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Erica Robyn Reads

a horror book review blog

[Book Review] Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani

December 31, 2017      Erica Robyn      8 Comments

Book Review of Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani

Sunbolt is the first book in The Sunbolt Chronicles by Intisar Khanani. I won this book during Armchair Book Expo and I am just kicking myself! I should have started this book as soon as it arrived in my mailbox… It was incredible!

Let’s dive in to my review!

My Thoughts on Sunbolt (The Sunbolt Chronicles #1) by Intisar Khanani

This book was such a refreshing YA fantasy! When I pick up YA reads with elements of magic, I’m always very hesitant. Far too often, we see a very immature character that lacks training, but somehow manages to master their power just in the nick of time. I’m so happy to say that that wasn’t the case here!

The main character, Hitomi, is a mature teenager who has power referred to as, “Promise”. She hasn’t been properly trained but she can use her magic for small things. However, when she works her magic, it totally drains her. As the story moves along, it is clear that she needs special training, but will she be able to find someone that has the ability and willingness to help?

I absolutely loved the magical elements of this story as well as the paranormal characters, which included:

  • Humans that can shift into animal forms.
  • Mages– humans with Promise, trained to kill Breathers.
  • Fangs– similar to vampires, they feed on blood. They can also control their victims with their gaze. 
  • Lycans– individuals that appear half human, half wolf.
  • Breathers– human-like individuals that feed on souls. They can control others by shaping their thoughts.

The characters were developed perfectly. Of course, there is more I want to eventually learn about a few of the characters, but I thought that the author gave us just enough information about them and their past in order to keep the story moving along. I’ve got my fingers crossed that we will learn some more backstories in book two.

The writing was lovely! The storyline was perfectly paced and flowed well. The use of description was excellent; I could really imagine many of the settings. The dialogue was realistic. There were a few classic fantasy/paranormal tropes, but they each had a nice refreshing twist to them.

This is a book that I got totally lost in once I started reading it.

My Favorite Passages from Sunbolt

*slight spoilers below*

Our cave is set in a sandy bluff that rises above the stream. The opposite side is wooded, the trees tall and lovely. They are mostly bare now, their branches sweeping the sky in elegant curves. Interspersed among their ranks stand solitary pines, showing tall but heavyset, sheathed in their armor of needles. The moon hands low; dawn brightens the far reaches of the horizon.

I try to shake the thought loose, but it sticks in my mind like a prickly burr, catching on memories that lie just beneath the darkness.

I don’t know who I am. I only have bits and pieces of what I was. How can I grow if I have no past, no roots?

I grin, unaccountably amused. “What hair?”
“That is, in fact, my concern.”
“You haven’t considered the benefits of being bald,” I tell him. I list the advantages, ticking them off on my fingers, “No lice, no worries about how to tie it up, no need to dry it in winter, nothing for anyone to grab you by, and,” I pause, trying to come up with one more reason.
“Nothing to keep your brain warm,” Val supplies.
I laugh.

In the morning, Val is gone.
I know it the moment I wake, an almost physical awareness, as if the air I breathe has lost its moisture, or a color had disappeared overnight so that, on waking, I find a world without amber or topaz, or amethyst.

My Final Thoughts on Sunbolt

I just loved everything about this book. I cannot wait to start the second book in the series.

If you enjoy wonderfully written stories with awesome characters and elements of the paranormal and magic, you gotta check this one out!

Thanks for reading!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Intisar Khanani says

    December 31, 2017 at 10:10 pm

    I am so thrilled you enjoyed Sunbolt so much–and it didn't hit your classic YA "oh no" buttons! 😉 Hitomi is so much fun to write because she always gets back up on her feet and keeps trying, even when things look impossibly grim. I'm glad that her magic-working limitations and needs worked for you!

    Book 2 is definitely longer, with a bit more story built in around the world and Hitomi, including some backstory, but there are definitely also some unknowns left for the final two books. 🙂 I hope you enjoy it!

    Reply
    • Erica Hatch says

      December 31, 2017 at 10:49 pm

      I can't wait to jump into Memories of Ash! It's sitting on the top of my TBR pile right now. 🙂 Thank you for creating such an amazing world and awesome characters! This is a series that I am definitely going to recommend to everyone I can!

      I look forward to hearing more about the next books in the series! Have a wonderful 2018!

      Reply
    • Intisar Khanani says

      January 1, 2018 at 12:03 am

      Aw, yay! Thank you so much – and wishing you a wonderful new year as well!

      Reply
    • Erica Hatch says

      January 1, 2018 at 2:05 am

      😀

      Reply
  2. AngelErin says

    January 1, 2018 at 3:15 am

    I don't think I've heard of this one before, but it sounds good. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. I'll definitely have to check it out. Happy New Year! 🙂

    Reply
    • Erica Hatch says

      January 1, 2018 at 1:53 pm

      Yes, definitely! It was such a great read! Happy New Year to you as well!

      Reply
  3. Lory says

    January 2, 2018 at 11:48 am

    I reeeaaaally want to read something by this author, just as soon as I get through some of my TBR backlog! (I'm only reading from my own shelves for 3 months. Wish me luck.)

    Reply
    • Erica Hatch says

      January 2, 2018 at 1:33 pm

      Oh! Good luck!! I'm trying to read all of the books I own but haven't read yet this year. 🙂 I like your goal of sticking to three months better! haha

      Reply

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Erica Robyn of Erica Robyn Reads
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