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A review by books_over_everything
We Are the Fire by Sam Taylor
4.0
Initial Thoughts
I was super excited to be chosen for this tour. I did an ARC tour on Instagram about a month ago and really wanted to read this book so I’m so glad I was given the chance to read and review it!
Some Things I Liked
Epic fantasy in a standalone. I loved that this book packed such a punch for being a single book series. I really connected with the characters and wanted to learn more about them. It’s hard to attain this with only one book to grab my attention but Sam Taylor did that here.
Dual POVs. Again, I really loved this. I’m always a fan of multiple POVs and it was done so well here. I loved that Oksana and Pran had different opinions on things and that was highlighted through their POV chapters.
Romance from the jump. Again, something different for me. Usually, YA romance stories follow the hero or heroine finding someone to love or realizing they love a childhood friend. Pran and Oksana start out in love and we get to see how their relationship changed over time. I really enjoyed that and thought it was unique for a YA novel.
One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About
Names and world building. Unfortunately, when you write a standalone novel, the world building has to all be done more quickly than in a series. Therefore, I struggled with some of the names and concepts in this book. I think if I read it again, I’d be fine but I had moments of confusion during this read.
Series Value
I liked that this was a standalone. I do, however, think that it easily could have stretched into more. This is a fascinating world and I’d love to see more stories set here.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book. I read it all in one sitting and could easily see myself reading it again. It’s not often that I find a standalone fantasy book that I like and this one really hit the mark.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendations for Further Reading
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir – if you enjoyed the dual POVs and action in this story, definitely try this series by Sabaa Tahir.
Blood and Honor by Miranda Lyn – if you enjoyed the magic and world building, give this upper YA / NA series a try.
I was super excited to be chosen for this tour. I did an ARC tour on Instagram about a month ago and really wanted to read this book so I’m so glad I was given the chance to read and review it!
Some Things I Liked
Epic fantasy in a standalone. I loved that this book packed such a punch for being a single book series. I really connected with the characters and wanted to learn more about them. It’s hard to attain this with only one book to grab my attention but Sam Taylor did that here.
Dual POVs. Again, I really loved this. I’m always a fan of multiple POVs and it was done so well here. I loved that Oksana and Pran had different opinions on things and that was highlighted through their POV chapters.
Romance from the jump. Again, something different for me. Usually, YA romance stories follow the hero or heroine finding someone to love or realizing they love a childhood friend. Pran and Oksana start out in love and we get to see how their relationship changed over time. I really enjoyed that and thought it was unique for a YA novel.
One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About
Names and world building. Unfortunately, when you write a standalone novel, the world building has to all be done more quickly than in a series. Therefore, I struggled with some of the names and concepts in this book. I think if I read it again, I’d be fine but I had moments of confusion during this read.
Series Value
I liked that this was a standalone. I do, however, think that it easily could have stretched into more. This is a fascinating world and I’d love to see more stories set here.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book. I read it all in one sitting and could easily see myself reading it again. It’s not often that I find a standalone fantasy book that I like and this one really hit the mark.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendations for Further Reading
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir – if you enjoyed the dual POVs and action in this story, definitely try this series by Sabaa Tahir.
Blood and Honor by Miranda Lyn – if you enjoyed the magic and world building, give this upper YA / NA series a try.