A Review of Everything That Burns
Camille Durbonne gambled everything she had to keep herself and her sister safe. But as the people of Paris starve and mobs riot, safety may no longer be possible. Not when Camille lives for the rebellion. In the pamphlets she prints, she tells the stories of girls living at society’s margins. But as her writings captivate the public, she begins to suspect a dark magic she can’t control lies at the heart of her success.
Plot
The second book in the Enchantee series picks up shortly after the first book, All That Glitters (previously titled Enchantee), and picking up the book feels a bit like getting to watch the new season of a beloved tv show. We’re easily pulled back into the world and life of Camille and flipping through the chapters is easy. My only complaint about the storyline is that the author leans more into the political, historical elements with the magic playing second fiddle, the opposite of the first book in the series.
Characters
It was great, in this book to see the characters grow and develop more than in the prequel. Many of the characters who could have arguably been considered one-dimensional had more room to grow and breathe through these pages. My complaint about the first book in the series was that the cast was too large and that is not resolved in this book, as even more characters are added, but different people shine through and take the lead, which I enjoyed very much.
Setting
The author continues to explore the world of REvolutionary France. It would have been tempting and easy to focus more on the most famous parts of the Revolution, the Guilitone and royal upheaval, which does feature in. But the build-up to that moment is that focus of the book, which I enjoyed exploring through Camille. Additionally, we get to see much more of the magic system in the sequel, which was somewhat limited in the first novel.
My Recommendation
Everything That Burns is the conclusion of the Enchantee Duology. The story, characters and setting immediately pulled me into the book. While the author does tend to write very long, detailed books, her writing is engaging and exciting, so I found the book a treat to read. I highly recommend this series to fans of magic and history.