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nilla_beanie19's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. I think this was written really well. I enjoyed the story but I lost interest in many places but that could be due to a reading slump I was in while trying to read this. I am interested to see where the story goes next.
ej_dh's review
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
joanna1905's review
3.0
TW: Sexual Assault
10/01/23 - I’m bumping this down to a 3 stars because two years later and I don’t remember it very well so obviously it didn’t have a very lasting impression of me.
This was SUCH a great read, I'm hard-pressed to find anything about it I didn't like.
The plot and the world are so well developed, and the cultures feel so real and vibrant. I really loved the way sexual assault was depicted and examined particularly through the lens of a fantasy novel and related to being involuntary sex workers for royalty. It was handled sensitively and with the respect it deserved but it also didn't overwhelm the plot and make it constantly heavy.
The queer element was fantastic, and I really hope in future books we get more of this. I want to learn more about queer culture in this world and more about Wren in general. Plus of course more of our girls being in love with each other.
I think the ending was a tad predictable but that's not a bad thing, it was still very well executed and set up the next book well.
I did keep hoping through the whole book that her little dog survived but we never heard about him again :(
All in all, a great read and I'm very intrested to see how the story progresses!
10/01/23 - I’m bumping this down to a 3 stars because two years later and I don’t remember it very well so obviously it didn’t have a very lasting impression of me.
This was SUCH a great read, I'm hard-pressed to find anything about it I didn't like.
The plot and the world are so well developed, and the cultures feel so real and vibrant. I really loved the way sexual assault was depicted and examined particularly through the lens of a fantasy novel and related to being involuntary sex workers for royalty. It was handled sensitively and with the respect it deserved but it also didn't overwhelm the plot and make it constantly heavy.
The queer element was fantastic, and I really hope in future books we get more of this. I want to learn more about queer culture in this world and more about Wren in general. Plus of course more of our girls being in love with each other.
I think the ending was a tad predictable but that's not a bad thing, it was still very well executed and set up the next book well.
I did keep hoping through the whole book that her little dog survived but we never heard about him again :(
All in all, a great read and I'm very intrested to see how the story progresses!
amiascah's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Girls of Paper and Fire was an unexpected great read. I had never heard of Jimmy Patterson books and after reading his forward and Natasha Ngan's note at the end it I will have to make sure I take a look at more of these.
This book is set in a world where there are three different castes of people, Demon, a strong blend between different animal clans and humans, Moon, less animalistic and more fragile and human, and lastly the Paper caste, completely human and as fragile as paper. It doesn't specify or I missed it but I'm unclear is the moon caste has come about as a mingling of Demon and Paper. There is one reference about it being difficult for a Paper girl to conceive a child with a Demon. The world is ruled by a Demon king from the bull clan and every year since the bulls took over they select 8 girls from the paper caste to to become 'Paper Girls'. Some see this as a privilege and honour, a few don't. A 'Paper Girl' for a year is the personal concubine of the king, to call on when he pleases and do with as he pleases. After the year the girls can be given as gifts to Generals, or people the king wishes or they are sent to be concubines for the general public.
spoilers below
Lei is a girl in a small town far from the capital and the king but unfortunately for her despite being completely human and Paper she was born with gold eyes. A General hears the rumours of her eyes and decides to go into her father's shop and take her as a gift for the king to try to curry favour. The rest of the girls have gone through a long selection process and 8 girls have already been chosen, but Lei's golden eyes are enough to get her added as an odd extra. A huge deal is made out of this so it's really weird to me that it was no problem it seemed to add her, then during an assessment one girl gets kicked out, so now theres only 8. I thought more would come from this but other than a few people nicknaming her Nine or the rough Mistress that watches over the girls making comments about Lei being better behaved and letting the king see her eyes, this whole issue sizzles away.
While most of the girls are fearful and nervous when they are called the first time by the king and then quiet and sad the next day, they all pretty much bounce back. Except for Lei, the king takes his time calling on her and when he finally does she denies him and gets punished. After this Lei struggles with girls she was bonding with and being friends with meekly settling into this life. She struggles to remember that unlike her most knew what they were getting into and some wanted to be chosen. Enter Wren, she is one of the other 'Paper Girls' but has been keeping her distance. Lei hasn't been able to understand but she's been feeling drawn to Wren this whole time. After months where the other girls get called and then things keep the king from calling on any of them, Lei falls into a false sense of security, deepening feelings with Wren, having those feelings returned and not being forced to see the king. Of course that all changes and everything comes to a head. Eventually the king does call for Lei again.
I very much enjoyed aspects of this book. I thought the caste system and the animal traits very interesting but I was also confused at times and have questions. I'm hoping in the second book some more world building gets flushed out and more things make sense.
This book is set in a world where there are three different castes of people, Demon, a strong blend between different animal clans and humans, Moon, less animalistic and more fragile and human, and lastly the Paper caste, completely human and as fragile as paper. It doesn't specify or I missed it but I'm unclear is the moon caste has come about as a mingling of Demon and Paper. There is one reference about it being difficult for a Paper girl to conceive a child with a Demon. The world is ruled by a Demon king from the bull clan and every year since the bulls took over they select 8 girls from the paper caste to to become 'Paper Girls'. Some see this as a privilege and honour, a few don't. A 'Paper Girl' for a year is the personal concubine of the king, to call on when he pleases and do with as he pleases. After the year the girls can be given as gifts to Generals, or people the king wishes or they are sent to be concubines for the general public.
spoilers below
Lei is a girl in a small town far from the capital and the king but unfortunately for her despite being completely human and Paper she was born with gold eyes. A General hears the rumours of her eyes and decides to go into her father's shop and take her as a gift for the king to try to curry favour. The rest of the girls have gone through a long selection process and 8 girls have already been chosen, but Lei's golden eyes are enough to get her added as an odd extra. A huge deal is made out of this so it's really weird to me that it was no problem it seemed to add her, then during an assessment one girl gets kicked out, so now theres only 8. I thought more would come from this but other than a few people nicknaming her Nine or the rough Mistress that watches over the girls making comments about Lei being better behaved and letting the king see her eyes, this whole issue sizzles away.
While most of the girls are fearful and nervous when they are called the first time by the king and then quiet and sad the next day, they all pretty much bounce back. Except for Lei, the king takes his time calling on her and when he finally does she denies him and gets punished. After this Lei struggles with girls she was bonding with and being friends with meekly settling into this life. She struggles to remember that unlike her most knew what they were getting into and some wanted to be chosen. Enter Wren, she is one of the other 'Paper Girls' but has been keeping her distance. Lei hasn't been able to understand but she's been feeling drawn to Wren this whole time. After months where the other girls get called and then things keep the king from calling on any of them, Lei falls into a false sense of security, deepening feelings with Wren, having those feelings returned and not being forced to see the king. Of course that all changes and everything comes to a head. Eventually the king does call for Lei again.
I very much enjoyed aspects of this book. I thought the caste system and the animal traits very interesting but I was also confused at times and have questions. I'm hoping in the second book some more world building gets flushed out and more things make sense.
farhana101's review
2.0
*2.5 stars
I’m not sure what it is about this book, but I had no personal attachment to any of the characters. I felt there was a lot of “telling” not “showing” going on in the book. Like its a fantasy, but we hardly see any real world-building, or have any idea about what the layout of the world is, or how it really looks like. The romance wasn’t that believable but seemed kinda forced, with her feeling coming out of nowhere (there was no previous mention of her attraction). The majority of the book was quite boring too, with only the last 1/4 picking up the pace but even then, it was just not engaging enough to hold my interest.
I’m not sure what it is about this book, but I had no personal attachment to any of the characters. I felt there was a lot of “telling” not “showing” going on in the book. Like its a fantasy, but we hardly see any real world-building, or have any idea about what the layout of the world is, or how it really looks like. The romance wasn’t that believable but seemed kinda forced, with her feeling coming out of nowhere (there was no previous mention of her attraction). The majority of the book was quite boring too, with only the last 1/4 picking up the pace but even then, it was just not engaging enough to hold my interest.
gracieknowles's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
janagaton's review
5.0
Trigger warning for sexual assault/rape.
Despite the triggers, I felt like the graphic parts were almost necessary to get a full grasp of the characters' emotions and to feel the overall impact of this book. The story did slow down for a couple brief moments, but those moments were not detrimental to my enjoyment of the novel. I absolutely loved the character dynamic, except for the insta-love trope presented. There was action and loads of emotions. There were demons, there were half-demons, and there were girls who knew how to fight for themselves and what they believe in. I got through this book in just a couple days, and I CANNOT wait for the second one to come out in Novemeber!
Despite the triggers, I felt like the graphic parts were almost necessary to get a full grasp of the characters' emotions and to feel the overall impact of this book. The story did slow down for a couple brief moments, but those moments were not detrimental to my enjoyment of the novel. I absolutely loved the character dynamic, except for the insta-love trope presented. There was action and loads of emotions. There were demons, there were half-demons, and there were girls who knew how to fight for themselves and what they believe in. I got through this book in just a couple days, and I CANNOT wait for the second one to come out in Novemeber!
elizabethnicole's review
3.0
I honestly didn't enjoy this book as much as the reviewers that I saw on booktube seemed to. It was really hard for me to get into for the first fifty pages or so, and then once I finally did, I didn't find the romance and the speed of the romance to be believable at all. I guess I prefer books with a slower burn romance and this just felt like they were talking and then suddenly boom. Love happened. I'm definitely pleased that an LGBT romance was included in a fantasy book because I don't see that being dealt with nearly as often as I should and I also appreciated the way the author dealt with sexual assault in this book. It was handled as gently as possible and not used for any sort of shock value which I greatly appreciated. I'm thinking of giving the sequel a shot in November and hopefully that one will interest me more. The plot twist on the last page made me intrigued.
hannahhbic's review
I can't accurately give this a star rating because it contains plot devices that trigger me. Oh well. I like the plot summaries minus the triggers though and hope to see more from this author!