Rating: 
(74 reviews)
Author: Kristin Cashore
Publisher: Dial
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.
5 Comments
When an author’s second novel far surpasses her already critically acclaimed debut novel, you know there’s something special going on. Kristin Cashore is such an author, and FIRE is such a book. Not since Robin McKinley has an author written so convincingly of a politically charged fantasy world.
The protagonist, Fire, has the cursed gift of absolute beauty and attractiveness, and many times during the course of the book, she brings up the question, “How does gender factor into the reaction to beauty?” For Fire constantly encounters men who want to do unspeakable things to her at the very sight of her, while her equally attractive father had people falling at his feet, eager to do his bidding. Call it fantasy for sure, but FIRE contains a lot of gender politics that could make for interesting discussions, even in the classroom.
Kristin Cashore deftly unfolds Fire’s past into her present story, which helps readers slowly understand and appreciate her judgments. Even so, FIRE is an intensely emotional read, especially at the end. Its ability to affect me so strongly is one of the things I like best about it, though. The romance between Fire and Brigan is less developed than the one between Katsa and Po in GRACELING, but Kristin gives depth to all the characters, not simply the protagonist and her love interest, and I’d much rather have three-dimensionality in all my characters than in just the two main ones.
It’s difficult to say this for sure right now, but if you had to read only one hard fantasy YA book this year, FIRE just might be the one. Its blend of fantasy, romance, political intrigue, and feminism will appeal to all fantasy lovers, and then some.
Fire is a human monster who is so beautiful she causes men to literally lose control. With such a title character it is easy to see how “Fire” ended up considerably darker in tone, more erotic, and complex than Graceling. Whereas Graceling was full of action, adventure and straight forward romance, Fire is more about intrigue, politics, and ethics. As an adult, I really enjoyed this book. However I would have some serious qualms about recommending it to anyone other than older teens. My only reservation about the book was that i often found myself wanting more details, more information about characters and further expansion of some themes that were merely touched on. I think though, that the authors ability to tell such a great story without being bogged down with all of those details I was missing is what makes this a truly great young adult novel. This novel is a young adult construct with adult themes. A treat to read.
I loved this book and the characters in this book. Fire is a strong woman with a lot of heart. I will be suggesting this book to many other readers.
Fire will intrigue you, entice you, shock you, and enchant you. You really won’t be able to put this one down, because as soon as Cashore gives you a hint of what’s to come, something else happens that takes your entire being to the new situation. This is Cashore’s second novel, her first, Graceling, was utterly spellbinding as well, but Fire takes her writing skills to an entirely new level.
Fire, besides being the title, is the main character. She’s part human, part monster, and so lovely to look at that men and women either adore her or want to kill her. That’s a terribly large burden to bear, but when you add that to the fact that her father was a despicable human being (who was surprisingly capable of a few kindnesses) who helped to ruin the kingdom, you’ve got quite the story on your hands. Another aspect of Fire is that she scares people because she can look into their minds and read everything that’s there, and even force people to do things they may not want to. Because of her experiences with her father, Fire only wants to use her powers to fend off her would-be attackers and lovers. Unfortunately, the kingdom is on the brink of war and Fire must decide whether or not she can use her powers in a way she’s never desired to.
That’s the story in a nutshell, but I’m leaving out so many charming, fascinating, fun and despicable characters that I can hardly believe it. While it’s true the story is about Fire and her coming to terms with who she thinks she versus who she really is, the other characters will keep you guessing. For instance, what did Brocker do to earn the displeasure of the old king, Nax? Why did Fire’s father want to kill Brigan? Will Fire and Archer be able to remain friends? Who is the woman in Roen’s cottage?
Notes on the Cover:
I like that the cover is red, for fire, and that the bow and arrow are prominent. Although I immediately put Archer with the bow and arrow, they are also very important to Fire and who she is. I love that the face at the top only gives you the lips and chin and the hair hanging down that does look a bit like flames (not too much, don’t strain yourself!). I know that I generally despise covers with no faces or half faces, but this particular one works for me, and I think that’s due to the character of Fire, and I want to picture her how I see her, not how others do.
Having read and loved Graceling, Fire by Kristin Cashore had a lot to live up to. I should have known that it would exceed my expectations and then some, quite possibly trumping its predecessor.
Fire is the last remaining human monster living in a war torn kingdom called the Dells. Once filled with beauty and wealth, the Dells have fallen into ruin by the hands of her monster father, Cansrel and his human conduit, King Nax. Though both have been dead for several years, the kingdom remains in a vulnerable state, as neighboring kings are attempting to conquer the lands and steal the crown from young King Nash and his commander brother, Brigan.
As a monster, Fire has the ability to read and control minds; however, due to her fear of becoming the monster her father was, she has spent years denying her power and has attempted to disguise who she is to protect both herself and those around her. When Fire is attacked by a mindless poacher, Fire travels to Queen Roen in search of answers and aid, but a fateful meeting puts her in the direct path of the very two people she has tried her best to avoid, Nash and Brigan. Knowing all the power Fire posses and the potential that power could have in saving his kingdom, Nash calls on her to use her power for the greater good. But when does power become destructive? And who can tell when the lines have become blurred? What follows is a beautiful story about embracing who you are and conquering your fears.
I found Fire’s world to be well drawn, expertly woven and colorfully written. Each character is a delicious shade of gray, possessing both light and dark tendencies; much like we do in life and Cashore does a remarkable job of creating a realistic royal family in a fantastical setting. Fire was an extraordinarily heroine that I found very relatable in spite of her monster nature. A story of love and loss, hope and fear, forgiveness and passion, Fire provides a wondrous journey through a magical land that you won’t soon forget.