(i received this e-arc from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

evoking shades of The Night Circus, i found Redwood & Wildfire to be a delightfully addictive exploration of an alternative historical world.

Sadly this book was not to my liking and I had to DNF this read. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

I was captivated by the strength and magic of this book in the opening lines where Redwood and her family are fleeing for their lives in the post Civil War racist south. Redwood grows up knowing that the magic in her separates her from other people, but it is a deep spiritual gift passed on to her. The author captures an innocence and hope that lives in all of us who live in a challenging world of wonder and skepticism. I'm looking forward to her next book!
Full review on YouTube.

Redwood and Wildfire is the latest read in my fantasy/historical fiction stint that I've been working so hard on. This novel has a lot to offer written by Andrea Hairston, as it merges many of my favorite fictional elements together.

This is the story of Redwood and Aiden. One is an African American woman, the other a Seminole Irish man. Both can conjure, and they do so frequently. Sometimes as a performance, and sometimes for personal reasons.

These powers do little to negate all of the odds stacked against them. They live in a world that wants to see them fail. Yet together, these two will find their way from Georgia to Chicago, where hopefully a new future will be waiting.

“No one should let yesterday use up too much of today. Easy to say, hard to live.”

Redwood and Wildfire is a complex novel. It's multi-layered, thought-provoking, and defies easy description. Naturally, that is making my job just a tad difficult here. This is a heavy yet beautifully written novel that seamlessly merges real life with fantasy.

I honestly don't think that the description (any version I've seen) has done Redwood and Wildfire justice. Perhaps it isn't possible. This is one of those books that you have to experience for yourself.

Though I should mention that there are a lot of complex subjects within this book, including a couple of notable trigger warnings (rape and lynching). So please consider yourself warned before picking up Redwood and Wildfire.

This ended up being a DNF but one I might debate picking up again in the future. Not sure why I didn’t wish to continue but it didn’t hold my interest at the moment.

DNF at 25%.

This book sounded interesting and had a great premise, but the male character, Aiden, would bring the whole book down. I wanted to follow Redwood to learn her hoodoo powers as she and her home grow around her. Except time would be spent on Aiden, who is always drunk. It doesn't help that he beats his first wife in one of his drunken binges, that she leaves him. A self-pitying drunk is a hard character to read especially since it's taking away time from other, more interesting characters.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided by Netgalley for an honest review.

If there's one thing you should know about this historical fiction with a fantasy tilt, is that it's dedicated to unfolding the characters. To getting not only a sense of who they are, but what their motivations, pasts, and secrets are. It honors the stories that shape us and the repeating cycles which trap us - wondering if we can break free. I was instantly drawn to the friendship between Aidan and Redwood. Overall, it's still my favorite element of the story.

As Redwood and Wildfire progresses, Hairston illustrates a story about struggle and love. A story about dreams we nurture even though they flicker. It's about lives we may only touch for a moment and pieces of what we want that turn out not to be enough. Aidan and Redwood have to figure out on their own, their own paths, expectations, and purpose. It exemplifies that we have to want to change for ourselves. While this may not be necessarily a love story, it's certainly a character study.

This is an amazing, nigh-epic book that deals with so much, from the beautiful to the (VERY) traumatic and horrifying. It deftly weaves the magical with the everyday, and as a historical novel its attention to detail and immersive world-building are stunning. It's well-researched, clearly, but in a way that doesn't detract from the storytelling and pacing in any way. I'm so glad this got a re-release, so I was able to read it (and now hopefully put it in even more people's hands!)

I think I'm just at a time in my life where I want a fast read. Though this book is gorgeous and gorgeously written, I'm not ready for it at this time. I'll be sure to check out Hairston's other work, though!

What a really really wonderful book. I first started this saying what a fun book, but ooof its also hard to say that. It's a city that was clearly made of creams, but also reality and magic - it's wonder and horror and so so perfect. I don't think I can review it in a way that does it justice - and I've seen that written by a few reviewers. I honestly thought it would be kind of a fun urban-fantasyish romp, but friends it was not. 10/10 and I'm crossing my fingers because I'm not done with these characters or this world yet.