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laurenbruce703 's review for:
The Boy with Fire
by Aparna Verma
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit books for the e-ARC. in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book.I gave it four stars. I would consider this to be a slow paced book (similar to other Orbit books) but I was entertained the entire time. The world building was unique, I especially liked the descriptions of Jantar and Ravence with the metal and the desert. There were quite a few characters and groups to keep up with but once you get used to them, it got easier. Additionally, (and I don't think I've ever said this before), I think I liked every character... like might be the wrong word... But, every character was developed in a way that you could either empathize or understand why they made the decisions they did. For example, the King Leo, Elena's father, did some absolutely horrible things in the book, but throughout, you learned more about more about why he made those decisions and it made him an incredibly complex character. I loved loved loved the friendship between Elena and her Spear and I think the author very accurately portrayed grief and loss. (I also thought the Yumi were super cool).
Okay, so despite liking the characters, I did feel like the main romance plot didn't exactly do it for me.I did like Elena and Yassen but honestly, I was fine with Samson too. I felt like they were a fine match. It was also refreshing to read a fantasy book with an arranged marriage where they both genuinely liked each other from the start. They both had something to prove and they helped each other with their goals. I felt like I knew that Yassen and Elena would end up together from the start but that part felt more rushed to me. The love scene was lack luster and it made me cringe just a little bit. I felt like it was thrown in during all this political turmoil and war and it didn't seem like the right time.
Overall, I liked the book and will definitely read the next one. I think it was a great start for this author!
I really enjoyed this book.I gave it four stars. I would consider this to be a slow paced book (similar to other Orbit books) but I was entertained the entire time. The world building was unique, I especially liked the descriptions of Jantar and Ravence with the metal and the desert. There were quite a few characters and groups to keep up with but once you get used to them, it got easier. Additionally, (and I don't think I've ever said this before), I think I liked every character... like might be the wrong word... But, every character was developed in a way that you could either empathize or understand why they made the decisions they did. For example, the King Leo, Elena's father, did some absolutely horrible things in the book, but throughout, you learned more about more about why he made those decisions and it made him an incredibly complex character. I loved loved loved the friendship between Elena and her Spear and I think the author very accurately portrayed grief and loss. (I also thought the Yumi were super cool).
Okay, so despite liking the characters, I did feel like the main romance plot didn't exactly do it for me.I did like Elena and Yassen but honestly, I was fine with Samson too. I felt like they were a fine match. It was also refreshing to read a fantasy book with an arranged marriage where they both genuinely liked each other from the start. They both had something to prove and they helped each other with their goals. I felt like I knew that Yassen and Elena would end up together from the start but that part felt more rushed to me. The love scene was lack luster and it made me cringe just a little bit. I felt like it was thrown in during all this political turmoil and war and it didn't seem like the right time.
Overall, I liked the book and will definitely read the next one. I think it was a great start for this author!