Dana Swift Books In Order

Publication Order of Wickery Books

Dana Swift is a young adult fantasy author who began making up fantasy worlds at eleven. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where she was awarded a degree in English and Advertising. In college, she learned about fighting and parrying and later married her sparring partner.

Cast in Firelight
Cast in Firelight is the first book in the Wickery series. The book is an epic and heart-pounding fantasy story featuring two heirs bound to be married, but their loyalties are torn by the brutal rival threatening their world. The story introduces an 8- year old- Adraa and nine-year-old Jatin while meeting for the first time after their parents planned for their marriage when they come of age.

Jatin is a royal heir of Naupure, a wizard who had mastered all the nine colors of magic, and he is a young boy so eager to go back home since the time he was a child. Adraa is the royal heir of Belwar, a talented witch on the transition of undertaking her royal ceremony treat. She also wants to prove real worth to her people.

They believe the planned marriage will bring unity to these Wickery’s powerful kingdoms. They haven’t met since they were children and have developed a long-distance rivalry over the years, and none of them is planning to marry. After many years of rivalry, both Adraa and Jatin agree that their union will be nothing else but sweet.

However, destiny seems to have other plans in store for them, and following the criminal activities in Belware making a move for control, all of a sudden, their paths cross, but they don’t realize each other. They’ve gotten different secret identities so that no one would recognize them.

This time they meet again nine years later in very unexpected circumstances as they unite to solve a mystery involving theft of the firelight that Adraa had created and distributes around the city. They have never thought that they would be brought together in a case where they have mistaken identities while conducting an investigation.

At first, Jatin thinks that Adraa is a lady named Jaya working for Adraa, while Adraa thinks that Jatin is a promised loyal guard. As they solve the mystery, they spy and fight the bad guys. They dodge fatal spells as they try to keep their true identities hidden. It’s up to them to learn to trust one another if they want to uncover the mystery.

Wickery’s fate is now in the hands of Adraa and Jatin despite their complicated relationship. As they find themselves falling in love, they are soon caught up in a dark plot that is more complex than they’ve ever imagined. The external conflicts blend well with the internal conflicts around Jatin and Adraa’s powers and duties to bring out a compelling and high-stakes story.

Cast in Firelight is an easy read filled with action and lots of spying, making the story more interesting. The author has done a superb job of world-building while the magic system remains simple and easy to understand but elaborate to make an amazing story.

The south Asian and Indian influence adds flavor and an exotic touch to the entire story about Adraa and Jatin’s adventures. Adraa is a bold and straight-to-the-point character, even though she has a badass side. She also cares for her people and fights to get justice whenever she gets the chance. She finds it hard to stand Jatin after he made fun of her when she was eight years old for not having any powers yet. Now she’s among the strongest casters around Wickery.
Adraa is a confident and kind character, and it’s easy for any reader to get attached to her while relating her feelings easily. On the other hand, Jatin starts as an arrogant man who wants to prove to his planned wife that he’s good at magic, but as the story develops, the author shows how he is kind and caring and could risk his life for the sake of others.

It’s refreshing to watch the two characters evolve to something more even when prohibited, and they never knew each other’s true identity. Both Adraa and Jatin were lovable and well-written characters as they were easy to understand and relate to. The magic system is unique and well thought out.
The story is narrated from the first-person’s point of view alternating between Jatin and Adraa. Their witty banter is so funny and endearing without straining, while their romance is believable and tension-filled.

Dana Swift has packed a good number of plot elements into this amazing book and is well woven together and, at some point, leaves the reader wondering what will happen next.

Bound by Firelight
Bound by Firelight is the second novel in the Wickery series. The story picks up from where the first ended, where Adraa is being accused of planning the volcano explosion, and after a trial in front of her people, most people believe that she is guilty and see her as a monster. Through her dark magic, Adraa knows that Moolek is the person behind all this.

She is thrown into a dome, an impenetrable, magic-filled fortress with Belware’s dangerous criminals, most of whom were put there by Adraa and are ready to make her pay for what she did to them.

Always devoted to the lady he loves and plans to marry, Jatin is ready to do anything to prove that Adraa is innocent, but he’ll need the help of his friends to free her from the Dome. He has been waiting for the day he will pose the biggest question to her, but he will have to do the impossible before that. He has no option but to seek help from the unluckiest sources- a girl from his past holding a secret that could risk everything. With the help from unexpected allies and friends, can Jatin rescue Adraa before the clock stops ticking? The stakes are high, and many lives are at risk as Adraa and Jatin fight to get back to each other.

Adraa faces horrors in the Dome but even though together with Jatin, they saved the world once, can they save themselves?