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Pyromancy for Beginners
Orphaned and newly homeless, Hana faces a night in a snow-laden alley . . . until the casual strike of a match opens a door to the fae realm of lords and ladies. The only downer is Fred—her rival match seller—who’s accidentally travelled through the fire with her, and he doesn’t trust the fae one bit. Does the annoying match boy with patches on his elbows have more to offer than the luxurious world of the fae?
- GenresRomantasyRetellings
115 pages, ebook
Published January 1, 2022
1 person is currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Erin Vere
7 books29 followersAlso writes under Erin Grey.
Erin lives in South Africa with her pet husband and Evil Cat Overlord. Her personal experience with mental health issues and her obsession with neurodiversity inspires her writing. She laughs at things in the hopes they’ll go away, which is why she writes humorous novels with neurodivergent characters facing ridiculous situations. The goal dearest to her heart is to eat chocolate cake without getting fat.
Erin lives in South Africa with her pet husband and Evil Cat Overlord. Her personal experience with mental health issues and her obsession with neurodiversity inspires her writing. She laughs at things in the hopes they’ll go away, which is why she writes humorous novels with neurodivergent characters facing ridiculous situations. The goal dearest to her heart is to eat chocolate cake without getting fat.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 30, 2024
This was okay... there were some good parts, but then there were also some annoying parts and I just feel like we need to talk about class here for a minute, because... I can't decide what the author's take here was supposed to be.
Let's do this review in points starting from the good things:
1. The love interest Fred is really sweet. He has this really obvious crush on our MC from the beginning and Hana is really mean to him and he just... kind of sees why she is lashing out and that it has nothing to do with him and is just really kind to her, waiting for her to catch on. This doesn't seem 100% healthy, but as an angry person myself, I was kind of into it. I felt like he became a bit of a different person in the epilogue, but okay...
2. Good corset writing!
We stan that in this house! Sadly, that's all the corset writing we get... although there is quite a lot ridiculous fashion involved and I am always down for that!
3. I liked the romance. I had some issues with Hana and the story-line, but the romance aspects were solid. Could it be improved? For sure, but it was enjoyable in this form.
4. Also the ending, with regards to the queen!
To the bad things... I think I'm going to ditch the numbering here since they are all interconnected, but we'll see...
There isn't much to spoil about the story, but... I think you might consider what's ahead as spoilers...
Hana, our MC, is from immigrant family and really poor. I hoped that the story would give us more of the immigration part, especially since it hints that that's from where her powers are coming from + her mother was clearly trying to conceal her magic from her. This never comes back around though, so it just makes her mother seem stupid for not using those powers to keep them fed. Also, not going even to get into the immigrant-magic problematic trope since the story doesn't develop that aspect of the story to really have the magical ***** trope vibes.
On a somewhat connected note, Hana is described as brown - which is mentioned only once, might I add and isn't really reflected by the cover. Casual rep is also important, but this feels more like an empty one... I vaguely remember having a similar issue with How to Train Your Goblin King, but it felt even more present here. I felt this was really easy to fix - since Hana talks about her family quite a lot in the story, adding some culturally specific details or something would be... but no, all of that aspect of the story stays fully mysterious.
Way more present is the issue of class and oh boy, does that NOT make everything better. Hana is really poor and selling matches, she lives in a nasty part of town which gave her a permanent cough. So far so good. She also talks worse than a sailor... which I thought was a choice. First of all, it's annoying to read. Second, it's kind of stereotypical? She's also pretty mean, but that originates from her insecurities and her overall shitty situation, so I thought that was pretty on point.
Now, the part that almost made me want to tear my hair out came when Hana and Fred accidentally teleport themselves into the fae realm. Where it's warm with a lot of food... paradise on earth, right? First Hana fights the fae that are tasked to change her into ball-appropriate clothing (I do understand that it's not pleasant, but it seems to go directly against every survival instinct), but then she warms up to the idea of living in fae court, even when there is obviously something bad going on, and she refuses to leave, agrees to steal for the queen and so on. All of this because she wants the comforts so badly. Looking back, I realise that the story is trying to but I don't think it works. I mean, yeah, everyone wants a warm home, but this once again felt very much like a trope. I guess some people might react in this way... I didn't love it, I thought it relied on some stereotypes and it was too repetitive to be pleasant to read anyway.
Then there is Fred, I thought his financial/class situation didn't make particular sense? He's supposed to be a match boy, but while it makes sense for Hana,* who is from the lowest classes, to sell matches it makes less sense for Fred? We see his family at one point, he has three more siblings, two of them old enough (though younger than him) but they don't seem to work. His father is the provider. The family doesn't seem well off, they seem to be fine, but not middle class yet. Which... just begs the question, what sort of job is Fred's father doing that he can provide for the whole family (while probably not having any of the middle class jobs that would be better paid)?! And for some reason his adult son is working as a match boy?! Selling matches is mainly child-work, for children from really poor families or that are homeless. Don't tell me that his father couldn't get Fred a better job?!
*Although she is 18, so there is better paid work she could do. This world is just Victorian-inspired, but were this truly Victorian, it would be more likely for her to work in a factory... But this direction of thought is depressing...
I'm probably thinking about this too much, it's clear that Erin Vere just wanted to write A Little Match Girl retelling and since she wanted to have a romance as well, she couldn't very well make the protagonists eleven years old. Still, I feel like she could have write it in a way that it would make the world and story work better...
Ugh, okay, this is much longer review than this little story deserves! 😂 Sorry for the rant, but I thought about those aspects a lot while reading... This was my in-bed-ebook which worked pretty well, because it was cozy enough not to be stressful, but I didn't love it so much that I couldn't set it aside when it was time to sleep. I'm not sure if this is a book I would recommend, but it's free if you join the author's newsletter, so give it a look if you are interested. I think this is going to be my last book from the author, the next installment in the series Finding Your Choux and Other Charming Pursuits is coming out later this year, but I think I won't be reading it. Chef romance does sound good, but Erin Vere clearly isn't author for me...
Let's do this review in points starting from the good things:
1. The love interest Fred is really sweet. He has this really obvious crush on our MC from the beginning and Hana is really mean to him and he just... kind of sees why she is lashing out and that it has nothing to do with him and is just really kind to her, waiting for her to catch on. This doesn't seem 100% healthy, but as an angry person myself, I was kind of into it. I felt like he became a bit of a different person in the epilogue, but okay...
2. Good corset writing!
The bodice hugged her without a wrinkle, and the corset was the most comfortable she'd ever worn, fitted as though made for her, instead of second-hand and misshapen from too much washing.
We stan that in this house! Sadly, that's all the corset writing we get... although there is quite a lot ridiculous fashion involved and I am always down for that!
3. I liked the romance. I had some issues with Hana and the story-line, but the romance aspects were solid. Could it be improved? For sure, but it was enjoyable in this form.
"I think you look..." She felt suddenly shy. She'd never commented to a man about his looks before. Well, aside from insults hurled at the boys who yelled and whistled at her when she passed.
The match boy - Frederick - tilted his head curiously.
"Um..." She scrambled for a suitable word, one that wouldn't make her seem keen on him but honestly reflected her opinion of his appearance. "Fine," she decided. "You look fine."
Frederick flushed from his neck to his ears. His throat bobbed as he swallowed. "Thank you," he mumbled.
4. Also the ending, with regards to the queen!
To the bad things... I think I'm going to ditch the numbering here since they are all interconnected, but we'll see...
There isn't much to spoil about the story, but... I think you might consider what's ahead as spoilers...
Hana, our MC, is from immigrant family and really poor. I hoped that the story would give us more of the immigration part, especially since it hints that that's from where her powers are coming from + her mother was clearly trying to conceal her magic from her. This never comes back around though, so it just makes her mother seem stupid for not using those powers to keep them fed. Also, not going even to get into the immigrant-magic problematic trope since the story doesn't develop that aspect of the story to really have the magical ***** trope vibes.
On a somewhat connected note, Hana is described as brown - which is mentioned only once, might I add and isn't really reflected by the cover. Casual rep is also important, but this feels more like an empty one... I vaguely remember having a similar issue with How to Train Your Goblin King, but it felt even more present here. I felt this was really easy to fix - since Hana talks about her family quite a lot in the story, adding some culturally specific details or something would be... but no, all of that aspect of the story stays fully mysterious.
Way more present is the issue of class and oh boy, does that NOT make everything better. Hana is really poor and selling matches, she lives in a nasty part of town which gave her a permanent cough. So far so good. She also talks worse than a sailor... which I thought was a choice. First of all, it's annoying to read. Second, it's kind of stereotypical? She's also pretty mean, but that originates from her insecurities and her overall shitty situation, so I thought that was pretty on point.
Now, the part that almost made me want to tear my hair out came when Hana and Fred accidentally teleport themselves into the fae realm. Where it's warm with a lot of food... paradise on earth, right? First Hana fights the fae that are tasked to change her into ball-appropriate clothing (I do understand that it's not pleasant, but it seems to go directly against every survival instinct), but then she warms up to the idea of living in fae court, even when there is obviously something bad going on, and she refuses to leave, agrees to steal for the queen and so on. All of this because she wants the comforts so badly. Looking back, I realise that the story is trying to but I don't think it works. I mean, yeah, everyone wants a warm home, but this once again felt very much like a trope. I guess some people might react in this way... I didn't love it, I thought it relied on some stereotypes and it was too repetitive to be pleasant to read anyway.
Then there is Fred, I thought his financial/class situation didn't make particular sense? He's supposed to be a match boy, but while it makes sense for Hana,* who is from the lowest classes, to sell matches it makes less sense for Fred? We see his family at one point, he has three more siblings, two of them old enough (though younger than him) but they don't seem to work. His father is the provider. The family doesn't seem well off, they seem to be fine, but not middle class yet. Which... just begs the question, what sort of job is Fred's father doing that he can provide for the whole family (while probably not having any of the middle class jobs that would be better paid)?! And for some reason his adult son is working as a match boy?! Selling matches is mainly child-work, for children from really poor families or that are homeless. Don't tell me that his father couldn't get Fred a better job?!
*Although she is 18, so there is better paid work she could do. This world is just Victorian-inspired, but were this truly Victorian, it would be more likely for her to work in a factory... But this direction of thought is depressing...
I'm probably thinking about this too much, it's clear that Erin Vere just wanted to write A Little Match Girl retelling and since she wanted to have a romance as well, she couldn't very well make the protagonists eleven years old. Still, I feel like she could have write it in a way that it would make the world and story work better...
Ugh, okay, this is much longer review than this little story deserves! 😂 Sorry for the rant, but I thought about those aspects a lot while reading... This was my in-bed-ebook which worked pretty well, because it was cozy enough not to be stressful, but I didn't love it so much that I couldn't set it aside when it was time to sleep. I'm not sure if this is a book I would recommend, but it's free if you join the author's newsletter, so give it a look if you are interested. I think this is going to be my last book from the author, the next installment in the series Finding Your Choux and Other Charming Pursuits is coming out later this year, but I think I won't be reading it. Chef romance does sound good, but Erin Vere clearly isn't author for me...
dnf
November 10, 2023It’s not the fault of this book that snot happens to be one of the things that grosses me out in this world. It may not be a problem with the book that it uses crude language more freely than I’m comfortable with (I’m actually fine when there’s a reason, but it didn’t make sense to me here), though I do hold it more at fault for the angry feminism.
The fact that I ran into all of those in the first three percent of the book does mean that I just don’t have the energy to put into continuing.
The fact that I ran into all of those in the first three percent of the book does mean that I just don’t have the energy to put into continuing.
March 25, 2025
It is woke?
Not at all.
Is it good?
Astoundingly so. Vere manages to capture the immersive world building of Chanda Hahn, unique magic systems like Sanderson, and the fantastical yet hilarious tone of Pratchett. I would adore her work for just a single one of these. Together, all these elements blend into a fantastic novella.
Is it appropriate for your children?
This YA is a fantasy romance, though the romance takes a backburner. There is nothing inappropriate there, and any contextually appropriate swearing is done off page, i.e. "the padfoot swore."
Furthermore, Vere champions neurodiverse characters as well as those with mental illnesses. This alone is something your children should be exposed to, helping them build empathy for others. I also highly recommend this as a teaching tool for those with children needing to attend therapy or make friends.
The language and story is, perhaps, best understood by highschoolers. However, if a younger child can read and understand a novella, there is nothing inappropriate or mature to stop them. I recommend this to any child that can read it, and any adult that loves fantasy.
Not at all.
Is it good?
Astoundingly so. Vere manages to capture the immersive world building of Chanda Hahn, unique magic systems like Sanderson, and the fantastical yet hilarious tone of Pratchett. I would adore her work for just a single one of these. Together, all these elements blend into a fantastic novella.
Is it appropriate for your children?
This YA is a fantasy romance, though the romance takes a backburner. There is nothing inappropriate there, and any contextually appropriate swearing is done off page, i.e. "the padfoot swore."
Furthermore, Vere champions neurodiverse characters as well as those with mental illnesses. This alone is something your children should be exposed to, helping them build empathy for others. I also highly recommend this as a teaching tool for those with children needing to attend therapy or make friends.
The language and story is, perhaps, best understood by highschoolers. However, if a younger child can read and understand a novella, there is nothing inappropriate or mature to stop them. I recommend this to any child that can read it, and any adult that loves fantasy.
May 14, 2024
I fell in love with Erin Vere’s work after reading How To Train Your Goblin King, so naturally, I had to read this book too. I gave it five stars because it was enjoyable for me, but I did run into a few issues.
1. Hana is described as “brown” but on the cover she’s obviously light skinned.
2. The names for the fae characters threw me off. I’m all about inclusive names, but naming the queen “La’Tonya Sha’Niqua Fa’NayNay” made me roll my eyes…because it’s a tad overkill in my opinion. Sounds kind of like a stereotype overplayed. I’d love to know the intention behind it.
3. Hana is a jerk and Fred deserves better. That is all. lol maybe if we had a little more character development of Hana, maybeeee I’d be supportive. But nah. It’s a no for me lol
Other than this, I loved the pacing and length of the book. I loved the creativity, and I look forward to more of Erin’s work! 💖
1. Hana is described as “brown” but on the cover she’s obviously light skinned.
2. The names for the fae characters threw me off. I’m all about inclusive names, but naming the queen “La’Tonya Sha’Niqua Fa’NayNay” made me roll my eyes…because it’s a tad overkill in my opinion. Sounds kind of like a stereotype overplayed. I’d love to know the intention behind it.
3. Hana is a jerk and Fred deserves better. That is all. lol maybe if we had a little more character development of Hana, maybeeee I’d be supportive. But nah. It’s a no for me lol
Other than this, I loved the pacing and length of the book. I loved the creativity, and I look forward to more of Erin’s work! 💖
February 6, 2024
Content:
Quick and easy read. Hana and Fred's story is cute. Hana has pretty much given up on the world and people in general. Thankfully Fred sticks to her like a burr and provides something for Hana to hold on to. It was cute how Fred pursues her. I'm not familiar with the fairy tale matchstick girl. I liked this for itself though.
Quick and easy read. Hana and Fred's story is cute. Hana has pretty much given up on the world and people in general. Thankfully Fred sticks to her like a burr and provides something for Hana to hold on to. It was cute how Fred pursues her. I'm not familiar with the fairy tale matchstick girl. I liked this for itself though.
March 20, 2023
Cute story, unique world.
April 25, 2024
It was a fun little story. It could have been longer, but I enjoyed the tale and the characters. I also enjoyed her use of footnotes. They were fun.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews