Take a photo of a barcode or cover
readingrobin 's review for:
For a Muse of Fire
by Heidi Heilig
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Woe to all the readers that are always lured to a book because there's a badass dragon on the cover, only to realize that there aren't any actual dragons in the book. Okay, maybe on a technicality there is, but really there was no amount of technicality dragon that was going to save this book for me.
For a Muse of Fire was probably the most frustrating time I've had with a book in a while, for multiple reasons. The plot moves at a snail's pace, rarely getting anywhere or committing to a sense of conflict that doesn't end with Jetta running away. There were several moments during the first portion I was ready to put it down altogether, but the middle portion seemed promising and actually flowed much better than the beginning, only for the end to sink back into that meandering pace. Things do happen, twists are revealed, but it feels like the book never spends time on them long enough for them to mean anything. There's no build up to them, no sense of shock or thinking about the implications, only a passing reaction and, boom, we're back on our way.
Jetta as a character is also incredibly hard to become invested in. As I said before, she doesn't really tackle conflicts head on, only runs away until the plot says she can't anymore. She repeatedly makes very dangerous decisions, like straight up showing her magic right in front of the guy that would probably kill her if he knew about her magic just to get passage on a ship. From the author's note, it's also mentioned that she is bipolar, which could explain her more impulsive decisions, but I don't know, she never read as bipolar to me. Perhaps that's more on me not the the symptoms of being bipolar, as it is a condition the author shares.
The only part of the book that really stood out to me was the slight historical inspiration of a France-adjacent country occupying what can clearly be seen as a parallel to southeast Asia. Here you can really see elements of colonialism, military occupation, and cultural erasure. It's incredibly heavy at times, as Helig doesn't shy away from any brutality. It feels like the most genuine aspect of the book, and so it slightly raises my rating a bit.
Since getting through this book was such a struggle towards the end, I don't think I will be continuing with the series.
For a Muse of Fire was probably the most frustrating time I've had with a book in a while, for multiple reasons. The plot moves at a snail's pace, rarely getting anywhere or committing to a sense of conflict that doesn't end with Jetta running away. There were several moments during the first portion I was ready to put it down altogether, but the middle portion seemed promising and actually flowed much better than the beginning, only for the end to sink back into that meandering pace. Things do happen, twists are revealed, but it feels like the book never spends time on them long enough for them to mean anything. There's no build up to them, no sense of shock or thinking about the implications, only a passing reaction and, boom, we're back on our way.
Jetta as a character is also incredibly hard to become invested in. As I said before, she doesn't really tackle conflicts head on, only runs away until the plot says she can't anymore. She repeatedly makes very dangerous decisions, like straight up showing her magic right in front of the guy that would probably kill her if he knew about her magic just to get passage on a ship. From the author's note, it's also mentioned that she is bipolar, which could explain her more impulsive decisions, but I don't know, she never read as bipolar to me. Perhaps that's more on me not the the symptoms of being bipolar, as it is a condition the author shares.
The only part of the book that really stood out to me was the slight historical inspiration of a France-adjacent country occupying what can clearly be seen as a parallel to southeast Asia. Here you can really see elements of colonialism, military occupation, and cultural erasure. It's incredibly heavy at times, as Helig doesn't shy away from any brutality. It feels like the most genuine aspect of the book, and so it slightly raises my rating a bit.
Since getting through this book was such a struggle towards the end, I don't think I will be continuing with the series.