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A review by livtheninth
First, Become Ashes by K.M. Szpara
3.0
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Tor, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
First of all, let it be known that K M Szpara is an incredibly talented author, and whatever he releases into the world, I will read it first chance I get. I really can't wait to see what he does next.
First, Become Ashes is a story about leaving an abusive upbringing behind and finding who you are beyond the pain. About cult brainwashing through (quite explicit) sexual abuse, and about deprogramming and reclaiming your sexuality after coming out the other side of the hell you've been through. It's also very much about magic - rites, rituals and spells as well as the magic that comes from love and chosen familial bonds.
These are all narratives that Szpara handles well. Particularly when it comes to the themes of sexual abuse and healing, I feel the story is nuanced in a way that I've rarely found anywhere else in fiction. This is something that I loved about his previous novel, Docile, as well. As a survivor of sexual abuse, I appreciate the care that Szpara takes to portray these things in a very real, yet non-exploitative manner.
First, Become Ashes has what I would call unreliable narration pretty much throughout the whole story. I find, after finishing the book, that I'm not sure I trust any of the four POV characters to fully see the truth of things. I like that in a book. Is this magical realism? Is it straight up urban fantasy with real magic coursing through its pages? You'll have to read it to form your own opinion. The only thing I know is that I don't know. And as a reader, I'm pretty comfortable with that.
Having said that, I didn't end up enjoying this as much as I did Szpara's previous novel. This has absolutely nothing to do with how this second novel was written as a whole (wonderfully, exquisitely) or the subject matter (original and thought-provoking). Personally, I just loved the characters and the dystopian premise of Docile far more. However, I will still recommend this book to anyone who wants a fairly unique take on cults, tons of great representation across the board and an engaging adventure from one of the most interesting and talented authors of this generation. Like I said, I honestly can't wait to see what he does next.
First of all, let it be known that K M Szpara is an incredibly talented author, and whatever he releases into the world, I will read it first chance I get. I really can't wait to see what he does next.
First, Become Ashes is a story about leaving an abusive upbringing behind and finding who you are beyond the pain. About cult brainwashing through (quite explicit) sexual abuse, and about deprogramming and reclaiming your sexuality after coming out the other side of the hell you've been through. It's also very much about magic - rites, rituals and spells as well as the magic that comes from love and chosen familial bonds.
These are all narratives that Szpara handles well. Particularly when it comes to the themes of sexual abuse and healing, I feel the story is nuanced in a way that I've rarely found anywhere else in fiction. This is something that I loved about his previous novel, Docile, as well. As a survivor of sexual abuse, I appreciate the care that Szpara takes to portray these things in a very real, yet non-exploitative manner.
First, Become Ashes has what I would call unreliable narration pretty much throughout the whole story. I find, after finishing the book, that I'm not sure I trust any of the four POV characters to fully see the truth of things. I like that in a book. Is this magical realism? Is it straight up urban fantasy with real magic coursing through its pages? You'll have to read it to form your own opinion. The only thing I know is that I don't know. And as a reader, I'm pretty comfortable with that.
Having said that, I didn't end up enjoying this as much as I did Szpara's previous novel. This has absolutely nothing to do with how this second novel was written as a whole (wonderfully, exquisitely) or the subject matter (original and thought-provoking). Personally, I just loved the characters and the dystopian premise of Docile far more. However, I will still recommend this book to anyone who wants a fairly unique take on cults, tons of great representation across the board and an engaging adventure from one of the most interesting and talented authors of this generation. Like I said, I honestly can't wait to see what he does next.