Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately it’s not the book for me. DNF @ 17%.

This was dark and gritty and I was really surprised and how much I enjoyed this. A really unique mystery (with an amazing cover!), 'Daughter of the Burning City' is helmed by an awesome main character and features some pretty consistent and vivid world building. I love that it is a standalone and while the pacing felt a bit all over the place at times, Amanda Foody has a really gripping writing style that kept me hooked throughout.

A darkly magical and enthralling read with a fresh concept, this book really captured my imagination!

A fantastic standalone fantasy set in a vividly imaged circus, there is also a mystery element full of twists and turns that kept me guessing till the end. The writing is amazing and the characters are complex and compelling.

I really cannot praise this one enough, it's a five star read!

This was such a unique read!! I've never read anything like and I was hooked to the book until the very end. I loved the circus setting and the enchanting writing. Highly recommend.

I'm actually shattered- I was halfway through reading this and then my computer restarted, and unfortunately the expiry date for the e-galley had already passed so I lost the copy I'd downloaded. Super sad because I was really loving this.
THAT BEING SAID- the half I did read was so, so good. Really liked all the characters, loved the setting and the magic, and could tell this was gearing up to be a ripper of a book that I know I would have loved had I finished it.

"Gomorrah is a Festival of sin...A city of anti-heroes..." - Daughter of the Burning City

Imaginative, intriguing with fantastic world building. Imagine a traveling festival that is both a city and circus in its own right, it's home to thousands of people with magical skills including fortune tellers, assassins, criminals, mind readers and "freaks". Our protagonist, Sorina is a young illusionist who is able to give life to her illusions and create fearsome illusions that would make the toughest criminals of Gomorrah quake in their knees. Due to being the Girl without Eyes, an orphan and a freak all her life, Sorina used her illusions to create a family that she never had, they became her friends and fellow "freaks" in her popular freak show in the burning city. One day after her show, Sorina discovers that one of her illusions have been murdered. Sorina needed to discover who is targeting her family and must do so quickly before the rest of her family is killed. She will also need to find out why her illusions are getting killed off because surely, illusions cannot die...

I have enjoyed this novel because it's clever, and it's got the carnival-vibe that I love. I really liked the diverse characters, the focus on abilities and not the disability of characters, the coming of age theme, world building and political intrigue. I also like the Sorina and Luca storyline. Due to the world building and character orientation at the start, the plot may seem slow at the beginning but it picks up the pace at about 65% mark of the book. If you're after a magical read with a murder mystery in a freak show, then this is the novel for you!

Magic, and murder, and curses, and a travelling circus? Like many of the review copies I get through NetGalley, I requested Daughter of the Burning City because it sounded cool, and because the cover is beautiful (in fact, I was so enamoured of the cover that I asked Harlequin for a hard copy, and they were kind enough to send one to me) - it turned out to be one of my favourite books so far this year.


I loved this book! The characters were interesting and felt well developed and diverse (in terms of gender, sexuality, background/race, and appearance), and the story was weird and a bit creepy, which is my favourite. It felt original, and the twists were unexpected - I really had no idea what was going to happen next. I've tried to come up with a read-alike to give you, but nothing is coming to mind - which maybe gives an indication of how original it was.


One other very cool thing about this book was the illustrations throughout. Every few chapters we get to see a sketch of one member of Sorina's fantastic family of illusions - I was so glad to have a hard copy, so I could see them properly.


I gave this one four stars, and Amanda Foody's next book (she has one coming in April 2018!) will go straight onto my to be read list!


Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody is out now from Harlequin.
I received a review copy in exchange for an honest review, but only chose to read it because it sounded like something I would enjoy (life's too short to read books we don't think we'll enjoy). All opinions on my blog are my own, and I wouldn't tell you it was good if I didn't really think so. =)

I'm going to start off by saying that I LOVED THIS BOOK.

I was immediately drawn to the premise, and I wasn't disappointed. It was dark and twisted, but also inspiring and magical. I thought Sorina was a wonderful protagonist. She was an immensely interesting character, vulnerable yet strong, flawed and truthful. Whatever happened, I just wanted her to succeed!

I loved the relationship she had with her family of illusions, they all complimented each other, and they were all so wonderful and I loved them all.

I laughed, I cried, I got angry (at things that happened), I cheered, and I just highly, HIGHLY recommend this book.

So it’s not this book’s fault that I was in a reading slump at the time I was reading it and that probably contributed to my rating. There were some genuinely good parts once the plot got going, but I did feel it spent quite a bit of time wandering without much happening.

Daughter of the Burning City tells the story of Sorina, an illusion-worker whose only real family are the illusions she creates. She knows that they’re not real, though… at least, so she thought, until one of them is murdered. But how do you kill something that never really existed in the first place?

For a while, the investigations seemed to be taking forever and nothing was happening. I’ve read a few reviews that claimed the romance never got in the way of the plot, but I would have to disagree. Quite a bit of focus was given to Sorina’s burgeoning crush on Luca, a boy who it is impossible to kill. I did find it interesting that Amanda Foody sought to include elements of demisexuality, though I didn’t really think that Sorina and Luca had known each other long enough when their romance took off for this to be an accurate representation (though I am pretty uninformed on this topic, so take my words with a grain of salt).

I also felt that the style of language clashed with the setting and tone of the book a bit. The book is written in first person and Sorina read more like the heroine of an punchy urban fantasy, rather than something closer to high fantasy.

The world-building was really interesting, though I felt there was a lot of potential that wasn’t fleshed out properly. A lot of the time, I couldn’t quite get my head around exactly how the city-sized carnival of Gomorrah managed to continue existing, how it moved, and how the different magic systems within it managed to operate.

The plot did pick up in the last third and I found myself on the edge of my seat waiting for the killer’s identity to be revealed. It was just a shame that it took a little while to get to that point.

(Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for supplying me with a free copy of this book in exchange for a review)

Whilst this novel started slow, the evocative language and intriguing characters soon sucked me into a whirlwind of flipping pages.
Throughout the entirety of the book I was drooling over liquorice cherries and kettle corn, and picturing every aspect of the burning city in detail.
Every plot twist had me absolutely shocked and I definitely didn't see the end coming.
This is like Caraval, but infinitely more unique and captivating. 4.5/5 stars.

Daughter of the Burning City is another exciting addition to the young adult section this year that not only boasts an impressive, mysterious plot but also a variety of characters each with their own personal touches to this spiralling story. There seem to be more festival/carnival type settings popping up in recent YA and I'm all for that. I love the mysterious danger these places have where the idea of everything being fun and carefree can turn into a deadly game or hunt at the flip of a top hat. Although, since it is such a popular theme lately, I wasn't initially really interested in this book because I've read things really similar in the field the past year and I went past it a few times before I picked it up but I'm glad I did end up reading it because there was a really awesome plot waiting to be discovered inside.

Sorina is a fascinating character because, firstly, she doesn't have eyes, nothing at all there and secondly she has the ability to create "illusions" of people she dreams up in her head that become her family. She is also the adoptive daughter of the proprietor of the travelling Burning City so she's had a relativity normal and sheltered life so far under his protection but stares have always followed her so she often wears a mask when she wonders anywhere and feels most at peace with her family and her Freak Show act at the festival. While she may be blind herself her jynx-work that allows her to create illusions helps her see as a moth becomes her eyes that she can see through much like Sarai from Strange the Dreamer! She's very comfortable in this life she's moulded and her family is something she sees as always being permanent and unchanging until one day she finds one of them dead. It then becomes a burning question of how her illusions are able to be killed and more importantly, who killed them and why?

Honestly, I picked who was behind the murders almost as soon as the first one occurred and while it was disappointing to not be shocked or fooled by the whodunit I was still pleasantly surprised with the reasoning behind the culprit. I can't say I agree with why the villain did it at all but it was ingenious and very, very cool that could be expanded on greatly if there is a second book. I was so upset by one death in particular and also so frustrated that even some of her family members didn't believe someone was targeting them because it was so obviously not accidents, geez! I love when books make me feel that urge to just shake a character though and I think a duology would be perfect because the first one left me wanting more but you still want to leave some mystery!

I also think the pacing of the book was pretty well done too because there wasn't a moment throughout the book where I thought it was slowing down or I was starting to lose interest. The end of the book was, of course, heavy with sudden information as the secrets were uncovered but the start and middle also had great points that kept fueling the fire. I think readers will also enjoy the illustrations of the illusions throughout the book because they give you a better idea of what Sorina's creations look like (because they too have their own quirks and abilities) as well as information about their character. I'd recommend this book to lovers of The Night Circus, Strange the Dreamer and Caraval because they share the same lush fantasy and general setting/plot.

Cover Art:
Both the cover above and the other cover are gorgeous. I especially love the colour and how simple most of it is except the city of tents at the bottom. I also like the smoke around the text representing the smoke over the city.

Writing:
I’m loving Amanda Foody’s writing, especially for a debut author, this book is amazing. The world building in this book was amazing, Foody created a crazy and unique world that was so easy to vividly imagine. I also really enjoy that this is a standalone book, stand alones are unique in fantasy writing and having a book that was this well done and rounded off in 400 pages is remarkable and also refreshing. I can’t wait for what she comes up with next!

Plot:
This book is not only a YA fantasy but also a mystery! This book was unique in every way and had so many unexpected twists and turns that it was hard to put the book down at times. When going into this I wasn’t expecting such a mysterious book so I was joyfully surprised because of it. This book was a bit slower at times, but during those times it allowed for that amazing world development that this book had.

Characters:
I really enjoyed that this book was mostly about family. Sorina was an enjoyable character and I liked seeing her develop. She also always felt real, her struggles were still there, she didn’t just one day wake up as badass female as it seems like most YA characters do after something bad happens.
Luca is a mysterious and interesting character and I won’t share much as I don’t want to spoil anything. But I did enjoy his character, he was loyal even when everything was kinda going to crap.
Kahina was the kind and caring motherly figure that always knew what Sorina needed to hear, even if she didn’t want to hear it.

I also loved all of her illusions, they reminded me of the Peculiar Children in some ways as their gifts and powers were just so unique. They were all so loyal to their family and would do anything to keep each other safe. Some we got to know more than others. Venera was the fun reckless sister and Nicoleta the one that held them all together. I liked Hawk’s gift the most out of them all, I mean who wouldn’t want to be able to fly?!

Overall:
Overall I really enjoyed this book! The world building, the characters, and the mystery are all amazing in this book. This book was beautifully written and I can’t wait to see what’s next from Amanda Foody!

I wanted to love this more than I did. I have a lot of respect for the author's vision and her ambition, but I feel that the execution was a little lacking. This is only her debut novel and it's such an exciting and promising start, but there are definitely areas that needed more work.

Let's start with the positives: this is a stunningly original premise unlike anything I've come across before - most fantasy novels will display at least a couple common tropes, but this was a most unique and unusual standout in my reading experience. I didn't even read the reviews before I requested an ARC because it was so refreshingly different. 

Furthermore, I am THRILLED at the range of diversity in this novel! From the synopsis, I had no idea that there would be so much to delight me; I am always on the lookout for stories that don't promote the heteronormative default, and it was a pleasant surprise to find that our lead is bisexual, her sister is a lesbian and another character is on the ace spectrum (the word 'demisexual' is never used, but strongly implied). It makes me happy that we've moved on from 'issues' books where a character's sexual orientation defines their character and their storyline to books where protagonists being queer is treated in as matter-of-fact a manner as being straight and their sexuality doesn't hold them back or impede their arc. 

"I've always found people's romantic lives rather baffling. Like everyone was gushing about a song that I've never been able to hear...

I guess I don't just look at someone and think...attraction. It takes, I don't know...I have to care about the person first."

I nearly squealed out loud when I discovered that the author was indeed including a demisexual character. At first I thought it was wishful thinking because I tend to try and read subtext into everything, but then it came true!

This lead to a wonderful conversation on boundaries and consent, and it is EVERYTHING. <3 

I also enjoyed the wildly atmospheric carnival setting with its unpredictable, dark and macabre vibes. You could feel danger around every corner, with the dual threats of conservative soldiers out to menace the residents of Gomorrah as well as the unknown person targeting Sorrina's illusions. On this front, chapter art was included with diagrams of Sorrina's illusions from when she first started working on their creation - I liked the childish nature of these illustrations, with the chilling addition of the murderer's notes on how to isolate and murder them. It was certainly effective in adding an element of dread overshadowing seemingly innocent scenes as I waited with bated breath for the ax to fall and another character to be killed off. 

Unfortunately the world-building beyond Gomorrah felt very flimsy - I had a hard time seeing how Gomorrah fit into the political sphere; on one hand, it was meant to be a power to be reckoned with and a major player in the game, but then it was subject to harassment and persecution from common soldiers. How is the proprietor meant to stand toe-to-toe with royalty if their citizens can be assaulted with no repercussions?

Also the carnival itself was billed as dangerous and menacing, but then fancy city folk would titter and merrily traipse around as though it were just another Sunday outing at the park. Of course it's only human nature to be interested in things that are taboo, it would make sense for rebellious teenagers to sneak off to investigate this place, but I don't see prissy rich socialites being allowed to attend such a carnival. 

Being the proprietor's daughter, Sorrina was next in line to lead Gomorrah and we're privy to some of her lessons with her adopted father, Villiam - this could have been interesting, except for the exposition being clumsily inserted in massive info-dumps. And speaking of things that don't make sense in the political scheme of things, how was Sorrina ever meant to be proprietor when she was visibly 'Down-Mountainer' (ie. not white) and labelled a freak as she has no eyes? Hardly anyone within Gomorrah respects her and certainly nobody outside would deal with her, given the rampant hysteria and prejudice against jynx-workers and anyone with deformities.

Further on the topic of Sorrina's physical appearance, I really can't grasp how it is that her abilities allow her to see - I suspended disbelief for the duration of the book because I wanted to enjoy it, but by the end, I was none the wiser how her illusion-working skills enabled her to live life just like a sighted person would and this really bothered me. Ignoring that is a pretty big ask when it's a question of how your POV character is negotiating their world!

There is also a major revelation concerning a main character that happens near the end of the story and I'll refrain from spoiling it for you, but while it seemed clever at the time, in hindsight it MAKES NO SENSE given Sorrina's abilities and how we're given to understand it works with the Strings that she manipulates. 

What troubled me the most was the shallow characterization given to several important characters - Sorrina and Luca are very well-fleshed-out, as are Unu and Du, and Venera and Nicoleta, but the other illusions that form Sorrina's family don't fare as well. Case in point, I completely forgot Hawk even existed until she became important to the plot later on. Plus Villiam as proprietor and father figure should have been developed much more than he was; despite being a key player in the story, I had hardly any feel for who he was and what he stood for. 

Lastly, I had a serious case of deja vu throughout the story - now, I'm an avid Agatha Christie fan and no matter how many people she killed off, it was always fresh and startling and gripping. In this case, after the first death, which is when the story should've picked up its pace, it all became quite rote and hum-drum instead. Sorrina would find another loved one dead, she would sob and cry, then run into her father's arms or Kahina's embrace, and repeat the story and over and over. I should have been sorrowful and sympathizing with her, but that emotional connection just wasn't there. I felt curious to find out how it would be resolved, but the writing didn't engage me enough to shed my own tears. 

In Summary: Unique premise with diverse characters and interesting magical abilities plus a murder mystery that isn't easy to unravel and will keep you guessing. However, your level of emotional engagement in the story may vary given the underdeveloped characters and incomplete world-building.