TW for sexual assault/sex slavery, rape, violence

A good f/f fantasy novel, with a well-paced plot and good writing was starting to seem like some kind of mythical creature before I read this book. Too often, it felt like the focus was more on almost forcing a relationship rather than developing a good plot and letting the relationship build up of its own accord. That is definitely not the case here.

Girls of Paper and Fire tells the story of Lei, who is taken from her village to become a Paper Girl, a pleasure slave to the Demon King. Paper Girls are not allowed to take lovers, let alone fall in love, but it's in the Women's Court that Lei starts to fall for one of the girls alongside her.

One of the things I loved most about this book was the writing. I read Natasha Ngan's debut novel a while back, around the time it first got released I think, and I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing, I'll admit, (as well as the fact that the main character wouldn't stop crying) but the improvement between then and now feels astronomical (although bearing in mind I don't have that good a memory of the writing and it's probably coloured by my frustration with the main character). It's the perfect mix of description and action, setting the scene well, but also keeping everything moving when need be.

Tied into this is the plot. Sometimes, with fantasy books, particularly first books in series, it feels like the plot can drag a little in the middle. Either because there's overly elaborate worldbuilding or because a lot of time is spent getting to know the characters before the Big Moment happens at the end. Especially when there's some kind of lessons going on, it seems like those can make a book drag a lot. Not so in this one. I was never bored by the book, through a combination of great writing, likeable characters, and enough action happening that all I felt was increasing tension as Natasha Ngan ratcheted up the stakes.

Finally, the characters. They're all such good characters, even though not all of them are the good guys - they're still all complex. I particularly loved Lei and Wren, but also the more side characters of the other Paper Girls like Aoki and even Blue for a little bit. Heck, Natasha Ngan also had me feeling sorry for the goddamn Demon King for a hot minute (before I returned to my senses). I loved them, and I loved their relationships. Especially the one between Lei and Wren. It just felt so natural and normalised, even though in this fantasy world, there's a lot of misogyny and women aren't thought of as sexual beings outside of their relationship with men (although m/m relationships are mentioned as being not rare). That was probably my favourite thing about the book, that it makes the whole act of women loving women so natural. (Not to say that other f/f books make it feel unnatural, but there are just some that get it more than others.)

A brief point to end: this is a very heavy book at points. The whole concept is based on sex slavery, but there are scenes of gendered violence (including a non-graphic rape scene and a scene where someone is branded), and also general implications of sexual assault throughout. So that is something to be aware of.

But, overall, I think this is one of the best books I've read this year (and I've read over 300 at this point, so). And it's definitely one everyone should be preordering or preparing to read on 6th November.

This was a really interesting book, which I requested on the back of good reviews and suggestions that it had hints of The Selection series which I really enjoyed. Girls of Paper and Fire is fast-paced with a well-driven plot. The world-building with the different castes is thought through, but could have been further developed. The same, in my opinion, is true of the character development. I would have liked to see more of Lei’s personal journey and her thoughts on what’s been going on to stop certain relationships feeling rushed. That said, I imagine that the first book is leading up to a sequel/trilogy so there will be plenty of time for that to come and to find out more about the interactions between the castes, how they came to be, to develop the building relationships from the first book and to answer some of the questions that were not fully drawn together by the end. All in all, an enjoyable read with good pacing and an interesting premise, from an own voices narrator gets a tick from me - but a bit more background would bump it up my list of favourites for 2018, I think. Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy!

Somewhat disappointed with this one. On the surface it should’ve been something that I loved, a fantasy set in a royal court with demons, a bit of magic and a f/f romance thrown in.

In reality what I felt I got was a cast of bland two dimensional characters, zero court politics, hardly any magic and an overly romantic story possibly from the wrong perspective. In my opinion Wren’s POV would’ve been a far better choice. She seemed to be in the thick of it, had a far more intriguing back story and could’ve provided some much needed action to liven things up. It felt like Tei was always just on the periphery of something until the very last 5% which meant there were times I was bored and skimmed through it unfortunately. Even the f/f romance wasn’t that convincing for me I’m afraid.

All that said, it wasn’t terribly written and the overarching plot was interesting at times even if it was poorly executed, and the diversity was great to see regardless. I can understand why some people might really love this, particularly if the f/f romance is the main interest. I just didn’t connect with the characters and found much of it rather dull.

That was so good! I find books that have to do with Asian culture mesmerising. The author managed to take me into this world where different type of castes co-exist, but some are more privileged than others. I loved being part of the Paper girls and being part of their world. And of course I connected straight away with Lei and I followed her all through this adventure. The story kept my interest, however I found the book a bit too long. But that ending was amazing and now I’m a bit confused... is there going to be a book #2???

Highlights

F/F romance

Character development

Amazing world

Overall

I was really excited for this book, and have been for a while now. I really enjoyed it but it didn't really quite make it to that 5 position.

Overall it's a very well done story and beautifully written.

Weirdly enough I don't feel like I have a lot to say about this book. Has that ever happened to you? You loved a book but don't have a lot to say about it apart from the fact that you loved it? It's weird.

The Story

The story follows Lei as she becomes a Paper Girl and is introduced to the Palace and the court, and the King. She moves from a rural village to the hidden palace to become a courtesan of the king, though not by choice. As she finds out how to behave, live and make friends, it becomes clear there is something going on in the country and the King is fighting against it.

I enjoyed the progress of the story. It flowed naturally and the decisions felt reasonably argued.

World Building

The world building is steady and you follow Lei as she tries to find her new place at the palace. It's rich and deep as its portrayed throughout the story.

I loved the world! It's very obvious from the start that it's Asian inspired setting but still fantasy with animal type demons. The Asian elements follow throughout the book and I loved it. Its all in the small stuff; the food, how you sit at a table, the bed, the written language, mentions of how her name is pronounced with a "soft rising tone", and the traditions. There was a part at the beginning where she describes a meal in such detail that I suddenly started to crave Chinese food lol I loved every single reference and I'm really glad they continued throughout the book.

Magic System

There are shamans in this book, but it's only in the background. It's not explained how it works, but there is speculation to overuse of magic which is the potential cause of natural disasters. It's interesting but not the main focus of the book.

The Characters

The book follows Lei, the ninth Paper Girl. She develops from a naive village girl, into a badass woman. My favourite part was when she learned how to wear shoes. It was a very funny and cute scene that put her upbringing into perspective.

I enjoyed that most the characters in this book were female, both good and bad characters, but also the few male characters where both good and bad.

Of the other Paper Girls, I have a few favourites including Aoki, Wren and no matter how bad she was I did feel for Blue.

LGBT+?

Hell Yes!! F/F romance all the way.

I liked how unaware the females in this relationship were of their feelings until it's explained by someone else. It was very cute.

Writing

The pacing is on point, the wordings a wonderful and descriptions rich. It was amazing! I'm totally reading everything by Natasha Ngan!

Summary

Really enjoyed it and highly recommend it to all fantasy lovers, especially dose with a softness for LGBT+ romances.

I not sure if this is a series or not, but the ending might suggest another book to come which I'm totally picking up asap! (when it comes out)

I found this book quite disappointing, because the synopsis really intrigued me. It sounded like a book that I would love a lot. Unfortunately, there were quite a few things I wasn't so sure about, and it didn't stand out to me. I really loved the themes explored and addressed in this book, although I think readers need to be fully aware of the trigger warnings before reading this book. That being said, it was handled really well. I also really loved the diverse world and the beautiful girl/girl romance in here! Those were definitely my favourite aspects of the book.

However, I didn't think the world was that original and I have seen the basic structure in quite a few other books I have read before. The idea of a Caste system is one that is used over and over again. Although the surface of the book seems pretty interesting, with different social levels based on animal features, which was quite cool, I didn't think it felt that fresh. The plot was also quite straight forward and predictable, and there were no shocking plot twists or high stakes action scenes. I also really disliked the fact that some of the Paper Girls were mean to each other, because in a fantasy so firmly based on strong women, there needed to be some camaraderie between them, and a better redemption or reasoning behind their actions.

I didn't think that the characters were the strongest, and I think I was more intrigued by some of the side characters than Lei herself. I think Lei should have taken a bit more of an active role in the plot, which didn't really happen until the very end.

This book was still pretty enjoyable and very readable. I think it put a lot of important and necessary things into the story and everyone needs to read it. I also think a different reader would enjoy it more than I did, because I also didn't love the writing style, but that is my personal preference, as it was still quite well written. I liked this book, but I wasn't blown away by it, and I wish there had been a few more surprising or strong plot points earlier in the book, because not a lot happened in places. However, it is still a book that I would recommend.

The Girls is set in a world where there are three castes, Moon (reigning and demons), Paper (lower and human) and then Steel, a mix of the first two. Every year, eight girls are chosen as Paper Girls to serve the king. Lei is girl number nine. She's forced back into the very place her mother was forced into years ago. Slowly, she learns the way of the palace, honing her skills to benefit the king's comfort only. Until she falls in love. 

Girls of Paper and Fire was surprising. I really enjoyed it a lot. Ngan's storytelling skills are beyond amazing. It was so tense, and her writing is so elegant and smooth. The stakes are high in this, and I was quickly hooked from the first page. The vivid worldbuilding where Ngan creates this devastating but beautiful world and created characters that weave so well into it, and in all makes it an enchanting but compelling read. 

I think the most powerful thing of this book is its message of self-empowerment and discovering one's self while discussing classism and the objectification of women. Girls show the subtle way of how Ikhara, the fictional society, allows misogyny to flourish and aides its abuser by only viewing women as nothing but lesser beings. The Moon King is a disgusting man who uses his position of power to act out violence towards anyone around him. These girls groomed to believe they're doing something good slowly come together and unravel the trauma they're facing. Not everyone is exactly happy to be here. The strength of the friendship between all the Paper girls is beautiful - they grow into even stronger women and reclaim themselves and decide what they're capable of. 

Despite the moments of slowness, I would advise you to watch out for this new YA fantasy birthed from Asian mythology and Ngan's own experiences from growing up in Malaysia. It's a dazzling and immersive read with a pulse-racing conclusion that will leave you wanting more.

I really did enjoy this!

Yes the similarities are there with other ya fantasies but this took a different path it was really refreshing!

The paper girls themselves I could really connect with these girls, you had your typical almost high school setting with a little bit of everything.

I think the author has touched on some pretty serious situations and she’s handled them beautifully.



There are some difficult parts in the books so wouldn’t recommend for under 16s.

"We might be Paper Girls, easily torn and written upon. The very title we're given suggests that we are blank, waiting to be fillied. But what the Demon King and his court do not understand is that paper is flammable. And there is a fire catching among us."


Girls of Paper and Fire will be the next big thing. And if it's not, well... it should be.

Everything about this novel was flawless - the plot, the characters, the narrative - each aspect of this book provoked raw emotion from me.

It was one of those rare books that I couldn't help flying through; but I didn't want it to end.

The narrative is consistent, tense, and totally enthralling. I usually write notes when I know I'll be reviewing a book on Goodreads, but all I wrote for this one was: 'holy shit'.

The characters are lifelike in their description, their persona and their actions, each of them dealing with the same situation differently than the others. Their set of characteristics were engaging, well thought through, and lent the story line an extra edge. Lei's fiery passion; Wrens gracefulness. The savage Bull King. Each character is full of depth, complimenting and contrasting the story line in a most enjoyable way.

The world building is timeless. The author was inspired by Malaysian traditions and settings, giving a background and a base to the plot that lends a sorrowful, lifelike beauty to the story.

"I don't want an easy life. I want a meaningful one."


I cannot recommend this novel more. If YA Fantasy is your cuppa tea - this novel will be a real treat for you.

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Natasha Ngan for my arc of Girls of Paper & Fire in exchange for an honest review.
Lei is a paper caste. The lowest caste in her world. At the top are the Moon Caste who are full demons like the bull-form demon king. In the middle are the steel caste, a mix of both demon and human. But Paper is the lowest of the low. The humans.

Lei is happy living with her father and their steel caste worker Tien, and her little dog Baba. Despite the fact her mother was taken in a raid, Lei and her family have tried to get on with their lives, running their herb shop in their small and peaceful village. That is until one day brutal soldiers come and take Lei away to become a 'Paper Girl' consort to the Demon King.

But this isn't the life Lei wants. It's not only completely different to the world she comes from but she really doesn't want to be with the king. Unlike the other girls, she sees it not as an honour but a disgrace.

But then Lei commits the unthinkable. She falls in love, with someone else. Something utterly forbidden to the Kings consorts. How far is Lei prepared to go to save herself, her lover and even the kingdom itself?

(This is by no means a Mulan retelling by the way: I just love the GIFs) 
Anyways... this was hands down, one of the best books I've read this year! I know I say that quite a lot but I read a lot of good books, ok?
The story is gripping, fast paced, the world building is excellent. Lei is a great character, she is described at one point of being both strong and soft and that is the perfect description of her. She is both sweet and feisty.
Now there are some trigger warnings to this book. There are scenes of abuse both physical and sexual as well as violent scenes. But it's also an amazing story, both the main story and the story of Lei's own self discovery journey.

And that ending has just left me dying for more!

This is a story of 9 young girls from a "lower caste" who are trained up to become concubines to the king.
This story has lots of fantastical elements i really enjoyed and has elements of Asian mythology woven through which sets it apart from your typical ya fantasy.
This book reads like a YA but some of its subject matter is definitely more New adult//adult. The writing is great and I did fly through this book when reading.

In terms of characters i liked Lei and enjoyed the romance a lot, it didn't feel rushed or superficial which made me really root for the couple.
The Demon King however was pretty one dimensional and could have been a much more interesting villain had there been any depth to him.


Overall a solid 3.5 read.

"Girls of Paper and Fire" is a first part of the trilogy set in the Asian inspired fantastical world in which Demon King rules the world and humans are the lowest caste. The protagonist, Lei, is a lowly girl from the remote village, who ends up as one of the King's Paper Girls - basically sex slaves. I have started this book with great expectations, but sadly did not feel the same excitement towards the end of it. Certain things were great - the imagined world, especially as Asian based fantasy is still a rarity, as well as the romance between two female characters (yay for representation!), but their motives and the way the story progressed especially the last chapters, was a bit farfetched to me. (Ok, I understand this is a fantasy novel, but even so..) Also, this book definitely should come with trigger warnings (rape, violence), as it can be too graphic for some in parts.

"We have all been taught what happens to paper that tries to defy demons. It gets torn apart".

This was such a well-written, beautifully imagined book - diverse characters, creative world-building and a hint of magic. I just loved it. And that cover...

Lei is a Paper Girl - stolen from her family and taken to the Demon King's lair to be his plaything, along with eight other girls. The world consists of three Castes of people - Paper (the lowest caste, a human), Steel (a mixture of human and demon in the form of an animal) and Moon (demon animals with incredible strength). Lei is Paper but her eyes are other, a golden hue suggesting something else is at work.

The story is fast paced, intricate and shrouded in mystery. I absolutely adore the half human, half animal addition to the plot. It makes for such stunning descriptions - I couldn't get enough of it, and the potential is pretty much endless. Lei is a really good main character, with the fiery determination to defy her captors where she can.

The characters are so diverse, with a female-female romance woven in; I LOVED this - no instalove, just a gradual relationship which burns over time making it more believable and enjoyable to get behind. The female love interest is so badass!! The Demon King however is detestable. I hated him with every fibre of my being, and that tells me Ngan did a fabulous job. I love to hate a character, and his chauvanist, disgusting behaviour (trigger warnings for rape) made me want to rip him out of the book and kick him in his hairy, beastly shins!

Engaging and addictive. Ngan's writing is beautiful and she really pulls you into the story and makes you feel as though you're there with the paper girls. I liked that there were demons living alongside humans too, however I had a really difficult time picturing the different castes of demons - especially steel castes. My brain wasn't sure how to process those images, but that's just me.

The story itself, while not completely new to the YA scene, was compelling and exciting. There were things that I guessed would happen, and they did, but I wasn't too bothered because I enjoyed the journey of getting there.

I really liked Lei as a character and how her romance was slowly introduced, her friendships felt natural and she never wavered from her 'path', which felt refreshing and made me like her even more.

I enjoyed reading this a lot, and will probably continue with the series.

A totally immersive and often genuinely horror inspiring YA tale from Natasha Ngan here, with a  beautifully rich setting within which her characters shine.

It’s not that this type of story hasn’t been done many times across the YA genre but there is here a different kind of depth, an exploration of very relevant issues that is hugely thought provoking.

The girls called to the King’s service have no choice but to comply, all choices are removed from them, no quarter given. I loved the different layers of acceptance and reluctance, sometimes even an embracing of the fate handed to them that the author explores within the group dynamic. There are no punches pulled here, whilst the majority of the darker side takes place off screen so to speak it is the reaction and the emotion brought in the aftermath that makes it hit home. This is a gilded cage tale, one of dictatorship and rebellion and it is utterly compelling.

All taking place within a world of demons and humans, with a hugely diverse and intriguing  set of characters, a wonderfully descriptive political backdrop plus some heart breaking and heart stopping moments, Girls of Paper and Fire is a fascinatingly disturbing, intelligent and highly addictive read.

Re commended.