Flicker to Fire (Crimson Sash Book 3) by Amanda Marin – Review by Francis O’Sullivan

Flicker to Fire by Amanda Marin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Flicker to Fire is the exciting conclusion of Amanda Marin’s Crimson Sash trilogy. I’ve somehow ended up binging the series in a day and a half because I just couldn’t put it down, and whenever I finished a book I HAD to know what happened next. Seriously good.
Crimson Sash is a dystopian YA series which follows Neve Hall and Micah Ward, whose love for each other is forbidden by the strict rules of the Nation they both come from. Their feelings for each other, and the painful consequences of their relationship, have helped them to see the deeper flaws in the Nation and how it is run, and they can’t let things continue as they are.
In Flicker to Fire, Neve and Micah work within Sans Murs, an activist movement fighting for freedom of movement between the Nation and the New Republic, and seeking to put an end to the human rights violations in the Nation. The focus on Sans Murs allows for an interesting exploration of activism, with characters conflicting on the best methods to achieve their goals, and balancing protecting individuals and fighting larger-scale issues.
This book is full of twists – it really kept me on the edge of my seat. I remember noticing I was getting near the end and thinking I knew how things would wrap up – I was very wrong!
I’ve really enjoyed this whole series, and this is another five stars from me! I’d definitely recommend reading the books in order (starting with North to Nara) – you’ll get a lot more context that way as well as a chance to build a connection with the characters. I’d recommend this to teen and YA readers who are concerned about social issues – Marin uses speculative fiction to shine a light on many issues and explore some “what if?”s, as well as showing many aspects of activism with relatable and inspiring characters.

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