Great storytelling and well done plotting and character development. Intriguing and gripping, loved this story
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

So in a world sort of similar to our own but set way in the past, there is a place called Bern (think North England/Scotland) where Kirby and her brother Balain live and one day he finds a sword. He decides this is the way to put an edn to a curse that is plaguing their village, rendeing the inhabitants infertile and any children conceived tend not to survive. So for a few years he plans to go on an epic quest, then decides actually that was a kid's idea and gets married and plans his future. Only his sister didn't think that was the case and basically goes off and one and wishes him harm - which then befalls him! She feels terrible about it and decides to head off on her own to find a stolen god and break the curse.

Across the world in somewhere India inspired, Aleya is the bastard offspring of a dead monarch. Loads of people hate her even though she's really good at fighting and can do magic. So in order to choose their next leader the youngsters have to go on "a calling" I'm still not sure what hers was but it involved a lot of travelling across the globe.

Nylophon is the head of a gang of soldiers - they were on a boat to do something but they went the wrong way so they decided to attack a boat full of people instead. Well it turns out he's a bit of a loser, he took the glory for somebody else a while ago which is why he ended up in charge and his men all thinks he's a bit useless. One of them challenges him and he chops his thumb off which alongside starvation kills him. He is a fanatic about the lifestyle from Carthe where he hail from - nothing can be done not in the pursuit of forwarding the city. No fun, no booze, no rich food etc. What a laugh he is.

The two women end up meeting and deciding to trek around together. Nylophon decides to follow them around because he's a massive creeper. Despite facing things that should have killed him a few times he is still there hanging around.

They all end up in a weird city that was sealed by somebody magic. Kirby manages to grab the God statue she was looking for. Aleya goes home and everybody loves her.

The epilogue is them both getting old.

Believe it or not I did enjoy a lot of this book! BUT, there was a lot of dragged out marching sequences, starvation problems etc that do not a fantasy romp make I'm afraid. The relationship between Kirby and Aleya was well carried out - but I'm still unsure why Nylophon was even a character in this book, what purpose was he supposed to serve?! Anyway, I felt like it was the beginning of a much bigger story but then nothing ever materialised and the epilogue killed off any hope of a sequel,

unfortunately, i really struggled to read this book. i was so excited for it, but felt let down by the slow pacing and my difficulty with connecting to the characters. it was very slow and boring, to the point where i struggled to pick it up again. the characters themselves weren't interesting and i didn't care what happened to them.

I don't think I've read a fantasy written like this before, even though the author used familiar tropes like old forgotten Gods, an epic quest, and two people who find themselves thrown together on it and have to deal with their differences. The ending is absolutely devastating.

I really enjoy Grace Curtis's cosy sci-fi books which made me want to pick this up but I definitely feel like this book gives off a very different vibe from her previous books. That said this was still great! The way that its written took a bit to get used to and it had more action and adventure that Grace Curtis's other books but overall this was an interesting and good fantasy book.

This was very different from Grace’s other books. I kinda missed their whole space thing. But it is one for people who love reading tales of adventures, of the journey, and people you make yours during that.
I liked the world that Grace has created and the divide in it.

This is a story about two young women very unhappy with their current lives and deciding to go looking for something else to make everything better. Kirby and Aleya are from very different stations in life, but when they are thrown together in an encounter full of action and trauma, they end up forming a fast friendship as they endure lots of hardship and some danger during their joint quest.

This was an ambitious book. After all, anyone who decides to write a character who regularly breaks the Fourth Wall by using second-person POV (you) isn’t aiming to write a generic crowd-pleaser. While I found Kirby’s name jarring as it sounded far too modern for this alternate world which is still adjusting to the fall of the Nivelan empire, both main characters are written with sensitivity and depth. I thoroughly enjoyed their deepening friendship that eventually turns into a love affair and could absolutely believe in it.

Curtis writes well – her characters are nuanced with strengths and weaknesses and despite at times being stubborn to the point of being plain annoying, I never stopped wanting Aleya and Kirby to prevail. Though this book is touted as being a sapphic road quest, there is another character, who starts off being thoroughly unpleasant. But ends up accompanying the two women on their journey and is very much altered by the experience – though there isn’t anything remotely cosy about this transformation. Curtis writes with a gritty edge that keeps her stories unpredictable. Often the surprises that come our way keep the plot fresh and intriguing – but they aren’t always wholly successful.

I got the sense that Curtis had one ending planned and then added the final scene because she’d become so invested in her characters, she wanted that additional opportunity for them. Not only did I think it was unnecessary – I felt it blunted the impact of the previous Epilogue, which I’d really enjoyed. Nonetheless, Curtis is an adventurous, capable author who provides something different and if you enjoy reading something that generally falls slightly outside the usual SFF fare, then give her a go. The ebook arc copy of Idolfire was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest opinion of the book.
8/10

this was my third early copy of one of Curtis' books, and possibly my favourite of them all! I loved the characters, and the world felt so well built. Cannot wait to see what else Curtis writes!

Grace Curtis’s soft, character-driven sci-fi novels ‘Floating Hotel’ and ‘Frontier’ quickly propelled Grace to the status of an auto-preorder author for me so I was so excited to see that her third novel would bring a fantasy novel inspired by Ancient Rome. Her writing style lends so perfectly to slow, journey-led, rambling fantasy that I feel like I don’t come across much anymore. I got exactly that and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

One curse. Two destinies. A thousand stolen gods.

Two women embark on an epic journey in this sapphic fantasy with a slow-burn romance inspired by the fall of Rome, from the author of the Frontier and Floating Hotel.

ON ONE SIDE OF THE WORLD, Aleya Ana-Ulai is desperate for a chance. Her family have written her off as a mistake, but she's determined to prove every last one of them wrong.

ON THE OTHER, Kirby of Wall's End is searching for redemption. An ancient curse tore her life apart, but to fix it, she'll have to leave everything behind.

Fate sets them both on the path to Nivela, a city once poised to conquer the world with the power of a thousand stolen gods. Now the gates are closed and the old magic slumbers. Dead - or waiting for a spark to light it anew . . .

‘Idolfire’ is a slower read and I have seen some reviews saying that there was too much travelling and journeying in the novel, but that’s where the adventures and the near misses are, where characters are built and friendships formed, and a world is born.


We travel through so many cities and landscapes in this novel that the country and it’s history rises around us in reverse as we track it’s Roman Empire-like downfall. It’s so rich in detail and depth and I fell in love with Aleya and Kirby very quickly; it felt inevitable. Watching them slowly fall for each other too? Perfection.

‘Idolfire’ is a slow and meandering character study that builds a world and weaves a mythology as they go and I always can’t wait to see what Grace Curtis writes next.

Written by Sophie

I've heard nothing but great things about Grace Curtis as an author and the premise of 'Idolfire' sounded brilliant, it just didn't work for me right now. DNF at 38%

A superb fantasy action adventure, set in a magical world, that will have you on the edge of the seat right from page one. A must read that is highly recommended.

Review - Idolfire by Grace Curtis

I am going to need a special signed edition of this book STAT.

My review of this is LATE as this book is already out and you all know my March sort of fell apart but let me tell you it it WORTH THE WAIT.

This epic fantasy totally exceeded my expectations. If you enjoy quests and travelling through new landscapes in your fantasy, this one is for you.

I don't know much about the fall of Rome so am absolutely certain there are 282728 references I missed, but the vastness of the history of the world is an awe-striking thought.

Read if you like:
❤️sapphic romance
🩷slow burn
🧡epic fantasy
💛magical artefacts
💚commentary on whose history actually belongs to who
💙magic based around Gods and worship
🩵a rich landscape
💜an emotional narrative
🤎direct narrative connection with the reader
🖤loveable characters
🩶an underdog story
🤍huge character growth

Thanks so much to @hachetteuk and @netgalley for this amazing read.

#fantasybooks #fantasyreader #lovebooks #sapphicromance

As a reader who wants to get back into reading some more fantasy novels again, Idolfire seemed like a good choice - a sapphic road-trip, taking inspiration from the fall of Rome.
It’s a story which heavily focuses on the journey, more-so that the destination. The Sapphic romance between the two main characters is slow-burning too.
I think I would have liked this story even more if it had been told from the two female main characters’ perspectives. I felt a bit disconnected from them, which felt strange considering the book is so focused on them.
The fantasy world is built up, and described, strongly. If it wasn’t for this, along with the Queer romance and gory fight-scenes, I feel as though my rating for the story overall would have been lower. The ending was really beautifully written too, quite philosophical in nature.

Thank you to the publisher/Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I got caught up in this book so quickly. No sooner had I started than I was whisked away to Ash and Walls’s End and fully absorbed in the characters struggles. Both Kirby and Aleya’s voices were easy to get used to.

Nylophon was easy to hate at the start, but I enjoyed watching his journey over the course of the book. Though I don’t think I ever particularly liked him, he was a really good example of how a character can grow and change.

I loved the way the magic worked and the use of idols. It was really interesting the way they used the power of worship. And the way they used it in that ending was phenomenal.

Just a really great book.

It´s hard to give a score to this story because, although I didn´t find it bad in terms of narration, it was so terribly boring.
Boring to the point it pretty quickly became a chore to read it and, around 60% in, I ended up doing a speedrun till the end.

Guess what. It wasn´t worth it.

I´m still unsure if I´m biased because of reader´s block or if this truly doesn´t work as a book. But here are my problems:

The story begins who two very different characters. Kirby (who lives in a cursed village where people cannot have children) and Aleya (a princess who struggles to get her right to win the throne). They both decide to travel to a city called Nivela, because they thing they´ll find what they need.

I saw reviews saying the beginning of this story was good but I... am not so sure. The pacing felt odd for me since the start, with those abrupt jumps in time. Then, the trip begins: This book has 480 pages and the protagonist don´t meet until way past page 100. And all the while, both when they´re alone and when they finally decide to travel together, the plot is reduced to go from one place to another.
Yes, some stuff happens. People is met.
But they are all seconday characters who we won´t see again. And also the things that happen feel like mere anecdotes that don´t do much for the main mission to get to Nivela. I was very boring.

The best of the book were the descriptions of certain places. But in regards of characters, I didn´t like anyone in particular. Couldn´t even connect with Nylo, who seemed like a cartoonish villain who I never understood why was in command or why the hell was his army trying to go after the protagonists.

Now, as for the sapphic romance... I saw barely anything in this 65% of book read. A couple of dialogues with a bit of pinning, and that was pretty much it. I know this book has no HEA, but that Kirby and Aleya get together briefly (that might be, I just didn´t care enough to see how they got there).

Maybe you´ll enjoy this book if you´re interested in something snail paced, where the focus is more on what´s around than in characters or plot. For me, this just felt as if you show me a ton of bricks while you tell me you´re going to build something amazing with it, but then, ultimately, you just leave the bricks there and decide I should just admire it this way. Without any construction.

An absolute treat!

Idolfire is clearly a labour of love. I adored her sci-fi books as they were more cozy vibes than actual action (which I love from time to time) but Idolfire has confirmed that Grace should write more fantasy. The world-building was amazing, the signature cosy style but throw in a sapphic romance and an unlikely but 100% needed male Solider and you have an incredible and engaging read.

More please!

This was a fun, quest style fantasy inspired by Roman history apparently? I know literally nothing about the Romans, so can't comment on that. What I can say is that l loved the characters, Kirby and Aleya were well rounded and likable, and Nylo (eventually) grew on me after appearing somewhat late in the story.
I enjoyed the variety of lands they visited, each with their own mythology and creatures/perils. As the characters themselves didn't seem to know too much about the world or it's history, neither did we. I feel we could have benefited from a little bit more explicitness about what had gone wrong with the world though. The underwater scenes will stay in my memory for a while, what a concept. Equally eerie and magical.
The journey was definitely more satisfying than the ending imo, but maybe that was the point.

Thanks to Netgalley and Houder and Stoughten for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 Stars

This was such an incredible book! It took me a couple of chapters to get into it with the different POVs but then I couldn’t put it down! It had everything you could want from an epic fantasy: strong, complex characters, amazing world building and a quest getting everyone together!

Kirby, Aleya and Nylophon were all such interesting characters and I loved following them on their quest and through different countries and cultures.
The world building was rich, new and interesting. I really enjoyed the way faith and magic were intertwined and how we discovered everything alongside our main characters.

I would absolutely recommend this book and will definitely be picking up Grace Curtis’s other books. If you’re a fan of epic fantasy and enjoyed books like Godkiller by Hannah Kaner or Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard, please do yourself a favour and pick up this book!

Two women, two quests, one destination (and one soldier with a grudge)
Kirby leaves her dying village, she's on a quest to retrieve their stolen goddess in the hope it will lift the curse that is causing illness and infertility. Meanwhile Aleya must complete a challenge given to her to gain her place as part of the ruling family of her city.
They meet on the way, having both been captured by a weird cult, and realise that they are both heading to the same place- the city of Nivela. Along the way they meet Nylophon, a young commander of a warrior people with extremely misogynistic views. He develops a grudge and dogs their steps for many miles.
Along the way, they travel through many lands, meeting a variety of cultures that feel like ancient Mediterranean civilizations. In some places they receive help, in others they face danger. And, Aleya and Kirby's partnership, which starts out of necessity, develops into something more.

I really enjoyed the setting and the mix of different cultures. And I generally enjoy journey stories, so this appealed to me immediately. But although I liked the story, I didn't feel especially gripped or emotionally invested in it. It is quite long and, I think, maybe it would work better split into a duology. Everything felt a bit too convenient (yes, possibly explained later but if so, a bit more foreshadowing would have been nice) and some of magic/myth surrounding everything was occasionally unclear. Kirby and Aleya are perfectly fine protagonists, but I didn't feel that their characters developed much and their relationship didn't move me. The best character in the end was Nylophon, who got a more satisfying character arc. I think with a bit more time, some of the flatter aspects could have been fleshed out.

Anyway, despite a few criticisms, I did like the story and look forward to reading more from Grace Curtis.

Grace Curtis’s Idolfire is an epic, character-driven science-fantasy that blends the grandeur of a fallen empire with the intimacy of a sapphic slow-burn romance. Inspired by the fall of Rome and infused with the power of stolen gods, this novel is a sweeping tale of redemption, ambition, and the enduring spark of hope.

The story follows two compelling protagonists: Aleya Ana-Ulai, a young woman desperate to prove her worth to a family that sees her as a mistake, and Kirby of Wall’s End, a warrior seeking redemption from an ancient curse that shattered her life. Their paths converge on a journey to Nivela, a once-mighty city that harnessed the power of a thousand stolen gods to dominate the world. Now, Nivela’s gates are closed, its magic dormant—but not forgotten. As Aleya and Kirby navigate a landscape steeped in history and danger, they must confront their own pasts and the possibility of reigniting a power that could change everything.

Curtis’s world-building is breath-taking, blending the vastness of history with the immediacy of a road-trip adventure. The novel’s exploration of organized faith and its terrifying power adds depth and complexity to the narrative, while the sword fights and action sequences keep the pacing dynamic and engaging. At its heart, however, Idolfire is a story about its characters. Aleya’s determination and Kirby’s quest for redemption make them relatable and compelling, and their evolving relationship—marked by tension, trust, and a slow-burning romance—is beautifully rendered.

The sapphic romance is a highlight of the book, offering a tender counterpoint to the high-stakes adventure. Curtis’s prose is lyrical and evocative, capturing both the grandeur of the world and the intimate emotions of her characters. The themes of resilience, self-discovery, and the power of connection resonate deeply, making Idolfire a story that lingers long after the final page.

A captivating read perfect for fans of Tamsyn Muir or Samantha Shannon and anything sapphic.