Book Review: We Are The Fire by Sam Taylor
The Details
I have received a copy of this book, free of charge, in exchange for an honest review.
Media Type: Ebook
Title: We Are The Fire
Author: Sam Taylor
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Pages/Length: Ebook; 416
Release Date: February 16, 2021
Source: Author/Xpresso Book Tours
As electrifying as it is heartbreaking, Sam Taylor’s explosive fantasy debut We Are the Fire is perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes and the legend of Spartacus.
In the cold, treacherous land of Vesimaa, children are stolen from their families by a cruel emperor, forced to undergo a horrific transformative procedure, and serve in the army as magical fire-wielding soldiers. Pran and Oksana―both taken from their homeland at a young age―only have each other to hold onto in this heartless place.
Pran dreams of one day rebelling against their oppressors and destroying the empire; Oksana only dreams of returning home and creating a peaceful life for them both.
When they discover the emperor has a new, more terrible mission than ever for their kind, Pran and Oksana vow to escape his tyranny once and for all. But their methods and ideals differ drastically, driving a wedge between them. Worse still, they both soon find that the only way to defeat the monsters that subjugated them may be to become monsters themselves.
The Review
I’ll admit, I was pretty excited to jump into this story. The blurb promised moral dilemma and genetically altered soldiers and I was sold. Fortunately I was not disappointed. The story starts out a bit slow but picks up significantly in the second half.
Pran and Oksana are already connected when we meet them on page one. Their relationship is supportive and tumultuous due to their opposing views on how to improve their situation. With the pressures of living a life not in their own control, Pran wants to fight back while Oksana just wants to find peace in her own life.
As I mentioned earlier, the pacing isn’t terrific. It was a bit of a sludge getting through the first half of the book but I still enjoyed it overall. The moral implications of Pran’s choices and motivations were an interesting commentary on the feelings of the oppressed and how extreme things can happen when you take away someone’s free will. It feels like we’re supposed to understand and empathize with these choices, even with Oksana struggling to come to terms with them. It’s a thought provoking situation.
I do feel like both Pran and Oksana are well thought out characters. I enjoyed their relationship and their dialogue with each other. Pushing each other and defending their own views and ideas.
All in all I enjoyed this book. I liked that it wasn’t a cliffhanger and that it challenge some of the stereotypes that YA sometimes finds itself. Neither character was wrong in their opinions, just different perspectives. Finding a middle ground is not always possible and the navigation of that dynamic was thought provoking.
Sam Taylor grew up in Arizona’s deserts and now lives among Connecticut’s trees. She spends her days writing, being mom to the world’s cutest boys, whirling through dance workouts, and baking too many cakes. She does not possess fire magic, but does have one fire-colored cat. We Are the Fire is her debut novel.
Author links:https://www.samtaylorwrites.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17695143.Sam_Taylor
https://twitter.com/jsamtaylor
One Comment
Giselle
Thanks for being on the tour! Lovely review! 🙂