Enna Burning Book

In this somewhat downbeat magical fantasy, a sequel to the marvelous The Goose Girl, Enna (best friend of Isi from the first book) comes into possession of an old manuscript that teaches her the art of fire-speaking, magically starting and controlling fire. At first it seems like a wonderful gift, but a couple of fairly major problems with this power soon become apparent to Enna. For one thing, it's a devastatingly effective weapon in war, and there are those who are anxious to control Enna, and through her set fire to their enemies.

I'm such a huge fan of The Goose Girl, but this? is a very grim tale, and a little too one-note for my taste. Apparently fire-speaking is a really dangerous gift to pursue. Who could have guessed?

Three stars, because there are still some lovely scenes and thought-provoking writing. The ending is heartwarming and a breath of fresh air. I also really enjoyed the next book in the series, River Secrets, so don't give up on the series if you liked Goose Girl but not so much Enna Burning.