Wicked Like a Wildfire

Inseparable twin sisters must learn to use the magic they’ve been forbidden from wielding to save each other from an ancient family curse? Yes, please.The first page perfectly sets the family dynamic and tone for Iris’s gorgeous first person narrative: “My sister and I were born all tangled up together, both tiny enough that our unruly descent just narrowly missed killing our mother. I liked to think there would have been a fair bit of screaming on Mama’s part in the ruckus that followed, but that’s just my wicked fancy.”Born with the “gleam,” but forbidden to use it, the sisters bend beauty in secret. Malina sings others’ emotions as though a perfect pitch chorus lives inside her, and Iris turns flowers into mesmerizing fractals. A small part of Iris envies her sister’s stronger magic; she’s relegated to the most specific manipulation of the senses, hampering what she knows could be exponentially more stunning effects because someone might see. Perhaps it’s for this reason that Iris hides the softest parts of herself inside, heedless of who she catches in her thorns—especially when it’s her mother: “I was a scuffed-up walnut, wrapped in a shell of rough but porous strength. I could take hammers and pliers, even be ground underfoot without cracking—but the meat inside was mild and sweet, all desire to protect and yield and please.”Unlike Malina, Iris constantly clashes with their mother, and finds small ways to defy her. But even Malina can't always abide Jasmina's prohibitions of love and magic. The sisters’ miniature rebellions cease, however, after Iris finds their mother collapsing into a death-like sleep. Their only clue to follow? A mysterious white-haired woman whose sudden appearance rattled Jasmina into an unprecedented drunken stupor. With the help of Luka, Iris’s would-be-lover-had-Jasmina-not-also-forbidden-them-to-love, and Niko, Malina’s hip-to-hip-and-arm-in-arm best friend, the sisters trace the white-haired woman’s path and their own foggy memories back to their mother’s true home—a coven of witches bound by a deal their matriarch made centuries ago. Here, they can unbridle their gleams, but as they continue to pull at the threads of their history, they’re even more unsure of whose tale about their matriarch is true. And if they don’t trust the right ancestor, they risk losing their truest loves: each other.Iris’s delectably sumptuous descriptions transport you to the coast and peaks of Montenegro, to the cozy corner of an aromatic confectionary, and to the sprawling majesty of a grand chalet. Relish every delicious word, as each detail she shares brings you into the folds of her world and her unwavering bond with Malina. By connecting with Iris, you’ll feel her struggle to submit to Malina’s admonition not to always see her as a soft girl needing protection. It’s anguishing to slowly understand how much Iris and her mother were alike. It’s even more heartbreaking to see Iris realize that she’ll need to let Malina be her strength as they work to defeat the curse binding them to an unsavory fate.This is a devastatingly beautiful tale about how love spans generations—about beauty without and within, and the sacrifices we make for those we could never part with.

[Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy ARC of this book from Edelweiss. Thank you to the publisher!]5 out of 5 stars.Where do I begin with this spellbinding novel? Perhaps that reading this compares to a piece of melting chocolate on your tongue. Or the fact that the prose, the story, and the characters felt like sunshine by the sea. Honestly, this book felt REAL. The imagery, the descriptions, the story were so engrossing that I could not tear myself away.This is a story of women, of beauty, desire and love. Malina and Iris are twins, born with special talents: Malina can sing what others feel while Iris can fracture her surroundings into beautiful gleams. Their abilities, are however, curbed by their overprotective and sometimes violent mother. Then one day, a stranger arrives in town, she has snow white hair but is young and she turns their world upside down. That same day - their mother is brutally attacked and is now dying. In order to save her, Malina and Iris, must uncover their mother's secrets, find their family and discover a terrible curse which their great ancestor put into motion.The story is set in Montenegro and I swear, every time Popovic described it - I felt like I was there, experiencing the sunshine and eating the food. Popovic incorporates local folklore and legends into her book and these are unlike anything I have ever heard before.Wicked Like a Wildfire is a book which explores what it is to be a woman, to love, to age, to have children and to loose all. It is a book about how far we would go in order to never experience pain or loss. It is a book about family, and sisterhood and motherhood. All told through incredibly fantastic tale which ends in one of the biggest cliff-hangers I have ever read.It begs the question: how far would you go to protect the ones you love?I will be HIGHLY anticipating the sequel in this beautiful duology.

“’Love makes us even brighter than we are, until the gleam grows into a roman candle, impossible to contain. Everyone can see us shine with it, then, and it’s the nature of the human beast to fear what it doesn’t understand.’” - Lana Popović, Wicked Like a WildfireWhat would you do with the power to influence beauty in the world around you? If you are anything like me and love stories with many details that it drags you right in, this is a great book for you. Wicked Like a Wildfire, written by Lana Popović, is an engrossing tale that hooked me from the beginning with her descriptions of the world around two twins and their mother.Twins, Iris and Malina, each have a different gleam, a power that manipulates the beauty around them. Their mother forbids them using their gleams and tells them to keep it secret and above all else, not to fall in love, as their lives could be put into danger. The story follows Iris, who has the gleam of making kaleidoscopes from the objects around her, mainly flowers. When the twin’s mother is attacked, it is up to them to learn of her past and make a future for themselves with that knowledge.This book definitely captures the world, set in modern day Montenegro, and describes everything with such feeling and detail. I have read other’s reviews which stated that they disliked how detailed Wicked Like a Wildfire was, but it made the setting pop up around me and see, smell, hear and want to touch everything Popović described. The pages flew by as I was enthralled by the book and the surprise twists and turns it took. I would recommend this book to those who love magic, witches, captivating details, and of course, love. This book was recently released on August 15th, 2017.Hibiscus Daughter #1Author: Lana PopovićGenre: Young Adult FantasyReviewed by: Kelsey Batchelor on 8/23/2017 on InkTeller.com

I love this author and her writing style and this book didn't disappoint!

I bought this book because the cover is so pretty, but luckily, it's also a great story! Lana Popovic’s writing is so beautiful and descriptive it feels as though you can taste, smell and see everything for yourself. I really fell in love with her unique writing style as she was describing Jasmina's baking, which was so vivid and detailed, it actually made me hungry! My only criticism is that I feel Popovic tends to focus more on writing descriptions rather than plot, and it can sometimes be slightly overwhelming.The plot follows twins Iris and Malina who have the ability to use magic known as the gleam, which allows them to manipulate beauty. Their mother, Jasmina, tries to keep their gleam a secret and tells them they cannot show anyone their ability, and most importantly, they must not fall in love.After Jasmina is viciously attacked, Iris and Malina are left to follow random clues and cryptic dreams to discover who is responsible and why. But what they find reveals more than they expected, and their very own twin bond will be put to the test.I really loved the characters, and I especially liked the dynamic between Iris and Malina. Despite both girls being completely different (Iris is more hard-edged and determined whereas Malina is the opposite, soft and sweet) their bond is unbelievably strong and you can really feel how much they love each other. There's a good collection of supporting characters including brother and sister, Luka and Niko, who are really interesting and bring a good mix of platonic and romantic relationships.Despite the plot being a bit slow, the book gets really intense towards the end. There are so many twists, you'll never guess how the story will play out! The ending was a huge cliffhanger and a complete shock!

Crisp juicy prose, unforgettable characters, fabulous food, amazing landscapes, and a plot that twists and turns like a twisty-turny thing. Great engagement with folklore and legend, exciting love scenes, and precipitous mountain roads.

I love the cover of this book sooo much! ^_^

I think based on the description of this book I was expecting something a little darker, more angsty, ladden with family drama and forbidden love. Instead I got a bunch of beautiful immortal girls dancing and looking at flowers, which is not a bad thing in itself, but not what I anticipated when I picked up a book about witches. Did I mention they were all very beautiful? Because the book never fails to remind you of it.What I liked was the writing style, it was lush and descriptive and just made you want to eat all those desserts, see those places and inhale those perfumes. The not so usual setting of Montenegro was also a nice touch - more books set in South East Europe, please.Unfortunately, the plot seemed to meander a little and barely picked up any speed until the end, the romance was more told than shown, which lead to the characters remaining flat as things just happened to them.Overall, 'Wicked like a Wildfire' was an okay book for me but didn't sweep me off my feet.

I'm glad I read this, Lana Popovic is from now on, one of my favourites. I'm a person who likes to nibble on cookies or chocolates while I read, but this book was so good I didn't even bother taking my eyes off of it. I was out of town and so even after going out for exploring nature, I finished the book in 3 days. THATS HOW INTERESTING IT IS.