quality microphone or something. It doesn’t take away from the story but it happens a handle of times throughout the book. The story is interesting, doesn’t move too slowly, and has pretty good characters. Overall, I like it.

Don't listen to negative reviews

After reading several negative reviews about how this book was boring, hard to get through, or predictable, I almost did not use a credit on it. I am really glad I did.

First off, the performance of the narrator was incredible. Her voices were quite good, and her accents were nice to listen to. She was great witn dramatic pauses and voices, and added plenty of emotion to different characters. I am going to find other books she has narrated, because she seems really talented.

The story was really interesting. I found that I didn't know who to trust or distrust, and I was surprised by the final twists. I didn't necessarily find this book to be predictable. I didn't guess some of the twists and turns, but, then again, I'm not a picky reader. I thoroughly enjoyed the character developments throughout the book, especially that of Lord Blackwood. I enjoyed the historical aspects of the book, how it is almost like an alternate reality where magic exists. The setting was enjoyable, and so was the dialogue. I found myself amused at multiple points throughout the book.

Overall, a really good listen. Definitely worth the credit, and I will be buying the next two books.

Meh. Pride and prejudice meets Harry Potter? Not really

The story started off great. But it ended up dragging. I actually skipped through the last 1.5. The story has promise, and might come together next book. But I hate when a mystery drags on too long. The relationships didn't develop enough and romance some what flat. I'm shocked I'm not really giving it a good review. Because I love Fiona Hardingham. I could try to rethink k this book. It just seemed like they had a great idea but then met writers block and we had to sit through it too.

perfect for this time of year

This book is a perfect mix of magic, mystery, friendship (just thinking about what Rook and Henrietta have gives me all the warm feels) and creepiness (I say this as someone who absolutely can't handle horror so some people probably won't find this all that creepy but there was one sentence that really creeped me out, just thinking about the words and the way the narrator said them gives me chills). If people are looking for romance they really aren't gonna find any here, I mean there is kind of romance but also not, it can easily be dismissed and I liked it like that. I liked the fact that in my opinion it was all about friendship, the friendship between Rook and Henrietta but also the friendship between Henrietta and the other sorcerers. I did have some problems with Henrietta, but nobody is perfect. Overall I really liked it and recommend it to everyone!