OMG! Read this book!

Seriously, I can't even wait for Tuesday to do my usual post, because this book was just that freaking awesome and I wanted you all to put it on your TBR piles NOW!

What book am I raving about?

FIRELIGHT by Sophie Jordan

Here's the Good Reads description:

With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret. 


First off, total cover lust, right? I can't say I've ever been a big fan of dragons (very high fantasy, IMO), but this cover just screamed: Read me now, gosh darn it!  So I did.

The first thing that grabbed me was the writing.  It's present tense & it works.  That takes talent right there.  Plus, the writing is descriptive and lyrical.  I had no trouble imagining the world Jordan built or what Jacinda felt as she unfurled her wings in flight.  As I reader, I was right there with Jacinda every step of the way.  It was immediate and painful and heartachingly romantic.

I stayed up reading until midnight or later three nights in a row.  IN A ROW, people!  I'm a person who closely guards my sleep.  This book intruded on it & I would've given up even more time if my eyelids would have cooperated in staying open.

Now, some folks on Goodreads complain because it has a main character, who's a paranormal creature, and a really hot guy is inexplicably drawn to her.  First, we know by the end why the characters are drawn to each other.  But more importantly, that's the general story line of all paranormal romance.  If you don't like that plot, then don't read in the genre.  But if you do like your men attractive and your characters supernatural, then I don't think this book will disappoint.

Also, the plot.  Hunted falling for the hunter... yeah, that's sort of Twilight. (So the lion fell in love with the lamb.)  But there were so many twists in there and Jacinda really was a strong character.  She had to really battle to be who her mom and twin sister needed her to be while still staying true to herself.  When it came down to it, Jacinda had backbone and roasted some cheerleaders in the bathroom.  And the end was completely unexpected for me.  I don't want to spoil anything for you, so you'll just have to read it yourself.

My only gripe about it is that it ended too soon!  I wanted more, more, more.  And like I complained about with 13 to Life, it really wasn't a stand alone novel.  I mean, if there was never any more books in this series, readers would go NUTS.  (Oh, and I don't really like the name Jacinda.  Does anyone care?  No, probably not.)

Overall, this book gets my first-ever HFAC (Holy Flipping Animal Crackers) designation - a whopping 5 out of 4 Greek coins.  In my opinion, it's the best book I've read this year.