This was kind of a hard read to be honest. It's so real and Ari's life is so painful in its parallels to the struggles of real women. I think this is expertly done, from the characters to the romance to the setting. I would just be warned that it is quite dark in some parts, and it doesn't shy away from the fate of being a woman or slave. I think this book is powerful and beautifully written. I'm interested to see the companion novel that this book is related to, because I wasn't aware that it went with any other story.

This heartbreaking and inspiring story follows a young princess named Ari. She is intelligent with a mind for mathematics, science and history in a world that only cares about art, aesthetics, and women staying in "their place". Ari's dream is to open a school for girls that allows them to be educated in STEM and divine magic. The men in power have a tremendous fear of women being anything other than servants to their husbands and families. Even with her amazingly supportive brothers, one of which is the king, Ari soon learns that fear and misogyny speaks louder than being royalty. She plans to wed a terrible aristocrat, ultimately sacrificing her freedom in an attempt to gain support for her school. All of this leads to a shocking discovery that will destroy the world as they know it, leaving devastation in its wake.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and Ari is an FMC that is easy to cheer on. My heart broke for her and many other characters in this world that seems best compared to classic medieval bigotry. The writing style is unique and enjoyable, flows well, and provides clear detail for visualization of settings. The characters in this story are well developed and enjoyable (or deplorable), and I was touched by the relationship she has with her brothers. There is hint of magic sprinkled in throughout, with some abilities that I found very interesting. The ending was not what I saw coming 😭

Thank you NetGalley and Kassandra Flamouri for providing me with an ARC! I enjoyed reading it!

✧. ┊ i didn't know that this was set in the same world as another of flamouri's books, which i will now be reading at some point :)))
✧. ┊ this was a very enjoyable ya to read, with a great focus on our cast of characters, particularly our main girl ari and her brothers & friends. ari was wonderfully driven and passionate, while also possessing flaws that inconvenience herself and those around her. all of the times where she acted unobservant or rashly made sense for her character that had been developed well throughout the book. the romance was also a lovely sub-plot that felt both charged and tragic at times.
✧. ┊ both loveable and detestable characters that were very nuanced
✧. ┊  the family dynamic between the royals was so great, the characters interacted so well together and they read like they had been this close to each other for years. they all cared for each other so much and supported each other fully
✧. ┊ more of a character based tale involving the uplifting of women in a patriarchal society, quite heavy sometimes so fair warnings

I requested this book without realizing there is a companion novel before it. I do not think reading the companion novel is needed to understand this story - but I always wish descriptions were a bit clearer.

It was a bit slow for me personally. But I think the world building and girl power vibes were fantastic.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was actually really like this but the format of the arc was weird, it was dark and hard to read. So I had to give up, and will mostly like just get my own copy once it comes out. The plot is promising and I love a story where the sibling actually act like siblings and so far the siblings are peak siblings, a little hey little sis but it can be over looked. I’m excited to see how the story progresses

I really enjoyed this, especially the worldbuilding. It was very richly done. I loved the different gifts and the idea of Light. I also liked the way the society was created to be so patriarchal and mysoginistic. It was very cleverly done.

I also enjoyed the characters. They were well done.

Pacing was mostly good, but at times, it did drag a bit (hence 4 stars instead of 5), and I feel that some things could have possibly been cut out.

I didn't realise there was another book, and I will definitely be looking for that one soon.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Fox and the Flame by Kassandra Flamouri is a first person-POV YA fantasy. Ari, the Rose Princess, is looking to create a school for girls in her kingdom, but the only way she can have it is if she agrees to marry Hadrien, a young noble who has been obsessed with her for years. Ari asks questions about the world around her and meets a young woman named Sadra, who steals Ari’s heart.

What I really liked was Ari and Sadra’s romance. Sadra is a Companion, someone trained to be a partner to nobles in terms of dance, conversation, and more. Women are not allowed to marry other women in this world but it is acceptable for girls to have brief relationships with other girls or for women to have physical relationships with Companions. Sadra and Ari are not willing to choose those options, both wanting a committed monogamous relationship, but Ari’s engagement and society around them makes it difficult.

The treatment of women as second class citizens, casual homophobia, and enslavement are explored themes in The Fox and the Flame. Thralls, people-shaped beings who are empty husks that assist nobles in their daily lives, have no rights and are viewed as chattel. Ari has issues with the thrall system, but no one around her shares her views, insisting that the thralls have nothing happening inside of them. The thralls are also connected to part of the magic system, producing Light that fuels a lot of their world. Amulets are made from the ground-up bones of thralls, adding a horrific layer of how enslaved people are not free even in death.

Ari and her brothers, Costi and Luca, have a deep familial relationship with each other despite their age differences and circumstances. Costi is the king and is about a decade older than both Luca and Ari while Luca is Ari and Costi’s half-brother. Rowan, Ari’s personal guard, acts as another brother as does Kirit, a fox that is connected to Luca. Costi, Luca, and Rowan would do anything for Ari and support her plans for a school while Ari is unquestionably loyal to her older brother and king and respects Rowan and Luca. It is always nice to see non-traditional and complex family relationships on the page, especially ones that are more loving rather than competitive.

Content warning for mentions of sexual assault and depictions of enslavement, sexism, and homophobia

I would recommend this to fans of YA fantasy exploring sexism, readers of Sapphic fantasy, and those looking for a book that directly questions a lot of the arguments often used to justify enslavement

Thank you NetGalley & Kassandra Flamouri for an eARC of this book. The following is my honest review of The Fox and the Flame.

Princess Arismendi has one dream: to open Kingsgarden’s first school for girls. When the opportunity comes at the expense of her sought after hand in marriage, she takes it. But a chance encounter with Sadra, a girl that sparks an inexorable attraction, has her questioning how far she’s willing to go to give the girls of her kingdom a better future. And with change comes resistance that threatens more than just her school.

This book was a great read. It's a strong YA story about a girl fighting against a world that believes her only value is in marriage and having a family. It’s a story we’ve read time and time again but it’s the world and the characters that made this particular telling so endearing. I adored Ari's relationship with her brothers—she never felt lesser with them and they were so supportive of her. I also loved that Luca was so accepted even though he's their half-brother. It makes me wonder what happened as the late king loved his late wife so clearly. Rowan was also a fun character as the poor guard dragged along on all of her shenanigans.
Hadrian is utterly vile. I wanted to punch him in the face every time he spoke.
Kingsgarden is such a fully realized, lived-in world. The magic system is easy to follow and ingrained in the world.
There are also multiple subplots happening to create a story with high stakes and many dangers. I really liked the storyline of the Thralls. It makes me want to read the companion novel, The Chalice and the Crown.
I knew that ending was coming but I did not expect it to be as heartbreaking as it was. I was so invested in these characters that I was emotionally attached so the events had the impact the author clearly wanted.
I loved the sweet romance between Ari and Sadra. They were nice moments between all the turmoil.

All in all, I enjoyed this. The characters, the world, the plot were all great and well-written. Though there were a few slow moments, I felt like plot was always moving forward and everything had a point. It's a complex, compelling story that deals with difficult topics suitable for young readers. For fans of Belladonna and Cinderella is Dead, I think this is the book for you.

I didn't realize this was a sequel when I requested this book. That being said, I still read some of it, just to get an idea of the story. This book intrigued me so much, that I stopped reading it and immediately went to find the first book. So yes, I will be recommending this book to other readers. 😊

3.5 stars rounded up. I liked this book enough that I'm planning to check out its companion. It always says something positive about a story when I'm at least thinking about extending my time in its universe.

I went into this book without knowing there was one before it. Prior knowledge wasn't really necessary though. The plot and world building were just okay, a bit thin at times. The main relationship was sweetly bland. The characters were the highlight here. I loved the sibling bonds. The girl power vibes were also a plus.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

The cover and synopsis really drew me in. Unfortunately it was too slow for me to really get into fully.

I love the cover and the description sounded very promising, but unfortunately I had a really hard time getting into this book. I didn't connect with any of the characters and the pace was just too slow for me.

I love the cover of this book. It's beautiful and I'll admit it was the main reason I requested it.

Reading the synopsis I thought "Yeah, this is right in my alley" so I had high hopes for this one, so I'm sad I was a bit disappointed. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it as I thought I would.

The first half or so of the book felt very repetitive and a bit slow. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy more character-centered books, but the pacing on this one felt off. The second half, more specifically the last quarter, did pick up pace and got exciting so I wish it was a bit like that in the beginning as well. Also, the magic system was confusing at parts, and I feel like I didn't grasp it well in the end.

I like the characters and the relationships they had and built throughout the book. I like the portrayal of Ari's relationship with her brothers, I think it was sweet but realistic.

There's something I didn't like at all: the sexism. I know it's by design and the world is built like that, but it was difficult to read at some points.

I would like to note that I received this ARC with the mindset that I would provide an honest review.

I was initially drawn to this book because of the cover of this book. This cover is gorgeous and the designer needs to be acknowledged.
Another thing to note before I begin my review is that this book has a companion to this book that can be read prior to this one for a better understanding of the plot. It does not have to be read prior to reading this one but it introduces the twist that you find in this book.

Please see the trigger warnings for this book before you read. There may be some that would prevent you from enjoying this book.

The second half of this book was by far more enjoyable than the first part of this book. I almost DNF this book but then I finally hooked on at the second half. Or really, the last 40% of this book was the better part.
I did enjoy the character growth that Ari had in this book. The writing was not the best but I really enjoyed the plot and the adventure that I went on through this book.

Release Date: June 28th

⭐️ ⭐️

"The Fox and the Flame" is a captivating tale set in the magical, patriarchal society of Kingsgarden, where Arismendi dreams of opening the first school for girls. Her journey, marked by an unwanted betrothal and societal resistance to educated women, is both inspiring and challenging. The story starts slowly, focusing on Ari's struggles and aspirations, but gains momentum in the second half with intriguing twists and a sweet yet complicated love story. Despite some pacing issues and repetitive themes, the rich characters and engaging world-building make this a compelling read. **Rating: 3.5/5**

This book was a little over 3 stars for me and it was totally saved by the 2nd part.

The fist part of the book is focused on the MC's wish to help other women and girls, since they were part of an patriarchal society and it affected her, the princess. It is very slow moving and at times it felt a bit boring and repetitive.

The second part was more interesting, but in comparison to the first part, it was way too rushed. I didn't expect every aspect of the twist, but it was hinting to what was gonna happen.

The love story was sweet, but the fact that they had that miscommunication part was just upsetting.

All in all, the story was interesting, but it could be refined a bit, and then it would really shine.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review!

When I started this book I did not realize that it had a companion book that was already out. You do not have to read that book first to understand this one, though from what I gather you will know the main secret that comes out at the end of this book. While it was a mystery for me, it is not an integral point of the story that knowing beforehand would ruin it, so I think you can read these in either order.

First off the cover for this book is gorgeous and captures the essence of the story.

On to the actual story, I thought the pacing of the book is was a little off with the ending feeling very rushed compared to how slow the story started. Even with the pacing issues I still really enjoyed the story, mostly because of the great characters and the sibling banter.

Other notes, the main themes of the book do get repetitive after a while, especially all of the misogyny talk and I feel like the magic used in the book was not explored enough, though that may happen in the companion book instead.

Overall an enjoyable book set in a really interesting world.

The cover is absolutely amazing and paired with the title it lured me in. But I didn’t love it as much as I wanted to. The book was so slow until you managed to get through the half of it. The writing was a bit repetitive but in the end it was okay. I just think I would’ve liked it more if it picked up earlier on.

Look, I knew this was going to be a book about women's rights, but the constant belittling of women was a bit too much in this book. It just felt repetitive. The first part of the book also dragged on quite a bit, which sucks because the second part of the book was really good!

However, I just struggled to connect with the characters..

Thank you to Willow Root Books, Kassandra Flamouri, and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review and all opinions are my own.

The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. I thought it was so pretty and I had not seen one like it before. The synopsis seemed interesting so I wanted to give it a try.

I wanted to like it a lot more than I did. Don't get me wrong, I did not hate it, but it was not in my top books of the year. The first 3/5ths of the book were not as fast paced as I usually like my books and everything seemed to drag and everything just seemed to repeat for the most part. The majority of the first 3/5ths of the book was centered around the main character, Ari, wanting to start a school for girls, since girls are often treated as less than men, and do not have the same opportunities as the men do. This topic was introduced in the synopsis and that was a topic that drew me in because it was an admirable thing that the main character wanted to do.

Now the last 2/5ths of the book did pick up a bit and that is what saved this book for me. This is where things actually got interesting but it was hard for me to get to that point because I kept wanting to put the book down.

Ari's relationship with her brothers was great. Her brothers were both supportive and did everything they could to make Ari happy if it was something that they could do.

The magic system was a little bit confusing to me to begin with. There are mentions of "Gifts" throughout the book, but I do wish there was more information on the magic system. The book could have used more world building in this aspect in my opinion. I don't know if the other book, The Chalice and the Crown, goes into more detail about the world and the magic system, but for people who have not read that, maybe a touch more could have been added here since this one is a spinoff and can be read separately.

There was a lot of misogyny throughout the book. Usually if there's a little bit, I can deal and skip it and it wouldn't be that big of a deal, but there was just an insane amount throughout the entire thing (example: Wives cannot do ANYTHING without their husbands approval, again, women aren't allowed the same opportunities as men when it comes to gaining knowledge and doing stuff on their own). It was very repetitive.