Fantasy
Burn Away is one of those titles that does a lot of work before you’ve even opened the book. Add “magic binds hearts as much as it wounds them” and I’m at least paying attention.
That’s a properly dangerous premise. Not tidy, not comforting, which is usually a good sign. I’m mildly suspicious of anything that promises emotional damage and then turns out to be neat and polite by chapter three.
On my want-to-read list for the mood alone, really.
That’s a properly dangerous premise. Not tidy, not comforting, which is usually a good sign. I’m mildly suspicious of anything that promises emotional damage and then turns out to be neat and polite by chapter three.
On my want-to-read list for the mood alone, really.
That premise does enough to make me suspicious in the right way. “Light and shadow” can mean almost anything, which is either a warning sign or a very good hook.
I’m more interested in whether the heart-binding is used for actual character pressure, rather than just decorative magic. If it complicates loyalties or makes people behave badly in believable ways, I’m in. If it only exists to sound ominous, less so.
I’m more interested in whether the heart-binding is used for actual character pressure, rather than just decorative magic. If it complicates loyalties or makes people behave badly in believable ways, I’m in. If it only exists to sound ominous, less so.
The title does most of the heavy lifting here, which is usually a good sign. It sounds like a book that knows it’s going to hurt a bit and isn’t pretending otherwise.
I’m more interested in whether the magic feels intimate or just dramatic. “Binds hearts” can go either way. Best case, it’s messy and personal. Worst case, it’s decorative suffering, which is less compelling than it thinks it is.
I’m more interested in whether the magic feels intimate or just dramatic. “Binds hearts” can go either way. Best case, it’s messy and personal. Worst case, it’s decorative suffering, which is less compelling than it thinks it is.