Heidi HeiligRecensioni

teen audio fiction (~10 hrs, or 8hrs 20min at 1.2x speed) book 1 of 2 in series; API/Hawaiian author - Nix travels with her father and crew on a time traveling ship through foggy seas--anywhere can be a destination, if they have the right map--in search of a time when her mother (who died in 19th century Hawaii when Nix was born) is alive.

fun time-traveling adventure filled with magical details--mythological creatures and all sorts of cool world-building details, plus a love triangle in which our heroine Nix is caught between her long-time friend and crewmate (and practiced thief) Kashmir and the son of a potential enemy in pre-colonial Hawaii.

The plot sounded super interesting but the characters were 2D and never jumped off the page.

I was very much loving the premise of this book, but it caught the doldrums, wavering in the middle with too much stuff and not enough action.

I absolutely loved this story of young Nix who lives aboard a pirate ship that can travel not only through space and time, but also through myth and imagination. The prose was elegant and flowing, the dialogue was both natural and oh-so-sparkly, and the scenery was simply incredible. Wherever the boat is docked, Heilig has a complete command of what she’s describing. Her research and attention to detail, her use of myths and history from around the globe - all of this comes together to weave a compelling story that is impressively evocative of fascinating times and places, even as it embraces the fantastic with beauty and charm.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

This was a truly great read! I absolutely loved the concept of a time-travelling ship, and the way it was executed... wow! This book takes us around the world and for a stroll down history avenue, with spectacular times and places seen. I couldn't get enough of them!

I adored the relationships between various characters, particularly Nix and her father. It was clear from the start that the Captain was a very tormented man, struggling to reach a past where the love of his life was still alive, willing to risk everything for her. I really liked how his character and his relationship with his daughter developed throughout the book. Initially, Nix really doesn't understand her father's obsession but still keeps helping him to reach his objective even though she fears his success may mean her destruction. I love books that feature a good father-daughter relation, and this was definitely one of them!

I also fell completely mildly in love with the rest of the crew. The diversity of the other characters was amazing, both in terms of nationalities and sexualities portrayed! I really enjoyed all the scenes where the other "pirates" were active, and their banter and unconditional support really made all the difference in showing the way in which life on the Temptation was really just that of a big family of misfits. And the romance was absolutely adorable! I am a big fan of the friends-turned-lovers trope, so this is definitely a couple I was shipping hard!

Overall, a great read and an amazing start to a new series. I can't wait to read the sequel!

7/10

So there are some really strong points to this book: I thought the coming of age was really well done, with a very nuanced protagonist. I thought Nix was a very realistic teenager, who despite her challenges being very particular to the fantasy setting, dealt with them in a way and had an emotional development arc that really spoke to adolescence. I really liked the evolution of the relationship between Nix and Slate - and a paternal relationship as the central relationship to a story is new and interesting. The Hawaiian setting is gorgeous, lush and ethically gray.

I really liked the concept of the Temptation -- a ship that could travel to anywhere where there was a map. I thought the idea that the past is mutable, and the "true past" that they go to is whatever the map drawer believed to be true. What does it mean for the past to be "real" versus "fantasy" and who gets to decide? I wish the rules were drawn a little more clearly (what's to stop them from drawing their own maps whenever they wanted to return somewhere?)

But the book was imperfect. They circled around the central plot again and again without bringing any new information to it and without every resolving it. Which I think I took harder from a debut novelist -- how can I trust her to resolve it in the sequel? I would have totally read a historical fantasy set in 19th century independent Hawaii, but that was not the book I was billed: I was billed time traveling tall ships. So I was disappointed that they spend way less than 10 percent of the book in any other locale at all, and I was also disappointed that the map illustrations didn't match the maps in the narrative. I also thought that the romance arcs were lackluster. People are so into Kash, but I found him very bland and generic love interest. Blake was a little better in that he actually had character development and a strong perspective, but, yeah.

I'll probably read the second book in the series, but I gave this one a lot of credit for being a debut; I'm expecting the sequel to be substantially better.

This was a lighter story then I thought it would be and I didn't connect with the characters. The plot gained in excitement when adventure set in.

I really enjoyed this. Adventure, magic, well written, love. Not a ‘mom’ book based on storyline. Looking forward to finding the sequel.

I love stories about ships AND I love time travel stories, so put them together with beautiful settings, a pinch of mythical magic and strong characters, and I am very happy. This is a long, settle-in-and-stay-awhile kind of story where you are really immersed in the setting, primarily Hawaii, and it is full of family strife and questions of identity. I have a feeling that fans of Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson will like this.

This book is fun and engaging from the opening scene. The story itself is interesting, and you don't really know how it's going to end up as it unfolds but it's a great journey to follow, with some interesting history and myths included. The characters are pretty likeable, and the magical aspect is well-balanced between being explained and left as a mystery or up to the reader's imagination. I do wish that some of the feelings and motivations of characters were more explicitly stated in some scenes, as some I thought were left a bit too much up to interpretation.

Overall, this was a fun read that had my attention and made me want more, without an obsessive pull like some stories have. I'll definitely be reading the next in this series, and will likely read this one at least one more time.

The characters are less likable than they were in the first book, both in general behavior and in their poor decision-making. The plot is cumbersome and convoluted. Conversations and explanations are too vague and uninformative. I didn't hate the book, but it frustrated and disappointed me. I'm unsure whether or not I'm glad to have read it. I think it would have been best to leave the story as it was at the end of book 1.

The overall idea of the people and their traveling abilities is very intriguing, it's worth being told in stories; but I don't think that the stories we have in these books are as good as stories set in this world could be. I basically don't think it's good writing, and would like to see the premise taken on by another author.

A fine example of a middle book in a trilogy. With dark moments, more revelations regarding Jetta's magic, not to mention her parentage, coupled with her perilous attraction to one who's a member of the very family she is now trying to defeat so they will leave her besieged country, this is well worth your time. Do read the first book so you can get full enjoyment from this one. I'm going to savor book three very soon.

Good world building, interesting characters, grim at times and the ending could have set up the next book a bit better. Still a satisfying read and I will go on to book two.

A good book by an interesting author with a unique viewpoint, I especially liked the diverse cast of characters. It was a bit hard to follow through the twist and turns of time travel but it does have a good ending. I also loved the notes afterward that explained how much of this book was rooted in myth and history. I'm also glad it's not a trilogy so I can finally wrap up a series!

I somehow read this in less than 24 hours and if that doesn't tell you how good and hooked I was, I'm not sure what will! I absolutely adore the way this series is told through regular prose, scripts, letters, posters, and even sheet music. The variety really brings out a range of emotions for each character.

I was a little confused about what Jetta didn't bring Leonin back though. I thought that maybe they wouldn't want to be in a relationship together if he had to follow any order she gave, but Leo willingly killed himself in order to be brought back and ordered around by the bad guy so why wouldn't he want to be brought back to be with his soulmate? Idk the ending in that respect was flat for me. I think it could have been more heart-wrenching if A) Leo made it clear he didn't want to be brought back by Jetta, or if B) the bad guy had never controlled his soul in the first place (so that it was the first time he died).

**I was given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**

Heidi Heilig creates a gorgeously fleshed out South-Asian inspired fantasy world in For a Muse of Fire. Jetta, a girl with a missing brother, necromancy powers, and questionable decision-making skills sets out with her mother and father to perform shadow puppetry and look for a cure for herself. Along the way, she uncovers smuggling and rebellion plots that force her to question her past, her current governing regime, and her future.

What makes this series so special is the variety of communication methods-- the book isn't just prose! Heilig shows off her past in theater by combining sheet music, stage directions, letters, posters, and telegrams to tell her story. The play/letter/telegram sections allowed for us to see things outside of Jetta's POV, and the songs brought a more intense emotional aspect to the story.

In a powerful author note, Heilig reveals her inspiration behind Jetta's struggle with mental illness is the author's own experience with bipolar disorder. I think this representation in book characters is so important, and Heilig's own experiences allow this story to be told and shared so tactfully.

For a Muse of Fire ends in quite a cliff-hanger, so I couldn't be happier to discover this series with book two already published and the finale on the way!

I finished this book a week ago and I still think about this dialogue DAILY:

“I can’t blame you.” “But I can’t let myself need you anymore either.”

*squeals* Jetta is learning, growing, and setting boundaries! Will she learn to trust again?! Thank goodness there is less than two weeks until the finale is published.

What's in the book is good and well done, but as a whole it's a bit sketchy for the amount of load the plot bears. The southeast Asian Koschei the undying on steroids with a nod, knowing or not to the most delightful twist in Saberhagen's Empire of the East was retooled well for local flavor.½

This suffers from middle book syndrome and there's no guarantee that the conclusion of the trilogy improves. We know the world and the characters are dealing with the consequences of their vol. 1 deeds and well, they aren't nearly as interesting.½

I listened to the audiobook. Don't read this if you think I'm near normal.
Do you ever read a book in which one minor detail distracts you from enjoying the story?
I greatly enjoyed the story. BUT WHY???
Bee, I think her name is. The lesbian character. WHY!!! It doesn't make sense. One sentence or phrase, everything else left the same and it would make sense, be accurate, be less wrong, have a cooler backstory.
But NO. The author just went with what made the book a typical, comtemporary, YA, fantasy.
Seriously just say 'Bee' had run away from her polygamous husband after 'Ido' died (in childbirth)

Time travel. Pirating. Little hint of romance. Kash is amazing. Diversity is big. Nix is meh but not as annoying as she could be - i understand why she makes a lot of her choices. Her thing with Blake made sense up until the first kiss then it become a ham handed metaphor. I really hope the next book doesn’t bring in a love triangle. Also slade is the worst dad. It’s borderline abusive how neglectful he is of nix in his quest for his former love.

I would totally read more of these books. The characters are multicultural, flawed, and oh so fascinating.

Nix, now captain of the Temptation, while Slate recovers from his opium addiction, is drawn into an opportunity to perhaps change fate. Why does that matter? Joss predicted that she will lose one she loves to the sea. Unwilling to lose Kashmir, she takes the crew to the mythical island of Kys Kys. Adventure ensues, surprises await, things are changed, and betrayal occurs. But can fate be changed?

I really liked this one! I remember first seeing the cover and thinking--ooh, I need that one.

Nixie and her father can travel the world, in all of time, as long as they have a map. Slate, her father, is a Navigator. He is able to skip from one edge of a map to another. But they can only use each map once. He's been trying to get back to Hawaii, to Nixie's mother (before her death,) unsuccessfully for years. Always in search of map that will work, they travel to places real and imagined, collecting more maps, creatures, mythological items, and a few people along the way. In the back of Nixie's mind is worry--what if he finds her mother? Will she still be alive? Or will she disappear?

The adventure and relationships between the characters drew me in and kept me interested in this book. It is a series starter, but with NO cliffhanger ending. I'll be sure to read the next one.

The sequel to The Girl From Everywhere is just as gutsy and sweet as the first book. It's a story packed with adventure and dark things that still finds time to be loving and sweet. I always worry about the 2nd book - it tells you whether the author really had a grip on all the things that made the first book great, or if they just got lucky. Thankfully, this book fulfills the promise of the first, and sets us up for more fun to follow. Definitely a recommendation for the older YA crowd, as well as adults looking for a good read.