Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan - Review

Publisher - Clarion Books (5th April)

In a city divided between opulent luxury in the Light and fierce privations in the Dark, a determined young woman survives by guarding her secrets. Lucie Manette was born in the Dark half of the city, but careful manipulations won her a home in the Light, celebrity status, and a rich, loving boyfriend. Now she just wants to keep her head down, but her boyfriend has a dark secret of his own one involving an apparent stranger who is destitute and despised. Lucie alone knows the young men's deadly connection and even as the knowledge leads her to make a grave mistake, she can trust no one with the truth. Blood and secrets alike spill out when revolution erupts. With both halves of the city burning, and mercy nowhere to be found, can Lucie save either boy or herself? (Publishers' Blurb)

I received an advance reader copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

After reading the blurb on Netgalley, I was excited to be approved for this. The premise really intrigued me and I loved the concept of a book based on 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens.

One of the main strengths of this book was that the rationale behind magic was explained creatively and the world was as darkly intriguing as I hoped it would be. In places, the plot turned disturbing and I think this was necessary for the volatile circumstances of this world. The pacing and the author's writing style also kept my interest. Lucie's family background and her experiences of both light and dark magic were more of my favourite aspects.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It ticked a lot of my usual boxes, including the well-realised world, plenty of action and romance. There was just something about it that left me not quite as invested as I like to be. I think this was a combination of the plot feeling quite familiar and Lucie's character not fully winning me over.

I've read other work by Sarah Rees Brennan and I would read more of her books, although this isn't my favourite.