Book request: I read the book in 2012 and have been looking for it ever since. the mc (main character) is apart of a religion that worships a fire/fire goddess and treats the goddess as a mother figure. when the mc is looking at said fire she is called by the goddess to walk into the fire. then her appearance changes and not only does she get some memories from the goddess but I think she also got some magical powers. I remember it being a big deal that the mc got blond hair and blue eyes because only a certain group of people had it and they all died or it was something only those chosen by the goddess had.

Matching book description: Zahira is a young woman of the conquered Rua people, their country occupied by another, very different culture - the Sedorne. Zahira is an orphan and has been raised to despise and distrust the occupying population, as well as to be a devout follower of the native religion. But everything changes for Zahira when her home and foster family are destroyed and she finds out so Zahira is a young woman of the conquered Rua people, their country occupied by another, very different culture - the Sedorne. Zahira is an orphan and has been raised to despise and distrust the occupying population, as well as to be a devout follower of the native religion. But everything changes for Zahira when her home and foster family are destroyed and she finds out some shocking truths about her heritage and real family. Realizing that it is up to her to do something about the violence and upheaval that are tearing her country apart, she must learn to accept her Sedorne origins and try to bridge the gap between the warring cultures. But when her own people suspect her of treachery for her ideas - especially after she saves the life of a Sedorne nobleman and begins to fall in love - the epic task ahead of her seems insurmountable... ...more