Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - We Set the Dark on Fire

I so very much wanted to love We Set the Dark on Fire. On an extremely superficial level, the title and cover of this book are both excellent. I think they were the reason I put this book on my TBR to begin with, long before I read Miss Meteor. That was another reason I wanted to love this book so much — I really enjoyed Miss Meteor and was quite certain I would enjoy more of Mejia’s work. This book was rated so highly within the online blogging community, I was sure it was going to be a smash hit. I have some pretty mixed feelings after reading it.

Okay, okay. First of all, I really enjoyed the story this book was telling. Medio is a fictional world, but in many ways, it feels like one of our own countries or cities. Mejia calls out prejudice so easily in this book, but has been so clever as to do it in such a way that it allows the reader to disconnect. We look at classism, colorism, region-related prejudice, elitism, and more. The hum of war is all around Medio and from very early in the book, the reader can feel that in their bones. The subjects Mejia approaches in We Set the Dark on Fire are important conversations to have not just in fictional world, but in our real world.

I liked the characters as well. At the very beginning of the book, Dani is married off to Mateo with her sister wife Carmen, her long time school-hood nemesis. The worldview is set up in the very first pages of the book, and we know what the role of the Primera and Segunda wives are for, and we are well-prepared for this masculine-driven society. The character dynamics as they move along the Garcia family are incredibly interesting, and I like being in Dani’s head because she is so analytical. I like seeing a character with so much doubt because she feels more real to me than many protagonists. I wish her situation was not so real, but I don’t think a better protagonist could’ve been chosen for We Set the Dark on Fire.

What really kills me about this book is the pacing. For some people this is a slow burn, but for me, We Set the Dark on Fire approached each of its plot points at a frustrating pace. It is not a short book by any means, but by the end, I only felt we were halfway to where we should’ve been. For this reason alone, I had a difficult time concentrating on the story because the moments of action and interaction were slow to come. I suppose many people would consider this a slow burn, but for me, it was hard to stay focused. Dani is in such a position where she is surrounded by revolution and political intrigue, there should’ve been more going on and fewer interludes.

The pacing was only good for me when it comes to the romance. Personally, I loved Mejia‘s choice in Dani’s love interest, and I won’t spoil it for those of you who haven’t read it yet. The romantic scenes were electric and yet so gentle. I am definitely rooting for these two characters.

Did I like We Set the Dark on Fire? Yes, I did. I thought it was an excellent story with excellent characters and has a lot of promise. Is it going to make one of my top ten books of the year? Probably not. Well I read the sequel? Definitely! Will I reread this book? Probably not. It is good, but it hasn’t won that place in my heart to be a book I’m going to crave. I think it’s really worth reading, and I do recommend it, but the pacing was such for me that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to.

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averyrembish's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious 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

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makaylaapulello's review

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adventurous inspiring mysterious 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? No

4.0

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longlost's review

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adventurous emotional inspiring reflective 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? Yes

5.0

man this was a lot of fun. I wasn't sure I'd like the book considering I wasn't sold on the premise, but the writing style drew me in and I adored reading about Dani & Carmen + the critique of capitalism and societal structures was fantastic.

the ending, however, hurt me </3

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tahsintries's review

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3.75

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olivia9024's review

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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kaidoz's review

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adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious tense fast-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? No

3.75

In the beginning, I wasn’t sure if I liked the premise. The story seemed to be moving a little slow even though the pace was quick, and I wasn’t sure if anything new would be offered in the last few chapters. I was wrong. The ending of the book was my favorite part because it pissed me off. I felt emotions that I couldn’t feel in the beginning and middle. This was proof that I had grown attached to these characters- to their story. I’ll be reading the sequel soon.

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caoimhe9876's review

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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