Book Review: Torch by R.J. Anderson

 Following on from a lengthy hiatus (oops), I come to you with a review of my long-anticipated release of Book 3 of the Flight and Flame Trilogy, Torch by R.J. Anderson. Torch is published by Enclave Publishing and will be released 9 February 2021. The first book Swift, and its sequel Nomad were republished by Enclave this year and are currently available to purchase.

Thank you to Enclave for providing me with an eARC of Torch in exchange for an honest review.

There are books from your childhood that stay with you for the rest of your life. That was definitely the way with the Faery Rebels series by RJ Anderson (previously published by Orchard Books, re-released this year by Enclave Publishing). Much to my teenage excitement, I named a pug in one of the books via Twitter (Isadora, by the way), and then met Rebecca when she came on book tour to the UK.

Not only did these books come into my life at a time when I was really struggling at school, but they are also just a brilliantly written Teen/YA series. I was so delighted when I came across Swift (Book 1 of the Flight and Flame Trilogy) in a bookshop whilst I was at University, and even more delighted when it was followed up with Nomad.

Whilst we’ve had to wait a while for Torch to find a home and be published, I couldn’t be happier with how the story has turned out. Anderson takes this complex world of Faerys, Piskeys and Spriggans that she’s drawn from English, Welsh and Cornish lore, and really delves into the different dynamics between groups of people who live with prejudice among them, how power can be used for good or bad, and what it means to grieve and heal.

Torch follows on from Nomad, so I won’t give any spoilers for the entire series in case you want to dive in for yourself. The book ties up the story in such a satisfying way, in my opinion, and I think you can really see how much love Anderson has poured into it.

Once aspect I particularly enjoy is the folklore it’s grounded in – each of the mythical creatures have their own distinct magic, lore, prejudices, and ways of living. The politics and power-plays that happen within and between these communities are so great to read, and I love how there were cameos from some well-known faces from her other books!

These books, I feel, have grown with their readership – Torch truly dives into what it means to become an adult, a leader, and someone who has to make decisions with responsibility. Anderson explores love in a very tender and warm way, and whilst Torch isn’t a romance, I enjoyed seeing Ivy juggle growing up with all the messy feelings that come with it.

This is a brilliant series, and I’m delighted that Anderson was able to finish up the Trilogy - 5 stars!