About the Book

‘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.

About the Author

Kat Delacorte was eleven years old when her family moved from the United States to a small town in central Italy. She soon began writing stories about her new friends developing superpowers, and she hasn’t looked back since. She graduated with a BA in History from Columbia University, and lives in Venice, Italy.

What I Thought

This was such an enjoyable read. Super pacy and broodingly atmospheric. Think fantasy dysptopia – West Side Story meets The Wicker Man meets Carrie.

When they say make your setting a character, this book is exactly what they mean. The dilapidated Italian city of Castello is spooky, claustrophobic (no wifi!) and decidedly menacing. With its skulls and roses emblems, a secret key, clan wars and untold power built into its brick and marble.

The history of bloody clan wars has been overtaken by the focus on a new combined enemy – The Saints – and literal witch hunts against them including monthly blood tests to weed out the impure. The divided city and the pious general all gives echoes of Nazi Germany and the truce is tenuous.

The characters are all murky. Morally grey, conflicted and damaged in one way or another. This book is also filled with teenage angst and sexual tension.

Protagonist Lilly is an intriguing heroine. Her complex history with both of her parents form a large part of the plot and despite their absence on the page and the absence of their love in her heart their influence is a huge driver in this story and I’m intrigued to find out even more next time.

Liza, Christian, Nico – and Alex (who sadly doesn’t get a mention on the blurb) are all generally engaged with separately by Lilly with her almost acting as a catalyst in their complex relationships. I’d be interested in seeing more of them interacting with each other in the follow up.

We see more of the Marconi clan in book one than of the Paradisos but in the glimpses we see of the latter they are dripping with riches and cruelty. Chrissy (wake up – I don’t like you) is a girl in a red dress – think Cha Cha from Grease out for bloody vengeance. The love stories included aren’t across clan divides so it’s not quite West Side Story/Romeo and Juliet in this aspect.

This is the first in a Duology and I’m super intrigued to read book 2 which is set up perfectly at the end of this one (with this book rounding out it’s own story well too).

Huge thanks to The Write Reads and the publisher for the gifted copy for the purposes of an honest review.

Do see what everyone else thought by following the hashtag #WithFireInTheirBlood.