Sunbolt (The Sunbolt Chronicles Book 1)

The Basics:As an illegal Rogue Promise, Hitomi must conceal her magical aptitude, for fear of being forced to devote her abilities to exacting the will of the rich and powerful. By day, she hides among the struggling merchants of Karolene, but by night, she works with an outlaw legend known only as the Ghost, to protect the few dissenters who remain. When she’s captured by their enemies, she’ll have to cooperate with a Breather, a life-draining creature she once thought of as nothing but a nightmare monster, to survive. And even if they manage to escape, she might never make it back to the life she remembers.The Downside:Sunbolt is the first book of its series, but it feels structurally like the transitional middle of a trilogy. We meet Hitomi as an established member of the Shadow League, with its own internal personality conflicts and its work already in progress. All too soon, she’s separated from her allies and sent instead on a buddy road trip adventure, spending much of it unconscious or weakened from magic use.I often found myself wishing I could go back and read a nonexistent previous book about her time in the Shadow League. Not because such a book is necessary to understand or appreciate this one, but because the taste we get of that story was my favorite part. I’m crossing my fingers that we get more of the League in future installments.The Upside:I read Khanani’s debut, Thorn, about a year ago and liked it a lot, so The Sunbolt Chronicles have been on my radar for a while, and I’m wishing I hadn’t dragged my feet so long. Sunbolt is the first series opener in quite a while that’s made me need to buy the next book right now.Hitomi is an instant favorite, charmingly bumbling and resourceful at once. Nothing ever goes quite the way she plans, but she keeps on adapting on the fly until something works. She’s heroic and confident in her worthiness to be the one to tackle any given problem, but self-preservation still kicks in often enough to saddle her with some weighty moral grayness.As was the case in Thorn, the fantasy world is drawn with efficient but vivid lines. The details are right where they need to be to make the story come alive, and invisible where they would get in the way. Scenes of magic are surprisingly dynamic. There are only so many ways authors can describe swirling patterns of light and psychic exhaustion, but Khanani manages to make even Hitomi’s spellcraft challenges interesting and different, especially when they involve conversations with birds.There’s no love story in Sunbolt, and while I won’t be disappointed if there turns out to be one later in the series (Hitomi left a few interesting men back in Karolene that I’m hoping to meet again), it’s always refreshing to watch a heroine, especially of a YA fantasy, focus entirely on other things for a change.All in all, though I’m hoping to get back to what the Shadow League’s up to eventually, I expect I’ll gladly follow Hitomi wherever she goes.

Sunbolt is the first in a planned series of novellas all following Hitomi, a street thief with untrained magic. The first installment was certainly part of a series – while the ending felt like a natural stopping point, the story has a whole had only just begun.In this case, the cover blurb gives a fairly accurate summation, so I’ll repost it here:“The winding streets and narrow alleys of Karolene hide many secrets, and Hitomi is one of them. Orphaned at a young age, Hitomi has learned to hide her magical aptitude and who her parents really were. Most of all, she must conceal her role in the Shadow League, an underground movement working to undermine the powerful and corrupt Arch Mage Wilhelm Blackflame.When the League gets word that Blackflame intends to detain—and execute—a leading political family, Hitomi volunteers to help the family escape. But there are more secrets at play than Hitomi’s, and much worse fates than execution. When Hitomi finds herself captured along with her charges, it will take everything she can summon to escape with her life.”The above really only describes the first half of the book, which happens to be my favorite part. I found this section very original and interesting. I loved the setting of Karolene – there’s so many little details that add so well to the world building. Even though only a little is seen of Hitomi (this is a novella, after all) I highly enjoyed her as a protagonist and am excited to see where she’ll go next.The second half I didn’t enjoy so much, probably because it strongly reminded me of another book I’ve read, Robin McKinley’s Sunshine. Both stories have similar situations that play out in similar ways, but Sunbolt‘s version paled in comparison to Sunshine‘s. Do note that Sunshine is a long term favorite of mine, and that likely influenced my thoughts.I’d recommend this one to people who like the fantasy street-thief sort of hero. Beyond that, I’d want to wait and see where the sequels will go.

4.5 starsRight from the start this book was engaging and gripping. I really wanted to know what'd happen next and next and next. Two things I had a quibble with. The first is that I was really interested in where the story started with all the people and what was going on, but once we left that we didn't come back. The was surprising. There'd been so much energy, and detail to it that I just assumed we'd get back there. Not only didn't we return but it's pretty obvious the next book won't head there(at least right away).The second is that this book is too darn short. I felt like I was really getting into it and things were moving along great. Sprinter going all out and then slamming into a wall. That's how that felt. It ended and I was like NO! It needed to be about twice as long. *grumble grumble*Overall, really great though. I love Hitomi and watching how she interacted with characters and faced adversity. There's a lot of action and twists. I like that she's kind of outside the norm for her "kind" and I think it'll leave her with the chance to be more open-minded and bridge some gaps.I don't want to give away too much because the surprises are so important to enjoying this book. If you like fun, flavorful fantasy with a hint of the paranormal this is for you.

This book is gorgeous. It’s an utter, utter gem. I adored it.The world-building was superb. I could feel the sunshine and smell the sea in Karolene’s market (which is a bonus, since it’s a miserable spring in my part of the world presently).And the fantasy was also beautifully thought-through. I often find “straight” fantasy a bit unlikely – very showy and melodramatic with spells flying as fast as sword strokes. Sunbolt avoided those errors by grounding itself thoroughly. There’s magic here … and it’s difficult, exhausting and there are consequences when you use it.Intisar’s writing was lovely. The words faded away so I was simply right there with Hitomi, who was a fabulous character, utterly convincing and complex. Sunbolt is written in first person present, which I know a lot of people hate (I’m cautious, myself), but I promise it works effortlessly here; I didn’t even notice the point of view. The dialogue was a particular delight: light, concise but conveying more than its weight in information and character.I was given a copy of Sunbolt in exchange for a review from YA Bound Book Tours, and I loved it so much I’ve just bought a paperback copy. This is one for my “keeper” shelf.

I would have given this 4.5 stars but the author was respectful enough to avoid a crude ending as a temptation to buy the next in the series. A pleasant change! I imagine this was written for a YA audience but it’s not childish; I’m in my 70s and thoroughly enjoyed it.The story is entertaining, keeps a good pace, it’s imaginative with more than a few twists and turns and there is a wide range of interesting characters but not so many we lose track of who it who. In short a thoroughly enjoyable read. My only complaint is that there are sometimes too many narrative paragraphs, which I found myself skimming.I liked it so much I immediately purchased and read the next in series, which was satisfyingly longer and just as enjoyable.

I bought this on a whim and promptly read it in under an hour (...I read fast), but have a feeling the world and the characters are going to be swimming around in my head for the next few days now. Khanani writes well, describing the world with just enough detail as and when required to bring it to life, and Hitomi is both likeable and believably powerful as the 15-year-old main character. I don't feel cheated by the length of the story because so many excellent moments were packed into it - and now I'm just trying to resist buying the next book immediately!

I had heard about this and it’s been sitting on my Kindle for ages. It was on a whim I decided to pick it up and I’m so glad I did! This novella is so unique and different. I loved every second of it and pretty much finished it in one sitting. It is honestly one of the best fantasy stories I’ve read in a long time. The magical system is so different from anything I’ve read before. The characters are do complex and well developed and realistic, each with their flaws and strengths. I honestly cannot sing enough praises for this book. I cannot wait to get to book two and see what else awaits Hitomi! Honestly, if you want to support an indie, Muslim fantasy author — buy this book!!

I discovered the author's debut novel, `Thorn', quite accidentally, one of those magical reads where you start on the sample and find yourself so swept up in the story you just can't put it down. It was one of my best reads of last year, so I approached the author's latest offering with trepidation. Can the next book possibly be as good? Quick answer - yes, it can. This is a novella, the first in a projected series of perhaps six altogether, a beautifully written piece which displays all the author's trademark originality, terrific characters and an intriguing world.Hitomi is an orphan, struggling to survive on her wits - no, it's not the most original scenario, but this is possibly the only aspect of the book which has that problem. This has to be one of the most unpredictable stories I've ever read, a new twist at every turn, and as the book is incredibly fast-paced, that means a breathtaking ride. There are one or two jarring moments, though. Just as the reader gets accustomed to one setting and its cast of characters, there's an abrupt shift to a new location, a new villain, new challenges for Hitomi. But it's all perfectly logical, and just served to keep me on my toes.Hitomi is a lovely heroine - spirited, enterprising and imaginative, and never, ever prepared to be pushed aside. I loved the way in the early chapters she always did exactly what she wanted to do, regardless of whatever instructions she was given. Later, she shows her indomitable spirit, and never gives up, even when things look black. Some of the other characters were fascinating too - Val, in particular, but all of them had depth. I hope we find out more about the character left behind in the cells, too. I loved the way the author managed to fudge the question of who were the good guys and who were the villains. Things just aren't that simple here.One doesn't expect much in the way of world-building from a novella, but there's surely enough background here to fuel a full-sized trilogy at least. There are kingdoms and religions and races and magical capabilities and cultures, all beautifully defined and nuanced. The speed of the book was a real hindrance here, since every few pages I found myself saying: wait a moment, that's interesting, I'd like to know more about that. Hitomi's family history, her magic, Ghost and the secret society, Blackflame, the breathers, the mages... But no, the plot swept on relentlessly. Hopefully, with another five or so books to come, the author will be able to develop these aspects in more detail.This is a wonderful book, with memorable characters, some great world-building, an action-packed plot that never lets up for a moment and a surprising twist every few pages. All this in a beautifully written novella format. Highly recommended. Five stars.