A good versus evil or perhaps that old story of selflessness versus the personal greed of someone who needs material possessions to feel worthy. The element that differentiates it from others in the genre being the shikigami; personal made of paper who can form and reform themselves as deadly warriors.

Kuara has escaped the cruel princess Tsukimi who wanted to bind her as her personal shimigami. She is now on a quest to understand and free the other shikigami as well as demystifying her own past regardless of what unsavoury truths it may reveal. To do so she needs to find the greatest and fiercest shikigami of all, the phoenix Suzaku.

Set in a fantasy mythology inspired world of airships, floating cities, lush forests and hidden worlds; it’s an adventure with all the necessary ingredients to keep you turning the pages and wondering.

This is the second book in the Rebel Fires trilogy and whilst I didn’t feel like I had missed too much by diving directly into the second, I think is makes more sense to start with book 1.

Thank you so much to Walker Books and Netgalley for approving me of an ARC of Rebel Fire! I loved Rebel Skies so I was very excited to read this (although I ended up reading it really late, I'm so sorry)..

Compared to Rebel Skies, Rebel Fire was definitely more complex and action-packed than its first book. I loved Kurara's and Haru's friendship so reading this one was honestly a bit of challenge because of the whole obstacle between them.

I had heard great things about this series and was excited the read it. I started with the first book in the series, Rebel Skies. I really expected to love it, but for some reason it just wasn’t for me. I persevered and tried to start this sequel but only got about half-way through before moving onto different books. Lots of people rave about the series and I hope you enjoy it too, but just wasn’t for me sadly.

Rebel Fire is a beautifully written fast-paced adventure which draws upon Japanese mythology. I particularly liked Lin’s ability to sustain such a hugely imaginative world and magic system without relinquishing the finer details – the interesting relationships between characters and their conflicting hopes, wants and needs. This was all very clear to me, and it became fun to guess how the different characters would react to the different challenges that Lin put them in.

My absolutely favourite thing about Rebel Fire was Banri, the adorable bear shikigami. Without a master, Banri is in the process of going mad when Kurara meets him. I quickly grew fond of Banri, who talks like a frightened and timid soul who just doesn’t know he’s in the body of a very scary beast. And just like the Asian black bear which he was styled on, Banri can be ferocious and wild, which causes many of Kurara’s associates to dislike him and want him off the team. The tight companionship between Kurara and Banri was so endearing – a heartwarming vein which kept me comfortable in amongst all of the fighting.

The first book in this duology was a surprise hit with our students when it was released thanks to it's heart stopping action and pace. In the sequel, it continues with what it built in Book 1 with added rollercoaster action! A wonderful read!

Carrying on from the fabulous Rebel Skies, this sequel lives up to the quality of the first book. Superb characters, top class world building and plenty of action.

I was so glad to re-enter this fantasy world created by Ann Sei Lin. This is the second in this series. Once again I was thrown into a Japanese feel world of wonder, where Crafter’s can control paper to make origami come to life. But some have escaped the need for a bond and can live independently; that brings problems because they start to loose their memories. Many unexpected truths are revealed as the search continues for the secret of the cores needed to craft free-living origami. Thank you to Walker Books and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine.

Rebel Fire is the sequel novel to Rebel Skies and follows Kurara and friends as they further encounter paper spirits called shikigami and those capable of manipulating and controlling paper, called crafters. I found it a really good follow-up to the first book, and was very interested to learn more about the shikigami, as they were explored in more depth in this book. The writing style is beautiful and very descriptive, and I thought the small illustrative patterns throughout added to the overall appearance of the novel. I thought the ending was amazing and can’t wait for more! This novel was very enjoyable to read and the characters were well-written, and I would definitely recommend this to a friend!

When Kurara and Haku escape from Sola Il at the end of Rebel Skies they are plunged back to earth in the Groundling world. Hunted by her old crafter master and pursued by the egotistical Princess desperate to control them, Kurara has to run. When she encounters a roaming Shikigami (paper animal monsters) called Banri separated from its master, she befriends him. But Shikigami separated for too long lose their minds. Kurara must work out how to free all Shikigami from their masters too free them from this fate. But she discovers more than she bargained for and questions everything she knows about paper crafting, the empire and herself.

This is a beautifully imagined world. This writer is very talented. This book was interesting, exploring themes of morality, slavery and the responsibility of power. The Japanese culture is as vivid and intriguing as it was in the last book. The characters are interesting and the plot is twisty. The characters Tomoe and Sayo were a little under used, but the point of view remained steadily with Kurara for the majority of the book, which made it more enjoyable to read than the first book, although the author did struggle a bit to rationalise why a paper girl needs to eat and sleep, which wasn't completely convincing, but I was happy to suspend belief. This author has so much offer and I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

REBEL FIRE is the second instalment of this inventive YA for the younger end of the category.

This book ramps up the series' story. Where REBEL SKIES is mostly focused on Kurara's attempts to be free and learn about her powers, REBEL FIRES sees her begin her journey to change the world (hopefully for the better!) She learns secrets about the shikigami - and her own past - which shake what she thought were fundamental truths.

The wider story of the struggle for power between the land-based people and the sky-based people also presses in more closely. It's still not the focus, but war is coming and it is pressing in on Kurara's ability to avoid it and stay out of it.

It is honestly the rarest of rare, a lower YA book - a YA book truly aimed at young teens. It steps into the void of books aimed at 12-15 year olds. It is full of an epic adventure through the world. It has the friendship focus (rather than romance) and a small inclusion of adult narrators to help keep an eye on what the "other side" is doing of Middle Grade. But it also has the darker themes of the world's history, particularly in regards to characters' past actions, more common to Young Adult, making it a bridge between YA and the far more common older YA.

Hirmura is back as a POV (Kurara is still the main one). I loved seeing him grow across the book, particularly how his firmly set ideals are shaken to their core. The third perspective is once again the interlude perspective, but this time it's the princess narrating. I really liked getting inside her head. There was such a strong sense that she has a HIGH opinion of her own intelligence and worth, but you could also tell how immature and spoilt she was. It made her very human, and therefore more intimidating of a villain.

All signs point to a world-changing, action-packed finale to come next year!

5 stars! Some of the absolute best fantasy out there. It’s origami magic with the most picturesque and yet terrifying settings. I’d give a lot of money to be able to do even 2 of the cool things Kurara can do. Ann Sei Lin has such a way with fantasy and worldbuilding that you’re instantly transported to her exquisite world. Treat yourself to Rebel Fire and if you haven’t read Rebel Skies yet… I ask why not?! Also, the covers are stunning, so get buying folks!

Hey sorry, I have to review and every book I get or my ratio will never hit 100%. I was so looking forward to reading this but there's no Kindle option, so I'm going to have to reject it.