Author: Zoraida Cordova
Publication Date: 28 April 2020
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Page Count: 464
Reading Method: Physical
Synopsis:
I am Renata Convida.
I have lived a hundred stolen lives.
Now I live my own.
Renata Convida was only a child when she was kidnapped by the King’s Justice and brought to the luxurious palace of Andalucia. As a Robari, the rarest and most feared of the magical Moria, Renata’s ability to steal memories from royal enemies enabled the King’s Wrath, a siege that resulted in the deaths of thousands of her own people.
Now Renata is one of the Whispers, rebel spies working against the crown and helping the remaining Moria escape the kingdom bent on their destruction. The Whispers may have rescued Renata from the palace years ago, but she cannot escape their mistrust and hatred–or the overpowering memories of the hundreds of souls she turned “hollow” during her time in the palace.
When Dez, the commander of her unit, is taken captive by the notorious Sangrado Prince, Renata will do anything to save the boy whose love makes her place among the Whispers bearable. But a disastrous rescue attempt means Renata must return to the palace under cover and complete Dez’s top secret mission. Can Renata convince her former captors that she remains loyal, even as she burns for vengeance against the brutal, enigmatic prince? Her life and the fate of the Moria depend on it.
But returning to the palace stirs childhood memories long locked away. As Renata grows more deeply embedded in the politics of the royal court, she uncovers a secret in her past that could change the entire fate of the kingdom–and end the war that has cost her everything.
Review:
This was another Haley and Her Book Club pick – which is fabulous because I’ve been meaning to work my way through my beautiful Owlcrate editions. I have a horrible tendency to put them on the shelf and admire them without reading right away, and this gave me a reason to bump it right up to the top. And I’m happy I did!
There was a lot of great discussion throughout the process of reading this one. I do feel as though it was a bit of a slow start, but that is largely due to the fact Córdova is building an entire world and we are along for the ride. Sometimes this process can be a bit tedious, but results in something wonderful. What we have here is a unique world and interesting characters.
There is so much that happens and a ton of suspicion cast on characters and events, though I can’t get into detail without mega spoilers. But I can say there were some twists I definitely saw coming and others that caught me entirely by surprise.
This is the first book in a series and I fully intend to pick up the next book once it’s released!
You can purchase a copy of Incendiary here
