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fantasynovel's review
4.0
3.5 stars
Simple worldbuilding and magic system, better suited to a middle-grade than a YA. Adorable romance, though, and it's important to have more LGBTQI+ relationships in MG and YA. I was rooting for Mare and Denna the entire time, and when they I yelled happy yells.
Simple worldbuilding and magic system, better suited to a middle-grade than a YA. Adorable romance, though, and it's important to have more LGBTQI+ relationships in MG and YA. I was rooting for Mare and Denna the entire time, and when they
Spoiler
rode off together???poachingeggs's review
3.0
3.5 stars ! didn’t care much for the actual plot because it was pretty generic + i rarely ever reach for high fantasy anymore, but the romance and yeaRNING sold it for me. likely won’t read the sequel because i think it stands fine on its own, but i’m glad that i finally read it after it’s been on my shelf for so many years
leafblade's review
4.0
I feel like it got too political at times, when the plot was quite simple in the end.
But!!!! The romance.
Okay, I fucking loved it. They had sex, they had sex!!!!!! Lesbian sex in a YA book!!!!!!!! And not 'we kissed and got on bed. WELL THE NEXT MORNING,' there was an actual sex scene and that's a big step and I loved it. Also they are so cute I have no words. The only thing I kind of not liked was that Mare was a tomboy, because we as a society really need to stop thinking that a gay couple has to resemble a straight one. We can have two girly girls together!!! Two tomboys!!!
Also there was literally no homophobia in this book. No one got mad at Mare and Denna because they were gay, but because they had kind of betrayed Thandi? And also because Mare had magic which is a big deal in this kingdom.
I wish we had gotten more of that magic, tho. I feel like it was underexplored. And more gay time but honestly who can get enough gay.
But!!!! The romance.
Okay, I fucking loved it. They had sex, they had sex!!!!!! Lesbian sex in a YA book!!!!!!!! And not 'we kissed and got on bed. WELL THE NEXT MORNING,' there was an actual sex scene and that's a big step and I loved it. Also they are so cute I have no words. The only thing I kind of not liked was that Mare was a tomboy, because we as a society really need to stop thinking that a gay couple has to resemble a straight one. We can have two girly girls together!!! Two tomboys!!!
Also there was literally no homophobia in this book. No one got mad at Mare and Denna because they were gay, but because they had kind of betrayed Thandi? And also because Mare had magic which is a big deal in this kingdom.
I wish we had gotten more of that magic, tho. I feel like it was underexplored. And more gay time but honestly who can get enough gay.
chaptercharms's review
5.0
This book is AMAZING. I completely fell in love with this book when I read the description and immediately bought it. It is a beautiful love story between two princesses with elements of fantasy and it is just as perfect as it sounds.
Mare and Denna's relationship develops slowly over the course of the book, going from neither of them being very happy that they are forced to spent time together to something very beautiful. I loved seeing them grow closer and slowly fall in love throughout the book, it made it feel very real and earnest. The bond that they form is incredibly strong and it really begins to feel like they become a team who will stand together against the rest of the world.
One aspect of the writing that I really liked was how the narrative switched perspective between Mare and Denna throughout the story. We get to see each of their mirrored feelings grow along with their own nervousness that the other might not feel the same way, but we also get to see each of their firey personalities. Mare is introduced as rebellious right from the beginning and she is always determined to keep her independence and be free. Alternatively, we see the way that Denna uses her own determination to put her feelings aside so that she can strive to make the world a better place. Their personalities compliment each other well and they are both fantastic characters to read about.
I also really liked some of the other characters in this story, particularly Mare's best friend, Nils. They have such a wonderful friendship in which they always stand by each other and help each other out. You can clearly see that their friendship is grounded upon years of friendship which is really nice to see.
The magic and the fantasy storyline within this book were also really good. I loved the world in which people possessed an Affinity to elemental magic, such as Denna's Affinity for fire. Her struggles to keep it hidden and to her strive to form peace within the kingdoms with people who possess magic really reminded me of BBC's Merlin, one of my favourite TV shows. The plot developed really well and though I didn't see the plot twist coming, it also felt really right and like I should have seen in coming.
Overall, this is a beautifully written story with a fantastic plot and an amazing set of characters. It has very intense moments that it always handles with care and every single word feels right and like it drives the story on. I'm so glad that it is the start of a series so that I can revisit this story and these characters again to find out what happens next!
Mare and Denna's relationship develops slowly over the course of the book, going from neither of them being very happy that they are forced to spent time together to something very beautiful. I loved seeing them grow closer and slowly fall in love throughout the book, it made it feel very real and earnest. The bond that they form is incredibly strong and it really begins to feel like they become a team who will stand together against the rest of the world.
One aspect of the writing that I really liked was how the narrative switched perspective between Mare and Denna throughout the story. We get to see each of their mirrored feelings grow along with their own nervousness that the other might not feel the same way, but we also get to see each of their firey personalities. Mare is introduced as rebellious right from the beginning and she is always determined to keep her independence and be free. Alternatively, we see the way that Denna uses her own determination to put her feelings aside so that she can strive to make the world a better place. Their personalities compliment each other well and they are both fantastic characters to read about.
I also really liked some of the other characters in this story, particularly Mare's best friend, Nils. They have such a wonderful friendship in which they always stand by each other and help each other out. You can clearly see that their friendship is grounded upon years of friendship which is really nice to see.
The magic and the fantasy storyline within this book were also really good. I loved the world in which people possessed an Affinity to elemental magic, such as Denna's Affinity for fire. Her struggles to keep it hidden and to her strive to form peace within the kingdoms with people who possess magic really reminded me of BBC's Merlin, one of my favourite TV shows. The plot developed really well and though I didn't see the plot twist coming, it also felt really right and like I should have seen in coming.
Overall, this is a beautifully written story with a fantastic plot and an amazing set of characters. It has very intense moments that it always handles with care and every single word feels right and like it drives the story on. I'm so glad that it is the start of a series so that I can revisit this story and these characters again to find out what happens next!
joanna1905's review against another edition
3.0
(Rating closer to a 3.5, rather than a 3).
So I have mixed feelings about this book, I adore the concept - two princesses falling in love is the best premise ever, And it is so cool to see both bi and lesbian representation in YA fantasy.
I love the friendship and relationship between Denna and Mare, and I totally ship it - however my appreciation of this book kind of ends here. This book is marketed as way more of a romance than it actually is, most of the book is actually focused on the assassinations and upcoming war, and while I'm totally on board with political intrigue and fantasy - it made this book fall flat for me. I would have loved to see more of the development of the relationship between Denna and Mare (honestly this feels vaguely like an instalove plot line - there was some tension at first then all of a sudden they are in love.
The central problem with this book Is that while the world is an interesting one, the world building and execution of the fantasy plotline was done poorly. It reads as though written by someone who has a vague idea what fantasy is as a genre but has zero experience with it as a reader or an author. The plot is the culmination of fantasy tropes that have been hastily written to make the book seem more fantastical but when mixed together make very little sense.
Now perhaps I'm biased, as a lover of George R.R. Martin and Patrick Rothfuss I'm no stranger to high-quality fantasy - and perhaps they have spoilt me to the point where I struggle to enjoy lesser fantasy authors. However, authors like Sarah J Maas (ACOTAR) and Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments) are able to create well-developed magic systems and worlds that still appeal to young adult readers while still retaining the quality and the authenticity of their world - and this makes me an even harsher critique.
As much as I wanted to adore this book - it honestly just feels like the publishers were banking on the whole 'A princess falls in love with the sister of her betrothed' concept to do the selling, and since LGBTQ+ representation in fantasy is so SCARCE and seeing the increasing demand for such representation in YA books they knew that even if the actual fantasy elements weren't that developed it wouldn't matter - because any representatio I better than none.
Now I know I've been pretty harsh, but I seriously did like this book - my expectations have just been raised so high by booktube that the reality couldn't compete. I do hope we get a sequel in the future and get the development this book lacked - I have no idea whether this is intended to be a stand-alone - but I think it has the potential to develop into an awesome duology.
So I have mixed feelings about this book, I adore the concept - two princesses falling in love is the best premise ever, And it is so cool to see both bi and lesbian representation in YA fantasy.
I love the friendship and relationship between Denna and Mare, and I totally ship it - however my appreciation of this book kind of ends here. This book is marketed as way more of a romance than it actually is, most of the book is actually focused on the assassinations and upcoming war, and while I'm totally on board with political intrigue and fantasy - it made this book fall flat for me. I would have loved to see more of the development of the relationship between Denna and Mare (honestly this feels vaguely like an instalove plot line - there was some tension at first then all of a sudden they are in love.
The central problem with this book Is that while the world is an interesting one, the world building and execution of the fantasy plotline was done poorly. It reads as though written by someone who has a vague idea what fantasy is as a genre but has zero experience with it as a reader or an author. The plot is the culmination of fantasy tropes that have been hastily written to make the book seem more fantastical but when mixed together make very little sense.
Now perhaps I'm biased, as a lover of George R.R. Martin and Patrick Rothfuss I'm no stranger to high-quality fantasy - and perhaps they have spoilt me to the point where I struggle to enjoy lesser fantasy authors. However, authors like Sarah J Maas (ACOTAR) and Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments) are able to create well-developed magic systems and worlds that still appeal to young adult readers while still retaining the quality and the authenticity of their world - and this makes me an even harsher critique.
As much as I wanted to adore this book - it honestly just feels like the publishers were banking on the whole 'A princess falls in love with the sister of her betrothed' concept to do the selling, and since LGBTQ+ representation in fantasy is so SCARCE and seeing the increasing demand for such representation in YA books they knew that even if the actual fantasy elements weren't that developed it wouldn't matter - because any representatio I better than none.
Now I know I've been pretty harsh, but I seriously did like this book - my expectations have just been raised so high by booktube that the reality couldn't compete. I do hope we get a sequel in the future and get the development this book lacked - I have no idea whether this is intended to be a stand-alone - but I think it has the potential to develop into an awesome duology.
tckcallahan's review
4.0
A gorgeous love story filled with magic, intrigue, adventure, and unexpected twists. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the tale of these two amazing women.
fatimareadsbooks's review
2.0
Honestly, the f/f romance is the only thing that intrigued me about this book. If it weren't for the romance, I probably would have skimmed right past this book and onto the next one. It's that unmemorable. The most frustrating thing in the whole entire world is reading a book with such.good.potential. I didn't even have any expectations and this book managed to let them down.
Firstly, what irked me the most was the complete, utter lack of character depth. This isn't like in most books, where only the secondary characters lack complexity. Here, even our main protagonists are as shallow as a kiddies pool. Denna was so incredibly boring. I'm glad hers is not the only POV, because I might not have been able to finish the book otherwise. It's obvious Denna is meant to be the "good" one, with repeated mentions of how sweet-tempered, polite, and intelligent she is. The literal embodiment of a princess. Mare, on the other hand, is the "wild" princess; she's fiery, tomboyish, and disobedient, as is repeatedly stated every few chapters. I liked their relationship and how it progressed from enemies to friends to lovers, but I did feel like there was certainly an element of unnecessary angst. The forbidden romance wasn't even "forbidden". The 'I-love-you-but-I-can't-be-with-you' trope was heavily employed as a means to further the plot's angst, which was very annoying.
Aside from Mare and Denna, literally no one else is worth mentioning. The secondary characters are even more unmemorable and shallow than the main characters. What even was their purpose? I wouldn't even be able to tell you their personalities, because they have none!! Go ahead, ask me their names. I guarantee you, the only name I'd be able to recall is Mare. She's the only character who was on the right track to being properly fleshed out.
The second thing that bothered me about this book was the insane amount of plot holes and nonexistent world-building. We're plunged into this world with no knowledge of the political and cultural workings of the land we are in, and no knowledge of the magical system there -- something about ambient magic and a siphon and a silver bowl was dropped three-fourths through the book, what is all that? Also, why do the Mynarians hate magic? Who are these 'Six' that everyone keeps running around and cursing? Why is there even a need for a political alliance between Havemont and Mynaria? Why does everyone hate the Zumordans when they've done nothing to you? I understand this is YA Fantasy, but I'm not expecting Game of Thrones level world-building. Is it too much to ask for at least some semblance of an explanation for the world we're plunged into? Unfortunately, this book reads like it was written for a much more juvenile audience that wouldn't care much for character complexity and world-building.
Thirdly, nothing remotely intriguing occurs in the entirety of the book! The politics were extremely yawn-inducing and the incompetence of the adults extremely frustrating. I was looking forward to Mare and Denna's horse training, but that (like many other aspects of the book) completely fell short. Frankly, I felt like the horses were given more depth, complexity, and attention than the main characters.
In conclusion, I could go on and on about so many other disappointing aspects, such as the obvious contrivedness of some scenes and the predictability of the whole book in general. Of Fire and Stars is a book that had great potential with its f/f romance, but failed to follow through on that potential. Lack of character complexity, one-dimensional relationships, nonexistent world-building, and a tedious plot are mainly what ruined this book for me and many others who had eagerly anticipated this read.
Thanks to the publisher, HarperCollins, for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacted my views and opinions above.
Follow me on my blog, Book Whizz | Bloglovin' | Twitter
Firstly, what irked me the most was the complete, utter lack of character depth. This isn't like in most books, where only the secondary characters lack complexity. Here, even our main protagonists are as shallow as a kiddies pool. Denna was so incredibly boring. I'm glad hers is not the only POV, because I might not have been able to finish the book otherwise. It's obvious Denna is meant to be the "good" one, with repeated mentions of how sweet-tempered, polite, and intelligent she is. The literal embodiment of a princess. Mare, on the other hand, is the "wild" princess; she's fiery, tomboyish, and disobedient, as is repeatedly stated every few chapters. I liked their relationship and how it progressed from enemies to friends to lovers, but I did feel like there was certainly an element of unnecessary angst. The forbidden romance wasn't even "forbidden". The 'I-love-you-but-I-can't-be-with-you' trope was heavily employed as a means to further the plot's angst, which was very annoying.
Aside from Mare and Denna, literally no one else is worth mentioning. The secondary characters are even more unmemorable and shallow than the main characters. What even was their purpose? I wouldn't even be able to tell you their personalities, because they have none!! Go ahead, ask me their names. I guarantee you, the only name I'd be able to recall is Mare. She's the only character who was on the right track to being properly fleshed out.
The second thing that bothered me about this book was the insane amount of plot holes and nonexistent world-building. We're plunged into this world with no knowledge of the political and cultural workings of the land we are in, and no knowledge of the magical system there -- something about ambient magic and a siphon and a silver bowl was dropped three-fourths through the book, what is all that? Also, why do the Mynarians hate magic? Who are these 'Six' that everyone keeps running around and cursing? Why is there even a need for a political alliance between Havemont and Mynaria? Why does everyone hate the Zumordans when they've done nothing to you? I understand this is YA Fantasy, but I'm not expecting Game of Thrones level world-building. Is it too much to ask for at least some semblance of an explanation for the world we're plunged into? Unfortunately, this book reads like it was written for a much more juvenile audience that wouldn't care much for character complexity and world-building.
Thirdly, nothing remotely intriguing occurs in the entirety of the book! The politics were extremely yawn-inducing and the incompetence of the adults extremely frustrating. I was looking forward to Mare and Denna's horse training, but that (like many other aspects of the book) completely fell short. Frankly, I felt like the horses were given more depth, complexity, and attention than the main characters.
In conclusion, I could go on and on about so many other disappointing aspects, such as the obvious contrivedness of some scenes and the predictability of the whole book in general. Of Fire and Stars is a book that had great potential with its f/f romance, but failed to follow through on that potential. Lack of character complexity, one-dimensional relationships, nonexistent world-building, and a tedious plot are mainly what ruined this book for me and many others who had eagerly anticipated this read.
Thanks to the publisher, HarperCollins, for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacted my views and opinions above.
Follow me on my blog, Book Whizz | Bloglovin' | Twitter
lbarsk's review
3.0
It was... fine? I just think the worldbuilding was haphazard and the plot was SUPER weirdly paced. Like, all the action happened in legitimately the last 15 pages of the book, including the reason for the book's title (Of Fire and Stars). It's weird -- the author clearly had a fully formed world in her mind, and there were rules/conventions that things were operating under, but that only came out in fits and starts in the book.
The queer romance was nice, at least? No "but I've never loved a woman before!" turmoil, which I appreciated, and a convincing (if weirdly-fast-developing, like the whole book) rapport between the two romantic leads. Definitely good that there are Queer Lady YA Fantasy books out there and that this is one of them; I just wish this had been paced and built better.
The queer romance was nice, at least? No "but I've never loved a woman before!" turmoil, which I appreciated, and a convincing (if weirdly-fast-developing, like the whole book) rapport between the two romantic leads. Definitely good that there are Queer Lady YA Fantasy books out there and that this is one of them; I just wish this had been paced and built better.
sccrethistory's review
2.0
But some things are stronger than years of freedom.
The draw of fire.
A longing for freedom.
Or a girl on a red horse.
Bueno sería más bien 3'5 o así. El libro en sí me ha gustado pero tampoco me ha encantado, es como si faltará algo, tal vez más acción de otro tipo. Igualmente encantada de poder leer un libro de fantasía sobre dos chicas y que este bien escrito y bien llevado.
The draw of fire.
A longing for freedom.
Or a girl on a red horse.
Bueno sería más bien 3'5 o así. El libro en sí me ha gustado pero tampoco me ha encantado, es como si faltará algo, tal vez más acción de otro tipo. Igualmente encantada de poder leer un libro de fantasía sobre dos chicas y que este bien escrito y bien llevado.