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maddie_lewis28's review
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
I really enjoyed this book! I haven’t listened to an audio book in literal years (probably since I was a kid) so I was skeptical and it was hard to get into at first. But about 1/3 to 1/2 way in I began to really appreciate and enjoy it. I loved the wlw representation and was hoping that was where it was going but I wasn’t sure. I also knew basically nothing going in because I found this book on the “popular audiobooks” on my library’s Libby app. This book wasn’t anything special or crazy but I would read it again and recommend. I also didn’t know it’s part of a series which kind of sucks since I thought it was a standalone lol.
elle4352's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
We Set the Dark on Fire is a YA novel about an island torn in two by upheaval and two young wives caught in the crossfire between long-standing tradition and revolution
Things You'll Find:
*A society rooted in polygamous marriage*
*Discussion on class separation*
*Sapphic love interests*
I was absolutely captivated by the world Mejia created in this book. In Medio, the island is divided into inner and outer societies based on an ancient myth. The outer islanders are destitute while the inner islanders thrive and adopt households comprised of one husband and two wives. One wife serves as the brain; the planners, the socialites, the keepers of the home and the partners to discuss finances, futures, and all major decisions that need to be made in the marriage. The second wife is the "trophy wife"; typically the beauty, the romantic, the child-bearer and the one that sustains a deeply emotional connection, or love, with the husband. Daniela is the Primera, the partner wife, and Carmen is the Segunda, the lover wife, to the island's most prominent son. The lore behind why the islands function like this with the gods, as well as the inner workings and practicality of this sort of lifestyle had me fully invested. I really wanted to see whether Mejia was going to lean into this lifestyle, show us how the Primera and Segunda end up working together or working out in family, and did deep into whether this myth is really true or if there was some embellishing. Mejia's writing isn't overly descriptive and leaves a lot of details up to the imagination, which I appreciate. I found it was a hard one for me to put down and ended up flying through it in two days.
That being said, I personally wasn't a fan of where the central focus ended up or the plot twists. Even though Mejia sets up a really interesting world, we focus solely on the revolution and uprisings between the inner and outer islanders and the politics between the upper and lower classes. I had the same feelings about "Divine Rivals" by Rebecca Ross. I wanted a fantasy, fun read and I got war fic. The husband of Daniela and Carmen, Mateo, is almost cartoonishly evil, and while I appreciate a big bad, he comes off as more of a spoiled brat than a fully fleshed-out villain, which doesn't really make sense given he was raised by a flighty mother and a reasonable, disciplinary one. That's supposedly part of the point of the whole two wives system. And by the end, there are several twists revealed to Daniela that just felt unrealistic and unnecessary given how the entire novel emphasizes just how dangerous her position is as spy.
Daniela, as a character, had her moments, but one thing Mejia does is repeat herself a lot. Most Dani's inner monologue and thoughts are either flashbacks to her poorer life or constant lines about how she doesn't want to be the Primera, but she has to because she owes it to her family and duty and etc. At this point, I'm pretty tired of reading about MC women who are put in situations where they have to stay, go, do whatever because they feel some familial obligation to do so, and then the narrative changes to show them becoming empowered and independent by doing the opposite. It gave "I choose me" energy, and honestly, I'm over it. Just choose you from the start and let's get on with the story. Carmen was not at all fun to read about, and I'll relay why in the spoilers.
Overall, this was another read that's good, but I'm definitely not the target audience and I'm not invested enough in revolution and politics to move on to book 2.
Spoiler:
-Sota is equally as terrible as Mateo and I refuse to believe the book trying to convince me he's not. You were willing to not only ruin this girl's life but potentially see her arrested and killed for the sake of your cause. Go choke.
-Maybe I'm just petty, but I'm not as quick to forgive someone who has made my life a living hell for YEARS for the sake of covering their own insecurities OR forgive someone who told their colleague ( with a gun) that I'm a liability and expendable and they can just kill me if I can't measure up in a few days. I DEFINITELY can't fall in love with this person, so the Dani and Carmen romance? Hard pass
Things You'll Find:
*A society rooted in polygamous marriage*
*Discussion on class separation*
*Sapphic love interests*
I was absolutely captivated by the world Mejia created in this book. In Medio, the island is divided into inner and outer societies based on an ancient myth. The outer islanders are destitute while the inner islanders thrive and adopt households comprised of one husband and two wives. One wife serves as the brain; the planners, the socialites, the keepers of the home and the partners to discuss finances, futures, and all major decisions that need to be made in the marriage. The second wife is the "trophy wife"; typically the beauty, the romantic, the child-bearer and the one that sustains a deeply emotional connection, or love, with the husband. Daniela is the Primera, the partner wife, and Carmen is the Segunda, the lover wife, to the island's most prominent son. The lore behind why the islands function like this with the gods, as well as the inner workings and practicality of this sort of lifestyle had me fully invested. I really wanted to see whether Mejia was going to lean into this lifestyle, show us how the Primera and Segunda end up working together or working out in family, and did deep into whether this myth is really true or if there was some embellishing. Mejia's writing isn't overly descriptive and leaves a lot of details up to the imagination, which I appreciate. I found it was a hard one for me to put down and ended up flying through it in two days.
That being said, I personally wasn't a fan of where the central focus ended up or the plot twists. Even though Mejia sets up a really interesting world, we focus solely on the revolution and uprisings between the inner and outer islanders and the politics between the upper and lower classes. I had the same feelings about "Divine Rivals" by Rebecca Ross. I wanted a fantasy, fun read and I got war fic. The husband of Daniela and Carmen, Mateo, is almost cartoonishly evil, and while I appreciate a big bad, he comes off as more of a spoiled brat than a fully fleshed-out villain, which doesn't really make sense given he was raised by a flighty mother and a reasonable, disciplinary one. That's supposedly part of the point of the whole two wives system. And by the end, there are several twists revealed to Daniela that just felt unrealistic and unnecessary given how the entire novel emphasizes just how dangerous her position is as spy.
Daniela, as a character, had her moments, but one thing Mejia does is repeat herself a lot. Most Dani's inner monologue and thoughts are either flashbacks to her poorer life or constant lines about how she doesn't want to be the Primera, but she has to because she owes it to her family and duty and etc. At this point, I'm pretty tired of reading about MC women who are put in situations where they have to stay, go, do whatever because they feel some familial obligation to do so, and then the narrative changes to show them becoming empowered and independent by doing the opposite. It gave "I choose me" energy, and honestly, I'm over it. Just choose you from the start and let's get on with the story. Carmen was not at all fun to read about, and I'll relay why in the spoilers.
Overall, this was another read that's good, but I'm definitely not the target audience and I'm not invested enough in revolution and politics to move on to book 2.
Spoiler:
-Sota is equally as terrible as Mateo and I refuse to believe the book trying to convince me he's not. You were willing to not only ruin this girl's life but potentially see her arrested and killed for the sake of your cause. Go choke.
-Maybe I'm just petty, but I'm not as quick to forgive someone who has made my life a living hell for YEARS for the sake of covering their own insecurities OR forgive someone who told their colleague ( with a gun) that I'm a liability and expendable and they can just kill me if I can't measure up in a few days. I DEFINITELY can't fall in love with this person, so the Dani and Carmen romance? Hard pass
rock_lorax's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
fussl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tennilles's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
silver27's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
mdevlin923's review against another edition
3.0
Fascinating premise, and I was hooked. I wish there had been more focus on Dani and Carmen resisting the roles they had to play in addition to resisting the corrupt government.
There was a good mix of action, romance, and introspection. I didn't have great feelings about how women were treated in this book, but I think it will get better in the sequel.
There was a good mix of action, romance, and introspection. I didn't have great feelings about how women were treated in this book, but I think it will get better in the sequel.
mixtercharlie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0