Daughter of the Burning City Review

**Thank you to Harlequin (Australia) and Netgalley for sending me an ARC in return for an honest review. 4.5 stars!!! Well, I'm really blown away by this book that I don't even know where to start. I have to admit that, at the outset, I did find everything a bit muddled up. However, I managed to get sucked into the pages once things started making sense to me. The book is structured in such a way that it makes for a slow read. The chapters are lengthy but there's no info-dumping and the author keeps things relevant. I also enjoyed the sketches interspersed throughout the novel. I found that very clever as it gives a glimpse into how the characters looked and the mind of the killer. Amanda Foody's writing style is very fluid and engaging. I found the worldbuilding to be extremely immersive. I liked how the basis of the world was based on the biblical city of Gomorrah and the references to sin. I found also the concept of the book to be unique and the idea of a traveling city that resembles a circus was very captivating. My only negative would be that the inclusion of a map would have been helpful as it would have given a richer feel to the overall novel. Even the characters were refreshing. The book doesn't delve into cliches. The MC Sorina doesn't have a conventional sort of beauty. Therefore, the author focused on aspects such as relationships, family, her weaknesses and strengths. For me, this book embraced diversity in all forms. It talks about self love and gender fluidity (which is going to appeal to a lot of readers). The author has gone to great depths to show the reader that being different can be beautiful and that one's strength and value comes from within us and that we have to embrace our own quirkiness. That's what makes us - us. That's how relatable the MC and minor characters were. They were so well rounded. With regards to the romance, I liked the idea of a slow build. The idea of them turning from acquaintances into something more gave me hope. It wasn't rushed. I liked how they engaged with each other from the get go. The issues that they had to deal with and the solutions that they came up with. I do have to admit, maybe it wasn't as swoon-worthy as I normally would like but it was a strong one. The book does mention other relationships as well which I found gave the story more depth as it added to the overall development of the characters. The dark atmospheric quality of the read made this book especially breathtaking. I liked the oddness of the characters and the magic system in place. On the whole, the story felt very natural and visceral. The plot includes murder, politics, deceit, drama, and action in many forms. This makes for real deep reading which I appreciated. It's a far departure from the usual soppy YA romance fantasy reads. This book knows how to hold its ground. From shocking twists and turns to eyebrow raising reveals, I feel this book is one of the best in its genre. I would recommend reading it if you love YA fantasy. A word of caution, this book does contain a bit of rough language if that isn't your cup of tea. But if that doesn't bother you, I'd say put it on your TBR list :)

#Darkfastasy #darkatmosphere #specialabilities #magic #AmandaFoody #youngadult