A Magic Fierce and Bright

Mad Max meets the jungles of India in this tech-magic infused, near future dystopian. Adya is just scraping by, using her abilities as one of the last free technomancers to protect herself from the gangs and politics who would use her as a tool for or against the imperialist chokehold on her homeland. As tensions rise and an attack hits too close to home, Adya’s desperate escape sets her on a course that collides with a disreputable thief, a lost princess, and clues about her missing sister she’s been waiting forever to find, all of which just might be enough to spark the fight for freedom.

Adya lives in the jungle, and every scene where she’s among the animals and trees is beautifully immersive. While many books paint a visual picture, this one tells as story that’s meant to be heard, with radio music and birdcalls and the damp rustle of leafy undergrowth. Add in the crash-landed-meteors-that-unlocked-magic and it’s a very unique setting.

Speaking of, the tech magic, or technomancy, is very cool. Adya and the others like her are able to almost commune with pieces of technology, more accurately diagnosing repairs and somehow coaxing the spirit of the machine back to life when it has been damaged. There’s a vast range of applications, from handheld radios to vehicles, and I really enjoyed how this type of magic mixed engineering with mysticism. The sassy motorcycle is an added bonus (sometimes, tech talks back).

Pick this up for a unique take on dystopia with reluctant heroes, companions made of necessity, and an original setting, with sequel potential.

This book has some funky vibes and I am all here for it.

A Magic Fierce and Bright by Hemant Nayak is a YA fantasy novel that revolves around a technomancer and a thief. Adya wants nothing more than to be left alone. Content to be loyal to no one but herself in the isolated jungles of South India, she dreams only of finding her lost sister, Priya, and making enough money to take care of their family. It’s too bad that her rare ability to wake electric machines—using the magic that wiped them out five centuries ago—also makes her a coveted political pawn. Everyone seems to believe that her technomancy can help them win the endless war for control over the magic’s supernatural source. These senseless power struggles mean little to Adya. But when her enemies dangle news of her sister before her, she’s all too quick to leap at the chance to bring Priya home—even if it means teaming up with a rakish, disreputable thief in order to do it. With the threat of invasion looming ever larger on the horizon, Adya must reconcile the kind of person she is with the kind of person she wants to be and untangle the web of intrigue, conspiracy, and deceit that threatens to take all of India down with it.

First and foremost, this book exceeded my many expectations. The writing style is gorgeous, the characters are amazing (and unique I might add, as you don't encounter a sentient motorcycle everyday), and the plot keeps you engaged. Though I was a bit scrambled when the plot at time, just kind of rushed over important details and didn't spend a half of a second longer on them. Which is something I wished would have changed as the book went on. But given this is a book one (or I at least hope there will be more books in the future), and the author's full length debut, I can let it slide.

Regardless, this is a unique book I think everyone needs to read in their lifetime. Especially when it comes to reading about Useless the cat.