Girls of Paper and Fire

SPOILER FREE REVIEW: I have been wanting to get more into books that have Asian influences or are written by Asian authors. So many recommended The Girls of Paper and Fire, and all I can say is that I read this in one sitting. Following a girl named Lei, the story is focused on the deep tradition of “Paper Girls.” Where eight girls of a lower class are selected to become the King's concubines. Selected from around the entire kingdom, these girls are taken to palace where they learn skills, including dance, court politics, and more. Although, this selection is seen as a great honor to be for the “Heavenly Master,” Lei and the other girls soon learn that they are only existing for the use of others. Come to a great sickness taking over the land, the cruelty of the court, and an assassination plot that is closer than anyone could imagine, follow these girls who are trained for obedience and submission, set the world on fire and change the world forever. Seeped in a fantasy Asian-setting, themes and underpinnings of class disparity, and a LGBTQ+ romance, I definitely recommend this title.