For a Muse of Fire (Shadow Players)

This book was very unique and kept me interested and reading. I did have some trouble understanding some of the terminology. The book needs a glossary and some more explanation of the world. I felt the world building was lacking at times, but I was completely pulled into the story and kept on the edge of my seat.

I've read Heidi Heilig's other works, and was desperately hungry for the release of this novel. Heilig writes exciting fiction that draws you into emotional attachment to the supporting cast as well as the protagonist, and makes for well crafted antagonists that keep you guessing.In each of their books, Heilig has brought diversity, social stratification, and alliance building into focus. Characters see their past charted realistically and with fulfilling depth, and no character is thrown aside as one note for the sake of simplicity or a joke. Villians exist beyond the scope of their evil plots, and have motives that are reasonable. Each protagonist across books express a struggle with in-betweeness of cultures/lifestyles they want to and have to inhabit. Powers and talents mirror the liminality in such a satisfying way, showing such creativeness. Anything Heilig writes that feels formulaic isn't lazy or dull, it is perfected craft and care for appealing to the reader.My favorite thing about their writing is how fresh the climaxes feel. I find myself thrown by how much has built up over the course of the story and slightly anxious about how the ending will resolve in the fifty odd pages left. Each book has proven Heilig knows what they are doing, and the conclusions are deeply satisfying.I recommend this book wholeheartedly! I don't know if it is planned to be part of a series or not (need to up my fan level) but I feel it sufficiently stands alone while also could happily be book one of ten.

I loved FOR A MUSE OF FIRE, esp because Jetta the main character is so messy, and flawed, and makes bad decisions in the moment. She feels slightly dangerous in the way I was when I was a teenager. I thought what I was doing was right a lot of the time, but I did things in the moment that were such bad choices. Jetta does the same, using her blood magic to trap souls in her shadow puppets, and exposing herself and family to incredible dangers. I also love that her queerness is up front right along with being bipolar.Long story short, we have a colonizing army/ a theater troupe trying to escape a war/ a diverse cast you just want to hang out with / a refugee crisis that is such a reflection of our own world / a rebellion against the colonizers / love/ family/ blood magic!!!And I love that she lives in this rich world, and we get to visit this world. I love that Heilig doesn't shy away from showing us the real world, and makes real political stands, and it's all in service to an incredible story. I really liked her first two time travel stories in The Girl From Everywhere, but FOR A MUSE OF FIRE is such a leap in craft, and world building, and storytelling. I really love this book.

This book absolutely blew me away. From the beautiful writing style to the three-dimensional characters, this book has definitely become one of my all-time favorites. I went into this book with high expectations, and was not disappointed.The book is written in a multi-media style, so there are portions of it written in play style and portions of it written in standard style, as well as having telegraphs, letters, and sheet music interspersed in between.Although a I love this book, I did find the first few chapters a bit confusing, as I was not familiar with this world. I went back and reread the first five chapters before moving on, and was pretty much fine for the rest of the time.One of my favorite things about the book was that there were no sexual scenes in it. I absolutely HATE that in books! I will drop any book even if I think there will be one in it. For a Muse Of Fire even has “content notes” in the beginning, so you know exactly what you are getting into. There is nothing at all bad in my opinion in there.Overall, this is a stellar book, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Heidi Heilig is a viruosic writer who can tug at feelings as deftly as her heroine, Jetta, tugs at her shadow puppets. Not in a cheap way, but with depth that will leave you thinking about the story for weeks to come.This was true with THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE and the SHIP BEYOND TIME; it's as true--even truer--with FOR A MUSE OF FIRE. Heilig writes an elegant first person narrator while drawing point of view from other characters via script and stage directions, letters, and even music. Legitimate songs, with musical notation, that makes me itch to get out my flute. (I will, too!!) And she handles it all elegantly, seamlessly. It all adds to the feeling of being immersed in an existing world.And of course, most importantly--complex characters that catapult their way through a story that is not only gorgeously written and deeply moving, but un-put-down-able. Jetta is absolutely arresting.Honestly, I don't know how she does it. I'll preorder Heidi Heilig's books whenever I can, forever.

Did not realize book was not directly about Hawaii. Not really into fantasy themes.

Heidi has done it again. Once again I found myself lost in the pages of her book. I turned the last page and found myself craving book 2. Not only did For a Muse of Fire catch my attention from the first pages, it kept me interested through to the very last sentence. The use of dialog and music interspersed throughout the book was a fun way to break up the reading. Do yourself a favor and read this book!

I have read a lot of fantasy, but a story with a protagonist with mental health issues similar to my own was something I never dreamed of reading. Though I suffer from different ones, the writing struck me in a way no other fantasy has. THANK YOU HEIDI!!

If you don’t read this book we can’t be friends. And I’m a top shelf friend. I take friends out for French toasts and stuff. Sushi, even. And we talk about For A Muse Of Fire, our mouths full of sushi, or French Toast, but not both. Let’s keep this clean. The book is thrilling and beautiful and smart and inclusive and emphatic and I loved it. It’s your turn to.