From the moment the first settler dug a well and struck a lode of shine, the world changed. Now, everything revolves around that magical oil. 

What began as a simple scouting expedition becomes a life-changing ordeal for Arlen Esco. The son of a powerful mogul, Arlen is kidnapped and forced to confront uncomfortable truths his father has kept hidden. In his hands lies a decision that will determine the fate of everyone he loves—and impact the lives of every person in Shine Territory.

The daughter of an infamous saboteur and outlaw, Cassandra has her own dangerous secrets to protect. When the lives of those she loves are threatened, she realizes that she is uniquely placed to change the balance of power in Shine Territory once and for all. 

Secrets breed more secrets. Somehow, Arlen and Cassandra must find their own truths in the middle of a garden of lies.

If you spend much time in the self-published fantasy community, you’ve probably heard Sarah Chorn’s name. OF HONEY AND WILDFIRES is her second published novel, but in addition to that, Sarah is one of (if not the) most prolific editors I can think of. The list of books she’s edited is incredibly impressive & includes some recent favorites of mine.

I had always intended to read her debut, SERAPHINA’S LAMENT, first. Not because the books are connected (they’re not), but just because I’ve had it for quite awhile. But something about OF HONEY AND WILDFIRES was calling to me & I’m so glad to have read this…oof. This is a beautifully written, deeply affecting, character driven story. It falls into a bit of a fantasy/Western category, but for me, the fantasy elements kind of faded into the background to make way for the personal stories. Don’t get me wrong, the Western vibes are strong in this book, but it really soars because of Chorn’s keen ear for dialogue, and her ability to put the reader through an emotional wringer.

The story is centered around two main POV characters, Arlen and Cassandra, and then there’s Ianthe, a secondary character with some shorter POV chapters scattered throughout the book.

This whole world is dominated by a magical substance known as shine. Think of it like oil…just, more. It’s used in everything from food to weaponry. It’s also addictive. It’s this rainbowy, oily substance, and it permeates nearly every aspect of life in a certain part of this world. Arlen’s father is like the wealthy oil tycoon of this area, and Arlen stands to inherit this fortune. But a trip beyond the barrier and into Shine Territory reveals a lot to Arlen about his own privilege, and what it costs others.

Cassandra is the daughter of the land’s most infamous outlaw/rebel, left in the care of an aunt to grow up in Shine Territory. She’s marked as an outsider from day one, and her life is one of relative insularity & seclusion as a result. She forms a profound bond with Ianthe, a terminally ill girl. Their relationship spans years across this book, and is flat-out breathtaking and so heartbreaking. Oof…

This is a painfully human, gorgeous story that Chorn has written. It’s a simple tale, beautifully told with some stunning prose. The relationship between Cassandra and Ianthe is, to me, the soul of this book. Equal parts coming-of-age & love story, I just felt my heart getting squished while my stomach did flips whenever these two were on the page. Just…SO MANY EMOTIONS!!!

Sign me up for whatever Sarah Chorn writes next.

Sincerely,

A new fan.

P.S. OF HONEY AND WILDFIRES is also a semi-finalist in the ongoing SPFBO!

P.P.S. Here’s a great guest post from Sarah that explains a bit about some of her research for the book!