I’ve read 5 or 6 books by Aliette de Bodard this year and consistently loved them all, so it was no surprise that I enjoyed Fireheart Tiger as much as I did. It’s on the shorter side for a novella and it so effectively tells the story that it sets out to, you feel at once satisfied with what you have and desperately craving more of the world and characters.

The story follows Thanh, who has returned to her mother’s court, after years away in Ephteria and following a mysterious fire in the royal palace. Now she is a diplomat, but this places her directly in the path of her first love, Eldris, a princess of Ephteria. Eldris wants Thanh for a wife, and her country in the bargain too wouldn’t go amiss, and Thanh has to choose between this or fighting for something more.

One thing I love about Aliette de Bodard’s writing is how easily it builds a world for you to immerse yourself in. It’s like, there aren’t any excess words used (if that makes sense). There are no long passages of exposition, it’s all built seamlessly into what’s happening. As someone who periodically skims over exposition, I really enjoyed that about this book.

At the centre of the book is a love triangle. I’m not someone who really likes love triangles as a trope, but here, both of the love interests were women and it was so refreshing. Of course, it isn’t the type of love triangle where you’re actually conflicted over who the mc ends up with, so I suppose that also helped. But my point is, the book was overwhelmingly sapphic in the best possible way. I never want to read a love triangle that’s not between three women ever again.

So if you were at all on the fence about reading this book, let this be a sign to come down off the fence and do so. And all the rest of Aliette de Bodard’s works while you’re at it.

This is a lovely fantasy novella that tackles colonialism head on. Thanh, princess of a Vietnamese-inspired fantasy country, has returned home after being a ward to Ephteria, a powerful land inspired by western Europe. Now a diplomat as Epheteria encroaches on her home, Thanh is shocked when her old lover Eldris, the princess of Epheteria, accompanies the delegation. Which will win, her home or the promise of romance?

In an average YA novel, the issue of colonialism would be sidestepped entirely and Eldris would be (1) probably male and (2) dazzlingly seductive. This book is something else, and that's clear from the beginning when extraterritoriality is brought up in the first few pages. These clashing empires are, in deft strokes, painted as real places, with populations to be protected or exploited. The choice for Thanh is not between heart-stopping romance and some staid marital partner: the choice instead is about what she can choose to keep her soul.

Despite this being a novella, I wish there was just a little more here— namely more about Thanh's waning connection to her homeland after she returns home and her time with Giang. I'm looking, less for details and exposition, but just a little more time to develop the heart of the story. I think then this would be accurately described as a "post-colonial Goblin Emperor meets Howl's Moving Castle". Otherwise lovely.

This was a good fantasy novella. The writing was good so I will be picking the author's books or novellas in the future.

I requested FIREHEART TIGER as soon as I saw the comp titles: THE GOBLIN EMPEROR meets HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE? Gimme!

Unfortunately, I think that actually worked against it for me. Not that either are bad comps per se — I can see where both would fit alongside FIREHEART TIGER — but those are books with a lot of world-building and exploration. FIREHEART TIGER, as a ~100 page novella, just doesn’t have the space to do that justice. As such the world-building felt a little flat to me, the settings vague and characters a little two-dimensional.

Which isn’t to say that I diliked FIREHEART TIGER!

The story is quiet and reflective, and deeply moving. I think that the heart of this story — especially Thanh, the protagonist — is one I’ll think back on again and again.

As always, de Bodard’s writing is lovely, and FIREHEART TIGER moves along at a fair pace, making it a pleasure to read. The cover design is stunning and, altogether, I’d definitely recommended it as a short, impactful read.

However, I just think that there’s so much that could have been further explored and given more depth. If the characters had had more space to breathe and the events given more time to develop, I’d have rated it higher.

Fireheart Tiger was a beautiful, lyrical read. The prose was magical and I enjoyed Thanh’s emotional journey throughout the novella.

This novella has it all! From magic to betrayal to queer romance to political intrigue. I am impressed at how much detail de Bodard was able to fit into a short amount of pages. She did a great job of creating complex characters who felt real and flawed. However, I did want more information regarding politics and world-building. I felt that we barely touched on the inner workings of Thanh and her mother’s political strategies, as well as the kingdoms outside of Bình Hải.

A major theme in the novel is fire - in the literal and figurative sense. Thanh has been plagued with nightmares about a fire that may have some magical reasoning behind it. Fire in the figurative sense, Thanh has felt trapped between negotiations with powerful diplomats. But she soon finds that fire can create as well as destroy.

I loved our protagonist, Thanh. She’s quiet and wise, a force to be reckoned with. Traits that I love in a protagonist. It was lovely to see her character growth throughout the novella and I was rooting for her happy ending throughout the whole novel.

Overall, this was a lovely read with beautiful writing and complex characters. I am looking forward to more books by de Bodard!

This book was an unexpected short novella which meant that we jump right into the story of princess Thanh and not a lot of world building. I felt there wasn’t really a plot beyond it essentially being a tragic love story with another princess of a more powerful empire but then she realises something and has a change of heart. There wasn’t enough character building for me to sympathise her thoughts and actions.
Whilst this book was advertised as contain elements of Howl’s moving castle It unfortunately did not stand out to me beyond having a fire welding character.
Unfortunately this book was not for me. I believe if the book was longer than so much more could be done.

“You matter.”

ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An old flame that ran away with a princess escaping a burning castle. A dazzling short fantasy story that leaves faint kisses upon your mind; as they linger, burning a memory reclaiming one’s true identity. Fireheart Tiger is the newest novella by Aliette de Bodard, a story about a powerless princess named Thanh. Set in a pre-colonial Vietnamese inspired world, Thanh learns to break free from her trauma and prove herself to her demanding mother, the Empress.

Fireheart Tiger is a soon to be released (9th February 2021) sapphic novella by Aliette de Bodard, an award winning writer that have garnered a reputation with her multiple award winning short stories and series. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC (Advance Readers Copy) through NetGalley from the publishers and I am very much grateful as the pitch for this short story is quite interesting, as below from Tordotcom.

Award-winning author Aliette de Bodard returns with a powerful romantic fantasy that reads like The Goblin Emperor meets Howl’s Moving Castle in a pre-colonial Vietnamese-esque world. (link)

With the mention of Howl’s Moving Castle and Vietnamese being in mentioned in one sentence, I immediately picked up Fireheart Tiger. Upon reading the first few parts I am thrown into the empire of Bin Hai that is in the midst of preparing for a big negotiation with Ephteria that has long been in alliance with Bin Hai. This negotiation is especially important as the tensions are high between the two countries. In the center of the negotiations is Thanh, the youngest princess of Bin Hai and negotiator representing the Empress. Thanh is chosen by her mother specifically because of her knowledge of the Ephteria. Fireheart Tiger offers political intrigue in the dance between Thanh and the representatives of Bin Hai. Besides the already high tension of negotiations, in the midst of it all is a blossoming romance. For two years Thanh is offered as a bargaining chip by her mother to live in Yosolis castle in Ephteria. During those two years Thanh and Eldris, the princess of Ephteria, falls in love and has full on love affair. This love affair distracts Thanh as she still yearns for Eldris and is reminded constantly of their short love affair in Yosolis castle.

She slowly, deliberately sips her tea, trying not to look at Eldris-not to think of Eldris and the way that her heart still misses a beat whenever Eldris’s gaze rest on her. The liquor is green and luminous and faintly tastes of the sea.

Characters are a big part in how I enjoy a story. Thanh is a very timid and insecure character. There are many moments when she doubts herself constantly. Thanh sees herself as invaluable because of how cold her mother treats her and her mother can easily send her away. Thanh is clearly traumatized from the past incidents during her stay in Yosolis. The author did a great job in writing about her trauma and her struggles to fit into her many roles. The only way Thanh copes with her trauma is by remembering the servant girl named Giang that she met in Yosolis. Not to mention any spoilers, relationships plays a big part in pushing Thanh to break free from her shell. Personally, Thanh as a character isn’t very noteworthy as I hoped for her to be. She didn’t leave a strong impression for me to care about her. Many of her inner thoughts are repetitive because everything keeps circling back to the that specific incident when it could be explored from different angles. For side characters, one character that stood out to me most is Thanh’s mother. I grew up in an Asian household so I know how high the expectations Asian parents have for their children. And the Empress definitely reminds me a lot of the tiger moms from back when I was in elementary school.

She would have let you burn.

The romance of Fireheart Tiger is the core of plot together with the political drama. I will not mention anything about it because it might lead to spoilers. But I would like to mention that insta love is one of those tropes that I dislike if it isn’t done well. In Fireheart Tiger, the new found romance didn’t translate well to me as a reader. The relationship felt forced and it was hard for me to believe in the relationship. The stronger points about the romance is the writing. Aliette knows how to pull on your heartstrings by showing vulnerability in Thanh. The writer shows Thanh’s vulnerability in a very human and raw way. I wish the story could be longer because Thanh’s development could be fully realized and less rushed if this book got 200 pages more.

There are underlying themes in the story that stood out for me as a reader. To name a few; there are themes about abusive relationships, parental expectations, self discovery, and so much more. In this book the setting description is very prominent in the first few parts but it just slows down because everything happens mostly in a few condensed places. I had high expectations for this story. The internal debate about my stance with Fireheart Tiger is never ending. I love the charm of incomplete and open ended endings but the characters didn’t anchor me to the story. My thoughts kept floating to the surface when I hoped for it to sink deeper. I still recommend this book for anyone that is interested in a short sapphic novella with hints of magic mixed into a character driven plot definitely pick this book up. Fireheart Tiger is a story that I hoped to hit me with a wholesome sapphic romance. I am sad that this book didn’t hit me as hard as I wanted it to. But! No matter! I am planning on reading Aliette’s other notable works, especially her award winning short stories.

Thank you for reading!

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

I liked the premise of this and the idea of it, but I think that this author's writing style is better suited to a full-length novel. At least for me. I couldn't get myself invested in what was happening because it all was happening in a flash.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor.com for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Fireheart Tiger was the first piece I've read by Aliette de Bodard this far, and it was an absolutely magical experience. The way de Bodard creates lush, magical and fully realized worlds within the short amount of pages the format offers her must be witchcraft, because I have no other explanation for it.

The political intrigue spun around our main character Thanh is so well developed and creates immense stakes, completely drawing the reader in, making them sit at the edge of their seat the entire time. I absolutely adored the depiction of the romance between Thanh and her fellow princess, Eldris, and how their uneven power dynamic is so beautifully addressed. This book tackled so many difficult issues within it's 100-something pages, and the way it did it was simply masterful.

All in all, I immensely enjoyed this reading experience and am surely going to pick up more of Aliette de Bodard's work in the future!

Call me biased because I just always end up loving Aliette de Bodard’s stories, be it fantasy or scifi, be it soft princesses or sentient space ships. “Political intrigue / court fantasy but make it queer” is just one of Aliette de Bodard‘s trademarks. If I want queer court intrigue, I pick up one of her stories. So it comes to no one’s surprise that this queer fantasy is “just” another one to make the long list of stories of hers that I love (one that I don’t like has yet to appear. I doubt it ever will).

I gotta say, and I bet I’m not the only one, but I tend to stay away from love triangles. Many bad apples have just ruined that particular thing for me. So upon hearing that Fireheart Tiger would feature one, I should have been less inclined to read this one but hey, it’s a SAPPHIC love triangle and Aliette de Bodard wrote it, so it could really only go one way, which is me liking it and that is exactly what happened. This specific love triangle has all kinds of layers, it’s taking you places and it’s about so much more than just the love between these three women but also about Thanh’s life and her choices in general.

Just like that love triangle stands for more than just a relationship between partners, so does the theme of fire. While fire and its possibilities and consequences can be seen as a stand-in for Thanh’s troubles, it also literally is a big part of Thanh’s life and in an interesting, twisty way too, one that I absolutely loved.

Fireheart Tiger is for the most part a kind of sad and not really dark but somewhat depressing story, with Thanh having to fight for herself on many fronts, but nonetheless it is a story that made my queer heart happy which is something I can always count on when picking up one of Aliette’s stories and this one was no exception.

2 ½ stars

I was intrigued by this novella's premise—The Goblin Emperor meets Howl’s Moving Castle in a Vietnamese inspired setting—by its cover and of course by the promise of sapphic love story. Sadly, I can't say that Fireheart Tiger was a particularly good read.
As per usual, if you are thinking of reading this I recommend you read some more positive reviews as my one is not a particularly enthusiastic one.

Fireheart Tiger would have probably worked a lot better if it had been told in a larger format as under its thinly rendered characters and world lies a potentially interesting story. Sadly, this is not a fully fledged novel. The first few pages deliver some exposition: our main character is Thanh a princess who was sent off to Ephteria as a political pawn (ie hostage). Now she's back to her mother’s court (a place which is hardly described) where she chafes against her mother's rule. Thanh's self-pitying is interjected by various memories, mainly, one of a fire, and another one of a kiss she shared with the blue-eyed Eldris (her blue eyes are her major character trait) who is from Ephteria. With 0 preamble she finds herself reigniting her relationship with Eldris...it isn't clear why as Eldris is as 'magnetic' as a slice of stale bread. Thanh too is the classic supposedly quiet and smart yet totally hapless heroine who really grinds me nerves. She claims to care for her country but spends the majority of her time passively thinking about Eldris and of how her mother is evil and uncaring. Thanh's mother, however one-dimensional, made for a much more compelling character.
There is also another girl who after one brief meeting Thanh begins to call 'little sister' (or something along those lines) even saying that she misses her when this girl isn't around (after one day?).
Eldris is clearly bad news, she is creepy but fails to be a truly manipulative or charismatic villain. The other 'bad guy' is portrayed in a very cartoonish manner.
Perhaps I approached this with the wrong expectations. I hoped for something more mature and complex. The dialogues were clunky, the love story was largely MIA, the main protagonist was a boring Mary Sue, and the setting was barely rendered.

A past incident burning bright with flames, a secret love bursting to be exposed, and a princess struggling to keep her country safe. The story follows princess Thanh who was sent away to Ephteria as a child and after an incident in which that castle caught fire, has finally returned home and given the job of being a diplomat. Ephteria’s princess Eldris has suddenly arrived and is determined to restart the romance between Thanh and her, and to finally bring Thanh back as her fiancee. There is only one problem, things are not as they seem, and Thanh is forced to face truths she doesn’t want to. The fire incident has burned itself into her mind, as Thanh and another girl, had escaped together, and for some reason the fire and the mysterious girl is on her mind. I absolutely loved reading this story. I loved discovering the pre-colonial Vietnamese-esque world dipped with magic and political intrigue, and the romance, oh the magic of it all. I always love discovering more Vietnamese-esque stories and growing up hearing Vietnamese tales from my grandma has definitely made me always enjoy my culture being told in new stories. This was a beautiful story and I absolutely loved reading every second of it. It’s a short read, but its a wonderful tale and a perfect read. Definitely pick this up if you love magic, political intrigue, and forbidden romance. I always love reading folk tales and stories, and especially ones that have LGBTQ elements.

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I continue to maintain that Aliette de Bodard is the queen of short fiction. In just 112 pages, she creates a story with vivid characters, dynamic politics, and dangerous stakes. Thanh is the third princess of Bìanh Hả, who was sent away as a hostage to the colonizing nation of Ephteria. While there, she fell in love with the suave, beguiling princess Eldris, whose heartfelt exterior hides a dark streak of possessiveness. Unbeknownst to her, Thanh left Ephteria not only with the memory of their affair, but also with a beautiful and mysterious fire-spirit whose presence will continue to haunt her.

This novella does not mince words. It takes on issues of imperialism, domestic abuse, and complex family dynamics with Bodard's characteristic grace and style. I continue to be wooed by her lush descriptions, layered protagonists, and swoon-worthy love interests (I need a gorgeous fire-spirit like Giang to come and steal my heart). This novella, like many of her others, is also beautifully, unabashedly queer, not only proving it is possible to create nuanced character growth in the absence of societal homophobia but also reinforcing the idea that toxic relationships transcend gender and sexuality. Eldris is gorgeous and self-assured but also controlling and quick to anger, emphasizing the way in which "love" can be so easily confused with "ownership". This, too, plays into the colonial politics of the story--while Eldris is attempting to woo her, Thanh is fending off an incursion by Eldris' imperialist kingdom.

My only complaint is that this novella is far too short! Bodard manages to capture the essential elements of a great story, but I can't help but feel that I would have had more time to grow attached to the characters and bend my mind to the complex details of the world-building if it was just a hundred pages longer.

4.5 Stars

CWs: Toxic parental relationship; allusions to manipulation, abuse, and possible grooming; trauma relating to fires

"There will be other fires, my love, and we will survive them all."

This is an evocative, emotional fantasy novella that really hooked my attention and gave me so much in such a condensed space.

The pitch for this book was "The Goblin Emperor" meets "Howl's Moving Castle," and I think that's a pretty apt comparison, because there's definitely elements of both present in this story, but with its own unique spin. There's the trope of Exiled Royalty and Unwanted Child that you see in "The Goblin Emperor" and the sentient fire, unspeakable "curse," and the powerful, menacingly beautiful but quick-to-anger love interest you see in "Howl's Moving Castle." Again, the story is not a re-telling of either one of those narratives, but I think there are clear parallels that this story uses in really interesting ways.

Our main character, Thanh, is a very meek and reserved young princess who was exiled to an enemy kingdom as a child. During that time, there was a devastating fire that destroyed the palace which traumatized her and still haunts her. She also had an affair with the princess of Ephteria, Eldris. Now Thanh is a diplomat trying to protect her kingdom and earn her mother's respect, which puts her back in the path of Princess Eldris.

This story perfect balances court intrigue, political maneuvering, illicit affairs, and magic. I really found myself emotionally invested in Thanh as she struggles to name all the political and social structures that are working to keep her small while also trying to figure out who she is and what she wants. She is faced with a lot of toxic relationships in her life and the kinds of destruction and pain that masquerade as love. I feel like the story is very much about learning to recognize what love is—as something that should empower us, sustain us, and nurture us—when you have been denied love and comfort all your life.

In the beginning, Thanh thinks that winning her mother's approval is what it means to be loved, she thinks that being wanted by someone as dangerous and powerful as Eldris is love. But those relationships in her life are actually highly manipulative and can only function if Thanh herself is powerless. When real love—the kind that cares, protects, listens, and sustains—presents itself to Thanh, she can barely recognize it. She has no concept of what a happy future could even look like, so her work is to make hope out of destruction, make space in her life where happiness could live. In that way, the story is also about navigating the line between pain and joy, hurt and healing, and to understand the fragile relationship between the two.

Like I said, this story was short, but gave me so much to think about and really whisked me away into this amazing fantasy world. The only "issue" was that I loved it so much and I became so invested in the backstory and the court politics that I really could see this as being an entire novel unto itself. I hope that Aliette de Bodard writes more stories set in this world or about these characters, because I think there are a lot of really exciting possibilities, and that this novella only scratches the surface!

Concise, lyrical, and engaging; this story pulls you right in from the first chapter, keeps you there till the very end, and leaves wanting for more. For such a short story, Bodard has done an amazing job in building up the characters, including fantastical elements, and even succeeds in implementing the feel of a "mystery", which adds to the political turmoil - which is a major part of the plot - and even developing a F/F romance, a love triangle that weaves itself right into the main plot. Beautifully done!

Our main character, Princess Thanh struggles to live up to her mother's expectations and strives to fulfill all her demands, but nothing is ever enough. While she fights to secure a place for herself in the court and navigates through politics with her quiet wisdom and compassion, she battles with her trauma from the past and tries to understand the abusive treatment of her heart, when things start to finally reveal themselves in the form of a burning raging fire, her only fear.

The world-building, I must admit, was a bit disappointing. There are many unanswered questions, but nonetheless, the story is very well written, in a lush and easy language that is easy to read. The story ends on a good note, and I hope that this is just the beginning of a heartfelt fantasy series. I would love to read more from this author!

"What follows will be neither easy nor pleasant, but there is a way forward that wasn't there before."

I am not the biggest fan of short fiction. I’ve always claimed I prefer novels but Tor is publishing such high quality novellas that I may need to reconsider my position on short fiction!
This is the third thing I’ve read by this author and they’ve all been very good reads. Since I got to read an ARC I’ll keep my review spoiler free. I have found all the books by her to be very well written. The other two were both science fiction and set in a far different future with sentient ships.
This one focuses on a younger princess who was sent to a foreign land as a hostage/diplomacy pawn as a child and is now home as an adult. All three have been so enjoyable to read I really recommend her to any genre fan. I will happily read more by her in the future given the quality of writing in this and the other two things I’ve read by her!

I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book since its announcement. I mean, a pre-colonial Vietnamese-esque fantasy that’s comped to Howl’s Moving Castle? Everything I didn’t know I wanted in a book. A gorgeous fantasy, Fireheart Tiger tells the story of precarious politics and love.

Sent to a foreign country as a child, Thanh is a princess who has returned to her home country to act as a diplomat. She’s haunted by a fire that occurred years ago, but she tries to put it out of her mind even though things mysteriously keep catching on fire around her. She is distracted by the arrival of Eldris, the princess of the country Thanh once lived in and her first love. She’s soon caught up in not just her affair with Eldris but also the presence of Giang, a fire spirit who has followed Thanh since that fire all those years ago.

I loved the characters, especially our protagonist. Thanh is desperate for love and approval from her mother, especially after being a hostage princess in a foreign country as a child. She wants to prove herself worthy of her new diplomatic position in court, if only so she can gain approval from her mother. I’m always a sucker for these kind of characters, and I loved Thanh even more so because of this.

The writing is gorgeous! This was my first read by this author, and now I am definitely going to pick up her backlist. The prose was lilting and centers you in Thanh’s mind. You really feel what she is feeling. This book is a novella, so it’s fairly short and the plot moves quickly. I was always enthralled in the words, so I finished it in one sitting without ever looking up.

This is also a sapphic story! Thanh had an affair with Eldris years ago, one that starts up again when she returns to her life. However, she soon finds her to be a selfish lover. Meanwhile, Giang watches from the sidelines and warns Thanh away from Eldris. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I’ll just say the comparison to Howl’s Moving Castle was an apt one.

While short in length, Fireheart Tiger is a thrilling story from start to finish. I loved the characters and the romance. If you want a short but sweet story with a f/f romance and a Vietnamese-esque world, I can’t recommend Fireheart Story enough.

Wow~this novella is something else! It's lush and lyrical and wholly engrossing. The world-building, character development, plot, and even romance was so well actualized, especially for such a short story.

Since it's concise, I will keep my review aptly brief and void of any real spoilers.

Thanh is our protagonist. She is the third-born princess of Bìanh Hả and thus rendered insignificant due to her lack of ascension. This worthless narrative is reified consistently through sharp and nuanced - or explicit - interactions, plot points (e.g., her captors didn't bother to save her from a fire), ethnocentrism in a foreign land, and stringent social mores.

I loved Thanh's characterization and appreciated that she struggled with the trauma of abuse and anxiety from not only the narrowly escaped fire but also the repetitive dismissal or pain inflicted by those around her.

Her later relationship with her homeland court and Eldris, and old flame and now rival delegate, is affecting and fun to watch. All of Thanh's interactions felt real and made sense within her character.

I would be remiss if I also didn't note the clear yet nuanced commentary on colonization and the effects of trauma on the psyche. At times, we see Thanh drawn to others' toxic nature, making sense considering people become accustomed - even addicted - to stressful situations.

This story held quite a punch and deftly weave various storylines, complex characters, and social critique into every page for such a short novella.

Fireheart Tiger is a quietly moving novella, follwoing princess Thanh as she tries to navigate her mothers court whilst also being haunted by her past. Thanh is such a interesting character to follow, although I do wish we had got to know her a bit more (I think this novella suffered slighly from novella syndrome).

The novella kicks off when Eldris, a powerful envoy, who also happens to be Thanhs first love comes to the palace to try and arrange a political match as well as rihts to the kingdom for her country. Eldris tries to seduce Thanh, and while at first this seems sweet, you eventually realise there is a lot more to the relationship than it seems. Eldris was a very interesting character and figuring out her motivations was such a fun challenge.

Thanh also has the power of fire, and a mysterious fire spirit that talks to her. this relationship ws very precious however I would have loved to spend more time with it, so certain events in the book later on had more emotional impact. I thoyght the magic was woven beautifully into the book, and the slow reveal of what happened to Thanh in the past, as she has nightmares about a mysterious devasating fire.

The writing is very lyrical and it is such an easy novella to breeze through, if you are in the mood for an evocative and touching tale, which feels like being read a bedtime story.

This is one of those novellas that practically scream “make me a full-length novel!” to me. This Vietnam-esque world, this story, these fallible and fascinating characters, they deserve to live on more than 100-something pages, however good those 100-something pages are.

The main character Thanh is someone who, through the words and actions of others, has been made to feel that she is basically worthless throughout her life. As a child, she’s deemed the throwaway spare out of three princesses, the one their mother chooses to send off as a hostage to another nation which is a constant threat to them. While stowed away in the nation of Ephteria, years later, an uncontrollable fire consumes the royal palace, and sixteen-year-old Thanh only barely escapes with her life. Her captors can’t even be bothered to try to save their “exotic native” prisoner – another hint as to how Thanh is seen as expendable, as well as deemed less-than because of her race in the eyes of people outside of her homeland.
However, despite it all, it is after this fiery disaster that Thanh connects with Princess Eldris, and the two young women secretly get romantically involved.

After ten years spent in this gilded Ephterian cage, having returned home to her mother’s imperial court, Thanh finds herself in the important role of diplomat, yet she is still treated more like property than as a person by her mother, who maintains a regally cold and calculating persona even in private moments with her daughter. What’s more, Thanh is haunted by the palace fire – it seems she’s brought the fire with her back home, somehow, and it is tearing at her psyche.
Things get even more complicated and emotionally straining when a delegation arrives from the ever-menacing Ephteria to discuss trade, and Thanh is shaken to her core at the reappearance of Princess Eldris in her life.

Eldris isn’t just lovely, clever and beautiful – she is also manipulative, quick to anger and very possessive. She has come to yet again claim ownership of Thanh’s heart. Her nation, concurrently, has come under the guise of negotiating the terms of mutually beneficial trade, but they more resemble a predator circling and toying with its prey – not unlike Eldris with Thanh. And neither princess nor nation, it seems, will take no for an answer.

The aspect of this story that I found the most enjoyment in was the toxic nature of Eldris’ and Thanh’s relationship. I found their whole romance very nuanced in how it was written, and especially in how Thanh had to realize slowly, bit by bit, who Eldris really was. That arc was pretty realistic, and having experience with that sort of toxicity and manipulation in relationships myself, it was interesting to view this process from the outside.
It’s easy to see why someone who has been treated like dirt their entire life would throw themselves into the arms of someone like Eldris, someone who gives them attention and woos them with honeyed words, a deceptively gentle touch and lofty promises. Just the attention alone, just the hope that maybe this other person thinks you have worth beyond what you’ve been told… it’s incredibly hard to resist, and it can put a powerful spell on you.
Never mind the threat of their anger should you step out of line with them.
Never mind how thin the line seems to be between their love and their condescension.

I do have to say that the premise and the plot of this novella could have really benefited from full-length format. I’m not saying it isn’t great as it is, because I did enjoy it, but it could have been incredible if we’d been given more time with the characters, if the world had been more fleshed out, if the plot could have progressed over months instead of days… it could have turned into something truly epic. As it stands, this is a beautiful story, and I had a great time reading it, but I will forever mourn the untapped potential in de Bodard’s post-colonial Southeast Asian setting.