I received a free review copy of this book, however this does not affect my opinion in any way! Content warnings: Sexual assault, death of a family member, violence Australian release date: November 6th, 2018 Set in an Asian-inspired fantasy world where a Demon King takes human girls for concubines, this is the story of the forbidden love between two of the girls and how far they are willing to fight for their freedom - and each other. In the nation of Ikhara, there are three kinds of people, of varying political power and ability; Moon, those with fully demon blood, Paper, those with fully human blood, and Steel, those with a mixture of both. Every year, eight beautiful Paper caste girls are chosen to serve the Moon caste King at the Hidden Palace as concubines. However this year, there’s a ninth girl; Lei. On an ordinary day working in her father’s herb shop, Lei is taken by generals of the King, to be a Paper girl. After her world completely turns around, Lei must learn to adapt to a new life that she never wanted. With a villain that you just have to hate, and a WLW romance that is sweet and not sexualised or fetishised, Girls of Paper and Fire is a standout release for YA in 2018. “I won’t let him touch me again.” I don’t realise it until I speak it. And it’s different from the times I’ve said it before, or the way I’ve hoped it, as if dreaming something enough could birth it into being. I know it now with a certainty that has fitted into the lost core at the hear of me, as hard and angular as my hope was soft and shimmering. The King will not have me. Put simply, this book is about trauma and survival. It’s about reclaiming oneself and building yourself back up and continuing to thrive. This book was very special, in part due to the representation it provides - not to me personally, but I can appreciate how unique and special this book is. Ngan is Chinese-Malaysian, and has said that a lot of the cultural influences in the world of Ikhara came from her Malaysian heritage. This absolutely shines through. The setting is very real, and the culture doesn’t feel forced or ‘for the sake of it’. It’s also wonderful to see the female friendships that this book explores. I feel like it goes to show that once you include more than three token female characters, your story truly blooms. Girls of Paper and Fire really surprised me. I knew little about it going into it, just that it was a fantasy novel with a badass female protagonist, who was Asian. Now, the last fantasy books I read were the Mortal Instruments series, back in 2014. Since then, I haven’t picked up much of that genre. I find it laborious and time-consuming, and the result I get from the work of deciphering names of places, unusual settings and strange magical powers is always a disappointment. I did not feel like this for Girls of Paper and Fire. The fantasy elements were presented in a way that made sense, and added to the story. Lei, while she takes a little getting used to, has a wonderful and dynamic point of view. I have next to no criticism for this one. The world Ngan created is complex and took me a little while to get my head around, but once I understood it, I was enthralled. Lei takes a little while to come into her own, but once she opens up, she’s a wonderful character to read from. The commentary of class systems and oppression is pointed and clear, but subtle enough that this wasn’t a “political” book. “I don’t want an easy life. I want a meaningful one.” Overall, I am absolutely thrilled this book is getting so much hype. It’s important, necessary and entertaining. I can’t wait for the rest of the world to read it, and I’m already anxious to get my hands on the second book!!! 4.5 stars!
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WELCOME!Hello!! My name is Tessa, and I'm a 20 year old bookseller and blogger from Sydney Australia. I love queer YA, Schitt's Creek, and pizza scrolls. Archives
July 2020
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