Publishers Weekly
★ 06/08/2020
Huang (Critical Point) dazzles in this dark, diverse fairy tale remix. Riflewoman Rosa, a riff on Red Riding Hood, and Hou Yi, a mythological Chinese archer, embark on a quest to defeat Hou Yi’s former apprentice, Feng Ming, who’s using firebirds to blaze a trail of destruction through the countryside. As they pursue Feng Ming, Rosa opens up to Hou Yi about her unhealthy friendship with scam artist Goldie (of three bears fame) and marriage to Mei, a foreign beauty who was imprisoned by a prince-turned-beast. She also tells of her desperate flight East to escape the king’s men when her past as a hunter of grundwirgen, wolf-like animals with human intelligence, made her an outlaw. Rosa’s emotional journey as she unlearns her bigotry against the grundwirgen is fascinating and well rendered. Meanwhile, Hou Yi, whose desperate drive for immortality fractured her family, is offered a chance to rebuild when her past catches up with her. The quest to stop Feng Ming, and Rosa and Hou Yi’s parallel stories of reconciliation with the families they lost in their adventures are expertly woven, giving this slim volume an epic feel. Fantasy fans won’t want to miss this. Agent: Russell Galen, Scovil Galen Ghosh. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
Burning Roses by S. L. Huang is a beautiful, deeply affecting novella that braids Western fairy-tale traditions with Chinese mythology in a way calculated to mash my every emotional button.”—The New York Times Book Review
“S. L. Huang delivers one of the best additions to the fairy tale genre in recent years. Burning Roses presents a compelling tale that favors change, the chance to forgive, and—universally—the desire to be forgiven.”—The Chicago Review of Books
“Huang dazzles in this dark, diverse fairy tale remix. . . . Fantasy fans won't want to miss this.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“The regret and wisdom of aging monster hunters, who are starting to question who was the monster in the equation anyway, make for a complex and compelling relationship. . . . Huang is clearly an author to watch.”—Booklist
“S.L. Huang's Burning Roses is a complex and thought-provoking adventure story following two middle-aged lesbians as they hunt monsters and reckon with their own monstrous pasts.”—Shelf Awareness
JULY 2021 - AudioFile
Narrator Nancy Wu masterfully presents this mash-up of Western fairy tales and Eastern mythology. Wu brings to life two strong female LGBTQIA+ protagonists who are living with regrets. Hou Yi, a mythological Chinese archer, is portrayed in a loud, raspy, older voice tinged with impatience. In contrast, Rosa, a twist on Red Riding Hood, is presented in a clear, poised, younger voice. With deft changes in pitch, tone, and timbre, Wu’s performance is so versatile that the production often feels performed by multiple narrators. Her expressive delivery keeps listeners engaged throughout the flashbacks, which are infused with characters from other fairy tales. While this novella is the third part of a series, Wu’s talented rendering offers up a delightful listening experience on its own. V.T.M. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
