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rowena_m_andrews's review
5.0
I have been waiting for this book ever since it was announced, and was staring at my kindle waiting for it at midnight. I have just finished it and I am blown away. It was a beautiful, twisting read from start to finish, and I will be reading this one over and over. I adored the characters, and the ways their stories were interwoven, and gods did I feel for them.
I am going to do a longer review today/tomorrow as it is 3am and I have the book hangover of book hangovers, and my heart is very full right now.
*** Updated***
https://beneathathousandskies.com/2020/04/28/book-review-of-honey-and-wildfires-sarah-chorn/
I am going to do a longer review today/tomorrow as it is 3am and I have the book hangover of book hangovers, and my heart is very full right now.
*** Updated***
https://beneathathousandskies.com/2020/04/28/book-review-of-honey-and-wildfires-sarah-chorn/
cpark2005's review
4.0
Do you want the rugged majesty of the Old West, the sense of exploration—and exploitation—but wrapped in a world filled with fascinating magic? Of Honey and Wildfires by Sarah Chorn is exactly what you’re looking for. This isn’t some Old West inspired action flick, however. There is a quality and depth to the characters that carries the story along and makes it something special.
Chorn’s fantasy yarn is unique and engaging. Set in a wonderfully realized world, it takes many cues from the Old West that inspired it but departs in some interesting ways. Instead of coal and oil powering the movement west, there is a mysterious, magical substance known as “shine.” Shine powers technology, allows healing, and facilitates communication over vast distances, among many other things. However, there is a cost to this, as using shine too much results in addiction. Add to this a single corporation that controls all the shine and you have a recipe for exploitation. In this world ruled by shine, it’s the characters that burn more brightly than anything else. Each of the viewpoint characters are engaging and as I read, I didn’t find myself preferring one character to another. They’re all telling the same story, certainly, but from angles that are each different. Each of the characters are also deeply flawed, hurting people. But this is far from grimdark. All the characters also find ways to celebrate and find joy in the mundane, little moments of life. This is one of the things about the story that really connected with me. There are big, important things happening in the world. The characters have a front row seat. But the story is truly about the lives of these characters. Chorn has a way of crafting characters that are relatable while being different. Of course, the world building also draws you into the story. One of the most refreshing things about that world building is that while it’s inspired by the American Old West, the focus isn’t so much on steam power or black powder—which you often find in this sort of fantasy. Shine takes the place of steam or powder, and really allows the story to focus on the characters. In this way the world building and characters mutually reinforce one another. I love when world building and characters work together toward the benefit of the story, rather than feeling disparate.
There were one or two things that didn’t work as well for me. The largest of these is that the viewpoints we enjoy are set in slightly different time periods. One viewpoint starts a decade or so in the past and moves forward, jumping a couple years at a time. Another starts “weeks ago,” and moves toward the climax from there. A third starts days ago. There are also changes in tense between the viewpoints. These things weren’t bad. But it was perhaps a little confusing initially and took me a little while to settle into. Once I did, it felt like it flowed naturally.
Of Honey and Wildfires is an emotional, character-driven fantasy. It doesn’t rush, but moves along at an even pace letting you feel with the characters, experiencing their moments of small joy and triumph, as well as their moments of heartache and pain. Certain to appeal to those looking for something unique and fresh.
8.5/10
4.25/5 stars.
5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing
Chorn’s fantasy yarn is unique and engaging. Set in a wonderfully realized world, it takes many cues from the Old West that inspired it but departs in some interesting ways. Instead of coal and oil powering the movement west, there is a mysterious, magical substance known as “shine.” Shine powers technology, allows healing, and facilitates communication over vast distances, among many other things. However, there is a cost to this, as using shine too much results in addiction. Add to this a single corporation that controls all the shine and you have a recipe for exploitation. In this world ruled by shine, it’s the characters that burn more brightly than anything else. Each of the viewpoint characters are engaging and as I read, I didn’t find myself preferring one character to another. They’re all telling the same story, certainly, but from angles that are each different. Each of the characters are also deeply flawed, hurting people. But this is far from grimdark. All the characters also find ways to celebrate and find joy in the mundane, little moments of life. This is one of the things about the story that really connected with me. There are big, important things happening in the world. The characters have a front row seat. But the story is truly about the lives of these characters. Chorn has a way of crafting characters that are relatable while being different. Of course, the world building also draws you into the story. One of the most refreshing things about that world building is that while it’s inspired by the American Old West, the focus isn’t so much on steam power or black powder—which you often find in this sort of fantasy. Shine takes the place of steam or powder, and really allows the story to focus on the characters. In this way the world building and characters mutually reinforce one another. I love when world building and characters work together toward the benefit of the story, rather than feeling disparate.
There were one or two things that didn’t work as well for me. The largest of these is that the viewpoints we enjoy are set in slightly different time periods. One viewpoint starts a decade or so in the past and moves forward, jumping a couple years at a time. Another starts “weeks ago,” and moves toward the climax from there. A third starts days ago. There are also changes in tense between the viewpoints. These things weren’t bad. But it was perhaps a little confusing initially and took me a little while to settle into. Once I did, it felt like it flowed naturally.
Of Honey and Wildfires is an emotional, character-driven fantasy. It doesn’t rush, but moves along at an even pace letting you feel with the characters, experiencing their moments of small joy and triumph, as well as their moments of heartache and pain. Certain to appeal to those looking for something unique and fresh.
8.5/10
4.25/5 stars.
5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing
rossc's review
3.0
I liked the premises and the world building, this magical Far West filled with colourful people was interesting to read.
The writing style was also beautiful (I especially enjoyed Ianthe’s POVs, they were very poetic and delicate).
I wish I was invested more in the story and in the characters fate, but alas I felt quite bored sometimes.
I’m still very pleased to have read it and I'm happy to have discovered a fantasy story with diverse characters, that's not something easy to find sadly!
The writing style was also beautiful (I especially enjoyed Ianthe’s POVs, they were very poetic and delicate).
I wish I was invested more in the story and in the characters fate, but alas I felt quite bored sometimes.
I’m still very pleased to have read it and I'm happy to have discovered a fantasy story with diverse characters, that's not something easy to find sadly!
aconitecafe's review
5.0
If you were looking for a typical fantastical read, that has magic, politics, love and heartbreak- I'm sorry to say this isn't it. Nothing Sarah Chorn writes is typical, but it is all must read.
She weaves poetic words into an intoxicating vision that tears your heart out and attempts to put it back in only to rip it out again. I could read this book a thousand times and still be just as affected by the beauty in her words, while taking away different themes and meanings with each read. I cried in so many places, so much sadness, but also tears of joy. How can a book make you so freaking sad, but also fill you with hope?!
The world building is fantastic, could totally see it playing out as such in a current society. Replace the word Shine with any coveted resource, and monsters will be created to try and monopolize it. I adored the use of timeline jumping and multi POVs. Gave the story a depth and transcends storytelling as we usually see it.
Having a terminally ill child, Ianthe's character struck home a little too hard for me. Ugh, I could rave about how well written the characters in this book are FOREVER!
This book includes: deep family values, love/hate, loss/acceptance, morally grayness, and LGBT characters written so fluidly/perfect it was one of the most natural depictions I've read, all tied up in a nice little package.
You'll love this book if you love multi pov character stories, with deep seeded messages to ponder, and books that make you feel.
She weaves poetic words into an intoxicating vision that tears your heart out and attempts to put it back in only to rip it out again. I could read this book a thousand times and still be just as affected by the beauty in her words, while taking away different themes and meanings with each read. I cried in so many places, so much sadness, but also tears of joy. How can a book make you so freaking sad, but also fill you with hope?!
The world building is fantastic, could totally see it playing out as such in a current society. Replace the word Shine with any coveted resource, and monsters will be created to try and monopolize it. I adored the use of timeline jumping and multi POVs. Gave the story a depth and transcends storytelling as we usually see it.
Having a terminally ill child, Ianthe's character struck home a little too hard for me. Ugh, I could rave about how well written the characters in this book are FOREVER!
This book includes: deep family values, love/hate, loss/acceptance, morally grayness, and LGBT characters written so fluidly/perfect it was one of the most natural depictions I've read, all tied up in a nice little package.
You'll love this book if you love multi pov character stories, with deep seeded messages to ponder, and books that make you feel.
bookswithjk's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What I appreciated the most was that the author did not tell us what the Boundary and the shine do in the first few pages of the story.
We begin with a mystery, and the different perspectives that follow provide us with context. Instead of being told in three pages, we’re slowly introduced to the idea of the Boundary and the shine through a tale of love and loss and the power of greed at the expense of human lives. The only thing I would argue is that Arlen accepts his new circumstances rather too quickly for my liking.
This book was not what I expected, but I did love the story nonetheless.
We begin with a mystery, and the different perspectives that follow provide us with context. Instead of being told in three pages, we’re slowly introduced to the idea of the Boundary and the shine through a tale of love and loss and the power of greed at the expense of human lives. The only thing I would argue is that Arlen accepts his new circumstances rather too quickly for my liking.
This book was not what I expected, but I did love the story nonetheless.
kittyg's review
4.0
*I was sent a review copy by the author but my review is my honest opinion*
This story is beautifully written and harrowing. It's a story of family and friends, community and loss. It's a tale of a sad past and a bleak future. We follow a few different characters, and all of their lives are lies and half-truths. They hide things because the have to, or hide things because they just don't know the reality.
The world we follow uses 'shine' as currency. It's mined and supplied by the Company, and it has magical properties like being able to restore rotten foods, used for light and power and more. The shine is a valuable commodity, and the boundary is a massive barrier made of shine which won't let anyone through without a magical potion... Except... A few...
Our main characters are Ianthe, Cass and Arlen. Ianthe is a town girl hiding her condition and good friends with Cass. Cass is the real main character with the father who lives in the wilds as an outlaw. She has strange abilities which means shine doesn't work on or for her, and she has to hide a lot of herself from the men who watch her for any sight of her father. Arlen is heir to the company, and he comes to see just what shine is. Along the way he's caught by someone who will change his whole life and offer him truths he nerve expected.
The book is beautifully crafted and skips around in time but still tells a story of these characters' lives. I really enjoyed it once I got to know them and the world and it's a quick but deep read. As always Sarah's writing is stunning and evocative, and I certainly recommend this and would read more in this world. 4*s from me :)
This story is beautifully written and harrowing. It's a story of family and friends, community and loss. It's a tale of a sad past and a bleak future. We follow a few different characters, and all of their lives are lies and half-truths. They hide things because the have to, or hide things because they just don't know the reality.
The world we follow uses 'shine' as currency. It's mined and supplied by the Company, and it has magical properties like being able to restore rotten foods, used for light and power and more. The shine is a valuable commodity, and the boundary is a massive barrier made of shine which won't let anyone through without a magical potion... Except... A few...
Our main characters are Ianthe, Cass and Arlen. Ianthe is a town girl hiding her condition and good friends with Cass. Cass is the real main character with the father who lives in the wilds as an outlaw. She has strange abilities which means shine doesn't work on or for her, and she has to hide a lot of herself from the men who watch her for any sight of her father. Arlen is heir to the company, and he comes to see just what shine is. Along the way he's caught by someone who will change his whole life and offer him truths he nerve expected.
The book is beautifully crafted and skips around in time but still tells a story of these characters' lives. I really enjoyed it once I got to know them and the world and it's a quick but deep read. As always Sarah's writing is stunning and evocative, and I certainly recommend this and would read more in this world. 4*s from me :)
bibliotropic's review
5.0
I’ve been a fan of Chorn’s writing style since reading Seraphina’s Lament in 2019. She has a brilliant evocative style that drew me in, turning emotions into landscapes in a way that felt downright poetic. That same style is evident in Of Honey and Wildfires, though I found that this one had a much stronger focus on the narrative than Seraphina’s Lament. It might be because her first novel dealt with events happening on a massive scale, changing how the very world worked, whereas here, the story has a narrower focus. One small area, a few primary characters. It’s a different scope, but Chorn deals with it just as well.
Of Honey and Wildfires is a fantasy Western, at its heart, taking heavy inspiration from the American West during the 1800s. The setting is Shine Territory, a place where shine is pulled from the world and is infused into everything. Shine is like magic, only with a physical form. Add some shine to food and it will taste better. Use it to make ammunition for guns. Give undiluted shine to a person and grant them temporary psychic powers, but also make them terribly addicted. Shine production and distribution is controlled by Shine Company, and is a blessing and a curse for pretty much everyone involved with it. Life gets better with it, but at the cost of the lives of those who mine it or pulls it up from wells.
Your basic capitalist scheme that values profits over people, basically.
While I don’t think that Chorn intended to write a book about worker exploitation specifically, that element is definitely present in the text, and it’s nearly impossible to ignore. One of the protagonists, Arlen, is the son of the head of Shine Company, sent out to Shine Territory to further company interests, sees firsthand how brutal lives of the company’s workers can be. Children in the mines, company propaganda about how kids working is a good thing because they help take care of their families, the benefits given to the people who agree to become addicts for the company’s sake… It’s not a pretty world, and the company byline clashes with the brutal reality of the situation, and early on the weight of the situation comes crashing down around Arlen’s head. He recognizes that his life has been immensely privileged, living off the benefits of an exploitative system, and the real meaning of that hits home when he sees the people who are being exploited for his comfort.
Arlen’s viewpoint isn’t the only one followed in the novel. There’s also Cassandra, daughter of an outlaw who works to shut down Shine Company, sent to live with extended family to keep her safe. Cassandra’s childhood isn’t an easy one, being markedly different from the people in Shine Territory, and also having a known outlaw for a father, but she’s a fascinating character, strong and stubborn and devoted to the things and people dear to her.
Cassandra’s one of those characters to whom things happen, whereas Arlen is one who has greater impact on the events he takes part in. True, Arlen still gets dragged along for rides now and again, but his is definitely the more action-oriented viewpoint, whereas much of Cassandra’s story involves the simple telling of a complicated life. Her narrative is compelling, to be sure, since she occupies a rather unique place in the world, but in many ways, hers is a more passive role. She could have been removed from the story as very little would have changed, since most of the main story elements were in the hands of Arlen and Chris, Cassandra’s father. The narrative would be poorer for her absence, since her tone and style are quite different from Arlen’s, but if her chapters were removed, most of what readers would lack would be context. Cassandra’s chapters are the emotional connection in many ways.
Now, I’m a bit torn on how I feel about this, to be honest. In one way, Cassandra’s character dips into some problematic territory. Her relationship with her best friend Ianthe ends somewhat tragically (this is foreshadowed heavily early on, so it’s not a massive spoiler to say so, I figure), which adds her to a large list of “queer characters who lose their lover in a tragic fashion.” Combined with her more passive role in the story, especially when compared to Arlen, it’s easy to categorize her as “a woman who isn’t really necessary to anything.”
But as accurate as those criticisms may be, they also do a disservice to Cassandra’s character. She may have a more passive role in the tale, but her parts of the story are still interesting. With her, you get context. You get to see how many people in Shine Territory live, what their lives are like, what their concerns are. I love reading this sort of thing. One of my earliest complaints with learning history in school was that we always got taught the big events, the major players in how things changed, but we never got anything about how the general populace lived out their lives. Wars occurred to determine who sat on a throne, but for your average labourer, their lives went on as they always did, and I wanted to know about those lives. That is, in essence, Cassandra’s viewpoint. She gives that everyday context that provides the counterpoint to Arlen’s experiences, and yes, I know that “woman who exists to further a man’s story” is also a damaging trope, but I don’t think Cassandra quite falls into that one, since she can absolutely carry her own story.
It just happens that her own story had less action and less impact to Shine Territory in the end. But it was no less interesting than Arlen’s, and I think it’s a testament to Chorn’s skill with writing that she can create a character who has less impact but is nevertheless just as compelling to read about.
I don’t know if there’ll be any more to Cassandra and Arlen’s connected story. Of Honey and Wildfires could be a standalone novel and work perfectly, a short glimpse into a fascinating aspect of a fantasy world that isn’t any more than it needs to be. At the same time, the world and characters are interesting enough that I absolutely want to see more, to see what has changed now that this book has ended and Shine Territory isn’t what it was in the beginning. It feels like there could easily be more stories set in the world, and I’m down for reading them. If the true tale is only beginning, I want to be there at the end. But I could still be satisfied with this one novel, if that’s all there needs to be. I do enjoy books that can stand on their own merits without needing to be half finished or give cliffhanger endings to keep me interested, and Of Honey and Wildfires definitely checks that box.
If you enjoyed Chorn’s other work, then you’ll similarly love this one. It’s an engaging story in an uncommon fantasy setting, and it’s written with the same beautiful and evocative style that I’ve grown accustomed to with Chorn. This is a novel that deserves a place on your bookshelves, with plenty to say and a compelling way of saying it. Do yourself a favour and dip your toes into this Western-inspired shine-soaked world that is sure to make an impression.
(Book received in exchange for an honest review.)
Of Honey and Wildfires is a fantasy Western, at its heart, taking heavy inspiration from the American West during the 1800s. The setting is Shine Territory, a place where shine is pulled from the world and is infused into everything. Shine is like magic, only with a physical form. Add some shine to food and it will taste better. Use it to make ammunition for guns. Give undiluted shine to a person and grant them temporary psychic powers, but also make them terribly addicted. Shine production and distribution is controlled by Shine Company, and is a blessing and a curse for pretty much everyone involved with it. Life gets better with it, but at the cost of the lives of those who mine it or pulls it up from wells.
Your basic capitalist scheme that values profits over people, basically.
While I don’t think that Chorn intended to write a book about worker exploitation specifically, that element is definitely present in the text, and it’s nearly impossible to ignore. One of the protagonists, Arlen, is the son of the head of Shine Company, sent out to Shine Territory to further company interests, sees firsthand how brutal lives of the company’s workers can be. Children in the mines, company propaganda about how kids working is a good thing because they help take care of their families, the benefits given to the people who agree to become addicts for the company’s sake… It’s not a pretty world, and the company byline clashes with the brutal reality of the situation, and early on the weight of the situation comes crashing down around Arlen’s head. He recognizes that his life has been immensely privileged, living off the benefits of an exploitative system, and the real meaning of that hits home when he sees the people who are being exploited for his comfort.
Arlen’s viewpoint isn’t the only one followed in the novel. There’s also Cassandra, daughter of an outlaw who works to shut down Shine Company, sent to live with extended family to keep her safe. Cassandra’s childhood isn’t an easy one, being markedly different from the people in Shine Territory, and also having a known outlaw for a father, but she’s a fascinating character, strong and stubborn and devoted to the things and people dear to her.
Cassandra’s one of those characters to whom things happen, whereas Arlen is one who has greater impact on the events he takes part in. True, Arlen still gets dragged along for rides now and again, but his is definitely the more action-oriented viewpoint, whereas much of Cassandra’s story involves the simple telling of a complicated life. Her narrative is compelling, to be sure, since she occupies a rather unique place in the world, but in many ways, hers is a more passive role. She could have been removed from the story as very little would have changed, since most of the main story elements were in the hands of Arlen and Chris, Cassandra’s father. The narrative would be poorer for her absence, since her tone and style are quite different from Arlen’s, but if her chapters were removed, most of what readers would lack would be context. Cassandra’s chapters are the emotional connection in many ways.
Now, I’m a bit torn on how I feel about this, to be honest. In one way, Cassandra’s character dips into some problematic territory. Her relationship with her best friend Ianthe ends somewhat tragically (this is foreshadowed heavily early on, so it’s not a massive spoiler to say so, I figure), which adds her to a large list of “queer characters who lose their lover in a tragic fashion.” Combined with her more passive role in the story, especially when compared to Arlen, it’s easy to categorize her as “a woman who isn’t really necessary to anything.”
But as accurate as those criticisms may be, they also do a disservice to Cassandra’s character. She may have a more passive role in the tale, but her parts of the story are still interesting. With her, you get context. You get to see how many people in Shine Territory live, what their lives are like, what their concerns are. I love reading this sort of thing. One of my earliest complaints with learning history in school was that we always got taught the big events, the major players in how things changed, but we never got anything about how the general populace lived out their lives. Wars occurred to determine who sat on a throne, but for your average labourer, their lives went on as they always did, and I wanted to know about those lives. That is, in essence, Cassandra’s viewpoint. She gives that everyday context that provides the counterpoint to Arlen’s experiences, and yes, I know that “woman who exists to further a man’s story” is also a damaging trope, but I don’t think Cassandra quite falls into that one, since she can absolutely carry her own story.
It just happens that her own story had less action and less impact to Shine Territory in the end. But it was no less interesting than Arlen’s, and I think it’s a testament to Chorn’s skill with writing that she can create a character who has less impact but is nevertheless just as compelling to read about.
I don’t know if there’ll be any more to Cassandra and Arlen’s connected story. Of Honey and Wildfires could be a standalone novel and work perfectly, a short glimpse into a fascinating aspect of a fantasy world that isn’t any more than it needs to be. At the same time, the world and characters are interesting enough that I absolutely want to see more, to see what has changed now that this book has ended and Shine Territory isn’t what it was in the beginning. It feels like there could easily be more stories set in the world, and I’m down for reading them. If the true tale is only beginning, I want to be there at the end. But I could still be satisfied with this one novel, if that’s all there needs to be. I do enjoy books that can stand on their own merits without needing to be half finished or give cliffhanger endings to keep me interested, and Of Honey and Wildfires definitely checks that box.
If you enjoyed Chorn’s other work, then you’ll similarly love this one. It’s an engaging story in an uncommon fantasy setting, and it’s written with the same beautiful and evocative style that I’ve grown accustomed to with Chorn. This is a novel that deserves a place on your bookshelves, with plenty to say and a compelling way of saying it. Do yourself a favour and dip your toes into this Western-inspired shine-soaked world that is sure to make an impression.
(Book received in exchange for an honest review.)