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cadavis3's review against another edition
5.0
Burning Roses is a beautiful and gripping modern fairytale. A sapphic melding of eastern and western myth and folklore that will pull at your heartstrings from beginning to end. You'll recognize many of the figures in this novella, but they have all been recast in new and surprising ways. It's a story about love, loss, betrayal, and the dual nature of the human spirit. A story well crafted and wonderfully told.
spiringempress's review against another edition
3.0
Burning Roses interweaves various fairy tales, including Red Riding Hood, Hou Yi, Goldilocks, and Beauty and the Beast into a short story about two middle-aged women: Rosa and Hou Yi, who is a woman in this retelling. Both women are hiding from a dark past and questionable decisions. However, the two are brought together to put an end to violent sunbird attacks and slowly unburden onto each other. Good representation and an interesting short story.
r00bs's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I read this without realising it was part of a series, and without any knowledge going in, so didn't realise it was retelling anything; the twisting allusions are really lovely, and with an unusual edge.
emmackey's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.75
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Death, Abandonment, Murder, and Animal death
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Hate crime
Minor: Transphobia, Lesbophobia, Pedophilia, and Trafficking
athornton's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
landbright13's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
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
4.5
jessica_flower's review against another edition
3.0
CW: murder, violence, domestic violence (in the past), xenophobia, toxic/manipulative friendship (in the past), strained familial relationships, morally grey MCs, self-destructive behaviour, themes of grief, toxic shame and guilt
In a world blended with Western and Eastern folklore, two middle-aged women go on a journey to defeat some destructive fire birds that are terrorizing the region they live in, and along the way, they reveal their past lives, mistakes and bad decisions to each other. In doing so, they realise only by confronting their trauma and taking steps to rebuilding relationships that were broken can they overcome their pasts.
When I first heard about this, I thought that this pair of older sapphics were in a relationship together, or on their way to becoming one. Instead I was pleasantly bemused to discover that, though they are both sapphic, they are just friends. And I'm fine with that. WLW can and definitely should be friends with each other; we don't get enough of that the same way we don't get enough stories of older lesbians and sapphics in media.
Part of me wishes we'd gotten Hou Yi's perspective in the book, not only Rosa's. That would probably make this an actual novel and not a novella, but I personally wouldn't mind. And, given that it's partially based off Chinese mythology, I wish that we'd gotten more Chinese words in the story itself. Some little things that I wish could've been explored more: I wish we got more development of Mei and Rosa's relationship; why/how did they come to love each other? Where exactly did Xiao Hong come from? How did Hou Yi and Chang E meet and adopt Feng Meng?
Anyway, the ending made me cry.
In a world blended with Western and Eastern folklore, two middle-aged women go on a journey to defeat some destructive fire birds that are terrorizing the region they live in, and along the way, they reveal their past lives, mistakes and bad decisions to each other. In doing so, they realise only by confronting their trauma and taking steps to rebuilding relationships that were broken can they overcome their pasts.
When I first heard about this, I thought that this pair of older sapphics were in a relationship together, or on their way to becoming one. Instead I was pleasantly bemused to discover that, though they are both sapphic, they are just friends. And I'm fine with that. WLW can and definitely should be friends with each other; we don't get enough of that the same way we don't get enough stories of older lesbians and sapphics in media.
Part of me wishes we'd gotten Hou Yi's perspective in the book, not only Rosa's. That would probably make this an actual novel and not a novella, but I personally wouldn't mind. And, given that it's partially based off Chinese mythology, I wish that we'd gotten more Chinese words in the story itself. Some little things that I wish could've been explored more: I wish we got more development of Mei and Rosa's relationship; why/how did they come to love each other? Where exactly did Xiao Hong come from? How did Hou Yi and Chang E meet and adopt Feng Meng?
Anyway, the ending made me cry.
idkijustneedtobuyabookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5