“I’m done with violence. / “You’re a kindling. Violence is part of you, whether you like it or not.”
Kindling, the new standalone novel from bestselling author Traci Chee, transports readers into a vividly imagined world where echoes of a cruel war between Amerand and Vedran territories still reverberate through the lives of the protagonists of this story. The kindlings—magic wielding child warriors—now find themselves adrift in a society that deemed them unuseful and unlawful and unless they chose to surrender, they are bound to be outcasts that have to survive on their own, with a threat that they’ll be killed if they were to disturb the peace their society had achieved after the war. The now young adults are left to navigate this post-war existence as they battle the loss of their youth and are struggling to find their true identities and purpose whilst also finding meaning beyond the roles of being weapons which they had been forced to embody.
Amidst this backdrop of uncertainty and longing, a new threat emerges bringing together a diverse group of seven kindlings whose fates will be intertwined by their shared trauma. As they spend time in a humble village they’ve sworn to protect from this new menace, they will embark on a personal journey of self-discovery and redemption that will lead them to forging strong bonds with each other.
The wordbuilding of this story is easy enough to understand and the plot is interesting as well, although, at its core this is a strong character driven novel. Every single character is unique and multifaceted, each with their own intricate personalities, morals, and struggles. The author is great at making the reader feel a mix of complex emotions through the brutality, trauma and heartbreak these group of kindlings go through. Among all this darkness, there’s a beacon of hope: the power of found family. As the kindlings forge deeper bonds and relationships with one another as well as with the village inhabitants, they will find their own healing journing, confronting their own prejudices and fears along the way.
Written in the intimate second-person perspective the author invites the readers to immerse themselves fully in this world blurring the lines between fiction and reality. Whilst the choice of narrative style may be divisive—you either love or hate it—its integrated seamlessly and does serve to make the reader more participant of the story and drawing them deeper into the emotional aspect of the story.
In essence, with echoes to our current world, Kindling is a gender-bent reimagining of Seven Samurai (1954) and its remake The Magnificent Seven (1960) infused with a fresh perspective and diverse group of characters. This novel is a poignant exploration of the enduring scars of war rendered with sensitivity and nuance; a tale of loss, war, grief and healing full of yearning and angst throughout traumatic and gruelling events.
Trigger warnings: death, addiction, child soldiers, broken families…
Kindling is from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
From bestselling and award-winning author Traci Chee comes a standalone fantasy set against a war-ravaged world where kindling warfare—the use of elite, magic-wielding teenage soldiers—has been outlawed. In this rich and evocative novel, seven kindlings search for purpose and identity as they prepare for one final battle. For fans of the classic films Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven.
Once, the war was fought with kindlings—elite, magic-wielding warriors whose devastating power comes at the cost of their own young lives.
Now, the war is over, and kindlings have been cast adrift—their magic outlawed, their skills outdated, their formidable balar weapons prized only as relics and souvenirs.
Violence still plagues the countryside, and memories haunt those who remain. When a village comes under threat of siege, it offers an opportunity for seven kindlings to fight one last time. But war changed these warriors. And to reclaim who they once were, they will have to battle their pasts, their trauma, and their grim fates to come together again—or none of them will make it out alive.
From bestselling and award-winning author Traci Chee comes a gut-wrenching, introspective fantasy about seven lost soldiers searching for the peace they once fought for and the future in which they’re finally daring to believe.
