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A review by areaderamongthestars
Silk Fire by Zabé Ellor
5.0
Silk Fire by Zabé Ellor is a queer book that overturns many conventions of the SFF genre, creating a narration that is both entertaining and extremely original. With the political intrigues of high-fantasy and the complex world-building of classic sci-fi novels, it’s impossible to not get fascinated by Koré’s story.
Narrated from the point of view of Koré, a courtesan with a troubled past, Silk Fire is set in a futuristic world, on an enchanting city-planet that defies the laws of science (but can be tricky to fully visualize) and is governed by a matriarchal society- but as opposed to what happens in many other similar novels, this doesn’t correspond to a more equal and better-organized community. Instead, the world is affected by expectations and false beliefs connected to senseless gender norms similar to those we face in real life: it’s, simultaneously, an opposite mirror image and a highlight of some key issues in our society.
At the center of the story unfolds an intricate political conspiracy carried forward by many different players (even if Koré often seems to be the one pulling all of their strings), that also encompass a few different sub-storylines, with cunning enemies and uncertain allies, gods and old dangers. The narration can be slow from time to time, the plot as a whole is gripping and captivating.
The world-building is built piece by piece instead of giving a big info dump towards the beginning, with the traditions and the history of the world explained only when needed. It requires a certain level of attention to fully grasp the intricacy of the world, but it’s totally worth the extra effort. And there are also many descriptions of gorgeous gowns that will make you want to steal some outfits from the characters (and can I say how much I adored that skirts are the staple piece of almost every outfit, independently from gender?).
Even if it’s a very complex book, the characters’ emotions and motives are always handled with care, explored on-page and challenged by the events connected to the plot. And so every character, from the main ones to the secondary ones, is built in a way that makes them feel realistic, almost alive, with clear motives and goals.
Koré is definitely an unconventional main character. Even when he gets selected as the “chosen one”, he is forced by his circumstances to hide it as he has hidden other parts of himself in the past, all for a goal of vengeance that has slowly become his identity. It’s both beautiful and heartbreaking to see those tiny bits of joy every time he is able to set his magic free, and when he finally gets to fully embrace it, it’s truly magnificent.
Throughout the curse of the book, one of the common threads is showing how Koré slowly learns to understand and accept that the way he has been broken and manipulated since he was a child doesn’t mean every important person in his life will do the same, that his trauma doesn’t necessarily have to corrupt his happiness all over again. It’s a painful and ugly process, constituted not by straightforward decisions but by mistakes and impulsive choice, and still one that was so extremely important to show.
In the same way, the relationship between him, Ria and Faziz is not easy at all. But from the moment when Koré forms, with both of them, something that is between an alliance based on common goals and a fragile friendship, to the one when the romantic aspect starts to get in the way of things, everything is so perfectly crafted. I truly loved how, in a way, their bond support and reflects the development of each of these magnificent characters.
The ending was satisfying and fitting, as everything was wrapped up in such a nice way that was true both to the character and the plot.
Silk Fire is a brilliant stand-alone I recommend to those looking for an immersive adult SFF book that will keep you intrigued and mesmerized.
[ Disclaimer: an ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review ]
Narrated from the point of view of Koré, a courtesan with a troubled past, Silk Fire is set in a futuristic world, on an enchanting city-planet that defies the laws of science (but can be tricky to fully visualize) and is governed by a matriarchal society- but as opposed to what happens in many other similar novels, this doesn’t correspond to a more equal and better-organized community. Instead, the world is affected by expectations and false beliefs connected to senseless gender norms similar to those we face in real life: it’s, simultaneously, an opposite mirror image and a highlight of some key issues in our society.
At the center of the story unfolds an intricate political conspiracy carried forward by many different players (even if Koré often seems to be the one pulling all of their strings), that also encompass a few different sub-storylines, with cunning enemies and uncertain allies, gods and old dangers. The narration can be slow from time to time, the plot as a whole is gripping and captivating.
The world-building is built piece by piece instead of giving a big info dump towards the beginning, with the traditions and the history of the world explained only when needed. It requires a certain level of attention to fully grasp the intricacy of the world, but it’s totally worth the extra effort. And there are also many descriptions of gorgeous gowns that will make you want to steal some outfits from the characters (and can I say how much I adored that skirts are the staple piece of almost every outfit, independently from gender?).
Even if it’s a very complex book, the characters’ emotions and motives are always handled with care, explored on-page and challenged by the events connected to the plot. And so every character, from the main ones to the secondary ones, is built in a way that makes them feel realistic, almost alive, with clear motives and goals.
Koré is definitely an unconventional main character. Even when he gets selected as the “chosen one”, he is forced by his circumstances to hide it as he has hidden other parts of himself in the past, all for a goal of vengeance that has slowly become his identity. It’s both beautiful and heartbreaking to see those tiny bits of joy every time he is able to set his magic free, and when he finally gets to fully embrace it, it’s truly magnificent.
Throughout the curse of the book, one of the common threads is showing how Koré slowly learns to understand and accept that the way he has been broken and manipulated since he was a child doesn’t mean every important person in his life will do the same, that his trauma doesn’t necessarily have to corrupt his happiness all over again. It’s a painful and ugly process, constituted not by straightforward decisions but by mistakes and impulsive choice, and still one that was so extremely important to show.
In the same way, the relationship between him, Ria and Faziz is not easy at all. But from the moment when Koré forms, with both of them, something that is between an alliance based on common goals and a fragile friendship, to the one when the romantic aspect starts to get in the way of things, everything is so perfectly crafted. I truly loved how, in a way, their bond support and reflects the development of each of these magnificent characters.
The ending was satisfying and fitting, as everything was wrapped up in such a nice way that was true both to the character and the plot.
Silk Fire is a brilliant stand-alone I recommend to those looking for an immersive adult SFF book that will keep you intrigued and mesmerized.
[ Disclaimer: an ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review ]