I read this a while ago, but forgot to write a review! I found this twist on the classic Odyssey story fantastic. I thought it was fun and loved having the experience of reading a story by a Filipina-American author.

It feels weird to review a preview of a book, but I'm trying to get my feedback ratio up, This was ok, but I don't care enough to read the rest of the book.

I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. It was fast paced and intriguing to follow all the characters of the story. Thjs book was described as The Outsiders meets the Iliad and it definitely delivers. I just wish that the ending wasn't as rushed since the climax was so good. It was a fantastic debut novel and I can't wait to see what Shannon Price comes up with next.

Trigger Warnings: violence, murder, death of a child, self harm, depression, gun violence, underage drinking

It just wasn’t for me. I did not hate the book, I just didn’t feel invested in it. The story idea was good, but I had to push myself to read it.

Overall, I think it just needs more Oomph.

I really enjoyed this book. The premise was interesting and it was really easy to get hooked. I loved the characters and their relations and the Iliad and Outsiders vibes it gave off. The book was fast-paced and kept me interested throughout the novel. Valerie, the main character, found a family among the Stags, which of course was a disfunctional group but what family isn't? It felt very realistic and Valerie was easy to relate to. I was honestly disappointed when the book ended because I was not reading to say goodbye the the world Shannon Price created. I love this book and highly recommend it.

When I requested this I could not get the download to work. Since then I have gotten a new tablet but too late to download. I tried to request from my library and hoopla but both do not have a copy of this book. So I will not be able to read and give my opinion of this book.

Review: 4 Stars

A Thousand Fires was an absolutely incredible read that I found myself tearing right through. Books that are about criminals are my catnip, so I’m not surprised that I loved this book about gang wars in San Francisco. A Thousand Fires is marketed as a re-telling of The Illiad and while I never read The Illiad I know about it and I know a lot about Greek and Roman mythology. I had expected this book to have some fantasy elements because of the comparison, but there weren’t any. Typically I would be really bummed about the fact that a book I thought would have fantasy elements didn’t turn out to be a fantasy at all, but this book was amazing just the way it was and if I knew it wasn’t a fantasy ahead of time I might not have given it a chance.

By the end of the first chapter I was so intrigued and I knew that I was already hooked by Shannon Price. The plot of A Thousand Fires is about 3 gangs fighting against each other, but the story didn’t just focus on the criminal elements of gang life, but also the politics and corruption of the city. The ways that the gangs contolled the city of San Francisco reminded me of how the mob used to be a controlling force in NYC. The corruption of the city and the politics of rival gangs make this book a fascinating read. This isn’t just a book about gang violence and trivial vendettas, this is also a book about scheming and plotting to help turn a city around.

The plot had me intrigued, but it was the characters that got me so invested in this story. Valerie found a family within the stags and the close relationships between the gang members felt so realistic. Found families are something I love to read about and I think that this one was done really well because I really cared about each character. Valerie was a great main character because she was so relatable and it was easy to sympathize with her. The death of her brother was her reason for getting involved with the Wars and her pain and grief were both conveyed so well that I felt like I really understood her. I think the teenage portrayal of the characters were done very well. I felt like I could see myself during my own teenage years in each of the characters throughout the story. All of the characters felt so real and were written so well.

While the characters truly made the story what it is I don’t feel that I can say that this novel was character driven, or even plot driven. Shannon Price did a fabulous job of balancing an intriguing plot with characters that felt like real people. I’m so glad that I stumbled upon this book because it was so worth the read. I think this was a great debut YA novel and I can’t wait to see what Shannon Price writes next.

The premise sounded amazing and unique, but that's all there is to it, at least for this preview. From what little was included in this, there wasn't enough individuality or personality to snag my attention and want to read more. The MC definitely fell flat for me because it just didn't seem like she had any real defining characteristics to set her apart from any other YA MC. It's a little trite to have her bake because, to me, I've seen that a thousand times and it just...I dunno, it seems a little lazy to throw that kind of hobby at a character, especially this far into the YA genre growth.

This preview really caught my attention and made me want to read the book. I love retellings and I love the concept of an Iliad retelling. I can’t see the connection yet but the story still.sucked me in. Will definitely be checking this one out whenever it’s released.

I have started to read more young adult literature as sometimes it is more appealing and interesting than general adult literature. Why? Possibly because there is still more freedom in youth and children to act impulsively, speak honestly and not be afraid of emotion. And as adults, we tend to forget about emotion, a lot.
This extract began with the need to bake, and I connected with that immediately as I am a baker for the sole purpose to refocus, to reconnect with my thoughts, to calm down, distract and change tact. I am very interested to see where this goes, and will seek out the book in order to discover its journey.

From the extract I received. I am intrigued by the book. It would be interesting to compare it with non fiction on gang culture so that young people could compare the differences between fiction and non fiction writing. As well as the reasons that individuals join gangs.

I liked the idea of this - the gangs and the lands and worlds these kids live. Grabbed at 18 by a gang, you choose to join for 12 months and fight - or decline and go about your world. But things broke down pretty quickly from there. I'm not sure the benefit of joining the gang - why one gang full of "haves" still choose to lose some of their kids instead of sending them away to their expensive colleges.

I also found the plot a bit predictable. I was hoping the ending would turn out a little different and give a twist I thought possible but it didn't do that either. Although I did find the story an adventure and it was easy to read, I didn't find the characters engaging or the story well flushed out or brought together.

An interesting take on gangs in the future, "A Thousand Fires" focuses on a young girl who is out to avenge her dead brother. Valerie hopes to join the tech-centric Herons to avenge the Boar member who killed her older brother, but things don't go the way she hopes as the Stags recruit her instead. Valerie is torn as her ex (but also possibly present?) boyfriend is a Heron, and Valerie must stay loyal to the Stags or she risks her own life. Over the course of the novel, Valerie must protect her family by staying loyal to the Stags while also realizing she might not be able to trust anyone, not even herself.

Okay, wow. That preview though!

I'm absolutely entranced with how this book begins, and I'm desperate to find out what happens next. I was *not* expecting it to take the turn that it did at the end of the first chapter, and I LOVE that.

I can't wait to be able to purchase the book and read what happens next!

A Thousand Fires hooked me so fiercely with the first chapter. Then it lost me in chapter two with a line something like, “He was the hottest guy I’d ever seen.” Le sigh. I hate writing reviews like this, so I’ll endeavour to keep it short. Beware of spoilers below.

First, a quick note about trigger warnings. There is self-harm, depression and potential suicidal moments. I have yet to see anything anywhere about these being in this book. I am not an individual who would be affected by these, but I was shocked when all of the sudden the main character starts cutting. It was out of the blue and frankly not necessary, so please be advised if you are interested in reading this book.

For a book that revolved around gangs recruiting people the second they turn eighteen, gangs they can’t get out of for an entire year, I expected a heck of a lot more … you know, edginess. Instead this was pretty weak, and I don’t know why anyone would call these three groups gangs in the first place. The Boars are just there to f**k sh*t up by not really doing anything. The Herons are the children of wealthy Silicon Valley people. And I guess the Stags are there to stop San Fransisco gentrification? What did I tell you? Weak gangs. There is next to no violence or actual gang work that would have interested me. Instead there is tagging buildings—in water-based spray paint so it comes off no less—plastering streets in flyers, and arranging protests against, you guessed it, gentrification. That’ll stick it to those Herons. When it finally started getting twisty and surprising, it was too late for me to even be bothered to care.

Man, did I ever feel prissy and wholesome while reading this. Apparently the edginess and grit of the book comes from the incessant underage drinking and smoking pot. For a while it felt more like a frat house with five people than a gang. Oh, wait. They’re almost all 18 years old and have nothing to do but bum around in a house the leader’s mama bought for them and feel like they’re dangerous and untouchable. Not my kind of people.

I have a potentially random bone to pick with YA novels, namely when it comes to high school. Unless you were held back a year, there is absolutely no reason why you should be turning 18 years old in November/December and still be in high school. Like why would you do this? Do authors think we’re all too slow to do the simple math and realize that the only people eighteen in high school are those with birthdays between January and June? I turned eighteen the April before I graduated. My sister, eighteen the February before she graduated. Twilight did the same thing and it still bothers me to this day. Valerie turns eighteen sometime just before Christmas and is still in high school when no, that would not be the case. Just call it her gap year and move on.

Overall this felt really cliche, tropey and all around trying too hard to make things seem more than they are in an effort to be emotional and traumatic. Sadly, I don’t think I’ll be looking to read more from Shannon Price.

This excerpt of A Thousand Fires has definitely made me want to read the full book. It has great writing and a strong first chapter that really hooks you in.

It's not the strongest first chapter I've read but I am intrigued to see where this will go.
There are already many important snippets and information that I am sure will be important later and I cannot wait to see what the Stags have in store for Val.

I can't wait to read A Thousand Fires by Shannon Price.

The moment Val is surprisingly recruited by the Boars everything changes. It is clear that she wants revenge for her brother Leo dying. What does this mean for her relationship with Matthew, especially since she just found out that he actually is in love with her and didn't want to break up with her over the summer. There is so much to unpack and I can't wait!

This book has all the elements of an amazing YA read. You need to put this at the top of your #TBR.

Thank you to #netgalley for an excerpt.

Given this brief excerpt this sounds like it has the potential to be a fantastic debut novel with a fantastic original story.

I will definitely be looking this book up when it's released as it totally sounds like my cup of YA/Fantasy tea!

A Thousand Fires is the debut novel of Shannon Price, and is a novel worth checking out. It's a modern-day retelling of The Iliad, with a touch of The Outsiders thrown into the mix. Naturally, that has a lot of readers more than a little bit curious about this one.
In a world where three gangs rule the land, everything is both familiar and dangerous. On your eighteenth birthday, you stand a chance of picking recruited by one of three gangs. If recruited, you're expected to put in a year with them. You cannot leave. You cannot run.
The Herons are the most organized gang of the three. They've got their hands on corporations and politicians. As such, they tend to rule the roost. The Boars are wild and loud, and will do what it takes the stop the Herons from getting bigger. And then there are the Stags. They're the smallest, and some people even believe that they don't exist. Their goals are much more obfuscated than the other two.
Ten years ago Valerie Simons lost her little brother to a gang war. A Boar gang member killed him, even though he was just a kid. Ever since then, Valerie has been working towards getting herself recruited by the Herons so she could get her revenge.
Only, she wasn't recruited by the Herons. Instead, the Stags came to her. And they offered her the chance at revenge that she so desperately wanted. All she has to do is earn their trust before they'll give her a name. Just one name, and she'll get the man who murdered her brother.

“Eighteen – old enough to have had your heart hardened, young enough that blood still passes through it.”

Warnings: This is probably fairly obvious, but this novel contains more than one example of gang violence within its pages. It's never gratuitous, for what it is worth.

A Thousand Fires was a magnificent and emotionally compelling novel. It's a prime example of a character driven plot, with Valerie's pain and determination driving her and the plot forward. It was impossible not to feel the pain and anger she was suffering from, while also hoping that she would find a better path in life.
As a fan of both The Iliad and The Outsiders, I knew that I had to give this novel a chance. Now that I've read it, I can honestly say that it lived up to all of my expectations. You can see the influences here, naturally. But it also felt very much like its own beast as well. The end result was something both unique and amazing.
Valerie's character was dynamic and vibrant. Her pain felt real – like it was emanating from the pages. Watching her get into something over her head made for an interesting read, even if there were times where I felt like screaming at her (have you ever watched a movie and wanted to warn the characters about what was about to happen? It's like that).
The secondary characters were equally interesting. The romantic subplot(s) added a lot to Valerie's story...and her confusion. It was a perfect touch. And of course, it helped to add emotional tension to what was happening.
Part of me is actually a little bit sad that A Thousand Fires is a standalone novel. I would have happily read a second novel in this series. And even a third. I guess that just means I'll have to check out whatever Shannon Price comes out with next.