I’ve read fantasies before, but usually ones with much less world building and magic to explain. This was probably more due to my inexperience with high fantasy than anything else. But for whatever reason, although I was truly enjoying Incendiary from the beginning, I struggled with it for nearly 200 pages before it fully clicked for me. Usually after 50-100 pages, I’ve been sucked into a story. I have to start this review with a confession: It took me a long time to really get into Incendiary. As Renata grows more deeply embedded in the politics of the royal court, she uncovers a secret in her past that could change the entire fate of the kingdom–and end the war that has cost her everything. Can Renata convince her former captors that she remains loyal, even as she burns for vengeance against the brutal, enigmatic prince? Her life and the fate of the Moria depend on it.īut returning to the palace stirs childhood memories long locked away.

But a disastrous rescue attempt means Renata must return to the palace under cover and complete Dez’s top secret mission. When Dez, the commander of her unit, is taken captive by the notorious Sangrado Prince, Renata will do anything to save the boy whose love makes her place among the Whispers bearable. The Whispers may have rescued Renata from the palace years ago, but she cannot escape their mistrust and hatred–or the overpowering memories of the hundreds of souls she turned “hollow” during her time in the palace. Now Renata is one of the Whispers, rebel spies working against the crown and helping the remaining Moria escape the kingdom bent on their destruction. As a Robari, the rarest and most feared of the magical Moria, Renata’s ability to steal memories from royal enemies enabled the King’s Wrath, a siege that resulted in the deaths of thousands of her own people. Renata Convida was only a child when she was kidnapped by the King’s Justice and brought to the luxurious palace of Andalucia.

I had just started Incendiary when I found out that the author’s next book, The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina, was an August pick for Book of the Month, so now I’m in the midst of reading three Zoraida Córdova books in a row! Happily, I loved Incendiary, so I’m perfectly content to stay with this author for a few more books. I picked it up several months ago, but decided to wait until its sequel, Illusionary, was out before I began (I hate waiting between books!). So all of those facts combined led me to the perfect book: Incendiary by Zoraida Córdova. I’ve also been drawn to books by Latinx authors (partly because my husband is Peruvian) and am always excited to read books set in my favorite country, Spain. In the past couple of years, I’ve been getting more into both fantasy and YA fiction.

Incendiary zoraida córdova