4 Stars!
Synopsis:
‘Startingly original… Readers will be lured into this tumultuous world of warring families, forbidden power, and heart-searing romance’ – Lyndall Clipstone (Lakesedge, Forestfall)
From the word-of-mouth fantasy sensation Kat Delacorte – the standout debut star of 2022 YA Lit Con (YALC) – comes the first instalment in a new YA fantasy duology.
Packed to the brim with bisexual and queer representation, With Fire in Their Blood is a simmering supernatural romance set in the crumbling Italian city of Castello, where mafia clans make the rules, dark magic pulses the streets and the sins of the past threaten to consume the present. . .
When sixteen-year-old Lilly arrives in Castello, she isn’t impressed.
A secluded town in the Italian mountains is not where she saw her last years of high school playing out.
Divided for generations by a brutal clan-family war, the two halves of Castello are kept from destroying each other by the mysterious General, a leader determined to maintain order and ‘purity’. . . whatever the cost.
Lilly falls in with the rebellious Liza, brooding Nico and sensitive Christian, and sparks begin to fly. But in a city where love can lead to ruin, Lilly isn’t sure she can trust anyone — not even herself.
And then she accidentally breaks Castello’s most important rule: when the General’s men come to test your blood, you’d better not be anything more than human…
Perfect for lovers of Chloe Gong, Renée Ahdieh and V.E. Schwab, With Fire in Their Blood is quality YA storytelling at its best by an exciting new voice in YA fantasy.
CW/TW: Violence/Blood Testing (Pinprick)/Death/Fire/Murder/Abuse/Physical Abuse/Emotional Abuse and Neglect. Others May be present.
Rep: Italian setting/Cast | Bi/Pan MC and LI | Queer Side Characters
Book Info:
- Length: 416 Pages
- Age/Genre: YA Fantasy/Supernatural Romance
- Publisher: Penguin
- Publishing: 1st September 2022
- Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09LLTRMR4/
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61267819-with-fire-in-their-blood
Review!
With Fire In Their Blood, by Kat Delacorte is an intriguing and compelling YA fantasy. The book is incredibly bingeable and easy to read. The prose is beautiful and vivid, conjuring up excellent scenes and settings and engaging descriptions of the characters and magic. Moreover, the prose is easy to read, flows well and is well paced. The narrative perspective we get is that of our Main Character Lilly. I really enjoyed the POV choice in this book, it worked well with this particular story as Lilly moves to Castello knowing very little about the city and it’s strange rules and laws. The POV allowed us to naturally learn about Castello and it’s customs slowly and organically and allowed us to piece together the truth slowly.
Delacorte creates absorbing atmospheres that draw you in and creates tension and mystery very well. The actual story is intriguing and unique – we get a Castello run by the mysterious ‘General’ who has managed to maintain a peace between two warring gangs. However, we slowly learn there is more to this story, a history somewhat reminiscent of Romeo & Juliet but yet with a refreshing and original take that gives this story and added layer and depth of mystery. Moreover, I enjoyed the mystery of the blood testing and the ‘Saints’ that we learn about upon Lilly’s arrival to Castello – I really enjoyed the history of, and learning the truth about, these ‘Saints’. There are a lot of twists and turns throughout this book that keep you invested and the untrustworthy streets and citizens of Castello keep you second guessing.
The actual magic was quite interesting, and all of the lore/mythology surrounding the magic was equally intriguing. I won’t spoil anything but I did this it was quite a unique take on magic and enjoyed learning more about it. The actual magic was interesting and actually had a cost to it’s use which was nice to see and I’m curious as to where this will be taken next.
The characters are all rather interesting with depth and strong characterisation. The story does centralise romance but not in the way you may expect – I was actually quite surprised at how the romance was used and am interested to see how this develops over the course of the series. Lilly was an interesting MC, stubborn and brash but also uncertain and vulnerable. However, she was not the only interesting character, I enjoyed learning more about Liza, Nico, Christian, Alex, and more all of the people that Lilly meets have their own motivations, secrets and stories and watching them slowly unravel was interesting. Similarly, the General was an intriguing character though I’ll leave this for you to find out yourself!
Overall, With Fire In Their Blood by Kat Delacorte is an intriguing and compelling fantasy with a lot of potential for the future of the series!
About The Author:
Kat Delacorte was eleven years old when her family moved from the United States to a small town in central Italy. She soon began writing stories about her new friends developing superpowers, and she hasn’t looked back since. She graduated with a BA in History from Columbia University, and lives in Venice, Italy.
*I received an eARC via Netgalley from Penguin in exchange for an honest review and for The Write Reads Blog Tour! Thank you*
KBbookreviews 
Fantastic review Kat, glad you enjoyed it!!
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Thank you!! 💜💜
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