With Fire in Their Blood Book Review

With Fire in Their Blood was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Book: With Fire In Their Blood 

Author: Kat Delacorte

Publishing date: 1st September 2022

Genre: YA Fantasy 

 Synopsis 

‘Startingly original… Readers will be lured into this tumultuous world of warring families, forbidden power, and heart-searing romance’ – Lyndall Clipstone (Lakesedge, Forestfall) 

From the word-of-mouth fantasy sensation Kat Delacorte – the standout debut star of 2022 YA Lit Con (YALC) – comes the first instalment in a new YA fantasy duology. 

Packed to the brim with bisexual and queer representation, With Fire in Their Blood is a simmering supernatural romance set in the crumbling Italian city of Castello, where mafia clans make the rules, dark magic pulses the streets and the sins of the past threaten to consume the present. . . 

When sixteen-year-old Lilly arrives in Castello, she isn’t impressed.
A secluded town in the Italian mountains is not where she saw her last years of high school playing out. 

Divided for generations by a brutal clan-family war, the two halves of Castello are kept from destroying each other by the mysterious General, a leader determined to maintain order and ‘purity’. . . whatever the cost. 

Lilly falls in with the rebellious Liza, brooding Nico and sensitive Christian, and sparks begin to fly. But in a city where love can lead to ruin, Lilly isn’t sure she can trust anyone — not even herself. 

And then she accidentally breaks Castello’s most important rule: when the General’s men come to test your blood, you’d better not be anything more than human… 

Perfect for lovers of Chloe Gong, Renée Ahdieh and V.E. Schwab, With Fire in Their Blood is quality YA storytelling at its best by an exciting new voice in YA fantasy. 

My Thoughts 

I haven’t read a new YA fantasy in a long time so I was excited to pick this book up because it sounded very intriguing and loved all the LGBTQIA+ representation. 

This story was a mixture of gothic, unique and intricate magic systems, mafia wars, politics and so much more. 

I don’t think I have ever read a book set in Italy and I really loved this setting. The descriptions were beautiful yet haunting which I loved throughout this story. 

We get introduced to a lot of characters as we move through this book. They all have interesting storylines and facing complex situations which added a lot to the story which I enjoyed. 

The writing is so beautiful and atmospheric and I can’t wait to see more from this author. What a wonderful debut!