Everything That Burns is the follow up to All That Glitters (previously titled Enchantée) and it is a timely story of love, revolution, and fighting for what is right. Framed in the time of revolutionary France, Everything That Burns explores the new world Camille finds herself in after the fall of the Bastille and how she fights to find her place.
Camille Durbonne fought her way through poverty and abusive men to finally find a position of safety for her and her sister. Through her long sought after printing press, Camille strives to print stories of truth and philosophy. When a chance meeting with “The Lost Girls” gives Camille the opportunity to shine a light on the people that French society typically looks down on, she finds herself becoming a voice in the revolution. But her magic is still growing and when the King outlaws magicians, Camille finds herself in a precarious position. With betrayals and secret police dogging her steps, Camille must find a way to save herself and her friends, before time runs out.
From the first line in Everything That Burns, readers will be transported to France in the late 1700s, when the revolution was changing everything. Trelease has a way to turn a phrase that instantly brings images to mind and makes it easy to fall into the story she is telling. It takes a certain balance to achieve this and Trelease makes it seem effortless. Her descriptions are ornate without being overpowering, and she has a strong ability to convey emotion through actions.
Where All That Glitters was sumptuous and glamor filled, Everything That Burns is a harsh, realistic look at the world. Sadly, the magic of the first novel in this duology is lost in Everything That Burns and it feels like the only things bringing these two books into the same realm are the characters. And while the tone is jarringly different, it makes a kind of sense given the historical events. But readers hoping to follow Camille through glitzy gambling halls and magical escapades will be somewhat disappointed.
While Everything That Burns keeps a good pace, the plot feels choppy at times. There were so many different threads of plot happening that it felt like they were fighting each other to be in the forefront. There was the exploration of the revolution, Camille and Lazare’s romance, Sophie and Rosier romance, The Lost Girls, the criminalisation of the magicians, Camille and her magicians friends conspiring on how to save the magicians, creepy magical houses, Camille trying to prove herself as a printer, and even more that I can’t point out because of spoilers. With so much going on it is difficult to get invested in any certain plot point, no matter how bad you want to. Perhaps, if the story had been spread out into a trilogy, Trelease would have been given the room to fully explore everything she wanted to with more success.
Even with the criticisms, Everything That Burns is an interesting read. Had I been reading the novel for personal entertainment instead of a review, I feel I would have been able to overlook some of the critical issues. Camille’s story is a timely one and Trelease is able to frame current human rights arguments into this magic tinged historical fiction. While it is nice to get a wrap up of Camille’s story, it would have been more enjoyable if the focus of the story had been better managed. That said, Trelease’s writing style is elegant and her ability to transport her readers into the story is enviable. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.
Everything That Burns is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
Will you be picking up Everything That Burns? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Magic. Betrayal. Sacrifice
Camille Durbonne gambled everything she had to keep her and her sister safe, and now the Vicomtesse de Seguin seeks a new life in Paris. But revolution roils the bloody streets and “aristocrat” is a dangerous word. Safety may no longer be possible.
Following in her father’s footsteps, Camille prints revolutionary pamphlets, sharing the stories of girls.
You had me at ….:readers will be transported to France in the late 1700s” ….Will add to my list, thanks! 🙂