I’ve been a fan of some of Grace Curtis’s books in the past and I’m always hopeful. I really enjoyed The Floating Hotel and I was so excited for Idolfire. Who isn’t excited about a sapphic fantasy road trip? Keep reading this book review of Idolfire for my full thoughts.
Summary
On one side of the world, Aleya Ana-Ulai is desperate for a chance. Her family have written her off as a mistake, but she’s determined to prove every last one of them wrong.
On the other, Kirby of Wall’s End is searching for redemption. An ancient curse tore her life apart, but to fix it, she’ll have to leave everything behind.
Fate sets them both on the path to Nivela, a city once poised to conquer the world with the power of a thousand stolen gods. Now the gates are closed and the old magic slumbers. Dead — or waiting for a spark to light it anew…
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Inspired by the fall of Rome, Idolfire bites off a big chunk. It was described to me as a sapphic fantasy road trip. What’s more to love right? While that’s certainly a component – which takes a bit to get into – Idolfire is much more focused on characters than this road trip angle. For the beginning parts, which feel a bit slow in comparison, it’s devoted to a multiple POV look at the different worlds. Being thrown headfirst into these very different perspectives was a bit of whiplash at the beginning and a bit slippery. But when they are established a bit more, you begin to make a bit more sense of what’s happening.
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When I sunk into the road trip angle I enjoyed it more, but it was a bit of a journey to get there. I enjoyed seeing these characters we’ve come to know a bit more interact in Idolfire. But as a whole, I felt like I was missing a layer of introspection to fully sink into them. Especially for the road trip, I needed a bit more time in each place, some more specificity, to get into their trip. All in all, this had all the elements I’d normally love, but it just needed a bit more of a push to get to the level I would have been obsessed with. Find Idolfire on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.