Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Actual rating: 3.3 - 3.5 ish? It's right in the middle of a "That was okay, I guess" and a "well, that was fun" rating.
I don't know if it's just me but there was a lot to process when it comes to this story. For starters, the pacing was a bit more like an "up-down situation", wherein some parts were laylow but it serves like a calm before a storm. But it's a good thing in a way because it gave me more time to invest myself with the large cast. The different ways it tells the story got me hooked from the beginning. The mix between French and Asian inspired world had me confused for a while but over time it's like slowly getting myself into Jetta's world. I was really invested with the plot because it kept me wondering to where they are all heading.
I may be a bit conflicted with what to feel for this one but I am really anticipating what will happen next. I should really read more fantasy because I'm missing out on books like this.
Much love to JM at Book Freak Revelations for lending me a copy. This did not affect my review in any way.
Full review TK. I'm still wrapping my head around this world. (Plus idk why the heck Zuko was in my head the whole time.)
I don't know if it's just me but there was a lot to process when it comes to this story. For starters, the pacing was a bit more like an "up-down situation", wherein some parts were laylow but it serves like a calm before a storm. But it's a good thing in a way because it gave me more time to invest myself with the large cast. The different ways it tells the story got me hooked from the beginning. The mix between French and Asian inspired world had me confused for a while but over time it's like slowly getting myself into Jetta's world. I was really invested with the plot because it kept me wondering to where they are all heading.
I may be a bit conflicted with what to feel for this one but I am really anticipating what will happen next. I should really read more fantasy because I'm missing out on books like this.
Much love to JM at Book Freak Revelations for lending me a copy. This did not affect my review in any way.
Full review TK. I'm still wrapping my head around this world. (Plus idk why the heck Zuko was in my head the whole time.)
You can also read this review on my blog. For content notes, please see the author's note here on Goodreads.
Earlier this year, I read and loved The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig, and I knew from the moment that I picked up For a Muse of Fire that it would be another five-star read. Set in an alternate universe 1874, it combines an ambience of historical fiction with fascinating magic elements. It takes place in South East Asian inspired Chakrana, a country occupied by French inspired Aquitan, and the author explores issues of colonialism through a Chakran lense.
I love Heidi Heilig's writing. It completely draws me into the world she's creating on the page. For a Muse of Fire combines different ways of story-telling: chapters from the main character Jetta's point of view are interspersed with theater scenes in an homage to Jetta's family tradition of performing shadow plays, as well as letters, telegrams, songs, and folklore. This probably isn't for everyone, but to me, it felt like the perfect way to tell this story.
Jetta is a wonderful main character. Her magic was so cool and breath-taking, though in the course of the book she also discovers a darker and scarier side to her powers. Learning that she might not be who she has always thought she was leads her on a journey of self-discovery. She questions her existence and where she belongs, and the exploration of the meaning of family was beautiful and heart-wrenching.
Shh. I'm not crying, you are.
But there's more! For a Muse of Fire has by far the best and most honest mental illness rep I have ever seen in fantasy. Like the author, Jetta has bipolar disorder. She longs to go to Aquitan to bathe in the healing springs and cure herself of her "malheur." Even though Jetta is desperate for a cure, Heilig avoids the usual trappings of the ableist "miraculous cure" trope. Instead, she shows the value in accepting your illness, but also the legitimacy of seeking a way to mitigate its effects. Through the course of the book, Jetta struggles both with the symptoms of the illness itself and the way people perceive her because of it.
I also want to say that Heidi Heilig is the only author allowed to write F/M romance from now on. I'm sorry, but those are the rules. Not only does she have a knack for writing compelling relationships, but considering that F/M romance between Asian (inspired) characters has not been allowed to be explored as freely as white F/M romance, we have to allow space for that to continue to happen. The love story between Jetta and Leo was very sweet, even though their path was littered with obstacles of obligation, betrayal, and existential dread. Every time they found their way back to each other, my heart jumped happily in my chest. Plus, there's some delightful background WLW rep.
For a Muse of Fire was exactly as stunning and entrancing a read as I was hoping it would be, and the sequel, slated for publication in October 2019, cannot get here soon enough.
Earlier this year, I read and loved The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig, and I knew from the moment that I picked up For a Muse of Fire that it would be another five-star read. Set in an alternate universe 1874, it combines an ambience of historical fiction with fascinating magic elements. It takes place in South East Asian inspired Chakrana, a country occupied by French inspired Aquitan, and the author explores issues of colonialism through a Chakran lense.
I love Heidi Heilig's writing. It completely draws me into the world she's creating on the page. For a Muse of Fire combines different ways of story-telling: chapters from the main character Jetta's point of view are interspersed with theater scenes in an homage to Jetta's family tradition of performing shadow plays, as well as letters, telegrams, songs, and folklore. This probably isn't for everyone, but to me, it felt like the perfect way to tell this story.
Jetta is a wonderful main character. Her magic was so cool and breath-taking, though in the course of the book she also discovers a darker and scarier side to her powers. Learning that she might not be who she has always thought she was leads her on a journey of self-discovery. She questions her existence and where she belongs, and the exploration of the meaning of family was beautiful and heart-wrenching.
"Blood may matter to the spirits. But what we share is even better."
The words come slowly. "And what is that?"
"We share history," he says. "We share tradition. We share years and memories and everything that makes a family."
"But not blood."
"What is blood?" he says with a gentle smile. "We share a heart."
Shh. I'm not crying, you are.
But there's more! For a Muse of Fire has by far the best and most honest mental illness rep I have ever seen in fantasy. Like the author, Jetta has bipolar disorder. She longs to go to Aquitan to bathe in the healing springs and cure herself of her "malheur." Even though Jetta is desperate for a cure, Heilig avoids the usual trappings of the ableist "miraculous cure" trope. Instead, she shows the value in accepting your illness, but also the legitimacy of seeking a way to mitigate its effects. Through the course of the book, Jetta struggles both with the symptoms of the illness itself and the way people perceive her because of it.
"Les Chanceux is supposed to cure madness."
The word is sibilant---a hiss in the dark. I swallow. "That's what they say."
There is a long silence. He cocks his head and glances at me. "Are you sick, Jetta?"
I open my mouth to give an answer---a single word. It should be simple, easy, but it sticks in my throat.
I also want to say that Heidi Heilig is the only author allowed to write F/M romance from now on. I'm sorry, but those are the rules. Not only does she have a knack for writing compelling relationships, but considering that F/M romance between Asian (inspired) characters has not been allowed to be explored as freely as white F/M romance, we have to allow space for that to continue to happen. The love story between Jetta and Leo was very sweet, even though their path was littered with obstacles of obligation, betrayal, and existential dread. Every time they found their way back to each other, my heart jumped happily in my chest. Plus, there's some delightful background WLW rep.
For a Muse of Fire was exactly as stunning and entrancing a read as I was hoping it would be, and the sequel, slated for publication in October 2019, cannot get here soon enough.
Jetta’s family is famed as the most talented troupe of shadow players in the land. Their puppets seems to move without strings. In reality, Jetta can see the souls of the dead and bind them in objects (like her puppets). But this old magic has been forbidden ever since the colonial army conquered their country. The family tries to use their reputation to earn a spot aboard the royal ship to Aquitan, where the Mad King reportedly has a spring that cures all ails, something Jetta desperately wants. But rebellion is brewing and then Jetta meets a young smuggler, making her face decisions she never imagined.
Mental illness representation
There was so much I loved about this book! It has a bipolar main character, and I'm so here for more mental illness rep, especially in YA fantasy! And not just with side characters. Oh no. Give me protagonists who struggle with their mental health (like Thia in The Storm Crow)! Furthermore, Jetta is also queer, although that's only mentioned briefly.
Not only does this book deal with mental illness, it also focuses on colonialism and its effects on the population. Not just the way the population acts towards the colonizers, but also internally. You have rebels, but also people who enlist in the colonial army. Which creates tensions among the population. And then there is a biracial character, who doesn’t seem to belong in either group. This was all fascinating to read. In school, we learned about our country’s colonial history, but that was not exactly elaborate and focused mainly on the colonizers, not the people whose country was colonized. And while a work of fiction does not replace actual history books, it’s great to get the other side of the story as well.
But of course it's a fantasy novel, so there's magic. And not just any kind of magic. We're talking necromancy here! Jetta, the protagonist, can bind souls to objects and command them. I loved this! It might sound very dark and at times it is, but the magic is also a source of lightness throughout the story. It was fun to imagine these moving puppets. And there is one soul in particular that stole my heart with its adorableness.
Formulaic
However, the story itself was a bit formulaic. The love interest, the rebellion, the main character starting out with a positive opinion about the colonizers, some of the plot twists/revelations,... It's all been done dozens of times before. Now don’t get me wrong. It wasn't done badly here, not at all! I didn’t get bored or annoyed. But it was all a bit predictable, to be honest.
But this was countered with the format of the book. For a Muse of Fire is mainly told from Jetta’s first-person point-of-view. This is mixed with screenplays, sheet music, and letters that give us a glimpse of what happens in other locations. These alternative ways of storytelling are more limited than in Illuminae for instance, but it was fun to have things switched up.
So let’s sum things up. While the story in For a Muse of Fire is a bit formulaic, this was compensated with a great main character and mental illness representation. The themes in this book lift the story a few steps higher and kept me glued to the pages. All in all, this book gets 4 stars from me and I’m definitely adding the sequel, A Kingdom for a Stage (published in October of this year), to my TBR list!
Mental illness representation
There was so much I loved about this book! It has a bipolar main character, and I'm so here for more mental illness rep, especially in YA fantasy! And not just with side characters. Oh no. Give me protagonists who struggle with their mental health (like Thia in The Storm Crow)! Furthermore, Jetta is also queer, although that's only mentioned briefly.
Not only does this book deal with mental illness, it also focuses on colonialism and its effects on the population. Not just the way the population acts towards the colonizers, but also internally. You have rebels, but also people who enlist in the colonial army. Which creates tensions among the population. And then there is a biracial character, who doesn’t seem to belong in either group. This was all fascinating to read. In school, we learned about our country’s colonial history, but that was not exactly elaborate and focused mainly on the colonizers, not the people whose country was colonized. And while a work of fiction does not replace actual history books, it’s great to get the other side of the story as well.
But of course it's a fantasy novel, so there's magic. And not just any kind of magic. We're talking necromancy here! Jetta, the protagonist, can bind souls to objects and command them. I loved this! It might sound very dark and at times it is, but the magic is also a source of lightness throughout the story. It was fun to imagine these moving puppets. And there is one soul in particular that stole my heart with its adorableness.
Formulaic
However, the story itself was a bit formulaic. The love interest, the rebellion, the main character starting out with a positive opinion about the colonizers, some of the plot twists/revelations,... It's all been done dozens of times before. Now don’t get me wrong. It wasn't done badly here, not at all! I didn’t get bored or annoyed. But it was all a bit predictable, to be honest.
But this was countered with the format of the book. For a Muse of Fire is mainly told from Jetta’s first-person point-of-view. This is mixed with screenplays, sheet music, and letters that give us a glimpse of what happens in other locations. These alternative ways of storytelling are more limited than in Illuminae for instance, but it was fun to have things switched up.
So let’s sum things up. While the story in For a Muse of Fire is a bit formulaic, this was compensated with a great main character and mental illness representation. The themes in this book lift the story a few steps higher and kept me glued to the pages. All in all, this book gets 4 stars from me and I’m definitely adding the sequel, A Kingdom for a Stage (published in October of this year), to my TBR list!
I was hoping to write a full review for this one, because I loved it SO MUCH, but that’s not going to happen. It is, however, one of the best fantasies I’ve read. I loved the combination of music and scripts with Jetta’s POV. I loved that Jetta’s bipolar disorder was present, but not the only part of her. (And I know some people might not agree with how mental illness is used here, but I could fully understand and relate to Jetta wanting to get rid of it and be free of her malheur, as they call it). I loved how immersed I felt in the fantasy, and how there was so much more going on than anyone expects. And I adored the characters, and their relationships with one another. I loved the way that her and her parents loved each other, so completely, and without a care for the world. I loved Leo, and how Jetta forms a friendship with him based on trust and a tentative romance. Really, I just loved so many aspects to this, and while I don’t think it’s PERFECT, per se, it’s one of my favorite reads of 2018.
For a Muse of Fire is that rare thing, a book that is a pastiche of so many disparate themes that flow together to make something truly unique. Heilig, whose previous books The Girl from Everywhere and The Ship Beyond Time were fantasy adventure time travel stories, surprises in this new trilogy with a book that is a seamless blend of colonialism, necromancy, puppetry and mental health issues. Set in a Southeast Asian country* that echoes colonial Thailand and French Indochina** (Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos), Heilig gives us the story of Jetta, whose family, the Ros Nai, perform in puppet theater, one of the few remaining aspects of their country's culture and one that fascinates their colonizers. (See examples of relevant puppetry below) Jetta's artistry is fueled by a dark secret- she sees the souls of the recently dead and can capture them and force them into objects, like her puppets, or even stone. But magic has been banned since the Aquitans (basically the French) have colonized the region and Jetta doesn't know everything about her power because she has to hide it and cannot safely explore it. Threading the dangerous line between exploiting her magic in their performances to gain fame and a wider audience and the risk of discovery, Jetta wishes to reach Aquitan, the capital, where she hopes to be healed from her malheur (her misfortune, i.e. her mental health issues, which in all honesty were not very much in evidence in this first book). Presented like a play in three acts, the interplay of the resistance and outright rebellion against the often brutish Aquitan colonizers and Jetta's family's struggle makes for a compelling and sometimes heartbreaking read. The conclusion of this first novel leaves the reader heartbroken for Jetta's family.
The physical book that I received for review is peppered with ephemera from theatrical performance promotional flyers to telegraphs to sheet music. What was missing in the ARC and what I had hoped had found its way into the final version of a book (I actually held the review until release day to verify) was a glossary. Targeting young adults, or really any reader, I think the book would have greatly benefitted from a glossary of French terms (e.g. malheur and fantouche/fantoche) which I still do not see in the final book. Other than that odd defect, this is just a stunning book unlike anything that I've read in recent years in fantasy. It is not, however, an easy book to process and I fear some readers will be deterred by its complexity of language, structure, and cultural message. For instance, the Asian cultural aspect, other than shadow puppetry, of the Chakrana setting feels as if it has been almost extinguished or overwritten by the colonizing Aquitan/French culture, which I am assuming is Heilig's entire point here. Also, readers of #ownvoices books may be puzzled by Jetta's lack of an obvious display of mental health (bipolar) symptomatology. Since this is a trilogy and the end of the first book is so crushing, I am assuming that how Jetta deals with these traumatic events will evidence her struggles more in the next book.
I avidly look forward to the next book in this series. This is a truly novel world.
*Chakrana, which on the map in the final edition of the book looks somewhat like Cambodia, is actually an Urdu word that means Swirled, which is rather interesting considering the setting.
**The real military history in this region of Southeast Asia is complex. The Franco-Thai war took place during WWII, when Thailand recovered territory conquered by France from 1893-1907 (Franco-Siamese War and later encroachments) and which was placed under the Indochinese Union. Due to interventions of the Japanese, Thailand did, in fact, recover territory.
Puppetry is an integral part of Southeast Asian culture, whether the Wayang kulit of Indonesia or the Nang sbek thom of Cambodia or farther afield in China. Examples of traditional Thai shadow puppetry (Nang yai) and music can be seen here and while traditional Thai three dimensional puppetry (Hun krabok) can be seen here. For a regional twist on the shadow puppet theme check out the dragons in this example of Vietnamese water puppetry here.
I received a DRC copy from Greenwillow Books via Edelweiss, along with a paper ARE copy, in exchange for an honest review.
The physical book that I received for review is peppered with ephemera from theatrical performance promotional flyers to telegraphs to sheet music. What was missing in the ARC and what I had hoped had found its way into the final version of a book (I actually held the review until release day to verify) was a glossary. Targeting young adults, or really any reader, I think the book would have greatly benefitted from a glossary of French terms (e.g. malheur and fantouche/fantoche) which I still do not see in the final book. Other than that odd defect, this is just a stunning book unlike anything that I've read in recent years in fantasy. It is not, however, an easy book to process and I fear some readers will be deterred by its complexity of language, structure, and cultural message. For instance, the Asian cultural aspect, other than shadow puppetry, of the Chakrana setting feels as if it has been almost extinguished or overwritten by the colonizing Aquitan/French culture, which I am assuming is Heilig's entire point here. Also, readers of #ownvoices books may be puzzled by Jetta's lack of an obvious display of mental health (bipolar) symptomatology. Since this is a trilogy and the end of the first book is so crushing, I am assuming that how Jetta deals with these traumatic events will evidence her struggles more in the next book.
I avidly look forward to the next book in this series. This is a truly novel world.
*Chakrana, which on the map in the final edition of the book looks somewhat like Cambodia, is actually an Urdu word that means Swirled, which is rather interesting considering the setting.
**The real military history in this region of Southeast Asia is complex. The Franco-Thai war took place during WWII, when Thailand recovered territory conquered by France from 1893-1907 (Franco-Siamese War and later encroachments) and which was placed under the Indochinese Union. Due to interventions of the Japanese, Thailand did, in fact, recover territory.
Puppetry is an integral part of Southeast Asian culture, whether the Wayang kulit of Indonesia or the Nang sbek thom of Cambodia or farther afield in China. Examples of traditional Thai shadow puppetry (Nang yai) and music can be seen here and while traditional Thai three dimensional puppetry (Hun krabok) can be seen here. For a regional twist on the shadow puppet theme check out the dragons in this example of Vietnamese water puppetry here.
I received a DRC copy from Greenwillow Books via Edelweiss, along with a paper ARE copy, in exchange for an honest review.
4.5-4.75 stars, but went ahead and gave it the 5 stars because THAT'S WHAT IT DESERVES!
Mental health rep in a fantasy world? Check!
Asian rep? Check!
Morally grey characters you will love? Of course!
Magic system that I thought would creep me out but turned out to be utterly fascinated by? YUP!
I knew I wanted to read FOR A MUSE OF FIRE when I saw the cover and read the description, started falling in love with it when I saw the snippet of sheet music for La Lumière, and truly fell in love with the story as soon as I started reading it.
First off, the characters are amazing. Jetta is the light of my life, and Leo is the fire that flowed through my veins as I turned each page. Second, the world that Heilig creates is so well-crafted and thought through. It feels so real, even- no, especially with the fantasy elements. Third, the plot kept me on edge, LITERALLY from the first chapter. Fourth, the prose are gorgeous, simply put.
It is overall one of the best books I've read this year. It has everything I want from a fantasy novel: a unique magic system, complex characters (that I actually care about) who feel alive and real, and internal stakes that raise the external stakes. Plus, I love the fantouches. MORE FANTOUCHES IN BOOK 2 PLZ.
Content notes (as listed in the ARC): mental illness (bipolar), blood use in magic, gun violence, war, colonialism, racism, descriptions of dead bodies, mention of reproductive coercion, mentions of torture, mentions of suicide
(I received this book as a bookish wish granted on Twitter, c/o someone who works at HarperCollins.)
Mental health rep in a fantasy world? Check!
Asian rep? Check!
Morally grey characters you will love? Of course!
Magic system that I thought would creep me out but turned out to be utterly fascinated by? YUP!
I knew I wanted to read FOR A MUSE OF FIRE when I saw the cover and read the description, started falling in love with it when I saw the snippet of sheet music for La Lumière, and truly fell in love with the story as soon as I started reading it.
First off, the characters are amazing. Jetta is the light of my life, and Leo is the fire that flowed through my veins as I turned each page. Second, the world that Heilig creates is so well-crafted and thought through. It feels so real, even- no, especially with the fantasy elements. Third, the plot kept me on edge, LITERALLY from the first chapter. Fourth, the prose are gorgeous, simply put.
It is overall one of the best books I've read this year. It has everything I want from a fantasy novel: a unique magic system, complex characters (that I actually care about) who feel alive and real, and internal stakes that raise the external stakes. Plus, I love the fantouches. MORE FANTOUCHES IN BOOK 2 PLZ.
Content notes (as listed in the ARC): mental illness (bipolar), blood use in magic, gun violence, war, colonialism, racism, descriptions of dead bodies, mention of reproductive coercion, mentions of torture, mentions of suicide
(I received this book as a bookish wish granted on Twitter, c/o someone who works at HarperCollins.)
Warnings (mentioned by author in book): Mental illness (bipolar), blood use in magic, gun violence, war, colonialism, racism, descriptions of dead bodies, mention of reproductive coercion, mentions of torture, mention of suicide
Heilig's latest novel brings out a necromancer's story in a fantasy world influenced by colonialism. Jetta is a part of a troupe of shadow players - an art that uses puppet shadows to play out a story - and with her necromancy talents, which are banned by the rulers by the way, she binds souls to puppets to make them move without strings. They are popular and looking for a way out of Chakrana (the colony of Aquitan and which is the Asian-like country) and into Aquitan (the kingdom across the Hundred Days sea, and which is standing in for France here) where she hopes to get a cure for illness (bipolar disorder is being mentioned as her malheur here) but it is getting difficult when they are revolutionary forces as well as a brewing civil war.
When I said I wanted diversity in genre fiction, this is what I was asking for. Jetta's story is very much influenced by her illness - her manic episodes make her the performer she is, but it also leads to rash decisions that have unfortunate consequences. Her depressive episodes, the one I related to, felt raw and realistic to experience. Along with this, Jetta being Chakran and her country bound to Aquitan as a colony is also something that Heilig brings out in the narrative - they are being told that the rebel forces are the enemy, and the Aquitans have done a good job of villainising the people against their own countrymen. It doesn't help that the previous ruler did not rein in the mysterious and powerful Le Trepas (a necromancer priest who built a cult around him) and the latter basically terrified the people enough that they fear to even speak his name.
The story is told mostly in Jetta's first person narrative, but occasionally cuts to letters, telegrams, folklore stories, playbills, and scenes in the form of a script, which is how we get an understanding of how the war is brewing in Chakrana, and what the Aquitan forces stationed there are trying to do. There are people who think they are doing good by 'taming' the culture of the Chakrana while there are others who basically want an excuse to go on a genocidal rampage. But there is another latent threat looming - Le Trepas and his cohort, who still hide in the court they once ruled. Jetta's mother is careful to keep her from that because of her powers, but ultimately, even the truth of what went on in the court and how it connects to their folklore.
A secondary character of interest is Leo, who is Aquitan-Chakran, and runs a theater and is in charge of a troupe of girls. There is a found family feeling to them, but I still didn't understand why he essentially leaves them to go with Jetta. Speaking of the girls, they are a nice bunch and I hope to see more of them in the sequel, especially Tia (who is trans) and Cheeky. Other characters of note are the Chakran prince, who has more going on that initially thought, and Theodora, who is basically an engineer.
Basically, it is a powerful story of a simple girl with a big power and how she and the world she is in affect each other's stories. The writing is good, emotional, and rooted in realism, even with such a fantasy concept.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Greenwillow Books, via Edelweiss.
Heilig's latest novel brings out a necromancer's story in a fantasy world influenced by colonialism. Jetta is a part of a troupe of shadow players - an art that uses puppet shadows to play out a story - and with her necromancy talents, which are banned by the rulers by the way, she binds souls to puppets to make them move without strings. They are popular and looking for a way out of Chakrana (the colony of Aquitan and which is the Asian-like country) and into Aquitan (the kingdom across the Hundred Days sea, and which is standing in for France here) where she hopes to get a cure for illness (bipolar disorder is being mentioned as her malheur here) but it is getting difficult when they are revolutionary forces as well as a brewing civil war.
When I said I wanted diversity in genre fiction, this is what I was asking for. Jetta's story is very much influenced by her illness - her manic episodes make her the performer she is, but it also leads to rash decisions that have unfortunate consequences. Her depressive episodes, the one I related to, felt raw and realistic to experience. Along with this, Jetta being Chakran and her country bound to Aquitan as a colony is also something that Heilig brings out in the narrative - they are being told that the rebel forces are the enemy, and the Aquitans have done a good job of villainising the people against their own countrymen. It doesn't help that the previous ruler did not rein in the mysterious and powerful Le Trepas (a necromancer priest who built a cult around him) and the latter basically terrified the people enough that they fear to even speak his name.
A monster, out of legend, when he was still roaming free with death at the tips of his fingers.
The story is told mostly in Jetta's first person narrative, but occasionally cuts to letters, telegrams, folklore stories, playbills, and scenes in the form of a script, which is how we get an understanding of how the war is brewing in Chakrana, and what the Aquitan forces stationed there are trying to do. There are people who think they are doing good by 'taming' the culture of the Chakrana while there are others who basically want an excuse to go on a genocidal rampage. But there is another latent threat looming - Le Trepas and his cohort, who still hide in the court they once ruled. Jetta's mother is careful to keep her from that because of her powers, but ultimately, even the truth of what went on in the court and how it connects to their folklore.
And isn’t it strange how the Aquitans devour our stories but silence our prayers?
A secondary character of interest is Leo, who is Aquitan-Chakran, and runs a theater and is in charge of a troupe of girls. There is a found family feeling to them, but I still didn't understand why he essentially leaves them to go with Jetta. Speaking of the girls, they are a nice bunch and I hope to see more of them in the sequel, especially Tia (who is trans) and Cheeky. Other characters of note are the Chakran prince, who has more going on that initially thought, and Theodora, who is basically an engineer.
“Oh! Cheeky.” Leo smothers his smile as he turns to her. “Didn’t hear you coming.”
“Never will, with an attitude like that.”
Basically, it is a powerful story of a simple girl with a big power and how she and the world she is in affect each other's stories. The writing is good, emotional, and rooted in realism, even with such a fantasy concept.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Greenwillow Books, via Edelweiss.
5/5 STARS
Wow. I'm not sure I have the mental capacity to formulate my thoughts on HOW MUCH I LOVED THIS BOOK right now. This is one of the most unique, intriguing second-world fantasies I've read in quite a while. I love that it tells the story not of a royal or someone royal-adjacent, but a girl and her family trying to survive in a colonized land that is being torn apart by war. The story itself, the premise, the world Heilig built, all are so original and fresh and I can honestly say I've never read anything like this book.
Jetta is the morally gray character all other morally gray characters wish they could be. She makes decisions that we like to hope we would never make, and she does it out of a combination of fear, wanting what's best for her family, and her malheur, which...as someone with a mental illness myself, I can't relate 100% to Jetta's malheur, but I relate to her deep deep malaise at times and to her recklessness at others.
I wish only good things for Jetta, for Leo, for the girls of La Perl, and the ending to this book — phew, my heart.
Again I circle back to how well-crafted this book is, how intricate the world-building, how surprising the character reveals, how gorgeous the setting, how — it's perfect. I love it, and I can't wait to dive into the sequel.
Wow. I'm not sure I have the mental capacity to formulate my thoughts on HOW MUCH I LOVED THIS BOOK right now. This is one of the most unique, intriguing second-world fantasies I've read in quite a while. I love that it tells the story not of a royal or someone royal-adjacent, but a girl and her family trying to survive in a colonized land that is being torn apart by war. The story itself, the premise, the world Heilig built, all are so original and fresh and I can honestly say I've never read anything like this book.
Jetta is the morally gray character all other morally gray characters wish they could be. She makes decisions that we like to hope we would never make, and she does it out of a combination of fear, wanting what's best for her family, and her malheur, which...as someone with a mental illness myself, I can't relate 100% to Jetta's malheur, but I relate to her deep deep malaise at times and to her recklessness at others.
I wish only good things for Jetta, for Leo, for the girls of La Perl, and the ending to this book — phew, my heart.
Again I circle back to how well-crafted this book is, how intricate the world-building, how surprising the character reveals, how gorgeous the setting, how — it's perfect. I love it, and I can't wait to dive into the sequel.
Got an ARC of this from the author. This book was overwhelming to me! I’m not sure why. Possibly the dead brother. Possibly just a really rich world building which often overwhelms me because I have to create a whole new brain space for this entirely new world. But I loved it too? It’s not a quick and easy read but it did suck me in. I want more.
See more reviews and other book-related posts at The Reading Shelf.
This book wasn’t what I expected – I’m not quite sure what I expected, other than a new book from the author of the Girl From Everywhere duology, but it was both odd and fascinating. The author’s note at the end of this book talked about how the book was inspired by some real life countries and cultures, such as France and Southeast Asia, and how it was also so different that it was very clearly a fantasy world of its own. I think that’s a perfect metaphor for this book: it’s both something and not that thing at all (if that sounds like I disliked it, you’re wrong).
This book took a while for me to read, mainly because I was reading a lot of other books at the time. Even though it’s roughly 500 pages long, it goes fast, partly because of the unique formatting in between regular chapters: we have real sheet music for songs (which, unfortunately, I didn’t understand at all, because I learned beginning piano ages ago and otherwise just played the drums, which have less complex sheet music – at least, they do at the beginning stage), some letters and telegrams, and a look at what other characters are doing in the form of play acts and scenes. Otherwise, this was the story of Jetta.
Jetta has bipolar disorder; we almost never see mental health issues in books in general, but seeing them in fantasy stories is even rarer. Too many authors think that, because their fantasy worlds are separate from our own, they can ignore real life problems from our own world, like racism, sexism, and, of course, mental health and neurodiversity. This book manages to address both Jetta’s bipolar disorder (called malheur here – that might be a typo on my part, because I’ve had to return the library book before I could write up this review) and how her country, inspired in some ways by Southeast Asia, is affected by the colonization by a France-esque country and its continued occupation. The world was decidedly fantasy, different than our own, but it had its roots in our own, which is how fantasy works best (saying this as a reader who doesn’t reach for fantasy books as much as paranormal, contemporary, and mystery books).
I had some small problems with this story, but they were small. One problem I can have with fantasy books in general is the way you’re thrown into this unknown world and have to play catchup with all of the new terms and locations. Because I was also trying to connect everything with real-world countries and customs, it made it even harder to keep track of some things, but that’s obviously on me. I also felt like some aspects were rushed, even though the book was so long. I liked the romance, but it definitely fell prey to the rushed feeling of the book. I look forward to seeing it developed more in the second book, as well as the world at large.
Despite some minor problems and the fact that it took me so long to read this epic new fantasy, I was decidedly a fan. I want to see more from Heilig in both the future books in this series as well as more books in general, especially if they managed to incorporate real life issues as well as she has here.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
This book wasn’t what I expected – I’m not quite sure what I expected, other than a new book from the author of the Girl From Everywhere duology, but it was both odd and fascinating. The author’s note at the end of this book talked about how the book was inspired by some real life countries and cultures, such as France and Southeast Asia, and how it was also so different that it was very clearly a fantasy world of its own. I think that’s a perfect metaphor for this book: it’s both something and not that thing at all (if that sounds like I disliked it, you’re wrong).
This book took a while for me to read, mainly because I was reading a lot of other books at the time. Even though it’s roughly 500 pages long, it goes fast, partly because of the unique formatting in between regular chapters: we have real sheet music for songs (which, unfortunately, I didn’t understand at all, because I learned beginning piano ages ago and otherwise just played the drums, which have less complex sheet music – at least, they do at the beginning stage), some letters and telegrams, and a look at what other characters are doing in the form of play acts and scenes. Otherwise, this was the story of Jetta.
Jetta has bipolar disorder; we almost never see mental health issues in books in general, but seeing them in fantasy stories is even rarer. Too many authors think that, because their fantasy worlds are separate from our own, they can ignore real life problems from our own world, like racism, sexism, and, of course, mental health and neurodiversity. This book manages to address both Jetta’s bipolar disorder (called malheur here – that might be a typo on my part, because I’ve had to return the library book before I could write up this review) and how her country, inspired in some ways by Southeast Asia, is affected by the colonization by a France-esque country and its continued occupation. The world was decidedly fantasy, different than our own, but it had its roots in our own, which is how fantasy works best (saying this as a reader who doesn’t reach for fantasy books as much as paranormal, contemporary, and mystery books).
I had some small problems with this story, but they were small. One problem I can have with fantasy books in general is the way you’re thrown into this unknown world and have to play catchup with all of the new terms and locations. Because I was also trying to connect everything with real-world countries and customs, it made it even harder to keep track of some things, but that’s obviously on me. I also felt like some aspects were rushed, even though the book was so long. I liked the romance, but it definitely fell prey to the rushed feeling of the book. I look forward to seeing it developed more in the second book, as well as the world at large.
Despite some minor problems and the fact that it took me so long to read this epic new fantasy, I was decidedly a fan. I want to see more from Heilig in both the future books in this series as well as more books in general, especially if they managed to incorporate real life issues as well as she has here.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars