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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
How I loved this book. It’s true the world building is complex and so many things are intricate little details that you can easily miss them, yet that’s what made it so amazing. The best part of this book is how real the political issues of the world are, strongly resonating with the geopolitical issues our own reality is facing today.
I also deeply loved how imperfect the characters are, and their own motivations were so clear, and one could understand where they stemmed from. I just wished for more pining from Yassen and Elena. But the book was amazing, I deeply loved it and cannot wait for the sequel.
I also deeply loved how imperfect the characters are, and their own motivations were so clear, and one could understand where they stemmed from. I just wished for more pining from Yassen and Elena. But the book was amazing, I deeply loved it and cannot wait for the sequel.
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
*I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*
In a world teetering on the edge of war, one man’s hunger for power might just doom them all. Yassen Knight was once a notorious assassin, now he’s on the run and his only ticket to freedom is defending the princess of Ravence. Elena is counting down the days she ascends the throne, but her inability to hold Fire threatens her crown. Leo isn’t ready to give the crown up yet, not when a looming prophecy threatens everything he holds dear. As the clock ticks till the coronation, the people of Ravence must prepare for change or fear seeing the land burn.
What stood out about this book for me was the writing. I think Verma is a phenomenal writer. I really enjoyed how she writes, it’s rich and filled with details that make the world of Sayon come to life. She writes quite smoothly in a way that seems very experienced. There are too many good quotes from this book. I’m sure my Kindle copy is more highlights than plain lines.
However, when I finished this book, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. The world-building is well done, and I enjoyed the universe Verma has formed. But I couldn’t seem to place where my disappointment lay, but I think, in the end, the characters themselves didn’t live up to the world they resided in. I feel like we really only got to understand the characters at a surface level.
Elena and Leo were interesting, and I liked the parallel between father and daughter as Leo struggles to make sure Elena will inherit a world worth fighting for, but fails to understand what is really best for his land. Yassen is introduced strong and I was prepared to adore him, but again there really isn’t any significant action aside from Leo’s chapters so much of the book is rather slow. It’s a constant cycle of being reminded that Elena can’t control her fire ability and Yassen is a former traitor. The book is advertised as “enemies to lovers,” but the energy between Elena and Yassen isn’t there. Elena is engaged in an arranged marriage between Samson, a friend of Yassen, and it feels like they had better chemistry.
It’s been some time since I finished this book, and I still can’t figure out where I stand with it. Conceptually, its plot and characters should appeal to me but reading this book felt like a drag. Pitched as Dune meets The Poppy War, The Boy with Fire struggles to light a flame to its comp mates. The potential is there, and for another reader, it will be perfect, but the story barely made a mark for me.
In a world teetering on the edge of war, one man’s hunger for power might just doom them all. Yassen Knight was once a notorious assassin, now he’s on the run and his only ticket to freedom is defending the princess of Ravence. Elena is counting down the days she ascends the throne, but her inability to hold Fire threatens her crown. Leo isn’t ready to give the crown up yet, not when a looming prophecy threatens everything he holds dear. As the clock ticks till the coronation, the people of Ravence must prepare for change or fear seeing the land burn.
What stood out about this book for me was the writing. I think Verma is a phenomenal writer. I really enjoyed how she writes, it’s rich and filled with details that make the world of Sayon come to life. She writes quite smoothly in a way that seems very experienced. There are too many good quotes from this book. I’m sure my Kindle copy is more highlights than plain lines.
However, when I finished this book, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. The world-building is well done, and I enjoyed the universe Verma has formed. But I couldn’t seem to place where my disappointment lay, but I think, in the end, the characters themselves didn’t live up to the world they resided in. I feel like we really only got to understand the characters at a surface level.
Elena and Leo were interesting, and I liked the parallel between father and daughter as Leo struggles to make sure Elena will inherit a world worth fighting for, but fails to understand what is really best for his land. Yassen is introduced strong and I was prepared to adore him, but again there really isn’t any significant action aside from Leo’s chapters so much of the book is rather slow. It’s a constant cycle of being reminded that Elena can’t control her fire ability and Yassen is a former traitor. The book is advertised as “enemies to lovers,” but the energy between Elena and Yassen isn’t there. Elena is engaged in an arranged marriage between Samson, a friend of Yassen, and it feels like they had better chemistry.
It’s been some time since I finished this book, and I still can’t figure out where I stand with it. Conceptually, its plot and characters should appeal to me but reading this book felt like a drag. Pitched as Dune meets The Poppy War, The Boy with Fire struggles to light a flame to its comp mates. The potential is there, and for another reader, it will be perfect, but the story barely made a mark for me.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What an absolute adventure!
My reading experience had a fun twist when I lost my copy of this book two separate times!! I have NO IDEA how I did this, but once it was discovered after months at large folded into our sheets in the linen closet, and then next time it was found after a week in the cat's bed. (I do have ADHD, but that was excessive even for me).
Anyway, when I finally picked it back up again after losing it, I expected to feel a bit lost getting back into the story, but the characters remained as vivid as ever. I really like how complex and flawed and three-dimensional they were. I like a slow-burn, so the romance subplot worked great for me with all those small moments of growing intimacy and Yassen and Elena learning to understand one another.
I also love worldbuilding like this -- with complicated fantasy religions and politics and factions who grapple with their own motivations. I understand why some people found this to be too much, but it worked for me! And I will always find a South Asian inspired setting so refreshing and wonderful to read.
Also.. I am in love with Ferma. Completely.
My reading experience had a fun twist when I lost my copy of this book two separate times!! I have NO IDEA how I did this, but once it was discovered after months at large folded into our sheets in the linen closet, and then next time it was found after a week in the cat's bed. (I do have ADHD, but that was excessive even for me).
Anyway, when I finally picked it back up again after losing it, I expected to feel a bit lost getting back into the story, but the characters remained as vivid as ever. I really like how complex and flawed and three-dimensional they were. I like a slow-burn, so the romance subplot worked great for me with all those small moments of growing intimacy and Yassen and Elena learning to understand one another.
I also love worldbuilding like this -- with complicated fantasy religions and politics and factions who grapple with their own motivations. I understand why some people found this to be too much, but it worked for me! And I will always find a South Asian inspired setting so refreshing and wonderful to read.
Also.. I am in love with Ferma. Completely.
So I listened to this on audiobook and honestly I love how each pov has their own narrator as it really helps you get more immersed into the story,the world and its characters.
Some parts did feel really slow and I didn’t mind that the romance was a minor subplot as I was more interested in the world and Elena’s ascension to the throne and her powers.
As others have said the story doesn’t start picking up till the 50% mark so that’s probably where I docked a star otherwise I would’ve made this a 4⭐️ read for me.
For a debut novel it’s a good start to the series and can’t wait to see where the story goes.
Some parts did feel really slow and I didn’t mind that the romance was a minor subplot as I was more interested in the world and Elena’s ascension to the throne and her powers.
As others have said the story doesn’t start picking up till the 50% mark so that’s probably where I docked a star otherwise I would’ve made this a 4⭐️ read for me.
For a debut novel it’s a good start to the series and can’t wait to see where the story goes.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
slow-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
let's jump into this gorgeous debut novel! (this is a lengthy review, as all my reviews are, read at your own discretion <3)
✨ i'm still at the restaurant (quotes i will not get over) ✨
+ “sometimes, the moments that define us are the moments in which we spare ourselves.”
+ “at some point, we must all grieve for our old selves.”
+ “if there was one thing yassen could claim, it was this: that even in the darkness of death, he would know her.”
++ there were several others (that one leo/elena scene staring me in the face...), but these were some i posted in my updates that made me feel insane reading.
✨ the world ✨
+ it was definitely not what i was first expecting, tbh!
+ there is this sort of unique technology system within the world, with holos and hovercars and speeders and such, where it's kind of like dune-esque or star wars-esque (which i know is a controversial statement in itself to pair those two together in the same sentence). but there also isn't this overwhelming presence of magic or magic-like things that sort of makes everything feel more grounded and realistic in a way.
+ definitely a really good blend of sci-fi and fantasy that i feel is sometimes hard to achieve, but this was really well done!
+ very rooted within indian culture, which i loveddd!! i'm not overtly familiar with it myself, but i found it kinda fun looking up what certain clothing was or what a food was LOL.
+ the world itself is reallyyy cool and has a lot of history and myth behind it that i think verma is able to do well through her writing and through what gets revealed to us as readers through the reading.
+ there is a heavy theme of sociopolitics that exists in the world, that's sort of what the whole plot is centered around for a good chunk of the book, so if you're not interested in reading that or want something that's quicker-paced (because it is a little slow in the grand scheme of things--not boring, just slower), then maybe not the book for you!
+ the idea and complexity that comes with the religion in this book, too, is very interesting and i feel like it's not something that a lot of fantasy books with a higher being/power tend to hone in on as much? there's either the devout followers or people who don't believe most of the time, but i felt like there was really good representation of both of those while also tying in these other complexities of the nature of the world or a character's certain environment or their personality that helped create a spectrum of belief within the world that was really interesting and beautiful to see.
+ i've read some other reviews that said that the world-building or explanations of things were a bit confusing or there was maybe a bit too much going on, but i felt like i understood everything pretty well! that's not a diss at anyone else, but my personal opinion is that i didn't see it that way, anddd that maybe if there was complexity existing with groups of people, then it kinda made sense, given the complexity of the world and sociopolitical system as a whole!
✨ the writing ✨
+ i loved how this whole book was written. it was on the simpler side of writing, but in the way where i wasn't feeling like i had to look up what a word meant every large paragraph, you know?
+ there were straightforward phrases that were so beautiful and there were some complex ones that were equally as beautiful, i really enjoyed verma's writing style and it made the book better to read because of that.
+ the way that grief was depicted and described, especially when you read the last 30-35% of the book, is really good and i felt like you don't get hit over the head with it because you can just feel it lingering there as you read and i think i like that depiction better than if it were to just be all at once and then nothing at all.
+ i wished there were sometimes more clearrr descriptions of what a place or building looked like? that's more just because i sort of have a movie going in my head as i read, so i like the more detailed descriptions of the setting. there was some, but i felt like sometimes it was bare bones or a bit more vague than i personally would've liked, but i also realize that it's more a personal preference thing than something i found wrong with the book.
+ like i said before, it is a bit of a slower-paced book, but i feel like the writing does a really good job of making you feel like it isn't? like, it feels slow-paced because a lot of the points of action for most of the book are just political moves or these subtler plans that are being formed or put into motion rather than a battle here and a skirmish there and a betrayal here. i didn't mind it, but i would say that it's probably not for everyone to read and be excited by, it just depends on what you're interested in.
✨ the charactersss ✨
💞 elena
+ miss main bitch!!
+ i don't think i realized until i was reading some reviews after i finished the book that someone pointed out they didn't think there was much personality to elena? which... i don't know, i'm on the fence about.
+ i, unfortunately, don't think the depth or possible complexity of her character and personality surfaced until the last, like, 25% of the book. but i think that sort of came with the rest of the action and plot happening up until that point.
+ she does still have personality, though! she's a tough and strong-headed woman and kind of badass?? i liked reading through her perspective and i never found her tiring or that i was rolling my eyes at her or whatever, i think she was a good FMC.
+ i think this book, from her perspective, there were a lot of things that were kept in her blind spots, there was a lot of self-doubt and nerves that sort of shadowed everything else. she had this reallyyy beautiful heart-to-heart moment with her father that honestly made me cry a little because i think the relationships between parents and their children is always expressed in such different ways but it's this really human and relatable thing for everyone, no matter what, and this specific expression and relationship felt very relatable to me. it also provided more depth to both of these characters that i found really gorgeous and i just liked it a lot.
+ i'm excited for elena to have a character arc in the next book, however. i think that's gonna be where she really has this depth and complexity added further to her character because of the situation and environment she's in and the fact that all of the events that took place in this book are still going to be lingering around her and she's having to face them all head on. very excited to see what happens with that.
💞 yassen
+ my man my man my MAN!!!
+ i love him. so much. i love him, i'm in love with him, he's my baby, he's perfect in every way.
+ he was a really interesting and complex character to read. he felt very real and very relatable with a lot of the things he was going through--mainly the fact that he had this constant, shifting perspective of himself because he didn't have anything to cement him to who he was?? that was a gorgeoussss journey and so well done ohmygod.
+ like did i get pissed off at him for a small section of the book? yes. did i move past that once i got to his chapter following that section because he was just so perfectly vulnerable? also yes.
+ his entire journey throughout this book was just so good and so well done and i really loved reading from his perspective because it was just you reading about this perfect little man's journey of self-discovery.
+ i just love him so much and i refuse to accept his last chapter's events. i pretend it does not exist <3
💞 leo
+ honestly wasn't a fan of him at first, but he's actually one of the more complex characters in this book. him and yassen, i think. samson's right under them, but leo was reallyyy complex, like it was very human of everything he did.
+ he was also just acting in what he thought elena's best interests were?? like he was just the epitome of being a father and i think that it was shown through his actions and thoughts and his chapters in suchhhh a good way, ohmygod.
+ i thought he was also a really beautifully written character and i think his relationship with elena was so heartbreaking. it was this good pain reading through his chapters at certain times and i really liked that.
+ i went back and forth on him a lot, but i think he's one of my favorite fictional fathers i've read. definitely one of my favorite fictional men, i think.
✨ overall thoughts and vibes ✨
+ i really don't understand why this book doesn't have a higher average rating because i really never felt like this book dipped below 4 stars for me.
+ the characters all feel complex and developed and like they all had their purpose, the plot was interesting and moved along at a steady and good pace, the world and its building through the story was really well done and gorgeous. i felt really immersed and locked in the whole time.
+ the complexity of the world and plot itself was very well done and i felt like it added to the realisticness of the entire story.
+ i think elena and yassen's romance was well done in its slow-burn, i felt like it was really natural and slow-building for the most part and i sort of liked that it was without all this bantering and push and pull between them that exists with a lot of other romance books. like it could've been cute to read and whatnot, but i sort of liked the subtle and gradual building of their feelings on either side! i could feel the gradual thing and i don't think that their relationship was supposed to be the main focus here anyways. there was a lot more shit going on to where if there were more moments of bantering or whatever between them, it sort of would have felt like it was taking away from the plot or that it felt a bit out of place with how the story was paced and moving. so, i liked it and i like them together and yassen is just sooo done and over for elena. and she is for him, too, like the way she thinks about him is so painstakingly tender, god they drive me crazy.
+ i really love all these characters and i'm very excited to see what happens in the next book!! i need it in my hands nEOW.