3.5 stars.

Fast-paced, with a fascinating world, and a really great premise, I tore through this book. There were some characters that I couldn’t get enough of - especially with the vivid and fascinating cast of secondary & tertiary characters. I enjoyed this a lot, and am really hoping for some more depth and world building in the next one!

I do not provide literary reviews but I create "fiction food" inspired by the book. I was given a Netgalley copy of the book by the publicist/author/ magazine publisher to create fiction food (photo + recipes) for use in marketing.

A fantasy with fantastic world building and characters who defy the odds.

http://fictionfood.com/entries/ya-fiction/a-meal-from-girls-of-paper-and-fire-

A fascinating addition to the fantasy young adult world! Great world-building, fantastic characters, and wonderful writing. There are some difficult subjects dealt with in this book, but they are handled well.

Nice worldbuilding, definitely need more LGBTQ representation in YA literature, still could've used a little more heft. Or maybe it's just because there are already a bunch of other YA novels that use the same plot points/pacing.

I really loved the story, very relatable. It has all the great making of a coming of age story. Forbidden love, kingdoms, and hard life situations. I recommend all young ladies should read.

Girls of Paper and Fire is another turn down the diverse fantasy road that is both well done and very necessary. Readers of all kinds need to be able to see themselves in these worlds and Ngan does not disappoint. Though the power of the narrative sometimes falters, a good base is here and good things are likely to follow in sequels.

Trigger Warning: This book contains scenes of violence, cruelty, and sexual assault and abuse.

I picked this book up not knowing too much about it, the cover is gorgeous and the tagline for the book had been popping up and it was enough to make me want to read it.

The tagline:
We might be Paper Girls, easily torn and written upon. The very title we're given suggests that we are blank, waiting to be filled. But what the Demon King and his court do not understand is that paper is flammable. And there is a fire catching among us.

After reading the book, I had mixed emotions. This book was a lot... I knew going in that there would be violence and I also knew about the sexual assault aspect, however I was very surprised to find a F/F relationship. I am perfectly ok with it being there but it was so hidden, and that makes me a bit sad. There was no mention of it in the synopsis. Other feelings about this book, was that it was very intense, all the way through. There is a kidnapping and then the slavery of these girls and their job to please the king, it you don't like intensity in this way, this book will not be for you.

I enjoyed the book, but I feel weird saying that since it had so many violent aspects, but the plot was pieced together enough for it to all come together pretty well. I was not completely in love with it though and I had trouble understanding the world. In the first few chapters it seemed like we were going to get this vibrant exploration of this new world with humans and animal human hybrids and then once the girls arrive at the palace, all of that pretty much fell off. There were no more details about the overall world, and while this may be a symbolic way of making the reader fell like the girls who are imprisoned, I still wanted more as a reader. There is a war coming and I feel like I don't know enough to want to pick up the next book in the series.

The characters were interesting and only a few fell flat for me, but they were not so strong that I need to be in their lives. I am interested to see where the romance leads though and so again it is sad that that aspect was left out of the overall synopsis. If I were looking for a book like this, I would have to find it via the words of others, there is no stumbling upon it (unless you have a wonderful librarian or bookstore helper to add it to an LGBTQ end cap because they happen to know).

So if you are looking for this kind of drama and intensity, this may be for you. If these themes already seem too strong, do not pick this one up, it is very violent in all aspects.

I love the female female romance in this book, it makes it more original than it could have been. There a lot of trigger warnings throughout the book though so I would recommend it to older teens.

Girls of Paper and Fire completely took me by surprise. I wasn't expecting this book to be so powerful or to handle difficult topics so well and in such a sensitive manner. Natasha Ngan does a brilliant job of exploring the societal and individual factors that support the culture of abuse represented in this book. I also love how both of her main characters are survivors, women who piece themselves back together while also finding their power in the process. They're wonderfully multi-dimensional and I love how they grow throughout the course of the novel. Plus the romance was so well done, it felt incredibly natural and precious. I would note that there are a number of trigger warnings in this book, however the author has a list of them at the front of the book (which I loved, I wish more books would do that!).

I'm very much looking forward to seeing where Ngan takes this story next. Girls of Paper and Fire was a brilliant start to a new series. This book was fresh, timely, and very well-written.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

First of all, let’s just get this out of the way. There are really graphic rape and attempted rape scenes, and it was upsetting. I felt sick after and needed to go have a chat with my bestie because I was so upset. Do not read this if you don’t like graphic violence, or can be triggered by violence and sexual assault scenes in books. I’m sure it was written this way to really show how horrific sexual assault is, but I found it unnecessary and harmful.

What I did like? The writing style which was very descriptive and magical. It made it easy to picture the setting and the characters. I also really enjoyed the f/f romance. Like, I loved that part so deeply. It was passionate, curious, sexy, and sweet. THAT was well-written. I was rooting for them, and I loved seeing them find happiness in each other.

The novel highlights how women have been and continue to be valued only for the pleasure their bodies can give men. It also covers the topic of consent and how that can look different for every woman. But, and here’s where the book goes wrong, it seems to say that Lei is better than the other Paper Girls because she physically fights back against the king when he tries to have sex with her. This is wrong on so many levels, one of which being that it contradicts itself and its message. She is not stronger for fighting back. All of the girls were terrified of the king and suffered PTSD. They felt like they were given no voice and no choice, raised as they were to be groomed for the potential “honour” of being the king’s concubines. Lei was not raised with the knowledge that she’d potentially be a Paper Girl, so she has a different experience, yes. She was far removed from the court and was not from a noble family. But the other girls in no way want to be concubines.

After everything the girls are put through - and we readers are put through - I had hope the ending would be powerful. But the epilogue undoes that feeling and made me angry. Why did we read this upsetting tale if the powerful ending was going to be ripped away?

What an enthralling and well-crafted story! The social commentary was on point and Ngan's world-building was beautiful. She handles issues of rape, sexual violence, and trauma with sensitivity. I can't wait to read more by this author.

Wow! I mean first of all, look at how gorgeous that cover is! I’ve been swooning over it since the reveal, long before it was due to come out.

This book was just absolutely stunning. It was so unique in how it was told and set up overall and I loved the world-building.

The idea of these “paper girls” being sent to a demon king as his concubines and everything that unfolds. It was unique in its own heartbreaking way.

I loved the fantasy aspects of this book as much as I loved the LGBT+ representation and how real it was. (My biggest pet peeve is when authors attempt to just shove any possible LGBT+ relationships)

I’m so excited to have read this, especially since I ended up receiving a hardback copy and can now read it all over again.

Girls of Paper and Fire is the first installment in author Natasha Ngan's Girls of Paper and Fire series. In Ikhara, where 17-year old Lei lives, there are three castes: Moon, the reigning caste that is entirely demon; Steel, who are endowed with both demon and human elements; and Paper, the downtrodden caste that is wholly human. Every year, the Moon caste’s king selects eight Paper Girls as his concubines. This year, there will be a ninth chosen.

It has been 8 years since Lei's mother was dragged away and disappeared without Lei knowing what happened to her, or if she is even still alive. So, when soldiers once again invade her quiet part of the world, Lei, who has unusual liquid gold eyes, is dragged from her small village to be a Paper Girl. Lei's only salvation is hope in finding word about what happened to her mother, while at the same time, fighting off a ruler who uses the Paper girls as sex objects.

The 8 chosen girls will spend an entire year in the palace, living somewhat in the life a luxury, waiting to see if the King will call one of them to his chamber. Paper Girls are trained in obedience as well as seduction. Some of the girls are more eager to please the King than others like Lei who does everything in her power not to be forced into doing something she doesn't want to do. Things become even more confusing when Lie finds herself drawn to another Paper Girl named Wren who has a few surprises and secrets to be revealed.

I don't normally post trigger warnings, but one might consider that this book involves deep, dark sexual situations, including the apparent use of rape to put a character in her place after she rebuffs him the first time she is called to have sex with the Demon King. It is fair to say that Lei finds herself in a dark place and does everything she can to keep her father and others from being hurt or killed.

Even though being a Paper Girl brings wealth and prosperity to the families of those who are chosen, there's no way not to say that these concubines are well dressed, well educated, and well fed prostitutes. One of the curious storylines is Lei and Wren's romance knowing that at any time one of the other Paper Girls will betray them, and they will be severely punished for their transgressions. But, then, love grows from the most unlikely of places and from the most dire circumstances.

The ending obviously leaves questions and more storylines for another book. I will be eager to see what the author comes up with next, and whether she can top what she did in this book.

“We might be Paper Girls, easily torn and written upon. The very title we're given suggests that we are blank, waiting to be filled. But what the Demon King and his court do not understand is that paper is flammable. And there is a fire catching among us.”

I aboslutely love, and adore everything about this book! For those who liked Memoirs of A Geisha, but want something a little less intense, this will be a good read for your, also if you enjoyed "Empress Of All Seasons" you are going to love this one!

Such great world building, and character development, and I love the love story! So happy I finally picked this one up! Thank you Jimmy Patterson Books for gifting me a copy!

GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE is an immersive and enjoyable read. However, readers should be aware that, because of the subject matter, the story does feature non-graphic rape and violence. Young women are placed into an impossible situation and make the most of it.

GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE has intriguing world building involving a caste system where humans are at the bottom. Most side characters are given time to develop and become more than one-dimensional. Ngan handles serious topics with a deft hand, developing a story about breaking traditions and claiming your power in a world run by men who wield fear as a weapon.

I enjoyed the slow-burn romance between Lei and Wren, though Lei was often the least interesting character despite being the POV. I would devour a book from Wren's POV. I was also unaware this book wasn't a standalone until I read the tacked on epilogue, which destroys the momentum of the original ending. But I highly enjoyed GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE and look forward to more novels from Ngan.

I included this title as part of a speculative fiction roundup on my blog. Details provided directly to the publisher in the next part of this process.

I LOVED, repeat, LOVED, this book. 

The world that Ngan has built contains three castes of people. Paper - regular humans. Steel - humans who have animal/demon physical characteristics. Moon - humans who are predominantly animal/demon, with a humanoid body. Paper is the lowest caste, and includes Lei, a teen girl from a rural province in the country if Ikhara. Though fully human, Lei was born with eyes the color of gold - a very demon appearance. It's these eyes that have caught the eye of one of the Demon King's generals. In an effort to get back into the king's good graces, the general forcefully takes Lei from her home and takes her to the palace to have the role of a Paper Girl - humans chosen to see to the sexual needs of the king. While taking classes, learning skills and charms, she manages to fall in love - and become embroiled in an explosive plot that could kill her. But what is she willing to sacrifice for love and freedom?

For a YA novel, there were a lot of mature and dark moments. Obviously there's violence, but there's also rape, abuse, slavery, forced prostitution, etc. I suggest keeping this in mind when recommending this to younger readers.

Ngan's world building is amazing. She seamlessly weaves eastern mythology and legends into every scene in the book. Bringing to life a culture many of us are completely unfamiliar with. Her writing style is beautiful, with prose that bring everything alive. I understand why some people are choosing to give this story a lower rating, but it's these same reasons that I choose to give it a higher one. Honestly, my review doesn't do it justice.

5 out of 5 baby!

Stefanie Rae

World building could be better. Great wlw romance. Action really picks up at the end. Was just craving a lot more background explaining how things came to be the way they are in that land.

2.5 stars

Trigger Warning: Rape, sexual assault, slavery, forced prostituion

Seven years ago, Lei's mother was taken from her.

And at seventeen, Lei is about to suffer the same fate at her mother—taken from her family by the brutal demon-warriors of the Demon King. But unlike her mother, Lei is forced to serve the Demon King directly as one of his Paper Girls, the forced human concubines for their bull master.

Lei is determined to fight back. She is determined to resist.

But how can the powerless gain power?

And what happens when love steps in the way?

Okay. So I am super conflicted about this book. On the one hand, it has all of the makings of a masterpiece. It deals with incredibly tough topics (see trigger warnings above) to include humanity, a woman's worth, ideas of consent, sexual attraction, being a literal slave without control of your own body (and the complexity of emotions of pleasure, love and attraction to your oppressors), homosexuality, systematic prejudice, and much more.

There's also a distinct Hunger Games aspect to the book, with subjected peoples (the humans) being forced to sacrifice their prized children (virgin daughters) to the slaughter (concubines for the King). The wealthier peoples polish up their daughters and consider it an honor and a way to gain whatever power they can (as worthless humans), while the poor view it as the worst thing that can happen to a person. Being a Paper Girl is both an honor and a curse, although little enough was shown of past Paper Girls to see what their life would be like later (view spoiler)

In addition to all of these issues, it is set in an ethnically diverse culture, based on Malaysia, that shows how dramatically diverse Asia is. It is also #ownvoices and features LGBT rep, two things that I was super excited about.

And yet.

There is something deeply missing in this book. I don't quite know what it is, but most of my frustration revolves around the main character, the Demon King, and the f/f romance.

Women's Love

There is a theme of women as objects throughout this book. It's explored yet not as deeply as I would have liked. While gayness is wholly embraced in this world, for some reason lesbianism is utterly taboo. Women aren't allowed to love other women—despite being segregated away from men.

In this world, women are to be solely owned and possessed by men. They might have their own spaces in the Women's Court, but it is ruled by and overseen by men (despite the female mistresses in charge of the Paper Girl training).

You'd think, in this world of such overreaching patriarchy in the suppression, objectification and segregation of women, that women would bond together and take comfort in each other.

Right?

Wrong.

There is female friendship in this story, but it revolves around men. Specifically, the Demon King.

Even Lei's relationship with Wren is overshadowed and dominated by men. They are literally the pleasurable possessions of the Demon King, and Lei is jealous of every single man Wren is near.

(view spoiler)

The Demon King

This guy was just all over the place, and gave me the skeeves about one million times mostly because of the thinly veiled beastiality aspect of a bull rutting around with human women who are slaves for his personal pleasure.

Add to the fact that he's a handsome bull and the ick factor just skyrockets.

I couldn't get past it.

In fact, I'm just gonna skip right over all of the animal-demon/human stuff because...yeah. Can't.

Aside from that, his characterization was just...everywhere. In one point he's suave and tender, in another he's laughing all over the place, and then he's filled with rage and anger. He's a caricature of a powerful dictator, but without any of the nuance that would allow him to be complex and believable in the role. Even in his monologuing of "oh poor nameless me," it just fell flat.

And his interactions with Lei was so...not believable? (view spoiler)

Lei

Ooooh this girl.

This girl.

There is literally nothing special or worthwhile about her aside from the fact that's she's pretty and has golden eyes. Aside from that, she's a whiny Isabella Swan complete with clumsiness, a snarky mouth and the Demon King's unusual and head-scratching attraction to her.

Any other character would have been flogged or cast the hell out of the Palace with a brand on her forehead for any one of her actions, but not Lei. She's special, for some reason that is definitely never actually seen on the page. She does nothing but complain (yes, I understand that she's a slave with little recourse) and bitch about her fate...a fate that actually isn't as bad as the other girls since (view spoiler)

And her lust after Wren is...disturbing to say in the least. Lei scoffs (rightly so) at the objectification of women by the men of the court, and yet does the. exact. same. thing. to Wren. I just. I dunno.

Ugh, my emotions on this book are all over the place. This was a super crazy long review and I hope that I didn't spoil it too terribly.

The thing is, this book could have been so fucking amazing. It had all of the right elements. It was just missing...I don't even know. It was missing more...connectedness.

Between the characters.

Between Lei and her thoughts/actions.

Between the world and its startlingly late additions in cultures, peoples and mythology.

I don't know if this missing something was because of the James Patterson element (this is the third JPP that I've attempted and the first I've been able to finish) or if it needed just a little more polish to really make this something amazing and special.

With all that being said, I really think that this book will mean something more to others than it did to me.

I did love the diversity and that it is #ownvoices, but the f/f relationship and many themes in the book felt underdeveloped and flat for me. I also loved Ngan's beautiful writing and the scope of this novel. There's just so, so much that was trying to be said.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

I really tried to like this book, but I couldn't get past a teenager becoming a sex slave. That was a bit much to me, as well as the resulting Stockholm Syndrome relationship.