Title: A Magic Fierce and Bright
Author: Hemant Nayak
Genres: Fantasy, Post-apocalyptic, Action/Adventure
Pages: 384
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Review Copy: Provided by publisher
Availability: Available now
Summary: A young technomancer teams up with a handsome thief to save her sister in this propulsive, magic-filled young adult fantasy that is perfect for fans of Gearbreakers and Iron Widow.
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.
Review: [While the text doesn’t go into explicit detail, there are scenes that include significant bodily harm, including the loss of a limb, and character death. There are also scenes involving human experimentation and torture, though most of that is implied/mentioned rather than shown directly.]
The world of A MAGIC FIERCE AND BRIGHT is a unique magic-induced post-apocalypse set in a fractured India on the verge of a total colonial takeover by the British. Author Hemant Nayak clearly had a lot of fun creating this world and populating it with all sorts of magical and mythological creatures. There is more than one type of magic, though I had some difficulty understanding the differences between them and the limits of their power beyond the technomancy that Adya herself practiced. It left me a little confused at points about what was or wasn’t possible in the setting, which was occasionally distracting.
I enjoy when characters who tend to focus most on their (and their family’s) survival end up swept up into greater scope plots against their will. Adya’s determination to protect her little brother and find her missing twin were relatable ways to help ground the fantastical plot, though I do wish we had been able to develop Mohan more deeply. Mohan isn’t on page for significant stretches of the book, which limited how often Adya herself could reminisce about Priya, and thus limited Priya’s character depth as well.
In fact, character development was generally limited across the board. A MAGIC FIERCE AND BRIGHT has so much world building, plot movement, and location changes that there aren’t very many opportunities to really explore people or places in depth. This occasionally hinders the emotional impact of the story, like the discovery that the villain has turned a side character into a monster—we had exactly one on-page scene with the character beforehand. Sure, it was a surprise that the villain could do that with their magic, but it didn’t have the same emotional weight as it would have if we had more time with that character. Imral had a decent character arc, which I appreciated, and Dsouza had good banter with Adya but a woefully under-explored backstory. The motorcycle was endearing, and the resolution of the question of Priya was satisfying.
That said, A MAGIC FIERCE AND BRIGHT had a compelling, action-oriented plot. The characters moved from one set piece to the next, and many of the fights were memorable. I enjoyed seeing how the author would up the stakes or change up the pieces on the board the next time, and there were only one or two places where I felt the action faltered. If you’re looking for an action-oriented fantasy with spectacular fights, you’ll enjoy this. If you prefer your fantasy centered on deep dives into characters or magic, this may not be the best fit for you.
Recommendation: Stick A MAGIC FIERCE AND BRIGHT on your borrow someday list, though if you’re itching for some action/adventure this summer, bump it several spots higher. This book excels at keeping the plot moving though the magic-induced post-apocalypse with serviceable characters and a protagonist who is determined to find and keep her remaining family members alive.
Extras: Author Chat with Hemant Nayak