Daughter of the Burning City: A YA Fantasy Murder Mystery of Forbidden Love and Magic

I usually like fantasies with magical carnivals or circuses in them, and this certainly has that, but it has a lot more besides. I immediately became attached to teenaged Sorina, the head of the Freak Show in the traveling carnival city of Gomorrah, and her family of performers, from Crown, whose body is covered with fingernails instead of hair, to toddler Blister, who performs fire magic. They are a very close family indeed, because they are all illusions created by Sorina—but somehow they have become real enough, not only to be seen by her audiences, but to be murdered, one by one, as the story progresses. I don’t just mean that someone makes them disappear; these are real murders, with blood everywhere and bodies to bury afterward. The grief-stricken Sorina, therefore, must solve not only the classic murder-mystery question of “whodunnit,” but a greater question: how can an illusion be killed?Sorina is more than a performer in Gomorrah; she is also the adopted daughter and heir apparent of the show/city’s Proprietor, Villiam. Because of her youth, he has kept most of the details of Gomorrah’s past and the Proprietor’s job from her until now, but the murders suggest to both that she needs to learn more, and quickly. Readers don’t learn much about the geography and politics of the land Gomorrah travels through until about a third of the way through the book, but thereafter, these elements become increasingly important. Sorina also encounters romance, but her her relationship with Luca, a fellow performer who helps her investigate the murders, develops slowly, and the author does not hit the reader over the head with it.I was amazed to discover after I finished the book that it was part of a “Harlequin Teen” series. Such an imprint would have led me to expect (mistakenly, perhaps) not only a “YA” book but a rather superficial one, heavy on the romance—but this book is anything but. It does have a teenaged protagonist, and a romance of sorts, but the character development and the issues raised, including the nature of reality and illusion and the painful inner conflict that competing loyalties can produce, make it worthwhile and enjoyable reading for people of any age.

An enjoyable and exciting read! A weird ensemble of interesting characters form a "family" in a fantasy world that has been created by the author with care and passion. Intrigue, mystery, romance and some pretty gruesome action will keep you entwined in the story and won't let you go. I pre-ordered months ago and just received the book on Tuesday, I finished it late Wednesday night (not bad for 377 pages!).The main character, Sorina, is both heroic and flawed, painfully growing up quickly in a world that is crumbling around her. Foody has crafted a character that you can empathize with and root for as you (the reader) can see and understand things before the character realizes them. And yet, in the end you will be as surprised and shocked as she becomes. A very well-written first novel from an up and coming young author. If she keeps this up I don't think she will be working in tax accountancy too long! Go visit Go visit Gomorrah! Yet be careful, it's a dangerous place with a long history....

This was probably one of the most unique murder mysteries I’ve read. The victims don’t really exist and the murderer is someone within a traveling carnival of the wicked and strange — or are they? What the summary hints at only briefly is there are bigger political games in play beyond the carnival, that may or may not have something to do with the murders of Sorina’s illusions.I thought the demisexual rep was done well. Luca didn’t feel like a stereotype, Sorina respected his identity and boundaries, and the way their relationship progressed felt natural. The terms “demisexual” or “asexual” were never used on the page, but the way Luca described his experiences with sexual attraction (or lack thereof) made it clear that this is how he would identify if the language existed in his world.One issue that will turn some readers off of the book is the ableism. Sorina has internalized a lot of it — in addition to calling her show the “Freak Show”, she spends a lot of time bemoaning the fact that no one will ever love her because of her lack of eyes, and she wears a mask in public in order to make everyone else feel more comfortable.Overall, I loved the world building and ace rep in DAUGHTER OF THE BURNING CITY, but found the ableism problematic. It was still a unique and enjoyable murder mystery, however.

I didn't really know what I was going to get when I started this book, but it took me places I never imagined and I loved it for that. A book that holds no punches in terms of the layered and dark world building. The characters were unapologetically unique. And the main character is someone worth rooting for as she seeks to protect her family of illusions from a murderer. Even as she can't explain how someone could kill illusions. She's never questioned the fact that this rag tag group of "freaks" she's woven with her own magic are real to her and family. And she'll do anything to protect her family. It's such a poignant story even as it goes to some dark places.Also, I absolutely adored the romance between Sorina and Luca. He is such an interesting character that kept me guessing until the very end.This book was such a fast read (I think I finished it in 3 days). And it's so worth a read!

This is a YA fantasy novel and follows Sorina, an illusion worker in a festival freak show. When one of her illusions is murdered, Sorina begins an investigation to find the killer and learn more about herself and her illusions – illusions that should not be able to be murdered… I really enjoyed this debut novel from Amanda Foody – it was a thrilling tale, in a magical world that felt oddly real. I thoroughly enjoyed it, meeting the characters and exploring the world, although at times I struggled to like Sorina and her narration, finding it sometimes odd or out of character. I also found the subplot of a war quite confusing, but I slowly got my head around it. The murder investigation side of things takes us on a journey to new places in the festival and it’ll be no surprise to you that I didn’t guess the killer, although some points seemed a little meh… I did however, enjoy the family dynamics at work here, and there was subtle, but well, written LGBT representation that doesn’t seem like it was written just to make the book seem more diverse. I’d highly recommend this though.

Okay I have SO MANY feels about this book! I am genuinely conflicted about not giving it 5 stars, but while I did really enjoy it, it won't be one i rave about for plot reasons (maybe for others - Luca 😍).So let's start with plot stuff! It's super enjoyable and the world is interesting and well put together. I like how we see how little Sorina knows about both Gomorrah and the outside world, and how we learn along with her. I like all the characters of Gomorrah too. Sorina herself I am a little mixed about - she's a solid character with relatable angst, and I really liked how her having no eyes was dealt with! And her relationships with her family was lovely. But for me, while I liked her, I didn't love her. I wanted her to solve the mystery and sort her relationship but that's it.Onto the mystery. I guessed the twists around Luca and Sorina about halfway through, but didn't the full aspect in terms of the mastermind. I felt a bit sad to be right, but that was more because I didn't want to be than disappointment in the storyline :)I also love that the book is so inclusive - sexuality is casually irrelevant in many ways, a main character who is effectively disabled (though more in looks than ability, which I think does make it different).And then finally, on to Luca. Who I need to mention for being special to me. 😍💙😍 I love everything about him except the twist (despite being a spoilers review I like to not completely ruin it!). Mostly the way he owns his approach to relationships, is honest about what he wants and while letting Sorina lead a bit, he also was good at stating boundaries (or lack of). And Sorina was respectful and understanding of him. And just 😍 everything about that was lovely, including Sorina coming to realise that he was moving from annoying to possibly cute lol! It made me super happy to see something different and supportive and inclusive and on it's own this would have got the book 5 stars hehe!!

I didn't actually know a whole lot about this story going into it, and if I'm being totally honest, I bought this book by accident. When I ordered Ace Of Shades a few months ago, I saw this cover and automatically assumed it was part of the same series. Nevertheless, I decided to give this book a shot and see what it's all about!Our main character, Sorina, is absolutely fascinating. Though she was born with no eyes, she can still see clearly, and her illusion work is amazing. The only illusion-worker born in hundreds of years, she's the only real part of the Gomorrah Festival Freak Show - an act within the travelling carnival. Her creations are her family, but she's always believed they weren't truly real. Until the murders begin. Sorina is determined to find out who is killing her family, why they are doing it, and most importantly, how it's even possible. Strong and brave, she's a pretty great character all in all. Though she's easily hurt, she's become a master of hiding behind a mask and a sharp tongue. Not many people outside her family really accept her for who she is, and she lives a pretty sheltered life in a lot of ways.Enter Luca. We know nothing about this kid, other than that he's been with Gomorrah for about a year and has earned himself a bit of a reputation as a gossip-worker. Oh, and there's the little fact that he can't die. He's a pretty interesting guy, really. Though Sorina doesn't particularly like him when they first meet, they slowly form an unlikely friendship, which of course leads to more. A lot of authors try to get their relationships ignited early in standalones so the reader gets as long as possible with the romance. That's how insta-love happens. But Amanda Foody turned that on its head. Despite being a standalone, the development between Sorina and Luca was slow and, quite frankly, believable.Scattered throughout this book are the "blueprints" for Sorina's illusions, complete with sketches which is just amazing. But these blueprints have been added to. Defaced. Turns out, the killer has used these blueprints as a cheat sheet for murder. These additions really make everything come to life and I absolutely loved them, as few and far between as they were.I don't read standalone fantasy very often, but when I do, I'm generally left feeling a little underwhelmed. That wasn't the case here. Despite my love for a long fantasy series, this story worked beautifully as a standalone. Would I have liked a sequel? Absolutely, but not because it necessarily needs one, but more because Gomorrah itself is so dang fascinating. It's not merely a travelling carnival, but rather a travelling city. That's crazy interesting!I'm blown away by the fact that this is a debut novel, and it definitely made me even more excited to read Ace Of Shades (which I finished at the end of August, heh). Something Amanda Foody did incredibly well in this book was the mystery. I found myself flip-flopping between characters I believed to be the killer, and in the end, I was totally wrong anyway!Overall, if you're looking for an interesting YA fantasy/mystery, check this one out. It's only 400 pages and is fun, super quick, and utterly captivating.

Came within the estimated time. Bought as a present for my daughter. She was very happy with it.

Ich hatte das Buch schon ewig vor dem Erscheinen auf dem Radar – dann erschien es und ich bestellte es und griff doch erst Monate später danach. Jetzt frage ich mich, warum, denn Amanda Foodys Debüt konnte mich nicht nur von der ersten Seite an begeistern, sondern vereint auch Elemente, die man viel zu selten in Fantasy-Jugendbüchern antrifft.Zuallererst handelt es sich bei Daughter of the Burning City um einen Einzelband! Mehr sogar noch – obwohl es in einer komplett fiktiven Welt spielt, kann Foody diese in den knapp 400 Seiten ausreichend entwickeln, ohne, dass sie überwältigend oder verwirrend wirkt. Auch die Geschichte ist optimal in sich abgeschlossen, keine Frage bleibt unbeantwortet.Nach nur wenigen Seiten hatte ich Sorina und ihre Familie voller Freaks (wie sie im Buch bezeichnet werden) ins Herz geschlossen, und ich war überrascht, wie sehr es schmerzte, als einer von ihnen ermordet wurde – und das nach so wenigen Seiten. Daraufhin entwickelt sich eine Suche nach dem Mörder, die überwiegend wirklich spannend ist. Lediglich in der Mitte des Buches verliert sie etwas an Geschwindigkeit, da der romantische Subplot in den Vordergrund tritt, aber dafür ist die Auflösung umso genialer. Was während dem Lesen beinahe hoffnungslos erschien, da Sorina kaum Hinweise hatte, macht rückblickend unglaublich viel Sinn … wenn man die kleinen eingestreuten Hinweise entdeckt. Besonders "cool" ist, dass manchmal zwischen den Kapiteln Skizzen des Mörders enthalten sind, die dem Buch fast schon eine Horror-Note verpassen. (Sie machten mich extra paranoid, um es anders auszudrücken.)Zuletzt bin ich einfach begeistert davon, wie divers das Buch ist – Sorina ist bisexuell, ihr Loveinterest befindet sich auf dem Ace-Spektrum und eine Freundin von ihr ist lesbisch. Besonders schön zu lesen war, dass Foody eine Welt erschaffen hat, in der jede Sexualität kommentarlos akzeptiert wird; darüber hinaus gefiel mir auch der Dialog, der um die einzelnen Orientierungen der Charaktere entstand.Kurzum – Daughter of the Burning City ist ein brillantes Debüt, das lediglich in der Mitte etwas den roten Faden verliert. Was die Spannung anbetrifft, beschert es viele aufregende Stunden in Gomorrah.