A review by cakt1991
A Fire Born of Exile by Aliette de Bodard

adventurous emotional medium-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

 I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

A Fire Born of Exile is the second in Aliette de Bodard’s Xuya Universe novels. This book stands alone, and there’s enough world building here that I don’t believe you need to read the prior book. And given my critiques of that book, while I did like what it had to offer, I do think that this is the stronger of the two, even if I do still have some critiques. 

The plot has a lot going on, making up for the comparably empty/filler prior book. The central themes of revenge and family ties made the story interesting, and I enjoyed following the evolving complex relationships between characters, with all the scheming and plotting. 

Quynh is a pretty memorable character, given that the story concerns her path for revenge, as a result of her dark past. She also has vulnerabilities, making her a nuanced character. Both Minh and Hoa kind of pale in comparison to her, but they do have good things to offer the narrative. 

Minh is also interesting, given she reckons with her stepmother’s abuse, creating a fresh take on familiar archetype. Hoa is somewhat of a weak link at times, as she doesn’t have as much depth, but she does provide a nice dose of lightness to balance the others out. And while the romance between Quynh and Hoa didn’t blow me away, compared to the rest of the story, it’s still sweet. 

These books do keep getting better and better, with the minor quibble for me being that the romance wasn’t as interesting as the rest of it. But I really enjoyed this book, and I’d recommend it to readers looking for a romantic multicultural sapphic space opera.