Illusions of Fire by Nisha Sharma

I'm still playing catch-up and was really looking forward to shouting 'Happy Book Birthday!' for this one. I might be a couple days late...it released on the 4th...but I'm still super excited about this one. It's been getting rave reviews and promises all sorts of unique twists and wonderful tension. 

So, let's not waste any more time and jump right in.

ILLUSIONS OF FIRE

by Nisha Sharma

Union Square & Co

YA Fantasy   /  Mythology

368 pages

Unlike most of her classmates, Laila Bansal doesn’t roll out of bed and head to school. Instead, she wakes up early and trains in hand-to-hand combat with her adopted aunts who, when not tending to their thriving vineyard, are immortal Rakshasi demons sworn to protect Laila. Laila was born into a mythological bloodline—one infused with magic and entrusted with Lord Krishna’s secrets of the universe. By all appearances, though, Laila leads a peaceful, protected life. 

Then Ahvi, the new boy in town, arrives and immediately seeks out Laila. He happens to be a descendant of a demi-god. Both his and Laila’s origin stories (found in the Mahabharata, an ancient Hindu epic poem about the great war between demi-gods, witches, and demons) come crashing to the forefront. Magical powers are activated, dark forces converge, and it looks like Laila’s quiet town in upstate New York might be the setting of the next epic battle. 

Author Nisha Sharma deftly weaves together romance, magic, and mythology in this contemporary young adult urban fantasy novel.

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MY TIDBITS

Rich mythical characters mix with modern day settings, tension, magic, and a dusting of romance to create a fast-paced read, which keeps readers in the pages until the very end.

Laila has been closely protected her entire life and is fated to achieve amazing things thanks to her unique bloodline. She must survive at all costs and has also has the training to guarantee it. The only thing causing some issues are her powers, which seem to gain a mind of their own, at times. When Karan, the descendant warrior of a demi-god, is set on a mission to destroy evil entities, he accidentally runs into her and sparks fly. Unfortunately, his uncle sees Laila as a huge threat, and Karan is soon caught in a tug-a-war. But there's more at play. While Karan and Laila do their best to defeat evil creatures, which come to light, the true villain is making his move. And it's not going to be pretty.

This is a very, well-woven read with characters to root for and tons of action along the way. While set in the modern world, this plays heavily into the mythological magic of Hinduism and keeps monsters, demons, and deities at the forefront. Everything flows together nicely, too. From a meeting at school to a deadly attack with blood-thirsty creatures, this book keeps readers on their toes. It never comes across as tacky or cheap, but lets the two worlds flow together in a seamless play. 

The mythology is a treat and adds a refreshing touch. From Laila's interesting aunts to even cuter beings, the mythology comes to life. It's rich, grabbing, and gives the entire world an ancient atmosphere with tons of depth. This melds nicely into Laila's and Karan's views and actions, grounding them while the fantasy flows. 

As to romance, it's sweet and builds nicely but doesn't overtake the action, either. Laila's strong personality meets Karan's to create fun back-and-forth taunting and smile worthy moments. While they grow together, there's also enough room for each one to develop their own, inner arcs as well. It makes both easy to like and root for as they find themselves in very difficult situations. And there are dark, difficult situations since the villain isn't exactly an easy one to deal with.

It's a great read for fantasy fans, who enjoy romance and are looking for something refreshingly new on the mythology end.