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.