Today I’m looking at GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE by Natasha Ngan!
1. The Romance
I have to start with the romance. I like how it develops from first meeting to a serious relationship, and how we get a deep look at all the steps of its development. There’s something sweet about watching Lei become infatuated when she doesn’t know that’s what’s happening, and the sweetness continues as the romance solidifies from a crush to a real relationship.
2. Wren
Wren is the love interest in question. She’s badass and beautiful, clever and aloof, and so many other things you uncover the more you read.
3. Aoki
Aoki is one of the first friends made by protagonist Lei. What interests me about her the most is the way her character didn’t develop in the way I expected it would. I liked having my expectations subverted.
4. Blue
Blue is more of an antagonistic character than the other girls I’ve talked about. She’s not here to make friends. But even as she picks on Lei, there’s more to her than first meets the eye, and I loved getting to see that truth beneath the surface.
5. Complex Dynamics Between Girls
That said, the story has a large group of girls as the central characters, and the dynamics between them were always interesting. There were different friends, alliances, and enemies, but all the while the story treats each one as a fully fleshed character.
6. The Villain
The villain in this story walked an interesting line. At the beginning, there were bits and pieces that made him seem almost pitiable in a way, while not diminishing his position as a threat. But over time, bit by bit, that veneer falls apart to expose a horrifically monstrous villain.
7. Political Intrigue
The politics of the world come up in GOPAF, and I love to see it. There’s positioning of noble families, propaganda, political conspiracies, and more!
8. Caste System
The world of GOPAF has the people split into three castes: Moon, Steel, and Paper. The Paper caste is human, the Moon caste is demon, and the Steel cast is in between. I thought this was a unique worldbuilding system, and I loved what the author did with it.
9. Mythology within the World
I love that this world has more history than what’s happening right now. Many of the stories from the past are unclear whether they belong to mythology or history, which is something I have a personal fondness for in stories.
10. Lei
Finally, Lei herself, the protagonist of GOPAF. Lei is thoughtful, down to earth, and vividly rebellious when she faces something that doesn’t align with her moral compass. She’s also compassionate, but isn’t afraid to toughen up when something isn’t right, and won’t go along with something that’s wrong just because it’s easy.
So that’s ten things I loved about GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE! Let me know what you thought of GOPAF in the comments below!
Comments