It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. The young King Nash clings to his throne while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. The mountains and forests are filled with spies and thieves and lawless men.
This is where Fire lives. With a wild, irresistible appearance and hair the color of flame, Fire is the last remaining human monster. Equally hated and adored, she had the unique ability to control minds, but she guards her power, unwilling to steal the secrets of innocent people. Especially when she has so many of her own.
Then Prince Brigan comes to bring her to King City, The royal family needs her help to uncover the plot against the king. Far away from home, Fire begins to realize there’s more to her power than she ever dreamed. Her power could save the kingdom.
If only she weren’t afraid of becoming the monster her father was.
Title : Fire
Author : Kristin Cashore
Series : Graceling Realm (book two)
Format : eBook (overdrive)
Page Count : 480
Genre : YA fantasy
Publisher : Dial Books
Release Date : October 5, 2009
Reviewer : Hollis / Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★ ★ / ★ ★ ★ ★.5
Hollis’ 4 star review
This was quite a different experience for me for this reread. Initially I had a really hard time connecting to this story, the worldbuilding, the characters even a little (though they were easier to lose myself in), and I don’t really know why. True, this is part of the Graceling Realm but it’s a totally different part of that world and while we do have a character from book one present, though in a very different state and from a different time, it’s night and day compared to what we knew of this world from reading book one. So just bear that in mind. Likely you won’t have my issues, and I still don’t truly understand them, but I was definitely worried for a while this would be a total miss for me.
It wasn’t.
This book, even some of the themes, and certainly the events, differ so much it’s definitely it’s own animal. I have no sense of memory as to whether anything from this book will be relevant in book three (my memory, she bad), so it’s almost better to treat this as less of a prequel and more of a companion. Which most people likely do anyway. But enough rambling.
I really did come to love this story, and especially the characters, once I’d regained my footing. In fact this made me cry, or tear and choke up, at least a few times. Hormones could be blamed but I think it was just also the writing, the moment, and how I’d come to appreciate this complicated layered personalities.
While Graceling featured a protagonist who had done things that made her feel monstrous, this time we really do have a monster of a protagonist. And if that doesn’t hook you into picking this book up, what will!
Cashore’s writing was vivid and lovely, descriptive and occasionally devastating, and layered with all sorts of interesting.. well, layers. Also, once again, full on repping the normalize talk of periods and what a body undergoes. It had a pretty relevant reason for being talked about to the extent it did, too, and I loved how she worked that in.
But anyway. Read this series. So far this revisit is going really really well and I’m excited to read the third book which I do remember not liking as much, or very much at all, but honestly.. that’s all I remember. So we shall see.
Micky’s 4.5 star review
4.5 stars
Fire swept me up immediately in this Graceling Realm tale. I had stupidly thought this would be a continuation of Katsa and Po but this was a totally different land and cast of characters from the world. Gracelings were a minor but important feature.
The story was set in the time of Leck’s childhood (nausea brewing) and you need a steally stomach for elements of this especially pertaining to animals. Talking of which, I adored Small in no small way. Fire and Small’s connection was just lovely. Fire’s character was a slow revealing throughout the story, she became more as she revealed more of herself to others. I had a really vivid picture of her in my head. The whole premise to Fire’s attraction was fascinating and difficult for her to live with; I enjoyed that whole story arc.
There was a delicious slow burn romance in the background that was founded on hate. Fire and Brigan had such a believable connection spurned on tragedy, trust and mistrust and family. There were side characters for days that made this read as colourful as Fire’s hair. I found Nash annoying then hilarous, Hanna was sweet, Clara forthright and Fire’s guard were fantastic.
This really was an addictive read, I wanted to devour it and thought of it when I wasn’t reading. If you’ve not read this series, put it on your planning for this year.
A Take from Two Cities 