Reviews

Burning Roses by S.L. Huang

iam's review against another edition

5.0

Lovely blend of eastern and western mythology and fairy tales featuring two aging lesbian hunters, each with their own regrets and family problems. I liked the flashbacks and recognizing the way the myths were woven into the narative. The ending made me wipe away a tear.

cbags's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

citrus_seasalt's review against another edition

4.0

This was an interesting novella! I cannot remember where I found out about this one, lol. Rosa and Hou Yi made for a fascinating pair of MCs—their dynamic was engaging, as two complicated middle-aged women with painful mistakes and memories that often paralleled each other. Although I was expecting more action(most of that was in the first part), I’m still alright with most of this novella being stories the two passed back and forth. If you go into it with those expectations, you won’t be disappointed, because I thought the dialogue and internal conflicts were written well and they make up a bulk of the story.

My only gripe is that I wish the world was fleshed out more? I enjoyed the integration of different folklore/fairytales, and the prose in general, but I still thought it was lacking, even with my interest in its magical regions(and the different attitudes to magic). I get that there’s only so much you can cover within a novella, but…still.

Oh and also—this is a novel that’s sapphic but doesn’t have a romance between the two leads!! Both MC’s have wives of their own, and their memories and conflicts surrounding them are at the forefront of this story. It’s rare for me to see that, I’m glad Hou Yi and Rosa got to just have a friendship.

I’d recommend this to anyone alright with retellings that are a hodgepodge of different stories, are looking for something contemplative and queer, and don’t mind a character-driven story.

mayakittenreads's review

challenging emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

izzy42's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

spoonysaurusrex's review against another edition

reflective

2.0

izzcott's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

doc_savage's review against another edition

2.0

I wanted to like this book. It blends a variety of things I like: diverse characters, re-imagined fairytale characters, blending myths/legends from different parts of the world. But I just struggled to get into it. If I didn't know anything about fairytales or myths/legends, it wouldn't have made any sort of sense. Could be personal opinion, but I believe understanding should not hinge upon allusion. Allusion should be used to enhance, like an inside joke (not necessarily joke) between the author and the reader.

birte's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

melodyseestrees's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

3.0