Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor
CW: Death, Murder, Poverty, Abuse of Power, Imprisonment, Classism, Mass Violence, Trauma, Police Brutality
4/5
This book surprised me. I am not usually interested in reading YA fantasy. I certainly have a few exceptions, such as Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan or The Old Kingdom by Garth Nix, but I don't see these as being the same sub-genre. I tend to lean more toward contemporary YA rom-coms, middle-grade graphic novels, and very specific series. I was nervous about giving this book a chance, but I knew it had asexual representation inside. Thor proved to me that I had nothing to worry about.
Fire Becomes Her is about Ingrid Ellis, a girl born into poverty who aims for the top of the social ladder. In this prohibition-inspired fantasy world, fire magic (Flare) is equivalent to power, currency, energy, and alcohol. It is hoarded by the rich, leaving the poor in poverty. Although most do not do anything about it, some steal Flare, some make a bootleg version, and some donate it to charity. However, the only way to vote is to use Flare, leading to the rich controlling the government. Ingrid is in a relationship with Linden Holt, son of a presidential candidate. After scoring an internship with his father, she offers to spy on his opposition. Unfortunately for Linden and his father, the opposition might just show Ingrid that there are more important things than wealth.
The queer representation used throughout the book was delightful and well done. Ingrid questions her own identity throughout, not quite finding the answer in the end. She does find happiness, though. Her best friend is aromantic and asexual. There are several lesbians in the story, including the other candidate for president. Alex, Ingrid's peer mentor and new friend is non-binary and asexual. The other topics I think Thor represents well in the story are police brutality, poverty, classism, voter oppression, and the validity of emotions. The author successfully weaves what's important today into the 20's-inspired storyscape.
Although I found the plot slightly predictable and I was left wondering about the world beyond the country of Candesce, everything else made up for that. The imagery was especially nice. I loved all the fashion and hair descriptions, they made me want to be in the world. With aphantasia I don't always feel like I have a grasp of the surroundings in a scene or how an action sequence plays out, but I had plenty to work with in Fire Becomes Her. If you read this via audiobook, you'll also get Shannon Tyo's accents. Those are a real treat!
If you like fire magic, lots of queer characters, political intrigue, the roaring 20s, action scenes, and arguing about coffee vs tea, I recommend you read Fire Becomes Her. When you're done, come talk to me about it. There's so much I don't want to spoil here but I would love to discuss!
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