The city has a bloody history of warring clans — and now enjoys an uneasy peace under the iron hand of the General. Lilly too has a blood-stained history. Her mother killed herself, and Lilly still remembers slipping in her mother’s blood. Startlingly original . . . Readers will be lured in to this tumultuous world of warring families, forbidden power, and heart-searing romance." Full Book Review: The One About A Gothic, Love Triangle Romance: With Fire in Their Blood by Kat Delacorte | Blog Tour Book Review

There was also a lot of bisexuality rep in this book that was just slipped in naturally without it being a conflict which I loved, we need more casual rep like this! It's got vibes of The Darkest Minds mixed with the Blood for Blood trilogy and a touch of These Violent Delights and I am so here for it. With warring mafia families, secrets unravelled, unveiled powers and countless twists and turns (that were predictable in a way that felt strangely nostalgic but nonetheless enthralling), there was never a dull moment. The magic system was slightly confusing for me but hopefully these issues will be cleared up in book 2.There’s something decidedly peculiar about Castello. The city had an odd aura of suppressed energy, and its power seems to invade the blood of certain of its inhabitants. Lilly finds herself soaking up that power with electrifying results. It has a contemporary setting, but it doesn't feel like it at times. The Italian city of Castello is so totally cut off from anything we'd recognise as the real world that it feels like this could be a portal fantasy, like Lilly and her father have stepped through the gates of a fantasy kingdom, not just through the city gates of a modern Italian city. This book was filled with twist and turns, some predictable, some that took me completely by surprise (which is always the perfect balance). The world building was well done although in some instances it got slightly confusing (but I think this will be neatened up and polished as we go along in the series as this is only the first book).

I loved the character development. Lily's peers were antagonistic towards her at the beginning but a friendship of sorts developed between them as the story progressed. The twists and turns in their relationships added a sense of heart and camaraderie and it pulled at my heartstrings when they were presented with conflicting and unbearable choices. I really enjoyed all the characters we meet, they were all interesting and different from each other, facing their own personal problems and complex relationships, things got messy fast a lot of the time with these characters (but isn’t that just the joys of teenhood). The relationships with each other, especially in the romance department of the story need some more padding out but apart from that I will like the set up for these characters for the series!Italy, what really comes to mind, beautiful Mediterranean coastline and culture. But there is a hidden, isolated city – Castello, that holds more than just secrets but also dark power, old ways, and past sins. Castello, is where Lilly find herself after her father relocates for his new secret job to modernise this derelict town. As Lilly starts to find out about the history and past events of her new home, the reality of who she is and who her mother is starts to reveal some dark truths. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, it was a fantastic debut by Kat Delacorte and I can’t wait to see what else they bring out. 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. Perfect for fans of These Violent Delights, The Darkest Minds and V.E. Schwab.

RECOMMEND IT FOR: If you want to dive into a new and interesting fantasy with gothic/dystopian elements, this book is perfect! With Fire In Their Blood is the story of Lilly who’s moved to the other side of the world when her dad gets a new job. When she arrives in Costello, Italy she becomes aware that it’s not your average town and that it has lots of secrets and customs that she was definitely not aware of before they moved there. She meets Liza and is told the story of Costello, of a divided town, of a Clan-War and of a General which saved them all. She also learns of The Saints, The Cursed, with tainted blood and suddenly, Lilly’s life changes completely… Going into it I was really excited to read a book set in Italy in a remote village with a weird cultish setting upon first look. In fact I did like the town of Castello and it’s mysterious secrets. I really enjoyed finding out more about the town, the saints and this centuries long war. The more you read the more secrets you uncovered and yet the more mysteries appeared though some of these did feel a little too predictable. The lore of the city is marred with a long history of two warring gangs united by a secret threat, who still to this day aren’t allowed to cross into each others territory. This whole town is kept together by someone called ‘the general’ a dictator who keeps a firm fist on what goes in and out and around the ancient town.I also really enjoyed the set of characters that are in "With Fire in Their Blood". Lilly is an explosive main characters, often times making rash decisions, but to me that was interesting and a nice change of pace from what I usually read. Alex is one of my favorites, as well as Nico, Sebastian and Christian. Veronica and Liza, they have a lot of dubious intentions, but they definitely help the plot move forward and were a part of some of the best twits and turns in the narrative (and this story has a lot of them!). I also liked the General as a villain! 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. While the spice level is definitely YA geared, the moments of romance were beautiful and exciting. Kat Delacorte writes a Bi - love square full of gorgeous humans. There's a bathtub scene that I think I reread 10 times over. I’m so excited to see what is to come next after that ending and I’m pumped to delve into this world that this author has set up more. 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...

It was a mixture of a gothic setting, intricate magic systems and politics, waring mafia clans, witches, romance, even the setting in Italy was beautiful yet sometimes haunting, it was just amazingly set up. not only was she angry over the slightest thing, she seemed to fall in love with every character she met. we get it: every single character in this town is beautiful. stop fawning over them already. With Fire in Their Blood, dark and gothic is a dystopian fantasy infused with paranormal and magical elements.

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Book Genre: Contemporary, Fantasy, Fiction, Gothic, LGBT, Paranormal, Romance, Supernatural, Young Adult, Young Adult Fantasy