Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Girls of Paper and Fire

Not sure what’s been happening but I keep reading 4 star books lately, and I’m loving it! I’d heard about Girls of Paper and Fire for a while and am glad I finally took the plunge. I read nearly the entire book in one day (at work too shh 🤫). I found the worldbuilding wasn’t too complicated, no part dragged, and I was very invested in the characters, plot, and lore. I’m not much of a YA reader anymore but this had me feeling like I was a teenager back in 2015 during the YA book craze. I also can tell the author put so much heart into this story, which is clear in the author’s note at the end. I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel to come off hold at the library so I can continue the series.

Really important to note though that this book can be tough to read and potentially triggering. TWs for rape/sexual assault/sexual violence. Nothing is too explicit but these are major themes throughout the book.

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crunchycrystals's review against another edition

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winryrose's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Heads up there are trigger warnings for r*pe and ab*se.

This is the story of a culture full of war and class separation where, every year, 8 girls as young as 16 are chosen to be concubines to the demon king. There is passion, forbidden love, loss, death, chaos and even a little happiness mixed in. Follow Lei on her journey to become the warrior she truly is.

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scrubsandbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

4.5

This was a reread but was just as impactful the second time around. This was also the first book I had read (when this book first came out) that had a list of triggers at the very beginning of the book and honestly, we stan an author who wants to protect their readers. Please be mindful of those triggers when reading the book.

Considering the story of the FMC being taken away from her family to be one of my concubines to a vicious leader, it was a dark read and often difficult to get through but the love story was searing and gut-wrenching. The world-building was immense and the plot was engaging. I cannot wait to see this story continue and eagerly hoping the patriarchy falls apart.

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punkystarshine's review against another edition

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4.75

This was darker than I was expecting for YA, but once I adjusted to it, I really loved the worldbuilding. By the time I got halfway through the book, I knew I was going to be reading the rest of the series ASAP.

I love a fantasy story with queer girls as the heroes! And I love that even though she had never seen or considered that two women could be in a relationship, Lei got over it real quick when she realized she had feelings for another girl. There were plenty of other things to worry about! Love to see it.

Could have used one more pass by an editor, but it was just things like (seemingly unintentionally) repeated phrases or giving information we already knew as if it was the first time, things I probably only noticed because it's my day job. And maybe was purposeful because this is meant for younger audiences. Didn't take away from my overall enjoyment.

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