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bookbutch's review
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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I am uncomfortable continuing to read this book based on the plethora of criticisms I have read from people in related minority communities. I did not mind the worldbuilding, which others had issues with, but the issue with the representation given by different communities is widespread and I am uncomfortable participating further with a book that people bring up so many valid criticisms of when I am not in those communities.
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I am uncomfortable continuing to read this book based on the plethora of criticisms I have read from people in related minority communities. I did not mind the worldbuilding, which others had issues with, but the issue with the representation given by different communities is widespread and I am uncomfortable participating further with a book that people bring up so many valid criticisms of when I am not in those communities.
mschaeff's review
3.0
I had such mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, the world building is incredible, and I think it might be the best "gender bent" book I've ever read; it makes incredible social commentary by reversing the roles of men and women. I will say I spent about the first hundred pages of this book trying to figure out what on earth was going on. There are good ways to do "learn by immersion" and "show-don't-tell" - unfortunately, I'm not sure this book nailed those, since there were huge chunks of world building I still could barely grasp by the end. But it was fascinating and an incredibly unique fantasy. The one thing that absolutely murdered it for me was a) the main character, who just left a lot to be desired, and b) my personal least favorite fantasy trope, insta-love. And, while it's nice to see poly rep in a book, the love interests are both flat and felt very one-dimensional. Really interesting world, really neat ideas, fascinating work around gender roles, and yet... just sort of flat.
Merged review:
I had such mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, the world building could have been, and I think it might be the best "gender bent" book I've ever read; it makes incredible social commentary by reversing the roles of men and women. I will say I spent about the first hundred pages of this book trying to figure out what on earth was going on. There are good ways to do "learn by immersion" and "show-don't-tell" - unfortunately, I'm not sure this book nailed those, since there were huge chunks of world building I still could barely grasp by the end. (In fact, there were a... whole lot... of pieces I never got at all.) It also really tries to do too much. It's got some unique ideas, but there are so many of them that it's really challenging to follow. And the one thing that absolutely murdered it for me was a) the main character, who just left a lot to be desired, and b) my personal least favorite fantasy trope, insta-love. And, while it's nice to see poly rep in a book, the love interests are both flat and felt very one-dimensional. Really interesting world, really potentially neat ideas, fascinating work around gender roles, and yet... just sort of flat.
This book was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Merged review:
I had such mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, the world building could have been, and I think it might be the best "gender bent" book I've ever read; it makes incredible social commentary by reversing the roles of men and women. I will say I spent about the first hundred pages of this book trying to figure out what on earth was going on. There are good ways to do "learn by immersion" and "show-don't-tell" - unfortunately, I'm not sure this book nailed those, since there were huge chunks of world building I still could barely grasp by the end. (In fact, there were a... whole lot... of pieces I never got at all.) It also really tries to do too much. It's got some unique ideas, but there are so many of them that it's really challenging to follow. And the one thing that absolutely murdered it for me was a) the main character, who just left a lot to be desired, and b) my personal least favorite fantasy trope, insta-love. And, while it's nice to see poly rep in a book, the love interests are both flat and felt very one-dimensional. Really interesting world, really potentially neat ideas, fascinating work around gender roles, and yet... just sort of flat.
This book was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
happybirb's review
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
This book has such an interesting premise and summary that you think it can’t possibly be boring. Then you start reading it and it’s about 400+ pages of this kid talking about how he’s a monster, no really, there’s a darkness inside him you really wouldn’t get. I skimmed the last 100 pages because I just wanted to know what happened.
Characters: interesting! I like the three main characters, even despite what I just said about kore. I liked watching them orbit each other and their interactions and relationship growth did feel very natural. We love a polycule, and this one actually seemed healthy so pop off.
Plot: I lost the plot. Not really, bc I kept being beat over the head with it, but my god. The more interesting necromancer plot was relegated to b plot while “I’m trying to get an endorsement for this politician” was 2/3 of the book. Slow. I didn’t really care about it
Writing: overall pretty good, I appreciated the attempt to use the matriarchal society to highlight how stupid some fantasy books sound in regards to female characters, but this was just too heavy handed. It came off very “and now a word from our sponsors: feminism”. I do think there’s an interesting discussion to be had here though about deconstructing thoughts that a matriarchal society would be a wonderland of loving equality, but I don’t think that’s what this book was trying to do.
Side note: the sex scenes were fine. Which honestly is pretty good, they weren’t horrible to read, even if I was jumpscared by the first one bc I didn’t expect this book to have multiple intense sex scenes in it.
Overall: 1.5 stars. I wouldn’t read it again and I wouldn’t recommend it to any one. Might rant about it while drunk at midnight
Characters: interesting! I like the three main characters, even despite what I just said about kore. I liked watching them orbit each other and their interactions and relationship growth did feel very natural.
Plot: I lost the plot. Not really, bc I kept being beat over the head with it, but my god. The more interesting necromancer plot was relegated to b plot while “I’m trying to get an endorsement for this politician” was 2/3 of the book. Slow. I didn’t really care about it
Writing: overall pretty good, I appreciated the attempt to use the matriarchal society to highlight how stupid some fantasy books sound in regards to female characters, but this was just too heavy handed. It came off very “and now a word from our sponsors: feminism”. I do think there’s an interesting discussion to be had here though about deconstructing thoughts that a matriarchal society would be a wonderland of loving equality, but I don’t think that’s what this book was trying to do.
Side note: the sex scenes were fine. Which honestly is pretty good, they weren’t horrible to read, even if I was jumpscared by the first one bc I didn’t expect this book to have multiple intense sex scenes in it.
Overall: 1.5 stars. I wouldn’t read it again and I wouldn’t recommend it to any one. Might rant about it while drunk at midnight
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Alcoholism, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, and Kidnapping
Minor: Drug use, Infertility, Genocide, Pregnancy, Stalking, Medical trauma, and Torture
with_discipline's review
The world struggles to thrive and the characters have no heart. Things happen around the protag but he just floats from one important thing to the next without ever seeming connected to them. After eighty pages, I struggled to care about him and couldn’t buy how poorly he played political games while being told he was good at it.
hobbitsbooksandbeyond's review
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Silk Fire was. An experience, to put it lightly. It was chaotic and all over the place and half the time I didn't really know what was going on. I don't mind being confused by a book, and everything that was happening was very interesting, with a very weird combo of fantasy and sci fi and the reverse society of men who are in the "traditional roles" of women in our society i.e seen to be the ones to raise kids, the ones to be weaker. As a women it was nice to read a fantasy set in a world that changed things up a bit since it can get very boring when you're reading fantasies where the hierarchy is basically the same, if not worse, than it is in our own world.
I've rated this book 3 stars because aspects of it, like those mentioned above, were really cool to see, and the writing itself was well done. My issue is that I didn't really like any of the characters - I got on well with the protagonist at first but his low self esteem and self hatred got so repetitive after a while.
If you want to experience a sci fi fantasy tale that is like nothing you've ever read before, this is the one to go for, but for me it just didn't quite get there.
Silk Fire was. An experience, to put it lightly. It was chaotic and all over the place and half the time I didn't really know what was going on. I don't mind being confused by a book, and everything that was happening was very interesting, with a very weird combo of fantasy and sci fi and the reverse society of men who are in the "traditional roles" of women in our society i.e seen to be the ones to raise kids, the ones to be weaker. As a women it was nice to read a fantasy set in a world that changed things up a bit since it can get very boring when you're reading fantasies where the hierarchy is basically the same, if not worse, than it is in our own world.
I've rated this book 3 stars because aspects of it, like those mentioned above, were really cool to see, and the writing itself was well done. My issue is that I didn't really like any of the characters - I got on well with the protagonist at first but his low self esteem and self hatred got so repetitive after a while.
If you want to experience a sci fi fantasy tale that is like nothing you've ever read before, this is the one to go for, but for me it just didn't quite get there.
annarella's review
4.0
It's a very original book and, as I discovered a quite controversial one. I like it and liked the plot and the world building.
I think that the author deliver an interesting and unusual story that I enjoyed.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I think that the author deliver an interesting and unusual story that I enjoyed.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
kyleofbooks's review
1.0
Actual rating: 1.5 (rounded down)
Many thanks to Rebellion and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
Right off the bat: even with the prior ‘Names and Pronunciation’ section, I was at a loss. The names are just far too ridiculous to 1. Look at and 2. Pronounce. I’m not saying this in a xenophobic way, mind you. I respect cultures and pronunciations from all over the world (even fantastical made up ones), but when it comes to fantasy literature, I really don’t want to struggle with little things like names and honorifics. I’m also not trying to say that this shit should be dumbed down for readers, but make it a little less wild and abstract. Faraakshgé and Akizeké Shikishashir Dzaxashigé… ??? It’s needlessly convoluted.
And even after all that, we’re given even more dumps of information. The worldbuilding comes fast, and it comes fully-loaded with confusion. To summarize: I was at a loss before I even began. What I did note was that the gender politics were reversed, which was refreshing, and that there were… dragons and dinosaurs. Like, actual dinosaurs. And everyone in the book talked about the dinos’s presence unironically. It was a little too comical for me to get over it— “brotsaurus burgers” and raptors pulling hover ships like horses and a carriage. It’s not the kind of fantasy I enjoy reading, and I should’ve known better before diving in.
The only redeeming qualities is that there were glimpses of nuance and well-written passages, but they’re overshadowed at every turn by melodrama and inanely perplexing worldbuilding. I didn’t want to jump on the ‘one-star bandwagon’, especially considering this is a debut, but I have to stay true and honest.
Another thing: everyone in this book is so. Goddamn. Horny. There is a lot of sex and crudeness, so readers with an aversion to that sort of content should steer clear. I personally gave up and skimmed the remained of the book after I encountered a BDSM foot play and fisting threesome.
Many thanks to Rebellion and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
Right off the bat: even with the prior ‘Names and Pronunciation’ section, I was at a loss. The names are just far too ridiculous to 1. Look at and 2. Pronounce. I’m not saying this in a xenophobic way, mind you. I respect cultures and pronunciations from all over the world (even fantastical made up ones), but when it comes to fantasy literature, I really don’t want to struggle with little things like names and honorifics. I’m also not trying to say that this shit should be dumbed down for readers, but make it a little less wild and abstract. Faraakshgé and Akizeké Shikishashir Dzaxashigé… ??? It’s needlessly convoluted.
And even after all that, we’re given even more dumps of information. The worldbuilding comes fast, and it comes fully-loaded with confusion. To summarize: I was at a loss before I even began. What I did note was that the gender politics were reversed, which was refreshing, and that there were… dragons and dinosaurs. Like, actual dinosaurs. And everyone in the book talked about the dinos’s presence unironically. It was a little too comical for me to get over it— “brotsaurus burgers” and raptors pulling hover ships like horses and a carriage. It’s not the kind of fantasy I enjoy reading, and I should’ve known better before diving in.
The only redeeming qualities is that there were glimpses of nuance and well-written passages, but they’re overshadowed at every turn by melodrama and inanely perplexing worldbuilding. I didn’t want to jump on the ‘one-star bandwagon’, especially considering this is a debut, but I have to stay true and honest.
Another thing: everyone in this book is so. Goddamn. Horny. There is a lot of sex and crudeness, so readers with an aversion to that sort of content should steer clear. I personally gave up and skimmed the remained of the book after I encountered a BDSM foot play and fisting threesome.
angielucy's review
3.5
Stunning. In every sense of the word. The world building feels natural and the characters explosively 3D. It is a brilliant premise to have a sex worker introduce one to the world of a sci-fi novel. Not only was this incredibly written, it was a wonderful journey to take and I cannot recommend it more.
slvernon's review
3.0
This book had some interesting concepts--dragons, a matriarchal society, a bisexual protagonist who is also a sex worker, political intrigue--but unfortunately there was so much going on that nothing ended up landing particularly well for me. The world-building (especially all the names) felt unnecessarily confusing, the world's matriarchy was far too heavy-handed in its critique of traditional gender roles and the length of the novel meant that the pacing felt off at times. I did appreciate that the love triangle trope was avoided with polyamory, and I really enjoyed the character of Ria. The book's cover is also stunning!
(Many thanks to Netgalley and Rebellion for the eARC.)
(Many thanks to Netgalley and Rebellion for the eARC.)
stormlyte's review
1.0
DNF
Silk Fire is a very ambitious piece of work that could have done well with a little less ambition or a lot more polishing . Its one of the messiest worlds I've ever seen with a steampunk fantasy blend, dragons, dinosaurs, gods, planet sized cities, magical energy and some other things that I'm missing because I couldn't keep track.
The book also promises a matriachy but instead, writes one of those flipside patriarchy worlds where women commit the same atrocities as men to men. Not to say a matriarchy wouldn't be harmful at points but it doesn't entirely copy the patriarchy.
I tried hard but no. Silk Fire is a mess that should have been edited way more comprehensively because it could have been good if it had focused on any one or two of the many convoluted threads it creates. Instead, ot felt like the author tried to compress every idea that's in fantasy/scifi into one book and the discord shows.
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the review arc
Silk Fire is a very ambitious piece of work that could have done well with a little less ambition or a lot more polishing . Its one of the messiest worlds I've ever seen with a steampunk fantasy blend, dragons, dinosaurs, gods, planet sized cities, magical energy and some other things that I'm missing because I couldn't keep track.
The book also promises a matriachy but instead, writes one of those flipside patriarchy worlds where women commit the same atrocities as men to men. Not to say a matriarchy wouldn't be harmful at points but it doesn't entirely copy the patriarchy.
I tried hard but no. Silk Fire is a mess that should have been edited way more comprehensively because it could have been good if it had focused on any one or two of the many convoluted threads it creates. Instead, ot felt like the author tried to compress every idea that's in fantasy/scifi into one book and the discord shows.
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the review arc