The concept for this was great. The world building in this was thrust upon you from the start, it was full and thick and rich in concept, I loved that. Unfortunately that was all I really loved, the story and feelings it gave me didn't scream the 'revenge plot' that I was hoping to get. It wasn't punchy, but it wasn't really a slow burn either. The romance didn't hit, I felt like it was just slotted in to fill the pages, I didn't believe it.

Set in the same universe as The Red Scholar's Wake, this book is a great example of de Bodard's worldbuilding skills. This book stands on its own as an adventure, but if you've already been to Xuya, it's full of extra little tidbits that add to her usual skilled writing. This was an adventure through space, an operatic exploration of that all too human question - is love or revenge more important? I won't give you the answer - Aliette de Bodard does too good a job of exploring it for me to spoil that for you!

This book was great, the world from the previous novels is very in depth, and the story was very engaging to read!

I have only read a few of de Bodard's Xuya Universe stories (they span novels, novellas and short stories plus a few hundred years), but have always been impressed by their accessible otherness. The Vietnamese extrapolated future societies have an easy to grasp elegance, even when they are being their most brutal +, and I also admired the easy Chutzpah of describing The Tea Master And The Detective as Holmes and Watson where Holmes is a spaceship - and being right.

A Fire Born Of Exile is another stand-alone book in this universe, and throws the reader into a whirlwind of courtly intrigue almost instantly, with a rebellious daughter involved in a disaster at a fayre, and a mysterious traveller slowly embroiling themselves into the ruling family. There is high passion here, a large part of its narrative engine is unexpected romance, particularly for one of our core embittered characters seeking revenge, and the largest part of the suspense here is if that revenge is compatible with romantic happiness. Along the way though de Boddard presents here usual cast of polite but despicable courtiers, sentient ships in various states of mental collapse and contrasts this with the loss of innocence and a weird kind of regaining.

A Fire Born Of Exile is an excellent bit of courtly romance as well as a big stonking space opera. The worldbuilding done previously by de Boddard means it all sits with a light touch here, everything makes sense in the universe she has created so she doesn't need to explain it away. She manages the trick of making the final chapters breathlessly exciting, and romantically moving, which is a pretty high bar of success.

I believe Khan Noonien Singh once said that revenge is a dish best served cold and that in space it is very cold indeed. Revenge in stories is a powerful force indeed. Seeking justice, getting your nemesis to fall and the question of does revenge actually bring satisfaction or destroy you in the process? From gangsters to Shakespeare it’s a rich theme of storytelling and in Aliette de Bodard’s sweeping and elegant tale A Fire Born of Exile we have a fascinating tale of intrigue, character development and internal battles with people being consumed by their baser desire for blood.

There was once a rebellion in the Scattered Pearls Belt far in space and the wider Empire did not seek a. compromise. There was repression and the justice system was one of many weapons used to ensure that control was maintained. In the centre of this was Prefect Duc – a judge who has a unique way to interrogate those with secrets and rarely would mercy be shown after she had completed her work. Duc is now very powerful in the Belt with a reputation that is feared and she now plans her next stage of gaining more power and wealth in her family including shaping her daughter’s Minh’s life in her image. But the space habitat they live on is soon visited by the enigmatic Quynh the self titled Alchemist of Streams and Hills – someone from the Imperial Court, a skilled poet and looking perhaps to gain a little more prestige for their own career. But Quynh is actually hiding her own secrets and a long planned act of revenge is now underway. A simple technologist (mechanic) named Hoa finds herself crossing into these three character’s lives initially to attempt to fix the Duc’s family Mindship but finding out that many dangerous traps are being set and secrets are finally about to be revealed that cohld re-shape the Belt at long last.

This is a really interesting piece eof character-focused space opera that continues to explore de Bodard’s Xuya universe which imagines a future universe inspired by Vietnamese and Chinese culture. Where planets are administered by a vast space bureaucracy and families contain powerful mindships that can present themselves as human-like avatars. In this instalment we get to explore the darker side of the universe a reminder that this is an Empire and there is a strong theme of control and punishment if the Empire feels in any way threatened. In this tale the past haunts all the core characters in interesting ways. Hoa saw her eldest sister cruelly killed by an angry mob during the last uprising. Duc knows their past needs to stay hidden and this makes her a very dangerous opponent and in the centre is Qunyh.

From the opening scenes Qunyh appears to be smart, dangerous and initially just ambitious but as we soon find out she is not quite who she seems. With her angry confidant the strong and angry mindship Guts of the Sea at her side this is very much an infiltration into a significant part of the Empire and a very precise game against Duc and her family is underway. But the moral dilemma is how far can you go with revenge? In this story de Bodard explores Qunyh’s tragic backstory; we admire the web around Duc that is being craftily built and yet Duc is a character we know won’t go without a fight. They’re smart, sharp and can go on the attack in a moment’s notice even to her own family. As Qunyh explored the belt we find a number of competing schemes are underway to cement Duc’s power and privilege and we soon see how far people go to protect that status. As such to achieve the goal Qunyh is pushing themselves to their limits – the trauma of the past left a physical toll and there is a good chance to win Qunyh will sacrifice themselves and their own sense of honour.

Between Qunyh and Duc are the initially deceptively simple Minh and Hoa – Minh just seems a young woman who is testing the boundaries of her mother Duc but knows she can’t escape. Hoa soon enters a relationship with Qunyh and at the same time works for Minh and her friends. I really liked how we slowly delve past their external quietness and revealed quite complex and driven characters. For Minh it’s about what she really wants and escaping a parent’s shadow and Hoa perhaps of all the one person who can see who Quynh really is.

The character work here across the board is subtle. What characters wear; their bots that perform simple functions and the power of touch or a glance are displayed to give scenes a sense of intimacy and character development that I found really powerful. There is less space battle and more battles for people’s soul and love.

A Fire Born of Exile I found a rich and powerful tale of people trapped in their own schemes and trying to stay at the same time the people they want to be. No Empires will be overthrown but these characters their universes will all change markedly in this story. It’s extremely well told and highly recommended!

My thanks to Netgalley for a free copy of "A Fire Born of Exile" by Aliette de Bodard.
I was excited for this space opera and I was hoping it will motivate me to explore further into the SF genre.
But there is one theme I dislike in my reading. That is the use virtual reality.
This is just a personal preference and it will not discurage me of trying the author's Fantasy works, but I arrived to the vonclusion that her SF works are not for me, as this is the second atempt.

You do not have to have read De Bodard's previous work to get swept away into this beautiful story. The weaving throughout this one was impeccable and it kept me on my toes, I was desperate to know what happened and next and I really struggled to put this one down.

Absolutely brilliant, beautiful, sweeping, romantic novel. I will eat up everything Aliette de Bodard writes with a spoon - what a fantastic author.

A Fire Born of Exile contains some beautiful prose, but at times felt a bit slow for me. Whilst I was completely absorbed in the world de Bodard has built, and enjoyed my time reading it, I didn't always feel inclined to pick the book up again - especially during the first half. The third quarter of this book is certainly strongest, and where I felt the most invested in the characters and plot. The Xuya universe remains endlessly intriguing, but I this wasn't my favourite installment so far.
3.5 rounded up to 4

I'm never disappointed by Aliette De Bodard: it can be the Xuya world or the world of the Fallen I'm always happy to read these stories
This is another great story that mixes a romantic side with topics like revenge, the sense of being, and forgivness.
It's a compelling and well plotted story, the characters are fleshed out and intriguing.
She's a great storyteller and the story never drages and always keeps your attention.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I enjoyed this book, and as someone who had not read anything in the universe before, found myself quite at home with this standalone (though definitely eager to explore the rest now). The plot, characters and world-building was fun, and the sci-fi universe had a lot to offer (both in terms of unique elements and the old familiar favourites).

That being said, it took me some time to familiarise myself with the society and constructs in which the story was based (probably as someone who hadn't read one of the other books), which did mean that it was a little hard to get into at first. The plot kept me intrigued, however (ignoring, of course, the insta-love element that I was (and still am) a little dubious of...)

Overall, well-written, fun, and offering something different, yet familiar and accessible enough for fans of sci-fi, fantasy and/or adventure.

Minh is the daughter of the local Prefect, a harsh judge to both the population and her own child. Her path is about to cross that of the mysterious Quỳnh, a visiting scholar who is causing quite a stir in this backwater of the galactic Empire. Quỳnh has a covert agenda, but her plans did not include local mechanic, Hoà, who has been drafted in to help fix the Mindship that is part of Minh’s family. Oh, the tangled webs that are about to be woven!

It’s hard to believe this is such a short book, as the word building and the layers of backstories and interwoven relationships make it feel so much bigger. It helps that the Xuya universe is well-established, but I don’t feel that you need to have read any of the other stories (they are all stand-alones) before this. The one element that is most ‘out there’, perhaps, is that of the Mindships: sentient ships that are birthed by humans (urm… okay?) and are as much part of the family, holding as much status, as anyone.

The story is a mixture of revenge and romance, all played out against politics and power struggles. Again, the layers of this are just so good, and a lot of ‘grey’ rather than simply good and bad. Although plenty of that, too! It’s just… delicious, all of it!

I absolutely loved everything here. The mysteries of both plot and character, the need to find out what’s going to happen. And the richness of the surroundings – ooh, so good! There’s enough tech to feel very sci-fi and utterly intriguing, but it’s never overwhelming or confusing (apart, perhaps, for that mindship birthing… hmm!).

Thoroughly recommended. It lives up to and exceeds the “Sapphic Count of Monte Christo in space” tags, and is just an excellent bit of world building and story telling. I need to read much, much more of the Xuya Universe, I really do!

A Fire Born of Exile is the second full-length novel set in this author's Xuya universe that I've read - heavily influenced by Vietnamese culture with a lot of other things going on alongside that in terms of world-building which make it perhaps not the most accessible read for someone coming in cold.

This one was being blurbed with Nirvana in Fire as one of its comparisons and that both piqued my interest but also possibly set it up for inevitable difficulties in terms of comparison as that's a) one of my favourite c-drama shows ever and b) a show where I'm currently reading the novel its based on. The basic premise, if you don't know that show, is about someone coming back from a traumatic experience dramatically changed and taking advantage of that (even though it's also accompanied by relative physical weakness) to adopt a new identity and wreak revenge on the people who caused that to happen.

Three stars feels a bit mean, to be honest, because it's not a bad book and there's plenty about it to like. For me, though, our protagonist's pretty-much-immediate romantic relationship with the little sister of someone she had known before just didn't quite work - I found her love interest pretty two-dimensional - and wasn't sold on the whole thing.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.

A FIRE BORN OF EXILE is the tale of three women facing injustices and having to decide what path they'll take when family and revenge are on the line.

There are three narrators, Quynh, Hoa, and Minh. The latter two are caught up in the first's desire for revenge, and I liked seeing all the sides of the issue, the characters trying to find their way. Minh's journey through emotional abuse from her parents was really compelling and I spent a lot of time cheering her on as she began to stand up to them.

Having three narrators really helped with pacing, able to cut back and forth between their different parts of the story to control information or add tension. Plus it meant we could see events from different sides, particularly as the book drew on and relationships started forming between them, which could then be tested.

While this book is set in the world of THE RED SCHOLAR'S WAKE, it reads as a standalone. As it's been about a year since I read that book, I went into this one pretty plot blind, so I'm not sure if there are references to that book or not. Either way, it hasn't spoilt my enjoyment.

However, I did find it much faster to situate myself into the world and its technology this time around because I had some familiarity. That was really nice, like a long forgotten friend that just clicks when you meet back up.

Revenge and romance, set in the ever enthralling Xuya universe - Aliette de Bodard once again delivers a book that captivated me from the start. The characters and world building are as complex as the bots and mindships that inhabit this universe, with plot threads that weave a web of relationships leading to alliances, betrayals and in some cases, love. Truly one of the most immersive series in sci-fi.

THE SAPPHIC NIRVANA IN FIRE FIX-IT NOVEL OF MY HEART! I welcome you into this universe with tears of joy.
I am such a big fan of the Xuya universe, because de Bodard keeps on expanding it and filling it with things that seem selected to please me personally: rich Asian cultural background, stabby and plotty sapphics, familial relationships with AI, did I mention stappy and plotty sapphics? Seems worth mentioning again, because it's such a good point.

This book also has such a good reread quality, I can't wait to dig into it again and more thoughtfully. And possibly reread other Xuya novels/stories. For those wondering about the learning curve of the universe if this is the first book of de Bodard's: there will be things that wash over your head originally, but all the right pieces fall into place when you need to make sense of what's going on, I promise. And it will be beautiful.

A million thanks to Netgalley, Gollanz & Orion publishing for an ARC of #AFireBornofExile. Loved every minute of it!

Aliette De Bodard's Xuya universe is packed full of amazing stories of mind ships, space pirates and revolutionaries. A Fire Born of Exile, the latest installment, brings another phenomenal sapphic story of vengeance and conspiracy.
This book features Aliette De Bodard's familiar evocative writing, be prepared for mouth-watering descriptions of food and mind-blowing descriptions of the world these characters inhabit. I particularly love the way Aliette De Bodard creates environments and the way in which those are used to shape and inform the character. The descriptive writing in this book was truly phenomenal - particularly the scarier portions of the book.
I loved the characters we met in this story, it was very interesting to see both sides of society in Minh and Hoà and also to have the perspective of the person who changes their lives in Quynh. In addition, I always love exploring the aspects of this world to do with mind-ships, though I feel I've barely scratched the surface in terms of how society functions in this world.
Overall. the reading experience for this book was hugely enjoyable. I definitely felt as though it took me a moment to get my bearings (I suspect this may be because I have yet to read all of the other Xuya Universe books?) but by about a third of the way in I was grounded enough in the story and the characters that I could read without feeling like I was missing something.
I've always loved Aliette De Bodard's fantasy and this book has cemented for me that I also love her Science Fiction. There's a reason that she keeps winning awards and I'm so excited to read whatever comes next - honestly, I'd read a shopping list.
I received a free digital review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley - all opinions are my own.

So, I’ll start by saying that I agree with all the other reviews which rightfully praise this book. It does a lot of things really well.
The characterisation I felt was really well done with lots of really interesting, fleshed out characters. I think the plot was paced well too.

That said, I did really struggle to get into it. That might just be because I haven’t read others in the Xuya universe and maybe that would have made some of the world building clearer for me. At times I definitely felt a bit lost.

Overall though, a good book.

The more I read about the Xuya universe, the more I love it. Aliette de Bodard’s world building and the characters that inhabit that world are simply amazing.
Quynh was convicted of a crime that she didn’t really commit and was sentenced to death. But she didn’t die and years later, she arrives in the Scattered Pearls Belt seeking revenge on those who cost her everything. Minh is the daughter of the Belt’s Prefect who rules harshly and Minh is desperate to try and control her own future. And then there is Hoa, a lowly technician repairing bots whose sister is possibly dying of a mystery illness. All three women become connected and tangled up in Quynh’s plans which definitely didn’t involve any romance.
I loved all three of the main characters as well as the young mind ship, Heart’s Sorrow. I really liked that that he was trying to find his own way and not be the person his mothers and everyone else expected him to be.
The romance is a strong thread that runs through the book but it never over-powers the plot. It’s never completely certain if the romance will work out either which adds an extra layer to the story. Family ties are huge part of this society and I really enjoyed how the dynamics played out between the individual family members
I love a good political intrigue and this book delivers that brilliantly. We are given enough of the backstory to make sense of what is happening but there is never any sense of the author giving us an info dump. The author’s vision of the technological achievements in the future is detailed and makes perfect sense within this society that she has created. I am fascinated by the idea of the mind ships and we learn a lot more about them in this book including the fact that they have human mothers!! I think that the young ship, Moon, was possibly my favourite character in the whole book. She was adorable
This is set in the same universe as The Red Scholar’s Wake but is a completely separate tale. However, having read the earlier book did give me a sense of familiarity with the society and how it worked which I think helped my enjoyment of this one.
This was a brilliant space opera and I can’t wait to read more set in this universe. Huge thanks to Net Galley and the publishers, Orion, for providing this ARC.

A Fire Born of Exile by Aliette de Bodard

Thank you Netgalley and Orion Books for an arc for an unbiased review.

Although a huge fan of The Red Scholar's Wake from last year, I always try to go into a new book by the same author with as little bias as possible. Yet, within minutes of starting A Fire is Born of Exile, I just knew I was heading down a rabbit hole of absolute joy. Again. 

This story, much like it's predecessor, is a Xuya, Vietnamese universe sci-fi setting. Very much space opera, at it's best. 

The opening is explosive. Literally and metaphorically. The main characters of Minh, Hoà, and Quynh, are immediately introduced. 

We quickly begin to understand that Quynh has ulterior motives. As an alchemist, Quynh is enigmatic and confident, and also the character that, because of ulterior motives, you could readily dislike. Yet, there is sympathy & understanding as to what drives them. 

Minh could also fall into easily disliking them, but again, you feel the sympathy and understanding for their plight. 

Hoà is a balance I thought that allowed it all to gel. And I was surprised to find probably my favourite character out of them all. 

However, even the side characters serve an important purpose. A feat not always achieved by some writers. 

We have a mystery, wrapped up in an slow burn, complicated romance, with political intrigue meshed together that drives the story forward extremely well. 

What I loved previously about The Red Scholar's Wake was how it was presented to us, the reader, and it doesn't disappoint here. The details were rich with fantastic world building. It had many elements that I love in books such as these, and you also don't need to have read The Red Scholar's Wake to immerse yourself into this story. Although, I'd highly recommend you read both. 

For anyone who wants to be transported into a wonderous world, for escapism, to see good triumph over evil. For friendships and for joy. And ultimately for love, all with a delightfully queer backdrop in a space opera sci-fi setting with a twist, this book is most definitely for you. 

Another easy 5/5 stars 🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟