By: Mariah Thomas
A Wild Radiance centers on love in all of its different forms, which the author’s note beautifully sets the tone for as readers embark on a journey with main characters Josephine, Julian and Ezra. Author Maria Ingrande Mora sets ablaze the fantasy genre by interweaving so many themes and topics that are relevant today yet are cloaked in magic. Nevertheless, there is so much relatability to be found within the created world surrounding these incredible characters.
In A Wild Radiance we are introduced to Josephine Haven, a girl with a fiery spirit and outbursts that match. Upon graduating from the House of Industry, the school for children who can wield radiance (electricity magic), she is banished from the city to a remote Mission. One of the core rules for her kind of magic is to never form attachments and be depleted of emotion. This is something that Josephine struggles with as she feels so intensely. In the city of Frostbrook she meets the standoffish Julian who is the former golden boy of the House of Industry. She also is introduced to Ezra who is a flirtatious stranger asking too many questions about how the Mission works. In the midst of dissecting their own secrets, a deadly disease is spreading across the countryside. Josephine begins to largely question the system that raised her and allows herself to give into desire she’s been taught to suppress.
There are rare times for me when a book just comes to life off of the page and there were many instances that happened reading A Wild Radiance. The beginning of Chapter Thirteen delves into an argument between the main characters that is so beautifully written, you can almost hear them yelling from within the book. When it comes to the more intense moments of this read, author Mora carefully crafts each and every word to be intentional. This allowed for this story to be a quick page turner for me.
Prior to this book I was not familiar with Maria Ingrande Mora’s work and I believe she is an author I would have enjoyed reading heavily when I was in high school. It is stories like this that are a reminder of why YA books can be enjoyed outside of the technical demographic. There is an incredible fantasy world created here that I hope continues with other books growing into a series.
I am very picky when it comes to the fantasy genre. Though longer in page count, A Wild Radiance is an easy and quick read. While told in various ways woven through a number of genres, it highlights fantasy, romance, history and queer love – all of which help make the story a stand out in my opinion. It is certainly a worthy read for lovers of the fantasy and romance genres like me.