This Golden Flame

things going for this book: its unique concept and all the representation/visibility.<br /><br />i will always praise an author that can create a well-structured story within a standalone. however, some stories do better with more than one book and this is one of those.<br /><br />this story is arguably too… simple? its nice and easy and really everything that happens is already given in the synopsis. i think if the author was working with more than one book, the characters could be given more depth, the plot could be given more action, the pacing could be given more attention. <br /><br />i just think as a debut book, EV was too cautious. if she had more than one book to tell the story, she could have had more room to develop her storytelling style a bit more. and its such a cool concept, i dont think readers would mind committing to a series. <br /><br />but overall, this is a very promising start to EVs writing career. <br /><br /><i>thanks inkyard press for the ARC.</i><br /><br /><b>↠ <i>2.5 stars</i></b>

Ahhhh I never thought I'd live to see the day when everyone around the MC gets a love interest <b>except for the MC herself.</b><br><br>Beautiful. <s>wish i could say the same abt the book?</s><br><br>AND THERE WAS STILL NO DEATH aRe YoU kIdDiNg Me?!?!<br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1611361930ra/30742170.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>But that's just me. I'm sure anyone who's okay with characters that don't kill their enemies, will love this. <s>this is what happens when you've just read the poppy war</s><br><br>Although, I must say it's unrealistic that you go through a WHOLE book dealing with basically a war between <b>team good</b> and <b>team evil</b> and NOT <i> <b>ONE</b> </i> PERSON ON EITHER SIDE IS KILLED. nO CASUALTIES. <b>AT ALL.</b><br><br>That's totally realistic. Yup, totally.<br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1611374177ra/30742667.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>But again, this might just be me because of how used to I am with death in YA novels but I don't know...you'd think some of them would've died. AT LEAST THE VILLAINS. WHY NOT THE <b>VILLAINS</b>??? ohmygod I cannot with this book-<br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1611374177ra/30742668.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Which brings me to another point—<b>the villain</b>. My dudes, I don't know how anyone would be afraid of this <b>"Magistrate"</b> when he's as bland as a <b>piece of cardboard</b>. Where's the personality?? Where's the evil actions he does?? There was more telling than actually <b> <i>showing</i> </b>. <br><br>The characters would basically just <b>talk</b> about how much of a monster he is and how anyone who goes into <b>"The Magistrate's Library"</b> (yea I know, very terrifying) didn't come back out normal because the Magistrate was cruel to them. <br><br>Yes...but <b>what exactly did he do</b>? There were no details -- just "oH he's SO EVIL. thAT MONSTER. hoW COULD thAT mAN do thAT to my brOTHER" etc etc.<br><br>Tell me, <b>what's the point of a villain if he's doesn't even drop a hint of dread in the reader?</b><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1611375860ra/30742729.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br>(now THIS is what I call frightening)<br><br>I know I probably sound very salty, but it's just very frustrating. I felt NOTHING at all for the characters. <b> <i>Nothing</i> </b> They're all basic.<br><br>Ahahaha the plot too -- <b>Karis</b> is looking for her brother after being separated from him years ago. Then one day she discovers an automaton, Alix, that can <b>speak and act of its own will</b>, which of course, is surprising considering automatons haven't been working for hundreds of years, and even before, automatons were always controlled by human beings. He's ~speshul~<br><br>Anyways, she uses him to escape from the Scriptorium, the place she was held <b>prisoner-but-also-not-prisoner</b> (if that even makes sense) as a slave (tho she did have some freedom in learning things) and from there things escalate and eventually turns into what? Yup, a <b>rebellion against the Magistrate</b> and those who've been making them suffer for so long.<br><br>It goes on, and on...and honestly? I'm kind of tired of the <b>basic</b> rebellion plots, with it's <b>basic</b> heroes, <b>basic</b> villains, <i> <b>basic</b> </i> everything. It's been used way too much and at this point, I think most of us can agree that we're tired of it. Or at least it could be used and have some ✨creativity✨.<br><br>How would you make it creative? <b>I have no idea.</b><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1611375860ra/30742730.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>I'm sorry. I'm making this out to be worse than it actually is, but there were actually some parts that I liked.<br><br>For one thing, as I mentioned in the first line of my review -- the main character, Karis, is <b>asexual</b>, which I've <b> <i>never</i> </b> seen in a YA Fantasy book before so that was awesome. <br><br>Between Alix &amp; Karis and Dane &amp; Karis, it was just <b>platonic love</b> and that is just so beautiful. We don't get enough of that in fantasy novels for the main character and that is not okay. I'm totally a sucker for romance, but this change was nice and <b>I loved it.</b><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1611375991ra/30742750.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Also, it was really cool seeing through <b>Alix's POV</b>. The only POVs I've ever read from are through humans, so to see through an <b> <i>automaton's</i> </b> for the first time *mind-blown* <br><br>Though I wouldn't say there's much of a difference between Karis and his. I'd sometimes have to go back because I'd forget whose POV I was reading from since they were kind of similar.<br><br>So yeah, other than <b> <i>nobody dying at all</i> </b> during a full-out battle, the bland characters, and basic plot...this was an alright book I guess. <br><br>I definitely recommend this to those who like all the things I pointed out that I didn't like, or if you're simply looking for a book that's very diverse!<br><br><b>This just wasn't for me, and I am sad</b> :((<br><br><br><b>(2.5⭐)</b><br><br>✦✧✦✧ <br><br><i>Eternally thankful to Harper Collins Canada for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

I loved this book so much at first but it fizzled out for me. I think it’s a case of it’s me not you. I love the characters so much!! Alix the automaton is my favorite! I just wish I could have loved it enough to keep. But alas, another unhaul. I will always love you dear characters ...<br><br><b>February Fairyloot. Click on the spoiler under picture to see the goodies</b><br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1595272868i/29846722._SX540_.png" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="8de039c3-4ca7-4d40-8809-90b7db7fa86c" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="8de039c3-4ca7-4d40-8809-90b7db7fa86c">1. We have a candle inspired by The Lunar Chronicles <br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1615408431i/30993287._SY540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>2. Moon shaped fairy lights and the tarot cards of the month. <br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1615408458i/30993288._SX540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>3. Woot! We have a throw pillow cover of Red Rising!!<br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1615408283i/30993281._SX540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1615408314i/30993282._SX540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>4. An enamel pin inspired by VE Schwad’s Villians<br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1615408400i/30993285._SY540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br>5. A cutlery set with Emika from Marissa Meyer’s Warcoss in the front <br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1615408343i/30993283._SY540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1615408368i/30993284._SY540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>6. And the book with sprayed edges and art in the back of the dust jacket and a gorgeous embossed picture on the book. <br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1615408483i/30993291._SY540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1615408518i/30993312._SY540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1615408546i/30993313._SX540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Happy Reading!</label><br><br>PS - I might keep it around for awhile anyway ?<br><br>Mel ????</["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]>

hey we got another legit ace character AND it's a fantasy???<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1568403909ra/28143637.gif" width="300" height="150" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy">

Good: There was an aroace protagonist! That never happens!<br /><br />Bad: Literally everything else.<br /><br />Wow. This book sucked. There are no other words for it. It sucked. It was a bad book.<br /><br />Writing? Terrible. I've read fanfic by ten year olds that was better written. If you're going to insist on writing in alternating first person, your narrating characters need to be distinguishable from each other. These weren't. Nor were either of them particularly likeable (though Alix at least had better reasoning). And do not get me started on how <i>trite</i> everything was. "She's a she and I'm a they"? Seriously? Have genderqueer characters in your books, that's great, but <i>no one talks like that</i>. There are better ways to be inclusive than sounding like you're working from the Tumblr School of Creative Writing.<br /><br />Plot? Less terrible. Unfortunately, also meandering and poorly paced. It read like an unedited Nano novel: things happened because the writer needed to make word count, not because they made any sort of in-world sense.<br /><br />World building? So terrible I want to throw things. There was no point to it! You don't get to just randomly decide that your story is going to take place in a vaguely Greco-Roman-fantasy-steampunk abomination of a thing without explaining <i>why</i> this maybe Ancient Greek world has automatrons. World building is not just set dressing! It has to make <i>sense</i>. It has to be immersive and logical within the constraints of the world, not just fulfilling your need for aesthetic.<br /><br />Characters? Painfully terrible. They can barely properly be called characters, they lack any and all dimension. This is especially true of the characters around Alix and Karis, including the main villain. Team Rocket was more frightening than the big, scary Magistrate who apparently wields supreme power and tortures everyone in his path...until he's taken down by a ragtag group of kids in the course of a few weeks. There was no build, no demonstration of why this man is so terrifying. The group just plods their way into a victory that was entirely unearned.<br /><br />Relationships? <i>I wanted to throw the book across the room, they were that terrible</i>. This was a book told in alternating first person. The human character is aroace. The other is an automatron. You'd think that would mean we would all be spared the frustration of an unnecessarily inserted romantic subplot, but no. It just means we have to put up with an unnecessary subplot <i>as watched from the side-lines</i>. It was bad. It was painful. It was superfluous. And, more importantly, <b>it was between <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="bafa9948-f4e4-4d3d-b606-53e2c4c39799" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="bafa9948-f4e4-4d3d-b606-53e2c4c39799">a kidnapped boy and his kidnapper</label></b>. That last point isn't likely to bother as many people as it should because it's written off as "but they're the good guys", but that doesn't make it any better.<br /><br />I am so horribly disappointed by this book. I wanted to like it. I was excited to read it, even more when I realised one of the main characters was ace. YA never has ace characters. Representation cannot make up for flat out awful writing though. I have to wonder how this managed to get published, it's just that bad. That it was picked for my LitJoy box just irritates me more. The physical book itself is too pretty to deserve the words printed in it.

The author does an incredible job of world-building and breaks YA stereotypes by avoiding love triangles, or really any romance at all (other than between minor characters). It was refreshing to read a book where the main character, a female, doesn't make decisions based on romantic love. Instead, the focus is on family - chosen and biological - and what makes us "human". The author's inclusion of LGBTQIA characters was subtle and well-written - their sexuality was not treated like a "big moment", but instead it was simply another facet of their character. <br /><br />I love that this book is a stand-alone, but would've enjoyed it as a series as well. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

<i> Free copy provided in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects my rating or review. </i><br /><br />4 adorable stars!<br /><br />Literally everyone in this book was a little cinnamon roll. EVERYONE. It was actually astounding, and I loved it!<br /><br />The novel begins with our dear Karis as she tries – and fails, for the nth time – to break into the only place where she can find info on her brother. After this plot is thwarted, a variety of events lead to Karis awakening the only living automaton in the world – our darling Alix.<br />Alix is an absolute sweetheart, and I hope to god that he never changes. He’s brave but sweet and oh-so soft, and I love it!<br /><br /><i> “Your light is stunning. It’s brave and beautiful. So just be you, because that’s enough. It’s always been enough.” </i><br />Karis to Alix.<br /><br />Yes yes yes, here is where I completely and totally agree with Karis! Alix is pure sunshine, and he deserves to be protected.<br />But more about our MAIN main character. Karis is brutal and tough and fierce and fiery, but she’s really just a loving sister under all that, determined to find her brother. She may act like she doesn’t care, but she has a big heart, and she’ll show it to those closest to her, which I loved. Another thing I loved was the way she accepted and rarely looked down upon herself for being asexual. She knew she’d never have a romantic relationship with anyone, but that was ok with her! Karis accepted herself, and that’s what matters most.<br /><br /><i> “I might not have what Dane and Zara do, but that doesn’t mean what I have is weaker.”<br />Karis thinking about her asexuality.</i><br /><br />You go girl! Own it!<br /><br />Apart from the characters, I also really liked the worldbuilding and fantasy elements! The idea of scriptwork and automatons and everything was a nice combination between technology and magic, and I found it really interesting. Some concepts were a little difficult to grasp in the beginning, but I soon worked everything out, and loved all the interesting elements of the world that Victoria created.<br /><br />All in all, this was an interesting and creative book, and I really enjoyed reading about the characters and the bonds of friendship that they developed! Lots of fun and really cute. Thank you so much to the author and TBR &amp; Beyond Book Tours for the free review copy!

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder &amp; Stoughton for the eARC provided in exchange for an honest review.</i><br /><br />This fun, adventurous YA fantasy novel featuring an aromantic asexual girl and an automaton with a heart of gold is one that I was very much anticipating, and while it wasn’t entirely what I expected, I’m glad to say it didn’t disappoint.<br /><br /><i>This Golden Flame</i> is mainly set in Eratia, a fantastical country inspired by Ancient Greece, and follows eighteen-year-old Karis as she tries to find out what happened to her brother after the two were separated seven years prior. Karis is an acolyte to the Scriptorium, an organ mainly comprised of scholars trying to discover how to reanimate the infamous Eratian automatons that were all deactivated a few centuries before. One day, while Karis is busy with her duties as an acolyte, she stumbles upon a still-functioning automaton named Alix, who appears more human than one would expect from an automaton. Together, they embark on a journey to find out what happened to her brother, only to find that their search for her brother comes with unsettling discoveries related to Alix’s mysterious past…<br /><br />The points of view in <i>This Golden Flame</i> are split between Karis and Alix, which was an interesting experience because while I’ve seen non-human creatures like AIs, robots, and automatons questioning whether they are capable of feeling like humans do, I’ve never read this from one of their perspectives before. Throughout the story, Alix is questioning whether he is more than a tool created for a single goal and I think it was refreshing to see this struggle from his own point of view. Karis has been hardened by a difficult life and is surprised by the human softness she sees in Alix, and it was really touching to see these two connecting and learning from one another. Karis is aromantic and asexual and I loved seeing a YA fantasy heroine whose most important relationship is platonic rather than romantic. There are barely any traditionally published YA fantasy books centering aroace characters, so as a reader who is on both spectrums it was incredibly validating to see this experience being represented in one of my favorite genres for once.<br /><br />Aside from Karis and Alix, there is a lovely cast of secondary characters, many of whom are part of a pirate crew Alix and Karis encounter on their adventure. Zara, the captain of the crew, is so confident and badass and so much fun to read about and even though the members of her crew don’t get a lot of individual page-time, they all feel like real people. They hail from many different parts of the world, and the snippets of information we get from them about the countries they hail from gave me the sense that the world is bigger than just Eratia, which is always a good sign. There are also various identities from the LGBTQ+ community represented in the side characters, among which we see a nonbinary character (who uses they/them pronouns) and a male/male couple. None of this is questioned, which is exactly what I like to see in my fantasy worlds.<br /><br />Aside from being queer-friendly, the worldbuilding is fun and original. Ancient Greece has always been a special interest of mine and it was interesting to see a YA fantasy world based on that historical setting. The magic system with runes is intriguingly described, although it’s only explored on a surface-level. At the end of the novel, several questions related to the runic magic system and the automatons remain unanswered, which makes me feel like there is potential for a sequel or companion nonvel, even though it appears <i>This Golden Flame</i> is intended to be a standalone novel for now.<br /><br />If there is anything I would criticize about this novel, it is that perhaps it does not have a particularly original plotline. It follows the generic YA plotline of a character who discovers a dark secret from the past and corruption within the government of their country and joins a rebellion to combat it. Victoria’s writing style also wasn’t anything special. It is quite simplistic and to-the-point, at times leaning more towards telling us about character’s emotions rather than showing them. However, I feel like this more simplistic writing style also opens up the book to a wider audience. Due to the accessible writing style and the minimal exploration of darker topics, this book is also suitable for an older middle grade and younger YA audience. Keeping that and the original setting and interesting characters in mind, these aspects ultimately didn’t take away too much of my enjoyment of <i>This Golden Flame</i>.<br /><br />In summary, <i>This Golden Flame</i> is a YA fantasy story with interesting main characters and a fun, original world that will intrigue readers who are like pirates, Ancient Greece-inspired settings, and stories filled with seamless, casual diversity. While the plot might not be one that readers haven’t seen before, the well-realized characters and world make up for it. This is one of those stories I wish I could’ve given to my younger self; she would’ve been overjoyed to read a book about a girl like her who gets to go on an adventure with pirates and isn’t romantically involved with anyone. I truly hope this book finds the people who need it, the aromantic and asexual teens who need to see a main character like them who gets to go on a typical fantasy adventure. I’m so thankful this book exists, and I can’t wait for it to be out in the world for people, especially aro and ace teens, to read.<br /><br />Content warnings: internalized aphobia, allusions to torture, starvation, and war

Honestly couldn’t finish it, I made it over halfway. It had good potential and good representation, but I just got bored with the MC and the world.

This was very solid fun, very entertaining. So please consider this a very positive 3 stars.<br /><br />There's a lot to love about this book. The premisse is amazing: an automaton main character, queer pirates, it's all so fun!<br /><br />I also loved the aroace rep. It's very casual and it's just so refreshing to me to read a book, especially a YA fantasy, without a main romance. I also loved the focus on platonic relationships.<br /><br />That said, I would have just liked to see a bit more in terms of character depth and development. I feel like I only got to know the characters on a surface level, and for me to really love a book, I have to be able to get to know the characters a little better.