| View Larger Image | Fire (Graceling) | Hardcoverby Kristin Cashore (Author)
| List Price: | $17.99 | | Price: | $10.52 | | You Save: | $7.47 (42%) | | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
| | Binding: | Hardcover | | Publisher: | Dial | | Edition: | First Editionth Edition | | Page Count: | 480 Pages | | Publication Date: | October 05, 2009 | | Sales Rank: | 416th |
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FEATURES | - ISBN13: 9780803734616
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
She is the last of her kind... It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City, the young King Nash is clinging to the throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. War is coming. And the mountains and forest are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her. Exquisitely romantic, this companion to the highly praised Graceling has an entirely new cast of characters, save for one person who plays a pivotal role in both books. You don't need to have read Graceling to love Fire. But if you haven't, you'll be dying to read it next. |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 65 reviews)
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Such a different book from Graceling by Paul O'Connor (Minneapolis, MN)  4 Stars
November 29, 2009
After reading "Fire", I will never let anybody say that Kristen Cashore is not an ambitious or talented writer. Although this book is supposed to be a prequel to "Graceling," it has so little in common with "Graceling" that it really should be considered a totally different book in a totally different world.
Others have attempted to describe this story but they have failed badly. "Graceling" was about survival against all odds, this is a familiar type of story for most fantasy readers and it was easy for us to fall in love with it.
"Fire" is about wounds, both emotional and physical, and how people deal with them. This is a highly unusual and demanding story both for the writer and the reader. Cashore handles the subject with impressive grace and wit but perhaps drives the characters (and the readers) too far which explains most of the negative comments. Many reviewers, for example, comment on excessive sex in the story, excessive sex is just one of the many ways that people wound themselves and each other and so it is altogether appropriate to this story.
I was equally impressed by the size and depth of both the story and the required body of knowledge to support it. For example, she is required to write knowledgeably and entertainingly about:
- The why's and wherefore's of military organization and logistics (keeping this entertaining can be a particular challenge)
- The true nature of horse love (lots of drool is frequently involved)
- The strengths and weaknesses of the human spirit (a topic so broad that many authors spend the rest of their lives trapped in it)
- The politics and tactics of civil war in a medieval society (always entertaining, rarely pleasant)
There were some unexplained plot holes (such as why monsters prefer to eat each other) that weakened the story but overall this book is an amazing accomplishment and I'm impressed with the talent and audacity of the author in even attempting to tell such a story, much less get it published.
In summation, I was deeply impressed by "Fire" but it was just too hard and painful a story to read to earn a 5 star rating. However I still look forward to her next story with great anticipation.
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If this had been released first, I never would've read Graceling. by Loshman  2 Stars
November 24, 2009
Fire was an incredible disappointment after Graceling, a favorite of mine. Graceling had exciting action throughout with fascinating characters, but Fire mostly takes place in the main character's head with all the internal conflicts she suffers. The characters in Fire weren't nearly as dynamic as those in Graceling, therefore, it took me forever to slog through it. I zipped through Graceling and was so sad when it ended but Fire was a chore. Before I was done, my husband (who also read both books) asked me what part I was up to. I told him that I was up to the battle portion, and he basically said, "Oh, well, you're nearly finished." I looked at what was left and thought, "Ugh. I have about 60 pages to go! How much longer will I have to suffer?"
No, I didn't like this book and feel badly that I recommended it to some of my students before reading it myself. Several students, who finished before I did, said the same thing. They were bored with the book except for the areas that had Leck. Now, when I see one of my students reading Graceling, I make sure to tell them that Fire isn't at all on the same level. They'd go right out and buy what I suggest, but I don't think they should waste their money. If they want to read it, they may borrow my copy.
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Monsters aren't so graced... by DelusionalAngel (USA) 4 Stars
November 23, 2009
I'd finished Graceling the same day that I had started Fire. So I jumped right into this. And yes, we meet a young Graceling, first thing. However, this book isn't really about Gracelings. The review blurbs peg it as a prequel to Graceling. Time wise this may be true. It would almost be more true to say that while written first, Graceling is a spin-off of this story.
In this story, the Graceling is almost irrelevant. At the times he makes his appearances, he seems pivotal to the story, but truth be told, this story could be told without him. It's more a story of a land of monsters. A land where a Graceling fell through a mountain and made cameo appearances.
Fire is the main focus in this story. She's half human, half monster -- literally, her father was a monster. Being what she is, causes her to be so beautiful that everyone is drawn to her. Monsters want to eat her. Humans just want her. Her flame red hair is something she hides, as it amplifies this effect. She attempts to cover her body. But nothing she does can truly hide who she is, they all know. She's essentially alone, despite everyone knowing her, as she's the last human-monster being in existence. Her parents dead. All she has is her best friend Archer and his father, who helped to raise her. And her music.
And then one day, she's called away to help the Dells, the land of her mother, the land which her father nearly destroyed. Fire, she has the power to get into people's minds. The royal family in the Dells fear a war is brewing and they need Fire to get into the minds of prisoners, for they want to try to get insider information.
Fire has trouble with this, not wanting to become a controlling, manipulative monster as her father had been. But could she do this? Make up for what he once did to them? Show their prince (whom she's started to fall for) that she's not her father? Help him save his land? Save her new friends? Or does she just let the war happen naturally? She'll have to decide, before it's too late.
Fire was a good novel, but because I had Graceling so fresh in my mind, I can't help but compare the two. For me Graceling was 5/5. I think I'd recommend reading Fire first. It technically being a prequel. It's the weaker story. 4/5. It's good, just not as good as Graceling.
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Definitely better than Graceling by Gloria K. Lerstad  5 Stars
November 23, 2009
After reading Graceling, I had set very low standards for Fire. I figured that Fire would just be another annoying version of Katsa, either too flawed and overly sensitive about what others think of her, or too strong-willed and determined to follow nobody but herself, like Katsa. However, I was genuinely pleased and surprised to find that Fire was filled with a srong, central plot, and that the main character was likable, easy to connect to, and had a decent motivation for all of her internal self-questioning and revelations.
I was very disappointed with Graceling, as I felt that Katsa was almost too independent, and I found the whole "marriage control" issue to be ridiculous. As a result, I almost didn't buy Fire, but now I am extremely pleased that I did. I find myself wishing that the series followed Fire and Brigan, not Katsa and Po (although Po is a likable character, but he should find someone else). Fire does a good job of bringing the "prequel" aspect back into our minds every now and then. Starting off with a short glimpse of the first ten years or so of Immiker's (Leck's) life, the story gradually fills in the rest for you. It makes you realize that the stories Leck tells to the Monsean king and queen in Graceling are not just stories.
Overall, I think Fire is a wonderful piece of art. With complex characters, secrets being revealed at every corner, suspense, and excitement, Fire leaves you wanting more. Cashore's reasons for Fire's insecurity are plausible and understandable. Cashore springs surprises on you that make you wonder how you could have missed the obvious, when she leaves such subtle hints that seem blatant when you flip back.
*SLIGHT SPOILERS* I have only a few small complaints. First of all, the issue of Archer vs. Brigan is rather annoying, since Fire will obviously end up with Brigan, and Archer is an unfaithful pig. I honestly don't know how Fire wasn't furious over the whole multiple women and pregnancies thing, because it kind of ticked me off that he could be so careless and disgusting and not be smacked for it. Secondly, the climax seemed to be more about the death, (I won't say whose) than the actual war, which it kind of skips over. Then again, it is a love story, not an action/war thriller.
I would not suggest this book for anything less than a young adult range of readers, as it has some scenes where rape is lightly brought up, but never actually occurs, as Fire tends to bring out the worst emotions in men. It also brings up the subject of a woman's period quite often. There are only a few actual sex scenes between Fire and her old and new beloveds, and the book never gives any description at all. However, Fire does have an alarming amount of unfaithfulness in the current and former generations of Dellians, and it is ridiculous the amount of times some important characters' parentage is reassigned in the book. I felt the former generation did a bit too much sleeping around; it was unnecessary and only added to the complexity of keeping family trees straight. Apparently, marriage means little in the Dells except an excuse to do your cheating in secret, rather than blatantly sleeping with everyone in the city.
As a teenager having suffered through endless Twilight imitations, Fire brought a new twist to the magical/romance genre, making a nice change from werewolves and vampires to human and animal monsters. Fresh and original.
I would highly recommend Fire to any young adult reader looking for a new story. While Fire may deal with some delicate subjects, it deals with them gracefully and gets back to the story. It has believable characters, a strong setting, and a focused plot. Fire is a fabulous story, and I would recommend it to anybody looking for a great read.
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Love it! Re-reading it already! by C. Chang (No. VA, USA) 5 Stars
November 20, 2009
I love the fantasy genre especially with a strong female heroine (grew up reading Robin McKinley books) so Kristen's books are right up my alley. I wasn't sure if I loved the ending of Kristin's first book, Graceling but I liked it very much nonetheless. And then I read Fire.... Fire, in my opinion, is even better than Graceling. This book has the just the right mix of romance, action, character development, plot twists, etc. I love how all the plot lines, mysteries, and characters come together in the end. The flashbacks are interwoven into the story very naturally and build up to an important surprise. The heroine's fondness for music, animals and children add to the beauty of the writing, which has just the right touch of humor too. I agree with the reviews that say that Kristin has matured so much as a writer even just between her first and second books. Finally, I love how the characters in Fire contemplate tough philosophical questions and grow and learn as they have make very hard decisions. Reading Kristin's book is not only an pleasurable escape to another world, but also a chance to explore serious themes, such as respect/equality for women, the fine line between proper and improper use of power, growing up in the shadow of ones parents, and the many facets of love - familial, romantic, friendship, innocent first love, a child's love, respect/devotion.
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