Thank you so much to Inkyard Press for the spot on the tour and a copy of the book!
About The Book:
On Sale Date: February 2, 2021
9781335080271, 1335080279
Hardcover
$18.99 USD, $23.99 CAD
Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Epic
Ages 13 And Up
384 pages
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, IndieBound, Bookshop.org
An Ember in the Ashes meets Mask of Shadows in Emily Victoria’s #ownvoices debut YA fantasy, This Golden Flame, in which asexual Karis, a servant to the mysterious Scriptorium, accidentally awakens long-dormant automaton Alix, initiating an epic adventure full of magic, rebellion, and finding where you truly belong.
Orphaned and forced to serve her country’s ruling group of scribes, Karis wants nothing more than to find her brother, long ago shipped away. But family bonds don’t matter to the Scriptorium, whose sole focus is unlocking the magic of an ancient automaton army.
In her search for her brother, Karis does the seemingly impossible?she awakens a hidden automaton. Intelligent, with a conscience of his own, Alix has no idea why he was made. Or why his father?their nation’s greatest traitor?once tried to destroy the automatons.
Suddenly, the Scriptorium isn’t just trying to control Karis; it’s hunting her. Together with Alix, Karis must find her brother…and the secret that’s held her country in its power for centuries.
This Golden Flame is a beautifully written adventurous delight.
With the characters, I found myself much more interested in Alix, Zara, and Dane than I did Karis. I’m not sure when it exactly it occurred, but her character just lost me a little once we start really getting into the story. Karis continually stays strong to herself and what she believes, I just found myself more invested in others.
I totally adored Alix and his story. His character is so interesting. You want to unlock (in all ways of the word) every piece of his story with him. Then there’s Zara who is fierce, loyal, and every bit strong. I thoroughly enjoyed her character and would love to see another spin-off book with her as the lead.
There’s a way that Emily Victoria makes you love each character you meet. I know technically Karis is advertised as “asexual” but I admit I did keep hoping for some type of romance. I adored Alix and Dane too! Even though Alix is a hunk of metal… I was still shipping for something sexy, HA!
Another thing to mention is that Emily Victoria writes absolutely beautifully. The world-building and each bit of description she packs into the pages makes you love it so much more. It’s essentially a dystopian, Greece-esque era, magic, and machines all wrapped up into one.
“He’s still with that little girl, kneeling before her as she sits on a crate, head down. Her hair reminds me of straw, so thin and dry. The ends are ragged, cut short beneath her earlobes. She’s so skinny it’s hard to tell her age but she can’t be older than ten. There’s a detached glaze to her eyes.”
Overall, This Golden Flame is a fabulous debut and I’m very excited to see what she can come up with next!
Emily Victoria lives on the Canadian prairies with her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, works at her public library, and has just finished her Masters of Library and Information Studies.
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