A decent start to a MG/YA fantasy. I think I would have really enjoyed this when I was younger, and I liked but didn't love it as an adult. The world-building is interesting, although I wish it had been expanded upon a little more. The romance is pretty sweet and I liked the mentor relationships that started to develop for Wehia. The pacing of the story seemed a little off, and to me didn't really feel like a full story arc. It's also short enough that it might have been better to have combined it with the second book as a stand-alone novel, rather than a duology. That's personal preference, though, and the second book is out soon so I can see where Wehia's journey takes her next.

Thanks to Snowy Wings Publishing for the Arc through NetGalley.

We follow Wehia, the 17 year old girl of a minor swordsmith holding who wishes to make a longsword of her own. So she moves to the city to apprentice under Hadana, her aunt who has major connections with the royal family and many aristocrats. The story focuses on Wehia's journey in making her own sword, while also coming out of her sheltered life and realising that the real world and life are more scarier than she imagined.

Wehia has always been an impulsive and headstrong kid, so it's difficult for her to adjust to the new place, and to endure months of intense training. She already knows the basics of swordmaking as she grew up in a swordsmith holding but Hadana wouldn't take it into consideration, she puts Wehia through a lot of physical labour for months before accepting her as an apprentice. Even though it's arduous, Wehia perseveres with the training as she's focused on her goal of crafting her own sword, Fireheart. It was heartwarming to see her find a new family in Hadana's holding, and also find love and companionship through Geri💜

The sword making craft is matrilineal, and is passed down to the daughters and nieces, and not the sons. I found this to be very fascinating as the women had so much love and warmth among themselves. They devote their whole lives to learning and perfecting the art, while also training in fighting with swords which lends them greater strength that can take any man down. The bond they share through the art - sitting together and singing songs, making meals and encouraging one another was amazing to witness. Not gonna lie, the food they make had me super hungry, and I'd love to try morani stew, moon cookies, and sookee if I can!!!🤤

The conflict between the border people and the Blood was only hinted in this first book, and I'm intrigued to see it in more detail in the sequel. There definitely seems to be a problem that hasn't been resolved for years, and I can't wait to read it. Overall, a wonderful coming of age YA fantasy!

Fire Heart has a lot of interesting components with a focus on sword making, but I felt there was something missing. I loved seeing the scenes in the forge and watching Wehia develop in her apprenticeship.

However, I didn’t feel as invested in the characters as I would have liked and found the relationship between Wehia and Geri uncomfortable. I always love a queer romance, but felt the distant relation was unnecessary and created a strange dynamic. I understand the author tried to explain this as normal in this world, but I wish it hadn’t been included as it certainly didn’t add anything to the plot.

As a whole, this was a quick and easy read. I hope the characterisations will deepen in the next book in the duology. I think it will appeal to lovers of YA low fantasy.

This story in this book was very good, but the writing and very little editing made me struggle to finish the book. I think if this book got an overhaul of editing would do this book very well. Also, I wasn't a big fan of the vaguely incestuous relationship in the book.

Fire Heart is a well-written middle grade novel with unique worldbuilding centered almost entirely on swordmaking. I found the lore to be fascinating, honestly more so than other adult fantasy novels I've recently read, and there's nothing that the gays love more than women swordfighting. Though I am far older than the middle grade reading age range these days, it's uplifting to see positive LGBTQ+ stories being shared more frequently, given that these types of novels didn't exist when I was growing up. I'll emphasize again that despite Fire Heart being targeted towards younger readers, the worldbuilding rivals that of adult fantasy, albeit slightly less convoluted.

All that being said, overall this novel, while enjoyable in moments, did not come together as seamlessly as I had hoped. Fire Heart is a quick read, and I felt that the fast pace often left me desiring more. There were not a lot of slower moments where we really got to sit with the characters and their emotions. I found myself longing often for more character introspection, and for this reason, the character development is not as complex as I had hoped. I value a good balance of plot and character development in the books I read, and Fire Heart leans much more plot-heavy to my dismay.

I also was slightly off-put by the vaguely incestuous relationship in this novel. Yes, characters point out at multiple times that Wehia and Geri are so far removed from the family tree that they're practically unrelated at this point, but nevertheless, I wish the lore had been rewritten so that the two didn't have to be related at all. I definitely think there was a more creative way to establish their relationship without having them be related.

Overall, Fire Heart was a quick and somewhat entertaining read, but I believe its fast paced worked against it, preventing the exploration of crucial character development and deeper themes.

I read this title in a few hours. The story itself is lovely and I enjoyed the premise and intention behind the plot. Unfortunately, the writing and minimal editing saw me struggling to understand or maintain the tone. Many exclamation marks, overuse of surnames and random capitalisation of words made it difficult for me to read.

I think with some high quality editing this book will be a great start to the intended series.

FIRE HEART is the story of Wehia, whose dream is to create a sword and prove herself as a sword maker. But in order to learn the craft, she must apprentice far from home, under her aunt Hadana, who demands hard work and sacrifice from Wehia. Wehia's saving grace in this time is her close companion and fellow apprentice Geri, with whom Wehia forms a closer-than-friends bond. Also lurking at the edge of civilization is the threat of bandits—but perhaps there's more to their struggle than meets the eye. Wehia must learn what it takes to become a real forge woman and sword maker.

I deeply enjoyed Wehia's story—full of fascinating insight into the life of forge workers and fill to the brim with moving depictions of a coming-of-age in a dangerous world. Wehia is prickly, stubborn, and lovable, exactly the type of young female protagonist I would have instantly seen myself in as a teenager (and still do!) Geri, Wehia's "amal" (promised), is also a standout character; she's kind and gentle but there are (literal) knives up her sleeves too. Hadana, the forge mistress and mentor to Wehia, is equally complex and interesting—she isn't always fair but she is doing her best to keep the forge running and teach the girls what they need to know.

I eagerly await the sequel, COLD STEEL, and highly recommend this book to fans of YA fantasy!

A beautiful, engaging story with a Wehia being a relatable and strong main character! Fire Heart absolutely captured me in the City with excellent world building. Wehia is stubborn, impatient, and an impeccably strong which immediately makes her a great main character. With all the worry, and pressure on her shoulders she is set on doing what is right, and following her heart. Fire Heart also explores LGBTQ+ relationships as the main character is in a relationship with a woman. It is so refreshing to see a sapphic relationship being so prominent in a fantasy book. The interactions between Wehia and Geri are extremely wholesome and I adore their dynamic. I am so excited to see how Wehia develops as a character even more in the next book!

Fire Heart is a quiet, introspective upper middle grade/lower YA story about a girl who was raised at a knife-making forge who yearns to make a longsword like her ancestors. The story is slow-paced but never boring. It's more of a story about Wehia coming into her own than any kind of high-stakes fantasy adventure as the cover might indicate. Wehia is impatient and stubborn but also determined and principled. Over the course of the book, she slowly learns the method of swordmaking, clashing with her aunt, the forgemistress, but also grudgingly earning her respect. She also has a sweet sapphic relationship with a quiet girl named Geri. The story unfolds gently over the backdrop of the seasons. The world is deeply thought out, with every element of society having a depth and a history. Fire Heart is low-stakes and cozy, though there is a small amount of conflict—not just between Wehia and the forgemistress, but also between the privileged city dwellers and the marginalized border people that challenges Wehia's own beliefs. There is also some tension over a feared forced marriage for Geri, and over the fraught construction of Fire Heart, the sword that Wehia is determined to create no matter the cost. The story is not resolved by the end of the book, so I'm looking forward to the second book in the duology to wrap up what happens with Wehia and Geri's journey.

Joyce Ch'ng does a great job in this opening chapter of the Fire Heart Duology series. I thought the characters were perfectly written in the world that was created. It does a great job in creating the world and introducing us to this adventure. I was never bored when reading this. It left me wanting to read more in this series and from Joyce Ch'ng as I had a great time with this book.