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A review by dhrish
Lava Red Feather Blue by Molly Ringle
3.0
A fantasy-adventure for adults with just a touch of modern-day realism. "Lava Red Feather Blue" definitely reads like a modern-day Charmed.
While I do think the style of world-building takes a while to get used to, the actual story itself is quite interesting. Merrick and Larkin were an absolute delight to read and the story focus' mainly on their interactions with each other. It is also important to note how positive the lgbt+ experience is in this book and none of the queer characters has sexuality as the forefront of their struggles.
Eidolonia, the island which the book is set on, is also quite interesting as it melds modern-day technology with magic. There is also mention of how the island itself is a melting pot of cultures but apart from characters not being white, very little of it is explored in a meaningful way to mean much in terms of representation and visibility.
I think where this book fails, for me, was that the plot itself would have been wonderful as a middle-grade or even YA story. The characters read like aged-up versions of what would have been brilliant younger characters. While there are many moments that pushed this book into an adult space, I don't think the characters or stakes made it seem like that was the space this story wanted to be in.
All that being said, I am a huge fan of tv series that use magical-realism and if this gets adapted I'm going to be so hyped because this is the kind of story I think would be brilliant on-screen as a mini-series,
Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for giving me an e-arc to read in exchange for an honest review.
While I do think the style of world-building takes a while to get used to, the actual story itself is quite interesting. Merrick and Larkin were an absolute delight to read and the story focus' mainly on their interactions with each other. It is also important to note how positive the lgbt+ experience is in this book and none of the queer characters has sexuality as the forefront of their struggles.
Eidolonia, the island which the book is set on, is also quite interesting as it melds modern-day technology with magic. There is also mention of how the island itself is a melting pot of cultures but apart from characters not being white, very little of it is explored in a meaningful way to mean much in terms of representation and visibility.
I think where this book fails, for me, was that the plot itself would have been wonderful as a middle-grade or even YA story. The characters read like aged-up versions of what would have been brilliant younger characters. While there are many moments that pushed this book into an adult space, I don't think the characters or stakes made it seem like that was the space this story wanted to be in.
All that being said, I am a huge fan of tv series that use magical-realism and if this gets adapted I'm going to be so hyped because this is the kind of story I think would be brilliant on-screen as a mini-series,
Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for giving me an e-arc to read in exchange for an honest review.