A Consuming Fire

Starred review from September 26, 2022
A grief-stricken teen seeks vengeance against a god for her sibling’s unjust death in this fury-laced tale of sacrifice and defiance by Weymouth (A Rush of Wings), set in an alternate historical Britain. Every 18 years, the landlocked forest town of Weatherell must select one teen girl to offer some aspect of themselves, such as their hands or their memory, to appease the mountain god who watches over the island of Albion. But when Anya’s twin, Ilva, is chosen, and the god denounces her as unworthy, she returns home seemingly unharmed, only to mysteriously die in Anya’s arms. After Anya promises her village that she will go as a replacement, she secretly vows to slay the god. Accompanied by a capricious shape-shifting thief, Anya makes the arduous journey across Albion, realizing that her isolated upbringing hasn’t prepared her for the complexity of the larger world, or the true nature behind the god’s bargain. Anya’s righteous anger is palpable, and her evolution from sheltered small-town girl to determined god killer is exquisitely rendered. Utilizing lyrical language, memorable characters, and a romantic undertone, Weymouth crafts a meditative fantasy worth savoring. Characters cue as white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Lauren Spieller, Triada US.

October 1, 2022
Kill or be killed. Romans were driven from Britain, now called Albion, by the rise of a fierce and fiery god. To sate him, young women are sent up his mountain as living sacrifices and returned after the god takes his due--hands, eyes, memory. When willing sacrifice Ilva is instead rejected and killed by the god, her twin, Anya, puts herself forward as a replacement. She actually plans to kill the god. Vivid writing, a righteous cause, and a cast of interesting side characters--corrupt religious figures, nomadic rebels, a boy with mysterious gifts--make for an engrossing journey. Anya draws strength from Ilva's ghost, which appears to her, and her own conviction that the god is wrong. In her willingness to break rules (including physical intimacy with the aforementioned boy), she discovers truths that further her determination. A small pendant with Christian imagery plays a small but vital role; the god's holy book, the Cataclysm, has passages with a biblical feel; and the wicked god looks not unlike conventional representations of the devil. But at the same time, this is a tale of female empowerment for Anya and all the women she represents as she fights against the god's demands, making for unclear deeper metaphoric and thematic meaning; fortunately, the surface-level historical fantasy makes for a satisfying read apart from the deeper messages. Albion is depicted with some racial and sexual diversity; the twins are White. Absorbing. (Historical fantasy. 13-18)

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December 1, 2022

Gr 9 Up-Weatherell girls are trained from birth to be dutiful and righteous, willing to offer themselves as living sacrifices to the terrible god on the mountain. Every 18 years, a girl leaves the secluded town and travels across Albion to give a piece of her body or mind to the god, lulling him to sleep and returning home a hero. When Anya's twin, Ilva, travels north, the god takes her life and marks her as unworthy. Anya's grief fuels rage and a thirst for vengeance. She volunteers as a replacement sacrifice, but her true purpose is to kill the god. Lyrical prose and gruesome circumstances create the hypnotic atmosphere of a fairy tale. Gradual revelations create an engaging air of mystery, as do the discoveries of how this world intersects with history. Five centuries prior, Albion was the Roman province of Britain. When the god on the mountain arose, the Romans left, taking their religion with them. Characters do not seem to know about Christianity; pieces of that religion left behind by the Romans play integral roles in the plot. While it is never made explicit within the novel, passages from the holy book used to justify the sacrificial system are actually quotes from the Bible. Rich in themes of gender, religion, and the politics of power, this novel is ultimately the story of a girl who refuses to accept the role thrust upon her and fights to improve her world for the vulnerable. VERDICT A heady and evocative tale that will appeal to readers of Leigh Bardugo and Holly Black, recommended for general purchase.-Elizabeth Lovsin

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