Each time she contemplated fire, she felt surer that she could learn it and felt a place inside her, a place in her chest, yawning eagerly.
Enna’s brother, Leifir, has found the secret to an extraordinary power—to make fire without a spark. He could use the ability for good … if he learns to control it. But Enna can’t decide if it’s a power she wants for herself, or one that should be extinguished forever.
When their home country of Bayern goes to war, the choice becomes unbearable. Enna never imagined the warm, life-giving energy of fire could destroy anything she loves, but now she must try to save Bayern and herself before fire consumes her entirely.
The excerpt on the back cover, plus the cover art of Enna Burning. All credit goes to the author, Shannon Hale.
Intrigued? Read on:
In a struggle to prove herself and save her kingdom, Enna must fight the fire within. The second in a series called Books of Bayern, Enna Burning is a fierce, powerful YA story, borne upon the wings of the first book, The Goose Girl. Told in the same fairy tale-esque style that so captures readers in its magical hold, this tale will touch your soul with its fierce heroine and her flaming heart.
What I love:
While maintaining her own gentle, fairy tale style, Shannon Hale manages to embody each protagonist’s unique voice and thought processes. The narrator and the prose are seamless. And what a change from quiet, gentle Isi (also known as Ani) to fierce, passionate Enna. Brash yet tenaciously loyal, Enna embodies fire perfectly.
I love the struggle with magic in this novel. Magic should always come with consequences. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Shannon Hale certainly brought this balance into Enna Burning. With extraordinary power comes extraordinary burden.
Also, I have noticed how Shannon Hale uses names and titles to show change in her characters. Anidori-Kiladra began as Ani, the boring, mousy princess, and became Isi the goose-girl, at last taking her rightful name once more in the end. In this novel, the sections are named with titles that match Enna’s identity in the different stages of her character arc. This is a good way to recognize and embody change in a character.
What I don’t love:
Often, I enjoy (and by enjoy, I mean obsess over) love triangles. However, this one drove me insane. I cannot say much more without spoiling the plot.
Once more, I loathed the villain. I despised him as much as I despised the villains of The Goose Girl. What a delicate balance Shannon Hale created, for the narrator to feel different about the villain than the readers did. Honestly, I’m impressed.
Though Enna Burning is my least favorite of the Books of Bayern (and the one with the most cautions since its narrative happens during war), just like The Goose Girl, I loved this book so much that I can hardly think of anything to dislike.
Content warnings:
Violence, childbirth, intoxicating liquids, and mild sensuality.
As this book takes place during a war, many people are wounded and killed, and Enna sees a lot of it. Many people burn to death.
(SPOILER) Someone has birth during the end of the book. Enna witnesses her go into labor, but doesn’t see the birth itself. (SPOILER)
A group of enemy soldiers drink themselves silly, but neither the protagonist nor the other important characters consume alcoholic beverages.
(SPOILER) A man who Enna falls in love with touches her very often–an arm around her waist, a hand stroking her hair or cheek, etc.–and I mention it because it does happen quite a bit and Enna is very touch-oriented. (SPOILER)
Ratings:
Appropriate content: 3/5
Story construction: 4.5/5
Writing skill: 4.5/5
Ethics: 4/5
Other information:
Christian: No
Point of view: Third person limited
Tense: Past tense
Romance: Yes
Series: Yes
Conclusion:
With entrancing prose and a story that drags readers into its depths, Enna Burning is a powerful tale of a girl who must fight a battle within herself before she can win the war all around her.
Shannon Hale’s talent continues to awe and inspire, and each of the Books of Bayern ends with the softest of whispers, a satisfying conclusion each and every time. As I close this book, I sit back and sigh with delight, still caught up in the magic of it all. All in all, Enna Burning deserves 3.8 out of 5 croissants.
Psst! Curious about the first book? Read about it here! And don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter and receive your free short story, which, just like Enna Burning, is about a girl coming into her powers and trying to find her place.
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