This story is beautifully written, and will intrigue you long after you finish the last page. Zoraida Córdova has certainly woven some magic here, with charmingly frustrating characters, some serious romantic tension, and so much danger. Rife with betrayal, you’re constantly on your toes to see who’s going to betray who because it’s always the ones you least expect you plunge the dagger deepest. This story was certainly thrilling, but also deeply mysterious. I am desperate to find out what’s going to happen next, especially because we were left on such a cliffhanger! Add this to your TBR, because if you love magical stories with a historical fantasy vibe to it, then this is definitely one that you won’t soon forget.
Renata Covida is a young woman who has stolen 100 lives. Kidnapped as a child by the King’s Justice, she was used for her ability as a Robari, or one who can steal memories from people. It was that ability that was used to enact the King’s Wrath, and decimate thousands of Renata’s people. Now, she lives as a Whisper, a rebel fighting against the crown to help the remaining Moria people escape. Unfortunately, even her work as a whisper cannot save her from the mistrust of her people, for creating “hollows” of the hundred souls she took while in the palace. When the commander of her unit, Dez, is taken by the Sangrado Prince, Renata will do anything to save the boy she loves from a terrible fate. After a disastrous rescue, she must convince her team to let her go undercover, but once there, she has memories of her childhood resurface. Renata begins to uncover secrets of her past that could change the fate of the kingdom and finally end the war that has cost her everything.
There’s so much to cover in this story that I’m not sure where to begin, but we’ll start with the characters. Renata (Ren) is such a conundrum. I spent most of this story either really sympathising with her problems, or really wanting to shake some sense into her. She’s a loner, but also brash and impulsive. Naturally this makes it very difficult for her to make friends. She’s doing her best to fight for what she believes to be right, but also faces prejudice for the power that she has. Unfortunately, she’s also blinded by her own pity, and pushes those who wish to love her away. Of course, the story is mostly in her perspective, so as she discovers things she wasn’t meant to find out, it begins to change the perception of the whole story. Her memory loss is a key to all of this. The memories that she keeps locked away due to the way she processed her trauma make this story infinitely more mysterious. It was fascinating to see Ren on this path of discovery.
Dez on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He’s charming and fearless, but also caring. So much so, that he’ll do anything for his team. The romance that burgeons between these two is very similar to that of a flame. It’s hot, but I feel like eventually one of them might get burned (and that’s all I can say without spoiling anything). Then we have the Sangrado Prince. Oh goodness, this character was certainly something I wasn’t expecting. For a while, I was reading this story and I kept switching the spelling to Sangrado (bleeding) to Sagrado (which means sacred) which makes a significant difference in meaning. You’ll want to keep an eye on this prince, because he’ll definitely give you something to think about. In reality, most of these characters will give you something to think about.
I was absolutely obsessed with the magic system in Incendiary. Ren’s magic as a Robari enables her to steal memories from people, and if she takes everything, then they become hollows. I felt like there was an adequate amount of detail in this type of magic, but I definitely wanted to know more about some of the others. Another thing that I really appreciated was the fact that practicing magic does exact a toll on your body. For example, the effects of practicing a specific type of magic are migraines. I loved finding out little details like that, and I’m hoping to find out more in the next book, because it seems that there are definitely some secrets that we haven’t found out yet.
The pacing of this story seemed fine, but there are moments that feel disjointed because of Ren’s memory loss. Which makes sense, and I think just makes this story more well-rounded. I felt like I was truly able to get into this world, both the opulence of the palace, but also the dark and dank dungeons below. There’s an interlude of the book that deals quite a bit in court intrigue, so if you like scenes like this, you’ll definitely want this book in your hands.
Honestly, there’s nothing that I didn’t like about this story. It’s beautifully written, and each character has their own memorable personality. This isn’t a story about a stellar young woman who magically gets away with everything she does. Her actions tend to have consequences, and I’m excited to find out what her actions at the end of this book will lead to in the next one. 10/10. Add it to your TBR, because I’m telling you, you’re not going to want to miss it.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
I am Renata Convida.
I have lived a hundred stolen lives.
Now I live my own.
Renata Convida was only a child when she was kidnapped by the King’s Justice and brought to the luxurious palace of Andalucia. 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.
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. 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.
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. But a disastrous rescue attempt means Renata must return to the palace under cover and complete Dez’s top secret mission. 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.
But returning to the palace stirs childhood memories long locked away. 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.
