I always get a bit nervous when starting highly anticipated release in case it doesn't live up to it, but THIS GOLDEN FLAME was an absolute delight to read. I had intended to read this over a few evenings, but I need a distraction one afternoon, and this book was the perfect thing for that.

The magic was what really captured me in this book. It's not a power people carry in them and can use as they wish. Instead, it's a very hard, psuedo-scientific magic based on runes that control the automatons. I loved the rules and the elegance of the gold runes - plus anything that feels vaguely science-y and doesn't blatantly contradict the law of physics is a win for my nerdy heart! It was a lot of fun, and made the world more egalitarian in terms of who could use magic - until the politics of the powerful Scriptorium came in.

The book is certainly fantasy, and it's not steampunk at all. Instead, the world is inspired by Ancient Greece. Maybe it's just the gorgeous UK cover, but the book did feel very turquoise and gold to be - coolly stylish, the world both very advanced but also old at the same time.

There was such a sense of history. With the strong mystery thread about why Alix's father acted as he did, the world of two hundred years ago was present throughout Alix's memories. It hung over them, filling out the world so it had some depth.

The main character is ace-sexual! It's not something focused on at all by the story, just part of Karis' character that's raised by a few lines. However, seeing a main character in YA who has no inclination towards finding a romantic partner was so nice. There always seems to be romance in YA, so to have a character be as completely uninterested in it, and not quite understanding the romantic attractions around her, felt like seeing teenage me in the pages.

I cannot wait to see what Emily Victoria writes next!

First thing first: 3 stars is a positive rating for me.

My favourite thing and the reason I picked up this book in the first place was the aroace rep. It was very casual but so well-done and it's absolutely amazing to read a YA fantasy without romance. The criticizers of the genre will have to completely rethink their criticizing now, because guess what, romance or not does not make this genre.

I also absolutely adored Alix, the automaton. He was probably my favourite character.

I'm a bit disappointed that it's not a series? It seemed like a buildup to a much greater/more epic fantasy and it finished so fast after so much buildup. I was completely taken aback by it.

My main problem is that I feel like the potential of the world and the characters wasn't fully explored. It was fun and fast-paced but it didn't let me immerse myself in it and see the characters evolve in dramatic situations as fantasy usually does. It's a shame but it's still definitely worth a read.

Set in an Ancient Greece-inspired nation of islands, THIS GOLDEN FLAME is a queer-inclusive, action-packed YA fantasy for fans of Marissa Meyer.

Street rat Karis is forced to work for the Scriptorium, until one day she stumbles across an automaton - and manages to wake it up. With Alix by her side, her dreams of escaping are all of a sudden within reach. But the Scriptorium will do anything to stop her and claim Alix for its own.

The worldbuilding has enough promise that I'm disappointed this is a standalone: runes, pirates, giant robots, and magical tomes. It's also refreshing to find an inclusive fantasy where queer identity is integral to individual characters but not integral to the plot: Karis is aroace, but also a sister looking for family and a friend learning to trust again. My favourite character by far is the gentle and kind Alix, who struggles to reconcile his sentience with his programming. (I'd have loved a book just about him.)

I enjoy the adventure, and the pirate side characters, but I don't fall in love with the story. The novel touches some interesting themes, but not in enough depth to be compelling. The alternating POV chapters also don't quite hit the mark: I find Karis and Alix's voices too similar, and don't think the change in perspective adds much. The plot itself is also fairly typical for the genre, with the bulk of originality coming from the setting.

READ THIS IF... You enjoyed CINDER by Marissa Meyer or VIPER by Bex Hogan.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC of this book.

It did take me a while to get into this story, I found the language and style of writing hard to read and I had to really distance myself from some of the vocabulary. Lots of the places had similar names or letter patterns so I got myself worked up thinking I was reading about something completely different to what it was. I was very glad that I was reading on my kindle so I could easily look up some of the unfamiliar words. If it was a paper copy I would not have understood any of this story. Maybe that’s my lack of experience in this genre, but it’s definitely something to consider when buying.

Once I had got over that massive hurdle, I did enjoy this story. The characters were likeable and the story had a variety of twists and turns to keep you hooked. I was marginally disappointed when two characters I was routing for didn’t get together, but that again is personal choice.

I sometimes felt that some of the positive elements of the book were overlooked and I found myself questioning whether they had achieved what they set out to do.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, 4 stars.

I liked the concept of this book, I found that it was fairly original and made for a very interesting read. I did struggle to put this one down as I felt it was fast paced and made me want to read more. I started This Golden Flame whilst in bed one night, I read half of it and ended up finishing the rest in the morning. It was a very easy read that if you want to binge read you most definitely can.

There were times where I felt like scenes were rushed in order to get straight to the action. I feel like there could have been a little bit more description and information on what was happening and why. I also felt that background from the characters were missing. I think if this was included it would have added to my enjoyment and understanding. I think if I had this, I also would have been able to build up a stronger connection with the characters within it. I also felt that some parts were circumstantial and happened a little bit too conveniently.

I did enjoy this book and I would say it gets a very good 3 stars. I would be interested in reading more from this author and this world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder Stoughton for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Although I read the synopsis for this book before I requested it, it still wasn't quite what I anticipated. Here we have an asexual main Character (Karis) who wakes up an Automaton (Alix) and adventure ensues.

The POV switches between Karis and Alix throughout the book. I like Alix's chapters as he was questioning himself as an automaton. I also liked how Karis knew what she needed to do in order to survive and find her brother. However, we didn't really get much deeper than that development-wise.

Zara who was one of the secondary characters was really fun to read about and I'd have like to have seen some scenes from her POV.

This Golden Flame has great worldbuilding based on Ancient Greece and the magic was different but I was expecting a little more so I'm giving it 3.5 stars

This Golden Flame is a story with great ambitions, but doesn’t quite live up to them.

In This Golden Flame we meet Karis, an orphan who is forced to help the Scriptorium awaken the unmoving automaton army. While trying to find where her brother was shipped off to, she accidentally awakens a special automaton called Alix. While on the run for the Scriptorium, Karis and Alix try to find Karis’ brother.

The style of writing of This Golden Flame bothered me a lot. The book is written from the first person (alternating Karis’ and Alix’s POV), but it was also written in the present tense. This makes it read like the story is being told as it is happening, which makes little sense to me. There is also so much inner dialogue, it gets a bit annoying how repetitive it is. The same things are thought over and over again by Karis and Alix.

The story itself is pretty predictable as well, and the characters are all a bit too perfect at the start. The only one who seems to have any insecurities (and also acts like he has them) is Alix. This changes near the ending, but then Karis makes such a huge 180 personality-wise, that this felt very forced and unrealistic.

What I did enjoy was the MC being ace, and the story acting towards it as well. It’s something that’s mentioned once in the beginning and a few times later on, without there being any awkward semi-romantic moments with her. There are more LGBTQIA+ reps, which are described without them feeling forced in.

The story is predictable, but enjoyable if this doesn’t bother you. The world building is nicely done - there’s enough mentioned to make you invested in the world, but never a huge lore dump. It isn’t overly complicated, but makes sense the way it is. The writing made me struggle a lot trying to get through this book, but it might just not be my cup of tea. All in all, it was a fairly enjoyable read.

First off can we just appreciate the amount of diversity in this book?! With queer pirates and an asexual main character, this was an epic debut novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. Add in the fact that this is a dual POV story with the other one being an automation who actually has feelings and this book became a new favourite.

The premise for this book really had me hooked and I quickly fell in love with all of the characters in this book. I loved her determined Karis was to escape and find her brother. Whilst she made stupid decisions in this book, she did them out of love and realised the consequences of her actions. She was a very relatable character who was dealing with the struggles of being alone along with the realisation that she isn't like every other girl. Alix was an interesting character and I found his thoughts and the way he processes what is going on so intriguing. He's tired of being seen as an object or weapon and justs wants to find his place in the world.

The secondary characters were so unique, especially Zara the captain of the pirate ship. Zara is witty and fierce so it was absolutely impossible not to grow attached to her spunk and braveness. Her crew is amazing and again full of diversity with a nonbinary character!

The magic system was so different! I honestly loved the idea of runes being used to control automations and the use of ledgers! I would have loved to learn more about them and really wish this story had been a duology! The only reason I didn't give it a five star review is that I felt like there could have been a bit more character development. I do feel at times Karis was overshadowed as a main character and just would have liked her more in the forefront.

This was such a unique fantasy!
I think the plot has a lot of potential, and while I did really really enjoy the book, I’m not sure it fully lived up to the potential it has.
I feel like a lot was left unanswered or unexplained.
It completely captivated me up until around the 65% mark and then my attention waned a little. I love that our main characters have such a fantastic platonic relationship, rather than romantic. I feel like that rarely happens in books and I really enjoyed seeing that.

Ideally I would rate this book 3.5 but I haven’t been given the option to so 3 stars it is!

The book was okay. The plot was pretty simple and I only really started to get into the book when Alix, Karis and Dane are taken aboard Zara’s ship. Although the story began from Karis’ point of view, I felt as though Alix became the more prominent character (or maybe I just enjoyed his chapters more). Alix was by far my favourite character but I felt he was the only one that was actually developed whereas the supporting characters were just that...just there to support the story. I feel like I’ve read/watched a similar plot before but I am struggling to put my finger on it. There was representation of the LGBTQ+ community which was nice to see (a non-binary character and a gay couple).

It is good that the story was kept to one book (I think as there was no indication of a sequel based on the ending) as there was definitely no need to extend the story. I think this would be a good read for younger readers to get them into reading! I just enjoy a more character and plot driven plot (probably why I love series so much!)

TW: mentions of child neglect, starvation, torture, and death of a parent; loss of autonomous control (i.e. no control over body and actions).

3.5

This Golden Flame introduces an Ancient Greek-inspired fantastical world that was once ruled by automatons, i.e. a robot that becomes alive through Script, the world's magic.

We follow Karis, an orphaned scribe forced to work for the Scriptorium. She longs for the day she can leave and find her missing brother. One day, she finds a hidden automaton that has a glowing seal and she is able to activate it. One of the greatest mysteries in her world is how to awaken automatons, a knowledge that has been long lost due to a rebellious Master.

Alix is unlike anything Karis imagined an automaton to be. He is almost as human as she is, the only difference being their bodies. He is the rebellious Master's creation, and he has no idea what happened to him and why he's been asleep for 200 years.

I think this book would have been stronger with only Alix's perspective. It was more intriguing than Karis, we were seeing this automaton grasp feeling and emotion that he supposedly shouldn't have, we learned about his fears and his hopes.

The author definitely tried to do something as interesting with Karis, but in the end, it felt superficial. And the same can be said about Dane, Zara, and the pirate crew. There was so much potential and it fell flat.

Additionally, the world-building could have been better fleshed out. I had so many questions about scriptwork. I want to add that I loved how inclusive, especially the aroace rep, and how it didn't need a romance as a happy ending for the characters.

Overall, it is an interesting book and I think it's going to appeal to a lot of people.

"This Golden Flame" is a great read. It's a fantasy story aimed at young adults, without some of the things that can make YA books a bit annoying! The plot is a fantastic concept that is held together by solid characters and beautiful writing. About halfway through, I was disappointed to find out that this isn't part of a series, but there is another book by Emily Victoria due next year (2022), so it's all good!

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Orphaned and forced to serve her country’s ruling group of scribes, Karis wants nothing more than to find her brother, long ago shipped away. But family bonds don’t matter to the Scriptorium, whose sole focus is unlocking the magic of an ancient automaton army. In her search for her brother, Karis does the seemingly impossible—she awakens a hidden automaton. Intelligent, with a conscience of his own, Alix has no idea why he was made. Or why his father—their nation’s greatest traitor—once tried to destroy the automatons. Suddenly, the Scriptorium isn’t just trying to control Karis; it’s hunting her. Together with Alix, Karis must find her brother…and the secret that’s held her country in its power for centuries

Karis is a girl with one goal in mind - find her brother after being separated years ago. I found it a little cliche that this was her motivation, but I really enjoyed watching her grow over the course of the book. She became more confident in herself and her abilities, she opened herself up to the possibility of friendship after pushing people away for years on end. Karis is certainly a character that grows on you the more they develop. I enjoyed seeing her go strength to strength.
Alix is just a sweetheart. I don’t think there are many other ways of describing him. He’s alone in the world, but he does his best to not let that faze him. He builds bridges, makes friends for the first time in his life as he adjusts to the fact all he knew is long gone. I like the approach Victoria took with him, having him so different from everyone and yet utterly the same.

I loved the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters - namely the fact that there was not a big son a dance. We had a gay couple mentioned and saw glimpses of that relationship. We even had pronouns brought in casually and not an eyelid was batted - as it should be! There was also this glorious mix of magic and science elements throughout the book. I’m normally a fantasy girl but I really loved how this book played out.

Overall, This Golden Flame is a brilliant story full of hope, determination and the will to live your life in any way possible.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book. Review to be live on my blog on release day.

Karis is the main character, an orphan separated from her older brother seven years ago and forced to work as an acolyte for the Scriptorium. One day Karis accidentally awakes a long-dormant automaton called Alix, who has an artificial intelligence different to the weaponised automatons of the past. I loved the growing friendship between Karis and Alix, and the found family trope is always a rewarding one.

As Karis journeys to find her brother, she falls in with a crew of pirates. The crew were my favourite element, especially the cocky and intelligent Captain Zara. There is no main romance in this story (the main character is asexual) but there’s a smaller romantic sub-plot for those who are interested.

Through the character of Alix, the author explores what makes us human. He is such an endearing character and I want him to always be happy. The author has an easy writing style that makes this an accessible fantasy and all the characters felt wonderfully fleshed out and real. The action is well-paced and the final scenes are incredibly tense yet exciting.

There is one moment in the book where I thought everything was going to fall apart (I’ll be vague to avoid spoilers). There seemed no way to recover from what happened and I found that I didn’t want there to be as it was unforgivable. Thankfully the author handles it well without negating the huge impact this action caused and the extreme emotional harm it triggered.

THIS GOLDEN FLAME is an utterly engaging adventure featuring an endearing cast of characters and an automaton you’ll fall in love with. Exploring what it means to be human, this is a YA fantasy I’d definitely recommend.

This was very solid fun, very entertaining. So please consider this a very positive 3 stars.

There's a lot to love about this book. The premisse is amazing: an automaton main character, queer pirates, it's all so fun!

I also loved the aroace rep. It's very casual and it's just so refreshing to me to read a book, especially a YA fantasy, without a main romance. I also loved the focus on platonic relationships.

That said, I would have just liked to see a bit more in terms of character depth and development. I feel like I only got to know the characters on a surface level, and for me to really love a book, I have to be able to get to know the characters a little better.

IN SUMMARY: THIS GOLDEN FLAME's unique premise robotically stilts with awkward dialogue and uninspired writing.

MY THOUGHTS:

This book is just... fine, a very mediocre entry onto shelves. It's not offensively bad, didn't make me scream in frustration, but neither did anything about this world and these characters draw me in from first word.

You can really tell this is a debut from the uninspired and unengaging voice. I struggled to stay focused on the words when absolutely nothing about it drew me to the page. New readers to the YA genre might enjoy it more than I, but to me it lacks polish, in that it felt like it isn't distinguishable from other generic YA. This is made worse in that the book is told in dual POVs of both Karis and Alix, when frankly their individual voice styles are too similar to stand out from each other. Swap out the character names and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

The characters themselves I felt no personal attachment to. Karis is remarked as fierce and aloof, but it didn't come off strongly enough on page for me to believe it. Alix is written marginally better in that regard, with a stronger arc of growth, but again not enough for me to feel invested in him and his development. Likewise the side characters aren't given more than shallow moments of reflection. I did enjoy that Karis' sexuality is integral to her but not integral to the plot – that she can be aroace and no one questions it – and that other sexualities are also normalised in this world, but aside from that she and the other characters were flat and uninteresting. As a consequence I didn't particularly care when bad things happened to them.

The dialogue, too, felt repetitive and unconcise. Sometimes it seemed the characters were saying the same things but reworded slightly, and again, like Karis and Alix, no particular voice stood out as unique.

Overall this book needed more time under the hammer before it was ready to run. The aro and ace rep in this book gets a solid thumbs up, but honestly, that's the only thing THIS GOLDEN FLAME does well enough for merit.

WILL I READ MORE BY THIS AUTHOR? Depends entirely on the premise of Victoria's next book. I may be swayed by her great representation, though.

This was a very enjoyable adventure/quest type of read and i highly recommend to anyone who's ever played a video game called Syberia.

I was excited to get stuck into this book, especially when I realised that it might be a February book in one of the book boxes I am subscribed to. A big thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing the arc for me to read.

I found this book was good from the get go, it wasn't slow from the start at all which is kind of uncommon. It is a fun, action adventure filled YA fantasy novel which has the main character as an aromantic asexual girl. A big shout out for this book being inclusive to these topics and creating a book that I actually enjoyed that did not feature any romance. I was not disappointed with this book at all.

The world building for this novel was very well written, set in a fantasy world with a sort of magic called Script and automatons that are dormant and scattered across the realm. The worldbuilding seems to be inspired by Ancient Greece and I adore books with a greek theme even more.

It follows the story of Karis who is an acolyte that stumbles across Alix who is a human like automaton. Their adventure to find her brother and stop the Scriptorium (The governing body where Karis is an acolyte) begins. I feel that they both have a fair amount of character development between them throughout the novel. Karis ends up making mistakes but then learns from them and Alix learns what life is like over 200yrs later from when he can remember.

All in all it was a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed it, it got me out of my reading slump which was from a previous book I had read. I think this books includes a range of LGBTQ+ themes that are not really written about until of late which is really inclusive. I do think that there is going to be a lot of hype around this book when it is released and I am excited for it. For now it seems like a standalone novel but there is potential for secondary character stories to be written about.

https://readingwithtyler.wordpress.com/2021/01/18/this-golden-flame-emily-victoria/

Days of future past.

An age of technology, that we are yet to see, entwined with wooden ships and pirates. A language that controls almost everything, commands held in runes. Controlling the masses, through a mere bracelet which ties them to wherever they are.

I would like to say that had managed to get from cover to cover. However, I got just over half way through it, which took me as long as it did to read my two previous books combined.

It's not like its a bad story, it isn't. The storyline wasn't bad. With well formed characters. Reading it really should have been so much easier. I just lost the will to carry on to its conclusion.


Status: Abandoned

Rating:3.0/5.0

If you are looking for an original read then look no further than This Golden Flame. It's got a strong cast of diverse and relatable characters, a compelling and gripping plot that makes you want more and has everything you need in a book.