Scan barcode
A review by lezreadalot
Burning Roses by S.L. Huang
3.0
I was no longer the girl; I was the rifle.
3.5 stars. Really engaging fantasy novel about two older women, both warriors estranged from their wives, who have teamed up to stop a magical threat ravaging the country. Both their stories are intertwined with/draw inspiration from different fairy tales and myths, and it comes together as a really fascinating character study for them both. They're hugely flawed women, neither quite willing to face up to the things they've done/things they're running from, and it culminates in an unexpected but lovely way. I picked this up for the comparison to Zen Cho, one of my favourite authors, and while I'm not sure I agree that the writing is similar or quite as good, in terms of themes, there was a certain familiarity that I appreciated. And I do love stories about older women. I'm not sure what else I wanted from this but it didn't quite hit the spot for me.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Nancy Wu; a narrator I always enjoy. I'll try to pick up more from Huang in the future! At the very least, this was a good way to whet the appetite.
Content warnings: