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A Consuming Fire
Uprooted meets The Grace Year in this dark young adult fantasy of love and vengeance following a girl who vows to kill a god after her sister is unjustly slain by his hand.
Weatherell girls aren’t supposed to die.
Once every eighteen years, the isolated forest village of Weatherell is asked to send one girl to the god of the mountain to give a sacrifice before returning home. Twins Anya and Ilva Astraea are raised with this destiny in mind, and when their time comes, spirited Ilva volunteers to go. Her devoted sister Anya is left at home to pray for Ilva’s safe return. But Anya’s prayers are denied.
With her sister dead, Anya volunteers to make a journey of her own to visit the god of the mountain. But unlike her sister, sacrifice is the furthest thing from Anya’s mind. Anya has no intention of giving anything more to the god, or of letting any other girl do so ever again. Anya Astraea has not set out to placate a god. She’s set out to kill one.
Weatherell girls aren’t supposed to die.
Once every eighteen years, the isolated forest village of Weatherell is asked to send one girl to the god of the mountain to give a sacrifice before returning home. Twins Anya and Ilva Astraea are raised with this destiny in mind, and when their time comes, spirited Ilva volunteers to go. Her devoted sister Anya is left at home to pray for Ilva’s safe return. But Anya’s prayers are denied.
With her sister dead, Anya volunteers to make a journey of her own to visit the god of the mountain. But unlike her sister, sacrifice is the furthest thing from Anya’s mind. Anya has no intention of giving anything more to the god, or of letting any other girl do so ever again. Anya Astraea has not set out to placate a god. She’s set out to kill one.
349 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 22, 2022
About the author
Laura E. Weymouth
9 books745 followersLaura Weymouth is a Canadian living in America, and the sixth consecutive generation of her family to immigrate from one country to another. Born and raised in the Niagara region of Ontario, she now lives at the edge of the woods in western New York, along with her husband, three wild-hearted daughters, an unruly garden, and an ever-expanding menagerie of animal friends.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
December 12, 2020
I give this book 5 stars because I wrote it
It is also important to me that you know the dog does not die or face any sort of peril
It is also important to me that you know the dog does not die or face any sort of peril
December 23, 2021
Book review:
4.5 stars. Yes, I am biased bc Laura is my favorite author. But this was unlike anything I've ever read! The pacing was a little weird at times, but it all felt strangely necessary, even with a feel of repetition in it. I think it all went together to give this big personal growth journey, and the contrast between similar scenarios helped to show that. Over all, this did not disappoint. Not to mention that the plot and metaphors revolved around fire and I just loved that ♥️
Cover review:
Not at all what I was expecting but 😍😍😍😍
Pre-cover review:
I need a cover so bad!
4.5 stars. Yes, I am biased bc Laura is my favorite author. But this was unlike anything I've ever read! The pacing was a little weird at times, but it all felt strangely necessary, even with a feel of repetition in it. I think it all went together to give this big personal growth journey, and the contrast between similar scenarios helped to show that. Over all, this did not disappoint. Not to mention that the plot and metaphors revolved around fire and I just loved that ♥️
Cover review:
Not at all what I was expecting but 😍😍😍😍
Pre-cover review:
I need a cover so bad!
October 7, 2022
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───
“[…] Maybe you lie, Anya, but that doesn’t make you a liar. You don’t lie about what matters, either – think of I could see through to the heart of you, there’s only be true things.”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───
I want to start off by saying two things: a) thank you SO MUCH to the author for sending me an ARC of A Consuming Fire!! It was really good! b) any quotes used in this review were from the ARC & may not be in the finished copy.
Anya Astrea and her twin sister Ilva are raised to appease a god, and when Ilva is sent to him (and doesn’t return in one piece), Anya vows revenge. And how else to do that but to kill the god that killed her sister, and harmed so many others?
“I gave him nothing, because he took from me instead”
Of course, Ilva makes Anya promise not to go - not to let anyone else go. But Anya, being the character that she is (even though she’s kind of weak and timid at first), decides that a) revenge – the god killed her sister! and b) the only way to stop anyone from going is by getting rid of the thing that makes them leave. I know, I’m a genius.
The god is a hypocrite, ngl. I hated him, so, so, much. He cut of Anya’s mothers hands, for God’s sake! Like, who says this,
“she who has a deceitful heart finds no good, and she who has a perverse tongue falls into evil”
and then goes and tortures/wreaks the life of innocent girls??
The writing is so poetic, put I tripped over it in the early pages. There's other reviews that can describe it better than I can, so here's my favourite
I loved how the author described Anya (looks like a cinnamon roll, could kill you), Tiergan (looks like a cinnamon roll, is a cinnamon roll), and all the other characters. I loved Janie and Ella’s compassion, Ilva’s sense of adventure and fire, Anya’s love of her sister and sense of duty and justice, Tiergan’s internal struggle between what’s right and what’s wrong, Lee and Matthias’s love of the group of wanderers. Anya and Tiergan had amazing character arcs, Anya especially. I enjoyed reading about how she learned to find herself, her self-confidence, and to learn to stand up for herself and for all the other Weatherell girls who were unjustly harmed by the god. She really finds herself after Ilva dies, leaving her without her stronger twin.
“Losses like that take time. And you don’t get past them all at one – some days, you think you’re all right, and others it’ll all come back to you. That’s the way of grief. You never really lose it, you just learn to live with it better.”
And Tiergan??? AGHHHH I LOVE THAT GUY!More on that later, but here’s a Tiergan quote to let you get his ‘vibe’:
“[…]Sometimes I do the smaller wrongs to keep worse things from coming about.”
Does anyone else love this??
I don’t think there are any POC or LGBTQ characters that were specifically mentioned. Maybe I’m just thick and didn’t notice them? But I really don’t think that there are any.
I shipped Tiergan and Anya SO. HARD. Because this couple? YES 💖💖💖 I love you, Tiergan! Seriously, dream book boyfriend ❤ i love him so much, you can’t possibility understand. he’s the love of my life. seriously, buy it when it comes out because I need to rant with someone about the unfairness of him being fictional . and also, like, he’s mine; move out of the way, anya, you loveable idiot; he. is. mine. 100%. Cuz, like, morally grey guys that do stuff to people they love but they feel really bad about it, you know???? anyway
The romance was never spicy *phew* which I appreciate, because YA has a little too much spice for my taste, sometimes. The max was kissing. And I LOVED how they would do anything for each other – even when it’s hard. LOOK AT THIS:
“Want my coat back,” he said, nodding at the oilskin she wore.
“It’s my coat. I’m reclaiming it on account of you being so much trouble.”
“It’s never yours. I stole it, fair and square.”
“I’m leaving now. Enjoy your family.”
“…It’s your coat.”
The plot was a tad bit slow, but everything was necessary. I don’t think anything was added that shouldn’t be there, but there was A LOT of stuff. The plot is basically this: Anya being chased. Anya being caught. Anya escaping. And this happens like two more times? It felt a little bit filler-y – which sounds a little contradictory, but…I can’t think of another way to explain it. Basically, too much of Anya-being-captured-and-escaping, but also it didn’t feel like it? Like, Anya being caught MADE SENSE? Idk. Just read it and find out. The point is, Anya pushed through in the end.
The magic and worldbuilding was really good. Tiergan can shapeshift (the reason why is shocking) and I liked how the author made him struggle with it. In some books, it was like ‘cool, I’m a shapeshifter!’ and they shapeshift constantly and with ease. But he found it painful – which was a nice change. And the worldbuilding was great! I loved the descriptions of their customs, (cult-like) religion and world.
“Once for chance, twice for luck, thrice tells the heart of a thing.”
I have to say, though, that while this book is amazing, it didn’t click 100% for me? There was something about it that stopped me from being *wowed* about it. That’s literally the only reason why I’m giving it 4 stars. I loved everything about it if I take it apart bit by bit, but…I dunno. I think it’s a me thing, though (and maybe the fact that reading slumps are horrible)
P.S. the dog, Midge, doesn’t die.
“[…] Maybe you lie, Anya, but that doesn’t make you a liar. You don’t lie about what matters, either – think of I could see through to the heart of you, there’s only be true things.”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───
I want to start off by saying two things: a) thank you SO MUCH to the author for sending me an ARC of A Consuming Fire!! It was really good! b) any quotes used in this review were from the ARC & may not be in the finished copy.
Anya Astrea and her twin sister Ilva are raised to appease a god, and when Ilva is sent to him (and doesn’t return in one piece), Anya vows revenge. And how else to do that but to kill the god that killed her sister, and harmed so many others?
“I gave him nothing, because he took from me instead”
Of course, Ilva makes Anya promise not to go - not to let anyone else go. But Anya, being the character that she is (even though she’s kind of weak and timid at first), decides that a) revenge – the god killed her sister! and b) the only way to stop anyone from going is by getting rid of the thing that makes them leave. I know, I’m a genius.
The god is a hypocrite, ngl. I hated him, so, so, much. He cut of Anya’s mothers hands, for God’s sake! Like, who says this,
“she who has a deceitful heart finds no good, and she who has a perverse tongue falls into evil”
and then goes and tortures/wreaks the life of innocent girls??
The writing is so poetic, put I tripped over it in the early pages. There's other reviews that can describe it better than I can, so here's my favourite
I loved how the author described Anya (looks like a cinnamon roll, could kill you), Tiergan (looks like a cinnamon roll, is a cinnamon roll), and all the other characters. I loved Janie and Ella’s compassion, Ilva’s sense of adventure and fire, Anya’s love of her sister and sense of duty and justice, Tiergan’s internal struggle between what’s right and what’s wrong, Lee and Matthias’s love of the group of wanderers. Anya and Tiergan had amazing character arcs, Anya especially. I enjoyed reading about how she learned to find herself, her self-confidence, and to learn to stand up for herself and for all the other Weatherell girls who were unjustly harmed by the god. She really finds herself after Ilva dies, leaving her without her stronger twin.
“Losses like that take time. And you don’t get past them all at one – some days, you think you’re all right, and others it’ll all come back to you. That’s the way of grief. You never really lose it, you just learn to live with it better.”
And Tiergan??? AGHHHH I LOVE THAT GUY!More on that later, but here’s a Tiergan quote to let you get his ‘vibe’:
“[…]Sometimes I do the smaller wrongs to keep worse things from coming about.”
Does anyone else love this??
I don’t think there are any POC or LGBTQ characters that were specifically mentioned. Maybe I’m just thick and didn’t notice them? But I really don’t think that there are any.
I shipped Tiergan and Anya SO. HARD. Because this couple? YES 💖💖💖 I love you, Tiergan! Seriously, dream book boyfriend ❤ i love him so much, you can’t possibility understand. he’s the love of my life. seriously, buy it when it comes out because I need to rant with someone about the unfairness of him being fictional . and also, like, he’s mine; move out of the way, anya, you loveable idiot; he. is. mine. 100%. Cuz, like, morally grey guys that do stuff to people they love but they feel really bad about it, you know???? anyway
The romance was never spicy *phew* which I appreciate, because YA has a little too much spice for my taste, sometimes. The max was kissing. And I LOVED how they would do anything for each other – even when it’s hard. LOOK AT THIS:
“Want my coat back,” he said, nodding at the oilskin she wore.
“It’s my coat. I’m reclaiming it on account of you being so much trouble.”
“It’s never yours. I stole it, fair and square.”
“I’m leaving now. Enjoy your family.”
“…It’s your coat.”
The plot was a tad bit slow, but everything was necessary. I don’t think anything was added that shouldn’t be there, but there was A LOT of stuff. The plot is basically this: Anya being chased. Anya being caught. Anya escaping. And this happens like two more times? It felt a little bit filler-y – which sounds a little contradictory, but…I can’t think of another way to explain it. Basically, too much of Anya-being-captured-and-escaping, but also it didn’t feel like it? Like, Anya being caught MADE SENSE? Idk. Just read it and find out. The point is, Anya pushed through in the end.
The magic and worldbuilding was really good. Tiergan can shapeshift (the reason why is shocking) and I liked how the author made him struggle with it. In some books, it was like ‘cool, I’m a shapeshifter!’ and they shapeshift constantly and with ease. But he found it painful – which was a nice change. And the worldbuilding was great! I loved the descriptions of their customs, (cult-like) religion and world.
“Once for chance, twice for luck, thrice tells the heart of a thing.”
I have to say, though, that while this book is amazing, it didn’t click 100% for me? There was something about it that stopped me from being *wowed* about it. That’s literally the only reason why I’m giving it 4 stars. I loved everything about it if I take it apart bit by bit, but…I dunno. I think it’s a me thing, though (and maybe the fact that reading slumps are horrible)
P.S. the dog, Midge, doesn’t die.
March 1, 2023
This is my favorite book that I've read this year! It hit very close to home for some personal things and it was incredibly healing to read.
November 12, 2022
4.5/5 I think? Got an arc from the publisher!
This was intense! I wasn’t sure about it at first, and I stand by my assessment that it should’ve been 100% just a second world fantasy instead of something resembling an alt history, but at around the time she joins up with the wanderers it hit its stride. This is a beautiful book about family and rage and love, and I highly recommend grabbing some tissues if you pick it up!
This was intense! I wasn’t sure about it at first, and I stand by my assessment that it should’ve been 100% just a second world fantasy instead of something resembling an alt history, but at around the time she joins up with the wanderers it hit its stride. This is a beautiful book about family and rage and love, and I highly recommend grabbing some tissues if you pick it up!
November 26, 2022
A Consuming Fire is a perfect example of why it is such a good idea to give authors a second chance. Because while I didn't love the first book I read by the author, I liked the writing enough to be willing to try again. And I am so glad I did! Because A Consuming Fire was really good!
From the start, you will be so mad on behalf of our main character, Anya, and all the women who have come before her. The young women of Weatherall are expected to basically sacrifice whatever part of themselves some Mountain Monster™ chooses to take, to save everyone else from misfortune. That's cute, right? Let's throw the girls to the wolves, they don't need all their body parts and mental faculties! Nah, this is some real crap, but you can certainly understand why girls keep going- it's all they've ever known, and they think it is something they must do for their community and family.
Through a series of bad events, Anya finds herself making this dreadful journey herself. But she doesn't plan to just let this jerk take whatever he wants. She plans to fight back. And who among us can't appreciate that? I loved that she wanted to stand against this mess, frankly. She also encounters a group that I definitely loved, but am leaving vague for spoiler reasons. She also encounters a lot of self-serving jerks along the way, but in this world, that makes sense. Interestingly enough, the world, while obviously quite fictional, is based on a post-Roman England, which I found quite fun.
There are some points in the story that felt perhaps a little repetitive to me, but that is a minor qualm, as the story as a whole is really quite emotional and entertaining!
Bottom Line: We love a girl who aims to kill the Mountain Monster™.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
From the start, you will be so mad on behalf of our main character, Anya, and all the women who have come before her. The young women of Weatherall are expected to basically sacrifice whatever part of themselves some Mountain Monster™ chooses to take, to save everyone else from misfortune. That's cute, right? Let's throw the girls to the wolves, they don't need all their body parts and mental faculties! Nah, this is some real crap, but you can certainly understand why girls keep going- it's all they've ever known, and they think it is something they must do for their community and family.
Through a series of bad events, Anya finds herself making this dreadful journey herself. But she doesn't plan to just let this jerk take whatever he wants. She plans to fight back. And who among us can't appreciate that? I loved that she wanted to stand against this mess, frankly. She also encounters a group that I definitely loved, but am leaving vague for spoiler reasons. She also encounters a lot of self-serving jerks along the way, but in this world, that makes sense. Interestingly enough, the world, while obviously quite fictional, is based on a post-Roman England, which I found quite fun.
There are some points in the story that felt perhaps a little repetitive to me, but that is a minor qualm, as the story as a whole is really quite emotional and entertaining!
Bottom Line: We love a girl who aims to kill the Mountain Monster™.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
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January 21, 2023I enjoyed this book a lot; it made me think!
To those who felt weird about the Christian symbol of the "sufferer", what I see in this book is not a glimpse of Christianity stuck in a story with a fantasy religion, but rather two visions of Christianity - what it has been (rapacious and cruel, demanding) and what it should/could be (founded on love, giving). If I was going to quarrel with anything here it'd be the way the contrast is framed - smacks of Old Testament vs New Testament to me, which is a dichotomy I dislike, but I think that's a bone I have to pick with...idk, Paul maybe? as opposed to a problem w the book. Like, if Christianity as an institution imagines itself as standing in contrast to some previous, crueller understanding of God, then painting that institution in the cruelty it professes to abhor is a full blast indictment.
To those who felt weird about the Christian symbol of the "sufferer", what I see in this book is not a glimpse of Christianity stuck in a story with a fantasy religion, but rather two visions of Christianity - what it has been (rapacious and cruel, demanding) and what it should/could be (founded on love, giving). If I was going to quarrel with anything here it'd be the way the contrast is framed - smacks of Old Testament vs New Testament to me, which is a dichotomy I dislike, but I think that's a bone I have to pick with...idk, Paul maybe? as opposed to a problem w the book. Like, if Christianity as an institution imagines itself as standing in contrast to some previous, crueller understanding of God, then painting that institution in the cruelty it professes to abhor is a full blast indictment.
December 15, 2020
One girl. One god. One grudge.
Every eighteen years, a girl from Anya Astraea’s isolated village - where she and her contemporaries are purpose-bred to be chaste, meek, and self-sacrificing - must go to the cruel god of the mountain and offer a piece of herself to placate him, lest the country fall into disaster and ruin.
The stakes are high when Anya sets out, not to sacrifice herself, but to avenge her twin sisters death when the god breaks out and kills instead of accepting meek offerings.
Her sheltered life has not prepared her for the outside world. No matter. The Elect are there to guide her safely along the journey but the lies she carries in her heart must remain scrupulously hidden from them.
When she meets a young, ill-natured thief, about to be cruelly punished, her bleeding hear will not allow her to see a fellow human suffering. Her feelings for him deepen but his own lies may prove to be the undoing of her purpose.
Weymouth deftly weaves a spellbinding tale of religious themes and community expectations, which will challenge current evangelical mores and inspire readers to “be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Every eighteen years, a girl from Anya Astraea’s isolated village - where she and her contemporaries are purpose-bred to be chaste, meek, and self-sacrificing - must go to the cruel god of the mountain and offer a piece of herself to placate him, lest the country fall into disaster and ruin.
The stakes are high when Anya sets out, not to sacrifice herself, but to avenge her twin sisters death when the god breaks out and kills instead of accepting meek offerings.
Her sheltered life has not prepared her for the outside world. No matter. The Elect are there to guide her safely along the journey but the lies she carries in her heart must remain scrupulously hidden from them.
When she meets a young, ill-natured thief, about to be cruelly punished, her bleeding hear will not allow her to see a fellow human suffering. Her feelings for him deepen but his own lies may prove to be the undoing of her purpose.
Weymouth deftly weaves a spellbinding tale of religious themes and community expectations, which will challenge current evangelical mores and inspire readers to “be the change you wish to see in the world.”
November 11, 2022
"Anya Astraea has not set out to placate a god. She’s set out to kill one."
Amazing plot, amazing execution. The world building and characters are fantastic. It even has a sweet little romance. I'd be interested in a follow-up story.
I've been excited for this book since it came out and it did not disappoint.
Weymouth's books are fantastic and I highly recommend anything she's written so far, and look forward to anything she will write in the future.
Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy!
Amazing plot, amazing execution. The world building and characters are fantastic. It even has a sweet little romance. I'd be interested in a follow-up story.
I've been excited for this book since it came out and it did not disappoint.
Weymouth's books are fantastic and I highly recommend anything she's written so far, and look forward to anything she will write in the future.
Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy!
April 10, 2021
Tieran is the “looks like he could kill you; can actually kill you (while still being a cinnamon roll??)” you need in your life. And I’m not telling what Anya Astraea is but you need her in your life, too. Might be my favorite Weymouth yet. (Might also have altered the way I speak.)
December 9, 2022
Laura Weymouth has a way with words, with turns of phrase that are simple and cutting and achingly true. Her books break me every time, and this one was no exception. I saved several quotes and I know I will revisit them. With only a few words she can conjure that aching, burning, wistful feeling better (and more consistently) than just about anyone else.
I also love the repetition of certain words and phrases throughout the book. Wetherell girl. Sacrifice. Don't go. Don't let anyone else go. Vengeance. Burning. Their repetition serves to heighten them and gives the story a rhythmic, chanting feel. Like a prayer. Or a vow. It gives them power.
I LOVE Anya Astraea. She has such a fire burning within her, setting her up as the perfect false sacrifice to bring down a god. The characters she meets throughout the story are wonderful (and sometimes terrible). Her choices and the path she walks and everything about her burn so brightly it hurts to look at her.
The title of the book would seem to come from the unjust god at the heart of her world, and in fact those exact words are used to refer to him at one point. But it's not the god but Anya who burns with passion and conviction. I would say that the consuming fire is Anya's deep-seated belief that her world is wrong and terrible and could be better - and that it is her duty to make it so.
The world she lives in is a terrible and unjust one, and her sacrifices and convictions help bring about a crossroads with the hope of a better world beyond it.
I loved the story of Matthias and the other travelers. They were so good, and when it was revealed where they had come from, who they were, and what they were trying to do, it was so satisfying.
I loved Tieran so much. He deserves so much more than he thinks - and I know Anya will do her best to make sure he gets it. Their romance was perfectly paced for me and just present enough to make itself known but not enough to get in the way of the story. They were also perfect together, and watching them grow closer and learn to trust one another was so satisfying.
I gasped at a few of the reveals - I did not see them coming - and they only made the story more impactful for me.
I actually put off reading this one for an embarrassingly long time. Once I finally buckled down and began it, however, I was sucked in and devoured it - finishing almost the entire story in one sitting.
My one criticism is that the very painfully obvious reference to Christianity - Ilva's pendant - is jarring and feels out of place within the story. Without it, this reads as an alternate fantasy world. With it, and with the references to the Romans who had previously settled there, it reads as a weird, twisted, alternate history / fantasy. It lessens the impact of the story for me. That could be a purely personal preference thing, though. Even the barest hint of Christianity in a story is enough to sour it for me somewhat. But it isn't necessary and doesn't add anything to the story. It feels like an author-self-insert.
Weird Christianity insert aside, this was a gorgeous book and I definitely recommend it if you enjoy Laura Weymouth's other books. I also think you'd enjoy it if you like Margaret Rogerson or Maggie Stiefvater or Laini Taylor.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing an early copy for review.
I also love the repetition of certain words and phrases throughout the book. Wetherell girl. Sacrifice. Don't go. Don't let anyone else go. Vengeance. Burning. Their repetition serves to heighten them and gives the story a rhythmic, chanting feel. Like a prayer. Or a vow. It gives them power.
I LOVE Anya Astraea. She has such a fire burning within her, setting her up as the perfect false sacrifice to bring down a god. The characters she meets throughout the story are wonderful (and sometimes terrible). Her choices and the path she walks and everything about her burn so brightly it hurts to look at her.
The title of the book would seem to come from the unjust god at the heart of her world, and in fact those exact words are used to refer to him at one point. But it's not the god but Anya who burns with passion and conviction. I would say that the consuming fire is Anya's deep-seated belief that her world is wrong and terrible and could be better - and that it is her duty to make it so.
The world she lives in is a terrible and unjust one, and her sacrifices and convictions help bring about a crossroads with the hope of a better world beyond it.
I loved the story of Matthias and the other travelers. They were so good, and when it was revealed where they had come from, who they were, and what they were trying to do, it was so satisfying.
I loved Tieran so much. He deserves so much more than he thinks - and I know Anya will do her best to make sure he gets it. Their romance was perfectly paced for me and just present enough to make itself known but not enough to get in the way of the story. They were also perfect together, and watching them grow closer and learn to trust one another was so satisfying.
I gasped at a few of the reveals - I did not see them coming - and they only made the story more impactful for me.
I actually put off reading this one for an embarrassingly long time. Once I finally buckled down and began it, however, I was sucked in and devoured it - finishing almost the entire story in one sitting.
My one criticism is that the very painfully obvious reference to Christianity - Ilva's pendant - is jarring and feels out of place within the story. Without it, this reads as an alternate fantasy world. With it, and with the references to the Romans who had previously settled there, it reads as a weird, twisted, alternate history / fantasy. It lessens the impact of the story for me. That could be a purely personal preference thing, though. Even the barest hint of Christianity in a story is enough to sour it for me somewhat. But it isn't necessary and doesn't add anything to the story. It feels like an author-self-insert.
Weird Christianity insert aside, this was a gorgeous book and I definitely recommend it if you enjoy Laura Weymouth's other books. I also think you'd enjoy it if you like Margaret Rogerson or Maggie Stiefvater or Laini Taylor.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing an early copy for review.
August 3, 2024
I mean a girl goes on a badass vengeance mission to avenge her sister who was killed by a god when she was supposed to be a living sacrifice what more do I need to say? (Literally the bio of the book)
I love Anya’s character and how she was written in a beautifully complex way and gives a great representation of working through grief and the importance of choosing your own path.
This was a great story about two sisters who cared most for each other in the world how one would do anything to avenge the other and I would highly recommend it!
I love Anya’s character and how she was written in a beautifully complex way and gives a great representation of working through grief and the importance of choosing your own path.
This was a great story about two sisters who cared most for each other in the world how one would do anything to avenge the other and I would highly recommend it!
February 5, 2023
Enjoyed this story a lot! Unique world building and dynamic characters! I especially liked the religious commentary
December 8, 2021
Never has the title of a book so aptly described how it will affect the reader. This book is EVERYTHING!
July 2, 2024
I wanted to like this book. Another book by this author, The Light Between Worlds, is a favorite of mine.
This book had much potential. The first 1/3 is truly excellent. But it felt like the author had an excellent start and then just... flopped.
1. How many times can our heroine escape from various parties holding her captive? Apparently constantly.
2. The world building that began well got cast aside, weakening the plot and leaving the rest of the story disjointed.
3. Too many flame metaphors. Some were poetic. But the over abundance of flame metaphors weakened the otherwise lyrical writing.
4. The thief's backstory. It made NO sense. It was rushed in the penultimate chapter. Is he able to touch people without burning them or not? Why did it change? What are the mechanics? Just like- what is actually going on here?
5. The abrupt ending.
6. The random Judeo-Christian references that were so poorly executed it felt like a sort of pseudo-spiritual-syncretism. This element began strong, with references to another god, one who suffers himself instead of making others suffer. I thought it was a beautiful and gentle juxtaposition between the Christ figure and the evil god of the mountain. But the second half of the book so muddled spirituality and morals with random strangeness that it diminishes and almost mocks any worth that the elements brought in the first half of the story. The crucifix becoming part of what defeats the god of the mountain could have been a beautiful nod to a different myth (the true myth as the Inklings called it). Instead it felt like a cheap trick.
7. I felt this a little bit in Weymouth's other book as well. She writes in a way that is almost allegorical- but not. It works in The Light Between Worlds- it doesn't in Consuming Fire.
8. The lack of resolution in the ending. There are still warring factions threatening to destroy everyone and everything that the reader has come to hold dear
9. The ghosts. So many. Never explained.
This book had SO MUCH potential. But I feel like the first half of the novel and the second half were written by different authors (one sober minded creative individual creating a nuanced and interesting novel, and the other a slightly inebriated and seriously sleep deprived individual trying to complete a standard YA novel with half the length, one metaphor, and an inconsistent desire to leave things "unresolved" in the hopes of being seen as clever or mysterious).
This book had much potential. The first 1/3 is truly excellent. But it felt like the author had an excellent start and then just... flopped.
1. How many times can our heroine escape from various parties holding her captive? Apparently constantly.
2. The world building that began well got cast aside, weakening the plot and leaving the rest of the story disjointed.
3. Too many flame metaphors. Some were poetic. But the over abundance of flame metaphors weakened the otherwise lyrical writing.
4. The thief's backstory. It made NO sense. It was rushed in the penultimate chapter. Is he able to touch people without burning them or not? Why did it change? What are the mechanics? Just like- what is actually going on here?
5. The abrupt ending.
6. The random Judeo-Christian references that were so poorly executed it felt like a sort of pseudo-spiritual-syncretism. This element began strong, with references to another god, one who suffers himself instead of making others suffer. I thought it was a beautiful and gentle juxtaposition between the Christ figure and the evil god of the mountain. But the second half of the book so muddled spirituality and morals with random strangeness that it diminishes and almost mocks any worth that the elements brought in the first half of the story. The crucifix becoming part of what defeats the god of the mountain could have been a beautiful nod to a different myth (the true myth as the Inklings called it). Instead it felt like a cheap trick.
7. I felt this a little bit in Weymouth's other book as well. She writes in a way that is almost allegorical- but not. It works in The Light Between Worlds- it doesn't in Consuming Fire.
8. The lack of resolution in the ending. There are still warring factions threatening to destroy everyone and everything that the reader has come to hold dear
9. The ghosts. So many. Never explained.
This book had SO MUCH potential. But I feel like the first half of the novel and the second half were written by different authors (one sober minded creative individual creating a nuanced and interesting novel, and the other a slightly inebriated and seriously sleep deprived individual trying to complete a standard YA novel with half the length, one metaphor, and an inconsistent desire to leave things "unresolved" in the hopes of being seen as clever or mysterious).
Want to Read
February 7, 2022I’ve definitely got behind on my Laura E. Weymouth releases, but I need to get on this one as soon as it comes out; it sounds RIGHT up my alley (and Ms Weymouth’s writing is always so beautiful so I know it’ll be great)!
Also this cover is stunning.
Also this cover is stunning.
November 14, 2022
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.
A CONSUMING FIRE is a book about grief, sisters, and the burning fire of those who see injustice and wish to right it. It is about those who stand up in the face of a religion so twisted it forgets everything but domination and control. This is for those who are angry with religion that is desecrating the things they hold as the core of their faith and for those who want to burn down all those who and the institutions that perpetuate injustice and inequality.
The book is set in an alternative England. In this world, the Romans stayed much longer but were chased off by the Brythonic natives when they resurrected an old god. Based on the fact that there's a university at Oxford, the book is set somewhere in the High Medieval Period, but as it's clearly a very alternative history, there's not much point trying to pin the setting down! It's historical, in the same "very much not supposed to directly real history" of her previous two books.
Even though Christianity was chased off with the Romans, the natives have kept the Bible, renamed it, and twisted it to fit the pagan god. I liked this way of really showing how religion can be twisted for control, by juxaposing scripture that a lot of people will recognise with a religion that the self-same scripture would absolutely demand a rejection of (were it read right and not by those with agendas! But, of course, the ability to read Latin is highly controlled, just like the Medieval Church did, in order to control the people.)
Alongside this tale of religious corruption is one of family, both blood and found. Anya is trying to avenge her sister and then meets a thief and the family that took him in, seeing what love looks like to different people. It is also about seeing all of someone and how much they try to be the best version of themselves, and loving them even when they falter, even when you see their flaws.
A CONSUMING FIRE is a book about grief, sisters, and the burning fire of those who see injustice and wish to right it. It is about those who stand up in the face of a religion so twisted it forgets everything but domination and control. This is for those who are angry with religion that is desecrating the things they hold as the core of their faith and for those who want to burn down all those who and the institutions that perpetuate injustice and inequality.
The book is set in an alternative England. In this world, the Romans stayed much longer but were chased off by the Brythonic natives when they resurrected an old god. Based on the fact that there's a university at Oxford, the book is set somewhere in the High Medieval Period, but as it's clearly a very alternative history, there's not much point trying to pin the setting down! It's historical, in the same "very much not supposed to directly real history" of her previous two books.
Even though Christianity was chased off with the Romans, the natives have kept the Bible, renamed it, and twisted it to fit the pagan god. I liked this way of really showing how religion can be twisted for control, by juxaposing scripture that a lot of people will recognise with a religion that the self-same scripture would absolutely demand a rejection of (were it read right and not by those with agendas! But, of course, the ability to read Latin is highly controlled, just like the Medieval Church did, in order to control the people.)
Alongside this tale of religious corruption is one of family, both blood and found. Anya is trying to avenge her sister and then meets a thief and the family that took him in, seeing what love looks like to different people. It is also about seeing all of someone and how much they try to be the best version of themselves, and loving them even when they falter, even when you see their flaws.
November 21, 2022
*I received an arc from the publisher and the author for review. All thoughts are my own*
This book came out right before the holidays, so I apologize for my tardy review.
I love Laura Weymouth’s books, and I have read every single one. She continues to pull me in every time, break me and put me back together again. This book was wonderful and everything I could have wanted and more! With amazing world building, sisterly bonds, romance and magic, I highly recommend this to fantasy lovers.
Anya Astraea comes from the isolated forest village of Weatherell, where once every eighteen years they are asked to send one girl to the god of the mountain to give a sacrifice before returning home. Twins Anya and Ilva are raised with this destiny in their minds, and when their time comes, the outgoing and spirited Ilva volunteers to go. Her devoted sister Anya is left behind, and she prays for her sister’s safe return. Her prayers go unanswered.
With her sister dead, Anya decides that she will go to the mountain and pay a visit to the god who resides there. But unlike Ilva, Anya is not thinking about giving a sacrifice. Anya does not want to give any more to the god than he’s already taken, and she does not want any other girl to give anything more either. She has not set out to please the god, she’s set out to kill him.
As Anya sets out on her journey, her sheltered life has not prepared her for the outside world. She has never really left the confines of her village, so the fact that she leaves is huge. The Elect are supposed to be there to guide her along, but she finds herself having to keep things from them. She meets a young thief who is about to be unjustly punished, and her heart won’t let her see him suffer. Her feelings for him begin to change as time passes, but he is keeping things from her as well.
An inspiring story you won’t want to miss! Available now.
This book came out right before the holidays, so I apologize for my tardy review.
I love Laura Weymouth’s books, and I have read every single one. She continues to pull me in every time, break me and put me back together again. This book was wonderful and everything I could have wanted and more! With amazing world building, sisterly bonds, romance and magic, I highly recommend this to fantasy lovers.
Anya Astraea comes from the isolated forest village of Weatherell, where once every eighteen years they are asked to send one girl to the god of the mountain to give a sacrifice before returning home. Twins Anya and Ilva are raised with this destiny in their minds, and when their time comes, the outgoing and spirited Ilva volunteers to go. Her devoted sister Anya is left behind, and she prays for her sister’s safe return. Her prayers go unanswered.
With her sister dead, Anya decides that she will go to the mountain and pay a visit to the god who resides there. But unlike Ilva, Anya is not thinking about giving a sacrifice. Anya does not want to give any more to the god than he’s already taken, and she does not want any other girl to give anything more either. She has not set out to please the god, she’s set out to kill him.
As Anya sets out on her journey, her sheltered life has not prepared her for the outside world. She has never really left the confines of her village, so the fact that she leaves is huge. The Elect are supposed to be there to guide her along, but she finds herself having to keep things from them. She meets a young thief who is about to be unjustly punished, and her heart won’t let her see him suffer. Her feelings for him begin to change as time passes, but he is keeping things from her as well.
An inspiring story you won’t want to miss! Available now.
October 30, 2022
This...was a book. It was definitely a book and it had an interesting summary to draw me in, killing a god to avenge her sister? I was 100% on board. Unfortunately I just didn't realize how this was going to draw on real life commentary of religion.
I was genuinely uncomfortable the entire way through this book and not in the way I think the author intended. I think having a commentary on religion and the way it's used to manipulate people (and young women especially) is great and is something that should make people uncomfortable. But the part that made me more uncomfortable was the way the author seemed to want to be like "See? Following religion blindly is bad!" but then also turned around and had, what I'm pretty sure was a Jesus/cross necklace, be an important memento for Ilva and then Anya. I'm sure there's potentially something more nuanced in there but I was not brought up in a Christian or Christian adjacent household and while no religion is perfect, to have an important figure in Christianity be so important to Anya just felt weird to me. And it also made it confusing if this book was meant to be historical fantasy or an alternate world fantasy or what initially felt like a post-apocalyptic kind of fantasy where we've long forgotten technology and have somehow come back around to the Middle Ages.
The romantic subplot was also wholly unnecessary in my eyes and I'd like to be able to read a book about a family member setting off for their family's freedom or vengeance without it being waylaid by a romance plot.
So if you're looking for a YA book that confronts the expectations of religion and a I'm-a-monster-but-I-wish-I-wasn't romantic interest then this is for you!
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
I was genuinely uncomfortable the entire way through this book and not in the way I think the author intended. I think having a commentary on religion and the way it's used to manipulate people (and young women especially) is great and is something that should make people uncomfortable. But the part that made me more uncomfortable was the way the author seemed to want to be like "See? Following religion blindly is bad!" but then also turned around and had, what I'm pretty sure was a Jesus/cross necklace, be an important memento for Ilva and then Anya. I'm sure there's potentially something more nuanced in there but I was not brought up in a Christian or Christian adjacent household and while no religion is perfect, to have an important figure in Christianity be so important to Anya just felt weird to me. And it also made it confusing if this book was meant to be historical fantasy or an alternate world fantasy or what initially felt like a post-apocalyptic kind of fantasy where we've long forgotten technology and have somehow come back around to the Middle Ages.
The romantic subplot was also wholly unnecessary in my eyes and I'd like to be able to read a book about a family member setting off for their family's freedom or vengeance without it being waylaid by a romance plot.
So if you're looking for a YA book that confronts the expectations of religion and a I'm-a-monster-but-I-wish-I-wasn't romantic interest then this is for you!
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
August 9, 2026
"She was sick to death of a world in which needless suffering was seen as sweetness and virtue."
Anya Astraea and her sister, Ilva, live in the village of Weatherell. Weatherell and its girls are an important fixture in the isle of Albion's religion. It's only through them that the god of the mountain can be sated and kept asleep. Otherwise, he turns his attention to the island at large, striking out with his flames and harming anyone in his path. So it is that the girls of Weatherell are raised as potential sacrifices, pure and willing as their religious texts demand. It is the only way to appease the god and save everyone else.
Ilva declares herself the next sacrifice, not out of the sense of duty she's expected to profess but because it's the only way for a girl to leave Weatherell. Anya's private, sacrilegious conviction is that no girl ought to be sacrificed to the god, but she doesn't stand in her twin's way. Her guilt about letting her go doesn't wane, however, and in fact, it grows when Ilva returns with the news that her sacrifice had not been willing in the end. The angry god took, instead, and Ilva dies in front of her sister. Anya stews over the fact that if she had gained the courage to go in Ilva's place, they would both be alive right now. Anya would have done her duty, but would have come back harmed instead of dead, as the sacrifice requires. Even so, her anger about the whole sacrificial process has only grown with the loss of her sister.
The Arbiter and other Elect who lead Weatherell tell a different version of events than the one Ilva confided to Anya in her last moments. They preach that Ilva must have "sullied" herself on the journey to the mountain and been deemed unacceptable by the god. Ilva died for their village and all of Albion, and now her legacy is one of disgust rather than honor. To ensure that order is kept and their religion upheld, the Arbiter declares the unthinkable. He calls for a new sacrifice in the same year as the last. Someone who has maintained the purity the village demands of its girls must go instead and do the sacrifice properly. What with this rash of unexpected events, no girl steps forward as willing. The once afraid Anya is fueled by an angry fire as the Arbiter prepares to send off another girl no matter their supposed willingness. She volunteers, but she has her own plans. She fashions a knife from one of her sister's bones and prepares to slay a god.
Along the road, she gains companions. Namely, Midge the stray dog, her sister's largely silent ghost, and Tieran of Stull. Tieran's a thief whom Anya saves from his punishment, the removal of a hand. Her own mother gave her hands to the god, and Anya wouldn't wish any part of that suffering on anyone. So she swallows her nerves about standing up to authority and uses her status as a "Weatherell girl," on her way to be sacrificed for everyone's good, to pressure the town Arbiter into releasing Tieran. Though Tieran isn't entirely trustworthy, which perhaps his profession suggests, he also has a sense of honor.
This becomes relevant because Anya comes across those who wish her ill on the road, or at least those who view her as an object of their religion to be used as a tool in their acts of faith and self-preservation. He rescues her from those who would claim to prepare her for the mountain, all while doing her grievous harm. And while Tieran would like to say that this clears the debt in his ledger -- one saved life for another-- Anya is increasingly convinced that she's unprepared to see her task through alone. While she will certainly have to undertake the final task by herself, like all Weatherell girls before her, if with a different result, she still has to make it all the way to the mountain, hopefully without falling into religious clutches again. She will suffer enough without bending to their every whim. Also, a Lord Nevis is consolidating power and challenging the Elect in small but still clear ways, and his guards seem as keen as the religious elite to get their hooks into Anya on her journey. To avoid all these power players, Anya and Tieran take backroads, Anya hiding her identity as the next Weatherell girl, which would ease her passage in one sense but make her a target in another. They travel for part of the journey with Tieran's chosen family, wanderers who object to staying in one place to be counted and corralled by the Elect.
There are so many things that make this story powerful. Anya makes for a fierce heroine but also one who's plagued by uncertainty about the massive decision she's made to fell a god. She believes it is the best course of action for all Weatherell girls, past and future, but she worries about her chance of success and mourns the normal life she could have had outside of Weatherell. If she weren't a Weatherell girl, put on a pedestal but also asked to give up so much to stay there, she might have done normal things like flirted with Tieran and made friends who weren't also marked for the god's use. She could have lived a full life rather than one destined for anger and sacrifice. The people who view her as a symbol rather than a girl harm her in many ways on her journey, which is hard to see, but not as shocking as I wish it was. She's expected to perform meekness at every turn, a contentment to be used and hurt so that no one else has to be. She's a commodity to be cultivated and then cashed in. The social critique is clear, made all the more powerful because of who Anya is as a character. And though she's already committed to her course of action, the more she learns and sees of the world, the more she understands of the cruel bargain that's been struck on the backs of generations of women.
This was my second read by Laura E. Weymouth, and I continue to be impressed by the way she conjures ambiance. In this case, she deftly presents foul institutions that are recognizable through their fantasy garb and primes young women to fight back against injustices, protecting themselves, their loved ones, and those who have been strategically maneuvered to prop up those institutions to their own detriment. I recommend this to fantasy readers of all stripes and to women who want to see a patriarchal regime vanquished on the page. Thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books for my copy to read and review!
Anya Astraea and her sister, Ilva, live in the village of Weatherell. Weatherell and its girls are an important fixture in the isle of Albion's religion. It's only through them that the god of the mountain can be sated and kept asleep. Otherwise, he turns his attention to the island at large, striking out with his flames and harming anyone in his path. So it is that the girls of Weatherell are raised as potential sacrifices, pure and willing as their religious texts demand. It is the only way to appease the god and save everyone else.
Ilva declares herself the next sacrifice, not out of the sense of duty she's expected to profess but because it's the only way for a girl to leave Weatherell. Anya's private, sacrilegious conviction is that no girl ought to be sacrificed to the god, but she doesn't stand in her twin's way. Her guilt about letting her go doesn't wane, however, and in fact, it grows when Ilva returns with the news that her sacrifice had not been willing in the end. The angry god took, instead, and Ilva dies in front of her sister. Anya stews over the fact that if she had gained the courage to go in Ilva's place, they would both be alive right now. Anya would have done her duty, but would have come back harmed instead of dead, as the sacrifice requires. Even so, her anger about the whole sacrificial process has only grown with the loss of her sister.
The Arbiter and other Elect who lead Weatherell tell a different version of events than the one Ilva confided to Anya in her last moments. They preach that Ilva must have "sullied" herself on the journey to the mountain and been deemed unacceptable by the god. Ilva died for their village and all of Albion, and now her legacy is one of disgust rather than honor. To ensure that order is kept and their religion upheld, the Arbiter declares the unthinkable. He calls for a new sacrifice in the same year as the last. Someone who has maintained the purity the village demands of its girls must go instead and do the sacrifice properly. What with this rash of unexpected events, no girl steps forward as willing. The once afraid Anya is fueled by an angry fire as the Arbiter prepares to send off another girl no matter their supposed willingness. She volunteers, but she has her own plans. She fashions a knife from one of her sister's bones and prepares to slay a god.
Along the road, she gains companions. Namely, Midge the stray dog, her sister's largely silent ghost, and Tieran of Stull. Tieran's a thief whom Anya saves from his punishment, the removal of a hand. Her own mother gave her hands to the god, and Anya wouldn't wish any part of that suffering on anyone. So she swallows her nerves about standing up to authority and uses her status as a "Weatherell girl," on her way to be sacrificed for everyone's good, to pressure the town Arbiter into releasing Tieran. Though Tieran isn't entirely trustworthy, which perhaps his profession suggests, he also has a sense of honor.
This becomes relevant because Anya comes across those who wish her ill on the road, or at least those who view her as an object of their religion to be used as a tool in their acts of faith and self-preservation. He rescues her from those who would claim to prepare her for the mountain, all while doing her grievous harm. And while Tieran would like to say that this clears the debt in his ledger -- one saved life for another-- Anya is increasingly convinced that she's unprepared to see her task through alone. While she will certainly have to undertake the final task by herself, like all Weatherell girls before her, if with a different result, she still has to make it all the way to the mountain, hopefully without falling into religious clutches again. She will suffer enough without bending to their every whim. Also, a Lord Nevis is consolidating power and challenging the Elect in small but still clear ways, and his guards seem as keen as the religious elite to get their hooks into Anya on her journey. To avoid all these power players, Anya and Tieran take backroads, Anya hiding her identity as the next Weatherell girl, which would ease her passage in one sense but make her a target in another. They travel for part of the journey with Tieran's chosen family, wanderers who object to staying in one place to be counted and corralled by the Elect.
There are so many things that make this story powerful. Anya makes for a fierce heroine but also one who's plagued by uncertainty about the massive decision she's made to fell a god. She believes it is the best course of action for all Weatherell girls, past and future, but she worries about her chance of success and mourns the normal life she could have had outside of Weatherell. If she weren't a Weatherell girl, put on a pedestal but also asked to give up so much to stay there, she might have done normal things like flirted with Tieran and made friends who weren't also marked for the god's use. She could have lived a full life rather than one destined for anger and sacrifice. The people who view her as a symbol rather than a girl harm her in many ways on her journey, which is hard to see, but not as shocking as I wish it was. She's expected to perform meekness at every turn, a contentment to be used and hurt so that no one else has to be. She's a commodity to be cultivated and then cashed in. The social critique is clear, made all the more powerful because of who Anya is as a character. And though she's already committed to her course of action, the more she learns and sees of the world, the more she understands of the cruel bargain that's been struck on the backs of generations of women.
This was my second read by Laura E. Weymouth, and I continue to be impressed by the way she conjures ambiance. In this case, she deftly presents foul institutions that are recognizable through their fantasy garb and primes young women to fight back against injustices, protecting themselves, their loved ones, and those who have been strategically maneuvered to prop up those institutions to their own detriment. I recommend this to fantasy readers of all stripes and to women who want to see a patriarchal regime vanquished on the page. Thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books for my copy to read and review!
April 27, 2023
Overview:
I really enjoyed Anya's voice in this story. I loved the bond she has with her sister, and I love the raw sorrow, guilt, and self-loathing. That sounds weird, but hear me out: so often we are told the stories of the best sort of people, of the people who are beautiful and special, and the most immutable. Of people who go on adventures and become better, stronger, more important.
What Deserves Merit:
🐉Choices mattered. Anya does develop as a person, but she does it with terrible cost, and with terrible burden. At the end of her tale the reader is left wondering if it is really a typical "happy ending," or rather the beginning of a normal life. One like yours, or like mine. Mundane. And that made it feel real to me.
4/5
(Only reason I didn't rate it higher is because of the Biblical passages in the text. It is not wise to twist the truth into what you want it to sound like, or even if it's what you think it sounds like, even for fictional purposes. You cannot interpret without context. That being said, it does create a powerful illustration of what actual cults are like.)
I really enjoyed Anya's voice in this story. I loved the bond she has with her sister, and I love the raw sorrow, guilt, and self-loathing. That sounds weird, but hear me out: so often we are told the stories of the best sort of people, of the people who are beautiful and special, and the most immutable. Of people who go on adventures and become better, stronger, more important.
What Deserves Merit:
🐉Choices mattered. Anya does develop as a person, but she does it with terrible cost, and with terrible burden. At the end of her tale the reader is left wondering if it is really a typical "happy ending," or rather the beginning of a normal life. One like yours, or like mine. Mundane. And that made it feel real to me.
4/5
(Only reason I didn't rate it higher is because of the Biblical passages in the text. It is not wise to twist the truth into what you want it to sound like, or even if it's what you think it sounds like, even for fictional purposes. You cannot interpret without context. That being said, it does create a powerful illustration of what actual cults are like.)
December 4, 2022
I'm a fan of the author and have been keeping a close eye on her releases since A Treason of Thorns, so I was really excited when my preorder for this book finally came! Overall, I think it was a good story, with the author's signature characterization and prose. But there were parts of it I struggled with.
So good things first: I thought Anya was a very sympathetic character and the premise of the novel was very compelling. I've been noticing how difficult it is for me to become absorbed in a book lately, but I was pretty invested in Anya's mission right from the first chapter. As always, the author's prose is lovely, with just the right balance between effectiveness and prettiness.
It was the novel's plot that really challenged me, however. There's a fairy-tale aura to this story, and I feel like that was supposed to encourage readers to take certain things at face value. But the entire time, I was plagued by questions that I felt the narrative just didn't want to confront. First, I would have really appreciated more elaboration on the mechanics of a sacrifice's journey to the mountain. Is a sacrifice meant to journey alone or not? If the Elect are worried that the sacrifice would be tainted by the journey, and if there's so much at stake if a sacrifice fails, why would they even allow the sacrifice the option to travel alone? How was Anya able to turn down Orielle's offer to escort her, while in the same conversation reveal that she meant to make Midge and Tieran her companions? I understand that when it comes to religious practices, there are many inconsistencies even in real-life. But while Anya spends a good chunk of the novel questioning whether the practice of human sacrifice is just, she never really questions any other inconsistencies.
Secondly, there's the matter of Anya's plan to kill the god without... well, any plan! If you're planning to kill a king -- a human being -- the first thing you'd probably do is to gather information on how best to carry out the assassination. And this is just for a fellow human being. You'd think killing a god would warrant more work. I assumed that during her journey north, Anya would gather intel and cobble together a plan on how best to kill the god. That never happens. In Weatherell, she got the notion she'd stab the god, and that never changes throughout the story. Why would she think this would work? The god was made of fire and fury. Any weapon would break. Why... why did she think this would work? Why didn't she seek out more information about the god?
Third, Tieran. For 85% of the book, I felt like readers were meant to take his magical abilities at face-value. There was no deepening of the mystery surrounding his ability to shapeshift, there were no increasing stakes to discover more about his past. I honestly thought that it was just another one of those fairy-tale elements we weren't meant to question. And then near the end of the book, there was a very big world-building reveal that explained how he got his magic. Not gonna lie, I really appreciated Tieran's backstory. I thought it was a nice addition to the world. But at the 85% mark? It felt almost out of the blue. And then I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed -- there's this magical boy who could have done a lot more to deepen the plot, and he just didn't for most of the book.
I'm also ambivalent about how Anya got out of her depressive episode.
Okay, I promise this is the final thing I'm gonna complain about. "Don't go. Don't let anyone else go." You will find this quote repeated incessantly throughout the novel. The novel is pretty short, so there really wasn't a lot of space to spread out this many occurrences of the same quote. I understand that this is what propels Anya to go through with her mission, but wasn't there any other memory of her sister she could have used as fuel? They spent 18 years of their lives together, there's gotta be more than that. In the end, I was so irritated with this quote, that even in moments where the narrative was using it for emotional effect, that effect was completely lost beneath my annoyance.
So, all in all, I would say that while this was an engaging novel, it was not my favourite Weymouth book. That said, it is still a good book that critiques society's penchant for twisting religious texts for their own benefit while throwing the vulnerable under the bus. It's not especially heavy-handed in its message, and it leaves a lot of room for the reader to make their own conclusions. I'm also still looking forward to the author's next books.
So good things first: I thought Anya was a very sympathetic character and the premise of the novel was very compelling. I've been noticing how difficult it is for me to become absorbed in a book lately, but I was pretty invested in Anya's mission right from the first chapter. As always, the author's prose is lovely, with just the right balance between effectiveness and prettiness.
It was the novel's plot that really challenged me, however. There's a fairy-tale aura to this story, and I feel like that was supposed to encourage readers to take certain things at face value. But the entire time, I was plagued by questions that I felt the narrative just didn't want to confront. First, I would have really appreciated more elaboration on the mechanics of a sacrifice's journey to the mountain. Is a sacrifice meant to journey alone or not? If the Elect are worried that the sacrifice would be tainted by the journey, and if there's so much at stake if a sacrifice fails, why would they even allow the sacrifice the option to travel alone? How was Anya able to turn down Orielle's offer to escort her, while in the same conversation reveal that she meant to make Midge and Tieran her companions? I understand that when it comes to religious practices, there are many inconsistencies even in real-life. But while Anya spends a good chunk of the novel questioning whether the practice of human sacrifice is just, she never really questions any other inconsistencies.
Secondly, there's the matter of Anya's plan to kill the god without... well, any plan! If you're planning to kill a king -- a human being -- the first thing you'd probably do is to gather information on how best to carry out the assassination. And this is just for a fellow human being. You'd think killing a god would warrant more work. I assumed that during her journey north, Anya would gather intel and cobble together a plan on how best to kill the god. That never happens. In Weatherell, she got the notion she'd stab the god, and that never changes throughout the story. Why would she think this would work? The god was made of fire and fury. Any weapon would break. Why... why did she think this would work? Why didn't she seek out more information about the god?
Third, Tieran. For 85% of the book, I felt like readers were meant to take his magical abilities at face-value. There was no deepening of the mystery surrounding his ability to shapeshift, there were no increasing stakes to discover more about his past. I honestly thought that it was just another one of those fairy-tale elements we weren't meant to question. And then near the end of the book, there was a very big world-building reveal that explained how he got his magic. Not gonna lie, I really appreciated Tieran's backstory. I thought it was a nice addition to the world. But at the 85% mark? It felt almost out of the blue. And then I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed -- there's this magical boy who could have done a lot more to deepen the plot, and he just didn't for most of the book.
I'm also ambivalent about how Anya got out of her depressive episode.
Okay, I promise this is the final thing I'm gonna complain about. "Don't go. Don't let anyone else go." You will find this quote repeated incessantly throughout the novel. The novel is pretty short, so there really wasn't a lot of space to spread out this many occurrences of the same quote. I understand that this is what propels Anya to go through with her mission, but wasn't there any other memory of her sister she could have used as fuel? They spent 18 years of their lives together, there's gotta be more than that. In the end, I was so irritated with this quote, that even in moments where the narrative was using it for emotional effect, that effect was completely lost beneath my annoyance.
So, all in all, I would say that while this was an engaging novel, it was not my favourite Weymouth book. That said, it is still a good book that critiques society's penchant for twisting religious texts for their own benefit while throwing the vulnerable under the bus. It's not especially heavy-handed in its message, and it leaves a lot of room for the reader to make their own conclusions. I'm also still looking forward to the author's next books.
January 26, 2023
I think I'm going to have to step back from YA fantasy for awhile. I think I went too hard on it for too many years and now I'm just...constantly underwhelmed by it (with one or two exceptions).
This book was unfortunately a casualty of my YA fantasy oversaturatedness. I just couldn't get into it. The main character's flip-flopping between piousness and murderous rage made her seem very inconsistent. The romance was unnecessary and also had no spark. A little more world-building would have been great. And I never really felt the threat of the god's destruction. It was always in the distance and never really felt like a threat until the very end.
The writing wasn't bad, and I think that people will enjoy this one. This was almost certainly a it's-not-you-it's-me situation.
This book was unfortunately a casualty of my YA fantasy oversaturatedness. I just couldn't get into it. The main character's flip-flopping between piousness and murderous rage made her seem very inconsistent. The romance was unnecessary and also had no spark. A little more world-building would have been great. And I never really felt the threat of the god's destruction. It was always in the distance and never really felt like a threat until the very end.
The writing wasn't bad, and I think that people will enjoy this one. This was almost certainly a it's-not-you-it's-me situation.
December 31, 2022
Intriguing premise, but world building was lacking and the romance needed more development
May 23, 2023
Jesus jumpscare. Like, what!?
March 28, 2024
Como puedo empezar esta reseña? No tengo palabras para describir lo mucho que me ha gustado este libro en todos los sentidos. Creo que es uno de los mejores que he leído en mi vida, desde luego que ya le tengo guardado un trocito de mi tiempo para una futura relectura.
Tiene una prosa hermosa, no podría sacarle ni una falta aunque quisiera. El ritmo es perfecto, los diálogos entre los personajes son profundos y no hay ningún problema en seguir las conversaciones, tiene unas descripciones impresionantes de todo a su alrededor. En resumen, es la mejor prosa que he leído en todo el año.
En cuanto a los personajes hacía mucho tiempo que no me sentía tan unida a ningún otro personaje que no fueran los de la Rueda, y son tan importantes para mí que nunca pensé que diría esto. La protagonista es fuerte y valiente, muy inteligente y con unos valores y un objetivo muy claro en la vida, creo que me he visto reflejada en ella en muchas ocasiones, cosa que me ha parecido muy interesante, ya que no suele ser el caso.
Los personajes secundarios son simplemente adorables. Su hermana Ilva, aunque me da cada susto que hasta he sentido luces a mi alrededor mientras leía, me parece un alma libre y llena de ganas de explorar el mundo. Es una pena que se fuera tan pronto, pero era necesario para que el resto de l historia continuara.
Las mujeres que dieron una parte de sí se notaban atormentadas pero con una fuerza excepcional en ellas.
Los errantes que ayudaron a Anya en todo momento y fueron como su propia familia han sido de las cosas más tiernas del libro, en este caso se puede decir que hy un trope de familia encontrada muy bien desarrollado.
Ahora hablando de Tieran, es el mejor interés amoroso que he leído jamás (por encima de Peeta, esto es muy fuerte). En un principio quieres estar ahí para salvarlo, gracias a que Anya es un personaje encantador y super bien escrito tenemos esto cubierto. Después se escapa constantemente de su lado pero siempre vuelven uno al otro y se encuentran queriendo y sin querer por el camino. Parece que evita a toda costa a Anya pero siempre va detrás protegiéndola. No es un amor pesado ni empalagoso, es un amor que se construye poco a poco y que incluso me atrevo a decir que queda medio resuelto (porque obviamente han pasado un par de meses juntos, no se van a amar a muerte!). Hasta yo me he enamorado de este hombre, ojalá todos los romances estuvieran tan bien escritos y no se comieran la mitad de la historia como este.
Los temas de una religión opresiva y con costumbres que hieren a las personas de su alrededor me ha parecido tan interesante que no podía parar de sentir la misma rabia que Anya en todo momento. El hecho de que siempre se pregunte por qué son las mujeres las que han de sufrir y perder trozos de sí mismas para darle a su pueblo un poco de tranquilidad durante unos años es muy actual de hecho, podría ser un guiño a la sociedad como siempre ha sido.
Los seguidores de esa religión y su afán por atrapar a Anya todo el rato me ha dado más miedo que cualquier otra cosa del libro. Hubo un momento en el que dije "I'm not afraid of God, I am afraid of men" y realmente lo aplicaba a esto. Fue horrible ver todo lo que querían hacer para que solo fuera un sacrificio y sufriera por todos.
El plot twist del final me dejó boquiabierta, todas esas niñas mandadas a morir básicamente por cuatro locos con mucho poder, el Lord con tanto poder sobre la tierra que quería deshacerse de los religiosos para imponerse él mismo sobre todo el territorio, su relación con Anya, la manera en que ella acaba el ciclo y dice "hasta aquí ha llegado vuestra farsa" y se larga a vivir una mejor vida con Tieran y si es posible su nueva familia. Todo ha dado lugar a un final que me ha encantado, abierto, muy abierto, pero que no necesita nada más para ser maravilloso.
Si pudiera darle 6 estrellas en vez de 5 lo haría sin duda.
Tiene una prosa hermosa, no podría sacarle ni una falta aunque quisiera. El ritmo es perfecto, los diálogos entre los personajes son profundos y no hay ningún problema en seguir las conversaciones, tiene unas descripciones impresionantes de todo a su alrededor. En resumen, es la mejor prosa que he leído en todo el año.
En cuanto a los personajes hacía mucho tiempo que no me sentía tan unida a ningún otro personaje que no fueran los de la Rueda, y son tan importantes para mí que nunca pensé que diría esto. La protagonista es fuerte y valiente, muy inteligente y con unos valores y un objetivo muy claro en la vida, creo que me he visto reflejada en ella en muchas ocasiones, cosa que me ha parecido muy interesante, ya que no suele ser el caso.
Los personajes secundarios son simplemente adorables. Su hermana Ilva, aunque me da cada susto que hasta he sentido luces a mi alrededor mientras leía, me parece un alma libre y llena de ganas de explorar el mundo. Es una pena que se fuera tan pronto, pero era necesario para que el resto de l historia continuara.
Las mujeres que dieron una parte de sí se notaban atormentadas pero con una fuerza excepcional en ellas.
Los errantes que ayudaron a Anya en todo momento y fueron como su propia familia han sido de las cosas más tiernas del libro, en este caso se puede decir que hy un trope de familia encontrada muy bien desarrollado.
Ahora hablando de Tieran, es el mejor interés amoroso que he leído jamás (por encima de Peeta, esto es muy fuerte). En un principio quieres estar ahí para salvarlo, gracias a que Anya es un personaje encantador y super bien escrito tenemos esto cubierto. Después se escapa constantemente de su lado pero siempre vuelven uno al otro y se encuentran queriendo y sin querer por el camino. Parece que evita a toda costa a Anya pero siempre va detrás protegiéndola. No es un amor pesado ni empalagoso, es un amor que se construye poco a poco y que incluso me atrevo a decir que queda medio resuelto (porque obviamente han pasado un par de meses juntos, no se van a amar a muerte!). Hasta yo me he enamorado de este hombre, ojalá todos los romances estuvieran tan bien escritos y no se comieran la mitad de la historia como este.
Los temas de una religión opresiva y con costumbres que hieren a las personas de su alrededor me ha parecido tan interesante que no podía parar de sentir la misma rabia que Anya en todo momento. El hecho de que siempre se pregunte por qué son las mujeres las que han de sufrir y perder trozos de sí mismas para darle a su pueblo un poco de tranquilidad durante unos años es muy actual de hecho, podría ser un guiño a la sociedad como siempre ha sido.
Los seguidores de esa religión y su afán por atrapar a Anya todo el rato me ha dado más miedo que cualquier otra cosa del libro. Hubo un momento en el que dije "I'm not afraid of God, I am afraid of men" y realmente lo aplicaba a esto. Fue horrible ver todo lo que querían hacer para que solo fuera un sacrificio y sufriera por todos.
El plot twist del final me dejó boquiabierta, todas esas niñas mandadas a morir básicamente por cuatro locos con mucho poder, el Lord con tanto poder sobre la tierra que quería deshacerse de los religiosos para imponerse él mismo sobre todo el territorio, su relación con Anya, la manera en que ella acaba el ciclo y dice "hasta aquí ha llegado vuestra farsa" y se larga a vivir una mejor vida con Tieran y si es posible su nueva familia. Todo ha dado lugar a un final que me ha encantado, abierto, muy abierto, pero que no necesita nada más para ser maravilloso.
Si pudiera darle 6 estrellas en vez de 5 lo haría sin duda.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2022
Spoiler Alert
I’ve read 70 books this year and A consuming fire is easily my second favourite only because some of the brutality and injustice in it was too much to stomach. Especially when Tieran lost control of his powers with the baby and the dog, the book could’ve done without that. Though the book was still worth the effort. I loved how brave Anya was setting off to kill a god with nothing but a knife and not letting anybody else suffer on her behalf because she knew freedom won at the cost of others isn’t freedom worth fighting for. She was an amazing and inspirational hero and I hated how she kept calling herself a coward because she was everything but. I also loved her relationship with Tieran because she accepted him straight away. As when she realised he wasn’t human she wasn’t repulsed, betrayed or horrified in the slightest. Since usually when characters realise others aren’t human it takes them a while to accept them so this was a refreshing and beautiful change. I also liked how she let him keep his secrets and open up to her when he was ready. Which was just as respectful and unexpected. While Tieran was obviously worried about her but was amazed by her courage and supported her all the way.
Though it wasn’t just her because all the Weatherell girls were very brave for willingly sacrificing a part of themselves to save their people even though they shouldn’t of had to in the first place. Because you can’t fight bullies by giving them what they want. The mountain demon was so awful that I’m surprised more people didn’t try to kill him. I cringed that they even called him a god because that is a title of respect and he earned none of it. What he did to the wetherell girls was disgusting, I was especially freaked out when he took a wetherall girls mouth. And my heart broke for Emilia because she sacrificed her kindness to save her people and they repaid her by casting her aside. So if Emilia tried to get revenge I wouldn’t blame her but luckily for them she was too good of a person to leave them to suffer like they did to her. Though then I remembered that when I found out about a cafe called The blind chef started by a man who lost both his eyes to cancer I told my teacher I felt bad for him and she told me that he doesn’t want my pity he wants my respect. So all the wetherell girls had my respect for their bravery. Including Ilva because it was the demon who wasn’t worthy of her not the other way around. she loved her sister too much to sacrifice her memories of her something the mountain demon didn’t understand. So I loved that Anya killed him to avenge her using with a knife made from Ilva’s bone so that she didn’t die for nothing after all. Ilva and the other wetherell girls deserved better but at least they can take comfort in knowing they were avenged and nobody else would suffer the same way they did.
It was a powerful, brutal and inspirational story about love, justice and standing up to oppressors no matter how powerful they are which is sadly something our world is struggling with at the moment. So thank you Laura you wrote a wonderful book
I’ve read 70 books this year and A consuming fire is easily my second favourite only because some of the brutality and injustice in it was too much to stomach. Especially when Tieran lost control of his powers with the baby and the dog, the book could’ve done without that. Though the book was still worth the effort. I loved how brave Anya was setting off to kill a god with nothing but a knife and not letting anybody else suffer on her behalf because she knew freedom won at the cost of others isn’t freedom worth fighting for. She was an amazing and inspirational hero and I hated how she kept calling herself a coward because she was everything but. I also loved her relationship with Tieran because she accepted him straight away. As when she realised he wasn’t human she wasn’t repulsed, betrayed or horrified in the slightest. Since usually when characters realise others aren’t human it takes them a while to accept them so this was a refreshing and beautiful change. I also liked how she let him keep his secrets and open up to her when he was ready. Which was just as respectful and unexpected. While Tieran was obviously worried about her but was amazed by her courage and supported her all the way.
Though it wasn’t just her because all the Weatherell girls were very brave for willingly sacrificing a part of themselves to save their people even though they shouldn’t of had to in the first place. Because you can’t fight bullies by giving them what they want. The mountain demon was so awful that I’m surprised more people didn’t try to kill him. I cringed that they even called him a god because that is a title of respect and he earned none of it. What he did to the wetherell girls was disgusting, I was especially freaked out when he took a wetherall girls mouth. And my heart broke for Emilia because she sacrificed her kindness to save her people and they repaid her by casting her aside. So if Emilia tried to get revenge I wouldn’t blame her but luckily for them she was too good of a person to leave them to suffer like they did to her. Though then I remembered that when I found out about a cafe called The blind chef started by a man who lost both his eyes to cancer I told my teacher I felt bad for him and she told me that he doesn’t want my pity he wants my respect. So all the wetherell girls had my respect for their bravery. Including Ilva because it was the demon who wasn’t worthy of her not the other way around. she loved her sister too much to sacrifice her memories of her something the mountain demon didn’t understand. So I loved that Anya killed him to avenge her using with a knife made from Ilva’s bone so that she didn’t die for nothing after all. Ilva and the other wetherell girls deserved better but at least they can take comfort in knowing they were avenged and nobody else would suffer the same way they did.
It was a powerful, brutal and inspirational story about love, justice and standing up to oppressors no matter how powerful they are which is sadly something our world is struggling with at the moment. So thank you Laura you wrote a wonderful book
April 1, 2023
This is a 3.5 for me. I might go back later and make it a 4.
First the positives: I was thoroughly entertained and drawn in, even though overall, I would not described the book as fast-paced.
I liked the resolution of the main conflict, but I wasn’t love with the actual ending, if that makes sense. I liked the allegory that Weymouth was playing with here, even if I felt like parts of it were a bit nebulous and muddled.
I liked that a boy didn’t swoop in and save the day.
I liked that secular power structures were criticized alongside religious institutions, providing balance and adding depth to what could have been a trite theme. It deftly sidesteps any snide criticism of belief.
Overall, I really appreciated the uniqueness of the book. The last time I felt that way was when I had my first foray into the Grisha verse. I loved how it was set in the time after the Romans left the UK, which made this a fantasy sliced with strong historical fiction vibes.
Now for the criticisms: I felt like parts of the book didn’t make sense. I think this was mainly do to the author’s attempts to make the allegory and theme consistent. I think she was only mostly successful, not completely. Some of the plot points seemed convenient: ie Lord Nevis (avoiding spoilers).
Also, some of the dialogue was so bad, it literally took me out of the story, but it was only in certain isolated areas. Still. Anything that bounces me out of the story is bad.
I liked the ghosts but it got repetitive. Also, why could no one see them? And if bones are a big deal (avoiding spoilers here) why are they at the entrance to the god’s lair?
Finally, there are lots of details and plot threads that seem abruptly included but then don’t serve any purpose or develop in any meaningful way.
This isn’t a series, but there’s definitely room for the story to continue.
I think some people will be offended by the slight adaptations of Bible verses (used by the Elect), but I don’t feel this book is anti-Christian, just anti-organized religion and anti-government, and those are three very different things.
First the positives: I was thoroughly entertained and drawn in, even though overall, I would not described the book as fast-paced.
I liked the resolution of the main conflict, but I wasn’t love with the actual ending, if that makes sense. I liked the allegory that Weymouth was playing with here, even if I felt like parts of it were a bit nebulous and muddled.
I liked that a boy didn’t swoop in and save the day.
I liked that secular power structures were criticized alongside religious institutions, providing balance and adding depth to what could have been a trite theme. It deftly sidesteps any snide criticism of belief.
Overall, I really appreciated the uniqueness of the book. The last time I felt that way was when I had my first foray into the Grisha verse. I loved how it was set in the time after the Romans left the UK, which made this a fantasy sliced with strong historical fiction vibes.
Now for the criticisms: I felt like parts of the book didn’t make sense. I think this was mainly do to the author’s attempts to make the allegory and theme consistent. I think she was only mostly successful, not completely. Some of the plot points seemed convenient: ie Lord Nevis (avoiding spoilers).
Also, some of the dialogue was so bad, it literally took me out of the story, but it was only in certain isolated areas. Still. Anything that bounces me out of the story is bad.
I liked the ghosts but it got repetitive. Also, why could no one see them? And if bones are a big deal (avoiding spoilers here) why are they at the entrance to the god’s lair?
Finally, there are lots of details and plot threads that seem abruptly included but then don’t serve any purpose or develop in any meaningful way.
This isn’t a series, but there’s definitely room for the story to continue.
I think some people will be offended by the slight adaptations of Bible verses (used by the Elect), but I don’t feel this book is anti-Christian, just anti-organized religion and anti-government, and those are three very different things.
April 9, 2023
I enjoyed this a lot.
The setting is an alternate universe where the Romans were kicked out of Britain before they could fully colonize it. The main character, Anya, is raised in a village where young women are sent to sacrifice something precious to them to their God, who seems more like a demon.
I thought the premise was really cool. A quest of vengeance, driven by injustice and grief. Tieran and the other "wanderers" were interesting and there were some good interactions. I did like the story overall, the alternate version of England (or Albion) worshipping a fiery demon was really cool imo. In my opinion it could have leaned a little more into the mythology and been a dragon or wyrm, idk. Instead of seems like Satan-lite.
I also wished the world and cities felt more fleshed out. The main arc is pretty simple, it's very much a hero's journey, and so the setting and other characters could have shone here a little more. There were some decent ones, but I felt like all the relationships got left on a bit of a cliffhanger, besides Anya and Tieran's. I would have liked it if there was a bit more exploration or resolution shown, especially between Orielle and Anya. Willem and Anya. Lord Nevin and Anya as well.
I also think the explanation of the god. It's implied he was bound to an alter deep within a mountain. How did the greyrobes find him? Who is he? Who bound him? What's he doing with all those women's body parts? There were some exposition dumps that felt a little clunky, and I wished we got to know more. The exposition in general is very much told to you, instead of shown or revealed organically. I do think the author held some explanations back a little too long.
Overall it's entertaining and I enjoyed it. I liked the two main characters of Anya and Tieran. This is a book for me that, despite it's flaws, I was left wanting to keep reading and following these characters and world.
The setting is an alternate universe where the Romans were kicked out of Britain before they could fully colonize it. The main character, Anya, is raised in a village where young women are sent to sacrifice something precious to them to their God, who seems more like a demon.
I thought the premise was really cool. A quest of vengeance, driven by injustice and grief. Tieran and the other "wanderers" were interesting and there were some good interactions. I did like the story overall, the alternate version of England (or Albion) worshipping a fiery demon was really cool imo. In my opinion it could have leaned a little more into the mythology and been a dragon or wyrm, idk. Instead of seems like Satan-lite.
I also wished the world and cities felt more fleshed out. The main arc is pretty simple, it's very much a hero's journey, and so the setting and other characters could have shone here a little more. There were some decent ones, but I felt like all the relationships got left on a bit of a cliffhanger, besides Anya and Tieran's. I would have liked it if there was a bit more exploration or resolution shown, especially between Orielle and Anya. Willem and Anya. Lord Nevin and Anya as well.
I also think the explanation of the god. It's implied he was bound to an alter deep within a mountain. How did the greyrobes find him? Who is he? Who bound him? What's he doing with all those women's body parts? There were some exposition dumps that felt a little clunky, and I wished we got to know more. The exposition in general is very much told to you, instead of shown or revealed organically. I do think the author held some explanations back a little too long.
Overall it's entertaining and I enjoyed it. I liked the two main characters of Anya and Tieran. This is a book for me that, despite it's flaws, I was left wanting to keep reading and following these characters and world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2022
I always get the feeling in Laura Weymouth books that there's a lot of backstory and history we don't know about. In one way that's fine - worlds have history that aren't always necessary - but it does make it harder sometimes to connect to the characters. Of course that's true of most fantasy, so I don't know why I feel it so strongly in these books.
This is set in a version of Britain where the Romans withdrew when some kind od demon woke in Scotland. A new religion based on appeasing the demon and formed with parts of Christianity arose, involving sacrificing young girls to the demon each year. Most of them don't die, but they lose something very important, because only important things can calm the demon. This year's sacrifice is determined that no more young girls should be sent to face him.
One of the things that drew me to this book (apart from the writer) is that the blurb made no mention of romance. I was expecting "Anya teams up with a renegade priest" or something of the sort and I was pleasantly surprised not to see it. Of course, there is a romance here, where a boy who everyone describes as standoffish and quick to run is inexplicably drawn to Anya. Don't get me wrong, I liked the character a lot, but I would love, just once, to see a 'fiercely feminist heroine' do it on her own, without leaning on a man for help. That's a me issue, though, and doesn't say anything about this book in particular.
I also would have liked it to be a bit longer! The pacing was great, I flew through it, but I thought the ending was very abrupt - I would love to know what happens next, considering that what happened in that ending will turn their world upside down. It's a sign of a good book that I don't want to leave it behind too quickly.
Overall I really enjoyed this, I highly recommend it and I hope it does really well.
This is set in a version of Britain where the Romans withdrew when some kind od demon woke in Scotland. A new religion based on appeasing the demon and formed with parts of Christianity arose, involving sacrificing young girls to the demon each year. Most of them don't die, but they lose something very important, because only important things can calm the demon. This year's sacrifice is determined that no more young girls should be sent to face him.
One of the things that drew me to this book (apart from the writer) is that the blurb made no mention of romance. I was expecting "Anya teams up with a renegade priest" or something of the sort and I was pleasantly surprised not to see it. Of course, there is a romance here, where a boy who everyone describes as standoffish and quick to run is inexplicably drawn to Anya. Don't get me wrong, I liked the character a lot, but I would love, just once, to see a 'fiercely feminist heroine' do it on her own, without leaning on a man for help. That's a me issue, though, and doesn't say anything about this book in particular.
I also would have liked it to be a bit longer! The pacing was great, I flew through it, but I thought the ending was very abrupt - I would love to know what happens next, considering that what happened in that ending will turn their world upside down. It's a sign of a good book that I don't want to leave it behind too quickly.
Overall I really enjoyed this, I highly recommend it and I hope it does really well.
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