Review by Booklist Review
Curtis' latest (after Floating Hotel, 2024) begins with a second-person chapter that breaks the fourth wall, commanding the reader to pay attention. That said, readers will want to pay attention to this fantastical two-woman road trip, inspired by the fall of Rome. Aleya Ana-Ulai is desperate for a chance; in her family's eyes, she has been labeled as a mistake. Meanwhile, Kirby is trying to redeem herself after a curse ruined her life. The road is full of twists, sword fights, and expectations of what Aleya and Kirby will find in Nivela, the sleeping city at the center of this world. Curtis excels at keeping the well-developed characters interesting, and the plot that surrounds them, though it gets off to a slow start, eventually moves at a fast clip. Idolfire is cinematic, with two points-of-view presented simultaneously, giving a unique view of this intriguing world. The slow-burn romance that is budding between Aleya and Kirby also adds depth to this fascinating read.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
An unlikely trio embarks on an epic journey in this captivating fantasy from Curtis (The Floating Hotel). After Kirby's modest vision of a comfortable future is shattered by disease and destruction, she sets out from her dying village to reclaim the local goddess's idol from Nivela, the distant seat of the now defunct conquering empire. Meanwhile, cosmopolitan Aleya has been a thorn in her royal family's side her whole life and now they're carting her off to Nivela, where she hopes to prove her worth. The path of Nylophon of Carthe, a young mercenary commander, collides and intertwines with Kirby's and Aleya's by pure chance. Acquaintances become lovers and enemies become companions as the three grapple their way across a magically infused analogue of the Late Roman Empire. This fantastical travelogue provides the ideal showcase for the nuanced world Curtis builds, and the characters are appealing, if archetypical. Most striking is the magic system, in which power is wrought from objects that are foci of strong belief. Readers looking for a sure-handed, page-turning historical saga will be thoroughly sucked in. Agent: Zoe Plant, Bent Agency. (Mar.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
In the latest from Curtis (Floating Hotel), two quests merge as Kirby of Wall's End and Aleya of Ash escape death together after separate betrayals. From the opposite ends of a dead, formerly world-spanning empire, they have taken oaths to invade the old empire's capital to take back what was stolen from their respective people. This is a story about the journey, not the destination. Kirby and Aleya, reluctant allies at best who are disrespectful of each other's origins, motives, and opinions, forge a bond of friendship that slowly but inexorably turns into a love that they know will end in tears because they've pledged to return to their own corners of the world. VERDICT The slow burn of the sapphic romance and the inch-by-inch growth of a relationship from contempt to reliance to love make this a story to savor, while the epic walking tour of the dead empire blends ancient history with fantasy in ways that will remind readers of Guy Gavriel Kay's epic historical fantasy. Highly recommended for epic romantasy and historical fantasy fans who love a slow burn and the bitterest of bittersweet endings.--Marlene Harris
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