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A review by plumpaperbacks
Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-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
4.0
[I won an ARC in a giveaway. This doesn’t affect my opinion/review.]
I didn’t know much about this book or what to expect from it when I started, but was, ultimately, pleasantly surprised by Fire Becomes Her.
Thor created an intriguing world with Jazz Age vibes and magic unlike any I’d seen before, fraught with political turmoil. While I did find the politics interesting to an extent, I feel a little too much emphasis was placed on them and not enough of one on other aspects of Candesce. I would’ve liked to learn more about the history and culture of this world.
Thor’s strong suit is definitely their characters. Each one is a star of the show, shining in their own way. I will say, though, I found myself more attached to the side characters than the protagonist. It wasn’t that I didn’t like Ingrid, only that I didn’t care as much about her as I did others. I loved Alex the most, and Louise and Charlotte also grew on me.
My favorite parts of the story, though, were the found family and abundance of queer representation, especially the exploration of identities I haven’t seen much of on page prior, like aromanticism and asexuality. The latter in particular made me happy, as I’m also ace and found it very relatable.
Instead of an emphasis on romantic love, one is placed on platonic love, resulting in a queer platonic partnership, which isn’t something I’ve ever seen before in a book. I really liked the discussions of how love takes multiple forms, and different people love in different ways, and romantic love isn’t the only sort that’s valid.
Though not a favorite, I did quite like this book, and would recommend it to fans of slow-burn fantasy and political world-building, as well as queers taking on the world. Literally a power move for the gays; I love to see it. I can’t wait to read more of Rosiee Thor’s work.
Representation
I didn’t know much about this book or what to expect from it when I started, but was, ultimately, pleasantly surprised by Fire Becomes Her.
Thor created an intriguing world with Jazz Age vibes and magic unlike any I’d seen before, fraught with political turmoil. While I did find the politics interesting to an extent, I feel a little too much emphasis was placed on them and not enough of one on other aspects of Candesce. I would’ve liked to learn more about the history and culture of this world.
Thor’s strong suit is definitely their characters. Each one is a star of the show, shining in their own way. I will say, though, I found myself more attached to the side characters than the protagonist. It wasn’t that I didn’t like Ingrid, only that I didn’t care as much about her as I did others. I loved Alex the most, and Louise and Charlotte also grew on me.
My favorite parts of the story, though, were the found family and abundance of queer representation, especially the exploration of identities I haven’t seen much of on page prior, like aromanticism and asexuality. The latter in particular made me happy, as I’m also ace and found it very relatable.
Instead of an emphasis on romantic love, one is placed on platonic love, resulting in a queer platonic partnership, which isn’t something I’ve ever seen before in a book. I really liked the discussions of how love takes multiple forms, and different people love in different ways, and romantic love isn’t the only sort that’s valid.
Though not a favorite, I did quite like this book, and would recommend it to fans of slow-burn fantasy and political world-building, as well as queers taking on the world. Literally a power move for the gays; I love to see it. I can’t wait to read more of Rosiee Thor’s work.
Representation
- aromantic bisexual protagonist
- transmasc nonbinary asexual side character
- aromantic asexual side character
- sapphic side couple
- side characters of color
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death