Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Aug 2017
416 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Publication Information
Fans of Holly Black and Leigh Bardugo will be bewitched by Lana Popovic's debut YA fantasy novel about a bargain that binds the fates - and hearts - of twin sisters to a force larger than life.
All the women in Iris and Malina's family have the unique magical ability or "gleam" to manipulate beauty. Iris sees flowers as fractals and turns her kaleidoscope visions into glasswork, while Malina interprets moods as music. But their mother has strict rules to keep their gifts a secret, even in their secluded sea-side town. Iris and Malina are not allowed to share their magic with anyone, and above all, they are forbidden from falling in love.
But when their mother is mysteriously attacked, the sisters will have to unearth the truth behind the quiet lives their mother has built for them. They will discover a wicked curse that haunts their family line - but will they find that the very magic that bonds them together is destined to tear them apart forever?
Wicked Like a Wildfire is the first in a two-book series. Readers will be rapt with anticipation for the sequel.
"Readers will be captivated by [Popovic's] entrancing writing, evocative setting, and distinctive supernatural worldbuilding, and will eagerly await the second book in this planned duology." - Publishers Weekly
"This deliberate narrative is not for fans of the quick, adventurous whodunit but for readers who enjoy detailed descriptions, particularly ones that evoke sights, sounds, and smells. Those looking for fantasy with diversity may find themselves bewitched." - Kirkus
"At the core of this novel is the love that still exists in a family filled with secrets and years of hurt. Nonetheless, the plot moves slowly in the beginning, making it hard to keep some readers enticed. If teens can move past this, they will be rewarded with a roller-coaster ride to the end. A must-purchase for YA fantasy collections. Grade 9 and up." - School Library Journal
"Lush. Delicious. Bewildering. And darkly magical. Popovic has created a world that you tumble into from the very first words and wish you could stay in forever." - Evelyn Skye, author of The Crown's Game
"Wicked Like a Wildfire was like devouring a succulent fairy fruit - it will rob your time, settle into your dreams, and leave you starving for more." - Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen
This information about Wicked Like a Wildfire was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Lana Popovic studied psychology and literature at Yale University, and law at Boston University. She is a graduate of the Emerson College Publishing and Writing program and works as a literary agent with Chalberg & Sussman, specializing in YA.
Lana lives in Boston, subsisting largely on cake, eyeliner, and aerial yoga. She'd happily spend all her waking hours hanging out in silks, and may very well be upside down right now. Just ask her about it (depending on your tolerance for high enthusiasm and hand-waving).
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