Sholm Pearly

Fire with Fire by Destiny Soria is a dragon fantasy YA novel. I don’t usually go for dragons but I liked the idea of following two sisters in a contemporary world of monster hunting and magic. Plus the cover is beautiful.

The story is in two voices, we have Dani, the impulsive, gifted and untamable one. The one that is confident and does what she wants, just because. And we have Eden, the older, the one who works hard, dedicates herself to the cause, never feels good enough, pushes herself all the time and ultimately has terrible anxiety. And both of them have been brought up to save humanity from the terrible threat of dragons. 

I really loved that the story was in two voices, it is always fun to see how a same event can be interpreted so differently, misunderstood or read in a very different light. I really enjoy that kind of story building and think this works particularly well in teen fiction – a time period in people’s lives when it isn’t always easy to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. 

 Another big bonus of the book was Eden. She  was such a layered character. Her difficulties make her so relatable and real, her panic attacks, anguish, struggles and continual fight against herself and threats. She might not be the type of person crowds might go for at first, but there is so much to dig and understand and feel for. She really was a nice highlight to the book. And by comparison Dani rang very hollow to me. She lacked personality and depth and seemed so superficial. There was something very childish about her, of course she is the youngest, but her motivation at first seemed very self centered despite the story about how she got her best friend. This is subjective of course, but I admit to have been almost bored by her sections at first.

The setting takes a lot of time to come together and I think there wasn’t such a need to dwell on many of the more mundane details. It felt dragging and a little heavy at first, but it made it clear which world we were in. Everything was explained in great details and I don’t think it was that necessary, even to get a sense of the sisters. 

Everything makes sense in this book and has a place, it fits in the overall story and was introduced for a reason. The plot is well rounded and thoroughly thought out. But it wasn’t something unforgettable or that sweeps you along and grabs at you intensely. I can’t really say it was a page turner and probably because all the Dani sections felt a little weak to me and needed more character depth. There were some good ingredients there that could have made for a more interesting character, but they went nowhere. She just felt so entitled in her attitude and speech.  

I think this will talk mainly to people who love dragon stories and sister friendships.