Check out this review on my blog!

Fire with Fire — 5⭐️
Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Do you know the next best feeling after reading? When the book you read turns out to be something more than you expected, it blows your mind, so you can’t help but love it.

Fire with Fire by Destiny Soria is, no doubt, one of the best YA fantasies of 2021. If you can’t have enough dragons, this book is a must-read. A well-crafted tale of friendship, love, and sisterhood with delightful characters, engaging writing as well as heart-wrenching twists. Oh, and did I mention dragons?

“Heroics is rarely a good reason to join a fight,” James commented mildly.
“I don’t have anything to prove, just a score to settle.”
“Revenge is almost as bad.”
“But an excellent motivator.” said Analisa.

I heard about Fire with Fire before and got thrilled after reading the blurb. With the growing excitement, I dove straight into the story. We are introduced by the Riviera sisters, Eden and Dani. Being the eldest, Eden was the serious one and she always strived to be perfect. Well, ain’t that familiar. And there was Dani, carefree and determined to have a normal life. At least as normal as one could be when one’s family is a dragon slayer.

Opposites of each other, the sisters are tied by their family’s legacy which is to hunt all the dragons that are still roaming the earth because according to the story, they have caused destructions therefore they are dangerous and must be killed. But one turn of events and suddenly the sisters have to face each other. Through pain, heartbreak, and loss, their bond as sisters as well as the truth about dragons was thoroughly explored.

Sisterhood is something I could connect with right away in a story. It was no different in Eden and Dani’s case. I loved their dynamic and how contraries they were. Dani’s perspective was a joy to read. Her impulsive and fiery character made her side of the story had more color in it. Meanwhile, Eden’s perspective was darker but I enjoyed it just as much because of how deep her thoughts and emotions ran, and also the way she handled anxiety. I think the quotes below sum up their relationship earlier in the story pretty well.

“I’m not like you,” Dani said. “I fight to win.”
“So do I!”
“No, you fight to be perfect. It’s not the same.”

Aside from the sisters, other characters were no less interesting. We have Kieran, the mysterious guy with black hair that drives cool cars; Tomás was the fun, caring, and one-of-a-kind best friend who will reprimand anyone that carelessly throw away the word God or Jesus; Sadie, the childhood crush turned to a friend who is also a dragon nerd; and Frankie, the cool aunt who has the best food and advice.

Oh, and the dragons, they were incredible! Nox reminded me a bit of Toothless. Every time he quipped or giving a commentary about anything, I’d instantly think that this is what Toothless will say if we ever had the chance to hear it. And there was also Zephyr who’s alongside Nox and the other dragons, deserved the world. Despite everything he went through, he was still gentle and kind. I felt his warmth flowing through the pages and encase me, which was a nice feeling.

The relationship between the characters was beautiful. It highlighted the fact that even if you’re different from your sister, you’d still want to give up everything for her. Not to mention the wonderful friendship they found along the way. Their silly banter and their being protective of each other were something I thoroughly enjoyed. I don’t want to give away anything too much than I already have to but I will say that the friendship in this book is *chef’s kiss*

Maybe some part of her realized that there was no peace to be found in inflicting pain, no matter how satisfying it might be.

It is obvious that I’m taken by all the characters and I can’t choose a favorite but that’s not the only thing why I loved this book so much. Soria did a wonderful job by encapsulated this remarkable story into a standalone. There were no words wasted or crucial things left unexplained, or maybe, there’s a chance I missed them. The characters’ growth was done beautifully, the dragons were painted perfectly, the action and magic left me wanting more, and the ending was gratifying.

Overall, Fire with Fire was a spectacular, 5-starred YA fantasy standalone. Packed with heart-pounding action, jaw-dropping twists, tear-jerker moments, this book is perfect for those who are looking for a book that has it all: romance, magic, friendship, and dragons. Even though Eden and Dani’s adventure is over, I could see potentials for a sequel. And I’d support it with all my heart!

Note: The quotes were taken from the e-ARC. Please keep in mind that there could be any changes in the published version.

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