Sadly I really struggled to read this book and I am quite sad as it's been quite hyped up and I feel like I'm missing out, but cannot force myself anymore. the premise is interesting, but i think this is one of those cases where it's me and not the book!?

Didn't finish reading this - nothing wrong with the book, think it is more that I wasn't gelling with the characters making this difficult to stick with. One I will probably revisit in future!

Girls of Paper and Fire is a book that has been on my TBR for absolutely ages. I’ve heard incredible things about it so going in I had some pretty high expectations. The story follows Lei, a young girl forced to become a courtesan for the Demon King. Being a Paper Girl is the worst fate imaginable for Lei, who wants nothing more than to remain at home with her family. While forced to learn skills befitting a woman at court, Lei falls in love – a forbidden romance that if discovered, could be her death.

Girls of Paper and Fire has a really fascinating premise and while I really enjoyed it, I had expected to love it a lot more than I did. I really enjoyed Ngan’s writing style, but felt the world building could have been a little stronger in this book. There is quite a bit of info dump at the beginning and it took me a little while to wrap my head round the castes and rules of the world.

The story is well paced, and the last hundred pages are incredibly gripping as the action heats up. Girls of Paper and Fire ends with the promise of even higher stakes and more drama in book two, so I’m looking forward to seeing what Girls of Storm and Shadow will bring. The characters Ngan has created in this book are probably what I enjoyed most about this story. I really liked Lei and the other paper girls, it was fascinating seeing them come from different backgrounds and cope with the horrors of being a paper girl. The romance is well done too, it doesn’t overtake the main plot and Ngan gives it plenty of time to develop. I would have liked to learn a bit more about the Demon King. He felt like a bit cookie cutter for me.

Natasha Ngan has weaved a clever tale full of action, political intrigue and romance. A word of warning that the story is quite a dark one, and will have trigger warnings for rape and abuse. It’s an impressive start to this exciting YA fantasy series, and I’m looking forward to reading more from Natasha Ngan. Though it didn’t completely live up to my expectations I still really enjoyed this one, and if you’re curious about picking it up I’d recommend trying it out!

Thank you Netgalley for this copy for an impartial review.
The very cover of this book attracted me though the storyline characters sounded a bit odd. I needn't have been dubious however.
The storyline runs quickly and the different races of demons etc are described accurately so you can picture their forms straight away. The main characters are flawed but likeable.
I look forward to the next book in the series

Did not like this one at all, too many triggers and did not enjoy the story line - really sad about this one as I wanted to live it as you don't se f/f romance very often in fantasy

This book has been incredibly hyped prior to its release, followed by some mixed reviews upon it's release. For me, it ended up being exactly what I hoped it would be. I was worried that it would be too dark for me due to it's obviously heavy subject matter. It is dark in places, but it's more developed and complicated than that, and I'm, so glad I had the opportunity to read it.

Girls of Paper and Fire tells the story of Lei, a girl who is taken from her home, against her will, as a gift to the king. She is taken to the palace, where she is forced to become one of the kings paper girls. In this world, there is a caste system where humans are at the bottom.

The writing is stunning, beautifully descriptive and easy to get into. This is the sort of book that you can easily loose hours to without even noticing. The story was engaging, and I found myself fully invested within the first few pages. I found the world building to be really interesting, and I'm really looking forward to seeing it expanded on in the sequel.

What I really loved about this book is the way that Lei is not you're typical main character. She doesn't have a skill, ability or secret that makes her special, she isn't stereo-typically strong, she's flawed, human, and things effect her. To me that makes her even more special, because she is so relateable, she is just an ordinary girl forced into a horrific circumstance, and she's just doing her best with her circumstances.

I also really enjoyed the romance in the book, which is between Lei and another paper girl. It starts off quite slow and subtle, and grows beautifully and naturally. I'm very much looking forward to seeing it develop further in the second book.

As I mentioned above, this book needs some pretty heavy trigger warnings, especially for rape and sexual abuse/violence. So I do advise caution, before choosing to pick this book up. It's not always easy to read, but I am glad that I did.

Raved about for so long, I went in with high hopes that just weren't met. A f/f fantasy is/was a rare thing, and this led the way, despite the love interest possessing no personality and there therefore being no sexual tension. In fact, the physical relationship progressed so quickly off page as to cause confusion! I was shocked the protagonist claimed so much sympathy for being almost raped from her friends who had actually been raped I was pleased when it finally happened to her!

Not a bad book, just the storyline wasn't for me. A review based on personal taste only. I was pleasantly surprised however to find that this was an LGBT book, which I really appreciate!

Really enjoyed this book! I ended up giving it a 4 star rating, this came as quite a surprise as whilst I was intrigued by this book. I wasn't sure if it would ultimately be for me.

I’m still processing this book and still trying to gather my thoughts but I enjoyed it. I liked the relationships that Lei made within the paper house, But I do wish the romance was a little more fleshed out between wren & Lei though. It felt kind of rushed and it didn’t give us the chance to really enjoy them getting to know each other. I understand they had more important things happening, but I liked it and I am excited to read the sequel.
* 4/5⭐️ — (recommended)

I was very nervous about finally reading Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan, I've been following the author on Twitter for quite some time now and I have really respected some of her tweets and statements she's made. She's an advocate for including sensitive topics such as sexual abuse in YA novels as young adults can be the victims of any kind of assault, so they deserve to find solidarity with survivors in literature. Natasha's message is so clear and strong that I really wanted to love her novel, and I'm happy to say I adored it!

You might argue that the plot of this book starts off in a very standard sort of way with our young female MC dragged away from her home and family to serve a villainous King, but for me it was the characters and the background story that really made this novel unique. In this world demons exist. The population is split into castes, with only the Paper caste being fully human. Each demon character is described in rich detail to give the reader a vivid image of these otherworldy figures. Our main character, Lei is often found staring in wonder or disgust at the various characters she meets!

The story moved along at a fairly leisurely pace, but it didn't ever feel slow! I was always interested to learn more about the world Natasha had created and the demons within it. I adored the map within the book, books with maps are always a firm favourite of mine. I was hooked from the first page until the last and I must say I'm very glad I don't have to wait for the sequel!

I would like to point out that this book also features a trigger warning within the first few pages, alerting it's readers to the sensitive subjects discussed within. We need trigger warnings in all books, by praising books that feature them I hope to raise awareness of how appreciated and needed they are. I fully recommend this book, but only if you feel comfortable reading it.

Although I enjoyed this fantasy title I felt it was lacking in the world-building element. While the relationship between the two girls was beautifully portrayed I would have liked to have seen more description of the city, court and various castes. I read a lot of fantasy and am used to having to use my imagination but felt it too difficult to fully imagine this world.

I requested this book from Negtgalley because I loved the cover. I admit I didn't read the blurb I just loved the cover. I then got the book in one of my Fairyloot boxes. If you haven't seen this edition it's GORGEOUS! This has been on my TBR pile ever since. With the second book coming out soon ( yes I bought the FL version before I read this, what can I say I am a sucker for pretty books!)

While the cover may be pretty the story is anything but. I warn you now that the way women are treated in this book is vile. The women are treated as less than human and are essentially told to be grateful. I know that this has put a lot of people off so I am putting that warning out there. The darker parts of this book are not explicitly described but the aftermath/fall out of these are. For me I could see past this to what the book was trying to tell us. Our main character Lei isn't about to lay down and take this, quite literally. What Lei tries to tell us is that we all deserve the freedom to make our own choices in life. I really like Lei she is very inspiring.

This book has a lot of world-building and you need to concentrate at the beginning to work out who is who but it's easily picked up.

The story has a slow beginning but is soon full of action. There are many parts of this book that are difficult to read but the message is so powerful. I was on edge and holding my breath so many times throughout this book.

After that ending, I CANNOT wait for the second book which I hope arrives with me soon. I NEED to know what happens next (yes the caps are necessary)

It’s an exciting, romantic and bold tale—one that I would recommend to mature readers. I loved the ending and cannot WAIT for the next book!

I really wanted to love this book and there was so much of it that was good, but I had some issues with the prose in places and just felt that the pacing was a little bit off. It tells the story of Lei, a member of the paper caste, who is chosen to become one of the King's 'paper girls' - human concubines for demon rulers, and yes, that is as problematic as it sounds, but it is intended to be so. Ngan does not shy away from the horror of power dynamics in a sexual context and there are some truly brutal scenes of abuse that really make an impact. Unfortunately, I just felt that the writing didn't quite keep pace with the story in places and in others, it was quite stilted. This is the first in a series and I am definitely going to continue reading as the world is very interesting, but I just left this book feeling a little bit disappointed.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Lush Asian inspired fantasy, steeped in magic and girls and politics with a positive F/F relationship. On paper (get it?), this should have been amazing. I thought at first that it was a solid 4-5 star rating but I can pinpoint the exact moment it all started to unravel.

Getting back to the good. Girls of Paper and Fire tells the story of Lei, a girl with golden eyes from the provinces who’s stolen away to become a ‘Paper Girl’ for the Demon King. Every year, 8 girls are selected from the fragile human Paper caste to become courtesans of the king. They will take lessons to educate themselves in the arts, dancing and ‘nighttime pleasures’, while remaining the property of the king and living within his palace city. Prisoners in everything but name. The descriptions of the palace and surrounding countryside are really good, filled with lush landscapes and gardens that really invoke a sense of Asian beauty and mystery. It’s almost as though the rich setting is a character in itself, used to disguise the ugliness that lies at the heart of the kingdom. The world building is ok, we often see glimmers of the outside world and wider caste system and the various demons associated with it rather than an in-depth discussion about them, which I didn’t mind. I’m not fond of an information dump within fantasy, preferring a more meandering story that weaves the lore into the tale. This sort of sits in between this approach, with limited world building that sometimes sits awkwardly within the text as we’re introduced to a new concept of tradition, yet also allowing us to see everything through the freshness of Lei’s eyes. The scene when Lei first enters the capital in particular is very nicely done, with a glimpse of swan demon behind carriage doors, and cat clans out at sea.

I also really enjoyed the build up of Lei’s relationships with each of the other Paper girls, particularly Wren’s and Aoki’s. The romance feels believable, and never takes a forefront over the ensuing politics and plot, but is more innocent and pure. It’s a stark contrast to the horrors that the girls receive at the hand’s of the king, and I felt for their plight. The tension is palpable during the early stages of the novel, when each girl is first selected to spend a night with their master, and the awful aftermaths that follow. To see their inner strength, played out via a reluctance to submit or an inner turmoil over what their duty is was well written and heartfelt. I do feel that Lei could have had more sympathy for Aoki. For a fellow rural girl, she’s very quick to judge Aoki for her naivety and devotion to the king. Compassion for her would not have gone amiss, and I felt less of Lei for reacting the way that she does. It almost felt like she thought Aoki was stupid for feeling how she feels.

The turning point for me came when we are first properly introduced to the king, at about 40% in. Up until this point, he’s a rather ominous, omnipotent being of evil. Never really seen, but calling to each of these girls every night, glimpsed once at a ball where he’s arrogant and contemptuous. If he had remained this out fo reach, I would have liked (or rather disliked) him more. The more we see of him, the more I grew to feel indifferent about the story. He’s just not a particularly good villain. He’s far too black and white, with not subtlety to his behaviours or decisions - making him very predictable, and in turn making the plot very predictable.

There’s also too many threads to the plot, pulled too tight. We have the political plot, cantering around the Sickness, the king’s behaviour and troubles with the clans, we have the Paper girls plot that involves a bit of romance and hidden agendas, and we have the Birthing amulet that holds a symbol pertaining to the wearers destiny. It just all felt a bit too much. There’s so much potential here, with real glimmers of a strong female character that stands up for love, refusing to submit when told to, but I just found it very few and far between by the end.

I wish we could have seen more of Zelle and Merrin. Merrin, in particular, is hilarious. Anyone who can shoot down an eagle demon for wearing a ridiculous hat is my kind of character. A bit more of his light relief would not have gone amiss. Zelle has an interesting backstory too, that is hinted at but never really explored. So much missed potential.

Wonderful, rich descriptions that are influenced by the author’s Malaysian heritage and a lovely, delicately played f/f romance unfortunately could not save the weak antagonist and rather heavy plot for me. I might look out for the sequel, although I feel a lot of what I initially loved here has been lost forever.

3.5 stars

Lei lives in a land with different castes, some human, some demon with animal-like attributes.
Lei is human and in the lowest caste, the Paper caste.
Years ago, Lei's mother was taken in a raid and when soldiers once again come to her village, it is Lei herself who is taken. The soldiers heard rumour of a human girl with golden eyes and take her to the king's palace to become a Paper Girl, one of nine girls who will spend a year as the king's concubines while learning the skills needed to fit in at court, and giving the king whatever he wants.
While at the palace, Lei falls in love, but not with the king.
Can Lei keep her forbidden romance a secret?
Can she escape a life she doesn't want?

I was really excited to read Girls of Paper and Fire, but also hesitant because it isn't often that I enjoy hyped books as much as everyone else. Unfortunately, this was one of those occasions.
Lei and Wren were my favourite characters. I liked them both and found them interesting.
The setting was intriguing, as was the idea of demons that were human-like but had animal characteristics like cat ears or scales.
The plot was interesting but I wasn't hooked.
There were times when I found myself getting angry on behalf of the Paper Girls because of how the king treated them.
I liked the romance but it wasn't one of my favourites that I've read.
I am intrigued to see what happens in the sequel but it's not something that I will go out of my way to read.
I am disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more.

Overall this was an enjoyable read that I would recommend.

I could sing the praises of this book, the world building, forbidden romances, secret trysts, secret assassins,  and empowering friendships. This is a book that honestly covers everything and one that won't release you once your in its grasp.

Okay, so it does need to be noted that the premise of this book is very dark. After all its about a demon king who takes girls as concubines. And it is meant to be considered a privilege and an honour.

There are moments of rape, sexual abuse and violence.  While it cannot be avoided, it is  well handled and does not go into too much detail. But be prepared for it to be thoroughly talked about.

This was a bright, packed story that let the characters shine. It does shy aware from the path that its on but rather enhances the reading and makes it more compelling than you realise.

I adored this book, it held my attention through every turn, through every moment and pulled me on. I honestly cannot wait for the next book. There is sure to be so much more powerful moments. This was a book that packed a punch, that I am still reeling from what I read.

In brief:
- Depth to the writing
- Fantasy world (Asian roots) with demon kings
- Caste system with humans being the lowest
- Warning for animal cruelty in an early chapter
- Clear feminist themes
- Lill is adorable
- Subtle magic inclusion
- Does a good job of making you feel angry/disgusted/terrified
- Don't really see the point of the 'Sickness'
- Ending sets things up nicely for a sequel

Epic and stunningly realised, can't wait for more books by Natasha Ngan. I requested this because of the YA author comparisons and was not disappointed.