A Shadow Bright And Burning is a Young Adult Dark Fantasy novel by Jessica Cluess. It's the first book in the Kingdom on Fire series.
Henrietta Howel is a 16-year-old girl living in Brimthorn in England with a secret, she has the ability to control fire. However, any girl who displays magic powers is automatically branded a witch and killed on-sight. This has been how witches were treated since Mary Willoughby opened up a portal to allow The Ancients into the world, which humanity's had to fight ever since.
When her power DOES get discovered, however, she instead finds she's actually a sorceress, maybe the one prophesied to actually beat the ancients. So, she and her friend Rook are whisked away to the city of London, where she is to begin her magic training proper under the tutelage of Master Agrippa, alongside several male classmates.
However, as she spends time with them, the pressures of preparing for her meeting with the queen, as well as the secrets she begins uncovering, start putting a lot of pressure on her.
The book was published on September 20th, 2016. The book's sequel is called A Poison Dark and Drowning.
A Shadow Bright And Burning contains example of:
- Alliterative Name: Henrietta Howel.
- And I Must Scream: When Henrietta is inside of Korozoth's funnel cloud, she finds out that everyone who's absorbed into it, including Charley, are forever trapped screaming inside the cloud. It finally ends when Henrietta kills Korozoth.
- Casting a Shadow: Rook gains these abilities well into the book.
- Childhood Friends: Henrietta and Rook. They've been friends since they were six years old.
- Combat Tentacles: Korozoth has these. They're not always visible since he regularly conceals himself in a big black funnel cloud.
- Disappeared Dad: Henrietta's father died before she was born.
- Do Not Touch the Funnel Cloud: So long as one isn't absorbed into Korozoth's funnel cloud, like Charley, they're safe.
- Dream Walker: Magicians have the power to do this. Jenkins Hargrove uses it to visit Henrietta in her dreams.
- Rh'lem, the Skinless Man, manages to intrude upon one of Henrietta's dreams as well.
- Missing Mom: Henrietta's mom died giving birth to her.
- Named Weapons: When Henrietta gets her stave, one of the boys tells her she should name it to give herself a little more control over it. She names it "Porridge" because she was having porridge for breakfast at the time.
- Off with His Head!: When On-Tez sends one of her ravens (one of her Familiars) to London, one of its first attacks tears a man's head off.
- Powered by a Forsaken Child: The ward around London is kept powered by the life force of the Unclean.
- Secret Identity: Jenkins Hargrove isn't his real name. It's actually Howard Mickelmas.
- Would Hurt a Child: Korozoth. He uses an illusion of Rook to try to lure Henrietta close enough to him to swallow her into his clouds. He doesn't succeed with her, but he does with Charley.
