I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Sarah Rees Brennan’s new book, Tell the Wind and the Fire. Sarah is an expert at creating realistic words and characters with depth. Read below, and keep reading for some words from Sarah Rees Brennan herself!
In Lucie’s world, everything is split in two. Magic exists, but not perhaps the way you may think. Dark and light magic are two sides of a coin, and New York city is split this way. You are either a Light magician or a Dark magician. If you are a Light magician, you live in the Light part of the city, in a safe environment and opulent city. The Dark magicians are less fortunate. They live in desperate conditions in the Dark part of the city and work to serve Light magicians. Light magicians need Dark magicians to survive, so they are always close by.
Lucie was born in the Dark part of the city, but has left that behind. Thanks to a traumatic incident in her past, she’s gained celebrity status in her new city, and is even dating Ethan from the powerful Stryker family. Lucie loves Ethan and will do anything to defend him and to keep him safe. When trouble shows up (dressed up in Ethan’s face) the calm life that she’s worked so hard to build herself starts to unravel.
I think that’s all I’m going to say about this book. It gets dark, and bloody, fast. I fell in love with quick witted Carwyn, but didn’t quite trust Lucie. I was totally on her side at some points, and infuriated by her on others. Sarah is not one to shy away from death. She wields each death like a weapon, and this book is no different. Be prepared to be horrified, captivated and pulled into her world.
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I was lucky enough to be able to ask Sarah Rees Brennan one question about this book as part of the blog tour!
ME: I think it’s safe to say that the ending of this book is a bit dark. Do you see it as a happy ending?
SARAH:
Could’ve been worse…
I could tell you some ideas for how it could’ve been worse…
(I’m a bad person who enjoys the suffering of others.)
In some ways, I think it could not have an entirely happy ending. When people start to
treat other people as things, when groups of people start to think of each other as not
really counting as people, then they begin to do terrible things. The French Revolution
was like that: people were starving, and then other people were having their heads cut
off. Viciousness breeds viciousness, in a terrible cycle: it is never as simple as
‘then the evil sorcerer gets destroyed,’ because trying to change the world changes
you.
And yet even in the midst of atrocities, even when people are so changed they are capable
of being cruel, there are moments of grace. You can choose not to be cruel, and that is
the message of hope in the end of the novel for me.
Most of the characters don’t get endings, but I do see several of them going on to lead
happy lives.
Not all of them, of course!
And there you have it! Will you get your hands on this book? Get your copy here.
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