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wolfmantula's review
4.5
For more reviews, go to www.Wolfmantula.com
The fantastic Sarah Chorn, not only is an editor for several Indie authors and now for GrimDark magazine, but also writes fantastic books as well! This western fantasy is superb! Sarah’s prose is just amazing, I mean absolutely flawless! I have like 20 quotes that I saved… and 10 were from the first 20% of the book. I had to stop writing them down lol. And they are all so good, they flow like lyrics of a song. You could say that Sarah is a lyrical prose assassin!
The fantastic Sarah Chorn, not only is an editor for several Indie authors and now for GrimDark magazine, but also writes fantastic books as well! This western fantasy is superb! Sarah’s prose is just amazing, I mean absolutely flawless! I have like 20 quotes that I saved… and 10 were from the first 20% of the book. I had to stop writing them down lol. And they are all so good, they flow like lyrics of a song. You could say that Sarah is a lyrical prose assassin!
“My sorrow was a dark, secret thing, a stray cat hidden in the coldest corner of my soul. I fed her scraps. I watched her grow.
Sometimes it is the wounds we do not see that leave the deepest scars.”
The story was just phenomenal and very emotional, it was story of family and friends, of love and loss, of sacrifice and redemption. There were parts at the end that were hard for me to read for personal reasons, but I powered through that toughness, because Sarah’s writing was so eloquent and soothing, it helped me read it. It will definitely grab you by the heart strings and try to tug you. Sarah’s words were chosen perfectly as you can feel the devastation in them.
“The road I walk on is paved with bones. I’ve got no problem adding a few more to my tally. Now, get moving.”
The characters were so easy to connect with, both Arlen and Cassandra were amazing in completely different ways. One grew up rich without family and the other poor with family. Both heading down roads that would forever change their lives. I am 100% going to be finishing the rest of this series and reading more from this author. I couldn’t choose which quotes to use, so I just left a few more below to be amazed at and understand why I say that Sarah Chorn is a lyrical prose assassin.
“This was love, this burning. It was not as sweet as honey; rather, it was a wild thing. A tempest. A raging forest fire. It was hungry, and it demanded. For what would a father not do for his child?”
“Legacy was such an odd word, full of long, stretching vowels and even longer consonants. It filled his mouth up like wine, heady and intoxicating, demanded to be savored”
“A body can only live so long with a wounded heart and a bleeding soul.”
“The soul is such a fickle thing. Easy to bruise. Easy to wound. No wonder why we protect ourselves with this careful camouflage. All of these meticulously cultivated aspects of ourselves we drag with us through the years. Our costumes are heavy, of course our spines are bent.”
“I learned something that day. There are different forms of grace. I was not graceful like a dancer. I was graceful like a mountain lion, newly formed and full of teeth.”
trinforeman's review
4.0
Sarah Chorn has surprised me. In a world full of secrets, she is able to bring a captivating, enchanting and emotional fantasy novel that will grip your heartstrings and not let go.
From the intro to the ending I was invested in this story. With a gripping prolouge we easily understand that the stakes in this story will be high. Not even knowing what is going on, I found myself needing to know what was going to happen. The intrigue never slows down and as the story weaves itself through time, we learn that people have been keeping secrets. These secrets unravel and the emotion and connection to the characters grow throughout.
While I am not big on purple prose, I did find Sarah’s writing to be quite beautiful. There were some moments where I rolled my eyes a bit but for the most part, I felt it added to the magical quality of the world she’d created.
The setting was also quite interesting. I’m used to fantasy either being set in a medieval Europe or desert fantasy. To have one set in the Early American setting was fresh and entertaining simply for being different. Being from Oklahoma where the “wild-west” is still a way of life, I’m typically not drawn to this but I feel it worked really well for the backdrop of this story.
Having seen all of that, you may be asking yourself, “why did you initially pick up this novel then?” I have been stalking Chorn’s release dates because all of her covers are absolutely beautiful. I couldn’t resist owning the books. And I am excited for the second in this series. It is equally gorgeous.
From the intro to the ending I was invested in this story. With a gripping prolouge we easily understand that the stakes in this story will be high. Not even knowing what is going on, I found myself needing to know what was going to happen. The intrigue never slows down and as the story weaves itself through time, we learn that people have been keeping secrets. These secrets unravel and the emotion and connection to the characters grow throughout.
While I am not big on purple prose, I did find Sarah’s writing to be quite beautiful. There were some moments where I rolled my eyes a bit but for the most part, I felt it added to the magical quality of the world she’d created.
The setting was also quite interesting. I’m used to fantasy either being set in a medieval Europe or desert fantasy. To have one set in the Early American setting was fresh and entertaining simply for being different. Being from Oklahoma where the “wild-west” is still a way of life, I’m typically not drawn to this but I feel it worked really well for the backdrop of this story.
Having seen all of that, you may be asking yourself, “why did you initially pick up this novel then?” I have been stalking Chorn’s release dates because all of her covers are absolutely beautiful. I couldn’t resist owning the books. And I am excited for the second in this series. It is equally gorgeous.
mjwhitlock18's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Wild West gold rush, but make it magical and anti-capitalist
- Trans and queer MCs
- Themes of hardship, grief, family
- Lyrical, elegant prose
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Child death and Deadnaming
Deadname mentioned twice. Character who finds out immediately accepts their gender identity wholehearted, no questions askedfantasybooknerd01's review
5.0
Sarah Chorn is one of those writers that I have had on my radar for quite some time. In fact, she was one of the first books that I bought when I started this site, but unfortunately, I have had some difficulty finding the time to actually read her books.
Big Mistake, or maybe not! Because sometimes, you need to have that right set of circumstances which mean that you enjoy the book to its full potential, and I think that this was the right time for this book.
As an editor, Sarah Chorn has been involved with some of my favorite books, and now, as an author she has written one of my favorite books.
I have literally only just finished reading this book, so as I am writing this review, you are getting my thoughts unadulterated, without the time to think of one liners or superlatives to try and describe the book.
When you see a review, how many times do you see the line ‘I wanted to like this book but….’ Well I am going to use that line. I wanted to like this book but…… for the life of me I did not expect to like this book as much as I did! It is utterly gorgeous, and I was taken aback by how beautiful the writing is in the book. In fact, just how good everything is in this book. I most certainly did not expect that!
I suspect that if you are reading this, you may have done some investigation of what the book is about. It is a kind of weird west setting, and by that it uses a fantasy version of the wild west to tell its story. However, the wild west that Sarah Chorn writes about is full of colour. She does not give you a name for the people that live in this world. They are humanoid, but their skin, hair and eye tones are made up of the colour of the rainbow. There are green people, orange, violet etc etc..
The book primarily deals with a number of subjects that all have relevance in the real world, life, loss, love, and family, which I am sure you will have seen in previous reviews. But in addition to that, for me, I also recognised division. Not just between class, but between each other, which seemed to be personified by the boundary, an invisible construct that separates the rich inhabitants of the world that Sarah Chorn has built, from the poor. However, it also signifies the division between those that we hold dear and the boundaries that we impose or that are imposed upon us.
One of the things that I found intriguing in the book, is the use of certain fantasy stalwarts, like the magic. Sarah Chorn cleverly does not use a magic system per se. Rather, she uses a magical substance called Shine, which is used for a myriad of purposes and is intrinsic in everything that the world relies upon, from healing to flavouring food. It also has mundane uses like powering lamps, or heating the house. However, it also has a darker side, in that people can become addicted to it, or that it is used for weapons. She also uses other aspects of the fantasy genre, like the unseen dark overlord that rules the land, in the form of Matthew Esco, who whilst being out of sight for most of the book, is a constant presence throughout, and when he does finally enter the story, he is the epitome of the dark overlord.
The structure of the book is interesting too. The story is told by multiple characters in different time periods. For instance, Arlen’s story is told in the relative present, whilst Cassandra’s is told from the past. However, it constantly hurtles towards the present like a train navigating to it's ultimate destination and bringing us into the present, And then there is Ianthe’s story, which is told in the immediate present. All these stories intersect in some way to finally meet.
In addition to this, the characters are so well written, you can virtually hear them breathing.
As I said earlier, Sarah Chorn's prose is something of beauty. She can make even the mundane sound beguiling. She will effortlessly slip from emotive language that pulls at the heart to describing chopping a tree into logs in the blink of an eye, and I almost cried at that! She is able to convey a sense of tension and foreboding whilst richly describing a walk through a moonlit meadow. It's just.... stunning.
I must say, I was swept along by this book. By the shine of Sarah Chorn’s beautiful writing style, the depth of her story, and I think that this is one of those books that will stay lodged in my head for quite some time.
Big Mistake, or maybe not! Because sometimes, you need to have that right set of circumstances which mean that you enjoy the book to its full potential, and I think that this was the right time for this book.
As an editor, Sarah Chorn has been involved with some of my favorite books, and now, as an author she has written one of my favorite books.
I have literally only just finished reading this book, so as I am writing this review, you are getting my thoughts unadulterated, without the time to think of one liners or superlatives to try and describe the book.
When you see a review, how many times do you see the line ‘I wanted to like this book but….’ Well I am going to use that line. I wanted to like this book but…… for the life of me I did not expect to like this book as much as I did! It is utterly gorgeous, and I was taken aback by how beautiful the writing is in the book. In fact, just how good everything is in this book. I most certainly did not expect that!
I suspect that if you are reading this, you may have done some investigation of what the book is about. It is a kind of weird west setting, and by that it uses a fantasy version of the wild west to tell its story. However, the wild west that Sarah Chorn writes about is full of colour. She does not give you a name for the people that live in this world. They are humanoid, but their skin, hair and eye tones are made up of the colour of the rainbow. There are green people, orange, violet etc etc..
The book primarily deals with a number of subjects that all have relevance in the real world, life, loss, love, and family, which I am sure you will have seen in previous reviews. But in addition to that, for me, I also recognised division. Not just between class, but between each other, which seemed to be personified by the boundary, an invisible construct that separates the rich inhabitants of the world that Sarah Chorn has built, from the poor. However, it also signifies the division between those that we hold dear and the boundaries that we impose or that are imposed upon us.
One of the things that I found intriguing in the book, is the use of certain fantasy stalwarts, like the magic. Sarah Chorn cleverly does not use a magic system per se. Rather, she uses a magical substance called Shine, which is used for a myriad of purposes and is intrinsic in everything that the world relies upon, from healing to flavouring food. It also has mundane uses like powering lamps, or heating the house. However, it also has a darker side, in that people can become addicted to it, or that it is used for weapons. She also uses other aspects of the fantasy genre, like the unseen dark overlord that rules the land, in the form of Matthew Esco, who whilst being out of sight for most of the book, is a constant presence throughout, and when he does finally enter the story, he is the epitome of the dark overlord.
The structure of the book is interesting too. The story is told by multiple characters in different time periods. For instance, Arlen’s story is told in the relative present, whilst Cassandra’s is told from the past. However, it constantly hurtles towards the present like a train navigating to it's ultimate destination and bringing us into the present, And then there is Ianthe’s story, which is told in the immediate present. All these stories intersect in some way to finally meet.
In addition to this, the characters are so well written, you can virtually hear them breathing.
As I said earlier, Sarah Chorn's prose is something of beauty. She can make even the mundane sound beguiling. She will effortlessly slip from emotive language that pulls at the heart to describing chopping a tree into logs in the blink of an eye, and I almost cried at that! She is able to convey a sense of tension and foreboding whilst richly describing a walk through a moonlit meadow. It's just.... stunning.
I must say, I was swept along by this book. By the shine of Sarah Chorn’s beautiful writing style, the depth of her story, and I think that this is one of those books that will stay lodged in my head for quite some time.
barb4ry1's review
3.0
Review and rating closer to the publication date but I have mixed feelings about this one.
mohit's review
4.0
Of Honey and Wildfires by Sarah Chorn is a lyrical and emotional experience of grief, sorrow, and love.
The Prose is descriptive of emotions. The author's imagination of portraying human emotions from nature's beauty deserves credit. This makes it a beautiful reading experience through the book, as sorrow expressed with nature's beauty is something I have never read, and it's well done. There are chapters that develop a character from childhood as flashbacks and chapters which happen in present.
It's a mix of First-person and Third.
These chapters progress alongside with a good pace throughout and travel to the present.
The characters get a good amount of time to develop and grow the relationships between them. There are characters to root for in the book. The reading experience with the characters shows grief at a very high level filled with love.
The world is small and enough for the story. It has geographically separated societies. It has horses and trains too.
The magic system is soft which makes it simple to focus on other aspects of the story. It is the basis of societies of rich and poor in it.
Anyone who wants to read a book full of emotions with nature as a part of it. When you know the end is heartbreaking but you want to carry on and read to know what lies ahead for the characters and their relationship at the end.
The Chapter's time-lining of Past Story with Present is done precisely well and reminded me of the time-lining of the movie Dunkirk.
The second book in this series(Songs of Sefate) – Glass Rhapsody is releasing on 30th June 2021. I have pre-ordered the e-book at $0.99/₹74 and looking forward to reading it.
The Prose is descriptive of emotions. The author's imagination of portraying human emotions from nature's beauty deserves credit. This makes it a beautiful reading experience through the book, as sorrow expressed with nature's beauty is something I have never read, and it's well done. There are chapters that develop a character from childhood as flashbacks and chapters which happen in present.
It's a mix of First-person and Third.
These chapters progress alongside with a good pace throughout and travel to the present.
The characters get a good amount of time to develop and grow the relationships between them. There are characters to root for in the book. The reading experience with the characters shows grief at a very high level filled with love.
The world is small and enough for the story. It has geographically separated societies. It has horses and trains too.
The magic system is soft which makes it simple to focus on other aspects of the story. It is the basis of societies of rich and poor in it.
Anyone who wants to read a book full of emotions with nature as a part of it. When you know the end is heartbreaking but you want to carry on and read to know what lies ahead for the characters and their relationship at the end.
The Chapter's time-lining of Past Story with Present is done precisely well and reminded me of the time-lining of the movie Dunkirk.
The second book in this series(Songs of Sefate) – Glass Rhapsody is releasing on 30th June 2021. I have pre-ordered the e-book at $0.99/₹74 and looking forward to reading it.
littlebirdbooks's review
4.0
I’m always on the lookout for hidden gems, so after Chorn had been recommended to me by a few people I decided to jump into Of Honey and Wildfires with news of its sequel on the way and I’m thrilled that I did!
I really enjoyed the way that this story was told in terms of how the narrative was divided up. In addition to changes in character perspective, we also jumped all around the timeline of events too. Now, on paper you may think that sounds confusing, however, Chorn flows between them effortlessly and I found it very easy to keep up and understand what was going on with who and when. In fact, I can’t imagine this novel being told in a linear fashion as there is so much depth of character and plot to explore. Each of the sections come together brilliantly and you can begin to piece together different aspects of the plot which makes for some very satisfying reveals.
Through the regular change in perspective between Cassandra, Arlen and Ianthe we get to see the world Chorn has created, as well as other characters, through very different eyes which I think is very important to see. Although we do get to spend time with different characters, I would have liked to understand certain characters more and see more of them. However, through Chorn’s beautiful writing even though I didn’t have a really strong connection to the characters, I still found myself incredibly moved by them and their situations. Throughout the novel you can’t help but root for them and want the best for them, but you constantly question whether that is even possible for them.
In addition to the three protagonists we also spend a lot of time with Cassandra’s family, at first I wasn’t sure if I liked her father, Christopher, after he just left her with his sister Annie. However, the more we read the more we understand that there is so much more going on. I loved how supportive Annie and Jasper were of Cassandra, even if they were a little unsure of her wildness when they first met her. By the end of the novel, I was completely invested in the lives of all of these characters.
Chorn’s lyrical and poetic writing style instantly had me hooked into the novel, you could very clearly see her own passion for these characters and this world which made the book such a delight to read. There are so many quotes that really pack an emotional punch and cause you to just take a pause to contemplate what is happening. The world itself is very interesting and has a lot more exploration potential, a lot of aspects are touched upon in the book (Shine, the Boundary etc) but not going into too much detail about the specifics of it all. I cannot wait to see more of this in the sequel which I will definitely be picking up!
Overall, this was such an enchanting and emotional read which really delves into the complexities of family and a corrupt society. One which I highly recommend!
I really enjoyed the way that this story was told in terms of how the narrative was divided up. In addition to changes in character perspective, we also jumped all around the timeline of events too. Now, on paper you may think that sounds confusing, however, Chorn flows between them effortlessly and I found it very easy to keep up and understand what was going on with who and when. In fact, I can’t imagine this novel being told in a linear fashion as there is so much depth of character and plot to explore. Each of the sections come together brilliantly and you can begin to piece together different aspects of the plot which makes for some very satisfying reveals.
Through the regular change in perspective between Cassandra, Arlen and Ianthe we get to see the world Chorn has created, as well as other characters, through very different eyes which I think is very important to see. Although we do get to spend time with different characters, I would have liked to understand certain characters more and see more of them. However, through Chorn’s beautiful writing even though I didn’t have a really strong connection to the characters, I still found myself incredibly moved by them and their situations. Throughout the novel you can’t help but root for them and want the best for them, but you constantly question whether that is even possible for them.
In addition to the three protagonists we also spend a lot of time with Cassandra’s family, at first I wasn’t sure if I liked her father, Christopher, after he just left her with his sister Annie. However, the more we read the more we understand that there is so much more going on. I loved how supportive Annie and Jasper were of Cassandra, even if they were a little unsure of her wildness when they first met her. By the end of the novel, I was completely invested in the lives of all of these characters.
Chorn’s lyrical and poetic writing style instantly had me hooked into the novel, you could very clearly see her own passion for these characters and this world which made the book such a delight to read. There are so many quotes that really pack an emotional punch and cause you to just take a pause to contemplate what is happening. The world itself is very interesting and has a lot more exploration potential, a lot of aspects are touched upon in the book (Shine, the Boundary etc) but not going into too much detail about the specifics of it all. I cannot wait to see more of this in the sequel which I will definitely be picking up!
Overall, this was such an enchanting and emotional read which really delves into the complexities of family and a corrupt society. One which I highly recommend!
wordsofapaige's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’m going to start by saying wow, I was utterly blown away by Sarah Chorn’s lyrical writing. It took me a moment to get used to because it’s such a different writing style to what I usually read, but quickly enough I was swept up in the writing.
Of Honey and Wildfires has a Western-meets-fantasy vibe. There’s the Company who control the entire region where Shine is found, and then there’s the people that live within this territory. These people seem to be lacking in terms of technology and medical care found outside the Company territory. It provides a great backdrop for this stunning story.
We follow two characters here, Arlen and Cassandra. Arlen being the son of the Company owner who has never been inside Shine territory before. Cassandra was bought up within the territory, and lived there all her life (mostly anyway). These two make for great point of view characters because they balance each other out really well. Arlen believes that the Company is good, and therefore his discoveries about what is actually happening are incredibly poignant. He comes at the story from almost a very innocent perspective. Cassandra however has grown up in the territory and is aware of what is happening/could happen. It is well known that her father is a criminal and therefore she lives in the knowledge that the Company are after him. For a lot of the story we see her as a child, so she has a certain childish innocence, but becomes a lot more aware of the issues with the Company early on.
I found myself tearing through the story at a rate of knots because I just wanted to know where the story was going. It’s so enthralling and perfect for both fantasy and Western fans alike.
Chorn’s writing is absolutely stunning. Her writing is lyrical, and soft, and she has the ability to reduce you to tears easily. It’s so easy to get swept up in her writing and it gives everything almost a soft edge to look back on. There are twists and turns that I didn’t expect, and it’s full of representation too.
Of Honey and Wildfires is well worth picking up, and with the sequel out imminently now is the perfect time to read it!
wordwilderness's review
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5/5 Stars
Of Honey and Wildfires by Sarah Chorn is a lyrically written fantasy novel inspired by the American Wild West. Honestly, I didn't expect to be dazzled by this book. I'm more interested in dragons and sword fights than horses and gunfights; but Chorn made me fall in love with her colorful fantasy world. She writes with such emotional awareness and knowledge. I knew I had to add more of her books to my TBR after finishing Of Honey and Wildfires.
Writing Style
The plotline follows 3 main characters during two main time periods, which worked well with the lyrical writing style. The missing pieces of the story created an air of mystery surrounding the characters. This type of storytelling can get confusing, but it was executed perfectly. I always had just enough details to keep me interested and guessing at what the author would reveal next.
The only issue I had with the writing (and the book as a whole) was it sometimes distracted me from the actual story. At times I wish the book focused less on the prose and more on what the characters were doing.
Worldbuilding
Surprisingly, the worldbuilding ended up being one of my favorite parts of this book. Worldbuilding isn't usually my favorite part of fantasy, but the magic system in Of Honey and Wildfires is one of my favorites of all time. Chorn seamlessly wove shine oil into her Old West setting while making subtle jabs at American capitalism. I can absolutely believe an addictive miracle medicine would be exploited by the rich at the expense of everyone else. Without being obvious or preachy, Chorn showed how shine oil was used to control the population of Shine Territory. It's obvious that the author put a lot of thought into her magic system and what it would say about the world.
Characters
The characters were all beautifully written and complex. I loved how the author framed violence, love, forgiveness, and grief through them. Lots of books I read have violence without really facing the ugly truth, but Chorn doesn't shy away from addressing all the messy conflict and emotions that go with it.
Recommendation
Overall this was a fantastic read. I'd recommend it to any fan of fantasy, especially someone who loves unconventional worldbuilding and lyrical prose.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Chronic illness, Grief, and Abandonment
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Death of parent
Minor: Child death, Deadnaming, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, and Murder
Further details on DEADNAMING content warning:queenmackenzie's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a powerful novel and no mistake! With lyrical language that will tear open your heart over and over, and characters that breathe and step out of the pages, I couldn’t help but fly through it. Though I was initially unsure of the setting, the frontier out in the Wild West, this book certainly made a case for me trying out more westerns. The longing, freedom, and possibility that ooze out of each character, despite their harsh surroundings, is inspiring and captivating. Shine territory, where the magical oil-equivalent shine has been found, has both a sense of the infinite and entrapment. Wide opens skies, great mountains, and endless fields contrast with the controlling company that owns it all, and the magical Boundary that determines who leaves and who stays.
‘To understand the end, you must know the beginning. I will dissect myself for you.’
The story opens with a haunting prologue, and is then framed by ‘The Interview’ set in the present day and slowly giving us the events that lead up to it. One of those being interviewed is Cassandra, the daughter of a local outlaw who works to undermine the company that owns Shine Territory, and its head Matthew Esco. After the death of her mother, Cassandra’s father leaves her with his sister to be raised in normal society, but his shadow follows her and she remains an outsider to the town. Her story is told from this moment, at five years old, when she is left with her aunt and uncle, and slowly escalates towards the climax of the book.
Alongside this is Arlen Esco’s story, which begins two weeks before the culmination of events, and follows the son of Matthew Esco, the owner of the Territory, as he is sent out to see it for the first time. He soon discovers that certain things are not what he expects, and that these might change the way he views himself and his role in the company. Arlen and Cassandra’s narratives are tied together throughout by the short yet heart-gripping chapters of Ianthe, Cassandra’s best friend and lover, who is slowly and painfully dying from a lifelong illness. These chapters are full of anguish and poetry, and give the book a unique atmosphere, and all three characters are being pulled along towards an inevitable end, linked by invisible threads.
‘ “There’s a land,” he said. “Far, fr away, across an ocean with a whirlpool for a heart. This is where the world starts, and the world ends.” ‘
Though this book deals so closely with grief, loss, and oppression, there is a hope that shines through it, and the ending left me feeling bittersweet. Satisfied, yet mournful. There is a soft magic beneath it all, that unravels the darkness of the events. One of the biggest things that, for me, create this aura is the story of Sefate, which appears a few times throughout. It is a story told to Arlen by his governess, about the tree at the start of the world. This briefly mentioned myth stayed with me, and made me nod in appreciation at the source of the series name: The Songs of Sefate.
With Of Honey and Wildfires, Sarah Chorn has created a brilliantly balanced world of possibility and fate, and I urge readers of all genres to submerge themselves into her writing, with its lyrical style and incredible character work. Plus, the cover of the book alone should be enough to convince anyone to pick it up!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness
Moderate: Death and Suicide