A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess is the first book in her Kingdom on Fire series and I have to admit, I loved every minute of this story. As soon as I picked it up, I didn’t want to put it down until I finished.

Henrietta Howel has been keeping a secret from everyone but her best friend – she can control flames. As a teacher at the Brimthorn School for Girls, she struggles to hide the part of her that would expose her for a witch and get her executed but when a sorcerer visits the school after hearing that there have been unexpected and sometimes uncontrollable fires, something happens that forces her to reveal herself. When she finds out she is the one the order has been looking for because of a prophecy, and that she isn’t really a witch but a sorcerer, things quickly change for Henrietta.

I really liked Henrietta as a main character. She is smart and she sometimes did things that put her in danger but she tended to do them for all the right reasons. When Henrietta actually learns why she is so valuable to the sorcerers she actually jumps right into learning more about herself and those around her. What she finds out is something she wasn’t really anticipating and it was great to see her navigate her way through the challenges she faced. I thought as a character, Henrietta had quite a bit of growth throughout this book and I look forward to seeing what’s in store for her next.

I thought the world building in this book was really well done. Yes, London is the setting but the London this group of characters live in is at war with a group of Ancients that routinely attack the people in the in the city and it is filled with magicians who are hiding, sorcerers who have pledged themselves to serve the Queen, and even a hobgoblin as a doctor. Add to this the history of the Ancients and what they are doing and it all came together really well.

Outside of Henrietta, there are a number of characters in this book that help to move the story forward. First, the sorcerer who finds her at the school is Master Agrippa. As an orphan, Henrietta eventually came to view him as somewhat of a father figure and I can’t blame her. Once she knew he wasn’t going to kill her because of her ability, she began to trust him and he was always there to help her. Agrippa took her into his home and began to train her to control her power. He gave her a life she never expected and the fact that he allowed Rook, her best friend to stay with her, only encouraged her to think of him that way.

Rook is Henrietta’s best friend although I hesitate to describe him as that. Yes, he is her friend but it is clear they both care for each other as more than that and they are both willing to do whatever they can to keep each other safe. Rook grew up an orphan with Henrietta at the school but because of what he is (an Unclean), he had a very different role at the school. An Unclean is someone who has been attacked by an Ancient. Rook was attacked and survived but has scars that cause him great pain. The scars are also a direct link to the Ancient who attacked him and this is important because as the attacks from the Ancients continue, Rook plays a critical role in the story.

There are also a number of boys within the Order and they are all solid characters. There are two that stand out more than the others – Blackwood and Magnus. I’m not going to say much about these two but I am excited to see where Cluess takes Henrietta’s relationships with these two in the next book. Where Magnus almost immediately embraces Henrietta into the group, Blackwood holds back. They both have their reasons and while things change drastically for all of these characters by the end of the book, I loved seeing not only the building of the friendships and the trust throughout the book but also the growth both Magnus and Blackwood had because of everything that happens.

There are some other characters that have critical roles in the story. Hargrove is the magician that Henrietta meets and ultimately becomes interested in learning more from…for many reasons that I can’t share. She actually meets him her first day in London and when he reveals some secrets, Henrietta is pulled into something she never expected to be. Plus...he pretty much says whatever he wants to and I loved everything about that. There is also another member of the order that is just looking for a reason to discredit Henrietta but you will have to read the book to find out more about that.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. If you like magic, danger, intrigue, great characters, and a fantastic story, you should definitely consider checking this book out. As a first book in the series, the pacing was well done and the story had me turning the pages to see what would happen next. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book to see where the story goes next. Go get this one my friends, I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!