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Incendiary (Hollow Crown) Hardcover – 28 April 2020
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An epic tale of love and revenge set in a world inspired by Inquisition-era Spain pits the magical Moria against a terrifying royal authority bent on their destruction.
'Epic and spellbinding' Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles series
Renata was only a child when she was kidnapped by the crown. As a memory thief, the rarest and most feared of the magical Moria, she was used to carry out the King's Wrath, a siege that resulted in the deaths of thousands of her own people.
Now Renata is one of the Whispers, a rebel spy working against the crown. When Dez, her commander - and the boy she's grown to love - is taken captive by the notorious Principe Dorado, Renata must return to the palace and complete his top-secret mission herself. Can she keep her cover, 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 memories long locked away. As Renata grows more deeply embedded in the royal court, she uncovers a secret that could change the fate of the entire kingdom - and end the war that has cost her everything.
'A compelling world filled with beautiful, brutal magic and characters that feel real enough to touch' Sara Holland, New York Times-bestselling author of Everless
- Print length464 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHodder & Stoughton
- Publication date28 April 2020
- Dimensions16 x 4 x 23.6 cm
- ISBN-101473677572
- ISBN-13978-1473677579
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Review
Gorgeous world building, searing suspense, and a huge cast of fascinating, complex characters . . . I loved every minute of it ― Claire Legrand, New York Times bestselling author of Furyborn
A compelling world filled with beautiful, brutal magic and characters that feel real enough to touch -weighed down by memory and fueled by love and vengeance. ― Sara Holland, New York Times-bestselling author of Everless
A brilliant novel full of memory and magic, love and vengeance. ― Kat Howard, author of An Unkindness of Magicians
The Spanish Inquisition with much-needed magic, a lush world, and heart-stopping intrigue . . . I couldn't get enough of this sweeping journey of love and loyalty! ― Lilliam Rivera, author of The Education of Margot Sanchez
The thrills and reversals of fortune come thick and fast ― The Guardian
A story that's refreshingly different in setting ― SFX
Honestly, there's nothing that I didn't like about this story. It's beautifully written, and each character has their own memorable personality . . . Add it to your TBR, because I'm telling you, you're not going to want to miss it ― The Nerd Daily
I can't wait for the next book and to see what happens next ― The Anxious Bookworm
There's a lot going on in this book - lots of twists right up until the end! ― The Bookish Girl
It combined everything I love in a YA fantasy ― This is Book Ramblings
One of my most anticipated reads of 2020... I just blew through this. I loved it, I want more ― Niffler Reads
This book captured my heart ― Tea Books Magic
I found myself absorbed ― By the Book
Bear with me as I try to put to words how fucking awesome this book is and how it's now one of my TOP reads ever, which is no easy feat ― The Book Wraiths Nook
An engaging and action-packed fantasy ― Scorpio Book Dreams
I cannot wait for the second book in this series. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS ― Kirsty Reads Blog
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Hodder & Stoughton (28 April 2020)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 464 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1473677572
- ISBN-13 : 978-1473677579
- Dimensions : 16 x 4 x 23.6 cm
- Best Sellers Rank: 700,562 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 617 in Magician Biographies
- 1,200 in Paranormal & Urban Fantasy for Young Adults
- 1,913 in Paranormal Romance for Young Adults
- Customer reviews:
About the author
Zoraida Córdova is the acclaimed author of more than a dozen novels and short stories, including the Brooklyn Brujas series, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge: A Crash of Fate, and The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina. In addition to writing novels, she serves on the Board of We Need Diverse Books, and is the co-editor of the bestselling anthology Vampires Never Get Old, as well as the cohost of the writing podcast, Deadline City. She writes romance novels as Zoey Castile. Zoraida was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and calls New York City home. When she’s not working, she’s roaming the world in search of magical stories. For more information, visit her at zoraidacordova.com.
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Top reviews from United Kingdom
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- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 May 2021I gulped this in one sitting - this is sooo good! I’m glad I’m reading it now when I have the next book cos I would have been driven insane!
Soo many twists and turns and back and forths - I don’t know who to trust except to think trust no one! The revelations at the end had me glued to the screen. I’m deducting half a mark just because of the frustration of trying to piece everything together.
Amazing!
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 April 2020I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Incendiary has been on my radar for ages because I loved the idea of a Spanish Inquisition-inspired fantasy novel. Despite my recent ups and downs with YA fantasy, I gave my first Zoraida Cordova book a try, and I ended up really enjoying it! While I think that a lot more could have gone into the world-building and the characters, it is such a fun and addicting read with a great ending.
I think the thing that will draw most readers in -- like me -- is the 15th century Spanish setting. I really loved the world of this book and the way Cordova shows the reader everything from the highest tiers of society to the lowest social classes and oppressed rebels. The contrast is especially vivid when put into context by Renata’s character, who has a foot in both worlds. My only wish was that there was more world-building detail, however this is just because I’m totally greedy for the intricate details of clothing, food, architecture, and culture. We get a bit of this kind of detail-- enough to flesh out the world and help the reader put the scenes into context -- but there was so much potential for a lush and gorgeous world.
I felt similar regarding the magic system -- it was really interesting but I would have loved to see more. I loved the Moria’s history and they way they are using their powers to fight back against their oppressors. While most of the Moria’s magic was pretty straightforward and very cool, there were bits that left me a little confused, especially regarding Ren’s abilities to remove and store memories. It would have been great to have Ren’s magic fleshed out a little more for better clarity and understanding.
There is a decent sized cast of characters, despite the fact that we only get one perspective. Renata is our main character and we see the story through her eyes. While I liked her and understood her motivations, I just didn’t connect with her as strongly as I have with other similar heroines. It’s hard to create a fully fleshed out character who doesn’t possess many of her own memories from her childhood, however I wish I was able to have that stronger connection with er! I ended up loving the secondary characters, especially Leo, and found them more memorable than the heroine herself. However, I think that she will get more development as the series progresses and I’m so eager to see where Ren's story goes!
Incendiary is a great YA summer read filled with twists and turns. The ending left me desperate for more, and I’m incredibly excited to see where the series goes next!
CW: gore, murder, torture
3.75 out of 5 stars
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 March 2023This gift was well received. No complaints
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 May 2021Very much enjoyed the book which keeps you on your toes and gets you a bit hot under the collar at times.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 April 2020This was such a unique, well-crafted fantasy and I felt utterly immersed in Renata's story. I loved the way that the story was slowly unraveled, showing the build up and allowing us as readers to piece together different plot threads to reveal the bigger picture.
I loved Córdova's evocative, rich style of writing so much.The book feels intoxicating with endlessly beautiful language and creative touches that really bring this intricate world to life. It's lyrical and magical, with gorgeous word choices but without losing focus, as flowery prose can do if used by the wrong hands. It's such a deceptive book, with so many secrets and twists and turns. Every time you think you know where it's going to go, Córdova unleashes yet another excellent twist.
Renata herself cannot remember everything, hiding a lot of her childhood trauma within the Gray, which blocks out her own memories. As she slowly regains these memories, the many layers of the plot shift and change along her own personal development. I really enjoyed this blend of action with character growth and the way that Renata truly was the driving force of the story. Córdova builds up action in subtle moments in the background, but her focus is always on our complex and intriguing heroine, who I am excited to see grow even more in the sequel.
With Renata, Córdova gives voice to those who have ever felt ostracised, as she is perpetually sidelined and mistrusted. She sees herself and many others share her viewpoint as only being a weapon to be utilised, a loose cannon whose fuse is burning up. As she slowly begins to grasp her own identity, which is a precarious journey based on smoke-like memories and images, we utterly relate to her struggles and that idea of not knowing your true self rings so vividly.
Incendiary is a ticking time bomb of a book that hones in on its endlessly interesting protagonist before unveiling a barrage of excellent plot twists and an ending that left me craving more.
Top reviews from other countries
- Mario A. EscamillaReviewed in the United States on 17 February 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Better than what I expected and now I'm eager to read the next book!
A brilliant novel, yes it's based on some fantasy tropes, but "Incendiary" by Zoraida Córdova delivers the action, intrigue and twists that make it a refreshing read.
Renata Convida has the power to steal someone's memories with her touch, making her one of the few people in the world with this power. The current king is on a crusade to eliminate all magic users and she is a reluctant part of the resistance. But before a mission, she inadvertently compromises his cell leader and lover, Dez. Trying to rescue him, she witnesses her death and vows to avenge him.
She infiltrates the king's castle, earning again the trust of the king's justice, who had kidnapped her as a child. The intrigue and plot twists in this part are fantastic and I confess I didn't expect the final turn of events, as my suspicions were on other characters.
Vibrant, full of details and lore, this book is fantastic. I can't wait to read the next one in the series, where Renata must end the kingdom with the help of her greatest enemy.
Recommended!
-
Alex HGReviewed in France on 15 December 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Adoré !
4,5/5 🔥
J'ai adoré ! Même si certaines choses se devinent facilement, j'ai adoré les retournements de situations, les personnages et le dénouement final 👀👌
J'ai vraiment été vite happée par l'histoire, ponctuée de révélations et d'actions 🙌
- Kindle CustomerReviewed in Canada on 29 December 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!
Amazing! 10/10. Highly recommend this one. Very excited for the next in this series. Pre-order the next book already! Read it!
- 3rd Place LibraryReviewed in the United States on 9 May 2022
4.0 out of 5 stars Fast, Gripping And A Beautiful Spanish Fantasy
This book is fast and high staked from page one. Setting is well written and easy to set into. The fantasy magics of the Moria and rebellion Whispers was unique. The only irritations I faced from the start was the main character, Ren(ata) who was one of those characters that is annoying with her "poor me, I'm such a terrible person and deserve no love or happiness - but I'm not going to do much about that other than wallow in my own pitty". She was all self-absorbed emotion with no thought to her surroundings, consequences, or others. Initially reminded me of Marie Lu's Young Elite series.
With a comparison to other novels (such as above mentioned and SJM's Throne of Glass), this does not at all reflect on Zoraida Cordova's originality. She created a high staked SPANISH series that is beautiful, highly unique and intriguing. It is definitely on the younger scale of the young-adult genre. Cordova hooks you with an easy and smooth writing style. For this being a duology, she does a great job of developing her world building quickly without leaving too much room for error or open ended questions.
The Moria are magically gifted civilians in this Spanish fantasy, outcasted by the kingdom rulers. The Whispers are the rebellion to this ruthless dominion, constantly hunted or used for his own terrible devices. These magics consist of the illusionari - those who can conduct illusions, persuari - those who can persuade other's by use of their emotions, ventari - those who can read the minds of others, and the robari - those who can steal the memories of others and the most rare.
There are many things that go on this book. Obviously you deal with the corrupt kingdom and the rebellions attempts to fight back, regain control, and just stay alive. You have our main character's grey. She is a robari who can remember every memory she has ever stolen but not much of her own. Figuring out her own missing memories and struggle to reign in her power is key to the story. The palace and its rulers secrets/interworkings is key #3. First we deal with the rebellion and all of Renata's insecurities. Quickly, we change routes and enter the lion's mouth itself after major happenings in the first 1/4 of the book.
Personally, I enjoyed the book more once we reached the 3/4 section of the book. The deep dive into the palace, rulers, and secrets was most interesting and I feel most thought out. There was just enough drama happening and the tension was high. I was waiting for covers to be bust open at any moment. Right at page 316, I was kind of losing my shit as I finally started to get where this book was going.
P.S. the flamenco scene gave me so much life!!! The entire sSpanish representation was life itself for me!!!
At the beginning, the characters fell extremely short for me. Renata was terrible and whiny. Half of her patrol group hated her, the other half didn't deserve her. They lost all their effect and meaning for the first half of the book. That being said, everything, and I mean everything picked up by the half-way point. The characters we were introduced to were more interesting and served more purpose. Therefore, my investment in everyone of them increased. Leo was the side character this book needed. By this point, Renata herself finally started to settle with me and lose the majority of all annoyance I originally felt towards her.
The romance we get is the driving source for Renata's journey. Her journey was self love and learning to let go of her notion that she was undeserving. We get romance at the beginning but it dies off about 2/4 of the way in. I feel like there will be struggle here in the next installment.
Overall:
This book was a bit iffy for me starting out. I had no thoughts of possibly not finishing it. I knew I was going to finish it. I just didn't expect me to like it as much as I did by the end. Although it was fast paced from the start, I didn't find myself desperate to flip as many pages as possible until the last quarter. I couldn't drink this book fast enough at that point. I am definitely excited to read its conclusion. I had been wanting to read from Zoraida Cordova since her debut but barely got around to it now. I am extremely glad I got to. She has made me a fan out of her from this book. The fact that she is a huge Latinx representative is even better. I loved the representation!!
3rd Place Library
Reviewed in the United States on 9 May 2022
With a comparison to other novels (such as above mentioned and SJM's Throne of Glass), this does not at all reflect on Zoraida Cordova's originality. She created a high staked SPANISH series that is beautiful, highly unique and intriguing. It is definitely on the younger scale of the young-adult genre. Cordova hooks you with an easy and smooth writing style. For this being a duology, she does a great job of developing her world building quickly without leaving too much room for error or open ended questions.
The Moria are magically gifted civilians in this Spanish fantasy, outcasted by the kingdom rulers. The Whispers are the rebellion to this ruthless dominion, constantly hunted or used for his own terrible devices. These magics consist of the illusionari - those who can conduct illusions, persuari - those who can persuade other's by use of their emotions, ventari - those who can read the minds of others, and the robari - those who can steal the memories of others and the most rare.
There are many things that go on this book. Obviously you deal with the corrupt kingdom and the rebellions attempts to fight back, regain control, and just stay alive. You have our main character's grey. She is a robari who can remember every memory she has ever stolen but not much of her own. Figuring out her own missing memories and struggle to reign in her power is key to the story. The palace and its rulers secrets/interworkings is key #3. First we deal with the rebellion and all of Renata's insecurities. Quickly, we change routes and enter the lion's mouth itself after major happenings in the first 1/4 of the book.
Personally, I enjoyed the book more once we reached the 3/4 section of the book. The deep dive into the palace, rulers, and secrets was most interesting and I feel most thought out. There was just enough drama happening and the tension was high. I was waiting for covers to be bust open at any moment. Right at page 316, I was kind of losing my shit as I finally started to get where this book was going.
P.S. the flamenco scene gave me so much life!!! The entire sSpanish representation was life itself for me!!!
At the beginning, the characters fell extremely short for me. Renata was terrible and whiny. Half of her patrol group hated her, the other half didn't deserve her. They lost all their effect and meaning for the first half of the book. That being said, everything, and I mean everything picked up by the half-way point. The characters we were introduced to were more interesting and served more purpose. Therefore, my investment in everyone of them increased. Leo was the side character this book needed. By this point, Renata herself finally started to settle with me and lose the majority of all annoyance I originally felt towards her.
The romance we get is the driving source for Renata's journey. Her journey was self love and learning to let go of her notion that she was undeserving. We get romance at the beginning but it dies off about 2/4 of the way in. I feel like there will be struggle here in the next installment.
Overall:
This book was a bit iffy for me starting out. I had no thoughts of possibly not finishing it. I knew I was going to finish it. I just didn't expect me to like it as much as I did by the end. Although it was fast paced from the start, I didn't find myself desperate to flip as many pages as possible until the last quarter. I couldn't drink this book fast enough at that point. I am definitely excited to read its conclusion. I had been wanting to read from Zoraida Cordova since her debut but barely got around to it now. I am extremely glad I got to. She has made me a fan out of her from this book. The fact that she is a huge Latinx representative is even better. I loved the representation!!
Images in this review - SihameReviewed in France on 23 January 2021
4.0 out of 5 stars So goood !
I loved it ! Read in a week ( didn’t have time because of school. At first it is a bit slow but the writing kept me reading. You think you know where the book is going but the writer kept surprising us, in a good way of course! Im very excited for the next book coming !