Girls of Paper and Fire
The mesmerising New York Times bestseller!
Each year, eight beautiful girls are chosen as Paper Girls to serve the king. It’s the highest honour they could hope for . . . and the most demeaning. This year, there’s a ninth.
And instead of paper, she’s made of fire.
‘A timely reminder that, in the right hands, the fantasy genre has things to say about injustice and abuse of power in the real world’ Guardian
Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most persecuted class of people in Ikhara. Ten years ago, her mother was snatched by the royal guards, and her fate remains unknown. Now, the guards are back and this time it’s Lei they’re after – the girl with the golden eyes, whose rumoured beauty has piqued the king’s interest.
Over weeks of training in the opulent but oppressive palace, Lei and eight other girls learn the skills and charm that befit a king’s consort. There, Lei does the unthinkable – she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens her world’s entire way of life. Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide how far she’s willing to go for justice and revenge.
(P) 2018 Hachette Audio
Each year, eight beautiful girls are chosen as Paper Girls to serve the king. It’s the highest honour they could hope for . . . and the most demeaning. This year, there’s a ninth.
And instead of paper, she’s made of fire.
‘A timely reminder that, in the right hands, the fantasy genre has things to say about injustice and abuse of power in the real world’ Guardian
Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most persecuted class of people in Ikhara. Ten years ago, her mother was snatched by the royal guards, and her fate remains unknown. Now, the guards are back and this time it’s Lei they’re after – the girl with the golden eyes, whose rumoured beauty has piqued the king’s interest.
Over weeks of training in the opulent but oppressive palace, Lei and eight other girls learn the skills and charm that befit a king’s consort. There, Lei does the unthinkable – she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens her world’s entire way of life. Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide how far she’s willing to go for justice and revenge.
(P) 2018 Hachette Audio
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Reviews
This book is important . . . a well-crafted, lovely story with characters that tugged at my heartstrings
This gorgeous book is everything I want in a fantasy. Beautiful, lush, lyrical with fantastic world building and an epic forbidden romance, I devoured every word and was left desperately wanting more.
Get ready to be pulled into a lush, magical world, where two concubines must hide their forbidden love if they want to survive the Demon King's treacherous court. A fiery, spellbinding read.
Girls of Paper and Fire is as lush - and brutal - as the Demon King's own court. Ngan is a stunning new talent.
A beautifully written, powerful story unique against all the current YA fantasy out there. You must read this.
Thrust into the beauty and horror of the Hidden Palace, will this Paper Girl survive? Ideal for those seeking diverse LGBTQ fantasy stories
A stereotype-smashing, female, LGBTQ, Asian, fantasy protagonist that is based in the author's own experiences? Serious question: Was Natasha Ngan's Girls of Paper and Fire birthed from our collective dreams?
An elegant and heart-rending ode to human endurance, and to love. Lei is an unforgettable protagonist - her story will have you reading all night, then calling for the next one
Ngan's plot is tense and tight, her action sequences are elegant and adrenaline-soaked, and her story's stakes increase exponentially through the pulse-pounding conclusion. She champions self-empowerment while condemning classism, homophobia, and the commodification of women. What most distinguishes this book, though, is how incisively and intoxicatingly Ngan writes about love
This book spoke to me on a very personal level, with its messages of surviving and thriving after trauma. One of the *the* best YA books I've read for years. The world building was impeccable and lavish. The love story felt earned and true. It was escapist but also handled real world issues brilliantly.
A vital and energetic novel . . . that mounts with increasing tension towards an explosive conclusion . . . . I enjoyed it tremendously
One of the most original worlds I have come across in a long time . . . there is an absolute lyricism to the some parts of the book that show Ngan's mastery of language
Beautiful and heart-breaking and meaningful . . . Ngan's writing is stunning
'Lei's story is gorgeously woven in Ngan's emotionally nuanced, crystalline prose. This book broke my heart, made me cry, and had me completely spellbound from the first page
Queer girls falling in love while kicking ass and resisting oppression in a rich, magical, and Asian-inspired world. What more could you ask for?
A stunning work of fantasy fiction . . . Girls of Paper and Fire is ambitious in scale - but Natasha Ngan's imagination is extraordinary . . . guaranteed to get your pulse racing
A story of magic, mayhem, rebellion and young love . . . a must read for anyone who enjoys a well told fantasy tale featuring a diverse cast of characters
A compelling narrative of personal rebellion, and a timely reminder that, in the right hands, the fantasy genre has things to say about injustice and abuse of power in the real world
An explosively tense and immensely deft novel . . . Ngan has written a very accomplished work, and I'm really looking forward to the sequel.
Ngan's story is rich, is beautiful, is devastating and magical, and one of the best novels that I've picked up so far in 2018
