Scan barcode
aradhnak's review against another edition
5.0
I am in awe and in pain and who do I fight for not warning me my heart was going to break???
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
ipetrine's review against another edition
3.0
Sadly, my experience of this book is affected by the audiobook narrator who has a tendency to overdo voices and drama. But this wasn't a book for me. I never cared enough about the characters to get truly engaged in the plot. I zoned out too often to get the hang of all the characters and their intricate relationships, and there was just too much talk about strategy and who has done what to whom in the past for my taste.
What I DID really enjoy, was the lore and the magic system. The gods who take human form and find a hundred different ways to influence people around them without getting directly involved (because they can't do that without serious consequences).
I think I probably would've appreciated this book more had I read it some years ago, and I do think that many young readers will enjoy and love these characters.
What I DID really enjoy, was the lore and the magic system. The gods who take human form and find a hundred different ways to influence people around them without getting directly involved (because they can't do that without serious consequences).
I think I probably would've appreciated this book more had I read it some years ago, and I do think that many young readers will enjoy and love these characters.
lilyphoenixx's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
mickymouse's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This is the type of book that leaves you thinking, “What did I just read?” immediately followed by, “When can I have more?” There were so many surprises to the story, and I found myself completely engrossed.
What Fed My Addiction:
Shattered all my expectations.
When I started reading this, I thought I knew generally where it was going to go—the storyline seemed familiar. (And not because it’s based on the Mahabharata.) A girl lies to everyone and pretends to ally with one side of a war so that she can actually spy and get information to help the other side. I mean, she’d obviously fall for the “bad guy” and he’d find out her secrets and everything would fall apart. Except, that’s not how it all worked out—at least not exactly. And of course, I can’t tell you what did happen, but I will say that Mandanna made her characters smarter than that, and more compassionate, (and sometimes more villainous). Basically, every time I thought I knew where the story was headed, it swerved the other way, and by the end I was completely blown away by where Mandanna left us.
Inspired by ancient Indian stories.
I didn’t remember when I started this that it was based on the Hindu religious tradition, but when I saw it afterward it was an aha moment for me. I’ve only ever read one other thing based on the Mahabharata, and that was a short story (in A Thousand Beginnings and Endings, if you’d like to check it out). That short story gave a brief description of the original tale, so I can now see the parallels—and maybe some of where the story is going. (Yikes!) Basically, the fact that this was based on the Hindu religion means it’s filled with gods and goddesses, epic battles and love stories, and a bit of treachery and trickery!
Morally gray villains.
Who even are the villains in this story? Esmae thinks she knows when she starts out, but by the time it all ends, her world is topsy-turvy and she’s thrown everything she thought she knew out the window. (View the review on my blog if you want to see my spoiler.)
Dynamic characters.
This sort of goes along with my last point, but I’m talking about Esmae herself here too. Esmae is an incredibly strong character, but she’s also compassionate and forward-thinking. She doesn’t just let herself be swept away by fate—she fights it tooth and nail. And almost every character is fully developed and feels real. Even with the one character who truly does fit the bill as a villain, we get a tiny glimpse of compassion from.
What Left Me Hungry for More:
Not much.
This is one of those cases where I’m scratching my head trying to think of things I didn’t like. I mean, there were moments that I didn’t love what was happening, but I empathized with these characters so well that I felt like I could understand why they made every decision they did. And sometimes the capriciousness of the gods got to me a little, but … they’re gods. So, yeah, I pretty much liked everything.
A Spark of White Fire is an epic tale of love, jealousy, hope, and betrayal. When the gods are on your side, it might be a blessing or it might be a curse! I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this fantastic new series!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss and Fantastic Flying Book Club Tours in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
This is the type of book that leaves you thinking, “What did I just read?” immediately followed by, “When can I have more?” There were so many surprises to the story, and I found myself completely engrossed.
What Fed My Addiction:
Shattered all my expectations.
When I started reading this, I thought I knew generally where it was going to go—the storyline seemed familiar. (And not because it’s based on the Mahabharata.) A girl lies to everyone and pretends to ally with one side of a war so that she can actually spy and get information to help the other side. I mean, she’d obviously fall for the “bad guy” and he’d find out her secrets and everything would fall apart. Except, that’s not how it all worked out—at least not exactly. And of course, I can’t tell you what did happen, but I will say that Mandanna made her characters smarter than that, and more compassionate, (and sometimes more villainous). Basically, every time I thought I knew where the story was headed, it swerved the other way, and by the end I was completely blown away by where Mandanna left us.
Inspired by ancient Indian stories.
I didn’t remember when I started this that it was based on the Hindu religious tradition, but when I saw it afterward it was an aha moment for me. I’ve only ever read one other thing based on the Mahabharata, and that was a short story (in A Thousand Beginnings and Endings, if you’d like to check it out). That short story gave a brief description of the original tale, so I can now see the parallels—and maybe some of where the story is going. (Yikes!) Basically, the fact that this was based on the Hindu religion means it’s filled with gods and goddesses, epic battles and love stories, and a bit of treachery and trickery!
Morally gray villains.
Who even are the villains in this story? Esmae thinks she knows when she starts out, but by the time it all ends, her world is topsy-turvy and she’s thrown everything she thought she knew out the window. (View the review on my blog if you want to see my spoiler.)
Dynamic characters.
This sort of goes along with my last point, but I’m talking about Esmae herself here too. Esmae is an incredibly strong character, but she’s also compassionate and forward-thinking. She doesn’t just let herself be swept away by fate—she fights it tooth and nail. And almost every character is fully developed and feels real. Even with the one character who truly does fit the bill as a villain, we get a tiny glimpse of compassion from.
What Left Me Hungry for More:
Not much.
This is one of those cases where I’m scratching my head trying to think of things I didn’t like. I mean, there were moments that I didn’t love what was happening, but I empathized with these characters so well that I felt like I could understand why they made every decision they did. And sometimes the capriciousness of the gods got to me a little, but … they’re gods. So, yeah, I pretty much liked everything.
A Spark of White Fire is an epic tale of love, jealousy, hope, and betrayal. When the gods are on your side, it might be a blessing or it might be a curse! I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this fantastic new series!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss and Fantastic Flying Book Club Tours in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
jebecky's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
emms_across_formats's review against another edition
2.0
Plot holes you can drive big trucks through.
Supposedly brilliant people making dumb ass decisions.
Why do they live on spaceships but fight with swords and bow and arrows? Wouldn't, IDK, lasers or light sabers, or something scifi appropriate be what high tech space dwellers would use?
Kill off the only character that is moderately interesting.
The absurd and absolutely unnecessary romance with her COUSIN. IDC that he's adopted, it's weird. Are we in some futuristic space setting or back in the olden days when prince and princesses married to keep the line pure?
It's painfully YA, and reads like it was written by a teen.
I'm honestly baffled that this book got so many good reviews. It's not even a matter of taste, this is a terrible book.
TLDR - Book = Bad
Supposedly brilliant people making dumb ass decisions.
Why do they live on spaceships but fight with swords and bow and arrows? Wouldn't, IDK, lasers or light sabers, or something scifi appropriate be what high tech space dwellers would use?
Kill off the only character that is moderately interesting.
The absurd and absolutely unnecessary romance with her COUSIN. IDC that he's adopted, it's weird. Are we in some futuristic space setting or back in the olden days when prince and princesses married to keep the line pure?
It's painfully YA, and reads like it was written by a teen.
I'm honestly baffled that this book got so many good reviews. It's not even a matter of taste, this is a terrible book.
TLDR - Book = Bad
vidhi26p's review against another edition
4.0
“It’s so difficult to remember that I can’t trust them. I mustn’t ever trust them.”
This was such an exciting read! A retelling of the classic Mahabharata tale told in the depths of the stars, it was fun falling into this novel. I appreciated the attempts to stay with the spirit of the original story, but I do believe I enjoyed this as much as I did only because I knew the tale it was based off. If taking that familiarity away, I would suggest this was a mediocre space tale at best, with limited world building and bland character development. While wildly fun to read, it felt more like a fluffy read than a seriously remarkable one. Disappointing climax and overall lackluster plot aside, a fun read to anyone looking for a new twist on a classic tale.
This was such an exciting read! A retelling of the classic Mahabharata tale told in the depths of the stars, it was fun falling into this novel. I appreciated the attempts to stay with the spirit of the original story, but I do believe I enjoyed this as much as I did only because I knew the tale it was based off. If taking that familiarity away, I would suggest this was a mediocre space tale at best, with limited world building and bland character development. While wildly fun to read, it felt more like a fluffy read than a seriously remarkable one. Disappointing climax and overall lackluster plot aside, a fun read to anyone looking for a new twist on a classic tale.
fairytales's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
4.0
I enjoyed this and I like Sangu Mandanna’s writing. Great narrator. I think retellings one is not familiar with can take a bit to get into but it was well worth it. As someone who hasn’t read many space/celestial set books, I think this eased me in and made me more interested in reading more in this genre. Esmae and Max were complex and Rama, and Titania were a delight..
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, War, and Ableism
Minor: Death