This Golden Flame

October 1, 2020

Gr 8 Up-Eratia used to be powerful. Giant bronze automatons, built and controlled by Scriptorium runes, protected the archipelago of islands until 200 years ago, when the Great Lapse shut them all down. Karis is an orphan acolyte forced to work for the Scriptorium; the organization charged with restoring the automatons. Karis dreams of escaping the Scriptorium and tracking down her older brother. She gets her chance when a mishap leads her to discover and revive a human-sized automaton, Alix, with a shockingly sophisticated personality. Fleeing under the cover of night, Alix, Karis, and fellow orphan Dane begin a journey to reclaim Eratia's past and save its future before the Scriptorium catches up to them. Victoria creates a world in which questioning history and fighting for the good of all takes center stage. Wording (such as himation, agora, and chiton) places Eratia in a fantasy version of the ancient Mediterranean (circa Hellenistic Greece) tweaked with middle-ages weaponry. The story's foundation and plot move smoothly, and yet the climax and subsequent resolution feels disappointingly rushed. Despite this, it's a refreshing adventure that centers overall human connection rather than specific romantic relationships. The ethnically diverse cast is led by Eratia native Karis and teddy-bear automaton Alix as the book's narrators. Karis is ace and other LGBTQ+ characters are introduced throughout. VERDICT This Full Metal Alchemist meets Ancient Greece story is for readers seeking a unique twist in the fantasy genre.-Emily Walker, Lisle Lib. Dist., IL

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2020
Grades 8-11 Since being forced to be an acolyte for the rune scholars on Eratia seven years ago, all Karis has wanted to do is escape to find her brother, Matthias. She gets the chance when she awakens Alix, an automaton unlike any other on the island; he is human-sized instead of giant, he's gentle, and--most stunning of all--he is alive and sentient. Asleep for two centuries, Alix doesn't remember why he was created, but the Scriptmasters want to harness his magic. With Karis' friend Dane, Alix and Karis flee Eratia to find Matthias and uncover Alix's purpose. Victoria's dual point-of-view fantasy debut is rich with empathy and self-discovery, leading readers from Karis' quiet thoughts to Alix's actions, which, despite his being an automaton, are irrefutably human. It's rare to find a YA novel without some kind of romance component, but asexual Karis' journey is engrossing enough to drive the story forward. Though with automatons, rune magic, and even pirates at its helm, this standalone suffers from a lack of concentration, its redemption lies in the observations about the human condition and independence underscoring the plot.

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December 15, 2020
Karis and Alix join forces to flee the authoritarian Scriptorium. Unwilling acolyte Karis discovers Alix, a working automaton, the last of his kind left after Scriptmaster Theodis betrayed the Scriptorium over 200 years ago by initiating the Great Lapse that brought an end to the Scriptorium's supremacy. Chafing under the control of the Scriptorium, Karis makes a deal with Alix: They will escape together and Karis will find her missing brother, Matthias, who was sent away years ago for trying to protect her. There's only one snag--Theodis created Alix, but Alix remembers nothing of the master's betrayal. The narrative examines what it is like to have your personhood denied, both through the perspective of Alix as an automaton and through those of the slaves of the Scriptorium. Bonds of friendship are tested again and again, and questions of betrayal and emotional distance are asked. The pacing remains tightly controlled, staying mostly steady with quick bursts of action and labyrinthine plot twists. Victoria creates an engaging narrative with enough fantasy and science fiction elements to satisfy fans of both genres. Karis is an aromantic asexual, and her relationship with Alix remains strictly platonic. The main cast is left racially ambiguous, and the world contains diversity in race, sexuality, and gender; Matthias has a visual impairment. A colorful fantasy with ancient Greek influences that is a delight to read. (map) (Fantasy. 13-17)

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