Definitely not for everyone.

Happy New Year one and all! I hope 2018 has been kind to you and I hope that 2019 is even better. I figured I would end the year with a solo review that is very different in its story telling, but is beautiful in its imagery. Because of certain subject matter, which I will get into in the review, Girls of Paper and Fire is definitely not for everyone. One of the main plot points is bound to cause issues with some people, but for me I didn’t mind and it was definitely a nice change of pace. Due to the fact of it being New Years, this is only a solo review. Before I get on to the review, My goal for next year is to read and review 50 books or more. With that being said, feel free to comment with recommendations that you have read, or that you would like me to attempt to read and review next year. Also, SPOILER ALERT in this book. Because of some of the material in this book, I will be spoiling some pretty major plot points.

The story line for this book is a pretty familiar one. A young, beautiful girl is taken from her home and forced to serve in the court of the evil ruler. In most cases, the plot would proceed to have the girl fall in love with said ruler after discovering he is not so bad. You all know the drill. Except, this book does play by traditional rules. The main character, Lei, continues to despise the king and instead falls in love with one of her fellow Paper Girls, Wren. This is one of the first books that I have read that prominently features a same-sex relationship but I must say, it is incredibly well done and was a pleasant surprise in a book that I figured would follow traditional plot points. The story is good one that really focuses on Lei and the other Paper Girls and how they each adjust to life in the court.

Each girl has their own unique personality which is welcome. While some feature more than others, they all feature at various points across the book. The side characters, while not terrible, are nothing special to write home about either. I don’t recall one really sticking out in my mind.

The book strengths are the plot as I mentioned and the gorgeous imagery. Ngan does a beautiful job setting scenes not just with sights, but also with sounds and scents. I really did feel like I was in this court at several points and it at has to do with the beautiful imagery.

The world is also well-developed and hopefully it will get even more developed in the follow-up books. All the clans are given histories and the gods are also prominent throughout.

Overall, this book was a good solid read. The surprise relationship blew me away a little bit and the fact that the book didn’t stick to the normal stereotypes was a pleasant surprise. The plot was good, the main characters were solid and the world was a well-developed one. The imagery was outstanding and I really hope that all these good trends continue in the next book.

Verdict- 4 stars. The same-sex relationship of the main characters should not deter those from a very solid book from a debut author.