When I first saw the announcement of this novella, I didn’t even need to know the premise before adding it to my tbr. And when I saw that stunning cover, my excitement only doubled. I had so much confidence that the author would wow me in just a few pages, and I’m so happy to report that I was right.

I find the novella format very fascinating - the less number of pages should realistically not give us enough time to feel invested in the characters or the stakes, but what I’ve realized through reading quite a bit of short fiction in 2020 is that the authors who frequently write in this format are masters at their craft, skillfully able to make us emotionally engaged in the story right from the get go. And that’s exactly what happened here.

Thanh is a very sympathetic character and I instantly liked her, started worrying for her and just wanted her to be safe. I can’t go into details about the other characters without revealing spoilers but every one of them was fully realized, and it was fascinating to me that I was able to glean most of their motivations despite everything being so subtle. The world building is also seamlessly integrated without any infodumps, giving us the right amount of information so that we can follow along with the political intrigue and the diplomatic negotiations. The pacing is perfect, never feeling rushed but also fast enough that’s it’s easy to forget everything else while reading it. And I just can’t say enough about the prose - it was absolutely beautiful and poetic and so very full of feeling.

But the most surprising part of the book was how delicately the author handled some of the themes. The primary one is a critique of colonialism, showing us how arrogant the imperial powers are about their inherent righteousness, calling the others “savages” and subtly threatening to occupy them. We also see how this arrogance manifests in personal relationships, a sense of entitlement that makes them feel that they have the right to love and can’t be denied, manipulating and gaslighting to get their way. The author never tells us any of this though, she makes us feel and understand all of it just through normal seeming character interactions, and I thought it was brilliantly executed.

In the end, all I can say is that if you love short fiction, you can’t miss this. If you love Asian sapphic fantasy stories like I do, then this is absolutely perfect for you. And I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a flawless blend of cutthroat politics, diplomatic maneuvering and a pining romance, set in a lush and beautiful fantasy world.

Here's an unusual romantic fantasy, featuring a lesbian love triangle. It stars dark-skinned young princess Thanh of Binh Hai. 8 years before, she was sent at age 16 to the powerful realm of Ephteria as a hostage. There, she formed a relationship with Ephteria's Princess Eldris, heir to the throne. She also was befriended by Giang, a fire elemental.

Now, home in Binh Hai, she awaits an Ephterian trade delegation. She worries about things mysteriously catching fire around her, as has happened since her return. She's unsettled to see Eldris leading the delegation. When they are alone, they resume their relationship. Then, Giang reappears. After Thanh agrees to be Eldris' consort, she sees a darker side to her fiancee. How will this be resolved without Thanh's home being burnt to ashes?

I had a galaxy brain moment of the 1st of January and decided to start the year with this book, not only because I was almost sure I'd enjoy it but also because it's short, I'd be able to read it in an hour or two, feel accomplished and start the year with a bang. And I'm happy to report I was right about all of the above.

I'm always way of novellas as they tend to be hit or miss for me, I'm either absolutely won over or I'm left wanting a lot more than what was delivered. Luckily FIREHEART TIGER is one of the former, it did everything it set out to do and more. It even managed to have a couple twists and turns that managed to surprise me, especially for such a short read.

There are so many things to love about this book but here are some of mine:

- The worldbuilding: which I think might be divisive for people. If you like detailed worldbuilding that explains every single part of it, this might not work for you, but I loved it. Considering the fact that this novella is around 100 pages, anything more than what was given would have taken up too much page space. And we were given just enough to understand the world, the stakes and fill in the gaps as the story progressed.

- The discussion around imperialism and colonialism. This book is set in a pre-colonial Vietnam-esque world where our main character's country is surrounded on all sides by people and countries who want to bleed it dry and control it. Using the age old colonial excuse of the people being "savages" who surely can't rule themselves. Thanh, the main character, being the princess is trying her best to stave off the colonizers. There were also many more themes explored that pack a punch in a very short amount of pages.

- Thanh as a character. I usually don't connect much to characters in novellas, it's done and over before I can grow attached to them. But here, I surprisingly found myself caring about Thanh and whatever will happen to her next from the get-go. She draws the reader's sympathy pretty quickly. She starts off as this diplomate who's really good at politics and finessing the enemy, but she's also shy, quiet and unsure of her place in the court, especially having grown up outside of the country for so many years, so the legitimacy of her presence and knowledge are often tested and questioned. But she doesn't let up, she perseveres and grows into herself.

- The exploration of abuse. This isn't really something that I expected to find in the book and I won't be going into the what and how of it because of spoilers and because I found that part to be even more impactful because I didn't expect it, but let's just say that we see Thanh being manipulated, gaslit and abused by someone she thought she loved and her only wish was to be worthy of them. But then things go awry and this person's real face surfaces.

A beautiful written novella, packed with story and captivating characters that a longer book can only dream of.

I'm looking forward to read more books from this author.

This is pitched as The Goblin Emperor meets Howl's Moving Castle, but I don't think these comparisons do the book any favours. It promises a lot more than it is able to deliver.

I think all the problems I had with this book boil down to one thing – it was too short.
I love novellas, and they can be very successful. But this story tried to do too much in less than 100 pages.

The story was unique and interesting, set in a world I wanted to know more about and the characters had the potential to be complex. But this book left itself no room to unpack any of this in enough depth. Novellas are successful if they isolate a single part of the story and focus on it alone. This novella tried to explore political negotiations, a (sapphic!!) love triangle, discussion about race, and a fantasy element, leaving none of them space enough to breathe.

None of the characters are developed enough for the reader to feel strongly about them, making it hard to root for them. The romance between Thanh and Eldris is built on no foundation, the only mention of their history given in a few sentences. Had the author built up the romance between them in longer flashbacks to their past I might have felt more strongly about them. Although points for the several mentions of Eldris' sword bouncing against her leg, sapphics love a sword-wielding woman.

I can see what the author was going for, and I just desperately wish she had allowed herself a bigger word count. The book should have started 2 years earlier and been at least 200 pages longer. There is a strong premise and an interesting story hidden in this book, but unfortunately too much of this is left to the reader to imagine themselves.

tw: domestic/physical abuse

Fireheart Tiger is a beautifully nuanced romantic fantasy that features a delightfully dark but also sweetly soft sapphic love triangle, a widely diverse cast of characters and subtle political intrigue.



Thanh is struggling to find stability in herself and her new role as a negotiator for her homeland ever since she was sent away as a political hostage to the foreign country, Ephteria.
Memories of a fire that left the Ephteria palace in ruins haunt her everyday and when a diplomatic party from Ephteria arrive in her southern home, her heart and mind are thrown into a chaos of emotion as she comes face to face with her first love again, Eldris.


Thanh is a deeply emotional and conflicted character and we are drawn into the depths of her mind and heart from the first page, witnessing her struggle to find herself and her path in a world that sees her as less than capable.

Eldris is a warrior princess who knows what she wants and expects to get it, no questions asked. Charming and powerful, Eldris wants Thanh’s heart. But does this magnetic young woman want more than just romance?


This novella is barely 100 pages long yet it packs in a fully fleshed out world and characters into a tiny package, along with a story worthy of a tv series adaptation. *side-eyes netflix*
The story itself is not rushed despite it’s low page count but moves at a steady pace, building layer after layer of character motivations, plot twists and political intrigue until about halfway through.
And it all unfolds or, as the case may be, comes crashing down in the second half to end in a conclusion that left me breathless.
Descriptions are the only thing I would like to have seen a little more of in this novella but given the small page count and the depth to every other aspect of the story, I’ll forgive it easily.

The romance was deliciously written and featured some seriously steamy and also seriously melt-worthy moments and I really applaud how well the writer handled the dynamics between the characters.

It was so refreshing to read about a world inspired by Vietnamese culture as this is something I've almost never come across as a fantasy reader. The themes of colonialism and imperialism were written in a way that I, someone with no connection to Vietnam, could understand the issues faced by Thanh and her people.


Overall this is a story about self worth and self discovery set against a backdrop of complex and shifting political yet fantastical landscapes while also exploring the subtleties of the heart.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this novella.

As soon as I heard about this book I was super hyped; sapphic, Howls Moving Castle & The Goblin Emperor inspired, diverse characters and world...

But unfortunately, this novella felt super rushed and underdeveloped in my opinion. I would’ve loved if this was a bit longer, maybe everything would’ve flowed a lot more smoothly.

However, I’ve loved other things by this author in the past and I’ll continue to read Aliette de Bodard books in the future! The writing style in “Fireheart Tiger” was gorgeous and the characters, world and plot had so much potential.

This is a beautifully written sapphic novella with excellent world-building. I found the descriptions to be absolutely gorgeous and the characters interesting. However, for me where it fell a little flat was the romance aspect. It was a little too insta-love for me. I wanted there to be more development. I have to say I would have happily read a full length novel in this setting, though.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor.com for an eARC of this novella, however all thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

3.5 stars -- This is a really strong novella that definitely entices me to read more from this author! I think the world building was particularly intriguing for so few pages, and I really liked the thematic content suggested by the romantic relationships. I think this would have benefited from being a little longer (possibly a short novel?) or as a part of series, but overall, a really satisfying quick read

The prose in this novella is beautiful (not to mention that cover!), but the stakes weren’t there for me.

I couldn’t quite connect to Thanh, and I didn’t feel invested in her relationships or frustrations—which is SUCH a shame, because this is an incredibly gorgeous world that de Bodard has woven, featuring sapphic characters and a pre-colonial fantasy drawing Vietnamese inspiration.

What really took away from my experience with this book was the romance, which overshadowed the lush world-building I would’ve liked to explore far more.

I thought I could deal with a love triangle in a novella, but I realized that I can’t. Part of this is a function of the form; it’s hard to flesh out relationships in 90 pages, and particularly when you’ve got interesting magic and political intrigue playing out, too. But another part of my dismay comes from the insta-love, and the fact that I can’t fathom the chemistry between any of the characters. I wish we hadn’t been thrust into the romance between Thanh and Eldris (or Thanh and Giang, for that matter); perhaps if this had been a full-fledged novel, we could’ve seen more of the build-up and better understood the depth of their feelings for each other.

Bottom line: High expectations and a not-quite-fulfilling execution have left me wanting. :(

➟ 2.5 stars.



Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This novella just...goes! From the first page until the last, there is so much happening in this expansive world. We meet Thanh, a princess who’s life is often manipulated by those around her, but who maintains a sense of agency and capacity to adapt. Fire seems to follow Thanh and we quickly find out why. Without giving too much away, this a compulsive read that had me wanting to know more at the end.

3.5 stars. Some unhidden spoilers ahead.

Thanh is a younger royal sibling who, like most royals, is groomed to be helpful to her kingdom. She was sent away to a foreign country (Ephteria) at a young age, then returned home and is now acting as a diplomat in negotiations with Ephteria, which is a colonizing force in her home country (a fantasy version of Vietnam). While in Ephteria, Thanh had a romance with fellow royal Eldris. Then the Ephterian palace burned down, under mysterious circumstances.

Eldris arrives to negotiate with Thanh's country and immediately re-starts their romance, which seems to be a metaphor for colonization-- Eldris is powerful and persuasive but seems to be less than honest. Meanwhile a fire elemental, Giang, makes herself known to Thanh and some things are explained about the fire at the palace and fires that have been happening around Thanh.

So ultimately this book is a love triangle between Thanh-- a somewhat immature and naive royal who is trying to get out from under her mother's thumb, Eldris-- a colonizing force, and Giang--a fire elemental who has a tendency to accidentally set things on fire, loses her temper easily, and addresses Thanh as "big sis." I honestly don't want Thanh to end up with either option? Like how is an unpredictable fire elemental with a bad temper a good love interest? Idk.

I enjoyed the writing and I liked the political intrigue at work here.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free ARC, my opinions are my own.

This book was marketed as ‘Howls Moving Castle meets The Goblin Emperor‘ which are both books I have read (though I was less of a fan of The Goblin Emperor). For me personally I didn’t draw too much of a connection between those books and this – beyond the very obvious ideas of fire spirits and uncertain heirs – but maybe that was me being dense. That’s not to suggest I think this book isn’t worth reading – it is – but if you’re going in expecting to get those exact same feelings from this book I think you’ll end up feeling disappointed. Hopefully we’ve all learned to take comparisons with a pinch of salt at this stage but you never know.

I did think this was a good novella, as many will know my criteria for enjoyment of a novella is for it to be both succinct and also satisfying – essentially I want enough plot that it doesn’t feel like a thought experiment and an ending that leaves some things open but does actually finish the story. This book satisfied those criteria which is great – I would say it lingers more on the conceptual ‘leaving things hanging’ side of things than the ‘story focussed’ but that also might just be my interpretation of the book.

One thing I found very interesting was that after reading this I happened to be rereading The House of Sundering Flames (the third book in Aliette De Bodard’s Dominion of the Fallen series) and while I won’t spoil that there is an idea of living fire and vengeance in that too – I found that fascinating as a theme and it’ll now be something I look for in other books.

I actually read this book twice – and I wasn’t sure if I was going to talk about it here, but hey why not – because the first time I read it I was reading it with WAY too western an eye – there are elements of this book, in particular the terms of endearments that characters use for one another, that just do not work if you don’t know about their use in Vietnamese. So if you’re thinking about reading these I suggest checking out the author’s twitter for some more information about that – it makes the book FAR better (and you also learn something which is always a good thing).

Overall I thought this was a strong novella, I liked the themes and the ideas presented, the love story/triangles were sweet and I liked the development across the story for the main character. I think perhaps things felt just a little bit rushed but sometimes that does happen in novellas and I personally tend to flesh out some of the elements in my head (which I enjoy).

This story has a lot to say about colonialism, freedom, romance and standing up for yourself against those who think they know more than you. While I can’t say I think this book will be for absolutely everyone I think fans of the author’s previous works will have a good time.

My rating: 4/5 stars

I received a free digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley – all opinions are my own.

Fireheart Tiger publishes February 9th!

A noblewoman in a fantasy pre-colonial Vietnam falls in love with a princess, befriends a fire spirit and has to decide what her future will be. I loved the inter-country political negotiations, which was detailed enough to feel realistic without dragging. The length here was just right too: a novella with bite, a queer love triangle and realistic relationships.

While there's so much to be intrigued by here, for me, this novella would have sung as a full novel, with space for its characters to grow. But perhaps that's me being selfish. Whenever I read Aliette de Bodard's world-building, I always want more of it.

I really enjoyed Fireheart Tiger. The characters were really well written and the plot kept me interested. I thought the writing was also really well done. I would love to read more from this author!

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this fantasy novella eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

I really do enjoy Aliette de Bodard's writing and was excited to read this novella.  It was a quick read at around 100 pages but the length is its greatest flaw.  The basic story is easy to follow and was compelling but I felt that too much background and emotion happened off the page.  This was particularly true with Giang.  Giang was the most interesting character in the story by far and yet doesn't appear often, wasn't really explored, and thus made the ending rather unbelievable and confusing.  The world building also felt kinda flat.

What I did enjoy was the main character, Thanh.  Her history of having been a hostage to a foreign nation, her forbidden love affair, and her relationship with her mother were very intriguing.  I just think that this novella would have been better off expanded in length so that all of the fascinating elements could have been explored satisfactorily.  Arrrr!

So lastly . . .

Thank you Tor.com!

Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard, Another short novel from de Bodard that fires the imagination and keeps you wanting more.

The progression of my thoughts as I read this novella: ooh we have political intrigue, bitterness, and memories of fear/trauma (plus some good old fashioned racism); points for gay ladies but the love interest doesn't have me convinced; was there a time jump in here somewhere without me realizing it? apparently not; this is the kind of magic I can get behind; I feel like I missed something somewhere; heck yes Giang; heck yes Thanh!

I felt like a lot of decisions were being made off of the page, leaving the reader kind of scrambling to catch up. We're told of a grand love affair (it was refreshing for there to be absolutely no qualms as to the genders of the two parties, even when the idea of marriage is tossed around), but we only see some lust and patronizing language. And a letter is sent to (and a reply received from) another country within some interminable time that felt like it might have been an afternoon but I'm honestly not sure (hence the "was there a time jump in there somewhere" comment above).

I did really like that everything was not magically solved over the course of this very short novella. We're left with the understanding that there is much more work to do (both personal and political) following the events described.

— Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher Tordotcom for providing me with the e-book ARC of #FireheartTiger in exchange for an honest review.

actual rating: 2.5 stars.

this book had a stunning premise—even after i realized it was a short novella, the “vietnamese” rep and “howl’s moving castle” still had me with great hopes. however, as i read i found those hopes getting crushed one by one. the romance aspect was gone for me once it turned out to be insta-love, but even the rest of the story didn’t appeal to me all that much.

even for a novella, everything happened too quick, too fast, with no attempt to give me a string to be connected and engaged in the story. there was a lot of tell and no show in some parts, then others a lot of show and no tell—it just never seemed to be a balance.

the fantasy was fine, the romance was eh, the characters were bland and had no appealing traits to make me root for them or connect with their stories; mainly because of how forced and rushed everything felt.

thanh was weak and the typical heroine that sounded ambitious but all she did was complain and do unhelpful things. her relationship with eldris was not convincing; it felt like it was there just to be there. and her relationship with giang was a little forced too.

that being said, i admired the author’s writing and their depiction of trauma. i also liked the atmosphere most times and appreciated the vietnamese representation and all the little things!

i wished i had a positive review for this book.. alas, i hope i get to read more books by this author, maybe a full-length novel where more of the world-building and character arcs can be explored.