I was so freaking hyped for this, but I can’t stand the prose.

Don’t get me wrong: I love the main character. She is, as other reviewers have said, a bitch, and you know what? It’s great. Give me more unlikable heroines, characters who DGAF about being Nice, who have sharp edges and sharper tongues and will burn the fucking world down for spite. Adeline is *chef’s kiss*

The premise, though, seemed to be very simplistic as the book went on – various criminal gangs draw power from different gods and spirits, granting them different kinds of magical abilities. I was hoping for a lot more on the nature of this connection, what makes a god, where these beings come from – and I especially thought we’d get it because Adeline’s connection to the Butterfly goddess is unique. Possibly it showed up later in the book than I got, but the way it was all framed very much made it feel like we weren’t going to get any explorations into that. Which was disappointing.

But the main problem is the prose. Bear in mind, I seem to ‘hear’ prose in a way the vast majority of readers don’t, so when I have an issue with prose rhythm, it’s almost always something that doesn’t affect others. The fact that Lee’s writing seemed unbearably jerky to me – stopping-and-starting, establishing a rhythm only to immediately break it, using word order that doesn’t sound CorrectTM (to me, I emphasise!) – does not mean it will to you! If you’ve never been bothered by prose rhythm before, you very likely do not need to worry about it bothering you in When They Burned the Butterfly. (I am envious.)

For me, it made When They Burned the Butterfly a chore; every time I set it down, I had zero desire to pick it up again. The dialogue in particular rang very false to me, and while there were occasionally really beautiful lines of prose, such as Adeline’s first moments of Sapphic Awakening–

>And she had another something whose articulation was formless on Adeline’s teeth, tart and vivid enough to strike the nerves in her gums, something essential she was gnawing at that wasn’t yet solid enough to spit out. But it turned Adeline’s throat dry and scraped her insides with a terrifying hunger.<

–there were a lot more that jarred, where the writing felt ‘out of tune’ and the phrasing was confusingly clunky.

>The street constantly smelled sweet of burning chrysanthemums.<

The author’s meaning comes through perfectly! But that either ought to be ‘sweetly’ (and possibly it is meant to be and this is just a typo that will be corrected before release day – I read an advanced reader copy, and they do have errors sometimes) or it needs rephrasing.

>There had been cholera outbreaks recently, but it didn’t seem to have gripped the actual place in any sense of urgency.<

‘There had been cholera outbreaks recently, but you wouldn’t guess it from the atmosphere of the street.’ Or something. ‘it didn’t seem to have gripped the actual place in any sense of urgency’ is just such an awkward way of saying what is meant here.

>At least, a shop was a generous name.<

‘Calling it a shop was being generous.’

>Tragedy could fuel revenge with the right conditions to move it along.<

I know what you mean, but! This is not the best phrasing!

>which also meant they knew exactly where he would be on days of the week.<

…so they knew where he’d be every day, then? You could just say that???

If you’re raising an eyebrow at me right now, with no idea why these quotes bother me, then congrats, you will probably enjoy the prose just fine and can completely ignore my critique there! Again, I am jealous of you.

I should also note that I skipped ahead to read the ending, hoping it would be interesting enough that I’d want to finish the book to find out how we got to it. Instead, I found a wishy-washy, not-an-actual-ending ending, the kind that annoys me immensely. Especially when it’s trying to be gritty, which this definitely was. (The author gets points for doing a thing very few authors are brave enough to do, but it’s a tragic thing that I don’t actually enjoy and which is definitely going to upset a lot of readers.) The epilogue is one long info-dump type summary of events that should have been an entire second book.

(That being said, Tor has had a habit recently of marketing books as standalones – Kerstin Hall’s Asunder, Sandymancer by David Edison, etc – that the authors did not intend as standalones, and I do wonder if that’s part of the issue here? Does Lee intend for there to be a sequel? One set after the events of the epilogue??? Or maybe wanted there to be one but Tor only bought one book, so she wrote the epilogue to…? Try and resolve things? But even if so, the epilogue did not leave me feeling like Adeline’s story was finished. Gah, I don’t know. Whatever the authorial intent, the reading experience was not satisfying, and whether that was Lee’s fault or Tor’s doesn’t make a practical difference, in the end.)

So…yeah. Sigh. DNF. Lots of other early reviewers have loved this, and I would like When They Burned the Butterfly to do well because I want to see more characters like Adeline! But I won’t be finishing this one.

When They Burned the Butterfly is an intense story of self discovery and awareness. As Adeline Siow deals with the aftermath of her mother's death, she has to come to terms with learning about her mother's legacy and what it means for her. This story was intense, cathartic, and action packed. I couldn't put it down.

I received this arc from TOR publishing group for free on Netgalley. I was excited to dive into a rich world of gangs and mystery and it didn’t disappoint. The last 100 pages kept me glued to the book. I really enjoyed the depiction of fire and how it felt like the author used it as a representation for anger and love. I’m a sucker for a found family and female rage, both of which this book explores. The sapphic romance was a slow burn that felt genuine. I shipped them from the moment they met. They felt like a couple who actually work together rather than two character tropes being forced together. Unfortunately, I found the amount of gangs and gods a little distracting from the story. Keeping track of who’s in what gang and who’s an enemy or an ally was a bit confusing. There were tons of characters to the point that some tended to bleed together. I would still recommend this to my friends. I had a great time reading this.

A refreshing fantasy romance about a girl gang in 1970s Singapore filled with sapphic yearning. I loved the rich setting and history. It made me very immersed in the world. This is quite a tragic book, which is not where my tastes lean when it comes to fantasy romance. Other genres, sure, but it's not my favorite here, and that's the reason for my rating. More of a personal preference if anything.

3.5 stars rounded up

It took a little while to grab me - probably around 200 of the 500 pages — but when it did, my god. The writing was always gorgeous, that wasn’t the issue, I just felt like it didn’t have much direction. I was wrong! I was so wrong! Read it! Ugh, it was perfect, I want another one but it was wrapped up brilliantly.

This book is great! It was amazing, vivid, joyful, fast-paced and perfectly described! I didn’t want this fantastic journey to end. I need to own this book and read everything by this author! 10/10 recommend!!!

Honestly, I think this book deserves more than a 3 stars and I am the problem. The characters were awesome, the writing was beautiful, but i couldn’t get attached to the story by itself. I would recommend this book to a lot of people, but the gang story didn’t really join me as much as i thought it would.

Thank you Net Galley and Tor Books for the eARC !!

What a book. What a debut. What a story!

I knew that When They Burned the Butterfly was going to be something special within the first few pages and it absolutely did not let me down. I laughed, I cried. I cried some more.

Adeline is such a complicated and fascinating main character; sharp, quick-witted, and a bit of a brat (positive). I loved her, and I loved her relationship with not only Tian, but the other girls as well.

Her and Tian? Chef's kiss. It was so unapologetically lesbian and the portrayal of butchfemme dynamics was a breath of fresh air.

I will be thinking of this book for years to come, and will be telling at everyone I know to read it once it comes out.

When They Burned the Butterfly was a fantastic adult debut that was incredibly easy to follow along with!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for the ARC—all thoughts are my own.

When They Burn the Butterfly is a sapphic fantasy set in 1972 Singapore and inspired by turf wars. Loner schoolgirl Adeline Siow possesses the ability to summon flames on her fingertips, a power passed down from her mother—who is secretly the patron of an all-female gang known as the Red Butterfly. When her mother dies in a fire, Adeline becomes entangled in the Singaporean underworld in her search for vengeance and retribution.

With how starved we are for Asian representation in Western sapphic literature as it is and such a promising premise, When They Burn the Butterfly should have been one of my favorite reads of the year. When They Burn the Butterfly is author Wen-yi Lee’s self-proclaimed merlion and land reclamation piece, and you can see it in the attention to detail that’s been put into recreating 1970s Singapore, from the intersection of various diaspora down to the influences of the Christian revival.

When They Burn the Butterfly comes the most alive when it is about Singapore. For a novel that claims not to be a “nation-building novel,” I felt the most compelled when I thought the heart of the novel was commentary about the national and historical identity of Singapore. Of course, the fantastical aspects twist historical facts, but the characters’ backgrounds are all painfully realistic—the rich girl sent to Catholic school and the mother scarred from war and hardship.

Unfortunately, I really struggled to connect with the actual substance of the novel. Some of this might have to do with my own idiosyncrasies. For a novel marketed as adult, When They Burn the Butterfly shares much of its DNA with the young adult genre. Protagonist Adeline Siow is only seventeen (an age I hardly find impressive nowadays), and the dead mother into secret society pipeline narrative is perhaps not the epitome of originality.

I absolutely despised Adeline as a protagonist. She is whiny, mean, and self-centered. The extent to which Adeline was unbearable to read really burned up all my empathy for her. Worse, she never truly grows from her mistakes. She seems to become even more prone to pig-headed behavior and bouts of rage, and I’m just not about that girlboss energy. I know I’ve just described real teenage girls, but I’m not sure I want to read them in my books.

The plot doesn’t do the premise any justice either. The novel crawls at a turtle's pace. It simultaneously crams too much information into your head and makes you think that none of it matters. I spent most of the novel’s nearly 500-page runtime bored out of my mind unsurprised by every sordid turn of events, which is probably the worst criticism you can give any piece of art (at least a bad book can be entertainingly bad).

Although it could be for many other people, When They Burn the Butterfly is not for me. The emphasis on righteous teenage feminine rage solved through violence may be cathartic to some, but I’m just tired of being angry…and protagonists that are angry. Still, I want to highlight Wen-yi Lee’s mature prose and thematic structure. When They Burn the Butterfly doesn’t pull its punches. It knows exactly what it wants to be, and it’s up to you to decide if you like it.

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=4.25 | 😘=3.5 | 🤬=3 | ⚔️=5 | 17/18+

summary: 1970s Singapore all-women gang feat. mysterious gods and more gangs and fire magic and lesbians and the girls at the heart of it all

thoughts: fantastic beginning, fantastic ending, some rocky bits in the middle re: world building (could have had lore regarding gods hinted at/info dumped earlier) but overall I enjoyed this! lots of sapphic yearning and devotion and near the end it was getting West Side Storyish (even though the MCs are part of the same gang, but like it’s still WSS vibes), which I loved because I love WSS because I have a pulse?? also I’m very glad that there were a lot of deaths at the end and zero resurrections because I’m sick of characters coming back to life!! let them die!! anyway combined with the author’s note giving historical context for a period I know very little about, this was really good! girls with fire powers!! sapphic devotion!!! yeehaw!

This was such a strong debut, it honestly felt like it was written by someone with years of experience. Right from the first line, the writing pulled me in, and the worldbuilding was so smooth and natural that I barely noticed it happening, it just worked.

If you’re into revenge stories, this one really nails it. It gives you all the satisfaction of payback but doesn’t shy away from showing how heavy the consequences can be. The only part that didn’t totally click for me was the romance, but that’s probably just a personal thing. Overall, a super impressive and gripping read.

Wow I don't even have coherent thoughts after this... just a beautiful story of anger, rage, and desperation. The cycle never ends... and it's so violent. The world building was so intricate, and Adeline was THE main character of all time. Just loved every second.

Looking for your next favorite fantasy read? Look no further because the way this book lured me in with it’s characters, setting and plot just to grabbed me by the neck and destroy me is insane. Adeline becomes such a badass and her growth as she delved deeper into the world her mother hid from her. I mean this girl goes from private rich girl to a powerful magic wielding woman. Her fire and the way she was thrusted into Singapore’s underbelly to find herself and who her mother was.

The romance between Tian and Adeline!!! I can’t believe everything that happened and Adeline slowly figuring out, oh I LIKE this girl. I loved the found family and because of these girls Adeline was able to find herself and find comfort and friendship when that was all she has craved her whole life.

READ THIS BOOK! You won’t regret it, it has everything from a sapphic romance, to sisterhood, to fire wielding women!

Thank you Tor and NetGalley for the ARC.

When They Burned the Butterfly was such an interesting read, it was a tiny bit of a slog in a couple places but over all I really enjoyed it!

Wen-yi Lee's fiery adult debut is not to be missed. Set in 1970s Singapore, Lee crafts a narrative steeped in history, rage, dangerous gods, and gangsters always ready to fight. Adeline is a main character that keeps you on your toes and tugs you along with her on all her decisions. What really shines about this novel is the biting prose that Lee does so well. Adeline's rage and grief is felt so viscerally through the prose and it is no surprise that these emotions intertwine so fluidly and deeply with all the themes of the story as you continue on. This book is a fire in itself, blazing through your heart and lingering after you finish the last page. If you enjoyed: the intensity of R.F. Kuang's The Poppy War, the mystery and historical fantasy setting of Chloe Gong's These Violent Delights, and the action and found family of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows, you will find so many things to love in this book.

A girl gang with fire magic set in 1972 Singapore with sapphic yearning, found family, and a mysterious force targeting the gang? What more could you want? This was such a great read with nuanced characters, a rich setting, and plenty of conflicts to keep you guessing.

The sapphic yearning and discovery was, while not the main focus, hugely important to Adeline’s story.

The setting of Singapore in 1972 is extremely important in the context of this story. The history of Singapore at this time is so rich and I love how Lee wove in magical gangs with ties to old gods. Even the ending is crucial to how Singapore had changed and advanced during this time.

When They Burned the Butterfly is a tragic masterpiece that ties together Singaporean history, found family among the least protected, and the power of unassuming girls.

Rating: 3.5 stars
I really enjoyed this but I was expecting it be much more 'adult' than it is. I even checked to make sure because this reads very much like a young adult novel, not necessarily in a bad way but in the writing style and its approach to its content and themes. It is not just the young main character (she is about 16 years old) because I have read other adult novels with young protagonists. There really does not seem to be anything here that I would mark as appropriate specifically for adults, rather than teens, so I am curious as to why it was chosen to be marketed as an adult fantasy novel.

Although I was extremely excited about a butchfemme Singaporean fantasy novel, this aspect dampened by experience. If I had known this would be the case, I could have adjusted my expectations accordingly but as such, I find that the novel's level of engagement/exploration of its themes to be more surface-level in a way that I am more inclined to forgive if it was marketed as a young adult novel.

“I’ve seen my father give his body to the pipe and my mother to the cards, I’ve seen men die for flesh and wine. to give yourself too far over is the most dangerous thing you can do”

thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for this early review copy, it was one of my most anticipated reads of the year.

angry girls with the fury of ancient gods in their veins and the power of fire fighting against a patriarchal society that is killing the most vulnerable women with drugs that make them beautiful simply to make a profit. atmospheric city life filled with opposing gangs all fuelled by different gangs fighting for territory, honour and power. at the heart of this is fury and family, finding the thing you’re willing to die for, the revenge you’re willing to give yourself over to.

I think my only reason for rating this 3 and not 4 is I found the pacing to be slightly off, there were alot of parts where nothing really developed and then so much would happen at once? but honestly still a good read

I was thrilled to get the ARC for this book because the title and cover immediately drew me in. Now that I read this book I can proudly say this author is an extremely talented woman.

This book is thick. It has a lot of things going on that may be hard to fully understand because of the names, towns, gangs, all being Singapore based. But even when you feel like you’re confusing names you still fully understand the plot and that was feminine rage, magical gangsters, and found family, along with some mystery built in.

It was a sad story filled with lots of loss and I think the author did that part of the story justice. Nothing was sugar coated. Nothing was meant to be tied up in a bow and made pretty. It was perfectly imperfect just as the characters we grew to love.

It’s books like this that make me so proud to be a woman and at the same time angry. My favorite part of this story was the characters ability to feel the rage and pain of other women who died in the past. Being tethered to them in a special way was something we can all experience even without magic.

We got here because of the sacrifices women have made in the past. And damn did this book do that dynamic justice.

Also, I’m happy to read this during Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month AND pride month. It’s my first read of the month and just fit in perfectly.