An excellent fantasy adventure/romantasy about a pair of sapphics and their weird guy friend. Can be a bit slow at times, but the book found its stride around halfway through, and from there until the end, it's just an excellent fantasy story that really balanced the romance and adventure aspects really well. the ending might catch some readers off guard (not necessarily in a good way), but once you think about it more, it might actually grow on you. The prose itself is excellent, full of personality, making the whole reading experience a pleasant one.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

A queer love story. Living cities with their grief and their mistakes and their stolen Idols. Magic seemingly bringing ancient gods to life. A quest, for redemption in their own way. This story is many things and I’m glad I got to get lost in its pages.

Kirby has lost her brother and she is infected with Wither that plagues her forgotten village town of Wall’s End. A stolen statue of the goddess of spring was taken from Kirby’s land by Nivela. Maybe that’s why her village is deteriorating, including its citizens. Kirby feels in some way responsible and decides to take on her brother’s old dream.

Aleya, a hated warrior who could have the throne if she earns her Calling. Her birth a reminder of Ash’s and Kuba’s never forgotten lovers that defied the lands for their love.

And so their quests begin and that’s how they find each other and much, much more.

I really enjoyed this story. However, it was less about the plot and more about the characters for me. I loved Aleya and Kirby and all the very fascinating people they meet along the way. This story is not boring and I wish I only had more of it!

A Fall of the Roman Empire inspired fantasy travelogue that is more about the slow character development along the journey than the quest at hand, with a sapphic maybe almost just queer platonic? relationship.

Between this and Floating Hotel, Grace Curtis is really good with her character work, particularly subverting classic fantasy tropes in ways that still pay homage to them. It's going to be too slow for some folks, and there is the suggestion of a rich world with history and religion that sometimes feels empty of life outside the pov characters. But otherwise, Curtis looks to be a consistently very strong writer for my tastes.

This was above average across the board, but nothing that quite pushed it into outstanding territory for me. I'm just waiting for Curtis to break through with the one that becomes a favorite, I definitely need to get to her debut, Frontier (queer space western about climate change? yes pls).

DnF at 15%. The writing and storytelling was so simplistic that it was hard to read, and that made the story increasingly hard to get into.

I rate this 4.5 stars. It is a very engaging story with so much going for it. Idolfire is a hero's journey with touches of myth, history, violence, humor, and romance. There is so much walking in this book that your feet will be sore by the end. I loved the world-building. Some reviewers were disappointed by the ending, but I wasn't. I found it to be mature and realistic (in a semi-mystical way, of course). Curtis notes that some of the story is based on the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, but don't let that scare you. It's a human story with subtle but powerful emotion. I highly recommend it.
#NetGalley

No review to be sudmitted as I DNF'ed this book at 38%. I didn't feel any empathy for either female lead, or their journeys. The "You" chapters were also very confusing.

Inspired by the fall of Rome, as well as other fallen ancient cities, Idolfire presents the sapphic love story of two women from different parts of the world headed for the same mysteriously shut off city where the treasures they seek lie. Idolfire is a story of love and surprising friendship, of gods and magic, with a bittersweet ending that somehow felt both fitting and not quite enough. But it’s also kind of an oddity to me as it’s told with the same softness and coziness as Floating Hotel despite the often perilous journey these two women make. The edges of the story are blunted, drawing the relationship between Aleya and Kirby to the forefront, which is itself more of a light and sweet story. It sometimes felt like it struggled to tell a slightly more epic story, but was hampered a little by the writing style. But I cannot ignore the fact that Aleya and Kirby, and eventually Nylophon, won my heart.

In Wall’s End, Kirby and her brother Balain spend their free time exploring the ruins of the once great city, Balt, their little village rests against. After tragedy strikes, Kirby sets out for the island Palgaro and the long shut city Nivela, this world’s version of Rome, where she plans to steal back the idol of Iona, the Goddess of Spring once revered in Balt. On the other side of the world in the city of Ash, Aleya is something of a bastard princess waiting for the queen, her aunt, to send her on a Calling, a journey that, if successful, will cement her place in the line of succession. After years of waiting, her aunt sends her to Nivela to retrieve a treasure. Inevitably, these women collide and end up traveling together, where they explore the land, battle monsters and a kind of nutty soldier who insists on following them and fighting Aleya, and find a sort of soft yet doomed love.

I know nothing about the fall of Rome, but am familiar enough with what Rome did on their quest for world domination. Fortunately, anything beyond that wasn’t anything I needed to know. Instead, this was focused on the journey and on the blossoming relationship between Kirby and Aleya and the unexpected friendship between the women and Nylo. Secondary to this was their quest for the treasures in Nivela, which, when I think about it, feels kind of boring and overdone, but, in the moment, felt like a fun adventure. Unfortunately, the same soft storytelling found in Floating Hotel is also attempted in Idolfire, and I don’t think it wasn’t quite as successful, at least for me. The soft, slow storytelling made the relationships sweet, but it prolonged the story and an already tedious journey.

I did love Kirby and Aleya, though. Kirby has no idea what she’s doing. She’s just a grieving peasant girl with no future in Wall’s End because she was the Wither, which causes infertility, which is a huge deal for her because she loves children more than anything. Her intentions are noble as she seeks to bring back the stolen idol of Iona and restore her part of the world, and the people, but she’s definitely no swordswoman despite the hefty sword she carries. But she has a good head on her shoulders and can survive in the wilderness. Aleya turns out to be the other half of her whole, and vice versa. She’s the niece of Ash’s queen and has a place in succession, if only she can successfully carry out her Calling and return with a treasure taken long ago. She’s feisty, because she’s had to be just to survive considering the sad, tragic love story her parents lived and the hatred her people now hold for her because of it. She has no clue how to survive in the wild, but she’s a trained warrior and will do anything to make her people’s lives better.

Their relationship got off to a rocky start, and I was absolutely tickled when Aleya kept wanting Kirby to stop following her, but there’s only one main road and they both have to travel on it. I loved the thorns of their early relationship, and I loved watching it bud and bloom. They were lovely together. I also loved that this romance was softly and deftly woven in so it felt like it was at the forefront while also managing to not detract from the greater story. It was perfectly tucked in and meticulously cared for, making the ending excruciatingly bittersweet. I loved this love story, and kind of wish it hadn’t bloomed so late in the story. I could have done with a little less background on Kirby and Aleya just to give these women more time to fall in love.

Then there’s Nylo. He’s a soldier, and accidental hero, from Carthe, whose soldiers sound like they’re little more than hired swords. He has his pride, but not as much skill as he’s trying desperately to show off. He’s kind of a sad character, but definitely persistent. He grew on me, and his ending was just as bittersweet, yet so fitting. He’s so reluctant to take any help from Kirby no matter how much she offers it, and she’s just so sweet about it. He and Aleya have a thornier relationship, which was a lot of fun. But I loved watching them form a friendship, one where they cared about each other so much more than either Nylo or Aleya would admit. It was fantastic to see Nylo transform, and I kind of loved how his story broke my heart.

But the overarching story of Idolfire is that of a journey. Aleya and Kirby have their own quests, and they just happen to be headed in the same direction. There’s some light court politics and some warring, but it’s all really just in the background. Aleya and Kirby relentlessly pursue their goal, plodding almost unceasingly on the road. While reading, I had a lot of fun with them as the tedious journey gave them space to learn about each other. But, when I wasn’t reading, I would realize just how little progress had been made and just how much time and detail had been given over to world building places we never see again. I was charmed, but also felt like this was far too long.

Idolfire manages to be both sweet and tedious. The storytelling style didn’t feel like a perfect fit, but I adored Kirby, Aleya, and Nylo. There are certainly a lot of interesting things towards the end that I wish had been better and more fully explored, but so much of the story was given over to the journey. It was fun traveling the world with these three, but it sometimes felt like the slog it probably was for them. The softness was perfect for their developing relationships, but it left me dissatisfied when it came to the main story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

3.5 rounded up

The premise immediately gripped me: epic sapphic fantasy inspired by the fall of the Roman Empire where two women are traveling alone, find each on the road, go on adventures together, and fall in love. I had read somewhere that it had a slightly Xena-coded story, and I could see how parts of it reminded me of Xena.

The book is a very character-driven, slow-paced, slow burn romance. While I enjoyed reading the banter and the small bits of sexual tension, I felt the romance was a little too slow burn for me though I think the ending is a large reason why I felt this way.

Thank you to Grace Curtis, DAW, and to NetGalley for providing an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I desperately tried to get into this book, but the slow pacing at the beginning just refused to draw me in. Unfortunately this was a very early DNF for me at about 15%, I don't think the writing was bad, but the pacing was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

I didn't realise how much I had been craving a good old-fashioned fantasy roadtrip until I read this!

The first part of the book shows us where our protagonists start out and how they get to deciding to embark on their journeys. While I did like getting to know Aleya and Kirby, I think the story really takes off when they meet for the first time. Everything—their initial impressions of each other, their (this makes me cringe but IDK how else to say this) grumpy/sunshine dynamic, the development of their relationship— is just chef's kiss.

I love character driven stories, so this book was right up my alley, but if you prefer plot, I cannot emphasise enough how slow the plot is. Majority of this book is spent travelling, and the main plot stuff only really happens in the last 90%. Of course, this isn't a bad thing, but just so you know. You know?

This book is equal parts dark and humorous. Objectively, this book is pretty heavy as many terrible things happen, but the happier, lighthearted moments of friendship and banter left more of an impression on me. Honestly, I would personally categorise this book as a cozy fantasy. (What I mean is that I felt cozy reading this. The characters are definitely not feeling cozy.)

We only really get to see a few gods, but I adored the concept behind it: gods being created by worship, and existing in physical objects that can be stolen. Pretty cool!

This is such a compelling and refreshing take on the hero's journey story formula and I really enjoyed it! The writing was so compellingly readable that despite the high page count I found it really hard to put this down. The world building and magic-system were really cool and there was just enough exposition to help the reader understand this fantasy world without it becoming overwhelming. I loved the way that Roman history was used here, and the entire commentary on history, empires, and legacy itself was one of the best parts of the book. The sapphic love story was written really well and I think the slow-burn romance was so natural and organic. The main trio had such amazing chemistry and banter, and seeing them learn to trust and understand each other was amazing. This book balanced wit and heart so well, with as many laugh out loud moments as genuinely heartbreaking ones. Overall just a really great, easy to read sapphic romantasy!

The only reason this doesn't quite get five stars from me is it was a little too simple. While it was very readable and quick to get through, I think that was partly because of how simple the prose and story were. There were so many interesting ideas that were moved over quite quickly that I would have loved to know more about, and the prose definitely did lean a little too YA for my taste, especially in an epic fantasy (I know this is a YA book so if this is preferable to you, I think you'd love it! It just unfortunately doesn't work for my personal taste so prevented me from loving this as much as I might have if it was written for a slightly older audience).

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a sapphic fantasy book, and really enjoyed reading it! If you are not a fan of YA, that might be a point against it, but as someone who generally doesn't love YA, I had a lot of fun with this so would suggest giving it a go anyway!

I had the absolute pleasure of receiving an ARC of this (thank you to the publishers and netgalley, and I also get the absolute honor of telling everyone to GO READ IT!!!

sapphic fantasy roadtrip meets the fall of rome? witty, interesting, and impressive characters and a uniquely cool as hell magic system? this book did not disappoint, i’m so serious. it’s worth a pick up if this sounds like it’ll interest you even a little bit.

you know how sometimes fantasy fights get confusing? or is that just me? either way I felt like I could thoroughly understand where everyone’s limbs were at ALL times during fight scenes, which made me very happy.

and kirby and aleya. my loves. i’m obsessed with them! it’s a slowburn that feels so natural to them and their characters that it had me giggling and kicking my feet the whole time.

Idolfire is emblematic of both Grace Curtis's strengths as a writer: likable, three-dimensional characters, built-out worlds, and vivid descriptions, but also her weaknesses: slow pacing and difficulty maintaining tension. Consequently, as I read, I was constantly caught between the two extremes of 'yeah, this is good, I want to know what happens next,' and not having any real motivation or drive to start the next chapter once I finished the previous. The pacing problems were further exacerbated by the multiple POVs, especially since it takes a surprisingly long time for our two (eventually three) protagonists to even meet up. I honestly felt like the leisurely pace and lush landscape description really wanted this book to be a cozy, but the actual content was much too dark to play into that direction, almost to the point where plot and prose felt at war with one another. That said, there were some moments of real beauty, such as delving into the creation of Ash's goddess, and I liked the odd spark of hopeful ambiguity in the epilogue.

Thank you to DAW and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions within are my own.

A nice journey and travelling can be some of my favorite parts of a fantasy story - I mean LOTR and WOT have so much travelling at their cores but Idolfire is really just journey. It was pitched as a cozy sapphic camping fantasy and I do think it delivered though the romance left a lot to be desired. The connection between them was fine but not sure what made them actually like each other other than the convenience of being the only other person around. There were quite a few structural bugs that I couldn't quite look past - the division of acts was fine but then the title inconsistency was frustrating - we begin with using locations to start the chapters and then switch to the POV characters and the whole second person of 'the city" of Nivela was just not working.

I love to read Roman inspired worlds especially those that look at what the fall did to society around it - the leftover scars of being conquered and dissolved are really interesting threads and the usage of religion in this was some of my favorite worldbuilding. But really putting the fall of a major civilization and empire on one woman felt a little icky. Also the introduction of Nyolophon's POV halfway through the book was a source of potential to discuss the themes of the general's choices and the role of a soldier but then they really didn't do much with him other than serve a plot convenience at the end.

2/5

The premise of this book really excited me: A sapphic slow burn romance on a fantasy filled adventure? I’m hooked! But unfortunately everything just fell a little bit flat for me.

Although I did find reading this book enjoyable, I found myself putting it down often and struggling to pick it back up. The plot just wasn’t as gripping as I was hoping and expecting. It felt a bit like reading a walking-simulator video game.

There wasn’t really any immediate threat to the characters at all. The low stakes and slow, monotonous pace of the book left it slightly boring. It could be argued that the slow pace was a metaphor itself; replicating the seemingly never ending walk the characters went on.

However I will say that the world building was really beautiful and was my favourite part of the whole book. Because the characters walked so far, we were granted a look at a vast and highly detailed world full of different cultures and cities. I definitely felt immersed in the environment of the journey.

The slow burn was also a bit of a disappointment for me. It seemed to come out of nowhere. I think there was only one or two personal mentions of feelings by each character before they fell in love. With it being a multiple pov read, I was expecting a lot more insight to the personal feelings of each of them. It definitely needed some more yearning and building of emotions and tension.

The magic system was very interesting, and I wish it had been used more by our main character. The final destination of our traveler’s journey was also extremely unique and I finally saw a glimpse of that high stakes fantasy I was hoping for throughout the whole book. If only it had been like this the whole way through!!

Lastly, I think the lyrical and flowery writing negatively affected the story in the same way it did in WTMH. Sometimes it was difficult to truly understand what was going on because everything was trying to be said as a metaphor. I got mixed up a few times with the literal facts and the flouncy analogies, leaving me confused at important parts of the story, thereby losing their critical impact.

Overall, I think this book is a nice little stand alone if you’re looking for an easy, low stakes read and don’t mind a slow pace. I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I didn’t go into it with expectations as I did, so, try to keep an open mind!

In the world left behind centuries after the fall of a world-spanning empire, history has fallen into myth and legend on its far-flung fringes. Kirby of Wall’s End and Aleya Ana-Ulai might as well be from entirely separate worlds – because they are.

When the Empire of Nivela fell, or died, or imploded, or all of the above, the places that either resisted them or were conquered by them – or both – were left to struggle on without all the things and people the Empire stole at the height of their reach.

Including, in the case of Wall’s End, their god. And in the case of the Kingdom of Ash, one of their most important relics. Wall’s End NEEDS their god back, because their land is dying without the renewing power of Iona, the Goddess of Spring. And the people are dying with it, withering generation after generation.

Ash just wants their relic back, as they believe that no one should have the power of Idolfire, the power to consume the accumulated worship vested in a deity, except for their own royal house.

Then again, Wall’s End is the last remnant of a kingdom that Nivela thoroughly conquered, while Ash successfully resisted the might of the Nivelan Empire until that Empire fell. Of its own weight – or its own ‘Worldlord’s’ hubris.

Or both.

The story of Idolfire is a quest. It’s two quests. Kirby sets out for the ruins of fabled Nivela to get her village’s god back. Not because she’s a hero – but because she feels guilty that what was left of the god listened when she cursed her brother and not only killed him but blocked the water for the entire village.

Aleya, the reviled, disregarded, bastard princess of Ash, is sent by her Aunt the Queen on an actual, sanctioned quest to the ruins of Nivela to retrieve the other half of their sacred relic. Aleya knows she’s not expected to succeed, that she’s expected to either give up or die trying. But if she does succeed, she’ll be able to follow her Aunt as Queen, and make the reforms needed to save her city from dying from the weight of its own corruption and hubris – much like Nivela did.

The story is their journey, separately and together, over the whole of what was once the great Nivelan Empire. Along the way, they face death and danger and corruption and old gods and new kingdoms and desperate people and deranged leaders. They turn an enemy into a fast friend.

They find redemption for the sins they left behind. And they fall in love, even as they know that, as much as failure will doom them, success can only be bittersweet.

Escape Rating B: If you’re expecting something like the author’s previous work, Floating Hotel, you might want to check out some reviews (obv. Including this one) before continuing. Because Idolfire is not at all like Floating Hotel, and not just because that was SF and this is definitely fantasy.

Because I really did enjoy Idolfire, I’m trying to set expectations a bit better than either a quick reference to Floating Hotel or the bolded opening line of the book’s blurb. OTOH, that description, “Idolfire is an epic sapphic fantasy inspired by the fall of Rome from the author of the Frontier and Floating Hotel.” is 100 percent true.

But the emphasis isn’t quite in the same places in the blurb as they are in the book – leading back around to potentially disappointed expectations.

The emphasis in the story is on the epic fantasy parts of the description. It’s a quest story. Actually, it’s two quest stories combined with two heroines’ journeys that begin at literally opposite ends of the world as they know it. Those two heroines do eventually meet and there is a slowburn sapphic romance but the romance isn’t the driving force in the story.

Their separate quests drive the story, quests that begin as far apart as possible – as Kirby and Aleya themselves do – but have the same center point in more ways than one.

Which is where that reference to the fall of Rome comes in. The fall, the reasons for that fall, and what the world looks like at the fringes of what was once the empire so long after that fall that history has fallen into myth and legend.

The historical underpinnings of this story may remind readers of the way that Guy Gavriel Kay works history into fantasy. Because yes, Nivela is Rome – more or less – but it is also biblical Nineveh. Ash is Assyria and Wall’s End is post-Roman-occupation Britain. But their enemy-turned-companion Nylo is from someplace like the ancient Greek city-states, and these places did not all exist at the same time.

The romance between Kirby and Aleya is VERY slow burn. They do come to love each other, but it takes them a lot of time – and miles, definitely miles! – to get there. They are both aware that the BEST ending they can possibly get is that they each return to their opposite ends of the world. It’s realistic but it’s ultimately sad. The reader wants them to have an HEA and they both want it and KNOW they can’t have it.

As much as I loved their journey and enjoyed their long and winding tour of this quasi-ancient, slightly magical, somewhat historical world, theirs is not the only perspective on their quests. Someone is moving events behind the scenes, looking on from above – or underneath – or both, watching as history unfolds. And it has shades of the secret at the heart of the city of Kithamar in Daniel Abraham’s Age of Ash series. It’s something I’m not sure worked in either epic, but it’s left me thinking I’ll go back to Age of Ash and see.

Nevertheless, that extra perspective is one that kinda works and kinda doesn’t and your reading mileage may definitely vary. My enjoyment of and fascination with Aleya’s and Kirby’s world, their epic journey through it and their relationship within it was MORE than enough to carry me through this fascinating tale.

3.75 🌟

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the arc!

I had a pretty good time with Idolfire, I think some aspects were done really well while there were others that didn't work quite as well.

The strongest parts for me were the world and magic system, and I kind of wish the book had leaned into these elements even more. Idolfire is set in a world after the fall of an empire that many years ago conquered the known world and stole the gods of other cities to harness their magic, before mysteriously sealing themselves off from the world. One of our POV characters grows up next to what remains of a destroyed city, and the characters' quests take them through magical ruins to the city at heart of the empire.

The flipside is that I did find the plot a little weak. As others have noted it’s very much a quest book, a lot of getting from point A to point B, made even longer by accidentally going to point C instead. The result was that the middle of the story felt a bit too drawn out, although at times it gave an almost cozy fantasy feel to the story. The weeks of walking and camping did provide time for our two main POV characters to get to know each other (and one questionable side POV). While I liked the characters, it didn’t really feel like their relationship and mild chemistry were enough to hold up the slower parts of the story. At the same time, as someone who generally does not enjoy romance in books, it also wasn’t too annoying and I did enjoy how their relationship played out at the end. And that questionable side POV being Nylophon who maybe either needed to be removed or given more of his own story.

There are some interludes with a second person narration which I enjoyed, I could have even gone for more of it. Second person is not everyone’s cup of tea, but I think it’s used sparingly enough in this book that it wouldn’t be an issue for those readers.

Overall, maybe could have been shortened but still an interesting fantasy world.

The conquering city state of Nivela has closed its gates after subjugating most of the known world and stealing their gods. Decades have passed without any whisper of life behind its walls. In the small town of Wall's End, Kirby sets out on a journey to Nivela in order to recover the stolen spring goddess and save her people. On the other side of the world, in the cosmopolitan and wise city of Ash, Ayela sets out to recover a lost artifact from Nivela and prove herself to her family. Against all odds, they will cross paths and join forces in order to get to Nivela unscathed, but what will they find there?

Truly this was such a fantastic premise, and I applaud Curtis for her creativity. As per her author's note in the end, Nivela and its empire are based on the Roman Empire but with the twist of the magic of stolen gods powering the Empire's war machine. The concept is so cool that part of me wishes it had happened in real life!
I very much liked this book, but I do feel it could have been truly great with some minor (or major?). Our two main POV characters, Ayela and Kirby were both compelling and loveable. I appreciated that they were polar opposites in personality and brought out the best in each other. I'm not sure I would classify this as a slow burn, but the romance was perfectly paced. Honestly, the whole journey was perfectly paced and felt like a true journey that you were going on with the characters. You truly get to know the world along with Kirby and Ayela as they travel through so many different destinations.
At various intervals, there are 2nd person POV sections from the point of view of Nivela and its last leader. At first, I wasn't sure how to feel about this as I'm not a fan of 2nd person POV. However, it does become an excellent and unique framing device for giving us the history of Nivela and its fall.

As for the tweaks I mentioned. There is a 3rd POV character not mentioned in the synopsis called Nypho who hails from this book's version of Sparta. However, he isn't introduced until about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way through the book and gets much less page time as compared to the two female leads. With how the book was structure, I'm not sure why he was included as the story could have progressed just fine without him and he left very little emotional impact. If Curtis wanted him to be a fully fleshed out character, Nypho should have been introduced in the very beginning with the other two and gone on a similar journey of growth as they did.
In addition, Ayela's uncle had changing motivations and characterization that I felt wasn't adequately explained. Again, there should have been more of him prior to Ayela starting her journey hinting at his quiet support of her. Honestly, this is just an example of this book needing a bit more breathing room for its story and characters. ( I definitely found the climax in Nivela to be rushed). It's odd to think that with the book almost being 500 pages but I'm almost wondering if it should've been a duology.?
And lastly, the epilogue was completely unnecessary and kind of ruined the ending of the book for me. It should have ended with the final 2nd person POV chapter as that was the perfect ending.

Despite all these tweaks, the world, the magic system and the two female leads were very strong, and I really did enjoy my reading experience.

Reviews going live on Goodreads, Storygraph and Fable on 3/7/25 and Tiktok on 3/8/25

Idolfire is the sapphic fantasy road trip story of my dream. Both MCs are complicated, a little tragic, and easy to root for. I know a lot of people want a HEA ending, but personally, I love it when an author is willing to take a risk with a more realistic ending. Not that the end was UN-happy.... Grace Curtis is on my radars now and I'm excited to see what they write next.

Sooo, it took me a while.
This is one of the books where the journey is much more important than the destination itself. I can see that.
The two protagonists (later three) come from very different backgrounds and want to travel together to a very famous city. They are driven by different motivations. The two characters are great and nicely built up, especially at the beginning. I got a bit confused at times because there was a lot of switching back and forth between their adult lives and their childhoods. but I actually quite liked them.
The journey itself is linear, so they get to know different places and people along the way, but I had the feeling that somehow they weren't making any progress. The journey makes no forward motion and some of the encounters seem pretty random. The chemistry between the two protagonists didn't quite click for me either.
The intermittent second person POV also caught me a bit off guard. I've read in this narrative style before and it can (!) add a lot of value. But I didn't find it here - it seemed as if the POV was only chosen because the author wanted it that way. Which isn't bad per se, but just a bit random.
I did really like some aspects of the world building though: I really liked the idea of idols and enjoyed the description of the cities. Idolfire itself sounds pretty cool too.

Overall, the book was okay/good-ish. Not bad - not by any means - but not satisfying in my eyes either.
If you like vibes, traveling and a bit of floating in books, you should definitely give it a try though!