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A review by caitcoy
Burning Roses by S.L. Huang
3.0
Burning Roses has two legends, Rosa (AKA Red Riding Hood) and Hou Yi the Archer, teaming up to battle the appearance of firebirds which are ravaging the countryside. Rosa and Hou Yi are no spring chickens, both having done things that they regret and left loved ones in their wake. The battle against the sunbirds is a chance for both to atone for their mistakes, if they can survive the devastation of the fiery creatures.
This is a really difficult one to rate, I devoured this novella in around an hour but I ended up with pretty conflicted feelings on it overall. I really liked how flawed the characters were and the slow way in which their past mistakes and histories were revealed to each other, but because I was told about their partnership but didn't see it, I had a hard time completely connecting to them and their choices at the end of the story.
I also liked how the story explored themes like what sacrifices should mean, how to atone for abandonment and bigotry, and how difficult staying to work on yourself can really be. But the amount of space in the novella format to resolve those issues was extremely constricting and the end felt rushed and confusing. I wish this had been longer so that there would have been more time to explore the development of the friendship between Rosa and Hou Yi as well as their atonement.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed this story and I liked how it wove together fairy tales from both East and West, but I wish it had been given more time to develop. The ending felt a little too neat for the themes that the rest of the story had set up. It's interesting enough that I'd still recommend it to those who are interested in fairytale retellings, with the caveat that you'll be left wanting more.
This is a really difficult one to rate, I devoured this novella in around an hour but I ended up with pretty conflicted feelings on it overall. I really liked how flawed the characters were and the slow way in which their past mistakes and histories were revealed to each other, but because I was told about their partnership but didn't see it, I had a hard time completely connecting to them and their choices at the end of the story.
I also liked how the story explored themes like what sacrifices should mean, how to atone for abandonment and bigotry, and how difficult staying to work on yourself can really be. But the amount of space in the novella format to resolve those issues was extremely constricting and the end felt rushed and confusing. I wish this had been longer so that there would have been more time to explore the development of the friendship between Rosa and Hou Yi as well as their atonement.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed this story and I liked how it wove together fairy tales from both East and West, but I wish it had been given more time to develop. The ending felt a little too neat for the themes that the rest of the story had set up. It's interesting enough that I'd still recommend it to those who are interested in fairytale retellings, with the caveat that you'll be left wanting more.