#fire becomes her

[aroaessidhe]

ok slightly late for ace week, but here's most of the ace books I own!

#ace week #asexual books #funeral girl #fire becomes her #baker thief #loveless #little thieves #etc etc etc #such a tiny collection compared to the amount i've read.....hahha..... #laya talks

[rosieethor]

Fire Becomes Her is officially two years old!

Time feels utterly fake! I'm so grateful to all the readers, librarians, booksellers, and my fellow authors who have supported this book. I still can't believe I got to write and publish a book about an ambitious aromantic teen, fire magic, and lesbians in power suits running for president. Here's to writing more messy queer books and tricking the publishing industry into paying me for it!

#sapphic books #asexual books #aromantic books #queer books #lgbtqia books #fire becomes her #ya books #ya fantasy

[gwen-tolios]

Ace Bookclub Recap - Fire Becomes Her

I love to share ace book recs (it's part of why I run an ace bookclub) and this month we read Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor. Book has been added to my Ace Rep Database.

Summary: With only a drop of flare, one can light the night sky with fireworks or burn a building to the ground -- and seventeen-year-old Ingrid Ellis wants her fair share. Ingrid doesn't have a family fortune, but at least she has a plan: Rise to the top on the arm of Linden Holt, heir to a hefty political legacy and the largest fortune of flare in all of Candesce. Her only obstacle is Linden's father who refuses to acknowledge her. When Senator Holt announces his run for president, Ingrid strikes a deal to spy on the senator’s opposition in exchange for his approval and the status she so desperately craves. But the longer Ingrid wears two masks, the more she questions where her true allegiances lie.

Spoilers below!

My bookclub really liked this book. There's a delightful cathartic element to the end we all got behind, and I believe this is the first book we've read that ends with a QPR.

There's a range of aspec characters, which always makes a book better, and we had a bit of conversation about Ingrid. What labels, exactly, define her? We had a bit of back and forth (my bet is birogreyromantic at least) but we all agreed she was some flavor of aspec. We also agreed, you know what, it's okay that we don't know. Ingrid's arch through the book really is discovering who she is and what she wants, and this felt like such a real, messy way of figuring out your ace identity: while in the midst of a relationship. (I myself have used my relationships as touchstones to figure my aceness out)

There's some beautiful conversations in here about trying to explain love outside of a romantic capacity and about how you shouldn't mold yourself to the expectations of others. I wish the world-building had been a little more thought out (flare is a source of power like electricity, treated like currency, is a consumable form of magic used for pleasure and policing, and also serves as how one votes even though it's a limited resource mined from the ground, which was a bit much), but for this book taking place on the campaign trail with some rebel action, it's the characters that you're here for.

#book rec #ace books #aro books #queer books #ace book club #lgbt books #fire becomes her

[melanielocke]

Book recommendations - a-spec characters

I don't have a lot of books that fit this category unfortunately, but I've read a couple of good ones recently so I figured I might as well make list for a-spec books. I'll list the specific representation for each book as well. These books are all YA fantasy but still very different types of books, so I hope there's something here for everyone looking for more a-spec characters.

I'll start with Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor

This is a stand alone fantasy set in a 1920s jazz age inspired world. This world has magic in the form of flare, a hot magic substance that can be mined and is used in various ways, including heating and electricity, but also mixed in drinks for rich people, or to give you temporary fire/heat magic. The premise is largely based around huge flare inequality, with poor people not having enough to heat their homes whereas rich people are sitting on vast amounts of flare they're either not using or using for useless things like putting it in drinks. Ingrid was born very poor, but has been given the chance to move up in society by attending a school for rich kids on a scholarship and dating Linden Holt, the son of a senator and one of the richest men in the land. When Linden's father, goes to run for president, Ingrid is hired as a campaign assistant for her internship before she graduates school, but the senator is running against a leftist woman who wants flare to be accessible to all and Ingrid has to decide if she wants to stay with Linden and his family to make sure she has enough, or fight for everyone else' flare as well.

This is a very political book, with the main focus being the presidential race, and there are very clear parallels to real life (American) politics. For example, Linden's father proposes a plan called "trickle down flare".

Rep: most major characters are queer, the main character is bi and demiromantic

Beyond the Black Door by A.M. Strickland is next

This is a fantasy in a world where some people can soulwalk. They can enter their own and other people's souls as long as the other person is close enough. Kamai and her mother are both soulwalkers, and her mother is a courtesan and spy who walks through the souls of her clients to find out their secrets. For Kamai to put her abilities to use, becoming a courtesan would be the ideal option since it allows her to easily get close to people, but Kamai is asexual. She has no interest in having sex with people.

Kamai cannot enter her own soul, no one can. Some people believe she doesn't have one, others that it has been hidden away. But no matter whose soul she enters, she sees a black door. Her mother warned her to stay away from that door. But when tragedy strikes, Kamai, desperate, opens the door.

This is a dark fantasy story with some conspiracy, spying and a focus on this world's religion and mythology.

Rep: main character is biromantic asexual, and her being asexual is a big part of the story, some side characters are also queer including asexual

Also by this author: In the Ravenous Dark, which is another dark fantasy I'm about to start reading with a pan mc and poly relationship

Then I have Silver in the Mist by Emily Victoria

This story is set on an island divided into two kingdoms, Aris and Cerena. The continent is in danger from a mist with deadly phantoms within it, and right now the problem is a lot worse in Aris than in Cerena. Only casters can use magic to hold back the mist.

Dev is a spy. Eight years ago, her father died and her mother became very distant as the whisperer, the head spy, of Aris. Now her mother is more of a commander than family and Dev will try anything for her approval.

On her next mission, she's sent to Cerena to go undercover in their court and kidnap Alyse, Cerena's most powerful caster, in the hopes that bringing her to Aris could turn the tides on the mist. But on the way she learns that not everything she thought of Cerena is true and that Alyse might have a better way to stop the mist.

This is a spy story, but also a story of family. Dev has a difficult relationship with her mother, who is very distant, and keeps seeking her approval, but there is development and nuance in their relationship. I also loved the strong bond Dev forms with Alyse.

Rep: it was not explicit in the book, but Dev is asexual and possibly also aromantic. She shows no romantic or sexual interest in anyone, and the author is also ace-aro, so I'm sure she's supposed to be aspec but not sure what. Dev's best friend Lochlan is non binary.

Last up is Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

Artemisia is a nun training to cleanse the bodies of the deceased so they don't turn into evil spirits and eat people and/or possess people. She was possessed by a spirit as a child and as a result she's very sensitive to spirits.

When the convent is attacked by possessed people, Artemisia saves herself and the other nuns by binding herself to a revenant, the most dangerous type of spirit that was locked up in a saint's relic. The dead are rising, and if only a vespertine, a priestess wielding the power of a revenant can stop it, but all knowledge on how this works is lost to time so Artemisia has no choice but to learn from the revenant itself, someone she can't trust.

This story is dark and has a very gritty medieval feel, and I think while the world is made up it captures medieval europe better than most medieval europe fantasy stories. Artemisia is someone who prefers to be around dead people than living, generally she dislikes people and doesn't care to form close bonds with them. While she isn't explicitly ace/aro in the book, I'd read her as such based on her lack of interest in romantic and/or sexual relationships, and she can also be read as autistic.

Also by this author: sorcery of thorns, which has a bi love interest and asexual major side character

Previously covered books with a-spec characters

Dread Nation duology by Justina Ireland - ace/aro side character who is also a POV character in book 2

Black Wings Beating trilogy by Alex London - one of the two mc's is ace/aro

@alastaircarstairsdefenselawyer @life-through-the-eyes-of @astriefer @justanormaldemon @ipromiseiwillwrite @a-dream-dirty-and-bruised @amchara @all-for-the-fanfiction @imsoftforthomastair @ddepressedbookworm @queenlilith43 @wagner-fell @cant-think-of-anything @laylax13s @tessherongraystairs @boredfangirl16 @artist-in-soul @bottomdelioncourt @ikissedsmithparker

#a-spec #asexual #aromantic #demiromantic #aroace #a-spec books #fire becomes her #rosiee thor #beyond the black door #a.m. strickland #silver in the mist #emily victoria #vespertine #margaret rogerson

[stardustandrockets]

What was your favorite read from October?

I spent the month completing the #OwnedOctober challenge @treereads hosted. I managed to fill my bingo board.

Books read:

• Happy Place by Emily Henry

• You Feel it Just Below the Ribs by Jeffrey Cranor and Janina Matthewson

• Ander & Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa

• Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor

• A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins

• Flip the Script by Lyla Lee

• 10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall

• The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams

• A Shot in the Dark by Victoria Lee

I think my favorites were Ander & Santi and 10 Things That Never Happened. Though, the latter I checked out from the library to decide if I wanted to buy it or not. I absolutely adored Sam and Jonathan's dynamic. I thought the amnesia plot was going to be weird, but it wasn't. Not sure what I'm going to start next, but I'm happy to have my tbr a little more under control.

#reading wrap up #october reads #happy place #emily henry #you feel it just below the ribs #jeffrey cranor #janina matthewson #ander and santi were here #jonny garza villa #fire becomes her #rosiee thor #a lady's guide to mischief and mayhem #manda collins #flip the script #lyla lee #10 things the never happened #alexis hall #the restaurant at the end of the universe #douglas adams #a shot in the dark #victoria lee #stardust book recs #stardustandrockets

[qbdatabase]

With only a drop of flare, one can light the night sky with fireworks . . . or burn a building to the ground — and seventeen-year-old Ingrid Ellis wants her fair share.

Ingrid doesn’t have a family fortune, monetary or magical, but at least she has a plan: Rise to the top on the arm of Linden Holt, heir to a hefty political legacy and the largest fortune of flare in all of Candesce. Her only obstacle is Linden’s father who refuses to acknowledge her.

So when Senator Holt announces his run for president, Ingrid uses the situation to her advantage. She strikes a deal to spy on the senator’s opposition in exchange for his approval and the status she so desperately craves. But the longer Ingrid wears two masks, the more she questions where her true allegiances lie.

Will she stand with the Holts, or will she forge her own path?

#Fire Becomes Her #Rosiee Thor #YA #fantasy #historical fiction #demiromantic #demi rep #bisexual #bi rep #poc rep #asexual #ace rep #transmasc #trans rep #nonbinary #nonbinary rep #queer platonic relationship #alt history #courtly intrigue #time: 1920s #YA fantasy #YA historical fiction #daily book #fiction #lgbt fiction #lgbtqia #bookblr

[wahlpaper]

Tarnished Are The Stars Review

Tarnished Are The Stars by Rosiee Thor

CW: Violence, Murder, Parent Death, Manipulation, Oppression, Disease, Child Death, Arranged Marriage, Assault, Description of Surgery, Parental Abuse, Ableism, Classism, Sexism

3.5/5

Tarnished Are The Stars was Rosiee Thor's debut novel from 2019. This book has been praised for its representation of W-L-W romance and including an asexual/aromantic P.O.V. character. In the time between this novel and Fire Becomes Her (2022), the first book of Thor's that I read, I can see that the author has greatly improved in their writing skills. That being said, I still quite enjoyed the story and I'm glad I took the time to read it.

On the planet of Earth Adjacent, people are suffering from heart disease. The only solution for the infected is a mechanical heart. Unfortunately, technology has been banned on the planet, forcing those affected into hiding. Anna is good at mechanics, but she is also reckless. She sneaks into the settlement to help those that might need her skills. One such client is Nathaniel, son of the Commissioner. He's the only one in the settlement with tech for a heart, and neither of them is quite sure why. Nathaniel wants to impress his father by dealing with Anna as an outlaw, but that proves difficult. Things are thrown into further confusion when the Queen, who has been living a lavish life in a spaceship near the planet, sends her spy into the mix. That is Eliza, a loyalist to the Queen and politically obligated to marry Nathaniel. Anna, Eliza, and Nathaniel, despite all odds, will have to figure out what the future holds for them.

One of the things that this book does very well is avert the love triangle trope. Yes, there are three main characters of a similar age. Yes, one is of a different gender while the other two are of the same. Thor refused to take it there, though. Nathaniel and Eliza were picked for each other, but Nathaniel has never felt romantic nor sexual attraction for anyone. Eliza has exclusively felt such attraction for her own gender. Anna and Eliza meet at an inconvenient and unexpected moment, but they are still drawn to each other immediately. As a reader, the love story of this book was made better by witnessing Nathaniel witnessing it. He could tell how they felt before either of the women could. Ultimately, Eliza and Anna could have a chance at love without hurting Nathaniel.

The lore of the story was built quite well! I would use the phrase "world building", but I don't think everything that entails was particularly successful. The political backstory was exciting, realistic, and easy to follow. The cultural effects of leaving Earth and long since finding a new home were evident and made sense. I also appreciated the cultural divides from space-dwellers, those in the settlement, and those in hiding. It had the right balance of transitioning from a singular culture to working at new ones for a while. The problem falls in making the current world clear to the reader: I had trouble imagining how large the planet was, what it might look like, the ratio of people between each aforementioned group, etc. This is unlike in Fire Becomes Her, which provided clear and vivid descriptions of its physical and social setting. Thor has certainly improved on world building in those 3 years!

Thor has also improved on pacing since. Tarnished Are The Stars felt completely rushed. Everything happens in a matter of weeks when months would have worked better. The story needed time to breathe whilst building tension. The Queen had suggested to Eliza that her mission on Earth Adjacent would take months. I do like things not going as expected for characters in a story, but if the cost is realism, I don't want it. There is even a moment when Eliza moves a deadline sooner, which felt unnecessary. I believe the pacing is what most of the negative critiques have to point out. Having read this after a later book of the same author, I know it won't turn me away from them. They have already improved and will continue to do so!

If you want good queer rep in a space/sci-fi novel, Tarnished Are The Stars is a worthy choice! It's not perfect, but it will likely make you feel validated or at least leave you attached to the characters. There are twists to leave you guessing and misunderstandings to draw you in. If you end up liking it, Fire Becomes Her will be there waiting for you after!

#rosiee thor #ace representation #aromantic representation #tarnished are the stars #space ya #scifi ya #ya books #queer books #queer author #nonbinary author #wlw #space politics #acearo #steampunk #fire becomes her #not a love triangle

[miles--and--smiles]

[Alex] held out his hand to her. "Now, if you want it, I am willing to put forward a one-time offer on a remedial hug."

With his arms open and the disarming smile on his face, Ingrid couldn't bring herself to refuse. Besides, she didn't want to. She stood and fell into his embrace.

"You're really confident about the power of your hugs," she said, her voice muffled against his frame. He wrapped his arms comfortably around her back, but they didn't travel the way Linden's always did. He held on, not too tight, not too loose. Steady.

- "Fire Becomes Her", Rosiee Thor

The honesty and genuineness of Alex is so refreshing. Here's a character who wants nothing more than just to comfort his friend. No hidden motives. It almost makes me want to cry.

#queer #bisexual #afab #men #queerplatonic #aromantic #asexual #fire becomes her #rosiee thor #low libido

[bookcoversonly]

Title: Fire Becomes Her | Author: Rosiee Thor | Publisher: Scholastic (2022)

#books #Fire Becomes Her #Rosiee Thor

[harbingersecho]

"zuzu, you didn't tell your friends about me? i'm hurt."

#avatar the last airbender #atla #prince zuko #fire lord zuko #princess azula #fire hazard siblings #fire siblings #*24 #art #mine #zuko #azula #bg of this is something like. zuko's doing a secret mission and azula's helping for her own reasons. the gaang shows up and its a thing #idk im not a fanfic writer i just draw and have ideas lol #in my head azula becomes a spymaster. idk if she'd work for the fire nation or if she'd be more independant but i love spymaster azula <3 #also i love fire nation reflective in the dark eyes. i imagine water tribe has a similar thing w/ the moon

[aroaessidhe]

Aro & ace Books: Historical & historical fantasy (1900s)

The Reckless Kind (set in 1904) - aroacespec MC

The Murder Next Door (set in 1912) - ace lesbian MC

The Diviners (set in 1926) - ace lesbian major character (later in series)

Fire Becomes Her (1920s insp fantasy) demidemi MC, ace 'love interest' (QPR)

Moonshine (1920s insp fantasy) - bi ace man major character

Foul Lady Fortune (set in 1931) - demisexual MC, aroace side character

The Spy With The Red Balloon (set in 1940s) - demisexual mlm MC

Innsmouth Legacy duology (Winter Tide) (set in 1948) - aroace coded / word-of-god MC

The Society For Soulless Girls (set in 1990s) - ace-spec wlw MC (questioning/vague about it) (90s is not quite the same vibe as the rest of these but I could not think of another one lol)

#aspec books / aspec database / tumblr masterpost

#aspec books #asexual books #the reckless kind #the murder next door #the diviners #fire becomes her #foul lady fortune #the spy with the red balloon #innsmouth legacy #the first two are historical realistic all the rest have fantasy elements

[itsajollyjester]

The amount of comfort Finnick and Annie must have had to bring each other over the years makes me weepy

#i love them so much #this blog could become about them if im not careful #I'm making a whole fic in my head rn set from her victory tour to the 71st games #the hunger games #digital art #thg series #artists on tumblr #clip studio paint #catching fire #mockingjay #fanart #digital artist #hunger games fanart #odesta #odesta fanart #finnick odair #annie cresta #jolly art

[nosieposie]

Housewarming party at Mion's first flat (⁠>⁠▽⁠<⁠)⁠ﾉ*⁠.⁠✧

#ひぐらしのなく頃に #higurashi when they cry #wtc #mion sonozaki #shion sonozaki #rika furude #rena ryuugu #keiichi maebara #satoko houjou #the club #it's done!!!! I never do perspective and especially not for inside scenes so this was new and challenging and fun!! #anyways again I haven't read up on canon but I want Mion to have a really nice little flat in okinomiya that becomes a nice hangout spot #i didn't get to draw it but she has shelves full of rare board games and they can cook together and teach keiichi not set a kitchen on fire #they all help her move in....maybe shion lives close by and they can do their shopping together....the club can have sleepovers... #yeah! just mion having nice things #my art #higurashi no naku koro ni

[cosmosnout]

Fuck it we ball, golden route were they all team up and rule over Fódlan together. Canon won’t let them be happy and alive together so I have to do it (+ soldier,poet,king reference since it’s literally them)

#dimitri and claude figure out that twsitd are behind all the bads things that have happened in their country and seek out eidie to kick ass #they propably dismantle the chruch or at least seperate the church from state while they’re at it lol #Hanneman cures edie of her crests so shes able to live a long life #or not idk i made two versions bc of that #together they open up fodlans boarders and start building relations with their neighboring countries #they form and alliens between their nations and become the high lords of fodlan #byleth is there #note to self: draw byleth next #yeah idk power of friendship or something #my mental health is relain to their well being #fuck edelgard and dimitri having to kill eachother #art #digital art #my art #fanart #digital illustration #fe3h #fire emblem 3 houses #fire emblem #fire emblem three houses #fe3h dimitri #dimitri alexandre blaiddyd #fe3h edelgard #edelgard von fresberg #fe3h claude #claude von reigan #fe3h au #fe3h golden route au

[bunthebreadboy]

“The eclipse is Zutara coded” WRONG. It’s Azutara coded. It’s the final Agni Kai. It’s Katara standing in front of Azula, freezing them in water right before Azula tries to lightning bend. It’s Katara being the only character in the series who completely subdues Azula. It’s Azula, who burns hot, who becomes exhausted with heavy breaths, who begins screaming with flames coming out of her mouth. And it’s Katara, who watches with a heavy expression and Zuko at her side.

#atla #katara #azula #azutara #kazula #is this ship related? not technically but i do like them with a good azula redemption arc #I like to think of Azula as the sun because she’s the Fire Nation golden child who burns so bright and angry that it becomes unbearable #now that i think about it..azula is gifted kid burnout #maybe that’s why i resonated with her as a kid #also i don’t like zutara #they have divorced and hate each other energy tbh #zuko #avatar the last airbender

[drinkinggblood]

This ivory leg is what propels me Harpoons thrust in the sky Aim directly for his crooked brow And look him straight in the eye

princess orca in my headcanons (shes albino idk i think it fits her more)

#wings of fire #wof #wingsoffire #seawing #wings of fire art #wof art #wofart #princess orca #orca #orca wof #wof orca #i love my idea of albino orca #idk i view her becoming a myth like moby dick in seawing historical lore #eventually way down the line #so #plus idk i like albino orca a lot