Natasha Ngan weaves a gorgeous, heart-wrenching queer fantasy in Girls of Paper and Fire. I fell in love not only with the protagonist Lei and her cohort, but with her sensual, many colored world and its many mysteries. This is a dark, difficult read that also radiates light. Themes of sexual abuse thread throughout the novel, forming a core of the narrative, which readers should absolutely be aware of. However, if you are able to read this, I absolutely recommend it. The writing sparkles intoxicatingly, and the unexpected queer love story made my heart grow several sizes. I have never read a book quite like this one.

I appreciated the setting, a fantasy Asia of the past, and the diverse characters. Not only are there issues of class and race, the main narrative is an lgbt love story. For that, I'd recommend it but, for hardcore fantasy lovers that want rich and supple world building, I'd pass.