lazygal's review against another edition
3.0
I loved that the basis for this book is something other than Greek/Roman/Viking mythology or sagas. But in terms of execution? Well... it's just that the plot is so, so familiar. I've read several books with the same elements this year alone (eg, Imposters, Everless/Evermore, The Queen of Sorrow) and sadly even with the Mahabharata as a underpinning, there was nothing new or different here. Political intrigue, good (or bad) guys who aren't what they appear to be, kings who may not be eligible for the throne, and all the rest just needed something more. There was little reason to root for any of the characters... except Titania.
eARC provided by publisher.
eARC provided by publisher.
christinac__reads's review against another edition
4.0
A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandana is an action-packed, plot-driven space opera novel about family, politics, and war written in the same beautiful prose that you find in her other novel, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.
This is a soft Sci-Fi retelling of the Mahabrahata, which is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. Considered to be the longest poem ever written, it narrates the struggle for sovereignty between two groups of cousins.
We follow Esmae, who as an infant was sent away by the queen. She grew up in another land, isolated from her family with only the goddess Amba as her sole confidant. When the King of Wychstar offers the gift of a sentient spaceship named Titania to a warrior who can defeat a single, seemingly impossible challenge, Esmae leaps at the chance to reunite with her family.
In this book there are powerful but limited gods, magic and curses, a strong, independent female main character, and a very interesting war-averse talking warship
Esmae is quite the interesting character. Her longing for family and her desire to belong is her main driving force. Throughout the book we see her trying to truly understand the difference between the family you were born into, and the family that you choose to belong in. She’s strong but vulnerable, loyal to a fault, and unnervingly compassionate.
The book’s secondary characters are vivid and Sangu has a way of presenting them where we able sympathize and understand why Esmae’s enemies had made the choices they did. There is great representation for both people of color and the disabled. Definitely my part of the book was the intense family dynamics.
Surprisingly, I did find the romance element to be a little on the weak side considering I was blown away by the gentle grumpy-sunshine romance in The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. The first book, in my opinion, would've been fine without the addition of a love interest at all.
I thought the world building was gentle but very interesting. It’s founded on space, gods, the magic of gods, and fixed points in time. Sangu does throws you into the deep end - and tugs you along for the ride. Although I will admit that the fact that it’s set in space is really just there for the heck of it. This could've been set under a mountain or in a secret underwater society and the soul of the book wouldn't change.
The book’s strength is the plot and the way the characters interact with one another around the plot. There's a heady mix of political intrigue, family drama, action scenes, gut punching betrayal. If you are very familiar with the Mahabharata you may find it a tab bit predictable but it’s still good nonetheless.
I really did enjoy this book, gave it 4 stars.
I did immediately start and finish the second book and unfortunately I did not enjoy that one at all. I felt like the beautiful three dimensional characters I had grown to love were flattened so much they were neatly folded into a 1 dimensional box. I felt like the book trudged through until about 85%. The plot gave way to the singular emotion that the main character felt from the first page to the last and the lack of character growth disappointed me. Moreover the addition of Titanias POV to the narration added nothing for me and felt like a filler. I gave book 2, 2 stars.
Nonetheless, I would definitely recommend A Spark of White Fire to anyone who’s in the mood for a YA fantasy/space opera with a brown FMC.
This is a soft Sci-Fi retelling of the Mahabrahata, which is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. Considered to be the longest poem ever written, it narrates the struggle for sovereignty between two groups of cousins.
We follow Esmae, who as an infant was sent away by the queen. She grew up in another land, isolated from her family with only the goddess Amba as her sole confidant. When the King of Wychstar offers the gift of a sentient spaceship named Titania to a warrior who can defeat a single, seemingly impossible challenge, Esmae leaps at the chance to reunite with her family.
In this book there are powerful but limited gods, magic and curses, a strong, independent female main character, and a very interesting war-averse talking warship
Esmae is quite the interesting character. Her longing for family and her desire to belong is her main driving force. Throughout the book we see her trying to truly understand the difference between the family you were born into, and the family that you choose to belong in. She’s strong but vulnerable, loyal to a fault, and unnervingly compassionate.
The book’s secondary characters are vivid and Sangu has a way of presenting them where we able sympathize and understand why Esmae’s enemies had made the choices they did. There is great representation for both people of color and the disabled. Definitely my part of the book was the intense family dynamics.
Surprisingly, I did find the romance element to be a little on the weak side considering I was blown away by the gentle grumpy-sunshine romance in The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. The first book, in my opinion, would've been fine without the addition of a love interest at all.
I thought the world building was gentle but very interesting. It’s founded on space, gods, the magic of gods, and fixed points in time. Sangu does throws you into the deep end - and tugs you along for the ride. Although I will admit that the fact that it’s set in space is really just there for the heck of it. This could've been set under a mountain or in a secret underwater society and the soul of the book wouldn't change.
The book’s strength is the plot and the way the characters interact with one another around the plot. There's a heady mix of political intrigue, family drama, action scenes, gut punching betrayal. If you are very familiar with the Mahabharata you may find it a tab bit predictable but it’s still good nonetheless.
I really did enjoy this book, gave it 4 stars.
I did immediately start and finish the second book and unfortunately I did not enjoy that one at all. I felt like the beautiful three dimensional characters I had grown to love were flattened so much they were neatly folded into a 1 dimensional box. I felt like the book trudged through until about 85%. The plot gave way to the singular emotion that the main character felt from the first page to the last and the lack of character growth disappointed me. Moreover the addition of Titanias POV to the narration added nothing for me and felt like a filler. I gave book 2, 2 stars.
Nonetheless, I would definitely recommend A Spark of White Fire to anyone who’s in the mood for a YA fantasy/space opera with a brown FMC.
breadedbookpages's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a bit predictable but enjoyable. For a person who doesn't go for Sci-Fi this has enough elements of fantasy to keep me interested.
jtisreading's review against another edition
4.0
Lovely quick read. Though set in space and involving technology and warships, this is a fantasy. In fact, it is a mythical retelling done very well. The language is simple yet powerful. Mandanna really has created something special on these pages. A strong female hero must play the battle of wits as well as become a great warrior. An assortment of other characters that feel more alive than tropes. Even without an extreme amount of complexity, these characters are unique and interesting. Highly recommend to anyone into space, fantasy, and myth.
stormlyte's review against another edition
4.0
Initial thoughts
4.5 stars and omg what was that!!!
When I heard that A Spark of White Fire is a reimagining of the Mahabharatha but set in space, I was intrigued but I never expected it to be this good!
4.5 stars and omg what was that!!!
When I heard that A Spark of White Fire is a reimagining of the Mahabharatha but set in space, I was intrigued but I never expected it to be this good!
rsarnelli's review against another edition
4.0
This book is excellent, and it’s a shame that more people aren’t talking about it.
lanegard's review against another edition
3.0
This book was very predictable and everything came so easy for the protagonist, random secrets from "long ago" would pop up randomly. It was kinda like a soap opera. But I liked the setting and how it takes place in space, I haven't read that many sci-fi books and this wasn't a bad first.
atari6213's review against another edition
4.0
Honestly I'm surprised this book doesn't get more hype. I really enjoyed the characters, the story, and the beautiful imagery that Mandanna weaves throughout this book. I'm a sucker for a good mythology-infused tale, especially one that doesn't focus on the more well-known Western pantheons. A Spark of White Fire did not disappoint and I look forward to reading the rest of the series!