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A review by half_book_and_co
Burning Roses by S.L. Huang
4.0
Burning Roses is a novella (Tor really does great stuff with their sci-fi and fantasy novella output) following two women, Rosa who is also known as Red Riding Hood and Hou Yi, the Archer. When deadly sunbirds wreak havoc the two set out to find Hou Yi’s former apprentice who seems to be behind the chaos. But both Rosa and Hou Yi have their secrets and complicated histories, traumas and their own deeds to reckon with. While their pasts are widely different, they do share the experience of having „lost“ (it’s complicated) their wives and chosen families. Over their journey, they reveal their past stories to each other. Is there any chance to right past wrongs?
S.L. Huang has written a fantastical tale pulling from different fairy tale and legend traditions and weaving these stories into a rich new tapestry where there are rarely clear-cut heroes and villains but a lot of morally grey characters – the protagonists included.
I wasn’t always convinced by the structure of the story, especially the way Rosa’s backstory was interwoven and it took me quite a bit to get a grasp on this world. But in the end, I really enjoyed this book.
S.L. Huang has written a fantastical tale pulling from different fairy tale and legend traditions and weaving these stories into a rich new tapestry where there are rarely clear-cut heroes and villains but a lot of morally grey characters – the protagonists included.
I wasn’t always convinced by the structure of the story, especially the way Rosa’s backstory was interwoven and it took me quite a bit to get a grasp on this world. But in the end, I really enjoyed this book.