Another gorgeous sapphic space opera from one of my favorite science fiction authors! A Fire Born of Exile has it all--romance, action, betrayal, and the cost of vengeance.

I didn't love this one quite as much as Aliette de Bodard's last novel, but it's strong nonetheless and I would definitely recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

Just preordered and i cant wait!!!
The cover look so gorgeous like OMGGGGG
Who knew i would be ading this to my endless tbr???

A Fire Born in Exile is the latest installment in Aliette de Bodard’s Xuya Universe series, a collection of works of varying lengths set in a Vietnamese-inspired space opera future where sentient mindships and humans live as family. Having previously enjoyed quite a few works from this universe and having seen this novel described as “a sapphic Count of Monte Cristo set in space,” I was very excited to pick this up.

The worldbuilding in this series is consistently excellent, and while the works share a setting they do function as standalones so there is no need to have read prior Xuya installments to enjoy this novel, which may be my favourite in the series thusfar. A Fire Born in Exile combines mastermind scheming, revenge plots, shifting motivations, complicated familial relationships, and a fantastic cast of characters.

Thank you to the author, Independent Publishers Group, JAB Books, and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC for review.

Content warnings: violence, torture (not graphic / off page), war (background context / off page), emotional abuse

I really enjoyed this novella, I loved the characters and the political and emotional complexity of their lives. I love how deftly de Bodard weaves their lives together in the story. I loved the pace - it wasn't slow, just gentle, with the right oomph just when you look for it. I loved the romance and I love the way that unfolded, it was deeply satisfying. I liked the characters coming into themselves most of all. This was an excellent read and I'm glad I had the opportunity to do so.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Cada nueva novela de Aliette de Bodard supone alterar cualquier plan de lectura que pudiera tener para darle prioridad. Y es nunca defrauda, además de que con A Fire Born of Exile vuelve un poco a sus inicios con la importancia recalcada de las interfaces neuronales y lo que perciben los protagonistas frente al “mundo real desnudo”, sin dejar de lado esa tendencia al romance que ha caracterizado sus últimas publicaciones.


Volvemos al Scattered Pearls Belt como escenario de una historia de venganza, un retelling del Conde de Montecristo, como la propia autora lo define, pero aderezado con más detalles y sin olvidar que TODO es mejor en el espacio.

A Fire Born of Exile es una novela coral, en la que cada personaje está trabajado hasta la extenuación para que tengamos una ventana hacia su alma y podamos entender sus motivaciones y sus actos. Los diálogos se sienten creíbles y resulta muy fácil empatizar con los personajes al leerlos, desde la joven en permanente conflicto con su madre por sus altísimas expectativas a la Alquimista de los Arroyos y las Colinas, con su proceder irreprochable y su misterioso pasado. De Bodard aprovecha también para hablar sobre relaciones familiares, ya sean materno-filiales o entre hermanos, aunque estos vínculos no sean de “sangre” propiamente dichos.

En una novela de Xuya no podían faltar las Mentes, aunque en esta ocasión la autora añade la novedad de ver el declive de una de estas maravillosas criaturas, dañada y llevada al límite de su existencia, como una ballena varada en la orilla que solo espera la muerte.

La prosa de la autora sigue ese camino por el que se decantó hace ya unos años, que puede parecer excesivamente recargado para algunos lectores, aunque a mí me parezca maravilloso.

En cuanto a la resolución de la historia, aunque esperada es extremadamente satisfactoria, dejando cerrado todos los hilos abiertos para leer una novela autoconclusiva de bellísima factura.

Thank you to Independent Publishers Group, JAB Books, and NetGalley for allowing me the chance to read this book!

I had previously read The Red Scholar's Wake, and enjoyed it, as well as the sneak peek of this upcoming book. I liked the continued depth of the Xuya universe: how everything felt so far apart and wide, as well as continued expansion into what a mindship was, and mindship-human relationships. Previously, I had viewed mindships to mostly be a sort of AI, with their center being. . ..well, a brain, more or less, but A Fire Born of Exile went into far greater expansion on them, and how they stand in society.

I also very much enjoyed what seemed to be a greater focus on familial relationships, although the romance felt slightly not to my style? I might also wish the Scholar was less perfect, and less hand-of-destiny ish, but I definitely enjoyed the continuing Xuya universe and look forward to the next one!

This book follows three characters as they meet and get pulled into a plot for revenge against the corrupt elite when Quynh comes looking for vengeance for past crimes. The narration is split unevenly between the three characters, with Quynh holding the bulk of the focus and standing out as the main character. The characters are all varied and interesting on their own, and the world the author has created is one of the most fascinating i've ever read about. But, I did get confused quite a bit while reading this book, I felt like it was hard to focus on what was really important and that there was too much else going on. The characters were wonderfully complex, but with three very equally complex and interesting main characters, it was difficult to give equal treatment to all and I felt like one really didn't get as much screen time as she deserved.

“A Fire Born of Exile” is a political sci-fi drama centered on the enigmatic Quynh, who draws other characters into her orbit primarily for her own ends. The consequence of this is that Quynh is by far the most compelling character and everyone else falls very flat in comparison.
This is my second time reading a book by Aliette de Bodard and once again I found that the writing style just isn’t really my favorite. She has a real gift for setting up intricate plots and detailed worldbuilding, yet the story somehow fails to captivate.

Aliette de Bodard is so good at creating fully realized worlds with such human characters and all the complexity that comes with them. A Fire Born of Exile is a sapphic space opera with flavors of court dramas and Count of Monte Cristo, of politics and revenge and trying to break out from underneath the shadow of the past.

There’s so much going on, from the world building to the relationships and all of the plans that you can’t help but fall into the world and the storytelling and just go with the flow. You don’t necessarily need to understand how the technology works, just that it does, which is important to keep in mind with so much character work going on. While it is much more about Quynh’s revenge and the ripples cast by past actions, the romance between Quynh and Hoa, and Minh learning to determine who she is for herself are absolutely vital elements that weave so well into the plot.

I very much enjoyed this book. It has spectacular characters and worldbuilding.I haven't read many of Aliette de Bodard's Xuya universe books, so I think there may have been a few references I didn't get, but I don't think I lost anything from the story because of it. I think I probably also missed some Count of Monte Cristo references, as I'm not very familiar with the original book, but again, that would've been a bonus and the book was great without it.

I love how complex the world and the characters are. The world with mindships, full of literary references from past scholars, power plays, cultures, feels so completely thought out. The technology isn't always explained (how do virtual overlays work? How do mindships grow? How do bots actually interface with human brains? etc), but it feels real and truly incorporated into existence in this universe. I don't know why these technologies work, but people would absolutely use them like this if they did.

I also love how (as always, in Aliette de Bodard's books) the characters are all complex and true. Even side characters feel like they have real motivations and reactions. Even characters who have relatively simple and straightforward motivations, like Guts of Sea, or Minh's stepmother, feel like real people rather than plot devices.

I received a free advance copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Balancing action and attraction perfectly, "The Red Scholar’s Wake" emerged as a personal favorite from last year's reading list. Naturally, my anticipation was high for Aliette de Bodard's second full-length installment set in the Vietnamese-inspired Xuya universe. While it doesn't involve the unique concept of a grieving sentient spaceship entering a marriage of convenience, which admittedly would be difficult to surpass, the novel presents an equally intriguing premise: the eternal clash between revenge and love.

Stepping into the narrative is Quynh, an enigmatic alchemist who exudes confidence and draws attention wherever she treads. Her presence significantly impacts the lives of the other characters, including Minh, the rebellious daughter of a system prefect, and Hoà, a humble repair technician juggling the demands of her sister's illness with making ends meet.

Naturally, appearances deceive, and just as the central mystery slowly unravels, so too do the intricacies of the characters' hearts. The romance that blossoms proves enthralling, with power dynamics fluidly oscillating throughout the story. Quynh, who initiates her journey with layers of lies, not only to others but also to herself, retains a certain relatability that encourages readers to root for her success despite her ongoing deceit.

While this story stands alone, introducing new characters and situations, delving into the prior book is highly recommended, as it's equally exceptional. Both narratives come with the highest of endorsements.

A Fire Born of Exile is an excellent, stand-alone novel set in Aliette de Bodard’s rich Xuya universe, where traditions stem from Sino-Vietnamese culture. The universe is at once bound with tradition - with filial piety and reverence for caste being two guiding elements - and home to cutting edge space opera concepts like sentient starships, energy manipulation, and hyper-futuristic communication and environmental controls. The setting is also predominantly female and queer, with only two male characters (one dead and one a ship) I could discern. While the plot features cruelty, arrogance, and vengeance, it is mostly about the healing power of love and self-affirmation. Starts slowly and builds to a fantastic finish. Great for de Bodard fans or those new to her writing.

The reference for this book is the Count of Monte Cristo. I've read another Count of Monte Cristo in space novel (Gwyneth Jones' Spirit: or, The Princess of Bois Dormant), but I've only read the very beginning of the original novel. I think it might have helped to know going in that the main arc is "protagonist wonders whether an elaborately planned revenge has gone too far" rather than heist-like competence fireworks around the revenge itself. I ended up most invested in the third viewpoint character, the teenager Minh who is trying to break free from her mother the cruel judge, rather than either of the romantic leads.

This is a book with lots of kids, from teenagers to toddlers. Some are human and some are spaceships (as one might expect from a de Bodard novel), but all are charming and generally good-hearted. Aliette de Bodard has written about the erasure of mothers in fiction, and it's clear that the presence of children in her work is a matter of both love and politics. If representation of parents and parental figures is important to you, you'll find it here in spades.

This review will be posted Friday, August 25 on my reading account (@flickreadsfiction).

With such detailed politics and political intrigue, I feel like I could be a political figure in this book. Simply because De Bodard is so thorough in her descriptions of the political system and the various levels of deceit, betrayal, and more.

While there is romance in this book, I’d say it’s definitely a subplot. Politics and schemes are the forefront of this book. And you know how much I love that. And I like how it was mostly women who were in positions of power. There was like, maybe, 2 men total in this entire book. And one of them wasn’t even a human man but a robot man. (Side note: the sci-fi elements of this book were SO GOOD. It was hard getting my footing and understanding in the beginning but overall it was fantastic)

Also do you ever find an author that you really like but you never read more than the one series that you love because you’re scared that the rest of their books won’t be good? Well, that is not the case with De Bodard!!! Absolutely fucking good writing all around. It’s almost criminal how underrated she is. I screamed a little when I got this ARC because of how excited I was.

"The Scattered Pearls Belt is a string of habitats under tight military rule . . . where the powerful have become all too comfortable in their positions, and their corruption. But change is coming, with the arrival of Quynh: the mysterious and enigmatic Alchemist of Streams and Hills."

I don't read a lot of sci-fi or sci-fantasy, but this really hit the spot for me. Well plotted and the characters were intriguing.

Many thanks to the publisher for inviting me to read this. I really enjoyed this intense queer revenge story set in the universe of the Red Scholars Wake. The set up was really interesting – three characters all affected by the execution of a young scholar accused of sedition. The world building is exceptional – a political space opera with dashes of romance. Overall a really enjoyable read.

Quỳnh was betrayed and left for dead. Fifteen years later she has returned to exact her revenge. Along the way she meets the children of those who wronged her and Hoà, who she finds herself falling for,.

A Fire Born of Exile is at once a thrilling revenge tale set in a corner of an uncaring Empire, a romance and a meditation on what it means to be a mother.

The story drew me in from the beginning. At the end of each chapter, I found myself starting the next one without thinking about it. This book kept me up far too late reading “just one more chapter.”:

The characters felt familiar, like people that I known. I was deeply invested in the romance between Quỳnh and Hoà, but it was also the friendships and fragile alliance between these characters that kept me up through the night.

What I most loved about the book, though, was the exploration of the various ways that some can be a mother.. Many of the characters had to overcome the neglect and abuse of their parents. The books asks whether and how we can avoid the mistakes of our parents.

I loved everything about this book. I felt so deeply invested in the characters that I would love to see a sequel to find out how things play out for the next generation.

Female-focused Nirvana in Fire in space!

I went into this fully expecting to love it, and indeed, I loved it - I adore revenge stories with complex plots and a mastermind protagonist, and this absolutely delivered.

Fifteen years ago, a young scholar was accused of sedition and condemned to death. Now, at the far reaches of the galactic empire, the lives of three women connected to the case become entangled: Minh, the teenage daughter of the prefect responsible for the sentence, Hoà, the younger sister of the scholar's teacher, and the mysterious Quỳnh, the Alchemist of Streams and Hills, a scholar who quickly gains access to the halls of power.

Honestly, if I have a complaint about this book is that I wanted more of it! More of the scheming and the politics, and more of the characters and their relationships, which were all fantastic and complex.

The world-building was also fantastic - this is the first book I read set in the Xuya universe, a galactic empire inspired by Chinese and Vietnamese culture and populated by sentient spaceships as well as by humans, but it definitely will not be the last.