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A review by ryrichard28
A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna
4.0
This book was such a pleasant surprise!
Premise
Esmae is stuck living in the shadows of her world with so much to offer and yet her value is unnoticed. She’s a servant, with only a select few who know that she's a princess in hiding, and decides to claim her stake in the politically shifty landscape when she publicly wins a contest for the most powerful warship in existence. Tired of being undervalued, she enacts her plan to win back her brother’s crown and reclaim her place within the family who threw her away.
The setup:
This story makes me think of Greek mythology in space. Gods exist in her world, though they try not to intervene but act more as viewers to the story. Kind of like the Greek gods in their douchy indifference to the plights of puny humans. They basically pick their favorites and sit by with popcorn, though at least our heroine has one that actually cares for her. The gods are supposed to be references to Indian stories, but since I'm unfamiliar with Indian mythology, it reminded me instead of the Greeks.
Esmae has been watched over her entire life by Amba, the war goddess. Amba tries to guide Esmae away from trouble, but Esmae is tired of being without a family and living as a nobody. She wants the spotlight. She wants people to see her potential. She’s been trained in secret, so skill-wise, she’s a badass. Her primary skill is her aptitude for strategy, and she’s confident she can win the war that’s brewing. She ignores Amba's advice and throws herself into the political game.
Warning, spoilers ahead!
The girl and the politics:
Esmae wins the contest for the sentient warship Titania and uses it as leverage to implant herself in her uncle’s household as a double agent. Her uncle took the crown that should’ve belonged to her brother, and then exiled her family. He’s universally hated. But the situation isn’t as black-and-white as it seems. Her uncle was unjustly denied his own birthright, and so he believes he deserves the crown — his claim isn’t entirely wrong, but her brother Alexi still has an equally valid claim.
Even though her uncle is paranoid and anxious, and really wasn’t built for the responsibilities required as a ruler, it’s hard not to be sympathetic towards him when he welcomes Esmae back home and gives her the family she’s always wanted. Though she enters her uncle's house determined to win the crown for her brother, she can't help seeing the gray areas of the situation and tries to find the middle ground. Turns out the "good guys" aren't entirely good, and the "bad guys" aren't straightforward either. Yay, complexity!
I like Esmae, but she has so much room for growth. Initially, it feels like she's a child playing dress-up. She imagines herself in a bigger role, and ignores the advice of those around her to push herself into the big leagues. She's strong, but she's overconfident. She's not ready for the game she's playing. This does make her relatable, though. She's a mixed-bag character. Too cocky, too naive, but also skilled and clever; it's a great initial heroine recipe. I think she'll grow into the main-player role and become that fierce contender, and I'm looking forward to it.
The boy:
And the adopted son of her uncle, Max isn’t what he appears either. He’s known as the jealous prince who helped his father usurp the throne, and he’s just as hated. But he loves his parents, and without his intervention, things would be much worse for Esmae’s brothers. Like Esmae, he’s been overlooked his whole life — hence the jealousy he has for Esmae’s brothers — but he’s trying for the best outcome for the most people as well. I love the gray-ness of his character.
This is kind of a stretch, but he reminds me of Cardan from The Cruel Prince. Not as dark, but the "jealous prince" descriptor first implanted that thought, and the fact that he's so misunderstood just cemented that comparison in my head even further. He's an underdog, but still in a position of power. And the protag hates him. Just to disclose my bias, I will read ANYTHING where there's a character that can be compared to Cardan.
The romance:
There’s a hate-to-love arc for Esmae and Max that has a teensy bit of steam and a lot of future potential. This is one of my favorite tropes, so by default, I can't help but root for this ship. There’s a deeper story to Max which is pretty easy to figure out on the hints they give you. Not exactly in romance territory yet, but it's headed there (it has to be!).
The plot:
This book has a spiral shape to it –– Esmae is essentially swirling down the path she’s created, and though she’s warned what will happen, she’s determined to prove the gods wrong and forge a happy ending. There is definitely some negative foreshadowing for the future books, and it seems that the story will get a lot darker before there’s some light, but I’m looking forward to watching it all unfold.
Esmae's story brings up the destiny versus free will debate. The gods are telling her that if she makes the decisions that she wants to make, the outcome will be disastrous. But she is determined to make a different outcome. It's a tad frustrating watching her play into the hands of fate, and at times she seems presumptuous for believing that she can achieve her goals, but at the same time you're still rooting for her to prove destiny wrong.
In the end, Esmae is betrayed by those that should love her, though still beloved by the gods who watch her story. Even though the gods favor her, it doesn't really help her get what she wants. She's not place her on a pedestal; she works for her recognition. Though she tries to overcome her moral compass to win back her family, she sees the gray areas on both sides, and tries to come to the best solution.
But when she’s surrounded by people that don’t care about those that’ll be sacrificed in a gigantic war and just want power, it’s inevitable that she’ll be hurt in the process. They don't want the best solution; they want her to choose a side, and want to use her for what they can do for her. Her good intentions end up isolating her, but it also brings out her strength. She goes from naive optimist to betrayed and defiant heroine, and I love it. When those that are supposed to love her betray her, it *sparks a white fire* that will burn the universe (title drop!).
I'm so excited to read the future novels! This feels like a great beginning; unfinished, but promising.
Premise
Esmae is stuck living in the shadows of her world with so much to offer and yet her value is unnoticed. She’s a servant, with only a select few who know that she's a princess in hiding, and decides to claim her stake in the politically shifty landscape when she publicly wins a contest for the most powerful warship in existence. Tired of being undervalued, she enacts her plan to win back her brother’s crown and reclaim her place within the family who threw her away.
The setup:
This story makes me think of Greek mythology in space. Gods exist in her world, though they try not to intervene but act more as viewers to the story. Kind of like the Greek gods in their douchy indifference to the plights of puny humans. They basically pick their favorites and sit by with popcorn, though at least our heroine has one that actually cares for her. The gods are supposed to be references to Indian stories, but since I'm unfamiliar with Indian mythology, it reminded me instead of the Greeks.
Esmae has been watched over her entire life by Amba, the war goddess. Amba tries to guide Esmae away from trouble, but Esmae is tired of being without a family and living as a nobody. She wants the spotlight. She wants people to see her potential. She’s been trained in secret, so skill-wise, she’s a badass. Her primary skill is her aptitude for strategy, and she’s confident she can win the war that’s brewing. She ignores Amba's advice and throws herself into the political game.
Warning, spoilers ahead!
The girl and the politics:
Esmae wins the contest for the sentient warship Titania and uses it as leverage to implant herself in her uncle’s household as a double agent. Her uncle took the crown that should’ve belonged to her brother, and then exiled her family. He’s universally hated. But the situation isn’t as black-and-white as it seems. Her uncle was unjustly denied his own birthright, and so he believes he deserves the crown — his claim isn’t entirely wrong, but her brother Alexi still has an equally valid claim.
Even though her uncle is paranoid and anxious, and really wasn’t built for the responsibilities required as a ruler, it’s hard not to be sympathetic towards him when he welcomes Esmae back home and gives her the family she’s always wanted. Though she enters her uncle's house determined to win the crown for her brother, she can't help seeing the gray areas of the situation and tries to find the middle ground. Turns out the "good guys" aren't entirely good, and the "bad guys" aren't straightforward either. Yay, complexity!
I like Esmae, but she has so much room for growth. Initially, it feels like she's a child playing dress-up. She imagines herself in a bigger role, and ignores the advice of those around her to push herself into the big leagues. She's strong, but she's overconfident. She's not ready for the game she's playing. This does make her relatable, though. She's a mixed-bag character. Too cocky, too naive, but also skilled and clever; it's a great initial heroine recipe. I think she'll grow into the main-player role and become that fierce contender, and I'm looking forward to it.
The boy:
And the adopted son of her uncle, Max isn’t what he appears either. He’s known as the jealous prince who helped his father usurp the throne, and he’s just as hated. But he loves his parents, and without his intervention, things would be much worse for Esmae’s brothers. Like Esmae, he’s been overlooked his whole life — hence the jealousy he has for Esmae’s brothers — but he’s trying for the best outcome for the most people as well. I love the gray-ness of his character.
This is kind of a stretch, but he reminds me of Cardan from The Cruel Prince. Not as dark, but the "jealous prince" descriptor first implanted that thought, and the fact that he's so misunderstood just cemented that comparison in my head even further. He's an underdog, but still in a position of power. And the protag hates him. Just to disclose my bias, I will read ANYTHING where there's a character that can be compared to Cardan.
The romance:
There’s a hate-to-love arc for Esmae and Max that has a teensy bit of steam and a lot of future potential. This is one of my favorite tropes, so by default, I can't help but root for this ship. There’s a deeper story to Max which is pretty easy to figure out on the hints they give you. Not exactly in romance territory yet, but it's headed there (it has to be!).
The plot:
This book has a spiral shape to it –– Esmae is essentially swirling down the path she’s created, and though she’s warned what will happen, she’s determined to prove the gods wrong and forge a happy ending. There is definitely some negative foreshadowing for the future books, and it seems that the story will get a lot darker before there’s some light, but I’m looking forward to watching it all unfold.
Esmae's story brings up the destiny versus free will debate. The gods are telling her that if she makes the decisions that she wants to make, the outcome will be disastrous. But she is determined to make a different outcome. It's a tad frustrating watching her play into the hands of fate, and at times she seems presumptuous for believing that she can achieve her goals, but at the same time you're still rooting for her to prove destiny wrong.
In the end, Esmae is betrayed by those that should love her, though still beloved by the gods who watch her story. Even though the gods favor her, it doesn't really help her get what she wants. She's not place her on a pedestal; she works for her recognition. Though she tries to overcome her moral compass to win back her family, she sees the gray areas on both sides, and tries to come to the best solution.
But when she’s surrounded by people that don’t care about those that’ll be sacrificed in a gigantic war and just want power, it’s inevitable that she’ll be hurt in the process. They don't want the best solution; they want her to choose a side, and want to use her for what they can do for her. Her good intentions end up isolating her, but it also brings out her strength. She goes from naive optimist to betrayed and defiant heroine, and I love it. When those that are supposed to love her betray her, it *sparks a white fire* that will burn the universe (title drop!).
I'm so excited to read the future novels! This feels like a great beginning; unfinished, but promising.