Name: Spark to Shadow
ISBN: 9781735796901

Atima Kim

Fang, a young witch with the power of fire is set to become the next matron of her family coven, as soon as she chooses a consort, a foreign consort. Featuring a bachelor-esque competition, Avatar-like elemental magic, bold adventures, and a handful of dragons, this book marks the first chapter to a brand new series that tells the story of a new generation struggling to find peace after times of turmoil and discovering ways to bring their countries together through love and friendship. A romantic, Asian-Inspired Own Voices fantasy sure to thrill YA fantasy fans.

Spark to Shadow

Megan Lowe

6 stars.

My first six star book of the year.
This book was EVERYTHING!
I loved the strong female characters. I love the amusing male characters.
I absolutely loved the Asian rep. It is SO incredibly exciting to see more and more Asian books on the market. They’ve been fairly underrepresented and to see them coming? They warm my heart and make this half-Chinese girl feel seen.
I loved how confident Fang was, but also questioned herself when she needed to. I loved how confident sex is discussed in this book, although I can foresee some people having issues with the way men are treated. 
I loved the magic system and the world building. It’s not thrown at you all at once, but built upon slowly. 
I did have an issue with the grammar in this book, the use of commas in particular, but as I was reading an ARC I hope that was fixed in editing.
Still, this book is incredible. To see such rich cultures on the page? To see such strong women, to see equality, of all kinds? It’s exactly what the world needs right now.
Run, don’t walk, to grab a copy of this book!

Ahaana Bhargava

i stand by what i said earlier: a diverse version of the selection with less annoying characters, witches, and dragons, set in an east-asian inspired world.


  4.25 stars

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Spark to Shadow

Author: Atima Kim

Book Series: Standalone

Diversity: Thai own voice

Rating: 5/5

Recommended For...: ya readers, fantasy, Thai culture and own voice, sex positive z gender reversed

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publication Date: February 1, 2021

Publisher: Indie Published

Pages: 468

Recommended Age: 16+ (sexual content, consent, purity culture, xenophobia, sex positive, and gender norms)

Synopsis: 1Long ago, the covens of the east made a pact to bring peace to the continent. To unite the clans and create a new era of witches, starting with the next generation of matrons. Fang is the first witch of her generation to reach her debut, as the next matron of her coven she has the unique honor of being the first one to fulfill the pact. For the first time in centuries, a Miangese witch will take a foreign consort. Luckily, Fang already has someone in mind. Taken in by the Sun coven in the mountain kingdom of Anda, Fang is more than happy to entertain the alluring young lords of the ruby clan as they compete to win her affections, not knowing her choice has already been made. Or so she thought. Until a chance encounter brings to light the existence of something Fang previously thought to be quite rare, a male witch. The meeting of this young shadow witch— a boy who Fang now owes a debt— starts a chain of events that will make Fang question everything she thought she knew about her Andan allies. In an effort to help him escape his oppressors, Fang and the shadow witch discover a dark presence that is slowly poisoning the innocent citizens of mortal Anda, and a dangerous weapon that could threaten the very peace of the pact that Fang is bound to uphold. As she, her friends, and her new shadow witch companion work to fight against these looming forces, Fang's feelings towards her own choices slowly start to shift. She must decide what is more important to her, who she wants by her side, and most of all- what she's willing to give up in order to be the leader her people need.

Review: I really liked this book! It's own voice, it's gender reversed, and it's so good! The book had me hooked at the beginning and the world building kept me there. The characters were also highly developed and I loved the overall story!

My only concern is that some of the pacing lags a bit in the middle but overall I loved it.

Verdict: highly recommend!

Heather Killeen

Rating: 3.5/5 Journeys through the darkness

Format: Thank you Atima Kim and TBR Beyond Tours for a copy of this paperback in exchange for an honest review!

To Sum up:
Lady Fang is a warrior, dragon rider, and fierce fire witch, but on her 20th birthday, she has to choose a consort from the eligible foreign Lords and take up the mantle of coven matron/leader. In this story, we follow Fang and her best friends through the beautiful world Kim created, rich in sensory details, as she tries to find a partner worthy to be her consort. She doesn't expect to meet a young outcast shadow gift during her search, or the unexpected ways he will change her fate.

Review:
I loved the worldbuilding and the romance in this story! Fang is a responsible and strong-willed character that I loved to root for. I found the perspective on sex-positive relationships in this story setting really fun and refreshing, and the descriptions of Fang's conflicting desires was vividly wrought! I wasn't quite sure where the plot was going during the middle, but the chemistry between characters definitely kept me reading.

I had some issues with the writing style, particularly in the beginning where things felt overly descriptive at times. That plus the sagging middle plot wise dropped my star rating a bit, but I LOVED the dragons at the end! 🔥

Overall, this was a fun and spicy story perfect for fans of court intrigue, romance, DRAGONS, magic, and Asian-inspired settings!

Favorite Quotes!
A witch was her own best weapon.

"A story like that deserves to be worn with pride," I told him. "In Miang we'd consider the scar a badge of honor, it's evidence that you lived through something that others might not have."

No doubt about it, night was his element. He looked like a dark angel stealing out of the night to shepherd in the wings of death.

There is no wrong choice, only choices that have consequences.

"If I'm the fire you're the smoke. Can't have one without the other, now can I?"

Spark to Shadow

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Highlights