This Golden Flame

Actual Rating: 4.5

Review originally posted on Geeky Galaxy

This Golden Flame is a brilliant read about magic, friendship and most of all, freedom. Set in an Ancient Greek inspired world where statue-like automatons dot the towns and cities, forever frozen when the magical fuel that powered them was locked away. The premise from the start had me intrigued, from the setting to the automatons and Alix, the automaton who was so much more.

Alix, without doubt, was my favourite character and arguably the most complex. He's an automaton, and according to everything known about them, shouldn't be able to speak, let alone think and feel. And yet he can, and so much more, and it makes him real and vulnerable. There's such a depth to Alix's character, it practically sang off the page in every chapter from his point of view. I enjoyed reading every page of it.

“It's all you. Your light is stunning. It's brave and beautiful. So just be you, because that's enough. It's always been enough.”

Throughout, Alix struggle with who or what he is, what his purpose is, and if anything, that is what makes him most human of all.

“You have a spark that refuses to dim.”

He's a character that comes alive in the way he's expertly crafted and I could picture him so vividly in my head, he may as well have been stood in the room before me.

Karis, the character you'd probably call the main, if not very key, didn't shine quite as brightly for me. She was a strong character in herself with a clear motivation and meaning behind every action she took, even when it was the wrong one. Karis was also asexual and aromantic, and I'll admit it's the first book, especially fantasy, I've ever read with an aro ace main character and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It was refreshing to see a character who's focus wasn't constantly on the boy. And that's not the only rep in this book! There's also 2 gay characters and a character that prefers they/them, and it didn't seem forced or like an after-thought. It seemed natural to the story and worked really well.

As for the plot with the automatons, the golden flame, pirates, bandits, rebellions; it had it all and I loved the story that was weaved amongst these characters. A personal favourite point is the fact that Alix heard the rune magic as music, and, whilst he didn't need to, he'd hum a tune to go along with it. It was such a brilliant way to frame it and made for some luscious reading.

As soon as I touch it, I hear the rune in the seal, the plucked strings of a harp, as if it's the beginning of a well-known melody that I have to finish.

Overall, this book ticked a lot of boxes and was quick and easy to read, with characters I was routing for and a world I was itching to explore. If you're debating whether to pick this up, it's a resounding yes from me.