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Spirit of Fire (Fires of Eden #3)

by Stephen Zimmer (Goodreads Author)

4.67 of 5 stars 4.67 · rating details · 9 ratings · 5 reviews

Deep Within Everyone, There is a Spirit of Fire...

A maelstrom of war engulfs lands resisting the designs of the Unifier to bring about a new order, of a kind that has never existed within Ave. Battered by a massive invasion force from Gallea, the tribal people of the Five Realms and their Midragardan allies are being driven eastward, towards the sea, while the Saxan lines...more

Kindle Edition, 772 pages

Published May 30th 2012 by Seventh Star Press (first published May 29th 2012)

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Nov 29, 2012 Ryan Thomason rated it 5 of 5 stars

’ve said this before of the first two books that I’ve read in this series, and I’ll say it again, Stephen Zimmer belongs as a top tier Epic Fantasy writer. I’ve been reading fantasy my whole life, few stories build worlds that are very complex and yet you can grasp it all without having to consort with the Appendix. The world of Ave is dynamic in its inhabitants, from The Elder Dragons (the first creations that are essentially Immortals) to Wizards (actually a race more than profession) to the T...more ’ve said this before of the first two books that I’ve read in this series, and I’ll say it again, Stephen Zimmer belongs as a top tier Epic Fantasy writer. I’ve been reading fantasy my whole life, few stories build worlds that are very complex and yet you can grasp it all without having to consort with the Appendix. The world of Ave is dynamic in its inhabitants, from The Elder Dragons (the first creations that are essentially Immortals) to Wizards (actually a race more than profession) to the Trogans (big, muscular doglike warriors) to humans, little rat people, giant monstrosities, and an underground race with nearly stone hide. What is amazing, that even in the world of fantasy that has built so many creatures, Stephen manages to keep things fresh and sometimes leave you absorbed in the pages as he describes the new monstrosities that the Unifier (the main baddie) unleashes upon the only three kingdoms that didn’t bend a knee to his will.

You’d think that after three books, the good guys might catch a break, well, they kind of do at the very end of Spirit of Fire but really it’s a “Well at least they didn’t ALL die.” The story still swirls around the central line, The Unifier is a bad, bad dude. Most of the world is under his control as he uses his dark powers established in the earlier books as the chosen one of The Lord of Fire, who wants to bring about the Sundering and turn Ave into another pit of Hell, then bring down the gates of the All-Father, the symbol of good and light in the dark world. Though the Unifier twists and manipulates even those who think he is good to evil deeds. I love the inhabitants that get a POV in this story, Gunther, Mershad, and Dragol are still my favorites. Though, it seems the otherworlders, the 12 people who came from our world are proving more to be near useless. Though, when you think about it, if you all of a sudden found yourself in a Medieval world, with hundreds of exotic and dangerous monstrosities that could eat you up in a second, you’d probably find your worth to the natural people very low. We find out what role they have to play, I don’t want to spoil that for you, but I can’t help but feel like even though they are a big part of prophecy, it’s more like they’re just waiting to get pushed in the right direction. I’m wondering if Stephen is ever going to have the otherworlders dabble with trying to bring their advanced knowledge and use of our modern technologies to the world of Ave. Where I guess making boom sticks might be out of the question, I’d love it if the people started showing some more resourcefulness.

Spirit of Fire keeps building a truly unique story that fills my head with crazy dreams as I did some light reading before bed for the past few months. I only wish I could’ve found more time to have been able to read it faster. Stephen manages to build a world that is vivid and as you read the words unfolding before you, his ability to do what a writer should do best, paint a picture with words in your brain is unparalleled. I had a choice between reading this first or George RR Martins “A Dance with Dragons” I chose Spirit of Fire, and I’m not disappointed with my decision.(less)

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Jun 17, 2012 Daniel Cann rated it 4 of 5 stars

The third entry in the Fires in Eden series finds the otherworlders becoming increasingly involved with the struggle for Ave. We, the reader also learn much more about the geography, history and mythology of Ave.

What I particularly enjoyed about this one is that we are finally moving into a faster gear. The story flows much better; there are still some overly long and unnecessary descriptions: for example what characters are wearing, which I feel slows things down and another pet peeve is the wo...more The third entry in the Fires in Eden series finds the otherworlders becoming increasingly involved with the struggle for Ave. We, the reader also learn much more about the geography, history and mythology of Ave.

What I particularly enjoyed about this one is that we are finally moving into a faster gear. The story flows much better; there are still some overly long and unnecessary descriptions: for example what characters are wearing, which I feel slows things down and another pet peeve is the word ‘timbre’ gets repeated far too much for my liking. But in a novel this epic to have just two (minor) criticisms is no mean feat.

This feels like a more assured novel and I enjoyed picking up the strands of where we last left characters like Dragol, the Wanderer, the otherworlders and the Saxans.

It was a welcome relief to read about new characters as well like the young boy Thomas, a native of the city of Avalos and the son of a weaver. Zimmer is particularly adept at showing the impact of the war on the ‘little people’ of his world rather than just focusing on the generals and their armies. This makes the reader have far more empathy for the inhabitants of this previously peaceful world.

We see people farming, fishing and building and generally enjoying a free and peaceful existence, however, thanks to the Unifer, who we learn is merely the spearhead of something much bigger this existence is under terrible threat.

Crucially we finally get to learn more about the Unifier. As I previously suspected he is not all that he initially seems. Outwardly courteous and charming he is in fact malevolent and hiding very sinister designs. After reading this novel you will be left in no doubt about his true motives.

There are many other characters like Brynhild and some Grand Council members who make brief appearances here but are sure to feature heavily in later instalments.

So, the foundation was laid with the first book, the second saw more development and this third one finally sees things moving much faster. You sense the desperation and anxiety of everyone. There are some harrowing scenes where innocents get caught up in the war. There are also uplifting and unexpected moments as well, so it’s not all doom and gloom.

Ultimately, this is the strongest entry in the series so far and if Zimmer can learn to trust his audiences to fill in the gaps and use their imaginations more often, he will produce much tauter, sharper and streamlined adventures. This is another highly engaging and entertaining epic and you can see the upward trajectory of the series in terms of quality. The only sad thing is I have a twelve month wait for the fourth one!
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Jun 20, 2012 edifanob rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-books, 2012-reads

This is the third book in a series and I'm afraid you need to read the two previous books in case you want a full understanding.

Of course I compare this book with the two previous ones:
Book one Crown of Vengeance five stars
Book two Dream of Legends four stars

The difference between book two and three is an appendix which contains a list of characters and a map. But that did not influence my final rating of four stars.

Spirit of Fire is the expected, well executed and highly entertaining, strong ad...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Shan Winslow rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you have read and enjoyed the other books in this series, then you will most definitely enjoy this one, as well. Mr. Zimmer continues taking the reader on an epic journey and expands the reader's knowledge of the world of Ave. Furthermore, the reader is taken into the minds of many new and exciting characters, such as the villainous Unifier. If you thought you had this enigmatic character figured out, then think again.

This story takes place right after the events of the previous installment a...more

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Nov 09, 2012 Robin Blankenship rated it 4 of 5 stars

This series is amazing. It just keeps getting better and better. I love the characters, The adventure all around great read.

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Mar 14, 2013 Stephanie marked it as to-read

Mar 07, 2013 Jennifer marked it as to-read

Feb 22, 2013 Tandy marked it as to-read

Feb 14, 2013 Kim Justice marked it as to-read

Feb 21, 2013 Violet O rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: delete

Apr 12, 2013 Alis Bookshelf rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: upcoming-reviews

Dec 09, 2012 Wendy marked it as to-read

Nov 14, 2012 Jennifer marked it as to-read

Oct 30, 2012 Michael West rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jul 18, 2012 Daniel marked it as to-read

Jul 18, 2012 Èmina marked it as to-read

Jul 12, 2012 Andrew rated it 5 of 5 stars

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About Stephen Zimmer

Born in Denver Colorado in 1974, Stephen Zimmer is an author and filmmaker currently residing in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Exodus Gate, the first book in the Rising Dawn Saga, was Stephen's debut novel, published through Seventh Star Press.

Stephen's independent films as a writer/director include the indie feature Shadows Light (Modern Fantasy/Supernatural Thriller) and the horror short film The Sir...more

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Books by Stephen Zimmer

The Storm Guardians (The Rising Dawn Saga, #2)

The Seventh Throne (The Rising Dawn Saga, #3)

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“He may be in for a rough morning then," Derek remarked, chuckling.” — 1 person liked it

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Spirit of Fire (Fires of Eden #3)

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