Fireheart Tiger is a quietly moving novella, follwoing princess Thanh as she tries to navigate her mothers court whilst also being haunted by her past. Thanh is such a interesting character to follow, although I do wish we had got to know her a bit more (I think this novella suffered slighly from novella syndrome).

The novella kicks off when Eldris, a powerful envoy, who also happens to be Thanhs first love comes to the palace to try and arrange a political match as well as rihts to the kingdom for her country. Eldris tries to seduce Thanh, and while at first this seems sweet, you eventually realise there is a lot more to the relationship than it seems. Eldris was a very interesting character and figuring out her motivations was such a fun challenge.

Thanh also has the power of fire, and a mysterious fire spirit that talks to her. this relationship ws very precious however I would have loved to spend more time with it, so certain events in the book later on had more emotional impact. I thoyght the magic was woven beautifully into the book, and the slow reveal of what happened to Thanh in the past, as she has nightmares about a mysterious devasating fire.

The writing is very lyrical and it is such an easy novella to breeze through, if you are in the mood for an evocative and touching tale, which feels like being read a bedtime story.

This is one of those novellas that practically scream “make me a full-length novel!” to me. This Vietnam-esque world, this story, these fallible and fascinating characters, they deserve to live on more than 100-something pages, however good those 100-something pages are.

The main character Thanh is someone who, through the words and actions of others, has been made to feel that she is basically worthless throughout her life. As a child, she’s deemed the throwaway spare out of three princesses, the one their mother chooses to send off as a hostage to another nation which is a constant threat to them. While stowed away in the nation of Ephteria, years later, an uncontrollable fire consumes the royal palace, and sixteen-year-old Thanh only barely escapes with her life. Her captors can’t even be bothered to try to save their “exotic native” prisoner – another hint as to how Thanh is seen as expendable, as well as deemed less-than because of her race in the eyes of people outside of her homeland.
However, despite it all, it is after this fiery disaster that Thanh connects with Princess Eldris, and the two young women secretly get romantically involved.

After ten years spent in this gilded Ephterian cage, having returned home to her mother’s imperial court, Thanh finds herself in the important role of diplomat, yet she is still treated more like property than as a person by her mother, who maintains a regally cold and calculating persona even in private moments with her daughter. What’s more, Thanh is haunted by the palace fire – it seems she’s brought the fire with her back home, somehow, and it is tearing at her psyche.
Things get even more complicated and emotionally straining when a delegation arrives from the ever-menacing Ephteria to discuss trade, and Thanh is shaken to her core at the reappearance of Princess Eldris in her life.

Eldris isn’t just lovely, clever and beautiful – she is also manipulative, quick to anger and very possessive. She has come to yet again claim ownership of Thanh’s heart. Her nation, concurrently, has come under the guise of negotiating the terms of mutually beneficial trade, but they more resemble a predator circling and toying with its prey – not unlike Eldris with Thanh. And neither princess nor nation, it seems, will take no for an answer.

The aspect of this story that I found the most enjoyment in was the toxic nature of Eldris’ and Thanh’s relationship. I found their whole romance very nuanced in how it was written, and especially in how Thanh had to realize slowly, bit by bit, who Eldris really was. That arc was pretty realistic, and having experience with that sort of toxicity and manipulation in relationships myself, it was interesting to view this process from the outside.
It’s easy to see why someone who has been treated like dirt their entire life would throw themselves into the arms of someone like Eldris, someone who gives them attention and woos them with honeyed words, a deceptively gentle touch and lofty promises. Just the attention alone, just the hope that maybe this other person thinks you have worth beyond what you’ve been told… it’s incredibly hard to resist, and it can put a powerful spell on you.
Never mind the threat of their anger should you step out of line with them.
Never mind how thin the line seems to be between their love and their condescension.

I do have to say that the premise and the plot of this novella could have really benefited from full-length format. I’m not saying it isn’t great as it is, because I did enjoy it, but it could have been incredible if we’d been given more time with the characters, if the world had been more fleshed out, if the plot could have progressed over months instead of days… it could have turned into something truly epic. As it stands, this is a beautiful story, and I had a great time reading it, but I will forever mourn the untapped potential in de Bodard’s post-colonial Southeast Asian setting.

Politics, love, and the different kinds of chains used by colonizers in this tale of a princess who, with the help of a fire elemental, learns a different way to play the game of Court Politics. Far too short.

I am thoroughly impressed with how much worldbuilding, action, and romance de Bodard is able to fit in a short novella of 112 pages. The pacing never felt off, and it was simply a quick and intriguing read. The main character, Thanh, has a lot to prove when her mother moves her to a new role of diplomat after she has been held hostage of another kingdom for many years. The role ends up being more complicated when an old lover from that kingdom is the one she needs to negotiate with. Thanh is a very believable character in how she handles the situation and learns and grows from it. It is so hard to write about the novella without any spoilers, so I merely suggest picking this up if the synopsis or blurb sounds interesting to you.

Definitely one of those scenarios where I want to tell a book that "it's not you, it's me". I'm not sure if I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for this novella or what, but I found it hard to stick with, despite it being a novella. However, Aliette de Bodard's work is often elegant and charming, and I think many other readers will find solace among its pages.

This latest novella by Aliette de Bodard is a moving, engaging tale of politics, love, divided loyalties, and betrayal. It has many of the hallmarks of a great de Bodard story, and I enjoyed it.

The novella is quite brief, so I’ll keep my review short to avoid spoilers. It follows Thanh, a princess who has been given the role of diplomat in new negotiations with Ephteria. As a child, Thanh was sent to Ephteria as a hostage, and formed a bond with Eldris — the confident, capable and attractive delegate from Ephteria. Reunited after so long apart, Thanh’s feelings resurface, creating concerns about conflicts of interest and divided loyalties. In a short time, Thanh will be forced to confront her different loyalties, and make choices between love, patriotism, and family.

It also revives Thanh’s memories and fears about a devastating event in Ephteria. She’s still struggling with the flames: what causes them? How and can she control them? Are they tied to her emotions? If so, does she run the risk of hurting those around her? Over the course of the novella, we learn the truth about this strange power Thanh appears to have. We also see how relationships can shift and change with time, and how they can be manipulated to serve different agendas.

Fireheart Tiger is a well-crafted and well-written novella. De Bodard has penned a briskly-paced, but by no means rushed, story. The author’s writing is evocative, and yet also sparsely described (no info-dumps or florid descriptions here). I enjoyed getting to know Thanh, and seeing her come to terms with the realities of her situation, and overcome a few obstacles to achieving her official duties and wrestling with her personal desires. The other characters are similarly well-drawn, however we don’t spend much time with anyone else (except for one other, but… spoilers).

If you are already a fan of de Bodard’s writing, I have no doubt that you will enjoy Fireheart Tiger. If you are new to the author’s work, then this novella could serve as a very good introduction. So, a win-win for any reader. I would be interested in reading more stories in this setting, too, so crossing fingers for that in the future. Recommended.

Stop what you're doing and put this book on your radar. FIREHEART TIGER is a spectacular take on love triangles, political intrigue, and standing up for oneself. The richly described world rings with gorgeous prose and bivid imagery. I was breathless on the edge of my seat! You've got to read this.

This novella was short and sweet. However, the world-building was not fully explained and the characters were very typical and not given much depth. Still, I recommend this for fans that like Asian-inspired fantasy.