I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
This does not affect in any way my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
Series: Girls of Paper and Fire #1
Published by Hodder & Stoughton on November 6, 2018
Genres: Fantasy
Source: NetGalley
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Each year, eight beautiful girls are chosen as Paper Girls to serve the king. It's the highest honor they could hope for . . . and the most cruel. But this year, there's a ninth girl. And instead of paper, she's made of fire.
In this lush fantasy, Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most oppressed class in Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her father, where the decade-old trauma of watching her mother snatched by royal guards still haunts her. Now, the guards are back, and this time it's Lei they're after—the girl whose golden eyes have piqued the king's interest.
Over weeks of training in the opulent but stifling palace, Lei and eight other girls learn the skills and charm that befit being a king's consort. But Lei isn't content to watch her fate consume her. Instead, she does the unthinkable—she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens the very foundation of Ikhara, and Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide just how far she's willing to go for justice and revenge.

First book in a Trilogy, Girls of Paper and Fire instantly grabbed my attention and then, when the book was in my hands, I quickly found out it surpassed my expectations . . . Hands up who loves when that happens?

Inspired by Ngan’s experiences growing up in Malaysia, and her longing to create a story that would let readers lose themselves into a magical world actually reflecting some of their realities, this is a fascinating fantasy about friendship, love, and acceptance. But it is also full of cruelty and injustice, which makes the whole story brutally intriguing and it really lights up the desire in you to fight for/with the Paper Girls. They are trained to be the concubines of the Demon King, whether they signed-up for it or not, they must please the King. But what happens when two of the girls fall for each other? Is their forbidden love going to lead them to destruction even if they find some sort of salvation in it? The world-building is executed with precision, and the writing flows so well with such beautiful descriptions that it seems like you are seeing everything with your own eyes, not just your mind. To me, that is real magic.

Original, strong, and darkly enchanting, this Asian-inspired fantasy book is the beginning of a gripping journey I’m eager to continue. If you haven’t already, I’d recommend you to start it now!

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